Mark Wilson/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump will appear for a campaign rally in Topeka Saturday after the Senate voted to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Trump supporters, who waited for hours to enter the Kansas Expocentre for the presidents campaign rally just weeks before the midterm elections, broke into cheers when the vote was called in Washington, D.C., chanting Kavanaugh! over the opera music of Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli playing on the arena sound system. Kavanaugh was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts Saturday evening. Trump reveled in the victory on Air Force One after the vote. "Were very happy about it. Great decision. I very much appreciate those 50 votes, and I think hes going to go down as a totally brilliant Supreme Court Justice for many years, many years," he said to reporters traveling on Air Force One. Kavanaugh, who was confirmed by a razor-thin margin in a 50-48 vote, battled several allegations of sexual assault that emerged after his nomination, including from Christine Blasey Ford. The college professor told the Senate Judiciary Committee she was 100 percent certain that Kavanaugh tried to sexually assault her at a high school party in 1982. Kavanaugh denied the charges in his own testimony before the committee. Trump, who mocked Ford's testimony at a rally in Mississippi on Tuesday, said he believed his comments "had a great impact" on the confirmation. Teresa McGuire, 59, a rally attendee from Lawrence, Kansas, said "more should come forward if something happened to them" following the fight over Kavanaugh's nomination, but said she was skeptical of Ford's claims. "I think its unfair to people who have actually been abused, raped and molested, for her to come forward and say that she was when maybe she wasnt, and all those people that have, its just a mockery," she said. "Something might have happened to her, yes, and I pray it didnt." Saturday's confirmation was delayed last week after Sens. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, and Chris Coons, D-Delaware, led an effort to request an additional FBI background check into the allegations. Republican and Democratic strategists expect Kavanaughs nomination to galvanize their voters ahead of the midterm elections. Democrats are favored to win back the House and are competing in dozens of congressional districts, including two in Kansas, in their effort to flip at least 23 seats for the majority. Steve Watkins, the Republican nominee in Kansass second district, was on hand for the rally. He is accused of embellishing his biography, according to the Kansas City Star. Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-Kansas, planned to skip the event because of a previous commitment in his district, according to his campaign manager, CJ Grover. Democrats consider Yoder one of the most endangered Republicans in the House, and see a prime pickup opportunity in his suburban Kansas City district. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. During an official visit to Egypt, US first lady Melania Trump described the Pyramids of Giza as a "historical treasure," highlighting the importance of preserving historical sites, a statement by the White House said. In an official statement relayed by the US Embassy in Cairo on Sunday, the White House said that Mrs Trump visited a few of Egypts many cultural sites, including the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid of Giza one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. While there, she also received a briefing about USAIDs Water Table Reduction Project at the base of the Sphinx, according to the statement. It was a nice opportunity to see the pyramids in person, which are truly a historical treasure. We must always do our best to preserve such important historical sites, and I was so pleased to learn of the work that USAID has done to help with preservation efforts at the base of the Sphinx, she said. Ahead of her visit to the Giza Plateau, Mrs Trump was received by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and his spouse Entissar Amer El-Sisi, where the US first lady discussed her focus and goals of supporting children all over the world in order to ensure future generations have every opportunity to grow up and contribute to society in meaningful and positive ways. According to a statement by the Egyptian presidency on Saturday, El-Sisi expressed to Mrs Trump Egypts keenness on boosting the special strategic partnership between the two countries. El-Sisi praised the ongoing bilateral cooperation between the two countries, especially USAID funding projects in health, education and tourism in support of Egypts efforts in economic and social reform to achieve sustainable and comprehensive development. Before arriving in Egypt, Mrs Trump travelled to Kenya, Malawi and Ghana, where she focused on promoting her signature issue of advocating for children, with stops at a hospital, primary school, and an orphanage, Reuters reported. The US first lady's tour in Africa has been part of her BE BEST initiative, which focuses on improving the lives of children. BE BEST is a public awareness campaign focusing on the wellbeing of young people and advocating against cyber bullying and drug use, according to the BE BEST website. Search Keywords: Short link: The Way We Were: A look back at Lincoln Square Mall in Urbana through the years. Reporter Debra Pressey is a reporter covering health care at The News-Gazette. Her email is dpressey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@DLPressey). One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021 Egypt has sent a shipment of medical aid to the brothers of South Sudan through the Egyptian Agency for Partnership and Development (EAPD), the Egyptian foreign ministry said on Sunday. The shipment, sent out on 5 October, has been received by the South Sudanese health ministry. The Egyptian foreign ministry said that the aid is a reflection of Egypts firm belief in the historical bonds and shared destiny of the two countries peoples. The statement also highlighted Egypts keenness on supporting the health sector in South Sudan as one of the sectors most vital for development in the fellow African country. South Sudanese Health Minister Riek Gai Kok said that his country appreciates Egypts efforts in all sectors in his country, especially the health sector, as well as the role Egypt has played in supporting peace in South Sudan. Egypt says it will always exert efforts to help maintain safety and stability in the brotherly country, while reaffirming its commitment to offering assistance to development efforts in South Sudan. Last September, on the sidelines of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation 2018, Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi stressed to South Sudanese counterpart Salva Kiir Egypts support for the political roadmap drawn up in South Sudan last August. In August, Kiir and the head of the countrys main rebel group Riek Machar signed a final cease fire and power-sharing agreement. In 2011, South Sudan gained its independence from the Republic of the Sudan via referendum following several years of conflict, but civil war broke out two years later between the government led by Kiir and the rebel movement led by Machar. Search Keywords: Short link: advertisement Taxi Explodes at Liverpool Hospital UPDATED advertisement Cats May Have a More 'Profound Mind' Than We Thought in case you missed it An Unexpected New COVID Concern: Deer in case you missed it Eternals Survives Plunge box office Americans Might Have to Spend Like Europeans opinion advertisement Michigan Teen Ran a Dazzling Race. Then He Shouted in case you missed it advertisement Teacher's Jokey Quiz Question Under Investigation IN CASE YOU MISSED IT advertisement As Mom Grabs for Toddler, Both Fall 100 Feet IN CASE YOU MISSED IT advertisement advertisement (Newser) A lawsuit filed by the parents of a Pennsylvania boy who was accused of sexually assaulting two teen girls alleges the accusers and their friends conspired against the boy by falsifying the allegations. Per Trib Live, the suit filed in a Pittsburgh federal court claims the boy, identified as T.F., was the target of lies that led to false charges against him and his being bullied at Seneca Valley High School. Dubbing them "Mean Girls" in a play on the conniving characters of the book and film of the same name, the suit filed on behalf of T.F.'s parents alleges one teen girl first claimed he assaulted her in July 2017 while another claimed she witnessed it. Per PennLive, the suit says the accuser was later recorded by school officials as she explained that she made up the assault against T.F., saying "I just don't like him." story continues below While T.F. was charged in juvenile court, he was given a consent decree in which he admitted no fault while committing to checking in with the probation department for six months. In April, a second girl claimed T.F. entered her home and assaulted her after which two other girls supported her claim, the suit alleges, leading to his being hauled out of school in shackles and placed on home confinement pending a hearing. In May, the suit says three of the girls admitted they had lied to authorities. Prosecutors moved to dismiss charges against T.F. in August. His parents' lawsuit cites gender bias and asks for civil damages against the girls' parents, the school district, and the Butler County District Attorney's office. (Read more sexual assault stories.) (Newser) Missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi Arabian consulate in Turkey by a 15-member team dispatched by Riyadh specifically to murder him, two Turkish officials tell the Washington Post. "It was a preplanned murder," one says. A third backs up that account. "The initial assessment of the Turkish police is that Mr. Khashoggi has been killed at the consulate of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul," the official tells the AP. "We believe that the murder was premeditated and the body was subsequently moved out of the consulate." Khashoggi friend Turan Kislakci told the AP on Sunday that officials told him, "He was killed, make your funeral preparations. We called a few other places, these are lower officials, but they said: 'We have evidence he was killed in a barbaric way.'" Khashoggi was made to "faint," then dismembered, officials told him. story continues below Khashoggi, who wrote for the Post and often critically of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was at the consulate to complete paperwork so that he could marry his Turkish fiance. Saudi Arabia, which contends that Khashoggi left the consulate without incident, pushed back on the report, saying that an official at the consulate "expressed doubt that they came from Turkish officials that are informed of the investigation or are authorized to comment on the issue." (The Post earlier protested Khashoggi's disappearance by running a blank column in the space where his would have appeared.) (Newser) Under the gaze of Egypt's Great Sphynx of Giza, Melania Trump marked the end of her four-nation solo visit to Africa by taking questions ranging from the serious to the silly. With regard to the latter, when asked about her husband's prolific tweeting, she says, per the New York Times, "I dont always agree what he tweets, and I tell him that. I give him my honest opinion and honest advice. Sometimes he listens, sometimes he doesnt. I have my own voice and my opinions and its very important to me that I express how I feel." Asked if she ever tells the president to put the phone away, the Hill notes that she laughed and said "Yes!" Other highlights, also via USA Today: On Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation: "Im glad Dr. Ford was heard. Im glad Judge Kavanaugh was heard, that the FBI investigation was done. We need to help all of the victims no matter what kind of abuse they had. I am against any kind of abuse or violence." story continues below On the president's reported dismissal of some African nations as "shithole countries:" "Nobody (she met on her trip) discussed that with me and I never heard him saying those comments, that was an anonymous source and I will leave it with that." On a fuss being made over the pith helmeta symbol of British ruleshe wore in Kenya: She wishes people would "focus on what I do, not what I wear." Trump arrived back on American soil early Sunday. (See images of the first lady's trip here .) (Newser) The former Cleveland police officer who fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice has been hired by a police department in a small Ohio village, the AP reports. Bellaire's police chief, Richard Flanagan, confirmed Friday that he hired Timothy Loehmann as a part-time officer. "He was cleared of any and all wrongdoing," Flanagan tells the Times Leader. "He was never charged. It's over and done with." According to published reports, Loehmann, who is white, shot Tamir, who was black, two seconds after responding to a 2014 call about the boy carrying what turned out to be a pellet gun. story continues below A grand jury declined to indict Loehmann, who was fired last year after it was discovered he had been deemed "unfit for duty" on an earlier job. That happened in Independence, Ohio, where he was told in 2012 to quit or be fired after a deputy chief deemed him unable to follow directions, communicate, or execute proper handgun control. Loehmann chose to resign from the police force, per an old Guardian article. Loehmann also failed an exam by the Maple Heights, Ohio, police department in 2009. "Ms. Rice believes that Timothy Loehmann does not belong on any police force, anywhere, period," the Rice family attorney tells Cleveland 19. Bellaire is a village of about 4,000 along the Ohio River, more than 150 miles south of Cleveland. (Read more police shooting stories.) (Newser) The saga of missing Interpol chief Meng Hongwei continues as his wife reveals he sent her a text message consisting of just a single emoji: that of a knife. Per AFP, Grace Meng relayed the jarring information to a group of reporters in Lyon, France, where the global police agency is based. Meng gave her statement with her back turned to reporters in order to hide her face for fear she, too, could be vulnerable, as she believes the knife was meant as a sign from her husband he is in danger. "I'm not sure what has happened to him," she told reporters. "This matter belongs to the international community." Meng left France late last month and confusion was widespread at the news of his disappearance. However, the nature of his predicament became clearer soon after his wife's statement on Sunday. story continues below Per the AP, China announced less than an hour later that Meng, who also serves as the country's Vice Minister of Public Security, had been detained for unnamed legal violations. A rather vague statement posted online by China's new National Supervision Commission, an anti-corruption agency, said Meng is "suspected of violating the law and is currently under the monitoring and investigation." The news has observers guessing that Meng has been caught up in President Xi Jinping's widening crackdown on what his Communist Party deems as dissent. Prior to his arrest, the New York Times notes that Meng's appointment as Interpol's first Chinese chief was seen as a step toward authoritarian China's embrace of international organizations. Last month, one of China's top energy officials was also snared in Xi's continued anti-corruption crusade. (Read more Grace Meng stories.) Prisoners at a detention centre in South Sudan's capital Juba staged a riot early on Sunday, seizing weapons from a storeroom and triggering a stand off with guards, a security source and residents in the area said. Detainees demanded the release of political prisoners, Voice of America reported, quoting some of them. A south Sudanese government spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment. South Sudan has been gripped by lawlessness since 2013 when a political disagreement between president Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar deteriorated into a military confrontation. A security source said some guards at the detention centre had helped enable the riot. "It is true, prisoners have taken over the facility from inside through the help of some officers," the national security source told Reuters, adding the detention centre, called Blue House, had been sealed off. Voice of America said the centre housed 400 prisoners and that half of them had joined the riot. 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Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe The candidacy of individuals planning to run for the upcoming parliamentary or municipal elections will be rejected if they have outstanding bills with the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA). Justice Ministry sources said that those who plan to run for the elections must clear their arrears with the EWA before filing the nominations. There are special plans now available through which arrears can be settled in installments, the sources added. Other criteria for candidacy include Bahraini citizenship for at least past ten years. Dual citizens are not eligible, though Bahraini citizens who also hold another GCC nationality can contest polls. It is also affirmed that the candidates names must be included in the electoral tables of the constituencies, from where they contest polls. Candidates must not be less than 30 years of age on the day of the election, and this condition shall be verified on the basis of a birth certificate or identity card. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin soon to discuss continued security coordination over Syria. Netanyahu made the announcement, without citing a specific date for the talks, at a cabinet meeting. Moscow said on Tuesday it had upgraded Syria's air defences with the S-300 missile system, 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. Search Keywords: Short link: Many religious clerics affirmed that the Kingdom, with its rich history and values of tolerance, peaceful co-existence and religious freedom, has been able to convey to the world from the United Nations headquarters, in New York, a rare experience of elevating human beings to high levels of tolerance, harmony and acceptance of the other. In an exclusive statement to Bahrain News Agency (BNA), marking the conclusion of a Bahraini evening organised by This is Bahrain Society in cooperation with the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence to celebrate the Declaration of the Kingdom of Bahrain anniversary, they said Bahrain set a lofty model of human peace and religious freedom. This came at a time the United Nations posted on its official website a picture of the Bahrain Exhibition for Tolerance that was organized in one of the largest corridors of the UN headquarters, which significantly shows the great success of Bahrains participation in the UN General Assembly meeting. The Bahraini model of tolerance and peaceful coexistence is an excellent experience in a world facing many political upheavals as well as ethnic and sectarian conflicts, said Rev. Florence Akau, a member of the UN Social and Economic Committee. He noted that the message of peace sent by His Majesty the King to the world is explicit and clear and conveys a unique experience in bringing together all religions, sects, and races on the dialogue table in an atmosphere of tolerance, coexistence and acceptance of the other. For his part, Finlands Representative to the United Nations Kai Sauer extended congratulations to His Majesty the King and the people of Bahrain for their good qualities of tolerance and peaceful coexistence, pointing out that the Bahraini participation in the UN General Assembly reflected the bright image of this pioneering Bahraini model. Bahrain has organized a wonderful exhibition during the international week in New York, Sauer said. We are in dire need of such high-end human models at a time when conflicts are intensifying on a doctrinal or religious basis. He pointed out that Bahrain can work on a wide regional and global scale to spread the message of living in peace and harmony among all human beings by interacting with the international community and emulating Bahrains experience of bringing all parties and clerics to the table of dialogue. Bahrains Information and eGovernment Authority (iGA) and Kuwaits Communication and Information Technology Regulatory Authority (CITRA) signed a MoU in the field of cloud computing. The MoU, following the Cabinets approval and in line with relationships between both countries, facilitates government processes, increases efficiency and contributes in speeding the implementation of projects while maintaining security and confidentiality of information and data. The MoU was signed by Mohamed Ali AlQaed, Chief Executive of iGA, and Salim Muthib AlOzainah, CEO and CITRA Board of Directors Chairman. Mr. AlOzainah expressed his delight in signing the MoU which demonstrates the strong ties between the two neighboring countries as well as stresses that such initiative comes in line with achieving Kuwaits Vision 2035 that aims at supporting eTransformation. He added that Kuwait has recently held a number of MoUs in the field of IT so as to keep pace with the advanced technology and meet the future needs of Kuwait. Mr. AlQaed praised the efforts exerted by Kuwait as one of the GCC countries which leads in benefiting from Bahrains experiences within the cloud computing field. He also highlighted the positive impact of this initiative to develop, enhance and sustain the quality of services provided to users; in addition to providing the appropriate environment to attract more foreign investments to the region. He said that the Kingdom is always pleased to exchange experiences with all countries which support government direction in developing government services and accelerating eTransformation in all sectors. Bahrains regulatory sandbox will very soon see its first graduate, according to head of the Central Bank of Bahrain. The first firm to graduate from the sandbox will imminently be announced, Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) Governor Rasheed Al Maraj told Tribune. He said that the success of the sandbox has been encouraging. We have 16 companies that operates in the sandbox and one of them is about to graduate very soon. Hopefully, the rest will come after covering their requirements within the sandbox, he added. The sandbox was announced in June 2017 to support the growth of Bahrains fast-growing FinTech sector. Explaining the sandbox, the CBB had stated, A regulatory sandbox is a framework and process that facilitates the development of the FinTech industry in a calculated way. It is defined as a safe space in which businesses can test innovative products, services, business models and delivery mechanisms without immediately incurring all the normal regulatory and financial consequences of engaging in the activity in question. Bahrain has been handed over the chairmanship of Arab Regulators Network of Telecommunications and Information Technologies (AREGNET) from the former president, the UAE. The decision followed a meeting in which Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, Djibouti, Sudan, Iraq, The Comoros, Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, and Mauritania took part. Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, UAEs Telecommunications Regulatory Authority Director-General said that Bahrains presidency is well deserved. The UAE is always keen to activate the Arab action in ICT, believing in the importance of Arab integration and cooperation. During its presidency of AREGNET, the UAE made every effort to support other Arab countries in this field, where the UAE has established its humanitarian role drawn from the directives of our wise leadership. Today, as the UAE hands over AREGNET presidency to Bahrain, it is fully aware that the handover is well-deserved and is fully confident that Bahrain will follow a successful course of action that seeks to exchange views and experiences in regulating the sector and harmonising regulatory practices in the Arab world through information sharing and seeking to unify these practices, and work to promote the development and modernization of ICT networks and services effectively, appropriately and competitively Fifteen poets will take part in the Colours of Life 2018 festival on October 27, which will be held from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm at the British School Bahrain in Hamala. Rohini Sunderam, Director and Founding Member of the Bahrain Writers Circle (BWC) told Tribune, The Colours of Life poetry festival is organised by The Second Circle, a sister group of the Bahrain Writers Circle and was the brainchild of David Hollywood who was the charismatic founder of The Second Circle. This years Colours of Life poetry festival is dedicated to Samia Engineer, who passed away recently. She had participated in every single Colour of Life Poetry Festival from 2012 until 2017. The years Colours of Life features 15 poets representing many countries including Australia, Bahrain, Britain, Canada, India, Macedonia, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Yemen. On June 11, 1957, at 11 pm, French soldiers burst into Maurice Audins apartment in Algiers. Audin, a 25-yearold 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, 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 anti-war 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 Audin was tortured by the military and died either as a result of his treatment or by summary execution. 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 Vidal-Naquet had been right although the precise cause of Audins death is still unknown. More remarkably, in a statement released the same day, Macron admitted what no French president before him had dared to acknowledge: that torture by French forces was widespread during the Algerian war as a product, in Macrons words, of a legally established system. French historians described this admission, which goes far beyond the emblematic Audin case, as a turning point for French history. President Macron also promised that archives that might shed light on the disappeared would be opened. Could official France finally be coming to terms with its colonial past? It certainly helps that Macron is the first French president born after the Algerian war. In every African country he visits he makes this point: As a 40-yearold, he does not feel burdened by this part of French history, and he encourages young Africans to look ahead, not back. It also took France more than half a century to acknowledge its complicity in deporting Jews during World War II; President Jacques Chirac did that in a 1995 speech at the site where Jews rounded up by the French police were detained before being sent to Nazi death camps. Previous presidents had supported the fiction that the Vichy regime, not France, bore responsibility for what Chirac called the irreparable. Chirac, who was too young to have participated in World War II, had a clean conscience about the German occupation. But he did serve in Algeria as a junior officer, and as president avoided the Algerian war as an issue. Algeria has a special and painful place in French national memory, and vice versa. The Algerian war in the French psyche is often likened to the Vietnam War for Americans two conscription wars that ended in humiliating defeat. But the Algerian wounds, kept under a lid, are deeper. More than a colony, Algeria had been made an integral part of France. For more than a century, hundreds of thousands of settlers left France for a new life across the Mediterranean. After the war, their descendants returned to a country many had never known, and they never quite accepted their loss. More than 1.5 million French conscripts fought in the war; 23,000 died, and those who came back traumatized kept silent. Frances booming economy made the 1960s a time for optimism, not tales of failure. Amnesty laws ensured that army officers would not be held accountable for war crimes. Still, the two countries seem forever intertwined. Algiers and its spectacular bay still seem a mirror image of Marseille, on the other side of the sea. Algerian immigrants flocked to France for jobs in the 1960s and 70s, when labor was needed. Today, their children and grandchildren are French, but they have inherited a troubled legacy. The resentment never vanished. As long as our common history is locked, well keep going in circles, as weve done since 1962, a senior French diplomat told me two months ago. France must make some kind of gesture. Will President Macrons move unlock this tragic past? Algerias minister of veteran affairs, Tayeb Zitouni, welcomed it as a positive, commendable step. But only a step. Mr. Macrons words about torture were cautious, and the Elysee, Frances presidential palace, noted that he was extending recognition, not repentance. A week later, the French president awarded the Legion dHonneur to a group of Harkis, the 150,000 Algerians who chose to side with the French during the war and paid a heavy price for it. This is his point: the injustice to be repaired is on both sides. Florence Beauge, a journalist who investigated the use of torture in the Algerian war, wishes that Mr. Macron had included in his statement, along with Mr. Audin, two other Algerians who suffered the same fate: Ali Boumendjel, a lawyer, and Larbi Ben MHidi, a leader of the insurrection. This would have been a huge step forward, Ms. Beauge said. Ms. Beauge opened the floodgates of memory in 2000 with an interview of Louisette Ighilahriz, an activist for Algerian independence who recounted being raped and tortured by French soldiers in 1957 while generals looked on. She spoke out after all those years to thank the army doctor who found her after an interrogation session and saved her life. The publication of the interview, on Le Mondes front page, was such a shock that shortly afterward, two retired generals agreed to speak out. They admitted overseeing the use of torture, giving new impetus to a debate that refused to go away. It was not so much remorse as a need to talk, Ms. Beauge says. They had to unload their dark past before leaving this world. Many of these actors are now gone, as is former President Francois Mitterrand, who in 1957 was justice minister in the Socialist government that gave the French Army a green light to crush the insurrection at all costs. As the official truth finally moves ahead, soul-searching can be expected about the political responsibilities of both Socialists and Gaullists, and of the highest echelons of the French armed forces. Light will have to be shed on the extent to which rape was used as a weapon, along with torture. The present Algerian leadership, heir to the independence war, will also have to finally confront the dark side of the insurgencys struggle. The introspection wont be easy, but it is now, at last, inevitable. The withdrawal by rebels of their heavy weapons from a planned buffer zone in northwestern Syria is due to last several days, a Turkish-backed alliance of fighters said Sunday. The National Liberation Front (NLF) announced Saturday that it has begun withdrawing heavy arms from the zone as part of an agreement between Syrian regime ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey. The accord, reached on September 17, aims to stave off a massive regime assault on Idlib province, the last major rebel bastion in Syria, by creating a 15 to 20-kilometre (9-12 mile) buffer zone ringing the area. All rebels in the demilitarised zone must withdraw heavy arms by Wednesday, and radical groups must leave by October 15, under the deal. "We began to withdraw our heavy weapons from the demilitarised zone to rear positions," NLF spokesman Naji Mustafa told AFP. "The operation will last several days," he said, adding that the weapons will be held by fighters deployed in positions outside the demilitarised zone. The NLF is the main Turkey-backed rebel alliance in the Idlib region, but jihadist heavyweight Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) holds most of the province and the zone. HTS, led by former Al-Qaeda fighters, has yet to announce its stance on the buffer zone deal. On Sunday, an AFP correspondent saw NLF fighters on the frontline inside the planned buffer zone on the Idlib region's eastern flank. They waited in trenches armed with light weapons on a hill in the area of Al-Eis in the southwest of Aleppo province, overlooking the regime-held area of Al-Hader several kilometres (miles) away. The correspondent did not see any heavy weapons in Al-Eis. HTS also has positions on the frontline in the area, but the correspondent was not immediately able to verify if they had removed their heavy arms. On Saturday, a media spokesman for Faylaq al-Sham, one of the NLF factions, confirmed the withdrawal of arms. Seif Raad said it included pulling back missile launchers, tanks and mortars. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said the withdrawal of weapons had already started a week ago and would continue for several more days. Weapons were pulled back in rebel-held areas in the north of Hama province on the border with Idlib and had also been shifted in Idlib province, the Britain-based monitor said. Turkey has deployed troops in "observation posts" it set up in rebel-held areas of Idlib and neighbouring Aleppo province in recent weeks. Search Keywords: Short link: Nigeria's first lady, Aisha Buhari has taken to Twitter on Sunday to blast her husband's party , and condemn the irregularities t... 1/6 It is disheartening to note that some aspirants used their hard earned money to purchase nomination forms, got screened, cleared and campaigned vigorously yet found their names omitted on Election Day, these forms were bought at exorbitant prices.1/6 pic.twitter.com/OIrdXy8fzy October 7, 2018 Many others contested and yet had their result delayed. Fully knowing that AUTOMATIC tickets have been given to other people. 2/6 Aisha M. Buhari (@aishambuhari) October 7, 2018 All Progressives Congress being a party whose cardinal principle is change and headed by a comrade/ activist whose main concern is for the common man, yet, such impunity could take place under its watch. 3/6 Aisha M. Buhari (@aishambuhari) October 7, 2018 Given this development one will not hesitate than DISSOCIATE from such unfairness, be neutral and speak for the voiceless. 4/6 Aisha M. Buhari (@aishambuhari) October 7, 2018 It is important for the populace to rise against impunity and for voters to demand from aspirants to be committed to the provision of basic amenities such as: 1. Potable drinking water 2. Basic health care ( Primary Health Care centers) 5/6 Aisha M. Buhari (@aishambuhari) October 7, 2018 3. Education within conducive & appropriate learning environments. Let us vote wisely! LONG LIVE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA! 6/6 Aisha M. Buhari (@aishambuhari) October 7, 2018 She also took a very bold swipe towards the national party chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomole 'whose main concern is for the common man, yet, such impunity could take place under its watch'Taking to her official and verified Twitter handle, Mrs. Buhari said;It is disheartening to note that some aspirants used their hard earned money to purchase nomination forms, got screened, cleared and campaigned vigorously yet found their names omitted on Election Day, these forms were bought at exorbitant prices.Many others contested and yet had their result delayed. Fully knowing that AUTOMATIC tickets have been given to other people.All Progressives Congress being a party whose cardinal principle is change and headed by a comrade/activist whose main concern is for the common man, yet, such impunity could take place under its watch."It is disheartening to note that some aspirants used their hard earned money to purchase nomination forms, got screened, cleared and campaigned vigorously yet found their names omitted on Election Day, these forms were bought at exorbitant prices""Given this development one will not hesitate than DISSOCIATE from such unfairness, be neutral and speak for the voiceless."After criticizing the APC and the chairman of the party, Aisha Buhari asked Nigerians to vote wisely in 2019.Does that mean she will not vote/support the APC in 2019?recalls that Mahmoud Ahmed, a brother of Mrs. Buhari alleged that the APC gubernatorial process in Adamawa State was hijacked.Ahmed, as well as Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, former Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes commission (EFCC) are contesting for the APC ticket along with incumbent governor Mohammed Bindow.Ahmed said his agents at various local governments were barred from election centres and, in some instances, threatened with violence. Detimbir Chia, the 14-year-old boy who discovered the site of a Nigerian air force jet that crashed in 2006, has joined the army. On S... He was asked what he'd like to be. He said 'Soldier'. Today Detimbir is getting decorated as a 2nd Lieutenant.pic.twitter.com/H7gcIruGSi In Sept 2006 a NAF Plane crashed in Benue killing 13 officers on board. 5 survived after 14 yr old Detimbir Chia found the crash site and called for help.He was asked what he'd like to be. He said 'Soldier'.Today Detimbir is getting decorated as a 2nd Lieutenant. #TrueHero October 6, 2018 Detimbir Chia, the 14-year-old boy who discovered the site of a Nigerian air force jet that crashed in 2006, has joined the army.On Saturday, Chia graduated from the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) after spending four years, and was decorated as a 2nd lieutenant, the lowest rank of a commissioned officer in the Nigerian army.One of the most gloomy moments in the history of Nigeria was on September 17, 2006, when an aircraft conveying 15 senior military officers and three crew members crashed into a hill in a remote village in Kwande local government area of Benue.The officers were on their way to Obudu cattle ranch in Cross River, to attend a retreat when the Dornier 228-212, crashed.The plane had on board eight major-generals, two brigadier-generals, two wing commanders, one lieutenant colonel, and three crew members.Chia, who was working at his family farm not far from the scene of the incident, called his father with the phone of one of the victims.Thirteen lives were lost in the tragic incident, with five survivors.Late Patrick Owoye Azazi, then chief of army staff under ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, had asked Chai what he wanted to become.He had replied, a soldier, and Azazi promised to help him secure admission into the NDA.Azazi was said to have missed death as he decided not to go with the senior officers when he found out that the plane was already full. He would later die in a helicopter crash on December 15, 2012.The officers who died in the crash J.O. Adesunloye, S.O Otubu, J.O Agboola, S.M Lemu, A.N Bamali, P.M Haruna, J.T.U Ahmedu and B. Duniya, all major-generals.Others were Y.J Braimah, M.B Bawa, and wing commanders O. Balogun. EO Adekunle (pilot) and lieutenant-colonel N.A Mohammed, brigadier-generals.Luther Agwai, then chief of defence staff, said the 13 officers represented some of the best in the Nigerian military.During the 10th year remembrance anniversary of the fallen heroes, Agwai said the Nigeria may have surmounted its insurgency crises if the officers were alive.I can make bold to say that if they were around, may be some of the challenges that we are facing today wouldnt have gotten to the level that they reached, Agwai said in 2016.Their death up to their burial was one of the most trying, most difficult time I ever had in my career. And if you remember my military career, I have been involved in Sierra-Leone, Dafur, but all what I saw there did not traumatize me like what happened to these people because these were officers that I knew personally. Mai Samih finds out what the Industrial Control Authority is doing to ensure quality control in Egyptian industry A lot goes on behind the scenes in Egypt to ensure safe products for consumers, with Law 281/1994 stipulating prison sentences of up to 25 years and fines of up to LE60,000 for anyone found guilty of putting peoples health or well-being at risk through faulty products. The Industrial Control Authority (ICA) can also inspect manufacturing premises and industrial products. Food products are inspected by the Egyptian Food Safety Authority. According to head of the ICA Ibrahim Al-Menesterli, ICA inspectors routinely visit factories at the beginning and throughout each year. With 18 branches around the country, it has departments that cover the different industrial sectors. Hala Seoudi, general manager of the ICA, said the ICAs inspectors make sure products meet Egyptian standards and also look at production processes and the ways in which goods are stored and handled. In cases where products differ from published standards, the ICA may send the manufacturer a written warning. If a violation needs referral to the public prosecution authorities, we issue an official complaint straight away to preserve the health and welfare of consumers. Samples of faulty products are also seized, Seoudi said. Our objective is not to close the plant, Al-Menesterli added. We know the consequences of acting precipitately to close a factory and deprive people of their jobs. However, if a case touches on consumer health, safety, or security, the ICA does not hesitate to demand that changes are instituted, and follow-up visits then take place to ensure that these are made. In order for the ICA to do its job efficiently, it needs an adequate number of inspectors, ongoing training, and equipment to check the safety and correct specifications of products, Seoudi said. However, one problem that the ICA faces is a shortage of inspectors. We do not have enough inspector to replace those who leave, and our team is decreasing year by year, Al-Menesterli commented. The ICA reports any violations it finds to the authorities concerned, since it cannot sanction manufacturers or factory owners. It also issues certificates of accreditation, and the law stipulates that manufacturers must consult the ICA before launching new ranges of products. The ICA also has a consumer hotline that can be contacted in cases of suspected fraud. For Al-Menesterli, citizen involvement is essential if the ICA is to do its job effectively. People should routinely ask maintenance companies for ICA-approved certificates, and consumers should not hesitate to call the ICA hotline if they are in doubt. He said that the authority also tries to encourage informal factory owners to enter the formal economy, since the vast majority of those running businesses in the informal sector wish to formalise but are prevented from doing so by red tape. We try to raise awareness of the procedures, which are much simpler than many people think. We let factory owners know the advantages of state support, notably for exports, as the state can assist with representation at fairs abroad, he added. The ICA may also take action against informal factories, particularly if there are complaints against them if it suspects the law is being broken. It supports the work of environmental organisations, notably in cases where pollution regulations are being broken. Among the government bodies the ICA works with are the ministries of the environment, health, the interior, planning, agriculture and industry. It also works with the municipalities, the Central Agency for Administration, and the Industrial Safety and Occupational Health Department, helping them to set out specific inspection standards. * A version of this article appears in print in the 4 October, 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Monitoring for safer industry Search Keywords: Short link: Roseburg, OR (97470) Today Cloudy with periods of rain. High 62F. S winds shifting to W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 38F. Winds light and variable. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. After months of partisan feuding, sexual assault allegations, thousands protesting nationwide in support of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and other sexual assault victims, and 11 hours of FBI investigation, the senate has spoken. Today, on October 6, 2018, Brett Kavanaugh has been confirmed into the Supreme Court in a 50-48 vote. Now, Kavanaugh will be among the nine justices sitting in the court for their lifetime, replacing retired associate justice Anthony Kennedy. He is the second to be nominated by President Donald Trump, the first being Neil Gorsuch who took Antonin Scalia's place. During the vote, protesters present during the announcement expressed their dismay with shouts of "You are a coward!" directed at Senator Flake, and "Shame! We won't forget!" when Senator Manchin voted "yes." Alyssa Milano, who was present during Kavanaugh's hearing, has also expressed her frustration in a tweet. "Kavanaugh moves it much, much further to the right. It has completely lost touch with the values of majority of Americans. And now its legitimacy is shot." You are a coward! a protester yelled in the Senate as Sen. Flake voted in favor of Judge Kavanaugh's confirmation. Shame! We wont forget," a protester yelled when Sen. Manchin announced his "yes" vote. MSNBC (@MSNBC) October 6, 2018 Kavanaugh moves it much, much further to the right. It has completely lost touch with the values of majority of Americans. And now its legitimacy is shot. Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) October 6, 2018 Meanwhile, Trump has already tweeted in support of the senate's decision. I applaud and congratulate the U.S. Senate for confirming our GREAT NOMINEE, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, to the United States Supreme Court. Later today, I will sign his Commission of Appointment, and he will be officially sworn in. Very exciting! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 6, 2018 Image via Getty It is common for companies to organize various informal events where workers can come with their partners. One of those... Iran's Deaf Community Launches Campaign Urging Government to End Discrimination 10/06/18 Source: Center for Human Rights in Iran Members of Iran's deaf and hard of hearing community have launched a campaign urging the Iranian government to end systematic discrimination against their community by following steps that would fulfill Iran's domestic and international obligations. Sign language interpreters at a gathering in Tehran On the occasion of 2018's International Week of the Deaf. The campaign was launched on October 2, 2018, at a gathering at Tehran's Milad Tower with about 2,000 deaf and hard of hearing attendees and some government officials, all of whom expressed support for the campaign. The campaign was also backed by a number of Iranian non-profit organizations for the deaf, including the Iran Society of Deaf People's Families and the National Center of the Deaf. A number of deaf Iranians also posted video messages in sign language in support of the campaign on the Telegram social media network. Seven Steps In a statement, the campaign called on the three branches of the Iranian government and all government agencies to take the necessary steps to "protect and promote Iranian sign language and the culture of the deaf." The signatories also demanded "the immediate drafting and ratification of a bill to support Iranian sign language" by taking the following steps: 1) Recognizing Iranian sign language as an official language and allocating government resources to teach the language in accordance with Article 15 of the Constitution. 2) Staffing state offices with sign language interpreters to assist the deaf and hard of hearing the same way people with physical or mental disabilities are given state assistance for nursing services. Sign language interpreters should also be provided social benefits such as healthcare, retirement and tax breaks. 3) Preparing and widely distributing unified Iranian sign language symbols. 4) Including sign language interpreters on state television programs. 5) Certifying sign language interpreters and providing them with social benefits. 6) Requiring all state bodies, including courts, police stations, hospitals and other major public service providers to employ sign language interpreters. 7) Using visual software to communicate in sign language through text messages at public offices and emergency service centers such as medical facilities and fire stations. The state-funded Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that deaf people throughout the country have joined the campaign by signing the statement. Despite the passage of 10 years since Iran joined the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) 10 years ago but the government has yet to take steps to honor its commitments in regards to deaf people. Even Iran's Law for the Protection of the Rights of Persons With Disabilities, passed in April 2018, does not sufficiently address the needs of the deaf. Only does its Article 21 urge the state-funded Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) organization to provide subtitles for the benefit of the deaf. Iran: People With Disabilities Face Discrimination and Abuse The Ophthalmological Society of Ghana (OSG) has said there is a looming decline of eye specialists in the country. OSG is made up of eye specialists in Paediatric Ophthalmology, Community eye health and Cornea and Anterior segments. Dr Michael Ekouba Gyasi, the National President of the OSG, said more than half of the 90 ophthalmologists in the country were billed for retirement in the next 10 years. Describing the situation as a national challenge, Dr Gyasi said currently there were 20 eye specialists residents in training but the number has to double if the country can achieve a sustainable growth. He was addressing the opening session of the 28th Annual and Scientific Meeting of the OSG currently underway in Sunyani. The two-day meeting is being held under the theme: "Universal Eye Health: A Global Action Plan". Dr Gyasi said there is the need to train more eye care professionals and also ensure that trainees get adequate hands-on skills training. If nothing at all, their cataract surgical skills, including phacoemulsification, must be spot on," he said. Dr Boateng Wiafe, a renowned eye specialist, said research show that 56 per cent of all visually-impaired cases in the country were due to cataract. He said there is the need for government to improve access to comprehensive eye care services and integrate the services into general health systems. Dr Wiafe said high cost of service remains a key challenge to access to eye care and called for the inclusion of eye care services into the National Health Insurance Scheme. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A large poster of President Paul Biya hangs like a street sign in Cameroon's western city of Bafoussam. "The force of experience," reads the poster in reference to President Biya's 36 years in power, to which he now hopes to add another seven-year term. A couple of metres from the poster, members of Mr Biya's governing CPDM party are meeting to drum up support for the person they call their hero. "Young people may be eloquent. They may make big promises, but none of them can have the steady hands to run a large country like Cameroon," says party supporter Emmanuel Ndam, 58. "For over 30 years, our president has been tested by various crises, and each time, he has been able to overcome," Mr Ndam adds. "Just look at the mature way he handled the Bakassi crisis with Nigeria. Some hot-headed youth could just have messed up the situation," he adds, before making his way into the meeting hall. His comrade Alice Meye, 22, agrees. She says only President Biya has the wherewithal to resolve Cameroon's myriad crises, most urgent of which is the unrest in the country's two English-speaking regions. "We have a president who does what he promises to do. He has said he will solve the problems of our Anglophone brothers. Let's give him a chance." "Even in death, President Paul Biya will continue to reign," she said. 'The old man is tired' But not everyone believes Mr Biya, Africa's second-longest serving leader, still has the charisma and the physical stamina to stay at the helm. Picking out specks of beef from his teeth with a wooden pick, Ibrahima Sadiki, a resident of the capital Yaounde's swampy Briqueterie slum tells the BBC "the old man is tired". "This is a man who should normally stay quietly in the village, playing with his grandchildren." Arguments about the president's age, however, pale in comparison to the numerous problems Cameroon faces today. A separatist uprising in the country's two Anglophone regions - the North-West and South-West - is stretching Cameroon's much-hyped unity to the limits. In October 2016, teachers and lawyers in Cameroon's English-speaking regions took to the streets to protest at the imposition of French in schools and courts. But those protests soon took a political dimension, with thousands of English speakers taking to the streets on 1 October last year to declare the independence of a new country they called "Ambazonia". The government cracked down in response. Hundreds of people have been killed - at least 420 civilians, 175 military and police officers, and an unknown numberof separatist fighters. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Kasoa Police has arrested one Nicholas Akorley for allegedly stoning his wife to death. The deceased, Gloria Akorley, 32, was allegedly hit with a hammer and cement blocks by her husband, leading to her death. Confirming the incident, a daughter of the deceased, Bernice Akorley, said on her mother received a phone call Thursday morning and went out. She is reported by Citinewsroom.com as saying that her parents marriage had hit the rocks for a while now and that her father usually engaged her mother in heated arguments and occasionally threatened to kill her and use her for rituals. We only heard that she has been murdered this morning a traumatized Bernice Akorley narrated. Paul Amanyo, a neighbour, told citinewsroom.com that he heard screams from another neighbour that a woman had been killed and upon rushing to the scene, they found Gloria Akorley. He said they called the deceaseds husband to inform him about the unfortunate incident, but he said he was in Koforidua and could not afford the fare back to Accra. He narrated that they later found Mr. Coffie in the house organizing his belongings in an attempt to flee the area. With help from some passers-by, they accosted him and handed him over to the Kasoa Police to assist in investigations. 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 Editor-In-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has revealed more information that adds to the puzzle about how three High Court judges and an ex-soldier, were abducted and murdered in cold blood some 36 years ago. The veteran journalist who was a prisoner at the Koforidua Prisons at the time, revealed that he was prison mate with L/Cpl Samuel Amedeka, one of the soldiers involved in the murder of the judges. However, Mr Baako noted that Amedeka was not on arrest for his involvement in the murder of the judges but rather for his involvement in a coup attempt against the Jerry Rawlings-led Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC). Providing what he describes as missing links in the works of the tribunal the PNDC set up to try the murders and the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) hearings, Mr Baako noted that the truth about the masterminds of the killings was still unresolved. By July 2, 1982 [two days after the abductions] Chairman Rawlings was aware of those involved in the murder because Amartey Kwei [member of the PNDC] walked into a meeting at the Gonda Barracks and when he was asked the whereabouts of the judges he replied we have finished them, Mr Baako said. He added that notwithstanding this knowledge, however, Rawlings was on air on July 4, 1982, preaching about what a heinous crime had been committed and how he and his PNDC were looking for the perpetrators of the heinous act of terrorism. Mr Baako is, however, unable to understand how Mr Rawlings was aware of Amartey Kweis involvement in the crimes and still allowed him to serve in his military government until his resignation in late August that year. L/Cpl Amedeka who was also involved in the killings was still walking free until his arrest in August, not for the killings but for his involvement in a coup attempt against Rawlings, something Kweku Baako is unable to understand. Another missing link in getting to the bottom of the killings that Mr Baako highlighted, is the missing recording that purportedly indemnifies Mr Rawlings and his National Security Advisor, Kojo Tsikata, from the killings. Rawlings went to the execution ground of Amartey Kwei and got confession from him before he was executed for the killings but said the recording cannot be traced. A different recording got from Amartey Kwei in prison cannot also be traced, all these untenable, Mr Baako said. Another aspect of those punished for the killings Mr Baako raised red flags on, was that the young boys had nothing against the judges. What can be linked to their killing was that all three had reviewed cases of the Armed Forces Revolution Council (AFRC) which was a military regime led by Mr Rawlings before he handed over to a constitutional government before overthrowing same and formed the PNDC. Also, Amartey Kwei who was a member of the PNDC was a worker at Ghana Industrial Holding Corporation (GIHOC) but was dismissed for an industrial action. Major Sam Acquah (Retired) who was boss at GIHOC was murdered alongside the judges. Lauding the Joy News documentary Who Killed the Judges, Mr Baako noted that the recount of history is important because theres a need to continue the search for the truth, the whole truth, in spite of the NRC proceeding. When you have the recordings [from Rawlings] missing, that should tell you the story ended. Justices Kwadwo Adjei Agyepong, Poku Sarkodie and Mrs Cecelia Koranteng-Addow and a retired Major in the Ghana Armed Forces, were abducted and shot dead, their bodies set on fire but saved from a downpour on the night of June 30, 1982. Amartey Kwei, Tony Tekpor, Dzandzu and Helki were all found guilty of murder, sentenced to death and executed by firing squad. Amedeka escaped prisons and hasnt been seen since. VIDEOS- Source: JFM/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former President John Dramani Mahama has said he will create more jobs for nurses and other health workers if he is elected as president again. Mr Mahama said his government had the intention to build health facilities in every district so as to create room for more nurses and other health workers to be employed. That intention, he said, was not understood very well by the nurses, thus, leading to agitations and protests against his government at the time he was in office. The former president revealed that the next NDC government would, therefore, dialogue with the nurses about the best way forward in achieving that goal. Should he return to office, he said, his government will continue with the expansion of health facilities to accommodate all nurses. Mr Mahama, who is campaigning to be flag bearer of the NDC again, said this at Nalerigu in the Northern Region after students of the Nalerigu Nursing Training College mobbed his convoy. If you dont create new opportunities for health workers by building new facilities, then you cannot employ them, he said. The NDC, he noted, will continue the process that we started of expanding hospitals, building new hospitals and creating opportunities for our health workers to tackle employment. In his view, the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has brought untold hardships on Ghanaians since, according to him, the party made lofty promises which its government is yet to fulfil. Mr Mahama said the next NDC government will assuage the plight of Ghanaians. Source: classfmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former Mayor of Kumasi says he has been encouraged by some supporters of the National Democratic Congress to contest for the partys flagbearership race. Kojo Bonsu revealed he took a decision after some grassroots supporters confided in him he is handsome and can make a good president. Upon consultations, the grassroots praised me for my good looks and that I will really fit into Presidential position, he said on Asempa FM Friday. For Kojo Bonsu, contesting as flagbearer came as no surprise since he has always been doing a lot of background works. I have been a member of the party for a longer time and qualified as flagbearer aspirant. I thought about before I decided to contest for NDC flagbearership, he added. Mr Bonsus decision to contest the flagbearership came as a shock to many NDC sympathisers . He wants to see NDC as a party that will introduce programmes to empower its members like the current branch education programme to turn all regions to a force for victory. Source: asempanews 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 Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister speaks during his cabinet shuffle at the Manitoba Legislature in Winnipeg on August 1, 2018. Brian Pallister's abrupt about-face on a carbon tax came after the Manitoba premier felt like he was being used as a prop by Ottawa, and sources say it was a surprise to most in his own caucus. The move, which aligned Pallister's Progressive Conservatives with other Canadian conservative leaders, came after months of his insisting that a Manitoba-made tax that met the federal Liberals halfway was better than having a levy imposed by Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods SHEEMA President Museveni and his political nemesis Dr Kizza Besigye spent the latter parts of Friday and Saturday in Sheema North Constituency as they campaigned for their respective party candidates ahead of the Monday, October 8 parliamentary by-election. The seat fell vacant after the incumbent, Dr Elioda Tumwesigye, who is also the Science and Technology minister, opted to stand for the newly-created Sheema Municipality seat, which he won in July. Mr Museveni, who is also the NRM party national chairman, campaigned for the party flag bearer, Ms Naome Kibaaju, while Dr Besigye, who has stood against Museveni four times and lost, campaigned for the FDC candidate, Mr Guma Nuwagaba. Mr Nuwagaba, who was the Mitooma RDC, joined FDC a day to the nomination having stood in the NRM primaries and lost to Ms Kibaaju. Mr Museveni urged residents to vote Ms Kibaaju, arguing that she will easily access him for services, unlike the opposition MP. I want you to support Kibaaju so that she can easily lobby services for you, and I will start by tarmacking Bwizibwera-Kabwohe road, he said. Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu, the NRM vice chairman for Sheema District, and Dr Tanga Odo, the party Electoral Commission Chairman, were also in the constituency to campaign for Ms Kibaaju. On the other hand, Dr Besigye, on the other hand, said if people of Sheema want services, they should vote the opposition since the government only works for people who oppose it. If you vote for Guma and Museveni sees that Sheema has refused to be bought, you will see what will come here. NRM has never clapped for people who clap for them. Government is like your body because you scratch where you are itching. You will never scratch where there is no itch so you itch them so deep and you will see how they will scratch Sheema to be better, he said. The party president Eng. Patrick Amuriat, party chairman Mr Waswa Birigwa and MPs; Francis Mwijukye Ibrahim Ssemuju Nganda and Munyagwa Mubarak also campaigned for Mr Guma. Others were FDC National Chairman Wasswa Birigwa, Buhweju MP Mwijukye Francis as well as FDC Chief Mobiliser Ingrid Turinawe. The team moved through the villages of Nyakambu TC, Kaaju, Omukagando, Ahamushanju, mobilising people to turn up in big numbers on Monday. They emphasized that Guma has the energy, zeal and drive to effectively represent Sheema North in Parliament. They also urged voters to work together in a team of 10 persons (P10) to monitor the exercise on voting day until the winner is declared. About the candidates Ms Naome Kibaaju (NRM) is 64 years old. She went to Bweranyangi Primary School and Bweranyangi Girls Secondary School in Bushenyi for O-Level. She went to Trinity College Nabbingo for A-level. She studied public administration at Makerere University. Ms Kibaaju worked at parliament conference centre, population secretariat, education service commission, and ministry of Defence as undersecretary. She wants to work for improvement in social services and promote unity. Guma Nuwagaba, 42 (FDC) was born in Buringo, Masheruka Sub County Sheema district. He went to Buringo Primary School, St. Mukasa for upper primary and Kitabi Seminary for Oand A level. While at Kitabi he served as food Prefect and later as head Prefect in A level. He studied Social Sciences at Makerere University majoring in economics.W hile at Makerere Mr Nuwagaba chaired Sheema University Students Association. In 1998 he was elected district youth counsellor Bushenyi. In 2002 he was elected LC5 councillor for Kigarama Sub County and served up to 2006. He was appointed RDC Mitooma in 2014. Related If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Posted by D. Martin on at 12:57 PM CST Click to see full-sized image Click to see full-sized image If you think back, you may recall seeing a L uke Skywalker in Stormtrooper disguise featuring a wet head sculpt at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con . Steve Evans told us then that it was intended to be an included swap out included with the original release, but it didn't fit into the wave's budget.This spring, collectors will be able to find a new version offigure at Target stores.It will include a new dirty paint design and real life facial decos. Britannia, which is celebrating its centenary year in 2018, will first look at expanding its dairy and bakery businesses, before turning its attention towards new food categories. The attempt is to become a total foods company, as it eyes a well-rounded presence in the market. Image: Biscuits on a conveyor belt after being baked at the Britannia factory in New Delhi. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters. The Rs 99-billion Britannia Industries, best known as a bakery and dairy major, is getting future-ready as the packaged food market in the country evolves. Rivals such as ITC and Parle Products have taken steps in this direction, committing investments and resources as well as coming up with new launches in the segment. Britannia, which is celebrating its centenary year in 2018, will first look at expanding its dairy and bakery businesses, before turning its attention towards new food categories. The attempt is to become a total foods company, as it eyes a well-rounded presence in the market. "Our vision is to be a global, total foods company and in the past 12-14 months, we have taken affirmative steps in this direction. At the same time we are consolidating categories we are already in," Varun Berry, managing director, Britannia Industries, said. "The vision is borne out of the exponential growth of macro-snacking in India, as also from our plan to bring to India the best of international food repertoire. Sharper economic growth, greater consumer expectations, busier lifestyles and more in-between meal consumption occasions will inform and fuel our new product development into adjacent food categories, both bakery and non-bakery," Berry said. Some of the categories that Britannia will enter in the next six to eight months include centre-filled croissants, swiss rolls, muffins and cream wafers. Britannia will also launch value-added dairy products, including dairy drinks and specialised yoghurts in the next two quarters. "We are also building a pipeline of different formats of cheese, which are in the early stages of product development. We are correcting the prices of some of our (existing) cheese variants to become more competitive," Venkat Shankar, vice-president and head of Britannia's dairy business said. In categories such as cakes, rusk and breads, where Britannia has a significant presence, the company has a slew of launches planned on the back of new production lines it is putting up at its Pune factory. "In the cakes business, there is a lot of emphasis on innovation. We are investing more in technology to pip competition in the space," said Jayant Kapre, Britannia's head of breads, cakes and rusk. In-house cake production is expected to go up with the new lines, only a third of the total production now, Kapre said. Partnerships and acquisitions Britannia is also looking at partnerships and acquisitions as it seeks a larger footprint in foods, putting past experiences behind, including with Danone and Fonterra. The company now has a joint venture with the Athens-based baking major Chipita for its foray into croissants, and is expected to look at alliances in dairy. The strategy of partnerships and acquisitions will also be explored when expanding into international markets, Berry said. On the sales and distribution front, Berry said the company would focus on improving direct reach, and would also look to maintain a balanced distribution spread in urban and rural markets. Image: In 1983 the company's sales crossed Rs 100 crores. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters. Britannia's products, according to industry sources, reach nearly five million outlets in the country, with the company focusing on the north and central Indian markets in recent quarters in its bid to improve reach. On the manufacturing front, Berry said smart factories and food parks would be the way forward, as it evolves into a total foods company. "The Ranjangaon food park in Maharashtra, with an investment of Rs 10 billion, is our largest manufacturing investment to date. It will also be our first fully smart factory to ensure efficiency in production, delivery of goods and resource utilisation," he said. Under Berry, who took over as MD in March 2014, Britannia has grown at a compounded annual growth rate of nearly 10 per cent in terms of topline and 31 per cent in terms of bottomline. In August, Berry received shareholder approval to continue as MD for another five years (effective April 2019), mandating him to take the company's vision forward. It was in the 1960s that the Beetle attained its cult status, when it became almost synonymous with the hippie movement -- and succeeded in shaking off the grim history of its origins. As Volkswagen announces the end of the Bug's journey, Amrita Singh goes down a nostalgic road. IMAGE: America tourists Stafford Newsome and Kaitlin Taft sit in a Volkswagen Beetle, the "world's smallest hotel" as its owner Mohammed Al-Malahim claims, in Shoubak, Jordan, on December 20, 2017. Photograph: Muhammad Hamed/Reuters. After 80 long years, the Bug that crawled all over the world to become a well-recognised icon and a symbol of pop culture is bidding adieu. Come July 2019 and the production of the Volkswagen Beetle will stop. But before the Bug's journey comes to a halt, Hinrich J Woebcken, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, has promised that the company will launch two special models -- Final Edition SE and Final Edition SEL -- as an ode to the original "people's car". IMAGE: A production line manufacturing Volkswagen beetles at the factory in Wolfsburg, West Germany in 1956. Photograph:Keystone Features/Getty Images. Birth of the Beetle The history of the Beetle began with Nazi Germany, before World War II, and while it's a pretty car, the same, however, cannot be said about its origins. In 1934, Adolf Hitler wanted the streets of Germany to be flooded with a people's car that would complement the country's new road network. The car's design was formalised in 1938 and from then on the Volkswagen Type 1, the official name of the car, was produced till 2003. It was informally called the Kafer (beetle) in German, and Beetle is how it came to be recognised the world over. IMAGE: Vancouver resident Mark Heartwell parks his modified VW Beetle downtown during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, on February 19, 2010. Photograph: Chris Helgren/Reuters. Ferdinand Porsche, the lead engineer of the Beetle project, worked hard to make the car that came with extensive directives from Hitler. Hitler had insisted on a basic car that could transport two adults and three children at 100 km per hour. The engine had to be powerful enough for sustained cruising and its parts had to be inexpensive and readily available. The first Beetle was made available to the citizens of Germany through a savings scheme and was priced at 990 Reichsmark (the average weekly income in Germany then was around 32 Reichsmark). The Beetle has had its share of stardom. In the Love Bug, it is the protagonist "Herbie" Such was the association with Hitler that in May 2000, Prague commemorated the events of 55 years ago, when its citizens had stood up in arms against the Nazis before the end of the World War II, by rolling a former Soviet T-34 tank over a Volkswagen Beetle. The uprising had ended with the arrival of Soviet troops in Prague on May 9, 1945. IMAGE: The back of a 'Vochol' Volkswagen Beetle is seen during a presentation at the VW 'Autostadt' in Wolfsburg, on December 6, 2012. The Vochol is decorated with beadwork of the Mexican Huichol people. The name is a combination of 'vocho', a popular term for VW Beetles in Mexico, and Huichol. The Volkswagen was covered in 2,277,000 beads applied by eight artisans from two Huichol families in an exclusive design based on Huichol culture. Photograph: Fabian Bimmer/Reuters. The hippie ride It was in the 1960s that the Beetle attained its cult status, when it became almost synonymous with the hippie movement -- and succeeded in shaking off the grim history of its origins. It became a symbol of utilitarian transportation and its unique design, which was available in vibrant colours, fit the psychedelic bill. The "people's car" was basic, easy to manage and adaptable. Its sales peaked in the 1960s and 70s. IMAGE: Visitors surround a Volkswagen Beetle car at the so-called 'Sunshinetour 2016' in Travemuende at the Baltic Sea, on August 20, 2016. Photograph: Fabian Bimmer/Reuters. In the spotlight The Beetle has had its share of stardom. In the 1968 Disney comedy, The Love Bug, it is the protagonist "Herbie", a pearl-white race car with a mind and spirit of its own. Numerous cars are said to have auditioned for the role of Herbie, but it was the little Bug that drove its way to the big screen. Herbie bagged rolls in three other movies and the franchise made Beetle one of Hollywood's most loved cars. Bye Bye Braverman, another 1968 comedy film (based on the novel To an Early Grave) also feature a Beetle -- this time cramped with Jewish intellectuals who repeatedly discuss the vehicle's Nazi ancestry. Fifty years later, the Beetle reappeared at the heart of another film, the 2018 science -fiction flick Bumblebee, which is the sixth instalment of the Transformers film series -- as Bumblebee the Autobot, a golden 1975 Super Beetle. The car has also influenced the Transformers Throttlebots as also the Transformers-inspired toys that were released in 1987. In fact, the Beetle is one of the most widely replicated car designs for children's toys. Hot Wheels and Matchbox have produced many versions of the buggy Beetle. IMAGE: Rene Penia sits in his VW Beetle 1995, locally called 'Vocho', while posing for a photograph with others in Monterrey on April 22, 2015. The car was painted by a local artist to be part of an exhibition on the 1960s at the National History Museum in Monterrey where it was on display for five years. Pena bought the car for 25.000 Mexican pesos in 2013 during an auction and he then converted the car into an electrical vehicle. Photograph: Daniel Becerril/Reuters. Fan clubs And then there are the fan clubs, which include women and even children. When Volkswagen revived the car's sale in 1998 with the "New Beetle", it mainly attracted women buyers due to its size, make and colours. The car has its own fan following in India, with various clubs operating in cities such as Bengaluru and Mumbai. There is, for example, the VW Beetle Club of Mumbai and the Bangalore Beetle Club. The Beetle, in fact, is today among the most wanted vintage cars in India. Cover Photograph: Ina Fassbender/Reuters Amid fears of United States sanctions over the S-400 deal with Russia, Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Sunday asserted that India follows an independent policy and was also keen on getting the Kamov helicopters and other weapon systems from Moscow. India and Russia on Friday signed a multi-billion-dollar deal to procure the S-400 Triumf air defence system, which could attract sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. The act is primarily aimed at countering Russia, Iran and North Korea. India and Russia concluded the deal notwithstanding the US warning that it would be a 'focus area' for it to implement punitive sanctions against a nation undertaking 'significant' business deals with the Russians. Gen Rawat, who returned on Saturday night after a six-day visit to Russia, held talks with military officials of that country to enhance bilateral cooperation. He said the Russians were very keen on associating with the Indian Army and defence forces. "Because they do understand that we are a strong Army, capable of standing up for what is right for us, based on our strategic thought process," he said. The Army chief was speaking at the Gen K V Krishna Rao Memorial lecture in New Delhi. On his Russia visit, Gen Rawat recalled a question posed to him by a Russian naval officer that India seemed to be looking westwards at America, which has put sanctions on Russia, and that Washington has also threatened to impose restrictions on New Delhi for dealing with Moscow. To this, Rawat responded saying, "Yes, we do appreciate that there could be sanctions on us, but we follow an independent policy." Rawat also sought to assuage Russian concerns over India's growing ties with the US. "You (Russia) can be rest assured (that) while we may be associating with America in getting some technology, but we follow an independent policy. "I told them while we are talking sanctions and you are questioning on sanctions, President Vladimir Putin and Mr Narendra Modi, at this juncture, are signing the treaty on purchase of S-400 weapon system inspite of the fact that we may face challenges from America in the future," the Army chief said. Rawat said India was looking forward to procuring Kamov helicopters and other weapon systems and technology from Russia. He said New Delhi was looking to get space based systems and technologies from Moscow to enhance its space capabilities. "There is no end in sight to the manner in which we can cooperate with your country. I think the way forward is to see what is best for the nation, strategically important for us, he had said. Pilot leads Raje as the popular choice for the chief minister's post with 36 per cent voters preferring him, while the latter is the first choice for 27 per cent. IMAGE: Congress president Rahul Gandhi greets his supporters during a roadshow in Jabalpur on Saturday. Photograph: PTI Photo The Bharatiya Janata Party may lose power in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, two opinion polls have predicted, saying the Congress is best placed in Rajasthan, where its state president Sachin Pilot is the first choice of the voters for the chief minister's post. Surveys carried out by ABP News-CVoter and C fore have given the Congress almost 50 per cent of the vote share and 142 and 124-138 seats respectively in the 200-member Rajasthan assembly, with its state president Sachin Pilot leading Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje as the most preferred candidate for the top post. While the C fore survey is restricted to Rajasthan, the ABP News-CVoter opinion poll has also predicted the outcome of the assembly elections in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, giving an edge to the Congress in both the states. The ABP News-CVoter survey has predicted that the Congress may return to power in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh after a gap of 15 years and will make a comeback in Rajasthan, where Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje seems to be struggling against a strong anti-incumbency factor. The survey has, however, added that a minor swing in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh can turn the tide in the favour of either of the two main parties due to a very small difference between their projected vote shares. The BJP had on Saturday expressed confidence that it would register a 'record victory' in the upcoming state assembly elections and retain power in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. Senior BJP leader and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had said the saffron party would secure a record victory on the basis of its hard work and development measures, besides the performance of its governments in the three states. The opinion poll has said that if the assembly polls are held now, the Congress is likely to win 142 seats in Rajasthan against the BJP's 56. Pilot leads Raje as the popular choice for the chief minister's post with 36 per cent voters preferring him, while the latter is the first choice for 27 per cent. Former chief minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot enjoys the backing of 24 per cent voters. The ABP News-CVoter poll has predicted 122 seats for the Congress in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh assembly and 47 seats for the opposition party in the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly. The BJP has been projected to bag 108 and 40 seats in these two states respectively. The C fore poll says Pilot, Gehlot and Raje are the first choice of 32, 27 and 23 per cent voters respectively. However, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his Chhattisgarh counterpart Raman Singh are the first choice of the voters for the hot seat, despite anti-incumbency sentiments against their governments. The Congress and the BJP have been predicted to bag 42.2 and 41.5 per cent votes in Madhya Pradesh and 38.9 and 38.2 per cent votes in Chhattisgarh respectively. There is, however, a huge gap in the projected vote share of the Congress and the BJP in Rajasthan, with the opposition party being backed by 49.9 per cent voters against the 34.3 per cent share for the ruling dispensation. The vote share predicted by C fore is 50 and 43 per cent for the Congress and the BJP respectively in Rajasthan. The BJP had secured power in all the three states in 2013 by winning 165, 142 and 49 seats in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh respectively as against the 58, 21 and 39 seats of the Congress. The C fore survey interviewed 5,788 voters in Rajasthan, while the ABP News-CVoter opinion polls had a sample size of 26,196 voters in the three states. The Election Commission on Saturday announced that the assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana will be held between November 12 and December 7. While Chhattisgarh will go to the polls in two phases on November 12 and 20, the elections in Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram will be held on November 28. Polling in Rajasthan and Telangana will be held on December 7. Counting of votes will be taken up in all the five states on December 11. At least 30 schoolgirls of a government school in Supaul district of Bihar were injured in an assault by a mob on Sunday for allegedly resisting sexual advances. They've been admitted to a hospital. The injured girls are students of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya in Triveniganj block of the district, a residential school for girls. Triveniganj sub-divisional magistrate said a first information report has been registered and the accused will be arrested soon. "Action will be taken against school after reports come," the SDM said. Triveniganj assistant superintendent of police said that a team of station house officers of four police stations have been formed to conduct raids. "We have talked to the hospital, they say that the injured are stable," he said. According to inspector general, Darbhanga Zone, the girls used go to a nearby playground where some boys used to write obscene words on walls. "The girls would erase it every time. This was happening since 2-4 days. Yesterday, they (the girls) asked a boy Mohan to stop doing that. "Upon hearing this, Mohan, his mother and some other women beat them up. 14 children are still at hospital. "The people involved in the incident have been identified and an FIR has been registered. The culprits will soon be arrested," the IG said. Meanwhile, opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav criticised the government and the chief minister over the incident. In a series of tweets, Tejashwi said Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has 'totally surrendered himself in the hands of goons & Deputy CM is begging mercy to hardened criminals'. In response to a tweet on the matter, Tejashwi said, 'Because CM personally interferes to ensure that rapists and perpetrators gets a free run. 'In majority cases his party men, law makers and office bearers are the main culprits. If an honest officer tries to catch hold of them, He/she is transferred immediately.' With inputs from ANI IMAGE: Gujarat DGP Shivanand Jha addresses a press conference over the issue of recent attacks on non-Gujaratis in several parts of the states. Photograph: ANI The Gujarat police have so far arrested 342 people from various parts of the state for allegedly attacking non-Gujaratis, especially those hailing from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, following the rape of a 14-month-old girl in Sabarkantha district, a senior officer said on Sunday. Non-Gujaratis were targeted and hate messages circulated against them on social media after a native of Bihar was arrested for allegedly raping the toddler on September 28. "Six districts have mainly been affected (by the violence), with Mehsana and Sabarkantha being the worst hit. "In these districts, 42 cases have been lodged and so far we have arrested 342 accused. More arrests will be made as names of the accused come up during investigation," Director General of Police Shivanand Jha told reporters. He said 17 companies of State Reserve Police (SRP) have been deployed in the affected areas. "Security of areas inhabited by non-Gujaratis and the factories where they work has been increased. Police have also increased patrolling in these areas," he added. Two cases have been lodged for spreading rumours on social media which led to violence, the DGP said. Responding to a question about the exodus of non-Gujaratis following the attacks, Jha said they may be leaving for their native states in view of the upcoming festive season. "If people are leaving for home for a festival, it should not be seen otherwise. I have told my officers to visit residential areas, and if required, visit bus stands and railway stations and if people are found leaving due to fear, (then to) persuade them to come back," he said. Police officials in Gandhinagar, the worst-affected district, have been directed to organise camps and communicate with local leaders to convince the people to stay, he said. Additional forces and vehicles are being provided in districts which have asked for them to ensure safety of the non-Gujarati residents, he added. Meanwhile, Congress MLA Alpesh Thakor announced that he will go on a 'sadbhavna' (goodwill) fast from October 11 if the government does not withdraw 'false cases' registered against his supporters in the wake of the attacks. He said the fast will be held to protest the 'government's attempt to malign him and his supporters' over the violence. Last week, Thakor had raked up the issue of non-Gujaratis while demanding 'justice' for the rape survivor. He had demanded that local people be given preference in jobs in industries in Gujarat. Brett Kavanaugh, 53, was sworn in as a judge of the United States Supreme Court, hours after he was confirmed by a bitterly divided Senate by 50-48 votes. IMAGE: Judge Brett Kavanaugh is sworn in as an Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court by Chief Justice John Roberts as Kavanaugh's wife Ashley holds the family bible and his daughters Liza and Margaret look on. Photograph:Fred Schilling/Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States/Reuters Kavanaugh was officially sworn in early Saturday evening as the 114th Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts who administered the Constitutional Oath in the Justices Conference Room. Retired Associate Justice Anthony M Kennedy administered the Judicial Oath. Wife Ashley Kavanaugh held the family Bible. Justice Kavanaughs two daughters, Liza and Margaret, and his parents attended the ceremony. Kavanaugh replaces Kennedy, who had announced his resignation early this year. The swearing-in of Kavanaugh as the Supreme Court judge brought to end weeks of bitterly fought battle between the ruling Republican and the Democratic parties. Things took an ugly turn in the last few weeks, when at least three women came forward with allegations that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted them. Millions of people inside US and abroad watched live on their television sets the open hearing of Kavanaugh and his first accuser Christine Ford, a professor in California. IMAGE: A protester screams from the lap of "Lady Justice" on the steps of the US Supreme Court building as demonstrators storm the steps and doors of the Supreme Court while Judge Brett Kavanaugh is being sworn in. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters Under tremendous political pressure, Trump ordered a last-minute Federal Bureau of Investigation supplemental inquiry, the results of which reports said did not prove the allegations. Day later on Saturday, the Senate confirmed the nomination of Kavanaugh by 50-48 votes, which was mostly on party lines. Kavanaugh is the second Supreme Court nominee of US President Donald Trump to be confirmed by the Senate. Trump who was on a November 6 mid-term election campaign trail in Kansas called Kavanaugh to congratulate him on his confirmation and swearing in. I just congratulated him, he said, Congratulations. It was well fought. I mean, who would have thought a thing like that could've happened -- what hes been through? Everything was uncorroborated, he told reporters in Topeka, Kansas. IMAGE: Protesters demonstrate on the steps of the US Supreme Court building against the swearing in of Supreme Court nominee Justice Brett Kavanaugh inside the building. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters Describing Kavanaugh as an outstanding person, Trump alleged that in recent weeks he and his family suffered a lot because of the opposition Democratic lawmakers who according to him supported an uncorroborated allegation of sexual assault against him. Were very honoured that he was able to withstand this horrible, horrible attack by the Democrats. Its a horrible attack that nobody should have to go through, he said. But the beautiful thing is, he is now in. Hes going to be there for a long time. And hes just an outstanding intellect, outstanding scholar, a brilliant lawyer -- brilliant at everything hes ever done. So were very happy. It was a great vote, a very historic vote, Trump said. Even as he was being sworn in inside the Supreme Court, scores of people protested across the street at the Capitol. The crowd in front of the US Supreme Court is tiny, looks like about 200 people (& most are onlookers) - that wouldnt even fill the first couple of rows of our Kansas Rally, or any of our Rallies for that matter! The Fake News Media tries to make it look sooo big, & its not! Trump said in a tweet. Of the nine-members on the powerful US Supreme Court bench, two of the judges Kavanagh and Neil Gorsuch have been nominated by Trump. His predecessor Barack Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, both women, on the bench in 2009 and 2010 respectively. IMAGE: Rashtriya Lok Dal vice-president Jayant Chaudhary. Photograph: Kind courtesy @jayantrld/Twitter The Congress will have to be 'most accommodating' and give respect and support to the smaller parties for a 'true rainbow coalition' to emerge, Rashtriya Lok Dal vice-president Jayant Chaudhary said on Sunday. He, however, expressed confidence that a series of state-specific alliances, where like-minded parties would come together on an anti-Bharatiya Janata Party platform, was likely for the 2019 general election. "Farm distress will be a key issue in our campaign," Chaudhary told PTI in an interview. RLD candidate Tabassum Hasan, who was supported by the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress, had triumphed over her BJP rival in the Kairana bypoll earlier this year and the Ajit Singh-led party has been advocating a 'grand alliance' in Uttar Pradesh to take on the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Chaudhary, the son of RLD president Ajit Singh and the grandson of former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, said both he and his father will contest the 2019 election. However, he added that the constituencies would be announced later. On the BSP's decision to go alone in the Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh assembly polls, he said BSP chief Mayawati had communicated her party's decision with regard to the state polls through her statement. Asked if the Congress would have to be more accommodating to give enough space to the regional parties, Chaudhary said, "The Congress is the largest opposition party in Parliament today. Definitely, it will have to be most accommodating and give respect and support to the smaller parties for a true rainbow coalition to emerge. "But also, to increase the size of the pie, I think all the partners will need to not stress on individual sizes as much." Talking about the farmers' march to Delhi last week, the RLD leader said the demands raised during the 'yatra' received a huge support, especially on issues such as the rising costs of agriculture, debt relief and remunerative farm prices. "In the past, there have been many social agitations in Delhi with a large number of people extending support. However, never have we seen a government so fearful of opposing voices, dissent and a people's agitation," he said. Chaudhary also alleged that the BJP government was 'adamant' not to allow the farmers to enter the national capital. This only showed the arrogance of the rulers, he said. "I am confident that the attempt at stifling dissent by employing the state machinery, whether in terms of police lathis or other means, will be punished by the voters," the 39-year-old RLD leader said. Talking about the issues his party will raise in the run-up to the 2019 polls, Chaudhary pointed out that the RLD had launched an innovative social media campaign, where it was asking the youth of Uttar Pradesh to take selfies with potholes, tag the party and participate in the 'SelfieWithGaddha' campaign. He said the party's youth unit had recently organised three big events in Agra, Meerut and Saharanpur to highlight the disenchantment of the youth with the BJP government over its track record of job creation. Youths are a key demographic that opposition parties need to engage with at all levels, Chaudhary said. "The sugarcane issue is unfortunately far from being resolved. The farmers are not even getting the MSP for other crops. The rising diesel, electricity tariffs and fertiliser prices have further added to their distress," Chaudhary said. He accused the BJP government of having 'failed' to tackle crime and corruption, while claiming that the 'mishandling' of the economy was now hurting the middle class as well as small traders. "So, the BJP will naturally divert the discourse away from these failures and talk about Bangladesh, Pakistan etc. However, the RLD has hit the ground and is taking the real issues to the voters," Chaudhary asserted. Political observers know that in northern India, both Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, have strong regional parties which are working together, Chaudhary said, adding that 'this is the real mahagathbandhan', he said. The first phase of urban local body (ULB) polls begin in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, but many in Srinagar are 'clueless' about the exercise with most of them complaining about not knowing their candidates or even when to vote. Shoaib Ahmad, a resident of Srinagar from an uptown locality, said people in his ward do not know who the candidates are this time. The summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir is going to vote in the first phase. "Ask anyone here if they know who the candidates are. Everyone will tell you, they have no idea. There is too much secrecy, Ahmad, who works in a private company, said. He alleged the government was only interested in 'showing' that an election was held, but not with the conduct of the polls in a proper manner. A police official said the prevailing situation in Kashmir does not allow candidates to campaign openly as there is a threat to their lives. While separatists have called for a boycott of the polls, terrorists have threatened to target persons taking part in these elections. "The candidates have been given security and most of them have been taken to secure locations, but the situation is such they cannot campaign. The threat is not only from militants, but from mobs as well," the official said. The complains of not knowing the candidates were not limited to the city. People in many other areas of the valley expressed ignorance regarding the details of the polls in their wards. Ishfaq Ahmad, a resident of Ganderbal, which is voting in the last phase on 16 October, said such is the level of secrecy that people are joking that only the candidates themselves know they are standing in the elections. "We have no idea who is contesting from our ward. There has been no campaign or door-to-door canvassing by anyone so far. Even the government has not put the details of the candidates on the election commission website. "There are simply no details anywhere. Only the candidate would know that he is contesting. Perhaps, even their family does not, such is the secrecy, he said. He said 'most of the people would boycott the polls', but relatives and friends of the candidates would exercise their franchise. Another potential voter in Srinagar, Khalid said he was earlier excited about voting but now he believes the polls should be put on hold till there is an improvement in the situation. "The government says the situation does not permit them to provide details of candidates. In that case, they should have delayed the polls till there was some improvement. I was excited to vote, especially since EVMs were introduced. "However, I do not have essential details for voting, so how and why will I vote?" he asked. Apart from the secrecy regarding candidates, people in some areas of the city here do not know when to vote. "Forget about who is contesting, we do not even know when is voting taking place in our area," Ghulam Qadir, a resident of Sekidafar area in the city said. He said he has seen many elections, but 'nothing like this has ever happened'. "People are clueless on the date of voting. The government should have advertised in newspapers with poll details on a phase-basis. Most of the people here do not know their ward numbers. Nothing like this has ever happened," Qadir said. A senior Congress leader said the atmosphere in the state was not conducive for polls, but the party decided to contest after the Centre 'forced' the elections on the people. "This is the most low profile election in the history of the state. We have not seen anything like this. The atmosphere was not conducive for the polls, but it was thrust on us by the Centre," he said. The Congress leader said the secrecy maintained by the administration over the whole process has cast a shadow over the exercise. "We have received complaints of people not knowing who is in the fray. See, the candidates have been taken to secure locations and virtually put under house arrest. "In such a situation only friends, relatives and party colleagues of the candidates will come out to vote and you will see the winning margins to be very low," he said. After a highly contentious confirmation process, the Senate confirmed federal appeals court judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to a lifetime appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court on Saturday. The Senate voted 50 to 48 in favor of Kavanaugh's confirmation, with Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voting "present." Murkowski previously indicated her opposition to confirming Kavanaugh but decided to vote "present" as a courtesy to Senator Steve Daines, R-Mont., who was absent to attend his daughter's wedding. The vote largely came down along party lines, as Senator Joe Manchin, D-W.V., was the lone Democrat to vote in favor of Kavanaugh's confirmation. Kavanaugh's confirmation was virtually guaranteed after previously undecided Senators Manchin, Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, announced their support for the judge's nomination. The vote to confirm Kavanaugh came after several dramatic twists and turns in the confirmation process after Dr. Christine Blasey Ford accused Kavanaugh of sexual assaulting her when they were both in high school. Ford and Kavanaugh both gave emotional testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, with Kavanaugh categorically denying Ford's allegations. Kavanaugh received both praise and criticism for his fiery testimony, as he lashed out at the Democratic members of the committee and slammed his confirmation process as a "national disgrace." In an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, Kavanaugh claimed his "forceful and passionate" testimony reflected his "overwhelming frustration at being wrongly accused" as well as his "deep distress at the unfairness of how this allegation has been handled." "I was very emotional last Thursday, more so than I have ever been. I might have been too emotional at times," Kavanaugh 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." Kavanaugh rejected arguments that his attacks on Democrats and liberals during his testimony would prevent him from being an independent and impartial Supreme Court justice. However, critics pointed out that some of Kavanaugh's harshest attacks were contained in his prepared statement. The vote on Kavanaugh's nomination was delayed last week after undecided Senators indicated they would withhold their support for the Supreme Court nominee without a new FBI investigation of sexual misconduct allegations. Republicans claim the FBI investigation turned up zero corroboration for the allegations against Kavanaugh, while Democrats have criticized the limited scope of the probe. Ahead of the final vote, Democrats took to the Senate floor overnight to express their opposition to Kavanaugh's nomination, citing concerns about the sexual misconduct allegations as well as the judge's temperament and judicial philosophy. In a highly anticipated speech on the Senate floor Friday afternoon, Collins noted the broad discretion given to presidents in choosing their Supreme Court nominees and referenced her past support for nominees by presidents from both parties. Citing opinions and comments by Kavanaugh, Collins also dismissed concerns about the judge's views on issues such as Obamacare, presidential power, same-sex marriage, and abortion rights. Collins also said she believes Ford is a survivor of sexual assault but argued that without corroboration, her allegations do not meet the threshold of "more likely than not." Assured that he would not be the deciding vote, Manchin subsequently announced his support for Kavanaugh's nomination. "I have reservations about this vote given the serious accusations against Judge Kavanaugh and the temperament he displayed in the hearing and my heart goes out to anyone who has experienced any type of sexual assault in their life," Manchin said in a statement. He added, "However, based on all of the information I have available to me, including the recently completed FBI report, I have found Judge Kavanaugh to be a qualified jurist who will follow the Constitution and determine cases based on the legal findings before him." With the vote in the Senate, Kavanaugh will replace Justice Anthony Kennedy, who retired from the Supreme Court at the end of July. Kennedy was seen as more moderate, leading to concerns among liberals that Kavanaugh's appointment will give the court a more conservative tilt for generations. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Political News Turkish officials reportedly said that prominent Saudi journalist-turned-critic Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul this week. A Turkish official reportedly that initial investigations indicated he was murdered there. Mr Khashoggi, a Saudi national, went missing after visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday. Saudi Arabia has denied the accusations, saying it is "working to search for him". The Washington Post said it would be a "monstrous and unfathomable act" if he had been killed. Jamal Khashoggi is a high-profile critic of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He has more than 1.6 million Twitter followers and has written for the Washington Post opinion section. On Tuesday, he went to the consulate to obtain a document certifying he had divorced his ex-wife, so that he could marry his Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz. Ms Cengiz reportedly said she waited outside for 11 hours, but he did not come out. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Yemen's Oil ministry strongly condemns Saudi transports Yemeni oil to Arabian Sea [07/October/2018] SANAA, Oct 7 (Saba) - Yemen's Oil and Mineral Ministry strongly condemned the looting of the country's oil resources by Saudi Arabia transports Yemeni oil to the Arabian Sea through a pipeline which extends from the Rub' al Khali desert to Hadhramaut and al-Mahrah provinces south of the country. The move by Saudi Arabia is a blatant violation of international law, in a statement by the Yemen's Oil and Mineral Ministry to Saba on Saturday. Stating that the Saudi recent move has sparked protests by the residents of al-Mahrah and other provinces, the statement called on the United States and the UN Security Council to counter Saudi aggression, occupation and looting of Yemeni resources through legal mechanisms. It said that Riyadh move to plunder Yemen's wealth is done with the complicity of the country's former Saudi-allied government. Eman al-Mutawakel Saba A few weeks ago, the awarding of a multi-million-tala contract to a senior Associate Minister raised many eyebrows so that everyone who cared enough about the principles of transparency, accountability and good governance stopped and took a closer look. Given that Samoa is a small place, where it is often said a person has more roots than a tree, cases of conflicts of interest are difficult to avoid. Which is why there are processes in place to deal with such issues when they arise. Now the case in question has been well covered. It involves the Associate Minister of the Ministry of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Peseta Vaifou Tevaga and his connections to Aldan Civil Engineering Company Ltd, the company which has been awarded the contract by the Tenders Board. They have both have come under immense scrutiny. Not because of anyones fault. It was largely his fault. You see when the news surfaced, all he had to do was say something along the lines that he had declared his conflict of interest and he allowed the process to take its natural cause. Period. But he didnt. Instead he insisted during an interview with this newspaper that he had no involvement in the company. Ironically, after saying that, he then went on in the same interview to give out the details of the project and what the company planned to do. He didnt stop there either. Recently, he called a press conference to declare his innocence. This is a family business and of course I am not involved in the tendering process in any way, he said. It is my son who is in charge of everything including the paper work. I am just a shareholder, and if my children need me to work, I will work. There is no conflict. I told you, it is my son who signs the biding and tender documents, not me. I am not involved in any way I am just a shareholder. Let me remind you once again that the readership of this newspaper, in Samoa and throughout the world, are very intelligent people. They are not idiots and fools who would not see through this rubbish. Just a shareholder? A search of the companys register with the Ministry of Commerce Industry and Labour has revealed what the Associate Minister should have disclosed in the first place. Contrary to what he said, he is not just a shareholder; he is the major shareholder. Which means whether he is involved in the project or not, as the major shareholder, he still stands to benefit the most from the contract. Which is the real issue here. To be fair to Peseta, he is not the first high profile public official to have been implicated in a case of conflict of interest. There were many Cabinet Ministers before him and we are sure he will not be the last. But this Government needs to make up its mind about what it wants to do about these issues. It cannot just sit on the sideline and pretend this is normal. This is not normal. It is ignorant at best and abuse of power and position at worst. Folks, if this sort of trend is allowed to continue, whats to stop Cabinet Ministers and Members of Parliament from doing the same thing in the future? Why do we need laws about conflicts of interest then? Why dont we forget this nonsense about transparency and accountability and let people do whatever they want to do? Back in Apia this week after several weeks of travelling the globe, perhaps Peseta should take time to listen to his boss and Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi. Asked about the case, Tuilaepa said Ministers and Associate Ministers should not be involved in their family business once they are elected into public office. Said he: 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. Now that the leader of the Government has spoken, what next? The message is for Cabinet Ministers and senior government officials to stay far, far away. Which makes a lot sense. The question is, what will the Prime Minister do now? Would he take it a step further and tell the Tenders Board and everyone else involved in the tender process to do the same thing? Will there be disciplinary actions? And how will doing that look compared to other glaringly obvious cases of conflicts of interest in the recent past? Or can we say that this will go down in history as another classic case of follow what we say but dont do what we do? Lets hope not. Have peaceful Sunday Samoa, God bless! Dear Editor, Great call Mr. Editor about Heather du Plessis-Allans leeches comment. That descendant of slave traders have been educated enough by Pacific scholars so it has been a very useful experience for her going forward. We need to put our energy into eradication of our local leech infestation which is killing and hurting our people. Corrupt government officials in this part of the world are like blood sucking leeches taking money and violating laws of the land. But unlike leeches which are useful in the medical field, some government officials in Samoa have contributed to the suffering of the people. We need to encourage and educate the locals about how to identify leeches so that the country can progress and develop into a self-sustaining little paradise free of leeches. Free Samoa from leeches and government corruption. On the issue of the Confucius Institution, someone wrote: There is more to learn from Confucius than from any of the various Christian fiction books pushed down the throats of Samoan children. Humble yourself and always be grateful of what your Christian parents have done for you. You are full of resentment and disgust but they were the most influential people in your life and they are Christians. No one is capable of forcing a hard cover book through your open mouth and pushing it down your throat.....when you were young. Thats impossible to do and if it did happened, then Im sorry to say this but you were being abused when you were young. Please do the right thing and report these cruel acts to the police because it is against the law and against Christian principles. Le Mafa P. Dear Editor, As a compass rose has four points of degrees to indicate North, South, East, West, and so as an airport can certainly lay out towards any directions. Just because Faleolo International Airport is laid east to west does not mean every airport is built only for that direction. Keep in mind the fiercest wind, the Tuaoloa in Samoa, blows from the south while the Toelau attacks from the northern direction. Hence, Tiavea being located in the east of Upolu thereby the runway would most appropriately got to be laid north to south. Even for cross blowing north easterly or south easterlies, which are common in that part of Upolu, it is still safe for aircrafts to land or take off at Tiavea Airport when complete. As it is in Wellington New Zealand, where the Wellington International Airport runway is lying north towards south. There are many other airports in the world that are laid north towards south. I have not heard of any airplane accidents in Wellington or Faleolo International Airport. So honourable member Olo Fiti, here are some facts to help update your ageing memories about airport matters, as you have been away for quite sometime since you became a politician. And of course no doubt, itll help capitulate your scaremongering comments to allay fear amongst the travelling public, who may in the future intend to utilise Tiavea airport. As you may have known already, airport runways are numbered based on the Magnetic Azimuth compass bearing, in which a runway is oriented. But just in case that you never had known, now you know. As we all have learned from our Sunday school teachers about the 360 degrees on a compass rose; the essence of course, airports can either laid north south east and west. Therefore Mr. Editor, Olo Fiti and all, kindly note airport runways are numbered and are being determined by rounding the compass bearing, at one runway end, to the nearest 10 degrees and truncating the last zero. Such as, 1 to 36 with letters E for east, S for south, N for north, and W for west. They also are numbered from 9, 18, 27, 36 as truncating the last digit of course. Then there are L for left with a number, and R for right with a figure, as well, so says the Faletua of my village Fesoasoani, as I am a Catholic parishioner. Accordingly, in multi runway airports, if one is located in the middle of two runways, the middle then is noted as C for centre. Regarding Faleolo International Airport with just one runway, its supposedly painted on the west side the capital letter W with figure 9 (W9). Same on the east side with E27 supposedly painted on it; east being 270 degrees on the compass rose. So please dont ask me if that is the situation at Faleolo International Airport runway; I didnt see it; I have not seen it. (Not that is not painted but not able to see from cabin). Perhaps, honourable Olo Fiti must have seen it but had no idea what they were. Now he knows. And that so, is what the Faletua ole Fesoasoani had told me and my Sunday school class, once up on a time; of so many moons ago. Along her analogy: The opposite end of the runway always differs by 180 degrees. So if a runway is marked W9-E27 that represents 90 degrees to 270 degrees being oriented on an east-west layout. However, if an airport runway, it being laid north towards south, then of course itll be marked as N18-S36 as the case with Wellington International Airport. And that of course, is domineering by the wellknown fierce southerly that Wellington the windy city. Most runways can typically be used in either direction, depending on the prevailing winds. So, if an aircraft is taking off towards the east, then that is on runway W9-E27 when the wind is blowing from the east. But in much more larger airports with parallel runways, which requires further designation of each runway. Take for instance Logan International Airport in Boston Massachusetts that has two pairs of parallel runways. One is runway 4L-22R and the other 4R-22L. The L and R are designated at their relative positions of left and right on each runway respectively when approaching or facing directions. In an airport traffic operations, the runway number designations are pronounced individually. Such as in an approaching Virgin Australia Flight 92 to land on runway 4L-22R. A traffic controller would call: Flight VA 92, you are cleared to land on runway Four Left. Or alternatively, if its runway 22R-4L, then traffic control would call: Flight VA92 cleared to land on Two Two Right. This level of enunciation ensures clear communication to enhance safety. Some smaller airports in the world have three parallel runways with a runway in the middle. That would get a C for centre. Its all depending on which direction the runway is laid. There you are honourable member Olo Fiti, an airport runway can be in either directions north, south, east or west and is depending of course on the prevailing winds at an airport locality. So Olo Fiti, Mr. Editor and all, it would be silly for my government not to include Samoa BOM office to make a contribution in the Tiavea airport runway planning for they are the professionals whos bread and butter is the weather forecast. But I have no slightest doubt in my simple mind, the Tiavea airport layout is a result of the Samoa BOM experts advise in which honourable member for Salega Olo Fiti, has no idea in weather forecast. So Mr. Editor and all, next time you travel by aeroplane, when the pilot announces that youll be taking off on runway 27, youll know that youre flying from west as the prevailing wind is blowing from east. But at Faleolo International Airport, only East or West I heard the call. Always Sir, the aircraft takes off and landing into the wind to make the liftoff easy, and the landing smoothly. But, dont take my word for this Mr. Editor. Instead, speak to an airline pilot or the tower to confirm the teaching of my Sunday school teacher. I will be very surprised if I am wrong. But if ever I am, in aircrafts and airport mathematics, its at the margin of error of 180 degrees right or wrong. Hence, I am 180 degrees right; which is a huge margin. While the honourable member Olo Fiti is 180 degrees wrong. By far, the worst comments ever by Olo Fiti. With my utmost respect, Tofaeono Misatauveve Iosefo Joseph Hollywood Palisi No children have been reported missing since the news broke about a van making its way around the country, allegedly attempting to kidnap young girls. This is the latest update from the Police last night, as the country continues to be on the look out for the whereabouts of the van. S.P.S. wishes to inform the public that so far there is no confirmation of any missing children reported, the Police update said. S.P.S. also notes a growing number of false and misleading information being shared and circulated on social media. Such information has led to threats on the wrong people and their properties. We advise members of the public to refrain from taking matters into their own hands." Damages to properties as a result of individuals taking matters into their own hands is a criminal offence. But the Police say they are continuing their investigation into the alleged abduction attempt. S.P.S. is endeavoring to ensure that information provided by members of the public is traced to confirm any truth to these accounts. S.P.S. continues to advise parents and guardians to be vigilant to ensure the safety and well being of our vulnerable children. Last week, Liua Vaasili Savaiinaea, 27, of Salailua Savaii, claimed to have rescued two girls from their abductors at Vaitele. I was aware about a van that is going around looking for young girls but I didnt think something was going to happen there, he told the Samoa Observer. So I came through that road and while coming down a small hill, I saw from a far a white van parked next to a bush there." I didnt really notice it and I didnt think that this was the van that is allegedly going around Vaitele looking for young girls. Savaiinaea said he heard the voices of screaming girls when he approached the van and saw two men struggling to push two girls into the vehicle. As I came closer to the van, I heard voices of girls screaming and thats when I saw two guys, trying to pull two girls inside their car, but the girls were fighting these two guys. I quickly jumped on the side of the road, picked up some rocks and started throwing against the van and I was running as well. The first rock hit the back window of the car and it broke, and thats when I saw a female jumped inside the van." So it was a female and two males that were trying to push the girls inside the van, I knew it was a female because I heard her calling out to the two guys outside to push the girls inside. Asked if he knew or had any contact with the young girls involved, Savaiinaea said when he returned from chasing after the van, they had disappeared. He said they must have ran away, fearing for their lives. Attempts by Samoa Observer to locate the young girls who fled from the van have been unsuccessful. Pacific pride radiated throughout an investiture ceremony for Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban, Caren Rangi and Liz Mellish, who were invested with their Queens Birthday Honours at Government House in Wellington. Samoas Deputy Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mataafa and New Zealands Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio were among guests who attended last weeks ceremony to celebrate with the three recipients. He says it was a very proud moment for families and friends, for Maori and Pacific, for the Cook Islands and the Samoan community in Aotearoa-New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Luamanuvao Winnie Laban was announced a Dame on the 2018 Queens Birthday Honours list, for her service to education and the Pacific Community; this follows the Companion of the Queens Service Order honour she received in 2011. Of Samoan descent, Luamanuvao made history in 1999 when she became New Zealands first Pacific female MP. During her career, she held the post of Pacific Island Affairs Minister; and in 2010 resigned from politics to take up the position as Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Pasifika) of Victoria University of Wellington. An Associate Professor, Luamanuvao is the Patron, Chair and member for various Pacific organisations in New Zealand and abroad, and is heavily involved in the Wellington Pacific community. She is also currently involved in a project in partnership with Wellington City Council and Victoria University of Wellington to construct a multipurpose fale malae in the Wellington region. Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Sio says the investiture ceremony marks a milestone where a Pacific woman is recognised as a Dame. Luamanuvao is the first of many political women of Pacific heritage and others have followed through, Minister Sio says. This is a very proud moment for me as a minister of this government. He also expressed his gratitude and delight for the two other Pacific women who received recognition at the awards ceremony Caren Rangi and Liz Mellish. From Napier, Caren has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM), for services to the Pacific community and governance. An accountant/auditor who founded Ei Mua Consulting Ltd in 2008, Caren was National President of the Pacific womens council PACIFICA Inc from 2015 to 2017, during which time she headed a number of initiatives and mentored other women into leadership roles. Caren has been a Trustee since 2011 and Chair from 2016 of Pacific Island Homecare Services Trust; a Trustee of Te Matau a Maui Voyaging Trust; an Associate of the Centre for Social Impact New Zealand; and a founding member of the Charities Registration Board from 2012 to 2018 as well as contributing her services to the Pacific community in a range of governance roles over nearly two decades. From Featherston, Whaea Liz has been invested as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Maori and governance. Liz has made significant contributions to mentoring Maori business in the Wairarapa, Greater Wellington and Nelson regions. She has been involved in her working career in private business for over 40 years and has many roles in the public and private sector for Te Atiawa in Wellington and the Hutt Valley. Liz is the Chair of Palmerston North Maori Reserve Trust; a Trustee of Te Wharewaka O Poneke and Director of the Company Te Wharewaka O Poneke Ltd which manages the day to day business of Te Raukura. She is also a member of the Maori Heritage Council, a Director on Metlifecare Ltd Palmerston North and a Trustee of the Lux Light Festival. Following last weeks ceremony, attended by many distinguished guests, there was a family and friends celebration at Pipitea Marae in Thondorn, Wellington. The Nobesity Samoas Kids Kicking Obesity awareness event at St Josephs College, Alafua yesterday has been described as a success. Nobesity Samoa co-ordinator, Visceta Meredith commended the strong presence and support from leaders of the Government, business community and members of the diplomatic corps, sporting organisations, fitness industries, parents and the 95 kids who participated. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, who opened the event, said there cannot be a healthier Samoa if everyone worked on their own. He said its a shared responsibility to drive for a healthier Samoa as is evident with the presence of leaders from the various sectors at the event yesterday. The objective is to increase awareness on childhood obesity. I think we did just that with an event that emphasises a solution to childhood obesity. On top of the awareness, we also provided the opportunity for the kids to move, be active and surrounded with nutritional meals that can assist with better and healthier choices. Kids must have more access to services or activities that promote healthier lifestyles, Ms. Meredith said. She added that preventing childhood obesity is everyones responsibility. Thats why Nobesity is always calling for others to help us help the kids make healthier choices. We all can and, we all will kick obesity. All good things start at home. She also indicated their willingness to do more and to take the programme to Savaii in 2019. With the availability of funds we can. There is a cost to all we do, and for Nobesity, a cost to promote and encourage kids to live healthier is a cost with a higher return. So yes, as the Prime Minister suggested, events like these should be done every three months - its doable. Nobesity would love the financial assistance to do it and maybe a permanent place/field for Nobesity to run its programme would be a bonus, she added. The programmes are supported by the United States Embassy and Nobesity Samoa. Some of the events included the chiefs and kids run and the battle of the fittest. Battle of the fittest results: 1st - Samoa Tag 12:08:42 2nd - Fatutoa 12:21:67 3rd - Volleyball 12:24:40 4th - NRL 12:41:27 5th - JP 12:49:99 6th - Samoa Touch 17:37:34 The Samoa Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development completed its fourth internship graduation programme last week. The Class of 2018 saw 12 youth placed in 11 businesses over the course of eight weeks, where they were given the opportunity to learn new skills and seek permanent employment. Samoa Chamber of Commerce C.E.O. Lemauga Hobart Vaai thanked the Ministry of Womens, Community and Social Development C.E.O. Afamasaga Faauiga Mulitalo and her team for coordinating the programme. He gave a special thank you to Resident Coordinator U.N.D.P. Coordinator in Samoa, Simona Marinescu, for their ongoing support. We thank the team at SAMOA ONE-UN for their support and we look forward for this project continuing into the future, and provide more opportunities for youth to find employment and employers find much needed staff, he said. The Samoa Chamber of Commerce also extends its gratitude to the following businesses that were part of the programme as a work placement for the interns throughout the eight weeks: Savaiian Hotel, Kings Construction, Samoa Stationery and Books Ltd, Talamua Media, Kip McGrath Education Centre Samoa, APEX Pacific Solutions, Peatas Salon, Cell City, National Bank of Samoa, Crichton Pointon Consultancy, Samoa Commercial Bank and Ah Liki Investment. It is perhaps not a coincidence that a non-government organisation recently held a workshop on child protection, as Samoa begins the countdown to White Sunday celebrations this weekend. The Wellbeing and Community Solutions (WCS) ran a workshop to introduce child protection case management systems. The case management model, which was introduced to the workshop participants, uses a person-centered and holistic approach to support people with disabilities, as well as children and young people who are at risk of harm. The new case management model is to enable everyone to be aware that the project offers a proper system, which comprises seven elements in documenting and creating a proper report which can be used by agencies or a service provider or in court proceedings as well as provide the best practice in terms of dealing with issues related to not only child protection, but also people living with disabilities. WCS technical advisor, Fuimaono Gabrielle Onesemo, said the objective of the project in collaboration with various partners is to protect children and young people from abuse and neglect through early case management intervention work. It also aims to improve outcomes for vulnerable children, young people and families through integrated and coordinated service delivery (some applies to children and adults with disabilities). And also through its elements, it will collaboratively work to promote general and clinical assessment, identification of gaps and duplication in service delivery and more efficient use of resources. Additionally, it will provide analysis in the report which will help an individual in obtaining the right services and to effectively engage the family, local community and organisations, which includes taking into account access and equity issues, he said. The workshop, which was convened at the Tanoa Hotel conference room, attracted participants from various walks of life. They included Australia-Pacific Technical Coalition (APTC), Senese, Fiamalamalama School, and youth and church groups. We take our hats off to NGOs such as the WCS, for taking up the cause and becoming champions of the communitys vulnerable groups. There is no doubt that people with disability, children and youth will be the biggest beneficiaries of all that was imparted at the workshop over the long-term period. Credit should also go to the Civil Society Support Programme (CSSP) for funding the training workshop. Sadly the phrase child protection, for me, immediately conjures up images of the youngsters that we all see everyday hanging around the major supermarkets in Apia, carrying their baskets of popcorn, boxes of matches or earbuds packets and hoping that a good Samaritan would spare one tala. The ages of these children strike me, as some of them look as young as four or five years old and should be in school or in the company of their parents, rather than peddling their goods and remain vulnerable. A fortnight ago Samoa was given a pretty good report card by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the 2018 Human Development Index (HDI). Fiji, Palau, Samoa, and Tonga remain in the High Human Development category of the latest Human Development Index (HDI) and are joined by the Republic of Marshall Islands which is included in the index for the first time. At the other end of the spectrum, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea are rated as Low Human Development on the HDIs measurement of national achievements in health, education and income, stated the UNDP report. As I have intimated in an earlier editorial, give credit where credit is due so kudos to Prime Minister Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi and his Government on doing such a wonderful job. But there are cracks appearing in the delivery of essential goods and services in Samoa and giving all Samoan citizens every opportunity to economically empower themselves. Seeing the children gather around the major retail outlets in Apia, with their baskets of snacks and other items, tells me that there are families in Samoa that are literally living by the day. They do not care about the big picture issues such as trade agreements, climate change, Chinese aid, Australian development grants etc. (which are critically important to the development of this nation). They just want to have the ability to put food on their tables and live a happy life. All in all it is time for leaders and technocrats to make a link between the public policy documents that they are creating in the halls of power and the lives of ordinary people on the streets in the rural communities. With White Sunday a couple of days away and all that it represents for our children and the blessings that they give us. Let us spare a thought for the children, who gather around the main retail outlets in Apia, and give when we can. Let us hope too that those, who were given the mandate to change their lives for the better, take those steps to make it happen. Have a fabulous working week Samoa and God bless. Mane Junior Sua, who pleaded guilty to the possession of utensils under the Narcotics Act, has tendered his resignation as a court officer at the Ministry of Justice and Courts Administration. This was confirmed by the Ministrys Deputy Registrar Ve'atauia Faatasi Puleiata, in response to questions from Samoa Observer. He said the decision to accept or deny his resignation rests with the Ministrys Chief Executive Officer. However if it was up we should not accept the resignation, said Ve'atauia. Last month, the District Court Judge, Fepuleai Roma Ameperosa gave him a 12-month suspended sentence. During the course of the proceedings, the Judge noted that the Ministrys building manager lost his personal cheque book and it was found that the defendant had used it to purchase goods. The Judge told the defendant of his admission to Court on his use of ice or methamphetamine and that he had a good level of education. When further asked how you (Sua) used the cheque book and funds in his account, you admitted having used it on ice or methamphetamine. You also told him how two of your fellow court officers were involved. Later that afternoon, you handed him an item wrapped in an A4 sheet of paper, that item was a glass pipe. The Judge noted that the defendant had a good level of education having attained a bachelors degree, while being employed by the Ministry as a court officer. You (Sua) are currently on suspension from work as a result of your offending and depending on the sentence this Court imposes. There is a real likelihood that your current employment will be terminated, added the Judge. The Government has moved to protect Samoan intellectual property by introducing a bill, which would enable the country to sign up to an international trademark system. The Intellectual Property Amendment Bill 2018 seeks to amend the Intellectual Property Act 2011, which would enable Samoa to sign up to the Madrid Protocol, the primary international system for facilitating the registration of trademarks in multiple jurisdictions around the world. When the Bill went before the Parliament last Friday, it was considered under a certificate of urgency notice signed by the Leader of the House. It then proceeded to the second and third readings. The amendments to Section 55 of the Intellectual Property Act after it is passed by Parliament will provide for the registration of Samoan intellectual property. Last month an American businessman trademarked the popular Fijian greeting Bula in the U.S., triggering widespread condemnation in Fiji and compelling the Fijian government to announce that they will fight the registration in America. Minister of Commerce Industry and Labour, Lautafi Selafi Purcell, made reference to Fijis Bula controversy last Friday, when he highlighted the importance of Parliament passing the amendments. A classic example, when I was in Fiji last week, I overheard their complaints of how Bula is being used in America, all because there is no law to protect their trademarks. Again, this is vital for us, he said. Member of Parliament, Olo Fiti Vaai, said there were already laws in place and it is just the lack of enforcement by the Ministry responsible. According to the bills explanatory notes, the proposed amendments if approved by the Parliament will give effect in Samoa to the Madrid Protocol. It will include provisions that provide for any of the following: making applications for international registration by way of the Intellectual Property Registry of Samoa as office of origin; procedures to be followed where the basic application for registration ceases to be in force; procedures to be followed where the Intellectual Property Registry of Samoa receives from the International Bureau or any body specified in the regulations, a request for extension of protection to Samoa; the effects of a successful request for extension of protection to Samoa; transforming an application for an international registration, or an international registration, into a national application for registration. China and Samoa marked their friendship with a tree planting ceremony at the Hualuogeng Secondary School grounds in Huizhou City, Guangdong Province, China. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, his wife Gillian Malielegaoi, Chinas Ambassador in Samoa, HE Wang Xuefeng, head master of Huizhou Hualuogeng Secondary School, Huang Jintian and other Chinese officials took part in the ceremony. Tuilaepa visited Hualuogeng Secondary School, which hosted students and teachers from Samoa College who travelled to Huizhou City to participate in a 12-day education exchange programme with Hualuogeng Secondary School. The exchange is part of a memorandum of understanding signed by China and Samoa in 2015. May this tree give shade to all students and all the spectators that will come watch the progress displayed by their sons and daughters here in this school, Tuilaepa said. Jintian said the tree being planted is called a flame tree, also known as the phoenix tree. The significance of this tree is that it symbolises the everlasting friendship between our two countries, Samoa and China. I strongly believe my dear students present, that one day you will be like a phoenix, which after all adversities, will spread your wings and soar into the sky, Jintian said. I hope that with all my heart that in the days to come, we will have communication and cooperation at a much broader and more intimate level with Samoa College and even other schools around the whole world. The students from Samoa College underwent a tour of various museums, natural landmarks, technological industries, and exchanged cultural aspects from the Chinese culture. WASHINGTON (AP) The bitter battle over Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court has exacerbated the nation's political divide and left many Americans emotionally raw. It's also given new definition to the high stakes of November's election. Until now, the fight for control of Congress has largely been viewed as a referendum on President Donald Trump's first two years in office. But the turmoil surrounding Kavanaugh has transformed the midterms into something bigger than Trump, with implications that could endure long after his presidency. The election is suddenly layered with charged cultural questions about the scarcity of women in political power, the handling of sexual assault allegations, and shifting power dynamics that have left some white men uneasy about their place in American life. Both parties contend the new contours of the race will energize their supporters in the election's final stretch. Both may be right. Republicans, however, may benefit most in the short term. Until now, party leaders, Trump included, have struggled to rev up GOP voters, even with a strong economy to campaign on. The president's middling job approval rating and independent voters' disdain for his constant personal attacks have been a drag on GOP candidates, particularly in the more moderate suburban districts that will determine control of the House. But Republican operatives say internal polling now shows Kavanaugh's acrimonious confirmation has given the party a much-needed boost, with GOP voters viewing Democrats as overzealous partisans following the public testimony by Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, who accused the judge of trying to rape her while they were both in high school. Ford said she was "100 percent" certain that Kavanaugh was her attacker; Kavanaugh steadfastly denied her allegations. The Democrats' "strategy to capitalize on the 'Me Too' movement for the political purposes backfired on them," Republican strategist Alice Stewart said. "The fact that they were willing to use Dr. Ford's story that was uncorroborated to launch character assassinations on Judge Kavanaugh did not sit well with voters. A lot of people looked at this as a bridge too far." The surge in GOP enthusiasm could recalibrate a political landscape that was tilting toward Democrats throughout the summer. Though Democrats still maintain an advantage in competitive House races, the past two weeks appear to have shifted momentum in the fight for the Senate majority back to the GOP. In North Dakota, Republican Rep. Kevin Cramer has pulled comfortably ahead of Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, who voted "no" on Kavanaugh. GOP operatives say they're also seeing renewed Republican interest in states such as Wisconsin, where Democratic candidates for both Senate and governor have been polling strong. "It's turned our base on fire," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Saturday, moments after the Senate confirmed Kavanaugh. To be sure, some tightening in the race was likely inevitable this fall. Wavering voters often move back toward their party's candidates as Election Day nears, and most of the competitive Senate races are in states that voted for Trump by a significant margin. With just over four weeks until Election Day, there is still time for the dynamics to shift again. And the political headwinds from the Kavanaugh confirmation are unlikely to blow in just one direction. To Democrats, Kavanaugh's ascent to the Supreme Court in spite of decades-old sexual misconduct allegations will only deepen the party's pull with female voters, including independents and moderates who may have previously voted for Republicans. Democrats point to the flood of women who have spoken out about their own assaults following Ford's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Party operatives also believe the optics of the all-male GOP panel that presided over the hearing struck a chord with female voters. "Kavanaugh's confirmation will leave a lot of outraged and energized women in its wake," said Geoff Garin, a Democratic pollster. Democrats argue that some of the same tactics that have helped energize Republican voters also motivate their base, particularly Trump's attacks on Ford. During a campaign rally in Mississippi, the president mocked Ford for not remembering key details of the alleged attack, including the date and location of the party she says she and Kavanaugh attended 36 years ago. "You've seen some shifts, but I still think that we're in a strong place," said New Mexico Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, who heads the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "I still think that it gives us a lot of enthusiasm on our side because there are a lot of people out there that are really upset, not just with the testimony that came from Judge Kavanaugh but the way the president was even mocking (Ford) days ago." Trump remains the fall campaign's biggest wild card. White House advisers and Republican senators are encouraging him to keep Kavanaugh in the spotlight in the campaign's final weeks. But they're well aware that the president often struggles to stay on message and can quickly overshadow his political victories with new controversies. Given that, Stewart said Republicans can't assume that this burst of momentum will sustain itself through Election Day. "The question is whether this is the October surprise or the calm before the storm," Stewart said. Air travelers who have been complaining about ever-shrinking airline seats may get some relief in a five-year funding bill for the Federal Aviation Administration that President Trump signed into law Friday. Still, passenger advocates didnt get everything they wanted from the 540-page bill. Overall, its definitely a step forward, said Paul Hudson, president of Flyersrights.org, a passenger rights group with about 60,000 members. However, much more needs to be done. The so-called reauthorization bill includes language that instructs the FAA to draft regulations establishing minimum seat dimensions, including width, length and pitch commonly referred to as legroom. Advertisement The countrys airlines have long opposed government-imposed dimensions, saying regulators should be concerned only that passengers have enough space to exit the cabin quickly in an emergency. But with airlines reducing legroom space and passenger rights groups demanding relief, lawmakers added language to instruct the FAA to reexamine its standard. Safety must never take a backseat, much less a shrunken seat, to profits, said Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), who along with Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) proposed the seat provision included in the bill. The safety of the public must be the airlines primary concern, and this bill now requires the FAA to take it seriously. Airlines for America, the trade group that represents the nations biggest airlines, said it supports the bills language, noting that the FAA has not objected to the seats already installed on all of the airlines even those that passengers complain are too cramped. We support the federal governments role in determining what seat size is safe as required by this bill, said Alison McAfee, a spokeswoman for the group. But Hudson said he worries that the FAA will consider only safety when creating minimum seat dimensions, ignoring the comfort and health of travelers. They could simply set the standards at where they are now or even lower, he said. The bill also prohibits airlines from involuntarily removing a passenger who has a confirmed reservation and has already checked in a response to the ugly scene last year when a Kentucky physician was dragged off an overbooked United Airlines flight. Language in the bill that would have allowed the Department of Transportation to regulate unreasonable passenger fees charged by airlines was killed in a conference committee. Congress has missed an historic, once-in-a-generation opportunity to stop gargantuan airlines from gouging Americans with exorbitant fees every time they fly, said Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who drafted the language to regulate airline fees. Airlines, which lobbied hard against the provision, are probably breathing a sigh of relief. In 2017, the countrys airlines collected $4.6 billion from baggage fees and $2.9 billion from reservation change fees, which represent the only two ancillary passenger fees the airlines are required to report to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. hugo.martin@latimes.com To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow @hugomartin on Twitter. New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult is all about challenging her readers and their beliefs. Her latest book, A Spark of Light, continues to do just that. With issues like reproductive rights, law, religion and gun violence, her 25th novel takes topics from current news headlines and transforms them into a dramatic true-to-life story. Picoults previous book, Small Great Things, sold more than 1 million copies and was chosen for the 2017 National Network of State Teachers of the Year social justice booklist, a resource list for educators, parents, community members and policy makers. Picoult who lives in Hanover, N.H., with her husband and multiple animals will be at the University of San Diegos Kroc Institute on Wednesday in an event hosted by Warwicks. Advertisement Q: Your topics include an active shooting situation, foster care, abortion rights and sexual orientation. Are you concerned youll alienate your fans? A: In my novels, no matter where you fall on a contentious issue, youll see both points of view represented. That is certainly the case for A Spark of Light as it should be. Abortion is not a decision anyone undertakes lightly. I dont want to tell readers what to think. I want them to hear all different angles and then ask themselves why their opinion is what it is. If you are a reader and start to feel uncomfortable in the middle of one of my books, then, I have made you think hard about a topic you might otherwise not have considered. I dont think of that as alienating my fans. I think of it as doing my job. Q: Who were hardest characters to write? A: The hardest characters to write were George, for obvious reasons, and Janine, because her pro-life stance is antithetical to my own beliefs. Q: What kind of research did you do to write the hostage negotiation scenes? A: I interviewed two hostage negotiators, who not only gave me the backstory I was able to use for Hugh, his training, the moment he talked a potential suicide victim off a ledge, but also worked through the particulars of the plot with me to make sure that it was accurate. I think its detail that makes a story come to life. Q: Why was Dr. Louie Ward so passionate about providing his service to women? Who was your real-life inspiration? A: Dr. Willie Parker is the inspiration for Louie Ward. Willie is an abortion provider who flies to various underserved states in the clinics that are the most threatened in order to provide care for women. He is a devout Christian who says that he became an abortion provider not in spite of his religion, but because of it. He is the biggest feminist Ive ever met. He believes it is a basic right for women to control their own bodies. Q: Why are womens lives a thousand shades of grey? A: When I was in college, one of my best friends had an abortion. She was seven weeks pregnant, and I was 100 percent behind her decision to do so. Years later, I was seven weeks pregnant with my third child when I was spotting heavily and a doctor told me I might lose the pregnancy. I was devastated. Yet how could I view my seven-week pregnancy and my friends so differently? What women believe about reproductive rights may not just be whether we label ourselves pro-choice or pro-life. Women may vary our opinions based on our age, our financial situation, our relationship status and a variety of other factors. Each woman is so different. The circumstances that might lead her to choose an abortion are equally as different. Since laws are black and white, it seems a very broad paintbrush to use, given that each womans case is unique. Q: Why did you choose outer space as a connecting topic for Wren and Hugh? A: When you look at the stars, you are literally looking into the past at an explosion that happened light years ago. It was the perfect metaphor for a book that was structurally going to reverse time. Q: Did you have the final twist planned ahead of time or did it happen organically while writing the book? A: Yes. In fact, this was the most planned book that I have ever written. I had a 48-page outline, so that I would be able to write the story in reverse. Q: What are you reading right now? What two books are on your to be read list? A: I just started Kevin Kwans Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. After that, Matt Haigs How to Stop Time. A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult, Penguin Random House, 384 pages Conversation with Jodi Picoult When: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10 (doors open at 6:15 p.m.) Where: Hosted by Warwicks at University of San Diegos Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice Theatre, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego. Tickets: $31.24 (includes one general admission, one pre-signed copy of A Spark of Light, and a professional photo with the author). Tickets must be printed. Phone: (619) 435-007 Online: warwicks.com October 7, 1913 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. Sunday, October 7, 1913 In 1913 a Standard Oil Company tank farm on the citys waterfront exploded. Burning oil and gasoline spread to a nearby lumberyard and flowed into the bay. Firefighters battled the blaze for three days. Here are the first few paragraphs of the story: WAVE OF BLAZING OIL SWEEPS LUMBER YARDS QUARTER MILLION GALLON GASOLINE TANK BLOWS UP SCATTERING FIRE ABROAD Flaming Oil Spreads Out Over Bay and Attacks the Lumber Yards of Buchanan and Whitney-Mead Companies; All Firemen Escape, Although It Was Rumored Some Wee Caught in Sea of Flames SPECTATORS REPORTED TO BE MAROONED ON WHARF; REPORT IS NOT VERIFIED AS YET Flee From Explosion to Standard Oil Wharf, Which Blazed Behind Them; Flames Were Balked of Prey by Rescuers in Boats; Warehouse Also Ablaze; Fire Still Raging at 3 OClock This Morning WITH a roar that rocked the walls of the Savage Tire Company three hundred yards away, shook a trolley car on the rails five blocks off, and rattled the windows in the houses within the radius of over a mile, the Standard Oil Company's 250,000-gallon distillate tanks blew up yesterday just before noon. The explosion came after the fire had burned for thirty-five hours and had attracted tens of thousands to the foot of Twenty-sixth street to watch the conflagration. Immediately after the explosion the burning oil and gasoline spread out over the bay in a wave of flame and attacked the lumber yards of the Buchanan Lumber Company and the Whiting-Mead Commercial Company. The fire was beaten back from the yards of the Buchanan Company, but at an early hour this morning was still burning through the lumber piled acreage of the Whiting-Mead corporation. Rescued by Launches A roll call of the firemen early this morning showed that all were safe. Whether any spectators who were gathered on the knoll across the Santa Fe tracks and between the fire and the bay, lost their lives could not be ascertained, although other spectators declared last night that they had sought safety on the wharf of the Standard Oil Company. Within fifteen minutes after the explosion this wharf was burning, but it is believed that the marooned victims of the explosion were rescued by launches and sailboats that had gathered in the bay to witness the fire. The lumber schooner Fred A. Sander, which was lying in the bay within one hundred yards of the burning oil tanks, pulled up anchor after the explosion and made its way further out into the stream. The captain had been warned early in the afternoon. The crude oil thank, which contained 1,260,000 gallons of crude oil has been a roaring furnace since Sunday noon. At 11 oclock last night one of the big doors on the west blew out and took with it a part of the entire western side. Instantly a wave of burning oil several feet in height poured forth across the vacant block to the west and advanced with a roar upon the yards of the Whiting-Mead Company, a block away. This roaring wave forced back precipitately the few that had gathered on the outskirts of the lumber yard. It poured in a torrent into the ditch occupied by the tracks of the Santa Fe Railroad and flowed east and west into the bay, cutting off the escape of those who were gathered on the knoll opposite to watch the conflagration. Gasoline Tank Explodes Almost instantly the gasoline tank that had been burning since noon went up in a tremendous roar. The flash woke up people in East San Diego, four miles away, and for a second illuminated the city with a brilliance that surpassed the brightest sunshine. The shock of the explosion awoke residents of Mission Hills, five miles from the fire, and sent them scurrying to telephones to discover what had happened. Many people living within a few blocks of the fire who had retired peacefully, were thrown out of their beds. In an instant almost, the waterfront for half a mile on either side of the Standard Oil tanks, was a mass of flames. Chief Almgren of the fire department turned in a general alarm, the first of its kind ever rung over the wires of the San Diego fire department, and every piece of fire apparatus in the city was rushed to the scene. For hundreds of yards the bay was covered with burning oil. The steel tracks of the Santa Fe Railroad were twisted and warped. The waves of burning oil had advanced on the west to within a short distance of the yards of the McCormick Lumber Company which contained millions of feet of lumber and which is adjacent to the yards of the Benson Lumber Company with millions of feet more. More: 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. If Cambodian government officials thought Meach Sovannara would stay quiet after they threw him in prison, they were wrong. From behind the walls of Prey Sar a crowded lockup in Phnom Penh Sovannara penned a critical article this year about Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has ruled the Southeast Asian nation for decades in what human rights activists often describe as a dictatorship masquerading as a democracy. Sovannara said he wrote the missive by hand and had it smuggled out of the prison. A few days later, the article questioning the outsize influence that the Chinese and Vietnamese governments seem to hold over Hun Sen was published on Facebook. In Cambodia, political dissidents are often met with swift and brutal reprisals, and Sovannara had suffered them before. In 2003, he and his family fled to Long Beach under threat of death. He was sentenced to 20 years inside Prey Sar in 2015, for speaking out against the government during a public protest. After the articles publication, Sovannara said he was made to suffer once more. Advertisement The months that followed were misery, according to Sovannara, who said he and other political prisoners were jammed into a tiny cell as punishment. They shared one toilet and spent their days with barely enough room to stand, much less sleep. But Sovannara had been gambling with his own safety for years, and incarceration wasnt going to change that. Either we die, we are put in prison, or we escape, he said through a translator. Sovannara, who was released from Prey Sar this summer, detailed his incarceration for the first time in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. The 53-year-old, who has held dual citizenship in Cambodia and the U.S. since he was granted asylum here 15 years ago, said he plans to continue his activism from afar, even though it may never be safe for him to return to his homeland. A former teacher and journalist, Sovannara was working as a spokesman for the Cambodia National Rescue Party, which opposed Hun Sens Cambodia Peoples Party, when he was arrested in 2014 after giving a speech at a protest in the nations capital. He was convicted of attempting to incite an insurrection in 2015 despite no evidence being presented at his trial, according to Amnesty International. Sovannaras wife, Jamie Meach, and other activists in Long Beachs Cambodia Town neighborhood fought for his release for years through demonstrations, lawsuits and even desperate appeals to Hun Sen himself. Few, however, thought they would see him return home. Sovannaras release was met with relief by his loved ones who joined him for a tearful reunion at Los Angeles International Airport last month and skepticism from experts on Cambodian politics. Some, like Occidental College Professor Sophal Ear, say Hun Sen only released Sovannara because the activist and other members of the opposition party no longer posed a threat to him. Hun Sen dissolved the CNRP last year, and the Cambodian Peoples Party won every seat in the National Assembly after an election that most observers have dismissed as rigged. Kem Sokha, who led the opposition party, remains under house arrest in Cambodia and the government has either shut down or financially crippled most independent media outlets in the country, leaving little in the way of an organized resistance to Hun Sens rule. Sovannara said he wants to continue his activism, whether he does so from California or by returning to Cambodia. He is planning to write a book about his time in Prey Sar and will probably continue to publish his views on Cambodias political situation via social media and other outlets. With Hun Sens power resolidified in Phnom Penh, experts say, a return home could prove dangerous for Sovannara. But if he chooses to remain in Long Beach, his ability to broadcast his message in his native land would be muffled at best. After the shutdown of the countrys last independent news outlet, the Cambodia Daily, in 2017, virtually all forms of media in Cambodia now take a pro-government slant, which would leave Facebook as one of the lone ways Sovannara could communicate in the largely rural country. He can continue to have an impact through the kind of public commentary that would be carried on social media, Ear said. Obviously that is going to be limited. Meach Sovannara, middle, is reunited with his family at Los Angeles International Airport in September. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) While Sovannaras status as an opposition party leader helped land him in prison, that reputation may have also kept him safe inside Prey Sar. Sovannara said he received routine visits from human rights advocates and U.S. Embassy officials, and Ear believes the Long Beach mans notoriety in Cambodia probably afforded him some protections from Prey Sars otherwise rancid conditions. General population conditions in Prey Sar are terrible, Ear said. But Im sure that, as a dual U.S. citizen, they couldnt have made it the most horrible conditions. But while Sovannaras visibility may have protected him from outright violence, it didnt earn him any favors from the prison staff either. Shortly before his incarceration, Sovannara sustained a serious head injury in a car accident. During his first few months in Prey Sar, Sovannara said the effects of the crash left him suffering from persistent migraines and a fever that sometimes caused him to shake. He repeatedly asked to be taken to a hospital, but the guards refused. It would take months before Sovannara was granted a one-hour stay at a Phnom Penh medical facility. That lack of concern for Sovannaras well-being stretched to the end of his prison stay as well, he said. After learning that he managed to publish an article critical of Hun Sen from within the prison walls, police officials launched an effort to determine how he was communicating with the outside world in March 2018. In public, the effort produced a laughable explanation. A prison spokesman told the Phnom Penh Post that Sovannara used a television to speak online to the outside. Inside, however, the punishment Sovannara received was cringe-inducing. He was shoved into a small cell along with 14 other opposition-party members. As their months-long stay in the tiny space stretched into the summer, Sovannara said he was often slicked with sweat and covered in mosquito bites as the temperatures climbed into the triple-digits. It was very difficult, so cramped, he said. Fifteen people living together we didnt even have space to sleep. In the weeks since his return to the U.S., Sovannara has tried to focus on spending time with his wife and children. But even after being ripped away from them and subjected to the conditions inside Prey Sar, Sovannara said he hasnt ruled out the possibility that he might return home once more. My body, my conscience, would like to go back. This time, not to join in the opposition party but to work as an activist for human rights, for freedom. I would go to villages, to towns, and talk about the value of freedom thats my passion, he said. But I would have to wait and see the political climate in Cambodia first. james.queally@latimes.com Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in California. Nearly 12 years after gang members gunned down an Oceanside police officer during a traffic stop, a 28-year-old man admitted in court Friday that he was one of the triggermen. Jose Compre, who was 16 at the time of the killing of Officer Dan Bessant, pleaded guilty to a charge of voluntary manslaughter, the San Diego County District Attorneys Office said in announcing the surprise deal. Compre was one of three teenage gang members accused of ambushing 25-year-old Officer Dan Bessant during a traffic stop Dec. 20, 2006. The other two teens were found guilty at trials several years ago, but lack of evidence led a judge to dismiss the case against Compre. Advertisement This plea holds another defendant accountable for his role in the heartless murder of Officer Bessant and brings an additional measure of justice for Officer Bessants family and friends, the community and his law enforcement colleagues, San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said in the announcement. In pleading guilty, Compre admitted that he personally fired a gun during the incident that killed the officer and that it was done for the benefit of a street gang. Compre will be sentenced to 25 years in prison at a hearing scheduled for May 31. He has also given up his right to appeal. Oceanside police spokesman Tom Bussey said the department is pleased that an agreement was reached and that the case has been resolved. Bussey had been a field sergeant when Bessant was assigned to his squad. He was so energetic and enthusiastic and just wanted to do a good job and he did, Bussey said. The crime was one of opportunity an ambush. The three teens were standing in front of a home on Arthur Avenue when Bessant and another officer conducted a traffic stop nearly 400 feet away at the corner of Arthur and Gold Drive. Prosecutors argued the three had been drinking beer, and had watched the police activity for about 15 minutes before opening fire, two using handguns and a rifle. A rifle round pierced Bessants heart. No one else was hit. The motive, authorities said, was to bolster the street status of themselves and their gang. Compre and two fellow teenage gang members, Meki Gaono and Penifoti P.J. Taeutui, were charged as adults in 2007. Later that year, a judge dismissed charges against Compre. Gaono and Taeutui were subsequently found guilty at separate trials. Both were sentenced to life in prison. Then in late October 2016 nearly 10 years after the killing prosecutors refiled the case against Compre, citing new and undisclosed evidence. He was arrested and again charged as an adult. Days later, voters approved Proposition 57, which prevents prosecutors from trying a minor as an adult until a Juvenile Court judge first reviews the case and gives the OK. Compres case was kicked back to Juvenile Court. On Friday, he waived that and agreed to be charged as an adult. Bessant was married and the father of a boy who was 2 months old at the time. Bessant would have turned 37 years old this month. teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com Immigration detainees who cant afford to pay bond may soon get help from a fund established by a San Diego grass-roots coalition of local organizations. The Borderlands Get Free Bond Fund, organized by the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium, is accepting applications from immigrants with ties to San Diego County or Imperial County. It is the first bond fund specifically for immigrants held in or who live in Californias southernmost counties. We know its usually the people with the lowest incomes in our communities that end up suffering the most when it comes to detention, because going through the system, it gets really expensive, said Lilian Serrano, chair of SDIRC. This moment is critical. Serrano said that as someone who lives in a mixed-status family, she has seen firsthand how much people struggle to pay bonds to get loved ones out of detention while they fight to stay here. Advertisement The detained person is often one of the main breadwinners for the family, she said. Since that person isnt earning income while in custody, the family may not have enough money to pay rent, let alone attorney fees or bond. I know people who are really close to me that have basically sold everything they owned or gotten in debt. They have done everything from tamales sales and raffles to asking to borrow money from neighbors, Serrano said. In my own family, I have people who are still years later paying back the money they had to come up with. Immigration detention facilities are not supposed to hold people for punishment. Officials have the authority only to detain people waiting for immigration court if they believe those individuals will not show up for hearings or are dangerous to society. Assigning a bond amount is one strategy the federal government uses to ensure people show up for immigration court. That amount can be set by a judge at a bond hearing, or Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials can set a bond as part of their decision to release someone. The minimum bond for immigration court is $1,500. For people from low-income families or arriving asylum seekers who may not have family in the U.S., even that amount can be prohibitive, advocates say. Monika Langarica, an immigration attorney, said shes had many clients who have struggled to pay the minimum bond, including one who has been in Otay Mesa Detention Center for about eight months. He was offered a bond about two months ago, but because he is an asylum seeker who hasnt yet been in the U.S., he doesnt have anyone to help him pay. For others who already have green cards and are facing court because the government wants to take them away, getting out of detention means a chance to reunite with family and to keep working so that the immigrants have money to pay attorneys, Langarica said. Shes been dreaming about a bond fund since she started working in San Diego a couple of years ago. As somebody who does the work of participating in the literal liberation of people, getting people out of detention centers and cages, its powerful, Langarica said. The impact to people who are released is huge. Theres no way to overstate it. She said shes elated about what the fund means not only for her clients who are struggling to pay, but also for detained people who dont have attorneys. Although people facing criminal court are given attorneys if they are unable to pay for their own, that does not happen in immigration court. Studies have shown that having an attorney significantly affects the outcome of a case, and hiring an attorney while inside a detention center is difficult. The majority of people in immigration detention do not have lawyers representing them, Langarica said. Being detained and unrepresented means even worse odds for winning a case, Langarica said, because the detainee has to try to gather evidence or obtain document translations from inside the facility. Elizabeth Lopez, an immigration attorney who works exclusively with asylum seekers, had a recent client who was a torture survivor and could not afford the $3,000 bond amount ICE officials offered him to get out of detention. Being in detention caused depression, Lopez recalled, and made it difficult for her client to gather enough evidence to prove what he had been through. Another clients family ended up collecting money from community members to help him pay. People just dont understand that torture survivors should not be imprisoned, said Lopez, who is executive director of the Southern California Immigration Project. It just re-traumatizes them. Ali Torabi, a local activist who is on the committee that will decide which applications get approved for the bond fund, said giving immigrants a chance to get out of detention resonates with him because of what happened to his mother years ago. Torabi, a beneficiary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, came to the U.S. from Iran with his mother and brother when he was a child. They came on visas and overstayed. When his mother tried to adjust her status and went for an interview with immigration officials in 2010, she was arrested and taken to Otay Mesa Detention Center, he said. He remembers feeling helpless, not knowing when she would get out or who to turn to in the community. ICE held his mother for several months before releasing her. The agency couldnt deport her to Iran because the U.S. doesnt have relations with the country, he said. As an activist, Torabi hears from community members, especially in North County, whose parents have been detained under the current administrations policies. Family separation, it takes place at the border, but it doesnt stop at the border, Torabi said. Its been happening within the states for decades. kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com Morrissey writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. The San Jose Unified School District has drafted a plan to convert school property into housing for area teachers amid soaring housing costs. The districts proposal to consider building housing on nine district-owned properties has drawn a backlash from area residents who want to preserve schools they say are the heart of their communities, the East Bay Times reported. The district says it is struggling to find and retain teachers due to soaring housing costs and that teachers commute up to four hours a day to and from their schools. District officials say they are looking at converting schools with declining enrollment or aging buildings and the districts offices. The schools would be moved to other sites. Advertisement A meeting to discuss the plan drew hundreds of residents this week. The only poll that counts is Election Day and that starts Monday. As the partisan brawl continues to rage over Brett Kavanaughs Supreme Court appointment, Californians begin voting this week and continue right on through Nov. 6. Granted, the bulk of absentee and early voting probably will happen in two or three weeks, but, at the very least, voters are starting to focus more on the election. How the raw battle over Kavanaughs confirmation and accusations that he engaged in sexual assault and misconduct will affect the eventual outcome is uncertain. At the moment, the bitter fight has energized Republicans nationwide, according to recent polls. Translating how that impacts a specific race is anybodys guess. Still, it certainly brightens what has been a grim political year so far for Republicans, who are struggling to hold on to their majority in the House and perhaps in the Senate as well. Advertisement The question is, will this burst of momentum last or does the air quickly come out of the GOP balloon now that the Senate has voted Kavanaugh onto the high court? One thing seems clear: Republicans are doubling down with appeals to keep their base fired up, perhaps at the expense of alienating moderate voters. Maybe that was the plan to begin with, but the confirmation fight certainly gave the effort more focus. This is happening not only in red-state Senate races, but in critical House districts. Late last week, President Donald Trumps campaign organization put out a statement of support for Diane Harkey, the Republican running in the contentious 49th district, which stretches up the north San Diego County coast into southern Orange County. It was a curious move, even though there was no mention of Kavanaugh, given Trumps unpopularity in the district. Hes the main reason if not the only one that the historically Republican district is now leaning Democratic, according to polls and political handicappers. He lost there by seven points to Hillary Clinton in 2016. Trump is also why longtime incumbent Rep. Darrell Issa, an early and ardent Trump supporter, essentially was chased out of his re-election bid. But the appeal to the Republican base was obvious. She will be a great supporter of President Trumps America First agenda in Congress, especially on tax reform and deregulation, said Lara Trump, the presidents daughter-in-law and senior adviser to Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. Diane is also strong on immigration, loves our military and veterans, and supports law enforcement who keep our communities safe. Trump himself already heartily endorsed her in August via Twitter. This is a roll of the dice for Harkey. She has walked a tightrope regarding Trump, who is popular with conservatives. At times, she has shown subtle displeasure with his behavior. Yet she enthusiastically embraces many of his policies, particularly those affecting the economy, but also his plan to build an extended border wall, and withdrawal from the both the Iran nuclear accord and Paris climate agreement. Lara Trumps statement came hours after the Los Angeles Times on Thursday released a poll that showed Democratic attorney Mike Levin with an astounding 14-point lead over Harkey, a member of the California Board of Equalization. Maybe Harkeys hope is that a conservative base fired up by Trump could match motivated Democrats, even if that makes it more difficult to appeal to swing voters. The presidents approval rating in the district is 39 percent. Kavanaugh hasnt been a major focus in the Harkey-Levin race and she has spoken about the judge and the confirmation process cautiously. Elsewhere, Trump has shown no reluctance to defend Kavanaugh, whom he depicts as a victim, and mock Christine Blasey Ford, the university professor who has accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault when they were in high school more than three decades ago. The latter tactic is a clear shift in strategy, as both Republican senators and Trump initially tried to avoid directly criticizing Ford. Perhaps they didnt see that as an effective approach to stem what polls show is an increasing loss of support for the GOP among women. Meanwhile, they were clearly aware of the galvanizing effect the Kavanaugh battle has had on Republicans. Polls have shown that GOP voter enthusiasm has increased, narrowing the gap with Democrats. A recent nationwide Quinnipiac poll shows that the 14-point lead for Democratic House candidates has been cut in half over the past three weeks. A NPR/Marist poll said the Democratic enthusiasm advantage had shrunk to a statistically insignificant two percentage points (down from a 10-point lead in that poll in July). Still, four weeks to Election Day is plenty of time for attention to turn to other things or for passions to subside or other outrages to surface. It wasnt long ago that the separation of immigrant children from their families was a potential dynamic-changing event. The same goes for the convictions of Paul Manafort, Trumps former campaign manager, and Michael Cohen, Trumps former attorney. Republicans may be heartened by what they are seeing right now, but Democratic impetus remains strong, as it has been all year. Trump has stoked that fire from the beginning and continues to do so, seemingly whenever he opens his mouth or tweets. Kavanaugh may fade from the campaign for Republicans, but Democrats wont let go of Trump. The Kavanaugh appointment and lack of redress for women accusing him of sexual misconduct is only likely to bolster the blue wave. Republicans won a big victory in the Kavanaugh battle, likely shifting the balance on the Supreme Court for years to come. But that win may increase their chances of a big loss in November. Tweet of the Week Goes to Amy Walter (@amyewalter), national editor of the Cook Political Report. The fact that Lindsey Graham brought up Clinton-era bad behavior toward women, and that Ds continue to mention Merrick Garland at every turn, is all you need to know about what impact Kavanaugh fight will have for next 20 years. A Republican-majority Senate narrowly confirmed Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court on Saturday amid tumultuous partisan politics and allegations of sexual harassment. Here are the post-vote reactions from some of the countys congressional delegates and voters. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine My congratulations to Judge Kavanaugh for his confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court, he is fully qualified and I am confident he will do an excellent job. Advertisement I also thank Judge Kavanaughs family for remaining strong in what has been a difficult time personally, they all reflect the character of true public service. This process has revealed not a flaw in our system, but rather the despicable lengths the radical left will go to bully, intimidate and shout down those with whom they disagree. In doing so they have revealed to all Americans their true intentions. I applaud the Senate and its Republican leadership for staying the course and maintaining a fair process that validates the presumption of innocence in our society and for not allowing rumor, slander and unsubstantiated claims to be the determining basis by which a qualified person is allowed to serve. Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego As a lawyer, Im committed to the principle that our courts serve justice through the rule of law, not politics. The confirmation process revealed a sense of entitlement, a lack of truthfulness, political motivations and poor temperament that in my view, and in the view of former Justice John Paul Stevens, disqualified Judge Kavanaugh from the Supreme Court. I am alarmed about the long-term damage this confirmation does to the judicial process and the American peoples faith in our institutions. The moving testimony of Dr. Ford and the indifference of Republican elected officials have wounded women across the country. Installing Judge Kavanaugh as a Justice makes that wound persist and makes the Supreme Court its symbol. We dont need that in our divided nation. I accept that President Trumps judicial nominations may not match my own ideology. I do not accept that this nominee, with the pain and division he has already caused, is the only conservative we could have appointed. We should have done better. Lee Sandvick, 65, La Mesa resident Based on the fact that he has been a great judge for the past 12 years I think he would make a great justice based on his opinions as a judge. Theres going to be a cloud over him unfortunately because of all these women coming out of the woodwork and trying to destroy his life. Im suspicious of their motives. Charles LiMandri, San Diego attorney active in religious liberty cases The Brett Kavanaugh hearings have been a sad commentary on the politicization of the confirmation process for U.S. Supreme Court Justices. They are also a reflection of how divided we have become as a nation. The hearings further reflect how easy, and unjust, it has become for a woman to make uncorroborated accusations against a good man, for something that allegedly happened decades ago, and consequently inflict severe injury on him and his family. The hearings should serve as an important lesson though, for those who would use character assassination to subvert our political processes, that they ultimately have more to lose than to gain. The final vote confirming Justice Kavanaugh is a victory not so much for conservatives, but for all those who still believe in the basic principles of due process and the presumption of innocence. In the last analysis, the nation should be well served for many years by the addition of this eminently qualified Justice to the U.S. Supreme Court. Steven Berenson, Thomas Jefferson School of Law professor, one of the 2,400-plus law professors who signed a letter opposing Kavanaughs confirmation I am sad that President Obamas nominee for the Court, Merrick Garland, couldnt even get an interview with many Senators, let alone a hearing before the full Senate despite the Constitutional requirement that the Senate advise and consent on the Presidents Supreme Court nominations. I am sad because even before the controversies about Judge Kavanaughs past came to light, he struck me as a nominee whose views on issues like executive power and regulatory authority were so outside of the mainstream of judicial thought, and the views of the American public more generally, and given the current composition of the court, that he would likely move the court to the right to a degree that would damage the courts reputation and legitimacy to a degree that would impair its constitutional function for generations to come. ... I also think that Judge Kavanaughs angry, partisan rant on the last day of his testimony was inconsistent with the calm, neutral, and dispassionate stance that we require of all judges in this country. Given the high profile of both his performance and a position on the Court, I think this lack of appropriate judicial demeanor in this setting should be disqualifying. Jessica Pride, San Diego attorney representing sexual assault victims I think that the way Kavanaugh behaved during the Senate hearing was very unbecoming of a Supreme Court justice, and I dont think hes the right person to have his fingerprint on our history. Hes going to be able to craft the law of the land. I do think the hearing, what it said, is your voice matters. Survivors voices matter, despite the fact this is not the result that a lot of believers wanted. I dont want that to deter survivors in the future from coming forward. I think the hearing and what happened in light of the Kavanaugh appointment is that it moves the marker forward. Its never going to be like it was before Dr. Ford testified. Steve Hasty, 47, Oceanside resident and director Tri-City Tea Party I think it was justified when you look at the actual process that was suppose to happen. Whenever there have been accusations like this in the past those accusations get turned over to the FBI in confidentiality and they get investigated. A report like this, with no substantiation or corroboration whatsoever, would never have been known about publicly. local@sduniontribune.com With an entire city watching, convicted murderer Jason Van Dyke was taken into sheriffs custody Friday and escorted from the courtroom. And Chicago exhaled. Businesses closed early and commuters scurried out of downtown, but the feared riots never materialized. Protests, too, remained peaceful. And inside the courthouse, the special prosecutor who won Van Dykes conviction predicted Chicago would heal from the wounds inflicted by the video-recorded shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald at the hands of the Chicago police officer. Advertisement Because this case was never about one cop. Police scandals in Chicago have come and gone. But since the court-ordered release of a police dashboard camera video showing Van Dyke shooting McDonald as he walked down a street holding a knife, the city has faced a political and social reckoning unlike any in recent decades. Police Supt. Garry McCarthy was fired. Voters ousted Cook County States Atty. Anita Alvarez. Mayor Rahm Emanuel opted not to run for reelection. Three other Chicago police officers have been charged with conspiring to cover up what really happened on Pulaski Road on the night of Oct. 20, 2014, and are due to go on trial late next month. In addition to that criminal case, the Police Department now faces federal oversight following a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into the shooting. The video galvanized the citys activist community, many of whom vowed to maintain their momentum following Van Dykes conviction. The buck stops here, said activist William Calloway, who was instrumental in the videos release. The buck stops in Chicago. A Cook County jury convicted Van Dyke of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm in connection with McDonalds death. The verdict marked the first time in more than 50 years that a Chicago police officer has been convicted of murder for an on-duty incident. In reaching their decision, jurors relied heavily on the dash-cam video that showed Van Dyke, who is white, firing 16 shots at McDonald, who is black and who appeared to be walking away from officers. Though race was not explicitly mentioned during the testimony, some witnesses made subtle references to skin color. Special prosecutor Joseph McMahon stunned many in his opening statement when he accused Van Dyke of shooting McDonald because he was a black boy who had the audacity to ignore the police. McMahon, the states attorney in suburban Kane County who was appointed because of Cook County prosecutors conflicts of interest, told reporters after the verdict that he believed it would have been wrong to ignore the long and fractured history between minority communities and the Chicago Police Department. None of us looked at this case and did not understand that there is an element of race in this conversation, he said. That issue has permeated the relationship between law enforcement and many communities. I think it was important to talk about what was honest here. Thats why I said it. McMahon said the McDonald shooting and the conversations it started could ultimately help the city heal. The verdict marks an opportunity for this city to come together, he said. Healing, however, may take some time. Representatives of the state and local police unions condemned the verdict with the president of the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police even saying that jurors had been duped. This is a day I never thought Id see in America, where 12 ordinary citizens were duped into saving the asses of self-serving politicians at the expense of a dedicated public servant, President Chris Southwood said in a statement. What cop would still want to be proactive fighting crime after this disgusting charade, and are law-abiding citizens ready to pay the price? But many jurors told reporters that the responsibility felt like a privilege. They described their deliberations as respectful and harmonious. Every morning I got on the bus and on the train, and I saw hundreds and hundreds of my fellow Chicagoans, and I thought, how did I get on this jury? one male said. There are all these people, and Im doing this work and nobody knows it. It felt really amazing. Most jurors agreed to speak with reporters in the courtroom after the hearing, but did not consent to releasing their names. They spoke seated in the jury box with Judge Vincent Gaughan looking on from the bench. The foreperson, a white woman, said she knew before she was selected for jury service that the case had drawn national and local attention. She had to discipline herself to consider only the evidence at hand rather than her knowledge of the outside circumstances for example, why certain officers were testifying under immunity from prosecution. But what really brought home her sense of profound duty, she said, was seeing the faces in the courtroom every day. I know I wasnt sleeping for three weeks. I was thinking of it constantly because of its impact, she said. Every day we walked in and looked at two families. We saw Jason Van Dykes family, and we saw Laquan McDonalds family. And I couldnt walk in here without thinking about that every day. The case largely boiled down to the video that depicted the shooting as it unfolded as well as Van Dykes testimony in which he defended his actions. The video, played dozens of times for jurors over the month-long trial, showed Van Dyke and his partner pulling up to the scene as McDonald walked south in the middle of Pulaski Road, holding a 3-inch folding knife. As their car got to about 20 feet from McDonald, Van Dyke opened the passenger door for a brief moment before his partner, Joseph Walsh, pulled up farther down the street. Both jumped out with their guns drawn. Six seconds after Van Dyke exited the car, he took a step toward McDonald closing the distance to about 12 feet as the teen continued to walk at an angle away from him and opened fire. McDonald spun and fell to the pavement, his body making only small movements as more bullets appeared to strike him. Van Dyke continued firing for at least 12 seconds while McDonald lay prone in the street, emptying all 16 rounds into his body, prosecutors said. Van Dyke told the jury that he was forced to make a split-second decision to shoot McDonald because the teen posed a threat and ignored commands to drop the knife. Jurors found Van Dykes testimony rehearsed and unconvincing. Some even questioned whether his tears on the stand were genuine. His memory and the facts in evidence didnt line up, said one juror, a white man. Hours after the conviction, the Chicago Police Board released a statement reminding the public that Van Dyke and four fellow officers still face possible firings. While Van Dykes trial focused on his actions alone, a trial set for next month could have a much broader sweep putting the alleged police code of silence on trial. Three of Van Dykes fellow officers will face trial on charges that they conspired to cover up the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Crepeau, Gutowski, Meisner and St. Clair write for the Chicago Tribune. Mormons will start spending less time at church each Sunday two hours instead of three after a change announced Saturday aimed at making worship more manageable for members around the globe. The switch, which takes effect in January, is a significant one for Mormons, who since 1980 have been expected to attend all three hours each Sunday to be considered active members of the faith. The news triggered widespread applause from members, with some posting celebratory memes on social media. It came during the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints twice-yearly conference, where a leader also reaffirmed the faiths opposition to gay marriage and its belief that gender is God-given and eternal. The senior leaders of the church have been aware for many years that for some of our precious members, a three-hour Sunday schedule at church can be difficult, said Quentin L. Cook, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, leaders who help run the church. This is particularly true for parents with small children, primary children, elderly members, new converts and others. Advertisement The three-hour commitment is a hefty one compared with some other religions Sunday services. Many Catholic, Lutheran and Methodist churches, for instance, offer weekly worship that lasts about an hour or an hour and a half, along with voluntary classes and other gatherings throughout the week. Church President Russell M. Nelson called the adjustment a new home-centered church strategy that comes as the faith expands throughout the world. More than half of its 16 million members live outside the U.S. and Canada. The long-standing objective of the church is to assist all members to increase their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and in his atonement, Nelson said. In this complex world today, this is not easy. The adversary is increasing his attack on faith and on families at an exponential rate. To survive spiritually, we need counter-strategies and proactive plans. Paulina Porras, a mother of 1-year-old twins, was thrilled with the news. She and her husband have to care for their girls during Sunday church time. Staying three hours is impossible, said Porras, 29, of Logan, Utah. Two hours we can do. Instead of attending two meetings each Sunday beyond the one-hour worship such as Sunday school and mens and womens groups members will attend one each Sunday, with the meetings rotating throughout the month, Cook said. Marc Fish, an insurance company owner from Las Vegas, also lauded the change. Three hours each Sunday can be intimidating for potential converts and wayward members, and the change gives families the flexibility to weave in Gospel activities at home. Fisher, 38, has seven children ranging in age from 7 to 25 who are busy with piano, volleyball and homework, he said. He plans to have more one-on-one talks with them. Schedules are crazy for a lot of families, Fisher said. Sometimes you hear in the church were caught up with checklists, the pressure and the stress of just meeting everything. While U.S. members are likely to welcome the new schedule, it seems to mainly reflect the church shifting its focus away from being centered in the American West, where most members live near chapels and can handle the three-hour Sunday commitment, or worship block, said Mormon scholar Matthew Bowman, an associate professor of history at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Ark. This change is geared toward making participation in the church more flexible and increasingly targeted toward smaller congregations: A shorter worship block means less volunteer demands upon the congregation, fewer jobs which need to be filled, and generally easier administration, Bowman said in an email. Church membership growth has decreased in recent years, with growth in 2017 being the slowest in 80 years, according to independent Mormon researcher Matt Martinich. The number of convert baptisms in 2017 reached the lowest level in 30 years, he said. Martinich doesnt think the Sunday change is aimed at increasing retention, but rather at using church resources and members time more efficiently. The switch could allow multiple congregations to use the same church building in places like Utah where membership is especially large. It also will let members do personal and family Gospel activities on their own time, he said. The two-day Mormon conference kicked off a day after the faith announced it was renaming the famed Mormon Tabernacle Choir to drop the word Mormon. The singing group, now called the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, performed at the conference as they always do. The name change followed a broader one the church announced earlier this year, ending use of the name Mormon as a general reference to the religion and instead using only its formal name, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Los Angeles Times and the Associated Press are monitoring the rebranding, but their stylebooks still allow for use of the word Mormon in articles about the faith. Even before the judicial oath was administered and Judge Brett Kavanaugh became Justice Kavanaugh, some on the political left were sounding calls to impeach. A month before midterm elections, that makes many mainstream Democrats nervous. As both parties move on from the most bruising Supreme Court confirmation battle in a generation, Democrats hope to harness voter anger over the explosive proceedings and the narrow outcome, but not turn the midterm contest into a polarizing referendum on whether the party should try to remove Kavanaugh an effort that would have little likelihood of succeeding. Republicans and Democrats have put competing spins on how the confirmation fallout might play out at the polls. The GOP says the battle over Kavanaugh has energized its voters, who have lagged behind Democrats in previous measures of enthusiasm over the election. I think the Republicans are going to do great in the midterms, President Trump told reporters on Air Force One en route to a rally in Topeka, Kan., Saturday evening. I think we have a momentum that hasnt been seen in years. Advertisement Democrats say the debate over Kavanaugh has amped up the anger that many women already felt toward Trump and the Republicans, and will lead to higher turnout on their side. Both could be right, at least in part. The Kavanaugh fight could produce opposite results in the contests to control the Senate and the House. Greater Republican enthusiasm to vote could help GOP candidates in this years highly contested Senate races. Most of those are taking place in conservative states that have Democratic senators, such as Indiana, Missouri, Montana and North Dakota. At the same time, increased turnout among women could help Democrats trying to flip Republican-held House seats in suburban areas, including five long-standing Republican districts in Southern California that Democrats hope to win this year. Democrats need to pick up 23 additional seats nationwide to take control of the House. Polls in many of most contested districts indicate that goal is reachable, but by no means assured. A new round of Senate polls in four states released Sunday by CBS and YouGov indicated that most voters who said the Kavanaugh fight had increased their motivation to vote were partisans who already were highly likely to vote for their partys choice. But in the closest race of the four, in Arizona, the polling indicated that the Kavanaugh issue might help the Democratic candidate, Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, who held a very slight lead, 47%-44%, over Republican Rep. Martha McSally. Among the small group of likely voters who said they might still change their minds about which candidate to back, three in 10 said Kavanaughs confirmation would make them more likely to consider voting for a Democrat, compared to one in 10 who said the confirmation would make them more likely to back a Republican, the poll found. As both parties analyzed polling data, Trump and his senior aides dashed any expectation that they might strike a unifying stance in the wake of a battle that pitted Americans against one another as much as any political clash in recent memory. Congratulations to Justice Kavanaugh and President Trump! senior White House aide Kellyanne Conway said Sunday, echoing the triumphal tone struck by the president and his supporters in the Senate in the wake of Kavanaughs 50-48 confirmation on Saturday. Interviewed on ABCs This Week, Conway expressed no qualms about the heated tenor of the confirmation process, including the presidents public taunting at a campaign-style rally of Christine Blasey Ford, the Northern California research psychologist who testified that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were high school students. All of us were very respectful to Dr. Ford, said Conway. She said Fords allegations in no way tainted Kavanaughs tenure, which could last decades. Dismayed as they were by the outcome, even some Democrats who led the charge against Kavanaugh shied away publicly from any talk of impeachment. Im much more focused on the here and now, said Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), also interviewed Sunday on ABC. Focus like a laser beam on the elections. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) called impeachment talk premature. Coons was a key Judiciary Committee figure in the confirmation hearings, helping persuade his Republican friend Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona to demand a reopening of Kavanaughs FBI background check. Discussing impeachment prospects at this point isnt necessarily healing us and moving us forward, said Coons, interviewed on NBCs Meet the Press. Even though Democrats do not want to appear overly confident about winning control of the House, some have already raised the issue of investigating Kavanaugh for untruthfulness if they gain the majority and key committee chairmanships come into their hands. Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, who would likely take over the chairmanship from Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) if Democrats win control of the House, explicitly raised the issue even before Kavanaughs confirmation. If he is on the Supreme Court, and the Senate hasnt investigated [Kavanaugh], then the House will have to, Nadler told ABC a week ago. We would have to investigate any credible allegations of perjury and other things that havent been properly looked into before. Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu of Torrance has gone further, joining with fellow Judiciary Committee member Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.) in calling for a start to impeachment proceedings against Kavanaugh if an investigation shows he lied in his testimony. In practical terms, impeachment of a high court justice is an extreme rarity. Impeachment requires a majority vote in the House to present charges that would be heard by the Senate. Two-thirds of the Senate would be needed to convict an extremely high threshold to overcome. Proceedings against a sitting justice have only been brought once against Samuel Chase in 1805. He was impeached by the House but acquitted in the Senate. The Democratic leadership has already spent months working to dampen public talk about trying to impeach the president for fear of energizing Trumps base and scaring off swing voters. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco could not contain a flash of exasperation about getting bogged down in similar debate over Kavanaugh at this juncture. Trying to impeach the new justice would not be my plan, Pelosi said during an appearance Tuesday at the Atlantic Festival in Washington. I have enough people on my back wanting us to impeach the president. Republican Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, interviewed on CNN, said he believed the GOP would have done better to avoid turning the Supreme Court nomination into an overtly partisan battle. The court, it could be a short-term win for Republicans, Kasich said. Let me tell you what I think a president should do. Youre going to nominate a Supreme Court justice, and youre a Republican, you know youre going to have a conservative, he said. But it would make sense to work with a Democrat who would say, OK, I know its going to be conservative; all right, let me help you to pick somebody so that we dont go through this. Staff writer David Lauter contributed to this report. laura.king@latimes.com @laurakingLAT UPDATES: 6:22 p.m.: This article was updated to clarify Rep. Lieus position on impeachment. 3:56 p.m.: This article was updated with the number of additional seats Democrats need to take control of the House. This article was first published at 12 p.m. Authorities in Chicago have increased a reward for the capture of a masked gunman who remains on the loose after killing two people. The ATF announced Saturday that it is adding $5,000, bringing the total reward to $16,000 for information leading to an arrest. Douglass Watts, 73, was shot in the head near his home on Sept. 30, and 24-year-old Eliyahu Moscowitz was killed the following day. Both shootings took place in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago. Investigators released a surveillance photo and video of the suspect, who was wearing a hood, a mask and a dark jacket. Advertisement REWARD: Suspect wanted in 2 recent homicides in Rogers Park. ATF Chicago adds $5,000 bringing reward to $16,000. Jewish Federation of Metro Chicago offering $10,000. Cook County Crime Stoppers $1,000. Report tips to https://t.co/qynX9njZUq or 1-888-ATF-TIPS pic.twitter.com/phnIkCiKub ATF Chicago (@ATF_Chicago) October 6, 2018 We all want answers, Moscowitz friend Steve Loskutov told ABC 7. We all want justice. Its sickening to think about it. The reward offer includes $10,000 from the Jewish Federation of Metro Chicago, and $1,000 from Cook County Crime Stoppers. It is believed the suspect lives in the neighborhood, according to the station. The shootings seem to be random. Anyone with information should contact the Chicago Police Department or call 1-888-ATF-TIPS. To all the residents of the Rogers Park community, your city is standing with you, supporting you, at this moment, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said earlier this month, according to the Chicago Tribune. I know firsthand the Rogers Park community is strong, is resilient and is a supportive community. We need those core values and the Police Department needs those core values at this time. A death row inmate was stabbed to death by another condemned killer in the yard at San Quentin prison on Friday. Investigators are trying to determine how Luis Rodriguez made the weapon used to take the life of Jonathan Fajardo in the high-security facility. The last death row murder in California took place in 1997, according to officials. Its very unusual, said San Francisco State University associate professor Amy Smith, who studies capital punishment. Its not supposed to happen, of course. Advertisement Jonathan Fajardo was killed by another death row inmate. (AP) Fajardo was stabbed in the chest and neck in a recreational yard of the cell house that holds most of the condemned inmates at San Quentin. Inmates are housed separately but most are allowed to congregate in small groups in the exercise yard, according to corrections department spokeswoman Terry Thornton. The 30-year-old Fajardo, who prosecutors say was a member of a Latino gang, was convicted of multiple murders, including a hate crime slaying of 14-year-old Cheryl Green in 2006. Authorities also say he killed a 21-year-old man who may have spoken to cops about Cheryls murder. Christopher Ash was stabbed more than 60 times, according to the Los Angeles Times. Rodriguez, 34, reportedly a member of another gang, is awaiting execution on two counts of murder. With News Wire Services The family of a North Carolina man, who died after an allergic reaction to fire ant bites, is warning others about the dangerous insects. Floyd Edwards of Franklinton, N.C., was clearing out a trailer on his property on Sept. 28 when he began struggling for breath. Edwards told his son Carlton that something was in his throat. He resumed worked after drinking water, but quickly after was having more difficulty with his respiration. I sat him down in the recliner right there, and I said, Floyd, dont try to talk, just try to breathe, Edwards brother Curtis told TV station WTVD. Thats all you need to be worried about right now, and you can tell he was real antsy like, I cant breathe. Advertisement Arriving paramedics administered shots of Benadryl and an EpiPen, but the brother said it had no effect. I mean literally you feel helpless. Like, I was sitting with him (in) the ambulance. I was like, You all need to save him. but I guess he was just too far gone, said Curtis Edwards. Doctors told the grieving family that the cause of death was by anaphylactic shock, triggered by a severe allergic reaction. There aint no telling how many times he got bit by fire ants, said Edwards son Carlton. Fire ant venom is a serious danger. The toxins can cause welts or pustules that can lead to allergic reactions, infections and in Edwards case, death by allergic reaction. The pustules can become infected due to excessive scratching and can cause scarring. A prominent Saudi Arabian journalist was killed by a hit team after he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul this week, Turkish investigators concluded, according to a report. Jamal Khashoggi, 59, disappeared after visiting the consulate to obtain paperwork to marry his Turkish fiancee, while she waited for him outside. Investigators believe 15 people from Saudi Arabia killed the writer in a preplanned murder, The Washington Post reported. Sources with knowledge of the probe said the team was sent to Istanbul specifically for the murder, according to the report. Advertisement Khashoggis fiancee said she never saw him again after he went to obtain the required paperwork. 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, she said after he vanished. Saudi Arabia denied that Khashogi was detained at the consulate. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said Khashoggi left the consulate after his visit Tuesday, but that has not been corroborated. The Washington Post columnists work was often critical of Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. With News Wire Services In his career as both a Texas lawman and Christian minister, Jimmy Meeks has seen both the evil and the good. He came to San Diego Saturday to preach an unusual message that combines both careers warning churchgoers that violence is becoming a part of church life, and urging them to take steps to protect themselves. Meeks and his Sheepdog Seminars seek to educate church leaders, parishioners and staff that their responsibility is to protect as much as it is to comfort, and that the church sanctuary is a place of healing and renewal as well as a potential target. Youre the sheepdog, he said to an audience of roughly 100 people at the Mission Church of the Nazarene in Grantville, each of whom paid $50 to attend the seminar. You are going to get in the way of the wolf. Advertisement Meeks came armed with a number of statistics about the prevalence of violence at churches and faith-based properties over the past two decades; stories of shootings, stabbings, arsons, rapes and assaults at churches; and a headful of Scripture citations. He freely acknowledged that his message of being vigilant and wary, to scrutinize newcomers and unfamiliar faces at churches, runs counter to the practices of congregations to welcome the stranger and give shelter and comfort to the needy. But he said it was needed. Religion has the power to dumb people down, and remove common sense, he said in an interview. And he had some numbers to back up his claims. Since 1999 more than 800 people have died at churches or properties owned by churches. Last year there were 114, the highest single year in that time span, he said. Not all deaths are killings there have been some 100 suicides and not all are at Christian churches: at least 40 deaths have occurred at mosques. He also said churches have to be more vigilant to prevent sexual violence, particularly sexual assault and abuse by church staff on others. He noted there are far more victims of sex crimes than of violent crimes on church properties. What to do? Meeks told audience members to train and be prepared to take action in the event of someone attacking, and not rely just on prayers or police. When seconds count, he said ruefully, police are only minutes away. While some may be reluctant to use force inside a sanctuary, he referred to the epistle of James in the New Testament, and its well-known admonition, Faith without works is dead. Part of the work of being a faithful person is to protect the flock, Meeks said. Meeks has held this seminar at hundreds of locations around the country, from large megachurches to small congregations that count membership in the low two digits. Those who attended Saturdays seminar included several current and retired law enforcement members, and at least one pastor. Carl Chinn often travels with Meeks as a church safety expert. His home church in Colorado Springs has addressed the concern by establishing a Life Ministry Team that includes people trained to give medical assistance as well as security. He said security extends beyond Sunday services to the weekdays when churches are open and vulnerable. He said 60 percent of violence at churches happens during the weekdays. Meeks said he hopes people come away not scared as much as aware of the problem. We want to protect people, thats all, he said. Twitter: @gregmoran greg.moran@sduniontribune.com Wearing gloves and working under a hood that vents fumes from the evidence room, La Mesa police Sgt. Katy Lynch pushed a button on the scanner in her hand and shined a laser on the plastic baggie in front of her. In less than a minute, the device, which is about the size of a Nintendo Game Boy, identified the white powder, flashing the word methamphetamine on its small screen. The demonstration illustrated how quickly and easily the departments new tool can determine what officers are dealing with without ever opening a package. That hands-off approach has become more critical as dangerous opioids like fentanyl have shown up in illicit pills and powders sold on streets, potentially putting officers at risk of accidental exposure. Advertisement Concerns over those kinds of accidents have spurred dramatic changes in the ways police test and handle narcotics locally and across the country. Field or presumptive test results are used by prosecutors to support filing criminal charges. Before a case goes to trial, the drugs are fully analyzed by a crime lab. Fentanyl, a drug thats been around since the 1950s and is often prescribed as a painkiller for terminal cancer patients, is so powerful that even a 2-milligram dose can be fatal. Officers say it increasingly is showing up mixed with heroin and cocaine and in counterfeit pills, with users sometimes not knowing what theyre buying. Under a method used for decades, officers would test drugs in the field, sometimes inside their patrol cars. Theyd open the baggie, scoop out a sample of the seized suspected narcotic and mix it with chemicals in a test kit and then wait to see what color the liquid mixture turned. Lynch said she always worried shed cut her hand when she broke the glass capsules to start the test. If I break one of those ampules open and that shard of glass goes through the plastic, which happens, now Ive just gotten stuck with some weird chemical that I suspect has heroin in it, she said. So I was paranoid about using these things in the field, even in a controlled environment. She has no such fears about the TruNarc device, which allows officers to keep the suspected narcotic securely encased in its packaging. The TruNarc device, which La Mesa police officers are using to test substances for illicit drugs. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for years has warned law enforcement officers and other first responders about the risk of accidental exposure to fentanyl. In March 2015, the agency issued a nationwide alert on fentanyl as a threat to health and public safety. In some cases, it was a scare that pushed officials to make changes. Thats what happened after an incident in March 2016, when a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer in San Ysidro cut open a package of suspected narcotics and released fumes from the package, which contained fentanyl. Three agents were nearby. They did get some impact, some rapid heartbeats, so we immediately sent them to the emergency room, said Sidney Aki, port director for the San Ysidro Port of Entry. Thank God everything went OK. Two of the officers were taken to a hospital. A third declined medical treatment. After that, the agency implemented new protocols for handling narcotics, including the use of new equipment such as a handheld testing device known as a Gemini Analyzer, which can detect chemicals and explosives. Like the TruNarc, it is manufactured by Thermo Fisher Scientific. In addition to the scanners, officers also use a glove box so they can put their hands in gloves inside the box to handle suspicious items. Agents also are provided protective equipment including gloves and eye protection, and can use respirator masks and full coveralls if deemed necessary. But it isnt just the federal officials who have changed their approach. La Mesa is one of several local law enforcement agencies in recent months to acquire high-tech testing devices, which the manufacturer says use laser light to easily and quickly test for more than 400 substances, including narcotics, stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens and analgesics through plastic or glass. The El Cajon Police Department bought one and the Chula Vista Police Department bought two. Each costs $22,000 or more. In addition to reminding officers the importance of wearing gloves and other protective gear, police agencies are making sure they have Naloxone on hand when officers conduct their tests, just in case. Naloxone is a medication that can block the effects of opioids in the event of an overdose. The county Sheriffs Department accepted a donation of 15 TruNarc devices, as well as 10 fume hoods and 40 pairs of safety goggles. The equipment cost more than $420,000. According to county records, it was purchased with money the D.W. Hearst Jr. Foundation donated in December to the nonprofit Honorary Deputy Sheriffs Association. Exposure to fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances was recognized as a significant threat to law enforcement personnel and other first responders, as inadvertent exposure to fentanyl through inhalation and absorption can cause significant health-related complications, including respiratory failure or death, county officials said about the gift in a June staff report to the Board of Supervisors. The devices are not yet in use as deputies in each station are being trained by department experts, sheriffs spokeswoman Karen Stubjkaer said. We are grateful for this generous donation as it enhances our ability to help keep our deputies safe while they work hard for the community every day, she said. Some agencies have opted to stop field testing but havent purchased the handheld analyzers, partly because they are so pricey. La Mesa Police Department Sgt. Katy Lynch, who is the training officer for the department, demonstrated how the TruNarc tester worked. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) We did like a 90-day test period on that, said Oceanside police Lt. Aaron Doyle said. We didnt necessarily care for it all that much because of the price point. We kind of shelved that and we are waiting to see what the results are for some of the cities that went with that particular system. Doyle said some officers were concerned because the devices are not able to identify heroin. The manufacturer, Thermo Fisher Scientific, sells a kit that makes heroin testing possible. It calls for officers to put a sample of the drug on a test stick and insert the stick into a solution that can be read by the analyzer. The database of drugs the devices can detect is updated regularly, according to the manufacturer. Although TruNarc is not a silver bullet for everything, many agencies find the tool invaluable, Bill Kotowski, sales manager for field and safety instruments, said in an email. It is far safer and more accurate than traditional wet chemistry kits and the library is continually updated to address emerging threats. Oceanside, which does not have the handheld testing devices, halted field testing of drugs in February, instructing its officers to do the analysis inside the police headquarters where they can use fume hoods, goggles and protective gloves as they run their tests. About a year ago, Escondido police gave its officers the option of not testing drugs themselves if they suspected it might contain fentanyl. Some officers still do the tests, if they feel comfortable doing so, but most dont, said Escondido police Lt. Chris Lick. For now, Escondido has decided against buying a scanner. We have tried the scanners but we are not 100 percent sold on those yet, Lick said, adding that the department had concerns about the accuracy of the devices. Sheriffs Sgt. Jason Scroggins was among those pushing for changes to be made in the Sheriffs Departments procedures after seeing reports of officers in other jurisdictions accidentally being exposed to illicit drugs. It came down to do we protect life our deputies and also the public, by not opening these baggies or do we do it like weve always done it and risk it? he said. The change means all suspected drugs seized by sheriffs officials are sent to the regional crime lab to be analyzed. Previously, the initial presumptive tests were done in the field with more extensive testing done by the lab. The lab saw a three-fold increase in cases from about 135 cases a month to about 450 a month after the sheriffs department changed its procedures, said Anthony de Maria, assistant crime laboratory director. De Maria said the lab has streamlined its own procedures to more quickly assign and complete cases received. When the handheld analyzers go into use, deputies will be able to once again do presumptive tests, which should ease the crush of samples sent to the lab. The San Diego Police Department stopped field testing back in March 2017, but even before it halted the practice, its crime lab tested all the drugs officers impounded within a 24- to 48-hour period, said Jennifer Shen, the departments crime laboratory manager. While the DEA continues to warn officers about taking precautions when handling substances they believe might contain fentanyl, the message has evolved over time. In 2016 and 2017, the DEA released videos to law enforcement officers nationwide highlighting the experience of two officers from New Jersey. The pair said they were accidentally exposed to fentanyl when some poofed in the air as one of the officers, who had done a field test, tried to seal a bag in August 2015. The substance was later determined to be a mix of heroin, cocaine and fentanyl. They experienced dizziness, shortness of breath and respiratory problems. I thought that was it. I thought I was dying, one officer said in the video. The DEA urged any law enforcement personnel who come in contact with fentanyl or fentanyl compounds to take the drugs directly to a lab. Fentanyl can kill you, then-Acting DEA Administrator Jack Riley warned in the 2016 video. Fentanyl is being sold as heroin in virtually every corner of our country. Its produced clandestinely in Mexico, (also) comes directly from China. It is 40 to 50 times stronger than street-level heroin. A very small amount ingested, or absorbed through your skin, can kill you. By this summer, however, federal officials were tempering their message warning that misinformation and inconsistent recommendations regarding fentanyl had resulted in confusion in the first responder community. A one-page handout of safety recommendations prepared by the White House Office of Drug Control Policy warned about the risk of inhaling airborne powder, but also said harmful effects were less likely from skin contact. Incidental skin contact may occur during daily activities but is not expected to lead to harmful effects if the contaminated skin is promptly washed off with water. Twitter: @karenkucher (619) 293-1350 karen.kucher@sduniontribune.com UPDATES: 12:30 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about crime lab workloads. This article was originally published at 5 a.m. on Oct. 7. A robber used a demand note to get cash from an Encinitas bank on Saturday, a sheriffs official said. The robber, described as a white man in his 40s, wearing jeans and a T-shirt, escaped before deputies got there. He walked into Wells Fargo bank in a strip mall on North El Camino Real, near Via Montano, about 3:10 p.m. and handed a demand note to a teller, sheriffs Lt. Karla Menzies said. The teller handed over an undisclosed amount of money and the robber left. No weapons were seen, Menzies said. Advertisement pauline.repard@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @pdrepard An argument between two friends heading to a UFC viewing event led one to one stab the other, police said Sunday. A 55-year-old man and a 43-year-old man were en route in a Lyft vehicle to a restaurant near Midway Drive at Rosecrans Street at about 9 p.m. Saturday when they began to have a disagreement. As they arrived at their destination, the argument became more heated, San Diego police Sgt. Michael Tansey said. The younger man grabbed the older one and stabbed him once in the front of his neck, Tansey said. The victim was able to walk away and was taken to a hospital later. His injury was not considered to be life-threatening. Advertisement The suspectstayed at the restaurant to watch Saturday nights UFC event, and was arrested and taken to jail, Tansey said. Known for a wide range of community programs and great reads, the Ronald H. Roberts Temecula Public Library (RHRTPL) recently introduced a new character. Murrietas Lea Hernandez has stepped into the role of teen services librarian, and has wasted no time shaping a program designed to attract and engage young people. Leas desire to work with teens, her previous experience at Murrieta Public Library, and her enthusiasm for her profession has made jumping into a very demanding position look easy, said RHRTPL Senior Librarian Matilda Flores. Shes not only seamlessly continued our monthly teen programs and teen council, she has started our first teen book club. Were definitely looking forward to seeing our teen program grow under her direction. Hernandez took some time to tell us about herself, and to tip readers off to not-to-be missed books, programs and events at the library. What is your favorite book? Advertisement A: This is a librarians least favorite question because it is the hardest to answer. One of my favorite books would have to be The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak. I read it in high school and I have loved it ever since. Can you describe your education and professional background? A: I earned my B.A. in English from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and moved back to Murrieta after graduation. I worked at the Murrieta Public Library for over four years before I started working at the Ronald H. Roberts Temecula Public Library. While at the Murrieta Public Library, I was working on a Master of Library and Information Science (degree) from San Jose State University, which I completed earlier this year. Why do you like about working with teens? I like being able to talk to teens about books and movies and school. I may be older than the teens I work with, but I still find ways to relate them, so they feel comfortable talking to me. Given endless ways to be connected, to access information and to learn about the world, how are libraries relevant for young persons especially? Librarians can guide young adults in their search for information. As we all know, you cant trust everything you read on the internet, but librarians are good at spotting legitimate sources or leading patrons to trustworthy websites. Young adults need libraries because it is where they have additional resources, additional help, and space to meet with friends to study or hang out. What are some goals youve established for the teen program? Im working hard to create programs that teens will enjoy, and am making sure they receive the same quality of service theyve come to expect from the library. Has anything about the library surprised you? One of the things that I really like about RHRTPL is that they build relationships with local businesses. Because of that local mentality, I reached out to The Batter Up Bakery for a teen program called Halloween Cupcake Decorating (6:30 p.m. Oct. 22). Lisa Kammert will come to the library to teach teens how to decorate cupcakes with fun Halloween-themed designs. What other kinds of programs are upcoming? Thanks to the NASA Speakers Bureau, we will have Gene Perry, a Jet Propulsion Laboratory representative, speak about ocean worlds during the Space Out program (6:30 p.m. Nov. 5). Perry plans to discuss research and technology on NASA missions such as the Europa Clipper. Joining him will be Mark Baker, with Temecula Valley Astronomers, to provide a more local view on space. Perry and Baker will team up for a Q&A session at the end of the presentation. Schools are really emphasizing S.T.E.M. programs, so I thought the teens in our community might be interested in this kind of S.T.E.M. learning from their local library as well. Its one thing to watch a video in class about NASA research; its quite another to have an actual JPL member speak about that research and answer questions on the subject. Which upcoming Teen Book Club read is not-to-be-missed? In November, we will read Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli. It is a great story about nonconformity and individuality. I think some teens will really appreciate how relatable the main character, Leo, is in his struggle to fit in or do what makes him happy. Whats your take on movies vs. books? Books will always be better than movies, however, I still appreciate movie adaptations. Books give you better insight into the characters thoughts and feelings; even the best actors can only do so much with facial expressions. Bookworms will always complain about everything that has to be taken out of the story in order to fit into two hours, but movies can spark interest in books. I am all for movies that can interest young adults in reading the books that inspired the film. For more information about RHRTPLs teen programs, visit temeculaca.gov/494/Teens, or email Lea Hernandez at lea.hernandez@rivlib.net temecula@sduniontribune.com Kellyanne Conway sees no reason as to why newly-confirmed Justice Brett Kavanaugh should be viewed as tainted and thinks many American women see some version of their loved ones in him. Conway, a counselor to the president, dropped by This Week on ABC Sunday morning to weigh in on Kavanaughs confirmation, which came Saturday following a tumultuous investigation into allegations of sexual assault. Justice Kavanaugh should not be seen as tainted, she said. He should be seen as somebody who went through seven FBI investigations had answered 1,200 written questions, had produced about a million pages of documents, submitted himself to about 33 or 35 hours of sworn testimony to the Senate, including denying the allegations that were put before him. Advertisement Conway added that she believed Democrats wanted the country to see Kavanaugh as a gang rapist. A lot of women, including me, in America, looked up and saw a man who was a political character assassination, she said. And also, we looked up and saw in him possibly our husbands, our sons, our cousins, our co-workers, our brothers. Kavanaugh testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee last month regarding allegations that he sexually assaulted Christine Blasey Ford at a house party in high school in the early 80s. Ford testified as well. Conway said all involved, including President Trump and the committee, were very respectful to Ford in allowing her voice to be heard, and that the scrutiny of Kavanaugh rivals only that of Clarence Thomas, who faced similar allegations in the early 90s. Theres been no Supreme Court justice in the history of this country thats been more picked apart, with the possible exception of Clarence Thomas, who is in his 27th year on the bench, Conway said. I think what Justice Kavanaugh should do is what hes done for 12 years on the second-highest court in the land, having authored over 300 judicial opinions. He should go to work. He should do his job. Shortly after Ford testified Sept. 27, Conway revealed she, too, was a victim of sexual assault. The Republican had previously told Fox News that Ford should not be ignored and should not be insulted. She should be heard. Proposition 6 would ruin states economy Re Prop. 6: Vote no. Gas tax funds much-needed (Sept. 20): Just before the Paris climate talks, Gov. Brown told the pope, Humanity must reverse course or face extinction. Part of that is to electrify our cars and trucks. This task has begun and it means gas-tax revenues will plummet. At the same time, our roads are in disrepair and deferred maintenance is much more expensive than timely maintenance. Senate Bill 1, which raised the gas tax by a modest 12 cents per gallon, was a start on this problem. SB 1 means an average car will cost $5 more to operate for each 1,000 miles driven. A well-thought-out road use charge will be required, one that protects low-income drivers and privacy. Proposition 6 is a constitutional monkey wrench that would cause economic chaos in the short run and environmental disaster in the longer run. Advertisement Mike Bullock Oceanside State has proven it wastes our tax dollars I see what youre saying that the gas tax is not that much. Id agree if that was the only tax. The problem opponents of the proposition have is that California had been getting funding and continues to drag us through the mud with taxes. Theres no way to get ahead but they want more taxes. You want a scandal? Look into the public employees retirement system and watch people draining the tax dollars. Ryan Archuleta San Diego In connection with the gas tax initiative on ballots, who recalls the time when California had a multi-billion dollar reserve in the highway fund, and everyone and his kid brother was flooding the legislature with bills to get their hands on it? They eventually did, of course, and this is where we are. There ought to be a law that prevents the invasion of funds for any other purpose than the reserve was intended for; if we had it, all our roads and bridges would always have been in tiptop shape. Saul Harmon Gritz Hillcrest The cost of living in California is already too high and this latest gas tax/registration fee hike hits hardest those who can least afford it; families and small businesses. A 2016 study by the Reason Foundation shows Californians spend 2.5 times the national average allegedly fixing roads and infrastructure. Politicians have for years raided gas tax funds to make up budget shortfalls and fund their pet projects. The passage of Proposition 69 failed to stop this. There is big money supporting this tax hike and we need your support. Vote yes on Proposition 6 to repeal the gas tax hike. Kathy Irwin University City Letters and commentary policy The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below. Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. ADEN, Yemen, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi-backed Yemeni government on Saturday tightened security to confront possible terror attacks in the southeastern province of Hadramout, according to a provincial statement. The decision was made during an exceptional military meeting held by Faraj Bahsani, governor of Hadramout, with leaders of the army brigades in the 2nd Regional Military Command over the challenges of terrorism, the statement by the Hadramout authorities said. The military leaders agreed to tighten security measures, especially in the areas of Hadramout Valley and surrounding areas, the statement added. During the past two years, militant groups, including the Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), had seized key areas in Hadramout Province, but were expelled later by the Yemeni forces backed by the United Arab Emirates. The AQAP network, mostly operating in Yemen's eastern and southern provinces, has been responsible for numerous high-profile attacks against security forces in the country. The U.S. military has carried out several airstrikes against AQAP fighters in different provinces of the war-torn Arab country since President Donald Trump approved expanded military operations against the group. The Yemen-based al-Qaida branch, seen by the United States as the global terror network's most dangerous branch, has exploited years of the deadly conflict between Yemen's government and Houthi rebels to expand its presence in the country, especially in its southeastern provinces. Major Nepali and English broadsheet dailies published from Kathmandu on Sunday have given their priority to a multitude of issues. As in past one week, discussions and decisions of various parliamentary committees have received significant attention from the press today. Kantipur and The Kathmandu Post have reported that some decisions of parliamentary committees contradict each other, hence difficult to implement. Meanwhile, six persons died in a road collision in Banke district of Province 5 on Saturday and it has also been covered on the front pages of many newspapers. The death of two persons who were on the run after police raided a gambling den in Mulpani of Kathmandu and the arrest of the chief of Metropolitan Police Circle in Bauddha on the charge of bribery have also been featured on the broadsheet covers. Important House panels competing for directives The lead story in Kantipur claims committees in the Federal Parliament are seen competing against each other on who will discuss significant contemporary topics and issue directives to the concerned government bodies first. It has left many agencies confused about implementing the decision. The Kathmandu Post, quoting senior leaders with experience in the affairs, say such activities weaken their role because the executive branch would no longer take such decisions seriously. Meanwhile, Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara has claimed ministers cannot object to and judge decisions of parliamentary committees, reports Gorkhapatra. Six killed in Banke road accident Republica and The Himalayan Times report that six persons died when 17 others sustained injuries when a microbus collided with a truck on the East-West Highway in Muguwa Khola of Sonari Rural Municipality of Banke district on Saturday morning. Meanwhile, police have detained the truck driver for further investigation, the newspapers inform. Ignored Workers deprived of increased pay It has been nearly three months since the beginning of new fiscal year, but workers at various factories of the country have not get their pay as decided by the government, according to the lead story in Abhiyan. The government had hiked the pay scale of workers across the country to implement from mid-July, but it has not been effectively implemented, the report says, adding trade unions have also not taken initiatives to implement the new scale. Govt continues to ignore staff adjustment Rajdhani reports in its lead story that the federal government has failed to fulfill its duty of facilitating the staff adjustment process for newly formed local and provincial governments. It has been one year since the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration prepared a draft of bill for the staff adjustment, the document has not reached the Federal Parliament yet, according to the report. Road priority for 80 per cent local govts Naya Patrika claims in its lead story that it surveyed the budget documents and spending patterns of 753 local governments of the country to find that 79 per cent of them have kept road as their priority. Around 11 per cent local governments have prioritised education whereas six per cent tourism. Three per cent local bodies have prioritised agriculture and one per cent electricity. The report claims health is not a priority for any of the local governments. Expensive US dollar means both good and bad for Nepal Republica has listed out advantages and disadvantages of increasing value of US dollar in comparison to Nepali rupee. The boons include exports earning/demand increase, growth of remittance inflow, increase of international tourist arrival, increase in the revenue from imports and improvement in economy as demands for luxury goods get depressed in the long run. Likewise, the disadvantages are price hike in imported goods, need to spend more for foreign debt servicing, losses of Nepal Electricity Authority and Nepal Oil Corporation among others. Stakeholders warn of increasing road accidents in Dashain A four column box story in The Kathmandu Post reports that thousands of vehicles that the countrys public transport system has deployed are in shoddy conditions as they are poorly maintained and have been running for decades. As many people travel on these vehicles during Dashain, more accidents are likely, according to the report. Further, the rate of accidents increases during the festival as drivers as well as passengers will be in a celebratory mood, and many of them consume alcohol, according to Nepal Police spokesperson Shailesh Thapa Kshetri. Interesting Students utilise cigarette butts to produce compost Students at two institutions of Kathmandu Valley have invented a technology to decay cigarette butts to produce compost, reports Annapurna Post. The students have already experimented with their innovation by collecting 15 kilo butts from eight hotels of Kathmandu Fourteen days after the then rebel party, CPN-Maoist, launched its armed struggle, two students in Pandrung of Gorkha district sustained critical injuries as security personnel opened fire at their school suspecting that the principal was assisting the terrorists. Of the two boys, Dil Bahadur Ramtel died on the same day, February 26, 1996, for want of treatment. His friend Ram Bhatta survived. The Maoists, who are now a part of the powerful Nepal Communist Party, consider Ramtel as their first martyr. Bhatta, now in his mid 30s, is struggling to make a living and support his family. While the leaders remember Ramtels family occasionally, Bhatta has apparently been nowhere in the scene in these 22 years. Bhatta, as a teen wrote a number of letters in memory of his childhood best friend after Ramtels killing. One of these letters was recently exhibited at a five-day exhibition in Kathmandu. It made dozens of spectators burst into tears. Effort to keep the history alive Voices of Women Media (VOW Media), a nonprofit private company, hosted the exhibitionMemory, Truth and Justice: from the survivors of the Peoples Warat Nepal Art Council from October 2-6. The organisation says it was a project to document, archive and share personal stories of survivors and families of the victims of the Peoples War in Nepal. Documenting the stories is important because human memory, a crucial element in understanding the truth, fades over time, according to the company. Bikkil Sthapit, a freelance videographer who coordinated the event, says the primary target of the exhibition was school students. These students were born when the conflict was about to end. Therefore, they do not know anything about the war, Sthapit says, Their textbooks teach them about our countrys presidents and prime ministers, but they do not say much about how the country became republic to let these officials enjoy these positions. The school children need to know the history. He adds, After one week, many of them go to other districts for the upcoming Dashain festival, during which they can discuss what happened during the war with senior members of their family so that the history will not fade away. Around 8,000 people visited the exhibition and almost half of them were school kids, informs Sthapit. He adds the project is planning to take this exhibition to more schools in Kathmandu and other districts. A fundraising campaign has already been started to expand the effort. The recent exhibition was funded by two foreign donors, according to VOW Media Director Puja Pant. Memory, Truth and Justice as a project began in December 2017, as we received the fund of around Rs 3 million, Pant says, Now, the budget has run out. But, we are determined to continue it further. Multimedia exhibits One of the key components of the project was a multimedia training workshop hosted for women who were part of then Peoples Liberation Army. Sthapit, the training facilitator, says the former rebels were trained in documenting their struggles and achievements in multimedia contents. Six photo stories made by the former soldiers were showcased at the exhibition. Besides, the event included 14 physical objects used by people killed or made disappeared during the war. The objects included clothes, books and diaries, farming objects and kitchen utensils. Likewise, there were five letters, 16 audio stories and 43 video stories about victims, survivors and victims families. The victims and survivors included people who were attacked by either government forces, or the rebels, or both. A corner of the exhibition was artistically recreated to give the visitors a sense of how the army (of either side) used to abduct innocent people, which would ultimately result in their murder or disappearance. The artistic recreation, done by a group of Nepali and foreign artists, in particular tried to imitate the scene of abduction of two Dalit girls of Pokharichauri village of Kavre district in February 2004, according to the victims sister Gita Rasaili, who was also a part of the organising team. Dalits and members of backward communities were primary targets of the armies because they were at the bottom of the social stratification. Further, they could be easily accused of spying on another group because Dalit settlements are established far from other peoples households, Rasaili, who evolved as a conflict victim activist after the incident, shares, Many people even do not know why Dil Bahadur Ramtel was denied medical attention which Ram Bhatta was given on time. It was because Ramtel was a Dalit. Different shades of a single perspective During the exhibition, visitors also got a chance to watch four documentaries on different incidents of the war, one documentary everyday except the opening day. Though they were all shot from the survivors perspective, they carried different shades of that perspective. The final days show was about the murder of Dil Bahadur Ramtel. The previous days was about the killing of 12 Dalit men in Goltakuri of Dang district. The two others were about mass disappearance of Tharus of Dang and a blast carried out by the rebels targeting civilians in Pokhara. Each of the documentary show was followed by a talk during which one person, who witnessed or knew the incident in quite detail, interacted with the audience about different dimensions of the incident. The last days speaker was Ram Bhatta, who once again burst into tears in memory of his dear Ramtel. However, he was more concerned about hundreds of people who have been living with injuries from the war, like him. When I was a child, my family took care of me to save my life. Now, I am an adult, and my family expects me to earn for living, he told the audience, Sadly, I cannot meet that expectation. I wonder how thousands of other injured people go through this misery everyday. He said no one, those involved in the war in particular, should dare forgetting those unhealed wounds. Home Just In Ruling NCPs Secretariat meeting to try addressing internal grievances Kathmandu, October 7 The ruling Nepal Communist Party is scheduled to hold is powerful Secretariat meeting this afternoon. The meeting will try to address grievances expressed by some key leaders of the party including former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha, according to sources. Recently, Nepal had organised a gathering of leaders close to him to discuss how he could move ahead with his dissatisfaction with the party leadership over the selection of partys provincial officials. Nepal has been claiming that leaders close to him were barred from the responsibility while the selection was made. Nepal and Shrestha were abroad when the Secretariat made the decision. Likewise, he had also spoken against the governments inability during a recent Parliament meeting. The meeting will convene at 4 pm today at the partys headquarters in Dhumbarahi of Kathmandu. Kathmandu, October 7 As Nepalis are heading towards the biggest annual festivity next week, fruit traders say they have planned to import fruits worth Rs 300 million from other countries to serve the consumers this season. Nepal needs to import around 1,500 tonne of fruits for the biggest festival this year, they estimate. Whereas the domestic production is already insufficient to meet the market need, the demand for fruits doubles during Dashain and Tihar festivals, according to the traders. The country will import apples worth around Rs 200 million from China, according to the treasurer of Nepal Fruit Wholesalers Association, Kashiram Sapkota. He claims the domestic production covers only 10 per cent of apple market in Nepal. Likewise, the country imports imports around 60 per cent of total bananas from India, according to him. China will sell around 600 container apples during Dashain, he says, Likewise, we will spend around Rs 40 million to import bananas for the festival. Nepal imports fruits worth Rs 7 billion every year, according to the traders. Three dead, 15 injured after China knife attack Beijing, Oct 7 (AFP) Oct 07, 2018 Three are dead in China after a man fleeing the scene of a stabbing drove into a crowd and attacked onlookers, police said Sunday. The 42-year-old man surnamed Wang got into a dispute with a companion after an afternoon of drinking and karaoke in the eastern province of Zhejiang. Angry over the confrontation, Wang purchased a fruit knife, stabbed his friend's mother and fled the scene, according to a statement on the official social media account of Ningbo city's public security bureau. The drunken Wang proceeded to steal a car at knife point and hit a cyclist, at which point the car burst into flames and Wang abandoned it, police said. Wang fled on foot, stabbed two pedestrians, stole a driving instructor's car, and drove it into a crowd of nine people, at which point he jumped out and stabbed another five. The incident is under investigation, the police said. The latest violence follows an attack in September where a man ploughed a truck into a crowd in the southern province of Hunan and then went on a rampage attacking onlookers with knives and a shove. Eleven died and 44 were injured. The previous month a 54-year-old man killed his girlfriend and her family then drove a car into a crowd, killing six and injuring 12. China says Interpol chief being probed 'on suspicion of violating the law' Beijing, Oct 7 (AFP) Oct 07, 2018 China said Monday the president of Interpol, who went missing shortly after arrival in his home country, is under investigation for possible criminal activity, as Beijing broke its silence about his fate. Meng Hongwei, who is also China's vice minister of public security, "is currently under investigation on suspicion of violating the law", according to a statement on the website of the National Supervisory Commission, which handles corruption cases involving public servants. Meng, the first Chinese president of Interpol, was last heard from on September 25 as he left Lyon -- where the international police organisation is based -- for China. His disappearance was disclosed by French officials on Friday but China had remained tight-lipped about his status until now. Meng had lived with his wife and two children in France since being elected Interpol president in 2016. The agency's secretary general Juergen Stock, who oversees day-to-day operations, said Saturday that it was seeking "clarification" on his whereabouts from Chinese authorities. It is the latest high-profile disappearance in China, where a number of top government officials, billionaire business magnates and even an A-list celebrity have vanished for weeks or months at a time. When -- or if -- they reappear, it is often in court. Speaking to reporters Sunday in France, Meng's wife said she feared that her husband's life was in danger. "This matter belongs to the international community," Meng told a press conference. China's recently established National Supervisory Commission holds sweeping powers to investigate the country's public servants with few requirements for transparency. Although the commission did not detail the allegations against Meng, its mandate is to investigate corruption cases as part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's anti-graft campaign. Some critics of the effort -- which has punished more than one million officials -- say it also functions as a tool for Xi to eliminate his political rivals. #drug trafficking Criminal organization charges filed against drug traffickers for 1st time Prosecutors have pressed charges of organizing and operating a criminal ring against 15 drug traffickers accused of distributing drugs via Telegram messenger, the first time such c... #urea solution S. Korea to import more urea solution to ease supply shortage South Korea said Monday local firms have inked deals to import urea solution from other countries, including Malaysia and Mexico, a move expected to help ease a supply shortage of ... Ahead of US election, angst over hacking threats Washington, Oct 7 (AFP) Oct 07, 2018 At a Boston technology conference last month, computer scientist Alex Halderman showed how easy it was to hack into an electronic voting machine and change the result, without leaving a trace. Halderman staged a mock election in which three conference attendees voted for George Washington, but an infected memory card switched the result to give a 2-1 victory to Benedict Arnold, the military officer who sold secrets during the Revolutionary War. Halderman's demonstration was on a voting machine still in use in 20 US states, which had no paper ballots that could be compared to the electronic output, and thus no way to determine if vote totals had been altered. "What keeps me up at night is the threat that a hostile nation-state could probe every swing state or swing district (and) find the ones most weakly protected, to silently change the results of a national election," the University of Michigan professor said. A month ahead of the midterm congressional elections, security experts say the risks remain high for a hack on voting machines or other targets. The vote comes two years after the US national election in which, according to intelligence officials, Russian agents probed voter registration networks in at least 20 states and accessed at least one. Halderman said the Russians had the ability to destroy or alter voting records, which could have led to chaos on election day. He added however that, according to a Senate Intelligence Committee investigation, "they did not pull the trigger on that ability." Other researchers have shown flaws which could allow hackers to penetrate voting machines or networks, and have stepped up calls for new methods to replace all-electronic systems with no paper backup, still in use for an estimated 20 to 25 percent of US voters. The Defcon conference of security researchers discovered a voting tabulator used in 23 states is vulnerable to a remote hack via a network attack and another machine used in 18 states could be hacked within two minutes. - More paper needed - A National Academy of Science report in September recommended that every effort should be made to use paper ballots in the 2018 election and that by 2020 "human readable" ballots should be standard. States should mandate audits prior to the certification of election results, it said, getting enough data to ensure that any electronic totals match the ones on paper. US elections are managed by state and local officials, meaning standards may not be uniform, and some states have resisted efforts to impose norms, claiming this would impinge on their authority. In Georgia, a judge declined to order the replacement of electronic voting machines for the November 6 vote because it was too late, but warned that voters may have a case that their constitutional rights were violated. Five states still use "paperless" systems without any form of backup, according to Joseph Hall, who heads an election security research team at the Center for Democracy and Technology. Hall said that in addition to voting machines and election rolls, hackers may look at other targets such as candidates, or the networks of state or local officials who run the elections. "We are increasingly worried about adversaries attacking the election system," Hall said. In addition to possible attacks from nation-states, Hall pointed to opportunistic attackers who don't have political motives but want to "make a name for themselves." Mike Murray, of security firm Lookout, said attackers could disrupt the election by hacking into mobile phones of candidates, staffers, activists and others -- sometimes simply by sending a text message infected with malware. "There's a whole electoral ecosystem" of people whose phones can be hijacked, Murray told a Capitol Hill briefing. "The mobile device has become one of the primary targets of nation-states." - Making strides - Congress this year allocated $380 million to states to improve election security. But lawmakers declined to pass a proposed Secure Elections Act that would have mandated security standards and audits. The National Association of Secretaries of State, comprised of officials in charge of state election systems, has downplayed the risks from hacking demonstrations, saying they don't reflect real-world conditions. Meanwhile US Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said there have been "tremendous strides" in election security in the past two years. Her agency, she said, is providing technical assistance to all 50 states, including the deployment of sensors that can detect network intrusions. "We are really and truly throwing everything we have at it," Nielsen told a Washington Post cybersecurity conference. But some analysts say even a minor incident can undermine credibility in the election result. Christine Santoro of the Open Source Election Technology Institute said adversaries are using a combination of direct and indirect attacks, combined with propaganda and disinformation efforts. "They may not have to expend great effort to derail an election," she said in a blog post. "With a little luck they can continue to sow seeds of mistrust and distrust in our vital democratic processes." Pompeo heads to Pyongyang, seeking progress on Trump-Kim summit Tokyo, Oct 7 (AFP) Oct 07, 2018 US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo headed to Pyongyang Sunday for new talks with Kim Jong Un on denuclearisation and a second US-North Korean summit. Pompeo departed from Tokyo, where he spent the first leg of a tour that will include stops in Pyongyang, South Korea and China. "Next stop Pyongyang to meet with Chairman Kim and continue our work to fulfil the commitments made (by) POTUS and Chairman Kim," Pompeo tweeted, using an acronym to refer to US President Donald Trump. The trip will be Pompeo's fourth to Pyongyang, as the contours of a possibly historic US-North Korea deal take shape. On the flight to Tokyo, Pompeo said his aim was to "develop sufficient trust" between Washington and Pyongyang to inch towards peace. "Then we are also going to set up the next summit," said Pompeo. However, he played down expectations for a major breakthrough. "I doubt we will get it nailed but begin to develop options for both location and timing for when Chairman Kim will meet with the president again. Maybe we will get further than that," said the top US diplomat. - Bumpy road - In June, Trump met Kim in Singapore for the first-ever summit between the countries. No sitting US president has ever visited North Korea, which according to human rights groups remains one of the most repressive countries on Earth. Since the Singapore summit, which yielded what critics charge was only a vague commitment by Kim towards denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, the road towards warmer ties has been bumpy. Trump scrapped a previously planned trip by his top diplomat to Pyongyang after what he said was insufficient progress towards implementing the terms of the Singapore declaration. But the unorthodox US president has since declared himself "in love" with the strongman in Pyongyang. Pompeo's stop in Tokyo before the summit was intended to reassure the US ally that Washington's diplomacy will not leave Japan out in the cold. Speaking alongside Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Pompeo said the two historic allies would have a "fully coordinated, unified view of how to proceed, which will be what is needed if we are going to be successful on denuclearising North Korea." Japan, which has seen North Korean missiles fly over its territory and been threatened with annihilation, has historically taken a hard line on Pyongyang and stressed the need to maintain pressure on the regime. More recently, however, Abe has said the only way to improve strained ties is a face-to-face meeting with former international pariah Kim. Pompeo has repeatedly declined to be drawn publicly on the shape of an eventual agreement. The United States has called for a comprehensive accord and strict enforcement of sanctions on North Korea in the meantime. - Grand bargain - After Pyongyang, Pompeo travels to South Korea, whose dovish president Moon Jae-in has served as a go-between for the two sides. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has given a hint of what a grand bargain between the two countries could look like. In an interview with the Washington Post, she said the North could agree to dismantle Yongbyon, its signature nuclear site. In exchange, the United States would declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War -- which concluded with an armistice rather than a full-blown peace treaty -- but North Korea would stop short of delivering an exhaustive list of its nuclear facilities, she said. Pompeo did not discuss the possible outlines of a deal, saying only that his "mission is to make sure that we understand what each side is truly trying to achieve." After Seoul, Pompeo closes his trip Monday in China, North Korea's political and economic lifeline. The Beijing stop could be tense as it comes days after Vice President Mike Pence delivered a blistering speech accusing China of military aggression, commercial theft, rising human rights violations and electoral intervention against Trump. burs-pool-sah/amu Pompeo hails 'progress' after talks with Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang Seoul, Oct 7 (AFP) Oct 07, 2018 US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hailed "progress" in talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang Sunday before landing in Seoul on a whirlwind diplomatic visit to the region. The top US diplomat met with Kim for around two hours Sunday morning in the North's capital, where denuclearisation and a second US-North Korean summit were expected to be high on the agenda, before the pair shared a lunch together. "Had a good trip to Pyongyang to meet with Chairman Kim," Pompeo tweeted. "We continue to make progress on agreements made at Singapore Summit. Thanks for hosting me and my team." The visit was Pompeo's fourth to North Korea. US President Donald Trump met Kim in Singapore in June for the first-ever summit between the countries. Speaking to Pompeo via an interpreter following the morning's talks, Kim praised their "nice meeting". He added: "It's a very nice day that promises a good future ... for both countries." After a previous visit to Pyongyang in July, Pompeo had said the two foes had made progress on key issues. But within hours of the Secretary of State departing the North released a statement condemning "gangster-like" demands from the US, raising questions over how much the two sides really saw eye to eye. An official on Sunday's latest visit to Pyongyang with Pompeo said the trip was "better than the last time", but added: "It's going to be a long haul." Details of Sunday's discussions were not immediately available. But prior to the meeting, Pompeo tweeted that he would "continue our work to fulfil the commitments made (by) POTUS and Chairman Kim," using an acronym to refer to US President Donald Trump. On the flight to Tokyo, Pompeo said his aim was to "develop sufficient trust" between Washington and Pyongyang to inch towards peace. "Then we are also going to set up the next summit," said Pompeo. However, he played down expectations for a breakthrough. "I doubt we will get it nailed but begin to develop options for both location and timing for when Chairman Kim will meet with the president again. Maybe we will get further than that," said the top US diplomat. No sitting US president has ever visited North Korea, which according to human rights groups remains one of the most repressive countries on Earth. - 'In love' - Since the Singapore summit, which yielded what critics charge was only a vague commitment by Kim towards denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, the road towards warmer ties has been bumpy. Trump scrapped a previously planned trip by his top diplomat to Pyongyang after what he said was insufficient progress towards implementing the terms of the Singapore declaration. But the unorthodox US president has also since declared himself "in love" with Kim. Washington and Pyongyang have sparred over the exact terms of their vaguely-worded agreement in Singapore, with the US pushing to maintain sanctions and pressure against the North until its "final, fully verified denuclearisation. Last month the North's foreign minister told the United Nations there was "no way" his country would disarm first as long as tough US sanctions remain against his country. Analysts say Washington may now consider new options as China, Russia and South Korea seek to relax sanctions. "North Korea took some steps towards denuclearisation and the US will face criticism from the international community if it continues to demand complete denuclearisation without any lifting of sanctions," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "We can't rule out the possibility that Washington... may move in the direction of partial easing of sanctions based on progress in denuclearisation," he said. Speaking alongside Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe earlier in the trip, Pompeo said the two historic allies would have a "fully coordinated, unified view of how to proceed, which will be what is needed if we are going to be successful on denuclearising North Korea." - Grand bargain - Pompeo landed Sunday afternoon in South Korea, whose dovish president Moon Jae-in has served as a go-between for the two sides. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has given a hint of what a grand bargain between the two countries could look like. In an interview with the Washington Post, she said the North could agree to dismantle Yongbyon, its signature nuclear site. In exchange, the United States would declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War -- which concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty -- but North Korea would stop short of delivering an exhaustive list of its nuclear facilities, she said. After Seoul, Pompeo ends his trip Monday in China, North Korea's political and economic lifeline. The Beijing stop could be tense as it comes days after Vice President Mike Pence delivered a blistering speech accusing China of military aggression, commercial theft, rising human rights violations and electoral intervention against Trump. burs-pool-sah-sh/amz/rox Pompeo hails 'productive' talks with Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang Seoul, Oct 7 (AFP) Oct 07, 2018 US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hailed "productive" talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang Sunday before landing in Seoul on a whirlwind diplomatic visit to the region. The top US diplomat met with Kim for around two hours Sunday morning in the North's capital, where denuclearisation and a second US-North Korean summit were expected to be high on the agenda, before the pair shared a lunch together. "Had a good trip to Pyongyang to meet with Chairman Kim," Pompeo tweeted. "We continue to make progress on agreements made at Singapore Summit. Thanks for hosting me and my team." The visit was Pompeo's fourth to North Korea. US President Donald Trump met Kim in Singapore in June for the first-ever summit between the countries, resulting in what critics say was only a vague commitment by Kim towards denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. Speaking to Pompeo via an interpreter following the morning's talks, Kim praised their "nice meeting". He added: "It's a very nice day that promises a good future ... for both countries." At a meeting later on Sunday with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Pompeo declined to give specific details of the Pyongyang talks but said he had "a good productive conversation" with Kim. "President Trump said there are many steps along the way and we took one of them today," Pompeo said. "It was another step forward so this is I think a good outcome for all of us. The dovish Moon, who held three summits with Kim this year and also brokered the Trump-Kim summit in Singapore, said the "whole world" was watching with keen interest the outcomes of Pompeo's trip. "I hope your trip to North Korea and the upcoming second US-North Korea summit will provide a good opportunity for achieving irreversible, decisive progress in terms of denuclearisation and the peace process on the Korean peninsula." - 'Gangster-like demands' - After a previous visit to Pyongyang in July, Pompeo had said the two foes made progress on key issues -- but within hours of his departure the North condemned "gangster-like" demands from the US, raising questions over how much the two sides really saw eye to eye. An official on Sunday's latest visit to Pyongyang with Pompeo said the trip was "better than the last time", but added: "It's going to be a long haul." On the flight to Tokyo -- the first leg of his trip -- Pompeo had said his aim was to "develop sufficient trust" between Washington and Pyongyang to inch towards peace and to set up "the next summit". Since the Singapore summit, the road towards warmer ties has been bumpy. Trump scrapped a previously planned trip by his top diplomat to Pyongyang after what he said was insufficient progress towards implementing the terms of the Singapore declaration. But the unorthodox US president has also since declared himself "in love" with Kim. Washington and Pyongyang have sparred over the exact terms of their vaguely-worded agreement in Singapore, with the US pushing to maintain sanctions and pressure against the North until its "final, fully verified denuclearisation". Last month the North's foreign minister told the United Nations there was "no way" his country would disarm first as long as tough US sanctions remain against his country. - Grand bargain - Analysts say Washington may now consider new options as China, Russia and South Korea seek to relax sanctions. "North Korea took some steps towards denuclearisation and the US will face criticism from the international community if it continues to demand complete denuclearisation without any lifting of sanctions," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "We can't rule out the possibility that Washington... may move in the direction of partial easing of sanctions based on progress in denuclearisation," he said. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has given a hint of what a grand bargain between the two countries could look like. In an interview with the Washington Post, she said the North could agree to dismantle Yongbyon, its signature nuclear site. In exchange, the United States would declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War -- which concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty -- but North Korea would stop short of delivering an exhaustive list of its nuclear facilities, she said. After Seoul, Pompeo ends his trip Monday in China, North Korea's political and economic lifeline. The Beijing stop could be tense as it comes days after Vice President Mike Pence delivered a blistering speech accusing China of military aggression, commercial theft, rising human rights violations and electoral intervention against Trump. burs-pool-sah-sh/amz Kim, Pompeo agree to 2nd US-North Korea summit 'at earliest date' Seoul, Oct 7 (AFP) Oct 07, 2018 Kim Jong Un has agreed to hold a second summit with US President Donald Trump as soon as possible, Seoul said Sunday, after Washington's top diplomat held "productive" talks on denuclearisation with the North Korean leader in Pyongyang. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Kim on Sunday morning for around two hours of talks followed by a lunch in the North's capital, before flying to Seoul on a whirlwind diplomatic visit to the region. Pompeo said "he agreed with Chairman Kim to hold the second US-North Korea summit at the earliest date possible," South Korea's presidential office said in a statement, although no specific time or location has yet been agreed. Pompeo and Kim also discussed "denuclearisation steps that will be taken by North Korea and the issue of attendance by the US government," as well as "corresponding measures" to be taken by the US, the statement said. The visit was Pompeo's fourth to North Korea. US President Donald Trump met Kim in Singapore in June for the first-ever summit between the countries, resulting in what critics say was only a vague commitment by Kim towards denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. "We continue to make progress on agreements made at Singapore Summit. Thanks for hosting me and my team," Pompeo tweeted. Kim also praised their "nice meeting", telling Pompeo via an interpreter following the morning's talks that it was "a very nice day that promises a good future ... for both countries." - 'Gangster-like demands' - Since the Singapore summit, the road towards warmer ties has been bumpy. Washington and Pyongyang have sparred over the exact terms of the vaguely-worded agreement in Singapore, with the US pushing to maintain sanctions and pressure against the North until its "final, fully verified denuclearisation". Last month the North's foreign minister told the United Nations there was "no way" his country would disarm first as long as tough US sanctions remain against his country. After a previous visit to Pyongyang in July, Pompeo had said the two foes made progress on key issues -- but within hours of his departure the North condemned "gangster-like" demands from the US, raising questions over how much the two sides really saw eye to eye. Another planned trip by Pompeo to Pyongyang was scrapped after what Trump said was insufficient progress towards implementing the terms of the Singapore declaration. An official on Sunday's latest visit to Pyongyang with Pompeo said the trip was "better than the last time", but added: "It's going to be a long haul." Following his arrival in Seoul from Pyongyang on Sunday, Pompeo said at a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in that he had "a good productive conversation" with Kim, in talks which represented "another step forward". The dovish Moon, who held three summits with Kim this year and also brokered the Trump-Kim summit in Singapore, said Sunday the "whole world" was watching with keen interest the outcomes of Pompeo's trip. "I hope your trip to North Korea and the upcoming second US-North Korea summit will provide a good opportunity for achieving irreversible, decisive progress in terms of denuclearisation and the peace process on the Korean peninsula." - Grand bargain - Analysts say Washington may now consider new options as China, Russia and South Korea seek to relax sanctions. "North Korea took some steps towards denuclearisation and the US will face criticism from the international community if it continues to demand complete denuclearisation without any lifting of sanctions," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "We can't rule out the possibility that Washington... may move in the direction of partial easing of sanctions based on progress in denuclearisation," he said. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has given a hint of what a grand bargain between the two countries could look like. In an interview with the Washington Post, she said the North could agree to dismantle Yongbyon, its signature nuclear site. In exchange, the United States would declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War -- which concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty -- but North Korea would stop short of delivering an exhaustive list of its nuclear facilities, she said. After Seoul, Pompeo ends his trip Monday in China, North Korea's political and economic lifeline. The Beijing stop could be tense as it comes days after Vice President Mike Pence delivered a blistering speech accusing China of military aggression, commercial theft, rising human rights violations and electoral intervention against Trump. burs-pool-sah-sh/amz/rox Tokyo (Japan), October 6, 2018 (SPS) - The Moroccan delegation withdrew on Saturday from the preparatory ministerial meeting of the 7th TCAD Summit, in protest against the presence of the Saharawi Republic, a full member country and founder of the African Union, alongside the United Nations, the European Union, the World Bank and several continental and international organizations. The Moroccan delegation had no choice but to withdraw immediately after the speech of the Japanese minister, because of the Saharawi Republic. The meeting was a strong message to Morocco that its policy of colonization and occupation against the Saharawi state is doomed to failure. (SPS) 062/SPS/TRA Stratford-upon-Avon Mop 2016. Photo: Mark Williamson (M26/10/16/7986) Love it or loath it, Stratfords traditional Mop Fair will return on Thursday and Friday (11 and 12 October) packed with exciting rides and stalls. The historic fair, which was granted a charter by Edward VI on 28 June 1544, was traditionally concerned with hiring agricultural and domestic labourers. A new addition to the fair will draw on that history this year, with a job market taking place on Waterside on Friday 12 October, between 10am-3pm. A number of large organisations including local hotels, Job Centre Plus and those with information about apprenticeships, will be represented at the job market. To accommodate the Mop Fair Greenhill Street, Rother Street (from Ely Street), Wood Street, Union Street, Bridge Street, Windsor Street, Meer Street, Henley Street and High Street will all be closed from 5am on Thursday 11 October until 7.30am on Saturday 13 October. The Runaway Mop will return two weeks later with Greenhill Street, Rother Street (from Ely Street), Wood Street, Windsor Street (from Mansell Street) and Meer Street all being closed from 5am on Thursday 25 October until 6am on Saturday 27 October. A different ambiance could be strongly felt during the opening of the two-day custom motor and car festival Kustomfest at the Jogja Expo Center (JEC) in Banguntapan, Bantul, Yogyakarta, on Saturday. Men in military uniforms could be easily spotted in the buildings exhibition hall, which displayed 155 custom motorbikes and 28 custom cars. They excluded those in police uniforms. Among them included Air Force Academy governor First Adm. Sri Mulyo Handoko, Yogyakarta Airbase Commander First. Adm. Tedi Rizalihadi, Yogyakarta Naval Base Commander Col. Arya Delano, Yogyakarta Military Resort Commander Brig. Gen. Muhammad Zamroni and Yogyakarta Police chief Brig. Gen. Ahmad Dofiri. At one spot, RI-X WEL-1, the first and only custom aircraft the Indonesian Air Force has ever built, was on display as the first aircraft ever showcased in the annual custom motorbike and car festival. For the first time, the festivals opening ceremony featured military personnel, said Kustomfest director Lulut Wahyuni. This years Kustomfest, themed Color of Difference, was not just organized to celebrate the vibrance of Kustom Kulture, a term coined to describe the artworks, vehicles, hairstyles and fashion of those who drove and built custom cars and motorcycles in the United States, but also the colors of Indonesias culture and natural beauty. Kustom Kulture was born out of the hot rod culture of Southern California of the 1960s. Lulut said the theme was also deliberately chosen to respond to the political year that Indonesia is experiencing as the country is set hold simultaneous legislative and presidential elections in April next year. The heat is already here. We can feel it, but we dont want it to enter the Kustom domain, Lulut said. Read also: Kustomfest 2018 to kick off Saturday, highlighting custom aircraft He added that difference is a blessing. It is there not to be differentiated or to be forced to be the same. It is differences that make Indonesia beautiful and rich in colors. Through this event, we want to remind people that Indonesia is a big country that was built out of differences in ethnicities, races, cultures, languages, and so on, he said. Other military touches can also be found in a custom motorbike that was specially built for the lucky draw program of the festival, offered to visitors who paid the entrance ticket of Rp 60,000 (US$4) per person per day. Built in 28 days prior to the opening of the festival by a team from the Yogyakarta Retro Classic Cycles workshop, it uses a Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 Evolution machine and frame. To give a vintage touch to the bike, mural and street artist Helly KKK was invited to work on the vehicles gasoline tank. He named the artwork Belo Negoro (defending the country), which also served as the name of the custom motorbike. We dedicate this to the Indonesian Militarys heroes who fought for the countrys sovereignty, said Lulut, adding that the custom work of the motorbike was inspired by a World War II aircraft fighter Mustang P-51. Lulut admitted that this years lucky draw prize was quite different from previous years thanks to the strong influence of a military theme, giving Belo Negoro strong features. Responding to the work and the works of other builders whose vehicles were displayed at the festival, Yogyakarta Air Force Academy governor First Adm. Sri Mulyo Handoko expressed his highest appreciation. These are all beautiful works of the children of the nation, he said. Similar appreciation also came from Abdurrohim Boy of the Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf), who categorized Kustom Kulture works in the product design subsector. The subsector is important because it has the potentials to develop other sectors and increase the value of creative products, he said. We fully support Kustomfest, he added. (kes) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, October 7, 2018 17:09 1134 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308776758e9 4 Art & Culture batik,Kampung-Batik-Betawi-Terogong,jakarta,art,art-and-craft,art-and-culture,traditional-fabrics Free It might be less popular than its fellow Javanese batik, but Betawi batik is alive and thriving. As reported by tempo.co, those wanting to know more about it may want to visit Terogong Betawi Batik Village in Jl. Terogong III, West Cilandak, South Jakarta. The village is decorated with ornaments, from the welcoming board bearing the villages name, Betawis icons as murals on the residents houses, to signs that say, If you live in Betawi, wear Betawi batik. The area was once known as one of the batik centers in Jakarta, whose residents made batik for a living. Now, its current residents are trying to revive the craft. Read also: hy is batik expensive? The Industry Ministry explains Aryani Sitio is one of the batik entrepreneurs in Terogong. With a love for batik and along with her siblings, Aryani learned the making of hand-drawn and printed batik. In the yard of their home, they have been making batik since August 2012 under the name Sanggar Batik Terogong. Betawi batik textile with an 'ondel-ondel' (Betawi effigies) motif. (ANTARA FOTO/Syailendra Hafiz Wiratama) From what used to be something they did after work, the business has flourished and they employ dozens of workers who come from the area. Thirty printed and one hand-drawn batik is produced daily. Terogong batik has the trademark of bright colors, such as red, yellow and blue, and motifs that include ondel-ondel (Betawi effigies), the National Monument and mengkudu (Morinda citrifolia) plant. They are priced starting from Rp 125,000 (US$8.30). (wng) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Sarah Benhaida (Agence France-Presse) Baghdad, Iraq Sun, October 7, 2018 13:06 1135 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087766af28 2 People Nadia-Murad,Nobel-laureate,Nobel-Peace-Prize Free Nadia Murad survived the worst cruelties inflicted on her people, the Yazidis of Iraq, before becoming a global champion of their cause and winning the Nobel Peace Prize. On Friday, Murad and Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege were jointly awarded the prize for their "efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war," Nobel committee chairwoman Berit Reiss-Andersen said in unveiling the winners in Oslo. The 25-year-old Murad, her thin, pale face framed by her long brown hair, becomes the first Iraqi to win the Nobel Peace Prize. She once lived a quiet life in her village in the mountainous Yazidi stronghold of Sinjar in northern Iraq, close to the border with Syria. But when the so-called Islamic State jihadist group stormed across swathes of the two countries in 2014, her fate changed forever and her nightmare began. One day in August that year, pick-up trucks bearing the black flag of the jihadists swept into her village, Kocho. IS fighters set about killing the men, taking children captive to train them as fighters and condemning thousands of women to a life of forced labor and sexual slavery. Today, Murad and her friend Lamia Haji Bashar, joint recipients of the EU's 2016 Sakharov human rights prize, continue the fight for the 3,000 Yazidis who remain missing, presumed still in captivity. IS fighters wanted "to take our honor, but they lost their honor," said Murad, now a United Nations goodwill ambassador for survivors of human trafficking. It is an evil she personally experienced during a harrowing three months. After being captured by IS fighters, Murad was taken by force to Mosul, the de facto "capital" of the IS's self-declared caliphate. During her ordeal she was held captive and repeatedly gang-raped, tortured and beaten. The jihadists organized slave markets for selling off the women and girls, and Yazidi women were forced to renounce their religion. Read also: 'On Her Shoulders' tells of painful burden carried by Nobel winner Seen as heretics For the jihadists, with their ultra-strict interpretation of Islam, the Yazidis are seen as heretics. The Kurdish-speaking community follows an ancient religion, revering a single God and the "leader of the angels", represented by a peacock. Like thousands of Yazidis, Murad was forcibly married to a jihadist, beaten and forced to wear makeup and tight clothes -- an experience she later related in front of the United Nations Security Council. "The first thing they did was they forced us to convert to Islam," Murad told AFP in 2016. Shocked by the violence, Murad set about trying to escape, and managed to flee with the help of a Muslim family from Mosul. Armed with false identity papers, she managed to cross the few dozen kilometres (miles) to Iraqi Kurdistan, joining crowds of other displaced Yazidis in camps. There, she learnt that six of her brothers and her mother had been killed. With the help of an organisation that assists Yazidis, she joined her sister in Germany, where she lives today. She has since dedicated herself to what she calls "our peoples' fight", becoming a well-known spokeswoman even before the #MeToo movement swept the world. Announcing Friday's award, Nobel committee chairwoman Reiss-Andersen said: "A more peaceful world can only be achieved if women and their fundamental rights and security are recognised and protected in war." The Yazidis numbered around 550,000 in Iraq before 2014, but some 100,000 have since left the country. Many others have fled and remain in Iraqi Kurdistan, reluctant to return to their traditional lands. Slight, and softly-spoken Murad has now become a global voice, campaigning for justice for her people and for the acts committed by the jihadists to be recognised internationally as genocide. And she and the Yazidis have won a high-profile supporter -- Lebanese-British lawyer and rights activist Amal Clooney, who also penned the foreword to Murad's book, "The Last Girl", published in 2017. The same year, the UN Security Council committed to helping Iraq gather evidence of IS crimes. Yet in contrast to all the tragedies that have befallen her, recent pictures on Murad's Twitter feed show happier times. In August, she announced her engagement to fellow Yazidi activist Abid Shamdeen. "The struggle of our people brought us together & we will continue this path together," she wrote. Underneath, a photo showed her next to a young man in a bow tie, her face still framed by her long brown hair, but this time, bearing a broad smile. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Severianus Endi (The Jakarta Post) Pontianak, West Kalimantan Sun, October 7, 2018 14:09 1135 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087766da90 1 People Pontianak,vloggers,Mother,motherhood,Nongkrong-Bareng-Christina Free After seven years living in Minnesota, the United States, up-and-coming vlogger Christina set foot in her birthplace, Pontianak, West Kalimantan. Despite suffering from a cough as it is dry season there, Christina is still happy to be back. I dont want to control my appetite while Im here. I miss all the food, she said to The Jakarta Post on Thursday, Sept. 27, in Pontianak. She was on vacation and held a meet-and-greet session with YouTube subscribers. Similar sessions are also held in Jakarta and Yogyakarta while shes in Indonesia. Christinas budding success as an Indonesian lifestyle vlogger abroad is in large part thanks to her informative cooking videos. What makes her channel unique is how she manages to cook complicated traditional Indonesian recipes with limited resources in the US. Her YouTube channel entitled "Nongkrong Bareng Christina" (Hanging Out With Christina) has over 101,000 subscribers at the time of writing. Im not too in tune with technology, but I decided to just go for it. When I first started, I only used a phone camera, she said. Christina, who was orphaned at the age of 18, met her American foster parents online. After finishing her English major at a university in Pontianak, she met an American man, David, who is now her husband, via a chat platform. Read also: Natural Born TV Killers As a prolific vlogger, Christina focuses on traditional Indonesian recipes and unique Borneo food. Aside from cooking, she sometimes vlogs about her daily life. I focus on positive content that can inspire many people. I tell life stories that bring peace. I also share about creativity, she said. The most-viewed recipe on her channel, according to Christina, is ikan asam pedas (sour and spicy fish), as it has reached over a million views at the time of writing. The challenge of finding Indonesian ingredients doesnt stop her. Its just survival instinct. I have to satisfy my craving by cooking Indonesian food because nobody sells Indonesian food in Minneapolis, she said. I still want to cook a lot of things, one of which is rawon (East Javanese-style black beef soup), which requires a certain type of beansprout. I havent been able to find the beansprout, she added. Although it seems like she only vlogs for fun, Christina makes sure that she uploads her vlogs regularly. I vlog when I have spare time, but I upload three times a week, she said. Christina engages with her fans in a meet-and-greet session in Pontianak, Sept.27. (JP/Severianus Endi) In her vlogs, Christina often features her three year-old daughter Maddy, and her husband, David, known to her loyal viewers as Babang Dave. I do worry about Maddys privacy, therefore I am very careful in exposing Maddys activities, particularly when she takes a bath or gets dressed, said Christina. After two years of vlogging, Christina has monetized her channel and now makes up to Rp.15 million per month. Starting off with only her phone camera, today Christina has several cameras to support her vlogging activities. I use a Canon Vixia Mini X, a Nikon D7000 and a Canon GX Mark II. My favorite one is my Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, she said. Christina encourages mothers to start vlogging as she regards it as a positive activity, Vlogging has a lot of positive impacts. Its a good pastime, it increases our confidence and broadens our network." However positive and cheerful her online persona is, Christina also has haters, There are always haters. If I can still handle them, Ill let them be. If not, Ill just block them, she added. (asw) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Rachmadea Aisyah (The Jakarta Post) Nusa Dua, Bali Sun, October 7, 2018 17:24 1134 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308776768a5 1 Business annual-meeting,IMF-WB-meeting,Bali-meeting,#IMFWBG Free A day ahead of the International Monetary FundWorld Bank Group (IMF-WB) Annual Meetings, the government has confirmed that the number of participants has surpassed its initial target. Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan, who is also the on the meetings national organizing committee, said on Sunday that 34,000 participants from 189 countries had registered to attend the event. It surpassed the governments initial target of 22,000 participants, he said. The number had also gone up from the previous count of 32,000 participants according to an update from Luhut on Oct. 4, four days before the meeting starts. We are ready to organize the Annual Meetings. All of the venues are ready and we are satisfied [with the standard], Luhut said in a written statement during his visit to the meetings grounds in Nusa Dua, Bali. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati accompanied Luhut on the visit, during which they checked some of the events main venues, such as The Westin Hotel, the Bali International Convention Centre, Bali Nusa Dua Hotel and the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Centre. They also paid a visit to several facilities the government had established to support the event within Nusa Dua, such as the medical facility, press center and the cultural diplomacy venues at Jepun Park and Indonesia Pavilion. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Bekasi Sun, October 7, 2018 18:30 1134 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877678a8c 1 City crocodiles,crocodile-hunt,Bekasi Free A female estuarine crocodile was caught on Saturday evening in the Cileungsi River, Bekasi, West Java. The crocodile was caught by a joint team from the Bekasi Environment Agency, the local Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), the Bogor Natural Resources Conservation Agency ( BKSDA) and the organization Community Care for Cileungsi-Cikeas Rivers (KP2C). The 1.3 meter-long female crocodile was captured on Saturday at around 9 p.m., said KP2C chairperson Puarman on Sunday as quoted by antaranews.com. The captured crocodile was immediately handed over to the Bogor BKSDA to be treated at their breeding ground. We are still looking for another [estuarine crocodile] estimated to be 1.8 m long and one senyulong crocodile that is 1.5 m long, said Puarman. Sightings of the crocodiles were recorded by a local in a video that went viral last month. In the video an estuarine crocodile is seen sun bathing on the riverbank near the Vila Nusa Indah 2 residential complex in Gunung Putri, Bogor, West Java. The video caused a commotion among locals, especially after two other crocodile sightings were reported in the same area. (iwa) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Sofia, Bulgaria Sun, October 7, 2018 21:39 1134 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087767ee26 2 World #Bulgaria,#MurderCase,Bulgarian,journalist,murder Free A television journalist has been brutally murdered in Bulgaria's northern town of Ruse, prosecutors said Sunday, with the case drawing international condemnation. The body of 30-year-old Viktoria Marinova, identified by authorities only by her initials, was found on Saturday in a park, Ruse regional prosecutor Georgy Georgiev said. The death was caused by blows on the head and suffocation, he added. "Her mobile phone, car keys, glasses and part of her clothes were missing," Georgiev said, adding that prosecutors were probing all leads -- both personal and linked to Marinova's job. Police sources told AFP that the crime did not immediately appear linked to her work. The OSCE's media freedom representative Harlem Desir condemned Marinova's killing on Twitter: "Shocked by horrific murder of investigative journalist Victoria Marinova in #Bulgaria. Urgently call for a full and thorough investigation. Those responsible must be held to account." Local media reported that Marinova was an administrative director of Ruse's TVN television and had just started her own news talk show called "Detector". The channel has not released any statement so far. A journalist is killed on average every week around the world, according to figures compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Among the most high-profile recent cases were Malta's anti-corruption blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia who died in a car bombing outside her home in October 2017, and top Slovak reporter Jan Kuciak who was shot dead with his fiancee at their home in February. Bulgaria tumbled down to 111th place in the annual RSF media freedom ranking in 2018 -- lower than any other EU member state. Widespread corruption, shady media ownership, and suspected collusion between journalists, politicians, and oligarchs have made objective reporting a constant obstacle-run, RSF said. According to the Bulgaria-based Association of European Journalists, reporters from small regional and local media are particularly subjected to pressure from local businessmen and politicians and outright threats, often leading to self-censorship. Violence against women has also been widespread in Bulgaria with several brutal killings of women by their ex-boyfriends and ex-husbands causing an outcry in the media recently. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan Sun, October 7, 2018 12:43 1135 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087766a5e2 1 National BNN,narcotics,Drugs-trafficking,Medan Free A joint team led by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) has arrested seven people suspected of being involved in a drug ring in Medan, North Sumatra. Officers also confiscated 50 kilograms of methamphetamine that was reportedly ready to be distributed in Medan and its surrounding areas. BNN deputy for drug eradication Insp. Gen. Arman Depari said the suspects were being interrogated at the North Sumatra BNN office. He added that the case came to light from a tip about a drug sale in Medan. We were tailing the suspects, who were transporting the drugs in a car, but we were discovered. The perpetrators tried to escape, but they were arrested by officers on Friday, he said, adding that five of the suspects had been in the car. While searching the vehicle, police found 50 kilograms of methamphetamine stored in five jerry cans. The suspects brought 50 kg of methamphetamine from Tanjung Balai to hand over to two dealers who were going to sell the drugs in Medan and the surrounding areas, Arman said. (kmt) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ezzedine Said and Luana Sarmini-Buonaccorsi (Agence France-Presse) Istanbul, Turkey Sun, October 7, 2018 16:45 1134 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308776748fa 2 World #SaudiArabia,#humanrights,Saudi-Arabia,journalist,murder,Consulate-General,Turkey Free Turkish police believe prominent Saudi journalist and critic Jamal Khashoggi was murdered inside Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul after he went missing on Tuesday, according to an unnamed government official, but Riyadh quickly denied the claim. The accusation by Turkish authorities comes amid mounting concern over the Washington Post contributor, who vanished after an appointment with Saudi officials. "Based on their initial findings, the police believe that the journalist was killed by a team especially sent to Istanbul and who left the same day," the government source told AFP on Saturday. Police had earlier confirmed that around 15 Saudis, including officials, arrived in Istanbul on two flights on Tuesday and were at the consulate at the same time as Khashoggi. The journalist went to the building on an administrative errand but "did not come back out", police told Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency. On the back of the preliminary investigation, Ankara announced Saturday it had opened an official probe into his disappearance. The state-run Saudi Press Agency, quoting an unnamed official at the Istanbul consulate, denied the reports of Khashoggi's murder. "The official strongly denounced these baseless allegations," the agency wrote, adding that a team of Saudi investigators were in Turkey working with local authorities. Reacting to news of the alleged murder, the journalist's Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, said on Twitter she was "waiting for an official confirmation from the Turkish government to believe it". In his columns, Khashoggi has been critical of some policies of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Riyadh's intervention in the war in Yemen. The former government adviser, who turns 60 on October 13, has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since last year to avoid possible arrest.According to his fiancee, Khashoggi had visited the consulate to receive an official document for their marriage. Yasin Aktay, of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) who was close to the journalist, said Khashoggi had made an appointment in advance with the consulate and called to check the documents were ready. "His friends had warned him 'don't go there, it is not safe' but he said they could not do anything to him in Turkey," said Atkay, adding that he still hoped the allegations of his friend's death were untrue. - 'We have nothing to hide' - Prince Mohammed said in an interview with Bloomberg published Friday that the journalist had left the consulate and Turkish authorities could search the building, which is Saudi sovereign territory."We are ready to welcome the Turkish government to go and search our premises," he said, adding: "We have nothing to hide". Turkey's foreign ministry on Wednesday summoned Saudi Arabia's ambassador over the issue. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists demanded Riyadh give "a full and credible account" of what happened to Khashoggi inside the consulate. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on Twitter that if reports of his death were confirmed, "this would constitute a horrific, utterly deplorable, and absolutely unacceptable assault on press freedom". "It would clearly have been a State crime of another age," RSF secretary general Christophe Deloire tweeted Sunday. A spokesperson for the US State Department said: "We are not in a position to confirm these reports, but we are closely following the situation." - 'Reasoned criticism' - Khashoggi fled the country in September 2017, months after Prince Mohammed was appointed heir to the throne, amid a campaign that saw dozens of dissidents arrested including intellectuals and Islamic preachers. The journalist said he had been banned from writing in the pan-Arab Al-Hayat newspaper, owned by Saudi prince Khaled bin Sultan al-Saud, over his defence of the Muslim Brotherhood which Riyadh has blacklisted as a terrorist organisation. He 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 Washington Post chose to leave a blank space where Khashoggi's column would have been in its Friday edition in support of the missing writer. In an article published by Al-Jazeera this week, journalist and analyst Bill Law described Khashoggi as "a brilliant journalist with a fiercely independent mind but with sufficient pragmatism to know just how close to the red lines he could go". "His is a voice of reasoned criticism and wise comment that the Saudi crown prince should listen to," wrote Law.Saudi Arabia, which ranks 169th out of 180 on RSF's World Press Freedom Index, has launched a modernisation campaign since Prince Mohammed's appointment 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's criticism of Prince Mohammed's policies have appeared in both the Arab and Western press. In a March 6 Guardian editorial co-authored with Robert Lacey, he 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. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marchio Irfan Gorbiano and Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post) Nusa Dua Mon, October 8 2018 Armed to the teeth: Hundreds of Indonesian Military and National Police personnel attend a call for readiness ceremony of the VVIP Security Joint Command Force at Renon Field in Denpasar, Bali, on Monday, ahead of the 2018 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group, which will be held from Oct. 8 to 14 in Nusa Dua. A joint team comprising 26,000 police and military personnel have been readied to secure the event, which will be attended by 34,000 participants and 18 heads of state. (JP/Zul Trio Anggono) The country is slated to welcome delegates from around the world during the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Monday, against the backdrop of rising global challenges. Peter Jacobs, task force chief and executive chairman for the annual meetings, said in Nusa Dua on Sunday that in a meeting with the local organizing committee, IMF managing director Christine Lagarde and her colleagues expressed their appreciation for the preparations, calling them impressive. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, October 8, 2018 01:02 1134 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877683c2a 1 News Anthony-Bourdain,chef,united-states,university,film,school,courses Free If youre a fan of Parts Unknown, The Layover, No Reservations, and A Cooks Tour, or just an avid follower of the late Anthony Bourdains adventures, youll be delighted to learn that youre not alone. Travel + Leisure reported that Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States, will be offering a class focused on studying Anthony Bourdain and His Influencers, starting Spring 2019. The class will examine some of Bourdain's writings and video work and contrast them to the films that influenced him most. Todd Kennedy, head of the university's film department, said he had always enjoyed Bourdain's shows. I thought about how original he was putting together literature, film, travel, and food. In my profession, we look to see how these things come together in culture. He added that upon Bourdains passing, he was affected more than he had expected he would be. Read also: Season-finale episode of Anthony Bourdains Parts Unknown airs Some (students and staff) are fans of him and dont know very much about him, but they seem to like classes that encompass many different subjects. he said. For those no longer in studies or have no time to backpack their way to Louisiana, fear not as Kennedy said the class will soon be available as an online course. Other university students who are not in the film department will also be able to attend Anthony Bourdain and His Influencers as a half-semester option. Like Kennedy, we look forward to seeing what is in store in the upcoming studies on the American chef who presented his travel documentaries and books with a big personality. (acr/wng) Ive been thinking about this a lot, and the best way I can think to describe Hollie Cook is like a disco ball; glimmering and sparkly, reflecting and bouncing energy and light from its very surface, and a constant source of unadulterated joy. You cant hate a disco ball. Image credit: Robin Pope In the dusty, smoke-laden confines of Scala opposite Kings Cross station, Hollie was preceded by a saxophone-wielding electro goddess. Stood in front of a luminescent pink balloon was Laura Misch (Tom Mischs sister, not his assistant, damn it) with a saxophone, recorder, loop pedal and a couple of soundboards. Her technical abilities layering the sensual brass of the sax atop floating, synthesisers was second to none, and was only topped by her silky, Nina Simone-esque tone. Smiling through evocative verses and breathtaking crescendos, Laura became one with her instrumentals and set the bar high for the headline act. Flickering yellow and green lights and the ticking, opening melody of Postman exploded in a furore of pure, selfless ecstasy. Head to toe in a sparkling green and flowery co-ord and lit up by the adorable pink flamingo lights wrapped around her mic stand, Hollie was fizzing with happiness and energy. In a seamless transition, Hollie and the General Roots band took us back to her 2011 self-titled debut album with Body Beat. Its been too long since Ive been home / My body beats and Im feeling raw she crooned atop bubbling electronic synths and a tropical-twinged bass, smiling at her adoring home crowd. Quickly followed was Shadow Kissing, with its synonymous opening bars rolled out on the Halloween-esque keyboard. Here, in the verse breaks we were treated to an echo-y reverb spin on Hollies sooty tone and ethereal vocal harmonies, clearly added in as and when she felt the urge. The trust in her band is palpable and the way they each feed off one anothers energy and impulses was nothing short of spectacular. Hello London! Im so happy to be home...Oh god! Stop! Im ovulating, Im jetlagged, so everything is hypersensitive right now! She said tenderly between rackets of applause, clearly emotional to be kicking off her UK tour in her hometown and be shown such a loving, excited reception in the city she loves. Diving straight into Sugar Water - a track first released in 2011 then later remixed by Prince Fatty and Mungos Hi Fi - Hollies sweet falsetto picked us up out of the cold, Autumnal slump and straight into the warm sands of a Caribbean beach. Image credit: Robin Pope Mid-set, Hollie created a round circle, an AA meeting for her audience to share personal experiences, pain and desires. Tracks Ghostly Fading, Turn It Around and Survive, taken from her latest album Vessel of Love, each individually and collectively opened the doors to her past and present. Her uplifting songs are impossible to come down from, and her darker, emotional observations leave you considering your own realities. Without your love boy, I just dont know how to survive rung through me, head to toe, whilst swaying to the tropical electronics and twanging guitar riffs. In her closing tracks, the crowd stirred something wild. Refracting and reflecting their reactions one by one, Hollie rallied her band for her epic rendition of Shanks & Bigfoots garage classic Chocolate. In a monster instrumental breakdown, the General Roots band shone in all their glory from start to finish, taking turns showing their prowess. Chocolate came across even better live than the recorded single, adorning that 90s record with rickrolling reggae rhythm and a new level of danceability. Winter might be coming but we can still go to the bloody beach, cant we? Hollie shouted as the band swung her into the closing track 99. Pitch-perfect harmonies and a cataclysmic dub breakdown guided the crowd through a frantic dance frenzy, and just as you thought the drummer would lift off that devilish kick drum, another thud reverberated around Scala. In all honesty, there arent enough adjectives in the world to describe the feeling of seeing Hollie Cook play live. Shes an artist of abundance; a glass full to the tippy top with energy, talent, light, power, strength and jubilation. In perfect synergy with her band, she genuinely loves the music she writes and plays, bopping steadily between musicians and from stage corner to corner throughout her set. And more than that, she invited the crowd into a place of intimacy, somewhere inside her, where she showed us exactly why she loves the music she creates. We were taken on a journey; like a trippy boat ride through Willy Wonkas chocolate factory, except, more fun and less like a substitute teacher having a bad trip. If I ever have a daughter, Hollie Cook is the role model Id want her to look up to. A woman and an artist completely comfortable in her own skin, and the kind of person that gives you the hope that not everything in life is total crap. An online petition demanding that Princess Eugenies wedding is not funded with any public money has exceeded 30,000 signatures. The petition is being run by the anti-monarchy campaign group Republic, who claim the royals "use weddings as PR exercises" and say they "need to pick up the bill" themselves. Princess Eugenie, 28, is set to marry Jack Brooksbank, 32, on Friday 12 October. She works at an art gallery in London while he is the European brand manager of Casamigos Tequila. Photo of Princess Eugenie and father Prince Andrew by Carfax2 CC-BY-SA-3.0 Early estimates have suggested security costs alone will exceed 2 million, due to a number of high-profile guests, including the Queen and the rest of the royal family. Republic are, however, arguing the couples big day is shaping up to look more like a 35 million extravaganza" and allege the public will end up paying a huge chunk of security costs, that will be much higher than the current 2 million estimate. The last royal wedding was that of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in May, which took place at Windsor Castle and involved a procession around the grounds and through the town. Security for the Sussex's wedding ended up costing 30 million, according to reports Photo of Windsor Castle by Diliff CC BY 2.5 As Princess Eugenies wedding is also taking at Windsor Castle, includes a similar number of high-profile guests and a procession, the costs for security are likely to be similar. Speaking to Metro , a spokesman for Republic said: If the royals want to turn Eugenie and Jacks big day into a public event, they need to pick up the bill all of it. Public services are being cut, and councils are struggling. Why are we footing the wedding bills for the richest family in the country? Princess Eugenie is often described as a 'minor royal' due to being ninth-in-line to the throne. She is the younger daughter of the Queen's second eldest son, Prince Andrew, and carries out no formal royal duties. While controversy continues to surround who should foot the bill for certain aspects of the wedding, some people are excited for a second royal wedding, including many business owners in Windsor, due to the prospect of added tourism. Unfortunately, The Content Is Not Here You have arrived at this page because the page or post you were looking for no longer exists. Please check our main navigation pages for other content: Home Page Montreal, CA (H4T1V6) Today Rain and snow this morning transitioning to light rain late. High around 4C. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Rain and snow showers this evening. Then becoming partly cloudy overnight. Low -1C. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precip 60%. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Diyar Al Muharraq, one of the leading urban developers in Bahrain, has announced the near completion of the infrastructural work for Al Qamra, in line with the projects pre-forecast date. Plot owners will soon be able to benefit from all infrastructure services and build their own homes, the developer said. With Diyar Al Muharraq having achieved 98 per cent completion of the secondary infrastructure works for Al Qamra by September 2018, and with the finalisation of the works expected to take place in October 2018, it comes in line with the companys efforts to expedite the construction of its developments in order to cater to its inhabitants. All infrastructure work was undertaken by Hafeera Contracting. Al Qamra caters to both locals and expatriates in search of residential and investment freehold plots in one of the most lucrative areas in the kingdom. The development is strategically situated at a premium location at the centre of Diyar Al Muharraq, in close proximity to several major destinations. Al Qamra is a true manifestation of the diversity in the residential offerings that Diyar Al Muharraq encompasses in its masterplan. The project will provide plot owners within the development with a complete infrastructure network, including roads, electricity, water, drainage and telecommunications. Speaking on the occasion, the chief executive officer of Diyar Al Muharraq, Dr Maher Al Shaer, said: On behalf of Diyar Al Muharraq, it brings me immense pleasure to announce both that the infrastructure work in Al Qamra is entering its last stages and that this has taken place within the allocated time frame. This will provide plot owners with essential infrastructure services and allow them to commence constructing their residential units, which highlights our efforts towards the manifestation of our integrated vision for Diyar Al Muharraq. The project serves to show the high standards that the company incorporates in building a comprehensive infrastructure network that serves to fulfil residents needs. Al Qamra enjoys an easy access and a close proximity to many of our most prominent destinations within Diyar Al Muharraq, including Dragon City. Therefore, we take great pride in what this project represents as it is an important part of our masterplan through it being a significant feature of the diversity of residential and investment opportunities it encompasses. We look forward to witnessing the completion of the owners villas and to hosting their residence in them in the near future, he added. Al Qamra has over 131 affordable freehold residential plots tailored for mid-range sized housing units, along with seven commercial plots and nine exhibition plots in an area of 6,800 sq m. The project offers scenic landscaping, parks, a mosque, dedicated retail and recreational spaces, ample greenery and access to communal facilities, which make it an attractive choice for those aspiring to experience community living. Diyar Al Muharraq is a unique master-planned city for the people of Bahrain offering a range of housing options and quality lifestyle. It offers a cohesive mix of residential and commercial properties with a strong line-up of projects aimed at creating a long-term and sophisticated township. - TradeArabia News Service Al Meera Consumer Goods Company, a leading retail chain in Qatar, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tekzen, a Turkish Corporation and part of Tekfen Group, to import non-food products. This collaboration will enable Al Meera to increase its non-food offerings to the Qatar market. The agreement was signed during a meeting between Al Meeras delegation and the chairman of Tekzen, Murat Gigin and Onur Mertoglu, board member and general manager of the company, said a statement. The MoU signing came during the visit of an Al Meera delegation to Turkey to meet with Turkish investors with the objective of enhancing bilateral trade relations between Qatar and Turkey. The delegation was headed by Qatar-based Al Meeras deputy chief executive officer Engineer Salah Al Hammadi. He met with Istanbul and Samsun based investors and businesses looking to expand in Qatar, it added. Meetings were also held with government officials including the Governor of Samsun Osman Kaymak, it said. On the first day of their two-day official trip, Al Meera officials visited Happy Center where they met its chairman Ismail Altun and chief executive officer Yavuz Altun and discussed strategic partnership and ways to improve mutual cooperation. Following this, Engineer Salah Al Hammadi graced the opening ceremony of Happy Centers 135th outlet. Next on the visit list was a trip to the Chamber of Commerce of Istanbul, the 3rd largest chamber in the world, which has about 420,000 members. Here, the Al Meera delegation was welcomed by the vice chairman of Chamber of Commerce of Istanbul Ahmet Uzair. During the meeting, the two sides discussed the possibilities to developing a solid network of partners in Turkey, based on the recommendation of the Chamber of Commerce. On the second day, the Al Meera delegation visited Samsun Governorship to take a tour around Koytour Chicken factory to assess the quality standards of their exclusive partner, with its general manager Yahiya Nafi. During the visit to Samsun, the Al Meera delegation met with the Governor of Samsun Osman Kaymak and discussed how his region could support trade with the company. In addition to this, the delegation also met at the Chamber Of Commerce of Samsun, Salih Zaki Murzioglu, vice chairman of the Union of Chambers of Commerce of Turkey and Sinan Chakir, chairman of Samsun Chamber of Commerce and Stock Exchange. The visit was widely covered by local Turkish newspapers. Qatar and Turkey have always had strategic relations in many areas of cooperation, built upon a strong and friendly historical relationship. Trade relations continue to increase; in the first quarter of 2018. There are about 186 Turkish-Qatari firms operating in Qatar market and 19 firms with 100 per cent Turkish capital. Engineer Salah Al Hammadi said: Our recent visit to Istanbul and Samsun was highly productive. Qatar and Turkeys economic and business interests continue to grow stronger and both regions are benefitting from one another. As one of the most competitive countries in the Arab region, Qatars business environment offers countless rewarding opportunities to businesses and investors looking to expand, he added. He continued: Our meetings with Turkish businessmen and business entities were also very positive and gave us the chance to discuss how we can help to increase the bilateral trade relations between Qatar and Turkey. Al Hammadi added: Qatar market is replete with investment opportunities, which attract Turkish investors and businessmen, affirming that Qatari business owners have real desire to establish trade alliances and partnerships with their Turkish counterparts. Since its inception, Al Meera has placed immense trust on community welfare, as social responsibility is considered an integral part of its programmes. In lieu to its ongoing efforts, Al Meera Consumer Goods Company was recently recognised to bring forth a number of economic initiatives designed to empower entrepreneurs in the country and contribute to Qatars economic diversification during the 5thSocial Responsibility Conference. Al Meera was honoured for its efforts to support startups and entrepreneurs by launching the National Product initiative, in collaboration with Bedaya Center and the Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC). Under this initiative, local producers and startups in the food industry were offered with prominent shelf space at its Gulf Mall shopping centre, thereby providing entrepreneurs in the country with a premium platform to introduce their products to the market and sell them to consumers, it stated. TradeArabia News Service Al Ezzel Power Company, a key electricity supplier in Bahrain, today (October 6) celebrated the closing of a $243-million new financing facility. This is a landmark achievement in the Bahrain infrastructure financing market, as the entire financing was extended by local and regional banks, said a statement from the company. The new financing was provided by Arab Banking Corporation, National Bank of Kuwait, Mashreq Bank, National Bank of Bahrain and Ahli United Bank. All of these banks are present in Bahrain and have in-depth knowledge of the market. The new financing replaces the original one provided in 2004 by a consortium of nine international banks and only two regional banks. Al Ezzel power project was awarded in July 2004 by the Bahrain Ministry of Finance and National Economy, following an international competitive tendering process that attracted five bids and resulted in a record low tariff. The 950MW Project was contracted on a Build, Own, Operate basis, utilising gas-fired Combined Cycle Gas Turbine technology supplied and constructed by Siemens. The company started commercial operations in June 2007 and the inauguration was held under the auspices of Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa. Al Ezzel instantly proved itself as a key reliable electricity supplier to Bahrain and today accounts for about one quarter of Bahrain electricity needs. The project was initially developed by Engie and Gulf Investment Corporation. The Social Insurance Organization of Bahrain joined soon thereafter. These three parties remain today as the shareholders of the company. The celebration was held with participation of representatives from the shareholders, financing banks and Bahrain and company officials. On the deal, Chairman Shafic Ali, said: The success of this refinancing is a testimony to the confidence of the local and regional banks in the long-term credit worthiness of infrastructure projects in Bahrain. The new financing prepaid the balance of the loans provided in 2004 and extends the final maturity date to 2026." Cedric Girod, the regional Head of Acquisitions, Investments and Financial Advisory at Engie, said: We are pleased by the response and strong support on this transaction of the Bahraini and regional banks which demonstrates the strength of this asset." "We received a significantly higher liquidity appetite than expected allowing us to implement an optimum refinancing structure within a short timeframe, stated Girod. Al Ezzel has performed at a high level of operational availability and efficiency and produced consistently solid financial results, he added. Saber Ayadi, the group head of specialized finance at Bank ABC, commenting on behalf of the lending group, said: We are very proud of the successful completion of this transaction and delighted with the collaboration with Al Ezzels executive team as well as its shareholders." "The lending group is pleased with its continuous contribution and strong added value to finance the power sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Organisers of the Bahrain Pavilion for Gulfood 2019, one of the leading global annual food trade show in its 24th edition, are now accepting registrations for the event taking place next year, in Dubai, UAE. The event is will be held from February 17 to 21, 2019, at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Registrations options are available for eight Bahraini food companies, 10 Bahraini SME entrepreneurs together with about 2,500 companies that are engaged in industrial and trade in hospitality from around the world, said a statement from the organisers. The Bahraini pavilion at Gulfood 2019 is organised by WorkSmart for Events Management and Alwane Bahrain Society that has already inked an agreement to support and facilitate the participation of Bahraini food industry and trade organizations at Gulfood 2019 expo, it said. Ahmed Al Hujairi, chief executive officer of WorkSmart, acknowledged that the management firm is aspiring to promote Bahraini food industry, which will participate in this international event to share latest ideas and market trends, viewing latest technologies and innovations through attending presentations, conferences and technical workshops in the exact event. Al Hujairi said: We are keen to enhance Bahrain Pavilions success at Gulfood 2019 by supporting exhibitors and back them to seek out foreign markets investments and to partner with peers in the region and the world. Ammar Awachi, chairman of Alwane Bahrain Society hoped that Bahrain participation in Gulfood 2019 will make further progress following the successful participation of 14 Bahraini exhibitors in the previous edition of Gulfood Expo. Awachi pointed out the importance of providing support to Bahraini entrepreneurs to achieve greater success in the development of their business, especially Bahraini women through their business activities related to food and beverages through restaurants and cafes at various levels, it stated. TradeArabia News Service Dubai-based Zaitoun Green Shipping recently participated in the second edition of the Malta Maritime Summit, which was held under the theme of The Voice of the Industry, last week, in Valletta, Malta. The event also had several other important themes such as logistics, security, finance, digitalisation, sustainability and Brexit, will be addressed. Engineer Mohammed Zaitoun, president and CEO of Zaitoun Green Shipping, said: Our world-changing mission is to leverage our technical knowledge and vast experience to safeguard all life and property at sea by sparking new levels of innovation that revitalises the maritime vessel industry and reduces the environmental footprint of all the projects that we deliver. Zaitoun added: Im here today at summit to emphasise the importance of environmental efficiency especially for cargo owners. We aim at creating high utilisation eco-efficient vessels to be the pinnacle of the shipping industry. Technology is a key differentiator when it comes to achieving greater efficiency and maximising performance on large merchant vessels. The future will be promising for those who are willing to invest heavily in R&D to find innovative solutions that deliver a competitive edge, he said. Shipping causes serious risks to the environment. Apart from damage caused by dredging shipping channels and the spread of marine pests around the world, there is also growing concern about pollution. According to a report from the European Union, international shipping contributes 2.5 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions annually and it is predicted to rise between 50 per cent and 250 per cent by 2050. Zaitoun confirmed: IMO plays a vital role in protecting the marine environment worldwide. We assure that our innovative technology solutions shall crucially contribute to protecting the marine environment. Moreover, our smart solutions will facilitate complying with the IMO regulations. We prioritise driving sustainability for the environment whilst assuring profitable gains and business growth for our partners, he said. This is a very important signal that the maritime community is taking seriously its role in global efforts to strengthen environmental efficiency for vessels. Eco-efficient vessels demand a premium price at new build stage, are more likely to be chartered, maintain asset value over time, and have a longer lifespan, he added. Efficient vessels have an enhanced marketability as well as a higher revenue potential for the ship owner and thus a more favourable risk profile for financiers. Thats why, the international maritime community from ship owners, regulators, private sector and authorities need to unify efforts to lead a future of vessels efficiency, Zaitoun concluded. Its worth mentioning that Zaitoun Green Shipping has initiated, together with world leading companies in smart technology and solutions, a consortium to collaborate on radically improving performance of container ships and forming a new business model for this market. The International Maritime Consortium consists of the top international industry key players such as MacGregor, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Marine Machinery & Equipment, Wartsila, Winterthur Gas & Diesel Ltd, Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT), WIN GD, CargoTech and Carinafour, it added. TradeArabia News Service Outrigger Hotels and Resorts is concluding its Platinum Anniversary by inviting vacationers to visit any of its tropical destinations across Hawaii, Asia-Pacific and the Indian Ocean for up to 40 per cent off the current room rate. From now through October 26, guests who use the code Memories when booking online will save on their stay at any Outrigger location for travel through June 30, 2019. As part of Outriggers year-long 70th anniversary, the brand celebrated the milestone with a Share Your Story campaign, encouraging guests to share throwback photos and recollections of their favourite Outrigger memory. The results were phenomenal, with more than 40,000 people sharing a personal experience. From surf trips to graduation parties, wedding proposals and annual family getaways, the common theme across all submissions was: I had the time of my life! Bob and Kathleen Swieton were newlyweds from Illinois who stayed at The Reef Towers hotel in 1967. They sent a newspaper clipping about the honeymoon alongside their original Hawaii honeymoon outfit to the resort as a memento. Outrigger gave life to the retro orange and brown aloha wear at the companys 70th Anniversary party last May with models wearing them at the event. Outrigger has extended a complimentary stay for the Swietons to return to Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort and renew their love in Hawaii at the resorts complimentary vow-renewal ceremony. For seven decades, Outrigger has provided guests with unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime vacation memories, and we are proud to continue this tradition today, said Sean Dee, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Outrigger Enterprises Group. Outriggers 70th anniversary was a time to reflect, but more important an opportunity to look forward as we further position ourselves as the worlds leading beachfront hospitality brand. On September 29, the hospitality brand celebrated Outrigger Founders Day worldwide, honouring the legacy of its founding members, Roy and Estelle Kelley as well as the companys inspiring journey of growing a single Waikiki hotel to a global portfolio of properties in the most desired tropical locations including Hawaii, Fiji, Mauritius, Thailand, Guam and the Maldives. Since its first property opening in Waikiki in 1947, Outrigger had the vision of sharing the spirit of aloha with every guest and becoming synonymous with warm hospitality and a true vacation in paradise. More than seven decades later, Outrigger continues to encourage travellers to Escape Ordinary and discover local cultures through enriching programs and Outrigger Signature Experiences that create a deeper connection with the people and places they visit. - TradeArabia News Service Dubai-based Emirates airline has won the Aviation 100 Middle East & Africa Airline of the Year title, awarded by Airline Economics magazine. The Aviation 100 awards recognise aviations most outstanding performers, as well as the most innovative and successful finance and leasing deals closed in the last 12 months. The awards were held during the Airline Economics Growth Frontiers Dubai conference gala dinner. Emirates and its financing partners also won Deal of the Year for Innovation, which resulted from a leasing transaction of five Airbus A380s. Nirmal Govindadas, senior vice president corporate treasury received both awards on behalf of Emirates earlier this week. Winners of the Aviation 100 awards are decided by an industry-wide survey, a rigorous vetting process and editorial consideration. The Emirates Aviation 100 Airline of the Year accolade was won based on the airlines financial and revenue per passenger kilometres (RPK) performance, aircraft orders, as well as network and fleet expansion activity. - TradeArabia News Service Chinese carrier Uni-top Airlines is planning to operate B747 freighter flight between Kunming in China and Dubai, Yang Fan, vice president of Uni-top Airlines, announced. Addressing an air transport cooperation promotion conference held by Chinese Yunnan provincial delegation in Kempinski Hotel Mall of Emirates in Dubai, Fan said: In order to support the development of civil aviation and trade between China and the UAE, Uni-top airlines is planning to operate a B747 freighter flight thrice weekly between Kunming and Dubai. The Chinese delegation included Lu Xuesong, Xiao Zhiwen, Zhang Bo and Yang Zesong from the Government of Yunnan Province, and Feng Feishi from Uni-top Airlines. More than 20 traders, cargo agents and media attended the promotion conference. Joe Beydoun, head of Cargo Business Relationships Commercial & Communications of Dubai Airports, who attended the UAE Air Transport Cooperation Promotion Conference organised by a delegation of the Yunnan Provincial Development and Reform Commission, expressed full support from Dubai Airports for those operations. Delegation leader Zhang Changsheng, deputy director of Yunnan Provincial Development & Reform Commission and director general of Yunnan Provincial Civil Aviation Development Administration, said: Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the UAE in July, and the leaders of the two countries unanimously decided to upgrade bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership. We expect to strengthen joint marketing promotion for airline flights, tourism market and especially air cargo market in order to push the development of bilateral economy and trade, and we also expect to promote abundant green agricultural products with Yunnan plateau characteristics to the UAE for sharing, he said. Strengthening the tourism, trade and commercial links between China and Dubai is a key strategy for Dubai Airports, said Khalil Lamrabet, director Aviation Business Management, Dubai Airports. We are honoured and excited to welcome Uni-top Airlines new service from Kunming in Chinas Yunnan province to Dubai World Central (DWC). DWC, which is already in the top 25 airports worldwide for international trade volumes, is ideally suited for this service with state-of-the-art facilities and a dedicated, bonded link to Jebel Ali port. Yunnan province is Chinas major tourist and agricultural province, with extremely rich natural resources and abundant plateau green ecological agricultural products. There were more than 580 million visitors to Yunnan and $4.8 billion of agricultural products such as tea, coffee, vegetables and fruits have been exported in 2017. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and the Yunnan Provincial Government have jointly signed The Kunming International Aviation Hub Strategic Planning, in order to build Kunming Changshui international airport into an international hub that is safe, efficient, accessible, integrated, green and intelligent. It is planned that by 2030, there will be 500 air routes including 200 international and regional routes with 120 million passengers and 1.78 million tons cargo by running five runways in Kunming Changshui international airport. - TradeArabia News Service The CEO of Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa met with acting CEO of Southern Tourism Company, Captain Abdulla Al Murbati, to discuss strategies to boost tourist numbers to Hawar Islands. The meeting, in line with the directives of the Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, saw both parties discuss plans currently underway to develop and transform Hawar Islands into an attractive tourist destination. They also discussed increasing collaboration efforts in order to prepare an integrated programme with the aim of increasing tourists visiting Hawar Beach Hotel and the surrounding area through hosting events and activities throughout the year. We appreciate the confidence shown by Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa in trusting the BTEA to position Hawar Islands as a major attraction in the kingdom. During the meeting with Southern Tourism Company, we discussed the unique and distinctive tourism offerings of Hawar Beach Hotel, which will further contribute to the kingdoms tourism sector and the national economy as a whole, said Shaikh Khaled. Further commenting on the meeting, Captain Al Murbati said: The meeting held with Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa was extremely fruitful, and provided us with the opportunity to collaborate more closely in order to highlight Hawar Islands offerings, particularly Hawar Beach Hotel and the surrounding area; as it is truly unique from the other islands in the Kingdom. The additional efforts in driving tourists to Hawar Islands throughout the year have come as a result of the increase we have witnessed in the number of tourists visiting the Islands as of the start of 2018 up until the third quarter, in comparison to the same period last year. Moreover, there was an increase in the occupancy rate as well as the number of daily trips taken, Captain Al Murbati added. The BTEAs strategy focuses on developing the kingdoms tourism sector by offering unique tourist attractions, further positioning it as an ideal tourist destination on a regional and international level under the slogan of Ours.Yours., which contributes to the Kingdoms economy and the 2030 Economic Vision. Southern Tourism Company is owned by Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company the governments sovereign wealth fund and specialises in operating the hotel and sea transportation to and from Hawar Islands. - TradeArabia News Service Turkmenistan marked Day of Remembrance in commemoration of victims of the 1948 Ashgabat earthquake, as well as soldiers who died in the battles. The State flags were lowered, memorial prayers were held and Sadaka (sacrificial meals) were given throughout the country on this mournful occasion. The Ashgabat Memorial Complex Halk Hakydasy (People's Memory) hosted the main commemorative events, attended by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. On the night from October 5 to October 6, 1948, the merciless natural disaster claimed thousands of lives, including Berdymukhamed Annaev, the Turkmen leaders grandfather, World War II veteran and teacher. On completion of the flower laying ceremony, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and participants of the commemorative ceremony took part in the memorial meal. The commemorative ceremonies were held in all regions of Turkmenistan. TURKMENISTAN.RU, 2021 NDjamena, Chad - The United Nations Development Programme Administrator, Achim Steiner, and the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, today wrapped up their first joint visit in Chad. They called for stronger joined-up humanitarian and development interventions in the central African country as it tackles poverty, displacement, malnutrition, and lack of access to basic social services. The United Nations top humanitarian and development officials, visited a nutrition centre in the capitals Chad-China Friendship Hospital, where more than 16,000 children suffering from malnutrition are admitted annually. This year, the number of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) cases increased by 57 per cent in the facility managed by the Ministry of Public Health, with support from international partners and donors. I was profoundly touched by the plight of the women and children I met in the nutrition centre in NDjamena today, Mr. Lowcock said. I commend the efforts and actions undertaken to deal with one of the biggest nutrition crises the people of Chad have faced. But the bigger challenge is to prevent children being in this position to start with. Humanitarian assistance can save lives, but the solution is development, economic progress and better livelihoods. The United Nations stands ready to support the Government, who must lead in this process. In NDjamena, the two UN officials also met with senior government officials and parliamentarians, and discussed plans for national development, poverty reduction, the regional situation, and the recent Lake Chad Basin Region conference in Berlin. Mr. Lowcock and Mr. Steiner called for stronger government leadership and longer-term commitments from all stakeholders, including donors, to support the emergency needs of vulnerable households and increased access to basic social services for all. The challenges the country faces have roots in development deficits and climatic realities that have made living conditions for communities caught up in the crisis, even worse, Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator said, adding that there was urgent need for a scale up in the response. Around 4.9 million people are in need of urgent support, with the majority of them food insecure. Over half a million are in need of shelter: We call upon our partners to engage in multiyear financing to facilitate mid and longer-term planning. Stepping up now will help us address the crisis today, tackle the underlying causes and help people build resilience to better cope with and be able to stand on their own after the crisis, Mr. Steiner added. The humanitarian response plan 2018 in Chad requires US$544 million to respond to the needs of the 2.1 million people who are the most vulnerable in the country. To date, only 35.6 per cent of the funding has been received. Additionally, the Government of the Republic of Chad aims to mobilize over $430 million for resilience and sustainable development in the Lake Chad Basin. This investment will be used to improve delivery of basic social services and stimulate growth in the agriculture sector upon which millions in rural areas depend. This visit concludes a three-day trip to Nigeria and Chad, during which the two UN officials looked at ways both humanitarian and development actors can better support national support efforts, including in the Lake Chad Basin crisis. While in Nigeria, Mr. Steiner and Mr. Lowcock called for more support to ease the humanitarian crisis and rebuild lives in conflict-ravaged north-eastern part of the country. For further information and interviews, please contact: Augustin Zusanne (OCHA Chad): Tel: +235 63 90 09 13, zusanne@un.org Toussaint Mbaitoubam (UNDP Chad): +235 66 27 50 33, Toussaint.mbaitoubam@undp.org Jens Laerke (OCHA Geneva): +41 79 472 9760, laerke@un.org Christina LoNigro (UNDP New York) +1 212 906 5301, christina.lonigro@undp.org Maiduguri, Nigeria United Nations Development Programme Administrator Achim Steiner and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock today called on national and international partners to reinforce joint efforts to address the dire humanitarian needs in the conflict-affected north-eastern Nigerian states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, while at the same time speed up the recovery of livelihoods. During a two-day joint official visit to Nigeria, the senior UN officials met with Minister of Finance Zeinab Ahmad, government ministers and high-level officials. On 6 October, they visited projects in Bama town and Ngwom community in Borno, the state most affected by the ten-year conflict, where humanitarian and development workers are providing life-saving assistance and implementing development programmes. The two officials heard first-hand testimonies from people affected by the Lake Chad Basin crisis who are trying to rebuild their lives. We are committed to Nigeria and to the people of Nigeria, said Mr. Lowcock. We are here to support the Governments leadership towards solutions in the north-east. Humanitarian aid can only be a temporary solution. I am pleased to be here with the UNDP Administrator to help join up humanitarian and development efforts to save lives, help stabilize the situation, rebuild lives and communities for the future. We must do everything we can to prevent this crisis from continuing for years. We have a unique opportunity to make a real difference to communities across the north-east of Nigeria, said Mr. Steiner. Helping people affected by the crisis requires us to work together humanitarian and development organisations alike to tackle immediate humanitarian needs and the root causes of the crisis. The Government of Nigeria has launched recovery initiatives and efforts in north-east Nigeria aimed at rapid stabilization. Early recovery and livelihood activities implemented by UN agencies and international and local NGOs seek to address the underlying causes of the conflict, lay the foundations for sustainable development and prevent aid dependency. The humanitarian crisis in Nigerias north-east has spilled over into the Lake Chad region. It remains one of the most severe in the world today with 7.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in the worst-affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe alone. Food security and the nutrition situation remains extremely fragile across the north-east, particularly given the high levels of aid dependency, compounded by the lack of access to land or other livelihood opportunities. Up to 3 million people are estimated to suffer from critical food insecurity. Almost a million children aged from 6 months to 5 years are acutely malnourished, with 440,000 facing Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM). The visit follows an international donor conference held in Berlin in early September during which international donors pledged US$2.5 billion for humanitarian, stabilization and recovery projects in the Lake Chad region. For further information and interviews, please contact: Samantha Newport (OCHA Nigeria): +234 906 22 77 205, newports@un.org Jens Laerke (OCHA Geneva): +41 79 472 9760, laerke@un.org Lucky Musonda (UNDP Nigeria) +234 812 949 2749, lucky.musonda@one.un.org Christina LoNigro (UNDP New York) +1 212 906 5301, christina.lonigro@undp.org 306,000 people in Yemen vaccinated against cholera during WHO-UNICEF campaign Geneva/New York, Oct 6(UNI) More than 306,000 people in Yemen, including over 164,000 children under the age of 15, were vaccinated against cholera as part of a joint WHO-UNICEF campaign, an official statement said on Saturday. The number are expected to go up as reports of the final day of the campaign come in. The six-day vaccination effort, carried out by 3,000 health workers in three districts in Hudaydah and Ibb, was made possible by a pause in fighting known as Days of Tranquility agreed by parties to the conflict. The success of this vaccination campaign shows what we can collectively achieve for children and families in Yemen when the fighting stops and humanitarian access opens up, said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. Yet the reality is that this is a quick fix. Only a comprehensive political resolution to the conflict can secure the wellbeing of children across the country over the long term. Cargo ships and oil tankers detained by Houthi militia at Yemen's Hodeidah port Dubai, Oct 7(UNI) Ten cargo ships and oil tankers were detained by the Houthi militia on Sunday in Hodeidah port, Saudi state-news channel Al-Ekhbariya reported. The militia had prevented ships from unloading their cargos, which also included food, Minister of Local Administration and head of the Higher Relief Committee, Abdul-Sareq Fatah, said. The minister further said that among the ships detained, one arrived on September 28 with 10,955 tons of diesel and 9,025 tons of petrol, while another ship arrived on October 3 carrying 5,700 tons of flour and sugar. Covid booster vaccine available in New Zealand from Nov end 15 Nov 2021 | 2:31 PM Wellington, Nov 15 (UNI/Xinhua) Booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine will start being administered from November 29 in New Zealand, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said on Monday. see more.. 'Court directed Nawaz, Maryam not to be released before 2018 polls' 15 Nov 2021 | 2:25 PM Islamabad, Nov 15 (UNI) Former chief judge of apex court of Gilgit-Baltistan Rana M Shamim has said he was a witness to former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar's order to a high court judge to not release Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz on bail at any cost before 2018 general elections. see more.. UAE to begin assembling final version of Rashid lunar rover set to land on Moon next year 15 Nov 2021 | 2:17 PM Dubai, Nov 15 (UNI) United Arab Emirate engineers are to begin assembling and testing the final version of the lunar rover set to land on the Moons surface next year. see more.. Explosion in Kabul, no casualty reported 15 Nov 2021 | 1:12 PM Kabul, Nov 15 (UNI) An explosion occurred in Afghanistan's capital wherein two people were injured. see more.. New Delhi, Oct 7 (UNI) Sharing his experience about his just concluded Russia visit on October 6, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Sunday said Russians are very keen to associate with Indian defence forces because of being capable of standing up for right things. Delivering an inaugural Gen KV Krishna Rao memorial lecture and dedication of a Military tune 'SHANKHNAAD' to the nation here, Gen Rawat said, What I could gather from the Russians was -- they are very keen on associating with the Indian Army or the Indian defence forces. Why this is so? Because they do understand that we are a strong Army capable of standing up to what is right for us, based on our strategic thought process. While addressing representatives from 25 countries including China, one of the Russian Officers questioned him about Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanction Act (CAATSA) to which the Army Chief replied, Yes, we do appreciate that there could be sanctions on us but we follow an independent policy. The question that was asked to me by one of the Russian Naval officers that you seem to be now looking westwards towards America, but now they have put sanctions on us and they have threatened you with sanctions in case you associate yourself with Russia? I told them that Yes, we do appreciate that there could be sanctions on us but we follow an independent policy. You can be rest assured while we may be associating with America in getting some technology but we follow an independent policy. He also told the gatherings that while we are talking sanctions and you are questioning on sanctions, President Putin and PM Modi at this juncture signing the treaty on purchase of S-400 weapon systems inspite of the fact that we may face challenges from America in the future. And a $5.3bn deal has been signed between two countries. Since India is a sovereign nation, it will pursue its own national interests. And I also told them that we are looking forward in getting Kamov helicopters, we are also looking forward in getting other weapon systems and techs. We are looking forward in getting space based systems and technologies to enhance our own space capabilities. So that there is no end in sight to a manner in which we can cooperate with your country. I think that is the way forward what is best for the nation strategically important for us, said Gen Rawat. On October 5, Russian President was in India and had signed a 5.3 billion dollars S-400 air defence missiles deal amid US threat of putting CAATSA on India. Army Chief visited Russia on October 2 in an effort to further deepen military ties between both nations. UNI ASH JA 1534 By Ashok Shukla Dehradun, Oct 7 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the maiden Uttarakhand Investors Summit here on Sunday. Leading industrial houses are likely to participate in the two-day event which will explore investment opportunities in the state. Apart from Indian investors, those from Japan, Czech Republic, Argentina, Mauritius and Nepal will also participate. State Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat told mediapersons that investment proposals worth over Rs 70,000 crore have already been received during the run-up to the event. Mr Rawat said the summit will be historic as it would be the first-of-its-kind for the state and would bring huge investments. State government held road shows in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Delhi to generate interest among entrepreneurs. Home Minister Rajnath Singh would address the event on the concluding day on Monday. Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, KJ Alphons and CR Chaudhary will also participate in the sessions on different subjects. After the inaugural session, eight sectoral sessions would be held on the 12 focus sectors, including tourism and hospitality, agriculture and food processing, horticulture, floriculture, herbs and aromatic plants, wellness and AYUSH. Central Board of Film Certification chairman Prasoon Joshi will participate in a session on film shooting. Elaborate security arrangements have been made in Dehradun in view of the Prime Minister's visit. Around 1,500 security personnel have been deployed in and around the city. UNI SHK SB 2321 Lucknow, Oct 7 (UNI) A Guinness world record was created here by the maximum number of students conducting a DNA isolation experiment at the ongoing India International Science Festival (IISF-2018). The Guinness Book representative from the United Kingdom handed over the certificate to Vijnana Bharti and Ministry of Science and Technology for the isolation of DNA from banana by 550 students in the age groups of 13-17 years. The previous record was of 302 students at Seattle in USA. Renu Swaroop, Secretary of the Biotechnology department, confirmed here on Sunday about the Guinness record and claimed that the experiment was an aim to generate excitement about science among the students. Another senior official from the Biotechnology department said that the entire protocol was taken care of before the certificate was awarded. The experiment was carried out from 9:30 am to 12 noon on Saturday at the G D Goenka Public School here in the state capital. It was supposed to last 90 minutes, but the students completed the experiment in an hour and one minute. As many as 57 bananas were used to make slices weighing 10-12 gm. The event was inaugurated by SK Barik, Director of the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI). Dr Barik said it is a great achievement as the record now belongs to India."We were present there to provide encouragement to the students," he said. The students sat under a shed-like area to isolate the DNA, which was carried out by mashing the banana first and adding a buffer solution, which breaks the cell, after which ethanol is added, causing the DNA cluster to emerge. The students were excited to be a part of the world record. UNI MB YK SDR 1145 Nigeria: More support needed to ease crisis United Nations, Oct 7 (UNI) The top United Nations relief and development officials have called for national and international partners to step up support for humanitarian efforts in north-eastern Nigeria and help millions of people rebuild their lives in the region that has been ravaged by Boko Harams near decade-long insurgency. UN Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Achim Steiner and UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock on Saturday made this call as they wrapped up a two-day official visit to Nigeria to rally support for the Government-led efforts on the ground, especially in the conflict-torn northeastern Nigerian states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. We are committed to Nigeria and to the people of Nigeria, said Mr Lowcock, who heads up the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Saudi Crown Prince calls Trump friend New York, Oct 7 (UNI) Days after US President Donald Trump warned that the OPEC might not last two weeks without American support, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has praised the US leader saying any friend will say good things and bad things". In an interview with Bloomberg, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was quoted as saying, "I love working with him, [Trump]. You know, you have to accept that any friend will say good things and bad things." Dawn reports that Trump has increased his verbal attacks on OPEC as global benchmark Brent crude oil has risen to a four-year high. At the United Nations last month, Trump said OPEC was "ripping off the rest of the world" with crude prices, now about UNESCO Director-General condemns killing of two journalists in Afghanistan Paris, France, Oct 6 (UNI) The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has condemned the deaths of two Afghan journalists, who were among at least 20 people reportedly killed in two successive suicide bombings in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on 5 September. I condemn these two bombings, which killed Tolo TV reporter Samim Faramarz and his cameraman Ramaz Ahmadi. This is strong reminder of the deadly risks Afghan journalists face daily, and an illustration of their great courage in continuing to do their jobs in such difficult and dangerous circumstances. I send my condolences to the families of all victims and to the people of Afghanistan and call on the authorities to investigate and bring to justice the perpetrators of this crime, Mr Azoulay said in a statement on Saturday. At least 70 more people were wounded in the two blasts, including journalists working for Khorshid TV, TV1 and the Associated Press news agency. Sarah Jeffery. Photo: (Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for New York Comic Con) At New York Comic Con 2018, Vulture moderated the panel for the Charmed reboot and we can confidently say, this show will make you want to call your mom. The first episode of the new series will run on the CW Sunday, Oct. 14, just in time for witchy Halloween vibes and a solid boost of female empowerment to take us into November. Below, six things to know before tuning in. Its proud of its political stance. Although the writers and executive producers originally considered turning the new series into a prequel of the original Halliwell sisters story, the events of 2016 pushed the executive producers to turn it into a fully independent reboot so that it could take on issues of the current day. In the pilot episode, the new Charmed ones take on a demon of both supernatural and all-too-human proportions (hes an actual demon, but hes also a serial harasser), and more broadly, it is a series unashamed to have a political point-of-view. The shows three lead actors, Melonie Diaz, Sarah Jeffery, and Madeleine Mantock, described this element of the series as a responsibility. The new Charmed will not be backpedaling on its politics. Diaz talked about how important it is to her that the series have a point of view, and Mantock, her co-star, described the shows consciousness as being one of the chief things that drew her to the series. And the shows logline is stronger together, a slogan they chose intentionally and that may be familiar to you. Its still a series for everyone. In spite of its clear political perspective, the actresses who play the new Charmed sisters hope that it will also be a series with cross-generational appeal. The ideal audience, according to Diaz, is everyone, but most specifically high school girls watching with their mothers, and men who want to be on the right side of history. The hope is that its a show moms and daughters can enjoy together, something that will spark important conversations and reflect supportive female bonds, something to get you all up in those good sisterhood feelings. This is not a dark, gritty, self-serious kind of reboot. The new Charmed is full of monsters, and its pilot episode makes clear that it will be dealing with intense emotional territory. Its a show about sisters, about emotions and friendship and rivalry and grief. But this will not be one of those reboots that tries to make itself important by being overwhelmingly dark. The pilot is funny, often thanks to the new Whitelighter character Harry, played by Rupert Evans. Thats part of the cross-generational appeal the goal is for the show to be one you want to watch with your mom, not one thats going to make you feel uncomfortable because there are too many super-violent torture scenes. There are lots of monsters. And theyre tough to act with! Diaz, Mantock and Jeffery described this as one of the most challenging aspects of the production, because so many of the big, tense scenes involve magic and special effects that are added afterward. They described the action sequences as a choreography, something that also requires trust. Its also something theyre still working out the kinks on. Jeffery, whose character Maggie has telepathy, mentioned that theyve tried playing those scenes with her using an earpiece as well as with someone reading the lines out loud to her, and theyre still trying to figure out the best system. It has an all-female producing team, who you may know from another CW hit. Charmed is a co-production by Jennie Snyder Urman, Jessica OToole and Amy Rardin, who have all worked together in the past on Urmans current CW series Jane the Virgin. Although Charmed will have a different vibe than Jane, much of its driving ethos will feel familiar to Jane viewers. Its a mix of comedy and more emotionally intense stories, its a show about Latina characters, it emphasizes the complexity and intensity of familial relationships between women, and it wears its political viewpoints on its sleeve. Plus, one of its upcoming episodes will be directed by Jane star Gina Rodriguez, whos also directed episodes of Jane the Virgin. It will be a balance of demons of the week and ongoing mysteries. According to its three lead actresses, the new series will replicate the original seriess tension between solving an ongoing mystery and introducing demon-of-the-week characters that need dispatching in each episode. Hopefully, that will put the new series in a sweet spot of serial storytelling thats becoming all-too-rare for TV, shows that play with both episodic structure and season-length mysteries. Its more fun when there are demons to slay on a regular basis! But there are also demons that will be around for longer, Diaz explained, because the new Charmed ones will need to solve the mystery that kicks off the pilot episode. The actors couldnt say whether that mystery will get solved by the end of season one, though; they dont get to know whats coming up on the series, and the show is still in the middle of shooting episode six. John Mulaney. Photo: Thos Robinson/Getty Images for The New Yorker During the widely watched Senate Judiciary Committee hearing for Supreme Court nominee and now, associate justice Brett Kavanaugh last week, the judge waxed poetic on multiple occasions how fantastic his high school experience was, listing off a bunch of superlatives and academic accolades he was privy to at the time. (Ive worked my tail off, he put it.) It might seem like a small detail to bring up in the hearing, but John Mulaney doesnt want you to be fooled, America! During his Saturday evening talk at the New York Festival, Mulaney believed these were the musings of a deranged fella as opposed to one fit for the highest court of law. Imagine being proud about how you did in high school. Ignoring everything else, I worked my butt off! Imagine bragging about your high school achievements, he said. Thats the sign of a demented person. Not analyzing anything else about the proceedings, that alone someone talking about how hard they worked in high school should lose their citizenship. Mulaney can add his firsthand expertise, he reckons, because he, too, benefited from similar privilege at the same age. I knew those guys in high school, and they didnt work hard, he continued. I got into Georgetown College because my dad went to Georgetown College. If he didnt, I wouldnt have gotten in. It was unfair I got in. But I went. Hey, if he didnt go to Georgetown, he wouldnt have met Nick Kroll, and we dont really want to think of the darkest time line right now. Photo: CBS All Access Fans of Star Trek: Discovery will soon be throwing up their Vulcan salutes as everyones favorite sharp-eared space voyager will debut in the forthcoming second season. At New York Comic Con 2018, a new (bearded!) Spock made his first appearance in a trailer for the new season, set to premiere January 17, 2019. During the panel Ethan Peck, who will play the famous science officer, recalled the audition process: It was absolutely outrageous. It was a long audition process, and in the beginning I didnt know what I was reading for. I knew it was for Star Trek and this guy was struggling with emotion and logic. And toward the very end of it I found out who it was and I was like, Oh my gosh I cant believe, and I had a panic attack throughout the last meeting with [Executive Director Alex] Kurtzman, and about two days later I was like, You know what, even if it doesnt go my way, what an incredible experience to brush arms with this character and this world. And I got a text message from the casting director, Orly Sitowitz, and she said, Welcome aboard, Mr. Spock. I was in such shock I sat down on the corner of the street and I cried for like 15 minutes, I was so overwhelmed and overjoyed. Ill never forget the moment. According to Peck, his Spock will be a kind of precursor to the Spock of the original series. The Spock in the original series is sort of a light at the end of the tunnel, Peck said. We have to start Spock in a place where hes becoming who we see on the Enterprise with Kirk. The second season of Discovery will also feature another familiar figure from the Enterprise, Captain Christopher Pike, who will be played by Anson Mount. In the panel Executive Director Heather Kadin acknowledged the challenge that comes with casting new actors in the role of classic, beloved characters but stood behind the casting choices for the new season. Obviously we didnt take the casting of Spock or Pike lightly. But you also want the actor to be able to bring their own self to it as well, and I think thats what both Anson and Ethan have done. And so a bearded Spock it is. The Man in the High Castle asks a number of interesting what-if questions that are embedded in its very concept, one of which arose this episode. If different regimes ran different parts of the United States, how long would it be before World War III broke out on American soil? It appears this show is moving closer to that as Heinrich Himmler, who runs the Reich, refuses to cave to the demands of the Japanese Pacific States, even after being reminded that they have the bomb. Perhaps hes feeling empowered by the way his people are rewriting history, as this episode opens with the Liberty Bell being melted down and turned into a massive swastika. It is a powerful image for the theme of revisionist history this season, and one of the few ways in which it feels like the show has, at least partially, tried to reflect the 2010s with its controversies over Confederate iconography and how we honor or dishonor chapters of our history through monuments. Juliana Crain is in Sabra, ready to show the people there is an alternate version of history to give them hope. She shows the film to the people of Sabra, having gotten Ed and Frank on her side, but most of the people there seem unengaged. Its good that the writers didnt just turn everyone in the community into Resistance fighters, especially given the hidden nature of this religious group. They know a harsh reality; fantasy isnt going to have an immediate impact. But there are a few who seem engaged, and Juliana knows that it only takes a few. Her plan, with Frank, is to show the film to everyone they can. Get it on the biggest screens in the Japanese Pacific States. Like Franks drawings of Sunrise, perhaps they will help feed a revolution. But first she has to get to Lackawanna. Wyatt is in Denver trying to get the right papers to allow him to travel with Juliana across the country. Remember, everyone is looking for Juliana Crain, and so even getting her papers is a risky move. In fact, it leads to a shoot-out with Wyatt in the alley behind the bar. And its not long before Kido makes it to Denver, informed that Ed McCarthy was there at the Grand Palace by Robert Childan who now has his life back, but at what cost? Kido orders Jack, Eds new boyfriend, to tell him if he contacts Ed. Its only a matter of time. Before then, Helen Smith faces a notable setback in New York. Her therapy is going well enough that she opens up on her negative feelings about the Reichs opinion on genetic purity you know, the reason her son Thomas is gone and shes in therapy in the first place. Somehow, her shrink is stunned by this heresy. And then Helen takes it a step further by kissing her doctor. Hes stunned, although he also recognizes the common occurrence of transference, in which a patient can develop feelings for a therapist. However, its a lot more dangerous when that patient is the wife of the Reichsmarschall. The good doctor does the right thing, telling John Smith about both Helens anti-eugenics beliefs and the kiss. He goes home and orders Helen to stop going to therapy. This is not going to end well. Meanwhile, Himmlers latest assassin the T-1000 of the German empire ends up in San Francisco, assigned to kill Tagomi. He obviously didnt do his research. After a little bit of recon, he kills a guard outside Tagomis house and storms into his living room. Tagomi takes his kata stick off the wall and smashes the German killing machine in the face, killing him. Dont mess with Tagomi. Watanabe, his lady friend, seems startled but also grateful that her new beau saved her life. What about Frank Frink? After a touching good-bye to Juliana Crain, he tells Ed McCarthy he wants to make a scene in Denver. This is an unexpected twist. Havent they set up that Frank is pretty afraid to go outside Sabra, using his art to send his message instead of his body? And now hes going into a dangerous city, a place where weve seen gunfire erupt this episode? It feels a bit like a cheat, but its a good thing if it gets Rupert Evans deeper into the narrative. Hes the second-best actor on the show after Rufus Sewell, and had another nice moment this episode when he sold the emotion of having to say good-bye to Juliana so shortly after being reunited with her. Just as Jack looked more like he might be a liability for Ed this episode, the curtain drops on Nicole and Thelma, at least to a degree. The gorgeous pair is dancing seductively at a womens club when the cops break in, arresting everyone in sight for decadence and perversion. Nicole has a card that shows her importance as a member of the Reich, but Thelma isnt as lucky. Shes carted off to jail and Nicole has to call in a favor contacting her advertising buddy to both get Thelma out and obtain any possible photos of both of them from that evening. What will Nicole have to do in return for that favor? Kasumi ends in a shoot-out. Wyatt and Juliana reach a checkpoint where Wyatt has a contact, but his loyal friend isnt alone. The other soldiers there less easily won over, especially after its revealed that the papers Wyatt bought are obvious forgeries they appear to be signed by a dead man. And then someone recognizes Juliana Crain. Uh-oh. Shots ring out, and everyone but Juliana and Wyatt are dead. They speed off through the checkpoint and over the horizon. Join the Resistance In defending her feelings on genetic purity, Helen Smith speaks to her doctor about the rumor that Joseph Goebbels had a deformity. He did! He had a deformed left foot due to a congenital defect that stopped him from fighting in World War I. Its interesting to see that this would still be a secret if the Germans won World War II. Is anyone else surprised there are only two episodes left? It feels like this season may be setting up more for the next one than weve seen in the past or that may be resolved this year. Theyve already been renewed for year four, and so could be playing a longer game than usual. What do you expect/want from the final two? And whos your MVP? Theyve kind of trapped him in one arc, but Rufus Sewell is still the best actor on the show. And one of the problems with this season is the lack of exciting new faces to match him. Jason OMara is fine and Michael Gaston getting some good screen time is welcome, but this show could really a new, riveting character for season four. Lets wrap this one up first. Alabama State Troopers confirmed a Tuscumbia man died in a motorcycle crash south of Litteville on Ligon Springs Road. The victim is 47-year-old Randall Jones. Investigators said his Harley Davidson motorcycle left the road at a curve and hit a ditch. Jones died shortly after he arrived at Helen Keller Hospital. WAAY 31 contacted State Troopers to learn if Jones had on a helmet at the time of the crash and if speed was a factor. Mike Pence44020""1989""40 2019114040 By WestKyStar Staff Oct. 07, 2018 | 08:42 AM | PADUCAH Anna Gwinnup, a loving wife, mother and grandmother, was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer in September 2017. Within weeks, it advanced to stage 2, forcing her to undergo a double mastectomy, chemotherapy and multiple surgeries, which required blood products. Though she was a blood donor prior to her diagnosis, Gwinnup now has a new passion for the cause. I want to raise awareness about the need for blood to treat cancer, she said. Cancer patients may need red blood cell or platelet transfusions during chemotherapy, surgery or treatment for complications. Donors of all blood types are needed to help ensure a sufficient supply for patients this fall, especially after Hurricane Florence and subsequent flooding forced the cancellation of more than 6,000 blood and platelet donations last month. Make an appointment to donate blood by downloading the free American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). As a thank-you, those who come to donate blood or platelets in October will automatically be entered to win one of five $500 gift cards redeemable at hundreds of merchants. Learn more at RedCrossBlood.org/GoForGoal. Upcoming blood donation opportunities Oct. 16-31 Joppa High School, P.O. Box 10, Joppa, IL. 62953 10/29/2018: 12:45 - 5:45 p.m. Shawnee Community College, 8364 Shawnee College Road, Ullin, IL. 62992 10/24/2018: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Anna-Jonesboro Community High School, 608 S. Main St. Anna, IL. 62906 10/31/2018: 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. Ballard County Cooperative Extension Office, 110 Broadway, La Center, KY. 42056 10/18/2018: 12:30 - 5:30 p.m. First Presbyterian Church, 1601 Main St. Murray, KY. 42071 10/18/2018: 12:30 - 5:30 p.m. Carlisle County High School, 4557 State Route 1377, Bardwell, KY. 42023 10/16/2018: 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. American Legion, 211 S. 7th, Mayfield, KY. 42066 10/23/2018: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Hickman County High School, 301 Cresap St. Clinton, KY. 42031 10/19/2018: 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Calvert City Church of Christ, 4625 US Hwy. 62, Calvert City, KY. 42029 10/25/2018: 12:30 - 5:30 p.m. Paducah Blood Donation Center, 4635 Falconcrest Drive, Paducah, KY. 42001 10/16/2018: 8:45 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. 10/18/2018: 11:45 a.m. - 6:15 p.m. 10/19/2018: 8:45 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. 10/20/2018: 7:45 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. 10/21/2018: 7:45 a.m. - 2:15 p.m. 10/22/2018: 11:45 a.m. - 6:15 p.m. 10/23/2018: 8:45 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. 10/25/2018: 11:45 a.m. - 6:15 p.m. 10/26/2018: 8:45 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. 10/27/2018: 7:45 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. 10/28/2018: 7:45 a.m. - 2:15 p.m. 10/29/2018: 11:45 a.m. - 6:15 p.m. 10/30/2018: 8:45 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. Lone Oak Church of Christ, 2960 Lone Oak Road, Paducah, KY. 42001 10/17/2018: 2:30 - 7:30 p.m. Risco High School, 101 Locust St. Risco, MO. 63874 10/16/2018: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. To give blood, simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or drivers license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements. Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App. The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nations blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit RedCross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month the perfect time to give blood or platelets to support cancer patients and others. Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. Man who went to space with Shatner dies in plane crash Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. By: Paige Cline Sometimes I am asked to reprint a column from the past. Here[Read More] NEW HARTFORD- New Hartford Police responded to a protection order violation. The investigation revealed that 24 year old Demtricue Hunter had unlawfully entered the residence of his ex-girlfriend in violation of the protection order which was in effect to keep Hunter away from the victim. The investigation further revealed that Hunter would not let the victim leave the residence during the incident and that he also physically harassed her. Hunter was taken into custody and charged with the following criminal charges: Burglary in the 2nd Degree C Felony Criminal Contempt in the1st degree E felony Criminal Contempt 2nd degree A Misdemeanor Stalking in the 3rd Degree A Misdemeanor Harassment in the 2nd Degree Violation Hunter was processed and held at the Oneida County Jail for a future arraignment on a $35,000 bail recommendation by the Oneida County District Attorney's Office. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Taxpayers in dozens of Indiana counties will be paying for new jail beds years after sweeping state criminal code changes began sending more low-level offenders into local jails instead of state prisons. At least 40 jails in Indiana are over capacity, The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette reported. A recent state survey found that almost half of all jail inmates are Level 6 felons, the lowest-level felons. The state pays jails $35 daily for each of those inmates to cover food and staffing, but the money doesn't pay for additional jail space. Dozens of Indiana's 92 counties are studying, actively pursuing or developing expansion plans or are in the midst of building new facilities. Huntington County Sheriff Terry Stoffel said he's frustrated state lawmakers have passed on the expense of holding such offenders to local governments. "Indiana is so great at saying 'we are so flush with money' and just passed it on to us," he said. The Huntington County Jail was built for 98 beds but recently was holding 156 inmates. Of those, 57 were Level 6 felons. Other factors may have also contributed to the crowded jails, such as inmates in jail awaiting charges, trial or sentencing. Some inmates aren't being bailed out because they can receive mental health or substance abuse treatment while in jail, according to some sheriffs around the state. "They are looking for help," said David Bottorff, executive director of the Association of Indiana Counties. "Jails weren't designed to provide mental health and addiction services, but that is the expectation now." Lawmakers passed a new law earlier this year that tries to address the jail crowding issue, which local officials say has grown since the state sentencing changes took effect in 2014. Counties can now direct a portion of the local income tax rate to go toward correctional and rehabilitation facilities. The legislation requires counties that are building or renovating jails to conduct a feasibility study to examine possible alternatives. Counties can also work together on regional jails or rehab centers. Regional jails are used in Ohio and a few other states but don't exist in Indiana. Republican state Sen. Jack Sandlin of Indianapolis, who is a retired police officer, said he believed regional jails should at least be considered, though he acknowledged the idea faces opposition. "We have 92 counties," he said. "Do we need 92 separate jails?" The 51st Feast of the Hunters Moon will be closing at 2 p.m. Sunday. Organizers say they have experienced heavy rain and have decided to close the event early for the safety of all in attendance. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Some muddy walkways and a few dark clouds in the sky didnt keep the crowds away from Fort Ouiatenon Historical Park for the 2018 Feast of the Hunters Moon. People came from all over the country to either show off their trade, dress in traditional clothes, or just walk around and take it all in. According to the events website, The Feast of the Hunters Moon is a re-creation of the annual fall gathering of the French and Native Americans which took place Fort Ouiatenon, a fur-trading outpost in the mid 1700s. Several explained the meaning of the festival in their own words. "The Feast of the Hunters' Moon is you try to go back and show how things were made in the 17, 18 hundreds, said Jan Fetterer, a member of the Wabash Weavers Guild. We try to stay as close to it as we can" "This is at a historical, original site where people from all over the United States traders and everything else would come and they would do their trading for furs, food, and everything else at the Feast of the Hunters' Moon, once a year, said Richard Heinicke, a blacksmith who represented his business, R.H. Ornamental Blacksmith. "This is living history," he added. "The festival is full of great food, great crafts, said Michelle Howard, Instructor of the Sperreng and Truman Fiddlers. But I love the many live music stages. The fiddler group has kids as young as fourth grade and as old as freshmen in college performing. They hail from St. Louis, Missouri. This was not a school sponsored event, said Howard. So we had about 60 kids make the journey here. Howard is a Lafayette native. She said she remembers coming to the feast when she was a student at Tecumseh Middle School. She completed her undergraduate degree at Butler University in Indianapolis and now is the orchestra teacher at Lindbergh Schools in Missouri. When I became a teacher in 1992, I came here and brought my students and we've been coming ever since, she said. She said inspiring kids with music is her life mission. My mission is for these guys to find music and to always have a musical voice, their own musical voice, she said. "You're able to express your inner voice and so a lot of student that maybe couldnt find the words can put it into music. Just across the way from where the fiddlers performed banged away Richard Henicke at his blacksmith stand. He demonstrated the process he uses to make useable items such as hooks, ladles, spatulas, and more. "I'm retired and this is what I do for my retirement, he said. Heinicke is another who traveled across state lines to participate in his 30th year at the feast. "I'm a welder by trade and I'm from the Detroit Michigan area, he said. I taught at a sodders museum in Ohio, at Luddington, I was a blacksmith for the railroad for five or six years, he said of his past. He says what he creates is unique and cant just be found on any store shelf. "I get a lot of people just saying thank you, they appreciate what I can do because I do it all with my hands," he said. Another skillful group of ladies also use their hands in their craft. "We're trying to show the things that they would have been doing and they clothes they would have been wearing. All the weaving of the items behind me were woven here at the feast, said Jan Ketterer as she pointed out some of the intricate woven items behind her. The Wabash Weavers Guild has been appearing at the feast since the 1970s, and they have the buttons on display to prove it. Many other items of display were created by original member of the guild who have since passed away. They had two looms out for display, at one of them, anyone could come up and give the loom a try. Ketterer said it can take days to complete one project and the longest part of the process is threading the loom. Several kids came up to thread a row or two. "A few years ago we had a small table loom and there was a young girl that was severely handicapped and her parents helped her to weave on it and she just awestricken with it," she said with a smile. And thats why we do this. This is a wonderful time for families to come and spend time together, said Howard. "A lot of these people are everyday people who are police, fireman, doctors, nurses that enjoy history," said Heinkicke. Its important that we look back on our history and our roots, said Ketterer. At least just for one weekend. The festival is continuing through tomorrow. Click here to find a full list of activities. China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page North Wales Assembly Member wins prestigious speech therapy award This article is old - Published: Sunday, Oct 7th, 2018 A regional Assembly Member has been honoured by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists for his work in raising awareness of the importance of early language development. Llyr Gruffydd, the Plaid Cymru Assembly Member for North Wales, received the accolade at the Colleges annual Giving Voice Awards ceremony, held on October 3rd in Cardiff. The annual Giving Voice Awards celebrate those who have campaigned to highlight how speech and language therapy transforms lives and/or made valuable contributions to improving the lives of people with communication and/or swallowing needs. Speaking about the award, Llyr Gruffydd AM said: Im honoured to receive this recognition from the RCSLT for taking up the issue of language and speech therapy in the Senedd. Research demonstrates the strong link between poverty and delays in language development, and there is an unacceptable and ongoing gap between the language skills of those from the poorest backgrounds and their peers from more affluent backgrounds. So, encouraging early language development is crucially important to close that attainment gap and to improve the life chances of our poorest children. Over half of the children in socially deprived areas may start school with impoverished speech, language and communication skills, and by the time that theyre three years old, children from the poorest 20 per cent of the population are nearly a year and a half behind a child in the highest income group in terms of language development. Childrens poor speech, language and communication skills have a profound impact later in life in terms of mental health problems, unemployment and other life chances. Six out of 10 of the young people in the youth justice estate have communication difficulties, and 88 per cent of long-term unemployed young men have speech, language and communication needs. These staggering statistics should be evidence enough for politicians and policy-makers to make speech and language therapy a higher priority in Wales. We must all continue to highlight these messages until everyone has access to the support they need. The WSWS UPS Workers Newsletter is holding a follow-up online call-in meeting to discuss a way forward for UPS workers to defeat the Teamsters effort to impose its sellout. The meeting will be at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, October 8. To participate, register here. You can also dial in by phone, by calling (571) 317-3122 and entering the access code 615-917-277. Tens of thousands of United Parcel Service (UPS) workers across the US have reacted with outrage at the announcement by the Teamsters union that it will seek to defy Friday nights no vote on its sellout contract and ram the deal through over mass opposition. Over 54 percent of workers voted against the contract, which would provide billions of dollars for UPS and its shareholders by creating a new tier of lower-paid hybrid drivers/warehouse workers and maintain poverty wages for hundreds of thousands of part-time warehouse employees. The union is utilizing an obscure and anti-democratic clause in its constitution requiring a two-thirds majority to reject a contract if less than half the workforce participates in the vote. The union claims that 44 percent of workers participated in the vote. Many workers, distrustful of the notoriously corrupt Teamsters apparatus, said they suspect that opposition to the contract and the turnout were significantly higher than reported. Workers coming off the evening and afternoon shifts Saturday said they would be canceling their union dues, refusing to continue to pay for the privilege of being sold out and having their will openly disregarded. Several workers had heard only that the vote had been no and had not even been informed that the union had declared the contract ratified. There was widespread sentiment for an immediate nationwide strike. Workers voted by 93 percent at the start of July to authorize a strikeanother vote that the Teamsters has ignored. UPS workers denounce union effort to impose sellout contract despite no vote Carrie, who has been a part-time worker for 13 years in San Diego, said, What were we voting for? This was nothing but a bait and switch, and no matter how we voted, in the end they are still trying to give us the same bad deal. Give me my dues back!" This is no longer a union, she said, just part of the company. The Teamsters gave us a fake choice. I voted twice and never even got a confirmation, so Im not sure my vote even counted. David and Armani, warehouse workers at the San Diego facility, were not aware the union was seeking to push through the contract. Its ridiculous that I pay dues for this to happen, David said. The union executives are giving themselves bonuses every year, while we get nothing. David and Armani David called the union like the HR of the company and more like a babysitter to make sure things get aired out. He said that everyone voted against this contract because of the 22.4s [hybrid workers provision] and because we want to be made full-time drivers. Nelson, another young warehouse worker, told us he is working two other jobs to make ends meet, at a theme park and another warehouse, for 70-80 hours a week in total. He asked, Why did they have us vote on this if our opinion didnt even matter? Ralph, a northern California part-time worker, said he thinks we need to separate ourselves from the union because theyre not fighting for us." He continued: "For three weeks before the vote the local didnt hold a single meeting on the contract, and we didnt see the local secretary or any union rep the entire final week. Ralph said he had read previous statements by the WSWS UPS Workers Newsletter and now thought you guys hit the nail on the head with your call for rank-and-file committees. Theres not some part of the [Teamsters] leadership thats going to ride in and fix things. They arent going to negotiate a better deal, and the only way for us to win something better is to organize a real fight. Ralph Ralph added that UPS workers should reach out to Amazon and FedEx workers." He added, "The union tried to tell us we had to accept the concessions so that UPS could compete with Amazon, that the non-union warehouse guys were taking our jobs. Thats BS! We need to fight on the same side as Amazon workers, instead of for the companys profit. To put it bluntly, the union can go to hell, said a UPS worker with 20 years who spoke to the WSWS at the Madison Heights, Michigan facility in suburban Detroit. Im thinking seriously about withdrawing my union dues. For years I was a proud union member, but Im not anymore. He said that every month I work two-and-a-half hours to pay them dues, and they just sold out 260,000 workers. The worker noted that 54 percent voted against this contract, but the union says it was ratified anyway." He continued: "The day before the vote count was released they suddenly announced that two-thirds of the voters would have to reject it if less than 50 percent of the membership voted. This is a bunch of bull crap. He added that the company wanted to get rid of older, higher-paid workers and make all workers low-paid temps, and the union is helping them." He added, "The company is going to take what the union did in ignoring our voice to ram more work down our throats. Were already handling 2,000 pieces a day inside there, picking up 150-pound packages and doing damage to our spines. Another worker at the same facility said, "The union is taking money out of our checksfor what? All were doing is padding the pockets of the higher-ups in the union to sell us out. The worker was previously a soldier in Iraq and said the Madison Heights UPS facility as is run like the military." He added, "The part-time workers have to work a whole year before they even qualify for medical benefits. The company hopes theyll quit before then. A part-time warehouse worker who loads trailers at the same facility said: There should be a strike. Ive been paying dues for 23 years, and I have never had any representation at all from them [the Teamsters]. Why did I even vote? The dues payments just keep going up, and their salaries just keep going up. Mark, a full-time driver at Madison Heights with 15 years, said, Were paying union dues, and now theyre trying to ram this through. I cannot believe it. Last night I thought, wow, great, a no vote. He said, "The company has just got a tax break from Donald Trump, and they have billions of dollars in profits. And you want us to accept this? Mark had voted no because we dont need a two-tier situation." He said, "There need to be full-time jobs. Its unreal what they make these young part-time workers do. Mark said the Teamsters is like the other unions, getting paid off. They take our money to send us letters to tell us to vote yes. That's why people who come in newer don't want to pay into the union. I pay them $90 a month. Thats close to $20,000 since I came here. The WSWS UPS Workers Newsletter urges UPS workers to immediately form independent rank-and-file committees to break the efforts of the Teamsters to ram through its concessions contract. These committees, in every warehouse and hub, should prepare an immediate nationwide walkout and reach out to all sections of the working class to launch a united struggle. We encourage UPS workers to share our statement and attend the emergency online call-in meeting on Monday, October 8, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, to discuss the way forward. Collectors will have the opportunity to own a piece of American history when 3,000 items from the personal collection of Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, go up for auction next month. The sale at Heritage Auctions will start November 1 and coincide with the 50th anniversary of Armstrong's Apollo 11 mission. Auctions Celebrities Neil Armstrong "We hope that this helps to remind people of what this country achieved in the '60s. It was an amazing effort," Mark Armstrong, one of Neil Armstrong's sons, said. "It's our hope that people remember what we can achieve when we really work together and have a clear shared vision." The Armstrong Family Collection includes never-before-seen items from his lunar landing, including pieces of a wing and propeller from the 1903 Wright Brothers flight that Armstrong took with him to the moon. It also includes items from his childhood, such as his Boy Scouts cap, and a letter he wrote to the Easter bunny. The process of preserving Armstrong's vast collection began two years ago when his sons Mark and Rick Armstrong were going through the items left by their parents and found that several them were starting to show their age. "Photos were substantially curled and deteriorating. We had coins and medallions that were oxidizing and some of the materials they were stored in were breaking down," said Armstrong. Armstrong's collection is not the first space collection sold by Heritage Auctions. The company has conducted auctions for more than 20 astronauts and their families. "Of all the astronauts there are, there's only one first man to walk on the moon, there's only one Neil Armstrong. He is the pinnacle of all space memorabilia. It doesn't get any better," Greg Rohan, president of Heritage Auctions, told CNN. The Armstrongs met with Collectibles Authentication Guaranty to help with encapsulating a portion of the items for long-term preservation before speaking with Heritage Auctions about putting the items up for sale. "This is a very special moment in time and right now we need everything we can to make us feel great about being Americans and certainly owning a piece of this history is part of that legacy," Kathleen Guzman, managing director of Heritage Auctions, told CNN. The most expensive piece in the sale is a silk American flag that was carried to the moon in Armstrong's personal kit. It has an opening bid of $75,000. One of Armstrong's flight suits starts at $30,000. "A portion of the proceeds from the auction will go to causes that are important to us and we believe were important to our parents," said Mark Armstrong. "We've often had people come up to us and tell us how the moon landing inspired them. They come up to Rick and I and tell us how they were inspired by the achievement and how it made them want to be better," Mark Armstrong said. "That's a very powerful thing. It's a pleasure to be a part of something that lifts humanity up." Heritage Auctions has scheduled three auctions for the collection: November 1-2, 2018; May 9-10, 2019; and November 2019. TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI)- It was a sea of pink shirts, banners, and even hair Saturday at the Meadows Shopping Center. Among them was Pam's Posse. It was made up friends and family supporting this loved woman like her daughter Tanya Fuson. "My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer two and a half years ago. So shes a survivor and we're doing this in celebration of her," said Fuson. They were among eight hundred others at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Forty-six teams collected donations to help reach the goal of 85-thousand dollars. Community Coordinator Tammy Lundborg says every penny will go to research and helping women in the Wabash Valley. "Two thousand people in central Indiana will be diagnosed with breast cancer and over four hundred will die from breast cancer," said Lundborg. 92 breast cancer survivors were there to help celebrate their fight, as well as those who lost theirs. "Its very inspirational to see what these women go though and get through to the other side. Unfortunately, some people don't but we honor their memory," said Lundborg. For Pam's Posse, they hope others will join the race next year. Not only to raise money but to show support for the bravery in those fighting. "And have the fellowship of being with other survivors. Their family friends and celebrate the ones that are still fighting. The ones that have won the fight and the ones that haven't won," said Fuson. You can still donate to breast cancer research and resources, just follow the link here. WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) Saturday voted to confirm President Trumps nomination of Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, affirming her belief that the nominee will be a credit to the nations highest court. A vote to fill a Supreme Court vacancy is one of the most consequential that a Senator will ever make. Brett Kavanaugh earned my vote with his impeccable qualifications and his steadfastness throughout a confirmation process tainted by sordid accusations and crass partisan treachery. Judge Kavanaugh never wavered from his vow not to buckle under political or public pressure, which is a characteristic we need in a Supreme Court justice. I believe Judge Kavanaugh will be a justice whose adherence to the Constitution and the rule of law will be a credit to the Court and all Americans. The American people know they deserve better than what the nation has experienced over the past few weeks. Kavanaugh was confirmed on a 50-48 vote. JACKSON, Miss. Saturday Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti endorsed Mike Espy in his race to be Mississippi's U.S. Senator. Mayor Garcetti announced his support of Espy at a forum with supporters at the St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Olive Branch. "I'm a mayor, and that's why I'm endorsing Mike Espy--because he's going to get things done for his state and our country," Garcetti said. "We're tired of the Washington status quo. Mike Espy is going to make things happen to make people's lives better today and to prepare us for the future." Espy, who is running to fill the unexpired term of Senator Thad Cochran, formerly represented Mississippi's 2nd Congressional District and later served as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. "I'm grateful to Mayor Garcetti for his support in this race," Espy said. "This endorsement shows that the rest of the country is starting to pay attention to this race, because we have the momentum here in Mississippi to make history. People are excited about our vision for jobs, economic development, education, and our young people. We're grateful that the mayor could come share his experiences in Los Angeles and hear from Mississippi citizens about their hope for the future." TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) - Organizers with the LGBTQ community held their first pride parade in downtown Fairpark celebrating the progress of the community in Northeast Mississippi. Eric White says like any event planned there were some obstacles that slowed down the process of having the paraded but he's thankful The community played a major role and making the event happen. Although this is a joyous occasion for some, others felt like the parade should have not been brought into Tupelo. Well we feel like the family unit in America is under attack and we feel like this parade is a form of attack," said Chad Scott. The LGBTQ community plans to have a PRIDE even at least once a month. VALDOSTA, Ga. (WTXL) - Georgia State Patrol had a busy month of September monitoring traffic in Valdosta. According to Sergeant First Class Tracy Tabb, Valdosta troopers investigated 96 traffic crashes, resulting in 34 injuries and one fatality during the month of September. Tabb said that during Sept., troopers stopped 1,234 vehicles resulting in: 706 citations, 28 D.U.I. arrests, 78 seatbelt violation citations, 19 child restraint violation citations, 352 speeding citations, and 32 distracted driving citations. Valdosta troopers also made six drug arrests and issued 1,226 warnings during the month of Sept. They released him and said he was just a witness. After the GBI investigated, they figured out he was in connection with the crime. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 05:41:09|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Senate on Saturday confirmed President Donald Trump's Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh in its final floor vote by 50 to 48. Hundreds of protesters were demonstrating against the confirmation on Capitol Hill during the voting, chanting "November is coming" and "We believe survivors." The confirmation was thought a big win for the White House, Republicans and American conservatives. However, it appears the whole country is further divided over the controversy of sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh during the confirmation process. Moments after the confirmation, Trump tweeted that he will sign the Commission of Appointment later on Saturday so that the judge will be officially sworn in. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 05:37:16|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TUNIS, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Tunisian navy on Saturday saved 16 illegal immigrants trying to cross the Mediterranean toward the Italian coast, said the Tunisian Ministry of Defense. The 16 Tunisian nationals, aged between 16 and 42, were rescued from a sinking boat off the Kerkennah Islands in southeastern Tunisia, the ministry said. Figures of the International Organization for Migration show more than 4,000 illegal immigrants have crossed the Mediterranean in 2018. Photo taken on July 16, 2017 shows the city of Ulan Bator covered in smog which was caused by severe forest fires in Mongolia. (Xinhua/Asigang) ULAN BATOR, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Climate change brings significant risks to Mongolia, said Mongolian Prime Minister Ukhnaa Khurelsukh on Friday when speaking at the parliament on the issues of population resettlement and urban development in the country. "The situation of rural-to-urban migration in Mongolia has been intensifying due to climate-related natural disasters," he said, and the consequent problems of rapid urbanization pose "significant risks to our country, especially the capital of Ulan Bator." "Particularly, the air and soil pollution in the capital of Ulan Bator is expected to worsen. So, we need to pay more attention to improving living conditions and increasing employment in other cities and rural areas in order to mitigate the overconcentration of population in the capital region," he said. The average temperature now in Mongolia is up 2.10 degrees Celsius from 1940, more than doubling the rise in average global temperature, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. The climate change is increasing the risk of natural disasters, including droughts and the extreme winter weather known as "dzud" in Mongolia. Nearly 600,000 herders who lost their livestock during the dzuds have migrated to Ulan Bator over the past three decades, showed official data. Mongolia has a population of 3.2 million, of which 66 percent live in urban areas, Khurelsukh said. As of the end of 2017, Ulan Bator hosted 46 percent of Mongolia's population. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 05:55:12|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close LOS ANGELES, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- A group of 30 Chinese physical education (PE) teachers visited four primary schools in the United States in the week, bringing martial arts education to local students. They visited West Tualatin Valley Elementary and Woodstock Elementary in Portland in the northwest U.S. state of Oregon and taught local students the Five Ancestors Fist, a southern Chinese martial art that consists of principles and techniques from five styles. Earlier this week, the Chinese teachers talked with Chad Fenwick, the advisor of physical education at Los Angeles Unified School District about America's PE education in the recent decade before visiting Harry Bridges Span School and Utah Elementary in Los Angeles in southern California. The teachers participated in PE classes together with local teachers and students. "This is the first time for me to visit the U.S. and talk with teachers and students here," said Lin Meizhen, a PE teacher from southeast China's Fujian Province. "The most important thing I learned is that we should always encourage our students to help to develop their interests in sports." Zhang Peiying, a teacher from east China's Shandong Province, demonstrated Tai Chi and Kungfu in Utah Elementary which impressed both local students and teachers. The 30 PE teachers are the winners of Nike's 2018 Active Schools Innovation Awards that held in Beijing this July. In 2013, Nike joined hands with China's Ministry of Education to launch and promote the Active Schools initiative in an effort to actively encourage the development of physical education in schools, according to Xu Lin from Nike's Global Community Impact department. The innovation awards under the Active Schools program has honored 100 teachers this year from nearly 1,500 applicants for showcasing excellent practices in elementary school physical education. So far, over 3,800 primary schools and 1 million school students from China's 25 provinces have benefited from the program. Between 2016 and 2019, the Active Schools program is expected to train more than 7,000 PE teachers in China. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 05:53:03|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close RAMALLAH, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced on Saturday that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Central Council will convene in Ramallah on Oct. 26 to implement its decisions on key regional issues. "At the end of this month, we will have to implement all that is confirmed by the Central Council," Abbas told a meeting of his Fatah Party's Central Committee in Ramallah, official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. The PLO Central Council has made crucial decisions related to the ties with Israel, the peace process in the Middle East and reconciliation with the Hamas movement which has been ruling the Gaza Strip since 2007. Abbas also briefed the Fatah Central committee meeting on his UN tour in New York, which included a speech he delivered to the UN General Assembly. "We held a series of meetings at the UN, mainly with international leaders and officials and also with the peace envoys to the Middle East. All of them backed the Palestinian initiative for making peace," said Abbas. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 06:12:47|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close SHANGHAI, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai Tourism Festival, which concluded on Saturday, saw a record 12.75 million visitors from China and abroad, up by five percent year on year, according to the event organizer. More than 1,300 performers from 25 countries and regions joined the parade held at the opening of the festival on Sept. 15. A float representing the European Union made debut in the parade and received a reward for its special effects. "We hope the float can help attract more Chinese to visit European destinations," said William Fingleton, head of press of the European Union delegation to China. Over 70 activities were held and many new tourism products were promoted during the festival to mark the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening up, and welcome the upcoming China International Import Expo. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 06:14:16|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TAIYUAN, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in north China's Shanxi Province have detained 137 people and fined polluting companies more than 125 million yuan (around 18.2 million U.S. dollars) in a 100-day campaign against pollution. Shanxi's provincial environmental protection bureau launched the campaign after media found state-owned Shanxi Sanwei Group Co. Ltd. had been illegally dumping solid waste on the farmland and discharging waste water into Fenhe River, a major river in the province. The campaign, lasting from May 5 to Aug. 15, consisted of province-wide inspections on nearly 25,000 industrial enterprises, including 3,000 pollution-intensive companies, according to the provincial environmental protection bureau. A total of 286 companies have been shut down during the campaign. The move falls in line with a larger nationwide campaign to fight pollution and environmental degradation. Tackling pollution has been listed as one of "the three tough battles" that the country aims to win in the coming three years. In mid-September, China's national environmental authority has named and shamed 158 companies that discharged major pollutants at seriously excessive levels in the first quarter of 2018. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 06:10:19|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BEIJING, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- China FAW Group Co., a state-owned automaker based in northeast China's Jilin Province, is recalling 110,912 sport utility vehicles (SUVs) due to an engine defect. The recall affects the Besturn X40 SUVs manufactured between Sept. 26, 2016 and Aug. 31 this year, according to a statement from the State Administration of Market Regulation. The fuel pipe of those vehicles is too close to the engine pulley, which may lead to fuel leakage in extreme cases and pose the risks of fire or unintended engine stop, the administration said. The company will replace the defective parts or offer a fix to the problem free of charge. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 06:17:40|Editor: zh Video Player Close TUNIS, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- A Tunisian diplomatic source on Saturday denied reports that Egypt has the intention to toughen entry visa for Tunisians. No official correspondence was issued by the Egyptian authorities on new formalities in obtaining an entry visa to Egypt, the source said on condition of anonymity. Tunisian media recently said a Tunisian need to have at least 2,000 U.S. dollars in the bank account to apply for an entry visa to Egypt, citing a document signed by the Tunisian ambassador to Egypt circulated on social networks. Meanwhile, Egyptian Ambassador to Tunisia Nabil Habachi dismissed the text of the document being circulated on the Internet as "a rumor," saying Egypt issues 25,000 visas to Tunisian tourists every year. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 06:19:33|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close CHICAGO, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) agricultural futures closed sharply higher in the past trading week which ended on Oct. 5, due to extreme wet weather in U.S. Midwest and concern over Russia's wheat exports. The most active contract for December corn rose 12 cents weekly, or 3.37 percent, to 3.6825 dollars per bushel. December wheat delivery went up 12 cents, or 2.36 percent weekly, to 5.21 dollars per bushel. November soybeans saw a 23.5-cent surge, or 2.78 percent, to 8.69 dollars per bushel. Soybeans this week traded almost 3 percent higher amid weather forecasts indicating more heavy rainfall in the Midwest. U.S. National Weather Service on Friday issued a series of flood warnings concerning some rivers in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. Farmers are increasingly concerned about harvest delays and damaged crops, especially beans, which could shatter or sprout. Fund short-covering late in the week also boosted the values of soybeans. However, many analysts hold bearish view on soybeans amid a big U.S. crop and retaliatory Chinese tariffs. A prolonged wet weather pattern in the Midwest supported CBOT corn futures as well. Many farmer said they had never seen such a wet September-October period across the area in decades. Unfavorable weather conditions led to concern over the pace of U.S. corn harvesting, probably well into late October. Additional support for corn came from fairly good performance in export sales. On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released its weekly export sales report, revealing that exporters sold 1.43 million metric tons of corn, versus the trade' s expectations of between 1 and 1.5 million metric tons. As for CBOT wheat, news from Russia played a leading role in pushing up the prices. Possible suspension of grain export operations at a number of Russian ports due to phytosanitary concern triggered wheat rallies since the beginning of the week. Although Russian authorities played down the worry, wheat futures posted double digit weekly gains due to the issue. Another factor is the drought in Australia, which has affected its wheat production. The U.S. Department of Agriculture may lower Aussie crop by 3 to 4 million tons in next week's report, said analysts with Chicago-based agricultural research firm AgResource. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 06:54:00|Editor: zh Video Player Close Protesters gather outside the U.S. Supreme Court after the U.S. Senate voted to confirm the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh in Washington D.C., the United States, on Oct. 6, 2018. The U.S. Senate on Saturday narrowly confirmed President Donald Trump's Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh in its final floor vote, following a fierce partisan fight over sexual misconduct allegations against the nominee. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Senate on Saturday narrowly confirmed President Donald Trump's Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh in its final floor vote, following a fierce partisan fight over sexual misconduct allegations against the nominee. The confirmation appeared to secure a solid majority of conservatives on the U.S. highest court in the coming years, a big win for Trump and the Republican Party. Moments after the vote by 50 to 48, Trump tweeted that he will sign the Commission of Appointment later on Saturday so that the judge will be officially sworn in. "Very exciting!" the president tweeted. During the voting, hundreds of protesters were demonstrating on Capitol Hill, chanting "November is coming" and "We believe survivors". "Vote them out," the demonstrators shouted. Kavanaugh's confirmation is a major boost to Senate Republican candidates in upcoming midterm elections to be held on Nov. 6, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Saturday. The top Senate Republican said that partisan fights over Kavanaugh have revved up Republican voters across red states. "Our base is on fire," McConnell said in an interview with The Hill news daily. Meanwhile, Democrats also say their voters are now more fired up than ever to deliver a rebuke to the Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections, citing women's anger as a force. Many fear that the confirmation of a highly controversial Kavanaugh may further divide the whole country and damage the Supreme Court's independent image. Three women came forward last month to accuse Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting or harassing them during his high school and university years. Kavanaugh has denied all the accusations. The 53-year-old federal appeals court judge will succeed Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, who retired on July 31 as a moderate and pivotal swing vote between conservatives and liberals on the nine-member bench. The nine-member Supreme Court decides matters that shape the country's politics. It is both the highest appeals panel and a constitutional court. Nominating Kavanaugh was the second time in two years that Trump has made a Supreme Court pick. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 06:52:41|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close SKOPJE, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Macedonian Public Prosecutor's Office charged 13 people with offenses against cultural heritage, Macedonian Interior (MoI) affairs spokesman Toni Angelovski told a press conference on Saturday. According to the Angelovski, the operation was carried out in order to bust an organized criminal ring. The police seized many artifacts such as coins, precious and semi-precious stones, antiquities like jewellery, sculptures, ceramics and bronze items, mobile phones, gun holsters etc. "The damage done is not yet known, but these items are considered of invaluable importance," emphasized Angelovski. The suspects are charged with criminal associations, illegal ownership of goods under temporary protection or cultural heritage, illicit trafficking of artifacts and cover-up. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 09:02:39|Editor: zh Video Player Close YAOUNDE, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Cameroon political parties concluded their election campaigns ahead of Sunday's vote, according to the Cameroon Electoral Code. The Cameroon People Democratic Movement (CPDM), the ruling party, held its last rally in the capital Yaounde on Saturday. Paul Biya, the party's candidate, was not present at the rally but supporters said he was present with them "in spirit" and urged all voters to cast their votes for him. President Paul Biya, leader of the CPDM, is seeking to extend his 36 years in office by winning a new seven-year mandate. "We will win the election tomorrow. A vote for Paul Biya is a vote for the unity and prosperity of the country. He is the most experienced candidate to solve the problems of our country," said Essomba Jean, a member of the CPDM. Joshua Osih of the Social Democratic Front, the leading opposition candidate, held his final rallies on Saturday in the economic capital Douala. "Throughout this campaign we have presented a programe for peace, stability and wealth for our country. I will do this for Cameroon. Tomorrow, Sunday, vote for change. We will win the election," Osih told supporters at the rally. Both parties urged their supporters to maintain peace to ensure the polls are held in a peaceful environment. The number of opposition candidates is reduced from eight to seven, as Maurice Kamto of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement and Akere Muna of the People's Development Front announced a coalition less then 48 hours to the polling day. "Only a union of forces of the main candidates can overcome the Biya regime. I decided to withdraw my candidacy for the presidential election of Oct. 7, for the benefit of Mr. Maurice Kamto whom I call to support. I invite all my supporters to vote Mr. Kamto next Sunday," said Muna on Friday. Over 6,500,000 registered voters go to the polls on Sunday in a vote that is taking place against a backdrop of rising tension in the two English-speaking regions of Southwest and Northwest where armed separatists are fighting to create a new nation called "Ambazonia." Campaigns were generally very timid in troubled regions, where the separatists have vowed to stop the vote. Clashes between government forces and the separatists have left 170 soldiers dead according to the government, but there is no report on the number of separatists killed. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 09:04:27|Editor: zh Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Libya's UN-backed prime minister, Fayez Serraj, on Saturday confirmed that the government's regular forces will take over public buildings in Tripoli and other cities in Libya. Serraj made his remarks during a meeting with members of the security arrangement committee in the capital city of Tripoli, according to a statement by the PM's information office. "The head of the committee, General Hammad Ahmed Abboud, presented a detailed explanation on the measures taken to secure Tripoli and establish public order, in accordance with the tasks set by the committee's decision, including taking over of (public) headquarters and regular forces stationing in and around the capital," the statement said. "The Prime Minister discussed what was presented during the meeting, noting that what is being accomplished in Tripoli will extend to other Libyan cities," the statement added. The new security arrangements, which focus on forming joint police and army forces to secure Tripoli, were adopted by the government last month when violence broke out in the capital city between the government forces and several armed groups. The UN Support Mission in Libya earlier on Saturday praised the new security arrangements in Tripoli. The Ministry of Interior announced Thursday that an armed group called al-Nawasi handed over Tripoli seaport it was controlling, as part of the new security arrangements. | 2018-10-07 09:44:49|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said Saturday that the country's southwest Balochistan province will be given more than its due share in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). In his maiden visit to the province, the prime minister said that the port city of Gwadar will provide a huge opportunity and immense benefits to the province under CPEC. Chairing a provincial cabinet meeting in the provincial capital of Quetta on Saturday, Khan said that he will remain in constant contact with the province's chief minister and other leadership to ensure its share in the country's progress and prosperity. The premier said that if Balochistan is prospered it will bring prosperity to the whole country and for that the government will cooperate with the province to help it overcome its financial crisis. He said the government has mapped out a comprehensive strategy for an early progress of Balochistan. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 09:45:56|Editor: zh Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Saturday that more than 600,000 illegal immigrants of 41 different nationalities are currently in Libya. "In July and August 2018, IOM identified at least 669,176 migrants currently in Libya. Migrants were identified in 100 municipalities, within 554 communities and originated from more than 41 countries," IOM said. "The top 5 nationalities identified are from: Niger, Egypt, Chad, Sudan and Nigeria," the Organization added. Migrant shelters in Libya are crowded with thousands of migrants who have been rescued at sea or arrested by the Libyan security services. A voluntary return program is carried out by the organization in Libya in cooperation with local authorities, aiming to arrange for the return of illegal migrants stranded in Libya to their countries of origin. Libya has become a preferred departure point for illegal migrants hoping to cross the Mediterranean Sea into Europe due to insecurity and chaos in the North African country following the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 10:11:36|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close President of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) Zafar Ullah Chaudhry (L) awards honorary degree to Chinese cardiologist Wu Yongjian (C) in Lahore, Pakistan, Oct. 6, 2018. Pakistan's premier postgraduate medical institution on Saturday conferred the country's top honorary degree upon four Chinese doctors for the first time here to recognize their services as medics. (Xinhua/Liu Tian) LAHORE, Pakistan, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's premier postgraduate medical institution on Saturday conferred the country's top honorary degree upon four Chinese doctors for the first time here to recognize their services as medics. President of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP), Zafar Ullah Chaudhry, awarded the fellowship to the Chinese doctors during the institution's 52nd convocation held in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore. The convocation was arranged to award the degrees of the Membership of the College of Physicians and Surgeons (MCPS) and the country's top medical degree of Fellowship of the College of Physicians and Surgeons (FCPS) to the eligible doctors. The Chinese doctors who received the honorary degree of the FCPS included Wen Deliang, president of China Medical University, Niu Jun, the chief surgeon of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Sun Zuocheng, head of surgery department of Weifang People's Hospital and Wu Yongjian, director of the cardiology department of Fuwai Hospital Beijing. President of the CPSP told Xinhua that they gave the honorary degrees to the Chinese doctors as the first step to start cooperation and collaboration between China and Pakistan. "We want collaboration in every field. We are working out to know how we can make an effective collaboration under the Belt and Road Initiative," said Chaudhry. "China is advanced in several fields and we can learn from them, while in some areas, Pakistan is in a better position so we can share our expertise and experiences with them," he said. Chinese cardiologist Wu Yongjian told Xinhua that he was honored by receiving Pakistan's top medical degree. Wu said he would play his active role to increase cooperation and collaboration between the two sides in the field of medicine. On the occasion, Health Minister of Punjab province Yasmin Rashid said that it is a good beginning for the future collaboration between the two countries for medical education and healthcare, adding that "we are looking forward to further cooperation with China in the health sector." Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 10:47:03|Editor: zh Video Player Close BRASILIA, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro of the Social Liberal Party saw another jump in polling numbers with a support rate of 36.7 percent, according to a poll released Saturday by pollster MDA. Fernando Haddad of the Workers' Party garnered 24 percent of voters' support, compared with 9.9 percent for Ciro Gomes of the Democratic Labor Party, showed the poll, commissioned by the transport sector lobby National Confederation of Transportation. The poll also showed 7.8 percent were undecided and 6 percent had no response. In order to win in the first round, the candidate must secure over 50 percent of the valid vote. The scenarios presented by MDA during a second round show Bolsonaro will defeat Haddad by 45.2 percent to 38.7 percent. However, in a second round where Bolsonaro faces Gomes, Bolsonaro would narrowly defeat Gomes by 41.9 percent to 41.2 percent. According to the poll, 50.2 percent of the respondents said they would never vote for Bolsonaro, while 53.2 percent said they would never vote for Haddad. The poll, conducted on Thursday and Friday, interviewed 2,002 people in 137 municipalities from 25 federal units in Brazil's five regions. It has a margin of error of 2.2 percentage points. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 10:45:03|Editor: zh Video Player Close YANGON, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar Pharmaceutical Industrial Enterprise (MPIE) and a consortium of two local Myanmar companies and a Japanese company on Saturday signed an agreement to build a high-rise structure on the land owned by MPIE in Tamway, Yangon, the official Global New Light of Myanmar reported Sunday. The consortium, named NSKRE Residence (Myanmar), involves the Japanese company of Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate, and two local Myanmar companies Mann Myanmar Family Ltd and Asia Business Solution Co Ltd. Under the 50-year land lease agreement signed on Saturday, the 12-storey structural building will be constructed under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) system and is set to include 230 apartments, a fitness center, a mini-mart, restaurants, business offices and a car parking lot. The land lease was permitted by the Myanmar Investment Commission, the report added. A foreign investment survey revealed that businesses from South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and China have invested in the real estate market in Myanmar. According to official figures, foreign investment in Myanmar's real estate sector amounted to 5.171 billion U.S. dollars, sharing 6.69 percent of the total foreign investment as of the end of August. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 10:35:05|Editor: zh Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's second Supreme Court nominee, was sworn in on Saturday evening, shortly after the Senate passed his contentious confirmation by a vote of 50-48 amid fierce partisan fights focusing on sexual misconduct allegations against him. COURT MOVES RIGHTWARD Hailed as a big political victory for Trump and the Republican Party, Kavanaugh's lifetime appointment as the 114th Supreme Court justice appeared to secure a solid majority of conservatives on the U.S. highest court for years. Nominating Kavanaugh was the second time in two years that Trump has made a Supreme Court pick. The 53-year-old succeeded 82-year-old Justice Anthony Kennedy, who retired on July 31 after having served as a pivotal swing vote between conservatives and liberals on the nine-member bench for years. As a result, the court now consists of five conservatives and four liberals. There will be no swing vote if none of the conservative justices move to the middle. The court "will perfectly reflect the deep polarization of the American public and political system," Adam Liptak with the New York Times commented. The rightward trend of the U.S. highest court is expected to have long-term substantial effects on many issues deeply dividing Americans, such as abortion, affirmative action, voting and gun rights. The Supreme Court decides matters that shape the U.S. politics. It is both the highest appeals panel and a constitutional court in the country. PARTISAN FIGHT Kavanaugh was confirmed by a margin of 50 votes to 48 in the Senate final floor vote, the slimmest for a Supreme Court nominee in more than a century. Senator Joe Manchin, who was facing tough re-election campaign in red state West Virginia, was the only Democrat to vote for Kavanaugh's confirmation. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Saturday that the bitter partisan battle over Kavanaugh's confirmation has revved up Republican voters across red states. "Our base is on fire," the top Senate Republican said in an interview with The Hill news daily. However, Democrats also say their voters are now more fired up than ever to deliver a rebuke to the Republicans in the midterm elections, citing women's anger as a force. During the Senate final voting on Saturday, hundreds of protesters were demonstrating on Capitol Hill, chanting "November is coming" and "We believe survivors." Capitol Police said later in the day that 164 of them were arrested. Amid partisan fights over the confirmation, three women came forward last month to accuse Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting or harassing them during his high school and university years. Kavanaugh has denied all the accusations. The results on the upcoming midterm elections seem to be complicated. However, it appears the two mainstream parties in the country would continue fighting each other in a likely more polarized way, analysts say. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 11:00:05|Editor: zh Video Player Close LOS ANGELES, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- The huge wildfire that forced the closure of the heart of U.S. Yosemite National Park in California this summer was caused by a superheated vehicle component, said authorities. Investigators believed superheated pieces of a catalytic converter of a vehicle ignited dry vegetation roadside, said the U.S. Forest Service in a press release on Friday. The vehicle involved has not been located and officials are asking anyone with information to contact the Sierra National Forest. The huge wildfire, dubbed Ferguson Fire, started on July 13, along Highway 140 in the Sierra National Forest in Mariposa County. The fire burned 96,901 acres (387.6 square km) of the Sierra National Forest, Stanislaus National Forest, Yosemite National Park, and state lands. It was declared fully contained on Aug. 22. Two firefighters lost their lives fighting the blaze and 19 were injured. The Yosemite National Park, one of the most visited national parks located in the western U.S. state of California, was forced to be closed 20 days to visitors in its peak tourist season. The destructive fire didn't reach the heart of the park, but it burned in remote areas, making roads inaccessible, choking the park with smoke and forcing the Yosemite Valley and other areas to be closed along with hundreds of campsites and hotels. Some 4 million visitors flock to the park each year. Firefighters said fighting the fire cost a total of 116.9 million U.S. dollars. During the most dangerous time, a total of 910 people were battling the blaze on the scene, aided by 51 fire engines and 3 helicopters. According to the U.S. Forest Service, motorists are responsible for many of the wildfires sparked along roadways. The agency noted that nearly all these fires could be prevented with proper vehicle maintenance and safety measures, including practicing safe towing with secure chains, maintaining vehicles to be sure there are no dragging parts, carrying a fire extinguisher, properly maintaining brakes and tire pressure, and not driving or parking on dry grass or brush. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 11:01:28|Editor: zh Video Player Close BRASILIA, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Prior to Brazil's presidential election on Sunday, ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva released a video message via his social media accounts on Saturday, asking voters to cast their ballots for Workers' Party (PT) candidate Fernando Haddad. In the nearly 30-second video, Lula called for "the legacy of the party that has made the most social politics in the country" to be defended. "My dear peers...I wanted to speak with you, to speak with your heart, with your soul. We must defend the legacy of the party. Never has this country needed you more. The hour has come to lift our heads...in this country there is no one better than us," Lula said. The ex-president has been in prison since April 7, serving a 12-year sentence for corruption and money laundering. He is still able to appeal his conviction to the country's Supreme Court. According to recent polls, Haddad is currently in the second place behind Social Liberal Party candidate Jair Bolsonaro. The PT's biggest fear is that with Bolsonaro's rise in the recent polls with a support rate of 36.7 percent, he might pull off a first round victory with more than half of the vote. Lula's video was distributed a week after members of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) ruled to authorize interviews between Lula and the press. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 11:23:22|Editor: zh Video Player Close YANGON, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Myanmar Ministry of Commerce has called for using the Myanmar language on products' package along with other languages to ensure consumers' safety. The Department of Consumers Affairs of the ministry recently instructed that all businesses must provide information and guide on their products with direction for use and storage, side-effects and allergic reaction information. The authorities set a six-month period for businesses to comply with the official notification, warning of severe measures to be taken, including banning the distribution of products if not following the instruction. Director of the department U Swe Tint Kyu said the official notification was released with the aim to protect consumers, reinforce the accountability of producers and distributors, and gain trust from consumers over the goods, either exported or imported from abroad. He added that by selling high quality products, it can not only promote the market but also boost the country's economy. Myanmar enacted the Consumers Protection Law in 2014. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 11:27:53|Editor: zh Video Player Close BRASILIA, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) held a ceremony on Saturday to verify digital signatures on the electronic ballot boxes filing system, the final technical procedure prior to the general elections. The verification ensures systems installed at polling stations are the same ones that had been digitally signed by the Federal Public Ministry, the Federal Police and the TSE when the ballot boxes were sealed on Sept. 6. "We conduct this ceremony to certify the authenticity and originality of the systems distributed to the Regional Electoral Courts," said TSE president Rosa Weber, claiming it is fundamental for the transparency and reliability of the electoral process. "This guarantees the vote is secret and the election results are secure," she added. As she greeted the election workers, Weber said they had been diligently working to make sure every citizen can vote freely and calmly. More than 147 million Brazilians are expected to cast votes in Sunday's elections. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 12:22:05|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close OTTAWA, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Critical supplies are unable reach three isolated communities in Canada's Arctic north via barges this winter due to challenging ice conditions, reports said on Saturday. Some 3,000 residents of Paulatuk, Cambridge Bay and Kugluktuk cannot get food, fuel and lumber from ships, after ice moving from the high Arctic sealed off the Amundsen Gulf. Water treatment supplies and some vehicles are also among the stranded items, local media said. Ice conditions in the Amundsen Gulf are thought to be the most challenging in over 30 years, the government of Northwest Territories said in a statement earlier this week. It is reported that even the Canadian coast guard's largest icebreaker in the region was unable to help break open a channel for the barges. Local authorities now plan to deliver petroleum products by aircraft, while exploring options for other goods after consultation with customers and logistics representatives. The sea lift is critical for people in the northern communities in the Arctic. Container ships usually use summer months to anchor in deep water and make deliveries with barges. Some residents say barges could have been brought in earlier in the summer season for this batch of shipment. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 12:24:10|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close KINSHASA, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has declared a three-day national mourning for more than 50 people who died in a highway traffic tragedy on Saturday on a national highway in the country's western province of Kongo Central. The president also asked for a full assistance to the victims and organizations of funerals for the dead in the accident, according to a statement of the Presidency carried by the national television RTNC. At the site of the accident in Mbuba village, traces of the fire are still visible, and several charred vehicles remain on the main road. Witnesses told Xinhua that the gas tanker truck from Matadi to Kinshasa tragically crashed into a parked truck, triggering the fire which quickly spread to nearby homes and vehicles and caused human casualties and material damage. Other witnesses said that the vehicle exploded when hundreds of people were around the tanker vehicle looking for gasoline that was flowing to the ground. "The toll continues to evolve so far, especially for those who are burned to the second degree by fire. We try to do our best to evacuate the maximum possible casualties to hospitals in Kinshasa for appropriate care," said DRC Health Minister Oly Ilunga, who visited the scene. Apart from local and national authorities, the UN Stabilization Mission in the DRC has also deployed several ambulances to evacuate the seriously wounded to the Congolese hospital in Kinshasa. Kabila has called for an immediate investigation to the incident. Several similar incidents have already been reported across the country in the past years. In 2010, a tanker truck overturned in South Kivu province, killing around 200 people. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 12:44:22|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close YAOUNDE, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Less than 48 hours after the murder of three Chinese nationals in the Central African Republic (CAR), three major suspects were arrested on Saturday, the Chinese Embassy in the country confirmed Saturday night, according to news reaching here from Bangui. In a meeting with Chen Dong, the Chinese ambassador to the CAR, the country's Interior Minister Henri Wanzet Linguissara said that the trio were arrested on Saturday, and another search operation would begin Saturday night. A judicial investigation will be opened soon, he said. The speaker of the CAR's National Assembly Abdoul Karim Meckassoua also visited the Chinese embassy on Saturday. He strongly condemned the atrocities of the perpetrators, and offered his condolences to the families of the victims. The Chinese ambassador reassured Meckassoua that China-Africa friendly cooperation is the trend of history, and that no one can stop the solid steps by both China and Africa to build a community of a shared future. CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadera and Prime Minister Simplice Mathieu Sarandji, who met Chen earlier after the deadly attack, also condemned the violent acts. A boat carrying four Chinese and a local young man capsized Thursday in the town of Sosso-Nakombo, leaving the local passenger missing. Touadera and Sarandji both condemned the brutality of the perpetrators, expressing their condolences to the families of the victims. The four Chinese survivors then went to a gendarmerie brigade to report the incident. At that moment, a group of attackers, who were informed of the disappearance of their fellow countrymen, came for the Chinese, killing three of them and seriously wounding a fourth one. At the request of the Chinese embassy, security forces reinforcements were deployed in Sosso-Nakombo, said Wanzet, adding that the 58 Chinese found in the area were evacuated by police to a safer neighboring town. With the help of the Chinese embassy, the injured person was sent to the capital Bangui on Friday and later moved to Kampala of Uganda via United Nations aircraft. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 13:35:13|Editor: zh Video Player Close CANBERRA, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Cases of influenza in Australia have dropped more than 80 percent in a single year, government data has revealed. There were 40,000 diagnosed cases of the flu in Australia between January and September 2018, an 83 percent drop from the 230,000 cases in the same period in 2017. Experts have attributed the dramatic decline to more people being vaccinated against influenza and a more effective vaccination being used this year. "It's a bit of science and a bit of luck, really," Paul Kelly, the Chief Health Officer of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Saturday night. "We really try to predict what's going to happen to a virus that we know changes itself quite quickly sometimes -- nine months out from the next flu season." The flu vaccine is revised every year by a panel of World Health Organization (WHO) experts who consider recent patterns of flu epidemics before making recommendations about the composition of the vaccine. "Every year the health authorities choose to keep some of the strains from the previous year and add one or two new strains to substitute for a new strain -- and it's basically a very intelligent, well-researched guess -- but ultimately a guess," Antonio Di Dio, president of the Australian Medical Association in the ACT, said. "Last year was the first year for a long time that the flu injection was not nearly as effective as it usually was because the most virulent strains we had in Australia were not completely covered by the vaccination. This year they got it right." Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 14:47:32|Editor: zh Video Player Close MAIDAN SHAR, Afghanistan, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- A district police chief and five police officers were killed after Taliban militants launched a massive attack on a district headquarter in the country's eastern province of Wardak overnight, a local official said Sunday. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 15:12:08|Editor: zh Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Entrepreneurs, investors and technology professionals from the United States and China gathered Saturday in Silicon Valley to explore topics like artificial intelligence, e-commerce, quantum computing and blockchain. Hundreds of representatives from the technological and business communities attended the conference with the theme of "The Crossroad of Innovation and Globalization" hosted by Hua Yuan Science and Technology Association (HYSTA) at Stanford University in California. "Entrepreneurs, investors and industry leaders in Silicon Valley and in China alike are seeking effective strategies for well-protected technology advancement in a collaborative global environment," said David Chen, chairman of HYSTA, a non-profit organization that aims for cross-border business collaboration between the United States and China. "Cross-border partnerships between the U.S. and China will help innovation drivers propel business expansion, increase industry influence and benefit from the building of a multi-cultural community," said Chen. While the global markets continue to be tightly inter-connected, this year marks a "turning point" for U.S.-China collaboration in technology and business, Chen said. "Players on all levels of innovation are faced with new challenges that entail a dynamic manner of reflection leading to the reshaping of their roles," he said. China has developed an advantage in certain areas because China "works very hard" and benefits from its large population as well as "very experienced and strong" leadership, said Ken Wilcox, former president of the Silicon Valley Bank, in a keynote speech at the conference. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 16:59:27|Editor: zh Video Player Close DHAKA, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh's apex court on Sunday dismissed the review petition filed by a death row convict in the murder case of Saudi diplomat Khalaf Al Ali. A four-member bench of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain made the ruling, clearing the way for the execution of Saiful Islam Mamun Mamun who is now behind the bar. The SC in November last year upheld the death sentence for Mamun and life terms for three others in the murder case of Saudi diplomat Khalaf Al Ali. According to sources, the death row inmate is now left with the only option of seeking presidential clemency. If the president rejects his pleas, the government will fix a date and prison authorities will start the process to execute the verdict. Khalaf, 45, a second secretary at the Saudi embassy in Dhaka, was shot dead near his Gulshan house in Dhaka's diplomatic enclave in the wee hours of March 6, 2012. Belying speculations about third-party role, Bangladesh police announced that Saudi diplomat's murder was related to street crime. This is the first time a foreign diplomat was murdered in Bangladesh. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 18:20:12|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he and his Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to meet, for the first time after Russia held Israel accountable for the downing of a Russian plane in Syria. "A short time ago I spoke with President Putin," Netanyahu told his weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem. "We agreed to meet soon in order to continue the important inter-military security coordination," he added. He reiterated his warning that Israel "will act at all times to prevent Iran from establishing a military presence in Syria and to thwart the transfer of lethal weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon." Last month, a Russian reconnaissance plane was mistakenly downed by anti-aircraft Syrian fire when Israel was conducting an airstrike on Syria's Latakia province at the same time. The plane's 15 crew members were killed. The Russia defense ministry said Israel holds the entire responsibility for the incident. According to the ministry, the Israeli air force provided misleading information about the location of its airstrikes on sites in Syria, preventing the Russian aircraft which was in the area from flying to a safe zone. Israel rejected the charges. Russia has started to provide the Syrian army S-300 air defense system in the wake of the incident. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 18:32:21|Editor: zh Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said two Israelis were killed in a shooting in the West Bank on Sunday morning. A third woman was moderately injured, Israel's medical emergency service said. The incident took place in the Barkan Industrial Zone, a settlement industrial compound in the northern Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Israelis and Palestinians work side by side. The suspect was identified by the Shin Bet security service as a 23-year-old Palestinian man from the area of the West Bank city of Tul Karem. He entered an office at a factory and opened fire before he fled the scene. A military spokesperson said his identity is known to the security forces and a manhunt was launched. Israeli media said the shooter was a former worker at the factory before he was fired recently. "This was a very severe terrorist attack in which two Israelis were brutally murdered and a citizen was also wounded," Netanyahu said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting. "The security forces are in pursuit of the reprehensible murderer," he said. He added that the security forces will deal with the suspect "to the fullest extent of the law and quickly." The incident came amid tensions in the Gaza Strip, where Palestinians have been staging daily rallies against the blockade imposed by Israel since 2007, and Israeli forces killed at least 190 people since the protest started on March 30. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 19:25:50|Editor: zh Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- The paramilitary Hashd Shaabi said that the security forces launched on Sunday an operation against Islamic State (IS) militants in northern Iraq. "Hashd Shaabi members and army soldiers started a joint operation to hunt down IS militants in mountainous area surrounding the town of Tal Afar, some 70 km west of Mosul," the Hashd Shaabi said in a statement. Teams of explosive experts are also clearing the area from landmines and other unexploded ordinance, the statement said. In August last year, former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, the commander-in-chief of Iraqi forces, declared the start of major offensive to retake control of Tal Afar and the nearby areas from IS militants. The whole Tal Afar area consists of 47 villages scattered around the city and its three towns. The majority of the population in the Tal Afar area are Sunni and Shiite Turkomans, in addition to the Kurds and other minorities. Late in 2017 the Iraqi security forces managed to regain control of IS strongholds across the country, but small groups and individuals of IS militants melted in urban areas or regrouped in deserts and rugged areas in many areas in Iraq looking for safe havens. The extremist militants are still capable of carrying out attacks from time to time against the security forces and civilians despite operations from time to time to hunt them down. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 19:33:10|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close BEIJING, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Senior officials around the world spoke highly of China's achievements in national development and its contributions to world socio-economic development and peace, on the occasion of the 69th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, which falls on Oct.1. Romanian Deputy Prime Minister Viorel Stefan said that Romania has actively participated in the Belt and Road Initiative and "16+1 cooperation" and supported a synergy between development strategies of the European Union and China. Stefan said that his country is willing to make concerted efforts with China in promoting mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields so that their long friendship can be passed down to future generations and their practical cooperation continuously strengthened. Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin, on behalf of his government, praised the achievements China has made since its founding, and the coordination between China and his country within various multilateral frameworks including the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Muhriddin said Tajikistan makes its relations with China a diplomatic priority, and is ready to strengthen cooperation with China on the construction of the Belt and Road. Lebanese Defense Minister Yaacoub Sarraf said that the sound momentum in Lebanon-China relations benefits both his country and the whole region, and called for more investment in Lebanon from Chinese businesses and entrepreneurs. Vice President of South Sudan James Wani Igga said the country has attached great importance to developing relations with China and regards China as a good, trustworthy partner. Igga added that his country is willing to join China in further promoting the development of bilateral relations, implement the outcomes of the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and create a bright future for South Sudan-China relations. Uganda's Vice President Edward Ssekandi praised the exemplary role China has played in socio-economic development, adding that Uganda is grateful to China for its support of Uganda's socio-economic development and hopes the spirit of China-Africa cooperation with its win-win results will yield more achievements in Uganda. Bakir Izetbegovic, chairman of the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), said that China's achievements during the past 40 years since its reform and opening-up are impressive. With the advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative, relations between BiH and China are becoming increasingly close, and the status quo of the relations is satisfactory, Izetbegovic said. He expressed gratitude to China for its support of the economic development of BiH. Slovenian Minister of Culture Dejan Presicek said that ancient Chinese culture has shaped today's China and has fascinated the whole world, adding that the cultural and educational cooperation plans signed by the two sides are being implemented well, which has promoted extensive and in-depth exchanges between the two cultures. Abbas Zaki, a member of Palestine's Fatah Central Committee and Fatah Party commissioner for relations with Arab countries and China, highly appreciated the great achievements China has made in the past 40 years. Zaki positively evaluated the achievements of the long friendship and bilateral relations between Palestine and China, and emphasized that Palestine is willing to work together with China to further promote Palestine-China ties. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 19:37:20|Editor: zh Video Player Close SEOUL, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said here on Sunday that his talks in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) were productive. The top U.S. diplomat made the remark during his meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Seoul after visiting Pyongyang earlier in the day, according to the presidential Blue House of South Korea. Pompeo told Moon that it was very important for him to travel to Seoul right after visiting the DPRK as it indicated South Korea having a very important role in denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. He said his visit to the DPRK was very good and he had productive talks, noting that the two countries walked another step forward though there are lots of things left to do. Moon told the top U.S. diplomat that he had heard of Pompeo's meeting with top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, to which the entire world was paying attention. The South Korean president expressed his hope that Pompeo's visit to the DPRK and the upcoming second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and the DPRK leader become an opportunity to make an irreversible, decisive progress in the denuclearization and peace process on the peninsula. Trump and Kim were forecast to hold their second summit in the near future, after having the first-ever DPRK-U.S. summit in Singapore on June 12. During the third summit in Pyongyang last month between Moon and Kim, the leaders of the two Koreas agreed to denuclearize the peninsula and stop hostile acts along the heavily-fortified border. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 19:45:49|Editor: zh Video Player Close by Lillian Banda LUSAKA, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- In Zambia's capital city Lusaka, Misisi is a slum known for a wide range of anti-social vices that include drug and alcohol abuse and high incidences of domestic violence that characterize lower income communities. Its location, being near the Central Business District (CBD), makes it easy for many vulnerable children to wander away from home in search of what they perceive to be a better life on the streets. To counter this trend, Kingdom Culture Theatre and Media Arts (KCTMA), a local theatre group, has been working with children at risk of living on the street and encouraging those already living on the street to participate in performing arts programs so as to have a better future. The organization is a youth led non-profit entity that serves to empower children and young people using their talents to better their livelihoods and give back to the community. The organization uses theatre and arts, in the form of drama, poetry, cultural dances and music to sensitize communities about the importance of education as well as to raise funds for its programs. Proceeds realized go towards educational support of targeted young people and children and supplementing household incomes of underprivileged families. The young people perform at various events and functions that range from social gatherings to formal meetings. "We believe that every child and young person has a talent, which gives them an opportunity to achieve their dreams and give back to their generation," Honest Kanyanta, the organization's director of programs told Xinhua in an interview. Kanyanta further said that communities where young people come from are complex, creating unsafe environment that expose children to theft, crime and other illicit activities. The idea is to prevent them from going on the streets and instead encourage them to explore their inherent talents and to be in school, he added. Kanyanta observes that a lack of recreational facilities in the slums coupled with high levels of poverty has pushed many children to engage in illicit activities just to survive. "The only recreation facilities in place are bars and other dingy drinking places," he observes. He reveals that his organization has since inception in April this year been able to provide for educational needs of more than 50 children, the majority of whom are in Misisi slum where the organization operates from. According to him, the organization was doing well to improve the lives of people in the slum who have benefited financially, while some have acquired a wide range of livelihood skills such as financial literacy activities. With international donor support dwindling, non-profit organizations particularly from lower income countries are already exploring ways of sustaining projects and programmes within their borders. Organizations like KCTMA have demonstrated that looking within for solutions does pay off after all. Zambia has for a long time grappled with the challenge of street children. To address this, the government embarked on a skills training program for young persons and for street children. However, the majority of those that received training in various skills ended up on the street because they could not find jobs and sometimes lack of proper reintegration mechanisms pushed many back on the streets. In Zambia, causes for children's homelessness range from neglect by parents and guardians, death of parents, poverty, family divorce and abuse forcing children to go and live and work on the streets. In order to survive, many orphans and other vulnerable children engage in various forms of work such as begging for alms and commercial sex work. In Zambia's capital city alone, there are an estimated 30,000 children living on the streets. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 20:19:40|Editor: zh Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- The export of Israeli goods to China surged 62.7 percent in the first eight months of the year compared with the same period in 2017, according to Foreign Trade in Goods report published Sunday by the state's Bureau of Statistics. During this period (January-August 2018), Israeli exports to China totaled 3.489 billion U.S. dollars, compared to 2.144 billion U.S. dollars in the first eight months of 2017 and 3.31 billion U.S. dollars in all of 2017. The data also show that in August 2018 Israeli exports to China totaled 291 million U.S. dollars, compared with 265 million U.S. dollars in August 2017, an increase of 9.8 percent. Israeli imports from China rose by 9.9 percent in January-August, totaling 4.893 billion U.S. dollars, compared with 4.45 billion U.S. dollars in the same period in 2017. In August 2018 Israeli imports from China totaled 711.9 million U.S. dollars, compared with 640.8 million U.S. dollars in 2017, an increase of 11.1 percent. Exports of Israeli goods worldwide, excluding diamonds, totaled 3.91 billion U.S. dollars in August. 37 percent of the amount was to EU countries, 24 percent to the United States and 19 percent to Asian countries. Israeli imports totaled 6.8 billion U.S. dollars in August. 41 percent of total imports came from EU countries, 16 percent from the U.S. and 23 percent from Asia. The Israeli deficit in trade of goods amounted to 2.89 billion U.S. dollars at that month. In June-August there was an increase of 7.3 percent in Israeli imports, on an annual calculation, and an increase of 3.6 percent in exports. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 20:58:25|Editor: ZX Video Player Close A voter gets ballot papers at a polling station in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), on Oct. 7, 2018. BiH held general elections on Sunday to elect its tripartite members of the presidency, state and entity-level assemblies. (Xinhua/Haris Memija) SARAJEVO, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) held general elections on Sunday to elect its tripartite members of the presidency, state and entity-level assemblies. At a press conference, the country's Central Election Commission (CIK) revealed that until 11 a.m. local time, the turnout stood at 11.41 percent, similar to the 2014 general elections. More than 3.38 million BiH voters are expected to cast their ballots during the day to elect a new presidency and parliament. Voting results are expected to come out late Sunday night. Voting began at 7 a.m. on Sunday at 5,794 polling stations across the country, and will end at 7 p.m. the same day. Fifty-eight political parties, 36 coalitions and 34 independent candidates are running in the elections with a total of 7,497 candidates running for 518 positions for all levels of government. Head of the Coalition for Fair Elections "Under the Magnifier", Dario Jovanovic, said that there were 99 critical situations so far. Of them, 49 were related to the removal of observers from polling stations due to the lack of communication between different levels of electoral administration. The rest were related to incidental violations of the electoral process in polling stations, mainly inappropriate speech. "Thirty eight cases were successfully resolved in cooperation with local election commissions," Jovanovic said at a press conference. In the 2014 general elections, there were 50 political parties, 24 coalitions and 24 independent candidates. In one of the most complex electoral systems in the world, BiH voters will elect tripartite members of the presidency, which represents the three major ethnic groups of Bosnians, Serbs and Croats. They will also choose a president and two vice presidents of Republika Srpska (RS), one of BiH's entities, and its Assembly members. In addition, voters will choose members of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, Federation of BiH (FBiH) Parliament, and assemblies of ten cantons in FBiH. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 21:33:29|Editor: zh Video Player Close by Pankaj Yadav NEW DELHI, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- The two-day India-Russia annual summit ended in the Indian capital on Friday, during which the two sides formally signed a purchase agreement for the S-400 air defense missile system worth more than 5 billion U.S. dollars. In addition, the two countries signed as many as eight agreements and memorandums of understanding (MOUs), agreeing to strengthen cooperation in the fields of energy, aerospace, railway, economy, trade and agriculture. Addressing a press conference after the agreements' signing ceremony, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that in the ever-changing world, India-Russia bilateral relations had become more important. The India-Russia leaders' summit is the highest level of talks between the two countries. It began in 2000 and took place in rotation between the two countries. During Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to India in 2010, the relationship between the two countries was upgraded from "strategic partnership" to "extraordinary strategic partnership." This summit was also the third meeting between Modi and Putin this year. In May the two held an informal summit in the Russian city of Sochi. Regardless of the U.S. warning citing Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), India and Russia signed the S-400 air defense missile system deal which remained the highest point of Putin's visit to India. According to the agreement, India will purchase the anti-aircraft missile system from Russia worth 5.43 billion U.S. dollars, which will be delivered to India by the end of 2020. The S-400 air defense missile system belongs to the fourth generation of the Russian air defense missile system, which can hit missiles and aircraft 400 km away, and the S-400 radar system can detect targets beyond 600 km. Before Putin's visit to India, the U.S. had warned that the Russian S-400 air defense missile defense system is the "key area" for the U.S. to determine sanctions. It also did not rule out sanctions against India under the CAATSA. However, after the deal was formally inked by India and Russia, the U.S. embassy in New Delhi made a cautious statement mentioning that the purpose of the U.S. sanctions against Russia was "not to undermine the military capabilities of allies or partners." As an exception, if an agreement does not threaten the security of the United States or its allies, and there is evidence that buyers have been cutting their defense imports and dependence on Russia, the U.S. president can grant an exemption to the country. At the same time, this exemption also needs to be approved by the U.S. Congress. New Delhi has been trying to convince Washington that it hopes to receive this sanction exemption. Besides the defence deal, India and Russia also strengthened cooperation in other areas like energy, as the two sides are studying the possibility of building a natural gas pipeline from Russia to India, and encouraging Indian companies to jointly exploit oil in Russia. The two countries also indicated that they will strengthen cooperation in nuclear energy and renewable resources. India has significantly increased its investment in the Russian energy sector in recent years, and Russia has become India's main natural gas supplier. In 2017, India's energy imports from Russia increased tenfold. According to one of the MoUs signed by the two countries, Russia will also help India in completing its first manned space mission and train astronauts for India. Only two months ago Modi announced in his Independence Day speech that India will complete its first manned space mission by 2022, becoming the fourth country after the U.S., Russia and China to achieve this feat. In the economic and trade field, the two sides indicated that they will hold the first strategic economic dialogue meeting in Russia this year, and increase bilateral investment to 30 billion U.S. dollars by 2025. In 2017-18, the two countries' trade volume reached 10.17 billion U.S. dollars, which is a 20-percent increase year-on-year. The two sides also agreed to strengthen coordination among multilateral organizations such as the UN, the BRICS, the SCO and the G20, and are committed to counter-terrorism cooperation to jointly tackle the threat of terrorism and drug trafficking. In an interview with Xinhua, Ashok Sajjanhar, the former Indian ambassador to Kazakhstan, pointed out that the India-Russia strategic partnership has stood the test of time and is an important pillar of India's foreign policy. Swaran Singh, a professor at the institute of International Relations at the Delhi-based Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), believed that the India-Russia strategic partnership is very important because both countries face major challenges. He pointed out that India's diplomacy, centered on "strategic autonomy," will continue to maintain a balance between all major powers. Russia has always been the most reliable partner in areas such as defense, space and nuclear technology. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 21:35:36|Editor: zh Video Player Close BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Four Vietnamese fishermen were ordered to pay fines or face jail term after they pleaded guilty to illegal fishing in Brunei waters. According to a statement from Brunei's Ministry of Defense, the fishing vessel conducting illegal fishing activities in Brunei waters about 130 nautical miles from the coast of Brunei was apprehended by the Royal Brunei Navy on Sept. 27. The 44-year-old vessel owner was fined by Brunei's court 10,000 Brunei dollars (7,234 U.S. dollars), or ordered to serve 10 months' jail in default of payment. The other three crew men were each fined 1,000 Brunei dollars (723 U.S. dollars) or a month's jail in default of payment. This is the second foreign fishing vessel was apprehended by the navy this year, the first being in May when 37 Vietnamese men, aged 18 to 52, were found conducting illegal fishing on a Vietnam-registered vessel within Brunei waters. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 21:44:19|Editor: zh Video Player Close YAOUNDE, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Cameroonian President Paul Biya cast his ballot in the country's presidential election Sunday at noon in the capital Yaounde at the Government Primary School Bastos polling station. Biya told reporters soon after casting his vote that he was pleased with the way voting was unfolding in the country. "I feel satisfied after accomplishing my right. I see that things are going on well, there are no fights. The electoral campaign unfolded in serenity. The election represents one more step for me and a great satisfaction if I am elected." Biya said. Joshua Osih of the Social Democratic Front, the leading opposition candidate, also cast his ballot in the country's economic capital, Douala at Lycee Joss polling station. "This election is not about the candidate. What matters most for this election is what the future holds for the country considering the war going on in the country. The information we are receiving this morning from Northwest and Southwest regions is not good," Osih said after voting, who mentioned the Anglophone crisis that is underway for about 2 years. Local media reported clashes between government forces and armed separatists in the restive Anglophone regions as registered voters await to cast their votes. "A vehicle belonging to state media Cameroon Tribune was attacked by the separatists in Buea, Southwest region but no one was injured. Most of the polling stations are not functioning because there are no voters yet. Officials are still trying to vote in some polling stations that are heavily guarded by government forces." Derick Jato, a local journalist told Xinhua from Buea. Armed separatist forces fighting to create a new nation in the two Anglophone regions of Northwest and Southwest called "Ambazonia" have vowed to stop the vote from taking place in the two regions. There are 6,617,854 people registered to vote in the poll, according to Cameroonian electoral body, Elections Cameroon. Voting ends at 6 pm local time. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 21:51:47|Editor: zh Video Player Close RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's President Michel Temer voted on Sunday morning in a school in Sao Paulo to choose his successor. "Whoever is elected, it is by the will of the people," he said. Temer was halfway through his second term as vice-president when he took over the presidency after the impeachment of his predecessor, Dilma Rousseff, in 2016. The candidate of Temer's party Brazilian Democratic Movement (PMDB) is former central bank governor and finance minister Henrique Meirelles, who fell behind in the race and is featured in the fifth or sixth place in most polls. In addition to choosing a new president and vice president, over 147 million electors in Brazil will also choose 27 new governors and vice-governors, 54 senators, 513 federal and 1,059 state representatives. Since Brazil exclusively uses electronic ballots, vote counting is very fast and results should be known before midnight. According to the most recent polls, the presidential race will proceed to a second round featuring far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro from the Social Liberal Party (PSL), and Fernando Haddad from the Workers' Party, who took over from former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva after his candidacy was turned down. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 21:51:03|Editor: zh Video Player Close MANAMA, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Bahrain's parliament on Sunday approved the Value Added Tax (VAT) at the rate of five percent effective from Jan. 1, 2019. New pension rules for public representatives that would lower benefits have also been approved. Lawmakers on Sunday voted behind closed doors during an extraordinary session. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) implemented VAT on goods and services from January this year. Bahrain is using the International Monetary Fund's (IMF's) assistance to plan economic reforms as low crude prices put heavy pressure on the state's finance. IMF has recommended Bahrain to introduce VAT, cutting spending on social transfers and freezing public sector wages. Last week, Bahrain signed an agreement with Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, where the Gulf countries will fund a 10-billion-dollar package as part of a Fiscal Balance Programme. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 22:04:57|Editor: ZX Video Player Close Brazilian presidential candidate of the Social Liberal Party Jair Bolsonaro arrives at a polling station during the general elections, in Marechal Hermes, in the north of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Oct. 7, 2018. Brazilians began to cast votes in the general elections on Sunday expected to produce a new president and state and federal legislators. (Xinhua/Thiago Ribeiro/AGIF/AGENCIA ESTADO) RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct.7 (Xinhua) -- Brazilians began to cast votes in the general elections on Sunday expected to produce a new president and state and federal legislators. Polling booths are open across the South American country, with those in Acre state two hours behind those in the capital city Brasilia due to a time difference. In the elections, in addition to electing a new president and vice president, over 147 million voters will also choose 27 new governors and vice-governors, 54 senators, 513 federal and 1,059 state representatives. The voting will run from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time (from 1100 GMT to 2000 GMT). Preliminary results are expected to be available by midnight thanks to the exclusive use of electronic ballots, which makes it easy to count the ballots. According to the Brazilian government, some 240,000 people from the local and federal police, the Armed Forces, traffic control, electoral court and the Brazilian Intelligence Agency are working to ensure security during the election. Among them, the military personnel are in charge of transporting the ballots to the voting sites, some of them in remote rural areas. In a speech broadcast by radio and TV on Saturday night, President of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) Rosa Weber called for tolerance in this election. "May words like dialogue and tolerance return to our civic dictionary," she said. Recent polls showed Jair Bolsonaro of the far-right Social Liberal Party taking the lead in public support, followed by the leftist Workers' Party's candidate Fernando Haddad, who replaced former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva after Lula was banned from running. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 22:34:02|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close HANGZHOU, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- More senior Chinese citizens are using mobile payment in overseas consumption, according to statistics released by leading Chinese online payment platform Alipay. The number of those born in the 1960s using mobile payment overseas was more than 90 percent higher during this year's National Day holiday, the highest growth among all age groups, according to Alipay. Chinese tourists use mobile payment more frequently when traveling abroad, according to the figures released Sunday by Alipay. Chinese tourists are increasingly getting used to shopping via mobile payment overseas, said Janice Chen, with Alipay. China's mobile payments continued fast growth in the second quarter of 2018, the central bank data showed. The country's banks processed 14.92 billion mobile payment transactions in Q2, up 73 percent year on year, according to the People's Bank of China. The value of these transactions totalled 62.88 trillion yuan (9.16 trillion U.S. dollars), up 60 percent year on year. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 22:35:13|Editor: zh Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- At least 36 girls were hospitalised after an unruly mob barged into a residential girls school in India's eastern state of Bihar and thrashed the students, officials said Sunday. The incident took place Saturday evening in Triveniganj of Supaul district, about 267 km northeast of Patna, the capital city of Bihar. "At least 30 schoolgirls were admitted in hospital here. They were thrashed by miscreants for allegedly resisting sexual advances," sub-district magistrate Triveniganj told media. "The accused will be arrested soon and strict action will be taken in this regard." Local media reports said some girls in self-defence thrashed a few boys who had sneaked inside the school premises during the day and allegedly misbehaved with the students. The girls in the school are aged between 12 to 16 years. "Following the incident in the evening boys returned with their parents and relatives and barged into the school. The mob surrounded the campus and targeted the frightened girls and their teachers," a local media report said. "Despite requests from the school principal, the mob beat up the students and teachers." The incident has evoked strong condemnation. Meanwhile, police said they have formed teams to carry out raids to arrest the people involved in this incident. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 23:11:00|Editor: yan Video Player Close RAMALLAH, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Executive Committee of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Sunday officially called on the Palestinian Central Council to convene in the West Bank city of Ramallah on October 26. The PLO Central Council is the mini-parliament of the PLO, whose parliament in exile is called the Palestinian National Council (PNC). The official call of the PLO executive committee was made during a meeting chaired by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the city. "The Central Council will convene on October 26 to implement the resolutions of the National and Central Councils, the mechanisms and the timetables," an official statement said at the end of the meeting. The PLO Central Council is the second highest PLO establishment. It convened earlier on January to respond to U.S. President Donald Trump's decision, which recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December 6. At the end of January meeting, the council decided to suspend the Palestinian recognition of Israel until the latter recognizes the state of Palestine on 1967 borders and also annuls its decision of annexing East Jerusalem and stops settlement. The council also renewed its decision made in March 2015 to stop security coordination with Israel in all its forms and to break the relationship of economic dependence that was enshrined in the Paris Economic Agreement. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 23:31:02|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BERLIN, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Italian government has threatened to close its country's airports amid reports that Germany is preparing to deport groups of migrants to Italy, the German Press Agency (DPA) reported on Sunday. "If anyone -- in Berlin or Brussels -- plans to dump off dozens of migrants with non-authorized charter flights, he should know that no airport is available or will be," said Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, cited by DPA. "We're closing the airports, just like we've already closed the ports," said Salvini, the head of the anti-migrant League party and the architect of Italy's strict policy on migrants. Italy's populist-rightwing coalition, and its hardline anti-immigrant stance, made international headlines when it closed the nation's ports to humanitarian vessels carrying rescued migrants. According to DPA, employees at Munich's airport said that the southern German state of Bavaria is planning a first set of group deportations to Italy in the coming days, for those migrants who arrived at the German border but first registered in Italy. The sources said Bavarian police are to accompany a charter flight with the migrants onboard to Italy, which is responsible for their asylum applications according to EU rules, DPA reported. Germany has for several years been a popular destination for many migrants arriving in Europe, but the issue has become a hot topic in German elections, especially in Bavaria, where regional elections are to be held next weekend. A spokesman for the Bavarian authorities responsible for asylum applications and deportations denied that there were plans for large-scale returns this week. "There isn't any charter flight this week," DPA cited the spokesman as saying. Bavaria does finance its own flights for deportation, but these are "coordinated with federal police", he added. A deportation by charter plane to Milan was already carried out at the end of July, according to the German Interior Ministry. In the first half of the year, Germany sought to return 10,748 migrants to Italy. Only 1,692 foreigners were actually returned to Italy in the first half of 2018, DPA said. Most of them were being sent back according to the so-called Dublin rules, under which migrants must register asylum claims in the EU member state where they first set foot, and that country remains responsible for handling their claims, according to DPA. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-07 23:31:04|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close BEIJING, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Australian Ballet will perform the classic "The Sleeping Beauty" at the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Beijing from Oct. 11 to 14. "Sleeping Beauty is our newest production. It is grand and lavish," said Artistic Director David McAllister in a previous interview with Xinhua in June. "What I did was make it shorter. It was four hours' long, and I trimmed it down to have it focus on Aurora, the main character, so as to make it strong." This will be the company's ninth visit to China since its establishment in 1962. They will also perform "The Sleeping Beauty" in Shanghai and "Giselle" in Nanjing later this month. As one of the world's premier ballet companies, the Australian Ballet regularly represents Australia on the world stage and has performed to critical acclaim in 87 cities worldwide, according to the NCPA website. Italian interior minister Matteo Salvini met with Tunisian interior minister Hichem Fourati during Salvini's official visit in Tunis, capital of Tunisia, on September 27, 2018. Salvini said Italy will make efforts to halt illegal immigration from Tunisia by boosting investment in the country to eliminate the root causes of illegal immigration. (Xinhua/Adele Ezzine) BERLIN, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Italian government has threatened to close its country's airports amid reports that Germany is preparing to deport groups of migrants to Italy, the German Press Agency (DPA) reported on Sunday. "If anyone -- in Berlin or Brussels -- plans to dump off dozens of migrants with non-authorized charter flights, he should know that no airport is available or will be," said Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, cited by DPA. "We're closing the airports, just like we've already closed the ports," said Salvini, the head of the anti-migrant League party and the architect of Italy's strict policy on migrants. Italy's populist-rightwing coalition, and its hardline anti-immigrant stance, made international headlines when it closed the nation's ports to humanitarian vessels carrying rescued migrants. According to DPA, employees at Munich's airport said that the southern German state of Bavaria is planning a first set of group deportations to Italy in the coming days, for those migrants who arrived at the German border but first registered in Italy. The sources said Bavarian police are to accompany a charter flight with the migrants onboard to Italy, which is responsible for their asylum applications according to EU rules, DPA reported. Germany has for several years been a popular destination for many migrants arriving in Europe, but the issue has become a hot topic in German elections, especially in Bavaria, where regional elections are to be held next weekend. A spokesman for the Bavarian authorities responsible for asylum applications and deportations denied that there were plans for large-scale returns this week. "There isn't any charter flight this week," DPA cited the spokesman as saying. Bavaria does finance its own flights for deportation, but these are "coordinated with federal police", he added. A deportation by charter plane to Milan was already carried out at the end of July, according to the German Interior Ministry. In the first half of the year, Germany sought to return 10,748 migrants to Italy. Only 1,692 foreigners were actually returned to Italy in the first half of 2018, DPA said. Most of them were being sent back according to the so-called Dublin rules, under which migrants must register asylum claims in the EU member state where they first set foot, and that country remains responsible for handling their claims, according to DPA. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-08 00:28:41|Editor: yan Video Player Close GAZA, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) condemned on Sunday in an official statement the Palestinian refugees' fatalities in eastern Gaza Strip. UNRWA said in an emailed press statement that it also deplored the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in the impoverished coastal enclave of the Gaza Strip. "On Sept. 28, violence in Gaza led to the death of seven Palestinians including two children, one of whom was a UNRWA student," the statement said. "Between March 31 and Sept. 30, UNRWA's 22 health centers across the Gaza Strip have provided 4,104 consultations for injuries sustained in the protests, more than 770 of which related to children," it added. "The majority of these (86%) have suffered from gunshot injuries, usually resulting in serious bodily harm," UNRWA said. Gaza Health Ministry said that 198 Palestinians were killed and 22,000 injured since March 30. The Palestinians have been organizing weekly protests in eastern Gaza Strip close to the border with Israel. UNRWA said that in recent months, the deepening humanitarian crisis has further ravaged the Gaza Strip. "We are witnessing an extreme phase in Gaza, as living conditions which are already intolerable, continue deteriorating," UNRWA said. It called on all parties "to take actions to ensure prevention of further violence in the context of a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-08 00:27:42|Editor: yan Video Player Close YINCHUAN, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- As tourist Qian Yunxia goes off to the Helanshan National Forest Park, she brings with her a bag of garbage and takes it to a bank in exchange for gifts at the foot of the mountain area. "It's a beautiful place, and we should keep it clean," said Qian, from Gansu Province. The "garbage bank" in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region has seen its "business" soar during the National Day holiday, during which tourists flocked to the scenic area. The bank pays "interest" such as souvenirs and even free trips for tourists who collect and deposit garbage from the mountain. The bank has four big dumpsters and was set up in July in the parking lot of the park to clean up the local environment. Tourists can bring garbage they collect to exchange for Goji berries, or wolfberries, paper fans and other hand-made souvenirs. "Rewards are not the most important," Qian said. "The point is to keep our mother earth beautiful." The mighty Helan Mountain stretches across Ningxia and Inner Mongolia and is an important ecological barrier in the northwest. The forest park is tucked away in the mountains and boasts a variety of undulating hills, thick forests and playful animals. But while visiting the park is pleasant, cleaning it is not. According to Bai Yuyin, a sanitation worker who has been working at the scenic spot for years, garbage in the park used to be a big headache for them. "Garbage is usually scattered around the mountain, and collecting it is hard and dangerous," Bai said. "Some tourists even toss beer bottles into the valleys just to hear the sound." Wang An'ping, assistant manager of the park, said tainting the Helan Mountain will destroy everything, and that environmental protection is urgent. In July, local volunteers opened the garbage bank, and Wang said they "finally figured out a cost-effective way to encourage tourists to reduce garbage." Besides souvenirs, tourists selected by the park will also enjoy access to the park free of charge three times throughout the year, while their companions can receive a 50 percent discount. Since the project was launched, less garbage was seen in the area. "We handed out about 2,000 garbage bags every day during the National Day holiday, which greatly reduced garbage here," said Xue Yan, a volunteer at the park. "Raising public awareness of environmental protection will be a long process, and we will continue to implement the project in the future," said Wang An'ping. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-08 01:41:39|Editor: yan Video Player Close DAMASCUS, Oct.7 (Xinhua) -- Syria's President Bashar al-Assad said Sunday that the remaining rebel-held areas in Syria will return under the government control, adding that the demilitarized zone deal in Idlib province is temporary. According to the state news agency SANA, Assad said during a central committee meeting of the ruling al-Baath party that the recently reached demilitarized zone deal in Idlib is a temporary measure through which the Syrian government has made gains, mainly stemming the bloodshed. On Sept. 30, Turkey and Russia agreed to set up a demilitarized zone in northwestern Syria by Oct. 15 between the Syrian forces and the rebel groups. The demilitarized zone is planned to be established in areas between Aleppo, the northeastern countryside of Latakia province and Idlib. The rebels will have to withdraw heavy weapons from the planned area with the Turkish and Russian forces patrolling the demilitarized zone. Idlib is the last major rebel stronghold in Syria. The Syrian army was planning to launch a wide-scale offensive to retake Idlib as well as rebel-held pockets in the northern countryside of Hama, the northeastern countryside of Latakia and the western countryside of Aleppo. The Turkish-backed rebels have started withdrawing some heavy weapons from the planned demilitarized zone, while the al-Qaida linked groups have expressed rejection to the deal. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-08 04:42:23|Editor: yan Video Player Close ANKARA, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Looted and missing pieces of the famous "Gipsy Girl" mosaic, found in the ancient Roman city of Zeugma which became the symbol of southeastern Turkey's Gaziantep, will be returned to Turkey at the end of October from the United States after years of diplomatic efforts. Fatma Sahin, the mayor of Gaziantep, said that 12 ancient Zeugma mosaics looted during illegal excavations nearly 50 years ago and parts of the frames of the renowned mosaic will finally return after years of negotiations and diplomatic efforts. "This is a four-year long work. We have worked with four of our ministers and our president intervened in this process. We have undertaken a serious work in diplomacy," said Sahin, calling the fascinating mosaic the "Turkish Mona Lisa." Sahin explained that she will personally go to Ohio in the United States to pick up the artifacts. "The Gypsy Girl will be joining her family" in Zeugma, she added. The "Gipsy Girl" named after its resemblance to gypsies is in fact believed to be GAIA, the ancestral mother of all life, according to Greek mythology. It is among the most famous pieces of work on display at the Zeugma Mosaic Museum, the world's biggest one, which has attracted visitors from around the world since it opened in 2011. The Gypsy Girl's disheveled hair, prominent cheekbones and haunting eyes have become somewhat of the face of Gaziantep since it was unearthed in the ancient city. The missing and soon-to-be-returned pieces are currently on display in the United States at the Wolfe Arts Center of Ohio Bowling Green State University (BGSU). An agreement has been sealed in May with this university for the repatriation of the artifacts. According to the agreement, the cost of packing and transfer will be paid by the country's ministry. The BGSU will receive high-quality replicas of the mosaics from the Metropolitan Municipality of Gaziantep. The Ohio university purchased the pieces from an antiquities dealer in 1965. They have been exhibited behind thick protective glass on the floor of the university's Wolfe Center for the Arts. The pieces were said to be part of approved archaeological excavation overseen by Princeton University in Turkey's ancient city of Antioch, modern-day Antakya, until 2012. Then researchers revealed that the pieces of chiseled stone and glass depicting masks of ancient Greek figures and birds actually formed part of a frame of a mosaic panel known as "Gypsy Girl." Soner Atesogullari, head of Turkish Archeologists Association, hailed years of efforts deployed by the Turkish authorities to obtain the repatriation of the artifacts. "We appreciate and support the diplomatic and judicial hunt launched by Turkey for the restitution of artifacts smuggled abroad," said the archeologist to Xinhua. However, Atesogullari emphasized that education plays a crucial role in raising awareness on the cultural heritage of Turkey and that combating and punishing illegal excavations and treasure hunting, which is popular in Turkey and nowadays with metal detectors bought on the internet, is an absolute must. The ancient city of Zeugma was founded in present day Gaziantep by one of Alexander the Great's generals in 300 B.C. and was conquered by the Roman Empire in 64 A.D.. It is known for its wealth of ancient Greek mosaics, frescoes, and artifacts. The city became one of the major cities of the Roman eastern frontier with a garrison of over 6,000 soldiers. The city's bridge over the Euphrates river made it one of the most critical and wealthy trading centers in the region, on the silk routes to the East. According to official data, the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism has managed to obtain, after lengthy judicial and diplomatic procedures, some 4,300 artifacts illegally smuggled from Turkey, tracking dozens of pieces in around 20 countries by a team of experts. Most recently, Turkey retrieved the stolen 2,200-year-old Sarcophagus of mythical Greek warrior Hercules from Switzerland. This pearl of Turkey's historical richness is exhibited now at the Antalya Museum, the region where it was stolen from. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-08 04:42:23|Editor: yan Video Player Close RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Brazilians went to the polls on Sunday in general elections widely described as highly "polarized," with the two leading candidates on opposite ends of the political spectrum. As he cast his ballot in Rio de Janeiro, right-wing populist Jair Bolsonaro, of the Social Liberal Party (PSL), who led pre-election surveys with a commanding 36.7 percent lead, said he was confident of winning enough votes to forgo the need for a runoff later this month. "It ends today," the tough-talking candidate said when asked about the possibility of having to hold a second electoral round on Oct. 28. "We have the support of important sectors of society: business owners, merchants, evangelical leaders, good people of Brazil who want to get away from socialism ... People who want a liberal economy, with less state (regulation), who want to defend family values," Bolsonaro said. Haddad, of the left-leaning Workers' Party (PT), which has been in power for most of the past 15 years, cast his ballot in Sao Paulo. Haddad went into the elections with 25 percent voter support after he was designated on Sept. 11 to replace the PT's initial candidate, the popular two-time ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Lula led the presidential polls but was disqualified from running due to his conviction on corruption charges he claims were politically motivated to prevent his reelection. At a breakfast earlier in the day with members of a local metalworkers' union, Haddad said he expected to face off against Bolsonaro in a second round. "There are people who don't want a runoff because in that case you have to present your arguments and compare the (rival) proposals. That exposure handicaps the candidate who has no proposals," said Haddad. After casting his ballot at a school in Sao Paulo, Brazil's President Michel Temer referred to the current polarized climate, saying it would dissipate following the elections. "The power belongs to the people. It won't belong to Bolsonaro or Haddad or whoever it is ... After the dispute is over, you'll see that all Brazilians are going to unite," said Temer. The latest polls released Saturday night show Bolsonaro securing some 40 percent of the vote, but not the more than 50 percent needed to win the first round outright. However, surveys indicate Bolsonaro would defeat Haddad in a runoff, by 45 to 43 percent, according to pollster Datafolha, or 45 to 41 percent, according to polling firm Ibope. Voting is mandatory in Brazil, where more than 147 million people are eligible to vote for their next president, as well as governors, and local and federal legislators. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-08 04:42:23|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BUCHAREST, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Low voter turnout invalidated Romania's referendum on family redefinition, according to the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) late Sunday. Only 20.41 percent of the electors showed up to the polling stations in the two days of referendum, data by the BEC showed. The laws require at least 30 percent of registered voters to participate in the referendum and 25 percent of voters to cast a valid "Yes" or "No" vote for the result to be validated. Over 18,000,000 voters were expected on Saturday and Sunday at the polls for a referendum to revise the Constitution to redefine family as a freely consented marriage between a man and a woman, replacing the current form that defines the family as the free-willed marriage "between spouses." "The Romania of tomorrow, the Romania of Monday, will be exactly the same Romania as that of Friday, as the one before the referendum," said on Sunday Dan Barna, chairman of the Save Romania Union, the only political party in the parliament against the referendum. The cabinet decided on the date of the referendum on Sept. 18, in response to an initiative signed by 3 million citizens calling for a clear definition of the family concept. The initiative, launched by the Coalition for Family in late 2015, is considered to block any possibility of same-sex marriages in Romania. Same-sex marriages are not allowed in Romania, according to the Civil Code. However, many people believe that the concept of marriage must be clarified in the Constitution to eliminate the possibility of amending the Civil Code. The leader of the Coalition for Family, Mihai Gheorghiu, on late Sunday attributed the failure of the referendum to the generalized boycott from the political class, mass-media and the disinformation of citizens. The Senate, as a decision-making chamber of the parliament, adopted on Sept. 11 the citizens' initiative which was previously passed by the Chamber of Deputies on May 9, 2017. The amendment is also supported by the major Orthodox Church with over 85 percent adherence among the population, as well as many other religious groups in the eastern European country. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-08 04:42:23|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was saddened by the tragic loss of life and injuries caused by Saturday's earthquake in northwest Haiti, said his spokesman on Sunday. The secretary-general extended his condolences to the families of the victims and to the Haitian government, said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, in a statement. The United Nations stands ready to support the government of Haiti in the response efforts, said the statement. A magnitude-5.9 earthquake hit Haiti late Saturday, killing at least 10 people. Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-08 05:58:09|Editor: yan Video Player Close by Raimundo Urrechaga HAVANA, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- New tax regulations for Cuba's budding private sector aim to improve transparency and curb tax evasion, according to officials. Before the new rules take effect on Dec. 7, workshops are being held across the island for those in the private sector, small business owners and their employees, who have to abide by the new laws and the government officials who have to apply them. The goal is not just to explain the changes in tax laws, but to stress how important the fledgling sector is to Cuba's development as it tries to shrink a bloated public sector that was for decades the island's sole employer. In recent years, the numbers of Cuba's self-employed, as those in the private sector are called here, has rapidly grown. Today, the sector employs nearly 600,000 people and is an important source of revenue for government coffers. However, Cubans' lack of experience with taxation led to lax bookkeeping and tax evasion. In response, the government ruled the self-employed must now open a fiscal bank account. That is the single-biggest measure introduced by the new rules, according to Vladimir Regueiro, director of tax policy at the Ministry of Finance and Prices. "The purpose of these accounts is for private-sector workers to have greater control over their incomes and also for the country's tax authorities to operate in a transparent, safe, digital system," Regueiro said on state-run television. The law requires 80 percent of an earner's income be deposited into the account. The remaining 20 percent can be paid in cash. Workers will have to file a tax return at the end of each year. The new regulations had been expected since the government temporarily stopped issuing operating permits for some popular business categories last year, saying it needed to develop better rules for the fast-growing private sector. The measures are the first major reform-oriented move taken by President Miguel Diaz-Canel since he was elected in April. The new regulations also limit business permits to one per person, in a bid to encourage private enterprise without letting wealth become concentrated in the hands of a few. "A person owning several businesses is far from the principles that sustain the approved policy of allowing limited private enterprise," first deputy Labor minister, Marta Feito, told the press. "Through this new policy, we aim to address problems, like small businesses using the black market, evading taxes and wealth concentration," she said. Many Cubans have taken advantage of the policy to establish small businesses, often in their own homes, such as restaurants, beauty salons, and bed-and-breakfasts. The number of Cubans working in the private sector has nearly quadrupled to more than 593,000 since 2010, representing around 13 percent of the country's overall workforce. Cuba's nascent private sector first appeared in 1994, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, which led to a severe economic crisis. In 2010, as part of a broader set of political and economic reforms, former President Raul Castro approved rules allowing Cubans to open up their own businesses in some 200 different categories. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad speaks during an interview with Russian television channel NTV, in Damascus, Syria in this handout released on June 24, 2018. (SANA/Reuters) DAMASCUS, Oct.7 (Xinhua) -- Syria's President Bashar al-Assad said Sunday that the remaining rebel-held areas in Syria will return under the government control, adding that the demilitarized zone deal in Idlib province is temporary. According to the state news agency SANA, Assad said during a central committee meeting of the ruling al-Baath party that the recently reached demilitarized zone deal in Idlib is a temporary measure through which the Syrian government has made gains, mainly stemming the bloodshed. On Sept. 30, Turkey and Russia agreed to set up a demilitarized zone in northwestern Syria by Oct. 15 between the Syrian forces and the rebel groups. The demilitarized zone is planned to be established in areas between Aleppo, the northeastern countryside of Latakia province and Idlib. The rebels will have to withdraw heavy weapons from the planned area with the Turkish and Russian forces patrolling the demilitarized zone. Idlib is the last major rebel stronghold in Syria. The Syrian army was planning to launch a wide-scale offensive to retake Idlib as well as rebel-held pockets in the northern countryside of Hama, the northeastern countryside of Latakia and the western countryside of Aleppo. The Turkish-backed rebels have started withdrawing some heavy weapons from the planned demilitarized zone, while the al-Qaida linked groups have expressed rejection to the deal. DPRK leader Kim Jong Un meets with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Pyongyang in this photo released by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on October 7, 2018. ( KCNA via REUTERS) WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. State Department said on Sunday that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Kim Jong Un, have held a productive dialogue earlier in Pyongyang. According to a statement issued by State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert, Pompeo "held productive discussions" with Kim on Sunday, when they "discussed the four elements contained in the U.S.-DPRK Singapore Summit Joint Statement" signed by the two countries' top leaders. "They also discussed the upcoming second summit between President Trump and Chairman Kim and refined options for the location and date of that next summit," the statement read. Pompeo and Kim also agreed to instruct their respective working-level teams to meet soon to intensify discussions on the key remaining issues to deliver on the Singapore Summit Joint Statement. In addition, Kim invited inspectors to visit the Punggye Ri nuclear test site to confirm that it has been irreversibly dismantled, the State Department said. "President Trump looks forward to continuing to build upon the trust established with Chairman Kim in Singapore and anticipates meeting again soon," it added. In a related development, the DPRK is demanding 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 last week. Pompeo was joined by U.S. special representative on DPRK issues Stephen Biegun, and Kim was joined by Kim Yo Jong, first vice department director of the Central Committee of the ruling Worker's Party of Korea (WPK), the statement said. This has been his third tour to the DPRK since he became the U.S. secretary of state. Pompeo met with Kim on Sunday and arrived in Seoul later. He will also travel to Beijing, according to both China and the United States. While speaking with South Korean President Moon Jae-in before the media, Pompeo said that he and the DPRK side "had a good, productive conversation." "There are many steps along the way and we took one of those today; it was another step forward. So this is, I think, a good outcome for all," he noted. "What we all hope will be the denuclearization and the change in the relationship here on the peninsula ...I'm confident together we can achieve the outcome that the world so desperately needs." For his part, Moon said that "I dearly hope that your latest visit, as well as the upcoming U.S.-North Korea summit, which I hope will be happening soon, will make an irreversible and decisive progress in terms of complete denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula as well as the peace process." Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-06 23:28:58|Editor: zh Video Player Close TOKYO, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and visiting U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo exchanged views on the Korean Peninsular issue on Saturday and agreed to continue cooperation in this regard. "We would like to coordinate our policies toward the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's abduction, nuclear and missile issues," Abe said at the outset of his meeting with Pompeo. Pompeo, for his part, said that the United States and Japan having "a full coordinated, unified view of how to proceed" will be needed for denuclearizing the DPRK. He also promised Abe to raise the issue of Japanese nationals allegedly abducted by the DPRK in the 1970s and 1980s during his visit to the DPRK, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. Pompeo also met with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono later in the day. Pompeo is expected to meet DPRK leader Kim Jong Un on Sunday. It will be Pompeo's fourth visit to the DPRK since he took the current portfolio. Following his trip to Pyongyang, Pompeo will also visit South Korea and China, according to the U.S. State Department. 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... Din 90 incoace nu am avut niciun fel de strategie alimentara Din '90 incoace nu am avut niciun fel de strategie alimentara Foto: Arhiva. Realizator: Daniela Petrican - Preturile la alimente, la nivel mondial, au atins cel mai ridicat nivel din ultimul deceniu, dupa ce au crescut cu peste 30% in ultimul [citeste mai departe] Stiri pe aceeasi tema - Patru barbati au deturnat si au incendiat duminica seara un autobuz intr-o comunitate unionista pro-britanica din Irlanda de Nord, informeaza Reuters preluat de agerpres. Politia a comunicat ca a primit informatii despre un incident de deturnare in zona Church Road din Newtownabbey, o suburbie a - Police and gendarmes have enforced, in the last 24 hours, 3,104 sanctions totaling 491,350 lei, as a result of violating the provisions of Law 55/2020 on some measures to prevent and combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Strategic Communication Group (GCS) informed on Sunday. Also, - The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Ludovic Orban, said on Sunday evening that when he is convinced that the National Liberal Party (PNL), "has become a shell that has no connection with the historical party," he will be ready to create a new political construction to continue the past of the - Eight ICU beds for COVID-19 patients, other than those reserved especially for people with certain medical conditions that are confirmed with SARS-CoV-2, are available nationally, the Strategic Communication Group (GCS) announced on Sunday. According to the cited source, there are two free - The Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) supports any demarche that has as an end "the ousting of the Citu Cabinet," if the censure motion that they initiated does not pass, said, on Sunday, at Prima TV, deputy George Simion, co-chair of AUR. "We sign, we vote any demarche that has as - Prime Minister Florin Citu recommended on Friday to journalists and environmental activists who were victims of aggression in Cosna commune, Suceava County to file complaints against the aggressors. At the same time, the head of the Executive asked the state institutions to intervene and "do - Fierce clashes took place in Montenegro on Sunday, as the Serbian Orthodox Church installed the new leader, Joanikije II, in a ceremony that exposed divisions in the Balkan country. Police used tear gas against protesters who threw rocks and bottles in the city of Cetinje. Montenegro split with Serbia - Romania won ten medals, 5 gold and 5 silver, on Sunday at the European Rowing Under-23 Championships in Kruszwica (Poland), and Simona Radis set a world record in women's singles skulls, according to a press release issued to AGERPRES. Romania placed first in the ranking by nation. "The Stiri pe aceeasi tema - N.D. Potrivit reprezentantilor Asociatiei pentru Patrimoniul Regal Peles, Galeria Arhitectilor Pelesului a atras peste 5.000 de vizitatori de toate varstele, din peste 10 tari. Expozitia a fost deschisa, cu acces gratuit, la fiecare sfarsit de saptamana, in perioada 22 august 25 octombrie 2021, cu - Sfantul Augustin (354-430) arata ca intr-o societate exista laolalta, insa fara amestecare, o cetate terestra, imperfecta si corupta, si o Cetate Celesta, superioara din toate punctele de vedere. Cetateanul trebuie sa se supuna rigorilor autoritatii laice pana acolo unde moralitatea crestina a acestuia - Daca v-ati intrebat vreodata care este cea mai spectaculoasa cladire din Bucuresti si nu ati primit raspuns sau nu ati reusit sa o vedeti, avem noi raspunsul: Casa Macca este una dintre cele mai spectaculoase vile din Capitala si urmeaza a fi restaurata. Casa Macca este localizata la intersectia Caii - Studenti ai anului V de la Facultatea de Arhitectura si de la Facultarea de Arhitectura de Interior, insotiti de rectorul Universitatii de Arhitectura si Urbanism Ion Mincu, profesorul universitar Marian Moiceanu, si de decanul Facultatii de Arhitectura de Interior, conferentiar universitar Oana - Atelierul de arte (M3) din mansarda Liceului de Arte Balasa Doamna gazduieste in aceste zile o expozitie cu lucrari ale catorva din fostii elevi. ExpunLuiza Petrisor, Delia Rentea, Anastasia Stroe si Mihail Libearca, acum studenti in primul an la sectii diferite ale Universitatii de Arhitectura si - Libertatea religioasa intre politica si politici. O analiza politica a standardelor internationale, legislatiei nationale si practicii guvernamentale in pandemie (Freedom of Religion or Belief between politics and politics. A political analysis of international standards, national legislation - The National Liberal Party (PNL) Chairman Ludovic Orban, declared on Sunday, in Calarasi, that the objective he assumes, if he obtains a new mandate to lead the party, is to win all the elections in 2024, agerpres reports. "My goal is to win all the elections in 2024. The presidential elections are Artist Ivben Taqiy stands for a portrait in front of his tribute mural to Derrick Rowland along North 52nd Street in West Philadelphia on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018. Taqiy painted the mural in November for Rowland's family. TIM TAI / Staff Photographer Read more Artist Ivben Taqiy sometimes imagines what happens when people come into contact with his work. He hopes they feel inspired and moved. To show black faces, black stories, black joy in a culture that often ignores them, the West Philly native hopes he's offering a chance for visibility. "It's giving a conversation to the people without having to have a conversation with the person," said Taqiy. Having grown up in a religious family that restricted photography, he was inspired to become a portraitist. He paints on canvas, but he also gets commissions for murals what has become a Philadelphia obsession of sorts. In black enclaves, these murals have become ubiquitous, thanks to Mural Arts Philadelphia's projects and a long-established folk art tradition. In them, artists argue, people can reconnect with historical figures, pay tribute in times of loss, record political resistance, and share community culture. Taqiy creates commissioned paintings for anniversaries and birthdays, but business owners also call him for murals at their hair salons, day-care centers and retail stores. By his count, he worked on more than 35 R.I.P. paintings and murals last year. Murals may have a unique place in Philadelphia's landscape, but as the reactions to the recently unveiled Obama portraits shows, portraiture is in the middle of a resurgence. Even after the art form fell out of favor in fine-art circles by the 1950s, a focus on portraiture remained in African American art. Last week, Valerie Mercer, a curator at the Detroit Institute of Arts, explained on the WDET show Detroit Today that this tradition owes its origins to the Harlem Renaissance and has been a vehicle to raise questions about representation. By painting a face on a wall, there's an opportunity to express black identity, but also the impulse to present a manicured version of black life in the face of caricatures and racist portrayals. The artist Shawn Theodore, who also goes by the name xST, has noticed that many walls in Philadelphia are influenced by notable black artists over time. The faces might follow the tradition of Horace Pippin and be wide-set. Light rays might beam like artist Aaron Douglas dreamed them up. And then there's the "hyperreal depictions [where it's] super-important that they're very correct and accurate, but they're highly stylized," said Theodore. "The highly stylized pieces are necessary, because we see ourselves highly stylized." Taqiy's murals often have a storybook look his subjects are often cheery people who appear as if they're stepping out of a shadow. "It definitely is a responsibility, because you're now a history-maker," said Taqiy. "You have the responsibility of saying what shade you're going to make that person, what height you're going to make that person, what weight you're going to make that person." Street art is a mode for self-expression, but more than that, it's a way to memorialize someone on a budget. "It's much easier to have paint than to find yourself in the midst of casting bronze or masonry," said Theodore. Camilo Jose Vergara, an urban photographer who shoots murals around the country, put it this way: "If you have money, you buy a whole building and donate it to the University of Pennsylvania. Other folks have other ways to leave their imprint, to be remembered." For Mural Arts, Willis "Nomo" Humphrey has painted about eight tribute murals, including of the Roots on South Street, a grinning Kevin Hart near Broad and Erie, and Richard Allen with the likenesses of other heroes at the A.M.E. Church's headquarters, among other homages. The design for his Octavius V. Catto mural will be unveiled next week. "There's a lot of stories that have to be told," said Humphrey. "A mural is a way to have that front and center." Mural Arts produces around 75 to 100 artworks annually. Last year, the tally was 101, with 41 projects stemming from community proposals. Mural Arts received 300 applications in 2017. The approval process varies: An application from a community group might spur a roundup of neighborhood stakeholders. A proposed mural of a jazz musician might inspire the organization to reach out to arts advocates. If artists have a concept, they'll research the community's leanings to make sure it's a good fit. Some public art advocates say new construction is getting precedence over old murals in gentrifying neighborhoods. (For his part, Theodore photographs folk murals as a means of preserving them.) Others, they say, are deteriorating, as the city's aging building stock contends with blight. Theodore and Vergara said Mural Arts might choose an artist from outside Philadelphia, and include people in the decision-making process who aren't from the neighborhood. "The neighborhood does not speak through someone coming in and having that person's idea filtered through a committee," said Vergara. "It tends to be patronizing and sort of boring sometimes." Golden said projects call for finding "the sweet spot" between community hopes and an artist's perspective. "I see our work as a nexus of the public, the private, the social, the civic and the aesthetic." Humphrey acknowledged that working for Mural Arts calls for compromise. "I don't think I'd be able to make inroads into the schools and into the prisons on my own," he said. He approaches projects understanding that at times, "my voice is going to have to be lowered, and I have to willing to be flexible. I think it's a balance." An early example of black empowerment murals is inside the sanctuary in North Philadelphia's Church of the Advocate, where artists Walter Edmonds and Richard Watson spent three years in the 1970s reinterpreting biblical passages into scenes of black history and resistance. Watson, now an artist-in-residence and exhibitions manager at the African American Museum in Philadelphia, looked around the sanctuary on a recent Tuesday afternoon. He based the murals on his own experiences as a civil rights activist who'd been raised in a Baptist church. "That's the only perspective I could come from," said Watson. Initially, he said, he remembers wondering, "How I could tell a story that could be perpetual in this church?" But today, he realizes that their significance will always evolve. "It's an ongoing process, and the murals touch people where they are right now." Diane Smith, aunt of Shantee Tucker, holds up a poster in remembrance of Tucker during the eighth annual Philly Trans March. TIM TAI / Staff Photographer Read more Philadelphia's transgender community members and supporters rallied Saturday afternoon in LOVE Park and then marched down Broad Street, packing more than a block, chanting for justice, carrying signs "Trans is beautiful" and "Trans women are women" and "Trans men are men, period" in a bid to shine a light on violence and discrimination. The march, held annually since 2011, has taken on a particular urgency this year in the wake of the death of Shantee Tucker, 30, an African American trans woman who was gunned down Sept. 5 on Old York Road near Hunting Park. Police have said they do not suspect a hate crime, but those who participated in Saturday's march consider Tucker's death one more instance of deadly violence against trans people of color, particularly women. Diane Smith of Philadelphia, Tucker's aunt, was at the march with many other members of Tucker's family because, she said, "it's so important to have the opportunity to meet some of her community members." She said the family was "very supportive" of Tucker as she journeyed through her gender transition. "Her loss meant so much to us," Smith said. "We're taking it one day at a time." >> PHOTO GALLERY: Eighth annual Philly Trans March Activist Andrea Harrington told the crowd that "we must have justice for Shantee." "We must have justice for all the trans lives being lost," she said. Organizers of the event said that at least 22 transgender people, including Tucker, have been killed in 2018 nationwide; in Philadelphia, the death toll is five since 2013. Malik Moorer, whose trans partner, Stacey Blahnik, was murdered in South Philadelphia in 2010, said he still feels "the hurt and the pain, but I'm dealing with it a little better" with the passage of time. Moorer, who now lives in Atlanta, said Philadelphia is seeking to portray itself as "a little more trans-friendly" than in the past, but "statistics say otherwise." He urged members of the highly diverse, and sometimes fractious, trans community to support one another. Jackie Reyes, 30, said the march was critically important. "As transgender I believe deeply in human dignity," Reyes said. Elizabeth Gaillard, 67, who came late to her transgender identity "I didn't come out until I was 50 or so," she said said broader cultural perceptions of transgender issues are changing, but very, very slowly. "I come from a generation where it was really difficult," she said. "It's easier now. Younger people are more accepting. But if I go to West Virginia, will they be more accepting?" Jessica Campbell-Swanson, an activist from Denver, kisses the sculpture known as the Statue of Contemplation of Justice on the steps of the Supreme Court Building where she and others protested the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh as the high court's newest justice, in Washington, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. Read more WASHINGTON The fight is over. Can the Supreme Court recover? If there's one thing that Republicans and Democrats agreed on Saturday, it was that after the rancor over Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination, the court was in danger of being tainted, and diminished, by the divisive political fight. The raw anger for many on the left was apparent as Senate Republicans and one Democrat cast the votes Saturday afternoon that confirmed Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, 50-48, establishing a firm conservative majority. He was quickly sworn in, completing a major victory for President Trump and Republicans just weeks ahead of crucial midterm elections. "This is a stain on American history!" one woman in the Senate gallery shouted as the vote ended. "Do you understand?" Others screamed that they were survivors of sexual assault as security hauled them from the chamber, and the voting moved on. Each party cast blame the other way as they have in escalating bouts of acrimony over the courts for decades. "It is so critical that we have that public confidence in at least one of our three branches of government," Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R., Alaska) said on the Senate floor Friday night, as she explained why she was the sole Republican to oppose Kavanaugh's nomination. She recoiled at the entire process, but pointed in particular to Kavanaugh's biting testimony as he denied accusations of sexual assault, raising fears that his confirmation could undermine faith in his impartiality as a justice. On Saturday, Sen. Dick Durbin (D., Ill.) said on the Senate floor: "Filling this critical vacancy with Justice Kavanaugh will again raise the question about Supreme Court politics. Chief Justice Roberts are you watching?" And Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D., N.Y.), in line to lead the House Judiciary Committee if Democrats win a majority in November's elections, told the New York Times that he would launch an investigation into the sexual-misconduct claims against Kavanaugh, and into whether the judge gave false testimony under oath. Republicans, in turn, accused Democrats of besmirching the nomination process with "character assassination," in the words of Sen. Charles Grassley (R., Iowa). Sen. Susan Collins (R., Maine), who effectively sealed Kavanaugh's ascension with her support for the judge, said in her floor speech: "Our Supreme Court confirmation process has been in steady decline for more than 30 years. One can only hope that the Kavanaugh nomination is where the process has finally hit rock bottom." It seems unlikely. Kavanaugh's two-vote margin for confirmation was the narrowest for any judge to reach the court since 1881, when the Senate approved President James Garfield's nominee, Stanley Matthews, 24-23. Yet Kavanaugh will have an outsized influence, replacing a swing vote, the retired Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, with someone who is likely to be a reliable conservative. In contrast, the conservative Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., nominated by Republican President George W. Bush, won 78 confirmation votes in 2005 and Justice Sonia Sotomayor, nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama, received 68 votes in 2009. Each won at least nine votes from the opposite party. Kavanaugh received one, from West Virginia's Joe Manchin. Sen. Chris Coons (D., Del.) lamented that such an important vote would come from such a divisive process, with little buy-in from the minority party. "I've spoken with a couple of my colleagues about how different a time this is from a period when either a Justice [Elena] Kagan or a Justice [Antonin] Scalia could be confirmed by an overwhelming bipartisan" vote, he said. Kagan, nominated by Obama, worried about perceptions of the court during an appearance at Princeton University on Friday. "It's an incredibly important thing for the court to guard this reputation of being impartial, being neutral, and not being simply an extension of a terribly polarizing process," she said. "This is a really divided time, and part of the court's strength and part of the court's legitimacy depends on people not seeing the court in the way that people see the rest of the governing structures of this country." In theory, the court is the one branch of the federal government that is supposed to be apolitical, or at least less political. Its authority depends on public acceptance of its rulings' validity, since it has no formal way to enforce its decisions. But a sweeping 2014 historical study of decisions with at least two dissents by professors from William & Mary Law School and Ohio State University found that the justices are voting more in line with the party of the president who appointed them than ever before. "This is the first period in which the Court has been sharply divided between substantial blocs of Justices from each of the two major political parties," they wrote. Public polling by Gallup found that confidence in the court has plunged, from around 50 percent of American adults in the late 1990s and early 2000s to 37 percent now. That's still better than, say, Congress, but mirrors the declining faith in most major institutions. Protests Saturday showed the searing anger that will trail Kavanaugh and, for some, cast doubt over critical rulings. Several women interrupted the vote count inside the Senate chamber, screaming that they were victims of sexual assault and would not "consent." Hundreds of protesters gathered at the Supreme Court and on the Capitol steps. One woman scrawled a single word in bright red letters on her forearm: fury. Erin Whitney, a behavioral counselor from outside Houston, carried a sign that read "Checks and balances are disappearing before our very eyes." "This is the fear that all of us have," she said in an interview. "It's one thing if we live in a country where there are checks and balances for those of us who have a softer, a less powerful voice but if there are no checks and balances, that puts us in a very dangerous position." Kavanaugh's critics argued that his confirmation hearing will politicize the court in unprecedented ways. After being accused by a professor, Christine Blasey Ford, of attempted rape while in high school a charge he angrily denied Kavanaugh attacked Democrats and accused them of seeking "revenge for the Clintons." And while presidential nominees almost never interact with the media during their confirmations, Kavanaugh turned to conservative-leaning news outlets, Fox News and the Wall Street Journal, to try to bolster his nomination, heightening the parallels with a political campaign. Republicans said Kavanaugh's emotional response was that of an honest man falsely accused. They instead said the process was degraded by a Democratic smear campaign to keep him off the court with uncorroborated allegations. "As this confirmation process concludes, my sincere hope is that all of my colleagues will seek to do the important work of restoring trust and civility in politics," Sen. Pat Toomey (R., Pa.) said in a statement. "The advice and consent role of the Senate for nominees would be a good place to start." The Kavanaugh debate was the latest in long-running acrimony over the courts. Democrats are still seething over Republicans' refusal to hold even a hearing on Judge Merrick Garland, nominated by Obama in 2016. And they railed that the GOP brushed past the sexual-assault accusation brought by Ford with only a cursory investigation. Republicans point back to Democrats' sinking of the Robert Bork nomination in 1987 and, more recently, their move in 2013 to lower the threshold for ending debate and advancing lower-court nominees to 50 votes, overriding the then-minority GOP. After Republicans decried that move, they returned the favor last year by using their power to also lower the bar for advancing Supreme Court justices to 50 votes, instead of 60. That enabled them to confirm Kavanaugh with the narrowest of margins. Candidates for lieutenant governor John Fetterman, left, and Jeff Bartos shake hands and pose for a photo before a televised debate Saturday at WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh. Read more PITTSBURGH In a cordial but lively debate, Pennsylvania lieutenant governor candidates Jeff Bartos and John Fetterman used their time Saturday on WPXI-TV to advocate for their running mates. The debate, which aired at 7:30 p.m. on the NBC affiliate, was a battle by proxy. Bartos, a Republican and Montgomery County real estate executive, said Pennsylvania needs a pro-growth businessman as governor to revive the state: former State Sen. Scott Wagner. Fetterman, mayor of Braddock, said Democratic incumbent Tom Wolf would continue to protect unions, women's reproductive rights, and public education in a second term, while saying Wagner would tax retirement income, destroy unions, and "enact the most restrictive abortion laws in the country." The debate was the polar opposite of last week's one and only gubernatorial debate, with moderator Alex Trebek criticized for not allowing the governor or Wagner to talk enough. With anchor Katherine Amenta handling the questions, Bartos and Fetterman were able to outline numerous disagreements on policy issues such as marijuana legalization, gun control, and capital punishment. Their starkest contrast came on the question of public education, which started a brief but telling exchange on teachers' unions. After Fetterman said the governor restored $1 billion in cuts made to education by his GOP predecessor, Bartos called Wolf "a wholly owned subsidiary of the teachers' unions." "Gov. Wolf works for the teachers," Bartos continued. "We will work for the students of Pennsylvania, the parents of Pennsylvania, and the teachers of Pennsylvania." Fetterman responded that teachers' unions are facing an "existential threat" and that Wagner would "exterminate" them. He referred to Wagner's 2014 comparison of unions to Hitler. On mass shootings, Fetterman said he supports a ban on assault rifles in Pennsylvania and denounced Wagner for his recent endorsement from the National Rifle Association, which he said "monetizes" the deaths of innocents. "There's no reason to have these military-grade weapons in the hands of civilians, these instruments of mass killing," Fetterman said. Bartos didn't propose additional restrictions on firearms, but said the state "woefully" underfunds mental health services asserting that Wagner would take on special interests and the bureaucracy to free up resources. Wagner opposes legalizing recreational marijuana, as does Bartos, who said there is "not enough data yet on the major health consequences and public health consequences." Bartos said he supports medical uses. Fetterman said that when he was running for U.S. Senate in 2016, he believed Pennsylvania should go "full Colorado" with legalization, but added he stands with Wolf on the issue. The governor has said Pennsylvania isn't ready for legalization. "There is a small area of difference," Fetterman said, "and I know Gov. Wolf supports decriminalizing it." The power of a lieutenant governor was a point of contrast, too. Fetterman said he wants to see the role expanded into something "important, special, and transformative." In response to a question, Bartos said he sees a governor and lieutenant governor as being a "cohesive working unit." As Fetterman touted Wolf's record, Bartos said a Wagner administration would lower taxes, create jobs, and invest money into classrooms. Before the debate started, the candidates bantered. The 6-foot-8 Fetterman towered over Bartos, but the shorter man had him beat in clothing. "I thought about requesting a 1-foot stool," Bartos said. "I thought about requesting a tie," Fetterman responded. Posing for a photo together, Bartos chuckled and said, "We actually get along." jrouth@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1952, Twitter @julianrouth. Henry C. Lea Elementary School teacher Kitty Heite (left) talks with parents outside the school September 24, 2018. She is being forced to leave as the school undergoes "leveling" the shifting of teachers to other schools based on fluxes in enrollment. Read more Happy Sunday everyone. This morning we're talking with our colleague Kristen Graham about an annual tradition happening right now in Philly schools that causes a lot of angst amongst teachers, students, and parents. Plus, your look ahead at this week includes what happens now that Judge Brett Kavanaugh has been confirmed, a note about your taxes and more. Let's dive in. Reading this online? Sign up here to get this newsletter delivered to your inbox every morning. Ray Boyd and Tauhid Chappell (morningnewsletter@philly.com) The week ahead This weeks most popular stories Behind the story with Kristen Graham Each week we'll go behind the scenes with one of our reporters to learn how they reported their latest story and the challenges they faced along the way. This week, reporter Kristen Graham explains the process of leveling, a tactic that many school districts throughout the country have abolished, but one Philly teachers and students are all too familiar with. For those who have never heard of it, what is "leveling"? What should parents know about it? Leveling is essentially the process of switching teachers' schools a month into the school year based on enrollment. Teachers are allocated based on projected enrollment, which the district calculates in the spring. Parents: if your child does not attend schools in Philadelphia, you don't need to worry about it. If they're students in the Philadelphia School District, however, it's possible that the teacher they meet on the first day of school may not be their teacher in October. Why has this practice persisted in Philly schools when other districts around the region and country have done away with it? Some large city school systems level; others have stopped it or amended the process so staff changes happen in the summer, not a month after school begins. Philadelphia schools say the reasons for leveling are layered it's about money (it would cost about $12 million to leave under-enrolled schools as-is and just hire extra teachers for the crowded schools) and it's also, officials said, about equity. That is, without leveling, some schools might have classes of 10 students and others would be over 30. That said, no suburban districts, even the large ones, use the practice. How do Philly teachers that you've spoken with feel about "leveling" and its impact on students? In a decade of covering Philadelphia schools, I have yet to find one person who likes leveling. Seriously not one. To be fair, the administration isn't super fond of it either, but they call it a necessary process. Keiko Glover, a parent at Kearney Elementary in Northern Liberties, took her concerns to the school board. Her daughter's school has lost teachers in leveling for each of the last four years; it's October, and her first-grader just met a new teacher. "These are students' lives, not numbers on a balance sheet." Cindy Farlino, a retired district principal and teacher, said she dreaded leveling. "I remember the chaos of both adding and taking away teachers," Farlino said. "The impact is not just a money impact, but really delays the academic process of the school year." Since your report, is the school district looking to make any changes when it comes to "leveling"? The school board's finance and facilities committee heard a report on leveling a few days after my story ran. Final numbers? 118 Philly schools were affected by leveling, with 101 teachers moved. The schools most affected were Mitchell, Cooke, Lowell and George Washington (gained staff) and Martin Luther King, Lincoln, Overbrook High and Lamberton (lost staff.) No changes are planned at the moment, but school staff said they were constantly looking to refine the process, and if changes are to be made, they'll be made at budget time, in the spring. Contact Kristen Graham by email at kgraham@phillynews.com or on Twitter at @newskag. Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly As @hswphilly shows us, there aren't many things as beautiful as fall in Philly. 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! #CuriousPhilly: Have a question about your community? Ask us! Have you submitted a question to Curious Philly yet? Try us. We're listening to our readers and doing our best to find answers to the things you're curious about. Our readers' latest question: Where are the best places to stargaze around Philly? The answer: Philly has a lot of light pollution, making it hard to see galaxies far far away. But we found a few spots you can venture off to and enjoy the glimmers in the sky. What were Comment of the week You ask yourself first, why did the Chamber of Commerce hire Alex Trebek for this? The answer clearly is that they wanted to sell tickets.to see Alex Trebek. They had the Jeopardy! cutout in the lobby and there were people lined up to take photos with it. So it's pretty natural to assume that Trebek did pretty much what he was expected to dosell tickets and get attention for the event. And frankly, these two candidates are so different on just about every issue that there is far less need for debate since the distinction is not nuances that have to be explained. Palestra John on A DAILY DOSE OF | ANTICIPATION The Philadelphia Theatre Company has come out of its 16-month creative hiatus. Now, it's back and ready to make a splash with the Pulitzer Prize-winning performance, Sweat. Washington: Overcoming unprecedented opposition mounted by Democrats and a series of allegations of sexual assault, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, 53, was confirmed by the Senate on the nine-member bench of the Supreme Court. Coming ahead of the crucial November 6 mid-term elections, the conformation of Kavanaugh as Supreme Court judge, albeit with a short majority, gives a major moral and political victory to President Donald Trump and his ruling Republican party. "I applaud and congratulate the U.S. Senate for confirming our great nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, to the United States Supreme Court," President Donald Trump said in a tweet, after Kavanaugh was confirmed by the Senate 50-48 votes, mostly on party partisan lines. "Later Saturday, I will sign his Commission of Appointment, and he will be officially sworn in. Very exciting!" he said, as he was joined by the White House in applauding the Senate for confirmation of Kavanaugh. "The White House applauds the Senate for confirming President Trump's nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Later today, the President will sign his commission of appointment and he will be officially sworn in," Raj Shah, White House Spokesman said. Talking to reporters at the White House, Trump called Kavanaugh "an extraordinary person" and "a great talent". "I think he's going to make us all very proud. I also feel very strongly that, in the end, the process, it was really unattractive, but the extra week was something that I think was really good," he said. This is his second confirmed nomination for the US Supreme Court. "A vote confirm Judge Kavanaugh today is also a vote to send a clear message about what the Senate is. This is an institution where the evidence and the facts matter... This is a chamber in which the politics of intimidation and personal destruction do not win the day," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described it as the saddest moment. "From start to finish, President Trump's nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court has been one of the saddest moments in the history of the Senate," he said. "When the history of the Senate is written, this chapter will be a flashing red warning light of what to avoid. Truly, Judge Kavanaugh's confirmation is a low moment for the Senate, for the Court, for the country," Schumer said. The Republican Majority has conducted one of the least transparent, least fair, most biased processes in Senate history, slanting the table from the very beginning to produce their desired result, he alleged. Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said the confirmation is "a profoundly heart-breaking day" for women, girls and families across America. "Courageous women risked their safety and well-being to speak truth about this nomination. Tens of thousands more joined them to share their own harrowing stories of sexual assault, at great personal risk.? "Yet, Senate Republicans chose to send a clear message to all women: do not speak out, and if you do ? do not expect to be heard, believed or respected," she said. In confirming Judge Kavanaugh the Senate has confirmed a good man with an impeccable record of honoring the U.S. Constitution, Judicial Watch said. Judge Kavanaugh's record shows him to be a believer in the rule of law, and I believe he will serve the American people with distinction, it said. Welcoming the Senate confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh, Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said Trump kept his promise by choosing an extremely qualified defender of the Constitution who will be a faithful advocate and champion for the rule of law. "Justice Kavanaugh will make an excellent addition to the United States Supreme Court," McDaniel said. Seoul: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hailed "progress" in talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in Pyongyang Sunday before landing in Seoul on a whirlwind diplomatic visit to the region. The top US diplomat met with Kim for around two hours Sunday morning in the North's capital, where denuclearisation and a second US-North Korean summit were expected to be high on the agenda, before the pair shared a lunch together. "Had a good trip to Pyongyang to meet with Chairman Kim," Pompeo tweeted. "We continue to make progress on agreements made at Singapore Summit. Thanks for hosting me and my team." The visit was Pompeo's fourth to North Korea. US President Donald Trump met Kim in Singapore in June for the first-ever summit between the countries. Speaking to Pompeo via an interpreter following the morning's talks, Kim praised their "nice meeting". He added: "It's a very nice day that promises a good future ... For both countries." After a previous visit to Pyongyang in July, Pompeo had said the two foes had made progress on key issues. But within hours of the Secretary of State departing the North released a statement condemning "gangster-like" demands from the US, raising questions over how much the two sides really saw eye to eye. An official on Sunday's latest visit to Pyongyang with Pompeo said the trip was "better than the last time", but added, "It's going to be a long haul." Details of Sunday's discussions were not immediately available. But prior to the meeting, Pompeo tweeted that he would "continue our work to fulfil the commitments made (by) POTUS and Chairman Kim," using an acronym to refer to US President Donald Trump. On the flight to Tokyo, Pompeo said his aim was to "develop sufficient trust" between Washington and Pyongyang to inch towards peace. "Then we are also going to set up the next summit," said Pompeo. However, he played down expectations for a breakthrough. "I doubt we will get it nailed but begin to develop options for both location and timing for when Chairman Kim will meet with the president again. Maybe we will get further than that," said the top US diplomat. No sitting US president has ever visited North Korea, which according to human rights groups remains one of the most repressive countries on Earth. Since the Singapore summit, which yielded what critics charge was only a vague commitment by Kim towards denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, the road towards warmer ties has been bumpy. Trump scrapped a previously planned trip by his top diplomat to Pyongyang after what he said was insufficient progress towards implementing the terms of the Singapore declaration. But the unorthodox US president has also since declared himself "in love" with Kim. Washington and Pyongyang have sparred over the exact terms of their vaguely-worded agreement in Singapore, with the US pushing to maintain sanctions and pressure against the North until its "final, fully verified denuclearisation. Last month the North's foreign minister told the United Nations there was "no way" his country would disarm first as long as tough US sanctions remain against his country. Analysts say Washington may now consider new options as China, Russia and South Korea seek to relax sanctions. "North Korea took some steps towards denuclearisation and the US will face criticism from the international community if it continues to demand complete denuclearisation without any lifting of sanctions," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "We can't rule out the possibility that Washington... May move in the direction of partial easing of sanctions based on progress in denuclearisation," he said. Speaking alongside Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe earlier in the trip, Pompeo said the two historic allies would have a "fully coordinated, unified view of how to proceed, which will be what is needed if we are going to be successful on denuclearising North Korea." Pompeo landed Sunday afternoon in South Korea, whose dovish president Moon Jae-in has served as a go-between for the two sides. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has given a hint of what a grand bargain between the two countries could look like. In an interview with the Washington Post, she said the North could agree to dismantle Yongbyon, its signature nuclear site. In exchange, the United States would declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War -- which concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty -- but North Korea would stop short of delivering an exhaustive list of its nuclear facilities, she said. After Seoul, Pompeo ends his trip Monday in China, North Korea's political and economic lifeline. The Beijing stop could be tense as it comes days after Vice President Mike Pence delivered a blistering speech accusing China of military aggression, commercial theft, rising human rights violations and electoral intervention against Trump. New Delhi: She is not here as a tourist to just visit the Taj Mahal, Lorena Franco is a well-known Spanish actress and author who recently created a buzz in the Bollywood industry mainly because of her debut film titled- 'Paharganj', based on the real place in Delhi, a hot spot for foreign tourists and an 'adda' (favourite regular place) for bizarre businesses. "'Paharganj' is an unconventional movie and it was indeed tough to even shoot, especially for Lorena, as she was here for the first time and went straight into the bylanes of this uncanny location called 'Paharganj'", says film director Rakesh Ranjan Kumar. Like a chameleon, Paharganj is one such place that changes many colours, when you visit it at night it looks like Las Vegas and is also labeled by foreigners A little Amsterdam of India. Lorena, who essays the lead role in the film, stayed at the Paharganj area in Delhi while she was shooting. "Due to the complexities and demand of her role, Lorena stayed with the crew at Paharganj, to witness the life there and understand the mood of the film", Ranjan added. Lorena is a versatile actress, she is known for her work in several short - films and TV series in Spain. Her films were critically proclaimed in her native land. As an author, her books are amongst the best seller in Spain and other parts of the world. Talking about the film, 'Paharganj' is made under the banner of SMA Electronic News Network or SENN and is set to hit the silver screen in the month of November. "We are really looking forward to how people are going to respond to this film. 'Paharganj' will surely leave the audience astonished and stunned", says producer Prakash Bhagat. DEHRADUN: Having invested over Rs 4,000 crore in Uttarakhand, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) chairman Mukesh Ambani has said that his telecom venture Reliance Jio will connect government schools and colleges with high-speed internet to make the state a 'Digital Devbhoomi'. In a video message, the RIL chairman said, ''Jio will promote environment protecting industries and businesses.'' Ambani said that Jio will connect most of the 2,385-plus government schools and colleges in Uttarakhand with high-speed internet in a span of two years to convert Uttarakhand into a Digital Devbhoomi. Ambani was speaking at the inauguration of two-day Uttarakhand Investors Summit here. In his video message, the RIL chairman said that he wants to convert 'Devbhoomi Uttarakhand' into 'Digital Devbhoomi'. "Jio will boost sustainable tourism. Jio will improve the delivery of healthcare, education and government services and improve the life of every citizen," he said. ''Jio is committed to a 'Digital Uttarakhand' where every citizen can have the best quality digital connectivity and services,'' he said. Ambani had in 2016 stormed back into the telecom sector with Reliance Jio, offering free calls and data, forcing rivals to merge or exit as revenues declined. It has amassed over 220 million subscribers since its launch. Jio, he said, will promote environment protecting industries and businesses, boost sustainable tourism and improve the delivery of healthcare, education and government services, thus improving the life of every citizen. "All this will help create additional employment and earning opportunities for the people of Uttarakhand. We plan to connect most of the 2,185 government schools and 200-plus government colleges in the state within the next two years," he said. Reliance also has over 100 retail stores and plans to continue growing these at a healthy rate, he added. Ambani said that his firm is among the largest investors in the state with investments of over Rs 4,000 crores in the last few years, creating huge employment opportunities. Jio is a subsidiary of RIL. "At Jio, we are committed to a Digital Uttarakhand where each of its citizens can have the best quality digital connectivity and digital services," he said. "The state government's pro-business policies combined with Jio's investment will surely open up new avenues for growth of hi-tech industries in the state. "For all of us at Reliance, Uttarakhand is an attractive investment opportunity," he said. He expressed confidence that the investors summit will lay the groundwork for the unprecedented growth of the state in the future. "At Reliance Industries, we are very satisfied with the environment in the state and the support that we have received and I thank the state government for all their support," he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the two-day maiden Investors Summit in state's capital Dehradun. Leading industrial houses are participating in the two-day event which will explore investment opportunities in the state. Apart from home investors, those from Japan, Czech Republic, Argentina, Mauritius and Nepal have also been invited to participate in the two-day summit. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat told media persons that investment proposals worth over 70 thousand crore rupees have already been received during the run-up to the event. Rawat expressed hope that the two-day summit will bring huge investments. PM @narendramodi ji and other dignitaries welcomed in traditional Pahari way with our Maangal Geet. The state welcomes all the delegates to 1st #DestinationUttarakhand summit to the DevBhumi Uttarakhand #UttarakhandInvestorsSummit pic.twitter.com/hSwuSsJILb (@tsrawatbjp) October 7, 2018 Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, KJ Alphons and CR Chaudhary are also reportedly participating in the sessions on different subjects. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will address the concluding session of the event on Monday. After the inaugural session, eight sectoral sessions would be held on the 12 focus sectors including tourism and hospitality, agriculture and food processing, horticulture, floriculture, herbs and aromatic plants, wellness and AYUSH. Central Board of Film Certification chairman Prasoon Joshi will also participate in a session on film shooting. (With Agency inputs) Ahmedabad: Congress MLA Alpesh Thakor Sunday took to reassure people following reports of several migrant workers leaving Gujarat due to mob violence and protests in connection to the alleged rape case of 14-year-old child last week. This is unfortunate, we have never advocated violence and only talked peace. All Indians are safe in Gujarat, said the legislator from Radhanpur, who also heads the Kshatriya Thakor Sena that is allegedly behind the mob attacks. Earlier, Thakor appealed to his community and members of his outfit to maintain peace, saying non-Gujaratis are also our "brothers". He claimed that never asked the Kshatriya Thakor Sena to engage in violence or attack non-Gujaratis. Last week, on September 28, a 14-month-old toddler was allegedly raped in a village near Himmatnagar town of Sabarkantha district, around 100 km from Ahmedabad. The victim belonged to the Thakor community. Ravindra Sahu, a labourer hailing from Bihar and working in a local ceramic factory, was later arrested for the rape by police. Following the arrest, the Kshatriya Thakor Sena said migrant workers from other states should not be given jobs in Gujarat. A 200-strong mob, allegedly led by Thakor Sena members, stormed a factory near Vadnagar town of Mehsana district on October 2 and thrashed employees. Similar incidents took place in Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Sabarkantha, Patan and Ahmedabad districts in the last one week, said Director General of Police Shivanand Jha. Thakor had reportedly raked up the issue of non-Gujaratis while demanding "justice" for the rape survivor a week back. He had then said locals should be given preference in jobs in industries in Gujarat. "Non-Gujaratis are not on our target. I have called a meeting of all the office-bearers of the Thakor Sena to discuss this issue. "Non-Gujaratis are our brothers and protecting them is also our responsibility. I will ask the Thakor Sena to stop such attacks," Thakor told reporters. With agency inputs AHMEDABAD: Several migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar fleed from Gujarat after massive protests and mob attacks against them in connection to the alleged rape of 14-month-old child last week. The workers were targeted in few parts of the state after hate messages against non-Gujaratis, particularly those from Bihar and UP, were circulated on social media, said police. Last week, on September 28, a 14-month-old toddler was allegedly raped in a village near Himmatnagar town of Sabarkantha district, around 100 km from Ahmedabad. The victim belonged to the Thakor community. Ravindra Sahu, a labourer hailing from Bihar and working in a local ceramic factory, was later arrested for the rape by police. Following the arrest, the Kshatriya Thakor Sena said migrant workers from other states should not be given jobs in Gujarat. A 200-strong mob, allegedly led by Thakor Sena members, stormed a factory near Vadnagar town of Mehsana district on October 2 and thrashed employees. Similar incidents took place in Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Sabarkantha, Patan and Ahmedabad districts in the last one week, said Director General of Police Shivanand Jha. According to a migrant worker, "We were attacked by Thakor Sena members last night at Kalol town of Gandhinagar. This is an injustice to us. That is why we are going back to our native places as we feel unsafe here." At least 170 persons have been arrested so far in connection to the attacks. Meanwhile, Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel Saturday said that he has written to Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy of the Gujarat High Court seeking speedy trial in the rape case of a 14-month old girl. "I have written to the chief justice with request to set up a special fast-track court so that trial in rape cases at Himmatnagar (in Sabarkantha district) and Surat are held there and completed in a month or so," he said, adding that "harshest punishment" has been sought for the accused, including capital punishment. NEW DELHI: Rohingya Muslims living in India fear that the seven refugees deported to Myanmar will soon be executed. "We just request Indian govt to let us stay here until there is peace in our country. Seven Rohingyas who were deported will be killed very soon," say Rohingya refugees staying at Kalindi Kunj camp, who fear abuse at the hands of Myanmar authorities. Delhi: Rohingya refugees staying at Kalindi Kunj camp don't want to return to Myanmar fearing for their lives. A refugee says "We just request Indian govt to let us stay here until there is peace in our country. Seven Rohingyas who were deported will be killed very soon." (6.10) pic.twitter.com/XfX1EJwPsN ANI (@ANI) October 7, 2018 On Thursday, India deported seven Rohingya Muslim men to Myanmar, raising fears of further repatriations among those sheltering in refugee camps in the country. The seven men had been in a detention centre in Cachar Central Jail in Assam's Silchar since 2012 after being arrested for illegal entry. In this photo provided by Assam Police are seen seven Rohingya immigrants being handed over to Myanmar authorities after completing deportation formalities, at Moreh border post in Manipur, Thursday, Oct 4, 2018. Speaking to ANI on Saturday, a Rohingya refugee, Mohammad Farooq said, "I have been living here since 2012. I only request the government to let us live here. We have faced a lot of hardships in our country. We did not leave our country out of greed, no one really wants to leave their own nation." Around 40,000 Rohingya live in India according to government estimates, most of them in camps, having arrived over the years after fleeing violence and persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, which denies them citizenship. More than 650,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Rakhine in August 2017 after Myanmar`s army launched a massive crackdown in its northern state, retaliating the attacks by insurgents Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army on the country`s police posts and a military base. Clarifying the Centre's stand over the deportation, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that the seven Rohingyas refugees were repatriated to Myanmar after confirming their willingness to go back and with the full concurrence of the Government of Myanmar. Upon reconfirming their willingness to be repatriated on Oct 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," said the MEA in a statement, adding that the Myanmar government has issued Certificates of Identity to facilitate travel of these individuals to their hometowns in Rakhine State. The Supreme Court had also refused to interfere in Centre's decision to deport the refugees. A 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. With agency inputs A fire broke out in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district at a firecracker factory. Around six persons were injured due to the fire, news agency ANI reported. At least three explosions were heard during the incident and three fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames. The injured were taken to a hospital and the police detained one employee. The owner of the factory has been detained, PTI reported. The incident occurred at Sonarpur's Gobindopur area at around 12.40 pm. "This was a small factory with only a tin shed and small walls on four sides. There were some finished and unfinished firecrackers at the factory. So far, six persons were injured in the mishap. They have been sent to a nearby hospital," a fire department official said. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, a police officer said adding that there was a couple of blasts from the factory which damaged a few nearby houses. "We have detained the owner of the factory for questioning and trying to find out what was the cause of the fire," the officer said adding that the fire was brought under control. (With Agency Inputs) The Indian Air Force (IAF) will celebrate its 86th anniversary on Monday. IAF has organised a grand Parade cum Investiture Ceremony at Ghaziabad's Hindon Air Force Station. Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa, Chief of the Air Staff will be present apart from various other dignitaries and veterans. The parade will start with the Air Warrior Drill Team showcasing their weapon handling skills. The team will then carry out diverse manoeuvers with their rifles, IAF said in a release. Following this will be a scintillating air show by various aircraft. The flypast would include the vintage aircraft, modern transport aircraft and frontline fighter aircraft. The air show will begin in the morning at 8 am with flag bearing skydivers of the famous AKASH GANGA Team dropping out of AN-32 aircraft. Flypast will comprise Mi-17 V5 and Rudra helicopters, Dornier, C-130J and C-17 transport aircraft, Jaguar, Bison, MiG-29, Mirage-2000 and SU-30 MKI fighter aircraft. Other aircraft in the flypast will be Dakota, Tiger Moth and Harvard of the IAF Vintage flight. After the flypast, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) will carry out an aerobatic display in front of the audience. The Ambassadors of Indian Air Force, Surya Kiran Aerobatics Team (SKAT), comprising on nine Hawk 132 aircraft and the Helicopter aerobatics team, Sarang will put up a breathtaking aerobatics formation display. After the parade, all visitors will also get an opportunity to witness a static display of aircraft, weapon, radar and missiles systems of the Indian Air Force. The ceremony is scheduled to conclude at around 11 am. The aircraft will be flying at a low level. IAF confirmed in a release earlier. IAF notified about the areas where the aircraft will be flying. The areas are Wazirpur bridge Karwalnagar Afjalpur - Hindan, Shamli Jiwana Chandinagar Hindan, Hapur Philkua Ghaziabad Hindan. CHENNAI: The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall in south interior Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands in the next 24 hours prompting the Coast Guard to deploy ships and disaster response teams being directed to remain on maximum alert. The IMD, in its latest bulletin issued at 1700 hours on October 7, said that south interior Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands will receive heavy rainfall at isolated places. ''Squally winds speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph are very likely over Lakshadweep area and southeast and adjoining east-central Arabian Sea, west-central and adjoining south-west Arabian Sea, south-east and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal and Andaman Islands. Rough to very rough Sea Conditions are likely to prevail over above-mentioned areas. Fishermen are advised not to venture into these areas. Those who are out at Sea over the Bay of Bengal are advised to return to coast,'' the IMD bulletin said. The Regional Meteorological Department also said on Sunday that a well-marked low pressure has formed in the Bay of Bengal and is expected to intensify into a depression in the next 36 hours, "A new low pressure has formed North of the Andaman (and Nicobar Islands) and Southeast of the Bay of Bengal. This is expected to further intensify into a depression and move towards the Odisha coast in the next 72 hours," RMD Deputy Director General S Balachandran said. It is expected that depression will move towards Odisha coast in next 3 days. Under this influence, there will be a very good rainfall activity over #TamilNadu: S Balachandran, MET Deputy Director General on red alert by IMD. pic.twitter.com/l3jKDnLXCV ANI (@ANI) October 7, 2018 The weather office has meanwhile cautioned fishermen against venturing out to the South and Central areas of Bay of Bengal till October 9. Under the influence of the low pressure, most places in Tamil Nadu registered moderate rainfall in the last 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Sunday, while Mimisal, a coastal village in Pudukottai district, received 13 cms of rainfall. Sankarankovil and Ambasamudram received 8 cm each, Tiruppur and Tenkasi 7 cm each, while Kothagiri, Senkottai, Pudukottai and Tiruppuvanam each received 6 cm of rainfall, Balachandran said. For the next 24 hours, moderate rainfall is expected in several parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry while places like Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Dindigul, Theni might receive heavy rainfall, he said. For Chennai and its neighbouring areas, there may be light to heavy rainfall in some places in the next 24 hours. The prevailing climatic conditions favour the onset of the north-east monsoon in the state, Balachandran said. The RMD deputy director general said the deep depression in the South Arabian Sea presently lay 920 km North West of Minicoy Islands of Lakshadweep and was expected to intensify into a cyclone in the next 24 hours and move towards Oman. The Coast Guard has deployed Dorniers ships and its other formations have been put on high alert after issuance of warning by IMD regarding the formation of low pressure in South East Arabian Sea since October 1 and likely development into depression. Indian Coast Guard Dorniers&ships deployed off Kerala,L&M &south Tamil Nadu seas to broadcast warnings on VHF&advise fishermen at sea to return to harbor.2 Indian Coast Guard disaster response teams formed at Kochi&Gemini life boats kept on stand by for deployment at short notice pic.twitter.com/ixMEYJx5Xj ANI (@ANI) October 7, 2018 The Coast Guard ships deployed off Tamil Nadu seas will continue to broadcast warnings on VHF and have also advised fishermen at sea to return to the shore. Disaster response teams have been formed at Kochi and Geminlifeboatsts have been kept on standby for deployment at short notice, the Coast Guard said. Fishermen have been warned not to venture into the South and Central Arabian Sea till October 12, the Coast Guard said. (With Agency inputs) A massive cordon and search operation was launched on Sunday at Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir. The forces acted on launching the operation after the tip of the presence of militants. The action was launched against the militants to flush them out from the area. Joint teams of police, CRPF and Army launched the operation early morning in six villages of Shopian district, according to the police. The six villages include -- Sindor shirmal, Balpora, Ganowpora, Barthipora and Wathoo. The operation is going on, said an official, adding further details were awaited. LUCKNOW: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday assured the nation that the menace of Left Wing Extremism (LWE) will be completely wiped out from the country in next three years. ''The day is not far, maybe in a time period of 1-2 or 3 years, that the LWE will be eliminated from the country and this would happen due to your (CRPF) determination, courage and hard work and that of the state police forces,'' Home Minister Rajnath Singh said. Singh made these remarks while addressing the 26th anniversary of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) - a specialised wing of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Addressing the event, Singh that their (RAF, CRPF) action should be rapid and quick but never "reckless." The Home Minister said that districts affected by the Naxal violence in the country have come down to about 10-12 as compared to 126 some time back since the Narendra Modi government has come to power at the Centre. "I congratulate you on the kind of work you have done in the LWE theatre of the country," Singh said. The Home Minister said the force has killed 131 Maoists and terrorists this year while it has apprehended 1,278 of them and has effected 58 surrenders during the same time. The Home Minister also asserted that Jammu and Kashmir, where the CRPF is deployed as the lead counter-terrorism force, has been and will be an "inseparable" part of India. "Kashmir is ours, it was ours and it will be ours. No power of the world can snatch it from us," the Home Minister said. Some youths there (J&K) have been misled into terrorism, but our armed force (CRPF, RAF, Army, BSF and J&K Police) have ensured security commendably, he said. Talking about the specific role of the RAF, a special unit under the CRPF, during riots and protests, the Home Minister advised them to be prompt and rapid but never "reckless." All the police forces are like civilised units and they should never do anything that will label them as "brutal." One should know how to behave during crowd control and similar duties and should always know how much and when to use force, he said. Singh's comments can be seen in the context of a recent incident in Uttar Pradesh's capital where a police jawan allegedly killed an unarmed MNC executive. An RAF battalion has a strength of just over 1,000 personnel and it is equipped with gadgets and non-lethal weapons like pump action guns, tear smoke grenade launchers and others to enforce security and law and order in case of protests or riot-like situations. The force is part of the Central Reserve Police Force, the country's largest paramilitary force or the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) with over 3 lakh personnel. It was raised and made fully operational in October 1992. It has ten battalions (of about 10,000) based in various parts of the country in order to cut down response time to counter an incident of trouble. The ten existing RAF battalions are based in Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Aligarh, Coimbatore, Jamshedpur, Bhopal and Meerut. Five of its new bases are in Jaipur, Varanasi, Mangalore, Hajipur(Bihar) and Nuh (Haryana). (With Agency Inputs) NEW DELHI: In his visit to Central Asia, President Ram Nath Kovind left for a three-day visit to Tajikistan on Sunday. The President will hold diplomatic talks with the top leadership of Tajikistan, in an effort to strengthen India's ties with the Central Asian country. Taking to Twitter, the President wrote, PresidentKovind departs for state visit to Tajikistan. This is his first visit to Central Asia as President of India #PresidentKovind departs for state visit to Tajikistan. This is his first visit to Central Asia as President of India pic.twitter.com/jswCEoaF7m President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) October 7, 2018 During his visit from October 7-9, he will meet his Tajik counterpart Emamoli Rahmon, Speaker of Parliament Shukurjon Zuhurov, and Speaker of the Lower House (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of Parliament. Tajik Prime Minister Qohir Rasulzoda will also call on the president, the Ministry of External Affairs (EAM) said Saturday. President of India and First Lady embark on three day State Visit to #Tajikistan from October 7-9, 2018. It is a very first visit by #PresidentKovind to strategically important Central Asian Region pic.twitter.com/FLPpv4z8hs Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) October 7, 2018 President Kovind is likely to deliver an address on 'Countering Radicalization: Challenges in Modern Societies' at Tajik National University. "Given the close relationship between the two countries, the visit is expected to lead to further strengthening of Indo-Tajik bilateral relations," said a statement released by EAM. It added that all areas of bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation are expected to be discussed. He will address the members of the Indian diaspora in Tajikistan during his three-day visit. Minister of State for Defence Shubhash Bhamre and Rajya Sabha member Shamsher Singh Manhas will also be part of the president's official delegation. Thiruvananthapuram: The representatives of Pandalam Palace and Sabarimala Temple priests will not attend the meeting called by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday to discuss the Supreme Court verdict over women's entry in the revered hill shrine. In a big setback to the Kerala government's move to hold talks with 'Thazhamon tantries', the head priests of the Sabarimala Temple, on the Supreme Court verdict on the entry of women into the shrine, one of the chief priests said that there was no relevance in holding discussions. The Pandalam Royals, the erstwhile rulers associated with the Lord Ayyappa temple, also said there was no point in holding discussions now as the CPI(M)-led LDF government had already taken a decision to implement the top court order. Kerala: Representatives of Pandalam Palace & Sabarimala priests will not attend the meeting called by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan tomorrow to discuss the Supreme Court verdict over women's entry in Sabarimala Temple. The Palace trust will file a review petition in the matter. ANI (@ANI) October 7, 2018 The Palace trust will instead file a review petition in the matter. Meanwhile, protests by devotees of Lord Ayyappa, demanding the retaining of the age-old tradition, rituals and faith of the hill shrine, continued in several parts of the state. There were reports that the government had invited the tantri family and the members of Pandalam royals for a discussion with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here Monday. Kandararu Mohanaru, one of the three tantries, and Sasikumar Varma, a member of the Pandalam royal family, said there was no relevance of holding talks with the government right now as they were not ready for a review against the apex court order. On September 28, a five-judge Constitution bench, headed by the then Chief Justice Dipak Misra, lifted the ban on the entry of women of menstrual age into the shrine. There had been restrictions imposed on the entry of women belonging to the age group of 10-50 in the hill shrine as part of its centuries-old tradition. "We will go for a review petition. Let us know the result of the review... We can hold a discussion with authorities after knowing views of the Pandalam royal family also in this regard," Mohanaru said in Chengannur. The tantri also took exception to the government's move to deploy women police personnel at 'sannidhanam', the temple complex and said it would amount to a violation of rituals and traditions of the hill shrine. Echoing the same sentiments, Sasikumar Varma said the royal family's stand on the issue was very clear. "The Supreme Court verdict is wrong. It is a violation of the customs and traditions of the Lord Ayyappa shrine. But the government is for permitting women into the shrine without going for any review. So there is no point in holding talks with them now," he said. The CPI(M)-led LDF government opened the doors for dialogue in view of mounting protests by Ayyappa devotees across the state against its decision to implement the court verdict without going for a review. Both the opposition Congress and BJP had also come out openly against the LDF government's stand and stated very clearly that they were with the believers. Hundreds of Ayyappa devotees, especially women, Sunday took part in 'namajapa' (chanting the hymns of Lord Ayyppa) rallies at Tripunithura in Ernakulam and Tirunakkara in Kottayam districts, demanding the safeguarding of 'sanatana dharma', the tradition of Hinduism. In Tripunithura, the faithful started the march from a temple dedicated to Lord Dharma Sastha, an incarnation of Lord Ayyappa, at Tamarakulangara in the morning. Chanting the 'swamiye saranam Ayyappa' mantras, the devotees marched through the main roads and ended the procession at the famed Poornathrayeesa Temple there. (With Agency inputs) Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government's move to hold talks with 'Thazhamon tantries', the head priests of the Sabarimala Temple, on the Supreme Court verdict on entry of women into the shrine received a setback Sunday with one of the priests saying there was no relevance in holding discussions. The Pandalam royals, the erstwhile rulers associated with the Lord Ayyappa temple, also said there was no point in holding discussions now as the CPI(M)-led LDF government had already taken a decision to implement the top court order. Meanwhile, protests by devotees of Lord Ayyappa, demanding the retaining of the age-old tradition, rituals and faith of the hill shrine, continued in several parts of the state. There were reports that the government invited the tantri family and the members of Pandalam royals for a discussion with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here Monday. Kandararu Mohanaru, one of the three tantries, and Sasikumar Varma, a member of the Pandalam royal family, said there was no relevance of holding talks with the government right now as they were not ready for a review against the apex court order. On September 28, a five-judge Constitution bench, headed by then Chief Justice Dipak Misra, lifted the ban on the entry of women of menstrual age into the shrine. There had been restrictions imposed on the entry of women belonging to the age group of 10-50 in the hill shrine as part of its centuries-old tradition. "We will go for a review petition. Let us know the result of the review... We can hold discussion with authorities after knowing views of the Pandalam royal family also in this regard," Mohanaru said in Chengannur. The tantri also took exception to the government's move to deploy women police personnel at 'sannidhanam', the temple complex, and said it would amount to violation of rituals and traditions of the hill shrine. Echoing the same sentiments, Sasikumar Varma said the royal family's stand on the issue was very clear. "The Supreme Court verdict is wrong. It is violation of customs and traditions of the Lord Ayyappa shrine.But the government is for permitting women into the shrine without going for any review. So there is no point in holding talks with them now," he said. The CPI(M)-led LDF government opened the doors for dialogue in view of mounting protests by Ayyappa devotees across the state against its decision to implement the court verdict without going for a review. Both the opposition Congress and BJP had also come out openly against the LDF government's stand and stated very clearly that they were with the believers. Hundreds of Ayyappa devotees, especially women, Sunday took part in 'namajapa' (chanting the hymns of Lord Ayyppa) rallies at Tripunithura in Ernakulam and Tirunakkara in Kottayam districts, demanding the safeguarding of 'sanatana dharma', the tradition of Hinduism. In Tripunithura, the faithful started the march from a temple dedicated to Lord Dharma Sastha, an incarnation of Lord Ayyappa, at Tamarakulangara in the morning. Chanting the 'swamiye saranam Ayyappa' mantras, the devotees marched through the main roads and ended the procession at the famed Poornathrayeesa Temple there. The police on Sunday arrested three persons who were found in possession with banned drugs in Kolkata. Two of the arrested were students, PTI reported. The men were found with 7 gm of MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) - an ecstasy drug, 4 LSD blocks and 3 gm of cocaine. The drugs were seized by the police. Acting on a tip-off, police conducted a raid at the hotel where they seized the drugs. The students, aged between 18 and 20, and the man (22) had brought the drugs from Delhi with an intention to use them at parties organised at discos in the hotel, and to sell them at a higher price to customers there. "We are questioning them and trying to find out more details... Whether they are members of any drug trafficking racket," a senior officer of Kolkata Police said. (With Agency Inputs) MUMBAI: The Mumbai Congress on Sunday launched a `hoarding war` blaming the Bharatiya Janata Party government for the ongoing stock market crises in the wake of the IL&FS developments. More than 250 hoardings came up all over the country's financial capital, highlighting the bloodbath witnessed in the past few days in the crashing stock markets with Sensex and Nifty indices plunging, which resulted in losses of lakhs of crores of rupees for investors and traders. "There`s a complete chaos in the Indian stock markets... Within barely a fortnight, the Sensex crashed by over 3,000 points and Nifty by 1,600 points. This has resulted in a wipeout of Rs 15 lakh crore of investors` monies," said Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam. Mumbai Congress highlights the crash in #StockMarket , Hundreds of billboards have been put up with falling #Nifty & #Sensex rates. "PM @narendramodi 's misgovernance has costed the investors & traders 15Lakh Cr , he must apologise to them - MRCC Chief @sanjaynirupam pic.twitter.com/2N15QPwjw4 MumbaiCongress (@INCMumbai) October 7, 2018 Added to this is the depreciation of the Rupee vis-A-vis the USD, now at over Rs 74, the galloping fuel prices, besides other financial misgovernance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s rule that has destroyed lakhs of small investors, he said. "For this entire financial and economic crises which have resulted in the commoners losing their savings, Modi must apologise to the nation. We have also demanded a White Paper on the IL&FS crises, but the government has not reacted," Nirupam said. The hoardings have come up at prominent public places, railway stations, the two national highways slicing through the city, major landmarks, railway stations and other important junctions. New Delhi: Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor was rumoured to be dating Malaika Arora, ever since she and her husband Arbaaz Khan headed for splitsville. Both Arjun and Malaika never reacted to rumours. In fact, ignoring the media presence, the rumoured lovebirds chose to sit side by side at the Lakme Fashion Week 2018. As expected, their pictures from the LFW 2018 made huge rounds on the social media with netizens hailing the budding romance between the two. On Saturday night, Arjun and Malaika were spotted arriving together at the house party thrown by Bollywood designer Sandeep Khosla. Interestingly, the two made no efforts to shy away from the cameras and in fact, were quite comfortable being clicked with each other. Take a look at their photos here: Speculations have been doing the round for some time that the duo may come out in open and make their relationship public. On the work front, Malaika is currently being seen as a judge and host of 'India's Next Top Model' season 4. Apart from the reality show, she recently was featured in the song called 'Hello Hello' from the movie 'Pataakha'. Arjun, on the other hand, has films like 'Sundeep Aur Pinky Faraar', 'Namaste England', 'India's Most Wanted' and 'Panipat' on his platter. New Delhi: Actor Nana Patekar, who is facing sexual harassment charges from Tanushree Dutta, was on Saturday mobbed by few media persons at the Mumbai airport. Nana had been shooting for 'Housefull 4' at Jaisalmer for almost a week. On Saturday, after the film's team announced the wrap-up of shooting schedule in Rajasthan, Nana was seen arriving in Mumbai from Jaisalmer. In the photos, Nana is seen getting being mobbed by media and asked questions about his alleged offensive behaviour against Tanushree Dutta on the sets of a song sequence for a 2008 film, 'Horn OK Pleassss'. Here are some of the photos of the actor from the airport: (Photo courtesy: Yogen Shah) In the meantime, as per media reports, Nana is likely to hold a press conference to address the matter in the coming week. Last month, Tanushree accused Patekar of harassing her on the sets of their 2008 film "Horn Ok Pleassss". She said she had raised her voice then too, but that was suppressed by people in powerful positions. Following the resurgence of the controversy, in an interview to a leading daily, Tanushree also accused Agnihotri of behaving inappropriately with her during the making of 2005 film 'Chocolate', which he directed. The film also starred Irrfan Khan, Arshad Warsi, Suniel Shetty and Emraan Hashmi. Tanushree said that on the sets of Chocolates, she was asked by the director (Vivek Agnihotri) to strip and dance off camera in order to provide her co-star (Irfan Khan) with some 'cues'. As per Tanushree, it happened without any prior warning from the maker. Though Tanushree didn't take Agnihotri's name, it is well-known that 'Chocolate: Deep dark Secrets' was helmed by him. In fact, only recently, Vivek hogged all the limelight for his distasteful remarks and posting multiple offensive and abusive tweets against Swara Bhasker. Whereas, in 2008, at a press conference to respond to the allegation, Nana had said that he was highly surprised at the charges by the actress, who he said was 'my daughter's age. New Delhi: Tanushree Dutta, who accused Nata Patekar of sexually harassing her on the sets of her film 'Horn Ok Pleassss' in 2008, has finally taken the legal route. The actress registered a complaint against Nana at Mumbai's Oshiwara police station on Saturday. She also named choreographer Ganesh Acharya in her complaint. She confirmed the news with a post on her Twitter handle with a caption that read, "Today filed a complained in Oshiwara police station, in connection with 2008 movie set incident against Nana Patekar and Ganesh Acharya". Today filed a complain in Oshiwara police station, in connection with 2008 movie set incident against Nana Patekar and Ganesh Acharya. Tanushree Dutta (@Tanushree_says) October 6, 2018 As of now, the police have not registered an FIR in the case. In the meantime, on being asked what took Tanushree over 10 years to file a complaint on the matter, advocate Nitin Satpute told news agency ANI that the actress had tried to register a case against Patekar, Acharya and director Rakesh Sarang and producer Sami Siddiqui in 2008. However, the police made a fool of her by registering only a case against the incident of attack on her vehicle. The police didn't mention anyone's name in the complaint. "Since Tanushree didn't know Marathi, she was unaware of it. Moreover, she was also in depression due to the harassment that she had undergone due to these people. Now that she has recovered she decided to take action and registered a case against them," Satpute said. "The case has been registered under Section 354, 354 (A), 34 and 509 of the Indian Penal Code. We have all evidence of the incident and we will move to High Court if proper action is not taken by the police," he said. Tanushree Dutta had tried to lodge an FIR against Nana Patekar, Ganesh Acharya&the director&producer of the movie in '08 but police made fool of her by registering a case only against the incident of attack on her vehicle&didn't mention anyone's name: N Satpute,Tanushree's Lawyer pic.twitter.com/SkhRkHrCoe ANI (@ANI) October 6, 2018 Since she doesn't know Marathi she was unaware of it. Moreover, she was also in depression due to the harassment that she had undergone due to these people. Now that Tanushree has recovered she decided to take actionistered a case against them:Satpute,Tanushree Dutta's Lawyer pic.twitter.com/yZ9iabubpJ ANI (@ANI) October 6, 2018 The case has been registered under section - 354, 354 (A), 34 and 509 of IPC. We have all evidence of the incident and we will move to High Court if proper action is not taken by police: Nitin Satpute, Tanushree Dutta's Lawyer pic.twitter.com/aSHH7EfXoO ANI (@ANI) October 6, 2018 Satpute further said that during the shooting of a special dance number, Patekar was touching Dutta inappropriately on the pretext of teaching her some steps. According to PTI, Dutta, in a letter, said that before shooting the song, which was supposed to be a solo song picturised only on her, she had clearly mentioned that she will not enact or perform any lewd, vulgar or uncomfortable steps. However, on the fourth day of the shoot, Patekar's behaviour was inappropriate as he was grabbing her by the arms and pushing her around on the pretext of teaching her some steps, the complaint said. "When he was touching me indecently and unnecessary I felt very uncomfortable because of his behaviour, I felt he has outraged my modesty," the letter read. Dutta even complained to the choreographer, producer and director hoping some action would be taken and everything would be fine. But to her surprise, new steps were introduced by Acharya, which were intimate and included Patekar touching her inappropriately, she alleged. The actor said she was being forced and pressurised to do the steps but after she refused, the producer threatened to defame her. "Everyone was taking the side of Patekar", she said. She then called her parents and manager, who questioned Patekar's actions. However, the producer refused to budge and Dutta had no choice but to leave the studio, the complaint said. On the way out, her car was attacked but with the help of the police she managed to escape from the spot, it added. We were then taken to the police station and my statement was recorded but not as per the complaint. Many parts of my complaint were deleted, omitted and avoided, she alleged. She also lodged a complaint with CINTAA in March 2008. "After the above incident I was under tremendous shock and I suffered psychological trauma and was unable to take work and suffered a huge monetary loss in crores," Dutta said in the letter. On the other hand, Patekar, who arrived in Mumbai after finishing the Rajasthan shoot of 'Housefull 4' on Saturday, refuted the allegations levelled on him saying, "I have already said what I had to say 10 years back. Lie is still a lie." (With Agency inputs) Mumbai: Fans of Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone have been eagerly looking forward to their impending marriage. The two actors, who have never admitted to being in love, are all set to tie the nuptial knot in November this year, reports suggest. The power couple of Bollywood reportedly started dating while shooting for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram Leela. Since then, the two have been together. Their reel chemistry set the screen ablaze while their real-life chemistry made heads turn. According to a report in dnaindia.com, Ranveer and Deepika are drafting a mail to announce their wedding date. They may make an official announcement on November 17 ( on Ashtami during Navratri). The two recently recreated the Khalibali act from Padmaavat during an event. Ranveer had shared the video on Instagram and their friends' reaction proves that something special will happen soon. Check out Shanoo Sharma and Jacqueline Fernandez' reaction here: Speculations have been rife that the couple may have postponed their marriage plans, but it seems that their wedding ceremony will take place soon. There is strong buzz suggesting that Ranveer and Deepika will marry in Italy a la Virat Kohli - Anushka Sharma. The destination wedding ceremony would be attended by family and closest friends. The couple will later host wedding reception parties here and in Bengaluru. New Delhi: The sixth season of one of the most popular talk show 'Koffee with Karan', which will go premier on October 21, has already created immense buzz and excitement among the audience. After the confirmed pairings of Saif Ali Khan-Sara Ali Khan, Arjun Kapoor-Janhvi Kapoor, Deepika Padukone-Alia Bhatt, the next ones to share the coffee with one of the most stylish TV hosts Karan Johar are Ranveer Singh and Akshay Kumar. Both Ranveer and Akshay are one of the most entertaining and fun-loving actors of the tinsel town and their bromance has always caught people's attention. The powerful duo will be seen sharing the couch at KJo's popular chat show. Confirming the news, Karan took to his Instagram account to share a picture of the two powerhouse actors holding coffee mugs and striking a pose for the camera. Take a look: Akshay kept it casual with a black jacket and printed jeans at the event. On the other hand, Ranveer, whose love for quirky outfits is no hidden fact, was seen in a printed jacket along with gold chains and aviator glasses. Karan shared another pic in which he and Ranveer are sharing the frame with Hollywood biggie Will Smith. However, it is not yet confirmed if Smith will be a part of the show or he just dropped on the sets to meet KJo. Ranveer too shared behind the scenes snaps from the show on his Instagram account. In another photo shared by Akshay, the duo is seen planting a peck on KJo's cheeks. On the professional front, Akshay is busy shooting for 'Housefull 4' while Ranveer is busy with Zoya Akhtar's 'Gully Boy', Rohit Shetty's 'Simmba', Kabir Khan's '83', and Karan Johar's 'Takht'. JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin soon to discuss security coordination over Syria, amid friction with Moscow over Israel`s air operations. Netanyahu made the announcement at a cabinet meeting, without citing a specific date for the talks with Putin. Russia said on Tuesday it had upgraded Syria`s air defences with the S-300 missile system, 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. Israeli officials have said the new system could be defeated by Israel`s stealth fighters and possibly destroyed on the ground, and they have pledged to press on with efforts to prevent military entrenchment by arch-enemy Iran in Syria. But since the Russian plane was shot down, there have been no reports of Israeli air strikes in Syria. The apparent pause has raised speculation in the Israeli media that Israel was either holding back at Russia`s request or paused the attacks over concern they would fuel tensions with Moscow - the Damascus government`s main military backer. Netanyahu said he had spoken by telephone with Putin "and we agreed to meet soon to continue the imporant security coordination between our armed forces". "Israel will constantly act to prevent Iran from entrenching itself militarily in Syria and transferring deadly weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon," he said, referring to the Lebanese Shi`ite Muslim group allied with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. SEOUL: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday he expects to hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that he hopes will lead North Korea to give up a nuclear weapons program that potentially threatens the United States. Pompeo posted a photograph of himself on Twitter on Sunday waving from the door of his US government aircraft in Tokyo with the caption: "Next stop #Pyongyang to meet with Chairman Kim and continue our work to fulfill the commitments made @potus and Chairman Kim at the #singaporesummit." Pompeo, who was making his fourth visit to Pyongyang, said on Twitter on Friday he would "continue our efforts to build out a pathway for the denuclearization of (North Korea)." An official of the State Department was not immediately able to confirm Pompeo`s arrival in Pyongyang, from where outside communication can be limited. Pompeo visited Tokyo on Saturday and was expected in Seoul later on Sunday. He is also due to visit Beijing before returning to the United States on Monday. Pompeo said en route to Asia he aimed "to make sure we understand what each side is truly trying to achieve." He said he also hoped to agree a "general date and location" for a second summit between President Donald Trump and Kim following their first meeting in June. Kim pledged at his June 12 meeting with Trump in Singapore to work toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, but his actions since have fallen short of Washington`s demands for irreversible steps to give up its arsenal. Pompeo declined en route to Asia to give details of his planned negotiations when asked if he would agree to North Korean demands for a declaration to end the 1950-53 Korean War or to South Korea`s suggestion that to break the current stalemate, he should avoid pressing again for an inventory of North Korea`s nuclear weapons. Trump has 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. Recently, Pompeo has angered North Korea by insisting that international sanctions must remain in place until it gives up its nuclear weapons. On Wednesday, 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." Pompeo`s last trip to North Korea did not go well. He left Pyongyang in July hailing progress, only for North Korea to denounce him for making "gangster-like demands." Pompeo did not meet Kim on that trip. North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told the United Nations last month 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. In Tokyo, Pompeo met Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and said he would coordinate closely with Japan over talks with North Korea and promised to raise the issue of the abductions of Japanese citizens in his meetings in Pyongyang. The UK and Germany discuss the introduction of new sanctions against Russia due to the claims of the Netherlands about the attempts of Russian hackers to hack the servers of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Bloomberg reports. British Vice-Prime Minister David Lidington and Official Representative of Germany Steffen Seibert confirmed the talks on the increasing of anti-Russian sections. Related: Germany accuses Russian intelligence of massive cyber-attacks Reportedly, the Netherlands reported on the prevention of Russian cyber-attack on the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and accused the personnel of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of Russia of the attempting to steal the information from the international investigation of the MH17 tragedy. Minister of Defense of the Netherlands Ank Bijleveld published the photos of the suspected Russians and voiced their names: Alexey Morenets, Yevgeniy Serebryakov, Oleg Sotnikov, and Alexey Minin. Related: Netherlands accuse Russia of cyber-attack at OPCW 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. It was also reported that the British MFA accused the Russian GRU of the organization of non-selective and desperate cyber-attacks all over the world aimed against political institutions, business, media, and sports. Later, The United States Department of Justice accused the personnel of the Main Intelligence Directorate of carrying out cyber-attacks against FIFA, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), OPCW, chemical laboratories in the UK and Switzerland. The EU leaders also joined to the accusations. 112 Agency A large many-thousand procession in support of the independence of Scotland took place in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, Herald Scotland reports. According to the organizers of the march, the number of participants reached 100 thousand. According to the police, 20 thousand people became participants. The procession started near Edinburgh Castle and finished near the parliament building. Participants carried flags of Scotland, and also listened to performances of musicians and politicians. "I believe in Scottish independence and I believe that today's demonstration is a visual demonstration of the fact that our country needs independence," said one of the protesters. During the march, the protesters met with a group of opponents of the independence of Scotland, but everything went without incident. Related: Scotland is ready to hold a new referendum on independence Police report one detainee who committed a minor offense. Earlier, Scotland once again raised the issue of holding a referendum on the independence of the region after Brexit. In September 2014, a referendum on independence from Britain was already held in Scotland. Proponents of independence then lost: 55.3% of Scots voted against the withdrawal of Scotland from the United Kingdom. Related: US conducts another round of denuclearization talks with Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang dumskaya.net A Russian warship was discovered not far from the coast of Latvia, in the exclusive economic zone of the country. It is reported by the press service of the National Armed Forces of Latvia on Twitter. The incident occurred yesterday, on Saturday, October 6. "On October 6, in the exclusive economic zone of Latvia, at a distance of 14 nautical miles from the state border, the Russian military ship of the Steregushchy class was noticed," the military said. This is not the first such case. Earlier, on May 12, in the exclusive economic zone of Latvia, 12 sea miles from the territorial waters of the country Russian ships of the SB-121 and Kashtan class, and six and a half sea miles from the territorial waters - the landing ship of the Ropucha class were noticed. A similar incident occurred on April 28, when a Steregushchiy-class corvette was discovered five nautical miles from the territorial waters of Latvia, as well as a tug of the Gorin class. A Russian ship "Sevastopol," which belonged to a company from Vladivostok, was arrested in the port of South Korean Busan. The ship stayed for repairs in Busan in the middle of August, Kommersant reports. On August 22, a representative of the Foreign Ministry of South Korea reported on the possible arrest of the vessel. The South Korean side suspected the vessel of trade with the DPRK banned by the UN Security Council sanctions. On August 21, the US announced the imposition of its own sanctions on a number of Russian vessels and companies that Washington suspects of trading oil with the DPRK. The Russian Foreign Ministry has reported that they do not have information about the incident. The embassy of South Korea said that it takes time to process journalists' requests. Information about the arrest came in 24 hours after the speech of Sergey Lavrov in the UN Security Council at a special meeting regarding the DPRK, where the Russian Federation called for a softening of the sanctions regime. Related: Parliament should decide whether dual citizenship is a crime in Ukraine, - Security Service 950 officers from nine countries take part in the drills The U.S. Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagles and Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules arrived in Ukraine to take part in international military exercises Clear Sky 2018, the purpose of which is the consolidation of peace and security. The press office of the U.S. Embassy to Ukraine reported this on Facebook. It is noted that the Clear Sky 2018 is a joint and multinational exercise, where 950 officers from nine countries will take part, including Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, the UK, and the U.S. Facebook/U.S. Embassy in Kyiv Reportedly, Secretary of National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov claimed that the Ukrainian military would take large-scale drills in the Sea of Azov. Deputy Chief of the Staff of the Ukrainian Navy Andriy Ryzhenko advised that Ukraines naval base, which is to be set in the Sea of Azov by the end of the year in Berdyansk (Zaporizhia region, southeastern Ukraine), will counter the mine threats. 45 thousand militaries in Norway supported by aircraft and navy will learn to reflect the attack of one of the countries of the Alliance Strategic NATO exercises Trident Juncture 2018 to take place in Norway from October 25 through November 7, ABC News report. All types of armed forces, 45 thousand militaries, 10 thousand vehicles, 150 units of aircraft, and 60 ships from 31 countries will be involved. Related: Russia prepares large-scale military drills in Crimea The Trident Juncture 2018 will become a simulation of repelling an attack on one of the countries of the Alliance. The experts believe that, first and foremost, this is a signal for Russia. Western countries attempt to convince Moscow that NATO is a defensive alliance that protects its members, so its useless to attack a power within it. Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia are most concerned about Russian aggression. Related: Light Avalanche 2018 international military drills completed in Lviv region James Foggo, the top U.S. admiral in Europe and the commander of Allied Joint Forces Command Naples, noted that Russia no longer holds the naval capabilities it once did during the Cold War, downplaying the sophistication of its surface fleet. But he did warn about Russia's advancements in submarine warfare. The admiral told reporters that Russia has six Kilo hybrid-class submarines operating in the Black Sea and eastern Mediterranean armed with Kalibr cruise missiles capable of hitting any European capital. Participant of 'Automaidan Odesa' movement sustained injuries while staying in the car, local media report A shooting incident took place on Lyustdorfs'ka Rd in Odesa, soutrhern Ukraine. One person was injured in action. Interception activity is taking place, reports the press office of the General Directorate of the National Police in Odesa. The shooting occurred at about 11 p.m. Related: Shooting in Kyiv: Man opens fire in trolleybus The investigation found out that a car approached one of the vehicles at the traffic light near a gas station; the unknown got out of the car, fired several shots and fled the scene. According to preliminary information, one person is injured and delivered to a hospital. Currently, an operational investigative unit and cynologists with dogs are working at the scene. Interception activity has been introduced in the city, the National Police reported. Besides, law enforcement officers claimed that they already possess the information about the shooters. Measures on their capture are being taken. According to Dumskaya, the local outlet, the attack was directed against one of the participants of Automaidan Odesa organization, the leader of which is Yevhen Rezvushkin. Earlier, on September 22, Oleh Mykhailyk, Odesa-based public activist and the head of city organization of the party The Power of People, was attacked and shot. He suffered gunshot wounds to the shoulder and chest. The administrative director and the head of the regional TVN channel, Viktoria Marinova, was killed in the Bulgarian city of Rus. This is reported by the local television channel NOVA TV, referring to police data. A local resident found the body of a 30-year-old journalist in a green area near the Danube, and her belongings were found a few meters away. Her car was parked nearby. According to police, the woman died from a blow to the head and suffocation. Local criminologists say they do not recall such a brutal murder in this area. At the moment, police officers are working on several versions regarding the motive of the murder, in particular, the murder for professional activities. The work does not stop even for a moment. We have enough specialists. Soon we will be able to provide more information about the murderer, said the district prosecutor Georgiy Georgiev. According to the European Truth agency, recently Marinova has been working on the subject of embezzling funds from the finances of the European Union. In particular, regarding EU-funded infrastructure projects worth hundreds of millions of Bulgarian levs, on which consulting firms earned money. The regional TVN channel, where the journalist worked, was the only Bulgarian TV channel that reported on this scandal. The investigation was carried out within the framework of the EU-funded project of investigative journalism on fraud with EU funds in Bulgaria and Romania. Its results were planned to be transferred to the EU Office of Abuse Prevention and Fraud (OLAF). 112 Agency Pro-Russian "Harmony" party won the parliamentary elections in Latvia. Social Democrats managed to get almost 20% of the vote on the results of counting at 1057 out of 1078 polling stations, reports LSM.lv. Seven political forces have overcome the 5 percent barrier for entering the Sejm. "Harmony," which is headed by the mayor of Riga, Nil Ushakov, completed the elections with a score of 19.9%. In Riga, 30.6% of those who visited the polling stations voted for the party. The second place was taken by the party KPV, which gained 14.1%. Besides them, the New Conservative Party (13.6%), the party "Development/For" (12%), "National Alliance" (11%), "Union of Greens and Farmers," which is headed by the current Prime Minister Maris Kuchinkis, gained 10%. Also, the right-wing party "New Unity" passed into the parliament with the result of 6.6%. The turnout in the elections fell by 4% compared with the last elections and amounted to 54%. October 6, 2018, the 13th parliamentary elections took place in the country, which is celebrating its centenary. Latvias ethnic Russian minority makes up about a quarter of the countrys 1.9 million population, so "Harmony" party is popular with this electoral cluster. The party has formerly allied with Putin's "United Russia" party. Related: Russian warship discovered near Latvian coast The President stressed that among the best teachers of Ukraine there are many who specialize in inclusive education Presidential Administration press office Ukraine is reaching the European level of attitude towards children with special needs. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko said this during the Global Teacher Prize Ukraine-2018 award ceremony, which aims to celebrate the achievements of Ukrainian teachers, the presidential press service reports. It is especially important that today among the best teachers of Ukraine there are many who specialize in inclusive education. This means that Ukraine is entering a completely new European level of attitude towards special children, he wrote on Twitter. We recall that in February 2018 it became known that teachers working in the preparatory classes of special schools, as well as teachers and their assistants in inclusive classes of general education institutions, will be paid higher wages. Ukraine's education system is under reformation. 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. It is noted that Ukraine will stay within its international and legal commitments, particularly, it will continue to provide free and comprehensive development of the citizens, particularly, the representatives of the national minorities and provide the sufficient proportion of the education at the languages of the minorities in the primary and secondary school (in addition to the learning of the state language). Related: Earthquake in Indonesia - Death toll increases to 1763 N.M. author Joseph T. Page II, former Air Force space and missile officer, talks about and sign his latest non-fiction effort Kirtland Air Force Base. FORMER AIR FORCE OFFICER PRESENTS BOOK ON KIRTLAND BASE 3:00 PM SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, AT PAGE ONE New Mexico author Joseph T. Page II, former Air Force space and missile officer, will be at Page One Books 3:00 pm Sunday, October 7, to talk about and sign his latest non-fiction effort, "Kirtland Air Force Base." The book is described as such: "In late 1939, the US Army leased from the City of Albuquerque 2,000 acres adjacent to the municipal airport to house a small Air Corps detachment servicing transient Army and Navy aircraft. From these humble beginnings, construction began on Albuquerque Army Air Base on January 7, 1941. Starting as a B-17 training base in the months prior to World War II, the airfield would contain a bombardier school, glider replacement center, and four-engine transition school. On February 25, 1942, at the special request of Gen. Henry "Hap" Arnold, Albuquerque Army Air Base was renamed after Col. Roy C. Kirtland, one of the early Army aviation pioneers. Today, Kirtland Air Force Base has evolved into a military base different in many respects from its predecessor installations -- Oxnard Field, Sandia Base, and Manzano Base. The base's presence is significant to Albuquerque's economic and social life, as well as housing several of the nation's most important defense research and development organizations." Page II is an amateur space historian, and former Air Force space and missile officer who grew up at White Sands Missile Range, the "Birthplace of America's Missile and Space Activity." He holds a bachelor's of science degree in engineering technology from New Mexico State University, and a master's of science in space studies from American Military University. His other books include "New Mexico Space Trail," "Space Launch Complex 10," "Vandenberg Air Force Base," and "White Sands National Monument." After spending tours of duty in California, North Dakota and Afghanistan, Joe and his family settled in southern New Mexico. Page One Books is located at 5850 Eubank Blvd NE, Suite B-41, in Albuquerque's Mountain Run Shopping Center (southeast corner of Eubank and Juan Tabo). The Page II event is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 294-2026 or visit www.page1book.com. ------------------------- Page II's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/josephtpageii PLEASE NOTE! Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate! All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited! (One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!) YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Russian astronaut Anton Shkaplerov has personally delivered the Armenian flag to Yerevan after 197 days in the International Space Station (ISS). Shkaplerov is a former Commander of the ISS. Speaking to reporters at the Zvartnots airport of the Armenian capital, the astronaut or as Russian say cosmonaut - noted that he has circled the Earth more than 8000 times, that he has seen Armenia, Yerevan and Lake Sevan from space many times and taken photos. I was dreaming about coming to Armenia and thanks to philanthropist Hrachya Poghosyan I had the chance to arrive and get to know the country up close. Unfortunately Ive come on a short time, only three days, because currently I am in a rehabilitation phase after the spaceflight, but I will manage to at least see the main sightseeing sites. I think I will stay a lot longer next time, Shkaplerov told reporters at the airport. The cosmonaut is expected to hand over the flag to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. He said that two weeks later his colleague Oleg Artemyev will deliver the flag of Yerevan to Armenia. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, OCTOBER 7, ARMENPRESS. President Armen Sarkissian has sent birthday greetings to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin today, the Armenian Presidents Office said. Your personal significant contribution in strengthening the allied relations of Armenia and Russia is highly appreciated in Armenia, [relations] that are based on many centuries of firm brotherly ties and mutual assistance of the peoples of our countries. Witnessing how the relations between our countries have deepened in all areas of intergovernmental partnership, both in bilateral format as well as within the framework of integration and international unions, I am convinced that our joint efforts will continue strengthening the allied relations for the benefit of Armenia and Russia. I sincerely wish sound health, welfare and new successes to you in your activities, for the benefit of brotherly Russia, President Sarkissian, in part, said in the cable. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, OCTOBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has congratulated Russian President Vladimir Putin on his birthday. Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, Accept my sincere congratulations on the occasion of your birthday and my sincere best wishes in serving the brotherly people of Russia. I am convinced that your rich experience of state and political activities, your principle [approach] in reaching defined goals and consistency will further contribute to the strengthening of the Russian statehood. Your personal contribution in developing and strengthening the Armenian-Russian allied relations are highly appreciated in Armenia. These relations are based on centuries-old traditions of friendship and mutual trust of the peoples of our countries. In this context I especially appreciate the personal relations that are established between us, which, certainly, give additional impetus to the continuous development of the Armenian-Russian cooperation in all areas, including within the framework of multilateral platforms and integration processes. I am pleased to note that the mutual interest in deepening cooperation between our countries will enable to further use the significant potential of interstate cooperation of Armenia and Russia enriching the Armenian-Russian strategic relations, as well as contributing to strengthening stability and security in our region. Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, I wish sound health, happiness, welfare and good luck to you in all your initiatives, the Armenian PM, in part, said in the telegram. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, OCTOBER 7, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian people are a working people, they arent a help-begging people, but a help-offering people. With this people, businessmen, who will work, we will prove together that the Armenian people are creative and that they will have a great flight up high, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in remarks on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of rebirth of the village of Agarak in Aragatsotn province. Today is a symbolic day for several reasons. Many are asking what has changed in the past five months in Armenia. Those who want to see will see that the most important thing has changed in Armenia, the mood, the look in peoples eyes, self-esteem and self-confidence. It is important to note what the most important thing is for the people. It is its dignity, its pride. It is important for any citizen of Armenia to clearly note that they are equal with everybody, and there is no one [higher] or [lower] than themselves. Today, there is no one in Armenia, beginning from the Prime Minister, to have advantage over somebody. We are all citizens of Armenia and we have the same rights and duties. A true brotherhood, civil brotherhood is established in Armenia, we perceive each other as a single family, one union, one nation. Forty-five years have passed since the victory of Ararat, and until now we honor these people, we open squares with teary eyes, because with its victories Ararat gave new strength to the pride of our people, with its victory it was able to make any Armenian proud, because the most important thing for our people is its identity, dignity. Yesterday I participated in Charles Aznavours funeral. Why do we love him? Because he has given new strength to the pride of the Armenian people, he raised the dignity and self-consciousness of the Armenian people to a new level. We consider this day special, because we look into each others eyes with pride, love, because we are honest to one another. Why is this day important? We met Hrachya Poghosyan at a meeting in St. Petersburg, a conversation took place with Armenian businessmen. When we were talking about the development model of Armenia, as to how Armenia should develop, we concluded that the main role of the government is to create opportunities in order for businessmen to make investments in Armenia. Mr. Poghosyan vowed to invest in Agarak. The kind of people who say something and do it, who are the men of their words, they are our most important partners, these businessmen, who are able to not only make charity, but to create opportunities for any representative to have the chance to earn his bread with his work. This is the first plant to open in Agarak since independence, and I hope that this small plant will grow bigger and other plants will be created. I would like to guarantee and assure that in new Armenia no one will even dare to think to have a cut from a business, to [extort], no official will dare to think to accept a bribe or to cause problems. We say to all businessmen we bow before all your charities, donations, that are extremely important for Armenia, but we urge everyone to make investments and to create jobs. Armenia is a place where one can earn money through fair and legal work, and give the opportunity of earning money to others. Armenia is waiting for you. I would like to thank the businessmen. Soon we will have another result from the St. Petersburg meeting, soon a sugar factory will be opened in Sevan, the owner of which is here today. He too took part in that meeting. I am ready to go to numerous meetings which will result in numerous jobs being opened. Mr. Poghosyan, a special thanks to you, that you didnt lose touch with our countrymen. Our message is this, that the Armenian people are a working people, they dont beg for help, they offer help. Together with these people, businessmen, who will work, we will together prove that the Armenian people are creative and that they will have a great flight up high, the PM said. Dear people, our government, me myself should become the ground under the peoples feet in order for them to stand up relying on us, to develop and empower. Our people is one of the pioneer peoples of mankind, because it was able to do something, the kind of political revolution which has never before been documented in thousands of years of history of mankind. The Armenian people were pioneers of civilization and today it has re-conquered this mission. I love you all, I kiss you all. Long live Agarak, long live the people of Agarak, long live the Republic of Armenia, he said. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended the grand opening of a sewing plant in the village of Agarak, Aragatsotn province. The opening took place as part of celebrations of the villages 10th anniversary of rebirth. Pashinyan was welcomed by locals in a festive mood. Heritage Party leader Raffi Hovhannisyan was also in attendance. I hope that this plant will develop and will start exporting, and that new jobs will be opened. The bigger the plants profit, the bigger benefit will the community have, the locals, as well as the state, the PM told reporters. The plant currently employs 18 people. But a new building of the facility is expected to have around 100 new jobs. Russian astronaut, former ISS commander Anton Shkaplerov also attended the event. The astronaut has arrived at the invitation of philanthropist Hrachya Poghosyan. Shkaplerov has delivered an Armenian flag which was taken to the International Space Station for nearly 200 days. The new Ararat 73 square will be inaugurated in the village also. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, OCTOBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Russian astronaut Anton Shkaplerov ceremonially handed over an Armenian flag, which spent nearly 200 days in space, to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during an event that took place in Agarak, a village in Aragatsotn province. This flag was in space for nearly 200 days in an altitude of 400 kilometers, at the time when political changes were happening in Armenia. I consider that this flag will become the symbol of Armenias new life, most importantly a symbol of stable life, economic growth, great welfare, peace and friendship between you and Russia, Shkaplerov said. Russian astronaut Oleg Artemyevs video message was screened at the event. Artemyev only recently landed on Earth from a spaceflight and has brought the flag of Yerevan with him. This flag will too be ceremonially transferred to the Armenian PM. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, OCTOBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Police have released details over the murder of former MP Karo Karapetyan and the apparent suicide of another former MP Harutyun Gharagyozyan. Police said they received shots fired reports at 22:40, October 6, followed by hospitals notifying on two men being admitted with gunshot wounds. One of the men, Karo Karapetyan, was pronounced dead upon arrival. A Beretta handgun was discovered at the shooting scene, a restaurant in the Armenakyan Street, Yerevan. Police said the gun belongs to Harutyun Gharagyozyan, an official award he received on March 22, 2001 under the then-Prime Ministers order. Police said the Harutyun Gharagyozyan was found dead the next day in a building outside Yerevan, in Zovuni. Gharagyozyan had a gunshot wound to the head and a handgun was held in his right hand. Initial information suggests apparent suicide, police said. An investigation is underway. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 7, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan and First Lady Anahit Sahakyan held a meeting today with Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyans spouse Anna Hakobyan and participants of her Women For Peace campaign representing the social, political, literary, cultural and media areas of Russia. President Sahakyan welcomed the initiative, finding it to be a unique arena for deepening and expanding friendly ties, and expressed hope that the initiative will be continuous. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, OCTOBER 7, ARMENPRESS. The Pavilion of Armenia at the La Francophonie Village will present the culture, history and goods of the ten provinces of Armenia and Artsakh. Gohar Aloyan, a tourism official at the ministry of economic development and investments, told ARMENPRESS that the pavilion includes everything a tourist can see while visiting Armenias provinces. We have done everything in a way so that after visiting the pavilion our Francophone friends who are currently in Armenia will definitely return to our country as tourists, she said. The pavilion was prepared jointly by the state tourism committee, the ministry of territorial administration and development, Artsakh and the 10 governors offices of Armenia. Carpet-weaving and cross-stone making is also presented. Aloyan said the visitors flow is rather high. A volunteer group is assisting in presenting the pavilion to French speaking visitors. The tourism committee is also facilitating three-time daily tours for registered participants to Armenias sightseeing locations. The Francophonie Villages goal is to present the cultural diversity of the International Organization of La Francophonie. Today, the Permanent Council session of the organization kicked off in Yerevan, signaling the start of the Francophonie events in the Armenian capital. The Francophonie Village will be open until October 12, from 12:00 to 20:00. The Village will be officially opened on October 9, and by that time all member countries of the organization will have their pavilions. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, OCTOBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took part in the celebrations marking the 2703rd anniversary of foundation of the town of Etchmiatsin in Armenia. The Prime Minister toured the central town square and viewed the pavilions which featured the crafts and goods of locals. Cabinet members were also in attendance. Dear people of Etchmiatsin, I am happy to see you in such high spirits. Today, there still are villages, even towns, where residents complain that the revolution hasnt reached them, but I think that Etchmiatsin is the very town what knows and sees that the revolution has not only reached, but has won. Today no one can [nit-pick] on citizens of Etchmiatsin, because the people of Etchmiatsin are free, victorious, proud and strong, Pashinyan said. According to Pashinyan, the people of Etchmiatsin know the price of freedom the most. As a journalist, politician, political prisoner and Member of Parliament during the entire period of history of the Republic of Armenia, I would like to apologize to all people of Etchmiatsin for the years when we werent able to help the way we should have had. But, after all, we knew that step by step we were heading toward freedom and rule of law, the Prime Minister said. He expressed hope that from now on the locals will protect their liberties and rights and will no longer allow for viceroys (bdeshkhs) to appear not only in Etchmiatsin but generally in Armenia. The PM was referring to the infamous former general Manvel Grigoryan, the former Member of Parliament who had established a mafia-style rule in the town during the previous regime. Today, rule of law and liberty is established in Armenia, today citizens of Armenia feel victorious. Unfortunately, there are still forces in Armenia, political parties that feel bad in conditions of widespread peoples well-being, which still want to infuse distrust among people, who even think about snatching the peoples victory from the peoples hands, the PM said. He told the people of the town that Etchmiatsin, the town considered the spiritual center, must be in line with its calling with everything. This is the place where Jesus Christ descended, this is holy land, and we must protect and keep the sacredness of this land. This is also a revolution of our peoples spiritual rebirth, the Prime Minister said. As part of a tradition, the PM had to give the Key to the City to acting Mayor Diana Gasparyan, but they both agreed to give it to the people, because the people are in power. After the event the Premier headed to the Mother See of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, OCTOBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Canada is presenting its educational opportunities at the La Francophonie Village in Yerevan. The Pavilion of Canada features comprehensive information about almost all educational facilities of the country. Youth and education are very important for us. We are presenting Canadas cultural diversity, a representative of the pavilion said. According to the representative, many are interested in studying in Canada. The pavilion offers brochures and books about Canadian education. The Francophonie Villages goal is to present the cultural diversity of the International Organization of La Francophonie. Today, the Permanent Council session of the organization kicked off in Yerevan, signaling the start of the Francophonie events in the Armenian capital. The Francophonie Village will be open until October 12, from 12:00 to 20:00. The Village will be officially opened on October 9, and by that time all member countries of the organization will have their pavilions. Yerevan is hosting the XVII International Organisation of La Francophonie summit in 2018. The events will take place October 7-12, with the summit scheduled for the final two days. Armenia is a member of the organization since 2008. The International Organisation of La Francophonie represents one of the biggest linguistic zones in the world. Its members share more than just a common language. They also share the humanist values promoted by the French language. The French language and its humanist values represent the two cornerstones on which the International Organisation of La Francophonie is based. The International Organisation of La Francophonie was created in 1970. Its mission is to embody the active solidarity between its 84 member states and governments (58 members and 26 observers), which together represent over one-third of the United Nations member states and account for a population of over 900 million people, including 274 million French speakers. IOF organizes political activities and actions of multilateral cooperation that benefit French-speaking populations. Its actions respect cultural and linguistic diversity and serve to promote the French language, peace and sustainable development. IOF has concluded 33 cooperation agreements with international and regional organisations and has established permanent dialogue between the major international linguistic zones (the English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Arab-speaking zones). The IOF has its head office in Paris as well as four permanent representations in Addis Ababa (at the African Union and at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa), in Brussels (at the European Union), in New York and in Geneva (at the UN). It has three regional offices (West Africa ; Central Africa and Indian Ocean ; Asia-Pacific) located respectively in Lome (Togo), Libreville (Gabon) and Hanoi (Vietnam) and two regional antennas in Bucharest (Romania) and in Port-au-Prince (Haiti). Alongside the IOF, the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie and the four direct operators are responsible for implementing the programs decided at the Summits. The four direct operators are : the Academic Agency of La Francophonie, TV5Monde, the International Association of Francophone Mayors and The Senghor University of Alexandria. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, OCTOBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Rwanda is presenting its business environment opportunities at its pavilion at the La Francophonie Village in Yerevans Freedom Square. The country is also presenting readiness for creating favorable conditions for investments, Joyeuse Uwingeneye from the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) told ARMENPRESS. Our organization is a governmental body. We are here to present Rwandas investment opportunities, also what people can do when they arrive to our country. In terms of business Rwanda is the second country in Africa. We are second thanks to our policy, we are open, anyone can come to our country without a visa. We have favorable and attractive conditions for businesses, Uwingeneye said. The Francophonie Villages goal is to present the cultural diversity of the International Organization of La Francophonie. Today, the Permanent Council session of the organization kicked off in Yerevan, signaling the start of the Francophonie events in the Armenian capital. The Francophonie Village will be open until October 12, from 12:00 to 20:00. The Village will be officially opened on October 9. Yerevan is hosting the XVII International Organisation of La Francophonie summit in 2018. The events will take place October 7-12, with the summit scheduled for the final two days. Armenia is a member of the organization since 2008. The International Organisation of La Francophonie represents one of the biggest linguistic zones in the world. Its members share more than just a common language. They also share the humanist values promoted by the French language. The French language and its humanist values represent the two cornerstones on which the International Organisation of La Francophonie is based. The International Organisation of La Francophonie was created in 1970. Its mission is to embody the active solidarity between its 84 member states and governments (58 members and 26 observers), which together represent over one-third of the United Nations member states and account for a population of over 900 million people, including 274 million French speakers. IOF organizes political activities and actions of multilateral cooperation that benefit French-speaking populations. Its actions respect cultural and linguistic diversity and serve to promote the French language, peace and sustainable development. IOF has concluded 33 cooperation agreements with international and regional organisations and has established permanent dialogue between the major international linguistic zones (the English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Arab-speaking zones). The IOF has its head office in Paris as well as four permanent representations in Addis Ababa (at the African Union and at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa), in Brussels (at the European Union), in New York and in Geneva (at the UN). It has three regional offices (West Africa ; Central Africa and Indian Ocean ; Asia-Pacific) located respectively in Lome (Togo), Libreville (Gabon) and Hanoi (Vietnam) and two regional antennas in Bucharest (Romania) and in Port-au-Prince (Haiti). Alongside the IOF, the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie and the four direct operators are responsible for implementing the programs decided at the Summits. The four direct operators are : the Academic Agency of La Francophonie, TV5Monde, the International Association of Francophone Mayors and The Senghor University of Alexandria. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, OCTOBER 7, ARMENPRESS. The 105th session of the Permanent Council of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) took place today in Yerevan. Nearly 100 high-level delegations of both member and observer states and partner organizations took part. La Francophonie Secretary General Michaelle Jean opened the session, presenting the secretariats work ahead of the summit, the organizations priorities and its activities in economic, diplomatic and political arenas, the foreign ministry said. Armenias Permanent Representative to the La Francophonie, Ambassador Christian Ter-Stepanyan delivered remarks, welcoming the participants. He attached importance to the organizations activities aimed at assisting countries in crisis situations and encouraging democratic processes. Armenia attaches great importance to the involvement and participation of the youth in the La Francophonie summit works, as well as the events taking place within the framework of the summit, and in this regard highly valuing the consultation carried out in the Francophonie youth network in developing the Living Together call, the ambassador said. Representatives of the member states addressed also agenda issues of the upcoming summit and discussed the drafts of the Yerevan Declaration and other documents. The summit will take place October 11 and 12. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, OCTOBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Zohrab Mnatsakanyan held a meeting today with Melanie Joly, Canadas Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie. The Canadian minister is in Armenia for the 35th Ministerial Conference and 17th Summit of the International Organization of La Francophonie. At the meeting the sides discussed issues related to the program of the summit, other planned events and draft documents, the foreign ministry said. Mnatsakanyan and Joly emphasized that the organization give broad opportunity for expanding cooperation in the Francophone area, as well as development of bilateral ties between member states. The ministers addressed several issues of the bilateral agenda, and expressed conviction that the upcoming visit of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will boost cooperation between Armenia and Canada. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan Nationalist Milorad Dodik took the lead in a vote for the Serb seat of Bosnia's tripartite presidency, as a country splintered along ethnic lines awaits final results due out later Monday. The elevation of the hardliner to the top office -- a joint post he will share with Muslim and Croat leaders -- lays bare the nationalism haunting Bosnia more than two decades after it was torn apart by war. Dodik is the longtime leader of Bosnia's Serb-majority Republika Srpska, one of the country's post-war entities. He has previously threatened to hold a vote on the region's secession -- a move that would unravel a delicate arrangement that has kept peace since the 1992-95 conflict. Now the firebrand will co-lead a country he has referred to as a "failed concept". "This victory is as clean as a whistle," Dodik announced from his base in Banja Luka, the capital of the Serb-run entity. He said he captured 56 percent of the vote, beating his moderate rival Mladen Ivanic with 85 percent of the ballots counted. The electoral commission confirmed Dodik's lead, announcing after midnight that he had 55.15 percent of the vote after input from 43 percent of polling stations. Full results are expected later Monday. But the incumbent Ivanic claimed the race could not yet be called. "We will wait for the report of our observers to see if everything has gone well," he said in a televised statement. Meanwhile, the main Bosnian Muslim party SDA claimed a victory for its candidate Sefik Dzaferovic in the three-person presidency. And the Croat post went to Social Democrat Zeljko Komsic, knocking out current president Dragan Covic from the nationalist right. Bosnia's complex -- and some say dysfunctional -- political system is a relic of the 1990s war that saw Serbs, Croats and Muslims turn on each other in brutal fashion. The conflict left 100,000 dead, displaced millions and wrecked the economy and infrastructure. The peace accord that stopped the fighting sliced the country in two halves -- one dominated by Serbs and the other home to Muslims and a Croat minority. Each "entity" has its own government with a high level of autonomy. They are held together by a relatively weak national administration, headed by the tripartite presidency which rotates between members every eight months. - Divide and rule - Ahead of elections, many politicians leaned into nationalist rhetoric to court voters. During the campaign Dodik repeated claims that Bosnia was "not a state" and that its capital Sarajevo was "foreign territory." After casting a ballot in his hometown Laktasi, the Serb strongman said he would work with Bosnia's institutions but "solely in the interest and benefit of Republika Srpska." Dodik, who is vocally pro-Russian, was blacklisted by the United States last year for threatening Bosnia's integrity. How he will approach his new role remains to be seen. The most extreme scenario would see him "work towards the decomposition of Bosnia," says Tanja Topic, a political analyst. After voting, one of Dodik's supporters in Laktasi, Jadranaka Pavic, said she expected him to "go to Sarajevo to fight (the others) there." - Disillusionment - Among the population of 3.5 million, there is a pervasive sense of disillusionment with a political class accused of clinging to power by stoking nationalism instead of fixing economic woes. Monthly wages average around 430 euros while around one fifth of the population is unemployed. "No party meets my expectations as a citizen," said Danica Odovic, a 47-year-old bookseller outside a polling station in Banja Luka. She added that she was voting only for "change... not because I think the others are better." Experts say Bosnia's unwieldy political structure hampers progress on reforms and creates a space for graft to run wild. According to Transparency International, corruption is a serious problem at "all levels of government". "Most young people see their future outside Bosnia," said Zoran Kresic, an analyst. Hearing these "same stories, messages of war and of the impossibility of living together, demotivates people from staying", he added. Voter turnout was estimated to be close to the 55 percent figure from 2014, according to the electoral commission, with no significant incidents reported. Bosnian-Serb candidate for the country's tripartite presidency is the longtime leader of Bosnia's Serb-majority entity Republika Srpska Many politicians in Bosnia lean into nationalist rhetoric to court voters People queue at a polling station in Bosnia where people are concerned about economic woes with one fifth of the population unemployed Cameroonians voted in presidential polls on Sunday with octogenarian leader Paul Biya seeking a seventh term against a backdrop of deadly violence in the country's English-speaking regions. The vote follows a last-minute opposition unity bid to dislodge the 85-year-old incumbent, one of Africa's longest-serving rulers. Two leading opponents have formed the first electoral union since 1992, but talks between various other opposition parties to create a "super-coalition" to deny Biya another seven years were apparently fruitless. Biya and his wife Chantal, who wore a matching canary yellow skirt, jacket and handbag along with her signature brown bouffant hair, voted in the Bastos public school in the capital Yaounde surrounded by heavily-armed soldiers. "The election campaign was conducted peacefully... as president, it would be satisfying to be reelected to see that the people trust me," he told journalists as he left the voting booth and returned to his Mercedes-Maybach limousine. "I feel proud," said Patrick, 38, an airport worker who also voted in Bastos. "I want the next president to consolidate what we have achieved in Cameroon. I want the elections to pass off peacefully, that's my only hope for the polls." Cameroon's 6.5 million eligible voters are casting their ballots as violence rages in the anglophone southwest and northwest. Those regions have been rocked by a separatist insurgency launched a year ago against the mainly francophone state. The violence has killed at least 420 civilians, 175 members of the security forces and an unknown number of separatists, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG) think-tank. After voting got underway on Sunday, security forces shot dead three suspected separatists who had allegedly been firing at passersby from a motorcycle in Bamenda, the main city in the northwest region, a local official said. In Buea, capital of the southwest, three separatists of the so-called Ambazonia Republic were gunned down on Friday and a priest was executed by soldiers on Thursday, according to witnesses. The far north is also mired in insecurity, as Nigeria-based Boko Haram fighters mount attacks despite US efforts to equip and train Cameroon's military to battle the jihadists. - 'Massive fraud'? - In a rare coordinated political manoeuvre, a key opposition frontrunner, Maurice Kamto, agreed late Friday to a unity deal between his Movement for the Rebirth of Cameroon (MRC) and the People's Development Front (FDP), meaning he will stand for both parties. However it is unclear whether the eleventh-hour deal will sway the vote, which runs until 1700 GMT Sunday. "This alliance, though interesting for the vitality of Cameroonian democracy, may have arrived too late," said Hans de Marie Heungoup, an ICG researcher. Kamto's MRC has warned that a "massive fraud" is underway to secure a Biya win. "We're not preparing for war, but wherever there is fraud, there will be a firm response," said MRC spokesman Paul-Eric Kingue. The government hit back, apparently in response to the MRC, saying that it would "not tolerate any disorder before, during or after the presidential vote". The opposition has long accused the authorities of supporting Biya. But despite the ubiquity of Biya's posters, he has been virtually absent from the campaign trail, except for a single event last weekend. - Travel lock-down - It is unclear if polling will proceed normally across Cameroon's English-speaking regions, where separatists hold a "significant" amount of territory, according to the ICG, and have threatened to disrupt the vote. A team of election officials received a military escort as they travelled to the outskirts of Buea on Sunday, according to AFP journalists. The government said it was possible there were "troublemakers" in the anglophone regions. "But the vast majority of residents are ready and willing to vote," said Communications Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary. Authorities have imposed a raft of security measures including a ban on inter-regional travel and sealing the borders. A total of 246,000 people have fled their homes in the southwest and 25,000 have left the country altogether for Nigeria, according to UN figures. It is thought that the displaced will struggle to vote, which could favour Biya as anglophones have traditionally backed the Social Democratic Front (SDF) party of rival candidate Joshua Osih. Results must be posted within 15 calendar days of the poll. Cameroon's 6.5 million eligible voters are casting their ballots at a time of unprecedented violence in the country's English-speaking regions Cameroon's President Paul Biya voted with his wife Chantal but has made few appearances on the campaign trail In a rare coordinated political manoeuvre, one of the key opposition frontrunners, Maurice Kamto, agreed late Friday to a unity deal between his Movement for the Rebirth of Cameroon's (MRC) and the People's Development Front (FDP) The Cameroonian army secured a polling station in Lysoka, near Buea in the southwest Profiles of Cameroon's main presidential candidates It was three decades ago, but Kazuhiko Ochiai still remembers his first taste of cheese when he visited France, a palate pleaser that inspired the former researcher to start producing his own variety in Japan. But he now frets that a massive EU-Japan trade deal could spark a flood of cheap cheese imported from Europe that could take a generous slice out of his own business. Ochiai makes five kinds of cheese, including brie and a variety similar to comte. Business has boomed with sales of 20 million yen ($177,500) this year, up from just two million yen when he started a decade ago. "We cannot keep up with the demand," said the 74-year-old, who employs just a handful of staff. But he acknowledged concern about the impact of the free-trade deal, which will eliminate the hefty 29.8-percent tariff currently imposed on imported cheese. "I'm worried for the long term," Ochiai told AFP at his small factory in the mountainous city of Nasushiobara, north of Tokyo, as colleagues busily shaped and wrapped speciality cheeses. "I think the price competition will be fierce. It's hard for us to lower the price because it takes time and effort for small cheese makers," he said, adding that milk is much cheaper in Europe than in Japan. The deal signed in July -- the largest ever negotiated by the EU -- creates a huge free-trade area covering nearly one-third of global GDP, eliminating tariffs for everything from Japanese cars to French cheese. Touting the deal, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Japanese people would "be able to enjoy excellent wine or cheese from Europe". Japanese consumption of cheese is increasing, from 279,000 tonnes in 2007 to 338,000 tonnes a decade later, according to the most recent statistics from the farm ministry. But there is plenty of room for growth. Per capita, annual consumption is a scant 2.66 kilogrammes (5.86 pounds) compared to 27.2 kilogrammes in France, 24.7 kilogrammes in Germany and a whopping 28.1 kilogrammes in Denmark. Around three-quarters of the cheese consumed is imported, mostly from Australia and New Zealand. - 'Delicious cheese' - Hundreds of kilometres to the north, on the island of Hokkaido where most Japanese dairy products are made, cattle farmers are also watching trade developments with unease. "We're concerned that demand for cheese made in Japan might be lost," the Japan Agricultural Co-operative in Hokkaido told AFP. Another worry was the possibility that cheese manufacturers facing greater competition might in turn pressurise dairy farmers to cut their prices. Almost all of the milk used in cheese production comes from Hokkaido. Keen to support domestic farmers -- a key political support group for Abe -- the government has already announced measures to cushion the impact. Abe's administration has earmarked 15 billion yen in subsidies "to counter the increase of European cheese before the trade deal takes effect," according to the farm ministry. Manufacturers can use the subsidies to expand their facilities, attend training overseas to improve quality or to promote cheese consumption. Ochiai is pinning his hopes on the cheese tastes of Japanese consumers, who tend to prefer milder varieties. "Not many Japanese people like cheese with very strong flavours. One way for us to compete is to produce cheese with mild flavours which more Japanese people would like," he said. "I think the only way is to improve the quality and make delicious cheese. I think we can somehow survive if we do that." - 'Cheese together with wine' - And while an invasion of French cheese might worry some, for others it comes as a boon. Vinos Yamazaki, a wine and cheese importer with 25 shops mostly across Tokyo, sees the deal as an opportunity to expand its customer base. The company handles more than 30 kinds of cheese imported mainly from France at a price of some 1,000 yen per 100 grammes. "Female customers in their 40s and 50s come here to buy cheese together with wine," said Yoshihiro Yao, a shop manager in the historic Nihonbashi area. "But if the price of cheese goes down, we expect a wider range of customers", he said. "I think more people are likely to eat cheese on a daily basis." Japanese cheesemaker Kazuhiko Ochiai fears a trade deal with the EU may flood the market with imports Japanese consumption of cheese has increased from 279,000 tonnes in 2007 to 338,000 tonnes a decade later Most cheese imports to Japan are currently from Australia and New Zealand Local manufacturers say Japanese consumers tend to favour milder tasting cheeses Come Sunday evening most Australians will be basking in an extra hour of sunlight with daylight saving pushing the time forward one hour. Yet it will seem a long wait for early risers who lost an hour in bed, as many, including some sleeping experts, begrudge the change. Most smartphone devices and computers automatically adjust the time but analogue clocks need to be changed manually. Many across Australia lost an hour of sleep last night. Source: Getty, file. Daylight saving always falls on the first Sunday of October. Its still a contentious issue for some states with Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia not taking part. Daylight saving means Australias three standard time zones split into five, while Western Australia falls three hours behind those states that observe DST. Sleep experts warn people to pay attention to their drowsiness levels immediately after the time change. The first 24 hours after the clock changes there can be an increase in accidents, Dr Moira Junge from the Sleep Health Foundation told AAP. Losing an hour of sleep can have a detrimental effect on the body, experts say. Source: Getty Dont over-think it too much, while there is a shift in our body clock, its only for a short period of time. Daylight saving finishes in April next year when the clocks wind back an hour from 3am. Health risks associated with change While we rejoice at the thought of longer evenings and the illusion of having more time in the day, losing just that one hour of sleep can actually have a huge impact on your body. That lost hour of sleep may play a bigger, perhaps more dangerous role in our bodys natural rhythm, according to a study led by the University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center. The shocking results of the research showed that switching over to daylight saving time, and subsequently losing one hour of sleep, actually increased the risk of having a heart attack the following day by 24 percent. The basic principle is that our internal body clocks are synchronised to light, Dr Peter Eastwood, President of the Australasian Sleep Association and Professor at the University of Western Australia, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. Light is the biggest stimulus to keep our body clock online. So if all of a sudden you change the clock outside of that and the timing between light and dark, sleep and wake changes, your body needs time to adjust. with AAP Iran's parliament on Sunday approved a bill to counter terrorist financing that was strongly opposed by conservatives but seen as vital to salvaging the nuclear deal with European and Asian partners. The bill, one of four put forward by the government to meet demands set by the international Financial Action Task Force (FATF), was passed by 143 votes to 120, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency. It aims to bring Iran's laws in line with international standards and allows it to join the UN Terrorism Financing Convention. "Neither I nor the president can guarantee that all problems will go away if we join (the UN convention)," said Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif during the debate ahead of the vote. "But I guarantee that not joining will provide the US with more excuses to increase our problems," he added. Iran is currently alone with North Korea on the blacklist of the FATF, which monitors global money laundering and terrorist financing. In June, the Paris-based FATF gave Iran three months to pass laws needed to be removed from the blacklist, which has added to the Islamic republic's woes in accessing global banking. Iran's parliament passed a counter-terror finance bill by 143 votes to 120 The wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went on trial Sunday for allegedly using state funds to fraudulently pay for hundreds of meals, part of a list of legal troubles facing the family. The start of Sara Netanyahu's trial was the latest chapter in a saga intensely scrutinised in Israel but dismissed by the Netanyahus as another "absurd" attempt to discredit them. She smiled at her lawyers when entering the court and the session began with a hearing on whether the trial should be overseen by a panel of three judges instead of one, due to the case's "public sensitivity". Attorney Yossi Cohen, leading her defence, said the prosecution request for an expanded bench was an attempt to take a simple case and "make it into a complicated drama". After a hearing of about around 40 minutes, the court adjourned until November 13, with the trial expected to run for months. But judge Avital Chen hinted that he would prefer some form of plea bargain to avoid a drawn-out trial, telling the lawyers to "see if they can reach an agreement between them". He said the accused would not be required to appear in court at the November hearing. On the issue of adding two more judges, he said he would inform the parties of his decision in writing. - 'Noodles and take-away' - Sara Netanyahu was charged with fraud and breach of trust in June. On trial with her is Ezra Seidoff, who ran the Netanyahus' official Jerusalem residence at the time of the alleged offences. He is charged with fraud and falsifying documents. Prosecutors accuse them of misusing state funds to pay for catered meals costing $100,000 (85,000 euros) by falsely declaring there were no cooks available at the residence. From 2010 to 2013, Sara Netanyahu, her family and guests received "fraudulently from the state hundreds of prepared meals", the indictment read. According to the charge sheet, the meals were ordered from a variety of well-known Jerusalem businesses, including an Italian restaurant, a Middle Eastern grill joint and a sushi establishment. Netanyahu, 59 and a high-profile presence at her husband's side throughout his long tenure, has denied any wrongdoing. "For the first time in history, charges are being pressed against a leader?s wife over noodles and take-away containers from six to seven years ago," a statement from her lawyers said Sunday. The meals were ordered "against Sara Netanyahu's will", it said. - Allegations over luxury gifts - The case has again turned the spotlight on the Netanyahu family and past allegations of misbehaviour. The premier himself faces possible charges in separate corruption investigations, leading to speculation that he will eventually be forced to step down. Sara Netanyahu has previously been accused of pocketing cash from deposit refunds for empty bottles returned from the official residence. She has also faced accusations of mistreating staff, and in 2016 a court awarded some $47,000 in damages to a former housekeeper who accused the couple of repeated workplace abuse. The Netanyahus have hit back, calling the allegations grossly unfair smear attempts. One particularly high-profile example occurred in 2017, when both the premier and his wife appeared in court in their libel case against a journalist's claim that Sara Netanyahu kicked her husband out of the car during a row. Benjamin Netanyahu testified that the story was a "ridiculous" fabrication. The court later awarded the Netanyahus $32,500. But there are potentially more serious allegations facing Benjamin Netanyahu. On Friday, police quizzed him for a 12th time as a suspect in various cases. In one of them he allegedly tried to secure a secret deal with the publisher of Israel's top-selling newspaper Yediot Aharonot to ensure positive coverage in return for pushing forward a law that would have limited the circulation of a rival. Another case involves suspicions that the premier and his family received luxury gifts from wealthy individuals in exchange for financial or personal favours. There is also an ongoing inquiry into his ties with local telecoms giant Bezeq and its largest shareholder, Shaul Elovitch, according to Israeli media. Police have recommended Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted in two cases, though the attorney general has yet to decide whether to do so. Despite the ongoing investigations, Netanyahu has remained strong in polls and he is not obliged to step down if formally charged. Sara Netanyahu (C), wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, attends a hearing at a Jerusalem court for allegedly using state funds to fraudulently pay for hundreds of meals Sara Netanyahu, wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, arrives at the Magistrate's Court in Jerusalem on October 7, 2018 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara visit a synagogue in Vilnius on August 26, 2018 Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini threatened Sunday to shut the country's airports after media reported that Germany planned to send charter flights of rejected asylum-seekers to Italy. "If someone in Berlin or Brussels thinks of dropping dozens of migrants via non-authorised charter flights in Italy, they should know that there is not and there will be no airport available," Salvini said on Twitter. "We will close the airports like we closed our ports," he added in reference to Italy's decision this summer to ban migrant rescue boats from entering its harbours. His comments came after German news agency DPA reported Sunday that Berlin intended to start returning rejected asylum-seekers to Italy via chartered flights. The first flight was due to leave Monday, with another scheduled for October 17, according to DPA. The migrants were mainly Nigerians who had entered the European Union via Italy, the agency said. Similarly, Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported Saturday that Germany's federal migration office was sending letters to asylum-seekers, warning them of their "imminent" return to Italy under the so-called Dublin rules. That controversial regulation assigns responsibility for migrants to the nation of first entry. However, Germany's interior ministry told DPA later Sunday that "no deportations (of migrants) to Italy are planned in the coming days". Immigration remains a hot-button issue among European Union members despite a major drop in arrivals following the 2015 peak of the continent's migration crisis. Germany has welcomed more than a million asylum-seekers, many fleeing war-torn Syria or Iraq, over the past three years. In the face of rifts within her conservative camp and rising xenophobia, Chancellor Angela Merkel has pledged to forge bilateral agreements with EU partner countries for migrant returns. But while Germany was able to strike deals with frontline nations Greece and Spain, Italy has been a much more reluctant partner at the negotiating table. Salvini, whose far-right Northern League party forms a ruling coalition with the anti-establishment Five Star Movement, accuses other EU members of letting Italy shoulder an unfair share of migrants. "If someone in Berlin or Brussels thinks of dropping dozens of migrants via non-authorised charter flights in Italy, they should know that there is not and there will be no airport available," Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said on Twitter Japan's military said Sunday one of its members was killed in a car crash in the Philippines during joint exercises with US and Filipino troops. Suguru Maehara, a 38-year-old sergeant of the Ground Self-Defense Forces, was involved in the accident on Tuesday last week, according to a GSDF spokesman who confirmed his death. "It is the first time a GSDF member has died during an overseas drill," the spokesman told AFP. Maehara was delivering food supplies to members participating in the drill when the accident happened. The exercise, codenamed Kamandag (meaning 'Venom'), marked the first time Japanese armoured military vehicles were used on foreign soil since the country adopted a pacifist constitution after its 1945 defeat. But Japan is not involved in the combat component of the military exercises. The 10-day exercise is being held at a Philippine navy base facing the South China Sea, some 250 kilometres (155 miles) from the Scarborough Shoal -- a territory claimed by Manila that was seized by China during a 2012 naval stand-off. Local media reported that Maehara was in a vehicle driven by a Philippine man near the naval base. Another Japanese officer in his 40s who was in the same vehicle was injured with a broken rib. He was sent to a hospital with Maehara but was discharged on the same day, the GSDF spokesman said. A Philippine spokesman for the exercises declined to comment. The Philippines has ramped up military cooperation in recent years with Washington, its long-time ally, and also held joint naval exercises with Japan near Scarborough Shoal in 2015. Japan has its own maritime territorial dispute with Beijing in the East China Sea, where China has built artificial islands and installed military facilities on them. The US military stressed that Saturday's exercise was not aimed at China. Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces have been involved in joint exercises with the US and Filipino troops A strong aftershock sent panicked residents fleeing into the streets on Sunday -- hours after a 5.9-magnitude earthquake killed at least 12 people along Haiti's northwest coast. AFP journalists in the Caribbean nation of 11 million reported strong shaking, felt around the coastal city of Port-de-Paix. It was not immediately clear if it had done any notable damage. Saturday's quake, centered 12 miles (19 kilometers) northwest of Port-de-Paix, injured more than 188 people, damaging or leveling several homes and public buildings. The tremor rattled the capital Port-de-Prince, sparking fear among residents still reeling from the massive 2010 earthquake that left at least 200,000 people dead and 300,000 more injured. President Jovenel Moise and Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant traveled to the affected area to view the damage and coordinate relief efforts. Moise tweeted pictures from Port-de-Paix, where he was briefed at the region's emergency response center, met victims, viewed damage to the police headquarters and offered thanks to local officers. He reported seeing damage to other buildings as well. Moise also visited Gros-Morne, about 30 miles to the southeast. He praised residents for their "show of solidarity and support," and urged them to remain calm. Saturday's quake, which was felt across the country, struck at 8:10 pm (0010 GMT Sunday) at a shallow depth of 7.3 miles. The government said eight of the 12 victims were killed in Port-de-Paix, capital of Haiti's Nord-Ouest department, while three were in Gros-Morne and one in Saint-Louis-du-Nord. The town of Chansolme and the small island of Tortuga also suffered damage, officials said. - 'Remain calm' - "I urge the population to remain calm," Moise said in a tweet Saturday. Some of the injuries were sustained when people panicked after the initial quake, the civil protection agency said. The agency confirmed that some homes were destroyed or damaged, without offering specific figures. The Nord-Ouest department is the poorest part of impoverished Haiti, with many areas isolated due to the dire state of the roads. There was an unusual buzz of activity, however, at the site in Gros-Morne where a community center had collapsed. Residents using saws or their bare hands scrambled to recover metal support rods from the debris for resale, before being chased away by authorities. The building's guard, who was sleeping at the time of the quake, was killed. A woman watching the disaster unfold, 49-year-old Rosette Jerome, said no one in her neighborhood had been killed but added that a child was seriously injured by a piece of falling masonry. Haitian officials said a convoy bringing food and drinking water was headed to the afflicted zone. A tweet from the US Embassy in Haiti expressed condolences to all affected and said "we stand ready to assist in the relief effort, if requested." The UN representative in Haiti, Helen La Lime, also offered help. A major international relief effort followed the devastating 7.0-magnitude quake that struck the island in January 2010, leaving more than 1.5 million people homeless. Tens of thousands remain in makeshift camps. Damage was estimated to total 120 percent of GDP in Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Longer-term reconstruction has been hampered by lingering political chaos in the nation of nearly 11 million people, and by a deadly cholera epidemic introduced by infected Nepalese UN peacekeepers sent in after the quake. Seven of the dead in an earthquake in Haiti were killed in the city of Port-de-Paix, seen here Local residents collected metal from the debris of a building in Gros-Morne, Haiti, flattened by an October 6 earthquake that killed at least 12 people and injured dozens People are treated in the yard of the Immaculate Conception Hospital in the city of Port-de-Paix, October 7, 2018 following the earthquake. A 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the northwest coast of Haiti late Saturday, killing at least 12 people, injuring more than 130 others and damaging homes in the poverty-stricken Caribbean nation, authorities said. A distraught husband reportedly screamed in agony and had to be sedated after a social worker told him his wife, who was pregnant with twins, was killed in a horror crash involving a speeding driver. After waking from a coma, Bronco Hoang was delivered the devastating news at Westmead Hospital on Friday that his 23-year-old wife, Katherine Hoang and their two unborn children had died in the crash in Sydneys west. He screamed so loudly, Why Katherine? Please not the babies, his aunt Pham Crawford told The Daily Telegraph. Bronco Hoang was reportedly sedated after discovering his wife and unborn twins had been killed in a car crash. Source: Facebook He cant stop crying and feels guilty hes the only one who survived. Ms Hoang was a backseat passenger in a Nissan Tiida on The Northern Road at Orchard Hills about 7.40pm on September 28 when it collided with a Mazda 3 driving in the other direction. She died alongside a young relative who was receiving driving lessons from Mr Hoang. The driver of the vehicle that struck the Hoangs car was allegedly driving at speeds more than 100km/h. Source: 7News Ms Hoang was sat in the backseat of the car, while her relative was receiving driving lesson from her husband in the front. Source: Facebook Sat in the front passenger seat, Mr Hoang survived the crash, suffering only broken ribs, a smashed leg and fractured cheekbone. The hospitalised Mazda 3 driver, 29, has been charged with 10 offences including two counts of manslaughter, aggravated dangerous driving and unlicensed. He was allegedly driving at speeds of more than 100km/h 45km over the speed limit. One of Ms Hoangs friends from university said people were devastated and paralysed by her death. Katherine, who liked being called Kate, was a smart, brilliant, funny, kind, loving friend who never had a bad word to say about anyone, Tom Cross told AAP. Hearing of her passing along with two unborn twins is a senseless loss beyond words. The family has postponed the funerals until Bronco is well enough to attend. They have since started a GoFundMe page to help them through this terrible time. The page has raised over $45,000. With AAP The mother of a baby boy, who tragically died after a tough battle with an extremely rare disease, has made an emotional plea for parents to trust their instincts when it comes to the health of their children. Kristy and Josh Fiorini, from South Morang in Victoria, had the devastating task of laying their 10-week-old son to rest on Thursday. Baby Jordan was born on July 17 with Total Intestinal Aganglionosis (TIA), a disease characterised by a lack of nerve cells in the intestines, which prevents muscle movement and causes faeces to back up and obstruct the bowel. Kristy first had the inkling something was wrong when Jordan didnt make his first bowel movement in his first 48 hours. Little Jordan Fiorini was diagnosed with Total Intestinal Aganglionosis (TIA) at eight weeks old. Source: Kristy Fiorini Alarm bells started ringing then, she told Yahoo7. Then he did a big vomit it was green and it got a bit more serious. A series of scans showed a blockage in his bowels and at three days old, Jordan was transferred to Melbournes Royal Childrens Hospital. After undergoing surgery and 17 intestinal biopsies, doctors were finally able to diagnose Jordan with TIA. Kristy distinctly remembers the moment doctors told her TIA was a fatal disease with no known cure. That moment haunts us to be honest. At the point in time we were both just so shocked we didnt know what to say. When the surgeon walked out the door we just both broke down in tears. Id never seen my husband cry before, Kristy told Yahoo7. At eight weeks old, Jordan developed an infection in his intestines, which spread to his bloodstream and caused him to become gravely ill. When Kristy and Josh were given the devastating choice to take Jordan home or keep him in hospital, they jumped at the chance bring him home. Jordan was incredibly brave. He was constantly being pricked and prodded and every time, as soon as it finished, he would be back to happy, giving us smiles like nothing happened. Source: Kristy Fiorini Tragically, doctors didnt expect Jordan to survive more than an hour away from the hospital. He was super, super strong, Kristy said of her boy. They didnt think he was going to live an hour after he got home and his heart was still beating strong 10 days later. On September 27, 10 days after leaving hospital, Jordan took his last breath while wrapped in his mothers arms. Story continues Incredibly, just seconds before, Jordans older brother Taylor walked into the room and made a startling announcement. He walked into the bedroom and said: Jordans going now. Surrounded by loved ones, Jordan Fiorini was farewelled on Thursday with an emotional funeral attended by more than 200 people. It was extremely emotional and heartbreaking, but I was really pleased with how beautiful the ceremony was, Kristy said. [Jordan] had such a strong personality. He hated his feet being touched. He loved being cuddled and movement. He loved music. He was a social butterfly, Kristy recalled. Josh and Kristy Fiorini, pictured with baby Jordan and three-year-old Taylor. Source: Kristy Fiorini Taylor, who turned three the day after his little brothers funeral, often asks his parents where Jordan is. We just tell him the truth, Kristy said. Baby Jordan wasnt well and hes gone now. He knows he was sick, but he doesnt understand the finality of it. Kristy wants other parents to be aware of the importance of their babys first poo. Trust your maternal or paternal instincts and if you think that something isnt right, follow it up. The couple, who have known each other since high school, started a GoFundMe page to raise money for Jordans funeral. In just three days, the target of $7000 had been smashed with nearly $15,000 raised. We have been feeling really flat about why were these cards dealt to us, Kristy said. But the generosity has put a little bit of faith in the world again. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari will run for re-election in February 2019 against former vice president Atiku Abubakar, a Muslim from the country's north who was nominated on Sunday as the main opposition party's poll contender. Buhari, a 75-year-old former military ruler, was the sole candidate for his ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party, so his confirmation by some 7,000 delegates gathered in the capital Abuja was a mere formality on Saturday. The APC swept to power in 2015 with the first opposition victory at the ballot box in the country's history. But next year's presidential race appears to have tightened in recent months with the APC hit by a wave of defections over Buhari's leadership style. On Sunday, delegates to a convention of the former ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Port Harcourt, nominated Abubakar, 71, as his challenger for next year's poll. Reacting to the nomination, the presidency congratulated Abubakar but added that it "noted with interest all the reports in the media as to massive vote-buying at the PDP primaries". "One wonders what such a candidate would do with public funds," the statement added. The politician and business tycoon has made four previous bids for the top job in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation. Abubakar comes from the Muslim-majority north, and his nomination follows an unwritten rule in Nigeria that the presidency should alternate every two terms between a candidate from the north and south. Despite humble beginnings in northern Nigeria, he rose through the ranks of the customs service for two decades before entering the private sector, investing in oil services and agriculture, among others. From there he joined the civilian government where he became one of Nigeria's most recognisable and enduring politicians. But he has been dogged by controversies over his numerous wives and more than 20 children as well as corruption allegations. - 'Baba Go Slow' - Buhari, the retired general who headed a military regime in the 1980s, has faced growing pressure to step down because of failing health after spending several months in London last year receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment. Dubbed "Baba Go Slow" because he took six months to appoint cabinet ministers, he has also faced attacks for his handling of the economy, which plunged into recession in 2016. He has also come under criticism on security issues, including the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast, long-running farmer-herder clashes in the centre and militancy and kidnapping in the south. Also Sunday, fierce Buhari critic Obiageli Ezekwesili announced that she would throw her hat into the ring for the presidency. The 55-year-old former minister, who was also the World Bank?s vice president for Africa from 2007 to 2012, said in a statement that Nigeria was becoming "a country where the worth of life is trending down to zero." Ezekwesili, co-founder of the Berlin-based corruption watchdog Transparency International, is best known in Nigeria for creating the BringBackOurGirls movement after Boko Haram jihadists abducted more than 200 schoolgirls in 2014. Also in the running is Donald Duke, the former governor of the southern Cross River state, whose opposition Social Democratic Party formally elected him its flag-bearer on Sunday. As governor in 2004, Duke initiated the Calabar carnival that is now popularly known as "Africa's biggest street party." Nigerian law allows for a president to serve a maximum of two four-year terms. Voters in the former British colony will elect governors and lawmakers as well as the president in elections set for February and March. Abubakar, who has already run for the presidency four times, has amassed a huge fortune in the import-export business, as well as oil, agriculture and telecommunications Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has faced growing pressure to step down because of failing health after spending several months in London last year treating an undisclosed ailment Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari was the sole contender for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party Obiageli Ezekwesili, 55, a fierce Buhari critic and BringBackOurGirls campaigner, said Nigeria was becoming "a country where the worth of life is trending down to zero" As governor in 2004, Duke initiated the Calabar carnival that is now popularly known as "Africa's biggest street party" US Open champion Naomi Osaka has pulled out of this week's Hong Kong Open to prevent aggravating a slight back injury, organisers said on Sunday. The Japanese star required treatment to her lower back during her semi-final defeat to unseeded Anastasija Sevastova at the China Open in Beijing on Saturday. Afterwards, Osaka, who turns 21 on October 16, said it was more a case of fatigue than anything more serious, but suggested that she may not make the WTA Hong Kong Open, which starts on Monday. "Unfortunately, I have been playing through pain in my back this whole week," the world number six said in a subsequent statement released by organisers. "The doctors have advised me that I need to rest to ensure the injury is not further aggravated and become more serious." One player who does appear set to play in Hong Kong is China's Wang Qiang, who is in the form of her life. Wang was well beaten by world number two Caroline Wozniacki in the China Open semi-finals, going down 6-1, 6-3, and has been carrying a thigh injury. "I'll try my best because I will definitely face the same situation in the future," the 28th-ranked Wang said, asked if she would compete in Hong Kong. "I cannot give up easily." Naomi Osaka of Japan walks on the court after being treated by a trainer during her women's semi-final match against Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia at the China Open A shooting attack by a Palestinian at an industrial zone for a West Bank settlement on Sunday killed two Israelis and wounded another, the army said. Army spokesman Jonathan Conricus said the 23-year-old Palestinian had worked in the Barkan industrial zone, where the attack took place in the occupied West Bank. Conricus called it a "terrorist attack" but added that other unspecified factors were involved. The Palestinian used a homemade gun in the attack, known locally as a Carlo, according to Conricus. He said it appeared it was a "lone-wolf attack". Security forces were searching for the suspected perpetrator, Conricus said. Magen David Adom emergency medical services said their medics had entered a building at Barkan where they found a man and woman without pulse, and pronounced them dead. A woman aged 54 was also found wounded and in moderate condition, the medical services said. Speaking at the beginning of the weekly cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the shooting "a very severe terror attack". He said he was certain the perpetrator would be caught and brought to justice. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group called the attack a "natural response" to Israeli crimes in Gaza, Jerusalem and Khan al-Ahmar, a Bedouin village in the West Bank slated for demolition. The industrial zone is located next to Israeli settlement Barkan and near the settlement of Ariel in the north of the West Bank. Palestinians work side by side with Israelis in the industrial zone. A wave of Palestinian attacks against Israelis broke out in 2015, but they have since become sporadic. Last month, a Palestinian teenager stabbed an Israeli to death at a junction at the entrance to a large bloc of Israeli settlements in the West Bank near Jerusalem. A number of attacks have occurred at that location, the Gush Etzion Junction. Israeli security forces deploy at the site of a shooting attack at an industrial zone for a West Bank settlement on October 7, 2018 where the army says a Palestinian killed two Israelis and wounded another Members of Israel's rescue and reovery volunteer organisation Zaka gather at the site of a shooting attack at the Barkan Industrial Park near the Israeli settlement of Ariel in the occupied West Bank on October 7, 2018 The NSW Premier has defended her controversial decision to allow The Everest horse race to be promoted on the Sydney Opera House. Gladys Berejiklian said her father worked as a welder constructing the iconic sails and that while she has affection for the landmark, her decision was based on attracting the tourist dollar. Images of that event were broadcast to 60 million people around the world, 60 million people in different countries, so we know its a drawcard for New South Wales, she said. The Premier denies caving to pressure from the racing industry and broadcaster Alan Jones. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has stood by her controversial decision to promote The Everest horse race on the Sydney Opera House. Source: AAP (File pics) Opera House chief executive Louise Herron said before the governments intervention that she did not want the building to be used as an advertising billboard. If we said yes to this, were fine to put the Everest logo on there our policy is worthless to us, were just going to allow whoever comes along to use the Opera House as a billboard, we would lose our World Heritage status, she told local media. We would be seen in the global community as not respecting this jewel, this masterpiece of human creative genius that is the greatest building of the 20th century. NSW Minister for Racing Paul Toole defended his governments decision, saying there was no way this is devaluing the Opera House. The NSW Premier has denied shock jock Alan Jones has pressured her decision. Source: AAP When you have a look at The Everest, it is the richest race on turf in the world which is bringing in tourists and visitors, he told the Sydney Morning Herald. Promoting The Everest this way is consistent with other events weve promoted on the Opera House such as the Mardi Gras, the Wallabies, The Ashes, and Chinese New Year. The state government was backed by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who said Sunday the Opera House promotion was a no brainer. This is one of the biggest events of the year. Why not put it on the biggest billboard Sydney has, Mr Morrison, a former head of Tourism Australia, told reporters. It creates jobs. This isnt about advertising a packet of chips Frankly, I thought it was a no brainer. I cant work out what all the fuss is about. But Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said Saturday the projects were blatant commercialisation while a change.org petition against the move has attracted more than 40,000 signatures in two days. With AFP Turkish-backed rebels said Sunday they expected to finish withdrawing heavy weapons from a planned buffer zone in northwestern Syria within days under a deal to stave off a regime attack. Regime ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey reached the agreement on September 17 for the northwestern region of Idlib on the Turkish border to avert what many warned would be one of the worst humanitarian disasters of Syria's seven-year conflict. But Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Sunday the deal for the country's last major opposition bastion was just a "temporary measure" before the government retook the region. "The agreement is a temporary measure through which the state has realised many achievements on the ground starting with stemming the bloodshed," state news agency SANA reported Assad as saying. Idlib "and other Syrian territory still under terrorist control will return to the Syrian state," he reportedly said at a meeting of the central committee of his Baath party, employing the regime's usual term for both rebels and jihadists. Last month's agreement is to create a 15 to 20-kilometre (9-12 mile) demilitarised area ringing the Idlib region. Under the deal, all rebels in the buffer zone must withdraw heavy arms by Wednesday, and radical groups must leave by October 15. The National Liberation Front (NLF) announced Saturday that it has begun withdrawing heavy arms from the zone as part of an agreement between Russia and Turkey. - 'Several days' - "We began to withdraw our heavy weapons from the demilitarised zone to rear positions," NLF spokesman Naji Mustafa told AFP. "The operation will last several days," he said, adding that the weapons will be held by fighters deployed in positions outside the demilitarised zone. The NLF is the main Turkey-backed rebel alliance in the Idlib region, but jihadist heavyweight Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) holds a large part of the province and the zone. HTS, led by former Al-Qaeda fighters, has yet to announce its stance on the buffer zone deal. The Idlib region includes most of the province of the same name, as well as adjacent parts of the Hama and Aleppo provinces. On Sunday, an AFP correspondent saw NLF fighters on the frontline inside the planned buffer zone on the Idlib region's eastern flank. They waited in trenches armed with light weapons on a hill in the area of Al-Eis in Aleppo province, overlooking regime-held territory several kilometres (miles) away. The correspondent did not see any heavy weapons in Al-Eis. "According to the set deadline, the withdrawal of heavy weapons will end on October 10. The operation is ongoing," an NLF commander on site told AFP. "We are reinforcing our positions and are ready to face any violation" from the regime side, he added. - Jihadists? - In recent weeks, Turkey has deployed troops at "observation posts" it set up in rebel-held areas of Idlib and neighbouring Aleppo. Nawar Oliver, an analyst from the Turkey-based Omran Centre for Strategic Studies, said pro-Ankara fighters giving up their heavy weapons on the front line leaves them vulnerable to a regime attack. But "the Turkish military should have some kind of heavy artillery" with them, he said. On Saturday, a media spokesman for Faylaq al-Sham, one of the NLF factions, confirmed the withdrawal of arms. Seif Raad said it included pulling back missile launchers, tanks and mortars. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said the withdrawal of weapons had already started a week ago and would continue for several more days. "But the rebels only hold a third of the buffer zone," the head of the Britain-based monitor, Rami Abdel Rahman, said. HTS and other jihadists, who control around 70 percent of the planned demilitarised area, pose the main challenge to its implementation, he said. None have accepted the Russia-Turkey deal, yet they are expected to withdraw from the zone by October 15. Syria's war has killed more than 360,000 people since starting in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests. A Syrian rebel fighter with the National Liberation Front (NLF) takes up position in a trench armed with an automatic rifle on a hill in the Al-Eis area of Aleppo province, overlooking regime-held territory Syrian fighters from the National Liberation Front receive military training in Idlib province on September 1, 2018 A Syrian rebel fighter mans a frontline post in the Al-Eis area of Aleppo province inside a planned buffer zone on the Idlib region's eastern flank Corruption-plagued EU member Bulgaria was under pressure Monday to find the killer of a television journalist whose brutal murder at the weekend has shocked the country and sparked international condemnation. The body of 30-year-old Viktoria Marinova -- who presented a current affairs talk programme called "Detector" for the small private TVN television in the northern town of Ruse -- was found on Saturday. "All leads are being looked at" in the investigation including possible links to Marinova's professional activity, chief prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov said Monday. Authorities earlier revealed that Marinova had been killed by blows to the head and from suffocation, and had also been raped. "We are in shock. In no way, under any form, never have we received any threats -- aimed at her or the television," a journalist from Marinova's own TVN told AFP on condition of anonymity Sunday, adding that he and his colleagues feared for their safety. UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay condemned the murder, saying: ?The use of sexual and physical abuse to silence a woman journalist is an outrage against the dignity and basic human rights of every woman." In a statement from the UN cultural agency's headquarters in Paris, Azoulay added: "Attacks on journalists erode the fundamental human right to freedom of expression and its corollaries, press freedom and free access to information." Marinova is the third journalist to be murdered in Europe this year after Jan Kuciak in Slovakia in February and Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta in October 2017. Bulgaria is regarded as a laggard in the EU in matters of press freedom, ranking 111th out of a total 180 in this area, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF). "Shocked by the horrendous murder of Victoria Marinova. Again a courageous journalist falls in the fight for truth and against corruption," the EU Commission's vice president Frans Timmermans tweeted late Sunday. - 'A warning'? - Condolences poured in on social media for Marinova, who leaves behind a small child. Candlelight vigils will be held Monday evening in both Ruse and the capital Sofia. Some observers believe the murder could be linked to Marinova's work. The first episode of her programme, aired on September 30, featured an investigation into fraud allegations against oligarchs and politicians. She interviewed the reporters behind the probe, investigative journalists Dimitar Stoyanov from the Bivol.bg website and Attila Biro from the Romanian Rise Project. Bivol.bg owner Asen Yordanov told AFP that "Viktoria's death, the brutal manner in which she was killed, is an execution. It was meant to serve as an example, something like a warning." The crime has sparked international outcry, with condemnation from the OSCE and the Committee to Protect Journalists. In Bulgaria, however, national TV networks gave scant air time to the case. And even some of Marinova's fellow journalists were not convinced that she was killed because of her reporting. "The country has a bad image with regard to press freedom, but it's possible that there is no link to this case," said Svetoslav Terziev, opposition media analyst and journalism teacher. - Reporting obstacles - Widespread corruption, shady media ownership and suspected collusion between journalists, politicians and oligarchs have made objective reporting a constant obstacle course, according to RSF. The Bulgaria-based Association of European Journalists said reporters from small regional and local media are under particular pressure and even face threats from local businessmen and politicians, often leading to self-censorship. Violence against women has also been widespread in Bulgaria. Authorities said Bulgarian TV journalist Viktoria Marinova was killed by blows to the head and from suffocation, and had also been raped The Health Minister is ordering an urgent investigation after a little boy died waiting more than two hours to see a doctor in Melbourne. The parents of Isaiah Sumaru are blaming the health system for his death. It kills me to wake up in the morning and know that hes not beside me, his mum Kathryn Ram said. It kills me to know that something is missing. The parents of Isaiah Sumaru are blaming the health system for his death after he waited two hours to be seen at the emergency ward at Dandenong Hospital. Source: 7 News Two weeks ago, the two-year-old developed breathing signs and showed signs of a fever. Over the next two days, the parents called two ambulances but both crews said Isaiah didnt need to be hospitalised. Not convinced, his parents rushed him to their GP who immediately sent him to the emergency ward. But while they waited at Dandenong Hospital his condition worsened. Isaiahs mum said his feet began to turn purple while they waited at hospital. Source: 7 News While I was waiting I realised Isaiahs feet started changing colour, they were purplish, and I panicked and I said to Shad (Isaiahs father) what are we going to do? Ms Ram said. He went into cardiac arrest. All I remember is the doctor was like code blue and Isaiahs in that room and then 20 people in there and just pressing my poor baby, his heart rate stopped, Ms Ram said. Isaiahs dad said it was too late by the time doctors saw his son. The government has ordered an investigation into the toddlers death. Source: 7 News There are a lot of problems that I saw that need to be addressed, he said. Monash Health told Seven News they have spoken to Isaiahs family but his parents deny this. The government has ordered an investigation. Obliviously our hearts are with the family who have lost their beautiful little boy, Health Minister Jill Hennessy said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said he was awaiting the results of an investigation into the disappearance of a Saudi journalist who a government source said was killed at Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul. Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi, 59, vanished after an appointment with Saudi officials on Tuesday. A Turkish government source told AFP that police believed Khashoggi was killed at the Istanbul consulate, which Riyadh strongly denied. Khashoggi had gone to the consulate to obtain documents needed to marry his Turkish fiancee. Erdogan said he would wait for the outcome of the current investigation before taking a decision. "I am following the (issue) and we will inform the world whatever the outcome" of the official probe, the president told reporters in Ankara. "We hope to have results very quickly," he added. "I am waiting, with high hopes." He said police were examining CCTV footage of entrances and exits at the consulate and Istanbul airport. Police said earlier that around 15 Saudis, including officials, arrived in Istanbul on two flights on Tuesday and were at the consulate at the same time as Khashoggi. "Based on their initial findings, the police believe that the journalist was killed by a team especially sent to Istanbul and who left the same day," the government source told AFP on Saturday. The journalist went to the building but "did not come back out", police were quoted as saying by Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency. - 'Baseless' claims - The consulate rejected the claims that the journalist was killed there as "baseless", in a Twitter message. It said a Saudi team was in Turkey to investigate the disappearance. The journalist's fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, said on Twitter she was "waiting for an official confirmation from the Turkish government" before she could believe the claims. Khashoggi has been critical of some of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's policies and Riyadh's intervention in the war in Yemen. His criticisms appeared in both the Arab and Western press. The former government adviser, who turns 60 on October 13, has lived in the United States since last year to avoid possible arrest. Yasin Aktay, an official in Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) who was close to the journalist, said Khashoggi had made an appointment in advance with the consulate and called to check the documents were ready. "His friends had warned him, 'Don't go there, it is not safe,' but he said they could not do anything to him in Turkey," said Aktay. He added that he still hoped the reports of his friend's death were untrue. - 'Assault on press freedom' - Prince Mohammed said in an interview published by Bloomberg on Friday that the journalist had left the consulate and Turkish authorities could search the building, which is Saudi sovereign territory. Turkey's foreign ministry on Wednesday summoned Saudi Arabia's ambassador over the issue. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on Twitter that if reports of his death were confirmed, "this would constitute a horrific, utterly deplorable, and absolutely unacceptable assault on press freedom". Fred Hiatt, the director of the Washington Post's editorial page, said if the reports were true "it is a monstrous and unfathomable act". "Jamal was -- or, as we hope, is -- a committed, courageous journalist. He writes out of a sense of love for his country and deep faith in human dignity and freedom," Hiatt said in a statement on the US newspaper's website. A European Commission spokesperson said in a statement that Brussels was "closely" following the case, adding it was "awaiting clarifications from the Saudi authorities on the fate of Mr Khashoggi." - Fled in 2017 - Khashoggi fled from Saudi Arabia in September 2017, months after Prince Mohammed was appointed heir to the throne. The journalist said he had been banned from writing in the pan-Arab Al-Hayat newspaper, owned by Saudi prince Khaled bin Sultan al-Saud, over his defence of the Muslim Brotherhood which Riyadh has blacklisted as a terrorist organisation. He 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. Saudi Arabia, which ranks 169th out of 180 on RSF's World Press Freedom Index, has launched a modernisation campaign since Prince Mohammed's appointment as heir to the throne. The ultra-conservative kingdom in June lifted a ban on women driving, but it has drawn heavy criticism for its handling of dissent. Dozens of dissidents have been arrested including intellectuals and Islamic preachers. In his opinion articles, Khashoggi has been critical of some policies of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Riyadh's intervention in the war in Yemen Khashoggi fled Saudi Arabia in September 2017, months after Prince Mohammed was appointed heir to the throne The journalist's Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, said he had visited the consulate to receive an official document for their marriage Ankara announced Saturday it had opened an official probe into Khashoggi's disappearance Senior US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has arrived in Kabul for talks with Afghan leaders, an official said Sunday, in his first trip to the Afghan capital since being appointed to lead peace efforts with the Taliban. The visit by Khalilzad, a former US ambassador to Kabul, Baghdad and the United Nations, comes as the Afghan government and international community intensify efforts to end the 17-year war. A spokesman for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said Khalilzad would have dinner with Ghani and other officials on Sunday. He would not provide further details about Khalilzad's visit. The US embassy in Kabul did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment. Khalilzad is also scheduled to visit Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar as part of a 10-day trip to "coordinate and lead US efforts to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table", the US State Department said last week. His arrival comes as the Taliban and the Islamic State group ramp up attacks across the country ahead of this month's long-delayed parliamentary elections that are seen as a dry run for next year's presidential vote. In the latest incident, Taliban fighters killed 14 members of the security forces in a district in eastern Afghanistan that straddles the strategic Kabul-Kandahar highway linking the Afghan capital and the group's southern strongholds. The Sayedabad district police chief was among those killed in the heavy fighting overnight, Wardak provincial governor spokesman Abdul Rahman Mangal told AFP. Another seven were wounded, deputy interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said in a statement. The Taliban also suffered "heavy casualties", Rahimi added. The group claimed its fighters had killed dozens of security forces. An electricity cable was destroyed in the battle, severing power to Wardak, Ghazni, Logar and Paktia provinces, power utility Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat said in a statement. The attack on Sayedabad district, which is less than two hours' drive from Kabul, came shortly after militants destroyed several bridges along the same highway in neighbouring Ghazni province, forcing its temporary closure. A major Taliban assault on Ghazni's provincial capital in August triggered five days of fighting with security forces that left hundreds dead. Separately, the defence ministry is investigating reports of "possible civilian casualties" during clashes in Paktia province on Saturday, spokesman Ghafoor Ahmad Jawed said. Provincial police chief Raz Mohammad Mandozai told AFP that 10 civilians were killed and 20 were wounded in an air strike on Garda Serai district. Other local sources said at least 10 people had been wounded in the aerial bombardment. US Forces, which is the only international force known to conduct air strikes in Afghanistan, denied it carried out the attack. str-emh-mam-us/amj/amz The visit by Zalmay Khalilzad, a former US ambassador to Kabul, Baghdad and the United Nations, comes as the Afghan government and international community intensify efforts to end the 17-year war Early in September I met with Mr. Tim Quinn. He is the present owner of the school house on School Street in the hamlet of Owasco. It was known as district No. 2, and was built in 1892. The original schoolhouse was located on the site where the Owasco Reformed Church Parsonage now stands. That wooden schoolhouse burned several times, and in frustration of rebuilding, the trustees voted to build the next schoolhouse out of brick. The yellow brick used in the building was from the Perkins Brick and Tile Yard on North Road. Each brick carries two or three impressions that were used to identify the brick maker. Mr. James Gere related this story to me in 1980 while walking around the schoolhouse and pointing out his fathers handiwork. Mr. Quinn purchased the property in 1999, and has completed his 20-year plan ahead of schedule. Hes finished the upstairs, and added three dormers to the back roof line to increase the living space. It took him three weeks to enclose these dormers. Phase one of the downstairs restoration included the kitchen, refinishing the original hardwood floors, enclosing walls and 12-foot ceilings. The school house now has the modern convenience of forced air heat, rather than a potbelly stove from days gone by. It maintains its original cupola and flag pole in the side yard. Tim has extended an invitation to the public to attend an open house at the school house from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13. All are invited. I had the opportunity to interview two former students of this schoolhouse. Hilda Boyd Brokaw, former Owasco postmistress, attended this school, as well as her future husband, Richard. She reminisced about making a Christmas calendar gift for her parents during school. Georgia Switzer Hale attended the schoolhouse up to her sixth grade, and then went to Skaneateles. Georgia and her brother Homer remember some of their teachers. They listed Luanna Mosher (who taught kindergarten and first grade), Ruby Jenks, Miss Farnan and Mrs. Coiley. Both students lived within one to three houses from the schoolhouse, making it an easy walk across the street. In researching this schoolhouse for Tim, I consulted an 1826 Cayuga Owasco school record book. This record is important, as it documents families in the area and the number of school-age children in each family. I also have in my collection a district No. 6 trustee's book from the same year, given to me by Mabel Crosby. Here is the 1826 trustees record of schoolhouse No. 2. It lists the parent names and number of children attending: Frederick C Arthur 1, Henry Austin 3, Oliver Barker 3, Cornelius Bevier 4, Josiah Bevier 3, Daniel Brodhead 5, Eliakim Clark 3, Stephan Cole 3, Mrs. Cole (widow) 3, John Conklin 4, Philip Conklin 2, C. Cuykendall 3, Martin Cuykendall 1, Solomon Cuykendall 2, John Dean 2, Philip Depuy 4, Daniel Ennis 2, Samuel Hornbeck 3, Henry Hunsiker 1, H.R. Lord 1, John Mack 1, Joseph S. Miner 4, James Page 4, John Slater 7, Alfred Stringham 4, Alanson Strong 1, Walter Strong 2, James Terwilegar 5, Phadeus Thompson 1, Corneous VanAuken 1, Anthony VanEtten 1, James Van Fleet 4, John Waterman 5, James Wood 2 The number of children (approximately 100) attending just one of our schools is significant, during a time when families required many children to help at home. I sympathize with the Slater family, trying to get seven ready for school. Many of these district schools of Owasco are private residences now, like Mr. Quinns. Take the time Oct. 13 to visit this old Owasco schoolhouse, where many childrens feet crossed this threshold. Laurel Auchampaugh is the Owasco historian and can be reached at the Owasco Town Hall from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday afternoons or at historian@owascony.gov. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The dinner is being held by Catholic Charities of the Finger Lakes. Guests will learn about anti-poverty efforts and receive a handmade ceramic bowl serving as a reminder of hunger in the community. The bowls were made and donated by local artists and organizations, including schools in Cato, Weedsport, Port Byron and Southern Cayuga, and the Studio Art and Design Program of Cayuga Community College. ALBANY In New York state government news, the challengers hoping to oust Gov. Andrew Cuomo say the Democrat is dragging his feet on debates. Meanwhile, environmental groups are angry that a state task force created to address drinking water contamination missed a key deadline. They're urging Cuomo and state health officials to act now to address toxic contamination around the state, including in Hoosick Falls, Newburgh and Long Island. A look at stories making news: DODGING DEBATES? There are no debates scheduled in the governor's race so far, and only a month to go before the Nov. 6 election. Cuomo, seeking a third term, faces Republican Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, Green Party nominee Howie Hawkins and independent candidate Stephanie Miner, the former mayor of Syracuse. Libertarian candidate Larry Sharpe is also on the ballot. Molinaro accused Cuomo of ducking debates last week, saying that he's willing to participate in several debates though he wants them to be one-on-one with Cuomo. "I am proud to talk about my record and vision for New York, but it's clear that Andrew Cuomo can't say the same," he said. "I see debates as a public obligation for those privileged enough to serve in public office. Mr. Cuomo, evidently, sees debates as forums at which he'll be forced to address corrupt practices and economic failures that have become the hallmarks of his tenure in Albany." Polls show Cuomo is well ahead in the race. He's also outpacing his opponents in fundraising, giving him little need for the free publicity offered by a debate. His challengers, however, have much more to gain. That's especially true for Miner and Hawkins, who could use the debate to take their message to a broader audience. For Molinaro the calculus is more complicated. A one-on-one matchup with Cuomo would highlight his criticism of the incumbent. But a four-way debate would offer less speaking time to the GOP candidate, while putting his challenge on par with his third-party rivals. Cuomo has not yet committed to a debate. He recently told reporters that the campaigns will have to negotiate the details. "That's something we have to talk about," he said. Hawkins, for his part, said he and Cuomo discussed debates when the two ran into each other backstage at last weekend's Global Citizen Festival in New York City, where they both spoke. Hawkins said he proposed a series of debates around the state. Cuomo, Hawkins said, asked "are you going to organize them?" Hawkins took the question seriously, and said he'll contact media outlets to schedule the events. WATER WOES A state task force charged with addressing the state's drinking water contamination problem missed its deadline last week and environmental groups aren't happy about it. The Drinking Water Quality Council was expected to recommend by Oct. 2 whether the state should set maximum allowable levels of toxic chemicals like PFOA and PFOS in the water New Yorkers drink. Instead of a recommendation, however, Cuomo announced another meeting for the council. He also announced $200 million in state funds to help with water quality except the money isn't new at all and was first announced in 2017 when lawmakers approved the state budget. Cuomo has even talked about the money before frequently touting it and the creation of the drinking water council as evidence that he's taking the problem seriously. Cuomo bragged about the effort a year ago when he appointed the members to the task force. "New York can no longer afford to wait," he said at the time, saying the federal government was failing to address the contamination problem. PFOA has contaminated drinking water in Hoosick Falls in Rensselaer County, while PFOS has contaminated drinking water around an Air National Guard base in Newburgh and groundwater near another base on Long Island. The chemicals are linked to problems such as cancer and thyroid disease. States such as Vermont and New Jersey have already set maximum levels for the chemicals. Environmental advocates were disappointed with the council's lack of progress and with Cuomo's explanations. "Today was a test of Gov. Cuomo's commitment to clean water_and he failed," said Nisha Swinton of Food & Water Watch. Liz Moran, of Environmental Advocates of New York, said Cuomo's administration didn't even need to wait for the task force. "The governor and the Department of Health could have acted on these chemicals as soon as the pollution crises came to light in Hoosick Falls, Newburgh, and Long Island years ago, but they didn't," she said. UPCOMING Oct. 16: Assembly holds hearing in Manhattan on the legalization of marijuana for recreational use. Oct. 16: Senate holds hearing in Manhattan on the effectiveness of the state's efforts to encourage women- and minority-owned businesses. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 Arthur Mitchell is a dance icon of monumental proportion. He was the light and way for many black classical ballet dancers, but he is not a legend. Citing names and careers like Virginia Johnson, Karen Brown, Eddie Shellman, Robert Garland, Charmaine Hunter, and too many more to mention, it's clear Arthur Mitchell, who died last month at the age of 84, was more than a legend; he was a legend maker. Today and at the very top of classical ballet, we are having a different discussion about blacks in ballet. With the economic returns from attention that the promotion of Misty Copeland gained dance's version of the "Black Panther" movie effect conversations in boardrooms of every major and regional ballet company are discussing, out of fear or great excitement, the meaningful inclusion and equity of black people once again. Leading classical ballet contributors and every noted funder have renewed inquisitiveness and questions about tangible actions in which to take. "How do we make space for talented black people in classical ballet? How do we get black dancers?" These are the questions that are, rightfully, plaguing those in the ballet industry today. Classical ballet from its very inception has systematically shut black people out, as it was born in the royal courts of France. This reality makes it difficult for ballet companies to find the beginning point to the conversation of diversity, equity and inclusion. Classic ballet is a perfect silver sphere where the question is not helping black talent find the door to opportunity, it's admitting that no door exists. This entire discussion is the life work and masterful accomplishment of Arthur Mitchell, co-founder of Dance Theatre of Harlem, and opportunity prospector of the gold that was the right for black people to study classical ballet and to be taken seriously while doing so. As a principal dancer beginning in 1956 at the New York City Ballet under the tutelage of George Balanchine (joining NYCB in 1955), Arthur Mitchell gave up everything to be that light for black people years later. He was a person who by his very nature would become an icon. For myself as the founder and presenting partner of the Black Ballet Discovery Project (Finding Accomplished Choreographers Opportunities Now) and the Black Ballet Choreographers Symposium and Commission Conference, I have a front seat at the renewed table of possibility and equity that exists only because Arthur Mitchell dared ask the question, "What about us?" He filtered that question through his own access and national platform for the benefit of black people and all people of color beginning in 1969 with the co-founding of Dance Theatre of Harlem School. His sustained example gave birth to so much possibility, including me as the President and CEO of the New York Institute of Dance & Education. Seeing Dance Theatre of Harlem's "Firebird" at 14 years old made the idea of doing classical ballet as a black boy, a class my father put me in against my will, conceivable. With that, even as a professional dancer I still found it hard to think of myself as a ballet choreographer because the industry outside of DTH made that delineation nearly impossible for black persons to make a living. I could not feed my family with such a title or job description. However Arthur Mitchell's legacy manifests itself globally every day. Last year by invitation of Karen Brown, Ballet Wichita's then guest artistic director and a ballet legend of Dance Theatre of Harlem fame, I was commissioned to create a new version of the coveted "Nutcracker" ballet on a Midwest ballet company in its 44th year. Two black international personalities leading a classical ballet company in the Midwest and given reign over the "Nutcracker"? It was unheard of. That only happened because Arthur Mitchell created the legend Karen Brown whom in turn used her authority and insight to hire me to create opportunity where normally it would not exist for black ballet choreographers. Today I can make the assertion that I am a classical ballet choreographer and that I create methodologies to help national ballet companies figure out and embrace policies that include the talent of people of color in more influential roles such as director/choreographer, executive director, foundation president, or even as an innovator of where classical ballet technique goes in the future, which is the mission of the Black Ballet Discovery Project. I and so many who look like me (and not), owe a great debt to the icon Arthur Mitchell. However I, for one, will not call him a legend, because for more than 60 years he has truly proved himself a legend maker. Auburn native Sean McLeod is president and CEO of the New York Institute of Dance & Education, founder of Reaching for Higher Ground Consulting, executive producer of the New York Dance Festival, and founder and presenting partner of the Black Ballet Discovery Project and the Black Ballet Choreographers Symposium and Commission Conference. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Maine Senator Susan Collins explaining to the senate why she will support Brett Kavanaugh with her vote: Above. Screenshot On Friday, the political world stood still as Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) delivered a speech prior to announcing whether or not she would support SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh.Throughout the speech, Collins made several salient points about what her vote (as well as the votes of other Republicans who have chosen to confirm Kavanaugh) meant, and perhaps more importantly, what it does not mean.In her speech, Collins pushed back against the notion that a vote for Kavanaugh was somehow dismissive of women - specifically those who have been the victims of sexual abuse. She also impressed upon listeners the importance of evidence and the concept of innocence until sufficient proof of guilt.Below is a partial transcript of Collins' speech in which she made the critical points noted above:Despite all this, after weeks of reviewing Judge Kavanaugh's record and listening to 32 hours of his testimony, the Senate's advice and consent role was thrown into a tailspin following the allegations of sexual assault by Professor Christine Blasey Ford. The confirmation process now involves evaluating whether or not Judge Kavanaugh committed sexual assault, and lied about it to the Judiciary Committee.Some argue that because this is a lifetime appointment to our highest court, the public interest requires that doubts be resolved against the nominee. Others see the public interest as embodied in our long-established tradition of affording to those accused of misconduct a presumption of innocence. In cases in which the facts are unclear, they would argue that the question should be resolved in favor of the nominee.Mr. President, I understand both viewpoints. This debate is complicated further by the fact that the Senate confirmation process is not a trial. But certain fundamental legal principles-about due process, the presumption of innocence, and fairness-do bear on my thinking, and I cannot abandon them.In evaluating any given claim of misconduct, we will be ill served in the long run if we abandon the presumption of innocence and fairness, tempting though it may be. We must always remember that it is when passions are most inflamed that fairness is most in jeopardy.The presumption of innocence is relevant to the advice and consent function when an accusation departs from a nominee's otherwise exemplary record. I worry that departing from this presumption could lead to a lack of public faith in the judiciary and would be hugely damaging to the confirmation process moving forward.Some of the allegations levied against Judge Kavanaugh illustrate why the presumption of innocence is so important. I am thinking in particular not of the allegations raised by Professor Ford, but of the allegation that, when he was a teenager, Judge Kavanaugh drugged multiple girls and used their weakened state to facilitate gang rape. This outlandish allegation was put forth without any credible supporting evidence and simply parroted public statements of others. That such an allegation can find its way into the Supreme Court confirmation process is a stark reminder about why the presumption of innocence is so ingrained in our American consciousness.Mr. President, I listened carefully to Christine Blasey Ford's testimony before the Judiciary Committee. I found her testimony to be sincere, painful, and compelling. I believe that she is a survivor of a sexual assault and that this trauma has upended her life. Nevertheless, the four witnesses she named could not corroborate any of the events of that evening gathering where she says the assault occurred; none of the individuals Professor Ford says were at the party has any recollection at all of that night.Judge Kavanaugh forcefully denied the allegations under penalty of perjury. Mark Judge denied under penalty of felony that he had witnessed an assault. PJ Smyth, another person allegedly at the party, denied that he was there under penalty of felony. Professor Ford's life-long friend Leland Keyser indicated that, under penalty of felony, she does not remember that party. And Ms. Keyser went further. She indicated that not only does she not remember a night like that, but also that she does not even know Brett Kavanaugh.In addition to the lack of corroborating evidence, we also learned some facts that raised more questions. For instance, since these allegations have become public, Professor Ford testified that not a single person has contacted her to say, "I was at the party that night."Furthermore, the professor testified that although she does not remember how she got home that evening, she knew that, because of the distance, she would have needed a ride - yet not a single person has come forward to say that they were the one that drove her home or were in the car with her that night. And Professor Ford also indicated that even though she left that small gathering of six or so people abruptly and without saying goodbye and distraught, none of them called her the next day - or ever - to ask why she left - is she okay - not even her closest friend, Ms. Keyser.Mr. President, the Constitution does not provide guidance as to how we are supposed to evaluate these competing claims. It leaves that decision up to each Senator. This is not a criminal trial, and I do not believe that claims such as these need to be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Nevertheless, fairness would dictate that the claims at least should meet a threshold of "more likely than not" as our standard.The facts presented do not mean that Professor Ford was not sexually assaulted that night - or at some other time - but they do lead me to conclude that the allegations fail to meet the "more likely than not" standard. Therefore, I do not believe that these charges can fairly prevent Judge Kavanaugh from serving on the Court.Let me emphasize that my approach to this question should not be misconstrued as suggesting that unwanted sexual contact of any nature is not a serious problem in this country. To the contrary, if any good at all has come from this ugly confirmation process, it has been to create an awareness that we have underestimated the pervasiveness of this terrible problem.I have been alarmed and disturbed, however, by some who have suggested that unless Judge Kavanaugh's nomination is rejected, the Senate is somehow condoning sexual assault. Nothing could be further from the truth.Every person-man or woman--who makes a charge of sexual assault deserves to be heard and treated with respect. The #MeToo movement is real. It matters. It is needed. And it is long overdue. We know that rape and sexual assault are less likely to be reported to the police than other forms of assault. On average, an estimated 211,000 rapes and sexual assaults go unreported every year. We must listen to survivors, and every day we must seek to stop the criminal behavior that has hurt so many. We owe this to ourselves, our children, and generations to come.Since the hearing, I have listened to many survivors of sexual assault. Many were total strangers who told me their heart-wrenching stories for the first time in their lives. Some were friends I have known for decades, yet with the exception of one woman who had confided in me years ago, I had no idea that they had been the victims of sexual attacks. I am grateful for their courage and their willingness to come forward, and I hope that in heightening public awareness, they have also lightened the burden that they have been quietly bearing for so many years. To them, I pledge to do all that I can to ensure that their daughters and granddaughters never share their experiences.Over the past few weeks, I have been emphatic that the Senate has an obligation to investigate and evaluate the serious allegations of sexual assault. I called for and supported the additional hearing to hear from both Professor Ford and Judge Kavanaugh. I also pushed for and supported the FBI supplemental background investigation. This was the right thing to do.Christine Ford never sought the spotlight. She indicated that she was terrified to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee, and she has shunned attention since then. She seemed completely unaware of Chairman Grassley's offer to allow her to testify confidentially in California. Watching her, Mr. President, I could not help but feel that some people who wanted to engineer the defeat of this nomination cared little, if at all, for her well-being.Professor Ford testified that a very limited number of people had access to her letter. Yet that letter found its way into the public domain. She testified that she never gave permission for that very private letter to be released. And yet, here we are. We are in the middle of a fight that she never sought, arguing about claims that she wanted to raise confidentially.One theory I have heard espoused repeatedly is that our colleague, Senator Feinstein, leaked Professor Ford's letter at the eleventh hour to derail this process. I want to state this very clearly: I know Senator Diane Feinstein extremely well, and I believe that she would never do that. I knew that to be the case before she even stated it at the hearing. She is a person of integrity, and I stand by her.I have also heard some argue that the Chairman of the Committee somehow treated Professor Ford unfairly. Nothing could be further from the truth. Chairman Grassley, along with his excellent staff, treated Professor Ford with compassion and respect throughout the entire process. And that is the way the Senator from Iowa has conducted himself throughout a lifetime dedicated to public service. Fake Frankie Waters, also known as King Frankie and Zip Code Waters was the guest speaker at the September 27 Beaufort County Republican Club meeting which was held at La Bella's Italian Restaurant.Fake Frankie was up set about accusations that he had promised not to raise taxes when he was running in 2014. Fake Frankie strongly asserted that he had never promised anyone that he would not raise taxes. So, there, now you have it. You should have expected those tax increases and those tens of millions of increased spending along with increase in the Beaufort County payroll of 90 new jobs. We had 300 employees when Fake Frankie was elected, now we have 390.Fake Frankie said he is comfortable with what he had accomplished during the past four years. He concluded his remarks by saying: " What you got the last four years you will get the next four" if you elect him. This should be terrifying to taxpayers.Frankie acted like a typical Democrat. He is not ashamed of his record of raising taxes and spending during the past four years. We should expect it. This sounds like all the Democrats I know. So, why is Fake Frankie running as a Republican?Fake Frankie is not ashamed of costing us the Belhaven hospital by supporting the illegal use of the Beaufort County Building Inspector to provide false information to the judge to get the restraining order lifted so the building could be destroyed within hours of the judges decision. That single act cost us 50 high paying jobs and eliminated competition to Vidant. Blue Cross recently said no competition in Eastern North Carolina was the reason for them increasing insurance rates.Four more years with Fake Frankie will mean we budget by simply adding new expenses to last year's expense. There will be no effort to reduce spending. It will mean the boys will talk in the back room and only come to meeting to vote with no debate on spending or policy issues. It will mean the sheriff will continue to pay off his buddies with your tax money, spend excessively and not control any costs. There will probably be more law suits on the open meetings law.The taxpayers need to clip the wings of Fake Frankie by sending him home so those of us who want to save you money can get to work.Fake Frankie and his crew are now talking about a new emergency operations center. This means they will want to look at a new jail and moving it some where other than downtown Washington.Stop Fake, King, Zip Code Frankie Waters. . HBO. , . [ ] , 30 [... Spinkter sez, "Hamilton, Texas's Marion Stanford's homemade political sign was meant to support the #MeToo movement and spur people to vote. But the accompanying visual spurred criticism and a visit from law enforcement." The cop called it "pornography" and said she could take it down voluntarily, permit the cops to confiscate it, or get arrested. The sign was painted in commemoration of the Republican Senate's affirmation of a serial rapist to a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court. "It is pornography, and you can't display it," Stanford recalled the police officer saying. She was given a few choices, she said: Take the sign down, refuse and get arrested, or let police confiscate it. She said she chose the last option. City officials denied threatening arrest. "It's a political sign, and a citizen here placed a yard sign that featured a political animal taking an inappropriate position with a young child," Pete Kampfer, Hamilton's city manager, told the Dallas Morning News. "A police member visited the owner's home, and the owner asked the officer to take the sign." A Texas yard sign depicted a GOP elephant with its trunk up a girl's skirt. Police seized it. [Kristine Phillips/Washington Post] In 2013, members of the Greek Nazi movement "Golden Dawn" murdered the antifascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas on the streets of Athens, a murder that was covered up by members of the Greek police, known to be riddled with Golden Dawn infiltrators, and abetted by Members of Parliament from Golden Dawn. As the case works its way through the Greek courts, the University of London's "Forensic Architecture" group has been called in to make sense of a welter of evidence about the crime and the cover-up, deploying their system of using "architectural techniques and technologies to investigate cases of state violence and violations of human rights around the world." The result is a 37 minute video that Talos on Metafilter a masterpiece of analytic exposition and impressively recreates the events surrounding the murder based on available data sources it is. The Fyssas trial has the potential to bring down Golden Dawn, to bring its true nature as an organized crime group into the open, to eliminate it from the Greek Parliament and to trigger a purge of Nazi elements from the Greek police. It is nothing short of seismic. But even if you don't care about any of that, this video is remarkable, a stitching-together of disparate and flawed evidence sources in a way that uses the strengths of one to overlap and fix the weaknesses of the other, creating a coherent and devastating story that is as well-told as any crime drama. It is truly virtuoso work. Much of the original audio and video material was without an accurate timestamp, and it became apparent that attempts by the Greek police investigators to address this problem were insufficient. As a result, our researchers had to assess the material from scratch, and deduce the correct time and location of each piece of footage. Audio recordings were assembled into a timed sequence through a process of sound analysis. CCTV footage from various locations around the scene was synchronised and given an accurate timestamp by reference to the sequence of audio recordings. The Murder of Pavlos Fyssas [Forensic Architecture] News / National by Staff reporter Zimbabwe has taken a huge step towards greater co-operation with the United States after Harare agreed to a pact for extradition of criminals between the two countries.The development comes as President Emmerson Mnangagwa spearheads a policy shift to close holes that have been a drain on Zimbabwe-US relations.Mr Robert Mugabe's regime had sat on the treaty for about 21 years.Last Friday, Government issued Statutory Instrument 199 that paves way for smooth transfer of offenders between Zimbabwe and United States.According to the Extradition (Designated Country) United States of America Order 2018, the treaty is bound by the mutual desire to "provide for more effective co-operation between the two states in the suppression of crime".The agreement comes after a High Court ruling in March blocking the extradition to the US of Chris and Julius Marimbire and Andrew Tashanduka Bere for tax fraud involving $7 million.In 2015, Zimbabwe failed to secure the extradition of American dentist Walter James Palmer, who was at the centre of killing Cecil the Lion.Palmer's allegedly illegal hunt was masterminded by Theodore Christian Bronkhorst, who was fined $2 300 or three years imprisonment.The High Court last week set aside Bronkhorst's conviction and sentence, but Palmer remains a wanted man.Home affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Cain Mathema said extraditable offences were those punishable under laws in both countries, carried sentences above one year, or any other severe penalty.Minister Mathema said the regulations allowed for extradition even in cases where the person sought was a national of the requested country.No extradition will be enforced for political charges.Said the minister in the notice, "For the purpose of this treaty, the following offences shall not be considered to be political offences; a murder or other wilful crimes against the person of a Head of State of one of the contracting states, or of a member of the Head of State's family;"An offence for which both contracting states have the obligation pursuant to a multilateral international agreement to extradite the person sought or to submit the case to their competent authorities for a decision as to prosecution."The executive authority of the requested state may refuse extradition for offences under military law which are not offences under ordinary criminal law."Minister Mathema said extradition procedures and required documentation would be done through diplomatic channels.The documentation includes detailed information on the person sought, their alleged offences and the law describing their punishment.International relations, peace and governance academic Dr Darlington Mahuku told The Sunday Mail yesterday that the treaty was a milestone in Zimbabwe-US relations.He said, " United States policy since the late 1990s was very acrimonious as it partnered opposition political parties in Zimbabwe."So if then there is that willpower to co-operate in the extradition of criminals, it shows there is a thawing of relations and this is a positive for the New Dispensation in Zimbabwe."It is also tied to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations in that if a person has committed a crime and runs away, for example, from Zimbabwe to the US to seek asylum, that person can be brought back to face the law."Dr Mahuku the previous Govenrment had sat on the agreement for around two decades, and President Mnangagwa's speedy resolution of the matter boded well for bilateral ties. News / National by Staff reporter TWO men who pepper-sprayed an army Captain who had offered them a lift, before stabbing him with an Okapi knife to death and stashing his body in the car which they drove for about 40 kilometres with the blood-dripping corpse, have been sentenced to death.Masvingo High Court Judge Justice Garainesu Mawadze on Friday sentenced the two robbers to death after finding them guilty of robbing and fatally stabbing the army officer in 2017.Admire Maorere (28) of Maorere Village under Chief Ndanga, Windas Munzweru (27) of Nematombo Village under Chief Chadyamatombo in Karoi and an alleged accomplice, Nyasha Sango who is still at large stabbed then Captain Phio Jeketera (51) of Harare with an Okapi knife, several times all over the body leading to his death.The robbers put the body into the vehicle's loading box before driving off to Masvingo where they dumped the car near the craft centre along Masvingo-Beitbridge Road. Delivering sentence, Justice Mawadze, sitting with assessors Messers Samuel Mutomba and Joseph Mushuku said the action of the two who were already serving 24 months each on previous convictions of armed robbery, was premeditated and they acted in common purpose to callously kill the deceased who had offered them a lift, as genuine commuters."In my eight years on the bench, I have not passed a death sentence on any offender and it has not been easy to pass an appropriate verdict on this matter. There is no way the two accused can escape the hangman's noose given the circumstances they committed this crime and they acted in common purpose to deprive an innocent army officer's life," said Justice Mawadze.He said according to Section 47(2) of the constitution, a law may permit the death penalty to be imposed only on a person convicted of murder committed in aggravating circumstances.The two men who were represented pro-deo by Mr Joseph Chipangula of Tshuma, Gurajena and Partners Legal Practitioners, pleaded with the court for lenience saying that they have young families that looked up to them for survival.Prosecutor Mr Tawanda Chikwati said in May, 2017 and along Roy-Gutu Road, the two, together with Sango who fled the scene and is still at large, killed Jeketera by stabbing him with a knife. Jeketera was travelling from Harare to his rural home in Zaka when the incident happened."On the 19th May 2017 and at the seven kilometre peg along the same road, Maovere and Munzweru stabbed several times an army Captain, Jeketera who had given them a lift from Gutu," said Mr Chikwati.He said upon arrival at Gutu turn-off at about 11pm, the trio asked Jeketera to drop them off under the guise that Sango wanted to see her aunt whose homestead was nearby. The court heard when the vehicle was stopped, Sango whose age was not given in court, produced an Okapi knife and demanded money from Cpt Jeketera, threatening to harm him. Jeketera is said to have resisted and grabbed Sango's hand that was holding the knife and a scuffle ensued.When the two who had disembarked from the car realised that Jeketera was resisting, they joined in and overpowered him. The two including Sango dragged Jeketera to the side of the road, pepper sprayed him, apparently to force him into submission before stabbing him several times all over the body until he became unconscious.The robbers then took away his Gtel cellphone and cash amounting to $540 after which they put the body at the back of his vehicle.They drove the car towards Masvingo City where they dumped the vehicle by the road side, just a kilometre from the city centre.The following day, the court heard, the body of the deceased which had one left shoe on it was discovered in his dumped car by police officers who were manning a road block. They also recovered a blood stained Okapi knife and a pepper spray.The body was taken to Masvingo General Hospital where a post-mortem done by Dr Godfrey Zimbwa revealed that he had died of haemorrhage shock as a result of stab wounds. The body had deep stab wounds on the left buttock, two on the head and one on the throat.The two, minus Sango who fled the scene when police pounced at their hideout in the mountain, were arrested by police detectives through the deceased's cellphone that Sango had sold to a cellphone vendor in Masvingo town. Further investigations also revealed that one of Cpt Jeketera's shoes was dropped at the scene of the crime and was discovered. A pool of blood was also seen at the scene, suggesting that the deceased had bled profusely, leading to his death. News / National by Staff reporter THE call by Government to re-engage with the international community has benefited the tourism industry the most, as figures released by Africa Albida Tourism (AAT) reveal that tourist arrivals from United Kingdom have doubled.AAT chief executive Mr Ross Kennedy said the improved ties between Zimbabwe and United Kingdom was starting to manifest in the tourism sector."In the last two years, the UK market has responded to many positive changes in Zimbabwe, as well as recognising and, indeed, remembering, that we have an incredible tourism destination to offer in Zimbabwe."The UK market was our largest source market until 2001. There is a long history, connection and bond between our two countries, but this was severely damaged by events between 2000 and 2015," he said.AAT's report released last week indicates that in 2017 travellers from the UK were at 12 765.In 2016 only 5 073 visited the country.With this, AAT believes that is the beginning of significant volume increases."Tourist arrivals to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, increased by 11 percent in 2017, with international arrivals sharply rising, with the UK showing the most notable growth," read the report.After UK, visitors from the United States follow closely, recording a steady trend of arrivals with 73 803 tourists in 2017, compared to 63 502 in 2016.Other countries in the top source markets include Germany, Australia, France, Japan, Italy, Switzerland, Canada and India.Mr Kennedy said the new Victoria Falls International Airport has contributed to the continued increase in international tourists arrivals."The new Victoria Falls International Airport with its geographical hub location, plus much enhanced regional route access and connectivity has also played a part in the growth."The AAT report points that tourism visits to the Victoria Falls rainforest rose sharply, adding 36 percent in two years."Local and regional arrivals were flat, mainly caused by excessive police roadblock activity on highways, which has now ended. This masked a meaningful rise in foreign tourist visits to the Falls."Hotel room stays increased by 20 percent over this period, indicating a substantial increase in the use of alternative accommodation options on the Victoria Falls side of the river."There was a further sharp increase in visitor numbers to the Zimbabwe side of the rainforest in 2018 of 26 percent, however, foreign visitor number growth rose 28 percent vs local 15 percent. Hotel accommodation stays grew less than rainforest visits at 12,5 percent in 2018 for the first six months, again reflecting a boom in non-hotel stays on the Zimbabwe side."Responding to the AAT survey, Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) president Mr Innocent Manyera said the increase in tourists in the country should be credited to the new dispensation in Government.He attributed the increased tourist trend to the Government's stance on the ease of doing business across all sectors."We are noticing an increase in the number of visitors to most tourist destinations. All this is because of Government's engagement with foreign investors."When an investor comes in, they bring an entourage of visitors as well. They come in as groups and this translates to more business for the hospitality industry."Visitors want to feel the change in Zimbabwe and when they get back to their home, they sell our destinations."Thanks to the new political dispensation. The country is definitely going up the ladder in the hospitality industry," said Mr Manyera. News / National by Staff reporter THIRTY-EIGHT Air Namibia passengers were left stranded in Harare Friday morning after the aircraft they were scheduled to travel in was impounded by Zimbabwean officials.Air Namibia confirmed that one of the aircraft it was leasing from West Air - a V5-WEB - was impounded in Harare on Friday morning as a result of a pending court case brought by four Zimbabwean nationals against Air Namibia."By law, leased equipment is not subject to attachment," Air Namibia spokesperson Paul Nakawa said Friday.Nakawa late Friday evening told The Namibian that the aircraft had since been released and the passengers would be flying to Namibia Saturday morning.He added that the passengers were provided with accommodation and food. Despite this some passengers had made their own accommodation arrangements as they were not informed of Air Namibia's arrangements."Air Namibia is busy engaging a Lawyer in Zimbabwe to attend to the matter and to advise the airline further, as well as addressing the issue of attaching or not attaching a leased equipment," Nakawa said. News / National by Staff reporter Government is moving to engage Zimbabwean road construction firms in a major road expansion programme connecting Beitbridge and Chirundu amid indications the deal reached with Chinese firm Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Group Limited (Afecc) was running into problems.This comes after government withdrew the tender awarded to an Austrian company Geiger International.The project is aimed at adding more lanes to the 900km highway from Beitbridge on the border with South Africa to Chirundu on the Zambian border.Transport minister Joel Biggie Matiza last week told journalists they are still negotiating with constructors for the commencement of the project.Early this year, Cabinet resolved to withdraw a tender that had initially been awarded to Austrian firm Geiger International for the dualisation of the road.President Emmerson Mnangagwa said government had become impatient with lack of construction activity along the country's busiest highway.After Geiger's removal, government is yet to conclude talks with Afecc, which was controversially stopped from mining diamonds in Chiadzwa two years ago."Government intends to conclude negotiations on this project as soon as possible. It is paramount to note that delays in these negotiations will prompt government to engage locally," Matiza said in a press statement."I believe as a country, we can implement this project through our own resources and manpower."Noting that the Beitbridge-Chirundu road is important to the country as it is the economic artery, Matiza said the project will commence as early as possible."The Beitbridge-Harare-Chirundu Road Dualisation Project, being part of the North-South Corridor, is key to regional development and trade facilitation."I have started engagement with various stakeholders including the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor, CMED (Pvt) Ltd and Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara)."In the meantime, as agreed in Cabinet, my ministry will maintain government's terms of reference as published in the initial bidding process."These address our challenges and carry us forward, so it is critical at this juncture, that government continues to engage the private sector through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) for the development of such infrastructure."This comes as government has embarked on its most ambitious infrastructure investment programme ever, entailing construction of new roads, upgrading of some facilities and the rehabilitation of others.Over $2 billion is being touted as having been budgeted for on road construction.Local firms have missed out on lucrative contracts, scooping a meagre portion of the total value of awarded contracts with the rest going to foreign firms mainly from China.One local contractor said they had the capacity to build the roads but blamed the government for raising their demands on firms during tendering of projects like requiring experience on big projects, which many lack, due to decades of under-investment in the sector.In the past, some contractors gave the sector a bad name through project delays, shoddy work that frayed soon after completion and diversion of project funds.Matiza said his ministry is committed to ensuring that the highway is resurfaced as CMED is currently working on a programme that is expected to make a massive contribution towards road rehabilitation."I am pleased to note that CMED (Pvt) Ltd is working on a programme which will see the entity procuring new equipment and rehabilitating some of the existing equipment for road construction," he noted."This equipment will go a long way in capacitating the nation, particularly my ministry in carrying out its mandate of transport infrastructure and services provision," he said.The dilapidated highway, which is old, narrow and heavily infested with potholes, has been responsible for many fatal accidents over the years.Matiza noted that government is constrained in the mobilisation of resources for road maintenance and construction and in a bid to make sure that all roads, particularly the major ones, are catered for Zinara has established new toll gate locations some of which are now operational.The minister urged motorists to contribute towards road rehabilitation through adhering to road user requirements which entail them to pay tolling fees."Government notes the actions of some citizens who have a tendency of by-passing tolling points. This has an impact on the rest of the abiding citizens," he said."These are advised to desist from such actions and assist the government in the maintenance and construction of the nation's road network. I urge us all to take pride in our nation and build it together."Plans to refurbish the Beitbridge-Chirundu highway have been on the table for nearly two decades before the government struck a deal with Geiger International in 2016.After winning the contract, the Austrian contractor was seemingly delaying the dualisation process over "unconvincing" reasons, till government decided to terminate the contract.Following the abortion of Geiger's contract, government engaged Afecc, which came second in the bidding process won by Geiger. News / National by Staff reporter Top Zanu-PF officials are being dragged to court by State power utility Zesa Holdings (Zesa) over unpaid electricity bills.The cases illustrate how government officials, previously shielded from insolvency courts under the previous Robert Mugabe regime, are now under pressure by Zesa which is keen to secure payment of dues that would earlier have been all but impossible to recover.This comes as Mnangagwa is overhauling a system that barred parastatals from demanding payments from top government officials, crimping growth in the economy.It seems Zesa is leveraging the new government's trajectory to recover dues much more effectively.Mnangagwa has promised zero tolerance in his government's push to punish corruption that stifled economic growth under his predecessor's disastrous reign.Under the Mugabe regime, Zesa had conveniently ignored the ballooning electricity debts by bigwigs, who were stratified under the so-called "sensitive customers."The Zimbabwe Electricity Distribution Company (ZETDC) has told Parliament that it was losing tens of millions of dollars in unpaid debts.The power company's authorities on Friday told the Daily News on Sunday they needed more time to come up with a comprehensive list of the defaulters.Over the past few months, several Zanu-PF officials have been hauled before the courts as Zesa moves to recover what it is owed.Only last month, Zanu-PF politburo member Sydney Sekeramayi was dragged to the High Court for failing to pay $327 481 owed to ZETDC.The power company is seeking to compel the former Defence minister to settle the electricity bill in respect of his Ulva Farm.Through its lawyers Chihambakwe, Mutizwa and Partners, the power utility issued summons to the former minister on September 13, 2018, claiming Sekeramayi had refused and or neglected to settle the electricity bill despite numerous requests to do so."The defendant (Sekeramayi) is indebted or liable to the plaintiff (ZETDC) as at August 31, 2018 in the sum of $327 481,92 being charges in respect of electricity supplied by the plaintiff to the defendant at the latter's special request and instance in terms of the running electricity supply contract between the two," the power utility said.Sekeramayi is not the only bigwig stewing in such a huge bill, as more of his Zanu-PF counterparts are battling to settle their own debts too.In May this year, former Zanu-PF Mbare MP Tendai Savanhu was also dragged to the High Court by the power company after he failed to pay $19 000 for electricity supplied to his Eagle Estate Farm, Dam Point, Marondera."The defendant (Savanhu) is indebted/liable to the plaintiff (ZETDC) as at 31st March 2018, in the sum of $19 116, 20 being charges in respect of power/electricity supplied by the plaintiff to the defendant at the latter's special request and instance in terms of the running electricity supply contract between the two in respect of account number 2230575," the court was told.During the same month, Buhera South MP Joseph Chinotimba was also summoned to the High Court by ZETDC in a bid to make him settle a $43 716 electricity bill accumulated at his Watakai Plot 10 in Concession.Chinotimba's plot is situated in the Mashonaland Central Province.Through its lawyers Chihambakwe, Mutizwa and Partners, ZETDC said in accordance with the agreement it entered into with Chinotimba it supplied electricity at his plot but the legislator had reneged in fulfilling the contractual agreement between the parties."The defendant (Chinotimba) is liable/indebted to the plaintiff ... as at April 19, 2018 in the sum of $43 716.60 being charges for power/electricity supplied by the plaintiff to the defendant at the latter's special request and instance in terms of the running electricity supply contract between the two, in respect of account number 2286246," the power utility said in its declaration.Some of those that have also been dragged to court over the electricity bills include former National Patriotic Front (NPF) leader Ambrose Mutinhiri, who owed the power utility $54 000 at his Newton Farm.Former Masvingo provincial minister Kudakwashe Bhasikiti was also accused of owing ZETDC $133 at his Moria Ranch premise, which is 20 kilometres away from Rutenga along Beitbridge Road in Mwenezi.Zesagate, one of the biggest scandals to rock the country in more than a decade unearthed by our sister publication the Daily News in 2012, revealed that at a time the power utility was on a nationwide power disconnections campaign against defaulting consumers in domestic, commercial and industrial categories, it had conveniently ignored the bigwigs, who were stratified under the so-called "sensitive customers."The named defaulters included legislators from across the political divide in the ruling coalition, judges, provincial governors, ministers and their deputies and permanent secretaries.Among the highest debtors was former president Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace, who owed over $345 000 to Zesa as at December 31, 2011.The Daily News' expose at the time helped to refocus the national agenda on the topic of double standards used to stratify clients and unveiling a nationwide culture of entitlement and blatant refusal by senior officials to pay for electricity supplies. As trade tensions escalate between the U.S. and China, Washington is sending a warning to U.S. companies: Think twice about doing business with China. If I were a business, I would basically just stay away from China right now. Their misbehavior is so terrible. Kevin Hassett, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers said on Yahoo Finances Market Mover Friday. Thats why President Trump is taking a hard line with them. Theyve got to change the way they behave if they want to be part of this modern world global economy. Hassett also cited the bombshell story from Bloomberg Businessweek, which claims Chinas military deployed a microchip to attack hardware in the supply chain and had infiltrated U.S. tech giants like Amazon and Apple. Both companies have denied the report. But it still raised many concerns about Chinese electronic manufacturers. Hong Kong-listed Lenovo and ZTE saw share prices drop by 15% and 10%, respectively, on Friday. Hassetts sentiment was widely echoed by the Trump administration. In an aggressive speech about China on Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence claimed Beijing directed its bureaucrats and businesses to obtain American intellectual property. He also called out Google to end its project of developing a censored search engine for China, a market the internet giant exited in 2010. Not easy to give up on China The ongoing trade negotiation adds many uncertainties to U.S. companies that are planning to access the Chinese market, with its population of 1.3 billion and an expanding middle class. American companies have been active in the Chinese economy since the reform period in the late 1970s, investing hundreds of billions of dollars. President Trump has said the U.S. rebuilt China. Meanwhile, China has become the growth engine of some U.S. companies. Starbucks (SBUX) is among the biggest success stories. Since opening its first store in Beijing in 1999, the Seattle-based coffee chain now runs 3,400 stores and plans to open a new one every 15 hours through 2022. Story continues Apples premium iPhones are red-hot status symbols in China, where the iPhone maker (AAPL) reported $13 billion in revenue during its fiscal second quarter this year, contributing more than 20% to its global revenue. Now U.S. businesses are facing a more complicated situation against the backdrop of the trade disputes. Tesla (TSLA), the high-profile electric car maker, is caught in the rising geopolitical fight. The company said the trade conflict has led to a 40% retaliatory tariff on Tesla vehicles exported to China. Exports to the country accounted for about 20% of Teslas automotive revenue during 2017, according to Moodys. A pedestrian using a smartphone walks past a Tesla showroom in Beijing, China, on Saturday, July 7, 2018. (Giulia Marchi/Bloomberg) U.S. companies operating in China have already felt the pinch of the trade war, but its hard for them to walk away, citing difficulties moving a supply chain or creating a new one over a short period of time. More than 60% of U.S. companies have been hurt by tariffs imposed by both countries, according to a survey by American Chambers of Commerce in Beijing and Shanghai. We support President Trumps efforts to reset U.S.-China trade relations, address long-standing inequities and level the playing field. But we can do so through means other than blanket tariffs, Eric Zheng, chairman of AmCham Shanghai, said in a statement last month. Krystal Hu covers technology and economy for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter. Read more: El-Erian: Trump has a 75% chance of winning the trade war Why the $375 billion US-China trade deficit can be totally misleading How Chinas tariffs on soybeans fueled the US GDP bump Since the Progressive Conservative government won a majority in the spring election, the summer and fall sessions at the provincial legislature have been exceptionally busy. Here's what Premier Doug Ford has accomplished in his first 100 days. 1. Cut Toronto's city council Just a couple of months after taking power, Doug Ford announced his plans to shrink the number of Toronto city councillors from 47 to 25. On Sept. 10, Justice Edward Belobaba ruled against Bill 5, declaring the move unconstitutional. But then Ford caused a nationwide ruckus by threatening to invoke the notwithstanding clause. The province also filed an appeal with Ontario's highest court asking for a stay on Belobaba's judgment, which the court eventually granted. Chris Young/THE CANADIAN PRESS The issue was wildly polarizing, with protesters filling the public gallery at the Legislature. Critics accused Ford, a former Toronto city councillor, of having a vendetta against his former colleagues. The interim Liberal leader accused Ford of wasting time. "There are things more important to Ontarians that aren't getting the time and attention the government should be spending," said John Fraser. 2. Rolled back 2015 sex-ed curriculum The curriculum, which had not been updated since 1998, included warnings about online bullying and sexting, but social conservatives protested against lessons addressing same-sex relationships, gender identity and masturbation. The change prompted student protests and some teachers vowed to ignore it. The government says it's consulting with parents. In the meantime, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) have both taken the province to court. University of Windsor political scientist Lydia Miljan said it's a smart political move to make controversial decisions early, but said the government fell short in other ways. "They didn't always have a clearly articulated reason for the changes they made," she said, referencing the sex-ed curriculum. Story continues 3. Investigating province's $15B deficit The premier called it "the biggest government scandal in a generation" and called a special committee to investigate the Liberals' handling of the province's finances, which could call witnesses, compel documents and gather evidence for a final report expected in December. Ford promised to hold his predecessors accountable days after Finance Minister Vic Fedeli announced an independent inquiry found the province faces a $15-billion deficit, which was $8-billion higher than the Liberals said it was in the spring budget. "They do not just get to walk away from this," said Ford. Critics say these steps are paving the way for cuts. 4. Cancelled cap-and-trade & Green Energy Act Ford's first act as premier was winding down Ontario's cap-and-trade program, which caps greenhouse emissions while allowing major polluters to buy and trade exemptions in the form of carbon credits. The PCs also cancelled programs funded by cap-and-trade's proceeds, which gave rebates to people for making their homes more energy efficient and buying electric cars. As a result, a $100-million school repair fund was also cancelled. Chris Young/Canadian Press Green Party leader Mike Schreiner called cancelling cap-and-trade "reckless and irresponsible" though the government argued it saved taxpayers' money. Greenpeace Canada has since taken the government to court, claiming it denied Ontarians the right to be consulted before it decided to scrap the program. This fall, the PCs announced it will introduce legislation to kill the Green Energy Act. 5. Halted opening of safe-injection sites During the election campaign, Ford said he was opposed to safe injection and overdose prevention sites. In mid-August, Ontario's health minister Christine Elliott said the province would freeze the opening of three new overdose-prevention sites in Thunder Bay, St. Catharines and Toronto. Elliott said the province would review whether they "have merit." Critics strongly condemned the move. "To put it bluntly, we'll have a lot more dead people," said Nick Boyce, director of the Ontario HIV & Substance Use Training Program. 6. Cancelled Ontario's basic income pilot In a bid to find new ways to tackle poverty, the Liberal government set up the basic income pilot. Set to run for three years, it gave grants to 4,000 low-income people in communities like Hamilton, Thunder Bay, Lindsay and Brantford. Individuals were eligible for up to $16,989 a year. This summer, the province announced it was winding the program down by March 2019, promising a complete review of the province's social assistance programs by Nov. 8. "We've seen this government make some pretty serious decisions that have moved our province backwards," said NDP leader Andrea Horwath. 7. Fired CEO of Hydro One and board On the campaign trail, Ford made headlines when he declared he would fire the "six million dollar man," referring to Hydro One's CEO Mayo Schmidt. Janusz Wrobel/Getty Images While there were questions around whether the province had the power to do that, Schmidt and the utility's entire board resigned amid pressure from the government just weeks after the election. Schmidt was earning about $6.2 million a year. "He has been very clear on 'promises made, promises kept'," said Miljan, referencing the party's oft-repeated slogan. "No one could call Doug Ford Mr. Dithers. It's just unusual because we're not used to governments moving so quickly." 8. Reviewing Fair Workplace and Better Jobs Act In late September, Labour Minister Laurie Scott confirmed the PCs would keep the minimum wage at $14 an hour but would cancel the increase to $15 an hour, scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, as the rest of the Fair Workplace and Better Jobs Act was being reviewed. The legislation, which passed in 2017 under the Liberals, also guarantees part-time workers the same rate of pay as full-time workers doing the same job, guarantees workers three hours of work if their shifts is cancelled with less than 48 hours notice and gives workers three weeks of vacation after working for five years, and 10 personal days a year, two of which must be paid. Labour Minister Laurie Scott said she is reviewing the law, but Doug Ford announced his government would be "getting rid" of it. 9. Rolled back Pharmacare As part of its cost-saving plan, the PCs decided to roll back the Liberals' pharmacare program. Under OHIP+, all people under 25 could get free prescriptions for drugs covered under the Ontario Drug Benefit Program. Under Ford, it would only apply to those under 25 who don't have private health benefits. "Everything you've seen us do is moving forward with an aggressive agenda to bring relief to families," said Finance Minister Vic Fedeli. 10. Opened door to private weed sales Under a federal mandate, the government announced how it would regulate cannabis sales in the province and scrapped the previous Liberal plan for government-run stores. Instead, it will allow licensed private companies to run retail locations. Online sales would be limited to the government agency, the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corp., which will also be the wholesaler to private stores. There's no cap on pot shops and municipalities will have until the new year to opt out of having brick-and-mortar stores. Come Oct. 17, residents will be able to smoke weed wherever cigarette smoking is allowed. Other changes in the first 100 days Todd Galganov says he always tells people he'll see them at his son's return party. More than a year after Jesse Galganov's disappearance, the father says, "I still pray and have hope my son is alive." The elder Galganov says he recently returned to Montreal after spending nine-and-a-half months in Peru looking for his son. Now, with the help of friends and family, he's raising the reward for finding Jesse from an initial $10,000 to $500,000 US. Jesse Galganov went missing in September 2017, at 22 years old, during a backpacking trip in Peru. The last his family heard from him was Sept. 28, 2017, just before embarking on what was supposed to be a four-day trek in the Cordillera Blanca mountains. He had recently been accepted into medical school and wanted to become a brain surgeon, his father said. 'Go big or go home' Todd Galganov worries Jesse may have been enlisted into illegal forced labour. "All I know is there's that expression: 'Go big or go home,'" he said of the reward, speaking to CBC News on the phone Saturday. "I want to say I'm just a father. I'm not a policeman, I'm not a detective, I'm not looking to persecute, to catch anybody. All I want is for them to show proof of life. Just give us Jesse and we're gone." Todd Galganov/GoFundMe Last fall, Jesse's mother, Alisa Clamen, enlisted the help of an Israeli company specializing in search and rescue, after the well-known Montreal businessman Mitch Garber and his wife Anne-Marie Boucher donated $100,000 to the search efforts. The search and rescue team tracked down two French tourists who had last camped with Galganov in the mountains on Oct. 1. They said he had been feeling ill and suspected Galganov was suffering from altitude sickness, but hadn't seen him since. The next step for Todd Galganov, who owns a custom sign manufacturer, is to try to get back to living his life for his family, he said. But he hopes to return to the mountains in Peru where his son was last seen every year on Jesse's birthday, Feb. 8. Story continues Galganov met Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Summit of the Americas in April, which was held in Lima, Peru, this year. He said Trudeau told him Canada was behind him. Galganov says he was also comforted by the words of a rabbi in Peru, who encouraged him to smile when he thinks of Jesse. "You know, if this wasn't such a tragic story of loss, it's an incredible story of support and kindness around the world," the father said. "Let's see if I can turn a negative into a positive. Let's see." He's also raising money through Gofundme to have some Peruvian lakes dragged, in case Jesse's body may be in one of them. Chocolate is much more complicated than it looks. It requires the knowledge of things like the chemistry of sugars, fat and moisture migration or what Regina-based chocolatier Karen Morley describes as a "convergence of science and art." "It's not like throwing some chocolate into a microwave and throwing it into a bowl," said Morley, an American and former photogrammetrist who has worked in the tech industry and is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. Morley was diagnosed with late stage cancer shortly after she moved to Canada and got married. She was given a 30 per cent chance of survival but she beat it. @geokaren/Twitter Morley couldn't go back to marketing after being out of it for two years because younger workers are wanted in that industry, she said. She also couldn't work in Canada because she didn't have a permanent residency yet, something that's more difficult to get because she was sick. She was treated for her illness in Canada but it cost her nearly $250,000. While she was going through her treatment, Morley spent the days looking for something to do. First, she began blowing sugar (like glass blowing but with sugar instead). Then she began blogging Top Chef Canada winning entries and contacting those winning chefs. One of those chefs sent her a homemade chocolate bar and it was then that Morley realized the complexities of the art. Jennifer Gibson/CBC "It suits my personality," Morley said. "The complexity, I realized, was more than something I could do on my own." It's that complexity which is why she attended Ecole Chocolat in Vancouver, where she became a certified chocolatier. And then earlier this year she attended the Academie du Chocolat in Montreal. And, Morley eventually proved to authorities that her Canadian marriage was legitimate so that she could attain permanent residency. "I'm having a great time anyway, right. Whether I succeed or fail, I've got chocolate." With files from CBC Radio's Saskatchewan Weekend The Royal Alberta Museum opened this week to praise and a steady stream of visitors. The museum offered 30,000 free tickets online with space for another 10,000 people who can just show up. Still interested in going? We speak with Chris Robinson, executive director of the Royal Alberta Museum. How is the opening weekend going? "I think it is going so well. Museums are meant for the public, for visitors, and it is so nice to see them come through the doors now." In the first two days, 11,000 people came through the doors. While most had free advance tickets, 3,000 were walk-ups. How crowded is the museum? "The space has been designed to accommodate a lot of visitors," says Robinson, who admits the walk-up line will likely grow during the weekend. Can I come in to look around without touring the museum? If you don't have a ticket or are unwilling to wait in line, you can enter the building to tour the gift shop, cafe and take a selfie in the lobby. You can also go upstairs into the museum's new Manitou Stone Gallery, showcasing a meteorite believed to be about 4.5 billion years old which is sacred to Indigenous peoples in Alberta and Saskatchewan. If I have a ticket, how early should I arrive? "I would suggest people coming 15 minutes prior to their timed ticket entry," he says. Both doors will be open and greeters will be there to check tickets and direct visitors. Do ticket holders have to leave by a certain time? "We aren't kicking anybody out," Robinson says. "We don't require you be out for a certain time. We will monitor the number of peoples in the building and so if there are people who are here for longer visits, and I hope they are, we just won't let other walk-ins until we've got the capacity." CBC What is the capacity? About 3,000 visitors at any time. If you only have one hour, how do you get the most of your visit? Robinson suggests starting in the lobby and spending a minute with the bronze mammoths. Next, visit the human history gallery on the main floor. Story continues "People don't need to read all the texts in front of them," he says. "The objects are intended, in many places, to speak for themselves, so you could take a pretty rapid tour through the history gallery." Then head upstairs to the natural history gallery. "The gems and mineral gallery it sparkles. The wildlife dioramas. And you cannot miss the giant mammoth when you go into the history gallery." Where are the bottlenecks? It's very busy at the children's gallery and the bug gallery. "Those are really popular. There have been some line-ups getting into those spaces," Robinson says. Adrienne Lamb/CBC You can see more from the new Royal Alberta Museum on this week's Our Edmonton Saturday at 10 a.m., Sunday at noon and holiday Monday at 11 a.m. on CBC TV. Donald Trump is being accused of taking his squeeze on Palestinian funding too far, by stopping new grants to organisations that promote coexistence with Israelis. Its totally heartbreaking, said Robi Damelin, an Israeli bereaved mother who runs a coexistence group with bereaved Palestinian parents. She was talking to The AJN shortly after hearing that the Trump administration is cutting its last major aid channel to Palestinians, namely $US10 million annual funding to projects like hers which bring together Israeli and Palestinian civilians... Damelin said that America is acting dangerously by undermining coexistence work as a strategy to achieve political results. It can only achieve more violence, she said. Her son David was killed when a terrorist opened fire at an IDF roadblock in the West Bank in 2002, and she became involved in The Parents Circle Families Forum, a grassroots organisation of Palestinian and Israeli families who have suffered a bereavement due to the conflict. She believes that groups like hers are building connections between populations which will prove vital if there is to be a political agreement. Can they imagine that there could be peace without contact between Israelis and Palestinians? she asked rhetorically. This will cause fear of the unknown, which leads to hatred and its natural partner, violence. Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh. blogspot.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. . ..This Ongoing War..04 October '18..We were bothered by some statements that appear in a recent report ["Fears funding freeze is going too far", Nathan Jeffay - Australian Jewish News, September 20, 2018] that looks at changes in the Trump administration's approach to US support for non-governmental organizations (NGOs).The parts that jumped out at us had to do with a group on which we have expressed ourselves at intervals over the years: Parents Circle Families Forum. They appear in the article's opening linesThen a few paragraphs later:Each of us (Frimet and Arnold) has criticized PCFF's work and methods via articles and posts over a period of 15 years. We have not managed to get much of a response from them in all that time. Auburns Together 4 Hope march in multicultural Western Sydney attracted a crowd of over a hundred locals coming together across diverse religious lines in support of mental health. The Suicide Prevention Campaign organised by the Auburn Salvation Army and State Member for Auburn, Luke Foley has become an annual event in the Cumberland local government area. The sunset march around the Auburn town centre coincided with the R U Okay Day to the backdrop of musical enlightenment by local school students. Encouraging others not to be afraid of speaking up about mental health, a mother shared her story of losing a child to suicide and a gay man spoke about his battle with depression during his struggle to understand his sexuality. Its okay to ask for help, said Major Paul Moulds of the Auburn Salvation Army who also added that, Jesus message is all about hope, and that suicide is something that affects people across every faith community. Joining the chorus of support for mental health, the State Member for Auburn, Luke Foley added that, if you came to Australia last week, if you came to Auburn yesterday youre not alone. Youre part of a community that will care for you. This community reaches out. A commemorative candle was then lit to remember those who have lost their lives to suicide followed by prayers from Christian and Islamic leaders in Auburn. What I Can Do in My Church Like emotional abuse, the issue of mental health is often undetected among our church communities with sufferers falling through the cracks. It is quite easy in congregations of large and small numbers, for members to become invisible. The church in the western world hasnt been known in recent times for its strength in supporting abuse victims, nor for being on the front foot for mental health challenges, but this ought to change and it can only happen if we in our local congregations come together. Starting with ourselves, we need to be honest about the abuses that have taken place in our churches and seek to rectify past injustices. If we cannot even be united among our local body of believers, how is it that as a church we can be an active supporter of those needing help in the community. For a church to have people at the door performing the welcome to church greeting but then not to hold its leaders to account for abuse is virtue signalling at its best. Such is the antithesis of what the body of Christ ought to be doingsupporting those afflicted. The strong connection between abuse victims and mental health issues is no secret. Change and reform is possible and just like the call to action of the R U Okay Day, lets make sure that our churches are focused on the bodythe people that actually make up the church. Sometimes we may need to swallow the pride thats causing division in the congregation and maybe even admit we were wrong or have mistreated someone so that the body can be united. If we in our own churches cant be honest and reconcile with one another through Christ, how can we say genuinely that were welcoming everyone to church or that we stand together for hopewhich in fact is the message of Jesus. Why I didnt report it The United States Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has faced several allegations of sexual misconduct dating back several decades. Despite the near non-existence of evidence supporting the accusations, the confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh has been delayed. President Donald Trump in trying to highlight the weak credibility of the allegations, tweeted that the accuser should have made a report to the authorities at the time of the alleged incident. Whether the allegations have been compiled as another attempt by Democrats in the United States as an eleventh-hour attempt to obstruct Presidents Trumps nominee to the Supreme Court or, if the allegations are more than just attempts to smear Judge Kavanaugh, it will be soon be clear. However, it is the statement of the US President sparking many #WhyIDidntReport posts on social media that should be of interest to Christian churches. Abuse and mental health go hand in hand as important issues that churches can and ought to take a leading role in addressing within the community. A hearty congratulations to the Auburn Salvation Army for striving to bridge religious divides and allowing minority stories to be heard for mental health awareness. It is also no secret that for many sufferers talking about their mental health and/or abuse is a traumatic and challenging process. Something that cannot be rushed or induced. Unreported incidents dont mean they necessarily didn't happen, it just means the abused may still be trying to understand the trauma and find someone who understands them. Often churches have struggled to have a due process or the skilled personnel to handle such matters and, in some cases, those responsible end up in the role of perpetrator and police. Those impacted will have left because there was no one to turn toor when they did turn to someone, they were told its too long ago. Perhaps its wise to stop asking why I didnt report it but treat every claim seriously through a due process. Churches ought to be a place of hope and it can once again shine in the community as a beacon of such hope if it can heal among itself through the Holy Spirit. And only then perhaps may we be able to put Psalm chapter 47, verse 1 into practice, Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. Because ultimately through our God that brings joyous deliverance, we can have certainty that hope wins when we stand together in Christ! (Since this article was penned the US Senate has voted for Judge Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court) Roydon Ng is a Christian writer from Western Sydney. Roydon Ngs previous articles may be viewed at: http://blog.roydonng.com.au A letter by Albert Einstein, in which he calls God the "product of human weakness" and the Bible a collection of "primitive legends," is to be sold for between $1 million and $1.5 million. The letter, dated to January 1954, a year before the famous German theoretical physicist's death, is to be sold at Christie's auction house in New York City on Dec. 4, the Antiques Trade Gazette reported. Expressing his thoughts to religious philosopher Erik Gutkind, Einstein wrote: "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. No interpretation, no matter how subtle, can (for me) change anything about this." As a Jewish person, he also questioned the biblical narrative that Jews are God's "chosen people." "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," he said. "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." Peter Klarnet, senior specialist books and manuscripts at Christie's, explained that the letter "concerns themes that have been central to human enquiry since the dawn of human consciousness, and it is one of the definitive statements in the Religion vs Science debate." Einstein's views on religion have been the subject of much debate over the years. In other letters, he has expressed a more positive attitude toward spiritually. In one letter from 1936, written to a young girl in Sunday school class, he talked about the role of prayer. While at first explaining that a scientist cannot believe that events can be influenced by prayer, if defined as a supernaturally manifested wish, he admitted that "our actual knowledge of these forces is imperfect, so that in the end the belief in the existence of a final, ultimate spirit rests on a kind of faith." "Such belief remains widespread even with the current achievements in science. But also, everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that some spirit is manifest in the laws of the universe, one that is vastly superior to that of man," the scientist told the girl at the time. "In this way the pursuit of science leads to a religious feeling of a special sort, which is surely quite different from the religiosity of someone more naive," he added. In another letter in 1950, he specified that he was an agnostic. "My position concerning God is that of an agnostic. I am convinced that vivid consciousness of the primary importance of moral principles for the betterment and ennoblement of life does not need the idea of a law-giver, especially a law-giver who works on the basis of reward and punishment," he wrote at the time. Courtesy of The Christian Post In 2017, a new brand of cigars hit the market known as Casa Cuevas Cigars. The brand is owned by the Cuevas family who for many years has operated the Tabacalera Las Lavas factory in the Dominican Republic. After many years of producing cigars for other brands such as Gurkha, Torano Family Cigars, and Leccia Tobacco, the Cuevas family turned their attention to bring their own branded cigars to market with Casa Cuevas. The brand launched three core lines: Casa Cuevas Connecticut, Casa Cuevas Habano, and Casa Cuevas Maduro. In 2018, Casa Cuevas added two line extensions to the Habano and Maduro lines with the Flaco (lancero) and Clasico Prensado (a box-pressed 6 x 48 Short Churchill). Today we take a closer look at the Clasico Prensado offering in the Casa Cuevas Maduro line. The father and son team of Luis Cuevas Sr. and Luis Cuevas Jr. owns and operates Casa Cuevas and Tabacalera Las Lavas. Luis and Luis Jr. are of third and fourth generation Cuban descent. The Cuevas family traces its roots in the cigar industry back to the 19th century. This is when Juan Cuevas settled in the Pinar del Rio valley and started cultivating tobacco. Juans son Juan Jr. would take over the business from his father, but with the Cuban Revolution, Juan Jr left Cuba for the Dominican Republic. This is where the family has been based ever since. Without further ado, lets break down the Casa Cuevas Maduro Clasico Prensado and see what this cigar brings to the table. SPECIFICATIONS Blend and Origin The Casa Cuevas Maduro blend is a four-country multi-national blend highlighted by a Mexican San Andres Maduro wrapper. Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Maduro Binder: Nicaraguan Filler: Colombian, Dominican and Nicaraguan Country of Origin: Dominican Republic Factory: Tabacalera Las Lavas S.R.L Vitolas Offered There are now five sizes of the Casa Cuevas Maduro line. Each is a regular production 20-count box offerings except the Flaco which is a limited offering presented in a 10-count box. Clasico Prensado: 6 x 48 Flaco: 7 x 43 (Limited) Robusto: 5 x 52 Toro: 6 x 50 Gordo: 6 x 60 Appearance The San Andres wrapper of the Casa Cuevas Maduro Clasico Prensado had a chocolate-brown color to it. The wrapper itself had a very light oil sheen on it. There were some visible veins and visible wrapper seams, but as I have commented in the past on the Casa Cuevas Maduro, this is not a very rugged looking wrapper and presents itself very nicely. The press is more of a soft oval-like trunk press. The band of the Casa Cuevas Habano has a dark black and gold color scheme to it. On the front of the band is a large black oval with the text CUEVAS prominently displayed in a large gold font. Just above that text is the text Casa in a thin cursive gold font. The remainder of the band features some gold medallions also on a black background. The band is finished with a thick gold foil-like trim. PERFORMANCE Pre-Light Draw A straight cut was used to remove the cap of the Casa Cuevas Maduro Clasico Prensado and commence the cigar experience. Once the cap was detached it was on to the pre-light draw stage. The cold draw delivered a mix of chocolate, earth, natural tobacco, and a citrus fruit. I considered this to be a very good pre-light draw. At this point, it was time to light up the Casa Cuevas Maduro Clasico Prensado and move into the smoking phase. Tasting Notes The Casa Cuevas Maduro Clasico Prensado started out with a mix of chocolate, coffee, earth, citrus, and a mix of black and white pepper. The chocolate and coffee notes became primary early on. While sometimes I will get a fusion of chocolate and coffee (which I term mocha), I found these notes to separate and distinct. The chocolate notes still had an edge during the first third. The citrus notes had a subtle sweetness where the sour component was mitigated. Meanwhile, there was a mix of pepper, cedar, and fruit sweetness on the retro-hale. During the second third of the Casa Cuevas Maduro Clasico Prensado, the chocolate and coffee notes continued to alternate in intensity in the forefront. There were times the citrus notes also surfaced in the forefront, but for the most part, it remained a close secondary note. As the cigar experience progressed through the second third, the coffee notes started to have the edge in intensity. While the pepper and earth notes remained in the background, there were also some subtle cedar notes that emerged. The final third saw the coffee notes in full control. These notes had a rich espresso-like quality to them. There was an increase in the pepper spices and to a lesser extent. There still was just enough sweetness from the chocolate to provide a nice balance. This is the way the cigar experience of the Casa Cuevas Maduro Clasico Prensado came to a close. The resulting nub was firm to the touch and cool in temperature. Burn Burn-wise, the Casa Cuevas Maduro Clasico Prensado scored very nicely. The cigar maintained a straight burn line and straight burn path from start to finish. There were some touch-ups along the way, but it was what I consider to be a normal amount required. The resulting ash was firm with a light gray color and some occasional darker streaks. The burn rate and burn temperature were both ideal. Draw The Casa Cuevas Maduro Clasico Prensado had an excellent draw. Many times a box-press will have a more open draw, but with the Casa Cuevas Maduro Clasico Prensado there was a perfect balance of resistance and openness. At the same time, I did find this cigar produced an ample amount of smoke. Strength and Body In terms of strength, the Casa Cuevas Maduro Clasico Prensado is going to be a solid medium from start to finish. There wasnt much in the way of variance of the strength level throughout the smoking experience. While the body also started out medium around the midway point, there was a spike in the intensity of the flavors pushing this cigar into medium to full-bodied territory. For the most part, I found the body had the edge over the strength particularly during the second half when the body increased. OVERALL ASSESSMENT Final Thoughts Casa Cuevas has been a brand that continues to impress with the quality of the cigars they are bringing to market. The nice thing about the Casa Cuevas Maduro Clasico Prensado is that it definitely keeps to the profile that I have seen with the other vitolas of the Maduro line. At the same time, it brings its own character to the table. In particular, I liked the way the flavors balanced each other on the palate. Even when the cigar got a little more spicy toward the end, the spice didnt overpower the other flavors that this cigar produced and thats a big positive in my book. This is a cigar I could recommend to any type of cigar enthusiast who is looking for a maduro that delivers on flavor. As for myself, this is a cigar I would smoke again and its certainly one that earns box worthy consideration in my book. Summary Key Flavors: Chocolate, Coffee, Citrus, Earth, Pepper, Citrus Burn: Excellent Draw: Excellent Complexity: Medium Plus Strength: Medium Body: Medium (1st Half), Medium to Full (2nd Half) Finish: Excellent Rating Assessment: Box Worthy Consideration Score: 91 References News: Casa Cuevas Adds Clasico Prensado to Habano and Maduro Lines Price: $8.40 Source: Casa Cuevas Cigars Brand Reference: Casa Cuevas Photo Credits: Cigar Coop Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Berlin, October 7, 2018The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on the Bulgarian authorities to conduct a rigorous, thorough investigation into the killing of Viktoria Marinova, presenter and administrative director for local television channel TVN. Marinova, 30, was found dead yesterday in the Bulgarian town of Ruse, 300 km (185 miles) northeast of the capital Sofia; she had been raped, beaten, and strangled, according to media reports that cited Bulgarian police. CPJ is shocked by the barbaric murder of journalist Viktoria Marinova, said CPJ European Union Representative Tom Gibson in Brussels. Bulgarian authorities must employ all efforts and resources to carry out an exhaustive inquiry and bring to justice those responsible. It was not clear whether the murder was linked to Marinovas journalistic activities, Balkan Insight reported. The Ruse prosecution office and local police stated at a press conference today that they would look at all versions of the murder, according to Balkan Insight. Marinovas last broadcast was an interview with Romanian journalist Attila Biro from the investigative news site Rise Project and his Bulgarian counterpart, Dimitar Stoyanov, from investigative news site Bivol, who were looking into allegations of fraud involving EU funds for the global investigative reporting platform Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), Bulgarian news site Terminal 3 reported. The two reporters were briefly detained by Bulgarian police in September, CPJ reported. According to CPJ research, two investigative journalists have been killed in the EU in the past year in connection with their work. Slovak investigative journalist Jan Kuciak was shot dead in February 2018 in Slovakia, and prominent Maltese investigative journalist and blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed in October 2017 when the car that she was driving exploded near her house in northern Malta. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram New York, October 6, 2018The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Saudi Arabia to immediately account for the whereabouts of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who has not been seen since entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. Multiple news outlets reported today that Turkish authorities, who have been investigating his disappearance and who spoke to the media on the condition of anonymity, believed that Khashoggi is dead and was killed inside the consulate. CPJ is alarmed by media reports that Jamal Khashoggi may have been killed inside the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, said CPJ Deputy Executive Director Robert Mahoney. The Saudi authorities must immediately give a full and credible accounting of what happened to Khashoggi inside its diplomatic mission. The country has stepped up its repression of critical journalists in the past year at home. We hope this has not now spread abroad. Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post and a former editor-in-chief of the Saudi newspaper Al-Watan who writes critically about Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, entered the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday to complete paperwork and failed to emerge after the consulate officially closed. He had been living in self-imposed exile in the U.S. since 2017. Saudi Arabias repression of journalists has intensified since Crown Prince Salman rose to power as the apparent heir to the king last year. CPJ recently documented a steadily increasing number of bloggers and journalists detained in unknown locations without charges since the start of what Saudi authorities term an anti-corruption campaign in September 2017. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Russias federal space agency Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities (ROSCOSMOS) have agreed to worked together for first manned space mission Gaganyaan. In this regard, both space agencies have signed MoU at end of delegation level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladmir Putin in New Delhi. Key Facts Under MoU on Joint Activities in the field of Human Spaceflight Programme, ROSCOSMOS has offered ride to Indian astronaut short visit to International Space Station (ISS) on board Soyuz spacecraft for short training mission in 2022. ISS is habitable artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. Russia had first made the offer to train an Indian astronaut for the mission when External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had visited Russia in September 2018. Historically, India-Russia space cooperation was very strong, with Soviet Union being one of the three partners who helped India get off the ground with its space programme. This has continued for several decades included for sending an Indian cosmonaut in a Soviet Soyuz mission in 1982. Former Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Rakesh Sharma was first Indian to travel to space. He was part of Soviet Unions Soyuz T-11 expedition, launched on April 2, 1984 of Intercosmos programme. Gaganyaan Mission It is Indias first manned space mission. Under it, India is planning to send three humans (Gaganyatris) into space i.e. in low earth orbit (LEO) by 2022 i.e. by 75th Independence Day for period of five to seven days. The mission was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 72nd Independence Day speech. Under this mission, crew of three astronauts will conduct experiments on microgravity in space. The crew will be selected jointly by Indian Air Force (IAF) and ISRO after which they will undergo training for two-three years. This mission will make India fourth nation in the world after USA, Russia and China to launch human spaceflight mission. Objectives of Gaganyaan Mission: Enhance of science and technology levels in the country, serve as national project involving several institutes, academia and industry, improve of industrial growth, inspire youth, develop technology for social benefits and improve international collaboration. Iran Human Rights; October 6, 2018: A prisoner was executed on October 2, at Qazvin Central Prison on murder charges. According to IHR sources, on the morning of Tuesday, October 2, Hamed Valizadeh was hanged at Qazvin Central Prison (also called Chubin Dar). He was from Abhar city and was 38 years old at the time of the execution. Hamed was arrested in January 2014 for murdering a person and convicted to qisas (retribution in kind) at Qazvin public court. According to the IHR sources he was involved in an honour killing case. The Iranian media outlets have not published news related to the aforementioned execution so far. According to Iran Human Rights annual report on the death penalty, 240 of the 517 execution sentences in 2017 were implemented due to murder charges. There is a lack of a classification of murder by degree in Iran which results in issuing a death sentence for any kind of murder regardless of intensity and intent. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde Ha Long Bay draws tourists with its magnificent scene of more than 1,500 limestone karst islands popping up from turquoise waters. Photo by VnExpress/Meo Gia A South African couple chose a Ha Long Bay cruise for their honeymoon, but found themselves stranded at the wharf. A representative of the Ha Long Bay management board in the northern province of Quang Ninh said that Pieter Esterhugse and his wife were stranded at the Tuan Chau Wharf on Thursday after they found that the vessel theyd booked online for an overnight cruise on the Ha Long Bay did not exist. They had made an online booking on Hotels.com, the well known U.S.-based travel website, for an overnight stay on the four-star Glamor Star Cruise. The couple had chosen to celebrate their honeymoon in Vietnam with an overnight luxury cruise on the famous natural wonder of the world, Ha Long Bay. How much they paid for the cruise has not been revealed. Upon their arrival, some cruise ship owners at the wharf informed the couple that there was no ship with that name active in the bay. After confirming information about the couples plight, the sites management board arranged a free overnight night tour of the bay for the couple. Ho Quang Huy, Vice Chairman of Ha Long City, said local authorities are investigating the fraud. As authorities had said in a similar case earlier, Huy said the probe would be hampered by the fact that the online site where the tourists made the booking had no server in Vietnam. This was the second such case this year. Last July, a Spanish couple and their three children were booked a Ha Long Bay cruise on a vessel no longer in service through the Expedia.es website. They paid $746 for a two-night cruise on Paragon Legend. Ha Long Bay, 180 kilometers to the east of Hanoi, was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1994. Rcent Hollywood blockbuster Kong: Skull Island was shot in the bay. The bay has been hailed by the U.S. travel guide site Smarter Travel as one of the best ecological spots in the world, while Business Insider has said that an overnight Ha Long cruise is a must-try travel experience in Asia. The rising popularity of the site has driven local tourism growth, with 1.45 million foreign tourists arriving in the bay during the first half of this year, according to the Quang Ninh Provinces tourism department. Vietnamese wraps and rolls and where to find them The country prides itself on its varied range of wraps and rolls; lets go hunting. Rice and rice-based foods are an essential part of a typical Vietnamese meal. In some signature dishes, vermicelli represents the grain; in others, rice appears in the form of rice paper, especially in the various versions of the wrap and roll. Fried spring roll Photo by Phong Vinh This crispy dish, usually called nem ran, is among the most renowned in Vietnamese cuisine, and an essential feature of meals on important occasions. It has won the hearts of generations of Vietnamese with its savory taste. A typical spring roll is made up of minced pork, egg, shredded carrot, shiitake mushroom, Jew's ear, vermicelli, and onion wrapped in rice paper. Other versions have crab, shrimp or snail fillings. One kind of nem ran is also wrapped in a square shape. The dish is only complete with a unique dipping sauce made of fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, garlic and chilli. People usually enjoy fried spring rolls with rice vermicelli or rice. In Hanoi, fried spring rolls are usually served in bun cha restaurants since the dish is often eaten with rice vermicelli. You should head to restaurants in the old quarter to find authentic fried spring rolls, especially on Ly Quoc Su, Hang Quat, Bui Thi Xuan, and Phu Dong Thien Vuong Streets. Pho rolls Photo acquired by VnExpress As pho gains worldwide recognition, a sister of the dish takes a cooler form. In this cool dish, pho is not cut into strands but shaped into a thin rectangle. The filling includes stir-fried beef, lettuce and spicy greens, which are rolled in the smooth white pho paper. Some may say the dish resembles a bowl of pho without the broth, but the difference lies in the marinated beef. The beef in pho rolls is marinated and stir-fried, adding a salty twist to the rice and fresh greens. The rolls are not complete without a sour, mild dipping sauce. It is best to return to its home to enjoy this delicacy. Take a trip to Ngu Xa Street near the West Lake in Hanoi and enjoy the dish where it was invented. Many stalls on this street serve this dish at around VND10,000 (43 US cents) per roll. Pork mixed with rice powder and fig leaves The main component of the dish is boiled pigs ear. The ear needs to be washed and boiled carefully and cut into very thin slices. The slicing is usually done with a very sharp knife since a thick slice of pigs ear would be very tough to eat. The slices are then mixed with a kind of rice powder called thinh and some spices. The thinh gives the meat a very appetizing smell. Photo by Bao Ngoc For pigs ear roll, you can visit a restaurant at 35 Hang Thung Street or Thanh Cong Market in Hanoi. For pork rolls, you could go to street stalls on Ta Hien Street, Hang Bong Street or Tong Dan Street. If you are hesitant to try pigs ear, you could opt for pork mixed with rice powder. The formula for the roll remains unchanged: the rice paper is used to wrap the pork or pigs ear together with fig leaves, pineapple, cucumber, and greens. Grilled minced pork Photo by Di Vy Seasoned minced grilled pork is among the most delicious specialties of Vietnam. If you have a chance to visit one of Vietnams big cities, Hue or Hoi An, do not miss this delicacy. Interpol President Meng Hongwei poses during a visit to the headquarters of International Police Organisation in Lyon, France, May 8, 2018. Photo by Reuters French police are investigating the disappearance of Interpol chief, Meng Hongwei, who was reported missing after traveling from France to his native China. Mengs wife contacted police in Lyon, the French city where the international police agency is based, after not hearing from him since Sept. 25, and after receiving threats by phone and on social media, Frances interior ministry said. A person familiar with the investigation said the initial working assumption was that Meng had antagonized Chinese authorities in some way and had been detained as a result. France is puzzled about the situation of Interpols president and concerned about the threats made to his wife, the ministry said, adding that it was in contact with China. Mengs wife, who has remained in Lyon with their children according to police sources, was receiving protection, it said. It was not clear why Meng, 64, who was named Interpols president two years ago, had traveled to China, which has not commented officially on his disappearance. Chinas Ministry of Public Security did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment and there was no mention of him in official media on Saturday. There have been several cases in recent years of senior Chinese officials vanishing without explanation, only for the government to announce weeks or even months later that they have been put under investigation, often for suspected corruption. Hong Kongs South China Morning Post quoted an unnamed source as saying Meng had been taken for questioning as soon as he landed in China, but it was not clear why. French police are investigating what is officially termed in France a worrying disappearance. Interpol, which groups 192 countries and which is usually focused on finding people who are missing or wanted, said in a statement from its secretary general, Juergen Stock, that it had asked China for clarification. Interpol has requested through official law enforcement channels clarification from Chinas authorities on the status of Interpol President Meng Hongwei, Stock, who is in charge Interpols day-to-day running, said on Saturday. Bizarre' Roderic Broadhurst, a professor of criminology at Australian National University, said Mengs disappearance would be pretty disconcerting for people in international bodies that work with China, and could ultimately damage Chinas efforts to develop cooperative legal assistance measures with other countries. It is bizarre, Broadhurst said on Saturday, adding that China was likely to brush off any political damage that it would cause to Beijings involvement in international bodies. Its a price that might have to be paid, but I guess they would see that as a cost worth bearing, Broadhurst said. Presidents of Interpol are seconded from their national administrations and remain in their home post while representing the international policing body. Meng is listed on the website of Chinas Ministry of Public Security as a vice-minister, but lost his seat on its Communist Party Committee in April, the South China Morning Post reported. Meng has almost 40 years experience in criminal justice and policing, and has overseen matters related to legal institutions, narcotics control and counter-terrorism, according to Interpols website. Interpol staff can carry special passports to help speed deployment in emergency situations but that would not have given Meng any specific rights or immunity in his home country. When Meng was named Interpols president in Nov. 2016, human rights groups expressed concern that Beijing might try to leverage his position to pursue dissidents abroad. Beijing has in the past pressed countries to arrest and deport to China citizens it accuses of crimes, from corruption to terrorism. At the time, Amnesty International called Mengs appointment at odds with Interpols mandate to work in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The government reported its readiness for the heating season and approved the starting price and terms of privatization of Centrenergo, while the sale of other state assets was once again postponed to the next year; the World Bank announced its outlook for Ukrainian economic growth and reiterated its call on the country's leadership to continue implementing reforms these are the main economic developments of the outgoing week. This week, First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economic Development and Trade Stepan Kubiv said that the forecast for the Ukrainian economy growth remained positive, aiming to reach over 3% for 2018. "More importantly, this is not about some speculative warmup of the economy, it is about real economic growth. The Ukrainian industry is growing, he said. According to the official, the industrial output in January-August was up 2.2%, chemical production grew by 29.9% compared to the same period last year, while the automotive industry saw a 17.2% rise. Kubiv noted that the exports of Ukrainian goods have continued growing over the past 19 months, reaching $26 bln in first seven months of this year. At the same time, the World Bank downgraded its outlook for Ukraine's GDP growth in 2018 to 3.3% from an earlier 3.5%. Moreover, such rise will take place if Ukraine reforms are further implemented, and an agreement is reached with the IMF on continued cooperation, the World Bank says. This will send a positive signal to investors, said Faruk Khan, a lead economist and program leader for the World Bank for Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine. Among priority transformations in the country, Khan named banking and land reforms. He also noted that in 2019, GDP growth could reach 3.5%, and after the election campaign, the bank expects the economy to accelerate by 4%. At the same time, without reaching an agreement with the IMF, assures Khan, the economy in 2019 may decline, falling below 2%. As for the main challenges for the Ukrainian economy, the World Bank believes they include a significant external debt and the need to service it, a drop in prices for exported goods, a delay in reform and deterioration of conditions for developing economies in foreign borrowing markets. The bank also recalled that by year-end, Ukraine may need up to $3.7 billion to cover the state budget deficit and service its debt. If cooperation with the IMF fails to continue, 2018 state budget expenditures will have to be cut. Large-scale privatization which never happened A large-scale privatization could improve the situation with the state budget deficit. But over the past few years, the government has been unsuccessfully trying to fill the coffers by selling state property. In 2016, privatization proceeds amounted to slightly more than 1% of the target UAH 17 billion. In 2017, the treasury received almost UAH 3.4 billion from the same UAH 17 billion target. For 2018, there were even greater hopes. The government has pledged UAH 21.3 billion in privatization proceeds to the state budget. At the same time, as stated by the acting head of the State Property Fund, Vitaly Trubarov, the sale of almost all large-scale privatization objects will take place only next year rather than before year-end, as was planned previously. "We can already state the fact the privatization process for those large-scale privatization objects we have outlined is being postponed for 2019," Trubarov said. However, according to the official, this year, most likely, it will be possible to sell the energy generating company Centrenergo, in respect of which the Cabinet of Ministers earlier approved the terms of sale and the starting price of UAH 5.98 billion. The competition for the privatization of the state-owned shares in the company is set to be held in late November or early December this year. However, Trubarov believes that the company is a bit overpriced, since the starting price fails to take into account a number of factors. We do not expect any big figures, as there were with Kryvorizhstal. Taking into account the fact that the price, according to advisers, is marginal in terms of the very fact of sale, it is possible to have the price increased a little, he said, noting that when determining the starting price, the adviser took into account the old law on privatization of state assets, therefore, while failing to take note of a number of factors for example, environmental risks and the proximity to the zone of hostilities. The very enterprise is quite investment-attractive from the point of view of resources, but still, the enterprise belongs to the so-called dirty energy group, while most European and global companies in the energy sector are already moving away from dirty energy. Therefore, there is no doubt that there is a list of potential investors who are willing to come to our country and work in this direction, but today we are not seeing much excitement, explained Trubarov. As the saying goes, you can't sell an elephant with such attitude, but maybe the thing is that the buyer is already determined and no extra competition is actually needed. Traditional 100% readiness for winter It is almost always that the winter season catches Ukrainian officials off guard. Just as traditionally, the authorities on the eve of the heating season declare 100% readiness to confront the cold snap. In general, 99.8% of all [heating] facilities across the country are ready ... From a technical point of view, the country is ready for the heating season of 2018/2019, Eduard Kruhliak, Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Utilities, said cheerfully. Each municipality is free to choose the date of launching the heating season. Therefore, the Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Utilities, Hennady Zubko, stressed that the heads of regional state administrations should take under their personal control the start of the heating season on the ground, and in case of sabotage by local authorities, they have every right to contact the prosecutor's office as a maximum amount of funds had been transferred to the regions as part of the decentralization process that started back in 2015. According to the State Treasury, local authorities hold back in their deposits in banks some UAH 15 bln, which testifies to their inability or unwillingness to invest in the development of their own regions. Zubko recalled that the government had instructed the National Joint Stock Company Naftogaz of Ukraine to conclude by October 15 contracts for gas supplies with heat and hot water producers. Naftogaz has also been instructed to conclude contracts with heat supply and heat generating enterprises on the restructuring of debts for consumed gas. According to Zubko, there are already problems seen with the preparation for the heating season in Kotsyubinsky (Kyiv region), Smila (Cherkasy region), and Shepetivka (Khmelnitsky region). Also, there some uncertainty remains in Kyiv. In the outgoing week, representatives of Naftogaz and the city authorities confirmed that the parties could settle on Oct 10 on the issue of gas supplies to the city, which would allow resuming hot water supplies within a few days and starting the heating season on time. Thanks to the decisions made by the government [on allocating funds for a utility company to cover the gap in tariffs], there is a significant positive shift. But, as everyone knows, a trial is underway and the court must make a final decision, that is, approve the settlement agreement we are working on. The court hearing is scheduled for October 10, said Serhiy Pereloma, First Deputy Chairman of the Board of Naftogaz. He also noted that preliminary agreements had been reached between the parties and that they were realistic enough to be implemented. Fear our tanks One of the important economic news of the outgoing week was the appointment by the government of members to the supervisory board of Ukraine's united energy grid operator, Ukrenergo, which included three representatives from the state and four independent members. In addition to the heads of foreign energy companies and experts, Sevki Acuner, the former chief of the EBRD office in Ukraine, who is also the head of the Ukrzaliznytsia supervisory board, is appointed an independent member of the supervisory board. From the state, the Supervisory Board included: Oleksandr Poplavsky - Advisor to Deputy Prime Minister Volodymyr Kistion, State Secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Coal Maksym Nemchynov, and Deputy State Secretary of the Cabinet of Ministers Serhiy Kushnir. The fact that the largest state-owned enterprises continue to reform, albeit with some delays, is evidenced by the recently published report of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade. It says 100 of Ukraine's largest SOE's in 2017 increased their net profit by 38.5%, to UAH 44.4 billion, whereas a few years ago, the public sector was only able to generate losses. Some positive developments this week were also reported in Ukraine's defense sector. Ukroboronprom handed over to the Ukrainian Army sixteen T-80 and T-64 main battle tanks restored at the Kharkiv Armored Plant, as well as five new-generation BTR-4s armored personnel carriers manufactured by the Morozov Kharkiv Engineering Bureau. "During the transfer of equipment, the BTR-4MB1 was showcased, manufactured based on the design solutions of NATO Allies, the Oplot tank, the Verba MLRS, engines for armored vehicles, the BTR-4 experimental hull, other weapons and military equipment. In addition, the operational-tactical missile system Sapsan, in the development of which the concern's enterprises took part, was showcased," Ukroboronprom reported. According to the press service of the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Oleksandr Turchynov, new design solutions were introduced in the process of deep modernization and re-equipment of the T-80 and T-64BV tanks. An automatic fire control system with a laser range finder, a ballistic computing set and a guided weapons complex has been designed and installed, also allowing firing guided missiles, the report said. Ihor Orel If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Iran's Parliament has approved a bill to join the Convention against Funding Terrorism (CFT), amid heated debates between hardline MPs and Majles Speaker Ali Larijani, on Sunday October 7. In a change of heart, the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei endorsed the move by sending a letter to the speaker of parliament. Some of the opponents of the bill have said clearly that joining the convention may make it difficult for Iran to send financial assistance to terrorist groups such as Lebanon's Hezbollah, Yemen's Houthi rebels and Palestinian groups including Hamas. The bill was passed with a narrow edge of about 20 votes as 143 lawmakers voted in favor of the bill, 120 voted against, and five abstained, local media reported. The 120 who voted against the bill, are slightly more than the number of ultraconservative Paydari (steadfastness) fraction members who usually vote against moderate policies and oppose President Hassan Rouhani. The voting followed a fierce campaign against the bill by hardline media, clerics and vigilante groups, tacitly encouraged by Supreme Leader Khamenei. Even Sunday morning, IRGC-linked newspaper Javan, as well as other hardline papers such as Kayhan, Resalat and Farhikhtegan took stances against the CFT, a prerequisite called for by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to get Iran out of the blacklist of countries suspected of aiding terrorist groups. Hardline cleric Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi threatened Majles Speaker Ali Larijani in the evening before the voting telling him in a letter not to pass the bill. Others including Tehran's Friday Prayers Leader Ayatollah Movahedi Kermani had also warned the parliament against passing the bill, adding that the hardline Guardian Council will over-ride it even if it gets through the Majles. Meanwhile Iran's state TV which is linked to hardliners close to Khamenei broadcast a documentary against joining FATF and CFT the night before the voting, and some 100 members of Tehran's vigilante groups staged a demonstration in front of the parliament while vote was being taken. The demonstrations turned into a mourning ceremony after the bill passed, media reports from Tehran say. This comes while Kamal Kharrazi, a foreign policy adviser of Iran's Khamenei, predicted on the day before voting that the bill would be approved by the Majles. Minutes before the bill was put to vote, Larijani produced a letter from Khamenei which said the Supreme Leader was not against ratifying the bill, Iranian media reported. However, he did not explicitly express support for the convention either. This stance is similar to his behavior regarding the JCPOA. In that case he secretly allowed negotiations with the United States and other world powers but did not give his public blessing to the talks and the ensuing agreement, in a way that he would get credit for the move if it turned out to be successful, and at the same time could distance himself in case the result was not satisfactory. Khameneis supporters split into two groups during the vote; for and against. It is not clear if this was an arranged tactic for the bill to pass - but not overwhelmingly - or it was a genuine difference of opinion. Iran will need FATF's blessing as the European initiative to save the JCPOA and Iran's international trade against a new round of U.S. sanctions that starts on November 4, depends on Iran joining four international conventions against money laundering, funding terrorism and organized crimes. Even Moscow, an ally of Tehran's, reportedly told Iran's Central Bank Governor during his visit to Moscow last week that Russian banks cannot help Tehran against US sanctions without Iran committing itself to FATF and the international conventions it required. Although the Majles has passed CFT on Sunday, the ratification would still not be official unless it is also approved by the Guardian Council within two weeks. If the Guardian Council does not concur with the Majles, Khamenei can refer the bill to the Expediency Council, a body that recently has had the final say over bills that were rejected by Guardian Council. Nevertheless, time is running out for Tehran as it has only one week left before FATF can take it out of the black list, giving the green light to EU to help Iran circumvent U.S. sanctions. DUBAI, Oct 6 (Reuters) - An Iranian businessman accused of defrauding thousands of investors was returned to Iran with Interpol's help on Saturday after he fled abroad, state media reported, a week after Tehran sentenced three people to death in a drive against economic crimes. Courts set up in a campaign against economic offenses handed down out death sentences to three defendants last week, following renewed U.S. sanctions and a public outcry against profiteering and corruption. "Farhad Zahedifar, CEO of ... the Samen Coin website, who defrauded thousands of people of hundreds of millions of dollars was returned to the country with the assistance of Interpol," state television quoted an Iranian police statement as saying on Saturday. It did not say where Zahedifar was arrested. In a video carried by state broadcaster IRIB, a blindfolded man who identified himself as Zahedifar denied he had fled Iran. "I could not return because of threats by website users (investors)," he said after being escorted by agents off a plane. The online company sold gold coins, which have been in high demand during a rapid decline by Iran's currency. Kamal Hadianfar, head of Iran's cyberpolice, said 1,700 complaints had been registered against Zahedifar, state news agency IRNA reported. The rial currency has lost about 70 percent of its value since April under the threat of revived U.S. sanctions, with heavy demand for dollars among ordinary Iranians trying to protect their savings. The cost of living has also soared, sparking sporadic demonstrations against profiteering and corruption, with many protesters chanting anti-government slogans. Investors in a number of allegedly fraudulent schemes have been active in street protests, demanding action by authorities to reimburse them. In August, Iran set up the special Islamic courts to try suspects quickly after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for "swift and just" legal action to confront an "economic war" by enemies. Former US Secretary of State John Kerry says, he has not have any meetings with Iranian officials since President Donald Trump left the landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. Kerry was criticized by the current Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for actively undermining his governments effort to contain Tehran by having several meetings with the Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. On September 14, Pompeo described Kerry's meetings with Zarif as "unseemly and unprecedented" and "beyond inappropriate" and said: This is a former secretary of state engaged with the world's largest state sponsor of terror, and according to him, he was talking to them, he was telling them to wait out this administration. A day earlier, President Donald Trump had accused Kerry of holding "illegal meetings with the very hostile Iranian regime, which can only serve to undercut our great work to the detriment of the American people." "I'm speaking out as a citizen in America," Kerry countered the criticism in an interview with CNN that was aired Saturday morning. "If they don't want me to speak out, that's a different issue. But I'm telling you, I have not met with any Iranians since the President pulled out of the agreement, period," he added. Kerry previously had said he had met with Zarif three or four times since leaving office, and that their discussions included the nuclear deal. They were both part of negotiations that led to the 2015 nuclear deal that Iran signed with the United States and five other world powers. In his latest interview with CNN, the former US Secretary of State criticized Trump's decision to pull out of the nuclear deal arguing that staying in the deal would allow United States to work with other countries "to hold Iran accountable on the missiles, to do a better job in Yemen, to work on the issue of Hezbollah, which we don't like them supporting, which is a terrorist organization." "But by just pulling out and angering everybody, I don't think it serves the best interests of our country and I'm free to speak my mind with respect to that." President Trump who on several occasions, called the nuclear agreement the worst deal his country has ever made, announced on May 8 that his administration was not going to abide by the agreement anymore and started to re-impose the sanctions on Iran. The move was criticized by other countries, including the European allies of the United States. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 7 Trend: Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have 25 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said Oct. 7. Armenian armed forces were using heavy machine guns. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 7 By Elchin Mehdiyev Trend: Deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee for CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots Konstantin Zatulin has always been distinguished by his anti-Azerbaijan position, chairman of the Azerbaijani Press Council, MP Aflatun Amashov, told Trend. Amashov commented on Zatulins recent statement regarding Azerbaijan. This position can be called Armenian lobbying, he said. Such Zatulins words as if military operations begin in Nagorno-Karabakh region, this will lead to the collapse of Azerbaijan is an absurd product of political adventurism. "It is known that Zatulins statements have no influence on the public assessment in Azerbaijan, Amashov said. He himself knows this very well. Moreover, these statements contradict the state policy of Russia. The main point is that Zatulin always appears in tense political moments." The April fights brought expectations and the scenarios of the Karabakh conflict by a number of Armenian and pro-Armenian ideologues to nothing, he added. "The generation who did not see Karabakh mainly fought in the battles, but it is clear that the new generation does not forget Karabakh, Amashov added. This aspect has sobered the Armenians. Therefore, Zatulin and people like him are striving to eliminate the atmosphere of fear in Armenian society." He added that Azerbaijan constantly demonstrates its commitment to peace negotiations. "If the war starts again, it will not be considered in the context of violation of the two countries negotiation process," Amashov said. Of course, the reality has nothing in common with the adventurous views of Zatulin or other pro-Armenian people. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 7 By Samir Ali Trend: Such pro-Armenian forces, as deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee for CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots Konstantin Zatulin can not influence the relations between Azerbaijan and Russia, which are developing at a high level, Azerbaijani MP, political analyst Elman Nasirov told Trend. The relations between Azerbaijan and Russia irritate pro-Armenian forces, he added. There are very warm relations between the two peoples and the leaders of the countries, Nasirov said. Pro-Armenian forces, seeing this reality, began to fuss. One of them is Zatulin. We know that Zatulin is a tool in the hands of pro-Armenian forces. He always strives to damage the strategic relations between Azerbaijan and Russia." Zatulin accuses Azerbaijan of violating the peace settlement, as well as of military rhetoric, he added. Everyone knows that Azerbaijan is a peace-loving country. The reason for not using military force to liberate the occupied Azerbaijani lands is the desire to solve the problem peacefully. "Zatulin has been awarded with the Order of Honor of the separatist regime created in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, Nasirov said. Such irresponsible people, making such statements, undermine the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by peaceful means and also want to harm the strategic relations between Azerbaijan and Russia. Zatulins such an absurd position is not the position of Russia, he said. This is the opinion of a person like Zatulin who serves Armenian interests. Despite this, the leadership of the State Duma of Russia must take measures in connection with such irresponsible behavior of Zatulin because these accusations contradict the Russia-Azerbaijan relations." The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 7 By Samir Ali Trend: The statement made by deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee for CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots Konstantin Zatulin during the period of the intensification of the Azerbaijan-Russia relations and meetings between the presidents of the two countries cannot in any way reflect the political will of Russia and its top leadership, editor-in-chief of Baki Xeber newspaper, expert Aydin Guliyev told Trend. Zatulins words, which do not correspond to the current geopolitical and interstate relations, serve the interests of pro-Armenian lobbyists in the political elite of Russia, Guliyev said. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyans recent inclination towards relatively constructive mutual understanding is directly connected with Russia's attempts to more effectively influence the settlement of the Karabakh problem, he added. Zatulins undermining positive Nagorno-Karabakh process under such conditions is actually against Russias policy of strengthening regional stability. Another aspect that Zatulin wants to hide is to maintain the presence of Armenias armed forces on Azerbaijans territories, he said. Zatulins biased statements are incapable of having any impact on Russias official policy. Guliyev stressed that the presence of a person, engaged in such a subversive policy, in the committee of the State Duma can play a very destructive role. "This person does not meet the requirements of the strategy to enhance the role of the CIS in the post-Soviet area," the expert added. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 7 Trend: On October 7, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev made a phone call to President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. President Aliyev congratulated President Putin on his birthday, and wished him the best of health and new success in his presidential activities for the prosperity of the people of Russia. President Putin thanked President Aliyev for his attention and congratulations. The presidents stressed the successful development of the friendly relations between Azerbaijan and Russia based on strategic partnership, and expressed their confidence that cooperation will continue to expand and strengthen. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct.7 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: Azerbaijan and Switzerland have good potential to expand trade relations, the Swiss Federal Council told Trend. "Trade turnover equaled to $200 million in 2017 which is lower than in previous years. So, there is certainly a good potential to expand trade exchange and there is no doubt that the existing level of bilateral relations will contribute to increase the trade turnover further," said the Federal Council. The Swiss Federal Council also touched upon the reforms being held in Azerbaijan for economic diversification. "We understand that Azerbaijan is engaged in reforms to diversify the economy and expand the non-oil sector. The subsequent increase of export, particularly in the field of agriculture products, is already visible. If these reforms are continued, the trade balance of Azerbaijan will continue to improve. Business delegations and governmental contacts at high level offer new chances to the private sector to identify business opportunities." --- Follow the author on Twitter:@Lyaman_Zeyn Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct.7 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) will enable the complete gasification of Albania, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Energy of Albania Enis Aliko told Trend. "Albania will have an exit point from TAP close to Fier, which will be built by TAP-AG, and will enable Albania to get gas from TAP. This will enable Albania to run the Vlora power plant on gas, once it is reinstated," he said. The deputy minister added that the pipeline will also enable Albania to supply two refineries with gas and a heavy-oil crude producer in the region of Fier. "Later, TAP will enable the complete gasification of Albania, in accordance with its Gas Master Plan, and the construction of other gas fired power plants, which will fulfill Albanias needs for electricity and will avoid electricity imports in times of dry weather and lack of sufficient rainfalls," said Aliko. 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). --- Follow the author on Twitter:@Lyaman_Zeyn Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 7 Trend: The National Bank of Uzbekistan (NBU) and the French bank Natixis signed two agreements worth 500 million euros, Podrobno.uz reported. The document was signed on October 5 in Paris within the Uzbek-French business forum. "The agreements envisage the expansion of cooperation in financing big investment projects, as well as small and medium-sized business projects envisaging the import of high-tech equipment and services from France and other EU countries," the Uzbek bank said. The projects are planned to be implemented in the field of export financing, rendering assistance in entering European capital markets, as well as issuing loans for the implementation of strategic projects within the reached agreements. The cooperation with Natixis bank will give a new impetus to the development of trade and economic relations between the two countries, allow attracting long-term loans on favourable conditions and create new investment opportunities for business in Uzbekistan. Natixis is one of the biggest French corporate and investment banks. It is part of the BPCE Group and is the fourth biggest bank in France. NBU and French bank Credit Agricole signed a loan agreement worth 300 million euros within the business forum. Tehran, Iran, Oct. 7 Trend Irans Parliament has begun holding open-floor debates on the countrys accession to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The parliaments open session debating the Financial Action Task Force kicked off Sunday morning with 263 lawmakers in attendance, Tasnim news agency reported. To fulfill FATF requirements, Rouhanis administration has proposed four bills to the parliament for approval, two of which are still undecided, including the Palermo Convention. They have been referred to the Expediency Council for final approval. Iran recently approved anti-money laundering (AML), which was a domestically-developed bill, and today will decide either to join combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) standards set by the FATF for years. On June 30, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) said Iran had until October to complete reforms that would bring it into line with global norms or face consequences that could further deter investors from the country. The FATF is disappointed with Irans failure to implement its action plan to address its significant AML/CFT deficiencies, the organization said at the time. The FATF urgently expects Iran to proceed swiftly in the reform path to ensure that it addresses all of the remaining items in its action plan ... we expect Iran to enact amendments to its AML and CFT laws ... in full compliance with the FATF standards by October 2018, otherwise, the FATF will decide upon appropriate and necessary actions at that time. Until Iran carries out measures to address deficiencies, FATF said it would remain concerned and urges all jurisdictions to continue to advise their financial institutions to apply enhanced due diligence to business relationships and transactions with natural and legal persons from Iran. Tehran, Iran, Oct. 7 Trend Iranian lawmakers on Sunday approved a bill on the countrys accession to Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) standards set by the FATF (Financial Action Task Force). The parliaments open session debating the CFT kicked off on Sunday morning with 268 lawmakers in attendance. Reportedly, a total of 143 lawmakers voted in favor of the bill while 120 voted against it. Five MPs also abstained. On June 30, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) said Iran had until October to complete reforms that would bring it into line with global norms or face consequences that could further deter investors from the country. To fulfill FATF requirements, President Hassan Rouhanis administration has proposed four bills to the parliament for approval, two of which are still undecided, including the Palermo Convention. On June 10, the Iranian parliament passed a law allowing the country to join the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), but decided to put on hold debates on Irans accession to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for two months. Irans parliament had in May adopted new amendments proposed by the government to the countrys Anti-Money Laundering (AML) law as part of efforts to improve connections to the international banking and trade system. Despite the parliament approval, the bills were not still obligatory, because it had to be endorsed by Irans Guardian Council. The Guardian Council had found faults with the bills and sent them back to the legislature for reconsideration. They have been referred to the Expediency Council for the final approval. Today, the Iranian MPs decided to join combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) standards set by the FATF for years. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 7 By Matanat Nasibova Trend: The current unstable situation in Armenia may again provoke serious unrest amid intense political rivalry in this country, well-known Russian expert and publicist Dmitry Verkhoturov told Trend. Verkhoturov was commenting on the recent events in Armenia. According to the Armenian media, after the parliament passed a bill to prevent the dissolution of the National Assembly, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan led people into the street and said at a spontaneous rally about the dismissal of ministers from the Prosperous Armenia and Dashnaktsutyun parties, as well as that after the de jure orders for dismissal come into force, he will resign. A lot is at stake: the future political course of Armenia, which predetermines its development, condition and the future as a whole, Verkhoturov said. "Of course, supporters of keeping Karabakh under occupation, not to mention those radicals who still dream of including Karabakh into Armenia, will try to thwart any attempt to agree with Azerbaijan on the Karabakh issue, even if we are talking about purely technical issues, such as a negotiation procedure or the ceasefire regime, he said. So it is not surprising that these circles held rally in Yerevan in connection with an attempt to hold negotiations in Dushanbe." The current chaos in Armenia is not accidental, Verkhoturov said. "The recent conversation between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Dushanbe was held just a few days before the new unrest in Yerevan, he added. I think this is a planned rally aimed at torpedoing the negotiation process to resolve the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict." Speaking about the confrontation between the Karabakh clan and the current leadership of Armenia, the political analyst stressed that so far the Karabakh clan remains the most organized, as it has the best positions in the system of power and the greatest support. They have an idea that promises something to the Armenians as a whole, he added. However, it is worth noting that hopes for building a big Armenian kingdom are more than illusory, but one must believe in something. Therefore, they may well seize power from Pashinyan, whose rating is rapidly falling inside the country. Verkhoturov supposes that the Karabakh clan may come to power again in Armenia. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, 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. Cameroonians head to the polls on Sunday in an election widely expected to extend the 36-year rule of President Paul Biya and confirm his place as one of Africas last multi-decade leaders, Reuters reports. A victory for Biya, who has ruled since 1982, would usher in a seventh term for the 85-year-old and see him stay until at least the age of 92, bucking a tentative trend in Africa where many countries have installed presidential term limits. The only current African president to have ruled longer is Equatorial Guineas Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. It would maintain a long held status quo in the oil and cocoa producing Central African country where, despite relative economic stability and growth of over 4 percent a year since Biya was last elected in 2011, many of its 24 million citizens live in deep poverty. Most have only known one president. Looming over the polls is a secessionist uprising in the Anglophone Northwest and Southwest regions that has cost hundreds of lives and forced thousands to flee either to the French-speaking regions or into neighboring Nigeria. Ghost towns remain, where the few who have stayed say they are afraid to go out and vote. Some opposition parties have united in an effort to bolster support and harness discontent about the countrys crumbling infrastructure and about Biya, who they say has ruled Cameroon like a personal fiefdom for too long. The president goes years without convening cabinet meetings and spends long stretches out of the country with his wife Chantal, most often holidaying in Switzerland. There are many problems. There are no roads, no hospitals. We are poor. Biya must go, said 31-year-old businessman Emmanuel Bassong during an opposition rally in the capital Yaounde on Saturday. The odds, and history, are against the opposition, including the main candidate, Joshua Osih of the Social Democratic Front. In 2011, Biya won with 78 percent of the vote in an election that the United States state department described as flawed and marked by irregularities. KYODO NEWS - Oct 7, 2018 - 21:15 | World, All Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, currently in Japan for a regional summit, visited Fukushima Prefecture on Sunday to tour a farm that employs workers with various disabilities. Some rural areas of Myanmar face a serious shortage of farm workers, and Myanmar is seeking solutions to ease the problem. Suu Kyi visited Cocoroya farmers market and cafe in Izumizaki where she viewed the produce and toured the facility. The farm grows a variety of vegetables organically and runs a small market selling its produce and a cafe there. After touring the facility, Suu Kyi said she had learned a lot from her brief visit and expressed her appreciation as well as sympathy to the people of Fukushima, who have gone through difficult times since 2011 when a massive earthquake and tsunami and ensuing nuclear disaster hit the area. Suu Kyi arrived in Japan on Friday to attend a regional investment forum on Monday and the 11th Mekong-Japan summit meeting Tuesday. She is scheduled to leave Japan on Wednesday after meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday. By Noriyuki Suzuki, KYODO NEWS - Oct 7, 2018 - 21:01 | All, World Ministers from Japan and African countries agreed Sunday that they urgently need to take policy actions to address the continent's "vulnerabilities" and achieve its sustainable economic growth. Representatives from 52 countries who gathered in Tokyo for a two-day ministerial meeting identified challenges, ranging from building infrastructure and better utilizing human resources, particularly young people, to beefing up maritime security and boosting resilience against climate change. As demand for infrastructure building has been on the rise in Africa, proper debt management for such projects has been increasingly seen as necessary. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono, who co-chaired the meeting, said he and the other participants shared the importance of making sure that borrowing countries can pay back debts and sustain fiscal health. Tokyo has been promoting "quality infrastructure" under projects that create jobs and also train people to maintain the infrastructure after construction, Kono said, underscoring that the focus is on human resources development. "The basic principles of our TICAD process are transparency, consistency, and follow-ups," Kono told a press conference after the meeting, which preceded the 7th Tokyo International Conference on African Development, scheduled to be held in Yokohama next August. His remarks came amid growing concern about defaults by some African countries borrowing heavily from other countries, particularly China, which has been increasing its clout in the continent with massive investment. In 2016, Japan pledged $30 billion of development assistance from both the government and private sector for Africa over a three-year period. But Kono acknowledged that progress made so far has not been sufficient, saying the "deterioration of debt sustainability" in some African countries has prevented Japan from extending yen loans. In September, Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to extend $60 billion in financing to Africa in the latest attempt by Beijing to court African countries. Enhancing connectivity through quality infrastructure is important for Africa to engage in global trade and seek growth led by the continent, according to a co-chairs' summary released after the meeting. The delegates also called for digital, institutional and people-to-people connectivity as all of the domains are "central" to Africa's development, the summary said. Olivier Nduhungirehe, Rwanda's minister of state for foreign affairs who represented the African Union Commission at the meeting, expressed Africa's hope to make the next TICAD summit focus more on business. He told the post-meeting press conference that Japanese and African leaders should talk about quality infrastructure, trade and investment as well as the engagement of small and medium-sized companies. "Africa welcomes Japanese investments as they bring infrastructure, technology and knowledge transfers," Nduhungirehe said. Japan launched the TICAD framework in 1993 to put sharper international focus on African development. Africa now faces more diverse and complex needs in the face of economic growth. Under its strategy to realize a "free and open" Indo-Pacific region, Japan seeks to enhance connectivity from Asia all the way to Africa. It also aims to promote health care coverage for all and share knowledge and expertise in disaster response and prevention. The promotion of quality infrastructure is one of the initiatives undertaken by Tokyo, not just in Africa but in Southeast Asia. Japan and Southeast Asian countries along the Mekong River are scheduled to hold a summit on Tuesday in Tokyo with connectivity high on the agenda. KYODO NEWS - Oct 7, 2018 - 16:20 | All, Japan Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force said Sunday one of its members participating in a joint exercise with the United States and the Philippines in the Southeast Asian country died earlier in the week in a crash. The 38-year-old sgt. 1st class belonging to the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade of the GSDF died after being involved in a crash Tuesday while being driven in transit, according to the GSDF. The GSDF member, Suguru Maehara, was in a large-sized vehicle driven by a Philippine man near the Subic naval base on Luzon Island. Another GSDF member, who is in his 40s belonging to the Central Transportation Command, suffered a fractured bone in the accident, the GSDF said. The vehicle with Maehara aboard hit another vehicle on a curved section of road during a squall when visibility was low, it said. The trilateral joint exercise is aimed at enhancing capabilities to respond to disasters. About 80 GSDF members are taking part in the drills. Maehara had been participating the exercise since Sept. 18 in logistical support and other missions. The amphibian brigade, launched in March this year with the aim of protecting Japan's remote islands, is based in the city of Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture. The Met Department has issued Orange alert for Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod districts on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the maiden Uttarakhand Investors Summit on Sunday. Addressing to people he said that government has taken solid steps to promote the business in the country. Tanushree Dutta & Nana Patekar row: Vipual Shah says women voice should not be muzzled Pm Modi addressed to this two day event which aims to explore investment opportunities in the state. PM said that government has improved the tax system in the country and it is trying to make the tax system more swift & transparent. Doing business has become easier due to Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code. The banking system has also got strengthened. He further added that Potential, policy and performance, these are the sources of progress. Speaking on the development and Ayushman Bharat Yojana, PM said that government is moving ahead in a modernisation of 400 railway stations and construction of 100 New Airports and helipads. He further added that Ayushman Bharat Yojana offers huge investment opportunities in the medical sector. India successfully test fires Prithvi-II missile Apart from Indian investors, Investors from different countries like Japan, Czech Republic, Argentina, Mauritius and Nepal have also been invited to participate in the summit. Giving information on investment the Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat told media persons that during the run up to the event, investment proposals worth over 70 thousand crore rupees have already been received. Vietnam always treasures special ties with Laos: Party leader The Party, State and people of Vietnam will do their best, together with the Lao counterparts, to preserve and develop the Vietnam-Laos special relationship, for the prosperous development of the two nations as well as for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world. General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong receives Lao PM Thongloun Sisoulith The statement was made by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong at a reception in Hanoi on October 6 for Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, who is leading a high-ranking delegation from Laos to the funeral of former Party General Secretary Do Muoi. Thongloun Sisoulith conveyed the deep condolences of the Lao Party, State, National Assembly, Government and Front for National Construction to the Vietnamese counterparts over the passing of the former General Secretary. He appreciated the great contributions made by Do Muoi to the struggle for national independence as well as the cause of building, developing and defending the country. His passing is not only a great loss to the Party, State and people of Vietnam and his families, but also a loss of a close friend to the Lao Party, State and people. The Lao PM affirmed that the Party, State and people of Laos will forever preserve and foster the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong sincerely thanked the Lao Party, National Assembly, Government and Front for National Construction for sending condolences over the death of Do Muoi, senior delegations of the Lao Party and State to pay tribute to the former Party General Secretary at the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos, and especially a high-level delegation led by PM Thongloun Sisoulith to Vietnam to attend the funeral of the leader. This reflects the faithful, pure and rare special solidarity between the Parties, States and people of the two countries, as well as the sentiments of the Lao Party, State and people towards former Party General Secretary Do Muoi, he stressed. PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc welcomes Lao counterpart At the reception Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on October 6 hosted a reception for his Lao counterpart Thongloun Sisoulith, who is leading a high-level delegation from the Lao Party, National Assembly, Government and Front for National Construction to pay the last tribute to Do Muoi, former General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee. The Lao PM expressed his deep condolences over the passing of Party chief Do Muoi, and spoke highly of his significant contributions to the struggle for national independence as well as the construction, development and protection of the country. Also, he acknowledged Do Muois great efforts to treasure the friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries Parties, Governments, and people in the past years. On behalf of the Vietnamese Party, State and Government, PM Phuc thanked the Lao leaders and people for their sentiments towards former General Secretary Do Muoi, saying that this is a vivid illustration for the special solidarity between Vietnam and Laos. It also helps young generations of both sides to have deeper understanding about the bonds between the two Parties and peoples, he underlined. On the occasion, the two PMs talked socio-economic situation in each country as well as discussed measures to bolster the Vietnam-Laos relations. With strong determination to deepen the bilateral ties in a more practical manner, they agreed to further coordination in carrying out high-level agreements as well as seek solutions to removing bottlenecks to accelerate key collaboration projects. They said that both sides should make meticulous preparations for the 41st meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee, scheduled to take place in early 2019. VNA china cryptocurrency china cryptocurrency The regulatory clampdown on cryptocurrency exchanges in China has been noted as a key factor in the sensational growth of Binance in 2018. Launched in the middle of 2017, the rate of growth that Binance has experienced, both in terms of trading volume and capitalization has attracted a lot of attention within the cryptocurrency environment. In just a few months, the exchange grew from just a newcomer to one of the leading crypto exchanges in the world. Even though the company started in 2017, its founder & CEO Changpeng Zhao has always been a major player within the crypto ecosystem and other related industries. Zhao founded Fusion Systems in 2005 in Shanghai, a company that specialized in building high-frequency systems for brokers. Down the road in 2013, he became the third member of the Blockchain.info cryptocurrency wallet team. Zhao also had a brief stint at OKCoin, where he worked as a CTO. Despite his experience and expertise, Zhao notes that the force behind Binance comes from innovation that was born out of a supposedly adverse circumstance, speaking to the South China Morning Post. The ban in China motivated Zhao and the entire Binance team to expand everywhere else, hence the subsequent growth that has established the company as a leader in the industry. In September 2017, China shut down the activities of all domestic crypto exchanges. This move forced Binance to move its headquarters and servers to Tokyo. This kept the establishment outside the regions where the Chinese regulations could affect its activities. Binance then embarked on its systematic expansion exercise, which saw the company encroach into other markets, including Singapore and Taiwan. Zhao elaborates that while Chinese operators of cryptocurrency exchanges scrambled to keep up with new regulations on the mainland, Binance found the perfect opportunity to capture new regions and establish itself. This is a move that has proven to be rewarding, based on visible evidence. Story continues Binance claims to have over 10 million users across the globe who engage in trading digital tokens. From transaction fees alone, the company claims to have generated a profit of $350 million between January and June 2018. The expansion philosophy of Binance necessitates the nomadic lifestyle of Zhao, who is known by his constant travels across different parts of the world. During the past month alone, Zhao said he has visited eight countries which includes Switzerland and South Korea to hire new staff, attend industry events and forge deals. He has not traveled back to mainland China since the cryptocurrency crackdown a year ago, he said. Featured image from Shutterstock. The post Binances Astronomical Success is Motivated By Adversities Faced in China appeared first on CCN. COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - The involvement of U.S. authorities in an inquiry into alleged money laundering at Danske Bank is very different to the case of Latvia's ABLV, the Danish bank's interim chief financial officer Morten Mosegaard told Reuters on Friday. U.S. authorities in February accused ABLV of covering up money laundering, leading to the Latvian bank being denied dollar funding and its swift collapse. Mosegaard's comments follow the publication of a letter from U.S. investor Bill Browder to the U.S. Treasury in which he asked them to investigate Danske Bank and to undertake steps to consider designating it for special measures under the USA Patriot Act, which was used in the ABLV case. Browder confirmed to Reuters on Friday that he had sent the letter on Sept 24, while Danske Bank said on Thursday that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) had begun a criminal investigation into its Estonian branch. "We are in a very early phase of the dialogue with the U.S. authorities so it's very difficult to speculate in the outcome," Mosegaard said. (Reporting by Teis Jensen; Editing by Alexander Smith) BERLIN, Oct 7 (Reuters) - The European Commission fears that carmakers in Germany would seek to export old diesel cars removed from German streets under planned trade-off incentives to eastern European countries, Industry Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska said on Sunday. German carmakers and the government hashed out a compromise deal to cut pollution from diesel vehicles last week after environmental groups won a victory in February which allowed cities to ban older diesel cars. The government has asked carmakers to offer owners trade-in incentives and hardware fixes. Not all carmakers committed to the retrofits, as the hardware fixes are known, which would cost billions of euros. Most said the solution should be to encourage car owners to trade in their older diesel models for cleaner vehicles - which would bring a boost in sales, albeit at discounted prices. "Exports would mean pushing the air quality problem from the west to the east," Bienkowska told the Tagesspiegel newspaper in remarks to be published on Monday. "The German government's plan to avoid driving bans could intensify the problem." Germany's environment ministry has said it would try to overcome resistance from car makers to the expensive new exhaust filtering systems. Last year, Bulgaria imported more than 100,000 second hand cars from EU countries, more than a third of which were grossly polluting diesels, according to clean mobility group Transport and Environment. "It should be clearly determined what happens to the worn-out and poorly adjusted vehicles," said Bienkowska, adding that the issue was a European problem not a national one. Story continues Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday defended the compromise, saying it was essential to prevent driving bans in German cities, which would affect hundreds of thousands of diesel car owners who commute to work from the countryside to urban centres. But speaking at an event of the youth wing of her conservatives, Merkel also said car makers had "lied and cheated" by selling diesel cars that pollute more than the industry had said they would. Diesel cars have come under intense scrutiny after Volkswagen in 2015 admitted to using illegal software to cheat emissions tests, sparking a scandal that has cost it more than $27 billion in penalties and fines. "That people are becoming suspicious is the fault of the car industry not politicians," Merkel said in the northern city of Kiel. EU environment ministers will discuss more ambitious car emission reduction targets when they meet in Luxembourg on Oct. 9. EU lawmakers last month backed carbon dioxide reduction goals for fleets of cars and vans of 45 percent by 2030, ambitious targets that are unpopular with national governments. (Reporting by Joseph Nasr, Editing by William Maclean) * Official death toll tops 1,500 after last Friday's disaster * Residents left to dig through mud in hunt for bodies * Entire neighbourhoods buried in mud from liquefaction * Electricity returning, some shops re-opening in hard hit Palu By Fathin Ungku and Kanupriya Kapoor PALU, Indonesia, Oct 5 (Reuters) - A week after a major earthquake brought devastation to Indonesia's Sulawesi island, Hasnah has trouble remembering all of the dead relatives she's trying to find in the tangled expanse of mud and debris that used to be her neighbourhood. Hasnah, 44, is from Petobo, a village on the southern outskirts of the city of Palu, where last Friday's 7.5 magnitude earthquake triggered a phenomenon called soil liquefaction, which turned the ground into a churning sea of mud. "More than half of my family are gone," Hasnah told Reuters as she sobbed. "I cant even count how many. Two of my children are gone, my cousins, my sister, my brother in law and their children, all gone." The official death toll from the quake and tsunami it triggered stands at 1,558, but it will certainly rise as more bodies are recovered in Palu, where most of the dead have been counted. Figures for more remote areas, some still cut off by destroyed roads and landslides, are only trickling in, if at all. No one knows how many people were dragged to their deaths in the roiling quagmire in Petobo and nearby areas south of Palu, which were particularly hard hit by liquefaction. The national disaster agency says 1,700 homes in one neighbourhood alone were swallowed up and hundreds of people killed. "I saw our homes being sucked into the earth. The earth was like a blender, blending everything in its way, said Hasnah, who like many Indonesians goes by only one name. "Im lucky to be alive but I feel like I dont want to be." Story continues Hasnah said she has sufficient food and water for now, but she's furious that a search and rescue operation in her area only began on Thursday. "Im so disappointed. They said they would come with the heavy machines but they didnt. They lied." 'DO IT OURSELVES' Sick of waiting for help, villagers themselves have been searching, Hasnah said. "Weve mark the possible bodies with sticks. You can see a foot sticking out, but there's no one here to dig them out." The first signs of recovery are evident in Palu. Electricity has been restored and some shops and banks have reopened and aid and fuel are arriving. Doctors have been flocking to help from other parts of Indonesia. The Budi Agung hospital has a capacity of 134 beds with about 20 more set up in a tent outside. They are all full. Doctors said many patients have been at high risk of infection because they were buried in mud. "At this point, the emergency cases have been handled. Most of the surgeries were for broken bones. But the number and nature of injuries was far worse because of the liquefaction and mud," said one doctor, Muhammad Riendra. "All the wounds were dirty." Rescue workers are pushing into outlying districts, where residents say they have been scavenging for coconuts, bananas and cassava. Villagers rushed a Red Cross helicopter that landed in a flood plain in Sigi district, south of Palu, on Friday to drop off blankets and tents, a Reuters witness said. They scrambled for the supplies unloaded from the back of the aircraft as its rotors spun. Sulawesi is one of the archipelago nation's five main islands, and like the others, is exposed to frequent earthquakes and tsunami. (Editing by Robert Birsel and Lincoln Feast.) (Bloomberg) -- Cable companies have begun offering wireless phone service that uses networks built by big mobile carriers -- a trend that could ease the way for T-Mobile US Inc. and Sprint Corp. to merge. Thats because regulators are more likely to approve the deal if they conclude there will still be sufficient competition even if the third and fourth biggest mobile providers combine. They are examining the idea. One of the regulators deciding whether to allow the merger, the Federal Communications Commission, this week asked the largest cable companies, Comcast Corp. and Charter Communications Inc. for details about their new mobile offerings. If anything this is a positive sign for the T-Mobile Sprint deal, Amy Yong, an analyst with Macquarie, said in an interview. Its an option the FCC can point to as it serves its role in protecting consumers. The $26.5 billion merger proposed in April would cut the number of nationwide wireless providers from four to three. A finding that cable companies such as Comcast and Charter offering wireless service are competitors would ease the path to approval by the FCC and antitrust regulators at the Justice Department. Comcast, the largest U.S. cable provider, added a wireless offering for its customers last year and more than 780,000 of them already have signed up. Comcast uses Verizon Communications Inc.s airwaves and 19 million Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots to offer its mobile service, and No. 2 cable provider Charter also offers mobile service using Verizon airwaves. Smaller Altice USA has a deal to use Sprints airwaves and also got a query from the FCC this week about its phone service. T-Mobile said in a filing that cable providers getting into the wireless business shows the intensity of current competition in the sector. There are skeptics. Is Comcast selling service to anybody whos not a Comcast video or broadband customer?" said Gene Kimmelman, a former antitrust official who is president of the policy group Public Knowledge, which opposes the merger. If theyre not trying to market to them, theyre not trying to grab them, that eliminates 80 million households that Sprint and T-Mobile compete for. Story continues T-Mobile rose 34 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $69.29 at 10 a.m. after rising as much as 1.1 percent. Sprint, based in Overland Park, Kansas, was up 2 cents to $6.55. Sena Fitzmaurice, a Washington-based spokeswoman for Comcast, declined to comment on the FCCs request for information, as did Tina Pelkey, an FCC spokeswoman. Tara Darrow, a spokeswoman for Bellevue, Washington-based T-Mobile, didnt reply to a request for comment. The cable companies resell wireless service they get from Verizon at wholesale prices. Mobile phone services like Googles Project Fi and TracFone Wireless Inc. also operate through similar deals with wireless carriers. The arrangements are sometimes called virtual networks. The FCC has traditionally not counted them as separate competitors from the networks that play host to them, saying the virtual networks dont compete through network investments and upgrades, as do providers that own wireless towers and antennas. I seriously doubt it takes away the competitive concerns that have been raised, Kimmelman said. The FCC shouldnt ignore the virtual networks, because the cable providers have the wherewithal to expand service, Michelle Connolly, a Duke University economics professor, said in a September report underwritten by T-Mobile. Comcast and Charter will become strong competitors in part because they have an existing base of 57 million customers and fixed networks that pass almost an equal number, offering the possibility of expansion, Connolly said in the September report. Theres a sea change going on," Connolly said in an interview. This is only going to increase. Comcast offers its wireless product, called Xfinity Mobile, as an add-on to customers that already take its internet service. The product works by using airwaves, and also using Wi-Fi signals emitted by Comcast gear in subscriber homes and businesses. The Philadelphia-based cable provider and Verizon agreed to the airwaves use in 2011, in a deal that also sent spectrum licenses to Verizon. The FCC in its correspondence Wednesday asked Comcast to identify the providers its mobile customers may have abandoned, how the handoff works between Wi-Fi and the mobile network, and for any plans to develop its own wireless facilities. The agency also asked Comcast to describe how the T-Mobile transaction could impact the companys TV and broadband businesses. Advanced wireless service, like the fast 5G network T-Mobile promises, could become a new cord-cutting option for almost 90 million U.S. households that now get broadband, phone and TV via cable or satellite. The T-Mobile and Sprint merger would push up prices and diminish innovation according to opponents including Dish Network Corp. and policy groups such as Common Cause and Consumers Union. The two companies say their deal would produce a stronger competitor to larger AT&T Inc. and Verizon, and provide them the heft needed to quickly build a fast 5G network. (Updates with Connolly quote in 18th paragraph.) --With assistance from Gerry Smith. To contact the reporters on this story: Todd Shields in Washington at tshields3@bloomberg.net;Scott Moritz in New York at smoritz6@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jon Morgan at jmorgan97@bloomberg.net, Elizabeth Wasserman 2018 Bloomberg L.P. By Akanksha Rana (Reuters) - Shares of Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) fell 7 percent on Friday after David Einhorn's hedge fund Greenlight Capital slammed the electric carmaker, adding to losses sparked by CEO Elon Musk mocking the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Twitter. Musk stirred nerves about a settlement of his securities fraud lawsuit by calling the SEC the "Shortseller Enrichment Commission" on Twitter, just hours after a federal judge ordered him and the regulator to justify their settlement. "Just want to [sic] that the Shortseller Enrichment Commission is doing incredible work," Musk, a frequent critic of investors betting against the electric car company said in the tweet on Thursday. "And the name change is so on point!" In its quarterly letter, Greenlight said its short position on Tesla was its second-biggest winner in the third quarter. The hedge fund said Musk has been deceptive and the carmaker's woes resemble those of Lehman Brothers before its collapse. The electric carmaker's shares plunged last week after the SEC accused Musk, 47, of fraud over "false and misleading" tweets on Aug. 7 that promised to take Tesla private and said funding had been secured. The lawsuit threatened to pull Tesla and Musk into a long drawn-out fight that could have undermined the company's operations and ability to raise capital. In the settlement that was announced over the weekend, Tesla and Musk instead agreed to pay $20 million each to the regulator while the billionaire - also a large Tesla shareholder - would step down as chairman but continue as CEO. The settlement also provided for the appointment of a new chairman and directors to balance Musk's influence at the company as well as moves to oversee his output on social media. Story continues Peter Haveles, a partner in the Trial and Dispute Resolution Practice Group, said Musk's tweets showed his lack of self discipline and puts intense pressure on Tesla board. Several Twitter users also criticized Musk, who has over 20 million followers on the social media platform, for his tweets targeting regulators and short sellers. "I have lost 30 years of my life savings all in $tsla thanks to your tweets please stop," TrendTrader007 wrote. "If you continue this self destructive path you will lose all your ardent supporters and the goodwill from diehard $tsla longs like me," the user tweeted. Teresa Goody, a former SEC attorney and CEO of The Goody Group, said Musk's contempt for the regulator shows how "he is undercutting the fair and efficient execution of the markets". "He may have not had the intent to violate securities laws, but his tweet shows that he is happy to cost an investor money." In a separate tweet, Musk took another shot at shortsellers and accused BlackRock Inc (BLK.N) of enabling them by saying, "The big funds can & will [sic], as they're suffering a net loss. Index managers like Blackrock pocket [sic] make excessive profit from short lending while pretending to charge low rates for 'passive' index tracking." Widely seen as the driving force behind the company, Musk's talent for promotion has helped Tesla vault much bigger manufacturing operations like General Motors (GM.N) and Ford (F.N) to become America's most valuable car company. As the news on the settlement emerged at the weekend, he also told employees in an email that Palo Alto, California-based Tesla was "very close to achieving profitability." Production numbers on Tuesday showed the company finally meeting its promises on output of the Model 3 sedan, seen as crucial for the its long-term prospects while also fighting hard to overcome logistical issues with deliveries. Shares of the company, down around 14 percent this year but still up almost 30 percent since the start of 2017, were last down 6.9 percent at $262.63. (Reporting by Akanksha Rana in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Katanga Johnson in Washington D.C.; Editing by Patrick Graham and Arun Koyyur) You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close 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. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. A nonprofit in southeast Colorado Springs is giving new meaning to the term Extreme Makeover. In just 10 days, Dream Centers plans to transform the rubbled remains of two methamphetamine houses into a glitzy new community gathering space for Marys Home a faith-based program helping homeless mothers and their children. In doing so, the nonprofit wants to house more mothers who have been living in their cars or on friends couches, while helping reinvigorate one of Colorado Springs roughest neighborhoods. Were addressing poverty at its roots, said Brenda Rogers, the programs executive director. The project isnt part of any television show. But the nonprofits leaders say it will look no different from an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Construction crews converged on the property Saturday, beginning to construct a 3,100-square-foot building from scratch. Called a Family Life Center, it will include a community room, childrens room and a kitchen to help those mothers learn how to prepare meals for their families. Normally, construction projects like this take five months to complete. But this one is expected to be done by Oct. 15. Plumbers, electricians and painters will team up for a highly choreographed bid at speed building. For example, while some people put up drywall in one building, others might be wiring a room elsewhere. And while waiting for the paint to dry in one area of the building, others may be putting in flooring in another. Theres a lot of moving places that come into play, said Ryan OLeary, director of innovation at Aspen View Homes, the projects developer. The reason for speed is simple: Marys Home staff members turn away more than 400 families a year, because they simply dont have anywhere to house them. The urgency is because the need is so real. We are turning away families, said Yvette Maher, the nonprofits chief development officer. The extreme part and the 10-day part is cool, but its functional, because the problem is not going away. The problem is increasing. It marks the first phase of a two-part, $1.7 million expansion project called Extreme Dream that aims to expand the nonprofits presence in southeast Colorado Springs, while better serving the mothers it helps house next door. The second phase involves the construction of an adjacent, 3,100-square-foot building. This Family Services Center will include classrooms and areas for counseling sessions, along with office space for the nonprofits staff. The nonprofit has raised nearly $1.1 million of the funds needed to pay for the project, and its still seeking donations. Such transformations are nothing new for the nonprofit. In 2013, the nonprofit purchased a dilapidated apartment complex in the heart of southeast Colorado Springs one overrun by bed bugs. Construction workers stripped it to the studs and rebuilt it as a shiny new, 12-unit haven for homeless mothers to work their way off the streets. Tenants at Marys Home pay only $20 to $50 a month for a fully furnished, one-bedroom apartment, complete with couches, beds, dining ware and a television, towels, toiletries. Should they graduate from the program and leave for a stable house or apartment, the family gets to keep those furnishings for free. Participants with jobs also must save 30 percent of their incomes as a nest egg for when they move out. Theres no rush for women to leave, the programs leaders say. Mothers not seeking a college degree can stay up to two years, and mothers seeking a college degree can stay for up to five. On average, women stay at the program for about two years. They come in broken, but very humble and very determined to change their lives, Rogers said. Completing the two new buildings will have the added benefit of opening up space in the apartment complex for an additional three families. The nonprofit doesnt plan to stop there. The nonprofit plans to embark on a couple of more expansion projects in the next several years possibly to expand the citys stock of affordable housing. Were stepping into a space that is just the beginning of what this community, and this city, can do to pave the way to bring hope and healing to the hidden homeless, Maher said. Colorado native Paul Romer won the Nobel Prize on Monday for good reason: He understands and advocates humanitys limitless potential to creat In four years, Denver has become a pot shopping capital of the United States. Regulators have approved 162 recreational marijuana licenses in the city alone and a total of 286 in the metro area nearly three-fifths of recreational licenses in the state. It has also grown into an epicenter of illegal marijuana cultivation, often by organized groups hoping to keep under the radar of police detection. One persistent problem with assessing the full extent of criminal activity, with whether legal marijuana has affected crime rates in the Denver area or statewide for that matter is the lack of consistent and reliable data from police agency to police agency. But what is known from available records is that illegal cultivation cases quintupled from 2014, the first year of recreational marijuana in Colorado, to 2017 in Denver and four neighboring counties. Those total 590 cases, half of all illegal growing prosecutions statewide, district court records show. Nearly all those cases involved felony charges. There is no letup in sight. A Denver-area raid in August, which hit nearly 100 homes, might be surpassed soon, said Ray Padilla of the Colorado Drug Investigators Association. Multiple investigations including thousands of homes are underway, most of them in excess of five (homes) to several hundred, he said. Were trying to control something thats out of control. Denver has led the way in illegal seizures. In 2016 and 2017, eight tons of marijuana passed through its crime lab. Its seizures have doubled since 2015. Similarly, Aurora reported a doubling of seized marijuana in 2016 and 2017, exceeding a ton per year. The Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, a federally funded anti-marijuana task force, reported an even more dramatic growth in marijuana seizures in Denvers north and west metro areas, which include most Adams and Jefferson County police agencies. Thats where the agreement ends. In Aurora, Denvers largest suburb, drug investigators have sworn in court that illegal marijuana operations have been linked to a growing number of violent crimes. Sgt. Scott Pendleton, the leader of what is informally known as Auroras weed team, says the increasingly bold and broad ads for marijuana on Craigslist and Facebook present low-hanging fruit for a robbery. In addition, weve seen an increase in the number of organized crime groups, he said. Our numbers of violent crime have increased as well. But Aurora lacks a statistical record of those marijuana-related crimes. Denver, which keeps such a record, concluded in a recent report that, aside from illegal cultivation, marijuana-related crime amounts to a tiny sliver of crime in the city: three-tenths of 1 percent. It also reported that marijuana-related crimes dropped sharply, from 267 in 2016 to 199 in last year. Citywide, just 60 of those were classed as outside the industry, a common target for burglaries. Denver defines marijuana-related as crimes that have a clear connection or relation to marijuana. Crimes that have an incidental relation to marijuana are not included. The Denver Police Department told The Gazette that one-eighth of its homicides last year were marijuana-related. It has not responded to a records request for marijuana-related homicides in other years. One measure of potential violence that Aurora has tracked is gun possession. Its records show that seven guns were seized in marijuana cases from 2009 through 2013 and 22 from 2014 through 2017, including 10 in 2016. This year, Aurora seized six guns from a single house. The case began with a call from a neighbor to a large suburban house on Quemoy Street. The house was giving off a strong odor of marijuana, the neighbor said, and it is bothersome. Investigator Scott Cooper reported he could smell marijuana from several houses away. When police knocked, two men inside pretended not to be home. Finally, police broke the door down, encountering tenants Brian Romine and Robert Laubach, who had rented the house for a hefty $5,500 per month. They also found 343 marijuana plants, a suitcase full of dried marijuana and a cache of guns. Two were loaded: a black Beretta and a Titan revolver. The other four were long guns, including an AK-47. Romine denied exporting any of that marijuana. Asked if he was giving away what he didnt use, he smiled and said, Yeah, donating, according to the criminal complaint. Investigator Cooper said this: Based on your affiants training and experience, your affiant knows that the Aurora Police Department has responded to an increasing number of home invasions, robberies, shootings, burglaries and homicides directly linked to illegal marijuana cultivation and distribution activities in the city of Aurora within the last few years. Guns arent the only hazard of illegal marijuana businesses. Last year, an anonymous tip led Aurora police to another suburban house. The caller reported smelling growing marijuana and a lot of traffic coming and going, including out-of-state cars and a U-Haul truck. Police found two men with Minnesota driver licenses, James Schulte and Joseph Thomey, at the back of the house. Inside they found a sophisticated system for extracting potent concentrates from marijuana. Their search also uncovered pounds of concentrates, labels marked Elevated Extracts and what Sgt. Pendleton described as enough flammable liquids to blow up the house and several neighbors There was a 10-gallon tank of pure ethyl alcohol, a gallon cylinder of compressed butane and 5 gallons of isopropyl alcohol. I went holy cow. They had more than most of our commercial infusion facilities, Pendleton said. Alan Buchholz, the case investigator, also linked illegal marijuana businesses with other crimes. Marijuana cultivation operations are often targeted for their marijuana plants and finished marijuana products, leading to burglaries and home invasion robberies, he said. As city investigators zero in on organizations growing marijuana and making concentrates for export, more growers are turning to outlying counties where land is ample and police are scarce. Elbert County, for example, filed two illegal cultivation cases in 2014 and 2015 and 28 in the two years since. It also claimed $373,000 last year from a state grant program to counties struggling to control the illegal trade, more than all other counties combined. Despite that help, nothing has stemmed it, Sheriff Shayne Heap said. It just continues to go up. The state Division of Criminal Justice Statistics tried to assess marijuana-related crime in 2016 in response to a legislative mandate. That report came to few conclusions, particularly relating to law enforcement, partly because too much of the available information dated to 2014. As a result, it is too early to draw any conclusions about the potential effects of marijuana legalization or commercialization, the division reported. For example, the report noted, the diversion of marijuana out of Colorado is not tracked in any systematic way. Division spokeswoman Patricia Billinger said that to her knowledge Denver is the only Colorado city attempting to count marijuana-related crimes. Tawakkol Karman of Yemen, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate for 2011, holds a picture of missing Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi as she talks near the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul on Friday. Dutch English Press Release VGP opens new head office in Antwerp and announces appointment of Martijn Vlutters as Vice President Business Development and Investor Relations 5 October 2018 7.00 a.m. CET - Antwerp (Berchem), Belgium: VGP NV (VGP or the Group,) today announced it has moved into new corporate offices in Antwerp, Belgium. In addition to the Groups head office functions, VGP will also use the offices, at Uitbreidingstraat 72, 2600 Antwerp (Berchem), Belgium, as its hub for business expansion into the Benelux. VGP today also announced that Martijn Vlutters has joined VGP as Vice President Business Development and Investor Relations, effective 1 October, 2018. In this role, he will be responsible for communication to the financial markets, as well as for crafting financial plans and analysing acquisitive growth opportunities. Before joining VGP Martijn worked 13 years at J.P. Morgan based in London and New York. He held various roles in Capital Markets and Corporate Finance, and he spent two years in New York as Vice President Investor Relations for J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. Martijn will be based in Antwerp and will report to the Groups Chief Executive Officer, Jan van Geet. For more information Investor enquiries Martijn Vlutters Press enquiries Petra Vanclova Tel. +32 (0) 3 289 1433 Tel. +420 602 262 107 E-mail: martijn.vlutters@vgpparks.eu E-mail: petra.vanclova@vgpparks.eu Profile VGP (www.vgpparks.eu) constructs and develops high-end logistic real estate and ancillary offices for its own account and for the account of its VGP European Logistics joint venture (50:50 joint venture between Allianz Real Estate and VGP), which are subsequently rented out to reputable clients on long term lease contracts. VGP has an in-house team which manages all activities of the fully integrated business model: from identification and acquisition of land, to the conceptualisation and design of the project, the supervision of the construction works, contracts with potential tenants and the facility management. VGP is quoted on Euronext Brussels and the Main Market of the Prague Stock Exchange. Attachment After moving to Switzerland in the 1890s, Albert Einstein attended [ #permalink crejoc wrote: After moving to Switzerland in the 1890s, Albert Einstein attended the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich, receiving in-depth training in quantitative analysis and developing a foundation for his future work in mathematical physics. (A) attended the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich, receiving in-depth training in quantitative analysis and developing (B) attended the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich, receiving in-depth training in quantitative analysis and developed Harshgmat wrote: minwoswoh wrote: I believe answer choices A and B are very close... However, answer choice B is not grammatically incorrect . It just changes the original meaning of the sentence. Answer choice A says: After moving to Switzerland, Einstein attended a school in Zurich. There, he did 2 things: a- received in-depth training in quantitative analysis and b- developed a foundation for his future work in mathematical physics. These 2 things are consequences of Einstein attending that school in Zurich. This makes sense. This answer is correct grammatically. Answer choice B says . After moving to Switzerland, Einstein did 2 things: 1- he attended a school in Zurich. There, he received in-depth training in quantitative analysis (the ING Modifier "receiving in-depth training..." modifies "attended the Swiss Federal...") 2- developed a foundation for his future work in mathematical physics. This means that the foundation for his future work was not developed as a consequence of attending the school in Zurich but was indeed developed after moving to Switzerland. This also makes sense and it is correct grammatically. So, how you tell the difference? 1- You know the biography of Einstein cold (not required for the GMAT) 2- You refer to the intended meaning of the original sentence. In other words, answer choice A states the correct sequence of events. Answer choice B states a slightly different scenario and thus distorts the intended original meaning. mikemcgarry , GMATNinja , generis Is there possibility of having 2 grammatically correct choices on GMAT as in above case? Can you please guide how to tackle such problems? Your expert insights will be very valuable. Thanks. Is there possibility of having 2 grammatically correct choices on GMAT as in above case?Can you please guide how to tackle such problems? Your expert insights will be very valuable.Thanks. Error #1: option A does NOT establish original or intended meaning Quote: How do you tell the difference [between A and B]? . . .You refer to the intended meaning of the original sentence. In other words, answer choice A states the correct sequence of events. NO. MYTH FACT: Option A does NOT determine the meaning of the sentence Show Spoiler No. The attorneys argued for that proposition. 2017 WRONG "Notice how answer option C changes the meaning of the original sentence. ' Likely ' is not the same as ' most likely '. So, you can eliminate C." Quote: The highlighted portion of the above official explanation for this question is based on a myth. The myth is that the meaning conveyed by the sentence created via the use of the correct answer to a GMAT Sentence Correction question has to match the meaning conveyed by the original sentence, i.e., the version created via the use of choice A. There is no such rule. The correct answer to a Sentence Correction question is the one the use of which results in a sentence that makes sense - end of story. Error #2: option B is NOT grammatical "answer choice B is not grammatically incorrect" NO. B is grammatically incorrect Developed receiving developed attended analysis and attended developed Any intervening phrase in a compound predicate must be set off with commas attended the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich, receiving in-depth training in quantitative analysis [,] and developed one comma What if the intervening phrase does not have TWO commas to set it off? attended developed receiving developed Answer A STRATEGIES: if two options seem equally correct Quote: Is there possibility of having 2 grammatically correct choices on GMAT as in above case? PURELY HYPOTHETICAL EXERCISE After moving to Switzerland in 1910, Einstein attended a school in Zurich, receiving XYZ, and developed the foundation for ABC. After attended the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich, receiving in-depth training in quantitative analysis, and developed for future WHAT TO DO? again future. after before during future not the development of the foundation happens while Einstein is in school. while Einstein attended school. not preceded by a comma She studied the subject thoroughly and performed well on the test. Same subject, two verbs If a sentence contains a compound verb and an intervening phrase, however, the intervening phrase must be set off by commas Same subject, two verbs, intervening phrase: She studied the subject thoroughly, making hundreds of note cards, and performed well on the test. The intervening phrase modifies only the previous clause. She was not making hundreds of note cards during the test. With gratitude to * If a sentence contains compound verbs and no intervening phrases, the coordinating conjunction ispreceded by a commaSame subject, two verbsSame subject, two verbs, intervening phrase:The intervening phrase modifies only the previous clause. She wasmaking hundreds of note cards during the test.With gratitude to Harshgmat , whose advice about this edited answer I both sought and took. :thumbup: People wish to learn to swim and at the same time to keep one foot on the ground. -- Marcel Proust Signature Read More Wofford09 wrote: I follow what you're saying, but I think it is just a poor question all around. I am not sure about most other countries, but in the countries I have lived, bringing in a small amount of goods from a vacation is not technically considered "imports" that warrants taxing or especially a tariff (this would be extreme). therefore it is cheaper for Y's to spend there holidays there. it is not cheaper for Y's to buy those stuff. not so cheap for Y's to buy stuff "is it cheaper for Y's?" Wofford09 wrote: The passage never verifies the idea of purchasing goods in large or small amounts Wofford09 wrote: or if taxes are imposed on travelers bringing back small goods . new Wofford09 wrote: How should one know or assume the legislation of Country X? Country Y So what I think of 'import' is that it can be any item brought into one's country, especially across from a national border. Items can be big or small. From what I know about imports is that the tariffs/taxes are decided broadly based on the countries trade relation among other complex factors. So we cannot say that because an item is small it should have no tariff, may be it is not charged because of the trade relations between those countries.Next, the next big idea is hidden in the argument itself. If we go back to the argument, it says that exchange rate between X and Y favors guys of Y, andguys in Y go to X for holidays. What can we infer from this? A subtle understanding of behavioral aspect of Y's. i.e. they prefer to go to X becauseNow comes the paradox: that even though the currency is cheaper in Y, those holiday goers still do not buy stuff! Well what could be the problem? ProbablyThat's it.If we can hunt for an answer choice that proves that something - anything - that makes it, that is our answer.Well that is how I arrived at D. B, I believe, does not do a good job in even remotely thinking in the lines of. It talks about fashion, which I could not infer if it was really a behavioral aspect of Y.It does not matter if the goods are small or large. A small sized iphone bought from Taiwan will have import duty levied on it as will a 10k Baju Kurungs from Malaysia.Please note that resolving the paradox involves bringing ininformation. It is from the Strengthen, Weaken family where new information in choices is not just expected but also a feature to have in correct answer.We are talking about the legislation of, who is imposing tariffs/taxes. I think you mistyped Y as X. As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ With judge Brett Kavanaugh officially ascending to the Supreme Court on Saturday afternoon, New Yorkers gathered in Union Square to denounce the new Associate Justice, who replaces retired Justice Anthony Kennedy. Chants of "We believe survivors!", "Throw them out!" and "Come November, we remember" rang through the crowds. One sign read, "I want justice and accountability but I also want revenge." In solidarity with the protest at the Capitol. #CancelKavanaugh protest in Union Square, ny. pic.twitter.com/Lq8zNcSCGD Cival War Musketeer (@StopMotionsolo) October 6, 2018 Today in Union Square Park NYC, and one of many protests across the US. Dont despair vote on Nov 6. pic.twitter.com/qR81IE7dnr DJ Pallotta (@donnaPallotta) October 6, 2018 I got into a weird fight with a man at the #Kavanaugh protest in union square who was yelling at women to be angrier & that we should protest better. Even the good guys think they are better than us. Leah Nanako Winkler (@leahnanako) October 6, 2018 Kavanaugh's confirmation came after multiple women came forward to accuse him of sexual assault during high school and college; allegations that he perjured himself during his Senate testimony; a severely limited FBI investigation that Democrats decried as a sham; and Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine spending nearly 45 minutes explaining why she would cast the deciding vote to confirm the embattled judge. His confirmation locks in a conservative majority in the Supreme Court, and Kavanaugh's judicial track record has raised fears about the future of reproductive rights, environmental regulations, workers' rights, and whether a president can be subpoenaed. The protesters made their way to midtown Manhattan and Times Square. The NYPD did not immediately have any information about whether anyone was arrested. At the protests in Washington D.C., at least 150 people were arrested as demonstrators swarmed the Supreme Court and U.S. Capitol Building. A theme of both protests was the upcoming midterm elections on November 6th, now a little over one month away. Sen. Mazie Hirono on Brett Kavanaugh: "The confirmation battle may be over but the court-packing is definitely not over." "I'm focused like a laser beam on the elections," she adds https://t.co/Xmu37Ropc9 #ThisWeek pic.twitter.com/Cs3pOPLpOe ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) October 7, 2018 There is another protest today, October 7, outside The Tank, a non-profit theater on 36th Street near 8th Avenue in Manhattan. As we wrote yesterday, "The demonstration will feature a 'peaceful performance' involving Kesha's 'Praying,' which participants are invited to show up early to learn, ahead of the 4:45 p.m. demonstration. Those attending are encouraged to wear blue, in solidarity with both Christine Blasey Ford and Anita Hall. There's also an option to participate in the protest virtually via Facebook live." Loading... News 6 Asians held for kidnapping, assaulting compatriot in Dubai The victim said that he has some financial dispute with the main suspect, who invited him to tea, but forced him into his vehicle with the help of the other suspects and took him to the villa where the suspect resided. - Doc Vicki Belo has shared easy beauty tips that could help women stay young-looking even in their 40s - One of the tips she shared is to lessen the use of moisturizers - The doctor also revealed the sleeping position that could lessen sagging PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed! Dr. Vicki Belo is one of the most respected beauty doctors in the country. In fact, many of her patients are celebrities. KAMI learned that the doctor has shared beauty secrets which may sound unconventional. According to the doctor, one of the ways that you can keep yourself looking young is to lessen the use of moisturizers. She said that she doe snot believe in moisturizers because it just makes the skin a little bit smoother but it doesn't really do anything for the face. Lessen use of moisturizers "I do not believe in it. I think it is a band-aid. You just make yourself feel a little smoother. "But it doesnt do anything for your face," said Doc. "As your face gets older, your turnover rate of skin cells slows down. "As a baby, every 21 to 28 days, Scarlet Snow has new skin. It's constantly fresh and young-looking. "When you are getting into your 35, that's when it begins to show talaga. "It's makunat na, so you kinda have a little mask of dead skin on your face. "That's why it looks dry and dull, so people make a mistake of getting moisturizer and massaging it in." "The more [you put], it's worse, and then youre getting dead skin." "Put it on your elbows, put it on your knees. Your body needs it." 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! Eat good healthy food The doctor also stated one should drink plenty of water and eat foods with lots of Omega-3 acids. "Kimchi is a good way to do it. It's not because it creates collagen, but it does create a good bacterial environment in your gut that helps with the formation of collagen. "Anything that's fermented is actually good. Then you need your omega-3 fatty acids, your omega-6, so you take your cold-water fishes. "Hindi puwede bangus, lapu-lapu, tuna. You have to take cold-water fish like salmon, cod. Mas mahal yun." "Water is the cheapest and best way to keep your body healthy. "Drink ten glasses of water a day, because if you think about how big our body is and how little we drink, right? "Its like a river. Our body becomes stagnant with the dirt and the toxins if we dont flush it out with water" Sleep not later 10:30PM or 11:00PM According to Doc Vicki, "The way you touch your face," she pointed out. "If you sleep at night and you are always on your right side, by 40, halata na yung right side is older than your left. "It's the pressure on one side of the face, so you have to sleep looking up the sky." Dr. Vicki Belo is the leading beauty doctor in the Philippines. She caters to many patients, mostly celebrities. She is the wife of Dr. Hayden Kho and they have a daughter Scarlet Snow. It was previously reported in KAMI that she is good if Hayden would like to have another baby. POPULAR: Read more about Vicki Belo Cool set of exercises that you can do at work to keep fit from our coach Chrystalle - on Kami YouTube channel This video helps you to keep fit even if you're at the desk all day. These are exercises that are simply very easy to follow and do. Source: Kami.com.ph The idea of free higher education is not a new one in some parts of the world. But the idea has only recently increased in popularity in the United States as the cost of attending colleges and universities in the country has risen greatly. In the last few years, several states have either launched or proposed programs offering very low to no cost higher education. However, two new studies suggest these programs are failing to serve the people who need them the most: people with little money. Two programs that have recently received the most attention operate in New York and Tennessee. In 2014, Tennessee governor Bill Haslam created the Tennessee Promise program. This program covers tuition costs for anyone in the state who wants to attend one of Tennessees two-year community colleges. New York governor Andrew Cuomo announced the creation of a similar program in his state, called the Excelsior Scholarship in 2017. It aims to cover the tuition at public institutions for residents whose yearly household income is below a given amount. That amount started at $100,000 in 2017. In 2019, New Yorkers with yearly household incomes below $125,000 can apply for the program. Yet recent reports from two higher education research groups show serious problems with the design of such programs. Researchers with the Institute for Higher Education Policy centered their study on the New York and Tennessee programs. The two programs are both need-based forms of financial aid. That means the less money students have, the more money they get. But the institutes study found that the two programs share a quality researchers says harms low-income students. The programs are both designed to be forms of financial aid known as last dollar. Last dollar programs cover the remaining tuition costs students face after they have paid what they can or made use of any other forms of financial aid. But, last dollar programs do not consider the difference in need between students of different income levels, says Mamie Voight. She is the vice president of policy research at the Institute for Higher Education Policy. Voight notes that many low-income college students in the U.S. make use of other need-based aid programs, like the federal Pell grant program. And New York and Tennessees last dollar programs do not separate the amount of other aid a student is receiving from the money they already have. So low-income New Yorkers or Tennesseans may appear to have more money than they actually do when they seek additional assistance from their state, Voight says. And a wealthier student will get more aid because they appear to have greater remaining costs. For example, Voight's study found that before the Tennessee Promise program launched, the states lowest income students had, on average, over $7,000 in unmet need. And since the programs launch, that need has still not been met. Meanwhile, students with more money have been receiving on average, about $1,500 from the program. Voight says the problem is that poorer students have to use the Pell grants and other first dollar aid to cover just the costs of tuition. But fees and additional costs to higher education are not included in tuition. And the small amounts of aid the Tennessee Promise program gives to low income students do little to help cover those expenses. They still need to pay for things like books and supplies housing and food, Voight told VOA. And these free college programs, at least in Tennessee and New York, dont do anything to support low-income students in paying for those other college costs. Voight would like to see these programs become first dollar aid. This means the states would cover as much of the tuition as students need based on their actual income level. Then low-income students could use federal and other forms of aid to cover the extra costs. However, Mike Krause argues it is unreasonable to expect states to change in the way Voight suggests they should. Krause is the executive director of the Tennessee Higher Education Committee. He notes states such as his have limited financial resources and cannot offer the amounts of money federal and other aid programs can. Yet that does not mean the programs do not serve a greater purpose. He says that for years, many Tennesseans have not seen higher education as a possibility because of the high costs. But once the message of free college began to spread in the state, many people began reconsidering this belief, even if some costs are still involved. States have to operate within reality, Krause said. So to just tell every single student, You have a full scholarship tomorrow, probably isnt possible. But if we get into, In Tennessee, college is free, except for in the following circumstances the risk there is that you water down the message to students. The results of the Tennessee Promise program's message are clear, says Krause. The state reports that its rate of students entering into higher education has increased by almost 10 percent since the program started. Also, Krause notes that the Tennessee Promise offers aid only for tuition at community colleges, which higher income students usually do not attend. And 8,000 of the Tennesseans who began studying in the time the program has been operating received Pell grants. This suggest that students with financial need are entering into higher education. Still, the problem is not limited to how much financial assistance these programs are providing, says Katie Berger. She is a policy expert with the research group the Education Trust, which released its own study of 31 free college programs and proposals. The study measured how well each of the 31 programs and proposals served low income students based on eight different qualities. The studys findings showed that the programs and proposals made the ways in which students receive their benefits needlessly complex or limiting. For example, by limiting the program to community colleges, the Tennessee Promise program limits the choices available to students. And community colleges do not always have the same supports and resources available for students as four-year schools, Berger says. Another quality the Education Trust looked at was whether the aid these programs offer would be considered a loan that students had to repay. This is the case for students receiving New Yorks Excelsior Scholarship if they leave the state within two to four years of completing their studies. Berger notes special rules like these do not consider the needs of low-income students first. So, she says, the free college programs are working against themselves. A free college program can serve as a powerful messaging tool, telling students that college is available to you, she said. However, the benefit of telling a low-income student that they can afford college is undercut if you dont actually make it affordable. Yet Don Kaplan, who represents the office of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, says these studies are over simplifying the issue. For one thing, he says, from the beginning New York considered the Excelsior Scholarship a program to serve middle-income students. And the studies do not consider the aid programs the state has specially designed for poorer students. In fact, New Yorks Tuition Assistance Program provides about $1 billion in need-based aid directly to the states lowest income students, Kaplan reports. They attempt to analyze one program without understanding how it interacts with the rest of the states free tuition financial aid system, he wrote in a statement. Im Pete Musto. And I'm Dorothy Gundy. Pete Musto reported this story for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. What level of responsibility to local and national governments have in helping people pay for higher education? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Quiz - 'Free College' Programs May Not Help Neediest Students Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story tuition n. money that is paid to a school for the right to study there income n. money that is earned from work, investments, and business apply v. to ask formally for something, such as a job, admission to a school, or a loan, usually in writing fee(s) n. an amount of money that must be paid expense(s) n. something on which money is spent scholarship n. n amount of money that is given by a school or an organization to a student to help pay for the student's education circumstance(s) n. a condition or fact that affects a situation water down p.v. to make something less effective or powerful providing v. giving something wanted or needed to someone or something benefit n. a good or helpful result or effect afford v. to be able to pay for something undercut v. to make something weaker or less effective analyze v. to study something closely and carefully interact(s) v. to come together and have an effect on each other NOTICE: TO BE CLEAR: WE HAVE OUTLINED UNDER OUR RECORD MAINTENANCE POLICY WHAT WE BELIEVE TO BE A FAIR PROCESS FOR ALL. 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This is according to an article in Rapport, which said former president Jacob Zuma was desperate to push the deal through. Zumas cabinet decided to go ahead with the nuclear deal based on over-optimistic facts, like a projected exchange rate of R10/US$. Cabinet notes reveal that the lowest nuclear build cost would be around $2,500 per kilowatt power generation capacity, while high-end estimates were between $6,500 and $7,500 per kilowatt. The secret cabinet notes show that the government wanted to downplay the cost implications of the deal. The worst case programme cost scenario should not be part of our communication strategy. Prices should not be communicated prior to the procurement process being complete If any communication has to be done around the cost of the programme, it is better to talk about the low end of the range, whilst referencing where that price is applicable. According to Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene, he was fired by Zuma because of his resistance to the nuclear deal which would have ruined the South African economy. Nene and the nuclear deal In a statement at the state capture inquiry, Nene said he was pressured to sign the Russian nuclear-power deal by former Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson. Nene said he refused to sign the agreement, a plan that had been publicly backed by Zuma. Nene rejected pressure to approve the construction of as many as eight nuclear reactors, which would have the capacity to generate 9,600 megawatts of energy. The costs of the project would have been astronomical, Nene said, adding that it could have ballooned beyond R1 trillion. Trying to push nuclear deal through As recent as November 2017 there were still reports that the department of energy tried to push the nuclear deal through. The City Press reported on 5 November 2017 that officials at the department of energy were working weekends to ensure South Africa gets more nuclear power. Former Energy Minister David Mahlobo was reportedly forcing the nuclear energy plan into action which required the finalisation of the countrys reviewed integrated energy resource plan. Once the plan was complete, Mahlobo could use it to justify the need for nuclear energy using empirical evidence. This happened despite strong opposition against a new nuclear deal for South Africa including former Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba stating the deal was not needed in the country. Reporting with Bloomberg South Africa is wasting billions of rand on university students studying soft degrees. According to a report in the Sunday Times, money meant for the National Skills Fund (NSF) for the development of badly needed artisans is being used to fund all university students instead. NSF CEO Mvuyisi Macikama said the country desperately needs artisans, and there is currently a huge shortage so companies are importing skills. The NSFs funds meant for training artisans, however, are being used to fund universities and the no increase and no fees promises made by the government following Fees Must Fall protests. Macikama said the department of higher education has taken R6.56-billion from the NSF to pay for this. While the NSF has a target of getting more technical skills into the workplace, its fund are now being used to keep fees down for humanities and social science students, said Macikama. Macikama added that a no-increase or no-fees policy is absolutely not sustainable. Humanities The NSF has a target of training 30,000 artisans a year by 2030, while 21,000 artisans are being trained per year currently. Universities, on the other hand, are churning out so many students with soft degrees that the market cannot absorb them, stated the Sunday Times. Businesses in the engineering industries which help fund the NSF are getting frustrted by the recent moves by the department of higher education, as they pay their skills levies but are not receiving trained artisans. Were going through a consultation process with them, and these are the concerns that have been raised and continue to be raised, said Macikama. Macikama said the department stated the NSFs mandate was to supply skills the country needed, and skills provided by universities are required by the country. Macikama said there is not a shortage of social science and humanities students in the country, though, and these students cannot be absorbed into the job market. Fees Must Fall The willingness of the department of higher education to spend NSF funds on keeping all university fees down follows massive protests in 2016 from university students. The Fees Must Fall protests called for no-fee universities in South Africa. Universities South Africa said in late 2016 that damage caused by the protests cost around R700-R800 million to repair. As an example, students burnt down UJs auditorium in May 2016, causing an estimated R100 million in damages. They also burnt down a laboratory, which cost approximately R20 million to repair. In August 2016, then-rector of the University of the Free State Jonathan Jansen said 0% fee increases will mean the beginning of the end for public universities in South Africa. The Department of Homeland Security said it has no reason to question denials by U.S. technology companies of a report that Chinese spies had used a microchip to hack into American computer networks. At this time we have no reason to doubt the statements from the companies named in the story, Tyler Houlton, press secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, said in an emailed statement late Saturday. The companies, including Amazon.com Inc. and Apple Inc., have denied that their systems were compromised. The infiltration of the computer systems, which stemmed from servers assembled by San Jose-based Super Micro Computer Inc., was investigated as part of an FBI counter-intelligence probe, according to national security officials familiar with the matter. DHS may not be involved in such inquiries, several people familiar with them said. Bloomberg Businessweek reported on Thursday that Chinese spies exploited vulnerabilities in the U.S. technology supply chain to infiltrate the computer networks of almost 30 U.S. companies, including Amazon, Apple, a major bank, and government contractors. Among the targets was a contractor that made software to help funnel drone footage to the Central Intelligence Agency and communicate with the International Space Station. Investigators found that tiny microchips, not much bigger than a grain of sand, had been inserted during manufacturing in China onto equipment made by subcontractors of Supermicro. The San Jose, California-based company is one of the worlds biggest suppliers of server motherboards, the fiber-mounted clusters of chips and capacitors that act as neurons of data centers. Investigators determined that the chips allowed the attackers to create a stealth doorway into any network that included the altered machines, according to people familiar with the matter. In emailed statements, Amazon, Apple, Supermicro and the Chinese government disputed Bloomberg Businessweeks reporting. Representative Adam Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Thursday that lawmakers are seeking further clarification from the intelligence community regarding this latest report and will be reaching out to the companies affected. The report that China sought to infiltrate the computer chip supply chain, if true, is deeply disturbing and the latest example of the lengths that Beijing will go to in order to steal Americas official and commercial secrets, Schiff said in a statement. MTN Group Ltd. and its bankers have provided more documents that may reduce Nigerias $8.1 billion claim on the South African wireless carrier, which could be resolved soon, Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele said. The central bank alleged in late August that MTN and four banks Standard Chartered Plc, Citigroup Inc., Stanbic IBTC Plc and Diamond Bank Plc illegally repatriated money from Nigeria and that the company should return $8.1 billion. The local regulator also fined the four banks a combined $16 million. Speaking to reporters in London on Sunday, Emefiele said he expected that the new information would help cut the size of the claim and that the matter would be resolved amicably. I dont think it will be at $8.1 billion having provided documents, Emefiele said, adding his staff is studying the documents and he hoped to make a decision on the matter in a couple of weeks. MTN sought an injunction in early September to buy itself time and fight the claim in its biggest market, which wiped as much as 36 percent off its market value within two weeks. The central bank has asked the Federal High Court in Lagos to deny MTNs request and said the company should pay an annualized 15 percent interest on the dividends until the matter is ruled upon, and then 10 percent until the whole sum is paid, according to legal documents filed by the regulator. They will see they have been given a fair hearing, Emefiele said. More information has been provided and Im very optimistic that matters are going to be resolved amicably. Emefiele said the clash with MTN had taken a global dimension that it didnt need to and that he was keen to demonstrate to international investors how open the Nigerian market is, calling the MTN matter isolated and no reason for anyone to lose any sleep. This is not a matter that should have blown so openly, he said. Nigeria is a country that happens to be very, very open. This fall, Californians will be voting on Proposition 5. This proposition will make some critical changes to Proposition 13 and will drastically affect retirement decisions for many people. To understand these propositions, it is good to know why these laws were initially passed. In the 1970s, home prices in California started a drastic upward trend. This increase in property value also caused a drastic increase in property taxes. It became apparent that some California residents would eventually be forced to move from their homes because they could no longer afford the property taxes. This is why California passed Proposition 13 in 1978. California residents who purchase a home create a tax basis. The tax basis is the value of your home at the purchase date and is the basis for the property tax payments you are charged. The original Proposition 13 was simple, it limited property tax increases. Later propositions would amend Prop. 13 to make it much more encompassing. Currently, Prop. 13 limits increases to property taxes, but also allows some homeowners to move one time and still retain the tax basis of their original home. Homeowners who take advantage of Prop. 13 need to be over age 55 or with a disability, move within the same or reciprocating county and buy a home of equal or lesser value. Proposition 13 has saved retirees thousands of dollars and allowed them to stay in their homes, close to family and friends. Proposition 5 will amend several aspects of Proposition 13. It will now allow those over age 55 to move to any county in California and still retain their original tax basis, and it will allow it more than once. It also allows for the purchase of a home of greater value. Without a break in property taxes, those on a fixed income would be in trouble. Imagine a retired homeowner who originally paid $20,000 for a home that was now worth $700,000. That home homeowner could now be paying more than $7,000 a year in property taxes and may not be able to afford it. I consistently meet with Napans who live in homes they purchased for less than $25,000. Many of these homeowners couldnt afford to stay in their homes if their property taxes had increased lockstep with their home values. Many of these older residents are on fixed incomes and couldnt keep up. I have also met people on a fixed income who desire to move to a different county to be closer to family, but cant in part because their property taxes would be unbearable. Critics of Proposition 5 argue that the current law offers more than enough protection for seniors and that the new proposition will limit desperately needed tax revenues. I have learned over time that people make political choices, not because of reason, but because of feelings, although they would argue otherwise. I wont begin to tell you how to vote on Proposition 5, but I would encourage you to take extra time to decide. The implications of this proposition are enormous. Tom and John Mills are registered investment advisers and certified financial planners. Reach them at 254-0155. MillsWealth.com. Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice offered through Strategic Wealth Advisors Group (SWAG), a registered investment adviser. 19432018 Age 75 (born KINNAMON) passed away peacefully on September 19, 2018 in Sonoma, CA. Nancy was married to Fritz Zschietzschmann for nearly 50 wonderful, adventure-filled years. They have three children, Melinda, Kay and Kurt, one son-in-law, Brian and three grandchildren, Joshua, Olivia and Ashton. Nancy resided in Napa, CA since 2011 and prior to that, she was a long-time Kansas City resident. She graduated from Raytown High School then earned her B.A in Piano Pedagogy from UMKC Conservatory of Music. Nancy had a lifelong passion for music, she taught for many years and played the piano daily. She was a member of Mu Phi Epsilon for 56 years and served as the organizations President from 1993-1995. Nancy also competed in several beauty contests over the years, eventually coming in first runner up Miss Missouri 1967. Nancy had a very active church life. She met her future husband Fritz in Sunday School at Country Club Christian Church. They were founding members of the Young Married Couples Class along with other newlyweds. Nancy enjoyed international travel. While the family was living in Germany, she was able to tour Europe along with her singing partner and play concerts in several countries. In addition, she took a very active role in helping Fritz build his company on three continents. Services will be held at Country Club Christian Church, 6101 Ward Pkwy, Kansas City, Mo 64113 on October 12th at 11:00 AM with coffee reception to follow. She will be laid to rest at Floral Hills Cemetery in Raytown, Mo. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Mu Phi Epsilon Scholarship Foundation, Virginia Kernes, Treasurer, 2105 SW Smith Street, Blue Springs, MO 64015-3505 When my husbands mother, Sybil, first told me about her great-grandpa Allen, she said he lived up in the hills on a farm. She was raised in the small towns of Waldron and Mansfield, Arkansas and her grandpa lived near Mena, a few miles south. She said he had a wooden leg and had lost his leg fighting in the battle of Pea Ridge during the Civil War. She remembered that he kept a bottle of what he called his medicine in the hollow part of his leg. Sybil did not know the first name of her great grandpa, so I tried finding a family in 1880 with the children that we knew they had. The family was there, but he was listed only under his first initial, C. Allen. Since he was a veteran, I thought he would be listed in books of veterans. Nothing I found matched. There was one family of Carr Allen that almost matched, but not quite. One day when I was quizzing Sybil again about Great Grampa Allen, she mentioned that he was married a second time. I wrote a query with as much information about them as I knew and put it on the Scott County, Arkansas site of USGenWeb.org. A genealogy angel wrote back and told me that the family I was describing was that of Carr Allen. Census takers in that area were very inaccurate at times. She sent a quote from The Goodspeed Biographical & Historical Memoir of Western Arkansas. Carr was born in 1845, the son of Beverly Allen from Kentucky and Mary from Arkansas. He served nine months in the Army during the Civil War, homesteaded land in Scott County, Arkansas and died at the age of 87 in 1932. In 1997, we took a trip back to Arkansas to see what more we could find. On-site research sometimes turns up unexpected surprises. We decided to go to Mena and search the library. It didnt take long to find a couple of huge books on Confederate soldiers, so we looked for Carr Allen. He wasnt there! This really puzzled me. Then I noticed a very thin small book titled Damn Yankees and in that book Carr Allen was listed. He had enlisted at the age of 17 as a Bugler in Company E, 3rd Arkansas Cavalry, so he was a private in the Union Army. The next day, we visited the Duncan cemetery in Waldron and found Great Grandpa Allens marked gravesite. The cemetery had a small hill in it and since we knew that older graves were usually at the top of hills, we drove up and found it. His gravestone had a marker for his Civil War service. On this same trip, we traveled to Northern Arkansas to the battlefield of Pea Ridge, which is now a National Park. We visited there on the weekend of July 4 and there were reenactment groups doing demonstrations. One demonstration was in a house that was used as a hospital during the battle. Different instruments that would have been used by medics to treat the wounded were displayed on a table. We were told that with so few doctors and trained help available, many times arms and legs were just cut off, even when the wounds were from gunshots. We imagined Great Grandpa Allen as a 17-year-old boy, having his leg cut off for something that could have been treated. Instead, he lived with a wooden leg for 70 years after the war. If you are interested in genealogical research, stop by the Napa Valley Genealogical Societys library, 1701 Menlo Ave. Friendly library volunteers are available to help you begin your search for your roots. Check www.napavalleygenealogy.org or call 252-2252 for library hours. A large smoke plume visible from Napa County on Sunday was produced by a Solano County brush fire and is no threat to local residents, according to authorities. The smoke column was seen in the southeast portion of Napa County, the county Office of Emergency Services said in a Nixle alert. The blaze broke out Sunday morning near Vaca Valley Parkway and led to a shutdown of nearby Interstate 505 near its junction with I-80 in Vacaville, according to the California Highway Patrol. I-505 and its connector ramps to I-80 reopened Sunday afternoon. The Vacaville-area vegetation fire was one of two reported in Solano County. A second blaze east of Suisun City forced the closing of Highway 12 between Branscombe and Walters roads, CHP said. Since Saturday night, Napa County and much of the Bay Area have been under a red flag warning issued by the National Weather Service for winds up to 50 mph that could cause fires to spread more quickly. The warning remains in force until 9 a.m. Monday. Information from Bay City News Service was used in this report. Updated at 12:09 p.m. Authorities have identified a 21-year-old Southern California man who died early Sunday morning following a traffic crash on westbound Interstate 80 in Solano County. Randall Chunn, of Palmdale, was killed in the collision about 2 a.m., after a Toyota pickup crashed into the center divide of the freeway east of the Hunter Hill rest area, near the exit for American Canyon Road and I-80's short stretch through Napa County. The Toyota may have been struck by at least one other vehicle, according to the California Highway Patrol. All lanes of the freeway were reopened at 4:39 a.m., CHP said. No other information about what led to the crash was immediately available. From widespread wildfires, to traffic and development issues, local officials here in Napa County have had to confront a number of challenges in recent years. Yet, at a recent meeting, the Napa County Board of Supervisors failed to support a commonsense measure that will help address one of the most pressing issues facing our community -- the housing affordability crisis. Rents here in Napa are up, year after year. As of August 2018, average rent for an apartment in Napa is more than $2,500 a month, up nearly 15 percent over last year. The skyrocketing cost of housing is driving people out of the homes and neighborhoods where they've built their lives and raised their families. Rents and housing costs have been increasing rapidly for years, forcing many families to relocate further and further from their jobs - or even move out of state entirely. Unfortunately, this threatens the very heart and viability of our cities and region as a whole. People who are the foundation of our community - our nurses, teachers, firefighters, seniors, and many more -- are left with no option other than to leave the place they've called home for decades or even generations. Don't get me wrong: there is no silver bullet for solving California's housing affordability crisis. This November, though, we have a real opportunity to tackle this complex issue in a real way. There are three ballot initiatives that will be up for voter consideration: Propositions 1, 2 and 10 - all of which are directly related to housing policy issues. Proposition 1 deals with affordable housing, while Prop. 2 can help the most vulnerable among, us - the homeless and mentally ill. The third, and in my mind the most important, is Proposition 10. If passed, Prop. 10 will protect renters by empowering local communities to limit rent increases and address their own unique housing situations. In recent years, rents across the state have gone up 85 percent while incomes have failed to keep up. This has led to an increase in homelessness across the state, with nearly a quarter of the nation's homeless kids right here in California. Prop 10 will also protect landlords, guaranteeing them a fair rate of return on their property. Further, the measure does not impact homeowners. By limiting rent increases on the backs of our friends, neighbors and family, we can make our communities safer and more secure. Already, the special interests (corporate developers and the Big Real Estate lobby) opposing Prop. 10 are throwing millions of dollars at their campaign to spread misinformation and ultimately keep rents high for Californians. Out to protect their profits (made on the backs of renters, no less), the greed-driven corporations pushing No on 10 will stop at nothing to confuse California voters. It's disappointing that the Napa County Board of Supervisors did not endorse this proposition when they had a chance, and I encourage them to rethink this decision. This is a simple issue about who shapes local issues like housing costs: should Sacramento get to set that policy for the entire state, not knowing the local challenges and nuances, or should each community get a say about what works for them? This is a no-brainer. Proposition 10 is a key piece of the puzzle to tackling this issue proactively. When we come together and bring local control closer to home where it belongs, we can develop creative proposals that make sense for our backyard and ultimately build a stronger community that our children and grandchildren can call home for decades to come. Karen Cunningham McNair Delegate, California Democratic General Assembly, Progressive-Labor Alliance AD 4 Napa Perhaps the worlds most scenic airport approach is to Bergen, descending gradually from over the open North Sea, small islands and rocky forested western coastline and fjords until setting down smoothly. The shuttle bus to the city center passed through tunnels and between forested hillsides to the downtown waterfront, steps from our Bergen Bors Hotel, newly repurposed in a building used as a stock exchange in the 19th century; and we were in time for a relaxed lunch along the Bryggen waterfront on one of several unusually warm days. Bryggen translates to the German dock, a reference to the Hanseatic League, a medieval German merchant coalition established in Bergen to use its ice free port for trade in fish to Germany and the rest of Europe. The city was founded in 1070 and the League established its outpost there in 1350. By the 18th century the properties passed into Norwegian hands; then suffered fires more than once in that century. Buildings along the waterfront were rebuilt, and the area was declared a UNESCO historic site in 1979. Much of the waterfront now conducts business as hotels, restaurants, shops and pubs; with a history museum describing life and business in the days of the Hanseatic League. Bergen was our base for a rail and boat trip of the Sogneford, Norways longest and deepest fjord. Leaving Bergen the next morning, our smooth, modern train passed houses hugging cliffs and hillsides, through tunnels and countless hills, forests and lakes with marinas enroute to Myrdal at about 3,000 feet, where we transferred to the famous Flam Railway, considered by many to be the worlds most beautiful rail journey. These older trains wind down steeply through the Flam Valley for about 15 miles, stopping briefly to see and hear the Huldra mythical female figure at the thundering 300-meter-high Rjoandefossen Falls. At the bottom, at sea level, is the tiny village of Flam, with a hotel, shops, restaurants and museum and docks for surprisingly large cruise ships, ferries and smaller express boats like the one we would use. We boarded after lunch for the short trip to the lovely village of Balestrand and the stately Victorian-era Kviknes Hotel. We found the finely carved small wooden Church of St. Olaf built in 1897, with stained glass on its rounded end behind the altar. After a relaxed street-side patio dinner including locally caught salmon, we gazed on snow-covered peaks while walking back to the hotel past local teens swimming in the chilly fjord. We were fortunate to have a top-floor room in the original hotel building, with a balcony overlooking the fjord. The mountains on the opposite shore were still golden at 11 p.m. when we went to bed in this Land of the Midnight Sun. In bright sun the next morning, we boarded the express boat to Bergen, soon passing through the deepest part of the fjord at 300 meters while slender waterfalls ended their quick journeys from mountain tops to sea level. We continued past numerous picturesque tiny villages clinging to steep slopes along the shore, then passed between coastal islands, arriving back in Bergen by mid-day. A free concert in a downtown park brought out crowds of families that fine warm evening, with toddlers splashing and wading in fountain pools. We again enjoyed an excellent dinner on a restaurant patio, overlooking flower beds full of crimson roses in full bloom along a central promenade. Relaxed ambling on vehicle-free downtown streets rounded out the evening. The next morning, it was back to the train station to begin our daylong journey to Oslo, again from Bergen to Myrdal; then climbing east above the tree line to the Finse station, the highest in Norway at about 4,000 feet. The station is a starting point for the many hardy backpacking and mountain biking campers in the summer, and cross-country skiers in winter, using tents, cabins and lodges dotting the alpine and glacial terrain. The train continued across the Hardangervidda, Northern Europes highest plateau, home to wildlife including reindeer, Arctic fox and snowy owls. We passed fields of wildflowers, foaming whitewater glacial streams, slender waterfalls trickling down long slopes, and the major Alpine ski area at Geilo. A gradual descent continued through farmlands dotted with sheep, forests, lakes and towns until reaching the vibrant capital of Oslo. Our train eased into the waterfront station and we walked next door to the modern Thon Opera Hotel. The clean and safe city of about 650,000 lies at the northern tip of its own fjord, and its center is easily navigable by foot, bus, streetcar and boat. Our hotels name is based on its proximity to the stunning new waterfront opera house; its visual grandeur rivals that of the famous one in Sydney. It beckoned us and many others to walk up its gently sloping roof of granite and marble for grand views over the city and fjord. The waterfront and downtown are inhabited by a flock of construction cranes as part of the massive rejuvenation and modernization of the area. Next morning, our feet led us around the massive blufftop fortress and its gripping Resistance Museum, testament to the five-year struggle against the German occupation during World War II. A small boat carried us across the harbor to the Viking Ship Museum and its longboats, used for burials of prominent Norse centuries ago and unearthed partially preserved to tell the stories of those times. A short bus ride beyond led to the fascinating Norse Folkemuseum, with its mostly outdoor reconstruction depicting village scenes from several centuries. One more short bus ride led to the amazing and unique Vigeland Sculpture Park, with more than 200 lifelike pieces created mostly in granite by Gustav Vigeland and set on 80 acres. Dinner followed the long day afoot at the waterside restaurant of the opera house, overlooking the peaceful harbor. India is committed to the goal of measles elimination and control of Rubella/ congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) by 2020. To achieve this goal, this campaign is being launched in the country covering all the children of 9 months to below 15 years of age group. Measles Rubella (MR) campaign in the country has been launched in a phased manner from Feb 2017 onwards. It is expected to cover around 41 crore children in the next two years across the country. All children aged between 9 months and less than 15 years will be given a single shot of Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination irrespective of their previous Measles/Rubella vaccination status or MMR vaccination or Measles/Rubella disease status. MR vaccine will be provided free-of-cost across the states from session sites at schools as well as health facilities and outreach session sites. The vaccine is a safe & effective WHO Prequalified vaccine; also it is with Auto-Disable one time usable syringe i.e. One new syringe for every child is used in the campaign and Health department across India is using Auto Disabled syringes in immunization programme since 2005. Measles is a deadly disease and one of the important causes of death in children. It is highly contagious and spreads through coughing and sneezing of an infected person. Measles can make a child vulnerable to life-threatening complications such as pneumonia, diarrhea and brain infection. India accounts for a significant number of deaths from measles. Rubella is generally a mild infection, but has serious consequences if infection occurs in pregnant women, causing congenital Rubella syndrome (CRS), which is a cause of public health concern. CRS is characterized by congenital anomalies in the foetus and newborns affecting the eyes (glaucoma, cataract), ears (hearing loss), brain (microcephaly, mental retardation) and heart defects, causing a huge socio-economic burden on the families in particular, and society in general. Till date MR vaccination campaign completed in 20 states & UTs of India, 6 states & UTs continuing the campaign. A total of 11.85 crore (118.5 million) children have been safely vaccinated in 26 states and union territories. In Assam, till date we have successfully vaccinated more than 60 lakh children. Assam has a wonderful eVIN (Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network) mechanism since November 2016 to ensure quality management of vaccines. This system gives real-time monitoring of cold chain temperatures up to the primary health centre level ensured that vaccines are stored in recommended temperature at all times in ILR ( Ice lined refrigerator) as per Government of India guidelines with recommended temperature of 2-8 degree Celsius. Above 95% population immunity essential to stop endemic measles and rubella virus circulation i.e. why it is important that all the eligible children get vaccinated during this campaign in spite of their previous vaccination of MR/MMR vaccines. Development partners like WHO, UNICEF & UNDP are also giving a great support to the government of Assam in achieving 100% coverage of children. Unfortunately in some areas of Assam rumours have been circulated by miscreants that MR Vaccine causes infertility and this vaccination drive is only targeting to particular section of the society. Rumours are also doing the rounds that this vaccine causes various types of new diseases. It is to be mentioned that similar rumours were also circulated last year during the drive of Japanese encephalitis vaccination. Therefore, it is requested that all the parents come forward to extend their full support to the health department in getting the children vaccinated in this campaign and make India free from measles and congenital rubella syndromes. Dr Ilias Ali is a professor of surgery at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). He can be reached at [email protected] It also does not reflect the views of the Firm of which the Author is working for. Since the inception of this blog, the Author has avoided writing views and opinions of his clients or views and opinions which third parties has paid him to write. The Author has maintained editorial independence since Day One. Any individual or group affected by the opinions and views of the Author can write the author thru mangubat.patricio@gmail.com. Opinions and views expressed in this blog are personal views of the Author and does not involve organisations and companies being serviced by the Author as part of his profession as a Strategic Communications professional. Armenia deputy PM Suren Papikyan is appointed defense minister Fatal hit-and-run occurs in Yerevan Karabakh President visits Askeran region Commander of Russia peacekeepers in Artsakh participates in Geographical Dictation international education campaign Yerevan man, 54, found dead in house, there are traces of violence on his face Number of people over age of 18 vaccinated against Covid reaches about 1 million in Armenia Armenia to partake in CSTO special forces military exercises in Tajikistan 378 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Russia peacekeepers in Karabakh ensure over 4,000 vehicles safe passage through Lachin corridor in 1 month About 100 people injured in 2 earthquakes in southern Iran Armenia Central Electoral Commission issues preliminary results of local elections World gold prices going down World oil prices dropping Russia creates spacecraft for space tourism Poll: Biden approval rating reaches lowest level since inauguration Mayor of Armenias Chakaten village: No one called, came from the authorities Parsyan on Azerbaijan checkpoint at Chakaten village section: 7-8 km road to reach Kapan will become 150 km Armenia local elections: Ruling party wins in Ijevan Azerbaijan to set up checkpoint on Armenias Kapan-Chakaten motorway as of 12am Monday Mayor of Armenias Kapan: This was victory of dignity Armenia local elections: Incumbent mayors victory is celebrated at opposition bloc headquarters in Kapan Poland police say group of 50 migrants broke through border with Belarus Armenia local elections: Final voter turnout at 47.4% as of 8pm Armenia local elections: Incumbent mayor clear leader in Kapan city, preliminary results say Queen Elizabeth misses Remembrance Sunday service after back sprain Muammar Gaddafi's son to run for Libya president Armenia MOD: Situation relatively stabilized at eastern part of border with Azerbaijan At least one person killed after 2 strong quakes strike southern Iran Armenia local elections: Voter turnout at 38.38% as of 5pm Armenia FM to head for Brussels Putin: Europe itself is to blame for thousands of migrants going there Azerbaijan army attempts to secure positional advance in eastern direction of Armenia border Several climate issues were not addressed during COP26, UN Secretary General says Armenia local elections: Voter turnout at 25.71% as of 2pm Putin to address Russia MFA board enlarged meeting next week Artsakh ex-ombudsman: UN Human Rights Committee advised Armenia not to deploy police troops at peaceful assemblies Zakharova: UK has no right to accuse anyone of refugee situation on Poland-Belarus border Armenia local elections: Voter turnout at 10.3% as of 11am 2 more persons die of coronavirus in Artsakh Armenia pizzeria chain restaurants reopen after mass food poisoning 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 The foreign ministers of Russia and Italy, Sergey Lavrov and Enzo Moavero-Milanesi, will discuss the situation in Syria, Libya and the Ukrainian crisis on October 8, RT reported. The sides will also discuss international security, interaction within the OSCE, taking into account the Italian chairmanship in this organization in 2018, as well as Russian-Italian bilateral relations. According to MFA, despite the restraints associated with participation in Euro-Atlantic structures, Italian authorities are trying to adhere to a balanced and long-term approach in relations with Russia. Earlier, Lavrov and Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto discussed Ukrainian crisis. - Without his dad, who would recognise him? He really has no character, read one top-rated comment. -- I mean, true. Reply Thread Link It is so true. He is what he is, a "fame" photographer, thanks to his parents. But if it wasn't for them, he'd be another bloke taking artsy pics on his insta account. Reply Parent Thread Link No lies. Reply Parent Thread Link Very true indeed Reply Parent Thread Link Ban the whole family from China tbh Reply Thread Link on top of the racism I like that he thinks he's some brilliant photographer. I remember his photography book going around bc it was so embarrassing. he's truly the definition of nepotism. god I can remember growing up watching United and Brooklyn being tiny and walking around Old Trafford. I feel so old. Reply Thread Link That book... The worst Reply Parent Thread Link I just Googled his photography and ROFL at the shot in his book that is of the vague silhouette of an elephant, totally unrecognizable in the shadows because of the bright sunlight behind it, with the caption "elephants in kenya. so hard to photograph, but incredible to see." Do you understand what a picture is supposed to be bro? His photos all look like random cell phone pictures with a black-and-white filter slapped on to make them "artsy." Reply Parent Thread Link Huge fan of Brooklyn Beckham's terrible photographs and even worse captions pic.twitter.com/012PeCcED4 Alice Jones (@alicevjones) June 23, 2017 the people defending brooklyn in the comments though. yikes. just why lmao you made me look up that photothe people defending brooklyn in the comments though. yikes. just why Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Trash, racist, product of nepotism, should befriend the Hadids. I'm dying at "Your kid BKB not only the face and legs ugly but also the ugliness of the soul." Reply Thread Link What got me was, "Would you mind taking care of your distorted child" lmao. I'm gonna use that one. Reply Parent Thread Link same lmao [2] Reply Parent Thread Link lmao this is great Reply Parent Thread Link LMAO I can't breathe Reply Parent Thread Link same lmao Reply Parent Thread Link DRAG HIM! Reply Thread Link Its not about being Asian or not its about being human so Brooklyn and I know what to do Brooklyn Beckham Crew (@BBeckhamCrew) October 5, 2018 so Brooklyn and I know what to do lol..??? stans of untalented nepotism kids are truly the worst lol..??? stans of untalented nepotism kids are truly the worst Reply Thread Link Right? I used to know a girl who constantly referred to the Beckham kids as HER kids, and would have like "Cruz's Real Mommy" on her profile. It was def creepy, and she wasn't alone. Reply Parent Thread Link How old is she, tho? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link ew wtf! I've legit never heard of something like that Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Creepy as fuck Reply Parent Thread Link how very all lives matter Reply Parent Thread Link Ok. You're a tourist too, trash. Reply Thread Link his stans pretending to not know what he meant with those posts are a trip. maybe east asian brands will learn to stop idolizing whiteness. Reply Thread Link What a fucking moron. Reply Thread Link Hope he gets banned from China like Gigi Reply Thread Link wtf why would he post pictures of other people on his ig Reply Thread Link bc he doesn't see Asians as worthy of respect Reply Parent Thread Link because like the good woke sis halsey once pointed out Reply Parent Thread Expand Link wtf i cant Reply Parent Thread Link Wow woke queen Reply Parent Thread Link Dumb btch. Hope she deservedly catches all the STDs from the fuckboys who fuck around on her. Reply Parent Thread Link Fuck her Reply Parent Thread Link this is a thing for the youths who think they're photographers cole sprouse does it too Reply Parent Thread Link A lot of people see no problem in taking pictures of strangers and posting them on social media. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link No one care about the Beckham name except in Asia and especially China ... they love him there. So dont trash on the pp that feed you family you stupid fool ... I hope China ban his ass. Reply Thread Link Ugh. He couldn't just stick to being untalented, he had to go full racist. Reply Thread Link I wish I could say I still had room to remain disappointed by a rich white man but I think I'm at capacity. Reply Thread Link [ Spoiler (click to open) ] One of Colton's contestants has One of Colton's contestants has dumped him , leaving the show three weeks into filming. According to a screencap from her social media, she left because Colton is "weird as shit," and she didn't want to be around "psycho people." Yes, Ive seen @jordan__kimball IG post of the letter Jennas lawyer sent him. Same lawyer that sent me a letter that we responded to within 24 hrs and never heard back from. Jordan and I had a good laugh over this. Weve officially entered Crazy Town and Jenna is the Mayor. RealitySteve (@RealitySteve) October 6, 2018 Whew, there's so much Bachelor crap floating around. Let's get to it.Not really a spoiler because it's already all over the internet, but just in case:Tia, Raven, Adam, and their friends apparently think that Colton does not have good motives Becca and Garrett took their engagement photos Jenna's lawyer emailed a demand letter to Jordan, demanding that he publicly apologize for being "quick to judge." The lawyer apparently also called Jordan on the phone and shouted at him. She still insists that the texts are fake and says she will sue Reality Steve.Reality Steve had a good response:Bekah M. had an even better one:Jacqueline is catching some heat. She and Jordan From New Zealand broke up: Someone posted on the Bachelor subreddit that Jenna cheated on Jordan at a BDSM play party. She strongly denies the rumor.She also went on Reality Steve's podcast and said that she is glad Arie was The Bachelor because he is "more cosmopolitan" than Peter. People online are calling her a snob for using the word "cosmopolitan."She hung out with Jenna, even though the rest of Bachelor Nation seems to be on Jordan's side. Apparently, she wants to gain more Instagram followers.Anneliese went on Kaitlyn Bristowe's podcast . She says that she is not afraid of everything; she has one fake front tooth; she met Kamil when he came in on Day 6 of Paradise. She also says that Kamil is the best kisser. He also said, "I swear on my mother's life" that he wouldn't blindside her on the reunion... AND THEN HE DID IT.Onseason finale, Bachelor Nick "Honey Badger" Cummins picked... no one. He said that the timing wasn't right. All the Canadian contestants who have been onFinally, Christy Caserta, who appeared on Brad Womack's season in 2011, died at age 38 after having a seizure. Her friends, family, and fellow Bachelor contestants posted their remembrances on social media. R.I.P. This week the State Department accused OPEC of hiding spare capacity exceeding 1.4 million barrels daily. It urged the cartel to use it to stop the oil price rally that has continued uncomfortably close to midterm elections. The requestor demand, depending on your interpretationis unprecedented and it might do more harm than good. Bloomberg quoted a veteran energy analyst from Jefferies, Jason Gammel, as saying, This is the lowest level of spare capacity in the global system relative to demand that Ive ever seen. Spare capacity is moving to a precariously low point. The problem is, nobody seems to be certain exactly how much OPECs spare capacity is. In its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, the EIA estimated OPECs spare production capacity at 1.66 million bpd. But the International Energy Agency last month estimated OPECs spare capacity at 2.7 million bpd and is fast declining. What we do know, however, is how much spare capacity Saudi Arabia has: 1.3 million bpd, as revealed by the Energy Minister of the Kingdom during the Russian Energy Week in Moscow. This is bad news. Until now, various sources, including the Saudis themselves and the EIA, put the Kingdoms spare capacity at between 1.5 and 2 million bpd. In June, President Trump said the Saudis could pump 12 million bpd. The IEA concurred. Saudi Arabias September production rate rose to 10.7 million bpd. From this level of production, with 1.3 million bpd in spare capacity, we get a maximum production rate of 12 million bpd, indeed. However, Khalid al-Falih delivered a worrying message: Saudi Arabia will spend US$20 billion on maintaining and boosting its spare capacity in the coming years. The news naturally cast doubt on whether the current capacity will be sufficient to cover demand. So, Saudi Arabia has 1.3 million bpd and the rest of OPECexcept Iran, of coursewould probably be able to scrounge another 100,000 bpd to fulfill Washingtons request. Prices should go down and Indian refiners should breathe a sigh of relief. Unfortunately, what should happen does not necessarily happen. Related: Goldman Warns Of Oil Market Surplus Next Year The oil market is an extremely irrational one. The latest evidence of this came just this week when the Energy Information Administration reported a huge build in U.S. commercial oil inventories8 million barrelsand prices, after a slight dip, continued higher. True, now they are trending lower but thats because of profit-taking. Even Russias Novak, who previously argued that seasonal weakness in demand would prevent oil prices from climbing much higher, now says they might reach US$100 in a very nervous and emotional market. Indeed, few are those heeding advice from industry observers who say there is enough supply and this supply is coming from Iran and it will continue to be available even after the U.S. sanctions are reintroduced in early November. Few seem to be paying actual attention to warnings that the higher oil goes, the more it will weigh on demand. The oil market lives in the moment and cares not about fundamentals. What it cares about is fear. The State Departments request for OPEC to pump at capacity has caused fear rather than relief: Oil markets will read it that spare production is at an all time low, is how an analyst from IHS Markit put it for Bloomberg. Blame speculators if you want, but this is how oil markets work, Roger Diwan said. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Trump Administration trade policy is nowhere so clear as in the energy area. For years it was thought that the younger Bush Administration was one of the most energy industry friendly in history. But the Trump Administration has gone far beyond that. Hiring Ray Tillerson, the former CEO of ExxonMobil, as U.S. Secretary of State, sent a strong signal to the entire industry, even though his tenure proved to be temporary. Prior to that, the Administration withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement, a long-held priority of Exxon and the entire oil industry. Following hard upon that, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reduced or eliminated regulations limiting carbon and other pollutants. Exxon has for more than a decade underwritten the now discredited, right wing attack on climate change as a hoax. Although the energy industry has now publicly acknowledged climate change as a global threat, in practice the subject is still largely ignored. Going further, the Trump Administration has removed and reduced regulations that hampered the industry expansion, including allowing drilling on both ocean coast, while easing safety regulations that were brought into effect after BPs Gulf of Mexico disastrous spill, the worst in U.S. history. Government protected nature preserves are being opened to exploration and drilling for the first time in generations. Added to that was the dropping of regulations that for many years prohibited export of U.S. crude. Since then, the U.S. has become a major player in the global energy industry. The Administration currently plans to rescind and lower fuel efficiency standards for autos and trucks. That is likely to encourage increased purchase of larger SUVs, increased oil consumption, and rising gasoline prices. The Administration corporate tax cut, one of the largest in U.S. history, also strongly benefitted the energy industry, as it did other industries. From the moment he chose to run for President, Trump has embraced the new shale revolution in the U.S. as a major contributor to the countrys economic growth and energy independence. Increasingly, Trump has become the top promoter for increasing exports of U.S. Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) to world markets. He openly threatened to place economic sanctions on Germany if it went ahead with the deal for Russias new Nordstream 2 pipeline, that would nearly double natural gas supplies from Russia, Germanys largest supplier. As most observers noted, the U.S. sanction threat was accompanied by the offer of U.S. LNG to Germany and Europe, as a replacement of Russian gas. No doubt that Trumps bullying offended European sensibility, but despite the German protest regarding outside interference in its domestic economic affairs, and its intention to complete the Russian pipeline, Germany is quietly building up LNG importing facilities, "as a gesture to American friends." Most energy experts agree that it is inevitable that U.S. LNG will eventually become a component of European markets, despite its significantly higher price to Russian and Norwegian gas, if for no other reasons to keep the peace with America, Europe's largest ally, and assure Europes access to the U.S. market. This will also serve to assuage the U.S. complaints about unfair trade. It matters little that the U.S. trade deficit with Germany centers on its auto industry rather than energy, if the sale of natural gas serves to reduce the U.S. trade deficit. Related: U.S. Will Not Release Oil From SPR To Offset Iran Sanctions The same could be said about the U.S./China trade deficit. China, the largest energy consumer, is the one country where solutions to the trade deficit is clearly at hand, involving increased U.S. LNG imports. China already has a long-term, 20-year deal to import LNG from the leading U.S. LNG company, Cheniere Energy. China could easily reduce the amount of gas imports from variety of other suppliers (i.e., Qatar, Australia, New Guinea, Iran, Russia) and replace these with U.S. supplies. That would be a near costless transaction for China, as it is already paying other producers for natural gas and LNG supplies. Consider the effects of a possible LNG deal could have on the trade dispute. In terms of the current deficit, China sales to the U.S. is estimated at around $350 billion, while U.S. sales to the China is around $150 billion. Last May, the China signed a $25 billion deal for importing U.S. LNG. If we assumed that in current negotiations the two countries could strike a modest deal for another $25 billion in annual U.S. LNG sales to China, U.S. sales to China increases to $200 billion, reducing Chinas surplus to $300 billion. If that were to take place, the trade deficit would reduce to around $100 billion, and Trump would no doubt return to the election campaign trail to boast of the first U.S. trade victory over China. The risk to this scenario is the presumption that everyone involved really wants a solution to the trade dispute, but there is widespread suspicions that U.S. tariffs on China may be less about fair trade and more about economic warfare to contain Chinas growth. George Friedman's "Geopolitical Futures" recently noted that "The U.S. is beginning to see it [tariffs] more as a strategic opportunity to contain Chinese assertiveness than as a play to invigorate U.S. manufacturing." On various Asian websites, there remains a stalwart band of journalists, led by Pepe Escobar, who maintain that Europe, Russia, China, and Iran will band together to thwart U.S. sanctions on Iran, and that 'Iran's oil sales will be totally unaffected. They also hold strongly to the opinion that China will not yield to U.S. threats and ultimatum. This despite the fact that major energy companies, like Royal Dutch Shell and Total have already fled Iran in fear of US sanctions, while major countries are severely cutting Iran imports. Sanctions against Iran will certainly reduce its exports substantially, with the worst case estimates of a loss to the markets of 1.5 million barrels of oil per day. This will also open opportunities in under supplied markets that will almost certainly be exploited by U.S. and other competitors. Currently, Japan and India have agreed to major reductions of energy imports from Iran. Recent news has it that Sinopec, Chinas largest oil and gas refiner, under threats of US sanctions, also agreed to severely cut imports from Iran. It's no secret that nearly all of Irans competitors, it's OPEC 'partners', will go after those under supplied markets, as will the U.S. Some observers believe that because the upcoming election is uppermost in the minds of both U.S. political parties, a trade victory with China is extremely important to the Republican election campaign. If so, their thinking goes, a deal will result in easing tariffs with China by November. Trump himself recently stated that he's ready to talk trade with China, but continues to add the qualifier, "not now." Many Trump watchers interpret this to mean that 'getting tough with China' plays well to Trump's base, boosts the Republican election prospects, and afterwards a trade deal is likely to be struck. Any trade deal with China could also be used by the U.S. as a template for deals with Japan, India, and South Korea, the next largest Asian importers of natural gas. It can hardly be coincidence that, as in Europe, these energy importing countries are threatened by US tariffs over unfair trade. However, Geopolitical Futures states that "the broad impression in China appears to be that Trump isnt actually interested in a deal certainly not one that China could accept and that this is just the first major salvo in an emerging Cold War and that instead ... the world needs to get ready for a new cold war with China. Related: Gazprom's Bid To Maintain European Energy Dominance In a recent speech, Richard Haas, president of New York-based think tank Council on Foreign Relations stated that "...the Trump administration initially focused just on trade, but now its broadening, and it almost seems as if the administration wants to have something of a cold war with China. What about Venezuela, a country estimated to have the largest oil reserves in the world, also laboring under U.S. sanctions? It's also a country about which the Administration has made no secret of its plans for a possible U.S. military invasion to topple the Maduro government. Why go public with that story now, with only a little more than a month towards U.S. Congressional elections? There is widespread speculation that this announcement may be a trial balloon, as part of the preparation for laying the ground work for an invasion aimed at bolstering Republican election prospects. To date, there has been no sign of opposition to these threats from Democrats. Conclusion: It's no accident that sanctions are aimed at the U.S. largest energy competitors, Russia and Iran, nor is it coincidence that the largest energy importers, Europe, China, Japan, south Korea are also under threat of U.S. tariffs or sanctions. Instead, it clearly shows that the U.S. is using the threat of economic warfare and possible military conflict as leverage to open markets to the newest player on the world's energy market, American LNG. If the U.S. is successful in these deals, it's likely that in future, there will be a parallel attempt to make inroads for US crude export to the very same oil importing countries, relying upon the very same LNG game plan. By Robert Berke for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Nauru's government has ordered Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) to cease its work on the tiny Pacific island treating asylum-seekers and locals suffering from mental health problems, the medical charity said. The country has come under fire over the treatment of asylum-seekers, including children, who are housed in Canberra-funded refugee detention camps under a controversial deal to prevent boat people setting foot on Australian shores. "The Nauruan government informed Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors without borders that our services were 'no longer required' and requested that our activities cease within 24 hours," an MSF spokesman told AFP in a statement Saturday. Detainees say medical services in the camps are limited and habitually overwhelmed because so many inhabitants suffer from psychological illnesses. A 2016 report by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child cited "inhuman and degrading treatment" of minors in the camp, "including physical, psychological and sexual abuse". An MSF spokesman said the charity was "extremely concerned that the health of our patients may be affected by this decision and urge the authorities to grant us permission to continue our lifesaving work". There was no immediate comment from the Nauru government. Australia's home affairs department said the decision was Nauru's to make, but added that Canberra "continues to provide appropriate healthcare and mental health support to refugees and asylum seekers through contracted service providers". According to the MSF website, it has been providing psychological and psychiatric services on Nauru since late last year. "The lack of mental health support available affects both the Nauruan population and the asylum-seekers and refugees living on the island as part of the Australian government's policy of offshore processing," the organisation said. "Our teams have identified cases of schizophrenia and family violence and concerning levels of depression in Nauru, especially among children." The United Nations has raised concerns that the indefinite detention of people who have committed no crime is unlawful. However, Canberra denies mistreatment and says offshore processing is needed to stop deaths occurring when people-smugglers cram asylum-seekers into rickety boats for the treacherous voyage to try to reach Australia. 4 hours ago Washington seeks over $38 billion from opioid distributors SEATTLE (AP) Having rejected a half-billion-dollar settlement offer, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson is taking the state's case against the nation's three biggest drug distributors to trial Monday, saying they must be held accountable for their role in the opioid crisis. But his gamble isn't without risk, as a loss by three California counties in a similar case this month demonstrates. Read Article Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Cold War is a tragic, fatalistic love story set in Poland after the second world war. The year is 1949. Wiktor (Tomasz Kot) and Irena (Agata Kulesza), two musical enthusiasts, are seen traveling and collecting samples of Polish folk music in rural areas. They are pivotal forces behind a newly established Polish state-run music school. While auditioning many young, talented pupils, a sultry, troubled girl Zula (Joanna Kulig) catches Wiktor's eyes. It's a school where they train students to be entertainers on stage, involving not only singing but also choreographed dancing in traditional garb. Zula, talented and with a beautiful voice, becomes a star soon enough. And Wiktor and Zula soon become lovers. Now the year is 1952. Soon the school and its troop becomes a success; the communist regime takes an interest and pressures them to integrate pro-Stalin propaganda songs. Irena objects at first but relents at the insistence of Kaczmarek (Borys Szyc), the founder of the school. Still, it gives the school and Zula an opportunity to travel and perform elsewhere in Europe. While they are performing in Paris, Wiktor suggests to Zula that they defect to the West. But Zula fails to show up at the rendez-vous point and they are separated. Many years pass. Wiktor is now living in Paris, composing and playing piano in a jazz ensemble, living in a tiny apartment, like a true bohemian in French movies. After seeing Zula perform with her traveling Polish group on stage in Zagreb, and after being forcefully removed and put on a train out of Yugoslavia, they are reunited in Paris. The whole Paris scene doesn't satisfy Zula, however. It's too stuck up and Wiktor seems to have lost his mojo in a foreign land. "In Poland, you were a man!" Zula chastises him. After a couple of jealousy fueled fights -- involving poet Juliette (Jeanne Balibar) and movie director Michel (French director Cedric Kahn) in Wiktor's circle of artist friends -- Zula goes back to Poland. Wiktor, crestfallen, decides to go back to Poland for Zula, risking being jailed as a unpatriotic traitor. Shot again in full frame monochrome by Lukascz Zal, Cold War is every bit as beautiful as Ida. His use of head space is there and it's lovely. Kulig has a clear and beautiful singing voice in every style, providing some of the loveliest vocal tracks for the films great jazzy soundtrack. Pawlikowski deftly directs; like his previous film, Ida, this 90 minute film in a breeze. But whereas this quick, no moment to spare, no time to contemplate pace worked for a young woman coming of age story, for something like Cold War and the subject like tragic love, I wish the director spent a little more time with Wiktor and especially more with Zula, since Kulig, resembling a Slavic Lea Seydoux, is very lovely to look at and listen to. Constantly fading to black after pivotal moments in their lives doesn't feel like just time passing or a mere transition, but more like we've missed out on a lot of details. I understand Pawlikowski's driving idea of 'love has no ideology or borders,' yet the absence of the couple's political allegiance/aversion as 'artists' bothered me (the same way as Ida wearing religion on her sleeve in Ida), especially that no background for either of them was ever fully explored. The ending is beautiful, but I feel like the rest of the film didn't quite earn it. Cold War plays as part of the 2018 New York Film Festival. A complete schedule can be found here. Dustin Chang is a freelance writer. His musings and opinions on everything cinema and beyond can be found at www.dustinchang.com Yet another slight bunch of vignettes taking place in and around a coffee shop in Seoul, Grass is ever prolific Korean auteur Hong Sangsoo's first release of two this year (the second one being Hotel by the River; read Pierce Conran's review here). It sketches out in four different 'conversations.' Clocking in at a brisk 66 minutes, the film sees the director's ever-present muse, Kim Minhee, passively observing then participating in those conversations. Being in five of the last six Hong films, one can assume that Kim's contribution to his artistry is only growing. Here, she is still a beguiling beauty, but shows that she can be merciless and downright nasty when she wants to be, even without the help of a usual, heavy consumption of soju. Grass is not groundbreaking or anything, but it's perhaps more cynical and darker than his other films. Still, Hong's human comedy continues with slight variations each time with delicious results. Areum (Kim) is seen typing away her thoughts in her MacBook in the near-window corner of an unassuming coffee shop. She eavesdrops on the conversations of customers and gives her thoughts in a constant voice-over; one can wonder if these conversations and arguments were her creations. There is much discussion about death: the first conversation she eavesdrops on is from a young couple. Their chat starts harmlessly, then descends into emotional outbursts, the girl accusing the boy of their friend's death. Then there is an old stage actor, whose attempted suicide over a woman left him jobless and homeless. But his pupil can't bring herself to invite him to stay with her family. Areum makes assumptions and judges these people harshly in her thoughts. What brings Areum's disdain out in the open is the presence of an actor/writer (played by Jung Jinyoung, pretty much a Hong stand-in), who is looking for a writing partner for his new script. After his request gets rejected by his writer friend (Kim Saebyuk), who chastises him by saying, "Writers write alone," he tries his luck on the beautiful stranger. Areum outright says that she is not a writer. She just writes for herself. He insists that they collaborate. And in order to do that, he needs to move in with her and spend 10 days observing her. Saved by her younger brother's arrival, she excuses herself out of the conversation. On the street, she tells her brother with the tone of disgust how the actor came on to her. Her nasty streak continues when she meets her brother's new girlfriend. She skewers the young couple for thinking about marriage without knowing each other too well: "You are already set up for a failure!" She then blows up on her brother for not picking up the check for their lunch and growls at him for being pussy-whipped. It's no use to describe Hong's style here anymore -- minimal long takes, goofy auto zoom and pan, two-shot long takes. He's obviously not interested in 'making a mark' with his 'style.' But with just one look at his films, everyone can recognize that they are his. No style has become his style. I heard him saying "because I ran out of things to name," when asked why the film is called Grass at Berlinale. He tries different things here and there; notably in Grass, there is an extended over the shoulder shot where we don't see a man's face, then the camera pans to see his shadow on the wall gesticulating as the conversation heats up. The usual chicken scratch titles are gone and replaced by what looks like xeroxed title cards. Yet these (no) stylings don't add up to much, nor does dissonant classical music, that blares all over the dialog, which only serves more as an absurd comedic effect. The later part of the film brings them all together back in the coffee shop, drinking a couple of soju bottles they sneaked in, thanks to the grace of the unseen, good-hearted shop owner. There you see Areum accepting an invitation to join the conversation. She's shown that she can take care of herself from unwanted and frequent men's advances, and when necessary, doesn't take shit from anybody. Emotions are gullible and forceful, precious, cheap and alluring. her voice-over says. Even if Areum looks down on everyone from her pedestal, at the end, emotions are what makes us human, Hong seems to say. Grass plays as part of the 2018 New York Film Festival. A complete schedule can be found here. Dustin Chang is a freelance writer. His musings and opinions on everything cinema and beyond can be found at www.dustinchang.com I've come to love the folksy, good-hearted nature of Alice Rohrwacher's delicate, charming films about rural Italian villages and their eclectic inhabitants, peppered with her brand of unsentimental magic realism. Her latest offering, Happy as Lazzaro, is an allegorical tale that plays out in wonderfully unexpected ways. Inviolata is an isolated mountain village that seems like it is stuck in the middle ages. The farmers are seen tending livestock, harvesting tobacco plants and living in squalid conditions. Electricity seems to be scarce, as they complain when the only light bulb in the common area of the house goes out. Everyone in the village, young and old, is working from morning to dusk non-stop. A wide -eyed, good-natured boy, Lazzaro (Adriano Tardiolo), seems to be in everyone's demand. Whatever the task, he is there to do it without questioning. Nicola, in a funny suit and tie who seems to be in charge of the whole production, comes in to collect the villager's tobacco harvest, does the calculation and tells them that they are in the red again after all the expenses that he brings in -- light bulbs, supplies and what not. The villagers complain but quiet down soon enough. It seems their arrangement has been like this way for a long time. Nicola's wife, marquise de Luna (Nicoletta Braschi of Life is Beautiful and Johnny Stecchino) and their spoiled children Tancredi and Maria are in town, staying in their opulent mansion. Tancredi, a blonde boy who is clueless about the villager's living conditions, strolls around in his fancy clothes and his Walkman, bored out of his skull. But he takes a liking to Lazzaro, who obliges to his every whim. After Lazzaro shows Tancredi his secret hangout up on the dusty hill, the rich boy comes up with an idea of kidnapping himself and sending a ransom letter to his parents. Days go by. Nicola suspiciously refuses to call police and marquise refuses to pay the ransom. Lazzaro, busy working, but also worried about his new friend up on the hill all by himself, worries himself sick and falls ill. Maria secretly calls the police and all hell breaks loose. See, the first half of Happy as Lazzaro plays out like a gritty yet affable tale of small folks up in the mountains. Everything is very authentic and natural, showing their way of life; young people fall in love and want to leave the village. They have to protect livestock from marauding wolves, tobacco plants need to be harvested and smoked and dried. It plays out something like a humorous version of Ermano Olmi's realist films, except for some strange inconsistencies, like the presence of Tancredi's walkman and flip phones. (Rohrwacher deliberately makes the time period obscure). You think it's a throwback of old, folksy yarn so far, then the film turns into something different altogether. After the arrival of police, it is revealed that the town of Inviolata has been taken advantage of by the marquise and Nicola. After the historic flooding long ago, the town was cut off from the outside world and, unbeknownst to them, the marquise family continued to exploit them for their labor in their little modern feudal system. By the time our Lazzaro, who had fallen ill and in his delirium, fell from the cliff looking for Tancredi, regains his consciousness, many years have gone by and Inviolata has been emptied out. Lazzaro meets two thieves, Ultimo (great Sergi Lopez) and Pippo, at now abandoned villa of the marquise and hitches a ride with them to their house, an old tanker beside the railroad tracks. There Lazzaro reunites with Antonia (Alba Rohrwacher, sister of director Alice), who was a little girl back in Inviolata and now is all grown up. In fact, most of the villagers who live in the same place, are all old now. They are scraping by, by way of stealing and scavenging. They regard Lazzaro, who hadn't aged a bit, with a great deal of skepticism at first, calling him a ghost. But they recognize his innocence and good-heartedness. Lazzaro, who had sworn his friendship with Tancredi, will never stop looking for him. One can regard Lazzaro as the Chance character in Being There. Almost saint-like, Lazzaro is a metaphysical being who is too good to be true. In fact, all the villagers are. What's done is done. They don't hold the grudge against the marquise and her family. They are even willing to give them expensive pastries. Rohrbacher makes a point about the current immigration situations that it's just as exploitative as the middle ages. As Lazzaro and Antonia watch, there is a scene involving a sort of reversed slavery auction: the recruiter shouts that a job pays four euros and 50 cents. Migrant workers grumble that the wage is too low. But instead of asking for higher wages, they compete for lowering their wage demands just to get a job. The child actors are great, and so is the always excellent Alba Rohrbacher. And the Helene Louvart-lensed 16mm cinematography is gorgeous. But the real star is Tardiolo. There is a sense of decency in that babyface and wide fawny eyes. Lazzaro is someone who is desperately needed in this cynical, cruel world. Alice Rohrbacher's writing shines in bringing out humor and humanity in a whimsical yet pointed allegory, full of wonders. Happy as Lazzaro plays as part of the 2018 New York Film Festival. A complete schedule can be found here. Dustin Chang is a freelance writer. His musings and opinions on everything cinema and beyond can be found at www.dustinchang.com The number of people believed missing from the quake and tsunami that struck Indonesia's Palu city has soared to 5,000, an official said Sunday, an indication that far more may have perished in the twin disaster than the current toll. Indonesia's disaster agency say they have recovered 1,763 bodies so far from the 7.5-magnitude and subsequent tsunami that struck Sulawesi on September 28. But there are fears that two of the hardest-hit neighbourhoods in Palu -- Petobo and Balaroa -- could contain thousands more victims, swallowed up by ground that engulfed whole communities in a process known as liquefaction. "Based on reports from the (village) heads of Balaroa and Petobo, there are about 5,000 people who have not been found," agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told reporters Sunday. "Nevertheless, officials there are still trying to confirm this and are gathering data. It is not easy to obtain the exact number of those trapped by landslides, or liquefaction, or mud." Nugroho said the search for the unaccounted would continue until October 11, at which point they would be listed as missing, presumed dead. The figure drastically increases the estimates for those who disappeared when the disaster struck 10 days ago. Officials had initially predicted some 1,000 people were buried beneath the ruins of Palu. But the latest tally speaks to the considerable destruction in the worst-hit areas of Petobo and Balaroa as the picture on the ground has become clearer. - Wiped out - Petobo, a cluster of villages in Palu, was virtually wiped out by the powerful quake and wall of water that devastated Palu. Much of it was sucked whole into the ground as the vibrations from the quake turned soil to quicksand. It was feared that beneath the crumbled rooftops and twisted rebar, a vast number of bodies remain entombed. In Balaroa, a massive government housing complex was also subsumed by the quake and rescuers have struggled to extract bodies from the tangled mess in the aftermath of the disaster. Hopes of finding anyone alive have faded, as the search for survivors morphs into a grim gathering and accounting of the dead. "This is day ten. It would be a miracle to actually find someone still alive," Muhammad Syaugi, the head of Indonesia's search and rescue agency told AFP on Sunday. The government has been considering declaring those communities flattened in Palu as mass graves, and leaving them untouched. Muhlis, whose uncle was still missing in Balaroa, said the missing and dead should be honoured respectfully. "There should be a monument here to make people aware, so that our grandchildren will know this disaster happened in 2018," said Muhlis, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. - 'Great need' - The grim news comes as relief efforts were ramped up to reach 200,000 people in desperate of help after days of delays. Looters ransacked shops in the aftermath of the disaster more than a week ago, as food and water ran dry and convoys bringing life-saving relief were slow to arrive. But the trickle of international aid to Palu and local efforts to help the survivors have accelerated in recent days. Planeloads of supplies were landing with increasing frequency in Palu, where daisy chains of troops unloaded supplies directly onto trucks or helicopters. More than 82,000 military and civilian personnel, as well as volunteers, are on the ground while Indonesian army choppers are undertaking supply runs to remote areas blocked off by the disaster. "They are in great need because the road is cut off and it's accessible only by air", Second Lieutenant Reinaldo Apri told AFP after piloting a helicopter to rugged Lindu district, some 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of Palu. Hercules planes carrying tonnes of donations from Australia and the United States reached Palu on Sunday morning, as did a plane chartered by Save the Children and another carrying a South African medical team. Teams of Indonesian Red Cross workers set up warehouses and fanned out to distribute supplies across the region. But relief workers face a monumental task ahead. The tens of thousands left homeless by the disaster are scattered across Palu and beyond, many squatting outside their ruined homes or bunkered down in makeshift camps and entirely dependent on handouts to survive. "There is nowhere else to get food, nowhere is open," said 18-year-old Sela Fauziah in Palu's central market, where she queued with hundreds for essential food items being distributed by soldiers. Things are even more desperate in remoter areas. "I am coming to Palu to report that we need tents, because 95 percent of our village has been destroyed," said Simsom Mudju from Lindu, who clambered aboard the chopper to tell the outside world about his marooned community's plight. Dozens of people protested against Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro under the slogan Ele Nunca, Ele Nao, or never him, not him, in Sao Paulo on October 6, the day preceding election day. Similar protests also took place in London and all over the world in previous weeks, following multiple controversial comments from the far-right candidate about women and the LGBTQ community. Bolsonaro will compete against former Sao Paulo Mayor Fernando Haddad in the election; Haddad replaced Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as the Workers party candidate after da Silva was jailed for corruption and barred from running. Al Jazeera reported Bolsonaro was leading in the polls and was projected to have 40 pecent of the vote on the eve of the election. Credit: jessicaroline__ via Storyful Iran's parliament on Sunday approved a bill to counter terrorist financing that was strongly opposed by conservatives but seen as vital to salvaging the nuclear deal with European and Asian partners. The bill aims to bring Iran's laws in line with international standards and allow it to join the UN Terrorism Financing Convention. It is one of four bills put forward by the government in recent months in a bid to meet demands by the international Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which has given Iran until later this month to tighten its laws against money laundering and terror financing. "Neither I nor the president can guarantee that all problems will go away if we join (the UN convention)," said Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif during Sunday's debate. "But I guarantee that not joining will provide the US with more excuses to increase our problems," he added. The issue has become particularly pressing since the United States walked out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran earlier this year and began reimposing sanctions. The other parties to the deal -- Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia -- have sought to salvage the agreement and maintain trade with Iran, but have demanded that it accede to the FATF. Joining the UN convention has been controversial because hardliners say it will limit Iran's ability to support armed groups in the region such as its Lebanese ally, Hezbollah. Iran is alone with North Korea on the blacklist of the FATF, although the Paris-based organisation has suspended counter-measures since June 2017 while Iran works on reforms. A previous bill on the mechanics of monitoring and preventing terrorist financing was signed into law in August. Two other bills -- on money-laundering and organised crime -- have also been passed by parliament but have been delayed by higher authorities that vet legislation, including the Guardian Council. - 'Death to traitors' - Conservatives were furious after Sunday's bill passed by 143 votes to 120, with protesters chanting "death to traitors" outside parliament. In a heated debate ahead of the vote, opponents of the bill said it would not solve the country's financial problems, and would help its enemies. Hardline lawmaker Mohammad Dehghan warned the bill means "providing the enemy with intelligence during an economic war" and that passing it amounted to "treason". Economists say greater transparency could cause problems for powerful behind-the-scenes networks, including the Revolutionary Guards military organisation, which is deeply embedded in Iran's opaque economy. Both sides of the debate have evoked supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to support their position. Conservatives pointed to Khamenei's statement in June that Iran has "no need to join" global conventions. But parliament speaker Ali Larijani, who supports the government's position, said he had received a letter from Khamenei explaining that his remarks were about "conventions in general" and not meant to oppose any particular bills. Reformist lawmaker Mohammad Feyzi told the session that Iran does not have "the luxury of choice" and will face negative consequences if it refuses to join the FATF. Ali Najafi, spokesman for the parliament's commission which produced the bill, said Iran retained the right to walk away from the UN convention "wherever it acts against the Iranian constitution" and emphasised that it does not force Iran to recognise Israel. A strong aftershock sent panicked residents fleeing into the streets on Sunday -- hours after a 5.9-magnitude earthquake killed at least 12 people along Haiti's northwest coast. AFP journalists in the Caribbean nation of 11 million reported strong shaking, felt around the coastal city of Port-de-Paix. It was not immediately clear if it had done any notable damage. Saturday's quake, centered 12 miles (19 kilometers) northwest of Port-de-Paix, injured more than 188 people, damaging or leveling several homes and public buildings. The tremor rattled the capital Port-de-Prince, sparking fear among residents still reeling from the massive 2010 earthquake that left at least 200,000 people dead and 300,000 more injured. President Jovenel Moise and Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant traveled to the affected area to view the damage and coordinate relief efforts. Moise tweeted pictures from Port-de-Paix, where he was briefed at the region's emergency response center, met victims, viewed damage to the police headquarters and offered thanks to local officers. He reported seeing damage to other buildings as well. Moise also visited Gros-Morne, about 30 miles to the southeast. He praised residents for their "show of solidarity and support," and urged them to remain calm. Saturday's quake, which was felt across the country, struck at 8:10 pm (0010 GMT Sunday) at a shallow depth of 7.3 miles. The government said eight of the 12 victims were killed in Port-de-Paix, capital of Haiti's Nord-Ouest department, while three were in Gros-Morne and one in Saint-Louis-du-Nord. The town of Chansolme and the small island of Tortuga also suffered damage, officials said. - 'Remain calm' - "I urge the population to remain calm," Moise said in a tweet Saturday. Some of the injuries were sustained when people panicked after the initial quake, the civil protection agency said. The agency confirmed that some homes were destroyed or damaged, without offering specific figures. The Nord-Ouest department is the poorest part of impoverished Haiti, with many areas isolated due to the dire state of the roads. There was an unusual buzz of activity, however, at the site in Gros-Morne where a community center had collapsed. Residents using saws or their bare hands scrambled to recover metal support rods from the debris for resale, before being chased away by authorities. The building's guard, who was sleeping at the time of the quake, was killed. A woman watching the disaster unfold, 49-year-old Rosette Jerome, said no one in her neighborhood had been killed but added that a child was seriously injured by a piece of falling masonry. Haitian officials said a convoy bringing food and drinking water was headed to the afflicted zone. A tweet from the US Embassy in Haiti expressed condolences to all affected and said "we stand ready to assist in the relief effort, if requested." The UN representative in Haiti, Helen La Lime, also offered help. A major international relief effort followed the devastating 7.0-magnitude quake that struck the island in January 2010, leaving more than 1.5 million people homeless. Tens of thousands remain in makeshift camps. Damage was estimated to total 120 percent of GDP in Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Longer-term reconstruction has been hampered by lingering political chaos in the nation of nearly 11 million people, and by a deadly cholera epidemic introduced by infected Nepalese UN peacekeepers sent in after the quake. Some 200 people took to the streets of Warsaw on Sunday to protest child sex abuse in the Catholic Church, in the first major such rally in staunchly Catholic Poland. The demonstrators marched through the capital waving banners reading "Bishop, protecting paedophiles is a crime" and "We are fed up with the clergy's cowardice". They also carried a map of the country with black crosses to mark places where complaints about child sex abuse had been made against clerics. There are no official statistics on the number of Polish priests convicted of child sex abuse, but a Polish association that helps victims estimates there were around 56 over nearly two decades, including clergy convicted of possessing child pornography. The protesters stopped in front of four churches in Warsaw to read out victims' accounts. Before the archbishop's seat, a long list of Polish cities and towns with documented paedophilia cases was read out to the sound of drums and with the crowd occasionally shouting "Shame!" "We are protesting because the Church remains passive and nothing is being done against those responsible for these crimes," said Marek Lisinki of the Don't Be Afraid organisation, which tracks child sex abuse cases inside the Church and organised Sunday's rally. "For too long, this has been a taboo subject in Poland," he added. Protests also took place in other Polish cities including in Poznan where an appeal court on Tuesday upheld a verdict ordering a Catholic priests' society to pay out record damages to a former child victim of a paedophile priest. The ruling was the first of its kind in a country where the Church still wields considerable influence. It is under increasing scrutiny worldwide over clerical sex abuse claims. Pope Francis has called for a meeting of all the heads of Catholic bishops' conferences worldwide at the Vatican next February to discuss the issue of the "protection of minors". In Poland, the recently released film "Kler" (The Clergy) about abuses and corruption in the Catholic Church drew close to two million spectators within a week -- a record in the country of 38 million. Turkish-backed rebels said Sunday they expected to finish withdrawing heavy weapons from a planned buffer zone in northwestern Syria within days under a deal to stave off a regime attack. Regime ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey reached the agreement on September 17 for the northwestern region of Idlib on the Turkish border to avert what many warned would be one of the worst humanitarian disasters of Syria's seven-year conflict. But Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Sunday the deal for the country's last major opposition bastion was just a "temporary measure" before the government retook the region. "The agreement is a temporary measure through which the state has realised many achievements on the ground starting with stemming the bloodshed," state news agency SANA reported Assad as saying. Idlib "and other Syrian territory still under terrorist control will return to the Syrian state," he reportedly said at a meeting of the central committee of his Baath party, employing the regime's usual term for both rebels and jihadists. Last month's agreement is to create a 15 to 20-kilometre (9-12 mile) demilitarised area ringing the Idlib region. Under the deal, all rebels in the buffer zone must withdraw heavy arms by Wednesday, and radical groups must leave by October 15. The National Liberation Front (NLF) announced Saturday that it has begun withdrawing heavy arms from the zone as part of an agreement between Russia and Turkey. - 'Several days' - "We began to withdraw our heavy weapons from the demilitarised zone to rear positions," NLF spokesman Naji Mustafa told AFP. "The operation will last several days," he said, adding that the weapons will be held by fighters deployed in positions outside the demilitarised zone. The NLF is the main Turkey-backed rebel alliance in the Idlib region, but jihadist heavyweight Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) holds a large part of the province and the zone. HTS, led by former Al-Qaeda fighters, has yet to announce its stance on the buffer zone deal. The Idlib region includes most of the province of the same name, as well as adjacent parts of the Hama and Aleppo provinces. On Sunday, an AFP correspondent saw NLF fighters on the frontline inside the planned buffer zone on the Idlib region's eastern flank. They waited in trenches armed with light weapons on a hill in the area of Al-Eis in Aleppo province, overlooking regime-held territory several kilometres (miles) away. The correspondent did not see any heavy weapons in Al-Eis. "According to the set deadline, the withdrawal of heavy weapons will end on October 10. The operation is ongoing," an NLF commander on site told AFP. "We are reinforcing our positions and are ready to face any violation" from the regime side, he added. - Jihadists? - In recent weeks, Turkey has deployed troops at "observation posts" it set up in rebel-held areas of Idlib and neighbouring Aleppo. Nawar Oliver, an analyst from the Turkey-based Omran Centre for Strategic Studies, said pro-Ankara fighters giving up their heavy weapons on the front line leaves them vulnerable to a regime attack. But "the Turkish military should have some kind of heavy artillery" with them, he said. On Saturday, a media spokesman for Faylaq al-Sham, one of the NLF factions, confirmed the withdrawal of arms. Seif Raad said it included pulling back missile launchers, tanks and mortars. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said the withdrawal of weapons had already started a week ago and would continue for several more days. "But the rebels only hold a third of the buffer zone," the head of the Britain-based monitor, Rami Abdel Rahman, said. HTS and other jihadists, who control around 70 percent of the planned demilitarised area, pose the main challenge to its implementation, he said. None have accepted the Russia-Turkey deal, yet they are expected to withdraw from the zone by October 15. Syria's war has killed more than 360,000 people since starting in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said he was awaiting the results of an investigation into the disappearance of a Saudi journalist who a government source said was killed at Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul. Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi, 59, vanished after an appointment with Saudi officials on Tuesday. A Turkish government source told AFP that police believed Khashoggi was killed at the Istanbul consulate, which Riyadh strongly denied. Khashoggi had gone to the consulate to obtain documents needed to marry his Turkish fiancee. Erdogan said he would wait for the outcome of the current investigation before taking a decision. "I am following the (issue) and we will inform the world whatever the outcome" of the official probe, the president told reporters in Ankara. "We hope to have results very quickly," he added. "I am waiting, with high hopes." He said police were examining CCTV footage of entrances and exits at the consulate and Istanbul airport. Police said earlier that around 15 Saudis, including officials, arrived in Istanbul on two flights on Tuesday and were at the consulate at the same time as Khashoggi. "Based on their initial findings, the police believe that the journalist was killed by a team especially sent to Istanbul and who left the same day," the government source told AFP on Saturday. The journalist went to the building but "did not come back out", police were quoted as saying by Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency. - 'Baseless' claims - The consulate rejected the claims that the journalist was killed there as "baseless", in a Twitter message. It said a Saudi team was in Turkey to investigate the disappearance. The journalist's fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, said on Twitter she was "waiting for an official confirmation from the Turkish government" before she could believe the claims. Khashoggi has been critical of some of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's policies and Riyadh's intervention in the war in Yemen. His criticisms appeared in both the Arab and Western press. The former government adviser, who turns 60 on October 13, has lived in the United States since last year to avoid possible arrest. Yasin Aktay, an official in Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) who was close to the journalist, said Khashoggi had made an appointment in advance with the consulate and called to check the documents were ready. "His friends had warned him, 'Don't go there, it is not safe,' but he said they could not do anything to him in Turkey," said Aktay. He added that he still hoped the reports of his friend's death were untrue. - 'Assault on press freedom' - Prince Mohammed said in an interview published by Bloomberg on Friday that the journalist had left the consulate and Turkish authorities could search the building, which is Saudi sovereign territory. Turkey's foreign ministry on Wednesday summoned Saudi Arabia's ambassador over the issue. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on Twitter that if reports of his death were confirmed, "this would constitute a horrific, utterly deplorable, and absolutely unacceptable assault on press freedom". Fred Hiatt, the director of the Washington Post's editorial page, said if the reports were true "it is a monstrous and unfathomable act". "Jamal was -- or, as we hope, is -- a committed, courageous journalist. He writes out of a sense of love for his country and deep faith in human dignity and freedom," Hiatt said in a statement on the US newspaper's website. A European Commission spokesperson said in a statement that Brussels was "closely" following the case, adding it was "awaiting clarifications from the Saudi authorities on the fate of Mr Khashoggi." - Fled in 2017 - Khashoggi fled from Saudi Arabia in September 2017, months after Prince Mohammed was appointed heir to the throne. The journalist said he had been banned from writing in the pan-Arab Al-Hayat newspaper, owned by Saudi prince Khaled bin Sultan al-Saud, over his defence of the Muslim Brotherhood which Riyadh has blacklisted as a terrorist organisation. He 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. Saudi Arabia, which ranks 169th out of 180 on RSF's World Press Freedom Index, has launched a modernisation campaign since Prince Mohammed's appointment as heir to the throne. The ultra-conservative kingdom in June lifted a ban on women driving, but it has drawn heavy criticism for its handling of dissent. Dozens of dissidents have been arrested including intellectuals and Islamic preachers. When Donald Trump was elected, scholars of American politics ferociously debated the future of the Republican Party. Optimists argued that Trump had little support in the GOP, and would slowly be reined in by movement conservatives like Paul Ryan and Lindsey Graham. Pessimists like me argued that Trump had a lot of support among the Republican base and would be able to reshape the party in his own image after a protracted civil war. He and his allies would start running primary candidates to challenge more traditional conservatives and eventually replace the current crop of officeholders. Advertisement It turned out that both camps of the debate were thoroughly naive. Once Trump became the figurehead of the Republican Party, the full partisan tribalism of this ugly political moment came to drive conservatives into his arms. He didnt need many actual primary challengers, much less a protracted civil war, to reshape the GOP in his image. Some conservatives, like Ryan, simply decided to vacate the field. Others, like Graham, reinvented themselves as Trumpian populists. Two years into the presidents reign, the Republican Party has become a blind tool of his whim. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I fear that we may now be on the cusp of making the same mistake all over again, vastly underestimating how quickly and thoroughly the Supreme Court might flipnot just from left to right, but from liberal to authoritarian. Advertisement As recently as a few months ago, I would have argued that the Supreme Court would likely act as a bulwark against a naked power grab from the executive even if conservatives were to gain a majority on it. For all of my disagreements with them, Neil Gorsuch and John Roberts have, after all, historically had little ideological overlap with Trump. While they might have deeply conservative views on important issues like abortion or campaign finance, they also hold deeply conservative views about the rule of law and the separation of powers. And that of course included a strong commitment to such basic constitutional principles as the importance of Congress or the independence of institutions like the FBI. Reflecting on my own failure to predict how fast the GOP would flip, the shocking series of decisions the court issued over the course of the past year, and most of all the remarkable transformation that Brett Kavanaugh has undergone in a matter of weeks, I am no longer so sure of that prediction. Advertisement Advertisement At the beginning of the confirmation process, Kavanaugh presented himself as an apolitical jurist. Invoking the metaphor that helped John Roberts ascend to the highest court in the land, he promised to be a disinterested umpire who simply calls balls and strikes. While the charade was somewhat transparentthe court has long since become sufficiently politicized that presidents of both parties pick their judicial nominees in part because they know that they are more likely to be sympathetic to their sideit was also a typical case of hypocrisy being the tribute that vice pays to virtue. At the very least, Kavanaugh seemed to recognize the importance of avoiding the appearance of rank partisanship. The mask he was determined to wear would have allowed him to favor Republicans once he took his place on the countrys most hallowed benchbut not in such a blatant manner as to cheer on a naked power grab by the executive. Advertisement Advertisement By the time Kavanaugh appeared in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee to defend himself against accusations of sexual assault, he was ready to tear off his mask and start mauling the libs. If the accusations against him were falseperhaps even if he mistakenly believed them to be falseit would certainly be understandable that he was deeply angry. But even then, it would never have been acceptable for a potential justice on the Supreme Court to give such a nakedly partisan performance, accusing Democratic senators of exacting revenge on behalf of the Clintons and angrily denouncing the left. Advertisement Perhaps we should be grateful that Kavanaugh no longer feels the need to even pay lip service to virtue. For it allows us to look at the current situation in the bright light of unvarnished truth. Advertisement Supreme Court justices are no umpires. They are partisans, and increasingly naked ones to boot. In more ordinary times, that in itself would be bad enough. But in the extraordinary times in which we now live, it is terrifying. For as congressional Republicans have found over the past two years, to remain a member in good standing of the conservative tribe, it no longer suffices to embrace conservative social values or to have reverence for the constitution. Rather, it now means a willingness to ride the wave of conservative resentment wherever it may take youand of course to back its foul-mouthed spokesman, whatever he might choose to do. In the past year, conservatives on the court have already shown just how far they are willing to go in abandoning basic principles of political fairness if it happens to help their side. They have approved the Muslim ban by pretending, on the flimsiest of evidence, that it is not in fact a Muslim ban. They have allowed Ohio to purge its voter rolls in a transparent attempt to tip the states precarious political balance in the direction of the Republican Party. And they have upheld Texan electoral maps that had clearly been gerrymandered with a view to reduce the voice of African-American voters and make it more difficult for Democrats to get elected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It doesnt take an outsized imagination to envisage how conservatives, emboldened by their newfound majority, and carried along on the great wave of tribal anger, might in good time go one step further. If Trump managed to take full control of the FBI and the agency started to investigate the Democratic candidate in a presidential election, would they be sure to stop it? And if law enforcement agencies that are increasingly loyal to the president presented evidence suggesting that a key election result was tarnished by hacking or mass voter fraud, would they be sure to rule in an impartial manner? The answer, it now seems to me, depends less on the integrity of the umpires-cum-partisans on the Supreme Court than it does on public opinion. Political scientists have long known that, in most democracies around the world, support for the government is a good predictor of court behavior, especially in times of great political strife: When an unpopular ruler with an authoritarian bend tries to stay in power through dubious means, judges usually live up to their responsibility of stopping him. But when a would-be authoritarian is carried along by significant public support, they rarely play their constitutionally mandated role. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Until recently, it may have been tempting to think that these lessons from foreign lands do not apply to the United States, a country with a much longer democratic tradition. But the similarity between the rise of Donald Trump and the experience of so many other embattled democracies is too obvious for us to keep believing such a clean distinction. So, bearing in my mind how difficult it is to see around the next corner when history is intent on moving in an impetuous zig-zag, here is my prediction for the coming years: If Trump remains as unpopular as he is today, the conservative Supreme Court will skew the playing field even further to the Republicans advantage through a series of rulings on gerrymandering, voter fraud, and felons enfranchisement. But the court will not play along with a full assault on the independence of other institutions or with attempts to undermine how free (as opposed to how fair) elections are. If Trump, however, should somehow become significantly more popular than he is nowor do much better in the midterms than widely expectedthe Supreme Court might change as radically over the next two years as the Republican-dominated Congress has over the past two. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All things considered, this is good news. After all, Trump remains unlikely to win over the many millions of Americans who intensely disapprove of him. Democrats are likely to win the House. They have a good chance of winning back the presidency in 2020. Doom is by no means foreordained. But it is also a reminder of just how high the stakes of electoral politics now are. For the guardrails that seemed so solid as recently as two years ago have been shown to be infinitely bendable. If We, the People fail to constrain the current president, we can no longer rely on the Republicans in Congress, or the Republicans on the Supreme Court, to do so on our behalf. A shocked community in Northern Virginia woke up to news Saturday that the Fairfax Jewish Community Center was vandalized with spray-painted swastikas. It marked the second time in 18 months that the community center in Fairfax County has experienced this type of anti-Semitic vandalism. Local law enforcement officials released security camera footage that showed a suspect spray-painting the swastikas at around 4:30 a.m. Saturday morning. Detectives are reviewing evidence collected at the scene and are working diligently in hopes of identifying the suspect and placing charges, read the statement issued by police. Building staff noticed the 19 swastikas at around 7 a.m. as they were opening up for the day and immediately called police, according to a statement posted on the centers social media pages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement BREAKING: Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia my JCC where my kids went to preschool spray painted with 19 swastikas overnight. Police say incident captured on security cameras but culprits still unknown. Im sickened. pic.twitter.com/ttatPg51Hl Kevin Baron (@DefenseBaron) October 6, 2018 Dear Friends of the J, pic.twitter.com/arLllOVBAb JCC of Northern Virginia (@JCCofNoVA) October 6, 2018 Advertisement Virginia Senator Tim Kaine characterized the incident as part of a larger insidious rise in hateful actions and anti-Semitism. He noted that these types of action must be met with fierce condemnation and an over-abundance of love and unity. Rep. Gerry Connolly also condemned the action, writing on Twitter that there is no place for the hateful act of vandalism at the Fairfax JCC today. This is the Fairfax Jewish Community Center this morning. An insidious rise in hateful actions and anti-Semitism is happening in Virginia and across the country. We must meet it with fierce condemnation and an over-abundance of love and unity. We cannot allow hate to fester. pic.twitter.com/85bW2Hl0th Tim Kaine (@timkaine) October 6, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement There is no place for the hateful act of vandalism at the Fairfax JCC today. NoVa is a welcoming community and we must come together and condemn the rise of anti-semitism. Gerry Connolly (@GerryConnolly) October 6, 2018 The same Jewish Community Center was vandalized with anti-Semitic graffiti on the first night of Passover in April of last year. Hitler was right was one of the messages spray-painted across the entrance of the center last year. A swastika and an SS symbol were also spray-painted on the walls of the center. Turkish authorities have come to the conclusion that Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who has emerged as one of the most high-profile critics of the kingdoms government, was killed in the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul earlier this week. Khashoggi entered the consulate Tuesday to get a document he needed to get married. His fiancee, who was waiting outside, says he never emerged. Inside the consulate, Khashoggi was allegedly met by a 15-member team who traveled from Saudi Arabia specifically for the murder, two people told the Washington Post. One source told the paper that it was a preplanned murder. Advertisement The sources who talk to the New York Times dont appear to be so sure on the premeditated murder part, saying that while Khashoggi was met by a special team of Saudi agents but it wasnt clear if the plan had been to bring him back to Saudi Arabia alive, and something went wrong, or if the intention was to kill him there. Turkish officials havent offered any evidence, or even spoken on the record, about the claims but the Istanbul public prosecutors office has opened up an investigation into the disappearance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Khashoggi is a former newspaper editor who left the country last year in what he described as a self-imposed exile and became a prominent critic of the kingdom, writing columns for numerous newspapers including the Washington Post. Khashoggis fiancee wrote a tweet Saturday that she wouldnt believe anything until there was official confirmation. Jamal was not killed and I do not believe he was killed, Hatice Cengiz posted. ...! #_ #__ pic.twitter.com/5SHyIEqqiT Hatice Cengiz / (@mercan_resifi) October 6, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Saudi Arabia vehemently denied the accusations Saturday through an unnamed official at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. The official strongly denounced these baseless allegations, and expressed his doubt that they came from Turkish officials that are informed of the investigation or are authorized to comment on the issue, noted the statement released through the Saudi Press Agency. Advertisement Advertisement If confirmed, the news would likely lead to an international scandal as it would mark a sharp escalation in Saudi Arabias efforts to silence dissent. Although Western governments have often looked the other way at the kingdoms actions, the murder of a prominent journalist isnt something that could be easily ignored by those eager to embrace Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdoms 33-year-old ruler. Press freedom groups have called on Saudi Arabia to immediately account for Khashoggis whereabouts. The Saudi authorities must immediately give a full and credible accounting of what happened to Khashoggi inside its diplomatic mission, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said. Advertisement "The Saudi authorities must immediately give a full and credible accounting of what happened to Khashoggi inside its diplomatic mission." CPJ Deputy Executive Director @RobertMMahoney https://t.co/qjWkZEPW4m pic.twitter.com/Xe4u6MgmS6 Committee to Protect Journalists (@pressfreedom) October 7, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement If the reports of Jamals murder are true, it is a monstrous and unfathomable act, Fred Hiatt, the director of The Posts editorial page, said in a statement. Jamal was or, as we hope, is a committed, courageous journalist. He writes out of a sense of love for his country and deep faith in human dignity and freedom. He is respected in his country, in the Middle East and throughout the world. We have been enormously proud to publish his writings. The Post has published excerpts from some of Khashoggis columns to help readers understand why his truth-telling made people angry, wrote Hiatt. Advertisement Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell went on an interview spree Saturday, talking to lots of media outlets to celebrate the Republican victory in the long, bitter fight over the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. As the vote looked like a done deal Saturday afternoon, McConnell wasnt shy about celebrating early while he pushed back against the narrative that the confirmation battle would be bad for Republicans in November. In fact, McConnell made it sound as if he was happy about the bitter fight because it helped galvanize the Republican base for the midterms, which was something the party was having trouble doing on its own. Advertisement Its been a great political gift for us. The tactics have energized our base, McConnell told the Washington Post. I want to thank the mob, because theyve done the one thing we were having trouble doing, which was energizing our base. Talking to Reuters, McConnell called the confirmation battle a seminal event ahead of the elections. Wed been trying to figure out how to get the base excited about this election, and nothing unifies Republicans like a court fight, McConnell said shortly before the Senates 50-48 vote to confirm Kavanaugh. Its been a seminal event leading into the fall election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He espoused the same message during an interview with CBS News after the vote, suggesting Republicans need to thank Democrats. It certainly had a good impact for us. Our base is fired up, McConnell said. We finally discovered the one thing that would fire up the Republican base. We didnt think of it, the other side did it. Advertisement Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after Senate confirms Kavanaugh: "It certainly had a good impact for us. Our base is fired up. We finally discovered the one thing that would fire up the Republican base. We didn't think of it, the other side did it." https://t.co/R3vAPa7GeV pic.twitter.com/6mzFiXY3bk CBS News (@CBSNews) October 6, 2018 McConnell insisted he never considered pushing Kavanaugh to stand down from the nomination as protests against him grew. I never felt this nomination should be withdrawn at any point. When your reputation is in tatters as a result of unsubstantiated accusations, I thought in fairness to Judge Kavanaugh he was entitled to a vote, McConnell told the Hill. There was never any real serious consideration given to withdrawing. Advertisement Women for Kavanaugh, and many others who support this very good man, are gathering all over Capitol Hill in preparation for a 3-5 P.M. VOTE. It is a beautiful thing to see - and they are not paid professional protesters who are handed expensive signs. Big day for America! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 6, 2018 Advertisement President Donald Trump also dismissed the importance of protesters. First, suggesting they were paid professionals and then dismissing their numbers as irrelevant. The crowd in front of the U.S. Supreme Court is tiny, Trump wrote, noting they wouldnt even fill the first couple of rows of our Kansas Rally, or any of our Rallies for that matter! He went on to accuse the Fake News Media of trying to make it look sooo big, & its not! Advertisement Sen. Lindsey Graham continued his role as one of Brett Kavanaughs most vocal defenders on the Senate by celebrating the confirmation of the newest Supreme Court justice with a tweetstorm that amounted to a victory lap and a taunt at Democrats. Im not tired of winning..Victory! Graham wrote at the beginning of his tweetstorm that included a photo of himself with Kavanaugh. Im not tired of winning.....Victory! pic.twitter.com/ZAhmFVh9LH Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 6, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Graham then went on to say Kavanaugh is exactly the right person, at the right time to service on the Supreme Court. He proceeded to thank some key senators before going on to effusively thank President Donald Trump for the good judgment in selecting Judge Kavanaugh and the toughness and determination to stick by his side and see it through to Victory! Brett Kavanaugh is exactly the right person, at the right time to serve on the Supreme Court. A conservative jurist. A good man with the background and experience worthy of this high honor. Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 6, 2018 Advertisement Thank you Susan Collins (awesome), Senator Flake (consistent), Senator Grassley (fair and steady), Senator McConnell (smart and strategic) and . Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 6, 2018 ..finally thank you President @realDonaldTrump for the good judgment in selecting Judge Kavanaugh and the toughness and determination to stick by his side and see it through to Victory! Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 6, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Graham had been celebrating the impending victory for a while. On Friday, Graham clearly reveled in the scene of being heckled by a protester as he walked to his car. Yeah, please move to South Carolina, Graham said to the protester with a smile after she had warned that hed be voted out of office. I hope you come, youd be welcome in South Carolina. I WITNESSED BASED LINDSEY GRAHAM IRL Graham was walking to his car. Protesters followed him screaming that they would remove him from office. Graham spins around & says: Well, please move to South Carolina." Then looks back at me & smiles. Cryinghttps://t.co/3LuzaR6Adh pic.twitter.com/J8mI2X8b2u Benny (@bennyjohnson) October 5, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Earlier in the week a new television ad began airing across South Carolina that praised Graham for having displayed real courage during Kavanaughs confirmation fight. The police officer who shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland has found a new job in law enforcement. Timothy Loehmann is one of the new officers hired in the small Ohio village of Bellaire, which has a population of about 4,170. In November 2014, Loehmann was one of two officers who responded to a 911 call about a man waving a gun around at a recreation center in Cleveland. When the officers arrived they encountered Rice, who was playing with a pellet gun. But Loehmann fired his service weapon twice. A grand jury declined to indict Loehmann, who was later fired in 2017 for being untruthful on his job application. Advertisement Tamir Rices family members criticized the hiring. Ms. Rice believes that Timothy Loehmann does not belong on any police force, anywhere, period, said Rice family attorney Subodh Chandra. Someone with his record should not be subjected upon the citizenry. But she does hope that this means that he will not ever return to Cleveland. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The head of the police department in the eastern Ohio town defended the decision to hire Loehmann part time. The last guy I hired part-time, as you know, was Tim Loehmann from the Cleveland Police Department, who was involved in a shooting in which a young man had lost his life, said Bellaire Police Chief Dick Flanagan. He had put his application in to several police departments. He also still wants to be a police officer. Hes not quitting on being a police officer. He made the decision (in 2014) thats going to stay with him the rest of his life. Like anybody else, if you make a mistake, someones gotta give you a second chance. Give someone the opportunity. 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 ... Standardbred Canada is pleased to announce that the Ontario Sires Stakes will sponsor the 'Win A Share in A Racehorse' contest for the second consecutive year in conjunction with the London Selected Yearling Sale on October 13 and 14. The contest winner will receive a share in Landmark 12 Stable (Value: $2,000) which will include at least one Ontario-sired horse. Ballots will be available at the Welcome Centre to prospective owners at the London Selected Yearling Sale all day Saturday and Sunday. The draw will be made after the sale and the winner will be notified on Monday, October 15. Last year, Susan Johnson, of Waterdown, Ont., won the share in Landmark 11 after receiving a ballot at Mohawks New Owner Seminar which she attended with a friend, Dave Pawlik. Pawlik had taken part in the SBOAs Mentoring group but hadnt owned any horses since the time theyd met. He was thinking about getting involved again, decided to attend the seminar and Susan went along for the ride. I had never been to any horse racing event until September 2016. I found it to be very interesting. The horses are beautiful and of course because I did not know anything about racing I chose horses I thought would win by their names. That of course did not work out too well. I now know a bit more but have lots to learn, explained Johnson, who works in the health care sector for the provincial government. Landmark 11 Stables two-year-olds in 2018 included Parlay Seelster, Love For Life, Rap Royalty, In The Will and Dare To Share. LandMark is a fractional ownership group stable that provides an opportunity for people to own multiple Standardbred race horses for a very modest investment of $2,000 per share. LandMark 12 will purchase a percentage of several yearlings at this years sales which will be selected, trained and raced by Ontario-based trainer Mark Steacy. Shareholders receive no bills for the first 12 months. The LSYS takes place on October 13 and 14 at the Metroland Media Agriplex at the Western Fair District in London, Ontario. Click here to view the pedigrees and videos of the yearlings offered for auction over the two-day sale. *Entry is available to any resident of Ontario, 18 years of age and over, who has never owned a Standardbred, or resided in the same household as someone who owned a Standardbred.Contest is not open to employees or officials of Standardbred Canada, Ontario Racing, OLG, or any Ontario racetrack. (Video provided by OLG) Trot Insider has learned that Standardbred breeder/owner Clarence Rutledge of Mono, Ont., passed away on Friday, September 28 at the age of 80. Arrangements have been set for this Wednesday (Oct. 3) and will run from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Dods & McNair Funeral Home & Chapel, which is located at 21 First St, Orangeville, ON L9W 2C8. The funeral home can be reached at 519-941-1392 or by emailing [email protected]. For additional information, click here. Messages of condolences can be left below or by clicking here. Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Clarence Rutledge. Bay of Plenty If you love working out doors and in a small team then we have the role for you. We are needing someone who has either maintenance... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship. [] the leader of change knows she faces a battle, and a willingness to engage in that conflict and to persevere in the face of adversity, not to give up, requires courage - Anthony Smith-Meyer There is a clear perception that not enough boards walk the talk, profit and non-profit boards alike. However, how exactly do you walk the talk? I have been asking myself that very same question ever since becoming a non-profit board member for SOS Childrens Villages. Broadly speaking, non-profits boards perform well when it comes to basic board responsibilities, such as understanding the organisations mission and carrying out financial oversight. In terms of fundraising, advocacy and community outreach, however, they tend to score lower. The most important fundraising role for a non-profit board member is to act as an ambassador for the organisation. Increasingly, charities also require board members to, themselves, donate financially to the cause, as a way to ensure that each board member has a personal stake; effectively paving the way for engaged fundraising. Since actions speak louder than words, I have decided to step outside the comfort of the boardroom and set myself a challenge. This October, I will be climbing Mount Chimborazo, the furthest point from the Earths centre, in order to raise funds for SOS Childrens Villages. Through the lens of the talented photographer and filmmaker Simon Sticker, I am hoping to share what makes me proud to be part of SOS Childrens Villages and inspire a wider audience to become more involved with this great organisation and ultimately become a donor. Embracing my role as a fundraising board member has been harder than I could ever imagine. Countless hours of physical training, a steep learning curve, not to mention a few sleepless nights, have given me a greater understanding as to why this is a road less travelled. Time will tell if this fundraising initiative will have a significant positive impact, but I am proud to take this first step in standing up for an organisation I truly believe in. It is my time to walk the talk, quite literally. As far-fetched as it sounds, Mr. Inbetweens Scott Ryan has written and starred in his first series, without any previous acting experience. Splashing down onto FX in the US, Ryan is seemingly an overnight success at the age of 49. Prior to the series he was juggling all kinds of intermittent jobs. Delivering pizzas, driving taxis, unemployed, a bit of this, bit of that really he laughs. I havent been on a set before Acting alongside seasoned professionals Damon Herriman, Brooke Satchwell, Matt Nable, Firass Dirani and Justin Rosniak, Ryan remembers being daunted by the technical aspects of filming, including finding his mark. Id never done that before. I said, Whats this tape on the floor? he recalls. It was scary walking on set that first day. I havent been on a set before, worked with a crew, been directed by somebody else or worked with professional actors before. Its like I just walked in off the street. There were people running around, trucks and gear, and I had a bit of a panic attack and had to go into the toilets for 10 minutes to sort myself out. I think we were meant to meet each other Ryan was studying film and television at RMIT when he begged and borrowed to make his self-devised feature The Magician centred around his hitman character Ray Shoesmith. But the film struggled to gain attention so he re-edited it into a short on his bedroom IMAC and screened it as at the St. Kilda Film Festival. There it caught the attention of director Nash Edgerton (The Square) who was so excited by the character he became attached to the project. Is it luck, fate or destiny? Nash was in the audience so I think we were meant to meet each other, he explains. I went to Sydney and he asked Michelle Bennett (Chopper) on board. Then we got Hopscotch on board as a distributor. Remarkably, for the 6 part series, Ryan rewrote an entire new script around the character. Nothing in the feature is in the show. Its completely new material, he continues. I started from scratch and thought, Right 6 episodes, here we go. FX took a chance on us. The half-hour series has drawn positive reviews in the US noting its dark comic tone as well as Ryans performance. FX is screening the Australian series without any revoicing and letting the Aussie vernacular and lingo playout unaffected. Usually (Americans) take a show and remake it, so its rare for an Aussie show to premiere on a network like this in the US. So I think that speaks volumes that they love the show, Ryan observes. As far as the vernacular goes, it reminds me of Crocodile Dundee. You cant a much more Aussie character than that, and that played really well in the US. There are some minor things, but on the whole theres a lot of universal themes in there. FX took a chance on us. While he awaits word on a second season, Ryan has other scripts he wants to dust off, both film and television. Fingers crossed they wont take the decade it took for Mr. Inbetween to make it to screens. But he believes his anonymity is also a positive in helping audiences with the characters credibility too. People wont see me. They will see Ray. They wont see Scott Ryan, which is good. Its only taken 40 years! Mr. Inbetween airs 8:30pm Mondays on FOX Showcase. It happened at Sothebys in London on Friday night, as a stencil spray painting by the mysterious artist Banksy went into self-destruct mode as the hammer went down for 1,042m. The framed artwork was Girl With Balloon, one of Banksys most famous works. It depicts a girl reaching for a balloon. Literally, as the painting was sold on the auction, everyone watched open-jawed as the artwork passed down through a shredder that had been built into the frame. Banksy was not slow in responding to his little prank on social media. Going goinggone Banksy posted an image capturing the moment "Girl With Balloon" got shredded, to his Instagram account with the caption, "Going, going, gone..." The painting can be clearly seen with half of it hanging, shredded, below the frame. Sothebys director and contemporary art head in Europe, Alex Branczik, told the media that they had been Banksy-ed. Brancsik told a press conference that they had never before experienced a painting instantly shredding following its sale for 1m. The famous Banksy painting was listed in the Sothebys catalogue under the title The artists frame. When dealing with the elusive artist, that should have sparked concern. Reportedly, some had also expressed surprise that the frame was very thick for just a relatively small work of street art. Now they know why. Banksy's "girl with a balloon" painting shredded itself right after it was sold for more than $1M TROOOOOLLLL https://t.co/JP9E478aoX pic.twitter.com/3oYDUlFno3 Chandana Ekanayake (@Ekanaut) October 6, 2018 The Guardian quotes Sothebys as saying they had talked to the unnamed purchaser of the artwork, who expressed surprise. They are now discussing the next steps to take. The original artwork Girl With Balloon was first seen on a wall in Great Eastern Street, Shoreditch in east London. The smaller, framed 2006 gallery version was spray painted with acrylic paint on canvas and mounted on a board. As noted by The Guardian it is not sure if Banksys prank has destroyed the painting, or actually enhanced its value. The mysterious Banksy Born in Bristol, the graffiti artist has never been truly identified. He became famous after his well-thought-out and often satirical graffiti work started appearing throughout England. Every piece had a story to tell. Dismaland - get Banksy on the case pic.twitter.com/KGLteHhXUi Andy Wood (@AndyWood10) September 30, 2018 As reported by the BBC, in 2015 Banksy opened a faux-Disneyland Bemusement Park in Weston-Super-Mare, dubbed Dismaland. Banksy described it as being a family theme park that was unsuitable for children, due to its eerie and scary exhibits. Banksy mural house with 'Spy Booth' artwork put up for sale https://t.co/oUFwg1r34T pic.twitter.com/tMJOHvdYqR The Telegraph (@Telegraph) January 8, 2016 Gloucestershire Live noted that Banksy was also responsible for the 2014 mural Spy Booth in Cheltenham. At that time visitors were thrilled to take selfies with the painting behind them. The painting came after Edward Snowden revealed the surveillance by GCHQ. According to David Possee, who owned the Grade II listed building, maintenance workers accidentally removed the mural, leading to an investigation. One day I was looking at Autism hashtags on Twitter trying to find people like myself and to find out what people are saying about Autism. I have never met another Autistic person, so Twitter afforded me a unique opportunity to correspond with like-minded people. I got the chance to talk to people from all backgrounds who all had similar and very different experiences to myself. I got to talk to Autism campaigners, educators and parents about what it is like for them to be Autistic as well as have Autistic kids, friends or partners. This was very enjoyable for me. I got to open up about my life and vent out my frustrations about my Autism. I made friends with people I would never have had the opportunity to meet otherwise. I met some great people who made me feel better about my life and opened my eyes to a whole other world. But then I found the dark side of this corner of Twitter and I was appalled by what I saw. The dark side of Twitter Since 1998 there has been a prevalent pseudoscience around Autism and Vaccines that began with a study in the British medical journal the Lancet. The study reported a link between Autism and vaccines and stated that the MMR vaccine, a vaccine against the diseases mumps, measles and rubella caused Autism in children. There are many problems with this report as only twelve children were used in the study, and the man responsible for the report, Andrew Wakefield, is now completely discredited. It has been shown through follow-up studies, this time using hundreds of children that Wakefields evidence was falsified. According to the Modern Medicine Network, the former doctor Wakefield lost his licence and the study was retracted from the Lancet. It was also found by the general medical council that Wakefield was guilty of medical misconduct and unethical behaviour. He would perform unnecessary invasive tests on children and had serious conflicts of interest. But the damage was done the idea that vaccines are dangerous spread like wildfire and is now killing children worldwide. Curing autism is like trying to cure dyslexia https://t.co/G1SANf3JVg Jane Flowers (@zimkwacha) October 7, 2018 The consequences of fear Global vaccination rates have fallen sharply, and the results are being felt. According to the World Health Organisation, cases of measles rose from 5,273 in 2016 to 23,927 just last year. This is being felt acutely in countries that have the lowest vaccination rates like Italy, Ukraine and Romania. Other countries like Germany and France have lower numbers, but people are still dying in their hundreds. There are also complications for people who survive the infections of these diseases. Blindness, deafness and brain damage are the non-lethal effects and many of the people affected are children. The industry of fear Despite all this evidence, people are still convinced that vaccines cause Autism and they are resolute in defeating this invented monster. My experience with this is from the Twitter hashtags #EndAutismNow and #VaccineInjury. These are only two of many that demonise vaccines and Autism. Personally, I am offended, and I am angered by all of this because the people spinning these lies are taking advantage of ill-informed parents and putting their children at risk. Now every hack and quack are saying something or other causes Autism, and fear is being spread around Autism. They are pushing a narrative that Autism is a terrible disease and it needs to be cured. I do not need to be cured. I am different, but I do not have a disease - curing Autism is like curing dyslexia or homosexuality. What is wrong with Autism? The evil of this movement has been compared to the evil of eugenics as well as the German programs of sterilising mentally handicapped people in the 30s and 40s. I am sincerely afraid of the direction this is going in and I believe people like myself are being discriminated against but in a new and pernicious way, by making people believe that they are helping and curing something terrible. Autism isnt terrible. I admit I have had problems, but Id rather have Autism than measles, mumps or rubella. I like to give the example: If vaccines really did cause Autism what would be wrong with that? The fight back I feel like I must defend my existence to these people because if it was up to them I wouldnt exist. In fact, many people who have Autism wouldnt exist, including the actors Paddy Considine, Dan Ackroyd, and comedian Hannah Gadsby. We arent a burden if you dont make us one. We need to turn the conversation around to accepting Autism not curing it because as I have shown, this particular cure gets people killed. FILE PHOTO: An Alitalia airplane is seen before take off from the Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy, June 21, 2018. REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini MILAN (Reuters) - Italy is working on an Alitalia rescue plan that would see the state taking a stake of around 15 percent in the carrier along with separate investments by state-owned firms such as Ferrovie dello Stato and a foreign player, Il Sole 24 Ore said on Sunday. Once a symbol of Italy's post-war economic boom that has recently struggled to compete with low-cost carriers and high speed trains, Alitalia was put under special administration last year after workers rejected a rescue plan. As part of the administration process, Rome has been looking for a buyer for the airline, with a deadline set for Oct. 31. It also granted Alitalia a bridge loan of 900 million euros (790.3 million pounds) to keep it afloat in the meantime. According to the paper, once Alitalia has repaid the loan, the Treasury would reinvest part of that money in the carrier to retain a stake of about 14 to 15 percent or it may choose to convert part of the loan into shares. Alitalia has until Dec. 15 to repay the bridge loan, although a source said on Saturday the government was working on an extension of the deadline of up to six months. nL8N1WM0HU] As part of the government's 2 billion euro rescue plan, Italian railways group Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) would confer some assets to the airline that would then be converted into a stake, while state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti would help finance the acquisition of new aircraft, the paper added. FS Chief Executive Gianfranco Battisti said last month that Alitalia could be an opportunity for the state-owned railways group, adding he saw synergies in ticketing and routes. To make the plan work, Italy still needs to strike a deal with a foreign rival willing to invest in Alitalia. That investor could take a stake of 20 to 30 percent, the paper said. Italy has been in talks with various players since Alitalia first went into administration. EasyJet , Lufthansa and budget carrier Wizz Air submitted expressions of interest this year in at least parts of Alitalia. Story continues On a trip to China last month, the government asked China's Silk Road Fund, Air China <601111.SS> and China Eastern Airlines <600115.SS> to consider buying a stake of up to 49 percent in Alitalia but so far no commitment from that side has been made. Separately, daily Il Messaggero said the government was planning to ask one of Alitalia's three commissioners, Luigi Gubitosi, to become the airline's new chief executive. Alitalia declined to comment. A spokesman for the Industry Ministry said it was premature to discuss details of government plans for Alitalia, adding more might be known next week. Industry Minister Luigi Di Maio, who this week promised to conclude the Alitalia case in November, has called a meeting with the airline's unions for Friday, Oct. 12. (Reporting by Agnieszka Flak; Editing by Edmund Blair) Uber has faced a struggle with regulators - AFP Uber has driven up revenues for its UK business by 61pc despite spending the year battling regulators in London and across the country. Last year, the ride-hailing app was threatened with the loss of its London licence by the city's transport regulator and issued with suspensions in several towns and cities. Despite this, Uber increased its revenues to 59.5m for the year ending in December 2017, up from 36.9m the year before, according to its accounts. Profits at the ride-hailing firm grew by 1.6m to 4.6m. London has been one of Uber's most important international markets outside the US, with the ride-hailing company turning a profit in the UK even as it withdraws from costly operations in South East Asia and targets profitability ahead of a planned 2019 float. Uber has faced a struggle with regulators over its future in London. In September last year, Transport for London refused to renew Uber's licence over issues of passenger safety, although the company was allowed to keep operating while it appealed. The ruling was overturned by a court in June. The company has also seen several rivals launch in the city, all of which let riders book private hire vehicles through similar smartphone apps. Uber faces a further court battle later in October against drivers who have claimed further workplace rights from the company. Uber has maintained its drivers are self-employed. An Uber spokesman said: We continue to invest in expanding across the UK with more than five million riders and 60,000 licensed drivers now using our app. Over the last year weve introduced a number of improvements for both passengers and drivers, from 24/7 telephone support to free sickness, injury, maternity and paternity protections." Meanwhile, Airbnb, an online holiday booking platform and fellow US tech giant, reported it had boosted revenues at its UK-based company. Airbnb Payments Ltd, which accounts for sales of all Airbnb's operations outside of the US, China and India, recorded revenues of $280m (213m) last year, up from $194m. Like Uber, Airbnb is also targeting an initial public offering in 2019. It recorded international profits of $1.2m and paid $282,000 of UK corporation tax. Missing Interpol chief Meng Hongwei has resigned from his post, with Beijing saying Monday he is under investigation for bribery and other crimes. His wife, who fears for his life, has appealed to the international community to help find her husband. China had been tight-lipped about the fate of Meng, a Chinese national who was previously vice minister for public security, since French officials disclosed on Friday that he had been reported missing after leaving France for a trip to China last month. This incident could tarnish Beijings efforts to gain leadership posts in international organisations, but it is also humiliating for France-based Interpol, which is tasked with finding missing people, analysts say. His wife Grace made a bold public appeal to the international community on Sunday to help locate her husband. The Communist partys watchdog for graft and political disloyalty said on its website late Sunday that Meng was being investigated by Chinas new anti-corruption body, the National Supervision Commission. The recently established body holds sweeping powers to investigate public figures and officials as part of Xis anti-graft campaign, with few requirements for transparency. Some critics of the agency, which has punished more than 1 million officials, say it also functions as a tool for President Xi Jinping to eliminate his political rivals. Soon after the Chinese statement, Interpol said it had received Mengs resignation with immediate effect. Operation Fox Hunt Chinese efforts to track down corrupt officials abroad, known as Operation Fox Hunt, has led to claims in some countries that Chinese law enforcement agents have been operating covertly on their soil without authorisation. Mengs is just the latest high-profile disappearance; a number of top government officials, billionaire business magnates and even an A-list celebrity have vanished for weeks or months at a time. When or if they reappear, it is often in court. Story continues Meng, the first Chinese president of Interpol, was last heard from on September 25 as he left Lyon. Interpols secretary general Juergen Stock, who oversees day-to-day operations, said Saturday the agency was seeking clarification on his whereabouts. >> Reporters: The missing that China keeps silent Meng was appointed in 2016, despite concerns from human rights groups that the appointment gave Chinese President Xi a win in his bid to paint the communist-led country as a responsible player in global affairs. But his disappearance could be a setback for China. Any international organisation should think twice going forward before considering a Chinese candidate to be its head, Bonnie Glaser, senior Asia adviser at Washingtons Center for Strategic and International Studies, told AFP. Danger emoji Meng had lived with his wife and two children in France since 2016. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Mengs wife Grace said he sent a message telling her to wait for my call before sending the knife emoji, signifying danger. This matter belongs to the international community, she told a press conference with her back turned to the cameras out of fears for her safety. Im not sure what has happened to him, she said. Meng rose through the ranks of the countrys domestic security apparatus when it was under the leadership of Zhou Yongkang, a rival to Xi and the highest-ranking official to be brought down on corruption charges. Zhou who was jailed for life in 2014 -- was subsequently accused of conspiring to seize state power. He appointed Meng vice security minister in 2004. In that role, Meng was entrusted with a number of sensitive portfolios, including the countrys counter-terrorism division, and was in charge of the response to several major incidents in Chinas fractious western region of Xinjiang. Critics of Mengs rise to Interpols presidency said he would use the position to help China target dissidents abroad. Interpol has downplayed the concerns, saying the president has little influence over the organisations daily operations. China currently has 44 outstanding red notices, mostly related to murder, intentional injury and drug smuggling, according to Interpols website. During Mengs tenure, Interpol issued a red notice for fugitive Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui, who threatened to reveal corruption at the countrys highest levels and is accused by Chinese authorities of money laundering. (FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP) Consul General of Saudi Arabia Mohammad al-Otaibi gives a tour of Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, October 6, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal Thomson Reuters By Dominic Evans ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's consul in Istanbul opened up his mission on Saturday in an effort to show that prominent Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi, who vanished four days ago, was not on the premises and said that talk of his kidnapping was baseless. Reuters journalists toured the six-storey consulate in northern Istanbul which Khashoggi entered on Tuesday to get documents for his forthcoming marriage. His fiancee, who had waited outside, said he never came out. Turkish officials have said they believe he remains inside the consulate, and Ankara said on Saturday prosecutors had begun an investigation into his disappearance. Saudi Arabia says he left the consulate on Tuesday after completing his paperwork. "I would like to confirm that...Jamal is not at the consulate nor in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the consulate and the embassy are working to search for him," consul-general Mohammad al-Otaibi said in an interview at the consulate. "We are worried about this case." Khashoggi had lived in self-imposed exile in Washington for the past year, saying he feared retribution for his criticism of Saudi policies including the war in Yemen and a crackdown on dissent in which dozens of people have been detained. Human rights groups have called on Saudi Arabia to verify his whereabouts. Human Rights Watch said if Saudi Arabia had detained Khashoggi without acknowledging it, his detention would constitute an enforced disappearance. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Bloomberg earlier this week that Saudi authorities would allow Turkey to search the consulate, but Turkish officials have not yet entered the premises. Otaibi said there were no legal charges against Khashoggi at the consulate, and he gave a tour of the building to Reuters to demonstrate that the missing journalist was not on the premises. NO CAMERA FOOTAGE Opening cupboards, filing cabinets and wooden panels covering air conditioning units, Otaibi walked through the six floors of the building including a basement prayer room, offices, visa counters, kitchens and toilets as well as storage and security rooms. Story continues He said the consulate was equipped with cameras but they did not record footage, so no images could be retrieved of Khashoggi entering or leaving the consulate, which is ringed by police barriers and has high security fences topped with barbed wire. The building has two entrances at the front and back, and Otaibi said Khashoggi could have left from either side. "If those who say he was kidnapped are focusing on his being in the mission, these are just rumors that have no proof," he said. "And we unfortunately regret some of the statements that have been made by Turkish officials who insist that (Khashoggi is) in the consulate ... without it being built on facts." The spokesman for Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party vowed that authorities would uncover the whereabouts of Khashoggi and the details of his disappearance, saying the case was highly sensitive for Turkey. Relations between the two countries are already strained after Turkey sent troops to the Gulf state of Qatar last year in a show of support after its Gulf neighbors, including Saudi Arabia, imposed an embargo on Doha. Otaibi said authorities in the two countries were in contact. "Let us leave some time and a chance for both sides to see results". The idea that Khashoggi may have been abducted at the consulate was "disgusting", he said. "The idea of kidnapping a Saudi citizen by a diplomatic mission is something that should not be put forward in the media." Khashoggi is a familiar face on political talk shows on Arab satellite television networks and used to advise Prince Turki al-Faisal, former Saudi intelligence chief and ambassador to the United States and Britain. Over the past year he has written columns for newspapers including the Washington Post, criticizing Saudi policies toward Qatar and Canada, the war in Yemen and a crackdown on dissent which has seen dozens of people detained. (Additional reporting by Sarah Dadouch, Editing by William Maclean) See Also: The Syrian Red Crescent said it transferred humanitarian aid provided by the United Nations World Food Programme to Yarmouk Basin in southwestern Syria on October 7. Eighteen trucks loaded with 3,000 food parcels were heading to several towns in the area, the Red Crescent said. Government forces recaptured parts of the area, which borders Jordan and Israel, from Islamic State fighters in August. Credit: Syrian Red Crescent via Storyful ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish authorities have concrete information on the disappearance of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who has been missing for six days, an official of Turkey's ruling AK Party who advises President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday. Yasin Aktay told broadcaster CNN Turk that Khashoggi had not left the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, which he had entered on Tuesday to obtain documents for a forthcoming marriage, in "normal ways". The case would not go unsolved, Aktay said. Late on Saturday, Turkish sources told Reuters that Turkish authorities believed Khashoggi had been killed inside the consulate last week, in what they described as the deliberate targeting of a prominent critic of the Gulf kingdom's rulers. (This version of the story corrects official's title) (Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Dale Hudson) The market spotlight over the coming week is likely to be on the ongoing Brexit negotiations, given London and Brussels' stated aim of wrapping-up talks a week ahead of the 18 October summit of European Union leaders. Against that backdrop, a spate of speeches from six top US central bank officials at the start of the week will also merit watching in the wake of the recent run-up in government bond yields around the world. In terms of economic reports meanwhile, on Wednesday the Office for National Statistics will publish readings on manufacturing, construction and foreign trade for the month of August. Stateside, the main releases to watch out for will be Wednesday's print on wholesale prices in September, followed by consumer price data for the same month on the following day. Starting from Thursday, investors will also be closely monitoring the headlines for any policy-relevant remarks out of the G-20 finance ministers and IMF/World Bank annual meetings taking place in Bali, Indonesia. Chinese data on new loans and credit for September are also scheduled for release from Wednesday onwards, with foreign trade data for that same month expected on Friday. Monday October 08 INTERIMS ICG Enterprise Trust INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Hammerson INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Industrial Production (GER) (07:00) GMS Dunedin Smaller Companies Inv Trust FINALS Bioventix TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS City of London Investment Group, Codemasters Group Holdings, easyHotel, Reach, RPC Group, XP Power Ltd. (DI) FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Adept Technology Group Tuesday October 09 INTERIMS LiDCO Group INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Holders Technology INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Balance of Trade (GER) (07:00) Current Account (GER) (07:00) FINALS Ceres Power Holdings, Kin and Carta , Kin and Carta , Mysale Group, Transense Technologies, YouGov DRILLING REPORT Ferrexpo EGMS Bagir Group Ltd. (DI) AGMS Kin and Carta , Kin and Carta TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS Greggs, Robert Walters Wednesday October 10 INTERIMS Vertu Motors, Walker Greenbank INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA, Dairy Farm International Holdings Ltd (Bermuda), Dairy Farm International Holdings Ltd. (Jersey), Dairy Farm International Holdings Ltd. (Singapore), Hongkong Land Holding Ltd. (Bermuda), Hongkong Land Holding Ltd. (Jersey), Hongkong Land Holding Ltd. (Sing.Reg), Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd (Singapore Reg), Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd. (Bermuda), Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd. (Jersey), Jardine Strategic Holdingd Ltd. (Bermuda), Jardine Strategic Holdingd Ltd. (Jersey REG), Jardine Strategic Holdings Ltd. (Singapore), Mandarin Oriental International (Bermuda), Mandarin Oriental International (Jersey), Mandarin Oriental International (Singapore), Pagegroup INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00) Wholesales Inventories (US) (15:00) Q3 Pagegroup FINALS PRS Reit (The) SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Pagegroup AGMS Diverse Income Trust (The) TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS Hollywood Bowl Group, Liontrust Asset Management, Marston's, Pagegroup, Scapa Group, Telford Homes, Vertu Motors, Whitbread UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Balance of Trade (00:00) Gross Domestic Product (09:30) Index of Services (09:30) Industrial Production (09:30) Producer Price Index (US) (13:30) Retail Sales (00:01) FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Colefax Group Thursday October 11 INTERIMS Brown (N.) Group INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Forterra, Macfarlane Group, Restaurant Group, Zotefoams INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE Andrews Sykes Group, Anglo Asian Mining, CareTech Holding, Centrica, Charles Taylor, Curtis Banks Group, JPMorgan Japan Smaller Companies Trust, Learning Technologies Group , Manx Telecom , Morgan Sindall Group, OneSavings Bank, Scisys, Spectris, Spirax-Sarco Engineering, Staffline Group, STM Group, Tandem Group, Ted Baker, Tesco, Volga Gas, Weir Group QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE GlaxoSmithKline, XP Power Ltd. (DI) QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE BlackRock Latin American Inv Trust, F&C Commercial Property Trust Ltd., Fair Oaks Income Limited 2017 Shs NPV, JPMorgan Asian Investment Trust, Marsh & Mclennan Cos Inc., Middlefield Canadian Income PCC, Primary Health Properties INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Consumer Price Index (US) (13:30) Continuing Claims (US) (13:30) Crude Oil Inventories (US) (16:00) Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30) GMS Hargreaves Lansdown, LXI Reit FINALS Volution Group (WI), WH Smith IMSS Hargreaves Lansdown SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE Barratt Developments, JPMorgan Mid Cap Inv Trust, Superdry AGMS Artemis Alpha Trust, Foresight 4 VCT, Mayan Energy Limited (DI) TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS Countryside Properties, Discoverie Group, Dunelm Group, Hays, Jupiter Fund Management , Mondi, Moneysupermarket.com Group FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE South32 Limited (DI) , United Carpets Group FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE Barratt Developments, Begbies Traynor Group, City of London Investment Group, Close Brothers Group, CPL Resources, Fidelity Asian Values, JPMorgan Mid Cap Inv Trust, Murgitroyd Group, Octagonal, Strategic Equity Capital Friday October 12 INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Alpha Fx Group , Arrow Global Group, Chesnara, Communisis, Computacenter, Convatec Group , Dalata Hotel Group, Drax Group, G4S, Highcroft Investment, Melrose Industries, Royal Bank of Scotland Group, RPS Group, RSA Insurance Group, SafeCharge International Group Limited (DI), The Gym Group, Total Produce, Xaar QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE Aberdeen Diversified Income and Growth Trust , Duke Royalty Limited, Schlumberger Ltd., Total SA INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Consumer Price Index (GER) (07:00) Import and Export Price Indices (US) (13:30) Industrial Production (EU) (10:00) U. of Michigan Confidence (Prelim) (US) (15:00) FINALS Produce Investments AGMS MBL Group UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS RICS Housing Market Survey (00:01) FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Elderstreet Draper Esprit VCT, PHSC, Sophos Group , Trifast October beginning has come with the spookiness of Halloween decorations. During the Sunday shop, the little ones will be tempted plus recalling us of that Oiche Samhain. However, last week with 20 plus degrees of temperature. While the fall passing by with gripping jackets and scarfs. Anyways, lets give a very warm welcome to the Halloween season. The events happening this Halloween nationwide for the tots and the teens, Dads, and moms the 20 plus aged people striving to adult. The Nightmare Realm From October 5 to November 3The Nightmare Realm is back at the RDS in Dublin from October 5 to November 3. You will lead and feel the Halloween experience by walking through the event casts. In fact, the daring ones can try the new and thrilling Witches Children event. It has been categorized as the scariest yet. Strictly for the teens and adults. No kids at all. Farmaphobia For its 10th year in Navan, Co Meath, Farmaphobia Scream Park is back in the town. At ScareCOn, Best Independent European Attraction voted Farmophobia. As it comprises of five scary attractions besides other happening events all over the farm. It is a great, unique and different night out. Guaranteed! The scare parks attractions, Mortuary Drawer, Demented dollies, and Scarettraction come back this year with some different twists. For over 16s, Farmophobia is allowed going. However, younger teenagers like visitors aged 13 can also attend. But with some adult family member. Samhain Tours at the GAA Museum, Dublin A tour of Croke Park along with a magic show. It is not all about Samhain Tours. But you will get tremendous opportunities of taking pictures with Liam cups and Sam. From October 26 to October 30, GAA Museum will return to this Halloween season. Families are invited for participating in the GAA Museum celebrations. A Samhain-themed is kept child-friendly with a magic show to make your experience unique and thrilling. Halloween Events at Lullymore Heritage and Discovery Park, Kildare Lullymore Heritage and Discovery Park are hosting their popular Halloween events for seven consecutive spooky days starting from October 27, Saturday to November 2, 2018, that is Friday. A bundle of ghastly ghosts accompanying petrifying treats is in store entailing Terror Train Trips, Haunted Holograms, Funky Forest and the Terror Treasure Hunts. However, the Fancy dress is optional. Parent will is suggested for younger children. Dare to Scare at Wells House, Co Wexford On October 30, the Dare to Scare Tour comes back in Co Wexford Wells House. Be a part of the ghouls of Wells on a spooky trip of the land. Here expose yourself with the house basement and the encapsulated mysteries. The night whispers will delve you in the darkness. You will get know the past gruesome stories. It is a family-friendly tour. Hope you will like our list of happenings across the town to make your Halloween day filled with fear and joy. Have a superb spooky Halloween! Every now and then, The IPKat runs updates on its (human) bloggers' activities and what they have been up to over the past few months ... besides blogging. besides blogging. As readers will see, our team has been quite busy and there is some exciting news. Sadly, we also have to say farewell to one of our Kats. Here we go: PermaKats Eleonora Rosati has been working on exploring the role, activity and legacy of 20 years of case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union in the field of copyright: her new book, Copyright and the Court of Justice of the European Union, will be published soon (February 2019) by Oxford University Press. has been working on exploring the role, activity and legacy of 20 years of case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union in the field of copyright: her new book,, will be published soon (February 2019) by Oxford University Press. Nicola Searle has also a book, co-authored with Barbara Townley and Phillip Roscoe, coming out soon: it is Creating Economy (Oxford University Press). Unfortunately, we also say farewell to her: we thank Nicola for all her work over the past few years, and hope to collaborate with her again in the near future! has also a book, co-authored with Barbara Townley and Phillip Roscoe, coming out soon: it is(Oxford University Press). Unfortunately, we also say farewell to her: we thank Nicola for all her work over the past few years, and hope to collaborate with her again in the near future! GuestKats Rosie Burbidge has joined Gunnercooke LLP European Fashion Law: A Practical Guide from Start-up to Global Success (forthcoming c. Feb 2019). as an IP partner in their London office. She has also written a book:(forthcoming c. Feb 2019). She has built a companion website for her book and has an associated Instagram ( @europeanfashionlaw) and Twitter ( @eurofashionlaw) accounts. We congratulate Mirko Bruss for the birth of his third child, a baby boy named Friedrich: welcome! Last week, Nedim Malovic Hannes Snellman at their Stockholm office. started working with the IP team atat their Stockholm office. Last summer, Mathilde Pavis was appointed as a visiting scholar at the University of Victoria (BC, Canada) funded by the Canada-UK Foundation to develop scholarship on comparative performers' rights. She will soon be sailing to new shores again by joining TC Beirne Law School at the University of Queensland (Brisbane, Australia), for a semester, to work on the impact of Artificial Intelligence technologies and neighbouring rights. Mathilde co-edited a book on contemporary intangible cultural heritage and the law which was published last September. Eibhlin Vardy has written the UK chapter in the forthcoming 2 nd Edition of Globe Law & Business' International Patent Litigation Developing an Effective Strategy which is due for release in late 2018. She plans to take some time out from private practice - which will free-up more time for blogging - before new beginnings in IP during the course of 2019. SpecialKats Veronica Rodriguez Arguijo is celebrating 2 years with the IPKat team (first as an InternKat and now as the TechieKat) and has welcomed her first nephew. Hayleigh Bosher Brunel University London as a lecturer in IP law. She has been also appointed as an editor of the European Trade Mark Reports. has moved toas a lecturer in IP law. She has been also appointed as an editor of the European Trade Mark Reports. InternKats State funeral begins for former Party General Secretary Do Muoi VNA/VNP The State funeral began at 7am on October 6 at the National Funeral Hall, No.5 Tran Thanh Tong, Hanoi, for former General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Do Muoi, who passed away on October 1.The funeral is held by the Party Central Committee, State President, National Assembly, Government and Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee.General Secretary Do Muoi is laid in state at the National Funeral Hall.Crowds of people gathered at the National Funeral Hall since early morning, queuing up to pay tribute to the Party leader.A delegation of the Party Central Committee led by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong paid respect to the former Party chief and offered condolences to his family.Writing in the funeral guest book, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong expressed his deep grief over the death of the outstanding and prestigious leader of the Party, State and people. He praised Do Muoi as a steadfast communist party member who devoted his entire life to the ideal of national independence, socialism and peoples happiness. He acknowledged the great merits and contributions made by the former Party chief to the cause of national liberation and reunification, Doi Moi and national construction and defence.Delegations led by Acting President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Thanh Man paid last respects to the former Party General SecretaryAmong those coming to offer condolences there were former Party General Secretaries Le Kha Phieu and Nong Duc Manh; former Presidents Tran Duc Luong, Nguyen Minh Triet and Truong Tan Sang; former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung; former National Assembly Chairmen Nguyen Van An and Nguyen Sinh Hung; among others.A respect-paying ceremony is also being held at Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh City. A delegation of the citys Party Committee, Peoples Council, Peoples Committee and Vietnam Fatherland Front, led by Politburo member and Secretary of HCM City Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan paid tribute to the former Party chief.Former General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee Do Muoi was born on February 2, 1917, in Dong My commune, Thanh Tri district, Hanoi. He passed away in Hanoi on October 1 at the age of 101 due to serious illness. He served as General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee from June 1991 to December 1997, and was presented with an insignia of 80-year Party membership.Vietnam declares two days of national mourning for him on October 6 and 7. Authority grants Rs50k to rebuild homes retaining Bungmati legacy National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) Chief Executive Officer Sushil Gyewali on Saturday said the government has several plans to promote reconstruction of historical settlements such as Bungmati. For women, by women Nepali women need to be unified at the forefront to inspire any kind of change in society Mark Greif in n + 1: ITS PROVING DIFFICULT TO STOP THINKING about the testimonies last week. Four hours of questions to a citizen named Christine Blasey Ford. Four hours of questions, of a sort, to Judge Brett Kavanaugh of the second highest court in the United States. The woman lives quietly as a professor of psychology and surfer in Northern California. The man has never left Washington, DC, and helps decide the law of the land. The miserable anticipation before last Thursday depended on the impression Ford would make in repeating, before the country, the assertion that this judgenominated to the Supreme Courthad once confined and sexually assaulted her when she was 15 and he was 17. The abyss weve dwelt in since is the result of the impression from his testimony. I still dont know how to assimilate it all. The mirrored sessions reversed the conventional meanings and assignment of shame and pity, then of impartiality and knowledge. The one thing certain following both testimonies was that Christine Blasey Ford had shown herself qualified by temperament and character to ascend to the open seat on the Supreme Court. Alas this was not the arrangement being considered. More here. Christobel Hastings in Broadly: It was the autumn of 1868, and for the samurai warriors of the Aizu clan in northern Japan, battle was on the horizon. Earlier in the year, the Satsuma samurai had staged a coup, overthrowing the Shogunate government and handing power to a new emperor, 15-year-old Mutsuhito, who was wasting no time in replacing the feudal ways of the ruling Tokugawa with a radically modern state. After a long summer of fighting, imperial forces reached the gates of Wakamatsu castle in October to quash the resistance, besieging the stronghold with 30,000 troops. Beyond its walls, 3,000 defiant warriors readied themselves for the final stand. As the Aizu fought valiantly from the towers and trenches, most women remained behind the scenes, ploughing their energies into cooking, bandaging, and extinguishing cannonballs that pounded the castle day and night. But for Nakano Takeko, an onna-bugeisha woman warrior, front line defense was the only course of action. Faced with the mighty gun-power of the imperial army, Takeko led an unofficial unit of 20-30 women in a counter-attack against the enemy, felling at least five opponents with her naginata blade before taking a fatal bullet to the chest. With her dying breaths, Takeko asked her sister to behead her, so that her body wouldnt be taken as a trophy. She was buried under a tree in the courtyard of the Aizu Bangmachi temple, where a monument now stands in her honor. More here. Mark Harris in Wired: CHRISTOPHER TALBOT THOUGHT he would make a great police officer. He was 29 years old, fit, and had a clean background record. Talbot had military experience, including a tour of Iraq as a US Marine, and his commanding officer had written him a glowing recommendation. In 2014, armed with an associate degree in criminal justice, he felt ready to apply to become an officer with the New Haven Police Department, in his home state of Connecticut. Talbot sailed through the departments rigorous physical and mental tests, passing speed and agility trials and a written examinationbut there was one final test. Like thousands of other law enforcement, fire, paramedic, and federal agencies across the country, the New Haven Police Department insists that each applicant take an assessment that has been rejected by almost every scientific authority: the polygraph test. Commonly known as lie detectors, polygraphs are virtually unused in civilian life. Theyre largely inadmissible in court and its illegal for most private companies to consult them. Over the past century, scientists have debunked the polygraph, proving again and again that the test cant reliably distinguish truth from falsehood. At best, it is a roll of the dice; at worst, its a vessel for test administrators to project their own beliefs. More here. Dean Keith Simonton in Nautilus: People too often forget that IQ tests havent been around that long. Indeed, such psychological measures are only about a century old. Early versions appeared in France with the work of Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon in 1905. However, these tests didnt become associated with genius until the measure moved from the Sorbonne in Paris to Stanford University in Northern California. There Professor Lewis M. Terman had it translated from French into English, and then standardized on sufficient numbers of children, to create what became known as the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale. That happened in 1916. The original motive behind these tests was to get a diagnostic to select children at the lower ends of the intelligence scale who might need special education to keep up with the school curriculum. But then Terman got a brilliant idea: Why not study a large sample of children who score at the top end of the scale? Better yet, why not keep track of these children as they pass into adolescence and adulthood? Would these intellectually gifted children grow up to become genius adults? Terman subjected hundreds of school kids to his newfangled IQ test. Obviously, he didnt want a sample so large that it would be impractical to follow their intellectual development. Taking the top 2 percent of the population would clearly yield a group twice as large as the top 1 percent. Moreover, a less select group might be less prone to become geniuses. So why not catch the creme de la creme? The result was a group of 1,528 extremely bright boys and girls who averaged around 11 years old. And to say they were bright is a very big understatement. Their average IQ was 151, with 77 claiming IQs between 177 and 200. These children were subjected to all sorts of additional tests and measures, repeatedly so, until they reached middle age. The result was the monumental Genetic Studies of Genius, five volumes appearing between 1925 and 1959, although Terman died before the last volume came out. These highly intelligent people are still being studied today, or at least the small number still alive. They have also become affectionately known as Termitesa clear contraction of Termanites. More here. 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. Govt increases minimum pay of journalists by 25% The government has decided to increase the minimum pay of working journalists by 25 percent. A Cabinet on Sunday took the decision that all journalists and employees working at media houses would have their salary increased from coming October 18. History leaves a lot of question marks about the storied 16th-century man named Esteban, who was relevant to the history of New Mexico and the Southwest. Rio Rancho author Dennis Herrick addresses many of the questions in his new, provocative and thought-provoking biography Esteban The African Slave Who Explored America. One question is about his name. Esteban was one. Historians have also called him Estevan or with the diminutives Estebanico, Estebanillo and Estevanico. One name only. Where was he from? What was his birth name? More speculation. Herrick writes that Esteban had been described as a black Arab, but he may have been a Berber from Morocco or maybe hailed from sub-Saharan Africa. He is thought to have been born in 1503. How did Esteban wind up the slave of Andres Dorantes de Carranza in Spain some 19 years later? Spain at that time was a slave-owning society, Herrick said. But Esteban was the only slave I know of in the 16th century who was named in letters to the king by Antonio de Mendoza, the viceroy of New Spain. Mendoza appointed Esteban to the respected and important post of guide of an expedition in 1539 heading north from Mexico City to find the fabled Seven Cities of Cibola in what is today New Mexico and Arizona. The last recorded mention of Esteban is his arrival with the Fray Marcos de Niza-led expedition at the Zuni village of Hawikku. Some believe Esteban may have been killed there or was forced to move on, Herrick said. The earlier part of Estebans story in the New World began with his journey across the Atlantic as part of a gold-seeking expedition to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. He continued to Florida on the remnants of the hurricane-battered Spanish expedition, confronted Native American tribes, some friendly, some hostile. Survivors fled in homemade boats west along the Gulf Coast. For six years, Esteban and three of the expeditions Spanish survivors Dorantes, Alonso del Castillo Maldonado and Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca were held captive of Indian tribes in Texas. Herrick credits Esteban for being an interpreter with Indians encountered in Florida and in Texas. The four men eventually escaped and fled to northwest Mexico where Spanish slave hunters escorted them to Mendoza in Mexico City. The 75-year-old Herrick came to write Estebans biography his first nonfiction book after writing short stories about pueblo Indians. The stories led him to write Winter of the Metal People, a historical novel of the Coronado expedition from the pueblo viewpoint. Whenever I heard Esteban mentioned it seems his bad reputation was mentioned. Why was his reputation based on negative assumptions and why are there so many different understandings of his fate? Herrick asked rhetorically. I am trying to repair his reputation. Hes been treated unfairly for 500 years. It really piqued my curiosity. Whats the other side of the story? Herrick has been a reporter, newspaper co-owner and journalism teacher for most of his life. He was a full-time lecturer in the University of New Mexico Journalism Department for 10 years. In the black-and-white photo, a slim young man with sharp features and a mop of dark, curly hair stands with one foot perched on the bumper of a sleek, 1930s-era automobile parked on a dirt road. Naked mountains and empty ground make up the backdrop. At first glance you could not be blamed for thinking its a publicity shot for some mid-century movie star such as James Dean. That theory is wrecked by the wording on the reverse side 1948 Road to Juan Tabo Picnic Area Today Tramway Blvd at Candelaria Rd 1935 Hudson Terraplane Myron Robart, 22 Put another way, the photo was taken in 1948 at about what is now the intersection of Tramway and Candelaria. The man in the photo is Albuquerque resident Myron Robart, 22 when his father took that picture but 92 now. And the car is the 1935 Hudson Terraplane that Myron Robart purchased in 1948 for $25. Robart sent the photo to the Journal because he thought it might be of interest. Probably because it shows how much Albuquerque has developed during the last 70 years. That barren area in which Robart posed with his car in 1948 now includes a house of worship and a mix of commercial and residential properties. But maybe just maybe Robart sent the picture because, after all these years, hes still pretty dang proud of that Terraplane. Really fast It was my first car. It was really fast and fun to drive, Robart said. I enjoyed it so much I bought a 1947 Hudson and a 1951 Hudson. Robart was talking last week in his neat and meticulously organized home near the intersection of San Mateo and Menaul. He and his late wife, Rosemary Rosa Robart, moved here in 1950, a few years after their marriage. Robarts mop of dark hair is long gone. So is much of his hearing and some of his memory. But years ago, in anticipation, perhaps, of when details might not be so easy to summon up, he compiled a list of the places he has lived, his employment history and even an inventory of the cars he bought. Since that 1935 Terraplane, he has owned a dozen cars, the last a 2012 Ford Fusion purchased new. Hard times The car count is now complete because a few years back Robart voluntarily gave up driving. But as the affable Robart goes over the other lists, the classic American stories of toughing out the hard times and the self-made man emerge. He was born in Emsworth, Pa., on Jan. 20, 1926, his mother died on Dec. 21, 1928, and the Great Depression seized the nation in 1929, forcing his father, Fremont Robart, to travel the country looking for work and Myron to live alternately with his father and others as he attended schools in Alliance, Akron and Hammondsville in Ohio; Glendale, Ariz; Los Angeles; El Paso and Albuquerque. My dad was picking cantaloupes in Arizona, Robart said. But young Myron pitched in, too. In Los Angeles, when he was 11 and 12, he sold the Saturday Evening Post magazine door to door and the Los Angeles Examiner on a downtown street corner. In Albuquerque, when he was 14 and 15, he worked in an ice cream parlor, at a pawn shop and at the Central and High Nook magazine stand at Central Avenue and High Street. Camels and Lucky Strikes (cigarettes) were 15 cents a pack, he said. We sold the Albuquerque Journal, The Albuquerque Tribune, the Denver Post and the Los Angeles Examiner. I think the Post and the Examiner were 10 cents and the Journal and Tribune a nickel. Building a career In 1941, Fremont Robart got a permanent assignment as a clerk with the Railway Postal Service in Albuquerque. That meant an end to Myron Robarts gypsy existence, of moving from place to place to attend school. His father bought a house on Coal Avenue and ordered furniture from the Galbreth Furniture Co. While closing the deal on the furniture, Fremont managed to get Myron a part-time job delivering for Galbreth. It was to be the turning point in Myrons life in more ways than one. The Galbreth store at Seventh and Iron was right next door to the home of the Marteno family. One of the Marteno daughters was Rosemary, whom Robart would meet when he was 16 and marry five years later. After an interruption for Army service during World War II, Robart, who taught himself to build and design furniture, became an invaluable employee at Galbreth, which changed its name to Franciscan Furniture in 1947. With only a single, brief interruption, he stayed with the company, which did a booming business making furniture for motels, as it changed hands and locations over the years. He was part owner of the business from 1955 until its closing in 1970. I certainly had a great ride, Robart wrote in Me and Franciscan Furniture, a 40-page business memoir he authored some years ago. That part-time summer job turned out to be the beginning of a 28-year adventure. Thanks for the memories In more recent years, Robart kept busy building shelves for his wifes collection of glass, learning how to do stained glass for his own amusement and spending time with family. Rosemary died in 2010, but Robarts son, David, and daughter, Myrene Eklund, live in Albuquerque. He and David have traveled to every state except Alaska and Hawaii. And hes got his memories because he wrote them down and he kept the pictures. Like the photo of a young man and a hot car on a dirt road in the undisturbed heights east of Albuquerque. I did like to drive, he said. I remember that. Prev 1 of 7 Next Though he gets to travel constantly on film and TV projects, Drew Goddard misses New Mexico every day. Its a feeling he just cant shake. Luckily, I get to come home once a year to see my family, he says. Its amazing to get back and feel at home. Goddard grew up in Los Alamos and graduated from high school in 1993. Hes been a staple in the film and TV industry since then, working as a writer on shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Lost and Alias. His recent projects include Daredevil, The Defenders and The Good Place. Goddard jumped into the directors chair for the 2012 thriller The Cabin in the Woods. Hes back with the upcoming film, Bad Times at the El Royale, which is being released Friday, Oct. 12. For this project, he pulled triple duty as director, producer and writer. Everything I do is a labor of love, he quips. I try not to take anything that Im not passionate about. Bad Times at the El Royale takes place in January 1969, just as Richard Nixon has been inaugurated as the 37th president of the United States. A new decade beckons and seven very different but equally lost souls converge on the El Royale, a once-glorious resort that has since fallen like its visitors into disrepute. Situated on the border between California and Nevada, the El Royale offers warmth and sunshine to the west; hope and opportunity to the east. It also straddles the colliding worlds of past and present. Once the hotspot of Tahoe, where the countrys most famous celebrities and politicians co-mingled in and around the resorts casino, bar, bungalows and pool, the good times have now come to a close. Something new Coming off an Oscar nomination in 2016 for the screenplay for The Martian, Goddard was looking for a different kind of project. I thought to myself, whats the opposite of a sci-fi film, he says. It hit me. Lets do a crime thriller. I have a real love for crime movies and novels. I wanted to take a shot at it. So Goddard wrote for three weeks exactly. Starting in November 2016, he wrapped up the script the first week of December, just before his trip back to Los Alamos. The movie has a lot of spiritual undertones, he says. I realized this while I went to Mass with my mom at Immaculate Heart of Mary. I was sitting there listening and thinking. Then I realized I wrote a movie about my Catholic childhood. Goddards writing was able to pique the interest of a stellar cast. The film stars Jeff Bridges, Chris Hemsworth, Dakota Johnson, Cynthia Ervo, Jon Hamm, Lewis Pullman, Nick Offerman and Cailee Spaeny. Theres that adage in screenwriting, Goddard says. Just write what you want to see. So I locked myself in a hotel room and wrote the movie I wanted to see. It started from my love of film noir, crime fiction and classic ensemble movies where you dont quite know who the protagonist is, and you get to see a bunch of movie stars in a limited space. And then I convinced Fox to let me make that movie, and here we are. Goddard set the film in the 1960s, the perfect era for a film that peels back the layers of both its action and characters. In the 60s there was a spirit of sexiness, of warmth and celebration, Goddard says. But beneath the surface there was paranoia. There was surveillance happening beneath the glitz and glamour. Humbling experience Bridges describes the story as awesome. Every once in a while I read a script and say, Wow, this is nothing Ive ever seen before. This is the kind of movie Id like to see. And then to find out that the writer, Drew Goddard, was also directing it, that was a big plus, Bridges says. One of the wonderful surprises because it is rare that something like this is attempted is that some takes go on for 10 minutes. That really gives the actor a chance to immerse themselves in the scene. It gives all the actors a chance to show their stuff. And it draws the audience in, in the most beautiful way, when the camera isnt cutting so much. Hemsworth had worked with Goddard before in Cabin in the Woods and was already a huge fan. (The script) is one of the best things Ive ever read. It is fresh, unique, full of drama and sinister humor, complex and layered, Hemsworth says. The chaos just builds and builds and becomes this house of cards that all goes very pear-shaped. Its wildly unpredictable and intense. I didnt think Id have that much fun, he continues. Ive spent a lot of my career playing the hero, and there are certain rules that they have to stick by, and so it becomes predictable. So to be able to be unpredictable, to keep the audience guessing, was surprisingly enjoyable. Goddard is humbled by the cast, whom he adores. I had moments where I would look at Jeff and Cynthia and Chris, Jon, Dakota, just sit and look at all these heavyweights and think, how did I get here? he says. I dont understand how I got to be so lucky. It was never lost on me how special it was. Production was a little rough because there were plenty of rain scenes. The hardest thing about directing is that its physically grueling, Goddard says. We had a lot of long nights in the rain. When youre a director and you and 100 people are sitting in the rain, its not the best. I did a lot of cursing of the writer. There were times I laughed because it was me who wrote these scenes. After promotion of the film is over, Goddard will take a look at what he wants to do next. Perhaps a film in New Mexico, he says. I would love to do a Western and I would love to do a romantic movie. Ive learned that you cant chase these things. Ideas will pop up and you have to see where it takes you. In theaters Los Alamos native Drew Goddard wrote, directed and produced the film, Bad Times at the El Royale. The movie opens nationwide on Friday, Oct. 12. The drama surrounding Judge Brett Kavanaughs path to a seat on the Supreme Court has divided Americans. But perhaps less well understood by those within the United States is how odd the circumstances of the case look to the rest of the world. A member of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom said this week that the selection process for Kavanaugh was a horrible warning of the way not to do it. Speaking to the Times of London, Justice Johnathan Sumption acknowledged that the legal systems in Britain and the United States were different, which made them hard to compare. What works for them does not necessarily work for us, he said. But it is not clear at the moment whether it even works for them. Sumption isnt alone among foreign legal minds in his skeptical view of the U.S. Supreme Courts processes. But what is so unusual about the American court when compared to the top legal bodies in other countries? There are four aspects of the U.S. court that make it stand out. 1. The U.S. Supreme Court itself is unusually high-profile The selection process for the Supreme Court and indeed, the work of the Supreme Court itself is unusually high-profile. Adam Goldenberg, an adjunct professor of law at the University of Toronto, recently wrote an article for Macleans where he contrasted the attention lavished on the American Supreme Court with the lack of interests most Canadians show to the Supreme Court of Canada: No country in the world does judicial appointments quite like the United States, Goldenberg wrote. Where else do individual high court judges so often become household names, or the subject of breaking news, or grist for the political mill? Only in America is the frenzy now surrounding Judge Brett Kavanaugh, nominated on July 9 to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy on the U.S. Supreme Court, so routine that it no longer seems extraordinary-even when, by any non-American standard, it most certainly is. Canadians, by contrast, may have read about or seen a report on the retirement of Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin last year, Goldenberg continued. But they may not even have noticed when Justice Thomas Cromwell stepped down the year before, or when Justice Marshall Rothstein did so in 2015. It would not be at all surprising if more Canadians could tell you about Roe v. Wade-the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that severely restricted the regulation of abortion-than could name a single judgment of our own highest court. Its similar in Britain, where appointments to the Supreme Court receive scant attention in mainstream media. Nominees are far from household names. There was no discussion of it in the press when the names were announced and when we looked at the people who were there it was all understandable, Alison Young, a law professor at University of Cambridge, recently told the BBC. There are some countries where the Supreme Court or its equivalent is widely discussed by the general public, but the issue is generally not the partisanship you see in the United States: Indias own high-profile Supreme Court may sometimes be controversial, for example, but it has a reputation for being independent. 2. The selection process for the U.S. Supreme Court appears unusually political The U.S. system for selecting a new Supreme Court justice is simple. When a spot on the Supreme Court opens up, the sitting president is entitled to nominate a new Supreme Court judge. The Senate Judiciary Committee holds hearings and takes a vote on whether to pass the nomination on to the Senate. If a majority in the Senate vote in favor of the nomination, the president can then formally appoint the nominee. In the past, there was often an informal bipartisan consensus on Supreme Court nominees. But in recent decades, the process has become increasingly partisan. If Kavanaugh is confirmed as the new justice by the Senate, it will likely be with only the slim majority along a rough party-line split as The Posts Philip Bump notes, the Senators who confirm him will likely represent less than half the country. He will have done so only after a bruising set of hearings that has discredited him in the eyes of many Americans. In other countries, the process for selecting new faces on top legal bodies is often more complicated, but it is designed in a way to promote consensus and be relatively apolitical. Here, for example, is how it works in Germany, according to The Posts Rick Noack: Similar processes are in place across many European nations and elsewhere, with the aim being to emphasize merit, rather than ideology. This can create some problems Britains Supreme Court, for example, has been criticized for being predominantly white and male, though that has been changing it also means that the process rarely gets into the political slugging matches we see in the United States. This is partly why, to some foreign legal minds, it would be unimaginable that Kavanaugh could be elected to their nations top legal body after accusations of sexual assault against him. People would have asked for him to be rejected, and I can imagine that it would have been a cross-party consensus, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, a prominent Ghanaian lawyer, told The Washington Post last week. 3. There are no term limits on the U.S. Supreme Court Another important difference between the U.S. Supreme Court and many other top legal bodies is that in the American high court, justices can generally keep their seats as long as they wish. This means that vacancies in the court only come up after a justice dies or chooses to resign or retire. Some justices remain on the court for lengthy periods of time because of this: Justice Clarence Thomas is currently the longest serving justice at more than 26 years. As The Posts Joanna Slater has reported, in many other countries there are limits on a justices time in office. Countries like Canada, Brazil, Australia, South Africa and Britain say that justices on the countrys highest court must retire by a certain age, which is usually 70 or 75. Other countries have set term limits on their top legal bodies: Frances Constitutional Council has nine permanent members, of which one-third are replaced every three years by the executive branch, and Switzerlands top judges face six-year terms before facing re-election. Such a predictable and regular turnover is a stark contrast to the United States, where the justices often sit on the bench for decades. As the Economist wrote in 2015 of the American system: No matter how wise or enlightened they may be, a bench of seven or nine octogenarians will have a circumscribed perspective on the country for which they are adjudicating fundamental questions. 4. U.S. Supreme Court justices hold more power than most of their foreign counterparts When in session, the U.S. Supreme Court operates in a different way to many other courts. David Orentlicher, a law professor at University of Nevada at Las Vegas, has noted that European courts tend to decide only constitutional cases brought by the legislature or by lower courts, rather than individuals. Oral arguments are only rarely given, with justices instead privately considering written arguments. But more distinct is an emphasis on finding compromise. German and Spanish justices rarely write dissenting opinions to express their disapproval of a court ruling. Dissents do not exist in Belgium, France and Italy, Orentlicher wrote in an article published last month. The supremacy of the Constitution in U.S. law is also a big contrast to some foreign nations. Britain, for example, does not have a written constitution, which means that its Supreme Court has very different powers than its American counterpart: It cannot simply rule a law unconstitutional, for example. Instead, a law they dispute will eventually have to go back to Parliament to be reformed. Some critics both American and foreign say that the U.S. Supreme Court appointments are not only politicized, but that the court itself has come to play too big a role in national politics. Never before has the court been more central in American life, David Kaplin wrote in his recent book, The Most Dangerous Branch. It is the justices who now decide the controversial issues of our time from abortion and same-sex marriage to gun control, campaign finance and voting rights. Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal Details about the man arrested in the rape and child abuse death of 6-year-old Ariana Jade Romeo remain scarce, but police dispatch records show his connection to a few of the more than two dozens calls to the Rio Rancho house where the girl was killed. In one of those instances, Leland Hust reported witnessing child abuse himself and asked for a police officer to take a statement from him at the home, according to the records. Since 2009 officers, firefighters and paramedics had visited the home in the 200 block of Moonstone, near N.M. 528 and Northern NE, 35 times, for everything from stray dogs and custody disputes to a man coming off a meth binge and fights involving the people who lived there. At least two of the calls involved Hust and trace his connection to the home back several years. The first reference to Hust was on an afternoon in September 2011 when Hust, who would have been 13 or 14, returned there after he was reported missing several hours earlier. Then, in December 2015, Hust called police to report child abuse he had witnessed. The specifics of this call are unclear, who was involved or if anything came of it, but records show that an officer took a witness statement from Hust at the house. Following a lengthy interview at the Rio Rancho Police Department on Friday, Hust, 21, was charged with child abuse resulting in Arianas death and aggravated criminal sexual penetration resulting in death. His arrest answers some questions in a case that authorities have been tight-lipped about over the nearly two-month-long investigation. Officers were called to the home the morning of Aug. 11 after Arianas mother, Stephanie Romeo, found her body on a foam mattress in a cluttered bedroom converted from a garage. Romeo screamed for the others in the home, and someone called 911 as the homeowner, Winston Scates Sr., 63, tried to resuscitate the girl. She was pronounced dead by rescue crews. Police say the case against Hust is backed by DNA evidence and statements from those who were at the home when Ariana was killed. Investigators are not actively looking for any other suspects. While investigating Arianas death, detectives discovered separate allegations against Scates, who now faces charges of criminal sexual contact of a different child. He was also arrested Friday night, and both men were booked into the Sandoval County Detention Center. Neither man has a criminal history in New Mexico, according to online court records. Capt. Ron Vigil, a spokesman for the Rio Rancho Police Department, said investigators have not told him how the two men are related to each other, but he knows that Hust had been living at Scates home for some time. Criminal complaints detailing the allegations against Hust and Scates were not available Saturday, but police officials said they would be accessible next week. On Saturday, Vigil said the preliminary autopsy has been completed and investigators believe Ariana was strangled. The autopsy report also found damage to her genitals. It is unclear when exactly she died, and police have not provided those details. Police have said Ariana and her mother had not been staying at the home for very long and it is unclear how they knew Scates or anyone else who lived there. The two had lived in a couple of different states before coming to New Mexico over a year ago. Vigil has said several adults and juveniles were in the house when Ariana was found dead and police records and interviews with neighbors paint a picture of a chaotic home with many people coming and going. A search warrant affidavit filed in the 13th Judicial District Court described the home as layered in dust and in total disarray. When police searched the home, they found and seized several laptops, sex toys, pornographic material, marijuana pipes and medicine bottles. According to the search warrant, one of the items police were interested in was a tablet computer. (A child in the home) stated she was on a tablet at the time Leland entered the room, the deceased child was located, to put on a movie for her, a detective wrote in the affidavit. Confirming the data on the tablet would verify her account of events and establish a timeline. It is unclear exactly what detectives meant or if the tablet had anything to do with the case against Hust. No one answered the door at the home Saturday, and no vehicles were in the driveway. But neighbors, who were clearly disturbed by the tragedy and overwhelmed by the media attention, said Scates, his wife and several other people had been coming and going over the past two months. One neighbor said she saw Scates wife return home after the news of his arrest broke Friday night. Records show this is not the first time Scates has been accused of sexual abuse of a child. According to an investigative report, police interviewed Scates in February 2011 after a woman reported that he had inappropriately touched her 4-year-old daughter while the two were staying at his home. Scates denied the claims, and no charges were ever filed against him but police say he hinted at other allegations during the interview. I asked if he had ever been accused of something like this before, to which he hesitantly replied yes, an officer wrote in the report. When I asked what the circumstances were he replied that he did not want to talk about it, and shortly thereafter concluded the interview. Police say they were unsuccessful in finding any previous abuse cases linked to Scates at that time. Politicians and special interests drool at the sight and sound of the money in the states permanent funds. In every election cycle some candidate promises to use the permanent fund to do great things. However, there are restrictions on how these funds can be used, and for good reason. These are not reserve funds or rainy day funds; they are dedicated monies. Land Grant Permanent Fund There are three permanent funds: the Land Grant Permanent Fund (LGPF), the Severance Tax Permanent Fund (STPF) and the Tobacco Settlement Permanent Fund (TSPF). The largest and oldest is the LGPF, which was created by the Enabling Act when New Mexico became a state in the union. Two designated sections of land out of each township, Sections 2 and 32, were dedicated to the state for the purpose of deriving revenue 9 million surface acres and 13 million acres with mineral rights to support specific government operations and state institutions. Some 20 recipients were set for the funds, with the largest portion for public education. These are not big bags of loose change to be dipped into for other purposes. There was almost $18 billion in the LGPF until the Richardson administration needed money without raising taxes. The constitutional rate for withdrawal from the LGPF was 4.7 percent at that time. But the governor had the Legislature pass a joint resolution calling for an amendment to the New Mexico Constitution that would allow the maximum annual withdrawal to go to 5.8 percent. The joint resolution was sent to Washington to obtain congressional approval, then on to narrowly pass a peoples referendum by only 169 votes, thus amending the constitution to the new rate. As a part of the sales pitch to pass the amendment there was a sunset clause so that after a time eight years the disbursement rate would drop back to 5 percent. The 5 percent allows for a good rate of return and also to allow growth of the corpus of the fund; the LGPF has increased by nearly $5 billion in the past 10 years all of it dedicated and not available for other purposes. As of December 2017, the public schools were receiving almost $49 million each month of dedicated funding that may not be used for anything else. Severance Tax Permanent Fund The next-largest fund is the Severance Tax Permanent Fund (STPF). It was created through a constitutional amendment ratified by the people in 1976. The purpose of the fund was to conserve some of the income derived from the extraction of natural resources, which being nonrenewable would be gone as revenue sources for future generations. Oil and gas are the principal and largest of our natural resources and are huge contributors to severance taxes. Royalties from oil and natural gas largely fund the LGPF, and then their taxes fund the STPF. Originally the fund was conceived to have one half of the taxes collected go to the permanent fund and one half to be held as the bonding fund. A few years ago, Gov. Toney Anaya complained there was insufficient money available in the budget to fund his projects the money was spent anyway. Meanwhile Zuni Pueblo asserted it was not allotted the same capital outlay money as other schools for infrastructure and other capital items, sued the state and won. There were insufficient funds to meet the court-ordered remuneration for Zuni Pueblo; it had all been committed. The 50 percent division of revenue was broken. This was an emergency for the administration, and the legislative body acted to divert tax money from the corpus of the STPF. In 2017 just $38 from $300 million collected was put to the corpus. Currently the STPF stands at just over $5 billion. The 2018 Legislature approved placing 18.3 percent of severance tax revenue in the STPF, thus guaranteeing a steady inflow into the fund, though not as big as the original 50 percent. The STPF contributes about $200 million a year to the states general fund to benefit all citizens. Tobacco Settlement Permanent Fund The Tobacco Settlement Permanent Fund was created with money distributed by the U.S. government as a settlement of a suit against the tobacco companies. New Mexicos share was placed in a permanent fund to be used by the University of New Mexico for cancer research. As of December 2017, the fund had close to $156 million in assets. According to the State Investment Council, the TSPF is considered part of the reserve fund and is the only permanent fund not constitutionally protected from legislative appropriation. Since 2008, legislative priorities have taken nearly 100 percent of annual payments. Protect these funds An estimate of the money contributed by the permanent funds to the budget for state government use is equivalent to over $1,270 per year per household in personal taxes. There is a need to save for future generations rather than use it all for ourselves. The voters of New Mexico should jealously protect these funds and carefully weigh any proposal to use them. The states permanent funds face another raid by politicians. Heres what these funds are for and why they should be protected. The states permanent funds face another raid by politicians. Heres what these funds are for and why they should be protected. A shooting in southeast Albuquerque left a man dead Saturday night, according to police. Police spokesman Simon Drobik said officers responded to the shooting near Valencia and Gibson SE around 10 p.m. and found a man beyond help. The area is shut down while police investigate. Drobik did not say if anyone is in custody or exactly where the man was shot. Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News N Augusta Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up! Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page. Govts sole objection is development and prosperity: DPM Pokharel Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ishwor Pokharel has said economic development and prosperity is the one and only objective of the government. Kanchanpur rape-murder: Home Ministry makes public high-level committee report The Ministry of Home Affairs on Sunday made public the investigation report on rape and murder of 13-year-old Nirmala Pant, of Bhimdutta Municipality-2, Kanchanpur district. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared reluctant to go on a diplomatic war with Saudi Arabia today as he made a low-key statement on the fate of a missing Saudi dissident. Turkish police sources said they believed the man was killed inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Erdogan said the prosecutors investigation into the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi was continuing. God willing, we will not face an undesired situation, he told reporters, avoiding confirming claims that the journalist was killed. Turkish investigators are analyzing footage from security cameras outside the consulate as well as airport entries and exits, he added. However, before Erdogan spoke, unnamed Turkish police sources as well as an adviser to Erdogan told the media that they believed that Khashoggi was killed at the Saudi Consulate, which he entered Oct. 2. According to some reports, police believe his body was removed from the building in a diplomatic vehicle. Saudi officials have denied the murder claims, insisting they are unaware of Khashoggi's whereabouts. Why it matters: The incident threatens a diplomatic crisis in Turkeys relations with Saudi Arabia. Bilateral relations are already strained over Ankaras political and military support for Qatar in the Saudi-led drive to isolate the tiny emirate and Turkeys close ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, which Riyadh considers a terrorist organization. Despite the rift over Qatar, Ankara has maintained a cautious approach toward Riyadh and bilateral contacts have continued. Saudi cooperation is important for Turkey in Syria. Also, Ankara has continued to encourage Saudi investments in Turkey, with the Saudis eyeing especially the real estate sector. Such investments are all the more important now that Ankara is struggling with deepening economic woes. Yet, Ankara appears to see a hostile motive in the Khashoggi affair. Yasin Aktay, an adviser to Erdogan, wrote in an Oct. 6 column that whatever happened to the journalist was an operation not only against him but also an operation against Turkey. Whats next: Erdogans statement today suggests he is not keen on escalating tensions with Saudi Arabia at least for now and that Ankara is inclined to await the official outcome of the probe into Khashoggis disappearance before making a decisive diplomatic move. Fusun Arsava, an international law professor at Ankaras Atilim University, told Al-Monitor that even if reports of Khashoggis murder were true, that would be extremely difficult for the Turkish authorities to prove. She likened the situation to a dead end, adding that one measure Ankara might take was to ask the Saudi consul to go on grounds that the incident has cast doubts on mutual trust. Know more: Check out Al-Monitors previous coverage on the matter and Al-Monitors report on volatile Saudi-Turkish relations here and here. Hagel: US Syria policy "complete folly" Despite differences over Idlib, the otherwise shaky Astana alliance of Russia, Iran and Turkey has been strengthened by opposition to US policy in eastern Syria, which former US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has labelled complete folly. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last month said, The main danger to Syrias territorial integrity originates from the eastern bank of the Euphrates, where independent and autonomous structures are created under the direct control of the United States. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan similarly said, The biggest threat to Syria's future lies in the nests of terror to the east of the Euphrates, naming the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and the Democratic Union Party (PYD), both US allies in the fight against the Islamic State, as terrorist groups that must be brought down. And Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Sept. 7, We need to resolve the difficulty east of the Euphrates and force America out. Despite slamming the United States for backing independent and autonomous structures in eastern Syria, Russia avoids reprimanding Turkey in this way, instead accepting the armed oppositions control over Idlib as a compromise, Marianna Belenkaya writes. Moreover, Lavrov regularly emphasizes that the agreements on Idlib do not endanger the territorial integrity of Syria, contrary to the situation on the eastern bank of the Euphrates. This serves as a hint to Damascus that Moscow is still committed to the integrity of Syria and guarantees that Idlib will sooner or later return to the government. It is also a polite appeal to Ankara, meaning that allies are allowed more freedom in their actions. Moscow has essentially disregarded the areas of northern Syria that Ankara occupied during its Olive Branch and Euphrates Shield operations, Belenkaya continues. Although, as recently as spring 2018, Lavrov has actively urged Ankara to return Afrin to the Syrian government. Russia has not given up this position, but its priorities have changed. The top priority is to preserve the Astana format as a whole, and the alliance with Turkey in particular, even if the allies objectives do not fully overlap a fact that Moscow acknowledges, as Russia considers these relations obligatory for progress in the Syrian resolution. Iran, writes Hassan Ahmadian is prioritizing pushback against the United States east of the Euphrates. Tehrans objective is to restore the status quo in Idlib under Turkeys influence as well as northeastern Syria, where US forces are based. Against this backdrop, Ahmadian continues, a strategic overhaul of Iranian-Turkish cooperation in Syria is not unprecedented. In 2016, Turkey shifted from its initial position of insisting on regime change in Damascus to a pragmatic issue-based engagement with Iran. This in turn encouraged a shift in Tehrans pushback against Ankara, leading to its engagement of Turkey in the Astana process. Theoretically, Irans prioritization of the areas east of the Euphrates puts it on track to accommodate Turkeys strategic concerns in SDF-held territory. While Turkey perceives the Democratic Union Party (PYD) as a terrorist organization, Tehran sees the PYDs American patrons as the destabilizing actor. Generally, however, Iran and Turkeys goals intersect as they both focus on SDF-held territory. Therefore, it is likely that the two will work on the common ground that exists in northern Syria. Turkeys anti-PYD posture is useful for Iran to effectively push back against the United States. Likewise, to encounter the PYD, Turkey cannot shy away from confronting US policy in Syria and for that, it needs Iran and the Axis of Resistance, which can in effect ratchet up the pressure against the United States east of the Euphrates. After all, Ahmadian concludes, Iran, Syria and Hezbollah have all endorsed the Sochi accord to give Turkey more time to resolve the standoff over Idlib peacefully. This, by no means, can be interpreted as their acceptance of a continued Turkish presence and opposition control of Idlib. To reiterate this point, Iran will keep reminding Ankara that the status quo in Idlib is unsustainable and that Turkish de-escalation outposts there are part of a consensual decision in the Astana process and, as such, will lose their basic value if Turkey reneges on its commitments. This can well evolve into a military confrontation to force out militant groups and Turkish outposts in and around Idlib for which the Axis of Resistance is much more experienced. For now, however, Iran and the Axis of Resistance seem hopeful about joining hands with Turkey in northern Syria, provided that Turkey appreciates the linkage between Idlib and the fate of the territory east of the Euphrates. Another most vexing challenge for Moscow and its Astana partners will come from the recent US effort to re-engage on the UN political transition talks. The UN-hosted negotiations in Geneva have carried on to no avail, Belenkaya reports. According to Al-Monitors sources close to the participants of the talks, the lack of progress is due to de Misturas attempts to find common ground between all sides of the conflict, who refuse to surrender their positions. On the other hand, the Astana process allows Moscow to virtually push through its decisions while finding compromises between Iran and Turkey, or the Syrian regime and the opposition. However, the moment of truth has already occurred. Moreover, the 'small group' on Syria, which the West created as an alternative to the Astana process, requires de Mistura to provide it with a report on the committee formation by Oct. 31." Lavrov has said this pressure on de Mistura will be a "grave mistake." Belenkaya concludes that for Russia, this is a complex problem, as the political resolution may come to a dead end just like the Geneva talks. At the same time, the West is likely to run out of patience and increase its pressure on the regime in Damascus. The opposition, with even more support, may ignore Moscows requests altogether. In 2019, Russia will face the challenge of escaping this prospect. It is difficult to envision how the United States will be able to rally any type of effective regional diplomacy around Syria while supporting Kurdish-backed local forces and local structures, which seem to muddle the US commitment to Syrias unity, also a pillar of UN Security Council Resolution 2254, and give fuel to the Astana parties. Instead, the US approach has boxed the United States into an approach that limits Washingtons ability to divide the Astana group. Hagel told Defense One this week that the US approach to Syria is complete folly, adding that the Iranians live there. The U.S. doesnt live in the Middle East. Unless youre going to somehow eliminate the geopolitical realities of that well, good luck Mr. Bolton. There is no other way around this, youre going to have to find some resolution based on the common interests of those countries. Iraq offers to mediate The next government of Iraq, like its predecessor, will have no interest in becoming a battleground between the United States and Iran. Concerned that tensions between Iran and the United States could blow back onto Iraq, Laura Rozen reports, Iraq would be willing to facilitate dialogue between the two nations. Iraq does not want to see relations between Iran and the United States affect the relations between the United States and Iraq, Ahmed Mahjoub, spokesman for the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Rozen and a small group of journalists in Washington. 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. In a response to a question about whether there are shared US and Iranian interests in Iraq, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Al-Monitor last month, We coordinate with the Iraqi government, and the Iraqi government is free to coordinate with its other partners in Iraq. But our activities in Iraq during our combatting the terrorists was always coordinated with the government, and that proved to be an effective mechanism. Again, the problem is intention, whether the United States intention is to help stabilize Iraq or try to undermine Iran in Iraq. These two policies will lead to totally different outcomes. We may never know what exactly happened to Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul last week. The crocodile tears of the crown prince and other Saudi officials are probably for deception and prevarication. The disappearance of Khashoggi fits with a pattern of crude intimidation and the silencing of criticism and dissent. Turkish sources are saying Khashoggi was murdered inside the consulate Oct. 2 and his body secretly sent to the kingdom. Saudi dissidents said as much days ago. The Saudis have offered the Turks permission to search the consulate, which strongly suggests he was removed alive or dead by the Saudi security services. Khashoggis loyalty to his country has never been in doubt. He was a long-time aide to Prince Turki al-Faisal, the Saudi intelligence chief and later ambassador to the United Kingdom and the United States. His criticism of his countrys policies have always been more from disappointment than anything else. Khashoggi has been living in exile in the United States since Saudi Arabia warned him to stop criticizing the crown prince. His last column for The Washington Post was about Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans signature policy initiative: the war in Yemen. As a brand-new 29-year-old defense minister in 2015, the prince drove the Saudi decision to intervene in a Yemeni civil war against the Zaydi Shiite Houthis. The prince is notoriously thin-skinned about any criticism, but he is especially alarmed by criticism of his war that has created the worlds worst humanitarian catastrophe, weakened the kingdom and benefits Iran. In the Post article, Khashoggi called for the Saudis to immediately cease fire and accept a national truce. He proposed Riyadh should offer to host peace talks in Taif, the scene of previous Saudi mediation. It should work with the Houthis, South Yemeni secessionists, the Hadi government and all Yemeni political forces to find a political solution to the war. At stake, Khashoggi argued, is Saudi dignity and its role as a leader in the Islamic world. The three-plus years of war and blockade have tarnished the Saudis. It has rightly been seen as an ineffectual bully. Saudi Arabias war is alienating people around the world including in its key arms suppliers of Washington and London. Across the Muslim world, the Saudi brand has been damaged. Khashoggi said the kingdom increasingly is morally no different from Syrian President Bashar Assad and the Iranians in the brutality of the wars in Syria and Yemen. Thats a very strong indictment. The Post piece was very clear that the crown prince bears the full responsibility for the war and the carnage it is inflicting, including inside Saudi Arabia. This mirrors the public accusation by the kings half brother Prince Ahmed that Prince Mohammed not the royal family is the perpetrator of the war. The evidence is mounting that behind the scenes the House of Saud is deeply divided by the war in Yemen and the crown princes decision-making. The division within the royal family is undoubtedly alarming to Mohammed. His father provides protection for now; his legitimacy is unquestioned. But his son is the first aspirant to the throne who is not a son of Ibn Saud, the founder of the modern kingdom. His legitimacy is inherently questionable. Succession quarrels are always the Achilles' Heel of absolute monarchies. Saudi Arabia has a long history of abducting dissidents from abroad. But the pace has stepped up in recent years. A BBC special report says at least two Saudi princes have been abducted since King Salman ascended to the throne in 2015. The crown prince was also the major driver behind the mass detention of Saudis last November at the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh. Some are still in prison. Former Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef remains under house arrest. Women dissidents were detained by the prince, one may be executed. A prominent religious figure is also under threat of execution for opposing the boycott of Qatar. Saudi Arabia expelled the Canadian ambassador for criticizing its human rights behavior. The pattern is clear. Even Prince Mohammeds boosters in the West can see the facts. But the crown prince undoubtedly believes that the Trump administration will do nothing about human rights violations in Saudi Arabia. He is probably right. Local investors paid $5.4 million for 76 acres fronting the west side of Ala. 181 in Fairhope, according to Allan R. Cameron Jr. and Niki Coker of NAI Mobile, who represented the sellers. The property stretches from Gayfer Road to Fairhope Avenue along Ala. 181. The buyers have not decided on future plans for the land. West Florida Regional Medical Center paid $1.1 million for 3.7 acres on U.S. 90 in Pace, Fl., according to Vallas Realty. The original tract had more than 80 acres and two parcels of 25 acres and 19 acres for retail or multi-family development are available. The land is near a proposed new school and split by a proposed three-lane road from Hamilton Bridge Road to U.S. 90. PSM, Your Community Pharmacy, has leased 4,800 square feet of space in Fulton Square at the southwest corner of Knollwood and Grelot roads in west Mobile, according to Tim Herrington of Herrington Realty, who represented the locally-owned pharmacy and retail store. John Reeves of Reeves Realty worked for the landlord. Developers are seeking planning approval to build a boat and RV storage facility on 6.96 acres at 27045 and 27085 Canal Road in Orange Beach, according to city records. The facility would include a 40,000-square-foot building. Developers are seeking planning approval to add two buildings to the existing shopping center at Old Shell Road and N. McGregor Avenue in Mobile, according to the Mobile Planning Commission. A new, two-story, 10,402-square-foot building would front Old Shell Road and a new, 20,574 square foot building would front McGregor Avenue. The center would then have a total of 144,281 square feet of commercial space. The city of Gulf Shores plans to buy the Huggers Landing/Oyster Bay Volunteer Fire Department building at 19290 Oak Road for $190,000, with the funds to be paid in three installments to Oyster Bay, according to city records. The area covered by Oyster Bay volunteers has been annexed into Gulf Shores. Gulf Shores Fire and Emergency Services has been sharing the building with Oyster Bay. Turnberry Crossing subdivision developers plan to add 75 more lots on 19 acres off Baldwin County 20 just east of Hickory Street in Foley, according to city records. Developers have again asked the city to reactivate site plans for Renaissance Tower, a 20-story, 49-unit condominium project on a gulf-front lot at 1165 West Beach Blvd., across from Waves Grocery & Package Store, according to city officials. The original plans were approved by the city in 2006. A Halloween display in the front yard of a Homewood home has sparked outrage, but the family says there was no harm meant and they didn't realize the message it portrayed. A photo depicting what appeared to be an African American male in a noose hanging from a tree in the front yard was posted on Facebook just after 9 p.m. Saturday and has since been shared more than 3,000 times. Alexus Cumbie made the original post and this is what she wrote: "Trigger warning: Fake display of a lynching. A friend of mine was driving through Homewood, Alabama today and witnessed a sickening display in the front lawn of a home. The owner of this display has refused to take this down. I'm encouraging everyone to share this post until Birmingham news outlets cover this. I'm not encouraging violence nor harassment on this homeowner. Let's not meet bigotry at eye level but also let's publicly condemn acts of racism in our beloved neighborhoods." The Edgewood homeowners, Jennifer and Marc Wolfe, said they were stunned to find out people were upset about their decorations. Each October, they "go all- out" with their Halloween decorations, something they said their 11-year-old son loves as does all of his friends and the neighborhood trick-or-treaters. They said they bought their decorations from a woman in west Homewood and assumed that particular decoration was a white male who had been badly burned. Marc Wolfe said his son hung the display from the tree because that's the way it was set up. "It's not his fault because I was out there, but I didn't even think about it,'' Wolfe said. "We're not racist. Did I make a mistake? I guess so." The Wolfe's son said he was outside Saturday when somebody stopped to take pictures and expressed their concern about the noose display. The son then took it down from the tree and left it sitting in the front yard next to a coffin display. They still didn't realize there was a problem until Sunday morning. Once they realized how it was perceived, they immediately removed it from the yard completely. They say it was an innocent mistake with absolutely no malice or hate involved and are sad it was taken that way. Critics of the display said they would like to see the neighborhood have some kind of cultural and sensitivity training that would make minorities feel better. "If they want to say we're insensitive and should have known better,'' Marc Wolfe said, "I'll own up to that." Jennifer Wolfe said they attend a liberal church and have friends of all races. Their son's best friends - who were at the home Sunday morning after a Saturday night spend the night party - are Hispanic and African American. "They picked the wrong family to call racist,'' she said. In hindsight, they said, they understand the hurt and are sorry for the misunderstanding. "I can see their point but we just hung it because that's how it came,'' Marc Wolfe said. "This is a classic example of how bad we've gotten toward treating other people." A dozen years ago, Patricia Todd overcame a last-minute smear campaign and opposition from her own party to narrowly squeak by Gaynell Hendricks and enter the history books as Alabama's first gay lawmaker. But after three terms, the blunt-talking Todd, whose recent decisions were questioned by some supporters, is stepping away from the legislative arena where she earned bipartisan respect for her battles for more inclusive legislation and criminal justice reform. "Patricia Todd has been a real difference maker in the state Legislature," said Elliot Imse, spokesman with the national LGBTQ Victory Fund and Victory Institute, a bipartisan group that tracks and supports gay and transgender candidates. The group counts 577 LGBTQ members elected nationwide. Todd is the only one in Alabama. "The Rainbow Wave we are seeing in much of the country has avoided much of the South, unfortunately, and that includes Alabama," said Imse. 'Paved the way' Todd's exit, as she had planned to leave the state for a job in Florida, could leave a void for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community. Her presence has kept the state from joining 13 others - including neighboring states Mississippi and Tennessee - without elected LGBTQ representation inside the halls of state power. Alabama has also been a cultural battleground in recent years over the issue of same-sex marriage. Former Alabama State Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate last year, became a national figure for his opposition to same-sex marriage shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized it in 2015. A 2017 Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) poll revealed that Alabama is the only state in the U.S. where a majority of residents are opposed to same-sex marriage. "It goes without saying but Alabama ... is not the most opening and welcoming state at this point in terms of LGBTQ rights and concerns," said Randall Marshall, executive director with the ACLU of Alabama. "But certainly, having members from that community run and win is certainly a good thing." Alabama won't fall back this year in LGBTQ representation. But it may not gain much, either. This year has seen record-breaking numbers of LGBTQ candidates running nationwide. The Victory Fund has endorsed 272 candidates this year, up from a previous record of 180 in 2012. Imse points to two Democratic hopefuls in Alabama: Neil Rafferty, a gay former Marine who works with Birmingham AIDS Outreach and who is seeking Todd's House District 54 seat; and Felicia Stewart, a gay businesswoman who is challenging incumbent state Rep. David Faulkner, R-Mountain Brook, in the state's wealthiest House district. Todd's District 54 seat, which encompasses a diverse and densely populated portion of downtown Birmingham, is guaranteed to remain represented by LGBTQ. Rafferty is being challenged by Independent Joseph Casper Baker III, a freelance businessman and consultant, who also says he's a member of the LGBTQ community. "She's been, I don't know what the right word be, but paramount to having a human face on the LGBTQ community," said Rafferty, referring to Todd, who did not return a call for comment for this story. "I don't know if anyone could have done it other than her in the time she served. Any LGBTQ candidate who comes after her are standing on her shoulders. She's paved the way." 'Diverse communities' Rafferty is viewed as the favorite to win the four-year term in a district that has long been Democratic. No Republican ran against Todd during her time in office, and Rafferty has raised over $100,000. He spent most of those funds ahead of winning the Democratic primary in June and a runoff in July. "My goal is to represent the (LGBTQ) community as well as the diverse communities (within the district)," Rafferty said. "I am a member of the LGBTQ community, and I have a mission and a prerogative to represent other folks who make up the district including African Americans who might not fit into that community or identify with it." He said, "My big thing is getting other Democrats out to vote. I think the participation is important and it's pertinent at this point in time." Rafferty has the support of the Victory Fund, and he's poised to speak during a group event in Nashville this weekend to discuss how he plans to win the District 54 race. Rafferty, if he wins, will be Alabama's first openly gay man to win a seat in the Legislature. But Baker says he has a compelling story to tell as well. He told AL.com that he's pansexual, and that Rafferty isn't the only LGBTQ member in the race. Rafferty said Thursday that he was not aware of Baker's personal life. "You can be forgiven for not knowing that beforehand," said Baker. "It's not something I wear on my sleeve. It's not that I'm ashamed of that in any sense, but it's my personal deal. I don't make a big deal of it." Baker said he hopes voters support his political independence during the campaign, saying that a Democrat is less likely to make an impact in Montgomery. "Democrats virtually stand no chance of taking the majority or any state level seats," said Baker, who claims he doesn't put "much faith or stock" in either of the major political parties. "In terms of Birmingham having a functional and representative voice in state government, and Independent will have a better chance of advancing legislation and working with the Republican majority than a Democrat will." Rafferty said he plans on tackling some weighty issues that would be important for the LGBTQ community, such as including backing proposals to expand Medicare and making sure anti-HIV medications are covered for the uninsured. "It's a travesty people are still contracting HIV when we have the tools to prevent it but not the ability to access (medication)," he said. 'Work for it' The chance that Alabama could add another elected official from the LGBTQ community rests with Stewart, who has to defeat a Republican incumbent in a district that includes portions of Mountain Brook, Homewood and Hoover. "It would be huge for Alabama and the South and would really show where voters want to go with their politics," said Imse. "If Felicia Stewart can beat the Republican incumbent on Election Day, she will absolutely inspire other LGBTQ people who will look at that race and say, 'Hey, I can do that to.'" Stewart recently celebrated her 16-year anniversary with wife, Christy. The couple has twin daughters who attend Mountain Brook Elementary School. Politics, she said, was never part of her family's plan. "We're making sacrifices to be in this race because we love our state and feel a deep sense of responsibility to do what we can to help it reach its potential," she added. Stewart said her priorities, if elected, will be focusing on "bipartisan issues like public education, health care and clean water" and issues that affect "all Alabamians, including the LGBTQ community." She said, "I'm proud of who I am, but I'm not running as a 'gay candidate,' or even a 'female candidate,'" Stewart said. "I'm running as a native Alabamian who expects more for her state and is willing to work for it." Indeed, Stewart's stance mirrors similar campaign pledges among LGBTQ candidates nationwide in which candidates are more focused on state and local issues than gender identity and sexual equality battles. When every child in Alabama has access to well-funded, high quality public education, our state will begin to realize its full potential. #ExpectMore pic.twitter.com/d7OoeZJ49e Felicia Stewart (@Stewart4Alabama) October 3, 2018 Stewart, for instance, says she favors ethics reform and supports a repeal of HB317, the Alabama "Jobs Enhancement Act," which she says carves out a "giant ethics law loophole" for economic developers. Stewart said she's not taking money from political action committees, corporations or other special interests. "I'd support major changes to our campaign finance system that currently allows unlimited contributions to campaigns from PACs, corporations and individuals," said Stewart. "Representatives should be working for the people and their finances should align accordingly." Stewart, according to state records, has raised more than $90,000 this campaign cycle. Her opponent, Faulkner, has over $150,000 cash on hand. 'Reliable reformer' Faulkner was elected four years ago without having a Democratic opponent, and Republicans in Jefferson County are zeroing in to make sure the district remains within GOP hands. "David believes in fiscal responsibility and unlike the Democrats, he is not trying to expand government," said Jefferson County Republican Chairwoman Sallie Bryant. "He is a reformer and is right for Jefferson County." Faulkner said Stewart's biography and potential for being the second member of the LGBTQ community to serve the Legislature is not something he is "focused or concerned about." But Faulkner said that it's Stewart's political affiliation, as a Democrat, that could be troublesome for the district at a time when Republicans are governing in Montgomery under a supermajority. "In all likelihood, the Alabama Legislature will remain in Republican hands and it is in the District's best interest to elect someone who is a proven leader, and who can and will work within that leadership structure to secure funding for our schools, roads and economic development projects," he said. Faulkner said he's running on a platform of making education funding and security a priority, and he has a goal of sponsoring legislation that would make sure all Alabama students have an opportunity to take computer science before graduating. School funding, school security. The two biggest topics at the most recent PTO meetings in District 46.https://t.co/zshg9QW76G https://t.co/zshg9QW76G David Faulkner (@RepFaulkner) September 12, 2018 "I am committed to reforming Montgomery, fixing what is broken and providing a state government that is honest, efficient, and hardworking as the citizens it seeks to serve," said Faulkner. But to folks like Imse and Eva Kendrick, the state manager of the Human Rights Campaign in Alabama, Faulkner's re-election bid stands in the way of a historic push. "The fact that (Stewart and Rafferty) are running for office is fantastic and healthy for our state's democracy," said Kendrick. "More than anything, it shows there is an opportunity here for the LGBTQ Alabamians in the statehouse to be a part of the conversation on critical issues in the state right now like equitable health care in our state, education and economic development." Sen. Richard Shelby and other Republicans representing Alabama in Washington celebrated the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Saturday. Shelby had voted in favor of Kavanaugh after a bitter, partisan process that included a brief FBI investigation of allegations against him; the brevity and other limitations imposed on that investigation made it likewise controversial. Plans called for Kavanaugh to be sworn in Saturday and begin work on the court on Monday. "During the hearings, I found Judge Kavanaugh's testimony to be credible. I also found the subsequent FBI report to be thorough," Shelby said. "(I)t is evident that the accusations against Judge Kavanaugh are uncorroborated, and there is no confirmation of any of the alleged misconduct." Shelby did not touch on what the allegations were; nor did he name Christine Blasey Ford, the research psychologist who accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were both teens, or comment on her credibility. Shelby praised Kavanaugh for devoting "26 years of public service to our nation as a jurist, lawyer, and professor" and for being "a principled, intelligent, and steadfast supporter of the rule of law." Jones, a Democrat, voted against confirmation and did not issue a statement immediately afterward. Prior to the vote Jones had said he process had been flawed and rushed and that "there will forever be a cloud over this nomination and this nomination process regardless of the outcome of tomorrow's vote." On Friday he'd also called for a step back from the extremes of partisan politics. "We need to take some time to reflect on what kind of Senate -- and what kind of country -- we want to be," he said. "For the good of our nation, it's time to bridge the divide and work together." While Shelby and Jones, as senators, were the only Alabama politicians to vote on the nomination, some representatives weighed in as well. "Judge Brett Kavanaugh is a conservative, experienced jurist who I believe will be a strict constitutionalist on the Supreme Court," Rep. Martha Roby, R-Montgomery said via Twitter. "I am pleased that the United States Senate voted to confirm him, and I am confident he will serve the Court and the American people admirably." Rep. Bradley Byrne, R-Fairhope, released a statement echoing "better off now" theme of his recent town halls: "Our nation is better off with Judge Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court, and I am glad the circus is over," he said. "This process and the shameful tactics used have been an embarrassment to our nation, but I hope we can now move forward as a country and not return to these pathetic political games again." ComebackTown is published by David Sher to create a more prosperous metro Birmingham. David Sher is Co-Founder of AmSher Compassionate Collections and past Chairman of Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce, ONB, and CAP. Let's turn Birmingham around. Click here to sign up for newsletter. There's power in numbers. (Opt out at any time) I never dreamed publishing a weekly blog about how to create a more prosperous Birmingham could be so challenging--but so DARN interesting! I've learned so much about human nature, Birmingham, and our suburban neighbors. Here are a few things I've discovered. When people don't like what you say--some attack you personally I've long since gotten over it, but at the beginning, I was hurt that people attacked me rather than my opinions. I was prepared to defend my ideas--but have had to get use to folks questioning my character. I also take a lot of 'heat' for not living in the City of Birmingham. I live in Vestavia Hills and previously lived in Mountain Brook, but have always considered myself a Birminghamian. Some people feel since I don't actually live in the city limits of Birmingham that I have no right to have an opinion. I don't expect everyone to agree with me--in fact, I don't necessarily agree with everything I write. My only intent is to create a conversation about how we might have a more prosperous metro Birmingham. There are people who hate Birmingham no matter what It doesn't make any difference what happens in Birmingham; there are some folks who feel compelled to make racially inspired attacks on Birmingham. I feel no need to prove this point. If you're reading this piece on Al.com, just skip to the comments section and read the nasty comments--they are always there. Some people don't believe you when you say you're NOT trying to combine cities or schools Because there's been very little job growth in greater Birmingham, a major objective of ComebackTown is to encourage our municipalities and government agencies to work together. According to the recently released Community Foundation report, we have many collaborative options that don't involve combining cities or schools. However, many readers think this is a trick to sneak in unified government and combine our schools. There is absolutely no option being considered that would combine schools-or to consolidate municipalities. Provocative headlines significantly increase readership I'm often asked why I often publish provocative headlines. You've heard the old saying, "It if bleeds it leads." It takes titles like, Birmingham needs to get the hell out of Alabama or Alabama must think we are chumps (and we are), to get people's attention. There are folks who live in the suburbs who think the Birmingham name doesn't impact them When someone from out of state asks me where I'm from, I always say Birmingham. And I bet you do too. Virtually no one outside our area has heard of Trussville, Homewood, or Vestavia Hills. So it's a mystery to me why some people who live in the suburbs don't think they are associated with Birmingham. I published a piece, "Did Bear Bryant block Birmingham's aspirations? I said we're losing SEC media days as an annual event to other cities beginning with Atlanta. A commenter responded, "David, Birmingham did not lose the SEC Media Days, Hoover did. You speak as if the whole freaking area is already Birmingham." It's true that SEC Media Days has been headquartered in Hoover, but the fact is that all of us in Birmingham are losing it. Often negative people comment--positive folks generally don't Most Birminghamians love our city and like living here, yet 90% or more of the comments--particularly on Al.com--are negative. Where are the good folks--why do good people remain silent? People are intrigued with Mountain Brook People love to read about Mountain Brook. Four of the most read and five of the top ten ComebackTown blogs have included the words 'Mountain Brook' in the title. Why we escaped the Mountain Brook bubble The dreaded words Mountain Brook and Vestavia parents don't want to hear The letter everyone in Homewood & Mountain Brook should read Mountain Brook builds wall--demands Vestavia pay for it! Do folks in Mountain Brook live in a bubble? A lot of people care deeply about Birmingham When I first published ComebackTown nearly seven years ago--I thought I would try it for a few weeks and see what happens. The response was immediate. I found out quickly that people want to know what's going on in Birmingham and how to make it better. Within one month Al.com graciously offered to republish it. Since then the readership has grown exponentially. Last year ComebackTown articles had over a million page views and many pieces were republished by The Birmingham Business Journal and other publications. No one wakes up in the morning and hopes they will get more e-mails--yet the number of subscribers to the ComebackTown newsletter continues to grow. (To sign up-click here). When we have an opportunity to mobilize people who care about Birmingham this e-mail newsletter is loaded and ready to go. Greater Birmingham is a wonderful place to live. Let's keep the conversation going--we're getting better all the time. Riace, Italy An estimated 6,000 people protested in Riace, a small village perched on top of a barren hill in the southern Italian region of Calabria, against the arrest of its mayor Domenico Lucano. Known as the refugee mayor, he stands accused of aiding and abetting undocumented migration. Lucano won international acclaim for repopulating the dying village with refugees, successfully integrating them into the community. Like other small towns across Italy, Riace has been subject to depopulation as over the years, young people have abandoned their homes to go abroad. Instead of housing refugees into segregated reception centres, the mayor contacted the Italian emigrants to open their old homes. At its peak, the town of 1,500 hosted 500 refugees and asylum seekers from 20 countries. Protesters believe the investigation against Lucano to be political, and came to express solidarity with the mayor and the idea he represents. The mayor was put under house arrest October 2 as the state accuses him of facilitating marriages of convenience. In a wiretapped conversation, hes heard talking about ways of obtaining a residency permit for a Nigerian woman who has been denied international protection three times. He is also accused of irregularities in allocating contracts for rubbish collection services run by refugees. The arrest came after a year-long investigation into the management of funds for refugees in the town, which saw the mayor investigated for racketeering, embezzlement and fraud, alongside 31 others. A preliminary examination judge did not find enough evidence to support those charges. House panels issue conflicting directivesat their own peril The International Relations Committee of the House of Representatives earlier this week directed the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation not to start felling trees for the Nijgadh International Airport in Bara without proper study to delimit the area that needs to be cleared. Here is how we, an anglophone and a francophone, see the solution to Cameroons violent crisis. Speaking recently on the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon, UN Special Adviser on Genocide Prevention Adama Dieng said, there is always a solution when people accept genuinely to sit together and discuss in good faith. We agree. This is why we, a Francophone daughter and anglophone son of Cameroon, have come together on the eve of our countrys presidential elections to urge the government and Anglophone separatist leaders to urgently engage in a mediated dialogue to find a peaceful way out of the crisis that has taken the lives of hundreds of our brothers and sisters. Anglophone Cameroonians in the countrys northwest and southwest regions have been discriminated, marginalised, assimilated, and persecuted by the majority francophone population and the government. They have felt like second-class citizens in their own country: kept out of jobs and educational opportunities, politically and economically discriminated against, culturally ignored. The present crisis, stemming from events in late 2016, is akin to a pot long overboiling with water. Anglophone teachers and lawyers peacefully demonstrated for education reform, for having common law-trained judges in the courts in the Anglophone regions, and to have judges who speak English. The government responded harshly, leading some Anglophones to call not just for more autonomy but for independence from Francophone Cameroon. The Cameroonian government must address the demands of the Anglophone community, but the way in which it has done so is wrong. Arresting thousands of peaceful protesters and imprisoning many in inhuman and degrading conditions is not right. Manipulating our countrys media to discredit human rights defenders is wrong. And most of all, killing hundreds of Anglophone Cameroonians, abusing and raping women, setting fire to their villages, is an abomination of the highest order, and must be forcefully condemned by all Cameroonians. Similarly, the cause of the Anglophone community is right, but the way in which its leaders fight for their cause is not. Setting fire to schools and attacking teachers and students is not right. Killing government soldiers is wrong. Taking an eye for an eye is never right it will make us all go blind. Cameroonian President Paul Biya and Anglophone separatist leaders must heed Adama Diengs advice. Dialogue may seem more painful than violence to some, because it often reopens memories and acrimony. But what is the alternative? Shall we continue killing each other until no one is left? Cameroons future will be destroyed for Anglophones and Francophones alike if we do not sit together to acknowledge our painful past, bind the wounds that divide us, and forge ahead in a shared path that is more peaceful, just, and fair for all Cameroonians. The steps to take are simple. What is hardest is to find the courage to take them. Yet in these times, we must all find courage; there is no other way. Firstly, Cameroonian President Paul Biya must rein in government security forces from violently repressing civilians. He must demilitarise the anglophone regions and order government forces to respect the right of Cameroonians to peacefully express themselves and assemble. Crucially, he must guarantee that justice is delivered to anyone who has committed violence and atrocities. Secondly, President Biya must publicly commit to engaging in a mediated dialogue with Anglophone leaders to find a peaceful way out of the present crisis. He must allow Anglophone leaders from the diaspora to travel to Cameroon to participate in an Anglophone General Conference, as proposed by Cardinal Christian Tumi. A dialogue wont be possible without involving Anglophone leaders because they are influential, and their participation is crucial for the success of any peace initiative. These leaders should be granted immunity from arrest and a general amnesty should be granted to those who are imprisoned. Thirdly, Anglophone leaders must commit to using nonviolence to fight for their cause. Leaders in the diaspora must order their followers in Cameroon to stop attacking schools, villages, and government forces. The right way to advance their cause is to convene together, commit to a ceasefire, and to make concrete proposals that can form a sound basis for a mediated dialogue with the government. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, international community leaders must support efforts for a mediated dialogue. They can do this by publicly calling for it and using their leverage to compel Cameroonian government and anglophone leaders to mediation. The United Nations must continue offering mediation support and so must the United States and France. Both are heavily invested in the fight against Boko Haram; it is not within their for instability in Cameroon to disrupt these efforts and turn the country into a safe space for extremist armed groups. France, whose legacy in Cameroon extends to colonial times, must insist with President Biya that he accept mediation efforts; the US government must press anglophone diaspora leaders living there to engage in a dialogue. We understand that our countrys divisions cannot be healed overnight. There is no magic solution for the wounds that been inflicted on us by colonialism, wounds that have deepened since our independence in 1961 and since the establishing of a unified federal government in 1972. It is only through an all-inclusive dialogue, between us Anglophone and Francophone Cameroonians, that a solution can be reached. We have more we that we share than that divides us. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. I find Melania Trumps choice of headwear for her visit to Kenya quite appropriate given the politics of her husband. This week the first lady of the United States, Melania Trump, was in Kenya for a stop on her Africa tour. Her decision to appear at Nairobi National Park wearing a white pith helmet, crisp white shirt and light brown jodhpurs made headlines in international media, which correctly described the pith helmet as a symbol of colonial rule. So much about the concrete history of white supremacy is poorly remembered or conveniently forgotten. As such, it may be difficult for many to understand why the US first lady chose to dress up in the costume of a colonial settler in Kenya in 2018. To begin to understand the historical resonances she was tapping into (consciously or otherwise) its helpful to consider the pith helmet in terms of its material history. What is a pith helmet? Who wore one and why? How has it come to stand as such a pungent emblem of empire? What cultural meanings are attached to the pith helmet, and should we think of the US first ladys decision to wear a pith helmet as a scandal? White Europeans have long been obsessed with the supposed relationship between race, culture and climate. We have persistently tried to stabilise racial difference as a natural and scientific fact, rather than a set of social and cultural ideas that are perpetually being formed, always contested and re-ordered. Nineteenth-century colonists were supported by leading scientific and medical opinion in their belief that solar radiation in the tropics attacked white peoples nervous systems and rendered them infertile. Other symptoms of exposure were thought to include laziness, depression, outbursts of excessive passion, insomnia and memory loss. This notion of warm climates as profoundly hostile reflected the deeply held conception of the colonies as, in every sense, another world. Pith helmets were often worn by colonisers alongside other protective paraphernalia, such as red vests and spine pads (a quilted piece of cloth) worn down the back of the shirt to protect the nervous system from the feared actinic ray. Some even wore pith helmets and spine pads indoors, since even beneath a tin roof they considered themselves in constant peril from the tropical sun. Spine pads were a standard issue item in British Army kit in the early 20th century. Conveniently for wealthy whites in the colonies, other medical recommendations included forbidding whites from doing manual labour outdoors (they were to undertake supervisory roles only), vacationing to cooler climates at regular intervals, and the repatriation of white children from the colonies after the age of five (typically to an expensive private boarding school back home). The pith helmet was part of a pseudoscientific discourse that enforced class, as well as racial domination, since only the rich could follow such medical advice. The pith helmet is sometimes used to denote a frontier spirit of adventure and intrepid exploration. This is wrong. In fact, their historical social role was to emblematise white fragility and anxieties, as well as blurring the distinction between white civilians and the colonial police and military, who also wore pith helmets. Colonialism extracted labour and resources from natives by ordering colonial societies through extreme and everyday forms of violence. But it was always necessary to insist that despite enjoying the protection of colonial states armed to the teeth in order to immiserate and exploit subject peoples, it was whites and white women, in particular who were the most vulnerable group in the colony. In this sense, the pith helmet represents not only colonialism, but whiteness, too. We might think of whiteness as an identity that always noisily insists on its own vulnerability (despite social and economic realities to the contrary) as the principal justification for the oppression of racialised others. Kenya provides an especially compelling historical example of this dynamic. The anticolonial uprising of the Land and Freedom Army in the 1950s (more widely known as the Mau Mau due to colonial propaganda) became notorious for savage violence against white settlers. Through sensationalised news coverage, Hollywood films and salacious novels, the notion of Mau Mau as a black bogeyman butchering white women and children was widely popularised. In fact, just 32 European civilians were killed during the whole affair. White settlers responded to these losses by explicitly calling for genocide, rallying to demand the colonial government exterminate the entire Gikuyu people. We now know more about the scale and brutality of Britains counterinsurgency in Kenya thanks to recent historical scholarship and the landmark court case brought to the High Court in London by elderly Kenyan victims of colonial torture in 2009 (the UK government eventually admitted to the torture and paid out compensation). Exact figures are contested, but it is known that tens of thousands of Kenyans were killed by colonial forces during the uprising, while hundreds of thousands more were detained in concentration camps and fortified villages, subjected to routine brutality and forced labour. Rape and castration were common forms of torture, and many victims of such atrocities are still with us today. My own view is that the US first ladys decision to wear a pith helmet was appropriate and should be taken seriously. The regime she represented in Kenya is a white supremacist one. Her husband campaigned successfully under the fascist slogan America First, and has since implemented his Muslim ban and encouraged the detention of migrants, including separating children from their parents and keeping them in tender age cages. The policies and ideological grounding of the current US administration and the bogus fears animating its supporters represent a continuation of earlier forms of imperialism. There is no attempt to disguise the fear and hatred towards people of colour, at home or abroad. The pith helmet makes the connection quite clear. No country in the West has adequately reckoned with the historical reality of colonialism. Until such a reckoning takes place through broad-based education and memorialisation, it is difficult to see how Western societies can ever move beyond the powerful investment in whiteness that so disfigures our common political, social and spiritual life. Like Melania Trump, too many in the West look at todays world not as it really is, but through a veil of racial and colonial delusions. As the writer Nanjala Nyabola reflected on the US first ladys visit to Kenya: We joke, but its deeply disturbing to see someone who seems to believe that your whole life is some kind of colonial fantasy hellscape. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Far-right former army captain widens lead over second placed leftist Workers Party candidate before October 7 poll. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro widened his lead over fellow election hopefuls a day before Brazilians go to the polls to choose the countrys next president. In DataFolha polling institutes latest poll, published on Saturday, Bolsonaro was projected to win 40 percent of the vote on Sunday. Fernando Haddad, the leftist Workers Party (PT) replacement candidate for jailed former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, was projected to win 25 percent of support. Lula topped opinion surveys gauging presidential candidates popularity levels prior to renouncing his candidacy last month after being barred from running by Brazils countrys top electoral court. Opinion polls published hours earlier by private-polling firm CNT/MDA suggested Bolsonaro will win 36.7 percent of the vote in the October 7 election. Haddad trailed in second place with 24 percent of voter support. If none of the 13 candidates competing for the presidency wins more than 50 percent support, a runoff poll between the top two performers will take place on October 28. A head-to-head vote involving Bolsonaro, a self-styled political outsider, and Haddad remains the most likely scenario, with CNT/MDA data projecting the far-right candidate would win such a poll. On Saturday, Bolsonaro tweeted that Brazilians no longer had to choose between options that didnt represent them. Now, it is different! We love Brazil, we defend family and the innocence of children, we treat criminals as such and do not involve ourselves in corruption schemes, he said. Haddad, meanwhile, claimed he was sure he could count on the Brazilian people to win, vote by vote, until the last minute. I dont believe in violence, in the dictatorship, in the lack of liberty. Lets create opportunities, thats how you do politics, he tweeted. Fernando Haddad, presidential candidate for the Workers Party, campaigns in downtown Rio de Janeiro [File: Leo Correa/AP Photo] Confrontation between opposites About 147 million people are expected to vote on Sunday, with participation compulsory for literate Brazilians aged 18 to 70. More than 1,650 positions are up for grabs, including most of the seats in Brazils congress and all 27 state governorships. Polling stations will be open from 8am local time (11:00 GMT) until 5pm local time (20:00 GMT) and results are expected to be announced close to midnight GMT. The election takes place amid a period of deep polarisation in Brazilian society, with the two frontrunner candidates also widely despised by many voters. Ricardo Ribeiro, a political analyst at MCM Consultores, said there was a lot of fear among the electorate about a possible second-round showdown between Haddad and Bolsonaro. Everyone can see the polarisation at large, which is heightened because on one side you have an extreme right-wing option. I dont think the PT is an extremist party but it is a left-wing party. So, you have this confrontation between two opposites, Ribeiro said. The discussion of whether or not democracy can be sustained is now relevant again, he added. All 13 presidential candidates have higher rejection levels than support [David Child/Al Jazeera] Bolsonaro, a former army captain, has repeatedly spoken out in favour of Brazils military government, which was in power from 1964-85. He has promised to fill his cabinet with military generals and his running mate, retired army general Hamilton Mourao, hinted last year that he would be in favour of a military takeover of government if corrupt officials were not dealt with by Brazils courts. Bolsonaro has also made numerous overtly discriminatory comments about women, black and homosexual people. Last weekend, hundreds of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets to march against his candidacy as part of the social media-driven and women-led #EleNao (#NotHim) movement. Thousands of Bolsonaros supporters also rallied throughout Brazil in response. People demonstrate against presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil [File: Ana Carolina Fernandes/Reuters] Bolsonaros combative rhetoric and pledges to crack down on Brazils spiralling violent crime rates have found favour amid a backdrop of converging domestic crises. Many Brazilians are deeply frustrated with the countrys stuttering economy, public security crisis and a political class tarnished by several high-profile corruption scandals in recent years. Clean slate Ricardo Luis Couto, a taxi driver in Rio de Janeiro, said Bolsonaro would help change the country. The PT are a bunch of robbers, they stole a lot from Brazil, the crisis in Brazil only began after the PT got into office, 46-year-old Couto told Al Jazeera, referencing the corruption scandals which have rocked the party in recent years. Malena Alberti, a former PT supporter, said she would also turn out for Bolsonaro, who has represented Rio de Janeiro in Brazils congress since 1991. Not only is he a military man, his goal is to preserve family values and to go against spreading communism in schools, 30-year-old Alberti said. Bolsonaro is the only one who has a clean slate hes going after the criminals, he doesnt believe in human rights for them, only for good people hes in favour of progress and order for the country, she added. Malena Alberti has switched her allegiance from the leftist PT to far-right Bolsonaro [David Child/Al Jazeera] Despite Bolsonaros rise in popularity in advance of Sundays vote, he also remains the candidate with the highest rate of rejection among the electorate. About 44 percent of voters say they would not support him under any circumstances, according to Datafolha. Haddads rejection rate stands at about 41 percent, by comparison, a reflection of many voters distrust of the PT. Contrasting views A former mayor of Sao Paulo, Haddad has pledged to make Brazil happy again and revive the countrys ailing economy by cutting taxes on the poor and creating more employment in a bid to help the nearly 13 million Brazilians currently out of work into jobs. Pedro Gomes, 63-year-old newspaper stand owner, said he would be voting for Haddad on Sunday as he was more qualified than Bolsonaro for the presidency having served as a minister of education under Lula for seven years. Haddad is [also] really focused on helping the poorer part of the population, the working class, and bettering education, Gomes said. [And] I think Bolsonaro is a very conservative person hes not very respectful. Pedro Gomes said he would vote for Haddad as he is more qualified than Bolsonaro [David Child/Al Jazeera] But for Sheila Xavier, 35, neither of the two frontrunners or any other candidate offer a solution to Brazils problems. I dont know who Im going to vote for, but I know Im not going to vote for the PT or Bolsonaro, Xavier, who is currently unemployed, said. All the options right now for president say they are going to help provide better education and end violence but nothing actually happens, she added. Brazil election: Last-ditch bid to woo undecided before vote Brazilians will vote Sunday in a presidential election seen as the most polarizing in the history of Brazilian democracy. Kavanaugh, who denies sexual assault allegations, is expected to cast conservative votes on key issues such as abortion. Brett Kavanaugh, the new US Supreme Court justice picked by President Donald Trump, has been confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate. He is replacing the long-serving Justice Kennedy, who announced his retirement on June 27 at the age of 81. Allegations of sexual assault raised during Senate confirmation hearings dominated headlines and divided the US. Kavanaugh has denied the allegations. Kavanaugh graduated from Yale law school in 1983 and started his legal career under former independent counsel Kenneth Starr, who carried out the probe that eventually led to former US President Bill Clintons impeachment in 1999. Kavanaugh was one of the lead writers of the report. He has served on the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit since 2006. Under the George W Bush administration, he acted as White House lawyer and adviser. Relatively young Supreme Court judges are appointed for life and the 53-year-old Kavanaugh can potentially keep his position for decades. A devout Catholic, Kavanaugh is expected to entrench conservative control of the court for a generation, as he becomes Trumps second appointment to the nations highest judicial body. Conservative judges will have a 5-4 majority in the court over liberal justices. Disputes involving abortion, immigration, gay rights, voting rights and transgender troops all could be heading towards the nine justices soon and Kavanaugh is widely expected to cast conservative votes in all of them. He is well known for his views against abortion and gun control, supports the Second Amendment which gives US citizens the right to bear arms and dissents ban on semi-automatic weapons. Critics view him as a threat to the future of legal and safe reproductive healthcare. Some believe he might try to overturn the Roe v Wade case which gave women nationwide right to abortion in 1973. He has issued rulings against environmental regulations passed by former President Barack Obama regarding air pollution and climate change. Allegations of sexual misconduct Kavanaugh attended high school in Maryland, where he met Christine Blasey Ford, now a 51-year-old academic in research psychology. After Kavanaughs name was put forward as a potential nominee for the vacant position on the court, Ford came forward with allegations that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her under the influence of alcohol when they were in high school. {articleGUID} The vote brought an end to the nomination process defined by harrowing testimony from Ford, who told a Senate committee that Kavanaugh groped her and tried to remove her clothing at a house party when they were both teenagers. Kavanaugh has strongly denied the allegations. The contentious committee hearing was followed by a limited FBI investigation into the allegations, that concluded before Saturdays vote. Former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei has been detained in China on bribery and corruption charges, the countrys public security ministry said 13 days after he went missing. Mengs disappearance was made public on Friday, when French authorities said they were opening an investigation to find out what happened to Meng, a Chinese national who served a lengthy term as the vice minister for public security. On Monday, Chinese authorities said they were investigating Meng for bribery, adding that political transgressions may have also landed him in trouble. The Ministry of Public Security said that Mengs suspected corruption and violation of laws gravely jeopardised the ruling party and the police, according to a report in the South China Morning Post. Authorities also said Meng was in this situation due to his own willfulness and for bringing trouble upon himself. Earlier, France received Mengs resignation as president of Interpol with immediate effect, according to the international police agency. Al Jazeeras Adrian Brown, reporting from Beijing, said Meng would probably be given a lengthy prison sentence. I think the next time we see Meng, it will be in a court, that is where his boss [Zhou Yongkang] appeared three years ago and where he was sentenced to life for corruption, he said. The legal system is controlled by the communist party which means there could possibly be one outcome: Meng will be found guilty and will possibly be given a very lengthy prison sentence. On Sunday, Mengs wife, Grace, said her husband sent her an image of a knife before he disappeared during a trip to their native China. Grace Meng said her husbands disappearance placed her in great danger [Jeff Pachoud/AFP] Making her first public comments on the issue, Grace Meng told reporters in Lyon, France, that she thought the knife was her husbands way of trying to tell her he was in danger. She said she has had no further contact with him since the message that was sent on September 25. Grace also said four minutes before Meng shared the image, he had sent a message saying: Wait for my call. She read a statement during her press conference in Lyon, but would not allow reporters to show her face, saying she feared for her own safety and the safety of her two children. Meng is a senior Chinese security official as well as president of the International Criminal Police Organisation. Grace would not allow her face to be shown over fears for her safety [Jeff Pachoud/AFP] Meng served a lengthy term as Chinas vice minister for public security [File: Xinhua via AP] According to Interpols website, Meng has nearly 40 years of experience in criminal justice and policing, and has overseen matters related to legal institutions, narcotics control and counterterrorism. Following the appointment, critics suggested that Mengs appointment gave Beijing a chance to enlist more international help in tracking down alleged economic criminals, including corrupt officials, targeted by President Xi Jinpings anti-corruption campaign. But Interpol has, in the past, denied this, saying its head does not intervene in day-to-day operations, which are handled by Secretary-General Juergen Stock who is German. Turkish president hopeful Saudi journalist is alive while rights groups call for investigation into the matter. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he is hopeful about the fate of missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi amid reports that the critic may have been killed after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Erdogan told reporters on Sunday that authorities were looking into all video surveillance footage of the missions entrances and monitoring all inbound and outbound flights since the writer disappeared on Tuesday. I am following the [issue] and we will inform the world whatever the outcome [of the official probe], Erdogan said. God willing, we will not be faced with a situation we do not want. I still am hopeful, adding that it is very, very upsetting for us that it happened in our country. {articleGUID} Turkish sources told Reuters news agency on Saturday they believed Khashoggi was killed at the consulate in what they described as a premeditated murder. An unnamed source inside the consulate was quoted by the official Saudi Press Agency as denying the claims, saying the accusations were baseless. A leading critic of the Saudi governments reform programme under the stewardship of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), Khashoggi had been living in self-imposed exile in the US for over a year. Criticism of Saudi Arabia Khashoggi, regular contributor to the Washington Post and former editor-in-chief of Al Arab News Channel, has been an outspoken critic of the Saudi regime. Speaking on Al Jazeeras UpFront earlier this year, Khashoggi said that there was no space for debate in Saudi Arabia with intellectuals and journalists jailed for questioning policies. As we speak today, there [are] Saudi intellectuals and journalists jailed. Now, nobody will dare to speak and criticise the reforms [initiated by the crown prince], he said, adding that it would be much better for him to allow a breathing space for critics, for Saudi intellectuals, Saudi writers, Saudi media to debate. Asked whether Saudi Arabia could ever become democratic under Bin Salman, Khashoggi said: Not on his watch. I havent heard him make even the slightest inference that he would open the country for power-sharing, for democracy. In his writings for the Washington Post, the Saudi commentator slammed Saudi policies towards Qatar and Canada, the war in Yemen, and a crackdown on dissent and the media in the kingdom. Breach of sovereignty Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeeras senior political analyst The incident, if proven true, will be interpreted as a major breach of Turkeys sovereignty. Turkish-Saudi relations will worsen, even though it is very hard to imagine how those relations could get any worse. For at least the past decade, certainly for the last three years, these relations have deteriorated in near all relevant issues to both countries within the region and outside it. There is a huge leverage possible from Washington towards Riyadh if President Donald Trump wants to use it. Unfortunately, he has hesitated since his visit to Saudi Arabia at the outset of his tenure. In fact, he considers them his best friends and he has been giving them his full support. Saudi authorities barred Khashoggi from writing as a journalist when he was still in Saudi Arabia because he criticised Trump and his discourse towards the Muslim world. Al Jazeeras Jamal Elshayyal, reporting from Istanbul, said Turkish authorities are trying to walk a fine line so as not to damage relations between the two countries. There is an attempt by the Turkish government to try to find a way out of this whereby there isnt a full collapse of diplomatic relations, at least a temporary freeze between Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Because, if indeed, Turkish authorities can prove unequivocally that Saudi agents essentially murdered a journalist inside the consulate in Istanbul, it would require some sort of strong reaction. Earlier on Saturday, sources told Al Jazeera that a delegation of 15 Saudi officials arrived in Turkey the day Khashoggi, 59, disappeared. The Saudi officials flew into Istanbul on two different flights on Tuesday, Elshayyal quoted his sources as saying, adding that it was not clear if the Saudi delegation consisted of security or diplomatic officials. On Friday, Turkeys foreign ministry summoned Saudi Arabias ambassador to Ankara over the issue. Later that day, the crown prince said Saudi authorities would allow Turkey to search its consulate. {articleGUID} We will allow them to enter and search and do whatever they want to do we have nothing to hide, Bin Salman told Bloomberg on Friday. Saudi Arabia invited a group of journalists into the Istanbul mission on Saturday, in an effort to show that Khashoggi was not on the premises. I would like to confirm that Jamal is not at the consulate nor in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the consulate and the embassy are working to search for him, consul-general Mohammad al-Otaiba told Reuters. Khashoggi had entered the consulates premises at around 1pm (10:00 GMT) on Tuesday to secure paperwork in order to marry his Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz. Hatice said she waited outside after Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate on Tuesday and never re-emerged. Following the initial announcement by Turkish sources of Khashoggis killing, she tweeted in Arabic her refusal to believe that is the case. ! #_ #__ pic.twitter.com/5SHyIEqqiT Hatice Cengiz / (@mercan_resifi) October 6, 2018 Translation: Jamal was not killed and I do not believe that he has been murdered! Abysmal new low Rights groups have condemned the alleged murder of Khashoggi. In a press release, Amnesty International said Khashoggis death would set an abysmal new low. Such an assassination within the grounds of the consulate, which is territory under Saudi Arabian jurisdiction, would amount to an extrajudicial execution. This case sends a shockwave among Saudi Arabian human rights defenders and dissidents everywhere, eroding any notion of seeking safe haven abroad, Amnesty Internationals Middle East Research Director Lynn Maalouf said. The Gulf Kingdom routinely uses draconian laws to crack down on peaceful dissent at home, and has even arrested dissidents abroad in the past. But the enforced disappearance and now reported assassination of one of its citizens who had sought asylum abroad should set alarm bells ringing, Maalouf added. If the reports are true, they must immediately launch an independent investigation and those responsible, however high their rank or status, must face justice. Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an organisation said that if Khashoggi was indeed assassinated by Saudi authorities, it would constitute an absolutely unacceptable assault on press freedom. If Turkish reports that @washingtonpost journalist and US resident @jamalkhashoggi was killed in Saudi Arabia's consulate in Turkey are confirmed, this would constitute a horrific, utterly deplorable, and absolutely unacceptable assault on press freedom https://t.co/FS3HYrHntH RSF in English (@RSF_en) October 6, 2018 The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also condemned the news, urging the Saudi authorities to give a full and credible accounting of what happened to Khashoggi inside its diplomatic mission. Khashoggis suspected killing may further strain relations between Turkey and Saudi Arabia, who are on opposite sides of the multination blockade of Qatar and other regional crises. The ruling Gabonese Democratic Party has won 80 of the 143 seats in the national parliament, the presidency says. President Ali Bongos ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) has won a legislative election by a landslide in the first round, the presidency said. We have observed what looks like a landslide in favour of the [ruling] majority, presidential spokesman Ike Ngouoni said on Sunday, citing results posted publicly at voting stations. He said the PDG had won 80 of the 143 seats in the national parliament. Ngouoni said turnout was relatively weak. The presidential spokesman said the electoral authority would announce definitive results later Sunday or on Monday. Some opposition candidates and witnesses who spoke to the AFP news agency at polling stations alleged voting irregularities. They said voting papers had gone missing, there had been attempts to buy votes, and opposition representatives had been denied access. Voting took place in the oil-rich West African country on Saturday in a long-delayed legislative and municipal election, the first poll to be held since a presidential election two years ago was marred by deadly violence and fraud allegations. President Bongos key rival, Jean Ping, boycotted the election, but most opposition groups took part. Gabon has been ruled by the same political dynasty for nearly half a century. Pompeo and Kim refine options for the location and date of a second summit between North Korean leader and Trump. Kim Jong-un has agreed to hold a second summit with US President Donald Trump as soon as possible, South Korea said, after Washingtons top diplomat held productive talks on denuclearisation with the North Korean leader in Pyongyang. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Kim on Sunday morning for around two hours of talks followed by lunch in the North Korean capital, before flying to Seoul as part of his three-day East Asia tour aimed at breaking a deadlock on nuclear negotiations. Pompeo said he agreed with Chairman Kim to hold the second US-North Korea summit at the earliest date possible, according to a statement by South Koreas presidential office, although no specific time or location has yet been announced. The US Department of State said Pompeo and Kim had refined options for the location and date of the summit. The two also discussed denuclearisation steps that will be taken by North Korea and the issue of attendance by the US government, as well as corresponding measures to be taken by the US, the South Korean statement said. The visit was Pompeos fourth to Pyongyang, who hailed the meeting with the North Korean leader as a success. {articleGUID} We had a good, productive conversation, Pompeo told South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Sunday. As President Trump said, there are many steps along the way and we took one of them today. It was another step forward and I think this is a good outcome for all of us. Kim also praised their nice meeting, telling Pompeo via an interpreter following the mornings talks that it was a very nice day that promises a good future for both countries. The US is pushing for progress on disarming North Koreas nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles programmes. Trump met Kim in Singapore in June for the first-ever summit between the countries, during which the North Korean leader pledged to work towards denuclearisation, but there has been no agreement on how to put that into action. In a tweet on Sunday, Trump said: Progress made on Singapore Summit Agreements! I look forward to seeing Chairman Kim again, in the near future. .@SecPompeo had a good meeting with Chairman Kim today in Pyongyang. Progress made on Singapore Summit Agreements! I look forward to seeing Chairman Kim again, in the near future. pic.twitter.com/bUa2pkq80s Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2018 Bumpy road Since the Singapore summit, the road towards better ties has been bumpy. Washington and Pyongyang have sparred over the exact terms of the vaguely worded agreement in Singapore, with the US pushing to maintain sanctions and pressure against North Korea until its final, fully verified denuclearisation. Pompeo was scheduled to meet Kim earlier in August, but Trump asked his top diplomat to call off the trip at the time, citing insufficient progress on denuclearisation. {articleGUID} During their meeting on Sunday, Pompeo and Kim also agreed to form a working group at an early date to discuss the denuclearisation process and the second summit, according to Moons press secretary Yoon Young-chan. Kim also invited inspectors to visit Punggye Ri nuclear test site to confirm it had been irreversibly dismantled, according to a statement from US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert. Al Jazeeras Rob McBride, reporting from the South Korean capital, Seoul, said Pompeos meeting with Kim has been taken as a positive sign that dialogue is still on track. Pompeo visited Tokyo on Friday and is also due to travel to Beijing before returning home on Monday. This is a busy time diplomatically, said Al Jazeeras McBride. North Koreas deputy foreign minister is currently in Moscow for talks with Chinese and Russian officials, he reported. Its thought to try to continue North Koreas lobbying effort for a lifting of sanctions. Is Lebanon cracking down on government critics? Activists say they are increasingly being summoned by the Cyber Crimes Bureau for criticising the government on social media. Hundreds march in Capital to press for swift justice About two hundred protesters marched from Maitighar Mandala to New Baneshwor on Saturday, demanding justice for Nirmala Pant, the 13-year-old girl who was raped and subsequently murdered in Kanchanpur. Relief efforts are under way as casualties climb in Haitis northwest region. At least 11 people have been killed when a magnitude-5.9 earthquake struck close to the northernmost tip of Haiti, roughly 20km west-northwest of Port-de-Paix. Government spokesman Eddy Jackson Alexis told the AFP news agency seven people were killed in Port-de-Paix, the capital of Haitis Nord-Ouest department, while four others were killed in the town of Gros-Morne, about 50km to the southeast. The quake, which was felt across the country, struck at 8:10pm (00:10 GMT Sunday) at a depth of 11.7km. The tremor was one of the strongest to hit Haiti since a 7.0-magnitude quake struck near the Port-au-Prince in 2010, killing tens of thousands of people. In a post on Twitter, President Jovenel Moise, who faced calls for his resignation over the summer due to fuel price increases, urged people to remain calm after the civil protection agency reported the latest earthquake had caused outbreaks of panic in northern towns. Les brigadiers de la @PwoteksyonSivil sont deja en action dans le Nord'Ouest. Ils seront rejoints par dautres equipes dans les heures qui suivent pour amplifier les operations de secours. pic.twitter.com/P4mjyWmsbb President Jovenel Moise (@moisejovenel) October 7, 2018 Moise also tweeted that Pwoteksyon Sivil, a civil protection group, was already working in Haitis northwest. The agency said Port-de-Paix, Gros-Morne, the town of Chansolme and the island of Tortuga suffered some of the worst damage and some houses were destroyed. Le Nouvelliste newspaper said one person was killed when an auditorium collapsed in Gros-Morne. The tremor also damaged the facade of a church in Plaisance and a house next door collapsed, the paper said. Scores of personal accounts of anger and guilt, buried under years of silence, emerged this week. New Delhi, India Accusations of sexual assault have spread across Indias social media as the #MeToo movement took aim at prominent journalists, writers, editors and a comedian. Scores of women, many journalists, came out this week with accounts of sexual harassment from colleagues and editors, accusing them of indecent remarks, unwanted touches, demands for sex, and the dissemination of pornography. Many personal stories of anger and guilt, buried under years of silence, emerged after journalist Sandhya Menon recounted the sexual harassment she allegedly faced from two senior editors, KR Sreenivas and Gautam Adhikari. Since I'm calling them out. Let me tell you about @KRSreenivas who is currently resident editor @toi Hyderabad (I think) who offered to drop me back after a day's work. We were about to launch Bangalore mirror back in 2008 and I had just moved to this city. Sandhya. (@TheRestlessQuil) October 5, 2018 And finally, one more calling out and I'm done. Gautam Adhikari who was the editor in chief of DNA Bombay. His exec assistant and I were think friends and we'd go out a lot. Once he told her you girls are always going out, I'm new to the city show me some sights Sandhya. (@TheRestlessQuil) October 5, 2018 Sonora Jha, who now teaches journalism at Seattle University in the United States, said she was also assaulted by Adhikari in 1995. Two months after I had my baby, Adhikari, then the executive editor of the Times of India, visited our Bangalore office. He said I should come to his hotel room to discuss flexible work hours if I would like that, Jha told Al Jazeera. {articleGUID} After I got there, he told me to relax, put my feet up, and lie down. I refused. He grabbed my face and forced a kiss on me, pushing his tongue into my mouth, trying to push me on his bed. I pushed him away and rushed out of the door, she said. Jha said as a 27-year-old then, she felt shaken and uncertain of future, but didnt want to be known as that woman who accused the TOI boss. With a baby to look after, she decided not to pursue the case legally. Multiple accounts Last month, Bollywood actress and former Miss India Tanushree Dutta alleged renowned actor Nana Patekar harassed her on the sets of a film in 2008. The new wave of accounts started to surface on Thursday with a writer accusing well-known comic and YouTube star, Utsav Chakraborty, of sexual misconduct. I want everyone to know @Wootsaw is a piece of shit. He sent me a dick pic, was creepy, then cried saying Ill ruin his career if I tell others. I told two of the most influential men in comedy in India. Nothing happened. Let me tell you what else he has done with others. Mahima Kukreja (@AGirlOfHerWords) October 4, 2018 Mumbai police asked the woman to file a complaint. Hello, Ms Mahima, We have been waiting to hear from you since last two days. Please understand that till the time you lodge a complaint, we cannot initiate legal action. Request you to do the same or reply to us on DM to let us know if you need any assistance @AGirlOfHerWords https://t.co/1Cud8Wa0Zq Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) October 6, 2018 AIB, a prominent stand-up comedy group, apologised in an online statement for not taking action against Utsav, their former employee. Utsav has since apologised. https://twitter.com/Wootsaw/status/1048088816030953472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Many other senior journalists and writers, including KR Sreenivas, Kiran Nagarkar, and CP Surendran, were embroiled in separate accusations of sexual misconduct. An unnamed woman said famous photographer Pablo Bartholomew harassed her when she met him for an interview as a young reporter. When she resisted his sexual advances, Bartholomew allegedly called her editor to say he did not have faith in her ability to write an article about his work. You know what happens when one person speaks up and is heard? More people find the strength to speak up. This one was sent to me by someone I trust, to share, about photographer Pablo Bartholomew. pic.twitter.com/QfNqQunE6t Deepanjana (@dpanjana) October 5, 2018 Mayank Jain, principal correspondent at the Business Standard, was called out by reporter Anoo Bhuyan as a sexual predator. Another journalist recounted a similar experience with Jain where he repeatedly suggested taking a room. Business Standard has since announced an internal inquiry against Jain. Al Jazeeras emails to him went unanswered. Several women also posted details of Anurag Verma, a former editor at Huffington Post, asking women for nude pictures. https://twitter.com/kitAnurag/status/1047923881254772737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw On Saturday, Huffington Post published a statement saying they do not condone such acts in any way. The allegations against powerful editors like Adhikari and Sreenivas prompted other women to accuse both of sexual harassment and forcible sexual advances. While Sreenivas told Al Jazeera an internal committee of the Times Group will investigate the charges and he will submit to the investigation, he refused to answer further questions. Adhikari told Al Jazeera he cannot recall the incidents from a long time ago that have been alleged. If I have ever made a colleague uncomfortable in any manner, I would readily apologise but I did not sexually harass anyone, said Adhikari. Tip of the iceberg In 1997, the Supreme Court of India came out with the landmark Vishakha Guidelines, laying down norms to protect women from sexual harassment in workplaces. But there is neither data to test the efficacy of the Internal Complaints Committee nor is it known the number of complaints that have been lodged in Indian media outlets. #MeToo A present day Deputy Executive Editor of a news channel once approached me to sleep with him. I was a newbie at work and he was a super senior. Please note this was my first job. I was also more naive, ignorant, indecisive and confused. Rashmi Sinha (@GundiAapa) October 5, 2018 Most women said they never reported their harassment, fearful of the impact on their careers. This suggests that the true scale of the problem is far greater than what is being reported. There are female journalists out there in rural or semi-urban areas who might not have been able to leverage social media to tell their horror stories, said Shuma Raha, formerly senior journalist with the Times of India. In 2004-05, the Press Institute of India was commissioned by the National Commission for Women to do a study on the Status of Women Journalists. Almost 100 women journalists, who joined the study, said they were sexually harassed by a male colleague, most holding a senior position. The aftermath of the outpouring of stories this week has been a cheering of female solidarity. Hello women on Indian Twitter. It's been a DAY. Just to let you know that I hear you and believe you and I'm here if you want to go all the way and out your abusers with evidence you've been saving up. DMs are open. Let's do this. Nishita Jha (@NishSwish) October 5, 2018 Dear women out there I don't know if I can do much but I want to help. If any woman in the jurisdiction of Bombay High Court has faced sexual harassment at the workplace and wants to sue please contact me. I will not charge my fees and appear for you in your case. Rutuja (@HavaldarShinde) October 5, 2018 Theres definitely a boys club in operation. This culture of silence and of male entitlement needs to end, said Raha. Some, like Neha Dixit, point to cultures of masculinity in Indian newsrooms that leaves the door open for sexual harassment of women. This has firm roots in patriarchal and sexist structures. Here, for decades, there has been an understanding that using sexually explicit language or a certain kind of touch is OK, said Dixit, an independent journalist in New Delhi. {articleGUID} Why are press bodies largely silent, why are they not calling for investigations? Thats because top male editors are in charge at these bodies, as well, she adds. Most Indian newsrooms are headed by men, although there are many women in top positions at corporate-owned TV news channels now. Indias #MeToo The global #MeToo movement was triggered by sexual misconduct and rape accusations by dozens of women against Hollywood power magnate Harvey Weinstein. The catalyst for an Indian #MeToo movement came in November last year when a US-based law student, Raya Sarkar, published a list on Facebook accusing more than 50 Indian professors of sexual harassment. Many like Jha are now hopeful that sexual abusers will not go unpunished. The next generation of girls and women will have the language, the lenses and the love to push back, stand strong, and be believed, she said. Clashes come a day after Taliban fighters blew up bridges along arterial highways. At least 10 policemen have been killed in clashes with Taliban fighters in the central Afghan province of Wardak, officials said. Sundays clashes come amid fighting to wrest control of arterial highways a day after Taliban fighters blew up bridges along those roads, blocking traffic between the capital Kabul and Ghazni, Zabul and Kandahar provinces. The fighting also cut off electricity to four provinces: Maidan Wardak, Logar, Ghazni and Paktia. Abdul Rahman Mangel, the provincial governors spokesman, told the Associated Press the attack began late on Saturday and appeared to be aimed at seizing the Sayed Abad district headquarters in the Maidan Wardak province. The Taliban set fire to a government building in the district and killed the district police chief along with nine other policemen, according to a senior police official. The Taliban said they overran the district headquarters, but local officials denied the claim. Mangel also said the Taliban raided homes after the attack. Under control Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish told the Associated Press that reinforcements have been sent to and most areas in the district are under control. Repeated assaults on strategically important provinces, such as Wardak and nearby Ghazni, have been a show of strength for the Taliban, underscoring how volatile security remains in Afghanistan two weeks before parliamentary elections. A statement from the Talibans main spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said fighters had taken the centre of Sayeed Abad and all surrounding security checkpoints. The group has seized a number of districts across the country in recent years and regularly attack security forces. In August, the Taliban attacked Ghazni, the largest tactical operation launched by the Taliban since they overran the northern city of Kunduz in 2015. That confrontation killed 150 members of Afghanistans security forces and 95 civilians, as well as hundreds of Taliban fighters. Could Texas become a Democratic stronghold? US President Donald Trumps anti-immigration policies are pushing more minorities to promote a shift in the states political landscape. Thousands rally in Paris to support migrant rescue ship Aquarius Thousands turn out in France to express their anger at efforts to stop the last migrant rescue ship operating off Libyas coast. About the show A weekly programme that examines and dissects the worlds media, how they operate and the stories they cover. Watch The Listening Post every Saturday at 0830GMT Louisiana & North West Railroad The Louisiana & North West Railroad (reporting marks, LNW) is a historic short line that has been serving its home state, as well as southern Arkansas since the early 1890s. For many railfans, the L&NW is remembered for its fleet of Electro-Motive "covered wagons", which have long since disappeared from its roster. The roller coaster history of the line is very fascinating. At one point it grew to more than 100 miles and then slowly abandoned sections of its system as traffic evaporated; the company has also kept itself afloat surviving on one form of traffic and then another. It was conceived as a general common-carrier to operate a north-south route connecting most of Louisiana and Arkansas although the intended traffic never materialized. For many years oil was its lucrative mainstay although today, the L&NW sustains itself on a variety of different freight and has the luxury of established interchanges with two Class I railroads (a rarity for many shortlines). The history of the Louisiana and North West Railroad begins with the Louisiana North & South Railroad Company, chartered on November 28, 1885. The LN&S had been formed by the town of Homer, in Claiborne Parish in hopes of seeing tracks connect it to the outside world and keep the community from being isolated (a real fear in those days when railroads were rapidly expanding and the hope for economic growth lay in steel rails reaching your town). This system had reached its namesake cities in 1880 and would later become a part of the Illinois Central formally in 1946 (it had been leased to its subsidiary, the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley as early as 1923). Actual construction of the LN&S began nearly two years after it was chartered when ground was broken on April 30, 1887 to build a 19-mile line from Homer, south to a location known as Gibsland along the VS&T. More Reading... A History Of Louisiana's Railroads A Look At Arkansas's Railroad History The Wellsville, Addison & Galeton, "The Sole Leather Line" Trains began running as early as January 1, 1888 along completed sections of the line but it was not fully operational until the summer of 1889. While the specific purpose of the new company was to reach the VS&T the new railroad also had hopes of stretching much further south for the freight potential found in the cities of Natchitoches and Alexandria. After the first section of this extension was opened on January 20, 1890 between Gibsland and Bienville (a distance of 17.33 miles) the L&NS was acquired a day later by the Louisiana and North West Railroad due to a loophole in the former's charter. For now further ambitions to the south were put on hold while the L&NW looked northward to reach Magnolia, Arkansas which since 1881 had only been served by the St. Louis Southwestern Railway (Cotton Belt). The railroad did have an incentive to do so as the right-of-way was already purchased by the city from the state. The 35.7 miles from Homer to Magnolia were opened by October 4, 1898, which included the connection to the Cotton Belt's 6-mile branch, purchased by the L&NW a few months earlier on August 1. After 1900 the railroad continued southward again, reaching Natchitoches in March of 1905. At this point its length peaked at 124 miles and it never reached its ultimate goals; continuing on to Ashland and New Orleans along with a northward extension to Fort Smith for a total system that would have spanned nearly 600 miles. The L&NW struggled after opening its route to Natchitoches as freight never materialized and the debt of building the line forced it into bankruptcy in August, 1913. Thanks to the discovery of oil around Homer in January, 1919 the company was able to come out of receivership just a few years later on May 21, 1922. A year earlier the L&NW also began to cutback its extension south of Gibsland, abandoning the line between Natchitoches and Chestnut, 22 miles in all. The rest of the line was pulled up 20 years later in 1949 between Gibsland and Chestnut (except for the 15 miles between Bienville and Gibsland, purchased by the North Louisiana & Gulf) leaving the Louisiana and North West Railroad with a 61.5-mile system it still operates today. During World War II the system was not able to cash in on the explosion of traffic growth experienced by the industry as a whole since it did not serve any munitions plants or related companies that served the war effort. However, this changed a few decades later with the start of the Vietnam War in the mid-1960s. It moved munitions in conjunction with the IC via the Gibsland interchange from the Louisiana Army Munition plant at Doyline. This time period also signaled three other notable events for the railroad: On June 5, 1958 it was added to the Salzberg family of short lines (which included the Fort Dodge Des Moines & Southern, Des Moines & Central Iowa, and the well known Wellsvile Addison & Galeton). Electro-Motive F units began to arrive (the largest locomotives it owned up until that time). A major source of new traffic appeared, bromine. The red-colored chemical is highly corrosive but is very useful as a fire retardant among other things. The discovery of bromine in southern Arkansas, which just so happened to be home to one of the largest concentrations anywhere on the planet, could not have come at a better time with the traffic from Vietnam conflict winding down. Today, it still makes up part of the L&NW's traffic base. Under Salzberg ownership the railroad gained a new, standard look sporting a common livery of red and yellow. However, unlike its cousin, the WAG, the L&NW sustained its profitability through the years. Interestingly, it still carries a version of its red/yellow scheme today even though it is now owned by Patriot Rail (since 2008). The arrival of the F7s (and an FP7) also drew the interest of railfans as the locomotives were still in regular use well through the 1980s. Today, the covered wagons have long since disappeared, replaced by various first and second-generation EMD Geeps. The railroad's traffic base has also changed. While bromine is still an important source of traffic it no longer moves petroleum products with other freight including, wood products (lumber and plywood), steel, and plastics. Major customers include Albemarle Corporation, Weyerhaeuser, Schlumberger, Kinder Morgan, CMC Steel Arkansas, Partee Flooring, and Berry Plastics. It should be noted that for many years the L&NW offered regular passenger service, through the late 1940s in fact, which is a quite long for a railroad of its size. Until 1925 the railroad used standard steamers to power its trains until it began acquiring American Car & Foundry/J.G. Brill Company carbodied gasoline-powered cars ("doodlebugs") to reduce operating costs. The company owned three; #200, #300, and #400. The latter was acquired on August 8, 1944 from the Chicago & Eastern Illinois, which had received it new May, 1937 and named the Mount Vernon. It was built with a shovel-nosed, streamlined design that sported a eye-catching livery although was pulled from service in 1948 due to its unreliability. The retirement of #400 that year ended all passenger services. Louisiana & North West Locomotive Roster Builder Model Type Road Number Notes Quantity EMD SW8 40-41 Acquired new: December, 1950. Sold to NL&G in 1969. 2 Baldwin VO-1000 42-43 Ex-Cotton Belt, sold in 1967 to Georgetown Railroad. 2 EMD F7A 44-48 Ex-SP, all sold. 5 EMD FP7 49 Ex-WP, trade-in to GE for a U23B in 1968 that went to the WAG. 1 EMD GP7 50, 52 Ex-UP, Ex-C&O: The former traded-in to GE, the latter sold to CSS&SB 2 EMD GP9 51, 53 Ex-UP, traded in to GE. 2 EMD GP35 54 Ex-Cotton Belt 1 EMD GP11 55 Ex-IC GP. 1 EMD GP40 56-57 Ex-DT&I 2 EMD GP15-1 1448 Ex-Conrail 1 EMD GP7 4153 Ex-L&A 1 EMD GP9 4164 Ex-L&A 1 Thanks to Alton B. Lanier's "567B's in the Bromine Belt" from the May, 1985 issue of Trains magazine as a primary reference for this article. Over the years, the Louisiana and North West Railroad owned a wide variety of steam and diesel locomotives, both purchased new as well as secondhand. Its largest steamer was a 2-8-2 Mikado and most such locomotives were Baldwin products. However, during the diesel era it owned only two Baldwins, a pair of VO-1000 switchers. Aside from these its diesels have exclusively been EMD products from GP7s and GP9s to GP35s and GP40s. The future of the L&NW looks to be very good with a profitable mixed traffic base and connections to Union Pacific at McNeil and Kansas City Southern at Gibsland (which purchased the old IC route). At Columbia University's Teachers College, in the early years of the 20th century, a handful of men inspired by "laws of social evolution" gathered to presume a "science" of education linked with a "science" of human behavior. They were no mere researchers. Their sights were on nothing less than the establishment of a new social order. Laws? Science? The scientific method bends out of shape over things like the will. Love, hate, loyalty, treachery, humility, arrogance, and many other common items of human experience melt science down to its core. And the study of humans by humans is well, circular, is it not? The intellectual arrogance, not to say quackery, of men like John Dewey may be forgiven as a human weakness. But lording over one's fellows by presuming to make of them a better breed smells not only of conceit, but of treachery. In this plot a good one for mad scientist movies parent and pastor were to take a back seat while behavioral "experts" rewired the strands of human behavior, using schoolchildren as experimental subjects. Their motive? A new age was dawning. It was a matter of when, not if, collectivism and socialism would come to America. Was it not the task of the public educator to prepare its subjects for the new order? Was it not the job of the public teacher to change basic perceptions, attitudes, social relations? That such high horsing violates democratic basics meant nothing to these "progressives." To them, democracy was less a form of government than a means for "reforming" society. Today's "liberals" still believe that. For them, "majority" meant a body to be molded. The founders of our republic labored diligently to ensure a level political playing field for themselves and for posterity. But reformist heavyweights of the early 20th century saw fit to tilt the field their way or risk failing in their mission to groom American society for a collectivist future. Their methodology was and remains to indoctrinate the public through school, media, and church, under the rubrics of "science" and "experts" and "studies" and most conniving of all "the changing times." Individuals who think for themselves and express unorthodox views must be marginalized and denied equal access to media, market, and due process. Collectivist agenda operatives are still as anxious as ever to ram their great ideas down the public throat. If it means becoming "journalists," political activists, "social justice" mercenaries, or "pastors," lying and deceiving are not a problem. How can any majority weed out bad ideas when ideas don't circulate freely and compete in an open market? When journalists spread political narratives instead of reporting the news? When the curiosity of the child, who asks why-why-why, is dulled or washed out by graduation time? When church and school become conduits of propaganda instead of places for reflection and learning? It was from the early-twentieth-century Pandora's box of questionable theory and Marxist fever that the missionaries for educational reform issued. The minds of the young in this country particularly those who as teachers and leaders were to transmit the gospel of a new social order were subverted by Marxist activists a long time ago. Do you wonder why you never got this in history? Reorienting the mind I thought it silly, while in school in 1946, to let kids do what they wanted to do in school. For me, and for a school pal, the "Progressive" experiment was great fun. My friend Bob and I were permitted to cut classes we didn't care for in favor of painting murals on the walls of Brooklyn's Halsey Junior High School. That we both succeeded academically proves not the wisdom of Dewey's theories but that diligent students manage to transcend obstacles to their progress. Progressive educators now wire young minds via satellite, assuming an unfounded desirability of forming a global community of similar (washed) minds. What's wrong with globalist thinking is a subject for a library. But the right to be different and to associate with those of like kind and mind continues to shelve the one-world notion of human association under "Fiction." Quality of life faded after "group" trumped individual, a side-effect of progressive leveling. The pressure to conform replaced the incentive to rise. Group orientation made it easier to alienate youth from family and tradition, a precondition for forming a collective social order. This is a society that links generation with generation in shared values and cultural ties interferes with establishing a collective society under totalitarian rule. New-age honchos like to operate behind the scenes, a la the Wizard of Oz, pulling levers of screen, magazine, lyrics, and stage to alter society by filling budding minds with "politically correct" images and ideas, playing on youth's innocence and natural idealism, stirring passions untempered by reflection. The result of a long plague of such brainwashing and indoctrination is a base of voters with moral and intellectual disability and an abiding aversion to family, country, God, and truth. The mental holiday declared by early progressive educators spawned a most dangerous social myth, that of value-neutral ethics. A value-neutral society is for all purposes a valueless society. Freed of timeless standards of ethical behavior, people act as though anything-goes is normal and right, unaware that they have become valueless selves that no therapy or "self-esteem" program can prop up with real confidence or sinless theology fill with lasting hope. "Progress" The original goals and tactics have been forgotten. Today's public-school educators are unaware of their own history and why they think and teach as they do. But though the memory is lost, the desire for bringing forth a "new social order" remains imbedded in their consciousness. Sadly, the world caves in on minds when they actually face the reality that the only possible reform is self-reform, when better communities and a "better world" can be had only with better selves, so crucial in a democratic form of government. In conclusion The "education problem" in America is not one of inadequate funding or management. It is one of defective educational philosophy. The legacy of early Marxists on their way to a "global" future under some species of collectivism has been the worst possible foundation for a sound education system. Established educational philosophy is mired in misconceptions regarding both the nature and the business of education. Public-school teachers are victims of teacher education that emphasizes ideology over substance, relativism over enduring values. Fundamentals that must be restored include the following: school authority is subservient to parental authority. The school has no business vilifying tradition, slurring religion, or disallowing individual accountability. In short, it has no mandate to alter society. And so sparks will continue to fly between those who want parents to be in control of the education of their children, in an atmosphere where multiple points of view may compete fairly, and those who insist on dragging the outdated baggage of their Marxist ancestors to its ultimate destination: the dustbin of history. Anthony J. DeBlasi is a graduate of Brooklyn College, 1953. The foreign adventures of Russia in the U.S. and in Europe, with varying degrees of success, have all illustrated a cardinal thrust of Russia's policy: the desire to influence the politics of democratic countries and prevent the expansion of Western influence. In June 2017, in one of his last publications, Senator John McCain warned of the Russian threat and called on Congress to send a message to President Vladimir Putin that America will stand strong in defense of U.S. democracy. More specifically, on September 17, 2018, U.S. secretary of defense James Mattis warned, as did leaders of NATO countries, while he was in Skopje, capital of Macedonia, that Russian efforts, money, and influence were trying to prevent the success of the referendum in that country on September 30, 2018. Politics in the Balkans resembles the behavior and style of the great Hollywood films noirs, reflecting internal instability and threats from outside forces, with an ominous atmosphere, an ambivalent moral code not easy to define, violence, and deaths. The past and present events in Macedonia are almost as convoluted as the baffling plot in the notorious The Big Sleep. Its relationship with neighbors and with Russia, if not always presenting the mirrors and shadows of the films noirs or sense of doom, exemplify certain ambiguity, unexpected plot changes, crises, and corruption. The Eastern European countries are a crossroad of culture and religions, embracing both bikinis and burkinis, diverse ethnic and religious history and affiliations. Macedonia is a landlocked, small, 10,000-square-mile, poor country: it has high 20% unemployment, and its citizens earn 350 euros a month in salary, the lowest in the Balkan countries. About a quarter of its 2.1 million-strong population live abroad. Part Balkan and part Mediterranean, Macedonia has a complex history. Most of its inhabitants are of Slavic descent and from Eastern Orthodox Christianity, but a minority are of other ethnic groups, such as Albanians, who make up a quarter of the population. Perhaps to reflect this, the macedoine, the fruit or vegetable salad, was named after the mixed population. The language of the country is closely related to Bulgarian and Serbo-Croatian, and written in Cyrillic script. But what is Macedonia? Underlying present issues is the historic problem: do the people of Macedonia have any relationship with ancient Greek civilization, and are they a distinct people? Greece argues that Macedonia has always been a region of Greece. Macedonians respond they are a distinct European people, that Macedonia was never a region of Greece, but always a historic nation. A quick survey is useful. In 1912-13 the two Balkan wars broke out with a number of states, the Balkan League, Montenegro, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Greece fighting the European parts of the Ottoman Empire. Macedonians took part in the war, but in August 1913, their territory was partitioned among Greece, Bulgaria, and Croatia. Greece was guilty of many atrocities against Macedonians, burning villages and removing Macedonian names of places. In 1918, Macedonia became part of Serbia, which with Croatia and Slovakia founded Yugoslavia in 1929. During World War II, the area of Macedonia was occupied by Bulgaria, ally of Nazi Germany. In 1945, the Yugoslav Federal People's Republic (later Socialist Federation) was formed out of six republics, with Josip Broz Tito as president. The area of Macedonia, whose inhabitants were six percent of the total ethnic population, was recognized as a distinct republic in Yugoslavia. Demands for independence grew. On September 8, 1991, a referendum calling for a sovereign and independent state, independence from Yugoslavia, was approved by 96% of the vote in a turnout of 75%. Some countries recognized this independence, but others, under pressure from Greece, did not. Greece objected to the name "Macedonia," since it was the same name as the Greek province. Russia did recognize the independent state, the first major power to do so. Two interrelated factors are involved in the issue, both related to the Western orientation of Macedonia, to which Russia is opposed. One is the actual name of the territorial unit. The difficulty is that Macedonia is the name of the northern province of Greece that includes Thessaloniki, the second largest city. Greece thought or pretended that the other Macedonia had territorial ambitions. That state had named its main airport in the capital, Skopje, and a key highway after Alexander the Great. The state has recently renamed them. The other factor is the desire of that unit to become a member of the E.U. and of NATO, as have other Balkan countries. Croatia and Slovenia are members of both organizations, and others are being considered. Montenegro joined NATO. Serbia, juggling a delicate balancing act between its European aspirations and its traditional political and religious relations with Russia, and holding military exercises with both sides, is interested in E.U. membership while obtaining its oil from Russia. Macedonia became an official candidate for the E.U. in 2005, but the process was blocked by Greece. NATO in 2008 agreed to invite the state once its name was settled. Greece argued that the constitution of Macedonia threatens the security and integrity of Greece and imposed a trade embargo that cut Macedonia off from the port of Salonika. However, on June 17, 2018, an agreement was reached between Zoran Zaev, Social Democrat prime minister of Macedonia, and Greek leader Alexis Tsipas. Greece would not object to Macedonia joining NATO and the E.U. if the country changed its name to "North Macedonia," perhaps the first time one country has insisted on another country changing its name. To do so, the Macedonian parliament must change the constitution to reflect the new name. Macedonia affirmed that it did not claim Greek territory, while Greece recognized the Macedonian language and ethnicity. Following this, Macedonia held a non-binding advisory referendum on September 31, 2018 to change the name. The result was mixed but disappointing. Over 91% were in favor, but the overall turnout was only 37%. A majority of at least 50% turnout is needed for a referendum to be valid. The referendum was unsuccessful, which can be said to be a victory for Russia, which acted in many ways to defeat it. It illustrated the Russian policy of destabilizing Eastern Europe and limiting the spread of NATO. Russia attempted to lower the electoral turnout by using disinformation campaigns, fake news, violence, cyber-warfare, monetary corruption, and the influence of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, a Russian organization for the study of the Middle East. It was responsible for 40 new posts on Facebook to boycott the vote. Russia indirectly helped the main opposition party, VMRO-DPMNE, a nationalist party that did not agree with the name change and had campaigned for a boycott of the referendum, as did the controversial politician Dmitris Kammenos. It encouraged the idea for a populist party to emerge to block the name change. This was yet another example of Russian policy to prevent expansion of Western influence. Russia has been on the offensive in Georgia in 2008, in Kosovo in 2008, and in Ukraine in 2014. Russia on October 2016 participated in a planned coup in Montengro on the day of the parliamentary election. The plan was to kill the prime minister and install a pro-Russian party in power. Those indicted for the plot included two Russians. Montenegro accused the Russian "state structure" of being behind the attempted coup. One of the organizations presumed to have been involved was the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies. Russia officially defended its role, arguing that the plot was a rogue operation that Moscow did not sanction, though the pro-Russian group involved wore uniforms and had encryption equipment. The Macedonian referendum has made it incontrovertible that Russia has been active in the Balkans, with subversive propaganda, intelligence activity, friendship associations, cultural centers, the SVR foreign intelligence service, and GRU military intelligence agency, and using images of pan-Slavic identity and Orthodox Christian faith. The U.S. Congress needs no special counsel to recognize and address the threat. Lt. Colonel Avigdor Kahalani, commander of the IDF's 77th tank battalion, stared eastward into the growing darkness from the turret of his Centurion tank, on the evening of the Day of Atonement, October 6, 1973. Atop the northern Golan Heights, he had ordered his men to turn off their headlights and locate, by moonlight, advancing Syrian tanks, coming across the frontier, destination: Israel. Rebuffed in their daylight assault on Israeli forces, the Syrians opted for a night attack, making use of their Soviet-made night fighting equipment. Israeli tank telescopes worked well during daylight, or on illuminated targets at night, but couldn't locate and target tanks using infrared lights. The advancing Syrian T-55 tanks were using infrared scopes to locate Israeli tanks; few Centurions had them. Taking a grave risk, Kahalani turned on his own infrared scope but quickly realized that a Syrian tank had his Centurion targeted. Shouting at his driver to back up, the Israeli tank quickly rolled backward down a hill, out of the line of fire. Outnumbered more than seven to one the Syrians had at least 1,200 battle tanks and taking heavy casualties, Israeli tank crews nonetheless destroyed a large number of T-55s, halting the Syrian advance. Daylight revealed the blackened hulks of the Syrian tanks scattered over the Golan landscape, in a valley that became known as the "Valley of Tears" [i]. During this first Syrian offensive, Israel lost 75 tanks, with hundreds killed and wounded, while Syria lost over 100 tanks, with thousands killed and wounded. The Syrians were more successful advancing on Israel through the southern Golan's open ground, but they were repulsed by Israeli reserve tank battalions. They failed to reach Israel's entry points, two bridges spanning the Jordan River. By October 23, Israel had defeated the Syrians and the Egyptians, winning the War of Atonement. The "barren volcanic escarpment" known as the Golan Heights had played a key role in the victory. Had Syrian forces occupied the entire Golan early on October 6, their tanks likely would have overrun Israel [ii]. The Golan Heights is 40 miles long and from 7 to 16 miles wide, with a total area of 720 square miles. Israel presently controls about 460 square miles of the Golan. CIA Map of the Golan Heights (1994). The region is bordered by the slopes of Mt. Hermon on the north, the Yarmouk River on the south, the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River on the west, Wadi Ruqqad on the east, and the Hauran region on the southeast. Even today, much of the Golan is undeveloped, and as late as 1990, the region had few asphalt-paved roads [iii]. Particularly in the northern Golan, the landscape is hilly, resisting easy egress. Hermonit, Avital, and Bental, three 3,900-foot-high extinct basalt volcanoes, dominate the area. However, there has been a continuous Jewish presence on the Golan, almost uninterrupted since ancient times, and the Golan is the source of much of Israel's water. Jewish presence in the Golan began with Israel's entry into Canaan and underscores the Golan's timeless importance to Israel. Continuing through the rule of King Saul, Jewish presence expanded at the end of the 6th century BCE, continuing well past the return of the exiles from Babylon, a century later. In 67 C.E., three years before the Romans destroyed the Second Temple, there occurred a revolt against the Romans, at Gamla, in the Golan. About 9,000 Jewish soldiers fell during the siege of Gamla. Afterward, Jews continued living in the Golan for at least another 500 years, and the ruins of 25 synagogues attest to a strong Jewish presence through the Muslim conquest of the mid-7th century. Muslim rule ended more than 1,600 years of continuous Jewish presence in the Golan and resulted in forced religious conversion of the Golan's Jews. However, evidence exists that shows a Jewish presence after Muslim rule ended. The Zionist movement considered the Golan an integral part of the land being reclaimed as Eretz Israel, and Jewish presence in the Golan, including the Hauran region, resumed with the Bnei Yehuda Society's 1886 purchase of lands east of the Sea of Galilee and Baron de Rothschild's lawful 1891 purchase of 60 square miles of land, about 12 miles east of Ein-Gev. The baron's purchase was supported by Kushans title deeds to the land, issued by the region's Ottoman rulers. However, by 1901, attacks by local Arabs, the hostility of Ottoman officials, and isolation had forced the Hauran's Jews to abandon their settlements and retreat closer to Jerusalem and the Mediterranean coast of Ottoman Palestine [iv]. Jewish settlement of the Golan became more complicated with the fall of the Ottoman empire at the close of World War I. Beginning in 1917, the British Mandate over territory set aside for a Jewish homeland included the Golan and the Hauran regions. However, in 1923, the British violated the terms of the 1920 San Remo Conference, and their own mandate over Palestine, by transferring oversight of the Golan to the French Mandate over Syria. In return, the British received oil rights in Iraq. Uncertainties as to the location of the border between British mandate Palestine and Bedouin tribal lands in the Golan also played a role in this act of betrayal. Thus, the Golan became subject to French authority and, later, Syrian rule, and various Jewish settlements in the region suddenly found themselves without protection, subject to Arab attack. Nevertheless, the 1923 border became the recognized international border between Syria and Israel until Israel's 1948 War of Independence [v]. The French Mandate had ended in 1946, and the French left behind a fragile, newly formed independent Syria, riven with tribal loyalties and sectarian conflict. This conflict would burst into violent civil war in 2011, destroying any semblance of Syria as a viable nation-state. However, in 1948, Syria enthusiastically contributed to the all-out Arab attack on the newly declared State of Israel, conquering additional territory east of the Sea of Galilee, at the head of the Banias River, and at moshav Mishmar HaYarden, in far northern Galilee. Between 1948 and 1967, Syria controlled the Golan, using the steep cliff escarpment, towering 1,700 feet above Israel, as a vantage point for constant sniper and shell-fire attacks on Jewish farmers in the Jordan Valley and the Galilee. Ever creative with different ways to attack Israel, in 1964, the Syrians attempted to dam up various streams flowing from the Golan into the Sea of Galilee. This was pursuant to the Arab states' plan of diverting the Banias and Hasbani Rivers, which supplied Israel with 35% of its water. The IDF stopped the Syrian dam project, but in 1965, there were three serious border clashes between Israel and Syria, provoked by Syrian shootings of Israeli farmers. The IDF responded by destroying heavy earthmoving machines the Arab states were using in their diversion project. The diversion project was eventually abandoned. Nevertheless, the water issue was one cause of the 1967 Six-Day War and also caused the collapse of the 1999-2000 Israel-Syria peace talks, when Syria demanded ownership of a water-critical piece of land near the Sea of Galilee. Currently, 40% of Israel's beef cattle, 30% of its fruit, and 38% of Israeli wine come from the Golan [vi]. Taking back control of the Golan in 1967, Israel has provided protection not only for itself, but for another U.S. ally, Jordan. In 1970, at the request of President Richard Nixon, Israel used its position overlooking Damascus to block Syria's attempted invasion of Jordan. More recently, Israel launched "Operation Good Neighbor," providing needy Syrians who made the southward trek to the Syrian border with home aid kits, which contained food, medicine, and basic hygiene products. This was accomplished at the Mazor Ladach field hospital in the southern Golan. During their time at Mazor Ladach, the Syrians also received hot meals and playroom time for their children [vii]. In December 1981, after more than 14 years of Israeli military rule over the Golan, Israel's parliament (Knesset) ratified the Golan Heights Law, extending Israeli civilian law over the region. The declared purpose of this democratic law was to end military administration over the Golan, replacing it with a civilian administration, to grant and preserve the basic rights of all the Golan's residents, Jew and Druze alike. This law had no time limit, nor was further negotiation prohibited. However, international reaction to the Golan Heights Law was uniformly hostile, with Syria, Jordan, and Egypt accusing Israel of unlawful annexation of the Golan. POTUS Ronald Reagan adopted U.N. Security Council Resolution 497, which nullified the application of Israeli law and justice to the Golan, specifying that Israeli law in the region was without international legal effect. Reagan then suspended the strategic agreement between the U.S. and Israel. However, Israel's Golan position didn't change, demonstrating the security importance of the Golan Heights once again [viii]. U.S. policy regarding the Golan Heights during the past 50 years has been largely based on the sanctity of existing borders, but Syria isn't stable enough to maintain those borders. Among the causes of Syrian instability is that Syria, historically, has been a crossroads area for various invaders. Currently, the Alawite regime of president Bashar Assad is supported by the Alawites, who constitute only 12% of Syria's population. Sunni Muslims, Kurds, and Christians constitute most of the rest and are often at odds with Assad's frequent use of brute force. Thus, various groups have rebelled against Assad. One of these, Jabat al-Nusra, in August 2014 attacked the Golan's U.N. peace-keeping force, kidnapping 45 peacekeepers, releasing them two weeks later. However, Syria's situation, critical enough by itself, has been aggravated and exploited by Iran. Shi'ite Iran's goal is to establish a corridor to the Mediterranean Sea, through Iraq and Syria, with the Golan as the corridor's west end. Since the beginning of Syria's civil war, indications are that Syria is becoming a puppet state of Iran. Iran created a Syrian division of Hezb'allah in 2014. With an arsenal numbering more than 100,000 rockets, Hezb'allah's regional military strength is now second to only the IDF, and it also controls Lebanon. Iran's presence in Syria poses an ever growing threat to Israel and Jordan, both U.S allies. Thus, formal recognition by the U.S. of Israel's sovereignty over the indispensable Golan would act as a deterrent to Iran, strengthen U.S. ties to Israel and Jordan, and ensure that the Golan's Druze population would remain loyal to Israel. Such recognition, despite the opposition of the European Union, would make the region more stable and have a positive effect on world peace [ix]. And Israel shouldn't forget to help its own cause. Currently, the Golan's population numbers about 50,000 an anemic 22,000 Jews and 27,000 Druze. Israel needs to encourage more Israeli Jews to settle in the Golan by developing the region's job opportunities and local institutions and infrastructure. As Avigdor Kahalani said, Israel should never give up the Golan. And the U.S. should formally recognize Israel's sovereignty in the Golan to ensure that Israel never has to [x]. Why are Republicans and decent people everywhere celebrating the Senate confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh? Lots of reasons, but one of them is tweets like this: Writer for the Colbert Show just deleted this tweet. This is all they cared about from the beginning. So how did our politics get so poisonous? - Colbert pic.twitter.com/PaOqTgH4aK Sam (@Sam_5thEstate) October 7, 2018 The writer of this vile tweet is a writer on the Stephen Colbert show, and has nearly 40,000 followers on Twitter. As the Senate confirmation vote was gearing up, she wanted everyone to know that "whatever happens" she is "just" glad she ruined a man's life. Never mind if he was innocent, never mind any of the facts or corroborations or shifting stories of his accuser. The important thing to her was ruining his life. That was what mattered. Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit had an apt characterization of what this amounted to: Like cement shoes to a mobster, the false rape accusations weren't personal, they were just business. But Kavanaugh may feel differently. . . . https://t.co/dIzVLMRqde Instapundit.com (@instapundit) October 7, 2018 Which has already rather gotten under the skin of moderates and now-former Democrats on Twitter: You do realize that this is exactly why those of us who used to be left leaning are running from you? I helped get out the vote for Obama, supported Bernie & now I #WalkAway. I don't want to be associated with this base hatred, intolerance & inability to treat people like people. Vince Jeevar (@BoroTaz) October 6, 2018 That's only because you're a terrible person... And karma is real... Pat (@nikeman310) October 7, 2018 He's now a SCOTUS. How about you? Bob Seymour (@BobSeymourABQ) October 7, 2018 I think theyre giving themselves a little too much credit. Hes now a Supreme Court Justice and shes stuck in the world of a coward that had to lock her Twitter account. Advantage Kavanaugh! Marty Arnold (@MartyArnold2) October 7, 2018 Why is that? Because it's a good nutshell summary of all of the thinking of the left, as it mounted ever crazier and more unverifiable attacks on what was obviously a blameless man. They wanted to ruin him for the sake of ruining him because he didn't vote the way they wanted him to vote and because he was nominated by a president they go bonkers about. They didn't care about truth, or about justice. They just wanted to ruin someone. And that sums up the entire problem with Democrats as they now try to dig out from their own rubble for the coming midterms. The left's game has been revealed in just that tweet. The mask is off. And one can only hope that voters remember. Twenty-five million illegals or more are present in the U.S. way more than the generally used estimate of 11 million illegals. No wonder that California, New York, and other states, plus a coalition of at least 175 organizations don't want Americans to know the real number. They have sued to get a federal judge to stop the Census Bureau from asking this question on the 2020 Census: "Are you a U.S. citizen?" How do we know that the number of illegals in the country is more than twice the number generally assumed? Commerce secretary Ross, who oversees the Census Bureau and who made the decision to include the question, has already said as much. In announcing that the citizenship question would again be included on the 2020 Census, for the first time since the 1950 Census, Secretary Ross provided an eight-page explanation for including the question. Secretary Ross did not need to provide any explanation, but he correctly anticipated an uproar followed by litigation. Among other points, he noted the need for a reliable calculation of the citizen voting-age population in order to meet the Commerce Department's obligations under the Voting Rights Act. The left, however, certainly would not believe that the Trump administration was attempting to comply with the Voting Rights Act. Regardless, a number of state attorneys general had requested that information. Without such information, the states they represent will be ill equipped to defend against the litigation over redistricting that is sure to follow the 2020 Census. Ross had learned that the Commerce Department had discovered that its own 2012 estimate of 11 million illegals was wrong. How so? That estimate was based on responses to its American Community Survey (ACS), a more extensive questionnaire that replaced what formerly was the so-called "Long Form." This form is sent to a small fraction of the population. Using other available federal records, the Census Bureau realized that the percentage of respondents falsely claiming to be citizens was significantly higher than the percentage used in 2012 to come up with the estimate of 11 million illegals. The citizenship question is particularly appropriate in light of the large population of illegal aliens in the United States. Political power for each state rests on who is counted in the representative numbers. Gaining or losing numbers relative to other states means gaining or losing political power in the House of Representatives and the Electoral College. For some states like California and Texas, their populations have increased in recent years due to immigration, both legal and illegal. Their political power has increased, and that of other states has gone down, now because the latter group's populations have declined relative to the populations of the former group's. It was never intended that aliens i.e., foreign nationals who are citizens or subjects of another country would be represented in the House of Representatives and the Electoral College. Aliens whether legal or illegal are not "immigrants." An "immigrant" is a person granted the status of "permanent legal resident" by federal law. Immigrants are U.S. nationals and count for purposes of representation. Aliens, including foreign tourists, foreign students, and persons who entered with no legal status or stayed longer than legally allowed, are not to be included in the count for representation. No theory of self-government can justify one country "representing" citizens or subjects of another sovereign. Few American citizens realize that aliens are being represented in Congress and the Electoral College. Once our citizens learn of this, they are generally shocked. Inclusion of aliens among those represented in "We the People of the United States" ought to offend not only U.S. nationals, but also some aliens and certainly their governments. Far from being unconstitutional, the citizenship question will enable the Trump administration to put an end to the practice of including aliens in the allocation of House seats and votes in the Electoral College. This will allow for Americans to be fairly represented in their congressional and electoral choices. Megan Barth is a Nevada-based election integrity activist. She is co-chair of RedWave America PAC and The Media Equality Project. She serves as national spokeswoman for MediaEqualizer.com, the leading online watchdog for the intersection of media, technology, and government. Nice work if you can get it. Seems that Georgetown University's charming figurehead, Provost's Distinguished Professor Christine Fair, the one who made headlines with her public call to 'castrate the corpses' of white male Senators who supported Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, following her wish for their 'miserable deaths,' is getting a paid vacation instead of a pink slip. Here is what Campus Reform had out: Georgetown University Associate Professor Christine Fair is now on research leave after making incendiary statements about Republican politicians on her blog as well as on social media. Fair entered the spotlight after Campus Reform reported on her profanity-laden tweets in which she suggested that white GOP senators "deserved miserable deaths while feminists laugh." Fair also publicly attacked Campus Reform correspondents on her blog, Tenacious Hellpussy, after being contacted for a statement. Now normally, in the real work world, if you embarass your employer with your disgusting public statements, you get some kind of sanction. You get fired. You get privileges docked. The alumni donations dry up, the kids accepting admission don't show up, and the university public relations department gets stuck working overtime after all, and you become a liability. Your worth to them is below your cost. Plenty of such professors have received this fate, as I noted here. It's understandable, and it's perfectly normal. But somehow, a weird exception was made at Georgetown with Fair, who instead of getting punished, got rewarded for her grossness and the hit to the reputation of Georgetown that her tweets brought them. She's going overseas. She's getting to do the research of her choice. She's being freed from the hassle of teaching and mentoring mere kids, and being allowed to do her own thing. Most professors would dream of such opportunities. Well, she got hers, and not because she earned it, except if Georgetown thinks her vile tweets really were earning it. And spare me the caveat that she's probably going to a dump like Pakistan. If you are a professor of that region, going there is your idea of a good vacation abroad because you like the adventure and you have the tools to get around in it. I love such adventure travel myself, and I love it over and above going to conventional places. One other thing: Such travel can be very, very expensive, so don't think Georgetown or whoever is funding her chair isn't shelling out. Georgetown's response has been incredibly mealy mouthed: This has been a challenging moment for our community, as we balance our unwavering commitment to free speech and expression with the need to ensure civil and respectful discourse, Joel Hellman, Dean of the Walsh School of Foreign Service, wrote in an email to students Friday. "We can and do strongly condemn the use of violent imagery, profanity, and insensitive labeling of individuals based on gender, ethnicity or political affiliation in any form of discourse. Such expressions go against our core values," he added. Earlier today, I spoke with Professor Fair. To prevent further disruption to her students and out of an abundance of caution for the security of our community, we have mutually agreed for Professor Fair to go on research leave effective immediately. Professor Fair will accelerate previously scheduled international research travel. Notice how he tries to say it was previously scheduled, so as to assure it wasn't quite a reward the other profs didn't get. Notice also how he claims to want to prevent 'further disruption' to her students, as if she herself wasn't the disruption. And oh, what happens when she returns? We all know this isn't the first time she's gone unhinged, and with her unrepentant attitude, it's not going to be the last. Have they talked to her? Apparently, they can't and haven't and are hoping that by packing her off to Pakistan, she will annoy only the natives. Which again raises the question: Why are they protecting her? I can only speculate what I speculated last time, that she's obviously a valuable property to them, given that they might imagine she will be appointed a Democratic Party administration's National Security Advisor and they want her onboard to be a feather in their cap as well as a source of jobs for their leftwing grads. That's swamp ethics, and it's obviously superseded Jesuit ethics as well as Georgetown's claimed civility. Sweeping Fair under the rug by packing her off abroad and doing nothing else to fix the problem is no way to maintain a university mission. They chose, and they chose poorly. Image Credit: New America, via Flickr // CC BY-SA 2.0 Thomas Sowell taught us: "Activism is a way for useless people to feel important, even if the consequences of their activism are counterproductive for those they claim to be helping and damaging to the fabric of society as a whole." Truer words were never spoken as we have seen these past weeks. The insanity, the incivility demonstrated by all those hired thugs to heckle and badger any and all supporters of Judge Kavanaugh is a glimpse into the collective mind of the left. Only Joe Manchin of WV had the grit to defy the orders of Schumer and Feinstein, and the rest of the miserable totalitarian left. Their behavior over the Kavanaugh nomination has been way beyond uncivil; it has been diabolical. Their lack of respect for a man clearly deserving of respect for a life well-lived over the past thirty years was abhorrent. Protesters besieging the doors of the Supreme Court building yesterday as Kavanaugh was being sworn-in by Chief Justice Roberts (CNN screen grab) But while none but Manchin broke from his party, it is likely that millions of "normals," as Kurt Schilchter calls regular Americans who do not follow every major and minor political event no matter their party affiliation, were equally as horrified by what the Democrats on the Judiciary Committee did to the Judge and his family. It was a full-scale character assassination. And for what? To keep the Anthony Kennedy seat on the court vacant in hopes of re-taking the House next month. For that they lunged full force into the sadistic murder of a good man's reputation. It should be clear to all by now that Professor Ford was the "front man" for a team of Clinton-affiliated schemers. But it is not simply the self-gratification of emotionally disturbed individuals at work. Those of us who follow these processes closely know those crazy, shrieking lunatics, like those who disrupted the vote in the gallery on Saturday, are recruited and paid by the plethora of left-wing organizations funded by George Soros, the man who uses his vast wealth to bring down nations. We learned today that he even funded Fusion GPS, the group that created the phony dossier meant to take Trump out before the election. He spreads his money far and wide; from presidential campaigns to state AG races. The man is a blight upon any western country. But all his efforts, all that money spent, along with the like-minded dirty tricks of the American left failed. Why? Because the American people are not remotely as stupid as this arrogant bunch of pseudo-intellectual snobs thinks they are. During the heady days of the anti-war protests of the 1960s, stoned, grubby, anti-war protesters, those proponents of "free love" that the sexual revolution birthed thanks to the birth control pill, all thought they were the bees knees, hot stuff. They thought they were changing the world. They took over the offices of university deans, rioted in the streets, promoted sex, drugs and promiscuity. Like the jerks who have been protesting the confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh these past two weeks, they thought they were "making a difference." By the late 1960s though, the American people were sick and tired of their disgusting antics. Their response was to elect Richard Nixon, who did set about ending the war, albeit leaving the South Vietnamese people to the predations of the Communist North. Today the protesters are of a different breed. Not only are they are paid by Soros and his fellow rich goons like Tom Steyer, they just answer ads, they are given printed signs, t-shirts and scripts and told where to go, and at whom to shout their smears and threats. The bulk of protesters of the 1960s were mostly college-age men who did not want to be drafted. Once the draft ended, so did the riots and marches. Those young people cared not a whit for the Vietnamese people. Today's hired thugs, most of them, have no clue what they protesting. They are ignorant of the issues at hand. Put a mic in front of them and ask a question about why they are there or what the sign they are carrying means, they likely will have nothing to say. They show up because they are paid to show up. This is a tactic invented and implemented by the Clintons but perfected during the Obama years. Robert Creamer, husband of Illinois congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, was the Clinton campaign's go-to thug, the man who hired protesters, dressed them in pro-Trump t-shirts and instructed them to beat up Clinton supporters. That is how the left operates, down and dirty, and they encourage violence. It is how they operated then and how they operate now. The only difference is the infusion of vast amounts of dark money from men like Soros and Tom Steyer. They've been told that a Justice Kavanaugh will by himself overturn Roe V. Wade so he must not be confirmed. They do no research of their own. They just cash the checks they get for showing up and screaming at one congressperson or another. The American people got sick of this behavior in the 1960s and they are most likely sick to death of it now. It is perhaps a case of divine intervention that Judge Kavanaugh is now Justice Kavanaugh. The vicious, moonbat left has lost this battle. Now decent Americans must win the war: Republicans need to vote in massive numbers on November 6. This is vital. The radical left must be stopped from taking the United States further down the road to a socialist tyranny where "due process" and "innocent until proven guilty", both tenets of western civilization for well over a thousand years, are things of our constitutional past. Armstrong (The Custer of the West) by H.W. Crocker III Regnery Fiction: Washington, D.C. August 14, 2018 Hardcover: 256 pages, $18.29 As bombastic as Michael Scott and as ditzy as Bertie Wooster, George Armstrong Custer might be the most lovable buffoon in American history. H.W. Crocker III writes for sons, fathers, and patriots alike in the tale of Armstrong, the first book in the "Custer of the West" series, available in hardcover and audio. Fair warning: This is a book without trigger warnings. The history of the real Custer is not for the faint-of-heart social justice warrior. Although Custer fought for the Union during the Civil War, many of his best friends at West Point were Southerners he even attended a Confederate officer's wedding as the war waged on. Crocker's Armstrong is not at all different. That statues of his Confederate foes and friends should be desecrated and toppled would be sacrilegious to him. The meek may inherit the earth, but they'll need to toughen up before they dive into this read. What would Custer's life be like had he survived Little Big Horn? Crocker happily tells us the tale. After Colonel Custer escapes from his Sioux captors, he makes his manly way to the town of Bloody Gulch, adopting the nom de guerre "Armstrong." Spirited, strong, and born to ride, he embarks on the adventure of a lifetime, freeing the citizens of Bloody Gulch from the clutches of an evil corporation. His lion heart proudly rises to meet the ills of corruption, slavery, and murder, always animated by patriotism and duty. While finding hidden treasure and unlikely friends, Armstrong wins the hearts of dancing girls, Indian scouts, and readers along the way, triumphing as only an unvanquished and passionate hero can. Action-packed and great for laughs, Crocker's work is nevertheless anchored by a serious conservative worldview. Despite his buffoonery, Armstrong commands respect, for he is alive to duty, honor, and the good. He rightfully dreams of heroism and is ready to risk everything for what's right. Though his character sometimes seems more foolhardy than wholesome he drinks milk , follows his "inner cowboy," and requests the aid of Chinese acrobats with a call of "helpy-helpy fighty-fight chop-chop" no one can deny that he embodies and lives out masculine virtues, so often forgotten in our time. When his sidekick, Beauregard Gillette, toasts to their chivalric mission, he says, "May God have mercy on us all!" "Hear, hear!" Armstrong replies. Internally, he adds, "And I hoped He did." He's a silly but God-fearing man, never so proud that he can't see what's above him. Crocker dedicates the book to his wife Sally, his "own Libbie Custer." The novel is written in epistolary style, with letters addressed to Armstrong's wife, Libbie. Though Armstrong's convinced that each woman he meets is desperately in love with him, swooning over his "manly form," his fidelity to Libbie is unshakeable. He enjoys the attention from the women he saves the looks from "bottomless blue eyes," the "undisguised joy at being under my protection," the "girlish, giggling enjoyment" but there's no trace of a rascal's promiscuity in his heart. He loves and deeply misses his wife, to whom he's made an eternal and unforgettable vow of loyalty. At a moment of uncommon weariness, he writes his wife to say he "sighed, took a swig of sarsaparilla, and as always, my dear, thought of you." In fact, the real Custer had to win his Libbie, who was born in a superior social class, by taking a vow of temperance. These wistful swigs of sarsaparilla may be written more in truth than fiction. Fathers will love reading this book with their sons. Patriots will love it, too. Crocker reawakens the good old American pride that once animated stories of the Wild West that inspired kids to sing Davy Crockett, wear coonskin caps, and watch John Wayne movies. All these things may be considered "politically incorrect" today, as Armstrong's bravery, duty, devotion, and love for all his countrymen may be, as well. But that serves only to make Crocker's writing all the more irresistible in our truth-starved culture. Prepare to delight in American history and heroism, unencumbered by trigger warnings and undimmed by the social justice warriors who abhor so much of what we ought to love about our country and our men. Anne Mulrooney works at Regnery Publishing, where H.W. Crocker III is vice president and executive editor. Under the cover of doing a favor for Senator Steve Daines, Senator Lisa Murkowski actually helped the Democrats more. Yesterday the Senate confirmed Brett Kavanaugh as the 114th Justice of the Supreme Court. The final tally was 50 to 48, with 99 Senators voting to achieve that outcome. The mathematics are odd because Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) switched her nay vote to present. She says she did this to accommodate her colleague Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) who was attending his daughters wedding and unable to register his vote in favor of the nomination. Really? If Murkowski had voted nay, the result would have been 50-49. Kavanaugh still would have won. Her voting present had no effect on the outcome. Do you suppose she didnt think of this? Or might she have something else in mind? CNN screen grab Lets ask Cui bono? Who benefits? Murkowskis charade serves two beneficiaries and neither of them is Republican. The first winner is Senator Joe Manchin, because it enabled him to vote for the nominee without being the deciding vote. Had Murkowski voted nay as she originally announced, Manchins aye would have broken a 49-49 tie. He would have been Kavanaughs fiftieth and deciding vote, and many of his Democrat supporters in West Virginia would never have forgiven him. Bad news for his re-election in November. On the other hand, if Manchin had voted against Kavanaugh, hed likely have lost many of his Trump supporters. Again, bad for re-election. Manchin had to thread an exceedingly small needle. To maximize his election prospects, he had to vote for Kavanaugh, but only in way that didnt make a difference to the final result. Senator Lisa Murkowski made that possible. Senate Democrats, the second beneficiaries of this charade, may now retain a seat that otherwise might have been lost. Never have they been so happy to see one of their own support the opposition. Alaska voters may be properly puzzled by Murkowskis decision to help Manchin with his Kavanaugh dilemma. President Trump thinks shes ruined her re-election prospects. So does Sarah Palin. She tweeted, I can see 2022 from my house. West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin is in the political fight of his life as he seeks to win a second full term against Republican Attorney General Patrick Morrissey. Manchin, one of the most popular politicians of either party in the state's history, is ahead by only 4 points in the latest polls. As popular as Manchin is, he has a monumental problem. Donald Trump carried West Virginia by 40 points in the 2016 election and remains hugely popular with a 58% approval rating in the state. The political winds are blowing hard against Manchin as the state, once a bastion of Democratic rule, turns deeper and deeper red. So it was no suprise that Manchin came out in favor of confirming Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Or was it? Two other red state Democratic senators in tight re-election races - North Dakota's Heidi Heitkamp and Indiana's Joe Donnelly - both voted the Kavanaugh nomination down. The pressure on Manchin to vote "no" from national Democrats and hysterical activists must have been overwhelming. The Hill: Manchins answers to reporters justifying his position were drowned out by a group of women protesters chanting at him Look at us! and shame! Manchin looked uncomfortable as he tried to hear reporters' questions over the angry crowd. WATCH: Sen. Joe Manchin speaks to reporters after announcing support for Judge Kavanaugh as protesters shout over him, yelling "Look at us!" https://t.co/s19SiufEKr pic.twitter.com/0btp8MyZNf ABC News (@ABC) October 5, 2018 But far more important to Manchin's chances is how West Virginia Democrats feel about his vote. It's a good bet that local Democrats support his decision, considering the senator has worked with the president on several issues important to all West Virginia voters and many Democrats in the state are in agreement with much of the Trump agenda. If Manchin had voted "no" on Kavanaugh, it would have been difficult for him to win reelection, but not impossible. His personal popularity with all voters gives him a big advantage that Morrissey can't match. As it is now, Manchin's chances of winning in November have improved. The same cannot be said for other red state Democrats like Donnelly and Heitkamp. The North Dakota Democrat is already 10 points down and may have seen her "no" vote on Kavanaugh as a way to energize her base of Democratic voters. I think she will find a lot less enthusiasm among state Democrats for opposing Kavanaugh than she might get from national Dems and liberal activists. Neither group will help very much in her uphill climb to win reelection. Joe Donnelly is running neck and neck with Trump favorite Mike Braun in Indiana, but there are a more Democrats in the Hoosier state than there are in West Virginia or North Dakota. State Democrats might have punished Donnelly for deserting the party on Kavanaugh - something the incumbent can't afford if he is to overcome Braun. For Manchin, Donnelly, and Heitkamp, the political calculus that led to their votes was different, but all arrived at a decision they thought were consistent with their conscience and would do them the most good/least harm in their reelection bids. In short: Facebook entered damage control mode after a top executive attended Judge Brett Kavanaughs Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing held last month. The companys Global Policy Head, Joel Kaplan, sat at Judge Kavanaughs side while he was defending himself against accusations of sexual harassment raised by Christine Blasey Ford, a psychology professor at Palo Alto University. Many Facebook employees were disgruntled by the fact, having consequently flooded the companys internal boards with concerns. In a statement released earlier this week, a spokesperson said the firms leadership team recognizes that theyve made mistakes handling the events surrounding the Kavanaugh hearing. Judge Kavanaugh was confirmed as the new Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States with a 50-48 vote held yesterday. Background: As is the case with the majority of American tech giants, Facebooks workforce is predominantly liberal, whereas Judge Kavanaughs nomination and subsequent appointment to the SCOTUS has been seen as a power play by the GOP due to the 53-year-olds largely conservative views on abortion and presidential powers. Employee activism stemming from Mr. Kaplans move hence isnt surprising, even though Facebooks executive defended his hearing appearance as a personal decision, describing Judge Kavanaugh, his wife, and their children as family friends. Google also had recent issues with employee activism revolving around the controversial Project Maven and is now once again facing similar problems due to its widely reported ambitions to launch a censored version of Search for China. Impact: Despite facing some backlash from Facebook employees, Mr. Kaplans decision may actually help Facebook soften criticism from the political right in the U.S. that claims the Internet juggernaut is biased against conservative views, a notion that it strongly denied on several occasions. The latest development is unlikely to see the company tighten its grasp over its executives as reports suggest that despite acknowledging the aforementioned mistakes, Facebook remains adamant that all of its employees are free to pursue legitimate political goals in their free time. NAC resumes Lukla flight Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) on Saturday resumed its passenger flights to Lukla Airport, the gateway to Mt Everest, after more than two years of suspension. Nepal allows India to build 2 wooden bridges across Mahakali River Government authorities in Nepal have granted India permission to construct two wooden bridges across Mahakali River in Byas Rural Municipality, Darchula. 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. Police book 18 Tata Sumo operators Koteshwor Traffic Police has booked 18 Tata Sumo transport operators from Koteshwor and Jadibuti area for charging passengers exorbitant ticket fares for the last one week. Soon after the hole was discovered, Dmitry Rogozin, head of Russian space agency Roscosmos, hinted to the fact that the hole was not caused by a micrometeorite or debris impact, but was made from the inside with a drill.The official did not directly accuse the Americans of sabotage, but Russia media like Kommersant claimed the hole was drilled on purpose by an American astronaut so that a sick colleague could get a ride home faster.There are no official updates on the subject from the Russian side yet, but NASA issued last week a statement saying that even if the hole is not a manufacturing defect, this does not necessarily mean the hole was created intentionally or with mal-intent.To prove their point, the Americans announced they are planning a spacewalk in November to gather more information.The heads of NASA and Roscosmos, Jim Bridenstine and Dmitry Rogozin, are scheduled to meet at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on or around October 10, before the launch of the MS-10 spacecraft carrying American Astronaut Nick Hague and Russian Cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin to the ISS.The leak problem was discovered by Russian and American Earth-based control centers on August 30, while the crew was asleep. When they woke up, the astronauts had to seal off compartments one by one to identify the source of the problem.Soyuz commander Sergey Prokopyev used epoxy to plug the hole, while ground controllers used the reserves in the Progress 70 cargo ship to increase the amount of oxygen in the station.The Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft affected by the issue will not be used to bring back astronauts from the ISS. Santa Claus wears captains bars in the e-commerce economy but its some of the pilots who are getting gifts this holiday season. FedEx is offering its retirement-age captains as much as $110,000 in retention bonuses to keep working through this years busy time. Last year, FedEx and its competitor UPS had record years thanks to mouse-clicking Christmas shoppers and are expecting more business this year. The bonus offers, which range from a low of $40,000 to the $110,000 cap, are included in a new contract obtained by Reuters. The news agency said the contract provisions suggest FedEx, the worlds largest air freight company, is getting tight on pilots. But frankincense and myrrh aside, a pilot shortage at either of the top two companies wouldnt just disrupt the flow of good cheer. The global economy is heavily dependent on the aerial parcel delivery industry and any disruption would be felt worldwide. FedEx is downplaying the contract provision. FedEx Express is well staffed with pilots at this time, however were always looking toward the future, spokesman Bonny Harrison told Reuters. Following a divisive, theatrical presidential campaign that saw one frontrunner jailed and another one stabbed, Brazilians will vote Sunday in what is likely to be a referendum on crime, corruption and economic failures in Latin America's largest country. Expand chart Data: IBOPE; Chart: Naema Ahmed/Axios The big picture: The candidate jailed on corruption charges former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, known as Lula has been replaced by a far less popular member of his leftist Worker's Party, Fernando Haddad. Lula's disqualification on Aug. 31 turned Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right firebrand sometimes called "tropical Trump," into the front-runner. No candidate is expected to earn a majority on Sunday, paving the way for a run-off between the top two vote-getters on Oct. 28. Key issues Corruption: 77% of Brazilians believe political corruption is rampant, having seen each of their last three presidents face criminal charges or impeachment votes. 77% of Brazilians believe political corruption is rampant, having seen each of their last three presidents face criminal charges or impeachment votes. Crime: There were an all-time high 63,880 homicides in Brazil last year, and just 10% led to arrests. Rapes also rose 8% to 60,018 last year. There were an all-time high 63,880 homicides in Brazil last year, and just 10% led to arrests. Rapes also rose 8% to 60,018 last year. Economy: Corruption helped drive Brazil's budding economy into a deep 2014 recession, and many Brazilians haven't recovered. According to a Gallup poll, 32% had trouble buying food in the last year, while 25% lacked enough money for shelter. Bubbling dissatisfaction and anger have created a political situation ripe for disruption, one that has been seized upon by Bolsonaro, who vows to purge the country of criminality. Until recently, Bolsonaro was a fringe figure known for his sexist, racist and homophobic views. He has vowed to give police more license to kill and expressed an affinity for military dictatorships in a country where authoritarian rule prevailed from 1964 to 1985. His opponent, Haddad, hopes that Lula's popularity will bolster his own chances, but he remains far behind. The bottom line: A second-round runoff is expected, likely between Bolsonaro and Haddad. It remains to be seen whether the moderate candidates who trail the frontrunners will throw their weight behind Haddad to fend off a far-right takeover. Turkish investigators have concluded that Jamal Khashoggi, a well-known Saudi journalist who has been missing since October 2, was murdered in a pre-planned attack inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, reports the WashPost. The details: Khashoggi reportedly entered the consulate last week to retrieve marriage documents but never emerged, leaving his fiance waiting for hours before she called the police. Khashoggi was a high-profile critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, whose liberalization of Saudi Arabia has been coupled with a harsh crackdown on dissidents and political rivals. The Saudis have denied the allegations and insist that Khashoggi left the consulate shortly after he arrived. By Trend Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have 25 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said Oct. 7. Armenian armed forces were using heavy machine guns. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Azerbaijan and Switzerland have good potential to expand trade relations, the Swiss Federal Council told Trend. "Trade turnover equaled to $200 million in 2017 which is lower than in previous years. So, there is certainly a good potential to expand trade exchange and there is no doubt that the existing level of bilateral relations will contribute to increase the trade turnover further," said the Federal Council. The Swiss Federal Council also touched upon the reforms being held in Azerbaijan for economic diversification. "We understand that Azerbaijan is engaged in reforms to diversify the economy and expand the non-oil sector. The subsequent increase of export, particularly in the field of agriculture products, is already visible. If these reforms are continued, the trade balance of Azerbaijan will continue to improve. Business delegations and governmental contacts at high level offer new chances to the private sector to identify business opportunities." --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend The statement made by deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee for CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots Konstantin Zatulin during the period of the intensification of the Azerbaijan-Russia relations and meetings between the presidents of the two countries cannot in any way reflect the political will of Russia and its top leadership, editor-in-chief of Baki Xeber newspaper, expert Aydin Guliyev told Trend. Zatulins words, which do not correspond to the current geopolitical and interstate relations, serve the interests of pro-Armenian lobbyists in the political elite of Russia, Guliyev said. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyans recent inclination towards relatively constructive mutual understanding is directly connected with Russia's attempts to more effectively influence the settlement of the Karabakh problem, he added. Zatulins undermining positive Nagorno-Karabakh process under such conditions is actually against Russias policy of strengthening regional stability. Another aspect that Zatulin wants to hide is to maintain the presence of Armenias armed forces on Azerbaijans territories, he said. Zatulins biased statements are incapable of having any impact on Russias official policy. Guliyev stressed that the presence of a person, engaged in such a subversive policy, in the committee of the State Duma can play a very destructive role. "This person does not meet the requirements of the strategy to enhance the role of the CIS in the post-Soviet area," the expert added. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Such pro-Armenian forces, as deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee for CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots Konstantin Zatulin can not influence the relations between Azerbaijan and Russia, which are developing at a high level, Azerbaijani MP, political analyst Elman Nasirov told Trend. The relations between Azerbaijan and Russia irritate pro-Armenian forces, he added. There are very warm relations between the two peoples and the leaders of the countries, Nasirov said. Pro-Armenian forces, seeing this reality, began to fuss. One of them is Zatulin. We know that Zatulin is a tool in the hands of pro-Armenian forces. He always strives to damage the strategic relations between Azerbaijan and Russia." Zatulin accuses Azerbaijan of violating the peace settlement, as well as of military rhetoric, he added. Everyone knows that Azerbaijan is a peace-loving country. The reason for not using military force to liberate the occupied Azerbaijani lands is the desire to solve the problem peacefully. "Zatulin has been awarded with the Order of Honor of the separatist regime created in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, Nasirov said. Such irresponsible people, making such statements, undermine the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by peaceful means and also want to harm the strategic relations between Azerbaijan and Russia. Zatulins such an absurd position is not the position of Russia, he said. This is the opinion of a person like Zatulin who serves Armenian interests. Despite this, the leadership of the State Duma of Russia must take measures in connection with such irresponsible behavior of Zatulin because these accusations contradict the Russia-Azerbaijan relations." The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Prithvi Man Shrestha is a political reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering the governance-related issues including corruption and irregularities in the government machinery. Before joining The Kathmandu Post in 2009, he worked at nepalnews.com and Rising Nepal primarily covering the issues of political and economic affairs for three years. By Trend Deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee for CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots Konstantin Zatulin has always been distinguished by his anti-Azerbaijan position, chairman of the Azerbaijani Press Council, MP Aflatun Amashov, told Trend. Amashov commented on Zatulins recent statement regarding Azerbaijan. This position can be called Armenian lobbying, he said. Such Zatulins words as if military operations begin in Nagorno-Karabakh region, this will lead to the collapse of Azerbaijan is an absurd product of political adventurism. "It is known that Zatulins statements have no influence on the public assessment in Azerbaijan, Amashov said. He himself knows this very well. Moreover, these statements contradict the state policy of Russia. The main point is that Zatulin always appears in tense political moments." The April fights brought expectations and the scenarios of the Karabakh conflict by a number of Armenian and pro-Armenian ideologues to nothing, he added. "The generation who did not see Karabakh mainly fought in the battles, but it is clear that the new generation does not forget Karabakh, Amashov added. This aspect has sobered the Armenians. Therefore, Zatulin and people like him are striving to eliminate the atmosphere of fear in Armenian society." He added that Azerbaijan constantly demonstrates its commitment to peace negotiations. "If the war starts again, it will not be considered in the context of violation of the two countries negotiation process," Amashov said. Of course, the reality has nothing in common with the adventurous views of Zatulin or other pro-Armenian people. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend The current unstable situation in Armenia may again provoke serious unrest amid intense political rivalry in this country, well-known Russian expert and publicist Dmitry Verkhoturov told Trend. Verkhoturov was commenting on the recent events in Armenia. According to the Armenian media, after the parliament passed a bill to prevent the dissolution of the National Assembly, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan led people into the street and said at a spontaneous rally about the dismissal of ministers from the Prosperous Armenia and Dashnaktsutyun parties, as well as that after the de jure orders for dismissal come into force, he will resign. A lot is at stake: the future political course of Armenia, which predetermines its development, condition and the future as a whole, Verkhoturov said. "Of course, supporters of keeping Karabakh under occupation, not to mention those radicals who still dream of including Karabakh into Armenia, will try to thwart any attempt to agree with Azerbaijan on the Karabakh issue, even if we are talking about purely technical issues, such as a negotiation procedure or the ceasefire regime, he said. So it is not surprising that these circles held rally in Yerevan in connection with an attempt to hold negotiations in Dushanbe." The current chaos in Armenia is not accidental, Verkhoturov said. "The recent conversation between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Dushanbe was held just a few days before the new unrest in Yerevan, he added. I think this is a planned rally aimed at torpedoing the negotiation process to resolve the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict." Speaking about the confrontation between the Karabakh clan and the current leadership of Armenia, the political analyst stressed that so far the Karabakh clan remains the most organized, as it has the best positions in the system of power and the greatest support. They have an idea that promises something to the Armenians as a whole, he added. However, it is worth noting that hopes for building a big Armenian kingdom are more than illusory, but one must believe in something. Therefore, they may well seize power from Pashinyan, whose rating is rapidly falling inside the country. Verkhoturov supposes that the Karabakh clan may come to power again in Armenia. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend On October 7, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev made a phone call to President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. President Aliyev congratulated President Putin on his birthday, and wished him the best of health and new success in his presidential activities for the prosperity of the people of Russia. President Putin thanked President Aliyev for his attention and congratulations. The presidents stressed the successful development of the friendly relations between Azerbaijan and Russia based on strategic partnership, and expressed their confidence that cooperation will continue to expand and strengthen. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Irans Parliament has begun holding open-floor debates on the countrys accession to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The parliaments open session debating the Financial Action Task Force kicked off Sunday morning with 263 lawmakers in attendance, Tasnim news agency reported. To fulfill FATF requirements, Rouhanis administration has proposed four bills to the parliament for approval, two of which are still undecided, including the Palermo Convention. They have been referred to the Expediency Council for final approval. Iran recently approved anti-money laundering (AML), which was a domestically-developed bill, and today will decide either to join combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) standards set by the FATF for years. On June 30, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) said Iran had until October to complete reforms that would bring it into line with global norms or face consequences that could further deter investors from the country. The FATF is disappointed with Irans failure to implement its action plan to address its significant AML/CFT deficiencies, the organization said at the time. The FATF urgently expects Iran to proceed swiftly in the reform path to ensure that it addresses all of the remaining items in its action plan ... we expect Iran to enact amendments to its AML and CFT laws ... in full compliance with the FATF standards by October 2018, otherwise, the FATF will decide upon appropriate and necessary actions at that time. Until Iran carries out measures to address deficiencies, FATF said it would remain concerned and urges all jurisdictions to continue to advise their financial institutions to apply enhanced due diligence to business relationships and transactions with natural and legal persons from Iran. ---- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Ratify protocol, urge civil society bodies The National Network of civil society organisations has appealed to the government and Parliament to ratify the third optional protocol to the Child Rights Convention on a Communications Procedure (OP3 CRC). ISTANBUL - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday called the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi "very, very upsetting" but stopped short of confirming reports that Khashoggi had been killed inside Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul last week. "I am following this issue, pursuing it, and whatever the result, we will be the ones to tell the world," Erdogan told reporters. The Washington Post reported Saturday that Turkish investigators had concluded that Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi leadership, had been killed inside the consulate Tuesday by a team sent from Saudi Arabia. A person familiar with the investigation called it a "preplanned murder." A U.S. official confirmed that Turkey's government had determined that Khashoggi was probably killed inside the consulate by a team that arrived on two private jets. Turkish officials further concluded that his body was probably dismembered, removed in boxes and flown out of the country, the official said. Saudi Arabia has denied the accusations, calling them "baseless," and said that Khashoggi, 59, left the consulate soon after he arrived. The suspected murder of Khashoggi, a contributor to The Washington Post's Global Opinions section, could flare tensions between Saudi Arabia and Turkey, two regional powers whose rivalry has played out across the Middle East. Saudi Arabia is wary of Turkey's expanding military power in the Persian Gulf, its support for political Islamists and its cooperation in the Syrian war with Iran, Saudi Arabia's archrival. Turkey was alarmed by the Saudi leadership's support for a military coup against former Egyptian president and Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Morsi in 2013. Erdogan, who spoke to reporters Sunday after a speech in the capital, Ankara, said that Khashoggi was "actually a journalist I have known for a long time, a friend of ours." He added, "God willing, we will not come face to face with a situation that we do not desire." Erdogan did not elaborate, despite the confirmation by two people familiar with the Turkish investigation that it had concluded Khashoggi was dead. "I think he's really trying to give the Saudis a way to gracefully exit," said Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, suggesting that Erdogan might be giving the Saudis a chance to apologize. "Turkey is so isolated in the Middle East. And at the same time, Turkey's economy is going through a rough patch," Cagaptay said. "I think it is trying to avoid a fight with yet another regional power - the Saudis - that would have economic ramifications given Turkey's financial doldrums." Before Erdogan's speech, Yasin Aktay, a presidential adviser, told the Reuters news agency that Khashoggi had been killed in the consulate and that a team of 15 Saudi nationals were "most certainly involved." His comments represented the first on-the-record confirmation that Turkey believes the journalist was killed, and they added to the pressure on the Saudi government to explain Khashoggi's fate. On Sunday night, Washington Post Publisher Fred Ryan met for an hour and 20 minutes with Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Saudi ambassador to the United States, to express his "profound concern" about Khashoggi's whereabouts. Ryan told the ambassador that The Post will be "relentless in pursuing this matter" until a final determination regarding his fate. If his disappearance were found to be the result of "state action," Ryan told the ambassador, "it would be the most depraved and oppressive act against a journalist in modern history." Khashoggi, who was once close to the Saudi establishment but lived for the past year in self-imposed exile in the United States, first visited the consulate on Sept. 28 to obtain a document related to his upcoming wedding. He returned to the consulate Tuesday about 1:30 p.m., concerned he might be prevented from leaving, his fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, said. After waiting more than four hours for Khashoggi to emerge, Cengiz called the police, she said. "There is precise information. This case will not go unsolved," Aktay said Sunday in an interview broadcast on CNN Turk. He suggested Saudi claims that Khashoggi left the consulate - but that the Saudis did not have video footage of his departure - were insincere. "If they think that Turkey is like what it was in the 1990s, they are mistaken," he said in the interview, referring to a period in which civilians were disappeared in Turkey and their bodies never recovered. Many state officials were never held accountable for the crimes. The Saudi Consulate, he said, "must make a clear statement" about what happened to the journalist. Rights groups and press freedom advocates also called on the Saudi government to immediately account for Khashoggi's whereabouts. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, a press freedom organization, said Saudi authorities "must immediately give a full and credible account of what happened to Khashoggi inside its diplomatic mission." If confirmed, Khashoggi's killing would "constitute a horrific, utterly deplorable, and absolutely unacceptable assault on press freedom," the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders tweeted. PEN America, which promotes free expression around the world, also called on Saudi authorities to produce Khashoggi immediately if they "wish to counter these claims." "The reported state-sponsored assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is a shocking abomination," PEN America's Senior Director of Free Expression Programs Summer Lopez said in a statement. "If Khashoggi was indeed murdered inside a diplomatic facility, it is an act of terror . . . intended to intimidate any who would speak out against the Saudi government," Lopez said. Self-defence camp starts in Dhangadhi A week-long self defence camp for teenage girlsorganised with the initiation of the National Gojuriyo Karate-Do Associationkicked off in Dhangadhi, Kailali district, on Saturday. More than a thousand girls participated in the training. A priest has voluntarily stepped aside from his position over an historical claim made against him. The move comes after concerns were brought to the Archdiocese of Armagh and which have been reported to Gardai. The church said it would not be disclosing his identity or the parish where he serves. No detail was given on the claim made, it is understood the information related to a historical period and before the man was ordained into the priesthood. Eamon Martin, Archbishop of Armagh asked for prayers for all concerned adding the man was entitled to a presumption of innocence. In a statement the Archdiocese of Armagh said: "In line with the safeguarding policy and the standards and guidance of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland, a parish priest of the Archdiocese of Armagh has voluntarily stood aside from his position because of concerns brought to the Diocese and reported to the Gardai. "The information received is historic and relates to a time prior to his time in ministry in the Archdiocese, and indeed prior to his ordination as a priest. The relevant statutory authorities in Northern Ireland have been informed. "The Archbishop of Armagh has asked for prayers for all concerned while stressing that during the period of the investigation the priest, who has voluntarily stepped aside from all his pastoral duties, continues to be entitled to the natural right of every person to the presumption of innocence pending the completion of all relevant State and Church processes." The PSNI and Gardai have been approached for comment. Simon Coveney has said there is a lot of respect in Ireland for Theresa May "facing down those who don't prioritise" the border issue in the ongoing Brexit talks. He was speaking as hopes of a breakthrough in the talks between the EU and the UK increased saying the deal was 90% done. Read More He said said no one was out to humiliate anyone. "I'm not sure Theresa May was humiliated in Salzburg," he told Sky News, "clearly there was political disagreement." "Theresa May has a lot of respect across the EU and Ireland because she has faced down many people in the British political system who don't want to prioritise the issue of Ireland and Northern Ireland who want to press ahead with a Brexit that would cause a lot of damage to British/Irish relations. "Theresa May has faced that down and refused to accept that approach. "That has gained her a lot of respect and support in this country, because she understands the responsibilities the British and Irish together have through Brexit to protect relationships be they whether they be unionist, nationalist or inter-community. "We will work with her on that to find a way through." He said the consequences of a no-deal would be "very, very negative for everyone" but believed the chance of an agreement were "good" with progress at 90%. He said the remaining issues centred on Ireland and the border and the two talks teams needed to "lock themselves in a room to hammer out a deal" which ensured political stability in the UK and agreement across the EU. "I expect that it will be a bumpy ride but I believe it can be done and will be done because the consequences of not doing a deal is really very negative for everybody." Sophy Ridge speaks to the Irish Deputy Prime Minister 'I'm not sure Theresa May was humiliated in Salzburg... she has a lot of respect across the EU and Ireland because she has faced down many people in the British political system that don't want to prioritise the issue of Ireland and Northern Ireland' says @simoncoveney #Ridge Posted by Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Sunday, October 7, 2018 The ferry was travelling from Belfast to Liverpool (Port of Belfast/PA) Passengers were evacuated from a ferry after a report that a device had been left on board. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said the Belfast to Liverpool service was held in the Northern Irish capital while the vessel was searched. At around 12.50am on Sunday, the PSNI said no device was found and passengers were allowed to re-embark. The BBC's Stephen Nolan described as "incredible, yet disturbing" the chaotic scenes at the Conor McGregor UFC bout in Las Vegas. The broadcaster and UFC fan was in the crowd at the T-mobile Arena to see the Irish man's defeat to Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov. Read More However, moments after McGregor submitted to a choke hold violence erupted. Nurmagomedov started remonstrating with those outside the octagon before jumping the cage and appearing to attack someone from McGregor's team. Read More What an incredible , yet disturbing experience at UFC in Vegas . UFC very lucky the crowd didnt start fighting too . That incident last night could have decended into serious civilian injury . pic.twitter.com/sXkHubvlEi Stephen Nolan (@StephenNolan) October 7, 2018 McGregor . That was incredible . I was scared just watching that . Still shaking . Stephen Nolan (@StephenNolan) October 7, 2018 T Mobile in Vegas really is an incredible arena. pic.twitter.com/fOQolXQAxd Stephen Nolan (@StephenNolan) October 7, 2018 A prone McGregor was then seemingly attacked by someone from Nurmagomedov's camp as the bad blood that has been building up ahead of this fight came to a head. UFC chief Dana White confirmed later that three of Nurmagomedov's team were arrested and taken to jail but McGregor will not be pressing charges. He also said Nurmagomedov's purse would be withheld from him while McGregor is expected to receive his $3m pay. "That was incredible. I was scared just watching that . Still shaking," tweeted Nolan from Vegas. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Conor McGregor is escorted out of the octagon after being defeated by Khabib Nurmagomedov. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) Getty Images LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 06: Conor McGregor of Ireland smiles after the second round in their UFC lightweight championship bout during the UFC 229 event inside T-Mobile Arena on October 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) Getty Images LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 06: Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia (L) punches Conor McGregor of Ireland in their UFC lightweight championship bout during the UFC 229 event inside T-Mobile Arena on October 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) Getty Images LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 06: Conor McGregor of Ireland looks on in the octagon before competing against Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia in their UFC lightweight championship bout during the UFC 229 event inside T-Mobile Arena on October 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) Getty Images LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 06: Conor McGregor of Ireland is sits on the mat in the octagon after being defeated by Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia by submission in their UFC lightweight championship bout during the UFC 229 event inside T-Mobile Arena on October 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) Getty Images LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 06: Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia (top) punches Conor McGregor of Ireland in their UFC lightweight championship bout during the UFC 229 event inside T-Mobile Arena on October 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) Getty Images LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 06: Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia makes his entrance before competing against Conor McGregor of Ireland in their UFC lightweight championship bout during the UFC 229 event inside T-Mobile Arena on October 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) Getty Images Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia is escorted out of the arena after defeating Conor McGregor (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 06: Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia holds down Conor McGregor of Ireland in their UFC lightweight championship bout during the UFC 229 event inside T-Mobile Arena on October 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) Getty Images LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 06: Conor McGregor of Ireland poses outside of the octagon before competing against Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia in their UFC lightweight championship bout during the UFC 229 event inside T-Mobile Arena on October 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) Getty Images LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 06: Conor McGregor of Ireland grapples with Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia in their UFC lightweight championship bout during the UFC 229 event inside T-Mobile Arena on October 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) Getty Images LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 06: Conor McGregor of Ireland acknowledges the crowd before competing against Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia in their UFC lightweight championship bout during the UFC 229 event inside T-Mobile Arena on October 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) Getty Images LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 06: Conor McGregor of Ireland enters the arena before competing against Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia in their UFC lightweight championship bout during the UFC 229 event inside T-Mobile Arena on October 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) Getty Images LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 06: Conor McGregor of Ireland laughs after the first round against Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia in their UFC lightweight championship bout during the UFC 229 event inside T-Mobile Arena on October 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) Getty Images Khabib Nurmagomedov, right, is pushed back by referee Herb Dean after fighting Conor McGregor, bottom, during a lightweight title mixed martial arts bout at UFC 229 in Las Vegas, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. Nurmagomedov won the fight by submission during the fourth round to retain the title. (AP Photo/John Locher) AP Conor McGregor is escorted from the cage area after fighting Khabib Nurmagomedov in a lightweight title mixed martial arts bout at UFC 229 in Las Vegas, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. Nurmagomedov won the fight by submission during the fourth round to retain the title. (AP Photo/John Locher) AP Conor McGregor, left, fights, Khabib Nurmagomedov during a lightweight title mixed martial arts bout at UFC 229 in Las Vegas, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/John Locher) AP Khabib Nurmagomedov, right, is held back by referee Herb Dean after fighting Conor McGregor, bottom, during a lightweight title mixed martial arts bout at UFC 229 in Las Vegas, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. Nurmagomedov won the fight by submission during the fourth round to retain the title. (AP Photo/John Locher) AP Khabib Nurmagomedov speaks at a news conference after the UFC 229 mixed martial arts event Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018, in Las Vegas. A brawl broke out after the main event between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor when Nurmagomedov climbed over the cage and set off a scuffle with another fighter in McGregor's corner. (AP Photo/John Locher) AP Khabib Nurmagomedov, center, is held back outside of the cage after fighting Conor McGregor in a lightweight title mixed martial arts bout at UFC 229 in Las Vegas, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. Nurmagomedov won the fight by submission during the fourth round to retain the title. (AP Photo/John Locher) AP Conor McGregor reacts after losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov in a lightweight title mixed martial arts bout at UFC 229 in Las Vegas, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. Nurmagomedov won the fight by submission during the fourth round to retain the title. (AP Photo/John Locher) AP Khabib Nurmagomedov is held back outside of the cage after fighting Conor McGregor in a lightweight title mixed martial arts bout at UFC 229 in Las Vegas, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. Nurmagomedov won the fight by submission during the fourth round to retain the title. (AP Photo/John Locher) AP Conor McGregor, right, punches Khabib Nurmagomedov during a lightweight title mixed martial arts bout at UFC 229 in Las Vegas, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/John Locher) AP Khabib Nurmagomedov, left, takes down Conor McGregor during a lightweight title mixed martial arts bout at UFC 229 in Las Vegas, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/John Locher) AP Conor McGregor reacts after losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov in a lightweight title mixed martial arts bout at UFC 229 in Las Vegas, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. Nurmagomedov won the fight by submission during the fourth round to retain the title. (AP Photo/John Locher) AP Conor McGregor raises his arms before fighting Khabib Nurmagomedov in a lightweight title mixed martial arts bout at UFC 229 in Las Vegas, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/John Locher) AP Khabib Nurmagomedov, right, takes down Conor McGregor during a lightweight title mixed martial arts bout at UFC 229 in Las Vegas, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. Nurmagomedov won the fight by submission during the fourth round to retain the title. (AP Photo/John Locher) AP Khabib Nurmagomedov, right, tries to take down Conor McGregor during a lightweight title mixed martial arts bout at UFC 229 in Las Vegas, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/John Locher) AP Conor McGregor walks into the cage before fighting Khabib Nurmagomedov last weekend. AP Conor McGregor, left, and Khabib Nurmagomedov throw punches during a lightweight title mixed martial arts bout at UFC 229 in Las Vegas, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/John Locher) AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Conor McGregor is escorted out of the octagon after being defeated by Khabib Nurmagomedov. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) "What an incredible, yet disturbing experience at UFC in Vegas. "UFC very lucky the crowd didnt start fighting too . That incident last night could have descended into serious civilian injury." Nolan has often spoken of his love for UFC. After a fight back in 2015 - also involving McGregor - he described it as one of the best experiences in his life. Burning fuel escaped from the car and ran toward the house. Pic Alan Lewis A family escaped injury in an arson attack in Co Down. Police received a report of a car on fire and criminal damage to a house in the Fairfield Court area of Newtownards in the early hours of this morning, Sunday 7 October. Inspector Savage said: We received a report around 1.30am that all the downstairs windows had been smashed at this property and that a car outside it had been set alight. Burning fuel escaped from the vehicle and ran towards the house. However, it did not reach the property. The fire service attended and put out the fire and we are treating this incident as arson. There were two adults in the house - a man in his 40s and a woman in her 30s - at the time of the incident, as well as two girls aged 11 and five. They were uninjured, but were left shocked." The police officer added: "Two people were seen running away from the scene. We are appealing to anyone with information about what happened, or who saw suspicious activity in the area late last night or early this morning to get in touch with police on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 124 of 7/10/18. "Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime." Three men have been arrested on suspicion of causing grievious bodily harm with intent after a 21 year old man was assaulted in the Barra Street area of Antrim. Pic: Matt Bohill Pacemaker Three men have been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm after an attack on a 21-year-old. The man was set upon in a communal area of a property in the Barra Street area of Antrim on Saturday night. He was taken to hospital for facial injuries. Three men, two aged 20 and one aged 22, were arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm with intent, robbery and being concerned in the supply of a class B controlled drug. All three men are currently in police custody. Police later carried out searches in the Springfarm area of Antrim when a number of items were seized, including a stun gun and suspected drugs. Police have appealed for anyone with information to contact 101 or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Hopes of a breakthrough in Brexit talks continued to rise as Ireland said the chances of a deal were good. As the upbeat mood in the EU increased, hardline Tory Brexiteers softened their stance in order to try and get Prime Minister Theresa May to abandon her Chequers proposals in favour of a Canada-style free trade deal. Following on from positive remarks from European Council president Donald Tusk that an agreement could be reached within weeks, Irelands deputy prime minister Simon Coveney talked up the chances of an accord. He told Sky News: The withdrawal treaty is already about 90% agreed in terms of text, the issues that have not been signed off yet relate predominantly to Ireland and what is needed now is the two negotiating teams need to lock themselves in a room for the next 10 days or so. Mr Coveney said the chances of a deal being cut were good ahead of a crunch EU summit on October 17. The comments came as prominent anti-EU campaigners like Tory former leader Iain Duncan Smith and Jacob Rees-Mogg told the Sunday Telegraph they are ready to compromise in order to achieve a free trade deal with Brussels, rather than the closer relationship set out by Mrs May Such a move would see them back proposals allowing EU officials to be stationed at UK ports after Brexit, and support the Government enforcing EU rules on goods exported to the bloc from UK firms, the newspaper said. Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Duncan Smith said allowing EU officials at UK ports, as happens now with Eurotunnel, would answer concerns about the Irish border. He wrote: We can (conduct) regulatory and customs checks together in a way that respects the EUs single market, by building on systems already in place at the Channel Ports. The UK has long had arrangements with France under the Le Touquet Treaty where passports are checked by French officers at Dover and UK officers in Calais. The UK should seek to build on this by agreeing a Le Touquet-plus system with the EU. Any customs or regulatory checks could be made at juxtaposed controls with information-sharing and cooperation between the UK and the Republic of Ireland. This would not simply answer concerns about keeping the Northern Ireland border open, it would also ensure the channel ports continue to provide as frictionless trade as possible. Speaker sees conflict of interests in parliamentary committees Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara has said that he is concerned over the inclusion of lawmakers in the House committees where they could have a conflict of interests. He was concerned over the representation of three lawmakers, who are involved in the construction business, in the parliamentary Development Committee. The SNP is calling for domestic abuse victims to have the right to take time off work if they leave a violent partner. (Dominic Lipinski/PA) (Picture posed by models.) Westminster has been urged to devolve powers over employment law to Scotland, so it can require bosses to give abuse victims time off if they leave their partner. SNP activists at the partys annual conference in Glasgow passed a motion saying the UK Government should either consider introducing such a law, or else hand the ability to do so to Holyrood. It came after SNP MSP Gillian Martin said that an abused person shouldnt have to hope her managers will be understanding when ending a relationship. She told how New Zealand had introduce legislation requiring companies to give domestic abuse victims up to 10 days of leave from work, separate from annual holidays, if they leave their violent partner. Parts of Canada also have similar protections, she added, before saying: Our Scottish Parliament cannot at present implement this law. Proud to propose the resolution on Domestic Abuse with my friend @RBFMaguire seconding and with support from my own branch. 10 days leave for abuse survivors- NZ can do it- Scotland cant until devolution of employment law OR independence. We need those powers NOW #SNP18 pic.twitter.com/ueZqVxBUUq Gillian Martin (@GillianMSP) October 7, 2018 Ms Martin stated: UK employment law lets women down the most, and as we all know domestic abuse affects women significantly more than men. To further protect people who want a life free from fear it is time to devolve employment law to the Parliament of Scotlands people and let this party help them again. She added: It takes much more than guts to leave an abusive partner, it takes money and work security to make it possible to see it through. The barriers to leaving are many, fear of being found by a partner, fear of retribution in whatever terrifying form that might take, fear of homelessness. Fear of losing your job or having your pay docked does not have to be in the mix. Leaving an abusive home is an emergency situation, if we remove the possibility of workplace sanctions for abuse survivors by law, we are making it more possible for them to leave. Ms Martin continued: Our responses to domestic abuse have to cut across the whole of society, including the workplace. An abused person shouldnt have to hope her managers will be understanding if she needs leave to deal with the aftermath of a life changing and usually very perilous decision. She should know she has these protections as she walks out the door. The Scottish Government is setting up an advice service for EU citizens worried about Brexit (Jane Barlow/PA) European citizens who want to stay in Scotland following Brexit will be able to get help and support from a new government-funded project. With the UK due to quit the European Union (EU) in less than six months, Holyroods External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop announced the Scottish Government would set up and resource the EU Citizens Rights Project. She said Scottish ministers were acting because the information and services proposed by the UK Government do not go far enough and we do not believe they will provide the reassurance people need. Expand Close External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop. (Jane Barlow/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop. (Jane Barlow/PA) The EU Citizens Right Project will advise people from Europe who are already living and working in Scotland on changes to immigration rules as a result of leaving the EU. Ministers also confirmed a new expert group would be set up to examine the impact immigration has on Scotlands population and demographics, with the academics also to look at how UK migration policy could impact on areas of devolved responsibility. Ms Hyslop said: EU citizens who have made Scotland their home are understandably anxious about their future. They are welcome and valued, and play a crucial role in our economy, our public services and our communities. Many EU nationals are concerned about still being able to access the NHS, schools for their children, housing and social security post-Brexit, and the Scottish Government is committed to supporting EU citizens to enable them to continue to live, work and study in Scotland. We are concerned that there is a risk that people will miss out on applying for settled status for a range of reasons including vulnerability, financial problems, lack of awareness and understanding of the scheme, and we have identified a clear need for the provision of accurate and consistent advice from trusted bodies. We have established this new expert group to investigate the impact on our population, our workforce and our communities including the impact in rural areas faced by declining populationsExternal Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop She added: The information and services proposed by the UK Government do not go far enough and we do not believe they will provide the reassurance people need. This additional service will fill the gaps in the UKs support for EU citizens and ensure that we can encourage as many EU residents in Scotland to remain in Scotland. The External Affairs Secretary said that over the next 25 years Scotlands population growth was projected to come from migration, stating it was imperative that we attract new talent to Scotland and tackle the issues raised by our ageing population. She went on: That is why we have established this new expert group to investigate the impact on our population, our workforce and our communities including the impact in rural areas faced by declining populations. The EU Citizens Rights Project will be set up at locations across Scotland, and will also run information meetings in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow, Inverness, Motherwell and other places. The mother of a 23-year-old British man who died after being bitten by a sea snake in Australia has described how she went numb at hearing the news of her sons death. Harry Evans, from Poole, Dorset, was bitten as he pulled up a net while working off Groote Eylandt, 400 miles east of Darwin on Thursday afternoon. Northern Territory Police said that a helicopter crew was scrambled and the trawler made its way to Borroloola, inland from the Gulf of Carpentaria, where Mr Evans was pronounced dead. We knew there were risks to being on the fishing boat, Harry was not stupid, he knew that as well.Sharon Evans His mother, Sharon Evans, told the Bournemouth Echo: It sounded like some sort of sick joke at first. I was just in disbelief. You feel so numb. We knew there were risks to being on the fishing boat, Harry was not stupid, he knew that as well. She said that he had been the happiest he had ever been during the trip and added: Harry had the kindest heart and he had a great interest in people. Friend George Jackson-Carter posted on Facebook: RIP Harry Evans, you were one of the most kind hearted and funniest people Ive ever met. Always made everyone laugh and smile. All known species of sea snake are venomous and produce some of the most dangerous venoms know in the animal kingdom, the Marine Education Society of Australia said. They grow to between 120cm and 150cm but can get as long as three metres, and are considered to be non-aggressive. They tend to be found in tropical and sub-tropical waters through south-east Asia, the western Pacific and northern Australia. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: We are supporting the family of a British man who had died in the Northern Territory and are in contact with the Australian authorities. It is the second death of a British man while working on a fishing boat in the north of the country in five years. In November 2013, 20-year-old Ryan Donoghue was electrocuted while using a power tool when a wave washed on deck as the boat returned to Cairns. Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf announced the Scottish Government will consult on creating an offence of misogynistic hate crime (Jane Barlow/PA) People in Scotland will be consulted on whether misogyny should be treated as a hate crime. Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf announced whether or not to create a specific offence of misogynistic harassment would be part of the governments hate crime consultation. He made the announcement in his address on the first day of the SNP conference in Glasgow as he told the audience he faces hate crime weekly. Mr Yousaf said: Hatred isnt directed only to minorities ask any woman that. To my fellow men in the audience, we have to stand up and be counted in the fight against misogyny. To every single man here and every single man listening, we have to be allies in the fight against misogyny and in the fight for equality. It is undoubtedly a fight for all of us. If we are simply passive then we are just part of the problem and I very much hope to be a part of the solution as the Justice Secretary. Misogyny is so ingrained, so normalised within our society, so structural within our institutions it needs some radical action to tackle it. Conference, I can therefore confirm in our consultation on hate crime I will ask a specific question on whether to make hate motivated by misogynistic harassment an offence, just as hatred based on religion and race is. We will send a signal that Scotland has a zero tolerance approach for hatred directed towards women. .@HumzaYousaf: "In our consultation on Hate Crime I will ask a specific question on whether to make hate motivated by misogynistic harassment an offence, just as hate based on religion and race is." #SNP18 The SNP (@theSNP) October 7, 2018 Campaigners had voiced disappointment when Lord Bracadales hate crime inquiry did not include a recommendation to create a specific offence of misogynistic hate crime. Opening up on his own experience of hate crime, Mr Yousaf said tackling it is a personal mission for him. He said he is comfortable with his identity as a Scot with Pakistani heritage and now, unlike when he was growing up as an Asian man in Glasgow, there are no longer parts of the city where he feels he cannot go. But that doesnt mean I havent been the victim of hate, he added. Including unfortunately from elected Labour councillors. I face it on a weekly basis, in one way, shape or another. Labour councillor for Dumfries and Galloway Jim Dempster said in a meeting with Transport Scotland officials, if then-transport secretary Mr Yousaf had visited the region, no-one would have seen him under his burka. He apologised, was suspended and has been referred to the partys National Constitutional Committee following an internal investigation. The Scottish Conservatives said the decision to consult on the option of misogyny hate crime offence is a surprising departure from Lord Bracadales review, and warned of the need to guard against any changes creating confusion instead of protection. The partys justice spokesman Liam Kerr said: He [Lord Bracadale] considered existing legislation to be sufficient, provided that aggravating factors are taken into account on sentencing. Age and gender would be added as aggravators, alongside race and religion. The president of Belarus has rejected a prospective law against domestic violence as Western nonsense, saying that physical punishment could be useful in raising children. President Alexander Lukashenko said a draft bill criminalising domestic violence needs more work. He told journalists that he is personally against the physical punishment of children, but added that a good belting could sometimes be useful for a kid. Its just nonsense taken from the West, he said. We will proceed exclusively from our own interests, our Belarusian Slavic traditions, and our life experience. The president cited his own experience, saying he frequently punished his oldest son and that served as a good lesson for his younger son. Mr Lukashenko has ruled Belarus with an iron hand for 24 years, maintaining rigid Soviet-style controls over the economy and showing little tolerance for dissent or independent media. The Belarusian leader has often lashed out against the West, especially for its approval of same-sex marriages. He said that they [the West] will soon have no families left, with men marrying other men. The current Belarusian law does not contain specific regulations against domestic violence. Mr Lukashenko did not mention violence against women in his remarks, but the bill covers all forms of domestic violence. The prospective bill was drafted by the Interior Ministry and Mr Lukashenkos own administration, but the president said other organisations should have a say in creating the law. The Orthodox Church has criticised the domestic violence bill. Pavel, the Metropolitan of Minsk, has said that parents mustnt be deprived of the right to raise their children. The Catholic Church in Belarus also has spoken against the document, with Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, the archbishop of Minsk, urging Lukashenko in an open letter to be guided by national interests and spiritual values of the Belarusian people and not to follow disastrous secularist trends and gender ideology leading to the destruction of traditional family. Supporters of the Social Democratic Front opposition party presidential candidate Joshua Osih attend a rally in Yaounde (AP) Polls are opening in Cameroon as Africas oldest leader is widely expected to win another term as president. Separatists have threatened to disrupt the election, and many people who have fled the unrest are unable to vote. President Paul Biya, who has held office since 1982, has vowed to end the crisis. Expand Close A woman displays a wrist watch with a portrait of President Paul Biya, during a rally in Yaounde (AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A woman displays a wrist watch with a portrait of President Paul Biya, during a rally in Yaounde (AP) The fractured opposition has been unable to rally behind a strong challenger to the 85-year-old. A victory likely would come with a weakened mandate for Mr Biya as many residents of the troubled English-speaking south-west and north-west regions have fled elsewhere. By law, voters can only cast a ballot in the community where they are registered. Cameroons government has said that anyone who tries to organise chaos on election day risks being disagreeably surprised. Jair Bolsonaro, presidential candidate with the Social Liberal Party, gestures next to an electronic voting booth (Silvia Izquierdo/AP) The two leading presidential candidates in Brazil have cast their votes. Far-right congressman and poll leader Jair Bolsonaro voted in Rio de Janeiro. He told reporters he thought there would be no need for a second round on October 28 because he would get more than the 50% needed to avoid a run-off. A recent poll showed Mr Bolsonaro garnering support among 36% of voters. Expand Close Workers Party presidential candidate Fernando Haddad, flashes a v-sign after casting his vote (Andre Penner/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Workers Party presidential candidate Fernando Haddad, flashes a v-sign after casting his vote (Andre Penner/AP) Fernando Haddad, who is running in second place, voted in Sao Paulo. Brazilians in nearby buildings beat on pots to show their disapproval when he spoke afterwards. While the pots were banging, Mr Haddads supporters chanted that he would be president, making it impossible to hear what the candidate said. China has defended its decision to refuse to renew the work visa of a Financial Times editor in Hong Kong, in a case has drawn concern over free speech in the Chinese territory. The central government firmly supports the local governments rejection of Asia editor Victor Mallets visa renewal application, according to a statement from the foreign ministrys office in Hong Kong. No foreign country has any right to interfere, the office said, in a response to expressions of concern from the UKs Foreign Office and the US Consulate in the territory. Expand Close Mr Mallet shakes hands with Andy Chan, founder of the Hong Kong National Party (AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mr Mallet shakes hands with Andy Chan, founder of the Hong Kong National Party (AP) Mr Mallet is vice president of Hong Kongs Foreign Correspondents Club, which drew criticism from the authorities for hosting a talk by the leader of a now-banned pro-Hong Kong independence party. Hong Kong was promised semi-autonomy for 50 years as part of its 1997 handover from British rule, allowing it to retain its limited democracy and rights to assembly and free speech which are denied on the Chinese mainland. Rights groups have called the visa rejection the latest sign of Beijings expanding restrictions on the territory, including legal cases brought against pro-democracy legislators and organisers of large-scale anti-government protests in 2014. Expand Close A protest took place in Hong Kong against the decision (AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A protest took place in Hong Kong against the decision (AP) The UKs Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) asked for an urgent explanation as to why Mr Mallets visa renewal application was rejected. Hong Kongs high degree of autonomy and its press freedoms are central to its way of life, and must be fully respected, the FCO said in a statement. The US consulate said the rejection was deeply troubling, especially since it reflected problems faced by international journalists in mainland China whose visas can be held up or refused because of political considerations. The Financial Times said in a statement that it was given no reason why Mr Mallets application was rejected. It said: This is the first time we have encountered this situation in Hong Kong. A friend of a Saudi journalist who went missing in Istanbul said officials told him to make your funeral preparations as he claimed the Washington Post contributor was killed at the Saudi consulate. Turan Kislakci, a friend of Jamal Khashoggi and the head of the Turkish-Arab Media Association, said officials also told him they have evidence he was killed in a barbaric way and dismembered. Saudi officials have denied the allegations that Mr Khashoggi was killed as baseless. Expand Close The Saudi Arabia flag flies over the consulate in Istanbul (AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Saudi Arabia flag flies over the consulate in Istanbul (AP) One Turkish official said authorities believe Mr Khashoggi was killed at the Saudi consulate, while another said it was a high possibility. Mr Khashoggi disappeared on Tuesday. The growing dispute over his fate threatens relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkey, and raises new questions about the kingdom and the actions of its assertive Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who had faced criticism in Mr Khashoggis columns. Mr Kislakci said he believes Turkish officials will soon announce the findings of their investigation. He said: What was explained to us is this: He was killed, make your funeral preparations. Expand Close Protesters hold pictures of missing Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi (AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Protesters hold pictures of missing Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi (AP) We called a few other places, these are lower officials, but they said: We have evidence he was killed in a barbaric way, we will announce it tomorrow or the day after.' Mr Kislakci also alleged, based on conversations with officials, that Mr Khashoggi was made to faint, before being dismembered. A Turkish official said an initial assessment by police concluded Mr Khashoggi had been killed at the consulate. On Sunday, another official said there was a high probability that Mr Khashoggi was killed in the consulate and his body was taken away. The Washington Posts editorial page editor Fred Hiatt said: If the reports of Jamals murder are true, it is a monstrous and unfathomable act. Jamal was or, as we hope, is a committed, courageous journalist. He writes out of a sense of love for his country and deep faith in human dignity and freedom. Time to shift up a gear: Dahal Co-chairman of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Pushpa Kamal Dahal has stressed that the government needed to shift up a gear for building momentum on development activities. Members of the Me Too movement voiced outrage after Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed for the USs top court amid an allegation of sexual assault and fears over abortion rights. President Donald Trumps controversial Supreme Court pick was approved by senators on Saturday in highly unusual scenes where protesters heckled from the Senates public gallery as politicians cast votes. His confirmation came after Dr Christine Blasey Ford accused him of a historic sexual assault, and two other claims of misconduct. Mr Kavanaugh denied the allegations and received continued backing from the president as well as vast protest from opponents. His nomination will tip the Supreme Courts balance in favour of conservatives, and Mr Kavanaughs opponents fear he will curtail abortion rights and weaken gun control. Mira Sorvino, one of the actresses to accuse disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment which he denies, expressed her fears Mr Kavanaugh will help protect the president from any potential legal action. Sadly I have retweeted this before... to think that MANY women have accused Trump of worse than Kavanaugh, and he just helped someone who is interested in giving him more immunity get seated on the Supreme Court #roguesgallery #whereisjustice??? ... https://t.co/Cg5MfOTaG6 Mira Sorvino (@MiraSorvino) October 6, 2018 While fellow actress Alyssa Milano, who helped spark the Me Too movement by encouraging victims to tweet about their harassment or abuse, said she was terrified and outraged. She encouraged her fans to take back our power by voting in the November mid-term elections, adding: It is the only way out of this mess. Reese Witherspoon said she cant wait for November adding the blue wave symbol for a vast victory for the Democrats. Cant wait for November ! Reese Witherspoon (@ReeseW) October 6, 2018 The Times Up campaign praised a turning tide in US attitudes, but said its heartbreaking but not surprising that this small group of largely white men made a decision that valued the career of one man above all else. Its heartbreaking but not surprising that this small group of largely white men made a decision that valued the career of one man above all else. But even as the Senate clings to the past, rooms of power are changing all across America. (2/4) TIME'S UP (@TIMESUPNOW) October 6, 2018 Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres praised Dr Ford and vowed to continue her movement. This tweet is for Dr. Ford. You put yourself through so much and I want you to know it wasnt in vain. You started a movement and well see it through. If they wont listen to our voices, then theyll listen to our vote. Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) October 6, 2018 British politicians also weighed in, with shadow Brexit secretary and former director of public prosecutions Sir Keir Starmer calling the appointment process wrong in so many ways. Labour MP Jess Phillips wrote about the effect the vote has had on women, tweeting: I feel as though someone is sitting on my chest. Slow grip tightening to remind us we got above ourselves. Unsurprisingly, Mr Trump took a very different tone, tweeting to applaud and congratulate the Senates confirmation of his great nominee. Democrats vehemently opposed Mr Kavanaugh, arguing he was a threat to the Roe v Wade ruling, which guarantees the right to abortion. They also fear he will argue that a sitting president cannot be indicted if prosecutors investigating Mr Trumps campaign ties to Russia attempt to pursue him in court. The hurdle for Mr Kavanaughs nomination came when Dr Ford accused him of drunkenly sexually assaulting her at a high school gathering in 1982. Two further women came forward with sexual misconduct allegations dating back to the same decade. Fifty senators voted in favour, with 48 against, to appoint 53-year-old Mr Kavanaugh to the court for life. A friend of a Washington Post journalist who went missing in Istanbul has said that Turkish officials told him to make funeral preparations because the reporter was killed at the Saudi consulate. Another official separately told the AP that authorities believe Jamal Khashoggi was murdered at the consulate while another said it was a high probability. Saudi officials have denied the allegations, calling them baseless. Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said God willing, we will not be faced with the situation we do not desire when asked by journalists about Mr Khashoggi. The growing dispute over his fate threatens relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkey and raises new questions about the kingdom and the actions of its assertive Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whom Mr Khashoggi wrote critically about in his columns. Turan Kislakci, a friend of Mr Khashoggi and the head of the Turkish-Arab Media Association, spoke to the AP on Sunday outside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. He said he believes Turkish officials soon will announce the findings of their investigation. Expand Close Turkish police barriers block the road leading to the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul (Emrah Gurel/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Turkish police barriers block the road leading to the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul (Emrah Gurel/AP) What was explained to us is this: He was killed, make your funeral preparations, Mr Kislakci said. We called a few other places, these are lower officials, but they said: We have evidence he was killed in a barbaric way, we will announce it tomorrow or the day after.' Mr Kislakci also alleged, based on conversations with officials he did not name, that Mr Khashoggi was made to faint then was dismembered. A Turkish official told the AP that an initial assessment by police concluded Mr Khashoggi had been killed at the consulate. On Sunday, another official assessed it as high probability that Mr Khashoggi was killed in the consulate and his body was taken away. The Post reported on the polices theory late on Saturday, citing two anonymous sources. If the reports of Jamals murder are true, it is a monstrous and unfathomable act, the Posts editorial page editor Fred Hiatt said. Jamal was or, as we hope, is a committed, courageous journalist. He writes out of a sense of love for his country and deep faith in human dignity and freedom. The state-run Saudi Press Agency carried a statement from the Istanbul consulate that strongly denounced these baseless allegations. It said Saudi Arabia sent a team of investigators to help look into the case. Mr Khashoggi, 59, went missing while on a visit to the consulate in Istanbul for paperwork to marry his Turkish fiancee. Expand Close Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said authorities are investigating (AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said authorities are investigating (AP) The consulate insists the writer left its premises, contradicting Turkish officials. He had been living since last year in the US in a self-imposed exile, in part due to the rise of Prince Mohammed, the son of King Salman. As a contributor to the Post, Mr Khashoggi has written extensively about Saudi Arabia, including criticising 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. All those issues have been viewed as being pushed by Prince Mohammed, who similarly has led round-ups of activists, businessmen and others in the kingdom. On Sunday, Mr Erdogan did not directly repeat the investigators fears about Mr Khashoggi being dead when talking to reporters following a meeting of his Justice and Development Party in Ankara. Everything is being inspected, especially entries and exits out of Istanbul, the airport, he said. Right now we are waiting persistently to see what the prosecutor will decide, what it will announce as a result of these pursuits. Mr Erdogan promised to follow up personally on the case of Mr Khashoggi, whom he referred to as a journalist and a friend. Its very, very sad for us that this happened in our country, the Turkish president said. Two gamblers jump from third floor to escape police, die in hospital Two persons, who jumped out of the window from the third floor of a house to escape a police raid on a gambling den in Mulpani-7, Kathmandu on Friday night, have died.Police identified the deceased as Saroj Ghale and Som Lal Tamang. 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 Ward chairman detained for refusing to demolish illegally constructed house Police have arrested Janakpur Sub-Metropolitan City ward no 9 chairman Parmeshwor Sah and his family members after they refused to let the authorities demolish their illegally constructed house, for road expansion. PR Newswire IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 6, 2018 IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CommerceWest Bank (OTCBB:CWBK) helped Patriotic Service Foundation provide service dogs to our wounded veterans by sponsoring the 22 to Zero annual gala. Patriotic Service Foundation matches veterans with highly trained and skilled service dogs. The service dogs help our veterans become more independent, self-confident and comfortable with life outside of the military. Tom Tackett, Executive Director for Patriotic Service Foundation commented, "Our motto is: 22 To Zerothis represents, 22 veterans every day commit suicide and our Mission is to make that ZERO!" He continued, "To date, not ONE veteran that has received a dog from us has committed suicide!!! We are very proud of that statistic!!! We provide these dogs at NO COST to the recipients because of the support from our great sponsors like Ivo Tjan with CommerceWest Bank." "Our veterans sacrifice everything for our freedom and often come back from service without the resources or support they need," stated Ivo A. Tjan, Chairman and CEO of CommerceWest Bank. He continued, "We believe saying thank you is simply just not enough. We salute our veterans and want to make sure that the Patriotic Service Foundation can continue to ensure that our veterans do not suffer, by helping them develop bonds with dogs that provide so much more than just companionship." CommerceWest Bank is a California based full service commercial bank with a unique vision and culture of focusing exclusively on the business community. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Irvine, California. The Bank serves businesses throughout the state with an emphasis on clients in Orange County, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Riverside Counties. We are a full service business bank and offer a wide range of commercial banking services, including concierge services, remote deposit solution, online banking, mobile banking, lines of credit, working capital loans, commercial real estate loans, SBA loans, and treasury management services. Mission Statement: CommerceWest Bank will create a complete banking experience for each client, catering to businesses and their specific banking needs, while accommodating our clients and providing them high-quality, low stress and personally tailored banking and financial services. Please visit www.cwbk.com to learn more about the bank. "BANK ON THE DIFFERENCE" View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/commercewest-bank-helped-provide-service-dogs-to-our-wounded-veterans-300725368.html SOURCE CommerceWest Bank PR Newswire SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 6, 2018 SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Girls in Tech (http://girlsintech.org/), an organization focused on the empowerment, entrepreneurship, engagement, and education of women in technology, is proud to announce OmniVis, a biotechnology startup that has developed a revolutionary pathogen detection platform, as the winner of the 2018 AMPLIFY Women's Pitch Competition, which was held on Wednesday, October 3 at ZenDesk in San Francisco. As the winner of the AMPLIFY pitch competition, OmniVis will receive a $20,000 cash prize along with additional resources, such as office space and laptops, to help move their startup forward. In addition, Project Vive, the creator of low cost speech generation devices, was selected as the Audience Choice Award winner during the event. "We are thrilled to congratulate OmniVis as the winner of this year's record-setting competition," said Adriana Gascoigne, Founder and CEO of Girls in Tech. "OmniVis demonstrated the true power of female entrepreneurship throughout the event, which is more critical now than ever before in the tech industry. Their win is well deserved and I cannot wait to see what the future holds!" This year's finalists, which were selected from more than 362 applicants from 46 countries -- a record for the competition -- include: The AMPLIFY winner was selected by a panel of experienced tech professionals and investors, including June Sugiyama of Vodafone Americas Foundation at Vodafone, David Willis of European Wax Center, Stephanie Durflinger of Ellie Mae, Lukasz Weber of Zuora, Kalpa Subramanian of Comcast California, Wendy Pfiefer of Nutanix and Hans Tung of GGV Capital. "What a tremendous event and congratulations to OmniVis," said Sherry Baker, President, Marketing and Product Development for European Wax Center, title partner of this year's AMPLIFY competition. "As a brand that champions women and helps to level the playing field, we are incredibly proud to be partners with Girls in Tech and support their efforts to fix this massive gender gap in the tech industry and bring more attention to the women taking their future into their own hands -- one pitch at a time." Sponsors of the AMPLIFY Women's Pitch Competition include European Wax Center, Comcast NBC Universal, Zuora, DLA Piper, Cisco, Nutanix, GoDaddy, ZenDesk, RocketSpace, Ellie Mae, YouNoodle, Vodafone Americas Foundation, and American Tower Corporation. About Girls in Tech Girls in Tech (GIT) is a global non-profit focused on the engagement, education and empowerment of girls and women who are passionate about technology. Adriana Gascoigne founded GIT in 2007 to create a support framework to help women advance their careers in STEM fields. GIT aims to accelerate the growth of innovative women entering into the high-tech industry and building startups. GIT achieves this through the creation of proprietary, innovative programming and strategic global partnerships. With headquarters in San Francisco and more than 100,000 members located around the globe, GIT relies on volunteer efforts to lead each of the 60 local chapters. Programming and events vary by chapter based on local interests and needs. GIT is not just for professional women. It exists for anyone with an interest in technology, startups and providing women with a platform for growth. But GIT operates with the spirit of the girl within all of usfearless, lively and determined. For the latest updates, read GIT's blog or follow them on Facebook or Twitter. http://girlsintech.org/ SOURCE Girls In Tech PR Newswire NEW YORK, Oct. 7, 2018 NEW YORK, Oct. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, announces that a securities class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of those who purchased or acquired the securities of Namaste Technologies Inc. ("Namaste" or the "Company") (OTCMKTS: NXTTF) between November 29, 2017 and October 4, 2018, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit seeks to recover Namaste shareholders' investment losses. If you purchased Namaste securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options, please visit Namaste Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Daniel Sadeh toll free at (877) 779-1414 or [email protected] According to the lawsuit, throughout the Class Period Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Namaste had sold its wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary to Namaste executives; (2) consequently, Namaste did not sell its U.S. subsidiary in an arm's length transaction; and (3) as a result, Defendants' statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. On October 4, 2018, Citron Research published a report titled, "Namaste: Citron has exposed complete FRAUD that underpins the 'Business' of Namaste," stating that CEO "[Sean] Dollinger said he sold [an] asset to an arm's length partybut it was really sold to David Hughes who has been with Namaste since Feb 2015 (and Paul Burn who has been with Namaste since 2016)." The report further states that "Namaste has lied to its shareholders, Canadian Regulators, US Regulators; and most of all has attempted to hide US assets from the Justice Department in an attempt to obtain a US listing." On this news, Namaste stock fell $0.19 per share, or over 10%, over the next two trading days to close at $1.62 per share on October 5, 2018, damaging investors. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than December 5, 2018. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member. If you purchased Namaste securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options, please visit https://www.bernlieb.com/cases/namaste-technologies-inc-nxttf-lawsuit-class-action-fraud-stock-87/ or contact Daniel Sadeh toll free at (877) 779-1414 or [email protected] Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of lawsuits and class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journal's "Plaintiffs' Hot List" thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for ten consecutive years. ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. 2018 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. The lawyer responsible for this advertisement in the State of Connecticut is Michael S. Bigin. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. Contact InformationDaniel SadehBernstein Liebhard LLPhttp://www.bernlieb.com (877) [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/namaste-losses-alert-bernstein-liebhard-llp-announces-that-a-securities-class-action-lawsuit-has-been-filed-against-namaste-technologies-inc--nxttf-300726637.html SOURCE Bernstein Liebhard LLP 1. Yes. Council members appear to have taken time to review each section carefully. 2. Yes. The council has set up town halls and a public hearing to inform the residents. 3. No. The council should have set up a charter review committee, including residents. 4. No. Some of the items proposed so far benefit the council more than the community. 5. Unsure. Its hard to say until after the public has had more opportunities to weigh in. Vote View Results PR Newswire WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2018 WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- National Press Club leaders expressed profound concern Saturday about the continued disappearance of a Saudi journalist and especially about reports he may have been killed by Saudi government personnel. Jamal Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post and a former editor-in-chief of the Saudi newspaper Al-Watan, visited the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 3 and never emerged. On Saturday came reports that Turkish officials have concluded Saudi officials killed Khashoggi in the consulate. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/turkey-concludes-saudi-journalist-khashoggi-killed-by-murder-team-sources-say/2018/10/06/31ee4f86-c8d9-11e8-9c0f-2ffaf6d422aa_story.html?utm_term=.a57c47239339 "If Khashoggi is alive and in detention, we call for his immediate release," said National Press Club President Andrea Edney. "If harm has come to him, those responsible must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We are closely watching developments in this case and we will not abide killing journalists." Khashoggi has been in self-imposed exile in the United States since 2017. He has been outspoken in his criticism of the Saudi government. Khashoggi fled Saudi Arabia citing Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman's crackdown on even mildly critical journalists. The Committee to Protect Journalists has documented growing censorship in Saudi Arabia and numerous cases of Saudi reporters being seized by authorities, including one man who was taken away as he visited his five-year-old son in the hospital. (https://cpj.org/blog/2018/09/new-saudi-arabia-ushers-in-even-more-repressive-cl.php) Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 3 to process paperwork for his coming marriage. His fiancee waited outside for hours, but Khashoggi never came out. Since then, Saudi authorities have denied knowing his whereabouts. Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. It has more than 3,100 members worldwide. The Club supports press freedom through its nonprofit National Press Club Journalism Institute. Contact: NPC Press Freedom Chairman John M. Donnelly, [email protected], 202 650 6738 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-press-club-outraged-by-reports-on-missing-saudi-journalist-300726636.html SOURCE National Press Club Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 2 Vote(s) - 3 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Kansas Is Going To End Up With Another Kathleen Sebelius Because Of Marijuana LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 408320 10-07-2018 04:07 AM Post: #1 Kansas Is Going To End Up With Another Kathleen Sebelius Because Of Marijuana Advertisement http://www.hppr.org/post/top-candidates-...-marijuana "During the campaign, Kelly was endorsed by Bill Graves, a Republican and former Kansas Governor, as well as former Kansas Governor and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius. She was also endorsed by 27 former and current Kansas Republican lawmakers." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Kelly All RINOs. Kansas has a RINO problem. They are risking splitting the vote and handing the governorship to another radical left winger, all because the Republican nominee is prepared to lose over marijuana legalization, because many libertarian and conservative leaning people will protest vote for the Libertarian. The only question is whether or not Greg Orman will siphon off enough leftist voters to overtake the percentage of Republican voters who vote for the Libertarian."During the campaign, Kelly was endorsed by Bill Graves, a Republican and former Kansas Governor, as well as former Kansas Governor and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius. She was also endorsed by 27 former and current Kansas Republican lawmakers."All RINOs. Kansas has a RINO problem. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 408320 10-07-2018 04:11 AM Post: #2 RE: Kansas Is Going To End Up With Another Kathleen Sebelius Because Of Marijuana The compromise comes as people prepare to vote in November on an insurgent medical marijuana ballot initiative that held its ground despite opposition from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Gov. Gary Herbert said he'll call lawmakers into a special session after the midterm election to pass the compromise into law regardless of how the initiative fares. If it passes, it will be revised under the terms of the deal. It if fails, the Legislature would consider a law under the new framework." https://www.kansascity.com/news/article219516670.html "The Mormon church joined lawmakers, the governor and advocates to back a deal Thursday that would legalize medical marijuana in conservative Utah after months of fierce debate.The compromise comes as people prepare to vote in November on an insurgent medical marijuana ballot initiative that held its ground despite opposition from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.Gov. Gary Herbert said he'll call lawmakers into a special session after the midterm election to pass the compromise into law regardless of how the initiative fares. If it passes, it will be revised under the terms of the deal. It if fails, the Legislature would consider a law under the new framework." LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 408320 10-07-2018 04:17 AM Post: #3 RE: Kansas Is Going To End Up With Another Kathleen Sebelius Because Of Marijuana Kansas GOP primary for governor a test of Trump's power to sway state elections too close to call http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-kans...story.html I am not sure that Trump's pull with Kansans is going to be enough to get Kobach over the finish line in the midterms. Kelly, Kobach locked in dead heat in Kansas governor race, new poll says https://fox4kc.com/2018/10/05/kelly-koba...poll-says/ I am not sure that Trump's pull with Kansans is going to be enough to get Kobach over the finish line in the midterms. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 408320 10-07-2018 04:19 AM Post: #4 RE: Kansas Is Going To End Up With Another Kathleen Sebelius Because Of Marijuana The dead heat is probably the reason why Trump was stumping for Kobach in Topeka today. This is the issue that is costing Kobach the votes. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 376815 10-07-2018 04:43 AM Post: #5 RE: Kansas Is Going To End Up With Another Kathleen Sebelius Because Of Marijuana legalize it, tax it. maga. i don't understand why this is so difficult. repubs love money. but they hate weed more apprently LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 408320 10-07-2018 04:50 AM Post: #6 RE: Kansas Is Going To End Up With Another Kathleen Sebelius Because Of Marijuana LoP Guest Wrote: (10-07-2018 04:43 AM) legalize it, tax it. maga. i don't understand why this is so difficult. repubs love money. but they hate weed more apprently Well, I totally agree with him about the corruption of legalized marijuana. However, currently the reason it is so corrupt is because it is owned and operated almost wholly by the left. If you want to deal with that corruption, then you must open it up, and allow for competitors to take out the leftists who are dominating the market today. As it is, they are allowing the left to continue to fill their caufers with this money without being challenged in a truly free market environment. Leaving as it is, allows the leftists to flourish. The left loves close markets that allow for them to dominate and hide all of their shady dealings. To combat it, then open it up. This is not worth handing the governorship of Kansas to an acolyte of Kathleen Sebelius. Well, I totally agree with him about the corruption of legalized marijuana. However, currently the reason it is so corrupt is because it is owned and operated almost wholly by the left. If you want to deal with that corruption, then you must open it up, and allow for competitors to take out the leftists who are dominating the market today. As it is, they are allowing the left to continue to fill their caufers with this money without being challenged in a truly free market environment. Leaving as it is, allows the leftists to flourish. The left loves close markets that allow for them to dominate and hide all of their shady dealings. To combat it, then open it up. This is not worth handing the governorship of Kansas to an acolyte of Kathleen Sebelius. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 465885 10-07-2018 05:12 AM Post: #7 RE: Kansas Is Going To End Up With Another Kathleen Sebelius Because Of Marijuana We had a very similar situation here in TN. The pro-marijuana lady ended up losing (well we are a deep red state). FWIW LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 408320 10-07-2018 08:34 PM Post: #8 RE: Kansas Is Going To End Up With Another Kathleen Sebelius Because Of Marijuana LoP Guest Wrote: (10-07-2018 05:12 AM) We had a very similar situation here in TN. The pro-marijuana lady ended up losing (well we are a deep red state). FWIW There is enough leftist in Kansas that I would not rule out fraudulently siphoning off votes from the Republican to the Libertarian, using this issue as the cover, and it would be quite a way for the left to get back at Kobach for heading up Trump's now defunct election fraud commission. "Nearly eight months after President Donald Trump disbanded his election integrity commission because it was tangled up in lawsuits over its request for voters personal data, the information has been destroyed and the cases have been dismissed. Trumps administration notified plaintiffs in one lawsuit against the commission Wednesday that personal voter data requested by the commission once led by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach had been destroyed. The case, brought by Democracy Forward Foundation, was then dismissed." https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics...93970.html There is enough leftist in Kansas that I would not rule out fraudulently siphoning off votes from the Republican to the Libertarian, using this issue as the cover, and it would be quite a way for the left to get back at Kobach for heading up Trump's now defunct election fraud commission."Nearly eight months after President Donald Trump disbanded his election integrity commission because it was tangled up in lawsuits over its request for voters personal data, the information has been destroyed and the cases have been dismissed.Trumps administration notified plaintiffs in one lawsuit against the commission Wednesday that personal voter data requested by the commission once led by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach had been destroyed. The case, brought by Democracy Forward Foundation, was then dismissed." Weed Weedy lop guest User ID: 465195 10-07-2018 09:09 PM Post: #9 RE: Kansas Is Going To End Up With Another Kathleen Sebelius Because Of Marijuana SMOKE WEED E'RY DAY! BLAZE 420 MUTHAFUCKAS! LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 408320 10-07-2018 09:10 PM Post: #10 RE: Kansas Is Going To End Up With Another Kathleen Sebelius Because Of Marijuana Weed Weedy Wrote: (10-07-2018 09:09 PM) SMOKE WEED E'RY DAY! BLAZE 420 MUTHAFUCKAS! How's your brain doing? How's your brain doing? LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 408320 10-07-2018 09:17 PM Post: #11 RE: Kansas Is Going To End Up With Another Kathleen Sebelius Because Of Marijuana Since We Can't Trust Republicans OR Democrats, How About the Libertarians? http://lunaticoutpost.com/thread-70208-page-3.html LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 466733 10-07-2018 09:19 PM Post: #12 RE: Kansas Is Going To End Up With Another Kathleen Sebelius Because Of Marijuana they do it every time,a marijuana tease splits the undecided giving the freemasons stacked game a win for slavery. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 452206 10-07-2018 09:53 PM Post: #13 RE: Kansas Is Going To End Up With Another Kathleen Sebelius Because Of Marijuana LoP Guest Wrote: (10-07-2018 04:43 AM) legalize it, tax it. maga. i don't understand why this is so difficult. repubs love money. but they hate weed more apprently http://lunaticoutpost.com/thread-62296-p...pid1295670 Quentin Derhak got to work shaving dozens of heads on Saturday afternoon in Brandon for the Grim Acres Scare Away Cancer event. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/10/2018 (1135 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us Quentin Derhak got to work shaving dozens of heads on Saturday afternoon in Brandon for the Grim Acres Scare Away Cancer event. All proceeds from the event were going to the Canadian Cancer Society. Derhaks dad passed away from cancer earlier this year, and it was a good tribute to his father, organizer Brian Sutherland said. "Its a good legacy hes going to set up for his family for generations that go forth," he said. It was also nice to see the community coming together for a good cause, he said. "It shows that were not afraid of cancer and were willing to help out where its needed," Sutherland said. "Ive stated it before, were a community of champions, we are Westman proud, and Im so proud of what were doing here." There was at least 79 people in line to go bald on Saturday for a good cause, filling the Great Western Roadhouse. Hair fell to the floor as Derhak got to work. The hope was to beat the world record of 75 heads shaved in one hour. Throughout the year, Derhak had been practicing on him, shaving his head about four or five times, Sutherland said. "In order to break this record he needs to shave each head in under 47 seconds, and the last time he cut my head he was at 37 seconds." Regardless, the overall response from the community has been heartwarming to see, he said, and he hopes that people leave on Saturday feeling inspired. "Its about helping support the programs that help support the people who are going through cancer treatments," he said. The Brandon Sun BY MELISSA VERGE Quentin Derhak got to work shaving dozens of heads on Saturday afternoon in Brandon for the Grim Acres Scare Away Cancer event. All proceeds from the event were going to the Canadian Cancer Society. Derhaks dad passed away from cancer earlier this year, and it was a good tribute to his father, organizer Brian Sutherland said. "Its a good legacy hes going to set up for his family for generations that go forth," he said. It was also nice to see the community coming together for a good cause, he said. "It shows that were not afraid of cancer and were willing to help out where its needed," Sutherland said. "Ive stated it before, were a community of champions, we are Westman proud, and Im so proud of what were doing here." There was at least 79 people in line to go bald on Saturday for a good cause, filling the Great Western Roadhouse. Hair fell to the floor as Derhak got to work. The hope was to beat the world record of 75 heads shaved in one hour. Throughout the year, Derhak had been practicing on him, shaving his head about four or five times, Sutherland said. "In order to break this record he needs to shave each head in under 47 seconds, and the last time he cut my head he was at 37 seconds." Regardless, the overall response from the community has been heartwarming to see, he said, and he hopes that people leave on Saturday feeling inspired. "Its about helping support the programs that help support the people who are going through cancer treatments," he said. The Brandon SunQuentin Derhak got to work shaving dozens of heads on Saturday afternoon in Brandon for the Grim Acres Scare Away CAll proceeds from the event were going to the Canadian Cancer SocietQuentin Derhak got to work shaving dozens of heads on Saturday afternoon in Brandon for the Grim Acres Scare Away C Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 9 Vote(s) - 2.33 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 ... 8 Sexy Melania !!! FLOTUS DOES INDIANA JONES LOOK IN FRONT OF PYRAMID ! LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 464984 10-07-2018 06:39 PM Post: #46 RE: Sexy Melania !!! FLOTUS DOES INDIANA JONES LOOK IN FRONT OF PYRAMID ! Advertisement LoP Guest Wrote: (10-07-2018 06:36 PM) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_...characters Rene Belloq Toht (left) and Belloq Dr. Rene Emile Belloq (Paul Freeman) is a French archaeologist who takes credit for Indiana's findings by following his exploits and then securing the artifacts after Indiana completes efforts to initially retrieve it. In the film's opening, Belloq and the Hovitos tribesmen force Indiana to hand over a fertility idol he has braved numerous booby traps to obtain. Belloq aids the Nazis in finding the Ark of the Covenant, as he wants to use the relic to speak with God. The spirits within the Ark kill Belloq and the Nazis when it is opened, allowing Indiana to take the Ark back to the United States government. At one point in the film, Belloq says to Indy that they are very much alike and that he is Indy's "shadowy reflection". The novelization of the movie reveals Belloq became Indiana's foe at graduate school, when he plagiarized his essay on stratigraphy, thus winning an award that rightfully belonged to Indiana. Another encounter in 1934 is detailed, when Indiana spends months preparing a dig in Rub' al Khali, only to arrive and discover Belloq has excavated the region.[1] Indiana also encounters Belloq in two novels by Max McCoy, set before the films, where the two meet for the first time (contradicting the novelization of Raiders of the Lost Ark) and Belloq gives Indiana information for locating a crystal skull.[2][3] Belloq's first name was Emile in an August 1979 draft of the script,[4] and Marion was originally more infatuated with him.[5] Spielberg considered Jacques Dutronc and Giancarlo Giannini for the part before casting Freeman: while watching Death of a Princess he noticed that Freeman had very piercing eyes.[6] Belloq was intended to appear in the prequel Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, but was written out for unknown reasons.[7] He was set to appear in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, but the show was canceled before his third season: he and the 21-year-old Indiana would have become friends in Honduras in 1920, although his ruthless traits would be exhibited by stealing and selling a crystal skull to F. A. Mitchell-Hedges. He would have aided Indiana and Percy Fawcett in Brazil in an episode set in 1921.[8] He was also intended to appear in the canceled Dark Horse Comics limited series Indiana Jones and the Lost Horizon, where he appears in the prologue discovering a fake Turin Shroud in New York City in 1926.[9] In an early script of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, called Indiana Jones and the City of the Gods, written by Frank Darabont, the Nazis were set to appear seeking revenge for Belloq's and Toht's deaths, but the script was rejected. Is she possibly signaling that the Ark of the Covenant has been found in Egypt?! Is she possibly signaling that the Ark of the Covenant has been found in Egypt?! Dale Cooper Registered User User ID: 462013 10-07-2018 06:40 PM Posts: 2,381 Post: #47 RE: Sexy Melania !!! FLOTUS DOES INDIANA JONES LOOK IN FRONT OF PYRAMID ! LoP Guest Wrote: (10-07-2018 06:22 PM) Flotus is a former model. It comes naturally to her. Shes not wearing ALL white, note its mixed with black. Black & white, and pyramids are both occult related. Whats interesting to me is that she is wearing menswear. Is she trying to tell us something? Even more interesting is that no one else commented on that. Why is Flotus traveling by herself right now? Thats interesting, too. Notice she is a female, females are also occult related, ie goddesses, Venus, and fertility symbols. Notice also that hats are occult related, ie ritual head bands and ceremonial head pieces. You can tie anything to occult belief if you only try. Notice she is a female, females are also occult related, ie goddesses, Venus, and fertility symbols. Notice also that hats are occult related, ie ritual head bands and ceremonial head pieces. You can tie anything to occult belief if you only try. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 464984 10-07-2018 06:40 PM Post: #48 RE: Sexy Melania !!! FLOTUS DOES INDIANA JONES LOOK IN FRONT OF PYRAMID ! Bao2 Wrote: (10-07-2018 06:28 PM) Fork Wrote: (10-07-2018 04:53 PM) Why is she wearing white hats? Q said it was a sign to the satanists that "we are the white hats" (the fighters against the satanists, we are of Light) Yeah but it has to mean more than that. See my findings... Yeah but it has to mean more than that. See my findings... Laserz let there be light User ID: 361628 10-07-2018 06:41 PM Posts: 41,089 Post: #49 RE: Sexy Melania !!! FLOTUS DOES INDIANA JONES LOOK IN FRONT OF PYRAMID ! LoP Guest Wrote: (10-07-2018 06:28 PM) I searched Raiders of the Lost Ark to see if any of the characters dressed like this. Lookie what I found! http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-97XBgdSjIjo/UR...1600/4.jpg Who was this character in the film? Jones nemesis... Will research further... Paul Freeman is an English actor who is well known for his role as the villian, Rene Belloq in Raiders of the Lost Ark. When Indy and Belloq meet later in Cairo, again chasing after the same priceless object, Belloq is once more nattily dressed, giving Indy another lesson. You and I are very much alike. Archaeology is our religion, yet we have both fallen from the pure faith. Our methods have not differed as much as you pretend. I am but a shadowy reflection of you. It would take only a nudge to make you like me. To push you out of the light. http://cinetropolis.net/sympathy-for-the...ks-belloq/ Paul Freeman is an English actor who is well known for his role as the villian, Rene Belloq in Raiders of the Lost Ark.When Indy and Belloq meet later in Cairo, again chasing after the same priceless object, Belloq is once more nattily dressed, giving Indy another lesson. You and I are very much alike. Archaeology is our religion, yet we have both fallen from the pure faith. Our methods have not differed as much as you pretend. I am but a shadowy reflection of you. It would take only a nudge to make you like me. To push you out of the light. Laserz let there be light User ID: 361628 10-07-2018 06:43 PM Posts: 41,089 Post: #50 RE: Sexy Melania !!! FLOTUS DOES INDIANA JONES LOOK IN FRONT OF PYRAMID ! singing spider terrarising the 'hood User ID: 466650 10-07-2018 06:43 PM Posts: 21,433 Post: #51 RE: Sexy Melania !!! FLOTUS DOES INDIANA JONES LOOK IN FRONT OF PYRAMID ! imagine the Donald at her side in these pics can you? that's why she's travelling Africa alone is my guess imagine the Donald at her side in these picscan you?that's why she's travelling Africa alone is my guess https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=92i5m3tV5XY nobody starts at point zero grav Registered User User ID: 342119 10-07-2018 06:46 PM Posts: 4,693 Post: #52 RE: Sexy Melania !!! FLOTUS DOES INDIANA JONES LOOK IN FRONT OF PYRAMID ! Re. you title reference to Indy . . . his brown fedora was a symbol of adventure, travel, courage. It always flew or blew back to him, right after he narrowly escaped One More doomy close-call. Like a witch's familiar, or the owl of Athena, it seemed to be a living thing that sat on his head and urged him to get into trouble. Poor Melly. She's damned if she do and durned if she don't. 37 Experiments Proving FE: https://youtu.be/OoxhDtnRmBk 200 Proofs Earth Is Not a Spinning Ball, http://www.atlanteanconspiracy.com/2015/...-ball.html Flat Earth Research: pp. 999-1001, http://lunaticoutpost.com/thread-90006-p...t=Research LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 464984 10-07-2018 06:47 PM Post: #53 RE: Sexy Melania !!! FLOTUS DOES INDIANA JONES LOOK IN FRONT OF PYRAMID ! Bao2 Wrote: (10-07-2018 06:37 PM) Fork Wrote: (10-07-2018 06:34 PM) I think it's more of a clue to what DARPA is involved with. When Macron (president of France) visited Trump in the white house, Q posted a pic where you could see Macron doing the horned symbol with both hands and Melania wears in that photo a white hat. Q said Macron was doing the symbol for his Rothschild boss and Melania was doing the white hat symbol to show the side of the Light fighting them. Yes, I remember that. Note the character from Raiders who shes dressed like is also French! And further... He is a man with a womans name... And she is dressed like a man... whiffs of elite gender inversion, Macrons wife is rumored to be inverted Yes, I remember that. Note the character from Raiders who shes dressed like is also French! And further... He is a man with a womans name... And she is dressed like a man... whiffs of elite gender inversion, Macrons wife is rumored to be inverted LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 464984 10-07-2018 06:49 PM Post: #54 RE: Sexy Melania !!! FLOTUS DOES INDIANA JONES LOOK IN FRONT OF PYRAMID ! Fork Wrote: (10-07-2018 06:41 PM) LoP Guest Wrote: (10-07-2018 06:28 PM) I searched Raiders of the Lost Ark to see if any of the characters dressed like this. Lookie what I found! http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-97XBgdSjIjo/UR...1600/4.jpg Who was this character in the film? Jones nemesis... Will research further... link to image: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-97XBgdSjIjo/UR...1600/4.jpg Paul Freeman is an English actor who is well known for his role as the villian, Rene Belloq in Raiders of the Lost Ark. When Indy and Belloq meet later in Cairo, again chasing after the same priceless object, Belloq is once more nattily dressed, giving Indy another lesson. You and I are very much alike. Archaeology is our religion, yet we have both fallen from the pure faith. Our methods have not differed as much as you pretend. I am but a shadowy reflection of you. It would take only a nudge to make you like me. To push you out of the light. http://cinetropolis.net/sympathy-for-the...ks-belloq/ Thanks for posting the image! Isnt this a fun Sunday mystery? Thanks for posting the image!Isnt this a fun Sunday mystery? Dale Cooper Registered User User ID: 462013 10-07-2018 06:51 PM Posts: 2,381 Post: #55 RE: Sexy Melania !!! FLOTUS DOES INDIANA JONES LOOK IN FRONT OF PYRAMID ! singing wilbury spider Wrote: (10-07-2018 06:43 PM) imagine the Donald at her side in these pics can you? that's why she's travelling Africa alone is my guess Had Donald been at her side, those Africans would all be super rich by now, he would have promoted them in fights, sporting contests, or as assistants. Any woman or minority he touches becomes wildly successful in one way or another. And you guys think he's a bigot. Had Donald been at her side, those Africans would all be super rich by now, he would have promoted them in fights, sporting contests, or as assistants. Any woman or minority he touches becomes wildly successful in one way or another. And you guys think he's a bigot. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 464984 10-07-2018 06:53 PM Post: #56 RE: Sexy Melania !!! FLOTUS DOES INDIANA JONES LOOK IN FRONT OF PYRAMID ! singing wilbury spider Wrote: (10-07-2018 06:43 PM) link to image: http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/...e4c82d.jpg link to image: https://www.all4women.co.za/wp-content/u...jpg?x21828 imagine the Donald at her side in these pics can you? that's why she's travelling Africa alone is my guess Nah. Shes there for some other very exciting reason, methinks, but when the FLOTUS of the USA goes to Africa, she must do some official meet and greet with its citizens too. If she only went there to pose like Rene Belloq, she might be accused of neglecting her FLOTUS obligations. Nah. Shes there for some other very exciting reason, methinks, but when the FLOTUS of the USA goes to Africa, she must do some official meet and greet with its citizens too. If she only went there to pose like Rene Belloq, she might be accused of neglecting her FLOTUS obligations. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 464984 10-07-2018 06:54 PM Post: #57 RE: Sexy Melania !!! FLOTUS DOES INDIANA JONES LOOK IN FRONT OF PYRAMID ! Note Belloq ends with a Q. I dont do gematria, but I think someone should analyze that name, RENE BELLOQ singing spider terrarising the 'hood User ID: 466650 10-07-2018 06:57 PM Posts: 21,433 Post: #58 RE: Sexy Melania !!! FLOTUS DOES INDIANA JONES LOOK IN FRONT OF PYRAMID ! YikkaFarius Wrote: (10-07-2018 06:51 PM) singing wilbury spider Wrote: (10-07-2018 06:43 PM) imagine the Donald at her side in these pics can you? that's why she's travelling Africa alone is my guess Had Donald been at her side, those Africans would all be super rich by now, he would have promoted them in fights, sporting contests, or as assistants. Any woman or minority he touches becomes wildly successful in one way or another. And you guys think he's a bigot. that black guy at her side is probably a king that black guy at her side is probably a king https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=92i5m3tV5XY nobody starts at point zero LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 464984 10-07-2018 06:58 PM Post: #59 RE: Sexy Melania !!! FLOTUS DOES INDIANA JONES LOOK IN FRONT OF PYRAMID ! YikkaFarius Wrote: (10-07-2018 06:40 PM) LoP Guest Wrote: (10-07-2018 06:22 PM) Flotus is a former model. It comes naturally to her. Shes not wearing ALL white, note its mixed with black. Black & white, and pyramids are both occult related. Whats interesting to me is that she is wearing menswear. Is she trying to tell us something? Even more interesting is that no one else commented on that. Why is Flotus traveling by herself right now? Thats interesting, too. Notice she is a female, females are also occult related, ie goddesses, Venus, and fertility symbols. Notice also that hats are occult related, ie ritual head bands and ceremonial head pieces. You can tie anything to occult belief if you only try. You need to try harder. You need to try harder. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 464984 10-07-2018 07:00 PM Post: #60 RE: Sexy Melania !!! FLOTUS DOES INDIANA JONES LOOK IN FRONT OF PYRAMID ! LoP Guest Wrote: (10-07-2018 06:54 PM) Note Belloq ends with a Q. I dont do gematria, but I think someone should analyze that name, RENE BELLOQ Couldnt make sense of the results... dont know enough about their word/number games. Any other sleuths here? Or Qleuths? Couldnt make sense of the results... dont know enough about their word/number games.Any other sleuths here? Or Qleuths? Advertisement HappyMagazine.ie, an innovative support website for people affected by cancer in Ireland, is launching Irelands first dedicated cancer support magazine. HappyMagazine.ie, Irelands only non-charity, non-medical dedicated cancer support resource, currently publishes relevant positive and helpful content for anyone going through cancer or surviving after cancer (a patient or their friends/families) online daily. Since its inception in July 2017, Happy Magazine has gone from strength to strength and has now had over 50,000 views and now, this November, it will launch its first print edition. The launch issue will have a print run of 10,000 copies and be solely funded by relevant and responsible advertising revenue. The magazine will be distributed across the country to all cancer treatment centres. Founder and Editor Holly Kennedy says, Gardai investigating a fatal road collision have renewed their appeal for witnesses. The fatal road traffic collision occurred on the Naas Rd, Co Dublin on Sunday, September 30, 2018. A male pedestrian in his 30s was fatally injured following a collision involving a van at approximately 4.15am. Gardai and emergency services attended the scene. The injured man was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later. Gardai investigating the incident wish to renew their appeal for witnesses who may have travelled this stretch of road in the early hours of the September 30, and in particular any taxi drivers or motorists who have not come forward to date. Witnesses are asked to contact Clondalkin Garda Station 01 666 7600, The Garda Confidential Telephone Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station. - Digital Desk Update 8 October, 9.10pm: Peter Aherne has been located safe and well. Earlier: Gardai in Coolock are seeking assistance from the public in tracing the whereabouts of 47-year-old Peter Aherne. Peter has not been seen since Thursday, September 27. He is described as being 5 4, with grey hair and a stocky build. When last seen Peter was wearing a navy Adidas tracksuit and grey runners. It is believed he is in possession of his car - a black Mazda 6 saloon with a 08 D registration. Gardai and Peter's family are very concerned for his welfare. Anyone who may have seen Peter or who may know of his whereabouts to contact Coolock Road Garda station on 01-666 4208, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station. - Digital Desk British Airways hopes to put Concorde back into passenger service by the spring following a modification programme costing 17m. Work has now started at Heathrow Airport on fitting new linings made from a kevlar and rubber compound to fuel tanks on Alpha Foxtrot, one of BA's seven Concordes. The linings are designed to contain the fuel should the wing skin be punctured, preventing any repetition of the devastating fire that brought down the Air France Concorde which crashed near Paris last July, killing all 109 people on board as well as four on the ground. It will take a BA team of 40 engineers between eight and 10 weeks to carry out alterations to each of the seven Concordes. While Air France carries out tests on the ground in southern France, BA will do airborne tests using Alpha Foxtrot. If there are no complications, both airlines will get back their Concorde airworthiness certificates and passenger services can resume. Captain Mike Bannister, 51, BA's Concorde chief pilot, says: "This is very much a team effort and everyone on both sides of the Channel is working really hard to get Concorde back into the air. "We are hoping that a BA Concorde can take off at the same time as an Air France one when commercial services resume - it would underscore how well we have all worked together. "Hopefully, I shall be flying the first test flight and the first passenger flight and I'm really looking forward to it." Capt Bannister, who has been with BA since 1969, added: "We will initially be operating one London-New York return flight a day and plan to go back to the usual two returns a day schedule by late summer or early autumn. Some time after that, we plan to resume Concorde flights to Barbados." By Joe Callaghan Conor McGregors return to the UFC ended in misery and then shame as chaos enveloped the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov made good on his promise in the main event of UFC 229 and wholly outclassed the Dubliner with a masterful performance, submitting McGregor with a rear-naked choke in the fourth round. But having shown so much of his best, the Dagestani spoiled it all by launching himself into the crowd to attack McGregors support staff and kicking off a disgraceful brawl outside and inside the cage. The most shameful act of many came when members of Nurmagomedovs camp jumped into the octagon to then attack a blind-sided McGregor. The UFC had used the tagline The world is watching for what was the richest night in its history. As security and police tried to restore some semblance of calm amid the disgrace, the organisation would have instead preferred no one was watching on. Both fighters were led away from the arena by police, Nurmagomedov forced to leave without his belt as UFC chief Dana White refused to wrap it around the champions waist, telling him If I put this belt on you everyone is going to start throwing s**t. The projectiles came anyway, drinks and cups raining down on the victor. This was not a night when it felt like anyone had won, however, least of all the UFC itself. The build-up to a record-breaking bout had been bitter, but they had happily fuelled that bitterness. McGregors criminal acts in Brooklyn in April when he smashed up a bus carrying Nurmagomedov and other fighters was the most serious flare-up in a relationship between the pair that has always been fractious. The UFC, having happily used footage of the incident to heavily promote the fight, reaped what they had sewn. As the fight approached, things had got even more pointed, more personal. Nurmagomedov insisted on the eve of the showdown that this was more than just a fight. It was personal. There would be no handshakes at battles end he said. Too much water had gone under the bridge, too much bile too. McGregors absence from the octagon had lasted almost two years. While he returned talking as good a fight as before, his ability to back up the words once the cage door closed was under greater question than any night in his fighting life. Facing a champion undefeated as a professional, the Notorious one came in as an underdog. The informed thinking was that Nurmagomedovs smothering style would prove too much for McGregor if the fight went to the floor or went deeper than a couple of rounds. To regain his lightweight gold, he would have to confound that logic. The atmosphere inside the T-Mobile Arena had fizzed as Tony Ferguson and Anthony Pettis served up a breathtaking battle in the nights co-main event. But the Las Vegas lungs still had enough in them for a new crackling crescendo as McGregor strode and then strutted back into the octagon. In the slightly unorthodox role as challenger, he was forced to wait and watch as the champion followed him in. McGregor landed the first shot of the fight but rarely looked anywhere near his best. He simply wasnt allowed to. Nurmagomedov was supreme, taking the fight to the ground early in the first and staying exactly there. He was on top throughout and even got the better of McGregor on his feet too. The Russian lands a huge right hand on McGregors chin in a second-round, scoring the fights only knockdown and bossing a round couldnt have been more one-sided. McGregor steadied the ship somewhat in the third, defending the Nurmagomedov takedown attempts and trading blows on his feet. But too few landed true. In the fourth, the champion put all his skills together to inflict the second surrender of McGregors UFC career. A delicious trip takedown put McGregor on his back again. The Dubliner would never get upright. With just under two minutes of the round remaining, Nurmagomedov saw his chance to bring things to an end and locked in a rear-naked choke that left McGregor with no option but to submit. The fight was over but the drama was only beginning. This should have been Nurmagomedovs finest hour. But he lost his head and lost a world of respect too. He spotted Dillon Danis, a member of McGregors support team, and goaded him, throwing his mouthguard in the Americans direction. But then he went further, climbed out of the cage and launched himself into the crowd to attack Danis. The fallout was immediate. Three members of Nurmagomedovs camp were arrested and led from the arena in handcuffs. The champion will likely have some serious reprimands of his own coming. There were many lessons on this dark night for champion and challenger. But the hope is that the UFC will eventually learn some of their own. Lunaticoutpost.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program , anaffiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Amazon, the Amazon logo, MYHABIT, and the MYHABIT logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.Don't be a pest to the forum.No profanity in thread-titles or usernamesNo excessive profanity in postsNo Racism, Antisemitism + HateNo calls for violence against anyone..This website exists for fun and discussion only. The reader is responsible for discerning the validity, factuality or implications of information posted here, be it fictional or based on real events. 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The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.In accordance with industry accepted best practices we ask that users limit their copy / paste of copyrighted material to the relevant portions of the article you wish to discuss (no more than 50% of the source material) provide a link back to the original articleIf you are a legal copyright holder or a designated agent for such and you believe a post on this website falls outside the boundaries of "Fair Use" and legitimately infringes on yours or your clients copyright please contact [email protected] This website is owned by :Marco ZwaneveldDrijfriemstraat 522516 XR The HagueNetherlands.I will not rent, sell, share or otherwise disclose your personal information to any third party.We might contact you from time to time regarding your purchases or the services (like forums and announcement lists) you have subscribed to.Some of the 3rd party advertisers on lunaticoutpost.com may use cookiesto track peformance and/or to serve relevant ads.If you wish to read more and/or opt out of such cookies, please visit: http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/ A 25-year-old woman is fighting for life after a man she knew allegedly tried to kill her in Brisbane's south on Sunday morning. A 31-year-old man from Pallara, south-west of Sunnybank, has been charged with attempted murder after the alleged attack. Crime scenes were declared at a car park and home at Pallara. Police found the woman with critical injuries after they were called to a car park in Ritchie Road, near a school at Pallara, about 4.30am on Sunday. She was taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital suffering from facial and head injuries. A man and woman have been assaulted and robbed in a Brisbane home by two men who turned up to buy electronic items. Police say the men went to the Calamvale house at about 7.45pm on Saturday to buy a mobile phone and laptop, but once inside they assaulted the male occupant, age 27. The woman, 28, locked herself in an upstairs bathroom but one of the assailants broke down the door and threatened her with a gun. Police said the two men tried to steal a number of items in the house before fleeing. AAP Prominent businesswoman Diane Smith-Gander has slammed broadcaster Alan Jones over his on-air treatment of Sydney Opera House chief Louise Herron, saying that men bullying women is worse than any other sort of bullying". Ms Smith-Gander, the immediate past president of Chief Executive Women and a board member of Wesfarmers and AGL, said Jones very public attack on Ms Herron on Friday had been startling and failed to recognise the broader impact of that kind of "role modelling". Businesswoman Diane Smith-Gander called on the Premier to "point out the inappropriateness" of Alan Jones' behaviour. Credit:Louie Douvis She called on NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to "point out the inappropriateness" of Jones' behaviour. The Premier alluded to the controversy on Sunday by saying it "wouldn't be Sydney" without people expressing different views, and that while everyone had that right, "views need to to be expressed respectfully". The NSW government continues to embrace a lesser known visa scheme that provides wealthy foreigners with a pathway to permanent residency, despite a federal review finding the scheme had few economic benefits and should be axed. The NSW government nominated 112 people during the first full year of the permanent visa scheme in 2017-18, according to the latest figures supplied to the NSW Legislative Council. The NSW government nominated 112 people during the first full year of the permanent visa scheme in 2017-18. Credit:Alamy Under the scheme, known as the Significant Investor Visa (SIV) stream, "high net worth individuals" are granted permanent residency in exchange for investing $5 million in Australian "complying investments", such as venture capital projects, shares, and corporate and government bonds. In order to be eligible, investors need to be nominated by state governments and must show a "genuine and realistic commitment" to residing in that state. A former TAFE Queensland chief executive and Newman government appointee received a $390,000 termination payment despite leaving her role voluntarily, according to the Palaszczuk government. Jodi Schmidt was appointed to head up the training body in July 2013 and left on September 15, 2017, three months before her contract's end date, and received a payout at the end of the year, according to the TAFE Queensland annual report. LNP shadow training and skills spokesperson Fiona Simpson says questions remain over the depature of former TAFE Queensland boss, Jodi Schmidt (pictured). Credit:Facebook/TAFE South Bank On her LinkedIn page, Ms Schmidt describes herself as an experienced CEO with a track record of successful business transformation, returning underperforming organisations to profitability and significantly enhancing shareholder value. She was previously a deputy director-general of the former Department of Education, Training and Employment, and chief operating officer of the Southbank Institute of Technology. The Andrews government has announced plans to build a massive $1.5 billion hospital in Footscray. Premier Daniel Andrews promised the new 504-bed hospital could allow up to 15,000 new patients to be treated each year, with an additional 20,000 emergency department admissions. The preferred location for the development is the Victoria University Footscray Park campus on the corner of Geelong and Ballarat roads. Up to $1.5 billion would be invested in the project, with construction starting within two years. To meet growing demand in the city's west, the Joan Kirner Women's and Children's Hospital will open its doors next year. Simon Cockerell, general manager of Koryo Tours, told the website there was a showcase area of three or four rooms, including a kitchen and bedroom. Visitors to the Kwangbok Department Store can pick up dish drainers and cutlery holders, according to dedicated Pyongyang watchers NK News , which also reports the Swedish furniture giant's logo is clearly visible. South Korea has the largest IKEA store in the world. Officially, North Korea has none: but that hasn't stopped the Hermit Kingdom from selling the famous flat-pack furniture and kitchen items in Pyongyang. For many people who would shop there it is still a bit aspirational that they could deck out their homes like that, but it is to give ideas and introduce concepts so I think its a good idea, he said. Loading A company spokesperson made it plain the store had no permission to sell IKEA products. "We are constantly looking into markets where we are not present today but North Korea is not in our plans in a foreseeable future," the spokesperson told Fairfax Media. The company declined to say how it would seek redress in this case, but said it took trademark protection seriously. "There have been cases of others using the IKEA trademarks or IKEA domain names for activities such as fake IKEA websites, fraudulent schemes and similar or sell fake IKEA products and even set up fake IKEA stores," the spokesperson said. "When that happens, it is misleading for consumers and it is very unfortunate." Pompeo and Kim met for about two hours and then had a 90-minute lunch together. South Korea later said the two men agreed to a second Kim-Trump summit "at the earliest possible date". "In love": North Korea leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump shake hands at the conclusion of their meetings in Singapore in June. Credit:AP "It's good to see you again," Pompeo told Kim as the two men shook hands for the cameras before lunch. The secretary of state then put his hand on Kim's shoulder, and the pair smiled. "Well, I am really pleased for this opportunity. After having a nice meeting we can enjoy a meal together," Kim said. As the pair sat for lunch, Kim said, "It's a very nice day that promises a good future for both countries." Pompeo said he had a "great visit" and a "very successful morning", adding that Trump sent his regards. Both men spoke through translators. Pompeo's last trip to North Korea, in July, did not go so well. He came away from it saying the two sides had made progress, only for North Korea to denounce him for making "gangster-like" demands and raising "cancerous" issues. On that occasion, he did not meet Kim. Pompeo then planned to return in late August, only for Trump to cancel the trip at the last minute as it became apparent that the two sides remained far apart on their approach to the negotiations. But a summit of the leaders of North and South Korea last month has helped to rekindle the peace process, as has the apparent desire of both Kim and Trump to meet again. During Pompeo's meeting in Pyongyang, Kim invited inspectors to visit the Punggye-ri nuclear test site to "confirm that it has been irreversibly dismantled", State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. North Korea had committed to this previously but has been resistant to allowing international inspectors to visit sites it has claimed have been dismantled. Loading "Allowing inspectors at Punggye-ri would be an important test of North Korea's willingness to subject its facilities to verification," said Adam Mount, a senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists. Nauert's statement made no mention of North Korea's commitment to dismantle the important Yongbyon nuclear facility, a potentially troubling sign for US negotiators. An official accompanying the delegation who declined to be named said the Sunday trip had gone "better than the last time" but added that it is going to be a "long haul," according to a pool report from the lone US journalist who accompanied Pompeo to Pyongyang. Later on Sunday, Pompeo flew to Seoul, where he met South Korean President Moon Jae-in. He said in Seoul that he had "a good, productive conversation" with Kim. "As President Trump said, there are many steps along the way, and we took one of them today. It was another step forward. So this is, I think, a good outcome for all of us," Pompeo said. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, right, talks with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, on Sunday. Credit:AP Moon said he hoped a Trump-Kim summit would happen soon, and would "make irreversible, decisive progress in terms of denuclearisation as well as the peace process." During his private meeting with Moon, Pompeo said, he and Kim had agreed to arrange the second US-North Korea summit "at the earliest possible date", according to a statement issued by Moon's chief press secretary, Yoon Young-chan. "Secretary Pompeo said there had been discussions on denuclearisation measures to be taken by North Korea and monitoring by the US government, as well as on corresponding measures to be taken by the United States," Yoon said. Yoon said the two sides would form "working-level negotiating teams" to discuss the specific date and location for the summit, as well as North Korea's denuclearisation process. At the heart of the impasse has been two fundamentally different approaches to denuclearisation. Pompeo has insisted that sanctions on North Korea should remain in place until the country completely dismantles its nuclear program. The governments of both North and South Korea, however, say that is unrealistic. Instead, they want both sides to take a "phased" approach, in which Pyongyang is rewarded as it takes gradual steps to roll back its nuclear program. Pompeo met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on Saturday, and the two men "agreed that pressure must continue until the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) denuclearises", Nauert said. That is not how Pyongyang sees things, nor is it the approach being advocated by Seoul. After the summit between the leaders of the two Koreas last month, Kim said he was prepared to permanently dismantle his country's main nuclear site at Yongbyon, but only if the United States took "corresponding steps" to build trust. North Korea has been asking for the United States to formally declare that the 1950-1953 Korean War is over, as a way to bring an end to hostile relations between the two countries. The war concluded with an armistice but no peace treaty. In the past few days, North Korea has also renewed its demands for sanctions to be eased. North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho told the UN General Assembly late last month that "coercive" sanctions were lethal to trust-building between the two nations and that without trust, "there is no way we will unilaterally disarm ourselves first". Istanbul: Turkey has concluded that Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent journalist from Saudi Arabia, was killed in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul earlier this week by a Saudi team sent "specifically for the murder", two people with knowledge of the investigation have said. Turkish investigators believe a 15-member team "came from Saudi Arabia. It was a pre-planned murder", said one of the people. Both spoke on Saturday on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. They offered no specific evidence to back up the account. Earlier on Saturday, however, Turkey's Anadolu news agency said the Istanbul public prosecutor's office had opened an inquiry into Khashoggi's disappearance. Turkish authorities have said that Khashoggi never left the consulate. Donald Trump tweeted on Friday that the women protesting about Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court were paid professionals and #Troublemakers. He was echoing a sentiment that has become common in Republican circles over the past few weeks, and even appeared in Kavanaughs testimony before the Senate: that the outpouring of rage and anguish from women across the country in response to allegations against Kavanaugh was some sort of conspiracy, a coordinated effort to manipulate victims and persecute men. Its not, of course. George Soros isnt handing out wads of cash to women on the street and the Clintons arent organising some massive behind-the-scenes retribution. The anger voiced by American women is deeply felt. A woman holds a placard during a protest against the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court, in Denver, Colorado. Credit:AP One sign of the depth of that anger? Two new books have just been published on womens rage: Rebecca Traisters Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Womens Anger and Soraya Chemalys Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Womens Anger. Both works centre on the question of womens anger in the age of Trump. And both present it perhaps in overly optimistic ways as the source for political change. The rage is indeed real. It emerged from related events: the Access Hollywood tape and Donald Trumps victory. The tape was a catalysing moment for women who were already tuned into Trumps rough misogyny, the anti-woman animus that fuelled his attacks on Republican presidential nominee Carly Fiorina and Fox News Megyn Kelly. The tape contained a bald admission of assault, and many assumed it would prove disqualifying, especially as Trump vied for the presidency against Hillary Clinton, a woman with a far superior resume. Sign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC To the editor, I have been watching News12 Brooklyn. The segment on commercial vehicles parking overnight on residential streets was of particular interest. On 19th Avenue between 86th and Benson we have mail trucks parked without impunity day and night, alternate side or not, on streets and sidewalks. I have called Congressman Donovan, Councilman Treyger, the 62nd Precinct, and 311. All say they can do nothing about this. Although helpful and cordial, Fran Vella-Marrone has said the Post Office will continue to do this without penalty even though city law on commercial parking is clear. To the taxpaying resident it screams that government may break its laws but the law-abiding tax-paying resident must abide by them. This is democracy!!!! Joseph S. Fusco, PhD Bath Beach Dont overbuild! To the editor, I was the first chairman of Community Board 2, appointed by Borough President Abe Stark and Councilman Lenny Skolnick, and it was the duty of community boards to protect the rights of our voters, to protect the interests of our community. I believe we have done a great job as non-salaried workers who meet every day, week, and month of the year to protect the interested citizens. But what I have been seeing in this newspaper [is] about money-makers from other countries ripping up our Downtown Brooklyn, hurting thousands of other people who live in Brooklyn. Im now retired and live in New Jersey, but still love Brooklyn, where I grew up [and lived] all my life. I cant believe our Borough President and Community Board 2 will lose this fight to cut down this new development on Flatbush Ave. Extension. Please, community board, dont lose this fight!Rocco (Roy) Vanasco Monroe Township, NJ New York squeeze To the editor, The focus on real estate development in New York City needs to be replaced with a focus on the quality of life for its already too-large populace. Consider the city a closed vessel, a fixed-size location: to keep building and squeezing more people on the sidewalks, streets, mass transit options and aged infrastructure seems to favor only one entity, the real estate builders and those they support come election time. Every time I leave the city to go to upstate New York, among other places nearby, it becomes all too clear that elected officials are catering to the wrong class of people, and that the tax-paying populace is being squeezed more and more into the same small cage, making life claustrophobic and pretty much unbearable once one leaves their home. Of course there is the impossible problem of the great lessening of affordable housing as well. Everyone knows cronyism abounds, that class warfare is very old news. The electorate truly must begin to get far more involved in neighborhood, city and state politics and must vote.Barry Brothers Homecrest A question of timing To the editor, Where was the Professor when Judge Kavanaugh was appointed to the D.C. Court of Appeals? Why didnt she go to the FBI at that time? Why did she wait until Kavanaugh was named as a candidate for the Supreme Court? Had his name not come up no one would have ever found out about her. While I am sympathetic about her happening, the timing and circumstances are a bit suspect. I think the FBI will clear Kavanaugh and the Democrats will be sitting with their heads between their legs. Bob Seidenberg Brooklyn GOPs last stand To the editor, The Republicans have proven, probably for the last time, that they have no backbone and will be frittering away any Republican dominance in Washington, over the Socialist-Communist democrats for the next 50-plus years. The recent Kavanaugh hearings proved to be the circus it was predicted to become. Worse yet, the Democrats had their knives out for him as well as any proposed Trump official, long before hearings began. With this new delay, I suspect that all sorts of mischief will be dredged up by the Democrats in their never-ending battle against truth and more important, decency. This may very well be the Republicans last chance to grow a pair, stand up for what is right and do what is necessary to keep this country from falling over the left coast. Failing this, I can predict a senate hearing in the future starting with the Comrade from the great state of confusion! Robert W. Lobenstein Marine Park Need a party mix To the editor, RepublicanConservative Party candidate Jonathan Trichter for State Comptroller makes sense. Albany has always had members of different political parties holding key statewide offices. This promotes independent checks and balances to insure honesty. Past Republican Governors Nelson Rockefeller and George Pataki had Democrats Arthur Levitt, Carl McCall and Alan Hevesi as State Comptroller. Democrat Governors Hugh Carey and Mario Cuomo had Republican Comptroller Ned Regan. GOP gubernatorial candidate Marc Molinaros valiant efforts swimming upstream against Albany Pay for Play special interests and overwhelming Democratic enrollment numbers favor Democrat Andrew Cuomo being reelected Governor for a third term. Just look at the voter affiliations and campaign funds. State wide voter enrollment numbers clearly favor Cuomo. There 5,621,811 Democrats versus 2,632,341 Republican active voters. Cuomo has spent $11 million and will easily spend millions more over coming weeks. Molinaro, like Cynthia Nixon in the primary, will be outspent by Cuomo ten to one. For taxpayers regardless of ideology or party affiliation Republican Jonathan Trichter is the logical choice for State Comptroller. He can hold Cuomo accountable to honest finances along with avoiding waste, fraud and abuse. Trichter will also have his hands full keeping an eye on Democrat State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and the new State Senate majority leader [Andrea] Stewart Cousins. It is doubtful that current Republican State Senate leader John Flanagan will maintain majority control of the State Senate. One party control of Albany by the infamous Three Men In The Room for both Albany executive and legislative branches of state government is a recipe for disaster. Many, including myself, long for the days of our late State Comptroller Arthur Levitt, who served from 1954 to 1978. He was a true friend of taxpayers and kept the wolves at bay! Larry Penner Great Neck Brooklyns Municipal Building on Joralemon Street could soon bear the name of Kings Countys own born-and-bred U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, if Mayor DeBlasio signs off on the renaming recently requested by Borough President Adams (Quest for Ruth: Beep wants Downtown building named for Justice Ginsburg, by Julianne Cuba, online Sept. 28). Ginsburg, 85, began her journey to the Supreme Court bench in her native Flatbush, where Adams said her childhood as the daughter of Jewish immigrants is a quintessential New York story. She went on to study at James Madison High School before graduating from Cornell University and then Columbia University Law School. Some readers didnt agree with the Beep: Ill get flamed for this: RBGs legacy will only be infrastructure named after her; if she and Breyer had resigned during the first Obama administration their legacies would be preserved. Now, with the both of them out, in one way or another, in a few years or so.well, we all know. Can OPeas from Flatlands Ginsburg is part of the radical anti-Constitution wing of the Democrat Party. They believe in centralized power and are crypto-totalitarians. She is a borderline Marxist. Thank God she and Breyer will soon be gone and Trump will replace them. The sooner the better. Peter Williams from Bath Beach It wouldnt matter of it does get named for her, because most people wont even be using that name anyway just like every other building or bridge that was named for someone important.Tal Barzilai from Pleasantville, NY Stop re-naming things! I dont like change! A friend of mine from outta town said the were once gonna take the Hugh Carey Tunnel and I had no idea what they were talking about. Build something new if you wanna name it something new. Jim from Cobble Hill Given the countrys longstanding romance with movies, consumer electronics major Samsung is betting big on the cinema exhibition market in India. It has just launched its premium brand of LED screens called Onyx in alliance with PVR Cinemas and says that it is looking to acquire at least 10 per cent of the multiplex market in the next couple of years. However the screens come at a steep investment of Rs 70-80 million. And while Samsung promises a revolutionary viewing technology, viewers would have to pay more for the movies that play on these screens. But are Indian ... 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 Uttarakhand has got investment proposals worth Rs 700 billion, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said on Sunday. "Investment proposals worth over Rs 700 billion have been received and most of the memorandum of understandings have been signed with an aim to reach development to the state's hilly areas," Rawat said at a two-day that began here today. Among the investment proposals, the has committed the largest sum of Rs 65 billion. The group plans to invest Rs 50 billion in a metro rail project, and Rs 10 billion to upgrade power transmission. It will create a logistics park at Rs 5 billion. "We see tremendous potential in Uttarakhand. Its has grown at a rate 11 per cent in the last fiscal year. We have also signed an MoU in the area of farm production," Adani Enterprises Director Pranav Adani said. The state government has identified 12 sectors for focussed investments. These include wellness and AYUSH, pharmaceuticals, information technology, horticulture and floriculture, natural fibres, tourism and hospitality, film shooting, biotechnology, renewable energy, food processing and automobile. The summit is being attended by hundreds of investors from India and abroad. The Czech Republic and Japan are the country partners for the state's summit and were represented by their ambassadors to India. Singapore's Communications and Information Minister S. Iswaran was also present at the summit. Automaker Mahindra & Mahindra started its journey in the state with a tractor plant in 2000. In 2006, it added another plant in Haridwar, which now makes its top-selling models including Bolero. "The state has good infrastructure and skilled manpower that provides opportunities for investors. In the 18 years of our presence, we have never faced any issues," Pawan Kumar Goenka, M&M's Managing Director, said. The group also makes 1,000 electric three- wheelers per month in the state, he added. Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp. will acquire six additional vessels for $100 million over the next two to three years. We have six vessels (lined up)... two vessels every one year, CLC president and chief executive Chryss Alfonsus Damus, told reporters Friday. He said the new vessels would be used for unserved and underserved routes in Visayas and Mindanao, as well as for the expansion of existing routes. CLC currently operates 16 tankers, 22 RoPax, 11 cargo vessels and 14 tugboats through Chelsea Shipping, Starlite Ferries, Trans-Asia Shipping Lines Inc. and Fortis Tugs. Investor and partner 2GO Group Inc., meanwhile, operates eight RoPax vessels, five cargo vessels and 11 fast craft. The company on Friday inaugurated M/T Chelsea Providence, a 183.3-meter long medium-range oil tanker that can carry up to 54 million liters of petroleum and M/V Salve Regina, and a roll-on, roll-off vessel which can accommodate over 500 passengers and 41 vehicles. We have long dreamed of having our presence felt in the international waters and to commence our foray into the regional liquid carrier market. Today, we are grateful to welcome our biggest as well as the Philippines biggest registered vesselM/T Chelsea Providence, CLC founder and chairman Dennis Uy said.M/V Salve Regina, meanwhile, is a brand-new RoPax that will serve the Batangas-Caticlan route. It was built by Kegoya Dock Co. Ltd., a Japan-based shipbuilder. The company also acquired in March 2018 a floating dock named Chelsea Exuberance, which is programmed to keep its 83-strong fleet in the best condition and optimize the deployment of the ships. Aside from expanding its fleet, CLC plans to expand its business further by engaging in the development, management and operation of infrastructure facilities and systems. The company earlier reported a net income of P360 million in the first half of the year, up 29 percent from P278 million on year. By concluding the S-400 Triumf long-range surface-to-air missile system deal with Russia in the face of Washington's sanctions on Moscow, India reasserted its independence on foreign policy in adherence with New Delhi's stated stand that its ties with one country are free of that with a third country. After the signing of the deal during the course of the 19th India-Russia Annual Bilateral Summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President here on Friday, a top source pointed out that India's negotiations for the S-400 missile system began several years before the current US sanctions on Russia came into effect. This was basically implying that New Delhi will not give up on its defence cooperation legacy with Moscow in the face of another country's actions. The has been an issue of much speculation after the Trump administration's Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) law came into effect in January. CAATSA targets countries doing business with Russian, Iranian and North Korean defence companies. A group of US senators imposed the sanctions on Russia over what they called Moscow's continued involvement in the wars in Ukraine and Syria and its alleged interference in the 2016 US presidential election. Following the signing of the S-400 deal, the US Embassy spokesperson here said that the intent of her country's implementation of CAATSA was "to impose costs on Russia for its malign behaviour, including by stopping flow of money to Russia's defence sector". Spokesperson Jinnie Lee said that CAATSA was "not intended to impose damage to the military capabilities of our allies or partners". Her comments came after a senior US State Department official said last month that there will be no blanket waiver for defence trade with Russia. "On the S-400, there is no blanket waiver or country-specific waiver," Principal Deputy Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Affairs Alice Wells had said while briefing the media about the first ever 2+2 India-US Ministerial Dialogue. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Jim Mattis held the 2+2 Dialogue here on September 6. Wells also referred to Pompeo's remarks to the media here after the 2+2 Dialogue in which he said that no decision has been taken on the S-400 deal. "We continue to have conversations with the Indian leadership on ways we are working to hold Russia accountable for its behaviour," she stated. "As Secretary Pompeo said, the sanctions are not intended to adversely impact countries like India. These are designed to impact Russia." The most significant outcome of the 2+2 Dialogue was the signing of the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) by the two sides. COMCASA guarantees India access to critical US defence technologies and communication networks to help the militaries of the two countries in their interoperability. Though India and the US maintain a robust Global Strategic Partnership with the two countries being major defence partners, by signing the S-400 missile deal, New Delhi has now sent a clear signal to the world that its bilateral relationship with one country is independent of that with a third country. This was also evident when Modi went to Wuhan in China in April at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping for an informal summit after Indian and Chinese troops were in a face-to-face situation at Doklam on the India-Bhutan-China trijunction for 73 days last year. India and China are now also in talks to update a 12-year-old defence agreement and establish a hotline between their defence ministries. Putin, too, after being re-elected President for the fourth time, hosted Modi for a similar informal summit in the Russian resort city of Sochi in May. Following that meeting, Modi said that India-Russia bilateral ties have been taken to a new level. New Delhi also made its foreign policy independence in West Asia clear when Modi made separate visits to Israel in July last year and to Palestine in February this year. These were the first-ever Indian prime ministerial visits to the two countries. Despite developing strong ties with Israel, India in December last year voted with the rest of the world in the UN General Assembly against US President Donald Trump's unilateral decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Now, what remains to be seen is how India handles the fresh US sanctions on Iran that are set to come into effect on November 4. The US pulled out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that Tehran had signed with the five permanent members (P5) of the UN Security Council, Germany and the European Union and imposed the new sanctions on the West Asian nation over its nuclear programme. Under the sanctions, the US wants all countries in the world to stop importing oil from Iran. This has sparked concerns in New Delhi as Iran is a major supplier of crude oil to India. According to Wells, expert-level discussions are going on between India and the US on issues related to crude oil exports from Iran and ways to bring those exports down. Stating that these conversations are ongoing, she said that the US is "working very hard with our partners so that there are no disruptions in the market and adequate supply is available to substitute for Iranian oil". But can India afford to forego crude supplies from Iran in the face of the spiralling oil prices? This is the next big foreign policy challenge for New Delhi. North Korean leader has agreed to hold a second summit with US President as soon as possible, said Sunday. US Secretary of State said "he agreed with Chairman Kim to hold the second US-North Korea summit at the earliest date possible," South Korea's presidential office said in a statement. The two sides agreed to "continue talks to decide on the specific time and location for the second summit", Pompeo told South Korean President Moon Jae-in, following his meeting with Kim in earlier Sunday. US Secretary of State hailed "progress" in talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang on Sunday before landing in Seoul on a whirlwind diplomatic visit to the region. The top US diplomat met with Kim for around two hours Sunday morning in the North's capital, where denuclearisation and a second US-North Korean summit were expected to be high on the agenda, before the pair shared a lunch together. "Had a good trip to Pyongyang to meet with Chairman Kim," Pompeo tweeted. "We continue to make progress on agreements made at Singapore Summit. Thanks for hosting me and my team." The visit was Pompeo's fourth to US President met Kim in Singapore in June for the first-ever summit between the countries. Speaking to Pompeo via an interpreter following the morning's talks, Kim praised their "nice meeting". He added: "It's a very nice day that promises a good future ... for both countries." After a previous visit to Pyongyang in July, Pompeo had said the two foes had made progress on key issues. But within hours of the Secretary of State departing the North released a statement condemning "gangster-like" demands from the US, raising questions over how much the two sides really saw eye to eye. An official on Sunday's latest visit to Pyongyang with Pompeo said the trip was "better than the last time", but added: "It's going to be a long haul." Details of Sunday's discussions were not immediately available. But prior to the meeting, Pompeo tweeted that he would "continue our work to fulfil the commitments made (by) POTUS and Chairman Kim," using an acronym to refer to US President On the flight to Tokyo, Pompeo said his aim was to "develop sufficient trust" between Washington and Pyongyang to inch towards peace. "Then we are also going to set up the next summit," said Pompeo. However, he played down expectations for a breakthrough. "I doubt we will get it nailed but begin to develop options for both location and timing for when Chairman Kim will meet with the president again. Maybe we will get further than that," said the top US diplomat. No sitting US president has ever visited North Korea, which according to human rights groups remains one of the most repressive countries on Earth. Since the Singapore summit, which yielded what critics charge was only a vague commitment by Kim towards denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, the road towards warmer ties has been bumpy. Trump scrapped a previously planned trip by his top diplomat to Pyongyang after what he said was insufficient progress towards implementing the terms of the Singapore declaration. But the unorthodox US president has also since declared himself "in love" with Kim. Washington and Pyongyang have sparred over the exact terms of their vaguely-worded agreement in Singapore, with the US pushing to maintain sanctions and pressure against the North until its "final, fully verified denuclearisation. Last month the North's foreign minister told the United Nations there was "no way" his country would disarm first as long as tough US sanctions remain against his country. Analysts say Washington may now consider new options as China, Russia and South Korea seek to relax sanctions. " took some steps towards denuclearisation and the US will face criticism from the community if it continues to demand complete denuclearisation without any lifting of sanctions," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "We can't rule out the possibility that Washington... may move in the direction of partial easing of sanctions based on progress in denuclearisation," he said. Speaking alongside Japanese Prime Minister earlier in the trip, Pompeo said the two historic allies would have a "fully coordinated, unified view of how to proceed, which will be what is needed if we are going to be successful on denuclearising " Pompeo landed Sunday afternoon in South Korea, whose dovish president Moon Jae-in has served as a go-between for the two sides. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has given a hint of what a grand bargain between the two countries could look like. In an interview with the Washington Post, she said the North could agree to dismantle Yongbyon, its signature nuclear site. In exchange, the United States would declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War -- which concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty -- but North Korea would stop short of delivering an exhaustive list of its nuclear facilities, she said. After Seoul, Pompeo ends his trip Monday in China, North Korea's political and economic lifeline. The Beijing stop could be tense as it comes days after Vice President Mike Pence delivered a blistering speech accusing China of military aggression, commercial theft, rising human rights violations and electoral intervention against Trump. The US Senate confirmed Donald Trump's pick in the closest such vote in more than a century, amid controversy over sexual abuse allegations against him. The Senate Saturday voted 50-48 to approve Kavanaugh in a major win for Trump as more than 1,000 protesters rallied in against a nominee who had to overcome questions over his candor, partisan rhetoric and lifestyle as a young man. Brett Kavanaugh, 53, was sworn in as a judge of the US Supreme Court, hours after he was confirmed by a bitterly divided Senate by 50-48 votes. Kavanaugh was officially sworn in early Saturday evening as the 114th Justice of the of the by Chief Justice John Roberts who administered the Constitutional Oath in the Justices' Conference Room. Retired Associate Justice Anthony M Kennedy administered the Judicial Oath. Wife Ashley Kavanaugh held the family Bible. Justice Kavanaugh's two daughters, Liza and Margaret, and his parents attended the ceremony. Kavanaugh replaces Kennedy, who had announced his resignation early this year. The swearing in of Kavanaugh as the judge brought to end weeks of bitterly fought battle between the ruling Republican and the opposition Democratic parties. Things took an ugly turn in the last few weeks, when at least three women came forward with allegations that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted them. Millions of people inside US and abroad watched live on their television sets the open hearing of Kavanaugh and his first accuser Christine Ford, a professor in California. Under tremendous political pressure, Trump ordered a last-minute FBI supplemental inquiry, the results of which reports said did not prove the allegations. Day later on Saturday, the Senate confirmed the nomination of Kavanaugh by 50-48 votes, which was mostly on party lines. Kavanaugh is the second Supreme Court nominee of to be confirmed by the Senate. Trump who was on a November 6 mid-term election campaign trail in Kansas called Kavanaugh to congratulate him on his confirmation and swearing in. "I just congratulated him," he said, "Congratulations". It was well fought. I mean, who would have thought a thing like that could've happened -- what he's been through? Everything was uncorroborated, he told reporters in Topeka, Kansas. Describing Kavanaugh as an outstanding person, Trump alleged that in recent weeks he and his family suffered a lot because of the opposition Democratic lawmakers who according to him supported an uncorroborated allegation of sexual assault against him. "We're very honored that he was able to withstand this horrible, horrible attack by the Democrats. It's a horrible attack that nobody should have to go through," he said. "But the beautiful thing is, he is now in. He's going to be there for a long time. And he's just an outstanding intellect, outstanding scholar, a brilliant lawyer -- brilliant at everything he's ever done. So we're very happy. It was a great vote, a very historic vote," Trump said. Even as he was being sworn in inside the Supreme Court, scores of people protested across the street at the Capitol. "The crowd in front of the US Supreme Court is tiny, looks like about 200 people (& most are onlookers) - that wouldn't even fill the first couple of rows of our Kansas Rally, or any of our Rallies for that matter! The Fake News Media tries to make it look sooo big, & it's not!" Trump said in a tweet. Of the nine-members on the powerful Supreme Court bench, two of the judges Kavanagh and Neil Gorsuch have been nominated by Trump. His predecessor Barack Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, both women, on the bench in 2009 and 2010 respectively. As many as 42 cases have been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 342 people have been arrested across the state in lieu of the attacks on non-Gujarati people, Gujarat Director General of Police (DGP) said on Sunday. Non-Gujaratis, especially those hailing from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were attacked recently after arrest of a man from Bihar for allegedly raping a 14-month-old girl in Sabarkantha district last week. "Till now, we have registered 42 cases in which 342 people have been arrested all over. 17 companies and one platoon in Gujarat of SRPF have been deployed in district which was needed more. The camp will be held in areas which are sensitive. Places, where non-Gujaratis are residing and working, are being given security," said Shivanand Jha, DGP, Gujarat. According to reports, many workers belonging to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and other states were also forced to board home-bound trains. Elaborating about the total arrests and police complaints, the DGP said, "In total, six districts have been affected in this violence. Mehsana and Sabarkantha districts have been affected the most. In Mehsana, 15 cases have been registered in which 89 people have been arrested. Similarly, in Sabarkantha, 11 cases were lodged and 95 people were arrested." "Besides Mehsana and Sabarkantha, seven cases have been registered and 73 arrests have been made in Ahmedabad, three cases and 27 arrests in Gandhinagar, three cases and 36 cases in Ahmedabad rural, two cases and 20 arrests in Aravali and a case and two arrests in Surendranagar have been done," Jha added. He further said that six people have been arrested by the cyber cell for spreading hate speech on social media. "Spreading rumours is also a crime. Gujarat is a peace-loving state. It has respect of its own. So, we will not let anyone play with the respect of Gujarat," Jha further said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A group of 550 students from Lucknow who participated in the India International Festival (IISF), have registered a new Guinness World Record for being the 'maximum number of people to conduct a DNA isolation experiment'. The students of GD Goenka School here participated in the mass experiment. All students were given one banana each and they extracted the DNA of each of the bananas. Most of them extracted the DNA within one hour and one minute during the IISF. They all completed the task successfully in 90 minutes. The earlier record was set in 2017 in America when 302 students performed a similar experiment. Speaking to ANI, a teacher from the school lauded the students saying, "We were really tensed for the competition but now our students have done it, and it is really a proud thing for us. We want to thank IIFS and the Government of India for giving us this platform. We were informed about this completion 10 days earlier. It was a team work for the students. We organised practice sessions for them and they did it. We would like to make more world records like this." Meanwhile, Pranav Aggarwal, a student of Class 11 who participated in the experiment, said although it was a very tough experience for them being first timers, their teachers were very supportive. Vasvi Aggarwal, another student of Class 9, added, "We practiced a lot and (gradually) it became easy for us. We are really happy to break America's record. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Alpesh Thakor on Sunday dismissed allegations of fanning violence against migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar over rape of a 14-month-old girl in Sabarkantha. "This is unfortunate. We have never advocated violence; we have only talked about peace. All Indians are safe in Gujarat," Thakor told ANI. He also said that the situation in Gujarat was being falsely portrayed. Thakor, who heads the 'Kshatriya Thakor Sena', said on Wednesday that he will sit on a fast outside Ahmedabad's Sabarmati Ashram on October 8 to seek justice for the girl child who was raped. The girl was raped by a migrant worker at Dhundhar in Sabarkantha district on September 28. The police have arrested a migrant worker from Bihar, as a suspect in the incident. Following the incident, the members of Thakor Sena staged protests in the northern part of the state and demanded that people from other states should not be given jobs in Gujarat. Earlier this week, violence erupted in parts of north Gujarat over the rape of the infant during which non-Gujarati natives, particularly those from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, were targeted. Director General of Police (DGP) Shivanand Jha said that over 150 people were arrested for targeting those hailing from other states in the violence that erupted in various parts of Gujarat. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The protests over Judge Brett Kavanaugh's elevation to the US Supreme Court continued even after his confirmation on Saturday for the post of Associate Justice in the apex court. Protestors congregated at the Capitol Hill in opposition to his appointment and banged the doors of the Supreme Court when Kavanaugh reached for his swearing-in, CNN reported. A group of protestors gathered near the Supreme Court at around 5:45 PM (local time) chanted "Hey hey, ho ho, Kavanaugh has got to go." They also raised slogans like, "No justice, no peace," and expressed their solidarity with alleged sexual assault victims by chanting "We believe Anita Hill," a woman who had earlier levelled similar allegations against Justice Clarence Thomas. One demonstrator displayed a sign with "Predator Club" written alongside pictures of Kavanaugh, Thomas and President Donald Trump. Taking to his Twitter account, Trump refuted "fake news" reports that there were huge crowds of protestors gathered outside the Supreme Court, saying that the crowd seemed to be barely 200 strong. "The crowd in front of the U.S. Supreme Court is tiny, looks like about 200 people (& most are onlookers) - that wouldn't even fill the first couple of rows of our Kansas Rally, or any of our Rallies for that matter! The Fake News Media tries to make it look sooo big, & it's not!" Trump tweeted. The Capitol Police had earlier confirmed that 14 people were arrested during the protests in the Senate Gallery, while another 13 were arrested during the vote to confirm Kanavaugh, with another person arrested a while ago. In the gallery, protestors were chanting, "I will not consent," with raised fists, leading to Vice President Mike Pence having to ask the sergeant-at-arms to "restore order in the gallery" repeatedly. Around 150 protestors assembled at the Rotunda Steps on the East Front of the US Capitol were arrested, the Capitol Police added. Protestors who were arrested on Saturday were charged with breach of the Washington code against crowding, obstructing or incommoding. Over 300 have been arrested in the anti-Kavanaugh protests throughout this week in Washington D. C. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Major property developer Ayala Land Inc. plans to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission another P50 billion in debt securities program as the company remains positive about the overall domestic real estate industry. Ayala Land chief finance officer Augusto Bengzon said in an interview at the sidelines of the companys recent P8-billion bond listing ceremony with Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp., it planned to file late this year or early next year another shelf registration program after using up the P50-billion bond shelf program registered in 2015. It will probably be a similar amount to what we have filed, Bengzon said when asked about the potential size of the bond shelf program. The planned debt securities program will be a combination of all kinds of fixed-income instruments, including fixed-bonds. Ayala Land on Friday successfully raised P8 billion from the issuance of five-year bonds representing the sixth and final tranche from the P50-billion debt securities program. Ayala Land issued P47 billion worth of fixed rate bonds and P3 billion worth of Homestarter bonds. With the latest P8-billion bond offering, Bengzon said Ayala Land had fully secured the companys funding requirements for 2018. Ayala Land this year programmed P111 billion in capital expenditures, up 21 percent from P91.4 billion spent in 2017.The company will use the bulk this years capital expenditures for the expansion of residential projects and malls and land acquisitions. Meanwhile, Bengzon said the bond shelf registration had been helpful in timely raising funds for the projects. A shelf registration allows an issuer to register and sell under the same prospectus and other regulatory filing requirements a certain volume of securities that the issuer does not intend to use up right away. The SEC allows the issuer a three-year window to tap the shelf registration. Ayala Land is one the leading and most diversified real estate companies in the Philippines. It reported a net income of P13.54 billion in the first half of the year, up 18 percent from P11.5 billion year-on-year. Consolidated revenues reached P80.39 billion, up 25 percent from P64.5 billion on year, driven mainly by real estate revenues which rose 25 percent to P75.8 billion. Co-producer of Salman Khan's upcoming film 'Bharat' Atul Agnihotri, thanked Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan for his role in the upcoming romantic thriller. Varun is reportedly doing a cameo in the Salman Khan-starrer. Taking to Instagram, Agnihotri shared a photo of Varun and himself, and thanked the 'Judwaa 2' actor for his love and support, writing, "#Bharat thanks you for your love and support @varundvn @bharat_thefilm." The cast had recently wrapped up the Abu Dhabi schedule of the film after they wrapped up the Malta and Mumbai schedules of the film. 'Bharat' is Ali Abbas Zafar's third collaboration with Salman after the 2016 film 'Sultan' and the recent 'Tiger Zinda Hai'. The 'Dabangg' star will be seen sporting five different looks spanning over 60 years, including a crucial part which will showcase the actor in his late 20s, looking much leaner and younger. After Priyanka Chopra decided to walk out of the film, Katrina Kaif was roped in to play the female lead opposite the 'Wanted' star. The film, which is slated to hit the big screens on June 5, next year, also stars Tabu and Disha Patani in pivotal roles. . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Demanding a reduction in petrol and diesel prices by at least Rs 8 in Delhi, Union Minister Vijay Goel on Sunday protested against the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government in a unique way by riding a bullock cart in the capital. Stating that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led state government is "insensitive", Goel said: "The Narendra Modi government has decreased the petrol and diesel prices even when the crude oil price is so high in international market and value of Indian rupee against US dollar has decreased. But, the Arvind Kejriwal government is insensitive. They are only talking. This government is running at the speed of a bullock cart," he added. On September 4, the Centre slashed the prices of petrol and diesel by 2.50 per litre each and directed the state governments to implement the same. Soon after this, many states, including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, and Maharashtra announced an additional concession of fuel prices. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Minister and Lok Sabha Member of Parliament from Udhampur, Jitendra Singh on Sunday refuted allegations levied by the Conference (NC), that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are responsible for the killing of NC workers in the valley. Sharpening his attack against the NC, Singh accused the latter party of pitting proxy candidates in the upcoming civic polls and gram panchayat elections. "One side, they are saying no NC worker is in the election and on the other hand they are making these claims, I think they should revisit their words", he said while briefing media on the issue. The Udhampur MP also accused the NC of risking the lives of their party workers. Singh said, "The first responsibility and blame is on their party itself. They initially claimed to officially boycott these elections and now from the back door, they have fielded proxy candidates. If they would have fielded official candidates and provided a list of candidates to the electoral officer and demanded security for them, then we would have fixed responsibility. It is because some candidates were fielded in the election as proxy hence they couldn't get more security that they could have." NC MLA Shamima Firdous, had earlier held the BJP and RSS responsible for allegedly killing her party workers in Srinagar. Talking about the killing of two NC party workers, who were allegedly shot dead in Karfalli Mohalla area of old Srinagar, Firdous told ANI, "I have no hesitation in saying that the BJP and RSS killed my workers. I have no doubt about it." On October 5, two NC workers were killed and one was injured in a terror attack which took place in Srinagar's Karfalli Mohalla. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) American rapper Kanye West has shut down his Twitter and Instagram accounts. However, it isn't the first time West has deleted his social media accounts without warning. Ye, as he now prefers to be called, stayed off Twitter for nearly a year, making his return this past April, and recently went back to Instagram as well, reported The Hollywood Reporter. The 'Gold Digger' star had come under fire for his support of United States President Donald Trump. He recently delivered a pro-Trump speech on the premiere of the 44th season of 'Saturday Night Live'. Despite his speech not being aired, the 41-year-old received applauds from President Trump. West gave the lengthy speech about his support of Trump wearing a Make America Great Again (MAGA) cap. He claimed that he was "bullied" by SNL producers backstage into not wearing MAGA gear on stage. On the work front, he was expected to drop a new album 'Yandhi' last weekend, but it has not yet been released. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Judge Brett Kavanaugh was on Saturday was sworn-in as an associate justice in the Supreme Court of the United States, shortly after the Senate confirmed his nomination. The Supreme Court had earlier confirmed that Kavanaugh would be sworn-in on the same day as the final vote on his nomination, Sputnik reported citing local media. The final vote count was registered at 50-48 for Kavanaugh, coming as a major victory for President Donald Trump a month before the midterm elections. Taking to his Twitter handle, Trump hailed the Senate's decision to confirm Kavanaugh's nomination, saying, "I applaud and congratulate the U.S. Senate for confirming our GREAT NOMINEE, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, to the United States Supreme Court. Later today, I will sign his Commission of Appointment, and he will be officially sworn in. Very exciting!" The President also stated after the confirmation that he was "100 per cent" sure that Professor Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a high school party in 1982, had mixed up the assaulters and was accusing the wrong person. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that the prolonged quarrelling over the confirmation had "fired up" the Republican voter base ahead of the impending midterm elections. "It certainly had a good impact for us. Our base is fired up. We finally discovered the one thing that would fire up the Republican base and we didn't think of it - the other side did," said McConnell. He also said that the tussle with the Democrats was "about treating someone fairly." "We stood up for the presumption of innocence, we refused to be intimidated by the mob of people coming after Republican members at their homes and halls," McConnell said while addressing a presser. The 50-48 vote count in the nomination was the closest one since Stanley Matthews was confirmed in 1881 (24-23). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday said that his government is focusing on abolishing Balochistan's apprehensions regarding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), promising to give the province its due share from the deal. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government is conducting the review of the muti-billion dollar deal to address Balochistan's doubts, Khan confirmed during a meeting with the province's cabinet members here. "Centre will work with Balochistan as a partner. We will not make any such promise for which we may have to excuse later on," said the Prime Minister. He further bemoaned the damage caused to Pakistan by previous governments through the over-burdening loans they took, saying, "We hope that we will soon get rid of this difficulty." While stating that the country's progress was connected with the development of the south-western province, Khan said that an agricultural revolution will be witnessed in Balochistan following the completion of the Kachhi canal. 80 kilometres of the 363 kilometre-long canal lies in Balochistan, with the other 281 kilometres being in the Punjab province. The PTI chief also called upon Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan to inculcate the newly instituted local bodies system, which also slated to be introduced in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Khan said that his party was able to garner two-thirds majority in the KP Assembly as resources were sanctioned for the lowest levels of the government. "There have been massive developments in KP villages as the basic living standards of people improved," said the Prime Minister. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least 20 people were killed after two vehicles collided at the intersection of State Route 30 and 30A in Schoharie near Albany here on Saturday, according to local police. One of the vehicles has been confirmed to be a limousine, which was carrying a wedding party, according to Fox News. The police have not revealed the names of the deceased yet. New York State Police Capt. Richard O'Brien held a news conference on Saturday night, where he said, "What we can tell you at this point is that it is a 2 vehicle, multi fatalities as a result of this crash. The investigation is very preliminary it's in its infancy stages." The police received a 911 call about the accident which occurred right outside a popular cafe here just a few minutes after the mishap. The National Transportation Safety Board sent a "go-team" to the collision site, according to their official Twitter handle, while emergency crews from the Schoharie County Sheriff's Office, New York state police and the Red Cross also arrived on the scene. The reason behind the accident is still under investigation. The Mumbai Police has arrested a model for allegedly murdering his fashion designer mother. The accused model, identified as Lakshya Singh, allegedly killed his mother, Sunita Singh, on Saturday. According to Shailesh Pasalwad, Senior Inspector-Oshiwara Police Station-Sunita was found dead with multiple injuries on her back and head. "A case has been registered under section 304 (2) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Investigation in the matter is underway," he added. The reason for Sunita's death has not been ascertained. Further details are awaited. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An FIR has been registered in connection with Bihar's Supaul incident where more than 30 girls were allegedly thrashed by a group of people for resisting the attempts of some local boys to sexually harass them. Darbhanga Zonal Inspector General, Pankaj Darar said, "Girls used to go to a playground nearby, where some boys used to write obscene words on walls.. This was happening for the past four days. Yesterday they asked a boy Mohan to stop doing that. Upon hearing this, Mohan, his mother and some other women beat them up. 14 children are still at the hospital. People involved have been identified and an FIR has been registered." He further assured that culprits will be arrested soon. Speaking on the matter, Triveniganj Sub-Divisional Magistrate said, "The girls are admitted to hospital..Accused will be arrested soon." One of the victims said, "The boys often used to write obscene words on walls. We stopped them from doing that and they thrashed us. There were some women with them who beat us up too." Meanwhile, Supaul Member of Parliament (MP), Ranjeet Ranjan said, "I reached the spot and inquired why was the FIR not lodged. Today FIR was filed against only six to seven people.. Children are scared, and there should be an internal scared. This harassment of the girls has been happening for long, why did it take so long? Because the girls belonged to poor families, they were ignored. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With an aim to curb crime in the state, more than 500 prisoners and ex-prisoners have been provided jobs by the Telangana Prisons Department. "Telangana Prisons Department has started many innovative ideas. One part of it is to reduce the crime in the society. We have started taking noble steps for the employment of the released prisoners. Already we have employed more than 500 prisoners and released prisoners in our prisons petrol bunks," Narsimha, Inspector General, Telangana Prisons Department told ANI. "We also pay Rs 15,000 wages to each prisoner in urban areas and Rs 12,000 in rural areas. Due to this, the prisoners are not committing crime after having a job in the hands. Last week, we conducted a job fair for the released prisoners and we invited multiple- companies for providing employment. Eight to 10 companies came forward and participated in the fair," he added. Narsimha went on to add that 155 released prisoners got jobs when the fair was organised last time. "We are going to continue this program. This has helped us to reduce crime in the society," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Department of Trade and Industry will keep on pushing for the direct importation of sugar by food processors to boost the exports of Philippine food. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said over the weekend it was beneficial for the export industry if processors could obtain sugar imports at a cost of P1,700 to P1,900 per 50 kilogram bag. What we are after is to make the cost of production competitive enough so that manufacturers can produce at import volume level, he said Exporters, he added, informed the department that they would rather not produce if they could not get hold of cheaper sugar.Some food processors had scaled down production due to the high cost of local sugar, Lopez said. The Export Development Council met Friday to discuss how to address production constraints. Were slowly regaining the growth we lost. From a higher base of 20 percent last year, exports (are) now positive at 4.1 percent in June to July. It is our hope that exports will continue its good trend until yearend. Hopefully, well hit 9-percent (growth) by yearend, Lopez said. A group of Hindu devotees from Pakistan on Sunday visited the famous Jagannath Temple in the pilgrim town of Odisha's Puri and paid obeisance to the deity. The group of over 100 people including men and women arrived in Odisha on October 4 on a five-day trip. The Pakistani tourists expressed gratitude over the treatment meted out to them and urged the Indian government to relax visa provisions. It was for the first time the pilgrims had visited Jagannath Temple. One of the pilgrims, Aatmaram said, "I have come to India before as well but this is my first pilgrimage to Jagannath temple. It was an overwhelming experience when we paid obeisance to the deity." Speaking about their life in Pakistan another pilgrim, Ramesh said, "We are happy in Pakistan and we celebrate our festivals with much fervor and joy in Pakistan as well. A lot of Hindu's from Pakistan want to visit these holy places and government should make provisions for them to get their Visas more easily." Another visitors Yajneshwar Das hailed the inter-country visits and said, "We also took out a Jagannath Yatra in Karachi this year on one of the main roads. Pakistani Rangers also supported us. As much as 1200 people took part in it. The people there are also very cooperative. Now we want to construct a grand Jagannath temple in the city. " "The misunderstanding is due to miscommunication. It is good that there would be more inter-country visits. We have many friends on both sides of the borders. There are many who believe that there should be cordial relations between the two countries, "he further added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Railways Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday suggested all state administrations to build good infrastructure around tourist attractions to "attract investments in the tourism sector". Addressing the Uttarakhand Investors Summit in Dehradun, the Union Minister said that tourism is the key business attraction of every state. "There is need to build infrastructure around tourism services to attract investment. There can be nothing better than infrastructure built around a central theme that comes naturally to every citizen of Uttarakhand. This is where tourism comes in," he said. Goyal said, "Despite being the very first summit, we have already received investment proposals worth over Rs 75,000 crore. For the state the size of Uttarakhand, this is very significant. I was immensely pleased to hear that a state with barely one crore population has Gross Domestic Product (GDP) upwards of Rs 2.15 lakh crore last year, and a per capita income of Rs 1,70,000. This is truly remarkable for a small sized hill state." Urging people to focus on developing Uttarakhand in tourism sector, Goyal said, "Every nation, state and city has a unique selling proposition, better known as USP within business circles. We need to identify our own USP and build up our economic development around that USP. Let's focus on how we can put Uttarakhand on the world map. It is always the early bird that gets the first advantage, and we have the natural advantage of knowing what the state has to offer." Uttarakhand hosted its first-ever investors' conclave - 'Destination Uttarakhand: Investors Summit' on Sunday. The two-day summit will conclude on Monday with the closing session being chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the summit and said that the country is going through a period of rapid transformation. The Prime Minister added that new India is a great destination for investment, and "Destination Uttarakhand" represents this spirit. Various industrialists from ITC Limited, Reliance Industries Limited, Azure Power, Pawan Hans, Amul, Vardhman, and Hero MotoCorp are participating in the summit. Investors from Japan, Czech Republic, Argentina, Mauritius and Nepal are also taking part in it. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Responding to Union Minister Smriti Irani's remarks on Congress president Rahul Gandhi's participation in the Narmada Puja in Madhya Pradesh, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Member of Parliament (MP) Majeed Memon said Irani is "sailing in the same boat" as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who did not shed even "crocodile tears" for Muslims before his Indore visit to observe Ashura, the annual commemoration of Imam Hussain's martyrdom. On Friday, Irani, in an interview with ANI, took a jibe at Gandhi for performing aarti and participating in the Narmada Puja in Morena during his visit to poll-bound Madhya Pradesh. "For Gandhi to say that he is afraid of Hindu terror, for Gandhi and his party to give an affidavit in a court of law saying that Ram did not ever exist, today for him to do 'aartis' and 'Ram Naam japna' in itself is a victory of BJP. From half-baked truths and lies, Rahul Gandhi today has to go for his political salvation into temples. This exercise by him is an attempt to hoodwink people into believing he can be acceptable amongst a majority community that he treated with disdain over years," she said. However, Menon told ANI: "This type of a criticism by Smriti Irani doesn't suit her. She is also sailing in the same boat. What is the conduct of her leader in whose name these people are just trying to attract votes? Your leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also following the same line." "Right from 2014 till recently he was feeling awkward to even wear a skull cap. He never embraced Muslims. He never thought of them when scores of Muslims were lynched in different parts of BJP-led states. He never bothered to go to their houses and show sympathy. He didn't even shed crocodile tears. But suddenly now he goes to Indore and meets Bohras and bows down to them. What is that? Is that not a gimmick? That is also a political game," he added. Memon went on to say that in politics, "all the leaders irrespective of their political parties try to approach every section of the society." He added, "Rahul has done the same. There is nothing strange in that." Meanwhile, Congress leader Tom Vadakkan claimed that Irani has only one role, which is, to criticise the Congress president. "It's a standard operating procedure of this concerned minister (Irani) to speak the kind of language to draw attention. Her contribution to her ministry is well known and she has only one role - criticise Rahul Gandhi. I wish she had the 'Aastha' and faith in any one religion except as an opportunist, who all the time is bent upon trying to defame Rahul Gandhi. The people, whom she hopes and depends upon, to vote for her will turn their back at the appropriate moment," he said. Vadakkan continued, "We have faith in the almighty and a telling lesson would be taught to this lady, who has lost all elections and has won on the basis of nomination. She is not going to win any election in this country wherever she contests." Resonating similar sentiments, senior leader Sharad Yadav said, "The Constitution of India is for the 125 crore people of this country. Whatever they (BJP leaders) are saying is because they don't want to work - no jobs, no business. The Indian government has taken 11 lakh crore rupees from the pockets of citizens via demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax (GST). Now, when the economy has been completely demolished, they only have these things to do. Religion has nothing to do with (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) United States Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo on Sunday arrived in Pyongyang and is slated to hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. The US Secretary of State is expected to lay the groundwork for a possible second meeting between Kim and US President Donald Trump. Pompeo arrived at Pyongyang after meeting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Foreign Minister Taro Kono in Tokyo, Yonhap News Agency reported. This is Pompeo's fourth visit to the communist nation and comes at a time when the US and North Korea are finding a breakthrough to resume their stalled denuclearisation talks. After completing his engagements in North Korea, Pompeo will head to Seoul later in the day and is scheduled to brief South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on his visit to North Korea. On Monday, Pompeo will depart for Beijing to hold talks with high-ranking Chinese officials. While Pyongyang, on the one hand, has repeatedly asserted that it has taken various steps to dismantle its nuclear weapons programme in exchange for a possible sanctions relief, on the other hand the US has reiterated that it will not lift the sanctions unless North Korea achieves "complete and fully verifiable denuclearisation". In August, Trump had abruptly cancelled Pompeo's planned visit to North Korea, citing the lack of sufficient progress on denuclearisation talks between both the countries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) United States' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the Blue House upon his arrival in Seoul on Sunday. He held a meeting with Moon and Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha at the Blue House, where he thanked the South Korean government for its role in negotiations for North Korean denuclearisation, reports Yonhap News Agency. "Arrived in #Seoul to brief President @moonriver365 and FM Kang on my meetings in #DPRK with Chairman Kim. I look forward to working closely with our #ROK friends and allies to ensure progress on inter-Korean relations is in lockstep with progress on denuclearisation," Pompeo tweeted. Pompeo arrived in South Korea after meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang. Heather Nauert, the US State Department Spokesperson tweeted, "After trip to #DPRK @SecPompeo lands in #ROK to meet with @moonriver365 , describes conversations with Chairman Kim as good and productive, says "There will be many steps along the way & we took one of those today." @statedept." On Monday, Pompeo will depart for Beijing to hold talks with high-ranking Chinese officials. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hailing Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY)- Ayushman Bharat as the world's largest health care programme, President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday said that the scheme will provide health coverage to socially and economically weaker sections of the society. "With a potential to help over 10 crore families and 50 crore citizens, Ayushman Bharat is the world's largest health care programme," the President said. He made these remarks while addressing the International Conference on Women Health, Wellness and Empowerment in Kanpur. President Kovind outlined the achievements of girl children and said, "Despite facing more restrictions in our society in comparison to boys, our girl children are still surging ahead in many areas with determination and skill. This is a welcome trend and must be encouraged." Emphasizing on the good health of pregnant women and the newly born children, President Kovind asserted that a healthy family makes a healthy nation. Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, President Kovind informed the gathering about the construction of 8.5 crore toilets under the Swachh Bharat scheme. He also said that 5 lakh villages have become Open defecation free in the country, as part of this mission. Later in the evening, President Ram Nath Kovind also inaugurated the 4th India International Science Festival- IISF 2018 in Lucknow. Talking of India's investment in Research and Development sector , the President remarked that India's investment in this domain will be more than 83 billion dollars during this year. Speaking further on the growth of Indian Startup sector, he said, "A large number of scientists have returned to India to pursue their dreams. Over 900 patents were applied by Indian Startups last year. The scientific community must encourage budding researchers and students so that they can excel in various scientific fields." Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union minister of Science and Technology, Dr Harsh Vardhan were also present on this occasion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ram Nath Kovind and First Lady Savita Kovind embarked on a three-day visit to Tajikistan on Sunday. During the visit, President Kovind will meet his Tajik counterpart Emamoli Rahmon. Furthermore, the Speaker of the Parliament Shukurjon Zuhurov, Speaker (Chairman) of the Lower House of Parliament and Prime Minister of Tajikistan Qohir Rasulzoda will call on President Kovind, a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) read. Minister of State (MoS) for Defence Subhash Bhamre and Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) Shamsher Singh Manhas are also slated to be a part of the President's delegation which is a standalone visit to Tajikistan. The President will visit the Tajik National University where he will deliver an address on 'Countering Radicalisation: Challenges in Modern Societies'. He will also address the members of the Indian Diaspora in Tajikistan. In addition, President Kovind will pay his respects to Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore by visiting their memorials in Dushanbe and offering floral tributes. This will be the first visit of President Kovind to Central Asia, the statement added. "During the visit, all areas of bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation are expected to be discussed. Given the close relationship between the two countries, the visit is expected to lead to further strengthening of Indo-Tajik bilateral relations," the statement said. India-Tajikistan bilateral relations have steadily grown and diversified in many fields. Since 2012, both countries have elevated their ties to the level of strategic partnership. There have been several exchanges of visits at the highest level between the two countries. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had visited Tajikistan in 2003, while incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the nation in 2015 as part of his visit to all the five Central Asian countries. The last visit to Tajikistan by President of India was by Pratibha Patil in 2009. Meanwhile, President Rahmon has visited India five times, his last visit being in December 2016. The leadership of the two countries also frequent meetings on the sidelines of various multilateral platforms. These regular visits at the highest level have cemented the bilateral ties as well as demonstrate the importance the two countries attach to this relationship. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The representatives of Pandalam Palace and Sabarimala temple priests refused to attend the meeting called by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday to discuss the Supreme Court's verdict allowing women's entry in the Lord Ayyappa temple. The Palace trust will also file a review petition in the matter. Meanwhile, devotees of Lord Ayyappa continued their protest in Chennai, demanding the retaining of the age-old tradition of the hill shrine. The devotees organised a rally from Kodambakkam High Road to Mahalingapuram Sree Ayyappa Temple demanding the government to file a review petition against the apex court's verdict. A rally 'Ayyappa Nama Japa Yatra' was also organised at Delhi's Jantar Mantar in by Lord Ayyappa devotees against the top court ruling. On September 28, the five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court removed all restrictions imposed on Sabarimala temple with regard to the entry of women between the age group of 10 to 50. The Kerala Chief Minister on October 3 informed that the state government would not file a review petition against the verdict and will do all the things needed to implement it. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP), Sakshi Maharaj has thrown an open challenge to Congress president Rahul Gandhi asking him to contest elections from his constituency in Unnao. Maharaj further said that he would leave if Gandhi wins from his constituency. He also asked the Congress president to leave the country and go to Italy if he loses the polls. Stepping up his attack, the BJP MP said that Gandhi scion would not become an MP from anywhere. Maharaj also asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will return to power with more seats than 2014 in the upcoming general elections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The body of a college student, who was abducted by Naxals on Saturday night, has been found near Kundanpal village of Sukma district on Sunday. Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Meena confirmed the report and said that the deceased has been identified as Kunjami Shankar. Earlier on October 4, one more student was kidnapped by Naxals while he was traveling from Bhejji to Konta. The search for the student is underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former President Fidel V. Ramos receives Pangasinan Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil at the former leaders office. To HONOR and enshrine the legacy of former President Fidel Valdez Ramos, Pangasinan Second District Rep. Leopoldo N. Bataoil urged his fellow lawmakers in both houses of Congress for the immediate approval of House Bill No. 8367 calling for the establishment of the Fidel V. Ramos Library and Museum in Lingayen, Pangasinan. In filing the bill, Bataoil, a retired two-star police general and house committee chairman on Veterans Affairs, took cognisance of Fidel V. Ramos being the 12th president of the Philippines, as a retired 4-star general of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and whose life as a public servant cannot be overemphasised.Known as one of the heroes of the 1986 People Power Revolution, FVR, as he is more popularly called, embodies the virtues and inimitable characteristics of a statesman, soldier and citizen, Bataoil said. According to the Pangasinan solon, the role President FVR played in the annals of Philippine history during his service in the military and term as achieving Philippine president can be recounted through numerous records, publications, writings, letters and essays, and other materials and objects defining his epoch in Philippine presidential history. His achievements must be properly enshrined and carefully documented for the benefit and knowledge of generations to come. For this purpose, a library dedicated to his honor must be established and located in his hometown or any place significant to him such as his birthplace in Lingayen, Pangasinan, Bataoil added.The FVR Library and Museum shall be placed under the supervision of the National Library of the Philippines and shall be the sole custodian and repository of all materials and items related to the former Philippine president. The bill on the establishment of FVR Library and Museum is expected to be certified as urgent by President Rodrigo Duterte and is expected to have smooth sailing in the lower house under former President now House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. If approved, the legacy of former President Ramos will certainly be housed in one establishmentsimilar to the presidential libraries and museums in the United Stateswhere items, memorabilia, books, letters, videos and other objects and items will be kept safe, well protected and promoted. At the ripe of 90, FVR continues to soldier on as a senior statesman and a grateful nation owes him a debt of gratitude for his service, honor and duty to our beloved nation. This FVR Library and Museum is the best gift we can think of to honor his legacy, concludes Bataoil. The United States and Japan on Saturday agreed to jointly work on the successful dismantling of North Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles programme. This came after US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, who is on a two-day visit to Japan, met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to discuss North Korea's denuclearisation and the abduction of Japanese citizens by Pyongyang during the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, CNN reported. Pompeo told the Japanese Prime Minister that he would raise the two issues during his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang on Sunday. He further said he wished for "a fully coordinated, unified view of how to proceed if we are going to be successful in denuclearising North Korea." Abe, meanwhile, said that he "highly valued" the fact that Pompeo came to Japan ahead of his scheduled and most anticipated visit to North Korea. "I would like to have thorough coordination with you on our respective policies towards North Korea," he remarked. After Pompeo makes a brief stopover at Pyongyang on Sunday, where he is expected to lay the groundwork for a possible second meeting between Kim and US President Donald Trump, the US Secretary of State will proceed to Seoul on the same day, before visiting Beijing on Monday (October 8). Abe had earlier requested Trump to take up the issue of Japanese citizens' kidnappings by North Korea during his meeting with Kim in June. Last month, the Japanese Prime Minister had expressed interest in meeting Kim in a bid to reset the stalled bilateral ties between Japan and North Korea. According to a 2014 report by the United Nations Human Rights Council, hundreds of Japanese, South Koreans and other foreign nationals were kidnapped by North Korea after the Korean War concluded in 1953. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that he and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have agreed to hold the second US-North Korea summit "at the earliest possible date." According to Yonhap News Agency, this was disclosed in a closed meeting between Pompeo and South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the Blue House on Sunday. Meanwhile, United States President Donald Trump said that he was looking forward to seeing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un again."@SecPompeo had a good meeting with Chairman Kim today in Pyongyang. Progress made on Singapore Summit Agreements! I look forward to seeing Chairman Kim again, in the near future," President Trump tweeted. The first summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was held earlier this year on June 12 in Singapore. The summit witnessed the signing of the joint declaration according to which the North Korean leader committed for "complete denuclearisation of Korean Peninsula", while the US President pledged "security guarantees" to North Korea. Earlier on Sunday, Pompeo visited Pyongyang and held talks with the North Korean leader on the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. He called the conversation with Kim "good and productive". After completing his engagements in North Korea, Pompeo reached Seoul and briefed the South Korean President and Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha about his Pyongyang visit. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tanushree Dutta's lawyer on Saturday said that the actress will move the High Court if the police failed to take adequate action against the accused. Addressing the media, Advocate Nitin Satpute said, "We have all evidence of the incident and will move the High Court if proper action is not taken by the police." On being asked why did the actress filed a complaint ten years late, Satpute said, "Tanushree had tried to lodge an FIR against Nana Patekar, Ganesh Acharya, the director and producer of the movie in 2008 but police made fool of her by registering a case only against the incident of attack on her vehicle and didn't mention anyone's name" He added, "Since she doesn't know Marathi she was unaware of it. Moreover, she was also in depression due to the harassment that she had undergone. Now that Tanushree has recovered she decided to take action and registered a case against them." Satpute further said that during the shooting of a special dance number, Patekar was touching Dutta inappropriately on pretext of teaching her some steps. A case has been filed under section 354(criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (physical contact and advances involving unwelcome and explicit sexual overtures), 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) and section 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code. Patekar on Saturday, refuted the allegations and said that "a lie will remain a lie." Tanushree has also been slapped with a legal notice by Patekar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hollywood star Will Smith visited the sets of Punit Malhotra's 'Student of the Year 2' and spent some time with the lead cast of the film which stars Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, and Ananya Panday. He visited the sets of Karan Johar's production project SOTY 2 and was seen bonding with the lead actors of the film. Dharma Productions official Instagram page shared a picture of Tiger with Will, writing, "There's a guest on the sets of #SOTY2 and 'will' you be able to keep calm after seeing these?" Will also shared a picture of him shaking a leg with Tiger, captioning it, "On Set in Bollywood!! Shout out to the Cast & Crew of Student of the Year 2. Thanx for Letting Me Play." Meanwhile, Ananya and Tara also posted selfies on their Instagram account with Will. Anaya captioned the photo, "This legend visited our set today!!" Will is currently in Mumbai for an event. Earlier, he also visited the sets of 'Koffee with Karan' and bonded with Karan Johar and Ranveer Singh over a dinner date later. He might be seen in a special appearance in the Kofee episode featuring Ranveer Singh and Akshay Kumar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rohingya Refugees staying in Indian camps have expressed concern over being deported to Myanmar. After the Central government deported seven Rohingya refugees to Myanmar on Friday, many now have refused to return to Myanmar, saying they will not rehabilitate until 'peace is restored in their homeland'. Speaking to ANI on Saturday, a Rohingya refugee, Mohammad Farooq said, "I have been living here since 2012. I only request the government to let us live here. We have faced a lot of hardships in our country. We did not leave our country out of greed, no one really wants to leave there own nation." Mohammad, further asserted that, the Rohingya refugees who have recently been deported will be soon killed. He said, "Our records are there with the authorities and the UN. Police brought us a form to fill but it was in Burmese language and we refused to fill it. The seven people who have been deported won't be alive for long. They will be killed." Echoing similar sentiments, another refugee, Haroon said, "We are living here since 2005. The government has provided us with no help apart from long-term visa. The government has stopped renewing it since 2017. It was previously renewed five times. We want to request the government that there is still no peace in our country. Houses are still being burnt there. No matter how long we live here, we will not get a citizenship until the government makes such provision." "Some people have filled a form that has come from Burma embassy. Whatever Indian government's order comes we follow but we did not fill that form because it was all in the Burmese language. Filling it would mean that we are going to Burma with our free will. We do not want to go to Myanmar as of now," he further added. More than 650,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Rakhine in August 2017 after Myanmar's army launched a massive crackdown in its northern state, retaliating the attacks by insurgents, Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army on the country's police posts and a military base. A large number of Rohingya refugees, since then, have taken shelter in India and Bangladesh, and are staying in refugee camps, often raising security concerns. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least 20 people have been killed when a limousine "failed to stop" at an intersection in upstate New York and hit a parked vehicle, police said. The accident occurred when the 2001 Ford Excursion limousine was travelling southwest on Route 30 in Schoharie, about 257 km from New York City, and failed to stop at the intersection and then collided with a SUV parked nearby, police said. At a press conference on Sunday, authorities said all 20 victims were adults, including 18 people in the limousine and two bystanders, Xinhua news agency reported. "Everyone inside the limousine was killed," Christopher Fiore, first deputy superintendent of the New York State Police, told the press. Authorities are still notifying the families of victims and declined to release the victims' names, according to the police. Further investigation of the accident is underway. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) had been sent to the site to assist in the investigation. NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt said the crash was "the most deadly transportation accident in this country since February 2009". New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement on Sunday that he had directed state agencies "to provide every resource necessary to aid in this investigation and determine what led to this tragedy". --IANS pgh/ (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.) Around 35 exotic birds and animals smuggled into India from Bangkok via Myanmar were seized by DRI personnel at the city's international airport and two persons were arrested, an official said on Sunday. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials intercepted the consignment valued around Rs 85.55 lakh on Saturday and handed over the seized animals and birds to the Kolkata Zoo authorities for safe custody. "The cargo was booked in the name of Domnic Jacob Sequeira of Pune, who along with an accomplice was found waiting to receive the consignment. Both were arrested when they were trying to load the five cages containing the birds and animals in a vehicle," a DRI official said. The official said that DRI's Aizawl zonal unit had identified one Lalfingkima Sailo for involvement in the smuggling of the birds and animals through the India-Myanmar border at Zokhtawar in Mizoram. A follow-up action was underway in Pune. These are four white cockatoos, one yellow-tailed black cockatoo, five Eclectus parrots, 12 grey parrots, one blue yellow macaw, one silver macaw, one knobbed hornbill, two birds-of-paradise, four cassowary chicks, two black and white ruffed lemurs, one baby marmoset and one Bengal cat. --IANS bnd/ssp/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least six policemen were killed after Taliban militants launched a massive attack in Wardak province, an official said on Sunday. Hundreds of Taliban militants stormed Sayed Abad district late Saturday night, triggering heavy clashes in the south of provincial capital Maidan Shar, the official told Xinhua news agency. "Six police officials, including Sayed Mezrabshah Hashemi, the district police chief, were killed," he said, adding several militants were also killed and injured during the fighting. The Kabul-Kandahar highway, a main road connecting Kabul with southern and western provinces, was blocked by militants as heavy clashes were still ongoing in the district on Sunday. --IANS ksk/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Tom Cavanagh says as far as superhero characters are concerned, one of the things that he is drawn to are flawed people doing extraordinary things. Cavanagh plays Harry Wells in the American superhero TV series "The Flash", which airs on Colors Infinity in India. What makes a great superhero character? "When it comes to superhero characters, one of the things that I'm drawn to are flawed people doing extraordinary things. When I watch (actor) Robert Downey Jr. and (actress) Gwyneth Paltrow do their exchanges (in 'Iron Man'), it elevates the genre," Cavanagh said in a statement to IANS. "They took Oscar-winning people and they put them in a superhero project - and the way they acted elevated the genre. That's something that I've always tried to do. I try to take something that is populist and inject it into our show." He has been able to play lots of different extremes with Wells. What is he looking forward to showing audiences with Sherloque Wells in season five of the show? "I really like Harry. Harry is a bit of a bad**s. He is gruff and mean. I like that a lot. There's always going to be room for Harry in the show. With H.R., it was nice to play the guy who was flat-out with enthusiasm, 'I just love everybody'. "He was the antithesis of a hero who ended up emotionally doing the right thing in the end. With Sherloque, I think there's room for a bit of both. Harry was an exceptionally smart guy, but I think this guy is even smarter. He has to be. However, there's also a sense of 'Wait, can this guy be trusted?' What's his agenda? I think that will be fun to do, too." --IANS nn/rb (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Indian Air Force (IAF) will celebrate its 86th anniversary on Monday, highlighting the "untiring efforts and supreme sacrifices" made by its personnel, the Defence Ministry said on Sunday. "In keeping with the tradition, the IAF will hold a grand parade-cum-investiture ceremony at the Air Force Station at Hindon (Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh). Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa, Chief of the Air Staff, will review the parade," it said in a statement here. The parade will be followed by an air display and acrobatics by the Air Force's various aircraft, including Jaguar, Bison, MiG-29, Mirage-2000 and SU-30 MKI fighter jets and Rudra helicoptors. "After the parade, all visitors will also get an opportunity to witness static display of aircraft, weapon, radar and missiles systems of the Indian Air Force," the Ministry added. The Indian Air Force was born in 1932 as the Royal Indian Air Force under then British rule. The name was changed to Indian Air Force in 1950. The IAF has technologically evolved and grown in strength over these years to thwart any threat to the nation. It is committed to safeguarding the Indian skies and has played a key role in providing assistance to the people during natural calamities. --IANS vn/tsb/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) THE Department of Justice on Sunday directed the National Bureau of Investigation to probe the killing of five agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Kapai, Lanao del Sur last Friday. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra ordered NBI Director Dante Gierran to conduct a parallel investigation into the ambush incident that killed PDEA-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao agents Kenneth Tabulo, Kristine May Torlao, Joy Amar, Binzo Dipolla and Diobel Pacinio. I have instructed Director Gierran to investigate the killing of five PDEA agents in Lanao Del Sur and identify the people responsible for this act of cowardice against our anti-narcotics agents, Guevarra said, in a text message. The DoJ chief also tasked the NBI to build a strong case to be filed against individuals or group behind the incident. Guevarra stressed that he required the NBI to prioritize this case and immediately submit a report. The slain PDEA agents just came from a dialogue with former drug dependents in Tagoloan town when unidentified men shot their vehicle with assault rifles while at a secluded stretch of a highway in Barangay Malna, Kapai.All five agents died on the spot from multiple gunshot wounds, while two othersPDEA agent Rachel Gentapanan and non-uniformed local police employee Normina Dicaywere seriously wounded. Responding policemen and local officials recovered spent shells of rifle cartridges from one side of the highway from where the ambushers launched the attack. Lanao del Sur Vice Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr. and ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman both offered cash incentives for informants who will help authorities identify the culprits. Tagoloan and Kapai are hinterland towns in Lanao del Sur, where the PRO-12 and PDEA-ARMM had neutralized over a dozen of high-profile drug rings in the past 24 months. Jammu and Kashmir is a part of India and it will remain so and and "no power in the world can snatch it from us", Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday. "Kashmir is ours, it was ours and it will be ours. No power of the world can snatch it from us," the Minister said on the occasion of 26th anniversary of the Rapid Action Force (RAF), a specialised wing of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The RAF deals with riots, major law and order issues as well as relief and rescue operations. Singh also lauded the the CRPF's attempt in maintaining a balance while dealing with Kashmiri people and terrorists. "If some Kashmiri youths do things they should not because they are instigated by some people, you handle them properly as you feel that they belong to our country. "But if any person indulges in any terrorist activity, no power in the world can stop you from neutralizing that person," he added. The Minister said militant incidents had decreased in Jammu and Kashmir and that security forces had been giving a befitting reply to the terrorists. --IANS rak/mr/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US Senate has confirmed Brett Kavanaugh as the 114th Supreme Court Justice by one of the narrowest margins in history amid mass protests, ending a vitriolic battle that began as a debate over judicial ideology and concluded with a national reckoning over sexual misconduct. As a chorus of women in the Senate's public galleries repeatedly interrupted the proceedings on Saturday night with cries of "Shame!", somber-looking senators voted 50 to 48 - almost entirely along party lines - to elevate Judge Kavanaugh, reports The New York Times. The 53-year-old Kavanaugh was promptly sworn in by both Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and the retired Justice Anthony M. Kennedy - the court's longtime swing vote, whom he will replace - in a private ceremony. "He's going to go down as a totally brilliant Supreme Court Justice for many years," an elated President Donald Trump told reporters, whom he had invited to join him in watching the vote on television aboard Air Force One. Trump also derided the sizable protests against Judge Kavanaugh on the steps of the Supreme Court and the Capitol as "phony stuff", and said it was a misnomer to imply that women were upset at his confirmation. "Women, I feel, were in many ways stronger than the men in this fight," the President said. "Women were outraged at what happened to Brett Kavanaugh. Outraged." The brutal confirmation fight is likely to have far-reaching implications in next month's midterm elections. Republicans are confronting an electrified Democratic base led by women infuriated by the treatment of professor Christine Blasey Ford, who detailed in emotional testimony her allegations that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when both were teenagers in the 1980s. Kavanaugh has denied the allegations. Republicans have said that the battle to get Kavanaugh confirmed only motivated a fractured party electorate on a singularly unifying issue for conservatives: the federal judiciary. "It's been a great political gift for us. The tactics have energised our base," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told The Washington Post. "I want to thank the mob, because they've done the one thing we were having trouble doing, which was energising our base." But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, called the nomination "one of the saddest moments in the history of the Senate" and said, "this chapter will be a flashing red warning light of what to avoid". Republicans "conducted one of the least transparent, least fair, most biased processes in Senate history, slanting the table from the very beginning to produce their desired result", he added. The two-vote margin for Kavanaugh was the narrowest for a confirmed Supreme Court Justice since 1881, when the Senate confirmed Stanley Matthews, a nominee of President James A. Garfield's. Ahead of the vote, hundreds of people protested against Kavanaugh's nomination at the US Capitol in Washington. Protesters had gathered outside the court and at one point some ran up the steps and banged on its ornate doors. Other demonstrators climbed on the nearby statue of justice. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) will organise a show in Abu Dhabi on December 7 to raise funds for Kerala Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund (CMDRF), an official said. Veteran character artist and AMMA treasurer Jagdish said they are now working out on other details for the show. "It would be held in Abu Dhabi on December 7. Several of our members will take active part in the stage show. We expect to raise Rs 5 crore after meeting all the expenses which would go to the CMDRF," Jagdish told IANS. Kerala had devastating floods from May-end to mid-August that claimed nearly 480 lives. The deluge forced at least 14.50 lakh persons to take refugee in over 3,000 relief camps across the state. Soon after the tragedy, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urged all Malayalees to donate one month's salary to the CMDRF. The AMMA members are now getting together to raise funds through the show. "Talks have commenced with a leading Malayalam TV channel to air the stage show and besides there will be several sponsors also for the event. It's certainly going to be a great success," Jagdish added. --IANS sg/sug/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday warned that farmers might leave agriculture unless farming was made viable and profitable. Addressing the Annual Awards function of Rythu Nestham at Swarna Bharat Trust here, he said the focus should be on bringing down the input costs, in addition to increasing productivity. Indiscriminate use of fertilizers, pesticides, electricity and water also needs to be curbed, he said. "There is a need for broader discussion on lucrative farming in the country," he said, and stressed that scientists must ensure that research outcomes directly reach the farmers "from the laboratory to the land". He also advocated zero budget natural farming promoted by agriculturist Subhash Palekar. It will help in reducing costs and providing a stable income to farmers and also protect the consumers from the ill-effects of pesticides, he said. The Vice President highlighted the need to create awareness among farmers to diversify to allied activities to increase their incomes and appealed to the private sector to step up investments in agriculture. He also inaugurated a free medical camp here and called upon people to pay greater attention to their health and wellness. --IANS and/mag/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The long drawn Maoist insurgency in the country will be "completely erased" in two to three years, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh declared here on Sunday. Addressing the 26th anniversary of the Rapid Action Force (RAF), a specialised wing of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Minister said the situation had changed and Maoists were now confined to only 10 or 12 districts. "We will get news within 2-3 years that Maoism has been completely erased," said Singh, who represents Lucknow in the Lok Sabha. Praising the CRPF's role in Maoist affected areas, Singh said the 3.5 lakh-strong force had neutralized 131 Maoists this year between January and September 20 and caught another 1,278. "A total of 58 Maoists had to surrender before the CRPF. The force also recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition this year besides Rs 1.29 crore in cash." In the process, the killing of security personnel in Maoist hubs had drastically fallen. A Maoist insurgency raging in parts of India since 1967 has claimed thousands of lives. Maoists are now known to be most active in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand. Jammu and Kashmir, he asserted, would always be with India. "Kashmir is ours, it was ours and it will be ours. No power of the world can snatch it from us," he said. Reminding that RAF deals with riots, major law and order issues as well as relief and rescue operations, Singh said "rapid action" did not mean "reckless action". "The force should understand how to behave, how much pressure it should create and when this should be created." The Minister said the security forces were "civilized" and not "brutal". The RAF has been "using minimum force and producing maximum result". Singh lauded the CRPF's attempt in maintaining a balance while dealing with Kashmir. "If some Kashmiri youths do things they should not because they are instigated by some people, you handle them properly as you feel that they belong to our country. "But if any person indulges in terrorist activity, no power in the world can stop you from neutralizing that person." The Minister said militant incidents had decreased in Jammu and Kashmir and that security forces had been giving a befitting reply to the terrorists. In view of the RAF's demand, Singh said the government had given nod to establish five new battalions in Jaipur, Varanasi, Manglore, Hazipur and Nuh. The Minister said 220 quarters were being built in every CRPF battalion so that the troops could live with their family. (Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in) --IANS rak/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday urged his counterparts from BJP- and NDA-ruled states to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apprise him about the "dangers" related to the proposed amendments to the Electricity Act, 2003. Calling the amendments "anti-federal", Kejriwal also wrote that he know "it won't be easy for you (CMs) to speak against this". The letter, written to the Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tripura, Bihar, Nagaland and Meghalaya, also claimed that the amendments would render states powerless in the field of electricity. "I know you belong to the BJP alliance and it won't be easy for you to speak against this amendments. But I request you to kindly meet the PM personally and apprise him of the dangers of this amendment," he said. "Centre wants to pass the dangerous amendments in the winter session. If passed it would be disastrous," he added. "All powers will be with the Centre if the amendment is passed. State governments won't be (able) to take any decision in the matters of electricity," he said. He warned the CMs that the amendments would push up power tariffs. "The poor and the middle class would be hit very hard... Centre wants to end cross subsidy. Almost all the states use cross subsidy to give cheap/free power to farmers and charge industries/commercial units more," he said. He also said that the amendments, if passed, would make power tariffs the same for farmers, industries, commercial, residential and agricultural customers and Delhi will have to pay Rs 7.50 per unit. "Citizens of Delhi who use up to 200 units are charged Rs 1 per unit while those using up to 400 units are charged Rs 2.50 per unit. Once this amendment is done, both the categories will have to pay Rs 7.50 per unit. "This would hit around 90 per cent of all consumers in Delhi hard. The amendment would lead to huge increase in tariffs all across the country immediately for small and medium consumers as well as farmers," he said. "The AAP government has been able to keep power tariffs the cheapest in Delhi as we have the powers to do so. Once these powers are snatched, we would be helpless and the common man of Delhi and all over the country will suffer," he added. Addressing the media last week, Kejriwal had said the proposed amendments to the Electricity Act, 2003, were "very dangerous" and aimed at benefiting "a few power companies" at the cost of the people. --IANS nks/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ahead of the municipal polls in the Kashmir Valley, authorities placed senior separatist leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq under house arrest here on Sunday. Police said the decision was taken as a preventive measure to maintain law and order. Commenting on his arrest ahead of the municipal polls scheduled on Monday, Mirwaiz Umer said on his Twitter page: "Under House Arrest! Peculiar democratic process... huge deployment of forces, PSAs, incarceration, house arrests, raids, curbs, Internet bans gather momentum! Not to mention the unknown contestants and amused public! What mockery of democracy at display!" The municipal elections will be held in four phases in Jammu and Kashmir. --IANS sq/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Australian scientists have developed a novel test which can reveal the amount of DNA people shed, an advance that would help forensic examiners catch criminals. The test, using a DNA staining dye, can help forensic examiners at crime scenes determine the last person who made contact with an item. "We know that some people pass on more of their DNA because when they touch something more of their cells are left behind," said Adrian Linacre, Professor and Chair of Forensic DNA Technology at Flinders University, Australia. "They are called shedders but it's very difficult at the moment to see who is a shedder," he added. The shedder status of a specific person of interest may be relevant in determining the likelihood of whether a major contributor in a mixed DNA profile was the last person to make contact with an item and is therefore linked to a crime. The use of a DNA staining dye can visualise the presence of cellular material and allow real-time collection of the cellular material to a swab head. The results are published in the journal Forensic Science International: Genetics. Currently, the forensic examiners are working blind because they can't see the exact location which contains deposits of DNA and therefore have to sample where they think DNA might be stored. "What we have developed is a simple test which can work out if an individual is a shedder in a matter of minutes. It tells us who has the better chance of passing on DNA," Linacre said. "The shedders test also showed men shed more than women do, and that thumbs leave the most accurate traces," the researchers said. --IANS rt/mag/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday said that no one whose name figured in an ongoing probe into the 2015 cases of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib will be spared if they were found involved. Addressing a Congress rally in Lambi, the native village of former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Amarinder Singh accused the then SAD-BJP government led by Badal senior for not doing enough to stop the sacrilege incidents. He claimed that the then government ordered police firing on peaceful protesters in Bargari, killing two youths. "After the Bargari incident, the Akali Dal leadership has been exposed. The Akalis have lost support of the people," Amarinder Singh said. On Sunday, the state witnessed two big rallies and a protest which saw the three main players of Punjab -- the Congress, SAD and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) -- trade barbs. In 'Jabar Virodh' rally held in Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's hometown Patiala, SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was the Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Home portfolio when the sacrilege incidents occurred, said that the Punjab Congress leadership was "trying to weaken the Sikh religion". "Certain forces are trying to weaken the Akali Dal and the 'panth' (Sikh religion). We have to be beware of the designs of such forces. Our party and our then government felt sad over the unfortunate sacrileges. The SAD is being blamed for these incidents (by the Congress leaders) by repeatedly telling lies and misleading people," Sukhbir Badal said. Sukhbir Badal said that the Congress had failed to deliver on any of the tall promises -- loan waiver to farmers, jobs to every family in Punjab, eradication of drugs and providing mobile phones to the youth. Punjab BJP President and MP Shvet Malik said that there was no government and governance in Punjab ever since the Congress came to power in the state in March 2017. "The government is invisible and the Chief Minister and his Ministers are invisible. Congress legislators are trying to hide themselves," Malik said. Various Congress leaders targeted the SAD, particularly the Badal family, at the Lambi rally for sacrilege incidents. The Aam Aadmi Party held a march on Sunday from Kotkapura town to Bargari village in Faridkot village to protest against the sacrilege and subsequent police firing in October 2015 on those protesting against the incidents. --IANS js/tsb/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan said on Sunday it has reopened its consulate in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad that was closed in August over what Pakistani officials had claimed "interference" in diplomatic affairs by local Afghan officials. Afghan officials had denied any intervention, saying they had taken certain security measures for thousands of visa seekers who gathered outside the consulate, reports Xinhua news agency. Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal said the Consulate General in Jalalabad, closed on August 30, will resume its visa operations on Monday after assurances by the Afghan government that all necessary security will be provided to it. --IANS mr/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Justice department on Sunday ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to join the probe on the sacks of smuggled rice in Zamboanga City that went missing on Sept. 30. I have directed the NBI to assist the Bureau of Customs and the National Food Authority in the investigation of the missing 23,015 sacks of confiscated smuggled rice in Zamboanga City, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said in a statement. I will leave it to NBI Director Dante Gierran to determine if his agents down south could do a credible investigation or the Anti-Smuggling Task Force at the head office should do it, Guevarra said. The NBI is an attached agency of the Justice department. Customs has already started looking into the incidents that led to the disappearance of the 23,013 sacks of alleged smuggled rice. It was reported that President Rodrigo Duterte was upset upon learning of the missing sacks of rice that were intercepted from three vessels by the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and then turned over to Customs for inventory and the issuance of a warrant of seizure and detention. On Oct. 4, two Customs officials in Zamboanga City were placed under administrative relief pending the investigation of the missing sacks of smuggled rice.Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said Customs Chief Isidro Lapena had ordered the preventive suspension of Port of Zamboanga District Collector Lyceo Martinez and Customs police district commander Filomeno Salazar. Roque said the two officials were suspended so they could not tamper with evidence or influence the investigation. He said the incident showed there was smuggling, that smuggled rice was being sold in the market, and that there were warehouses hoarding rice. He said Customs officials could be held liable for the missing sacks of smuggled rice. To date, 16,000 sacks have been recovered from various privately owned warehouses. The US State Department on Sunday said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and North Korean top leader Kim Jong-un have held a productive dialogue in Pyongyang. According to a statement issued by State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert, Pompeo "held productive discussions" with Kim on Sunday, when they "discussed the four elements contained in the US-North Korea Singapore Summit Joint Statement" signed by the two countries' top leaders, Xinhua reported. "They also discussed the upcoming second summit between US President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim and refined options for the location and date of that next summit," the statement read. Pompeo and Kim also agreed to instruct their respective working-level teams to meet soon to intensify discussions on the key remaining issues to deliver on the Singapore Summit Joint Statement. In addition, Kim invited inspectors to visit the Punggye Ri nuclear test site to confirm that it has been irreversibly dismantled, the State Department said. "President Trump looks forward to continuing to build upon the trust established with Chairman Kim in Singapore and anticipates meeting again soon," it added. In a related development, North Korea is demanding the US take steps to secure Pyongyang's trust before its denuclearization. "Without any trust in the US there will be no confidence in our national security and under such circumstances there is no way we will unilaterally disarm ourselves first," North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told the UN General Assembly last week. Pompeo was joined by US special representative on North Korea issues Stephen Biegun, and Kim was joined by Kim Yo Jong, first vice department director of the Central Committee of the ruling Worker's Party of Korea (WPK), the statement said. This has been his third tour to North Korea since he became the US secretary of state. Pompeo met with Kim on Sunday and arrived in Seoul later. He will also travel to Beijing. While speaking with South Korean President Moon Jae-in before the media, Pompeo said that he and North Korean side "had a good, productive conversation". "There are many steps along the way and we took one of those today; it was another step forward. So this is, I think, a good outcome for all," he noted. "What we all hope will be the denuclearization and the change in the relationship here on the peninsula ... I'm confident together we can achieve the outcome that the world so desperately needs." For his part, Moon said that "I dearly hope that your latest visit, as well as the upcoming US-North Korea summit, which I hope will be happening soon, will make an irreversible and decisive progress in terms of complete denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula as well as the peace process." --IANS pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tamil Thalaivas stunned defending champions Patna Pirates 42-26 to end their winless run at home in the opening game of the Pro Kabaddi tournament here at the packed Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium on Sunday. Patna, aiming to pocket their fourth consecutive title, looked completely out of sorts in the first period, getting all out on two occasions as lacking offensive as well as defensive skill to trouble the home team who looked stronger in both departments. India captain Ajay Thakur starred for the hosts with a total of 14 raid points, seven of the them in the first essay, as fellow raider Surjeet Singh also bagged seven to delfate their rivals from the outset. Amit Hooda defended excellently while seasoned campaigners Jasvir Singh and all-rounder Manjeet Chhillar were also on song as Patna were first all out with the score reading 10-2 inside the first ten minutes, and then falling further behind 23-8 towards the end of the first half. After the first all out, Patna skipper Pardeep Narwal recovered from a poor start where he was sent out of the mat in his first raid to grab two points and usher hopes of a revival. From 11-2, the hot favourites going into the tie clawed back to make it 11-5 riding Pardeep Narwal's efforts. But Thakur was in the mood and continued to raid venomously to leave the visitors reeling at 26-8 during the break. The script did not change in the second half as Patna were all out for the third time soon after the restart. With the gulf between the two teams widening to 24 points after the all out, a comeback looked nearly impossible despite Pardeep Narwal's (11 raid points) efforts. Patna even managed to inflict an all out on their more superior rivals on the day, but it was little too late as the Tamil Thalaivas ended their barren run at home in style. The three-month format - introduced last year - continues in Season 6 as the 12 participating teams are divided into two zones of six teams each. Every team will play a set of 15 intra-zone and seven inter-zonal matches - in the 'Inter-zonal challenge week'. The top three teams of each zone will then head to the play-offs, comprising the qualifiers and eliminators, in which the top-ranked team from the two zones will get one extra opportunity to qualify for the final. --IANS dm/kk/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Saudi Arabia on Sunday denied reports that Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who went missing earlier this week, was killed at the country's consulate in Istanbul, as reported by several international A statement released by the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) cited a diplomatic officer who categorically denied "these baseless allegations, and expressed his doubt that they came from Turkish officials that are informed of the investigation or are authorized to comment on the issue", reports Efe news. The official quoted by SPA underlined that Saudi Arabia was responsible for the safety and well-being of all its citizens, wherever they may be, and that its authorities "are diligently following up on this matter to uncover the complete facts". The statement came out after reports published on Saturday night by various international media, citing Turkish officials, alleged that Khashoggi was killed at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul. According to two sources quoted by The Washington Post, for which Khashoggi worked, the journalist died earlier this week at the hands of a Saudi assassination squad. Turkish news agency Anadolu also reported that the Turkish authorities were investigating the role played by the 15-member special team of Saudi Arabian citizens into Khashoggi's disappearance. Khashoggi, former general manager of the Al Arab Group and columnist for the Washington Post, disappeared on October 2 after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, where he has been living in exile since 2017. The Saudi consulate subsequently issued a statement saying that the journalist had left its premises on October 2, although the Turkish government, which summoned the Saudi ambassador in Ankara demanding explanations on the whereabouts of Khashoggi, said he remained inside the consular precinct. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Saudi Arabia on Sunday denied reports that Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who went missing earlier this week, was killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, as reported by several international A statement released on Sunday by the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) cited a diplomatic officer as denying "these baseless allegations", reports Efe news. The official quoted by SPA underlined that Saudi Arabia was responsible for the safety and well-being of all its citizens, wherever they may be, and that its authorities "are diligently following up on this matter to uncover the complete facts". The statement followed reports by various international which cited Turkish officials to allege that Khashoggi was killed at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul. According to two sources quoted by The Washington Post, for which Khashoggi worked, the journalist died earlier this week at the hands of a Saudi assassination squad. Khashoggi, former general manager of the Al Arab Group and columnist for the Washington Post, disappeared on Tuesday after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, where he had been living in exile since 2017. The Saudi consulate subsequently issued a statement saying that the journalist had left its premises on Tuesday, although the Turkish government, which summoned the Saudi ambassador in Ankara demanding explanations on the whereabouts of Khashoggi, said he remained inside the consular precinct. --IANS mr/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump scored a political victory when the Senate voted by a razor thin margin to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh, his nominee who battled last-minute accusations of sexual assault while a teenager in high school 36 years ago, as the Supreme Court Justice. Within hours of the Senate vote on Saturday 50 to 48 in his favour, Kavanaugh was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts, solidifying the conservative majority in the nation's top court. It now has five conservatives ranged against four liberals, and with life-time appointments for judges the 53-year-old Kavanaugh can be expected to impact the court for decades. He succeeds Anthony Kennedy, who retired, and is the second judge nominated by Trump to the Supreme Court, giving him an opportunity to put his right wing seal on the court. The nomination process has ripped open the scabs on the never-healed wounds of polarisation on the US body politic exactly a month before the mid-term elections to Congress that can determine the future of Trump's presidency. Vociferous protests broke out across the nation against Kavanaugh's nomination before and after the vote on Saturday, and was even carried into the Senate chambers from where demonstrators were ejected. On the opposing side, his supporters rallied behind Trump, who ridiculed Kavnaugh's main accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, and the others opposing him calling them "an angry left-wing mob". Republican Senator Susan Collins, who voted for Kavanaugh after a cliff-hanger, said it was a "confirmation process that has become so dysfunctional, it looks more like a caricature of a gutter-level political campaign than a solemn occasion". The last minute ambush of Kavanaugh was done with an eye on the upcoming elections by the Democrats, who hoped the battle would reinvigorate their base. During the final moments before the vote, Senate Democratic Party leader Chuck Schumer said: "To Americans, to so many millions who are outraged by what happened here, there's one answer: Vote" in November. But Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, claimed the confrontation would turn out to his party's advantage. "It certainly had a good impact for us," and added that the Democrat's tactics "have turned our base on fire." For Trump, the past week brought another victory ahead of the elections: He managed to redeem a 2016 poll pledge to get the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta)with Canada and Mexico changed to more favourable terms for the US and achieved it by brow-beating Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Besides the accusations of sexual misconduct, another issue -- abortion rights -- mobilised the opposition to Kavanaugh. Liberals fear that by solidifying the conservative majority, the articulate judge could overturn or restrict a 1973 verdict banning state and federal regulations criminalising or restricting abortion, which the right-wing supporters of Trump want. They also fear that the court can now make several rulings whittling down social legislation and programmes for healthcare, aid for the poor, reservations in college admissions and immigration, while being pro-business and stricter on law and order. While his accuser, Ford, a research psychologist at a California university, had written to her Congressional Representative with her allegations against Kavanaugh in July, it was publicised by the Democrats only in September after the Senate Judiciary Committee had grilled him and was about to vote on recommending his nomination to the entire Senate. They appeared to have counted on delaying the confirmation process so that if the Senate majority flips to their side in the November elections, they can block him and temper Trump's future nominations. Ford testified at a Judicial Committee hearing that Kavanaugh had pushed her on to a bed and choked her while trying to take off her clothes during a 1982 party and she feared she was going to the killed before managing to escape. While she said she was 100 per cent sure the assailant was him, she acknowledged she did not remember many of the details. He denied the accusations and launched an impassioned attack on his accusers, leading to fresh charges that he was temperamentally unsuited to the judgeship. Meanwhile, another woman, Deborah Ramirez who is married to a technology entrepreneur of Indian descent, Vikram Shah, alleged that while they were students at Yale, Kavanaugh had exposed his genitals in front of her at a party they had been drinking at. She and a third accuser, who said that she had seen him lined up outside a room with other boys waiting to "take turns" with a girl inside, were not asked to testify before the Senate Committee. Ultimately with no evidence from 36 years ago, the Ford-Kavanaugh hearing convinced only one Republican and one Democrat to switch sides. With the controversy over the nomination focused on alleged victimising of women, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski opposed his nomination. A Democratic Senator, Joe Manchin, who represents West Virginia, a heavily pro-Trump state, voted for Kavanaugh. Walking a fine line, some conceded that they believed Ford was telling the truth that she was attacked at the party, but did not think the attacker was Kavanaugh. The final vote by the entire Senate was further delayed by Republican Senator Floyd Flake, a critic of Trump, demanding an investigation of Ford's allegations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The investigation was wrapped up in about five days and it convinced Flake to back Kavanaugh. There is an element of irony in Kavanaugh facing sexual misconduct charges: He was a lawyer in the office of Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr, who investigated sexual misconduct charges against former President Bill Clinton, whose wife Hillary lost to Trump in the 2016 presidential election. The Kavanaugh case before the Senate Judicial Committee seemed a throw-back to the 1991 confirmation hearing of Supreme Court Judge Clarence Thomas, when he faced sexual misconduct allegations -- but only that he made romantic overtures to a subordinate and told her dirty jokes. The conservative was confirmed as judge. An Indian American federal appeals court judge, Amul Thapar, was among those Trump considered for the Supreme Court before deciding on Kavanaugh. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis) --IANS al/sac/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) He hosted Indian televisions first and most popular crime investigation show "Indias Most Wanted". Suhaib Ilyasi had it all. Then one night he lost it all. His wife died of multiple stab wounds. Ilyasi was accused of murdering her and was sentenced to life imprisonment. In a startling turnaround, the Delhi High Court earlier this week declared Ilyasi not guilty. Understandably Ilyasi is pinching himself in disbelief. "I have been saying for 18 years that I am innocent. Now the honourable court has also said it. There is no compensation for the time, energy, self-esteem and self-confidence, not to mention my career, I've lost in these 18 years. I am only grateful to God and the judiciary for finally believing in my innocence," says a discernibly shaken Ilyasi. "It's yet to sink in that I'm a free man now, that Tihar Jail is no longer home, that I am in my real home with my daughter Aaliya, talking to you. I used to dream about this freedom in jail. I feel this is a dream," Ilyasi's voice quivers with emotion. What has his life been like during these 18 years? "In one word? Hell. Only the thought that I would one day be reunited with my daughter kept me going. And of course I gained a lot of strength in jail from reading the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. I have studied and understood the teachings of these two scriptures thoroughly. And now I want to make the Upanishads and the Gita as accessible to the average citizen of this country as they've become to me." Working on reader-friendly translations of the Upanishads and the Gita is one of the projects Ilyasi will now take up. The other is the revival of his show. Sighs Ilyasi: "I am aware that many crime investigative shows have come up in the past years. But I need to revive my show. Earlier it was not possible because from being the man who cracked criminal cases from across the country, I became a crime accused. I want to restart my show 'India's Most Wanted' to tell the stories of the inmates that I met at Tihar. Some of them have killed multiple times. But their eyes tell a different story. I want to go deep into the motivations of crime. The law only sees things in black and white. There are so many grey areas in an act of crime. I want to revive my show to tell the untold stories of those charged with murder." Ilyasi admits the world has changed during the 18 years he fought to prove his innocence. "I cannot get back the time I lost. But I want to utilize every moment I am left with on this earth to do the work that I left incomplete when fate snatched away my freedom. Today I am free not just physically but also emotionally and spiritually, thanks to the judiciary." --IANS skj/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid tight security and heightened tensions ahead of the start of staggered municipal polls in the Kashmir Valley, suspense mounted on Sunday on voter participation amid militant threats to both candidates and voters. It is the first time the authorities have not publicized the names of contesting candidates in the troubled valley. This has been done to address the security concerns of the candidates who remain under threat from the militants. Authorities have also ensured that all the candidates in the valley are in a secure accommodation ahead of the poll process. The Valley's two major parties, the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are boycotting the elections. So have the CPI-M, the Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) headed by Hakim Yaseen and the Democratic Party Nationalist (DPN) headed by Ghulam Hassan Mir. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and independent candidates are the only contestants. While 244 candidates have been elected unopposed, there are no candidates in the fray in 159 municipal wards of the Kashmir Valley. Statistically, 29 percent of voters will have no candidates to choose from in their wards in the valley. The election campaign has not been witnessed at any place in the valley. While secrecy surrounds the contestants, a huge question mark remains on who will stick their neck out on Monday to vote. While militants have issued threats to both candidates and voters, separatist leaders have called for a protest shutdown in the Kashmir Valley on Monday. Tension was palpable in the region on Sunday as the authorities beefed up security across Jammu and Kashmir. Four hundred additional companies of paramilitary forces have arrived here to augment the existing strength of security forces. In Srinagar, three wards will see polling. Scores of motorbikes were seized by the police at various check posts in the city on Saturday and on Sunday on account of lack of documents or in cases where the bikers had violated traffic rules. All vehicles entering the city were being thoroughly checked. Hi-tech electronic surveillance equipment is being used to strengthen human intelligence in areas where polling is scheduled. In addition to three municipal wards in Srinagar city, polling for municipal committees of Kupwara, Handwara, Bandipora, Baramulla, Chadoora, Badgam, Khansahib, Achabal, Devsar, Kokernag, Qazigund and Kulgam in the Kashmir Valley as well as Leh and Kargil in the Ladakh region is scheduled for Monday. In Jammu region, polling for municipal committees of Bishnah, Arnia, R.S. Pura, Akhnoor, Khour, Jurian, Rajouri, Thanamandi, Nowshera, Kalakote, Sunderbani, Poonch and Surankote will also take place on Monday. In addition, voting will be held for the Jammu municipal corporation. --IANS sq/mr/shs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Vicky Kaushal, who is gearing up for the release of his forthcoming film "Uri" has said that it is the most physically demanding film for him until now. Vicky was interacting with the media at Elle Beauty Awards 2018 where he won the "Breakthrough Star Award" on Saturday here. The teaser of "Uri" received an overwhelming response from the audience. When about his experience of working in "Uri", Vicky said: "It was really nice experience to work in the film. In a short span of my of career, 'Uri' has been the most physically demanding film for me and I am very excited because after the teaser, the trailer of the film will also release. I am very excited to know audience reaction to the film." Vicky will be seen playing the role of an Indian commando who is involved in the 2016 surgical strike. Regarding his role, the actor said: "When you play the role of a commando onscreen, you feel that we are the real heroes. In our effort to portraying their character, we get exhausted but they are living their lives like that on a daily basis so hats off to them and it's not easy what they are doing." Reacting on the Tanushree Dutta and Nana Patekar controversy, Vicky said: "I think any kind of disrespect or harassment at workplace or anywhere is not a correct thing to do. If someone comes out in the open to share his or her ordeal then the least we can do is to listen to what they are saying and to respect them because it is not easy to express such kind of issue in front of the world. "It is also important to listen to both the accuser and the accused. When such kind of serious cases occur, then it has to be investigated in proper manner." Based on the surgical strikes of 2016 carried by the Indian Armed Forces, "Uri" traces the significant event. It stars Vicky Kaushal, Yami Gautam, Kirti Kulhari and Paresh Rawal in lead roles. Produced by RSVP movies and directed by Aditya Dhar, "Uri" will hit the theatres on January 11, 2019. --IANS iv/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court has done well by allowing women of all ages to enter the Sabarimala temple. However, the verdict has emanated heated arguments both in favour as well as against it. Under the circumstances, it is better to leave the decision, on whether to visit or refrain from visting the temple to women themselves. The Devaswom board and the government should make the required arrangements to see that women who decide to visit the temple are given adequate protection and security and there is no harassment by diehard devotees. Fiona Waltair Chennai Letters can be mailed, faxed ... Rody takes a break, hies off to Hong Kong with partner, daughter posted October 07, 2018 at 10:28 pm by Nathaniel Mariano October 07, 2018 at 10:28 pm TRYING IT ON FOR SIZE. President Rodrigo Duterte, inside a shopping store, on Saturday went on an unscheduled trip to Hong Kong with his partner Honeylet Avancena and daughter Kitty. Courtesy of SAP READ: Rody in hospital for 2nd opinion President Rodrigo Duterte went on an unscheduled trip to Hong Kong with his family on Saturday, three days after disclosing he had a medical examination In a Facebook post on Saturday night, Special Assistant to the President Christopher Go uploaded photos of the President along with his common-law wife Honeylet Avancena and daughter Kitty. Before fake news spreads, the President also needs time to rest, Go said in his post. He included another set of photos of Duterte shopping for clothes. Go made his statement even as Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea defended Dutertes unscheduled trip to Hong Kong. He has been working since June 30, 2016. Can they not allow him a weekend break? Medialdea said in a text message.Go, who accompanied Duterte, said they arrived in Hong Kong on Saturday morning, contradicting the statement of Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque. Around 5 pm of the same day, Roque said Duterte was staying in his hometown in Davao City. The 73-year-old President, however, stayed at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong in Wan Chai and was due to leave for home at 6 pm on Sunday. 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. In the midst of the blame game over the performance of the sacked board of the beleaguered infrastructure finance behemoth, IL&FS, eyebrows are being raised on the role of the nominee directors. None of the six nominee directors who represent the five shareholders in IL&FS are named as respondents in the governments appeal before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). Further, the nominee directors are not subject to the ongoing investigation by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) in the affairs of the company. So, why were the nominee ... One person died and 12 were injured when a fire broke out at a fireworks factory on Sunday in South 24 Parganas district's Sonarpur area, police said. The owner of the factory, who was also injured in the fire, has been detained, Sonarpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Paresh Roy said. Debasish Sardar (19), a worker of the factory, succumbed to his injuries late at night at the state-run Chittaranjan Hospital in Kolkata, a senior hospital official told PTI. He said that five injured persons were brought to the hospital on Sunday evening. While two of them were released after preliminary medical assistance. one among the three others died. After the fire broke out, the injured were taken to Baruipur hospital. The condition of five worsened and they were referred to Chittaranjan Hospital in the city. The incident occurred at Sonarpur's Gobindopur area. Three fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames which broke out at the factory at around 12.40 pm, a fire department official said. "This was a small factory with only a tin shed. There were some finished and unfinished firecrackers at the site," the official said. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, a police officer said adding that there were a few explosions in the factory which damaged a few nearby houses. The fire was doused at around 3.40 pm, he said. "The owner is undergoing treatment in the hospital and we are waiting for his release to question him," the police officer said. Other materials and commodities used to manufacture firecrackers were seized from the factory, the officer added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The police here have booked 21 people, including a village head, in connection with an alleged incident of eve-teasing. According to Circle Officer Ram Mohan Sharma, the accused, including Nempal Singh, the village head of Sikanderpur, were booked under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on the basis of a complaint from a girl's family. Those named in the complaint were accused of teasing the girl and beating up her family members when they objected to it, Sharma said. The case against the 21 people was lodged after the family members of the girl staged a protest in front of the sub-divisional police officer's (SDPO) office. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 36-year-old man was shot dead and his wife injured when some unidentified assailants opened fire on them in the Bawana area of Rohini, police said Sunday. The incident occurred at around 8.40 pm on Saturday. The assailants shot at Amit and he was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared brought dead, the police said. His wife Jyoti (34) also received a gunshot injury on the right side of the waist, they added. She was admitted to the Saroj Hospital near Madhuban Chowk, where her condition was stated to stable. The exact reason behind the attack is yet to be ascertained, the police said. Jyoti has two children from her first marriage and she left her first husband Satpal nine years ago, they added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The recent farmer agitation may have ended but their anger is brewing and there will be another such protest against the BJP-led central government in January, a senior Congress leader has claimed. On October 2, a large number of farmers attempted to enter the national capital from Uttar Pradesh to seek better prices and concessions, but were halted by police that fired water cannons and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the protesters. National president of the Kisan Khet Mazdoor Congress Nana Patole said farmers across the country are planning another agitation early next year to press their demands, including loan waiver. The BJP has only given false promises and has betrayed farmers. The party has not fulfilled any of their promises, Patole, a farmer leader from Maharashtra's Vidharba region and a former BJP MP, said. The BJP government quelled the farmer agitation at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border by using force against protesting farmers and giving them false assurances. They will have to face another such agitation in January next year, as farmers across the country are unhappy, angry and agitated at this government's policies towards them. It has given the farmers nothing but false promises and betrayed them, he told PTI. The Kisan Khet Mazdoor Congress leader said his organisation would spearhead such an agitation early next year in support of the farmers' demands. He claimed that anger among farmers was brewing and will come out in the form of a big agitation, as the government is not listening to their demands. Patole said farmers feel harassed and cheated at the hands of this government. The former BJP MP, who quit the ruling party to join the Congress a few months ago, claimed that farmers are agitated as more and more suicides are taking place. He claimed that poor farmers are being caught in a web of farm loans and failure of crops, leading to a debt cycle, and there was no one to take care of them. The Congress leader cautioned the government and said unless some serious efforts are made to bring the farmers out of the debt crisis, the anger of farmers will "blow up". Citing the recent agitation on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border, he said farmers vented out their anger and police had to resort to force to quell their agitation. Patole called for early steps to address the farmers' grievances. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Sunday said anyone found guilty by the Special Investigation Team, probing the sacrilege incidents and police firing cases, would not be spared. He also called upon people to wipe out the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) from both, the state and national by voting the Congress to power on all the 13 seats in Punjab in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Addressing a well-attended gathering here at Lambi, the home turf of Badals, Amarinder Singh accused former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal of lying about not having any knowledge about the police firing in Faridkot that took place in the wake of the Bargari sacrilege case back in 2015. How could the chief minister of the state not know about such an important development, Amarinder Singh asked, pointing out that the then Director General of Police (DGP) had spoken to Badal as well as the Inspector General of the state before using force. If, despite this, Badal did not know about the incident he should be ashamed, he added. Stressing that his government had setup the Justice (Retd) Ranjit Singh Commission to expose the truth, the chief minister flayed the Badals for "failing to implement" the report of their own Zora Commission, formed to probe the sacrilege and firing cases. "Beadbi (sacrilege) will not be tolerated at any cost, he said making it clear that his government would come down hard on those found guilty of sacrilege. However, the chief minister clarified that he would not indulge in political vendetta and only the guilty would be punished as per the law. People ask me everyday when will you arrest Badals. When the SIT submits report, then a decision will be taken who will be arrested or not," he said. "There is a law and constitution in the country We will go as per law and investigations (conducted by SIT), he added. Amarinder Singh also accused the Badals of "destroying" the lives of youth and farmers by failing to act on the issues of drugs and farm debts. The chief minister further asked the crowd to ensure that a democratic government was formed in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The Punjab Congress had informed the party high command that there was no need of an alliance in the state, he said, exhorting the people to vote the party to power with a sweeping mandate. On the occasion, the Punjab Congress chief also declared that the party will win all the 13 parliamentary seats in the state. The chief minister released 'Mission13' poster of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) to mark the launch of the party's Lok Sabha campaign. He promised to fulfil all the demands of the people of Lambi, which SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal had failed to do, inspite of being elected from the constituency multiple times. The chief minister came down heavily on the Akalis for the political victimisation unleashed during their rule, saying that misuse of power was the hallmark of their government. Pointing to the establishment of Justice (Retd) Mehtab Singh Commission by his government, Amarinder said 4,451 complaints of false cases had so far been received, of which Commission recommended the cancellation of 355 cases. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will spend his MP area development funds on Rae Bareli, a move being seen as an attempt by the BJP to breach the Gandhi family bastion in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. 'Representative' of Arun Jaitley and UP BJP spokesperson Hero Bajpai told PTI, "Almost a month back, Jaitley had chosen Rae Bareli district as a Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh. The backwardness of the district despite being represented by a prominent political family and the various demands which have been emanating from the district, prompted Jaitley ji to choose this." Under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), each MP has the choice to suggest to the district collector for works to the tune of Rs 5 crore per annum to be taken up in his/her constituency. A Rajya Sabha MP can recommend works in one or more districts in the state from where he/she has been elected. Bajpai said, "The Union finance minister may tour Rae Bareli in the first or second week of November." However, Bajpai ruled out any possibility of an epic battle in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections between Sonia Gandhi and Arun Jaitley. "He (Jaitley) will not contest the Lok Sabha elections, but will strengthen the BJP in the Congress bastion," Jaitley's representative said. The people in Rae Bareli have been demanding a stadium, a university, solar lights and solar energy-operated pumps in remote villages of the district, Bajpai said, and added that efforts would be made to fulfil all the incomplete works in the district so that people could heave a sigh of relief. He also said Rs 2.5 crore had already reached the chief development officer of Rae Bareli (the nodal person to carry out the works using the MPLADS funds). Rae Bareli is currently represented by Sonia Gandhi in the Lok Sabha, while the neighbouring parliamentary constituency of Amethi is represented by Rahul Gandhi (current Congress president). Prior to this, Indira Gandhi had won from Rae Bareli in 1980, while her elder son Rajiv Gandhi had represented Amethi in Lok Sabha in 1984, 1989 and 1991. Sanjay Gandhi had won from Amethi in 1980. "Rae Bareli, which remained in darkness, as development eluded it during the the Congress rule, has now started experiencing the first rays of development touching its soil. Whenever any stalwart leader enters a district, it adds a new dimension to the growth saga of the district," Bajpai said, claiming that people of Rae Bareli are happy that the Union finance minister will be spending his MP area development funds on the district. Jaitley's representative also said, "This will help the BJP achieve its mission of bagging more than 73 Lok Sabha seats from UP in the 2019 general elections." Uttar Pradesh sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha. In the 2014 parliamentary elections, the BJP won 71 seats, its ally Apna Dal got two, while the SP bagged five and the Congress won the remaining two. Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani, during a recent visit to Amethi and Rae Bareli last month, had attacked the Gandhi family for the lack of development in its stronghold. She had accused the two Congress leaders for failing to develop their own constituencies, claiming that 70 to 80 per cent of houses were still made of mud. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections Sonia Gandhi had bagged 5,26,434 votes and defeated her BJP rival by a margin of 3,52,713 votes. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bangladesh's Supreme Court on Sunday cleared ways for the execution of a convict who was sentenced to death for killing a Saudi embassy official here in 2012, rejecting his plea for reviewing the apex court's previous judgment. Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain pronounced the four-member bench's decision, wrapping up the protracted trial process that began soon after the 45-year-old Saudi embassy official Khalaf Al Ali was shot dead near his residence in the posh Gulshan area on March 6, 2012. "The Appellate Division (of the Supreme Court) has rejected convict Saiful Islam's review petition... there is now no bar for him to be hanged unless he could obtain clemency from the president," a spokesman of the attorney general's office said. The police investigation after the incident found it to be a case of mugging where miscreants demanded money from him but his resistance led to a bloody confrontation in which Saiful shot him dead, visibly exposing to difficulties Bangladesh's crucial ties with Riyadh initially. A fast track Dhaka court in December 2012 sentenced him and four others to death for the murder. Later, the four others were acquitted by the High Court. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Six in 10 Filipinos said the people should be informed about the state of President Rodrigo Dutertes health , viewing it as a public matter, an independent pollster said Sunday.A Social Weather Stations poll said 61 percent of Filipinos believed the people should have knowledge about Dutertes health because it is a public matter. Meanwhile, 33 percent of those polled maintained that Dutertes medical information should be kept private. The proportion of those who said the Presidents health was a public matter was highest in the Visayas at 65 percent, followed by Mindanao at 63 percent, Balance Luzon at 59 percent, and Metro Manila at 58 percent. The survey also found that nearly half of Filipinos, or 45 percent of them, believe Duterte experiences problems with his health, 26 percent were not convinced he has health issues, while the remaining 29 percent were undecided about the matter. The net belief that Duterte has health problems was highest in Metro Manila at +31, followed by Balance Luzon at +21, the Visayas at +14, and Mindanao at +12. Asked how worried they are about Dutertes health, a majority of those polled, or 55 percent of them, said they are concerned, while 44 percent were apathetic. The survey, conducted from Sept. 15 to 23, came three days after Duterte revealed that doctors found a growth in his digestive tract during a medical procedure, prompting him to undergo another round of tests. Dutertes state of health has always been a cause of concern and a favorite topic of rumors as he exchanged barbs with the Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Ma. Sison about each others health. In a speech before doctors in Cebu on Sept. 21, Duterte first confirmed he underwent an endoscopy. Two weeks later, Duterte revealed before members of the Philippine Military Academy in Malacanang that he had a follow-up procedure to check samples taken from him. Aside from Barretts esophagus , the 73-year-old President also admitted suffering perpetual pain from other medical conditions such as Buergers disease, a complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease, and a spinal injury, which he obtained from a motorcycle accident. READ: Cancer risk in Barretts disease The Palace had previously said it will recommend to the President to bring in his personal physician to enlighten the public about his health to put speculation to rest.Article VII, Section 12 of the 1987 Constitution states that in case of serious illness of the President, the public shall be informed of the state of his health. The members of the Cabinet in charge of national security and foreign relations and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, shall not be denied access to the President during such illness, it saysbut does not indicate what constitutes a serious illness. The third quarter poll on President Dutertes health used face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults nationwide. The poll had sampling error margins of 3 percent for national percentages; 4 percent for Balance Luzon; and 6 percent for Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao. Senator Francis Escudero on Sunday said the procedures that the President underwent were diagnostic in nature and do not constitute findings. What the Constitution is referring to is the findings or conclusions on his state of health, Escudero said. The denials of his spokespersons notwithstanding, the President himself candidly admitted the tests that he went through, Escudero said. I think he will be equally candid with respect to the findings, if any, and his spokespersons should take the cue from their boss... and not second guess him as regards his candidness and honesty with respect to this and other matters, he added. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque and Presidential Assistant Christopher Go had denied rumors about the Presidents health last week when he skipped a Cabinet meeting and an event at the Palace. Roque said the President was only at his residence to take the day off. Go also denied suggestions that the President was in hospital. But Duterte later said he had paid a visit to the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City to undergo tests, prompting him to cancel his meeting with the Cabinet on Wednesday.Opposition Senator Francis Panigilinan, meanwhile, said it was difficult to take the Presidents words seriously. The problem is we do not know if the President is serious or not. If this is true or simply another remark he will claim to be a joke, said Pangilinan. If he is serious then full disclosure is required, but if not then it would be best that we stop such talk and focus our time and attention on looking for solutions to the serious problems of spiraling high prices of food, gasoline and other basic commodities, the senator added. Despite an estimated Rs 70,000 crore carbonated soft drinks (CSD) is under pressure in the beverages market, a city based company remains optimistic about its future in the country. "CSD in India is going to stay and will grow despite the fear that it is slowing down. With this believe we have introduced an Indian brand 'Fly Up' in carbonated drink segment during the festive season," Greenfizz Beverages Director Pramod Lundia told PTI. He said "the main brunt is on colas and not the other variants. The total beverage market is shared equally between carbonated drinks and non-carbonated drinks." Speaking about the market, another Director Punit Lundia said "whatever slowdown is witnessed is in cities and not in rural areas which still remains an untapped market. "The overall volume of even Colas has not dipped, but fresh growth is taking place in other variants like lime and lemon flavours," he said. To overcome some negative perception about the carbonated drinks, we have introduced fruit based carbonated drink and not carbonated soft drink by two MNCs which enjoy 60 per cent of the market, he said. Lundia said they were already bottlers for a US soft drink brand 'RC' and had world class modern production lines and its existing capacity of at least 20 million cases a year. "Initially, we will focus in West Bengal within 150 km from our manufacturing facility in Singur before expanding further," he said. "We hope for Rs 200 crore revenue in the first year equivalent to two per cent of the estimated Rs 1000 crore market for CSDs," he said. The company with home grown brand 'Fly UP' has four variants now to compete with the MNC market leaders in cola, lemon, orange and jeera flavours. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The body of a seven-year-old girl was found stuffed in a gunny bag on the roof of a mosque in Muradnagar town here on Sunday, police said. The girl went missing from her house on Saturday at around 1 pm. Her family lodged a complaint at Murad Nagar police station, Senior Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Krishna said. The gunny bag was spotted on the mosque's roof by a man, Suleman, who went there after offering prayers at around 6.30 am, he said. Suleman saw the girl's body inside and immediately informed her family and the neighbours, he added. After receiving the information, the deceased's father and police reached the spot, the SSP said, adding that the girl was strangled to death. The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination, he added. The girl's father accused the local councilor, Azaaz Baig, of killing his daughter due to political rivalry. The girl's maternal uncle had contested the civic body elections against Baig, Krishna said. An FIR has been lodged against Baig and investigation is underway, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Mumbai-based businessman was arrested Saturday for allegedly impersonating an additional chief secretary to Maharashtra Chief Minister and cheating the management of a five-star hotel here of Rs 95,000 by not paying the bills, the police said. The accused has been identified as Aditya Ashok Jogani (39), a resident of Napean Sea Road, an upmarket neighbourhood of Malabar Hill in south Mumbai. An FIR was also registered against five friends of Jogani for staying in the hotel as his guests, a Koregaon Park police station official said. They are yet to be arrested. The incident dates back to January this year when Jogani called up the hotel reception and introduced himself as Praveen Pardeshi, an additional chief secretary to the chief minister, he said. Jogani allegedly told the hotel management that around six people, including him, would be coming to stay in the hotel. According to the official, the accused builder and his five friends checked in the hotel and availed "VIP" service before leaving without settling the bill. "The accused posed himself as Pardeshi and told the hotel reception not to bill the patrons and said the bill would be taken care of," said the officer. However, as Jogani didn't contact the hotel, its management called up Pardeshi, an IAS officer, in Mumbai. "Pardeshi told them that he never made any calls to the hotel for arranging stay for some people," the officer said. Realising that they were cheated, the management of the hotel approached local police and lodged an FIR. Jogani and others were booked under sections 420 (cheating), 170 (personating a public servant) and section 34 (common intention) of the IPC. The accused has been remanded in police custody till October 10. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Traders' body CAIT Sunday urged the government to bring an Anti-Predatory Pricing Act to regulate and monitor e-commerce business in India. The trader's body further said that various discounts being offered by e-commerce retailers in their respective different festival sales are nothing but predatory pricing adopted by these sellers. It shows that instead of B2B they are indulged into B2C sales, which they are not allowed to do and is contrary to FDI policy of the government, the Confederation of All India Traders said. It is high time that government should bring an Anti Predatory Pricing Act to check such menace of e-retailers, the trader's body demanded. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cameroonians are voting in crunch presidential polls on Sunday, with octogenarian leader Paul Biya seeking a seventh term against a backdrop of unprecedented violence in the country's English-speaking regions. The vote follows a last-minute opposition unity bid to dislodge the 85-year-old incumbent, one of Africa's longest-serving rulers. Two leading opponents have formed the first electoral union since 1992, but talks between the array of other opposition parties to create a "super-coalition" to deny Biya another seven years were apparently fruitless. In the Bastos public school in the capital Yaounde, where Biya will later cast his vote, voting was brisk throughout the morning. "I feel proud," said Patrick, 38, an airport worker after voting. "I want the next president to consolidate what we have achieved in Cameroon. I want the elections to pass off peacefully, that's my only hope for the polls." Voters in the queue were surrounded by a heavy security presence including members of the presidential guard, deployed ahead of Biya's arrival. Cameroon's 6.5 million eligible voters are casting their ballots as violence rages in the anglophone southwest and northwest, which have been rocked by a separatist insurgency launched a year ago against the mainly francophone state. The violence has claimed the lives of at least 420 civilians, 175 members of the security forces and an unknown number of separatists, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG) think-tank. After voting got underway on Sunday, security forces shot dead three suspected separatists who had allegedly been firing at passersby from a motorcycle in Bamenda, the main city in the northwest region, a local official said. And in Buea, capital of the southwest, three separatists of the so-called Ambazonia Republic were gunned down on Friday while a priest was executed by soldiers on Thursday, according to witnesses. The far north is also mired in insecurity, as Nigeria-based Boko Haram fighters mount attacks despite efforts by the US to equip and train Cameroon's military to battle the jihadists. In a rare coordinated political manoeuvre, a key opposition frontrunner, Maurice Kamto, agreed late Friday to a unity deal between his Movement for the Rebirth of Cameroon (MRC) and the People's Development Front (FDP), meaning he will stand for both parties. It is the first tactical tie-up since John Fru Ndi stood as the sole opposition candidate in 1992 in polls that his supporters say he won, but allege were manipulated to hand victory to Biya. However it is unclear whether the eleventh-hour deal will sway the vote, which runs until 1700 GMT Sunday. "This alliance, though interesting for the vitality of Cameroonian democracy, may have arrived too late," said Hans de Marie Heungoup, an ICG researcher. Kamto's MRC has warned that a "massive fraud" is underway to secure a Biya win. "We're not preparing for war, but wherever there is fraud, there will be a firm response," said MRC spokesman Paul-Eric Kingue. But the government hit back, apparently in response to the MRC, saying that it would "not tolerate any disorder before, during or after the presidential vote". The opposition has long accused the authorities of supporting Biya. But despite the ubiquity of Biya's posters, he has been virtually invisible during the campaign, except for a single event last weekend. It is unclear if polling will proceed normally across Cameroon's English-speaking regions, where separatists hold a "significant" amount of territory, according to the ICG, and have threatened to disrupt the vote. A team of election officials received a military escort as they travelled to the outskirts of Buea on Sunday, according to AFP journalists. The government said it was possible there were "troublemakers" in the anglophone regions. "But the vast majority of residents are ready and willing to vote," said Communication Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary. Authorities have imposed a raft of security measured including a ban on inter-regional and sealing the borders. A total of 246,000 people have fled their homes in the southwest and 25,000 have left the country altogether for Nigeria, according to UN figures. It is thought that the displaced will struggle to cast ballots, which could favour Biya as anglophones have traditionally backed the Social Democratic Front (SDF) party of candidate Joshua Osih. Results must be posted within 15 calendar days of the poll. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Centre has reconstituted the Supreme Court-empowered Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority or the EPCA, which is tasked with taking various measures to tackle air pollution in the National Capital Region. The tenure of the last EPCA expired on October 3. "...the Central government hereby re-constitutes the Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority," an order issued by the Ministry on October 3 said. The ministry said that while reconstituting the EPCA, it tried to broad-base the organisation and therefore brought in more members. Former secretary Bhure Lal continues to be the chairman, while the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) DG Sunita Narain is one of the members. The other members of the 20-member re-constituted authority include Ajay Mathur, who is the Director General of The Energy Research Institute (TERI), Arunabha Ghosh, the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Energy Environment and Water, Navroz K. Dubash, the Senior Fellow for the Centre for Policy Research. Others include Vishnu Mathur, Director General, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers; Arvind Kumar, former professor of surgery, AIIMS, in New Delhi and presently Chairman Centre for Chest Surgery, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital; Krishna Dhawan, Chief Executive Officer, Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, New Delhi among others. The Centre had removed a JNU professor, accused of sexual harassment, from the EPCA back in July. The Environment Ministry, in an order issued on July 4, announced the removal of Atul Kumar Johri, a professor at the School of Life Sciences at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Johri was arrested in March for allegedly sexually harassing several women students. Sources in the Ministry said they had reports that many of the members were not attending the meetings of the panel regularly. The EPCA was constituted with the objective of protecting and improving the quality of the environment and preventing and controlling the environmental pollution in the National Capital Region. The EPCA is also mandated to enforce Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the city as per the pollution levels. In November, the EPCA had enforced several measures, including closure of the Badarpur thermal power plant, ban on brick kilns, hot mix plants and stone crushers, and construction activities. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China on Sunday officially confirmed that the Chinese head of the Interpol, who had reportedly gone missing, is being investigated for suspected breach of law. However, it was not clear if the Interpol president, Meng Hongwei, was detained. Meng, 64, who is also the vice minister of public security, is being investigated by China's National Supervisory Commission for suspected violations of laws, state-run Xinhua news agency reported quoting an official statement. The confirmation came amid reports that Interpol has asked China about its missing president. Meng was last seen in France on September 29, according to reports from France. The reports quoted an unnamed French judicial official as saying that Meng arrived in China at the end of September but there had been no news of him since. On Saturday, quoting a source, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post had reported that Meng, the first Chinese head of the law enforcement agency headquartered in France, was "taken away" for questioning by discipline authorities "as soon as he landed in China" in the last week of September. However, it was not immediately clear why he was being investigated or exactly where he was being held. The French police had said on Friday that they have launched a probe for Meng after being contacted by his wife. Interpol, which is based in Lyon, said on Friday that it was aware of reports of Meng's "alleged disappearance and that the issue was a matter for the relevant authorities in France and China. In a report on Sunday, the Post quoted an analyst as saying that the fact Beijing was willing to jeopardise its diplomatic relations by snatching a high-profile official in such a way suggested the stakes were high. While Meng is listed on the website of China's Ministry of Public Security as a vice-minister, he lost his seat on its Communist Party Committee -- its real decision-making body -- in April, the Post reported. According to his own page on the site, Meng's last official engagement was on August 23, when he met Lai Chung Han, a second permanent secretary of Singapore, it said. Meng was appointed the head of Interpol in 2016. His appointment also sparked concern about China extending its crackdown on dissidents abroad. He is due to serve until 2020. Interpol is the world's largest agency facilitating police cooperation with 192 member countries. The Congress will have to be "most accommodating" and give respect and support to the smaller parties for a "true rainbow coalition" to emerge, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) vice-president Jayant Chaudhary said Sunday. He, however, expressed confidence that a series of state-specific alliances, where like-minded parties would come together on an anti-BJP platform, was likely for the 2019 general election. "Farm distress will be a key issue in our campaign," Chaudhary told PTI in an interview. RLD candidate Tabassum Hasan, who was supported by the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress, had triumphed over her Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rival in the Kairana bypoll earlier this year and the Ajit Singh-led party has been advocating a "grand alliance" in Uttar Pradesh to take on the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Chaudhary, the son of RLD president Ajit Singh and the grandson of former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, said both he and his father will contest the 2019 election. However, he added that the constituencies would be announced later. On the BSP's decision to go alone in the Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Assembly polls, he said BSP chief Mayawati had communicated her party's decision with regard to the state polls through a statement. Asked if the Congress would have to be more accommodating to give enough space to the regional parties, Chaudhary said, "The Congress is the largest opposition party in Parliament today. Definitely, it will have to be most accommodating and give respect and support to the smaller parties for a true rainbow coalition to emerge. "But also, to increase the size of the pie, I think all the partners will need to not stress on individual sizes as much." Talking about the farmers' march to Delhi last week, the RLD leader said the demands raised during the "yatra" received a huge support, especially on issues such as the rising costs of agriculture, debt relief and remunerative farm prices. "In the past, there have been many social agitations in Delhi with a large number of people extending support. However, never have we seen a government so fearful of opposing voices, dissent and a people's agitation," he said. Chaudhary also alleged that the BJP government was "adamant" not to allow the farmers to enter the national capital. This only showed the arrogance of the rulers, he said. "I am confident that the attempt at stifling dissent by employing the state machinery, whether in terms of police lathis or other means, will be punished by the voters," the 39-year-old RLD leader said. Talking about the issues his party will raise in the run-up to the 2019 polls, Chaudhary pointed out that the RLD had launched an innovative social media campaign, where it was asking the youth of Uttar Pradesh to take selfies with potholes, tag the party and participate in the "SelfieWithGaddha" campaign. He said the party's youth unit had recently organised three big events in Agra, Meerut and Saharanpur to highlight the disenchantment of the youth with the BJP government over its track record of job creation. "The sugarcane issue is unfortunately far from being resolved. The farmers are not even getting the MSP for other crops. The rising diesel, electricity tariffs and fertiliser prices have further added to their distress," Chaudhary said. He accused the BJP government of having "failed" to tackle crime and corruption, while claiming that the "mishandling" of the economy was now hurting the middle class as well as small traders. "So, the BJP will naturally divert the discourse away from these failures and talk about Bangladesh, Pakistan etc. However, the RLD has hit the ground and is taking the real issues to the voters," Chaudhary asserted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma Sunday alleged the Rafale fighter jet deal was the "biggest defence purchase scam" of the century and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was directly answerable. He also said the Congress would press the Comptroller and Auditor General to scrutinise the deal. This is the biggest defence purchase scam of the century. The Prime Minister is directly answerable. He talks on every subject on earth. But he goes on maun vrat when we ask him on Rafale....the Prime Minister himself is complicit, Sharma alleged at a press conference here. Referring to a delegation of the Congress, including himself, meeting the CAG over the Rafale deal and the party taking up the issue with the Central Vigilance Commission, he said once the auditor's report was received, Congress would insist on a Joint Parliamentary Committee to look into it. This was required to fix "accountability of the government and the Prime Minister over the deal," Sharma, the deputy leader of Congress in the Rajya Sabha, said. Congress has alleged that the government was "unforgivably guilty" of causing loss to the public exchequer worth Rs 41,205 crore in the purchase of 36 'Made in France' Rafale aircraft, 'off the shelf' without 'Transfer of Technology'. The government had said it does not think a JPC or a CAG audit is set up to satisfy the "ego of an ill-informed leader" who repeats lies with alarming regularity, in an apparent dig at Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A deep depression, expected to turn into a severe cyclonic storm, over the Arabian Sea is likely to bring rainfall to Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry and the Lakshadweep archipelago during next 24 hours, the India Meteorological Department said Sunday. After turning into a severe cyclonic storm, it is likely to cross the coasts of Oman and Yemen, the IMD said. The Coast Guard has said it has put its formations on high alert and its dornier aircraft and ships have been deployed off Kerala, Lakshadweep and Minicoy islands, and south Tamil Nadu seas. "A high-level meeting was conducted at Kochi and Lakshadweep with district and Union Territory Administration to assess preparedness and meet any cyclone related contingency. Specific disaster contingency and preparedness meetings were held all the Lakshadweep and Minicoy islands," the Coast Guard said. The sea condition would be "rough to very rough" during next 12 hours. An advisory has been issued to fishermen at sea to return to harbour, the Coast Guard said. "Fishermen are advised not to venture into deep sea areas of Lakshadweep area during next 12 hours," the IMD said. Another low pressure area over southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Andaman Sea is very likely to concentrate into a depression during next 24 hours. It is "very likely" to move northwestwards towards Odisha coast during next 72 hours, the IMD said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) PORT-AU-PRINCEA 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck just off the northwest coast of Haiti late Saturday, killing at least 11 people and causing damage to buildings in the Caribbean nation, authorities said. The epicenter of the quake was located about 19 kilometers (12 miles) northwest of the city of Port-de-Paix, the US Geological Survey reported. Government spokesman Eddy Jackson Alexis told AFP that 11 people were so far reported dead, seven of them in Port-de-Paix, the capital of Haitis Nord-Ouest department. Four others were killed in the town of Gros-Morne, about 50 kilometers to the southeast. The quake, which was felt across the country, struck at 8:10 pm (0010 GMT Sunday) at a shallow depth of 11.7 kilometers. Haitis civil protection agency said two minor aftershocks were registered, adding that no tsunami warning was issued in connection with the quake activity. The tremor rattled the capital Port-de-Prince, sparking emotion among residents still reeling from the massive 2010 earthquake that left at least 200,000 people dead and 300,000 more wounded. I urge the population to remain calm, President Jovenel Moise said on Twitter, adding that local and regional authorities were assisting those in need and that some damage had been reported. Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant is heading up an inter-ministerial disaster response task force, he said on Twitter.The injured are being treated at area hospitals, the civil protection agency said late Saturday, noting that some of the injuries were sustained when people panicked after the quake. The agency confirmed that some homes were destroyed or damaged, without offering specific figures. Images of damaged homes and partially destroyed buildings were circulating on social media, but AFP was not immediately able to confirm their authenticity. The Nord-Ouest department is the poorest part of impoverished Haiti, with many isolated areas due to the dire state of the roads. The devastating 7.0-magnitude quake in January 2010 left more than 1.5 people homeless. Tens of thousands remain in makeshift camps. The damage caused was worth an estimated 120 percent of GDP in Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Longer-term reconstruction has been hampered by lingering political chaos in the nation of nearly 11 million people, and by a deadly cholera epidemic introduced by infected Nepalese UN peace keepers sent in after the quake. The Delhi Minorities Commission has issued a notice to the North civic body over a circular issued by it for recital of 'Gayatri Mantra' in schools run by its department. Chairman of Delhi Minorities Commission(DMC) Zafarul Islam Khan said the notice was recently issued to the department of North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC). The department of NDMC has been asked to explain "why a circular has been issued to its schools to make students recite Gayatri Mantra in morning assemblies. "Is this not against our secular polity and will this not cause division in the ranks of students and teachers as many belong to minority communities who may not like to recite mantras of religious nature," the notice asks. NDMC authorities have defended the move, saying recital of 'Gayatri Mantra' at schools run by the civic body was not mandatory. The civic body runs 765 primary schools where around 2.2 lakh students are enrolled. Chairman of Education committee of the BJP-ruled municipal corporation, Ritu Goel said she had no information about the notice issued by the minorities panel on 'Gayatri Mantra' but added its recital was not mandatory. "We have already clarified its not mandatory in our schools," she said. Goel said the circular issued by the education department was not a stand alone direction for recital of 'Gayatri Mantra' and contained general directions to ensure personal hygiene and wellbeing of students. The circular issued on September 6 by education department provided for recital of national anthem, prayer, Gayatri Mantra besides patriotic slogans in morning assemblies in schools. It also had directions on personal hygiene, moral education, general awareness and physical exercise to be conducted in morning assemblies of schools. 'Gayatri Mantra' is a Rigveda hymn dedicated to Sun deity 'Savitr'. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A suspected drug peddler was arrested with 528 grams of heroin in South East Delhi's Jaitpur, police said Sunday. Farooq Mohammad (45), a resident of Indira Gandhi Camp, Taimoor Nagar, was arrested Saturday night, they said, adding that his mother was also a drug supplier. He was involved in drug peddling in New Friends Colony, Taimoor Nagar, Khirjrabad village and neighbouring areas of Delhi. On Saturday, a police team laid a trap near Khadda Colony, Madanpur Khadar, Jaitpur and spotted the suspect who was coming from Faridabad side and was going towards Jaitpur. Farooq tried to flee the spot but the team apprehended him, Chinmoy Biswal, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South East) said. During interrogation, the arrested accused revealed that he lives in Taimoor Nagar since his childhood. His mother also used to peddle drugs and he also got involved in the same in his early 20s. Farooq's mother used to support him in narcotics peddling, the DCP added. He used to purchase Heroin at Rs 12 lakh per kilogram from drug suppliers of Bareilly and Hapur. Farooq used to pay Rs 500 per day to his accomplices to sell heroin packs. He had also deployed a watchman in plain clothes in the nearby areas where he used to sell these packets, the DCP said. A 28-year-old drug peddler, identified as Abhijit Mukherjee, was also arrested on Saturday with 320 grams of heroin in South East Delhi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man has been arrested in connection with seizure of drugs worth Rs 200 crore meant to be smuggled to Malaysia through courier service, a top excise department official said Sunday. Prasanth Kumar from Kannur district was arrested, a week after the Excise department seized 30 kg of ecstasy drug worth Rs 200 crore from a parcel during a search of a private courier company office here. Excise Commissioner Rishiraj Singh said investigation is on to nab Ali from Chennai, who is Kumar's accomplice. The psychoactive drug, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as ecstasy was seized following a tip off. In a bid to evade detection during scanning at airport, the drugs were kept in 64 packets and were covered with carbon papers. Officials said investigation revealed that couple of months ago the culprits had smuggled the drugs in similar fashion to Malaysia. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress said Sunday the collapse of its seat-sharing talks with the BSP for the upcoming state polls will not affect attempts to forge a "mahagathbandhan" (grand alliance) of opposition parties against the BJP for the Lok Sabha elections. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, however, asserted that the party's leadership had gone with its state units' assessment of the prevailing ground situation, and how many seats it could part with for likely allies. It is believed that the alliance talks between the two parties fell through as the Congress was unwilling to cede as many seats in states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan as sought by the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Polls in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana will be held between November 12 and December 7 in what may be a virtual semi-final to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Counting of votes will be taken up together in all the five states on December 11. "State units are better aware of the ground situation than the central leadership. They took a decision and the central leadership accepted it," Khera told reporters. He, however, added that this fallout should not be linked to talks for forging a grand alliance for the Lok Sabha polls. "It should not be confused with attempts to forge a 'mahagathbandhan' that is meant for the Lok Sabha polls," Khera said. The Congress' bid to insulate attempts for a larger alliance against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2019 came after BSP supremo Mayawati's sharp attack at it following the announcement that she would not join hands with the main opposition party in the poll-bound states. At a press conference, Khera also criticised Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik for his reported remarks blaming parties other than the BJP and the PDP for the fraught situation in the valley. Governors appointed by this government, a reference to the Modi dispensation, often forget that they should not engage in partisan politics, especially in a sensitive state like this where he has to work to take everybody along, Khera said. This is not in the interests of Kashmir, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Panic erupted briefly at the roadshow of Rahul Gandhi in Jabalpur on Saturday when helium-filled balloons burst into flames some distance away from the vehicle of the Congress president, police said. Nobody was injured in the incident, they said. When Gandhi was leading the campaign event in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, a bunch of helium balloons held by a political worker touched oil lamps that another was holding for performing 'aarti' of the Congress chief. A video of the incident shows that Gandhi was standing in the open vehicle accompanied by security personnel while people lined up on both sides of the road, when a huge flame went up suddenly which startled the Congress chief. The clip shows that some Congress workers were holding a plate with an oil lamp to welcome Gandhi, when a bunch of balloons that was supposed to be released in air came into contact with the lamp and burst into flames. Confirming the incident, Jabalpur Superintendent of Police Amit Singh Sunday ruled out any security lapse, saying the incident occurred about 15-feet away from the security ring of police. "There would have been lapse if the incident had occurred inside the security ring, but it occurred around 15-feet away. Nobody was injured in the incident, though there was a flame due to helium (gas) in the balloon," Singh said. He said the person who wanted to welcome Gandhi is identified as Kaudi Lal Rai, a Congress block president who has been associated with the party for the last 30 years as a worker. "Rai wanted to welcome Gandhi. Some Congress workers were standing near him with balloons in their hands. The balloons came into contact with the lamp and a huge flame went up," the police officer said. Responding to a query on how helium-filled balloons were allowed at the event of Gandhi, an SPG-protectee, Singh pointed out that the Blue Book (security guidelines) doesn't mention that such balloons or the 'aarti' plate are not allowed. "One can obviously be startled, if a balloon bursts near one even in a birthday party," he said. The Congress president started the 8-km long road show from Abdul Hamid Chowk. The route of the roadshow covered three assembly constituencies -- Jabalpur West, Jabalpur North Central, and Jabalpur East (SC). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Four labourers were killed and 15 others injured Sunday when their bus collided with a truck near here in Madhya Pradesh, police said. The mishap took place on the Indore-Kasrawad Road, about 50km from here. "A bus belonging to a factory was on its way to drop labourers to their homes after the night shift when it collided with a truck," Khargone Superintendent of Police (SP) D Kalyan Chakrabarti said. "Four persons, identified as Pankaj (20), Amit (22), Rahul (22) and Rajesh (25), were killed on the spot, while 15 others injured," he said. All the injured were being treated at Kasrawad Hospital, the police officer said. A case has been registered and an investigation is underway, Chakrabarti added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Japanese Photography and imaging company Fujifilm has forayed into endoscopy segment here and expects it to contribute around 10 per cent of its total Indian medical business in FY 2018-19, said a top company official. Fujifilm India will continue to build its portfolio in the endoscopy segment by expanding its line-up and associations with various medical institutions to strengthen its foothold in the medical business here as the company eyes double digit growth next year, the Japanese firm said. "10 per cent of the total medical business of Fujifilm India is expected to come from the endoscopy segment this fiscal," Fujifilm India Managing Director Haruto Iwata told PTI. In FY2017-18, Fujifilm India posted a turnover of 1,100 crore, in which medical business was a major contributor. "Around 50 per cent of the total revenue was generated by Fujifilm's medical business," Iwata added. Presently, medical endoscopy in India is around Rs 300 crore market, in which players such as Olympus, Pentax and some domestic players operate. Fujifilm India has introduced Eluxeo 7000 Series here, which would help in early detection of all types of gastro cancers, Fujifilm claimed. "The move will help the company to strengthen its foothold in the medical business in India," he said, adding that "Fujifilm India will continue to build their portfolio by expanding their line-up and associations with various medical institutions to strengthen its foothold in the medical business in India". Fujifilm is a leading player in the diagnostic imaging space, addresses product categories like computed radiography, digital radiography, digital mammography, dry imager, film and screen, endoscopy and point-of-care testing products/clinical chemistry system in India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Sunday urged the people to give Prime Minister Narendra Modi "another chance" in the general elections next year. Speaking at a gathering of the extremely backward class in Khutauna block here, Sushil Modi said, "You (the people) should give Narendra Modi another chance as prime minister in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and defeat the RJD-Congress conspiracy to bring down the NDA government." Both RJD and the Congress did not give reservation to EBCs in the panchayat polls, the deputy CM said at the Vishal Ati Pichhra Samagam organised by the party's EBC cell. He claimed the section was "ill-treated" during the RJD's near 15-year-long rule in the state. "It was the BJP-JD(U) combine which gave 20 per cent reservation to EBCs in the rural polls, after coming to power in November 2005," the deputy CM was quoted as saying in a release. The Narendra Modi government has given constitutional status to the OBC commission on the lines of the SC and ST commission, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Terming as "unacceptable" and "deplorable" the condition of the Kushak drain near South Extension-II here, the Delhi High Court has directed the AAP government to clean it up to ensure it does not become a mosquito breeding ground. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Chander Shekhar ordered that water in the drain be treated and directed the Public Works Department (PWD) of the Delhi government to install a proper filtration system in the ''nullah'' before handing it over to the local municipal corporation. "The pictures depict a deplorable state of affairs in the drain with garbage floating on it. This is absolutely unacceptable and action be taken by the Delhi government to ensure the entire area is cleaned of garbage. "Effective steps be taken to ensure there is no stagnant water in the nullah (drain) and that it does become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Water in the nullah be treated before it flows through the outlet into the river (Yamuna)," the court said. It also said that the PWD cannot refuse to clean the drain under the Barapullah flyover here just because it has to hand it over to the corporation in December this year. "Instead of blaming others or leaving it to others, do what you had promised (the court). Get it cleaned up," the bench said. The PWD has on several occasions in the past few years assured the court that it will clean the drain of all garbage and construction debris after construction of the Barapullah flyover is completed. However, the deadline for completion of work kept getting extended even as residents of the areas, especially South Extension-II, near the nullah complained of waterlogging in their colonies during monsoon due to garbage and debris in the drain. The latest directions of the court came during hearing of a PIL initiated by it in 2012 regarding water-logging and flooding in South Extension-II. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court is likely to pronounce Monday its verdict in a plea for tracing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed, who went missing from the university nearly two years ago. A bench of justices S Muralidhar and Vinod Goel had on September 4 reserved its decision on the petition filed by the student's mother after concluding hearing of arguments of her lawyer and that of the CBI, which took over the investigation on May 16 last year. Ahmed had gone missing from the Mahi-Mandvi hostel of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on October 15, 2016, following a scuffle with some other students, allegedly affiliated to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the previous night. The CBI, which took over the probe from the Delhi Police, told the court that it has decided to file a closure report in the case as it has investigated all the angles and does not think that any offence was committed against the missing person. However, the lawyer for the student's mother, Fatima Nafees, contended in court that it was a "political case" and that the "CBI has succumbed to the pressure of its masters". The CBI, on September 4, had told the high court that it has not yet filed the closure report before the trial court concerned as it wanted to first bring it to the knowledge of the high court. The CBI had submitted that its investigation was complete as it has probed all the angles left by the Delhi Police and it did not think there was any offence committed against the missing person. It had said the petition may be disposed of by the high court, after which it will file the closure report before the magistrate "and the petitioner may file a protest petition there, if they wish to". Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for Ahmed's mother, had said neither the CBI has done its best in the case nor has it probed the matter in a fair manner. The petitioner also sought setting up of an SIT comprising independent experts to enquire into the matter. Ahmed's mother had moved the high court on November 25, 2016, seeking directions to the police to trace her son. However, as the Delhi Police remained clueless about his whereabouts even seven months after he went missing, the probe was handed over to the CBI on May 16 last year. The Delhi Police had not opposed the handing over of the investigation in the case, saying that it has done its bit in the matter. Nafees''s counsel had earlier said the nine suspected students were named in a complaint by 18 students who were eyewitnesses to the alleged assault on Ahmed, yet they were not interrogated. The nine suspected students have denied all allegations against them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ISTANBULTurkish police believe that prominent Saudi journalist and critic Jamal Khashoggi was murdered inside the Saudi mission in Istanbul after he went missing on Tuesday, according to an unnamed government official. Based on their initial findings, the police believe that the journalist was killed by a team especially sent to Istanbul and who left the same day, the official told AFP on Saturday. It came hours after police confirmed that around 15 Saudis, including officials, arrived in Istanbul on two flights on Tuesday and were at the consulate at the same time as Khashoggi. The Washington Post contributor had gone to the consulate on an administrative errand but did not come back out of the building, police had told the state-run Anadolu news agency. On the back of the preliminary investigation, Ankara announced Saturday it had opened an official probe into his disappearance. The state-run Saudi Press Agency, quoting an unnamed official at the Istanbul consulate, denied the reports of Khashoggis murder. The official strongly denounced these baseless allegations, the agency wrote, adding that a team of Saudi investigators were in Turkey working with local authorities. Reacting to news of the alleged murder, the journalists Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, said on Twitter she did not believe he has been killed. In his columns, Khashoggi has been critical of some policies of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Riyadhs intervention in the war in Yemen. The former government adviser, who turns 60 on October 13, has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since last year to avoid possible arrest. Press freedom campaigners condemned reports of Khashoggis possible murder, with the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists demanding Riyadh give a full and credible account of what happened to him inside the consulate. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on Twitter that if reports of Khashoggis death were confirmed, this would constitute a horrific, utterly deplorable, and absolutely unacceptable assault on press freedom. Prince Mohammed said in an interview with Bloomberg published Friday that the journalist had left the consulate and Turkish authorities could search the building, which is Saudi sovereign territory. We are ready to welcome the Turkish government to go and search our premises, he said, adding that we will allow them to enter and search and do whatever they want to do... We have nothing to hide. The Saudi crown prince also said he understood that Khashoggi had entered the consulate but then got out after a few minutes or one hour.We are investigating this through the foreign ministry to see exactly what happened at that time, he added. According to his fiancee Cengiz, Khashoggi had visited the consulate to receive an official document for his marriage. Turkeys foreign ministry on Wednesday summoned Saudi Arabias ambassador over the issue. A spokesperson for the US State Department said: We are not in a position to confirm these reports, but we are closely following the situation. Khashoggi fled the country in September 2017, months after Prince Mohammed was appointed heir to the throne, amid a campaign that saw dozens of dissidents arrested including intellectuals and Islamic preachers. The journalist 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 organization. He has also criticized Saudi Arabias role in Yemen, where Riyadh leads a military coalition fighting alongside the government in its war with Iran-backed rebels. The Washington Post chose to leave a blank space where Khashoggis column would have been in its Friday edition in support of the missing writer. In an article published by Al-Jazeera this week, journalist and analyst Bill Law described Khashoggi as a brilliant journalist with a fiercely independent mind but with sufficient pragmatism to know just how close to the red lines he could go. His is a voice of reasoned criticism and wise comment that the Saudi crown prince should listen to, wrote Law, who said he had known Khashoggi for 16 years. Saudi Arabia, which ranks 169th out of 180 on the World Press Freedom Index issued by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), has launched a modernization campaign since Prince Mohammeds appointment 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. Khashoggis criticism of Prince Mohammeds policies have appeared in both the Arab and Western press. In a March 6 Guardian editorial co-authored with Robert Lacey, he wrote: For his domestic reform program, 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. Vice PresidentM Venkaiah Naidu Sunday urged doctors to create awareness among people on the dangers posed by lifestyle diseases, saying a healthy nation can become a wealthy nation but not vice-versa. Speaking after inaugurating a free medical camp here, Naidu stressed on the need to pay greater attention towards one's health and wellness as prevention was better than cure, an official release said. Naidu noted that the country's spending on healthcare would naturally come down if people were healthy. He lauded the Centre for launching 'Ayushman Bharat' to provide health insurance cover to five crore families in rural and 2.5 crore families in urban areas. The scheme would provide coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year. Later, giving away 'Rythu Nestham' awards, Naidu warned that farmers would give up agriculture unless farming was made profitable and viable. He also suggested that the focus should be on bringing down the input costs and not on increasing productivity alone. "The indiscriminate use of fertilisers, pesticides, electricity and water also need to be curbed," the release quoted theVice-Presidentas saying. On the initiative taken by him to conduct national consultations on making agriculture profitable, Naidu said scientists must ensure that research outcome directly reaches farmers (Lab to Land). Noting that zero budget natural farming promoted by eminent agriculturist Subhash Palekar was beneficial, the Vice President pointed out that it would help reduce costs and provide a stable income to farmers. "It would also protect the consumers from ill-effects of pesticides. As a matter of fact, only 10 per cent of water and electricity would be required for natural farming when compared to normal farming," he claimed. The Vice President also emphasised the importance of creating awareness among farmers to diversify to allied activities to increase their income. Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for increasing the Minimum Support Price of various crops and launching farmer-friendly schemes such as soil health cards and PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, the Vice President appealed to the private sector to step up investments in agriculture. Observing that the Government, Parliament and the Media must accord the highest priority to health, education and agriculture, the Vice President said that scientists, agricultural research centres and Krishi Vigyan Kendras must make concerted efforts to make agriculture sustainable and profitable, the release added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has opened up about the sexual harassment allegation against his Phantom Films partner Vikas Bahl, saying he was "ill-advised" in the matter by his lawyers. In a recent article in Huffpost India, a former woman employee of the now dissolved production banner has reiterated the allegations and shared further details about the incident in May 2015. According to the report, the woman said she had reached out to Kashyap and detailed her experience, but no action was taken while Bahl continued to harass her until she finally quit the company. In a two-page statement on Twitter, Kashyap said his legal aides told him that there was nothing he could do to fire Bahl from Phantom Films, which they set up seven years ago. "While at Phantom, I did everything I could, within what I was told by my partner and his lawyers. For legal and financial decisions, I was fully dependent on my partner and his team. They took care of those things so I could focus on what I did better, creatives. His word and his team's word on any matter used to be the final word for us," he wrote in the statement. "According to legal advice provided to me then, I was told that we had very limited options. Now in hindsight and after taking stock of things myself, I can quite see how I was ill-advised," he added. Kashyap said given limited options, the company decided to a "strong moral stand" that included barring Bahl from the office premises and taking away his signing authority. The filmmaker also said that he "named and shamed" Bahl in private "amongst whoever asked about it". He claimed that nothing about the allegations against Bahl was "under wraps". "The victim had complete trust in me individually. However, since she knew I depended on others to handle legalities (and perhaps was more perceptive than me in seeing how I was being poorly advised), maybe she found it difficult to trust that I would be able to (or allowed to) see the plan through of stripping Vikas of his power within the company. "This could perhaps also be why she eventually backed out of signing the document that was being put in place capturing the terms of how this would be dealt with," he added. Kashyap also said that the lawyers told him that Bahl's removal from the company was hindered by two things -- his status as "an equal promoter/director who actually ran the company" and that there was no clause in their contract to fire him "on the grounds of misconduct". He claimed that the story got out only after he corroborated it with the journalist. He also said that he was the anonymous source who leaked out the story to the press last year. "Why did I take time to corroborate the story? Because I took time trusting the journalist. I placed my trust in him only when the victim told me that I could. Corroborating the story is also taking a stand. Kashyap said that for a long time the victim did not tell him about the incident because "she saw me dealing with depression". "She put herself through a personal hell to protect me and I could not because I was unfortunately ill-advised that there is little I could do. That being said, I fully understand that it is no excuse whatsoever and all of my actions above I'd hope are demonstrative of every intention on my part to set this right." The filmmaker said there are not many provisions to deal with sexual harassment in the industry and feels it is "extremely ill-equipped" to counter this menace. "This industry is extremely ill-equipped to handle matters such as sexual harassment, copyright, censorship and all the things we put ourselves in dock with. A large part of the reason for this is that there is clearly lack of correct advice and awareness of legal remedies," he added. He apologised to the victim and said he will ensure that such incidents would not happen again on his work premises. According to the publication, they had also sent detailed questionnaires to Phantom Films's remaining three partners -- Bahl, Vikramaditya Motwane and Madhu Mantena. Before the article was published, the four partners Saturday announced that have decided to dissolve their joint banner Phantom Films, without citing the reason for this decision. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Swedish furniture giant Ikea Sunday said it would not raise the prices of low-end furniture and furnishing products if the company costs increase due to Centre's recent hike in customs duty on some furnishing items to curb imports of non-essential goods. "For now, we have not seen any repercussions, but if there is continuation of costs due to hike in customs duties on furniture and furnishing items, then at some point of time we would have to pass it (burden) on to customers, but we may do it on higher-end products, not lower-end, Deputy Country Manager Patrik Antoni told PTI here. "So, customers can still be hopeful," he said. Patrik said Ikea is a global company and it would appreciate global trade, but would not be happy with trade barriers such as customs tariff or import duties. He also said trade barriers will only affect 'ease of doing business,' which will in the long run affect customers. The central government had on September 26 hiked customs duties on as many as 19 items, including jet fuel, Air Conditioners and refrigerators, with an aim to curb imports of non-essential goods. Ikea imports most of the products it sells, and many are covered by the latest customs duty hike which includes tableware, kitchenware and household items made of plastic and travel bags, among others. The total import bill on account of shipment of such items into the country last fiscal was Rs 86,000 crore. Curbing non-essential imports was part of the five-pronged steps announced by the government to check widening current account deficit and capital outflows. Ikea is planning to invest nearly Rs 3,000 crore in the next three years to open three fulfillment centres (packing warehouses) in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi. The company would open the centres as an omni-channelling brand with large IKEA stores, city centre stores and online presence. Ikea is set to open its second store in Mumbai later this year and would hold a ground-breaking ceremony on October 11 in Bengaluru. By 2025, there would be over 25 stores across cities such as Ahmedabad, Surat, Pune, Chennai and Kolkata with both online and offline approaches. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a bid to protect budding doctors from any unpleasant situation they might find themselves in future because of illegible prescriptions, a state-run medical college in Madhya Pradesh has come up with an intersting idea. Under the proposed plan, graduate and post-graduate students of Indore-based Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Medical College will be trained by a subject expert for improving their writing skills, so that they can write prescriptions and medical documents in legible manner. MGM Dean Dr Jyoti Bindal said Sunday the college would rope in a subject specialist to improve handwriting skills of budding medicos, so that they can write prescriptions that are legible and easy to understand. "We will also organise a competition among students to write prescriptions in clear and beautiful letters," Dr Bindal said. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Medical Science University (MPMSU) Vice-Chancellor Dr Ravishankar Sharma blamed hurry in which doctors often write for illegible precriptions. He said some doctors finish writing prescriptions in just 30 seconds. Dr Sharma suggested that upcoming doctors take at least three minutes to write the drug order. "I suggest doctors to write symptoms of patients, description of a disease and prescribed medicines in clear words," he said. Dr Sharma, however, does not agree with the public criticism of illegible prescriptions. "All doctors cannot be expected to write prescriptions beautifully but yes what is written should be readable," he said. Patients often face problems in purchasing medicines from pharmacists due to such undecipherable prescriptions. Many a times, badly written medico-legal documents hamper investigation by the police. In some instances in the past, patients and their family members had faced issues in claiming medical insurance due to poor handwriting of the doctors. In view of the criticism, some doctors have started giving computerised prescriptions to their patients. In view of the issue of illigible medcal prescriptions, Union Health Ministry is set to make it a norm mandating doctors to prescribe medicines in capital letters in a "legible" manner and also mention the generic names of the drugs, an official had told PTI in Delhi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Indian aviation sector is very vibrant and the country is one of the strategic markets for Lufthansa, which is constantly evaluating opportunities to expand capacity here, according to top officials of the German carrier. "We have many connections between various Indian cities and Europe and we are connecting India with the world via our hubs... we are focussing specifically on customers from India to international markets via Europe," Heike Birlenbach, Senior Vice President Sales Lufthansa Hub Airlines and Chief Commercial Officer Hub Frankfurt, told PTI in an interview. Lufthansa Group serves 343 destinations in 103 countries, offering 15,415 weekly frequencies. In India, it operates 62 weekly flights to New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru and Pune from its Frankfurt and Munich hubs. "On those 62 frequencies, we have seen lately that there is a trend that more and more Indians, originating in India, are on that flight. Usually you have a balance between people originating on the other side, either in Europe or the US or Canada, but now there are more and more people originating in India in our flights," Birlenbach said. According to Birlenbach, the German carrier sends its most modern aircraft -- Airbus A350 -- from Munich to New Delhi. Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8 aircraft are also sent to India. Noting that Lufthansa is watching what is going on in the Indian aviation market, Birlenbach said it is very vibrant. "We have opened routes (to India), put the larger aircraft on those routes. For sure we are constantly also evaluating whether we can add even more capacity into the market. For us, India is one of the strategic markets of our network," Wolfgang Will, Senior Director, South Asia, Lufthansa Group told PTI. Lufthansa's services to India commenced in November 1959 with a flight between Frankfurt and Kolkata. Will noted that there might have been 80 per cent Germans and Europeans on board and maybe a very small number of Indians back then. "Today it is totally the opposite. You now have really a vast majority of Indian passengers on board which actually confirms that we have a market in India which is very very dynamic and people are really eager to travel, not only because of business but also for leisure," Will said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The international police organisation Interpol announced Sunday that it has received the resignation of its Chinese chief Meng Hongwei, who has been missing since September 25 and is suspected by Beijing of "violating the law". Meng has resigned "with immediate effect" and Senior Vice President Kim Jong Yang of South Korea has become acting president, Interpol said in a statement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat Sunday urged business leaders to invest in the state, saying the government and investors will be partners in its development and prosperity. "I assure you that ours will not be the usual government-investor relationship. We shall be partners in the development and prosperity of the state," Rawat said at the inaugural session of thetwo day investors summit here in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This summit is being held to present Uttarakhand's view on issues like economic development, employment generation, balanced regional and inclusive growth, Rawat said. Highlighting the steps taken by the state government to promote investment, he said, ten new policies have been approved in just one month. These policies incorporate suggestions made by investors and business leaders during roadshows held in different metropolises in the run-up to the event. A sound law and order scenario, cheap availability of power, top position in ease of doing business rankings among the hill states, growing connectivity and proximity with Delhi, besides a single window clearance system, were flaunted as the main reasons why investors should select Uttarakhand as their destination. Investment proposals worth over Rs 70,000 crore have already arrived ahead of the summit. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union minister Smriti Irani on Sunday accused Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of depriving the people of the state from the benefits of central schemes such as Ayushman Bharat, "on political consideration". About the fuel price issue, she said even as the NDA government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has slashed fuel prices by Rs 2.50 per litre, Patnaik was not ready to reduce state tax for giving relief to the people. Addressing a BJP state executive meeting here, the Union textiles minister said, "Naveen Patnaik has deprived the people of Odisha from the benefits of Ayushman Bharat scheme on political consideration." Justifying her allegation, Irani told reporters that Patnaik "rejected" the Ayushman Bharat scheme despite the fact that over 60 per cent of Odisha's women and children suffer from anaemia and the state ranks number one in birth of stunted children. Despite of the health scenario in the state, Naveen Patnaik preferred to reject the Ayushman Bharat scheme, Irani said, adding, "The poor people are now raising question why they should not avail the benefits of the central scheme." Claiming that atrocities against women has been increasing in the state by the day, she said, "The BJD government has failed to maintain law and order in the state and provide protection to women and girls."On the BJP's agenda of securing more than 120 of the total 147 seats in the Odisha Assembly, Irani said, "The BJP's Mission 120 plus is not just about securing power in the state, it also aims to raise public awareness on issues of women atrocities, unemployment, corruption."The Union textiles minister said some BJP workers, during the state executive meeting, drew her attention to a proposal to revive the Odisha Textile Mills (OTM). "Yes, the OTM can be revived, but the state government should take initiative towards this direction. The Centre will certainly extend a helping hand," she said, adding that 50 per cent of the workers in Tirupur textile cluster in Tamil Nadu hailed from Odisha. "If Odisha women and girls can make Tirupur Textile cluster successful, why cannot they do it in their state?" Irani asked. Reacting to Irani's allegation, the spokesman of the ruling BJD, Sasmit Patra, said "The BJP is afraid of Odisha government's Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana. The BSKY offers better facilities than the Ayushman Bharat scheme." About Iran's claim about rise in the atrocities against women in Odisha, the BJD spokesman said, "The Union minister should first say how safe women are in BJP-ruled states." On fuel price issue, Patra said, "The BJP government announced reduction of fuel price by Rs 2.50 per litre keeping in view the elections in five states. They (BJP) are not worried about the people. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma Sunday defended the stand of party's Kerala unit seeking a review of the Supreme Court judgement allowing women of all ages to enter the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala and urged the central and state governments to take a call on the issue. "They (state unit leaders) are the best judges to connect with the local tradition, historical practices and sentiments to ensure there is a balance," he told reporters here. His comments come amid protests in the state against the CPIM-led LDF government's decision not to seek review of the apex court order and the state Congress and BJP expressing support to the cause of the Hindu faithful. "There is a debate which is on and that debate should conclude in a healthy manner eventually. This is the essence of democracy," Sharma, here for a party meeting, said. Replying to a question, he said it was for the central and the state governments to decide on filing a review plea in the Supreme Court. "Opposition does not take a call on such matters," he said. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Mullappally Ramachandran has urged the state government to convene an all-party meet to discuss the present developments. He had said Congress would support the government if it filed a review petition against the Supreme Court verdict, which lifted the restrictions imposed on the entry of women belonging to the age group of 10-50 in the hill shrine. The Congress had last week said there was no contradiction in the party's stand at the national and state level on the issue. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala had said the verdict was final and binding and there cannot be any discrimination on the ground of gender as per the country's Constitution. He had also said the Kerala unit of the Congress was only expressing the sentiments of the people of the state by demanding a review of the apex court's verdict. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Brett Kavanaugh, 53, was sworn in as a judge of the US Supreme Court, hours after he was confirmed by a bitterly divided Senate by 50-48 votes. Kavanaugh was officially sworn in early Saturday evening as the 114th Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts who administered the Constitutional Oath in the Justices' Conference Room. Retired Associate Justice Anthony M Kennedy administered the Judicial Oath. Wife Ashley Kavanaugh held the family Bible. Justice Kavanaugh's two daughters, Liza and Margaret, and his parents attended the ceremony. Kavanaugh replaces Kennedy, who had announced his resignation early this year. The swearing in of Kavanaugh as the Supreme Court judge brought to end weeks of bitterly fought battle between the ruling Republican and the opposition Democratic parties. Things took an ugly turn in the last few weeks, when at least three women came forward with allegations that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted them. Millions of people inside US and abroad watched live on their television sets the open hearing of Kavanaugh and his first accuser Christine Ford, a professor in California. Under tremendous political pressure, Trump ordered a last-minute FBI supplemental inquiry, the results of which reports said did not prove the allegations. Day later on Saturday, the Senate confirmed the nomination of Kavanaugh by 50-48 votes, which was mostly on party lines. Kavanaugh is the second Supreme Court nominee of President Donald Trump to be confirmed by the Senate. Trump who was on a November 6 mid-term election campaign trail in Kansas called Kavanaugh to congratulate him on his confirmation and swearing in. "I just congratulated him," he said, "Congratulations". It was well fought. I mean, who would have thought a thing like that could've happened -- what he's been through? Everything was uncorroborated, he told reporters in Topeka, Kansas. Describing Kavanaugh as an outstanding person, Trump alleged that in recent weeks he and his family suffered a lot because of the opposition Democratic lawmakers who according to him supported an uncorroborated allegation of sexual assault against him. "We're very honored that he was able to withstand this horrible, horrible attack by the Democrats. It's a horrible attack that nobody should have to go through," he said. "But the beautiful thing is, he is now in. He's going to be there for a long time. And he's just an outstanding intellect, outstanding scholar, a brilliant lawyer -- brilliant at everything he's ever done. So we're very happy. It was a great vote, a very historic vote," Trump said. Even as he was being sworn in inside the Supreme Court, scores of people protested across the street at the Capitol. "The crowd in front of the US Supreme Court is tiny, looks like about 200 people (& most are onlookers) - that wouldn't even fill the first couple of rows of our Kansas Rally, or any of our Rallies for that matter! The Fake Media tries to make it look sooo big, & it's not!" Trump said in a tweet. Of the nine-members on the powerful Supreme Court bench, two of the judges Kavanagh and Neil Gorsuch have been nominated by Trump. His predecessor Barack Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, both women, on the bench in 2009 and 2010 respectively. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "What is the truth behind the ouster plot?" Yesterday, while having a coffee a friend of mine who was intimately involved in the affairs of the Estrada administration, we recalled with a tinge of sadness the October events including media coverage, local and international, and, yes, surveys peppering the public mind during that period. My friend was particularly concerned that the revelations about a Red October plot to oust President Duterte is increasingly being discredited as alarming and preposterous by various groups a number of which are associated with the core anti-Duterte critics. It is a pity, my friend noted, that the security forces and, of course, the administrations information net have been unable so far to convey the seriousness of the threat against Duterte and with it the very essence of democratic governance and the peoples choice. After all, my friend harkened to note, despite his many indiscretions and ill-implemented initiatives, he is our duly elected president and plotting to oust him in the middle of his term is tantamount to treason in peace times. It is a betrayal of the peoples choice. So what was his message? Despite the bumbling of the security forces and the administrations information net, there really is a serious effort to oust the President before the end of his term. The tell-tale signs of such a move are all over the place if we go by the Estrada experience, as it were. And he directly pointed to elements within the US government (the deep state?) and anti-Duterte critics as the main players in this ouster play. I am no conspiracy theorist but I have to admit there is a possibility no matter how remote that what my friend told me is really in play and is likely to accelerate towards the end of the year up to early next year. The tell-tale signs of such a movement are quite compelling. Remember, he said, early in President Dutertes term, there was already a brawl, if we may call it such, between the newly installed administration and certain groups within the US government and their allies, in and out of America, resulting from the regime-change prescriptions of then US Ambassador Philip Goldberg. Goldberg, a veteran diplomat-disrupter, has been credited with managing regime change in at least two South American countries presided over by chief executives who were, in the eyes of his Washington bosses and their allies, were potential pains in the neck in the advancement of US interests. As a result, Goldberg was about to be declared persona non grata by the administration but was recalled soon enough before that happened. It took some time before Malacanang accepted a new US envoy and even a longer time before it named our own ambassador to Washington. But relations between our two countries had hardly thawed specially since early on PRRD announced that we will be adopting a more independent foreign policy, friends to all, enemy to none, and proceeded to enhance our relations and exchanges with China and Russia, both of whom are considered major rivals of the United States. Just to put across that point, President Duterte has visited China thrice and Chinese President Xi Jingping is expected to make a state visit to Manila next month. Mr. Duterte has also visited Russia though the trip was cut short for a day due to the Marawi ISIS take over. On the other hand, as of this wrirting, I have not heard of any plans for him to visit America which is quite unthinkable considering our long-standing ties with that country. In fact, in earlier times, a state visit to Washington by a Philippine president was considered top priority and usually happens almost immediately after the turnover to the new Malacanang occupant. And what has the increasing frequency of surveys being conducted and played out got to do with the ouster moves? Well, he said, these are meant to condition the public mind and loosen up public support for the administration as a prelude to an active oust campaign, the main elements of which have been and will continue to be played out up to the first quarter of 2019.But before the critics jump like monkeys as a result of the reported dropping of PRRDs rating, they should take a look at the core findings and the public pulse on key gut political and economic issues which belie the highly negative headlines in traditional media. Basically, the SWS said that PRRD ratings remain very good despite the continuing criticisms bordering on sedition being hurled his way and the drop in his ratings. Per the latest SWS survey, PRRDs net satisfaction rating remained very good at 50 percent but was dismal if compared to the 60-percent rating he got just three months back. The third quarter survey conducted from September 15 to 23 showed that 65 percent are satisfied with PRRD while only 19 percent were dissatisfied. This is understandable, considering the extent of frustration of most of those in the C, D & E classes with high prices, traffic and other quality- of-life indicators. The one thing going for the administration which was not present during the Estrada administration is President Dutertes hands-on efforts to curb the decline in public support. He has been tireless in his visits to camps, key sectors and communities in a rare display of active face-to-face interaction with a public that is anxious about the state of things. Then, there is PRRDs no-nonsense drive against corruption which in the eyes of the people has enhanced his moral standing. Of course, in the key issues of concern which the SWS survey looked into, it is clear that a majority of our people continue to laud the ongoing efforts to alleviate our peoples situation and somehow ignite optimism that things will turn out for the better sooner rather than later. Out of the 15 issues raised, five have improved to very good territory such as public works, poverty alleviation, Marawi reconstruction, human rights protection and counter-terrorism. On the good category you have fighting crimes, reconciling with communists, maintaining foreign relations, defending sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea and fighting corruption. The worst rating was in the governments action to ensure no Filipino family will go hungry. So there. With such an outcome it remains to be seen whether my friends worst scenariothat is, a disruptive regime changewill ever come to pass sooner than we can stabilize our situation, strengthen our democratic process and move on to greater heights. It is our duty, all of us, to ensure that such will never happen again. Increasing population and limited participation in higher education are mainly blamed for backwardness of Muslims, but a new report questions this argument, saying the community's population in Kerala rose by 15 lakh between 2001-2011. Though the economic status and the literacy level of Muslims in Kerala are better, still the rate of their population growth is higher that the national average, says the report by Centre for Policy Analysis, an independent and non-profit policy research body. The centre, evaluating India's minority policy and Muslim community's social and economic status, said the Muslim population in Kerala rose to 3.34 crore in 2011 from 3.18 crore in 2001. Giving a break-up of the increase in population in the state during the period, the report said the Muslim population grew by 10.10 lakh, Hindu population by 3.62 lakh and Christians by 84,000. It said the economic status of Muslims in Kerala is sound and their literacy rate too is better than the national average. Hindus constitute 54.9 per cent of the total population in Kerala, Muslims 26.6 per cent and Christians 18.4 per cent, it said. However in 2015, Hindus contributed 42.87 per cent to child births, Muslims 41.5 per cent and Christians 15.42 per cent. On the contribution of Muslim women in education and workforce, the report suggests the government seriously look into this important issue related to the minorities in the country. According to the report, several programmes are run by the government for minorities but the schemes are not yielding the desired results because of their "improper" execution. The report citing the 2011 census said women participation in the workforce at the national level is 24.64 per cent but this rate is lowest in the Muslim community at 15.58 per cent. It said the low literacy rate negatively affects the availability of economic opportunities, which in turn affects the participation in the workforce. The report suggests the government bring changes in its programmes for minorities to achieve larger national goals and improve the condition of women. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A minor girl, allegedly abducted and raped by two men at Chandramun area in Jajpur district, has been rescued from a nearby village, police said Sunday. The 15-year-old girl was rescued following a series of raids at various places near Chandramun and one of the accused arrested on Saturday, said S B Das, inspector-in-charge of Binjharpur police station. The accused has been identified as Santosh Kumar Jena (20) alias Chhuapua of Routara village. According to the police, the girl had gone to her tuition classes village on Wednesday evening but did not return home. Her family members lodged a missing complaint at Binjharpur police station on Friday. The police arrested one of the accused from the place where the girl was kept. "The girl revealed that two youths had kidnapped her while she was returning home from the tuition and later took her to an unknown area in a mini truck on Wednesday night. In her statement, she alleged that duo had sexually assaulted her," he said. The police conducted medical examination of both the girl and the accused. The accused was booked under relevant sections of the IPC and POCSO Act and efforts are on to nab the other person, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kim Jong Un has agreed to hold a second summit with US President Donald Trump as soon as possible, Seoul said Sunday, after Washington's top diplomat held "productive" talks on denuclearisation with the North Korean leader in Pyongyang. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Kim on Sunday morning for around two hours of talks followed by a lunch in the North's capital, before flying to Seoul on a whirlwind diplomatic visit to the region. Pompeo said "he agreed with Chairman Kim to hold the second US-North Korea summit at the earliest date possible," South Korea's presidential office said in a statement, although no specific time or location has yet been agreed. Pompeo and Kim also discussed "denuclearisation steps that will be taken by North Korea and the issue of attendance by the US government," as well as "corresponding measures" to be taken by the US, the statement said. The visit was Pompeo's fourth to North Korea. US President Donald Trump met Kim in Singapore in June for the first-ever summit between the countries, resulting in what critics say was only a vague commitment by Kim towards denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. "We continue to make progress on agreements made at Singapore Summit. Thanks for hosting me and my team," Pompeo tweeted. Kim also praised their "nice meeting", telling Pompeo via an interpreter following the morning's talks that it was "a very nice day that promises a good future ... for both countries." Since the Singapore summit, the road towards warmer ties has been bumpy. Washington and Pyongyang have sparred over the exact terms of the vaguely-worded agreement in Singapore, with the US pushing to maintain sanctions and pressure against the North until its "final, fully verified denuclearisation". Last month the North's foreign minister told the United Nations there was "no way" his country would disarm first as long as tough US sanctions remain against his country. After a previous visit to Pyongyang in July, Pompeo had said the two foes made progress on key issues -- but within hours of his departure the North condemned "gangster-like" demands from the US, raising questions over how much the two sides really saw eye to eye. Another planned trip by Pompeo to Pyongyang was scrapped after what Trump said was insufficient progress towards implementing the terms of the Singapore declaration. An official on Sunday's latest visit to Pyongyang with Pompeo said the trip was "better than the last time", but added: "It's going to be a long haul." Following his arrival in Seoul from Pyongyang on Sunday, Pompeo said at a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in that he had "a good productive conversation" with Kim, in talks which represented "another step forward". The dovish Moon, who held three summits with Kim this year and also brokered the Trump-Kim summit in Singapore, said Sunday the "whole world" was watching with keen interest the outcomes of Pompeo's trip. "I hope your trip to North Korea and the upcoming second US-North Korea summit will provide a good opportunity for achieving irreversible, decisive progress in terms of denuclearisation and the peace process on the Korean peninsula." Analysts say Washington may now consider new options as China, Russia and South Korea seek to relax sanctions. "North Korea took some steps towards denuclearisation and the US will face criticism from the international community if it continues to demand complete denuclearisation without any lifting of sanctions," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "We can't rule out the possibility that Washington... may move in the direction of partial easing of sanctions based on progress in denuclearisation," he said. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has given a hint of what a grand bargain between the two countries could look like. In an interview with the Washington Post, she said the North could agree to dismantle Yongbyon, its signature nuclear site. In exchange, the United States would declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War -- which concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty -- but North Korea would stop short of delivering an exhaustive list of its nuclear facilities, she said. After Seoul, Pompeo ends his trip Monday in China, North Korea's political and economic lifeline. The Beijing stop could be tense as it comes days after Vice President Mike Pence delivered a blistering speech accusing China of military aggression, commercial theft, rising human rights violations and electoral intervention against Trump. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Short supply of government rations appears to have forced tribals in some border villages of Uttarakhand's Kumaon region to depend on Chinese foodgrain bought from Nepalese markets. "The quota of rations supplied by the state government falls short of our requirements. So much so that some of the villagers have had to depend on Chinese foodgrain bought from markets in Nepal," tribal leader Krishna Garbiyal told PTI Friday. He was part of a delegation of Vyas valley villagers who met Dharchula SDM Friday to demand an increased supply of rations under the Public Distribution System (PDS). Villagers cross a bridge over Kali river near Garbiyang which connects India with Nepal and buy rations from the markets of Tinkar and Changru villages of the neighbouring country to fulfil their needs, he said. "The government allocates five kg of wheat and two kg of rice per month to each family which is far from enough. We have demanded several times to increase the ration quota for families residing in high altitudes as these areas do not grow grains like wheat or paddy," Garbiyal said. The villagers said apart from the insufficient quota of ration, even their allotted amount has not reached them in time. They had received their last rations before the onset of Monsoon. A 49 km-stretch from Mangti to Gunji was being repaired for nearly six months which made the practice of sending rations on mules to the villages very difficult this year. "Over 72.5 quintals of ration were sent to Vyas valley villages by helicopters before the Monsoon began. The ration for October, November and December are yet to be sent to the villages," Dharchula SDM RK Pandey said. With the road route under repairs, the administration has to depend on helicopters to transport rations to Vyas valley villages, he said. He said the administration is also in contact with the Army to avail its helicopters for the purpose. Absence of a proper road route is also likely to delay the winter migration of Vyas valley villagers to lower areas, Garbiyal said. In a memorandum submitted to the SDM, the villagers demanded an increase in quota of rations. They also demanded continuation of helicopter service, which was for Kailash Mansoravar yatra tourists, so that ration could be supplied to the villages and the residents could migrate to lower valley. The service was closed after the pilgrimage's conclusion last month. "Either the under-construction road be completed from Lakhanpur to Nazang, or cheap helicopter service be extended to November 18 to speed up supply of rations and to enable Vyas valley tribals to come down to the lower valley for migration," said Kushal Singh Napalchayal, a villager who led the delegation. According to Napalchayal over 2,000 villagers from five villages of Gunji, Napalchu, Rongkong, Nabi and Kuti will migrate from high-altitude villages to their lower valley residences from November first week. "The villagers need ration even for the months of November, December as they stack it away for the summer months when they return to their homes March onwards," Napalchyal said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A well-marked low pressure has formed in the Bay of Bengal and is expected to intensify into a depression in the next 36 hours, the Regional Meteorological Department said on Sunday. The office has cautioned fishermen against venturing out to the South and Central areas of Bay of Bengal till October 9. "A new low pressure has formed North of the Andaman (and Nicobar Islands) and South east of the Bay of Bengal. This is expected to further intensify into a depression and move towards the Odisha coast in the next 72 hours," RMD Deputy Director General S Balachandran told reporters. Under the influence of the low pressure, most places in Tamil Nadu registered moderate rainfall in the last 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Sunday, while Mimisal, a coastal village in Pudukottai district, received 13 cms of rainfall. Sankarankovil and Ambasamudram received 8 cm each, Tiruppur and Tenkasi 7 cm each, while Kothagiri, Senkottai, Pudukottai and Tiruppuvanam each received 6 cm of rainfall, Balachandran said. For the next 24 hours, moderate rainfall is expected in several parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry while places like Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Dindigul, Theni might receive heavy rainfall, he said. For Chennai and its neighbouring areas, there may be light to heavy rainfall in some places in the next 24 hours. The prevailing climatic conditions favour the onset of the northeast monsoon in the state, Balachandran said. The RMD deputy director general said the deep depression in the South Arabian Sea presently lay 920 km North West of Minicoy Islands of Lakshadweep and was expected to intensify into a cyclone in the next 24 hours and move towards Oman. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the South and Central Arabian Sea till October 12, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A report on assessing the water scarcity situation in Maharashtra based on four parameters laid down by the Union government is expected to be finalised before October 13, a state Agriculture department official said Sunday. The ranking as per the report will decide whether the state can be termed as afflicted by "drought" or whether it is facing a "drought-like" situation, the official said. "The scarcity assessment covering sowing, soil moisture, rainfall and status of existing crops is being compiled in the state. These parameters are set by the Union government and have been used since 2016. The report will be finalised before October 13," the official said. He said that the norms for assessment are stringent and the emphasis is on accurate data, adding that village and tehsil officials have been asked to expedite the process of data collection. The official said that, of the four parameters, Maharashtra currently had the worst ranking in terms of rainfall. "All the 170 tehsils in the state, generally known for very low rainfall, have received less than 75 per cent of their annual average rainfall. Most of these tehsils are from Marathwada and north Maharashtra region, which comprise Aurangabad and Nashik revenue divisions," the official said. The dams in Marathwada have only 27 per cent water stock because of poor rainfall, he added. Other parameters, like sowing of Kharif crop, are on the brighter side, the official said, since a good spell of showers across the state has ensured that sowing figures are high. The rainfall has also increased soil moisture, another parameter on the which the report is based, he said. The official told PTI that the Centre's National Crop Forecast Centre (NCFC) will assess the data. "The state's report is likely to term the situation as medium level drought," the official said. A low ranking in the report will allow the state government to approach the Centre for funds for drought relief measures, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A militant was shot dead Sunday by armed assailants in the interior hill district of Tamenglong in Manipur, a senior police officer said. It is suspected that the incident was a fallout of rivalry between two hill-based militant outfits, he said. The incident occurred at Khoupam area, about 90 km from the capital Imphal town. Of lately, Tamenglong and it's adjacent district of Noney has witnessed a surge of violence between Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) and NSCN (IM). On August 7 last, one NSCN (IM) cadre was shot dead at Khumji area in Noney district. The ZUF had later claimed responsibility for gunning down the member of its rival outfit. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Workers of Sharad Pawar-led NCP have opposed continuation of the candidature of three of four sitting MPs in Maharashtra for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls over various reasons. The only sitting MP whose candidature was not opposed at the two-day party meeting of workers and legislators, which concluded Sunday, was Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule who represents Baramati seat in Pune district, sources said. Besides Baramati, the NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) had won Kolhapur, Satara and Madha seats in the 2014 polls. These constituencies are repersented by Dhananjay Mahadik, Udayanraje Bhosale and Vijaysinh Mohite Patil, respectively. The NCP has also decided to contest one more seat from Mumbai region, which will be other than Mumbai North East constituency which had been represented by Sanjay Dina Patil, according to sources. Udayanraje Bhosale's candidature was opposed in the previous term as well, but as none of party workers could come up with better candidate, the Maratha royal was given another term. "The leaders such as Bhosale and Mohite-Patil have not helped party in any way in the last four years. It is better if new candidates get chance to represent Satara and Madha constituencies," said a senior NCP leader. However, Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil said, "Some fresh names have been suggested for the constituencies which we had won in 2014, but it does not mean there is an opposition to the existing ones". He said the NCP workers are keen to contest one more seat from Mumbai region. "They have expressed their views. The decision will be taken in coming days," Patil said without elaborating. Former IAS officer Prabhakar Deshmukh, who was present at the meeting, has expressed his desire to contest from Madha, sources said. Deshmukh hogged limelight in 2014 when his declared assets were to the tune of Rs 200 crore. Local leaders from Kolhapur have opposed the candidature of Mahadik because his cousin Amal and latter's wife (Shoumika) were elected on BJP tickets in assembly and zilla parishad elections. Another reason for opposing Mahadik's candidature is that outfit floated by his uncle Mahadev Mandlik has forged an alliance with the BJP in Kolhapur municipal corporation, they said. Mahadev Mahadik controlls cooperative milk dairy (Gokul) which has an annual turnover of Rs 1,200 crore. He recently decided to expand the operations of the dairy in multiple states despite the opposition from most of the local NCP leaders. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan and writer Varun Grover Sunday criticised the now-dissolved production banner, Phantom Films, for its failure to create safe working environment for women on their films' sets. Their reaction came in the aftermath of allegations of sexual harassment against Phantom Films co-founder Vikas Bahl. Ghaywan's 2015 drama "Masaan" was jointly produced by Phantom Films while Grover worked with the banner on films such as "Raman Raghav 2.0", "Bombay Velvet" and Netflix series "Sacred Games". Grover took to Twitter to slam the company for its failure to ensure women's safety on the sets of its films. "I am sorry. As somebody who has been a part of many projects with #Phantom in various capacities (lyrics/writer), I feel ashamed that they failed to provide safe working environment for women," he wrote. He said it was a failure on his part that he did not stressed upon the company to follows the guidelines of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, also known as PoSH guidelines. "We all are complicit in this failure by rarely checking on our female colleagues or demanding POSH guidelines to be followed. We are all complicit in letting this industry run purely on the hubris and entitlement of a few powerful men," he said in another tweet. "All of us men have let our job insecurities or emotional distance from such cases or patriarchy-induced prejudices to allow us to ignore or move on. Whenever some of us have raised our voices, they have either been too feeble or too inconsequential - and the onus is on us alone," he added. He said going forward, he will question the men in power about creating safe environment for women. "It's a moral crime and I promise to introspect and learn from it, and will keep questioning the people in power and my friends (this time louder and clearer). What's the purpose of all the art we create if it's devoid of any moral centre. Sorry again," he said. In a statement posted on Twitter, Ghaywan said he felt disgusted by the allegations against Bahl. "I have felt absolutely disgusted by what Vikas Bahl did to a fellow team member. A legal complication enabled that he couldn't be sacked owing to him being a partner. that complication has enabled him to make another film while she continued to go through agonising mental trauma. "It was her choice not to speak at the time and I respect that. However, we are complicit in that system. I will speak for myself: I am complicit in working with the company that allows it. I allowed myself to work where such toxic male behaviour and perverse patriarchal mind-set fostered," he wrote. The filmmaker said he has introspected a lot in the aftermath of Tanushree Dutta's resurfaced allegations of sexual harassment against Nana Patekar. He said lack of women crew members allows such behaviour to be "trivialised". "At a personal level, I have been partially following some informal/unsaid rules as far as my personal working ecosystem is concerned and I am going to stringently enforce them from here on." Ghaywan also said that he will not be signing any film with the banner that refuses to follow the PoSH guidelines. Screenwriter Apurva Asrani also slammed the company, saying, "Many associated with #VikasBahl's company knew his reality." "Not only did they allow a predator to continue-they also earned money and fame by working on his films. Several among these were self appointed crusaders of social media-who arrogantly called out people for their mistakes," he added. In an article in Huffpost India, a former woman employee of the now dissolved production banner has reiterated the allegations and shared further details about the incident in May 2015. According to the report, the woman said she had reached out to Kashyap and detailed her experience, but no action was taken while Bahl continued to harass her until she finally quit the company. Earlier on Sunday, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap opened up about the sexual harassment allegation against Bahl, saying he was "ill-advised" in the matter by his lawyers. In a two-page statement on Twitter, Kashyap said his legal aides told him that there was nothing he could do to fire Bahl from Phantom Films, which they set up seven years ago. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "Collectivism makes personal liberty its victim." Friedrich Hayek was one of the 20th centurys greatest philosophers. While he is best known for his work in economics, he also made significant contributions in political philosophy and law. He is most widely known for his book, The Road to Serfdom, written during World War II. Hayek exposed the danger posed to freedom by attempts to apply the principles of wartime economic and social planning to the problems of peacetime. Hayek argued that the rise of Nazism was not due to any character failure on the part of the German people, but was a consequence of the socialist ideas that had gained popularity in Germany in the decades preceding the outbreak of war. Historys most notorious dictators did not rise to power randomly. In one of the chapters of his book, Hayek explains why the most despicable people always end up with political power and why, to paraphrase Lord Acton, absolute power always corrupts absolutely: The totalitarian leader must collect around him a group which is prepared voluntarily to submit to that discipline they are to impose by force upon the rest of the people. They [economic and social reformers] still hoped for the miracle of a majoritys agreeing on a particular plan for the organization of the whole of society. Others had already learned the lesson that in a planned society, the question can no longer be on what do a majority of the people agree but with what the largest single group is whose members agree sufficiently to make a unified direction of all affairs possible. There are three main reasons why such as numerous and strong group, with fairly similar views, is not likely to be formed by the best but rather by the worst elements of any society. First, the higher the education and intelligence of individuals become, the more their tastes and views are differentiated. If we wish to find a high degree of uniformity in outlook, we have to descend to the regions of lower moral and intellectual standards where the more primitive instincts prevail. This does not mean that the majority of people have low moral standards; it merely means that the largest group of people whose values are very similar are the people with low standards. Second, since this group is not large enough to give sufficient weight to the leaders endeavors, he will have to increase their numbers by converting more to the same simple creed. He must gain the support of the docile and gullible, who have no strong convictions of their own but are prepared to accept a ready-made system of values if it is only drummed into their ears sufficiently loudly and frequently. It will be those whose vague and imperfectly formed ideas are easily swayed and whose passions and emotions are readily aroused who will thus swell the ranks of the totalitarian party. Third, to weld together a coherent body of supporters, the leader must appeal to a common human weakness. It seems to be easier for people to agree on a negative programon the hatred of an enemy, on the envy of the better offthan on any positive task.The contrast between the we and the they, is consequently always employed by those who seek the allegiance of huge masses. The enemy may be internal, like the Jew in Germany or the kulak in Russia, or he may be external. In any case, this technique has the great advantage of leaving the leader greater freedom of action than would almost any positive program. Advancement within a totalitarian group or party depends largely on a willingness to do immoral things. The principle that the end justifies the means, which to individuals is regarded as the denial of all morals, in collectivism, it becomes necessarily the supreme rule. There is literally nothing which the consistent collectivist must not be prepared to do if it serves the good of the whole, because that is to him the only criterion of what ought to be done. Once you admit that the individual is merely a means to serve the ends of the higher entity called society or the nation, most of those features of totalitarianism which horrify us follow of necessity. From the collectivist standpoint, intolerance and brutal suppression of dissent, deception and spying, the complete disregard of the life and happiness of the individual, are essential and unavoidable. Acts which revolt all our feelings, such as the shooting of hostages or the killing of the old or sick, are treated as mere matters of expediency; the compulsory uprooting and transportation of hundreds of thousands becomes an instrument of policy approved by almost everybody except the victims. To be a useful assistant in the running of a totalitarian state, therefore, a man must be prepared to break every moral rule he has ever known if this seems necessary to achieve the end set for him. In the totalitarian machine, there will be special opportunities for the ruthless and unscrupulous. Neither the Gestapo nor the administration of a concentration camp, neither the Ministry of Propaganda nor the SA or SS are suitable places for the exercise of humanitarian feelings. Yet it is through such positions that the road to the highest positions in the totalitarian state leads. A further point should be made here: collectivism means the end of truth. To make a totalitarian system function effectively, it is not enough that everybody should be forced to work for the ends selected by those in control; it is essential that the people should come to regard these ends as their own. This is brought about by propaganda and by complete control of all sources of information. The most effective way of making people accept the validity of the values they are to serve is to persuade them that they are really the same as those they have always held, but which were not properly understood or recognized before. It is not difficult to deprive the great majority of independent thought. But the minority who will retain an inclination to criticize must also be silenced. Public criticism or even expressions of doubt must be suppressed because they tend to weaken support of the regime. The worst oppression is condoned if it is committed in the name of socialism. Intolerance of opposing ideas is openly extolled. The tragedy of collectivist thought is that while it starts out to make reason supreme, it ends by destroying reason. The bottom line: With great power and rigor of reasoning, Hayek sounds a grim warning to those who look to the government to provide the way out of all our economic difficulties. He demonstrates that fascism and dictatorship are the inevitable results of the increasing growth of state control and state power, of national planning and of socialism. Collectivism makes personal liberty its victim. The state-run Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has resumed its services to the Lukla airport, two years after suspending the flight operation to the gateway to Mount Everest, according to a media report Sunday. A large number of foreign trekkers and mountaineers, who want to climb the world's highest mountain, travel to this airport also known as Tenzing-Hillary airport, to reach the base camp. The airline operated three flights on Saturday -- two with China-made Y12e plane while one with Twin Otter aircraft, an official spokesperson said. "We have two charter flights and a scheduled flight for Sunday," NAC spokesperson Ashok Sigdel was quoted as saying in the report. Situated at a height of 2,845 metres from the mean sea level, the Lukla airport is the most lucrative airfield for domestic airlines. The cost of the 25-minute flight from Kathmandu for foreigners is probably the world's most expensive as they have to shell more than three times higher airfare than the fare charged on Nepali travellers, it said. The flight to Lukla airport by the 15-seater Y12e plane, which is the improved version of China-made Harbin Yunshuji Y-12-II, was also its maiden passenger flights. The plane was inducted into the NAC fleet after a successful test flight to Lukla airport last month, the report said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Scientists have developed a new test that can reveal the amount of DNA people shed, a tool that could be used by forensic experts to nab criminals using genetic clues left at crime scenes. A single tap of a finger on items like door handles, glass or even shaking hands can help identify and link potential suspects to a crime. Modern DNA forensic science is capable of analysing microscopic genetic traces inadvertently left at crime scenes. However, accurate identification depends on the quality of DNA sourced at the scene, according to researcher at the Flinders University in Australia. There is always a risk crucial evidence could be overlooked, smudged fingerprints are the only evidence left behind, or even more worryingly, secondary transfer could take place, researchers said. This could result in an innocent person's DNA being transferred by an object or even a handshake to a place they have never visited. Scientists have developed a test that can reveal the amount of DNA people shed. This will help determine whether they were actually the last person to make contact with an item, researchers said. "We know that some people pass on more of their DNA because when they touch something more of their cells are left behind," said Adrian Linacre, Chair of Forensic DNA Technology at Flinders University. "They are called shedders but it's very difficult at the moment to see who is a shedder," he said. "What we have developed is a simple test which can work out if an individual is a shedder in a matter of minutes, which tells us who has the better chance of passing on DNA," she said. The shedder status of a specific person of interest may be relevant in determining the likelihood of whether a major contributor in a mixed DNA profile was the last person to make contact with an item and is therefore linked to a crime. The test can help forensic examiners at crime scenes identify materials which confirm the presence of DNA that is likely to provide an individual's genetic profile, said Paul Kirkbride, a professor at Flinders. "Currently the forensic examiners are working blind because they can't see the exact location which contains deposits of DNA and therefore have to sample where they think DNA might be stored," said Kirkbride. "The shedders test also showed men shed more than woman, and that thumbs leave the most accurate traces," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The largest city named for Christopher Columbus has called off its observance of the divisive holiday that honours the explorer, making a savvy move to tie the switch to a politically safe demographic: veterans. Ohio's capital city, population 860,000, will be open for business Monday after observing Columbus Day probably "for as long as it had been in existence," said Robin Davis, a spokeswoman for Democratic Mayor Andrew Ginther. City offices will close instead on Veterans Day, which falls on November 12 this year. Native Americans and allied groups have long used Columbus Day to elevate issues of concern to them. That includes a peaceful protest of prayers, speeches and traditional singing in 2016 at Columbus City Hall underneath the statue of the explorer that sits out front to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline and to urge Ohio to support more renewable energy. The decision to stop observing the holiday was not triggered by the national movement to abolish Columbus Day in favour of Indigenous Peoples Day as a way of recognizing victims of colonialism, Davis said. Columbus Day marks the Italian explorer's arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492. "We have a number of veterans who work for the city, and there are so many here in Columbus," Davis said. "We thought it was important to honour them with that day off." And, she said, the city doesn't have the budget to give its 8,500 employees both days off, she said. Columbus made its announcement Thursday in a two-paragraph release focused on the impact on trash pickup and parking enforcement schedules. In that way, it avoided much of the consternation that has taken place elsewhere around the holiday. An attempt in Akron to rename the holiday grew ugly last year, dividing the all-Democratic city council along racial lines. Five black members voted to rename the holiday and eight white members voted not to, keeping the holiday in place. A similar effort twice failed in Cincinnati before a vote Wednesday finally recognised Columbus Day as the renamed Indigenous Peoples Day. It became the second Ohio city to do so, after the liberal college town of Oberlin in 2017. Cleveland, which has a large Italian-American population, continues to host a major Columbus Day parade. Organisers of the 39-year-old Columbus Italian Festival, traditionally held on Columbus Day weekend, were not given advance notice of the city's decision, said board member Joseph Contino. "It's very in vogue politically right now to do that. It's not PC for me to say anything against indigenous peoples," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A portion of a foot overbridge Sunday collapsed near Mankhurd on Sion-Panvel Highway, civic officials said, adding that no was injured in the incident. A BMC Disaster Control Room official said that the FOB was being dismantled by the Public Works Department when the incident happened at around 4pm Sunday. He said that two cranes were deployed to dismantle the steel structure of the FOB and one of the cranes tipped over, leading to the incident. "No injuries have been reported so far. The debris is being cleared and the incident caused traffic snarls on the arterial road," the official said. Traffic police asked motorists travelling to Vashi in Navi Mumbai to take alternate routes. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Approximately 70 per cent crops sown in Rajasthan's Jodhpur district failed due to poor monsoon, according to a preliminary survey conducted by the agriculture department. Threat of drought looms large in western Rajasthan with the region reporting below average rain fall dampening the hopes of farmers. "Approximately 70 per cent of crops sown in the district in non-irrigated areas have failed" Deputy Director (Agriculture) B K Dwivedi said. He said the actual loss can be asessed after getting detailed report on crop failure by the revenue department. As far as the Jodhpur district is concerned, a total 13.50 lakh hectares of land is sown in the district during kharif season. Of this, 4.50 lakh hectares is irrigated land while the remaining 9 lakh hectares is non-irrigated. With a good landing of monsoon this year, the farmers proceeded with sowing of crops such as millet, groundnut, moong, til and cotton on a large scale. However, the absence of follow up rains led to disappointment among the farmers as the crops started wilting. Finally, with no adequate rain in the months of August and September, the agriculture department started a crop survey, which pegged the failure of crop to about 70 per cent. According to the farmers, while the crops in irrigated areas are on the verge of harvest, those in the non-irrigated areas were "badly dried". Bhartiya Kissan Sangh's Tulcharam Sivar said the failure of crops will badly affect the production and result in heavy losses to the farmers. "This is the right time the government takes required steps to provide relief to farmers. Otherwise, the farmers will be suffering huge loss," he said. Aggravating the agrarian distress is the shooting prices of fodder as the animal husbandry is the alternative source of livelihood for the farmers in rural areas. "With the crop failure, the cultivation of fodder crops has also suffered a huge set back and the prices of the fodder are all set to shoot up very soon," Nemichand, a fodder seller, said. Sivar said high fodder costs will affect the Rabi cultivation as most of the farmers will not have enough money to begin sowing. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday arrived in Tajikistan on a three-day state visit during which he will hold talks with the country's top leadership to strengthen India's ties with the Central Asian country. The President and First lady Savita Kovind were welcomed by Deputy Prime Minister Zokirzoda Mahmadtoir and First Deputy Foreign Minister Nizomiddin Zohidi upon their arrival at the Dushanbe International Airport, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a tweet. This is Kovind's first visit to Central Asia. During his visit from October 7-9, he will meet his Tajik counterpart Emamoli Rahmon and speaker of Parliament Shukurjon Zuhurov. Tajik Prime Minister Qohir Rasulzoda will also call on Kovind, the MEA said Saturday in New Delhi. Kovind will visit the Tajik National University where he will deliver an address on 'Countering Radicalisation: Challenges in Modern Societies'. He will also address the Indian diaspora. The President will pay his respects to Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore by visiting their memorials here and will offer floral tributes. All areas of bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation are expected to be discussed during Kovind's visit, the MEA said. Given the close relationship between the two countries, the visit is expected to lead to further strengthening of the Indo-Tajik bilateral relations, it said. Tajik President Rahmon has visited India five times with his last visit being in December 2016. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) lived up to expectations with a classy Test century on his India debut but the teenage sensation must tighten up his technique for tougher challenges away from home, feel former players. Shaw batted like a seasoned pro to hit a sublime hundred in the series opener against the West Indies, becoming the youngest Indian to reach three-figure score on Test debut. He did not face the best of attacks but it was still a special knock that promises a great career. His punches off the back foot reminded former West Indies all-rounder Carl Hooper of the good old Caribbean flair but he feels Shaw's aggressive style with the existing technique makes the 18-year-old vulnerable for sterner tests overseas, starting with the tour of Australia next month. "He seems to be a great talent but tends to play away from the body. Clearly, he likes to be on the back foot and play square off the wicket. It worked here (in Rajkot) but with so much gap between the bat and body, he could face issues in England and Australia," Hooper, a veteran of 102 Tests, told PTI. Former India opener Aakash Chopra, who successfully negotiated the new ball in Australia during the 2003-2004 tour, has a different take on Shaw's technique. He too feels that Shaw needs to tighten up his game but said if an unconventional approach worked for Virender Sehwag, it could also work for the highly-rated teenager. "What we have just seen is perhaps a trailer of the things to come. It looks very promising. You cannot grudge about the opposition and pitch was flat. But he will be tested (overseas) and I am sure he is aware of it. We will get to know whether he can weather the storm and what all he needs to do," said Chopra, who played 10 Tests for India. "Currently, there are couple of things, I am pretty sure he is working on that. One was his trigger movement which is already looking different to we saw in the IPL. I am not too worried. He has got a great start," Chopra said. "People will have faith and he will get a slightly extended run. God forbid even if Australia does not end up being the best of tours for him, you have to bear in mind that lot of players went there the first time and did not really set the world on fire." He said Shaw might have to curb his aggression a bit while facing the likes of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. The ball will swing in Australia but not as much as England. "There will be some swing as Kookaburra tends to move a lot early on. Hazlewood and Starc will be exploiting those conditions. See, you have to back yourself. Whatever took you to this level should make you successful at the highest level as well. "You may want to tighten up a bit but radical changes in your techniques are not advisable. He has got to be a little careful off the back foot. The punches that he likes to hit could be slightly risky if the ball is moving laterally. We will have to assume that he will learn with time. What he has done in the past counts for nothing. He will be eventually be judged by what he does at the highest level," added Chopra. Someone who has tracked Shaw closely is Amol Muzumdar, a stalwart of Mumbai and owner of more than 11,000 first-class runs. The 43-year-old said one should not jump the gun but wait till Shaw actually gets an opportunity overseas before making a comment on his technique. "I think he does not need to change too much. Every player has got his own style of play. His style is aggressive, playing on the rise and he should continue doing that. We will have to wait and see how does in England and Australia then only we can talk about it," said Muzumdar. "You cannot be technically correct all the time, too much reliance on technique is also not good. There has to be a balance between technique and flamboyance. All he needs to do is to be selective with his shot making. On which ball to go for your strokes and on which ball to hold back. That is the only thing he needs to watch out," reckoned Muzumdar, one of Mumbai's finest batsmen. The decision to set up US-based tech major Qualcomm's proposed campus here was a big boost to the state, the Electronics and Semiconductors Industry, the Telangana government has said. "This facility by Qualcomm will be its largest campus globally after its San Diego headquarters and the USD 400 Million investment by Qualcomm in Hyderabad will be its largest globally," an official release said. Qualcomm which proposes to start its campus work in 2019 has its Indian presence in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai, it said. However, the mega campus from Qualcomm and its major investment comes in as a big boost for the Electronics and Semiconductor investment in the city, it added. The Vice President of Engineering for Qualcomm, Shashi Reddy and Director for Operations, Chandra Shekar Kumili met state Minister for IT and Industries K T Rama Rao here Saturday to discuss their growth plans in the city. After the meeting, Rama Rao said, "By setting up its mega campus in Hyderabad and its largest globally after its headquarters in San Diego, Qualcomm now joins the elite list of companies that have their largest presence globally outside of their headquarters in Hyderabad. We have the Apple, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Facebook and now Qualcomm." "This list will only increase as they are a few more in the pipeline that we are working actively with.. This is indeed a big boost to the state of Telangana, the Electronics, and Semiconductors Industry and the ecosystem of Operators, OEMs, Regulators, Startups and R&D Engineers," Rama Rao said. Qualcomm, with a market capitalisation of over USD 100 billion has 167 offices, R&D and Development centers around the world including multiple sites in US, India, Israel, Singapore, China, and Western Europe, the release added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Agriculture Minister Radhamohan Singh on Sunday called on farmers NGOs and other stakeholders to adopt organic farming to improve soil health and fertility. At a programme organised here by the National Centre of Organic Farming, he said the Centre is committed to promoting organic farming and providing all possible help to farmers in this regard. "Organic farming has the potential of providing livelihood to farmers, and create employment opportunities for rural as well as for urban people," Singh said. Under the 'Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna (PKVY)', Rs 1,307 crore has been allotted between 2015-16 and 2018-19 financial years to promote organic farming in the country on cluster mode, he said, adding under the scheme, till date 23.02 lakh hectare land has been brought under certified organic farming. The minister said, taking inspiration from Sikkim, that has become the first organic state of India, other northeastern and hilly states are preparing to go for fully organic farming. Singh also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leaving no stones unturned to ensure that the income of farmers double by 2022. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "This is just the latest in a string of media misinformation, or disinformation." Last week, President Rodrigo Duterte cleared Davao-based businessman Michael Yang of any involvement in illegal drug trade, citing his close ties with Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines, Zhao Jianhua, although this was marred by some media outfits playing a malicious spin on the Presidents pronouncement, which initially placed the Chinese ambassador in cahoots with a suspected big-time drug lord. Fortunately, one of the media outfits, Rappler, took down its headline depicting the Chinese ambassador as such before it could do any permanent damage. This was after Duterte himself quickly corrected the grossly damaging misinformed headline in the afternoon of the same day. Given the full text of President Dutertes talk, it became clear to many how malicious the distortion in the headline and reports of some of the mainstream media and news sites were. Some of them are demonstrably US supported, which lead analyst to believe it was a media operation to besmirch the Chinese government and the very successful Chinese ambassador to Manila personally. In the Presidents talk it was clear he used the Tagalog term (or so said or so says, some translate it to alleged or supposedly) several times to the claims against the so-called wealthy drug pusher) to denote his skepticism. Still, malicious headlines portrayed the President as linking the two. While the derogatory headline may seem to some in the Philippines to be a small error after it was admitted and taken down, for a Chinese official this is a serious matter. Besides, it was a severely unjust and unfair insinuation on the Chinese ambassador to Manila who has comported himself in the most exemplary manner throughout the four years he has been at his duties. This is one of the most effective and historic performance of a Chinese ambassador to the Philippines and at a most crucial period in the relations of the two countries at that. It also reflects Chinas unassailable track record in the anti-illegal drug campaign. Just less than two months ago, on Aug. 24 to be exact, the Asia Times reported that a joint anti-drug effort by Chinese and Vietnamese authorities busted a transnational heroin smuggling ring. A series of joint operations resulted in more than 420 cases and the arrest of 483 suspects41 of them identified as Vietnamese nationals, the news report citing An Guojun, a senior Chinese security official. The wanted ringleader and accomplices were arrested. The success was attributed to the shared intelligence with Vietnamese officials after Vietnams director of Public Security Hu Jin paid a visit to China in early May 2018.Some 263 kilograms of narcotics, heroin and stimulants were confiscated and a fugitive named Wei Wenshi, who was wanted by Vietnamese police, was also caught in the operations. The report indicated that in July 2017 the Public Security Department in Chongzuo City, Guangxi received a tip-off that a Guangxi man surnamed Gan was in collaborating with a Vietnamese dealer Wei to smuggle drugs from Vietnam to the Pingxiang region for sale in China. Chinese authorities arrested the drug traders after eight months of surveillance and investigation. Vietnam, which in other issues such as its disputes with China over the Paracels can be a tough nut to deal with for China, cooperates fully with China when it comes to illegal drugs interdiction. It has been a very fruitful collaboration on both sides. The Philippines should learn from this and the Philippine media must stop all its past nonsense of associating all the drugs problems of the country to China without distinguishing the Chinese governments efforts to support the international community in stopping the global drugs scourge from drugs traders from the civilian sectors that are in fact often operating from out of Hong Kong and Taiwan too. In fact, to justify Chinas anti-drugs war credentials would take a mile-long list of all the actions the Chinese government has taken to end the global scourge. China strengthened its partnerships with UNODC, INCB and other international organizations, and in anti-drug cooperation platform in Great Mekong Sub-region, ASEAN and China Drug Control Mechanism, Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS. In 2016 alone, China successfully closed a total of 87 international and cross-border drug cases with more than 20 countries, and provided assistance, training and alternative economic development programs on drug control to these. During Dutertes state visit to China in October 2016, the Narcotics Control Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security of the Peoples Republic of China and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency signed a Protocol on Cooperation to deal with drug-related crimes between our two countries. The NCB and the PDEA agreed to conduct and enhance cooperation in information sharing, data exchange, drug-related criminal investigations, repatriation of drug criminals, providing the Philippines anti-drug technical equipment. Since October 2016, around 200 trainees from the related Philippine law enforcement agencies such as PNP, NBI and PDEA have attended more than 20 training programs held in China. Chinas success in cooperative efforts with other countries has been brought to my attention as the most recent case of mainstream media misinformation (or disinformation) headlined a terribly wrong item. As such, it is rather unfortunate for media outfits, just to sensationalize a news item, to apply a malicious spin on something which could have created an irreparable damaged on the countrys relationship with China. Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Sunday refused to comment on Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's statement that farmers in BJP-ruled states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan were in distress. Ridiculing Gandhi, the Union Minister of State for Agriculture said that it would "not be appropriate" to comment on the statement of a person "who doesn't know the difference between wheat and paddy crops". Shekhawat was replying to a query on Gandhi's allegation about agrarian distress in several parts of the country. "I am a farmer, an agriculturists' leader and their representative in the Central government. So I know the condition of the agricultural sector better," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function here. "It would not be appropriate to comment on the statements of a person who doesn't know the difference between wheat and paddy crops, who doesn't know the difference between a lamb and the offspring of a goat," the minister added. The minister claimed that farmers were getting the right price for their produce and this had strengthened the agricultural sector. Speaking on the October 2 police action on protesting farmers marching towards Delhi, the minister said that the government would fulfil their legitimate demands but added that farmers were being "instigated" to reap political benefit in view of the upcoming Assembly polls. Farmers marching towards Delhi as part of the Bharatiya Kisan Union's (BKU) protest call over demands ranging from farm loan waiver to reduction in fuel prices were stopped at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border on October 2 with police using water cannons to disperse them. Shekhawat stated that the government was trying to increase the export of soyabean and other agricultural products seeing an opportunity in the ongoing US-China trade tussle. "In view of the ongoing China-US trade war, there is a huge opportunity for agrarian economies like India. So our government is making efforts to promote the export of agriculture based products," he said. Shekhawat said previous Congress governments betrayed farmers as well as those in the food processing industry. This, he claimed, had led to an increased dependence on import of edible oil. "To reduce this dependence, our government increased the import duty on edible oil four times. We also increased the minimum support price of oilseeds so that farmers get the right price of their produce and more farmers get attracted to such crops. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lanka's former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa has asked President Maithripala Sirisensa to cut ties with the current ruling coalition, amid reports that the two leaders could form an alliance. Sirisena met the former president on Wednesday night, sources said. The media speculated that Sirisena may form a caretaker government with the support of Rajapaksa's new political party. Rajapaksa is expected to be anointed the leader of the Sri Lanka People's Party (SLPP) soon, political sources said. Sirisena, the leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe the leader of the United National Party (UNP) are currently in a national unity government arrangement since 2015. "It is time that the SLFP stop propping up government," Rajapaksa told reporters, adding that "We will not join in any alliance with UNP as a partner". Sirisena, according to the media had reportedly told Rajapaksa that it was difficult to work with Wickremesinghe as prime minister. In April, Wickremesinghe had successfully defeated a joint Sirisena-Rajapaksa move to oust him. The premier was able to record a resounding victory in the no trust motion with the support of Tamil and Muslim minority parties. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan is reviewing the projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to safeguard the interest of the people in province, Prime Minister has said. The $50 billion CPEC, launched in 2015, is a planned network of roads, railways and energy projects linking China's resource-rich Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region with Pakistan's strategic Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea. Khan's remarks about the projects came as he chaired a cabinet meeting on Saturday in Quetta during his first visit to the province as the prime minister. Khan in the past had criticized former prime minister for the lack of transparency and corruption in the projects. Khan said the projects are being reviewed to address concerns and reservations of the Baloch people, who say the projects are not beneficial for them. Successive Baluchistan governments have also raised objections over the CPEC projects in the province. Khan said he was aware about the reservations about the Baloch people about the CPEC projects. "Baluchistan will get its due share, whatever it may be, in the CPEC," he said. He said unfortunately the province had been ignored by the previous governments. Since Khan's Pakisatan Tehreek-e-Insaf party-led government took charge, there have been several occasions where it has backtracked on statements on the CPEC. In September, a British financial daily had said that Pakistan was plannig review deals concluded under Beijing's Belt (BRI) and Road Initiative. The CPEC is also the part of Chinese Xi Jinping's ambitious BRI. Both and Pakistan have denied reports of differences over the project. Balochistan, where many CPEC projects are being carried out, remains a flashpoint, with separatists carrying out a campaign against security forces and government installations. The province has also been hit hard by sectarian violence against the Hazara Shia Muslim community and attacks by terror outfits close to the border with and Security forces launched a massive cordon and search operation (CASO) in several villages of Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district on Sunday, police said. Joint teams of police, CRPF and Army launched a cordon and search operation in six villages of Shopian district of south Kashmir early this morning, a police official said. He said the operation was launched to flush out militants from the area. The operation is going on, the official said, adding further details were awaited. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Six police officers were killed in an ambush with an improvised explosive device in northern Burkina Faso, while another member of the security forces died in a blast in the country's east, security sources told AFP on Saturday. The first attack took place late Friday on a police convoy in the town of Solle near the border with Mali. "The leading vehicle ran over a mine and six were killed," one source said, adding that the convoy then came under gunfire leaving some other officers injured. Another security source said that "at least" six police had died in Friday's attack, adding that a search for the attackers was underway in the area. Separately, one member of the Burkina Faso security forces was killed late Saturday and another was injured when a similar device exploded in the eastern town of Pama, according to a security source. Local residents say air strikes are being carried out in the forests surrounding Pama, which are known in the region as a refuge for jihadist fighters and bandits. The African country has seen regular Islamist attacks since the start of 2015, especially the north and east of the country. According to an official count published last month, such attacks have killed 118 people so far, 70 of whom were civilians. On Thursday, six soldiers were also killed in the east of the country in similar circumstances. Last week the opposition held a demonstration in the capital Ouagadougou to protest the government's inability to stem the increasingly frequent attacks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Manoj watches cynically from the sidelines of a street in east Delhi's Mayur Vihar as five-year-old Shahrukh Kasim peddles pens and his elder sister begs for alms at the red light. Keeping an eye on them from a distance is their mother, but 22-year-old Manoj, who ran away from his home in Mughalsarai, Uttar Pradesh, seven years ago, is unimpressed and disbelieving. "There are gangs who keep a close watch on these kids at these signals and when the police come to rescue them, they claim them to be their children," said Manoj, who sells flowers for a living. Speaking with the distrust of somebody way beyond his years, Manoj said many of these children were trafficked from other states and the women at the traffic signals just pretend to be their parents. That assumption about Shahrukh and his mother may be unfair but it reflects the reality of the thousands of children trafficked in the Indian capital, many of whom go missing and are never found, say activists. According to a recent study, "Missing Children In 2018", by Alliance for People's Rights (APR) and NGO Child Rights and You (CRY), 26,761 children went missing in in the last five years. Of these, only 9,727 could be traced, the report stated. That is, of every 10 children going missing in the capital, six remain untraced. According to the report based on Crime Records Bureau data and RTI replies from the police, 63 per cent of missing children in were untraceable, almost double the 30 per cent figure for the rest of the country. Soha Moitra, CRY regional director (north), said the rehabilitation of young trafficked children poses a "big challenge". "The tracing of a trafficked child can take more time if he was trafficked at a very young age and hence, cannot remember much about his home. An updated face-recognition technology is underway and the police are confident that it will aid in the rehabilitation of children who were trafficked as infants," she said. Manoj is one in the statistical profile of trafficked and missing children. He was rescued by the police when he first came to Delhi to escape an abusive father but ran away from home again. "My father still does not know I am alive. I will never return to that life and I would have escaped a hundred times from that life," he said. Oblivious to the harsh truths of Manoj's everyday life, young Shahrukh said he does not remember a life outside the streets of Mayur Vihar. He dreams big, hoping to become a professional salesperson and get a job in the big mall, but is right now content selling pens under his mother's watchful eyes. When Shahrukh's mother was asked for the reason behind letting her son sell pens at the traffic signal, she said he earns more than her. "People prefer to give him more money out of sympathy than they give me and he is supporting his family in this way, that is his responsibility too," she said, refusing to identify herself or her seven-year-old daughter who begs at the same traffic signal. Shahrukh, she said, brings about Rs 2,400 per month to support the family of four. The Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) found over 600 children begging or selling at 36 traffic signals across Delhi. But that is just a sampling with the real number being exponentially higher, said an official. Many of these children are put to begging and selling pens, flowers or balloons among other things at traffic signals by their parents while many have been trafficked to Delhi, the official said. NCPCR member Yashwant Jain said the child rights body has written several times to various officials as well as the chief minister to step up the rehabilitation plans for children at the signals, but to no result. "The matter keeps getting pushed from one department to another and no one is willing to take accountability," he said. "There are times when child welfare committees went to rescue the children but NGOs got involved and alleged that we were separating the child from the parent, which was untrue," Jain said. He added that many families have made it their business to send their children for begging or selling things at traffic signals. "You can always spot an elder watching over a child as he or she sells at the traffic signals. These families believe that there is no point in sending these children to school as they are already earning livelihood for their families," Jain said. Another issue faced by the NCPCR teams is determining the veracity of those claiming to be the children's parents. "It is very difficult to determine the origin of the child. The child might have been trafficked or stolen from somewhere else and might not know that the people claiming to be his parents are actually his traffickers," another NCPCR official said. Diversified firm Shapoorji Pallonji's arm has planned to launch nearly 35 million sq ft of projects across its existing markets this fiscal, a senior company official said. The company plans to launch three projects in Delhi- NCR this fiscal, which will mark its foray into the market, its Group CEO Venkatesh Gopalakrishnan told PTI here. "We have nearly 90 million sq ft of development in the pipeline. Out of this we are launching 35 million sq ft this fiscal and an equal number in the next year and the rest in the third year," he said. Gopalakrishnan said the projects would be developed across its product portfolio and in cities like Mumbai, Delhi- NCR, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Pune. "We have been looking at the NCR market since 6-7 years, but were able to buy land only in the last one year as now we are seeing the prices softening. We saw this as an opportunity to build a product and sell it at a reasonable and affordable price," he said. In the NCR market, the company is developing a mid-income project under the Joyville brand, which will come up on nearly 1.2 million sq ft in the northern Peripheral Road in Gurgaon. "On the same road we are planning to launch another project in the range of Rs 90 lakh and above. We have land in Noida and we will be launching a project here in the next couple of months. "In total, we have over 6 million sq ft of development to be launched this year. We will add few more projects in this market going forward," Gopalakrishnan said. Speaking about the company's product mix in the residential segment, he said,it has nearly 40 per cent of the residential project portfolio under the joint venture model, while 20 per cent under the development management (DM) and 10 per cent in joint development. "We see immense opportunity for the DM model in and Pune because for us location is very important in such developments because we are putting our brand team, marketing and construction mind behind it. We have to be very careful with DM model," he added. The 90 million sq ft pipeline includes the phase-wise launch of some of its existing projects under the Joyville brand as well as some luxury and mid-income projects being developed in and Pune and some in Kolkata. The company currently has three projects under the Joyville brand with each in Mumbai, Pune and Kolkata and plans to add a few more going forward. "Nearly 20 per cent, or 18 million sq ft of the total 90 million sq ft development, will be under the DM model which will be largely in Pune and Maximum development will happen in these two markets - nearly 60-65 million sq ft. " is another market where we want to expand significantly," he said, adding over a dozen of projects will be launched in three years. (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.) Pakistan has ordered as many as 18 international non-governmental organisations to cease their operations and leave the country within two months, a media report said Sunday. The Express TV reported that the interior ministry has given 60 days to those International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGO)s for closing down their operations. Among the 18 INGOs, nine have association with the US, three with the UK and two with the Netherlands. Others have connections with Italy, Switzerland, Denmark and Ireland. ActionAid and Plan International are among the charities asked to shut down. In addition, the ministry also imposed restrictions on 72 NGOs for inadequate documentation. The government has allowed 141 NGOs to continue their functions, including 66 foreign entities, sources said. The scrutiny of INGOs and NGOs started during the tenure of the previous government when authorities devised a new system and asked all of them to register under it. The role of foreign donors and their partners in Pakistan came under scanner after fake vaccination camp was launched by a doctor to help the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) trace former al-Qaeda chief Osama bin-Laden. He was killed in a US operation in 2011. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Simon Pegg has joined the cast of Amazon's upcoming superhero drama "The Boys". The was announced during the ongoing New York Comic Con where the 48-year-old actor joined the stars of the show for a panel discussion, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" star will portray the father of Hughie (Jack Quaid), one of the members of the titular Boys. The series is about a world where superheroes exist, but instead of accepting that with great power comes great responsibility, they are completely corrupted by power. The group keeps them in check. It is based on the comic book of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. The panel was attended by "The Boys" co-creators Eric Kripke and Evan Goldberg, as well as cast members Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Laz Alonso, Karen Fukuhara, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty and Chace Crawford. The series will debut on Amazon in 2019. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) often lead to anxiety and concerns on employment front among employees due to redundancies of jobs at a merged entity and the fair approach by companies to tackle this is by investing in proactive skill upgradation and outplacement services, experts say. All M&As carry the risk of anxiety related to job security and especially when the target firm is ridden with poor performance and is financially unstable. While, in cases where the target firm is complimentary and not a competitor, these types of employee concerns are little less. "Any M&A can potentially lead to employee anxiety and concerns on job security if not managed well. One of the key reasons many M&As fail to deliver desired outcome is because the acquired and acquiring entities don't plan the transition well and they fail to align their employees," Rituparna Chakraborty, President, Indian staffing federation, said. Experts believe, the key to managing cultural incompatibility is to manage the post-merger integration phase well. It is important to ensure consistent communications during the pre and post-merger phase. "Many companies today invest in proactive skill upgradation and re-skilling of the employees to ensure that they stay relevant to the business. Companies are also offering outplacement services to employees, who may not be required in the post M&A phase," Chakraborty added. Generally, there are two possible ways that an acquirer may look at treating the acquired business. Merging the acquired business into the buyer's existing business (or) operating the acquired business as a separate standalone entity under the umbrella of the acquiring company. The most effective manner to mitigate them is through effective and timely communications which should be focused on addressing the employee's pain points. "During a M&A scenario occurrence of job/role redundancies are obvious. The most effective and fair manner to approach this is through structured manpower planning and talent assessment exercises," Aon Consulting India Chief Executive Officer Sandeep Chaudhary said. Chaudhary further said "for those employees with multiple skill sets and dependable performance levels, organisations may also identify alternate roles to be offered to such employees and continue with the organisation". According to specialist staffing firm Xpheno co-founder Kamal Karanth, ideal M&As should have a joint leadership teams which has equal number of people from both sides. Citing an example when HP bought Compaq in the early 2000s, Karanth said the India MD and HR Heads all came from Compaq and not from HP. This allows for a faster assimilation of target company's dynamics and culture. He further noted that for addressing redundancies companies should hire a competent outplacement agency which can counsel and prepare the affected employees and help them in their preparation for future employment. Moreover, while deciding severence package, companies should focus on the experience level as at a junior level it would take 3-6 months to get a new job, while at senior level it could be 6-12 months. "These timelines need to be taken care of while deciding on the severance package. Also the line managers need to provide written references in advance to the departing employees to aid them in future jobs," Karanth said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Nagaland government is "making all efforts" to engage firms for studying feasibility of power projects in the state, minister Neiba Kronu has said. The state, despite having potential sites for hydropower generation, spends more than Rs 250 crore to purchase power from other parts of the country, the planning, coordination and land revenue minister lamented. "Nagaland is the lowest generator of electricity in the country. It spends over 250 crore annually to buy power from others, but the revenue generated through distribution does not exceed Rs 120 crore," Kronu told reporters Saturday after inspecting a potential hydropower project site at Tizu in Phek district earlier this week. The minister, accompanied by power department executive engineer N Neikha, also held a meeting with village council representatives, and other leaders of Lozhaphuhu, Tezatse and Kotis hamlets in the district during the visit. "The government is making all efforts to study feasibility of power projects in the state, including the one at Tizu. The villagers, during the recent meet, have assured us that they would cooperate with the state government for the Tizu power project," Kronu added. According to the 2017-18 administrative report of the power department, the state's energy consumption during peak hours is tipped at 165 MW and off-peak hours at 100MW. The report maintained that the energy sector is investment-intensive and therefore the state, with its limited resources, was unable to upgrade power infrastructure in sync with the demand. "Currently, Nagaland has 2,79,974 electricity consumers. The state generates just about 84.93 MU of energy from its four power stations. However, the requirement by 2020 is expected to reach 250 MW," the administrative report added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Taliban have destroyed highway bridges southwest of Kabul during a wide-ranging assault on security forces, cutting off road traffic between the capital and three provinces, officials said Sunday. Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said Afghan security forces repelled the attack but that gunbattles are still underway. He said at least six Afghan police, including a district police chief, were killed in the fighting. A provincial official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to brief reporters, said at least 10 police were killed. The official said the Taliban attacked a number of remote checkpoints, and that the toll could be much higher. Abdul Rahman Mangel, the provincial governor's spokesman, said the attack began late Saturday and appeared to be aimed at seizing the Sayed Abad district headquarters, in the Maidan Wardak province. The Taliban said they overran the district headquarters, but local officials denied the claim. Danish said reinforcements have been sent to the area and that "most areas in the district" are under control. The destruction of the bridges cut off the main highway from Kabul to the Ghazni, Zabul and Kandahar provinces. The battle also cut off electricity to four provinces: Maidan Wardak, Logar, Ghazni and Paktia. The Taliban have seized a number of districts across the country in recent years and regularly attack security forces. The latest assault comes just two weeks before Afghanistan holds parliamentary elections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Enraged over an issue of a mobile phone with his sister, a 17-year-old boy allegedly shot himself dead with a country-made pistol on Sunday in Dwarka's Bindapur area, police said. The deceased was identified as Gulshan, they said. Police were informed about the incident at 6.18 am by the hospital authorities. The injured was rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead, police said, adding that he had suffered a gunshot wound. It is suspected that the shot was fired from a very close range, a senior police official said. Police also found four live cartridges in Gulshan's pocket. The deceased's father, Ranbir Singh, said the doctor that Gulshan had injured himself. He told police that his son arrived in the morning and rang the doorbell. On opening the door, he found his son lying with an injury. Gulshan was angry with his sister over an issue of mobile phone and smashed her phone before leaving home last night, the officer quoted Singh as having said. The pistol used to commit the suicide was recovered, police said, adding that it was found loaded with two rounds. The weapon was picked up by his uncle as he felt the pistol could be mishandled by someone after the incident and he later produced the same before the police, the officer added. A case was registered, police said, adding that the matter is being investigated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With the announcement of schedule for the Telangana assembly elections, the state is set to witness an intense campaign by the political parties spanning two months. Polling would take place for the 119-member assembly on December 7 in Telangana, along with Rajasthan, according to the schedule announced by the Election Commission Saturday. The political scene has already hotted up in the state with the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and the opposition Congress engaged in a bitter war of words in the last several days. TRS president and caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who has gone for early polls by dissolving the assembly last month ahead of its term, has been targeting the proposed Congress-led alliance comprising TDP, CPI and others, seeking to invoke the Telangana sentiment. In a blistering attack on the grand alliance, he sought to know should the self-respect of Telangana be handed over to 'Andhraites' again. "Should we handover the self-respect of Telangana to Andhraites again?... Should we become slaves to Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh capital). Should decisions of Telangana happen in Telangana or Delhi?" he had asked at a recent campaign rally. Rao, who stormed to power in 2014 in the first elections after Telangana was carved out, has gone in for early polls seeking to cash in on the perceived positive atmosphere prevailing for the TRS in the state. He had also trained guns on TDP supremo and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, questioning his move to align with the Congress, reminding that the party was founded by late N T Rama Rao on anti-Congress plank. Naidu, however, has sought to blame Rao for his decision to join hands with Congress, saying TRS spurned his offer for a tie up. While accusing the Congress-TDP of doing nothing for Telangana despite being in power for decades, the TRS chief has been asking the people to vote for his party to ensure development. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president N Uttam Kumar Reddy has attacked Rao, saying he had no moral right to question his party as the TRS had an alliance with TDP in 2009. The war of words, mainly between the TRS and the Congress, is only expected to intensify during the long campaign period. Following the announcement of the election schedule, Reddy has express confidence that the Congress would emerge the winner. TPCC spokesperson Sravan Dasoju referred to a petition on alleged discrepencies in the electoral rolls pending in the state high court and qustioned the EC's decision in announcing the schedule. "I don't know what is the hurry for them.The matter is pending...they have gone ahead and announced the schedule," he said Saturday. However, he said the Congress was ready to face the battle and claimed TRS' defeat was certain. BJPs Telangana unit president K Laxman welcomed the announcement of poll schedule. "We are prepared for it. We have already geared up our machinery," he told PTI. The party, which had five members in the dissolved assembly, has said the polls would give it an opportunity to assess its actual strength on the ground. It had contested the 2014 elections in alliance with the TDP, which pulled out of the NDA early this year over the issue of special category status for Andhra Pradesh. BJP chief Amit Shah has already sounded the poll bugle and he would address a meeting again on October 10 at Karimnagar, Laxman said. According to the poll schedule announced by the EC for Telangana and four other states, counting of votes would be held on December 11 for all the states. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Producer Barbara Broccoli has ruled out the possibility of a female The producer said instead of giving a gender switch to iconic characters, there should be more such parts written for women. "Bond is male. He's a male character. He was written as a male and I think he'll probably stay as a male," Broccoli told The Guardian. ALSO READ: Michael Jackson wished to play James Bond "And that's fine. We don't have to turn male characters into women. Let's just create more female characters and make the story fit those female characters," she added. Earlier this year, actor Rosamund Pike, who featured in the 2002 Bond film "Die Another Day", had offered a similar opinion about the famed British spy. "I think the character of is a man. He is really. Why not make a kick-ass female agent in her own right?" she had said. The Election Commission of India has extended the date for the final publication of electoral rolls in Telangana from October 8 to October 12, state Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar has said. On September 8, the EC had stopped all activities relating to the Special Summary Revision of Photo Electoral Rolls with reference to January 1, 2019, and said the final electoral rolls list would be published on October 8. The decision for a revised schedule was taken in the wake of dissolution of the Telangana Assembly on September 6, officials had earlier said. The EC had also ordered the second Special Summary Revision of Electoral Rolls with reference to January 1, 2018, as the qualifying date in the state. The Election Commission announced Saturday that assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana would be held between November 12 and December 7. Counting of votes in all the states would be taken up on December 11, it said. Polling in Rajasthan and Telangana will be held on December 7. Rajat Kumar said Saturday that the Telangana Assembly polls would be completed in a single phase. He said in an official release that all sections of the Model Code of Conduct was now in force across the state. "A 24/7 control room will be set-up and more lines will be added to the 1950 helpline number. Mobile and static squads will be deployed to monitor MCC violations," Kumar said. The Hyderabad Police commissioner has informed that cash worth Rs 1 crore was seized on Friday. "We are also coordinating with the Income Tax department in monitoring high-value transactions," Kumar said in the release. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Timothee Chalamet has said Armie Hammer and he are "1000 per cent" ready for the sequel of their hit film "Call Me By Your Name". Directed by Luca Guadagnino, "Call Me By Your Name" is a story of an unexpected first love between 17-year-old Elio Perlman (Chalamet) and 24-year-old American student Oliver (Hammer). Ever since the film's release, there has been a talk of a sequel with the director also expressing his desire for a follow-up. In an interview with Time Magazine, Chalamet, 22, said he is confident that the sequel will be made. "I don't see any world where it doesn't happen... I think Andre (Aciman) is comfortable with a sequel being made. I know Luca really wants it. And I know Armie and I are 1000 per cent in," he said. Talking about the sequel's story, Chalamet said it might take inspiration from Richard Linklater's "Boyhood". "I think it'll be a couple of years later. And I think that's cool, to take advantage of the 'Boyhood' style of storytelling. That isn't done all the time," he added. Last month, Hammer had confirmed at the Toronto International Film Festival that a sequel to the film is in the works. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Sunday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief Mohan Bhagwat accusing them of not fulfilling the promise of building in Ayodhya. Togadia also slammed Bhagwat for stating that "Hindu Rashtra does not mean there is no place for Muslims". Bhagwat had made the statement at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's three-day lecture series in September this year. "Hindu Rashtra doesn't mean there's no place for Muslims. The day it is said so, it won't be Hindutva any more. Hindutva talks about Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam," Bhagwat had said. Addressing a press conference here Sunday, Togadia said, "I want to ask if there is no Hindutva without gau hatyaare (cow killers), love jihadis, stone pelters and Pakistani flag wavers in Kashmir." "We had joined the 52 years ago considering it to be a Hindu organisation. But now we feel it is only concerned with the interests of Muslim community," Togadia added. The former VHP leader alleged that the was not interested in pursuing the cause of building a in Ayodhya. He said that instead of demanding a temple be constructed, the RSS chief should "order" Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get the government to enact a law in Parliament to pave the way for a He also accused of "appeasing" Muslim community and going back on the promise to build a Ram Temple in Ayodhya. "When it comes to the SC/ST Act, Modi says Parliament will decide on the matter and not the courts. But when it comes to building the Ram Temple, Modi backtracks and says the courts will decide on the issue and not Parliament," Togadia said. He charged Modi with forsaking the ideology of the BJP as well as that of Hindutva. Speaking about the Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP), an outfit he formed after quitting the VHP, Togadia said the organisation would pursue "Hindu politics". When asked whether AHP will support the Shiv Sena in the elections, Togadia said, "If (Sena chief) Uddhav Thackeray pursues the saffron flag (Hindutva politics), we will support him." Togadia had quit the VHP on April 14 this year after former Himachal Pradesh governor V S Kokje defeated his nominee Raghav Reddy in an election for the post of VHP International president. Daily Desher Katha, a mouthpiece of Tripura unit of the CPI(M), has filed a writ petition in the Tripura High Court challenging the decision of the Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI) to cancel the newspaper's registration, the Bengali daily's editor Samir Paul said on Sunday. In a letter on October 1, the RNI said the publication of the daily was being suspended. It cited "unauthorised change of ownership" as the reason behind the step. "We filed the writ petition in the high court on Saturday. We are waiting for the petition to be admitted for hearing in the high court. We challenged the decision of the RNI to withdraw our registration," Paul told reporters. District Magistrate of West Tripura Sandeep Namdeo Mahatme had said the newspaper was found to have violated several sections of the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867. A complaint against the newspaper was registered in August this year, he had said. A preliminary investigation conducted by the DM found that the complaint had substance, following which a hearing was initiated. The complainant had alleged that there was a mismatch between the information of editor, printer and publisher provided in the newspapers' declaration and data maintained with the RNI, among other issues. The daily, which had previously declared itself as a mouthpiece owned by the CPI(M) Tripura state committee, changed its ownership declaration as a newspaper published from Daily Desher Katha Society a few months before the new BJP-Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) coalition came to power in March. Sources in the newspaper, however, claimed that the Daily Desher Katha Society was formed in 2013. But when the issue came up for hearing, the newspaper authorities reportedly failed to provide the necessary evidence. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Domestic medical devices maker Trivitron Healthcare is looking to clock revenue of around Rs 750 crore in the current fiscal year, as it mulls inorganic growth in key focus areas, a top company official has said. Established in 1997, the Chennai-based company posted revenue of around Rs 650 crore in the last fiscal year. "We are looking at a revenue of around Rs 750 crore for the current fiscal year," Trivitron Healthcare Chairman and MD GSK Velu told PTI. The focus areas for the company are laboratory, imaging, intensive care, operating rooms and renal dialysis, he added. Out of these, 80 per cent of the profits come from the areas of laboratory and imaging while others are emerging areas for the company, Velu said. "Going forward laboratory and imaging will continue to be the focus areas for the company where we are looking for both organic and inorganic growth to push revenues," he added. When asked about the key products manufactured by the company, Velu said the number one product for the group is for new born screening. Other products are X-ray machines, ultra sound machines in a joint venture with Hitachi, mamography machines, all diagnostic products and products for intensive care units and operation theatres, he added. On being asked about the state of medical device sector in India, the intent is there but the gap between intent and action needs to be narrowed, Velu said, adding that the domestic medical device industry needs to be nurtured. Trivitron Healthcare currently has with 9 USFDA, CE manufacturing facilities across five locations -- Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Ankara and Helsinki -- and has over 1,500 employees. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Donald Trump's controversial nominee Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in as a judge of the US Supreme Court, in a major victory for the US President ahead of key mid-term elections in November amid crackling tension, angry protests and high drama on Capitol Hill. Kavanaugh was officially sworn in Saturday evening as the 114th Justice of the Supreme Court by Chief Justice John Roberts who administered the Constitutional Oath in the Justices' Conference Room, hours after the 53-year-old judge was confirmed by a bitterly divided Senate by 50-48 votes -- the closest nomination vote since 1881. Retired Associate Justice Anthony M Kennedy administered the judicial oath. Wife Ashley Kavanaugh held the family Bible. Justice Kavanaugh's two daughters, Liza and Margaret, and his parents attended the ceremony. His appointment is for life and he will strengthen conservative control of the nine-judge court, which has the final say on US law. President Trump, who was on a November 6 mid-term election campaign trail in Kansas, called Kavanaugh to congratulate him on his confirmation and swearing in. "I just congratulated him," he said. "I said congratulations. It was well fought. I mean, who would have thought a thing like that could have happened, what he's been through? Everything was uncorroborated," he told reporters in Topeka, Kansas. Kavanaugh, whose nomination was hit by multiple accusations of sexual misconduct against him from his past, replaces Kennedy who had announced his resignation early this year. He has vehemently denied all allegations of sexual misconduct against him when he was in high school and college. The swearing in of Kavanaugh as the Supreme Court judge comes after weeks of bitterly fought battle between the ruling Republican and the opposition Democratic parties. Republicans had accused Democrats of seeking to delay the confirmation of Kavanaugh in the hope that they will make gains in the mid-term elections in November and stop his appointment altogether. Things took an ugly turn in the last few weeks, when three women came forward with allegations that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted them. Millions of people inside US and abroad watched live on their television sets the open hearing of Kavanaugh and his first accuser Christine Ford, a professor in California. Under tremendous political pressure, Trump ordered a last-minute FBI supplemental inquiry. The FBI submitted the confidential report to the Senate committee Thursday and soon Senator Chuck Grassley, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the new FBI investigation into Kavanaugh found nothing to corroborate sexual assault allegations against him. "This investigation found no hint of misconduct," Senator Grassley said in a statement. "There's nothing in it that we didn't already know." President Trump took to Twitter on Thursday to say the FBI report vindicated his nominee and expressed optimism about Republican chances in the November midterm elections, where control of the House of Representatives and Senate could be at stake. On Saturday, the Senate confirmed the nomination of Kavanaugh by 50-48 votes, which was mostly on party lines. Kavanaugh is the second Supreme Court nominee of President Trump to be confirmed by the Senate. Describing Kavanaugh as an outstanding person, Trump said that in recent weeks he and his family suffered a lot because of the opposition Democratic lawmakers who according to him supported an uncorroborated allegation of sexual assault against him. "We're very honoured that he was able to withstand this horrible, horrible attack by the Democrats. It's a horrible attack that nobody should have to go through," he said. "But the beautiful thing is, he is now in.He's going to be there for a long time. And he's just an outstanding intellect, outstanding scholar, a brilliant lawyer -- brilliant at everything he's ever done.So we're very happy. It was a great vote, a very historic vote," Trump said. Even as he was being sworn in inside the Supreme Court, scores of people protested across the street at the Capitol. At one point some protesters ran up the steps and banged on the court's ornate doors. Other demonstrators climbed on the nearby statue of justice. "The crowd in front of the US Supreme Court is tiny, looks like about 200 people (& most are onlookers) - that wouldn't even fill the first couple of rows of our Kansas Rally, or any of our Rallies for that matter! The Fake Media tries to make it look sooo big, & it's not!" Trump tweeted. Of the nine-members on the powerful Supreme Court bench, two of the judges Kavanagh and Neil Gorsuch have been nominated by Trump. His predecessor Barack Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, both women, on the bench in 2009 and 2010 respectively. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said he was awaiting the results of an investigation into the disappearance of a Saudi journalist who a government source said was killed at Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul. Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi, 59, vanished after an appointment with Saudi officials on Tuesday. A Turkish government source told AFP that police believed Khashoggi was killed at the Istanbul consulate, which Riyadh strongly denied. Khashoggi had gone to the consulate to obtain documents needed to marry his Turkish fiancee. Erdogan said he would wait for the outcome of the current investigation before taking a decision. "I am following the (issue) and we will inform the world whatever the outcome" of the official probe, the president told reporters in Ankara. "God willing, we will not be faced with a situation we do not want." He said police were examining CCTV footage of entrances and exits at the consulate and Istanbul airport. Police said earlier that around 15 Saudis, including officials, arrived in Istanbul on two flights on Tuesday and were at the consulate at the same time as Khashoggi. "Based on their initial findings, the police believe that the journalist was killed by a team especially sent to Istanbul and who left the same day," the government source told AFP on Saturday. The journalist went to the building but "did not come back out", police were quoted as saying by Turkey's state-run Anadolu agency. The consulate rejected the claims that the journalist was killed there as "baseless", in a Twitter message. It said a Saudi team was in Turkey to investigate the disappearance. The journalist's fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, said on Twitter she was "waiting for an official confirmation from the Turkish government" before she could believe the claims. Khashoggi has been critical of some of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's policies and Riyadh's intervention in the war in Yemen. His criticisms appeared in both the Arab and Western press. The former government adviser, who turns 60 on October 13, has lived in the United States since last year to avoid possible arrest. Yasin Aktay, an official in Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) who was close to the journalist, said Khashoggi had made an appointment in advance with the consulate and called to check the documents were ready. "His friends had warned him, 'Don't go there, it is not safe,' but he said they could not do anything to him in Turkey," said Aktay. He added that he still hoped the reports of his friend's death were untrue. Prince Mohammed said in an interview published by Bloomberg on Friday that the journalist had left the consulate and Turkish authorities could search the building, which is Saudi sovereign territory. Turkey's foreign ministry on Wednesday summoned Saudi Arabia's ambassador over the issue. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on Twitter that if reports of his death were confirmed, "this would constitute a horrific, utterly deplorable, and absolutely unacceptable assault on press freedom". Fred Hiatt, the director of the Washington Post's editorial page, said if the reports were true "it is a monstrous and unfathomable act". "Jamal was -- or, as we hope, is -- a committed, courageous journalist. He writes out of a sense of love for his country and deep faith in human dignity and freedom," Hiatt said in a statement on the US newspaper's website. A European Commission spokesperson said in a statement that Brussels was "closely" following the case, adding it was "awaiting clarifications from the Saudi authorities on the fate of Mr Khashoggi." Khashoggi fled from Saudi Arabia in September 2017, months after Prince Mohammed was appointed heir to the throne. The journalist said he had been banned from writing in the pan-Arab Al-Hayat newspaper, owned by Saudi prince Khaled bin Sultan al-Saud, over his defence of the Muslim Brotherhood which Riyadh has blacklisted as a terrorist organisation. He 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. Saudi Arabia, which ranks 169th out of 180 on RSF's World Press Freedom Index, has launched a modernisation campaign since Prince Mohammed's appointment as heir to the throne. The ultra-conservative kingdom in June lifted a ban on women driving, but it has drawn heavy criticism for its handling of dissent. Dozens of dissidents have been arrested including intellectuals and Islamic preachers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two suspected gamblers in Nepal have jumped to death from the third floor of a building during a police raid, officials said Sunday. The Metropolitan Police of Kathmandu arrested 24 gamblers and seized Rs 458,000 from the gambling den in Mulpani area. Saroj Ghale and Som Lal Tamang jumped from the window of the third floor to escape the police and injured themselves. They died during treatment, Chief of Metropolitan Police Kathmandu, Senior Superintendent of Police Basanta Lama said. With the Vijaya Dashami festival approaching, the police have increased patrols and surveillance to bust gambling dens that often witness disputes leading to various crimes including murder. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three persons, including two minors, were hacked to death by a man in Rohtas district, police said Sunday. Sunil Kumar Yadav attacked Lalsa Devi with a hoe in front of her house killing her on the spot at Mirzapur village under the jurisdiction of Tilauthu police station on Saturday, the police said. The accused had some old enmity with Daroga Yadav, the husband of Lalsa Devi, a police officer. The attacker also killed two children, who were playing nearby and the two were not related to the deceased woman, the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Rohtas, Satyavir Singh, said. Sunil Kumar Yadav also attacked a schoolgirl and her mother, and injured them, the SP said. The bodies of the deceased were sent to Sasaram Sadar hospital for post-mortem examination, the police officer said. An investigation has been initiated on the basis of an FIR lodged by a relative of one of the deceased minors, the SP said, adding that the prime accused is absconding. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The first phase of urban local body (ULB) polls begin in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, but many here are "clueless" about the exercise with most of them complaining about not knowing their candidates or even when to vote. Shoaib Ahmad, a resident of Srinagar from an uptown locality, said people in his ward do not know who the candidates are this time. The summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir is going to vote in the first phase. "Ask anyone here if they know who the candidates are. Everyone will tell you, they have no idea. There is too much secrecy, Ahmad, who works in a private company, said. He alleged the government was only interested in "showing" that an election was held, but not with the conduct of the polls in a proper manner. A police official said the prevailing situation in Kashmir does not allow candidates to campaign openly as there is a threat to their lives. While separatists have called for a boycott of the polls, militants have threatened to target persons taking part in these elections. "The candidates have been given security and most of them have been taken to secure locations, but the situation is such they cannot campaign. The threat is not only from militants, but from mobs as well," the official said. The complains of not knowing the candidates were not limited to the city. People in many other areas of the valley expressed ignorance regarding the details of the polls in their wards. Ishfaq Ahmad, a resident of Ganderbal, which is voting in the last phase on 16 October, said such is the level of secrecy that people are joking that only the candidates themselves know they are standing in the elections. "We have no idea who is contesting from our ward. There has been no campaign or door-to-door canvassing by anyone so far. Even the government has not put the details of the candidates on the election commission website. There are simply no details anywhere. Only the candidate would know that he is contesting. Perhaps, even their family does not, such is the secrecy, he said. He said "most of the people would boycott the polls", but relatives and friends of the candidates would exercise their franchise. Another potential voter here, Khalid said he was earlier excited about voting but now he believes the polls should be put on hold till there is an improvement in the situation. "The government says the situation does not permit them to provide details of candidates. In that case, they should have delayed the polls till there was some improvement. I was excited to vote, especially since EVMs were introduced. However, I do not have essential details for voting, so how and why will I vote?" he asked. Apart from the secrecy regarding candidates, people in some areas of the city here do not know when to vote. "Forget about who is contesting, we do not even know when is voting taking place in our area," Ghulam Qadir, a resident of Sekidafar area in the city said. He said he has seen many elections, but "nothing like this has ever happened". "People are clueless on the date of voting. The government should have advertised in newspapers with poll details on a phase-basis. Most of the people here do not know their ward numbers. Nothing like this has ever happened," Qadir said. A senior Congress leader said the atmosphere in the state was not conducive for polls, but the party decided to contest after the Centre "forced" the elections on the people. "This is the most low profile election in the history of the state. We have not seen anything like this. The atmosphere was not conducive for the polls, but it was thrust on us by the Centre," he said. The Congress leader said the secrecy maintained by the administration over the whole process has cast a shadow over the exercise. "We have received complaints of people not knowing who is in the fray. See, the candidates have been taken to secure locations and virtually put under house arrest. "In such a situation only friends, relatives and party colleagues of the candidates will come out to vote and you will see the winning margins to be very low," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 19-year-old student of a livelihood college was allegedly abducted and killed by naxals in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, police said Sunday. The body of Kunjami Shankar, who went missing late Saturday night from his village Kundanpal under Kukanar police station limits, was found lying in a pool of blood Sunday in a nearby forest, Sukma superintendent of police Abhishek Meena told PTI over phone. The motive behind the killing is not known yet, he said. As per preliminary information, Kunjami was picked up by a group of armed ultras from his house in Kundanpal, around 500 km away from here, when he was alone, he said. Prima facie, he was hacked to death. The deceased was a student of Livelihood College in Sukma town. The state government facilitates large population of unemployed youth/tribal population living in remote and under-served areas to undergo livelihood training to increase their employability by providing them residential training facilities through Livelihood Colleges. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cookies maker is aiming to grab at least 10 per cent market share in the premium segment in the next 12 to 18 months, a top company official said. The total biscuit industry is projected at Rs 300 billion, of which the cookie segment grabs around 30 per cent share at Rs 90 billion. The premium cookie segment is estimated to be around Rs 60 billion at present. "The target is to achieve a double-digit market share of at least 10 per cent in the premium segment going forward. We are looking at a time horizon of12-18 months to achieve the same," Foods India managing director Nikhil Sen told PTI. The Bengaluru-based firm, which has been growing at a CAGR of 45 per cent, said it will try to expand its footprint across the country to be a national player, while at the same time consolidating its strong presence in the southern region. Sen said the company is looking at Rs 10 price point as a strategy to drive penetration and distribution. It has recently entered the Rs 10-billion snack bar category and claims to be the number three player in the segment. "We will look at bordering categories which are exciting. As a first step, we have launched the snack bar category, which is doing very well, and we hope to drive our volumes over there. "It is a very nascent category and within the short span of time that we have launched, we must be among the top three players in the category. We will look at more specific health offering there to see how we can expand our market share there," he said. Unibic, which has over 120 products, including for exports, has a current annual production capacity of 30,000 tonnes. Sen said the company is also planning to increase its production capacity in the next 12 to 18 months and is evaluating options on the same. Executive Director Henrietta Fore has praised Prime Minister for investing the "political time and efforts" in issues like health and sanitation. She said people start looking around at other things that need improvement when they begin to feel that their community is doing better. "If you invest a dollar in sanitation solutions, the benefit will be four dollars in terms of health cost prevention, the (reduction in) number of visits you go to a doctor and in the medicines that you don't have to buy," Fore told PTI in an interview here. She was in the city to attend an event organised jointly by the ( Children's Fund) and the Stock Exchange (NSE) Friday. "The prime minister invested political time and effort and what it meant was people began picking up that story. They want to do it for Mahatma Gandhi, for their country and they felt pride in it," she said in an apparent reference to "Swacch Bharat" Mission. The flagship cleanliness drive, launched by the prime minister in 2014, aims to clean up the streets, roads and infrastructure of India's cities, towns, and rural areas. Modi had said the sanitation coverage in the country has increased from 38 per cent to nearly 80 per cent and asserted that the ' Mission' is playing a central role in creating a healthy India. Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron were recently awarded the UN's "Champions of the Earth" award for their pioneering work in championing the International Solar Alliance and promoting new areas of cooperation on environmental action. Fore said, "It (contribution to sanitation) doesn't have an economic return but when you begin to feel that your community is doing better, it makes you look around at the other things that need improvement". "It makes one think that does he have clean water and the solutions for open defecation for all animals in their village, is there a community healthcare clinic, is there enough nutrition for children; not just latrines, what about lighted pathways for all of the girls going to schools. It makes you improve your world," said the executive director. When asked about Unicef's view on the child mortality rate (CMR) in India during the past decade, Fore said it has shown improvement. "Since 1990s, when the numbers first began, there was a significant reduction in child mortality. Sanitation, clean India should bring numbers down further. What we don't know yet is how much further they should bring them down. But it's an exciting journey for India and we really are on the right path," she said. Fore feels that health is one of the challenges an emerging country like India could face in its journey towards a clean nation. "Clean water brings health benefits in a way that many other strategies cannot," she said. Fore said learning new skills is another challenge for a developing nation because many new industries are expected to flourish. "(Another challenge is to) How to get more women in labour force... The number of women in formal labour force is going down. If only a third of total women in India are in formal employment, it is not high enough to get all of ideas and energy of India," she said. The executive director acknowledged malnutrition as another challenge. "This is because if a young child does not get proper nutrition before the age of three and first thousand days, it could affect the development of her brain as well as body. It means they cannot be productive, it means the economy will not be doing so well," she said, adding employment gets affected ultimately because malnutrition denies children an opportunity. She further said public policy makes a difference in a developing economy. "So if you begin to look at all these areas a country can look at, India says it wants to skill it youth and (wants to) have a digital future. That vision for future India is what and generation unlimited is focused on," she said. Fore said if India gets it right for the age group of 10 and 24, it would mean that the country fares well in the decades to come. "If this young population is not caught between those ages, then it is next to impossible for a country to do well. India's outreach for these young people will be the tipping point for the developing country," she said. When asked if the Unicef sees the flagship programmes of the prime minister sustaining in future, Fore said, "People want areas like nutrition, health, education, sanitation, water protection etc. irrespective of political climate or which party is in power. "So it's up to every community, every household to put a value in it. I believe in terms of sanitation that where there is a room there is a toilet (and) most families would want to keep that. The challenge is to maintain and professionalise it so that people learn to maintain and service it," she said. "It's going to be on each one of us to keep those programmes going that we think benefit the health, education and nutrition in our communities," she said. Children's Fund (Unicef) is a agency headquartered in New York city that provides humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing countries. It is a member of the United Nations Development Group. Union minister Vijay Goel Sunday slammed the Delhi government for not reducing value-added tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel, and took out a bullock cart rally in protest. The rally started at the Red Fort and concluded at Sadar Bazar. People participating in the rally walked along side the minister's cart holding placards and raising slogans in his support. "The Delhi government gives advise to the central government on price reduction. But, it (Delhi government) does not do anything. The BJP-ruled states have reduced VAT," Goel said. He said the Modi government cares for the people while the Kejriwal government "wants to kill people". "There are so many other issues I can talk about. Delhi is faced with the problems of traffic jams, pollution, mismanagement in government schools. The Kejriwal government should resign. They do not deserve to be here," Goel said, while riding on the bullock cart. On Saturday, Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken wrote to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal requesting him to reduce the VAT on petrol and diesel "to the same level as it was in December, 2013, during the Congress regime in the city". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China and the are set to hold high-level talks here on Monday to reduce the spiralling trade and military tensions between the world's two largest economies. US Secretary of State is scheduled to hold talks with top Chinese leaders and officials in a bid to halt the ongoing in which both countries slapped additional tariffs on billions of dollars of their exports. Announcing Pompeo's visit, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying last week said that China and the US would exchange views on bilateral ties and regional and issues of common concern. US Defence Secretary too was due to visit but it was cancelled which China said was at the behest of Washington. The news of the cancellation of his visit came after US allegations that Chinese naval ship conducted unsafe manoeuvres near its destroyer Decatur when it passed through the islands off the disputed to assert freedom of navigation. China claims almost all of the Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and have counterclaims. Pompeo's visit was expected to provide an opportunity to both sides to lower the tensions between them. Besides slapping additional tariffs on Chinese exports, US has also imposed sanctions on a Chinese military unit for securing Russian weapon systems like S-400 missiles and Su-35 fighters. Also, ahead of the visit both the countries had heated exchanges. US Vice Thursday accused China of interfering in US internal affairs and elections policies. Pence said China wants a "different American President" and is using more "proactive and coercive" methods to interfere in America's domestic policies and China has refuted Pence's allegation terming them as "malicious slander". Reacting to Pence's allegations, Hua on Friday said, "the relevant speech made unwarranted accusations against China's domestic and foreign policies and slandered China by claiming that China meddles in US internal affairs and elections". "It is very ridiculous for the US side to stigmatise its normal exchanges and cooperation with China as China interfering in its internal affairs and elections," she said. Significantly ahead of Pompeo's visit, Chinese Ambassador to Washington Cui Tiankai said China wants to end the with the US, but that the US position keeps changing "so we don't know exactly what the US would want as priorities". "We are ready to make a deal. We are ready to make some compromise, but it needs the goodwill from both sides," Cui said in an interview on Wednesday with America's National Public Radio, official Chinese media reported on Friday. "We want to solve it through negotiation and consultation between the two sides. But in order for the negotiation, the consultation to succeed, we do need goodwill and good faith from both sides," Cui said. "We offered to reduce the trade deficit of the US States, for instance. And we also presented a very good proposal to the US side about the further reform and opening up in China, some of the so-called structural issues," he said. "We are ready to work on the issues. Then I think more than once we had some tentative agreement between the two working teams. Then just overnight the tentative agreement was rejected and the demand from US changed. So this is very confusing, and this is making things very difficult," he said. As it turned 86 Sunday, the Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT), which is acclaimed as the Eastern Gateway of India has drawn up a vision to become the most-preferred port in south Asia offering services of global standards and world-class logistics solutions. Massive capacity expansion and modernisation plans are being implemented in a mission-mode in line with Visakhapatnam Port's growing strategic importance to trade with China, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa, Nigeria and countries in the Persian Gulf. "Visakhapatnam Port, one of the 12 major ports of the country, has a strategic importance since it serves major economic sectors like steel, power, petroleum, mining and fertilisers. We play a pivotal role in the economic development of the hinterland, catering to major industries. We now aim to further this by becoming the most-preferred port in south Asia that offers world-class logistics solutions at minimal cost to stakeholders," VPT Chairman Movva Tirumala Krishna Babu said. Talking to PTI on the Port's 85th anniversary, Babu said VPT transformed into a mega port, capable of handling all types of cargos, from raw materials to finished products, facilitating large-scale employment and higher standards of living. "We now have the capacity to handle 120 million tonnes of cargo, which will be increased to 135 MT in the next one and a half years. That will be the optimum capacity and accordingly we have taken up expansion, mechanisation and modernisation works," Krishna Babu said. VPT achieved an operating profit of Rs 250 crore in the last fiscal handling 63.5 million tonnes of cargo while the target for the current year has been set at 68 million tonnes. VPT is also ranked, by the Union Ministry of Commerce, as the number one port in the country in export of marine products. While Rs 2,000 crore worth development works were under progress through public-private partnership and internal resource mobilisation, another Rs 3,000 crore worth projects were taken up under the Sagarmala. "We had, in fact, taken up 15 capacity addition projects with a total investment of Rs 3,151 crore of which 11 were completed. The remaining four are in progress. Mechanised coal handling facility with a capacity of 6.41 million tonnes per annum, construction of multi-cargo terminal with a capacity of 2.09 MTPA, upgradation of iron ore handling facility in the outer harbour are some of the major works that have been completed," the Chairman explained. On the accolades won by the VPT, Babu said it has been ranked the second cleanest port in the country for the last two years in Swachh Bharat while the Andhra Pradesh government presented it the first Green Award in industries category this year. "VPT is operating entirely on solar energy by commissioning a 10 MW utility-scale Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant at a cost of Rs 60 crore. We were also awarded the Platinum Award in the ports sector for outstanding achievements in environment management, which is another milestone in our path towards becoming a Green Port," Krishna Babu added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Sunday reiterated that he would continue to helm the state after the 2019 assembly elections as well. Last year also, the CM had denied the rumours of his promotion as Union minister in the wake of Manohar Parrikar resigning as defence minister and taking over as the chief minister of Goa. Fadnavis has entered the last year of his remaining term as the chief minister. Addressing a rally in Latur district of Maharashtra, Fadnavis assured people of continuous flow of funds for development. "Next term (as CM) is going to be mine only. Hence, the people of Latur should not worry much about getting funds for some developmental works," Fadnavis said Sunday. The CM attended the inauguration ceremony of a health camp organised by the state government in the Marathwada city. While speaking about a government-run medical college and hospital, Fadnavis said, "The funds worth Rs 100 crore will be given in three stages for the completion of the work. The project will be completed in the next two years". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bagota, Oct 6 (PTI) Minister of State for External Affairs General V K Singh has visited Colombia during which he held talks with the country's top leadership and underlined the need to further deepen the political and economic ties.The three-day visit, which began from October 3, was the first Ministerial-level visit from India to Colombia following the formation of the new government under President Ivan Duque in August. General Singh met the top leadership, including Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo, who recalled his meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on September 24, an official statement said Friday. The Ministers comprehensively reviewed bilateral relations and exchanged views on issues of mutual interest. They stressed the need for further deepening of political ties, expansion of bilateral trade and investment in areas such as IT, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, agriculture, urban planning & development, renewable energy, Orange economy, rural development, startups and financial inclusion, the statement said.The visit provided an opportunity to engage with the new Colombian government and further cement our mutually beneficial ties with Colombia, it said.The Colombian leadership thanked India for its assistance in human resource development and appreciated the country's role in training Colombia's English language teachers.In the last 4 years, over 100 Colombian school teachers have been trained in India.India and Colombia noted that bilateral trade valued currently at USD1.5 billion offered excellent scope for further expansion.General Singh also addressed the Indian community and briefed it about the developments that are taking place in India.India and Colombia will be celebrating 60 years of establishment of diplomatic relations next year. PTI MRJ MRJ news, latest-news The leader of the ACT Greens, Shane Rattenbury, has invited the controversial music festival Defqon.1 to hold future events in Canberra, in the wake of NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian's vow to never allow it again in NSW. Ms Berejiklian's vow followed the shocking news of the death of two young people, three people put into critical care and hundreds of others needing medical treatment at the event due to multiple suspected drug overdoses. Ms Berejiklian said she would never allow the festival to go ahead again anywhere in Sydney or elsewhere in NSW, saying young lives had been lost for no reason. But advocacy groups including STA-SAFE, which ran the first pill testing trial in Australia at this year's Groovin' the Moo festival in Canberra, have urged the NSW government to reconsider its zero tolerance approach to drug policy, arguing pill testing may have saved lives at Defqon.1. Mr Rattenbury on Friday wrote to the festival's organiser, Q-Dance, offering the ACT as a potential future venue for the dance festival, writing the territory government might also allow for pill testing to be undertaken, if the offer was taken up. "Following the disappointing response from the NSW government in relation to the extremely sad news of the deaths of two people who attended your Defqon.1 festival recently, I would like to encourage you to consider relocating future festivals and events to Canberra where a pill testing facility may be established to minimise drug harm for festival patrons," the letter reads. At Groovin' the Moo, 128 people used the service. Tests on pills and powders found 85 different substances, including the highly toxic N-Ethylpentylone (ephylone), which has been responsible for a number of mass overdoses around the world. The tests also found some instances of unusually high purity ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine and even paint particles in the substances tested. Debate is now underway on the next potential event in Canberra where testing could be completed again, after the National Capital Authority refused to allow testing for this year's Spilt Milk festival, which is usually held on land controlled by the Commonwealth government. On Saturday, hundreds of Canberra turned out to a protest against the authority's decision, urging the NCA to reconsider the move. The ACT government returned fire, saying it might consider offering pill testing services near the festival on territory-controlled land, but Mr Rattenbury is concerned that option would not be as effective as offering it inside the festival itself. While pill testing is undertaken at events and health clinics across Europe, it remains a controversial practice in Australia despite evidence of its potential to minimise harm and reduce illicit drug-taking. The ACT's police service also backed the first trial and supports it being trialled again in the future, particularly after it helped authorities identify new drugs they were not aware were actually circulating in Canberra. "The Greens want to do our best to ensure festival-goers have a good time in the safest ways possible, rather than taking avoidable risks," Mr Rattenbury's letter reads. "We hope that you are encouraged by the success of Canberras initial trial, and we look forward to working with you in bringing Defqon.1 to the ACT." /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/533e3f17-3e5f-41b6-8483-57611ab9ad80/r3_0_1330_750_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg Japan does neither implicitly nor explicitly recognizes the Algerian-backed SADR Republic, said Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono after the Moroccan delegation withdrew from a preparatory meeting of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) due to the presence of members of the separatist entity. The presence of the SADR entity at the meeting does in no way show that Japan recognizes implicitly or explicitly that group as a state, Kono said at the meeting. I would like to announce that, even if this group pretends to be a state, Japan does not recognize it and its presence in this hall does not mean that Japan recognizes it, the Japanese official made it clear. He added that only the flags of the African Union and Japan, which co-organise the event, are allowed and that any party that violates this rule will be asked to leave. news, latest-news The ACT government has not updated its forecasts of demand for public housing dwellings for more than six years, despite a 2012 estimate tipping a potential shortfall of about 2000 dwellings by 2020. Demand for public housing dwellings is set to hit 12,950 households by 2020, based on the now-expired 2012 public housing asset management strategy, up about 17.7 per cent since 2010. But that five-year strategy, which guides how Housing ACT runs its 10,902 public housing dwellings, expired in January last year, and only in August this year did Cabinet agree to develop a new one, as it was a requirement of signing up to the new national housing agreement. While the government is replacing about 1288 dwellings, in order to sell off land to help fund the light rail project, it faces continued criticism for not growing the total pool of dwellings, given rising demand. The demand forecast in the 2012-15 strategy estimated a need for 11,000 dwellings in 2010, rising to 12,030 by 2015 and again to 12,950 in 2020. There were 1778 households on the waiting list as at the end of September, and only 10,902 dwellings available. The government would need to build a further 2048 public housing dwellings in the next 14 months, if it was to meet the demand expected by 2020. When the Canberra Times asked Housing ACT about the current level of demand earlier this year, a spokeswoman said the forecast had not changed, but the government was considering potential improvements to the methodology. But the government has not responded to the question as to why the strategy was not updated sooner, nor why there was no reconsideration of the real level of demand in the intervening six and a half years. Public housing advocates have previously cited concerns the level of demand may be much greater than estimated, but people were not bothering to apply, given wait times of more than 1000 days for most applicants. The spokeswoman did say in a statement the government was developing a long-term strategic plan for the asset management of public housing in the ACT, but there was no response to interview requests with senior Housing ACT staff to help explain the matter. Asked last week why the government took 18 months to make a decision to develop a new strategy, a spokeswoman for Housing Minister Yvette Berry said in a statement "while the strategy officially drew to a close in January 2017, we have continued the work of the strategy through the delivery of the public housing renewal program". "At the same time, there has been a coordinated effort across government to identify new and emerging issues facing public housing," she said. Ms Berry's spokeswoman also said the government acknowledged a number of dynamic factors influenced demand for public housing, and the new five-year plan would "respond to a range of emerging drivers and trends affecting the demand for public housing, including the type and volume of stock that will be required to meet contemporary tenant need". But the statement also said the new plan would not be completed until after the renewal program ended next July, indicating the government might be preparing to release its new affordable housing strategy without updated demand forecasts. ACT Council of Social Service director Susan Helyar said the government had to ensure the demand forecast was completed before the strategy was announced, because the government would not know what the current or future demand would be without it. She said if the forecast was not completed until July, it would be several more years before the stock was in place to meet current demand, let alone future growth in population. "Every year people have to wait for new stock to be available is another year they can't get ahead financially because they're spending such a high proportion on housing, they can't afford to save a deposit to buy a house, and they're often compromising on health, education and expenses," she said. "[We] paint a bleak picture because our members have told us it has been urgent since 2016 for the government to deal with the lack of affordable housing in this city. "We really need the new strategy to set some ambitious targets and allocate the level of resources needed to deal with the scale of the problem this city faces." /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/6cb87ebd-8607-4f54-9f69-d8eb4c373ad4/r0_223_4256_2628_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg comment The concerns expressed by The Canberra Times ("Molonglo corridor development must be managed carefully", October 4) are timely and require the government to reconsider its development objectives. As well as concerns about individual projects such as the Zapari development, there is an urgent need to improve the co-ordination of development. The government needs to explain why Whitlam, north of the river, was prioritised ahead of land adjacent to the main commercial centre proposed for the district, south of the river. The decision fragments development and delays the provision of major commercial facilities. Whitlam residents by necessity will shop at centres in northern Canberra, a trade that will be difficult to recapture. If Molonglo is to be a coherent development, the major bridge connection linking north and south Molonglo needs to be expedited. Development in Molonglo and throughout Canberra is rarely high-quality, affordable and/or sustainable. The review of the ACT planning strategy provides an opportunity to place development on a sound footing. Essential to the review are a detailed analysis of issues and an accompanying infrastructure plan indicating when, where and why development is to occur. A competent review will give the government credibility and hopefully avoid the repeat of decisions such as light rail and the un-co-ordinated acquisition of rural leases. Mike Quirk, Garran I have no idea whether President Trump received lots of money from his parents or whether there was tax fraud in relation to valuations. 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, and said, "The facts upon which The Times bases its allegations are extremely inaccurate". An examination of the points is worth considering, starting with "the facts". Is it too simplistic today to say something is inaccurate rather than quantify how inaccurate? There is also some room to reinterpret this as it says that their basis was wrong but could the suggestions be confirmed with fuller disclosures? If it's wrong, the President should release the old tax records and sue them for millions and demand an apology. Leaders should be the most open people in their countries and be willing to face their accusers openly. Dennis Fitzgerald, Box Hill, Vic Writing in the October edition of The Monthly, journalist George Megalogenis states, "Australia needs a new title for the politician who replaces a prime minister between elections". He suggests that either acting prime minister (APM) or caretaker prime minister (CPM) would be suitable, reflecting the fact that the "new leader has not been tested by the people at the ballot box". I wonder if there is a more adventurous name, and associated acronym, for this important, albeit transient position. Examples relating to specific incumbents could have been NKPM (not Kevin), RATOPDPM (replacement after thirty opinion poll disasters), STBPM (stopped the boats) or ABDPM (anyone but Dutton). While it has been aptly demonstrated that AAIPM (agile and innovative) is a misnomer, a more generic title suitable for a future intra-government coup could be DTECPM (defeated the empty chair), TNWPM (till next week) or RCPM (Rupert's choice). Perhaps a plebiscite to decide? Or should legislation be enshrined so every Australian takes a turn to be prime minister a week at a time? Peter Crossing, Glengowrie, SA Australia is a world-leading economy, avidly embracing technological advances and proudly boasting 27 years of unbroken "growth" but, perhaps intoxicated by big-picture scenarios, somehow fails citizens' basic needs ("Tree, creeks found to be contaminated", Sunday CT, September 30, p3). Geography condemns Jervis Bay to be in the eye of the perfect storm, with NSW Environment Protection, ACT Health (Department of Infrastructure), Department of Defence and Wreck Bay self-determining community, all having the opportunity to kick the contamination can along. Presumably signs (to be erected by whom?) are for community benefit, as they will be of nil benefit to flora and fauna trapped in the PFOS/PFOA-contaminated ecosystem. There are warnings of fish contamination in some creeks, but they (also mammals and birds), unlike flora, utilise extensive feeding grounds. Despite revelations of cancer risks from the above chemicals already identified in Newcastle, Defence's human health risk assessment will not be due before year's end. In June, Fairfax reported on Tartan Senior High School, Oakdale, Minnesota, home to 3M, where abnormally high incidences of cancer resulted in a litany of human disasters, strongly linked to environmental PFOS. This revelation might facilitate Defence's assessment, giving it greater urgency, as lives are at risk. While countless billions are flagrantly wasted defending borders and fending off mythical terrorists, protecting citizens from real and present danger is low on the pecking order. Albert M. White, Queanbeyan There was an interview on Canberra ABC Radio 666 this week with Dr Sue Wareham from the Medical Association of Physicians Against War (MAPW). She said MAPW had applied to the National Capital Authority for approval to hold a silent peace vigil on Anzac Parade during the forthcoming Remembrance Day 100th anniversary commemoration. The station kept the theme going for most of the morning, asking people to text or phone in with their opinion on whether a peace vigil should be allowed on Anzac Parade that day. I was taken aback that a number of people indicated they felt that such an action was "political". Why is advocacy for peace or peace vigils and marches seen as political when war the ultimate in political action is not? Barbara O'Dwyer, Kingston Email: letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au. Send from the message eld, not as an attached le. Fax: 6280 2282. Mail: Letters to the Editor, The Canberra Times, PO Box 7155, Canberra Mail Centre, ACT 2610. Keep your letter to 250 words or less. References to Canberra Times reports should include the date and page number. Letters may be edited. Provide phone number and full home address (suburb only published). news, latest-news Pulling six Gs while travelling at speeds of more than 600 kilometres an hour in an aeroplane surrounded by five others less than three metres apart. That's something Jay Tuffley does most weekends. When he was seven years old, the Royal Australian Air Force acrobatics team visited an air base near Mr Tuffley's hometown in Western Australia. That experience inspired him, but he never dreamed he'd be squadron leader. "To think by one day I'd be leading the Roulettes, by no means did I stretch my imagination that far," he said. Mr Tuffley is a pilot with 24 years experience, 17 of those in the military. He flew P-3 Orion "submarine hunters" before becoming a flight instructor and joining the Roulettes. During the week, the acrobatic pilots train military pilots to become instructors. On the weekends, they fly all over the country to perform their distinctive routines in the sky. "It's everything and more that I dreamed," Mr Tuffley said. "For me, in terms of flying it's the best flying I've ever done. The teamwork and camaraderie involved in having a small group of professionals travelling around Australia is such a great experience and a huge honour." Mr Tuffley said one of the biggest kicks he gets out of the job is seeing the faces of young children and thinking back to when that was him. "I'm looking at them thinking, that could potentially be a future Roulette leader. I really enjoy that aspect, it's really cool." But the pilots don't just get in the cockpit and take off. Each routine requires special planning, a pre-fight briefing to discuss any obstacles, the place to land in an emergency, what effect the weather will have on their flying. They suit up in a g-suit, designed to inflate to force blood out of the lower body and into the head, so the pilots don't lose consciousness under acceleration. They're trained to tense everything below their neck. Roulette Seven Daniel Armstrong said their main focus is on safety. Each plane has an eject button, and each pilot wears a helmet and a life jacket-style parachute. "We're flying within three metres of each other, so it's pretty close. It's less than a wingspan apart. "You have a lot of trust in the others in the formation, you know that they're trained and competent and that puts you at ease." Mr Armstrong commentates from the ground while the Roulettes fly overhead, and he's trained as one of the team. "I get to hear all the oohs and aahs. That's probably the best bit," he said. "Being in a Roulette is a pretty rare view, we're very lucky to be flying over some pretty amazing places. It's the best office in the world, the view is unbeatable." The next challenge for the team is learning to fly their new plane, as they transition from the PC-9 to the PC-21. Mr Tuffley said it's an extremely exciting time, and he's tasked with the job of coming up with a new routine. "It'll involve the whole team, and it will be primarily my responsibility to ensure its always a safe routine and that we can put it on with consistency in front of a crowd." The Roulettes performed over Canberra to celebrate Parliament House's 30th anniversary on Saturday. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/f5363b64-1494-43cf-aab9-da0916b5dae8/r2_0_1021_576_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, crime An elderly woman who stole nearly $500,000 from her former employer claims she did so in order to make anonymous donations to charity in the hope "a miracle cure" would be found for her injured daughter. Sharolyn Burton, 66, was jailed for three years when she appeared before Magistrate Michael Antrum in the Queanbeyan Local Court on Tuesday. Burton, formerly of Sutton, will be eligible for parole on January 1, 2020. Police facts tendered in court say Burton was a long-serving employee at Queanbeyan firm Advance Detail Joinery, having started there in 1985. She was responsible for book keeping, administration and reception duties. In December 2012, one of the company owners discovered accounting discrepancies and raised them with Burton, who was subsequently sacked. A full investigation of the business' finances revealed Burton had stolen $467,827.40 between February 2006 and December 2012. According to the police facts, Burton obtained the money by making herself or other parties the beneficiaries of 106 signed Advance Detail Joinery cheques. She concealed her deception by altering records in the company's accounting system. At Burton's sentencing hearing, her lawyer, Phil Herrald, said Burton had donated large amounts of the money she stole to the Brain Foundation in the hope that "a miracle cure" could be found for Burton's daughter, who suffered a brain injury in a head-on car crash in 2002. Mr Herrald admitted this could not be verified because the donations were made anonymously. He argued that Burton should be sentenced to a community corrections order, saying she had been overwhelmed by guilt and that about $300,000 of the stolen money had been repaid following the sale of the family farm in Sutton and Burton being declared bankrupt. Mr Herrald said Burton felt too ashamed to continue living in Sutton, where she and her husband were well-known, so the couple had moved away and become largely reclusive. He said Burton refused to buy items she didn't consider necessary, like chocolate biscuits, because she didn't believe she deserved them. "She has suffered every day since [the offending was discovered]," Mr Herrald said. "If it were up to her, she'd put herself in jail, I have to say." Prosecutors argued for a custodial sentence, saying that while some of the money had been repaid, that did not mitigate the seriousness of the crimes. Burton, supported in court by her husband Phillip, shook uncontrollably and cried as she was sentenced on 203 charges. A further five charges were dropped after negotiations between the defence and prosecution. Mr Antrum said he took into account her early guilty plea, her lack of previous criminal history, and her actions since the offending was detected, including the money she had repaid. He said psychiatrists' reports and Burton's emotion in court led him to believe her remorse was genuine. "She has suffered, with her family, a financial catastrophe as a result of her offending," Mr Antrum said. "They have lost their property, their superannuation and their reputation. "It is something that I am sure Mrs Burton reflects on each and every day." However, Mr Antrum said the gravity of the offending made a jail sentence inevitable. He noted that while the victim was a company, companies were run by people trying to make a life for themselves and their families. Mr Antrum said Burton held a position of trust and abused it, and that it was important for business owners to be able to trust their staff. "The sum, well in excess of $400,000, would be, for any small business, a substantial loss," Mr Antrum said. "It is not something that can be papered over." /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/349d2482-7017-48c2-be1d-987942ec05ac/r0_51_1557_931_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg In 2018, no campaign is truly complete unless it has a halfway decent list of condescending nicknames to roll out for the opponent. Florida Democrats and Republicans have embraced this truth. And so, in the race for governor, both parties have been eager to find their most biting put-downs, with Democrats branding Ron DeSantis as Ron DeSastre and Republicans calling Andrew Gillum Andrew Guilty. But did DeSantis ally and U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz go too far Saturday? The Panhandle congressman drew rebuke from Democrats after breaking out a new moniker Andrew Kill 'em at a southwest Florida GOP rally. Gaetz says the jab was a reference to the states highest crime rate in Leon County, and Gillum's position as mayor of Tallahassee. Democrats, however, sought to turn the comments against DeSantis. House Democratic leader Janet Cruz called the remarks an abomination, and attorney general nominee Sean Shaw said Gaetz should be ashamed of himself. Gillums running mate, Chris King, called on DeSantis to immediately condemn these statements riddled with bigotry and inaccuracies. Hey Congressman @MattGaetz, tweeted Miami Rep. Kionne McGhee, the Democrats incoming House leader, sounds like youre calling for the assassination of Mayor @AndrewGillum Andrew Kill em. Gaetz called the assertion absurd. Ive known Andrew for 16 years, he responded. I was clearly referring to Tallahassee as the murder capitol [sic] of Florida. Which it is. (It isn't.) Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact. Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here. Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing. You are our people. You Care. We Care2. 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 [] Every year, the United States celebrates Christopher Columbus. But what you learned about Columbus in elementary school is probably wrong. As History reports, the explorer stumbled upon the Americas. He made four trips across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain in 1492, 1493, 1498, and 1502, trying to find a route west from Europe to Asia. Instead, he ran into the New World, and his journeys marked the beginning of centuries of transatlantic colonization. As Vox puts it, Columbus initiated the two greatest crimes in the history of the Western Hemisphere: the Atlantic slave trade, and the American Indian genocide. He only embarked on his journey because he was terrible at math and believed the earth was thousands of miles smaller than it really was. When he ran into the New World, he sailed around the Caribbean, murdering indigenous people, all the while thinking he was in India. After learning about the brutal ways he altered the course of Western civilization, most people probably wouldnt want to be related to Christopher Columbus. But does the infamous explorer have any living descendants? And did his discoveries make his family wealthy? Heres what you need to know. Where did Christopher Columbus come from? The Washington Post reports that Christopher Columbus often dismissed queries about his origins with the phrase, Vine de nada, or I came from nothing. Scholars say he may have been born in Genoa. However, he wrote in indifferent Latin or good Spanish, never in Italian. Columbus also had French connections. He married a Portuguese woman. Plus, Columbus may have been Jewish. And he may have lived in Catalonia. He died in the Spanish city of Valladolid. And he had an illegitimate son, Fernando, and hundreds of possible descendants in three countries. The BBC notes that theories vary as to whether Columbus was Italian, Spanish, French, Polish, or Portuguese. The publication adds, however, that The bulk of historical evidence points to Columbus being either Spanish or Italian. Researchers tested the DNA from bones thought to be Columbuss remains, gathered DNA samples from hundreds of men with the last names Colon and Colombo, and scrutinized his letters to try to discover his native language. But the BBC explains, even with a mix of historic, scientific, and linguistic research, the story of the explorers personal geography may never find completion. Did Columbuss descendants inherit anything from him? Columbuss journeys were funded by the King and Queen of Spain, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, who hoped that he would find gold. As History reports, Columbus enjoyed a substantial revenue from Hispaniola gold during the last years of his life. After Queen Isabella, his chief patron, died, he repeatedly attempted (unsuccessfully) to gain an audience with King Ferdinand, whom he felt owed him further redress. Columbus had two sons, one born of his 1478 marriage to Dona Felipa Perestrello e Moniz, and the other an illegitimate son born to Dona Beatriz Enriquez. In his estate, Columbus left titles and income to his sons, and relations between his legitimate and illegitimate families reportedly remained cordial. Columbuss immediate descendants brought a series of lawsuits, known as the Pleitos Colombinos, against the Crown of Castile in the early 1500s. The BBC reports that the lawsuits lasted for more than 20 years. Columbuss family sued for access to profits and property promised to Columbus for his discovery, arguing that the crown didnt hold up its end of the bargain. Luis, Columbuss grandson, won some concessions, including titles as the Duke of Veragua, and Marquis of Jamaica. What did the royal family owe Columbuss descendants? As PR Newswire reports, The royals agreed, in writing, known as the Capitulations of Santa Fe, to give Columbus and his heirs ten percent of all the wealth he discovered and claimed for the Crown on his voyages made on their behalf, as well as land grants, extravagant titles and untold potential powers in the New World, in perpetuity. The contract would reportedly be valued at more than $100 trillion in todays currency. And it would have made Columbuss family one of the wealthiest families in history, if not the single richest family ever. But as PR Newswire notes, Columbus fell out of favor, and the Royals reneged on their agreement. In 1536, Columbuss heirs were awarded land in the Caribbean (on Jamaica and Hispaniola, now Haiti and the Dominican Republic), other powers, titles, and compensation. Additionally, the Chicago-based Voelker Litigation Group reports that A separate, but related, and very colorful action was brought in the form of a declaratory judgment to declare the rightful primary heirs to Columbus legacy of money, power, and titles. This litigation continued on and off for over two more centuries. Does he have any living descendants? Christopher Columbus does have living descendants including Cristobal Colon, whom the BBC characterizes as the 20th Christopher Columbus on the family tree. Colon dedicates most of his time to activities related to his ancestor, and has represented Spain as an ambassador for special missions related to Columbus, the BBC reports. He also weighed in on the Pleitos Colombinos, telling the BBC that the Spanish crown did not honor what was agreed. All Things Interesting reports of Colon that if the historical Columbus had been a little more careful with his contracts and demanded his share of the revenue from the New World to pass to his descendants in perpetuity which was a standard clause at the time this man would be richer than all of the other people in the world today put together. The 20th Christopher Columbus also has some controversial opinions. He once wrote in an op-ed for USA Today that his famous ancestor doesnt deserve to be blamed for violence against indigenous peoples. Were quick to rewrite history and accuse Christopher Columbus of decimating Native Americans when the truth is so much more complex, Colon wrote.What is happening at the hands of Columbus detractors is political, not historical. As his direct descendant and namesake, I should know. Read more: Americas Eyesores: The Ugliest Monuments in the U.S. That Need to Be Torn Down Immediately Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Rye volleyball's run at state ends with loss to Holyoke The Rye High School girls volleyball team lost to Holyoke one game before the Class 2A state semifinals on Nov. 13 at the Broadmoor World Arena. Having dinner with family Having dinner with family The Mid-Autumn Festival is the second most important traditional festival in China (the most important one is Chinese New Year). It's a family day in China like Thanksgiving. There are many traditional and new celebrations. Read on to see how Chinese people celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. 1. Having Dinner Together Happy Family Reunion Time As the Mid-Autumn Festival represents the reunion of families, families will have dinner together on that night. People who don't have time to stay with their parents will try their best to go home to at least have dinner together. Therefore, there can be traffic jams during this festival. Having dinner with family Having dinner with family See the Mid-Autumn Festival Dates. Cook at Home or Dine at a Restaurant In the past, mothers would cook delicious food at home and families would spend some happy time together. Nowadays, most families tend to have dinner at a restaurant rather than cook at home. Therefore, famous restaurants can be fully booked on the Mid-Autumn Festival night. 2. Eating Mooncakes The Most Representative Tradition Mooncakes Mooncakes A mooncake is a traditional Chinese pastry. It is made from wheat flour and sweet stuffing, such as sugar and lotus seed powder. It's a symbol of family reunion, and the cake is traditionally cut into pieces that equal the number of people in the family.. Eating mooncakes is the most common and representative tradition of the day. In ordinary times, people won't buy or eat mooncakes but during the Mid-Autumn Festival everyone will have a mooncake to celebrate. See the Top 10 Mooncake Flavors. 3. Appreciating the Moon a Symbol of Family Reunion Worshiping the moon. Worshiping the moon. In Chinese beliefs, the full moon is the symbol for a family reunion. Many famous ancient poets wrote poems about the moon and expressed their homesickness. When people look at the moon, it reminds them of their families and homeland. Nowadays, people still like appreciating the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival in China. Chinese family members have dinner together in the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival. After dinner, they may talk about their work, the children, and their future plans. Places for Appreciating the Moon Roof, Mountaintop, or Lakeside Chinese people like to find the best place that offers a great view of the moon, such as the roof, a balcony, a mountaintop, or a lakeside. Recommended Articles 4. Worshiping the Moon a Disappearing Tradition After dinner, every family will put a table outside the door, or in the courtyard. They put mooncakes, fruit, incense, and candlesticks on the table, facing towards the moon. Nowadays, this tradition is disappearing. It's rare to see families worshiping the moon in big cities. In some old towns or tourist cities, people will hold a ceremony to worship the moon in a square, park, or street, but this is more like a performance. Fruit for worshiping the moon includes a watermelon, grapefruit, pomegranate, pear, persimmon, grapes, or other seasonal fruit. 5. Making Colorful Lanterns Children's Favorite Activity Colorful lanterns Colorful lanterns Making colorful lanterns is a happy activity between families and children. The lanterns have different shapes and can also resemble animals, plants, or flowers. Children love making colorful lanterns. They make them in different shapes to be hung in trees or houses, or floated on rivers. Parks will also hang up colorful lanterns, which provide a beautiful view at night. They also make Kongming lanterns, which can fly because the burning candles heat the air in the lantern. Children write good wishes on the lanterns and let them fly up into the sky. See another traditional Chinese festival Chinese Lantern Festival. 6. Giving Gifts to Friends, Relatives, and Staff It's very popular to give gifts to friends and relatives during the Mid-Autumn Festival. During the festival, people will pay short visits to friends or relatives, taking gifts with them. They usually leave before dinnertime. This is a good time to get closer to friends and relatives. Companies also like to give a gift to every staff member. The most popular and common gifts are mooncakes and fruit. See the 5 Most Popular Mid-Autumn Festival Gifts for some ideas. Recommended Articles 7. Sending Celebration Messages to Those Who Are Far Away Sending Mid-Autumn WeChat messages Sending Mid-Autumn WeChat messages People who are used to using phones will send celebration messages to friends, relatives, or people who are far away. It's also a good way to break the ice if you don't know how to start a conversation by phone. In the past, people sent SMS. Nowadays, young people like to send messages via instant messaging apps, such as WeChat or QQ. The most popular message is: Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! Chinese: ! Zhongqiujie kuaile! See 10 Popular Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival Greetings for message ideas. 8. Short Distance Traveling a New Fashionable Custom Traveling with family Traveling with family The Mid-Autumn Festival is not only a traditional Chinese festival but is also a public holiday for Chinese people. Usually, the Chinese will have three days off including a weekend. Therefore, people can go on short trips with family or friends. Usually, a couple of weeks or a month before the festival, people will plan their tour to cities around their home or office. And during the 3-day holiday, train tickets are likely to be sold out in advance quickly. Travel tip: If your tour schedule in China is close to the Mid-Autumn Festival (September 21st 2021; see the Mid-Autumn Festival date for the coming years), and you want to travel by train, you are recommended to book tickets as early as possible. 9. Shopping Popular Among Young People During almost every big holiday, there will be discounted promotions in supermarkets, shopping malls, and online shops. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, supermarkets will have lottery draws for mooncakes using the consumers' receipts. And because the weather is cooling down, there will also be big summer sales in the shopping malls. Young people are more likely to go shopping for clothes and to enjoy the big discounts, with online shopping being the most popular type. 10. Watching Movies for Those Who Don't Have Any Other Ideas Watching a movie is not a tradition for any festival as you can do this at any time. But when people don't have other plans and want to find a way to celebrate the festival, watching a movie is a good idea. Usually, families or couples will watch movies after dinner. After shopping for a whole day, young people may also prefer to watch a movie to rest their legs. Want to share the Mid-Autumn Festival story with your family? The 3-minute video below will show you all about it. Christians Oppose Allowing Pharmacists to Refuse Contraceptives; White Evangelicals Divided Christian Post Contributor | 07 October, 2018 by Stoyan Zaimov Majorities of all four major religious groups in the U.S. were found to oppose allowing pharmacists to refuse contraceptives to women due to their faith, though white evangelicals were the most divided. The Public Religion Research Institute survey, which was conducted between August 22-September 2 of 1,856 U.S. adults, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level, also found that 56 percent of all respondents support Roe v. Wade. The survey, released on Wednesday, noted that two-thirds, or 67 percent of Americans would not approve of a policy allowing pharmacists with religious objections to refuse to provide contraceptives to women. Breaking down the responses by various religious groupings, the results showed that strong majorities of black Protestants, Catholics, white mainline Protestants, and the religiously unaffiliated would oppose such a policy. White evangelical Protestants were the group most split on the issue, with 53 percent opposed to such a policy, and 38 percent in favor of it. When asked if churches and other places of worship should be required to provide contraception and other birth control services in their employee health care plans, less than half, 45 percent, of the full sample agreed. Other religious groups, however, were deemed unworthy of such an exemption by most Americans. Fifty-nine percent said religious hospitals should be required to provide the coverage for its employees, and 54 percent said religously-affiliated colleges and universities should be required to provide the coverage. Democrats were most likely to say religious groups should be required to provide the coverage, with 83 percent wanting the requirement for religious hospitals, 74 percent for religious colleges, and 63 percent saying churches and other places of worship should be required to abide by such a rule. When the Barack Obama administration required employers to provide birth control coverage, an exemption was allowed for churches and places of worship, but not other religiously-affiliated groups. Many religious groups sued, however, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of The Little Sisters of the Poor in the 2016 case Zubik v. Burwell. The Supreme Court also ruled in favor of allowing an exemption for a family-owned corporation with religious objections in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby. Americans, and religious groups, were also divided on the question of whether federal funds should be prevented from going to organizations that also provide abortion services. In total, 53 percent of respondents said that they would oppose a policy that would prohibit such organizations from receiving federal finds, while 40 percent were in favor of it. White evangelical Protestants were evenly divided on the question, with 46 percent in favor and 46 percent opposed. White mainline Protestants were also divided, at 46 percent in favor and 49 percent opposed. The other religious groupings were somewhat more opposed to such a restriction, with black Protestants the most opposed, at 63 percent. When it comes to U.S. President Donald Trump, white evangelical Protestants were the only group with a favorable opinion of him, at 72 percent. The other religious groupings were either divided or mostly opposed to Trump, with black Protestants holding the most unfavorable opinions, at 75 percent. On Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in America, white evangelical Protestants were the only group, at 56 percent, to say that it was decided incorrectly and should be overturned. White mainline Protestants and black Protestants were more supportive of Roe, at 67 and 58 percent respectively. Catholics were more divided on the issue, with only 42 percent of Hispanic Catholics backing Roe v. Wade, compared to 54 percent of white Catholics who said that it was decided correctly. Read more about Christians and contraceptives on The Christian Post. Daddy, Can I Kill It? Christian Post Contributor | 06 October, 2018 by Frank Turek If your back was turned when your child asked, "Daddy (or Mommy), can I kill it?" What would be your first question? What is it? A spider? Sure. Your baby sister? No. Many of the problems in our culture stem from the fact that many people fail to correctly answer the question, "What is it?" What is the nature of the thing in question? This applies in everything from abortion to Senate confirmation hearings, which, come to think of it, are really about the same thing. What is the nature of the Constitution? What is the nature of the unborn? What is the nature of sex? It seems to me that the Left's answers to these "What is it?" questions are wrong. And their wrong answers lead to wrongdoing. What is the nature of the Constitution? The Constitution is the supreme law of the land that expresses the will of the people, and, at the same time, protects the people from an overreaching government. It can only be changed through the amendment process (that's why the amendment process is in there!). The will of the people should not be overruled by rogue judges who merely disagree with what the people have decided (that's what overreaching governments do). But the Left doesn't care about the will of the people. They want judges who will impose Leftist policy preferences and will fight any judge who isn't a Leftist legislator. That's why they came out against Judge Kavanaugh immediately after he was announced back in July. It had nothing to do with any alleged sexual misconduct. This is about abortion. Abortion is not, and never has been, in the Constitution. In 1973 seven unelected judges overruled the will of the people in all fifty states by inventing a right to abortion through their Roe vs. Wade opinion. The Left knows that if a case rises to the Court that challenges Roe vs. Wade, a judge like Brett Kavanaugh might actually read the Constitution and join others to overturn Roe. That would put the question of abortion back to the states where people could actually vote on it. (Overturning Roe vs. Wade wouldn't outlaw abortionit would just return the issue to the states and allow the people in each state to vote on it.) What is the nature of the unborn? Why are Leftists afraid to allow people to vote on abortion? Because democracy and truth is the enemy of their pro-abortion position. An informed public might correctly answer the question, "What is the nature of the unborn?" and vote to restrict or outlaw abortion. Indeed, anyone who has ever seen a sonogram knows there's an actual baby in there. It's not just "a blob of tissue", but a genetically unique human being from the moment of conception. That's a scientific fact. But for the science-denying Left, the nature of the unborn doesn't matter. Power matters. Their wrong answer about the nature of the unborn leads them think it's justified to use power to commit wrongdoing to get what they want. After all, once you've convinced yourself that it's justified to kill the unborn, how hard is it to convince yourself that it's justified to kill the reputation and candidacy of a conservative judge? Daddy, can I kill it? Why not? It's in my way. What is the nature of sex? And then there's sex, from which all of this derives. For the Left, sex is like a religion, and a militant one at that. Anyone who questions their sexual dogma will be branded a heretic, as I was. In the name of "inclusion, tolerance and diversity", you will be excluded and not tolerated for holding a diverse view. The Left's views on sex are not only contradictory on so many levels, their wrong view on the nature of sex leads to personal and societal destruction. For the past fifty years Leftists in academia, the media, and Hollywood, have been cheering on casual sex as if the nature of sex itself is merely physical. It's little more than a sport. It's a competition where you're urged to throw off all restraint and constantly pursue sexual conquest, especially when it's outside of marriage. So why are Leftists now outraged to hear that some teenage boy may have actually pursued sexual conquest as if it were merely a sport? They create and champion an environment that amps youth up to "score" sexually and are then shocked when a youth may have actually gone too far in attempting to do so. The Left has helped create the very problem they're now selectively incensed about. (I say "selectively" because who on the Left voted to remove Bill Clinton for the sexual sins he committed, not allegedly as a drunken teenager, but known sins he committed as President of the United States?) Read more about Daddy, Can I Kill It on The Christian Post. Houston Bans Robot Sex Brothel, Pastor Warns It Would 'Tear Families Apart' Christian Post Contributor | 07 October, 2018 by Stoyan Zaimov The Houston City Council voted Wednesday to pass an amendment effectively banning a controversial robot sex brothel. Fox 26 reported that the move was made against KinkysDolls, a company that operates in Canada, and was aiming to open the first robot sex brothel in the U.S. "They're coming to our city because they think they can do this to our city. And let's be clear about this, we are not legislating morality here," said Councilman Greg Travis. "What happens in your bedroom between consenting adults that is up to them, but what happens in the public in a business is our business," added Councilwoman Brenda Stardig. The Houston Public Works Department has said that the robot sex company won't be allowed to continue constructing its shop, given that it doesn't have the proper permits. Community members, including religious leaders, spoke Tuesday against the brothel, warning it could have negative consequences for families. A man who introduced himself as Pastor Vega argued that such a business "would tear families apart." Houston resident Tex Christopher added: "The Bible says a man will leave his father and mother and become one with his wife. It doesn't say anything about a man becoming one with a robot. These are sad, sad times." Councilman Travis further commented: "This stunned everybody. Took us all by surprise. It's gross. I have cameras ready. If ever this occurs I will film everyone who goes in and post it on social media to show everyone what kind of person goes in a place like this because I don't see any good in it." A petition from Houston faith-based nonprofit Elijah Rising separately collected over 13,000 signatures demanding that KinkysDolls not be allowed to operate in the city. Read more about Houston Bans Robot Sex Brothel, Pastor Warns It Would 'Tear Families Apart' on The Christian Post. Louisiana Drag Queen Story Time Postponed Amid Fear of Protests, Limited Security Christian Post Contributor | 06 October, 2018 by Samuel Smith A Drag Queen Story Time event that was scheduled to be held in Lafayette, Louisiana, on Saturday has been postponed due to expected protests. Administrators at South Louisiana Community College have announced that they can no longer host Drag Queen Story Time, an event sweeping through libraries worldwide in which men dressed up as women read stories to young impressionable children. Lafayette's Drag Queen Story Time was originally to be held at the town's public library. But after a lawsuit was filed by two religious organizations and petitions were filed, the event was moved from the city's public library to South Louisiana Community College. The event was to be run by members of the LGBT fraternity Delta Lambda Phi in conjunction with the library. But since various groups such as Warriors for Christ, TFP Student Action and Citizens for a New Louisiana have called on their supporters to protest the event, officials at the college determined that the campus has too limited of a security force to be able to accommodate the large number of protestors. "With the loss of the host site, the library is forced to postpone the program until a new venue can be secured. While this is a temporary setback, the Lafayette Public Library confirms that it is not permanently canceling the program," a statement from the library reads. "The library administration and its Board of Control firmly believe in carrying out its mission to serve a diverse community. In addition, many families have stood in support of this program which promotes respect and inclusiveness." The Drag Queen Story Time in Lafayette will likely be postponed until 2019, reports KFWY. "It's not over. This battle is not over," Michael Lunsford, the head of Citizens for a New Louisiana, told The Christian Post. "Just because they postponed it doesn't mean we are going to lay off." Lunsford's organization, which advocates for conservative fiscal responsibility, was responsible for gathering over 1,600 signatures on a petition that was filed in opposition to the event. "Why are we spending money on stupid stuff?" Lunsford asked, as he criticized the city government's lack of financial responsibility. "This is insanity. We are spending money to teach 3-year-olds about drag queens. We could be spending money on other things." TFP Student Action, a Catholic group that resists "liberal, socialist and communist trends," gathered over 17,000 signatures in opposition to all Drag Queen Story Time events held in libraries across the nation. Rich Penkoski, the founder of the online ministry and Facebook group Warriors for Christ, arrived in Lafayette a few days ahead of the rally to let the organizers know that his group was serious about protesting the event. He said that some of the group's supporters from as far as California were expected to protest the event. Penkoski vowed that his group was not going to be violent, but rather peacefully voice opposition to the event and pray for all involved, including the drag queens themselves. "This is a sign that if Christians are actually willing to stand up and fight back without succumbing to the fear of LGBT threats of violence, we can win if we stand together, pray together and we are willing to persevere," Penkoski told CP. "This is the results of that." Read more about Drag Queen Story Time on The Christian Post. Pakistan Supreme Court Sets Asia Bibi's Death Sentence Hearing for Monday Christian Post Contributor | 07 October, 2018 by Samuel Smith The imprisoned Christian mother of five who has been sitting on death row for blasphemy in Pakistan for almost eight years will finally have her appeal heard by the Pakistan Supreme Court early next week. Dawn.com, Pakistan's oldest and largest english language newspaper, reports that a supplementary cause list issued on Friday indicates that a three-judge panel headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar will hear the appeal of Asia Bibi (also known as Aasiya Noreen) on Monday. Bibi, who was sentenced to death in 2010 after she was accused by Muslim women of insulting the Muslim Prophet Muhammad, could become the first woman to be lawfully killed on blasphemy charges in Pakistan. However, rights activists have long called for Bibi's release as the blasphemy laws in Pakistan are frequently used by the Muslim majority to persecute religious minorities and settle personal issues. The news of the hearing comes as Bibi's health has been deteriorating and as some reports have indicated that she could be beginning to suffer from dementia. "News of her poor health and early signs of dementia are a paramount concern for our community, and the date of this appeal is very timely," Wilson Chowdhry, chairman of the London-based charity British Pakistani Christian Association, said in a statement. "These charges have been proven false time and again and it's time for her to return home to her family. Clearly she will need asylum in a western country where she can live out the remainder of her days in peace." This is not the first time an appeal hearing for Bibi has been set by the Pakistan Supreme Court. Bibi appealed to the Supreme Court after she lost her case in the Lahore High Court in 2014. The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case in 2015. Bibi was originally scheduled to have a hearing before the Supreme Court in October 2016. However, the hearing has continually been delayed. "When I spoke to [Bibi's lawyer Saiful] Malook, I thanked him for all the efforts he has done for the community. He has fought bravely until the end like no other," BPCA officer Mehwish Bhatti said in a statement. "We must pray for the success of the appeal and we will all stand with her." Bibi's case goes all the way back to 2009 when she was working as a field laborer. She got into an argument with some Muslim women co-workers who objected to the fact that Bibi (a Christian) was drinking from the same water bowl as they were. It was during this argument that the women alleged that Bibi insulted Islam's prophet. In Pakistan, the punishment for blasphemy under section 295-C of the criminal code is the death penalty or life imprisonment to anyone who either speaks or writes words that defile the name of Muhammad. Pakistan ranks as the fifth-worst country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USA's World Watch List. "Pakistan's notorious blasphemy laws target religious minorities but affect Christians the most, especially those who seek to evangelize," an Open Doors fact sheet states. Earlier this year, a Christian man who sat on death row for nearly two years because of blasphemy charges was acquitted of the charges by judges in the Punjab province. Despite being a strategic international partner to the United States, Pakistan was also placed on the U.S. State Department's "special watch list" for severe violations of religious freedom earlier this year. For its first-ever Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom this summer, the State Department invited the brother of Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian member of the Pakistan National Assembly who regularly spoke out against the nation's blasphemy laws before he was assassinated 2011. Peter Bhatti spoke during the first day of the ministerial. The State Department released a statement condemning apostasy and blasphemy laws like the ones in Pakistan at the conclusion of the ministerial. "We see governments using such laws to punish individuals whose views on matters of religion or belief may differ from official narratives or the views of majority populations," the statement reads. "We will work collectively to encourage governments that maintain these laws to free any individuals imprisoned on such grounds, and to work toward the universal repeal of blasphemy, apostasy, and other laws that similarly impede freedoms of expression and religion or belief in a way which is inconsistent with international law." Blasphemy laws are also prevalent in other nations with a Muslim majority, such as Indonesia. Read more about Asia Bibi on The Christian Post. Planned Parenthood Is Grooming Our Kids to Be Sexually Active Christian Post Contributor | 06 October, 2018 by Michael J. New This year's Values Voter Summit featured a breakout session entitled "Exposing the Abortion Industry: Former Abortion Workers Speak Out." The panel was sponsored by And Then There Were None (ATTWN), a pro-life organization started by Abby Johnson dedicated to helping abortion facility employees leave the abortion industry. The panelists included Monica Leal Cline, a former Planned Parenthood HIV health educator/Title X training manager; Lori Kelly, a former project manager at the University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences Tissue Bank; and Annette Lancaster, a former Planned Parenthood manager. The panel was moderated by Monica Weber of ATTWN. She stated, "Nothing is more powerful than the testimony of former abortion workers." Indeed, all three panelists offered powerful testimony about their work in the abortion industry. Annette Lancaster discussed how staff at her Planned Parenthood often rushed through procedures, did not give clients time to read forms, and candidly stated that the materials were not cleaned the way they should be. Cline stated that the sex education classes she taught encouraged young people to engage in sex and put people at risk for diseases and unplanned pregnancies. Kelly said that this was her first time speaking out and said the abortion industry "hides behind academic research." She felt compelled to do her part to "make abortion unthinkable." The panelists also vividly described the deception among those who promote abortion and sell fetal body parts. Lori Kelly, who previously oversaw medical research on fetal tissue, was told to never say they were "selling tissue," but rather they were "storing and dispensing specimens." Lancaster admitted the Planned Parenthood she managed in North Carolina did not own a mammogram machine and candidly discussed the way her clinic deceptively inflated the number of non-abortion services they performed. Cline discussed a time that she did a Title X training for a Planned Parenthood. She told attendees that if there is evidence of statutory rape, that it needs to be reported. She was dismayed when her concerns were dismissed. One Planned Parenthood staff member stated that if a client "is not having sex with this man this month, she will be having sex with another man, next month." Cline also discussed her experiences as an instructor of sex education at considerable length. At one point, she was sent to an "alternative school" for students with disciplinary problems. When she talked to the students, she was surprised to find out that many did not like being sexually active. Furthermore, she was surprised to hear that no one was telling the students to consider refraining from sexual activity they disliked. Cline said, "Planned Parenthood will groom children to be sexually active." She added that many young people are "craving innocence" and that it is not healthy for young people to be engaged in sexual activity at such a young age. One question that was asked of the panelists was "if you could accomplish one thing, what would it be?" Kelly, who worked as a medical researcher at the University of Pittsburgh, stated that she would end research on fetal body parts. Monica Cline, who felt that that sex education classes had a negative impact on students, said that she would like to strengthen parents. "Parents are the primary advocates for children and it should stay that way," she remarked. Annette Lancaster, who was the manager of one of the largest Planned Parenthood facilities in North Carolina, stated that she would like to see the Planned Parenthood clinic where she worked close "See the doors actually close," she said. Read more about Planned Parenthood on The Christian Post. Senate Confirms Brett Kavanaugh to Supreme Court by 50-48 Vote Christian Post Contributor | 06 October, 2018 by Melissa Barnhart In what has been billed as a historic vote Saturday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Brett Kavanaugh as justice to the Supreme Court by a vote of 50-48. Kavanaugh was sworn in as the 102nd associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court in a private ceremony early Saturday evening. The new justice could join the court as early as Tuesday and is seen as shoring up a 5-4 conservative majority on the court. President Donald Trump nominated Kavanaugh in July to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, who was a swing vote on the court. He cleared the biggest hurdle Friday when senators, by a vote of 51-49, advanced a final vote on his confirmation after reviewing a 46-page FBI report following accusations of sexual misconduct in high school and college. On Friday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told Fox News opinion host Laura Ingraham that he didn't know he had the votes to support Kavanaugh until the Senate roll was called and Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., announced their support along with Jeff Flake of Arizona. McConnell condemned the actions of activists who sent death threats and thousands of wire coat hangers to Collins' district office. He also condemned the actions of former Democrat staffer Jackson Cosko, 27, who posted Republican senators' personal information online, such as their home addresses and phone numbers, and threatened to release their children's health information and Social Security numbers. Cosko worked as an unpaid fellow for Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, and is facing nearly 50 years in prison after being charged with five federal offenses and second-degree burglary and unlawful entry. "I think the main point is the mob was not able to intimidate the Senate," McConnell said on "The Ingraham Angle" Friday night. "We stood up to the mob. We did the right thing for a good man that filled a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court. There is a lot to celebrate today. I couldn't be prouder of all my members. Senator Collins was outstanding," he added. Also lauding Collins was Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who described her as "stopping the closest thing to McCarthyism in my lifetime that a man is guilty until proven innocent [and] facts don't matter. The best thing that can happen to a good man is for a strong woman to come to his aid," he told Fox News conservative opinion host Sean Hannity Friday night. "God bless Susan Collins and Jeff Flake," Graham added. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, the lone Republican to announce her opposition to Kavanaugh, voted "present" Saturday to account for an absent Republican Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., who was attending his daughter's wedding. She said Daines would have voted "yes" and she would have voted "no" on Kavanaugh's confirmation. But since neither of their votes would impact the final vote, she was voting present. In her speech on the Senate floor Friday, Murkowski said that Kavanaugh is "a good man," but added that he's "not the right man for the court." Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Saturday called the Senate's vote in favor Kavanaugh a "low moment for the country." He also claimed that "Kavanaugh doesn't belong on the bench" because he was supported by some pro-life groups "that want to overturn Roe. v. Wade." Some pro-lifers, however, initially opposed Kavanaugh because they didn't see him as being pro-life enough. While Planned Parenthood and other Democrat lawmakers have made similar claims in fundraising emails, The Christian Post reported that those claims are unfounded. Pro-Life Action League Executive Director Eric J. Scheidler told CP that claims made in a recent report from the Center for Reproductive Rights that said 22 states would immediately ban abortion are exaggerated. "At most, only a couple of states with extremely conservative legislatures might even attempt something like a total ban on abortion," said Scheidler. "[It's] far more likely is that states would seek to further restrict abortion, in line with the view of most Americans, with measures like banning late-term abortion and holding abortion facilities to the highest health and safety standards. "I'd expect to see the Supreme Court uphold greater restrictions on abortion than we've seen so far, such as the bans on abortion after 20 weeks that have been passed in some states," Scheidler added. "But more immediately, I would expect a court with Brett Kavanaugh on the bench to vigorously uphold the civil rights of pro-life activists, and the religious freedoms of all Americans. After four days of confirmation hearings last month that saw over 200 protesters arrested, Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., revealed that she had received a letter dated July 30 from Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., that contained allegations of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh and had withheld the information from her Republican colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee for six weeks. In the letter, Christine Ford claimed that at a house party during the 1980s, a 17-year-old Kavanaugh "pushed" her into a bedroom where he attempted to "disrobe" her but was unable to because she was wearing a one-piece bathing suit under her clothes. Ford alleged that when she screamed for help, Kavanaugh covered her mouth with his hand and she "feared he may inadvertently kill me." Another teenager was in the room with them, whom she named as Mark Judge. Ford said she was able to escape the bedroom after the boys toppled off the bed onto the floor, which is when she got up and ran into a bathroom where she locked herself inside. Both Ford and Kavanaugh gave their testimonies before the Senate Judiciary Committee last Thursday. Ford said she was "100 percent certain" that Kavanaugh had attacked her, and Kavanaugh defended himself from the accusations, which he said were false. The FBI conducted a supplemental background investigation finding "no corroboration of the allegations made by Ford," as well as allegations of misconduct that came from Deborah Ramirez, who told the New Yorker magazine that Kavanaugh might have been the student who exposed himself to her at a party when they were college students at Yale. No one could corroborate either woman's claims. Read more about Justice Kavanaugh on The Christian Post. Trump-Supporting and Trump-Loathing Churches Are Making Christians Uncomfortable: Reformed Pastor Christian Post Contributor | 07 October, 2018 by Stoyan Zaimov Heavily Trump-supporting, Trump-loathing, or politically uniform churches can be making some Christians feel uncomfortable, Reformed evangelical theologian Kevin DeYoung has warned. DeYoung wrote in a blog for the The Gospel Coalition on Wednesday that he encourages Christians to be well-informed and engaged in the political process. At the same time, he explained that there are a number of things that he as the pastor of Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, North Carolina, refuses to do. "As a pastor, I do not provide voter guides for the congregation. I know there are other pastors who advocate the practice, but in my experience even non-partisan voter guides are never completely non-partisan," he wrote. "There's also the practical issue of how visitors and 'outsiders' tend to view these guides. For millennials and minorities, 'values' voter guides usually signal 'this is a church for Republicans.' We can say that's not the intent, and I believe most Christians passionate about these guides are motivated by a sincere desire to inform people about the issues, but the fact is most white evangelical churches are already overwhelmingly Republican," he pointed out. Next, he wrote that he does not encourage voter registration drives in the lobby after church, even though he recognizes the importance of voting. "I am hard pressed to find scriptural warrant for thinking Christians must vote as a matter of obedience to Christ. By conducting voter registration in the church we are communicating, 'This is what Christians should do,'" he pointed out. "Voting is generally a good thing, but I have no biblical authority to say a Christian must vote (would we exercise church discipline on someone who didn't?), nor do I think that voting is such a necessary expression of the fruit of the Spirit that it is the church's responsibility to get people registered." Finally, he explained that he does not give a public platform to political candidates at his church. "Even with the best of intentions, introducing a candidate injects a note of politics into the service. Of course, we welcome all political candidates to worship with us or simply to check out our church, but to ask for (or to invite) an introduction or recognition in the worship service misappropriates the purpose of the Lord's Day gathering," he argued. "I don't want there to be any confusion about whether the church is endorsing a candidate by noting his presence. Nor do I want to give the candidate the opportunity to be seen and recognized in public worship. He (or she) should be in worship to worship, not to be seen as someone who worships. And if the goal is simply to meet constituents, that purpose can better be served in another venue at another time," DeYoung continued. The Reformed pastor positioned that these three "do nots" of his are actually common place in other churches, however. "Republican-voting, [President Donald] Trump-supporting churches do these things. Democrat-voting, Trump-loathing churches do these things. But however common these things may be, I do not believe they are wise. They presume for the church an authority that she does not have, and they present an obstacle to fellowship that need not be present," he said. DeYoung argued that many churches are politically uniform. "The voter guides go out because almost everyone already agrees with them. The candidate gets recognized because almost everyone already votes for that party. Voter registration happens because we assume people in our church are going to vote for the people we vote for," he noted. "My fear is that, put together, these measures are more effective at limiting the number of people who feel comfortable at our church than they are at increasing the number of people who vote 'the right way.'" Read more about Christian voting on The Christian Post. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment We are quickly approaching the one year mark of the #MeToo Movement that has taken social media by storm. Since then, 4.7 million women and counting have come forward with their stories of sexual assault and abuse within the workplace and the Church. Although sexual misconduct is well-documented throughout church history, 2018 has been an eye-opening year for how prominent the issue really is with multiple allegations against Protestant evangelical megachurch leaders. Although megachurches are coming under fire for these allegations on national news as of late, I must issue the awareness of the fact that sexual abuse is an alarming reality within smaller churches across North America and the world. Last summer, upon releasing my own journey of healing from sexual abuse by a church member, I have spoken to several women across North America, India, and Dubai regarding their experiences of sexual abuse from church leaders and family members alike. The one thing all of these women have in common is that all of their situations have been mishandled by the church or covered up. There are many wolves dressed in sheep's clothing sitting in our pews today while these women pay for the consequences of these mens' actions for life. Brothers and sisters, we MUST reflect God's justice on this earth. We have a duty to protect the innocent and give a voice to the ones who have been silenced. The Bible says it is better for a millstone to be hung around a person's neck for causing a little one to stumble (Mark 9:42) That is how seriously we must take this. The book of James tells us that leaders will be judged more harshly (James 3:1). Yet, there are Christian leaders convicted of sexual immorality and assault left and right. Church, do we not believe what the Bible says as true? Have we lost the fear of God? Punishment for evil is not a bad thing. It is a GOOD thing. It lets society and the evildoer know that evil is not acceptable NOR is it tolerated. It protects society from any more harm done by the same individual or by others. We punish out of love for the purpose of CORRECTION as exemplified by the God of the Scriptures (Hebrews 12:6). I pray that the Church will act on this aspect of God's love. He does not excuse evil and neither must we. There are built in consequences and punishments for evil. We know that dealing with sexual abuse within the church is an extremely messy process, but it must be done for the sake of protecting the flock. Church, how much are these little sheep worth to you? Are you willing to defend and protect them at all cost? When we do not protect these sheep, it sends the message that they are not worth enough, that they are unheard and unloved. Is it any wonder so many millennials have left churches today? These sheep should not have to go through the consequences of sexual abuse alone. Church, we must protect them, we must heal with them, and we must listen to them. Now, I speak directly to the victim. While the church must reflect God's justice on earth, if you are a believer in Christ Jesus, He also calls us to forgive those who have abused us. I have been told by several people, including believers, that I do not have to forgive my abuser. But that is NOT what the Bible says. Colossians 3:13 states, " bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so also you must forgive ." This is the crux of the Christian faith. Christ has forgiven us of every vile sin we have committed, and so we must also forgive. I cannot possibly understand the grace God has given unto me if I do not extend that same grace to others who have forgiven me. I dare not praise God for His forgiveness of my own sins while I hoard judgment over another! I must also state that the benefit of forgiveness is that it enables you to heal and no longer carry the burden of the pain caused you. A life of joy is possible! One of my favorite quotes by Lewis B. Smedes says, "to forgive is to set a prisoner free and to realize that prisoner was you." A life of bitterness and grudges does not produce the righteousness of God. A bitter heart cannot love as it ought to. Nor does it produce a joyful life. God does not wish for us to carry these burdens...He offers to carry them for us! I long for all of you to experience the life of joy God blesses us with when we obey Him in this manner! And while earthly justice and forgiveness are necessary parts of healing, God asks us to take it a step further. He not only requires these things, He ALSO asks us to reaffirm our love for the abuser! (2 Corinthians 2: 5-8). This is something completely counter-cultural! The world tells us we can hate our abusers. God tells us to LOVE because He desires their repentance and restoration. We must not wrestle with flesh and blood. And when the world sees this kind of love, they will marvel at the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Church, justice, forgiveness, and love are ALL necessary. We cannot exclude one from the other. Otherwise we fail to display the power of TRUE healing and restoration that can only come from above as presented by the Scriptures. Church, I plead with you to do all of these things for the successful restoration of both victims and abusers, that Christ's name may be glorified. "Only on the cross of Jesus Christ do love, justice, evil, and forgiveness converge." -Ravi Zacharias. Sincerely, Merin Minch, victor in Christ Jesus. Merin Minch is a twenty something year old Milwaukee based blogger passionate about re-introducing Christianity to her generation by encouraging them to know Jesus in a way they have never known before. Her story is a testament to the journey of healing, complete freedom, and pure joy that can only be found in Christ. Several Houston-area students from all walks of life made the jump from public high schools to some of the nation's top colleges and Ivy League schools. A new report helps explain how the schools they went to match up against other schools across the nation. The local high schools included on PolarisList's report of top high schools cover a wide range of the Houston area; from the west side in Katy, to the north side in the Woodlands to Pearland down south. The report ranks public and private high schools nationwide by tracking how many students enrolled in three top colleges and Ivy League schools, Harvard University, Princeton University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, from 2015-2017. NEW DATA: The best public elementary schools in the Houston area The report considered class size, student to teacher ratios, the percentage of students who qualified for free and reduced lunch and the total number of students from that high school enrolled in the three schools. Some schools have the same Texas rank because they had the same number of students in top schools. Several Houston area schools are easy winners, like the DeBakey High School for Health Professions and The High School for Visual and Performing Arts, both located near Midtown and the Texas Medical Center. But a few suburban schools might come as surprise to some. Dulles High School in Sugar Land and Foster High School in Richmond both made the list, at #36 and #7 in the state for best public schools in Texas, respectively. See the photos above for the best public high schools in the Houston area and their respective state ranking. Rebecca Hennes covers community news. Read her on the breaking news site chron.com and the subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com. | Follow her on Twitter: @beccaghennes. Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message. Hospitals are providing more screening and treatments for patients to fight against breast cancer in northwest Houston and Harris County. The first step to help combat breast cancer is getting annual screenings, which are recommended for women, starting at 40. The patient may or may not feel a lump on their breast. It can show up as complications on a mammogram or it can show up as distortion. That is typically how we notice somethings abnormal on a mammogram, said Dr. Ainel Sewell, a radiologist at Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital. While self-examinations are not recommended, Sewell said that women 40 or older should note any changes in their breasts, such as the contour, pain or discharge, she said. According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer in women as one in eight are diagnosed nationally. While the hospital offers 2D mammography, Sewell said she recommends patients have the 3D mammogram, which offers a more detailed view of the breast tissue. Other screening methods include ultrasounds or MRI, which are typically used after a patient has been diagnosed with cancer to help doctors determine the extent of the cancer and help guide the type of removal if surgery is needed. MRI is the most sensitive of all the tests. As you can imagine, it is expensive, and we cant use it for screening purposes for the general population, Sewell said. MRIs are mainly used for women with a family history of breast cancer or who have genetic mutations that make them predisposed to having the disease. Sewell said that while more options are available, more women should follow through with the recommended health screenings. I think what would make my job easier is if everyone would show up for their mammograms over the age of 40 every single year. Unfortunately, that is not the case at all, she said. Treatment options Previously, while a mastectomy tended to be performed on a patient, now preserving the tissue is a common technique, said Dr. Ali Mazloom, a radiation oncologist at the Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center. Many years ago, the main way they did treatment for breast cancer was essentially a pretty involved radical mastectomy. Part of it is the disfiguration of the body with that surgery, he said. If caught at an early stage, a lumpectomy would be performed to remove cancerous tissue without the complete removal of the breast and can be followed by radiation to destroy the remaining cancer cells. One new advance in treatment is intracavitary brachytherapy, where radiation treatment is delivered to into the patients breast tissue after a surgery to remove the cancer. What this allows is for the patient to have less toxicity from treatment. The combination of these advanced surgeries and radiation therapy allow patients to have very good cosmetic outcomes, Mazloom said. While surgery tends to be the first treatment option for many patients who are diagnosed with early stages of breast cancer, stage 4 cancer is treated differently, said Dr. Anna Belcheva, an oncologist at Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital. Instead, as more awareness is made of breast cancer, Belcheva said many of the patients she has seen have tended to be at stage 1 or 2. In stage 4, we typically dont perform surgery if the cancer has spread outside of the breast. We treat them with systemic treatments, which means oral or IV treatments because were trying to treat the whole body, not just the breast. For those patients, there are so many treatment options nowadays that we have managed to turn that into a chronic illness rather than a death sentence., Belcheva said. Aside from providing patients with screenings and treatment, the Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital also gives patients the option to participate in clinical trials, she said. One advantage for patients is not having to travel to the Texas Medical Center. We actually bring the research coordinators that have the clinical trials open on campus and offer the treatment to be given here so that the patients dont have to drive far from home, Belcheva said. mayra.cruz@chron.com A Montgomery County man was charged with manslaughter after allegedly running over a bicycle rider near Cleveland Saturday night, according to authorities. Fernando Symonds was jailed on $100,000 bond after the arrest. The 23-year-old was allegedly black Chevy pick-up was heading westbound along Midline near Lewis just after 8:30 p.m. when he crashed into Dennis Hollifield as the older man rode his bike, officials said. The Real Craftwives of Katy Fall Market The Real Craftwives of Katy and No Label Brewing Co. will host a fall festival from noon-5 p.m. Oct. 7 at 5351 1st St. in Katy. The event will feature more than 60 local vendors, craft beer, live music, food trucks and kids activities. Email therealcraftwivesofkaty@yahoo.com for information. Oct. 8 Meet cookbook author Books-A-Million Katy will feature Tiffani Thiessen on her book-signing tour for her new cookbook Pull Up A Chair. Visit www.eventbrite.com for tickets. The ticket includes admission to the book-signing event and a first-edition autographed copy of the book. The event will begin at 6 p.m. Oct. 8. She will be available for photos. Call 281-644-2655 for information. Auxiliary job fair Katy Independent School District will hold an auxiliary job fair from 3-5 p.m. Oct. 8 at the Merrell Center, 6301 S. Stadium Lane, Katy. Visit www.katyisd.org to complete an application prior to attending the job fair. Bring resumes and be prepared for a possible interview. Openings exist in food service, maintenance and operations, police and transportation. Oct. 10 Womens Cancer Support Group Houston Methodist Cancer Center at West, will host a Womens Cancer Support Group, in the Walnut Conference Room, 18400 Katy Freeway, from 6-7 p.m. Oct. 10. The meeting will be in Suite 120 of the Medical Office Building. Free. For more information, email egesprit@houstonmethodist.org or call 832-522-8110 Oct. 11 AAUW hosts program The American Association University Women Fort Bend County (Tx) Branch will feature Angie Wierzbicki presenting a program called Making It Happen on Thursday, Oct.11. Socializing will begin at 6:30 p.m. with the program at 7 p.m. at Wharton County Junior College, 14004 University Blvd. in Sugar Land. The free program will be in Barton Hall, Room 281. Wierzbicki is an activist, academic, Peace Corps volunteer, nonprofit founder and adoptive mother of two children offers inspiring and practical ideas for all women seeking to improve their communities. Email fortbend-tx@aauw.net or visit website http://fortbend-tx.aauw.net/ for more information. Chamber luncheon The Katy Area Chamber of Commerce will present its October Chamber Luncheon from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 11. Networking will begin at 11 a.m. at Embassy Suites by Hilton Houston West-Katy, 16435 Katy Freeway, Houston. Tickets are $40 per person. Email info@katychamber.com or call 281-391-5289 for information. The speaker will be Jeff Lindner, meteorologist, Harris County Flood Control District. Reservations and payment are due by Oct. 9. Library Book Clubs The Maud Marks Library hosts two book clubs that meet monthly. The Afternoon Book Club meets on the second Thursday of the month, Oct. 11, at 1 p.m., to discuss The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin. The Just Desserts Mystery Book Club meets the third Wednesday of the month, Oct. 17, at 1 p.m. to discuss the 2018 Gulf Coast Reads selection, Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke. Bring a favorite dessert to eat while discussing whether villains get their just desserts. Extra copies of the books are available at the library. There are no dues, and new members are welcome. Oct. 11-13 The Addams Family The Maverick Theatre Company will present The Addams Family at 7 p.m. Oct. 11-13 at the Morton Ranch High School Performing Arts Center, 21000 Franz Road. Tickets through Oct. 10 are $10 for adults and $8 for students. At the door, tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students. Visit www.mavericktheatrecompany.org for tickets and information. A Midsummer Nights Dream Taylor Playmakers, the James E. Taylor Theatre Co., will present A Midnight Nights Dream at 7 p.m. Oct. 11-13 at the Taylor High School Performing Arts Center, 20700 Kingsland Blvd. Visit https://www.taylorplaymakers.org/ for information and tickets. Call 281-237-3653 for information. Oct. 12 A Night of Positively Pink Cinco Ranch at LaCenterra, 23501 Cinco Ranch Blvd, Katy, will host A Night of Positively Pink, a breast cancer event, from 6-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12. The free event will feature a band, dancing, Nothing Bundt Cakes, balloon animals, cotton candy. Bring the family. School-business partnerships Katy Independent School Districts Partners in Education will kick off the School-Business Partnership program at regional events on Fridays in October from 8-9:30 a.m. The events will be Oct. 12 at Tays Junior High and Oct. 19 at Legacy Stadium. Visit the Partners in Education website via www.katyisd.org for required reservations. Email cassandrahedgepth@katyisd.org or call 281-396-2428 for information. Oct. 12-13 Warbirds Take to the Sky Space City RC Club will host its 12 annual warbird fly-in Friday and Saturday, Oct. 12-13, at 6332 Katy-Hockley Road, southeast of the FM 529 intersection. Activities will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. both days. The event will include a raffle and concessions. Admission is free. Email pgpjcurry@sbcglobal.net, visit http://www.SpaceCityRC.com or call Paul Curry at 281-450-5517 for information. Stephen Brady of Katy will be among the 31 Vietnam veterans flying to Washington, D.C., Oct. 19-20 as part of Honor Flight Houstons first All Vietnam Veteran Honor Flight. The nonprofit transports Houston-area veterans to memorials in the nations capital to honor their services and sacrifices. Lynda Harrison, Honor Flight Houston coordinator, said a main focus of this trip will be the Vietnam wall. Patriot guards will be at the wall when we arrive. The U.S. Army will provide a Color Guard. One member will sing the national anthem for them at the wall. The National Archives has an exhibit Remembering Vietnam now through Jan. 6 that veterans also will visit, she said. For people who want to greet the veterans when they return to Houston, she suggests arriving at Hobby Airport about 6:30 p.m. and looking for volunteers in bright yellow shirts who will tell them where to go. Honor Flight Houston processes applications on a first come-first service basis, said Harrison. Lots of Vietnam veterans applied. We want to honor these guys who hit their 50th anniversary in 2015 and do one special trip for them while we can. There will be more in the future. Brady, 69, said, I am dedicating my flight to my best friend who I served with and was lost when his aircraft was shot down on February 5, 1973. That friend is Joseph Kiwi) A. Matejov, who was a sergeant in the U.S. Air Force Security Service and one of eight crewmen aboard the plane. Harrison said she has not seen any other veteran dedicate their flight to another. Stephen always come from the heart. Hes really passionate about sharing the Vietnam experience with the community, children with anyone who wants to hear it. He is passionate about giving information to Vietnam veterans about agent orange and anything else. Brady is president of Vietnam Veterans of America, (VVA) San Jacinto Chapter 343 - Houston; vice president of VVA Texas State Council, and a VVA National Committee member of Working Group I. Where were you raised and where did you grow up? I was an Army brat. I spent 10 years in Germany, a year in France. I graduated from high school in New York. I had about two years of college before I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1970. When and why did you come to Katy? I was discharged from the Air Force in San Angelo, moved to Lubbock. Upon graduation from Texas Tech University I took a job with Amoco in Levelland, then Tulsa and was transferred to Houston/Katy. I retired from BP Amoco Inc., with ~30yrs in 2009. Where did you serve in the military? I was in the USAF from 1970-77 (Nam 1972-73). After I enlisted, I had basic training at Lackland AFB in San Antonio. At Keesler AFB in Mississippi, I trained to become a Morse code intercept operator. My first assignment was in Misawa, Japan. I was in Japan for approximately 18 months, which included temporary assignment to Udorn, Thailand. On my return to Misawa, from Thailand, I requested consideration for assignment to Vietnam with the ARDF Program. I was accepted into the program and spent the first five months of 1972 in specialized training as preparation for flying combat missions in the Vietnam War. Our mission was to conduct EC-47 ARDF (airborne radio direction finding) operations. The flight crews consisting of the pilots, co-pilots, navigators and flight mechanics were assigned to the 360th, 361st, and 362nd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadrons, respectively. The mission specialists, consisting of Morse Radio Intercept Operators (Ditty-Bops), linguists, communications analysts and equipment repairmen who were assigned to the 6994th Security Squadron and its detachments. I was a Ditty-Bop and a ARDF operator and spent the majority of my 12 month tour in Nakhon Phanom (NKP), Thailand. Although I also flew in and out of Pleiku and Danang, Republic of South Vietnam about 10 percent of my tour. Brady works with teachers and groups to bring the Vietnam War story to others. Why is it important to tell people about the war? We dont want anyone to forget the challenges we faced as a country and wars we were involved in. Seventy-five percent of the current Vietnamese were born after 1974. People dont realize it (the Vietnam War). We dont realize it. We forget the challenges of war. I also want to make sure boys and girls remember the price we paid for our freedom. We do have a set of rules and laws in government and we follow those rules and laws. When I came back from Vietnam, when I got to California in 1973, they told me to take my uniform off. People will not appreciate you, they said. They dont like what you did. It was those people that sent us over there. We did what we were asked to do. You cant forget us. We paid a price. It didnt just affect us but the families were part of. We need to remember. I speak in school facilities for the Katy VFW and the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 343. I tell them what its like to be a veteran. You sign you name on the blank check giving your life to your country. I was a volunteer. I love my country. When I go to Seven Lakes High School, I speak to 850 11th graders divided over six class periods with lecture, Powerpoint and question-and-answer. The kids really have some good questions. We try to complement what the teachers teach and are there to answer questions for them. Were as honest as we can be but there are limits on what we say and how we say it. Ive been doing this for 12 years just 11th graders. When you do presentations you have six or seven teachers, principals listening and asking questions. When you finish for the day, youre beat. Its tiring. I dont know how teachers do it. Its a way of remembering. I get emotional just talking about it. What are your thoughts about Honor Flight Houston? I am honored to have been selected for Honor Flight Houstons first All Vietnam Veteran Honor Flight. This is an honor I never dreamed of and if I had know it was going to happen I would have put it on my bucket list. About six years ago, we took World War II and Korean veterans to Washington, D.C. I was one of the guardians who went with them. It was unbelievable. Ive been to Arlington (National Cemetery). Ive been to the Wall. Ive been to his (Matejovs) grave. Its a communal grave. Eight men buried in one grave. Only pieces. Not a body. I think about that all the time. karen.zurawski@chron.com Richmond Rotary / Richmond Rotary The Rotary Club of Richmond was able to assist a local non-profit Abigails Place with financial help from out of state. After Hurricane Harvey hit the area, Rotary clubs from around the country activated to assist the Houston area rotary clubs in their communities. Some clubs reached out individually, like the Rotary Club of Old Saybrook, in the towns of Old Saybrook, Old Lyme and Westbrook, Conn. Knowing the Richmond area had been impacted, they reached out to Rotary Club of Richmond President Larry Pittman to offer $5,000 to support families impacted by the Harvey flooding. The only stipulation the Old Saybrook Club had was the money be used for Richmond families. A Houston man fleeing from police was arrested after he allegedly ran over and killed a sleeping homeless woman early Sunday during a high-speed chase, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office. Hours later, Julian Marcelino Sosa was charged with felony murder in connection with the 34-year-old's death. Deputies with the Precinct 1 Constable's Office started pursuing Sosa's Cadillac after he blew by them on I-45 around 6 a.m., officials said. The 22-year-old allegedly refused to pull over, and instead got off at made a U-turn beneath the overpass in the 13100 block of Rankin. While attempting to turn, Sosa lost control and veered onto the sidewalk, then hit a utility box and allegedly ran over a homeless woman sleeping in front of it, according to the sheriff's office. DEADLY BEATING: Houston woman killed with baseball bat, boyfriend arrest The woman, who authorities did not immediately identify, had to be pulled out from under the vehicle by Houston firefighters. She was rushed to the hospital, where she later died. The driver took off running, but deputies caught him about a block away on the feeder road. When they searched his car, deputies allegedly found a handgun and some marijuana. Now, in addition to the murder charge, he's also facing one count of felony possession of a weapon. It's still not clear why he tried fleeing from the deputies. A man was fatally shot and three others were wounded in a brazen, daylight drive-by at a gas station shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday in south Houston, an incident that police said might be linked to an earlier shooting outside a popular Houston eatery. The chaotic series of events began around 2:30 p.m. when gunfire erupted outside a Pappadeaux in the 2500 block of South Loop West in southwest Houston, according to Houston Police Department spokesman Keese Smith. Police believe the assailants got out of a red Lincoln Navigator with chrome rims and targeted a person in the Pappadeaux parking lot. No one is believed to have been injured and no one was apprehended at that location. TROPICS: Tropical Storm Michael poised to enter Gulf At about 3 p.m., three men in what appeared to be the same car drove past a Gulf station in the 6800 block of Cullen Boulevard and fired shots at five other patrons standing in the parking lot. The men in the car appeared to be in their early 20s, witnesses told police. One man died at the scene. Four of the other people who were injured were taken to hospitals, where one was reported to be in critical condition. The fifth person had minor injuries. There is no evidence that anyone returned fire at either location, police said, adding that they believe the crimes are gang related. "I can say that this is not a random event," Executive Assistant Police Chief Troy Finner told reporters at the scene of the drive by. "It's a targeted event." Police are seeking help from the public in locating the car, which authorities estimate is a 2007 or 2008 model red Lincoln Navigator with chrome rims. After months of trading barbs from a distance, Mayor Sylvester Turner and the head of Houstons firefighters union met in a vigorous but civil debate Saturday, displaying their fundamental differences over just about everything related to the November ballot referendum that would grant firefighters pay parity with police officers of corresponding rank and seniority. The dispute revolves around a divisive question: If the measure known as Proposition B passes, can the city afford it? If anything, the debate at St. Johns United Methodist Church between Turner and Houston Professional Fire Firefighters Association President Marty Lancton revealed how irreconcilable the opposing views on that question truly are. From Turners perspective, Houston firefighters deserve to receive better pay, but not to the extent that their raises bankrupt the city, as he claimed Proposition B would do by mandating 29 percent raises for firefighters, at a cost of than $100 million a year. Whats more, Turner said Saturday, the measure does not call for true parity because it mandates only equal pay, ignoring retirement benefits, training and education requirements in practice granting firefighters better pay, Turner argued. To Lancton, the city has balanced its budget on the backs of firefighters to the point that the departments rank-and-file members are struggling to make ends meet, with salaries far lower than those of firefighters in other Texas cities. What Houston firefighters seek is fair, competitive pay. Because of low pay, many Houston-trained firefighters are leaving for other departments, Lancton said. Our pay is so low that starting firefighters, supporting families, can even qualify for government assistance. We've asked the city for competitive pay for nearly a decade. The city has repeatedly rejected our efforts to reach an acceptable contract agreement. The city has created a phony, manufactured budget crisis, Lancton said, when it can indeed afford to increase firefighter pay to match that of police officers. To that point, moderator and Chronicle opinion editor Lisa Falkenberg posed a question to Lancton that spawned one of the debates notable moments: You have questioned Turners claim that Prop B would cost $98 million, she said, but surely to know it's wrong, you must have done the research to know the right figure. What is it? You know, thats a great question for you to ask the city, Lancton said, going on to point out that Turners cost estimate has fluctuated at times and that Proposition B does not specify anything about a percentage pay raise. If you look at the language within the proposition and you see anywhere in there about a 25 percent pay raise, I will stop this debate right now, Lancton said. Turner firing back: You can't ask for pay parity without knowing what the cost is. Please bear in mind, this is not my referendum. This is Marty's referendum. If you are asking the voters to vote for this, you ought to know what the cost of your petition is. I don't have a finance department that works for me, that I hire, Lancton said after the debate, explaining why the union has not offered its own estimate. He again cast doubt on the citys estimates, arguing they contain assumptions about certain costs. City Controller Chris Brown admitted as much to City Council on Wednesday while discussing his estimate that the parity measure would cost about $85 million a year. Brown called the cost unsustainable. Just before the hourlong debate came to an end, Lancton and Turner were each asked to draw a picture of what would happen if the item passes. Lancton, who has previously suggested that he is open to reaching pay parity over multiple years, answered first: If it passes, we do not expect anything to happen overnight. What we are telling the public is that we are willing to work with the administration, work with anybody that wants to sit down and focus on how we can make sure that we can implement a system that is equitable and fair. Turner again jumped on Lancton's claim, saying in essence that if Prop B passes, the law would compel changes to happen overnight. If the voters vote this in, you are mandating the city, you are mandating me to enforce it and to implement it based on the timeline, and that is immediate, Turner said. You cannot then negotiate the people's vote. Lancton, on this matter and when asked why the union has not accepted Turners standing 9.5 percent pay raise offer, returned to the states local government code. He suggested the code prevents the union from accepting a new contract now. And Lancton pointed to a provision that says the code preempts all contrary local ordinances, which he says would theoretically allow the city and firefighters to reach a more agreeable collective bargaining contract to supersede Prop B. If youre taking the position that collective bargaining can trump the election on Nov. 6, then why are we doing this election in the first place? Turner asked Lancton. If collective bargaining trumps, there is no reason to be putting the public through this divisive process. You cannot have it both ways. Lancton stood firm, telling Turner that if the city wants to equally value the service and sacrifice of the Houston firefighters, you can come up with a way to phase in anything that the mayor and the city and the firefighters want to do. But the firefighters need to have somebody sitting across the table that shows up and that's willing to work with them, he added, alluding to his prior claims that Turner skipped out on the bargaining process. Turner later called that claim a red herring. You have your negotiating teams, he said after the debate. They come, they get their marching orders and their instructions from me. It's the same in every process. The debate, hosted by the Harris County Democratic Party, played out in fairly civil terms, a notable development given the rancorous dialogue that has surrounded the issue so far. Turner and Lancton did allude at times to the divisiveness Proposition B has created, with Turner criticizing Lancton for making the process contentious by putting employee management decisions into the public domain. You're putting employees against one another. It is not good public policy, Turner said. Lancton at one point jabbed at Turner for not attending negotiations, then posting in recent months about Prop B on social media. If the decisions don't come at a negotiating table but they continue to come over Twitter, that's not good leadership, Lancton said. That's not going to get a resolution. Turner has argued for months that the city cannot afford Proposition B, warning it would force hundreds of worker layoffs, including firefighters and police, in part because the city operates under a voter-imposed revenue cap. Browns $85 million estimate does not account for the 7 percent raise granted to police officers in a two-year contract approved by City Council Wednesday. The deal, which goes into effect in July 2019, means police will have received raises of more than 30 percent since 2011, while firefighters have received just a 3 percent raise. In Houston, a first-year firefighter currently earns about $40,000, or $12,000 less than firefighters in San Antonio and about $20,000 less than both starting firefighters and police in Dallas. Pay for a Houston police officer who has completed a six-month probationary period is about $55,000. Turner typically accounts for the disparity by focusing on the fire unions rejection of previous offers that would have otherwise made the gap less severe; union officials say they turned down a 4 percent raise under former mayor Annise Parker because it was undercut by health premium increases, while Turners 9.5 percent raise was offered in bad faith after collective bargaining talks had broken down. But the mayor took a new approach to explain the disparity on Saturday, pointing to firefighters cumulative pay raise of about 34 percent between 2005 to 2010, while police took in a 15 percent raise during that time. Police did not go out and ask for a referendum, Turner said. jasper.scherer@chron.com | Twitter: @jaspscherer SCHOHARIE, N.Y. They were young adults sisters, brothers, old friends and newlyweds who were celebrating one of their birthday's in a rented SUV limousine on a drive through rural Schoharie County. They are now victims of the nation's deadliest transportation disaster in nine years. Twenty people died Saturday afternoon in the horrific wreck at the intersection of state routes 30 and 30A in the town of Schoharie. The stretch limo, packed with 18 people, drove through a stop sign at the notorious intersection and fatally struck two people in the parking lot of a popular country store, before slamming into an earthen embankment and killing all of the oversized vehicle's occupants. "This is the most deadly transportation accident in this country since February of 2009," Robert Sumwalt, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, told reporters at a police briefing on Sunday. He was referring to the Feb. 12, 2009, crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 in Buffalo, which claimed the lives of 50 people. "Twenty fatalities is just horrific," Sumwalt said of Saturday's deadly crash. "I've been on the board for 12 years, and this is one of the biggest losses of life that we've seen in a long, long time." State Police would not release the names of the victims, saying they were still notifying family members Sunday afternoon. But a devastating picture began to emerge Sunday evening, as family members posted on social media and fundraising websites about the loss of four sisters from one family, as well as the deaths of their husbands and at least one of the husband's relatives. Anthony Vertucci of Saratoga Springs confirmed to the Times Union that Amy Steenburg, her husband, Axel, his brother, Rich, and Amy's three sisters died in the accident. The group was celebrating a birthday. Vertucci said his niece, Erin McGowan, and her husband, Shane McGowan, were also in the limo and died in the crash. Relatives of the four sisters gathered at a house in Amsterdam Sunday night; two men outside the house declined to comment on the tragedy. State Police set up a special hotline for the families of people who may have lost a relative in the crash. Family members are encouraged to call the State Police at 1-877-672-4911. It marked the deadliest transportation incident in the Capital Region since the Oct. 2, 2005, sinking of the Ethan Allen tour boat on Lake George that killed 20 people. Investigators from the NTSB are examining the road conditions at the time of the crash and whether any mechanical problems in the 2001 Ford Excursion limo may have been a factor. State Police First Deputy Superintendent Christopher Fiore provided little information Sunday on how the crash might have happened. Fiore would not identify the company that operated the limo. Sumwalt estimated investigators will be at the scene for five days collecting evidence. He said investigators will not determine a cause of the crash until after they have completed their report. "The fact that the NTSB is here indicates we're very concerned about this," Sumwalt said. Officials said state law requires front-seat passengers in limos to wear seat belts, but not back-seat passengers. Police would not say if anyone in the limo was wearing a seat belt. Schoharie County sheriff's deputies and troopers responded to the accident scene at 1:55 p.m. Saturday outside the Apple Barrel Country Store and Cafe. The limo was traveling southwest and descending a steep hill on Route 30 when, according to State Police, it failed to stop at the intersection of Route 30A, where there is a stop sign. The limo traveled across the intersection into the Apple Barrel's parking lot and hit an unoccupied 2015 Toyota Highlander. Two pedestrians, who were standing nearby, were struck and killed. Investigators cordoned off the area and had kept the cars of bystanders secured overnight Saturday while they investigated the crash scene and sought to reconstruct what happened. Linda Riley, of Schenectady, returned to the store Sunday afternoon around 1 p.m. to retrieve her car. Riley said she and her sisters had just pulled into the store's parking lot when the crash happened. Her car and other vehicles were covered with tree branches that splintered from the impact and debris from the collisions littered the ground. They didn't realize a crash had occurred at first, she said. "We thought it was an explosion," she said. "Someone said, 'There's a body laying right next to your car.' That was it. We just got out of the car and ran into the restaurant as quickly as possible." Riley described a chaotic scene in a parking lot filled with customers. "Everyone was screaming, 'Call 911, does anyone know CPR?' And then the cops arrived," she said. "I didn't want to come back to get my car. But I had to. You're in shock, just shock. You think about it all night." The victims were all taken to Albany Medical Center Hospital, where autopsies will be done. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo issued a statement Sunday afternoon commending the emergency responders who worked through the night at the scene and had tried furiously to save lives. "State Police are working with federal and local authorities to investigate the crash, and I have directed state agencies to provide every resource necessary to aid in this investigation and determine what led to this tragedy," Cuomo said. "I join all New Yorkers in mourning these deaths and share in the unspeakable sorrow experienced by their families and loved ones during this extremely difficult time." The Apple Barrel store sits at the bottom of a steep hill, where the speed limit is 50 mph. For those unfamiliar with the area, there is no indication a stop sign lies ahead on Route 30 until drivers are about 200 feet from the intersection. Jessica Kirby, whose family owns the Apple Barrel store, said the intersection in front of the property is notoriously hazardous. "This is a reoccurring issue in this intersection," she said. Kirby said tractor-trailers have repeatedly come down the hill too fast and veered into the store's parking lot when customers are present. The state made improvements a few years ago, including eliminating truck traffic, but the intersection is still dangerous, she said. "And if you were going too fast and you're not familiar with the area, you won't know it's a stop at the end of a steep hill," she said. Kirby declined to discuss details of the carnage that she and others witnessed on Saturday. "It's something no one should ever have to experience," she said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims' families." Schoharie town Supervisor Alan Tavenner confirmed the state Department of Transportation made improvements to the dangerous intersection about seven years ago, although concerns about the safety of the junction linger. "There have been tractor-trailers that have come barreling down that hill and it was a miracle they didn't kill somebody," Tavenner said. Staff writer Mallory Moench contributed to this story. Jim Bunner waved to the camera, cellphone in one hand, KTTC-TV branded microphone in the other, his receding hairline bared to the Minnesota morning chill. He could have been any other reporter standing outside the Rochester civic center on Thursday, awaiting President Donald Trump's rally. At least, so it seemed in that particular shot. "I've met people all the way from Mankato, from Iowa, from Eagle Lake, you name it," Bunner said in his NBC news station's Facebook Live feed. "They are excited for the fact the president of the United States is visiting Rochester. This is big! This 'yuge,' in the words of Donald Trump." The multimedia reporter might have been simply channeling the enthusiasm of the crowd - thousands of people lined all the way to the back of the civic center, most of them sporting "Make America Great Again" hats. But just outside the camera frame - visible for a split second when it pulled back from Bunner's face to pan around - his own bright red MAGA hat peeked out from his duffel bag. KTTC-TV dismissed Bunner the next day, according to The Associated Press, after another reporter photographed him wearing the hat and posted it on Twitter. Caption: "Whyyyyy?" While Bunner could not be reached for comment, KTTC new director Noel Sederstrom told BuzzFeed News, "We don't allow our people to wear campaign clothing while on assignment." As BuzzFeed noted, Bunner's publicly available social media feed was full of his political views - something that The Washington Post, The New York Times, Politico and many other new outlets discourage. "I never have been a big Trump fan," Bunner wrote a few days after Election Day in 2016. "I love a lot of what he's saying and believe if he could live up to all of these promises he's made about immigration and the Supreme Court, he could be a fantastic president." "Look on the bright side," he added. "At least now Obama's legacy has been destroyed, Hillary Clinton will never be president, and there's gonna be a whole lot of pissed off liberals in the morning." A few months after KTTC hired him in December 2017, BuzzFeed reported, the reporter changed his Facebook profile image to a photo of himself in front of the White House with the caption: "I'm the NRA." While Sederstrom did not respond to a request for comment from The Post, the news director told BuzzFeed that Bunner's political views were not a factor in his dismissal. Wearing Trump campaign gear while on the job was. The confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh manifested in gradients of misery across the political left - from troughs of despair to peaks of anguished rage as a man accused of a drunken sexual assault assumed the judiciary's highest seat. The reaction on the right was more, let's say, stratified. It was all somber decorum inside the secluded Supreme Court conference room where Kavanaugh took his oath, surrounded by his closest allies. And then rowdy celebrations and beer hashtags among the masses of Republicans who say he was falsely accused, as he insisted throughout his confirmation battle. And on the far-right fringes of the internet, where Kavanaugh has become a symbol of things he says he abhors, his ascension was greeted with open declarations of misogyny. Here the many ways conservatives celebrated Kavanaugh. - With decorum ... As protesters screamed and banged on the bronze doors of the Supreme Court building, Kavanaugh made his way through the halls inside toward the west conference room, where he swore his oath. No members of the public or press were allowed at the ceremony. The photos released by the court show a calm, joyful scene: Kavanaugh standing beneath the portraits of chief justices, surrounded by his smiling daughters and wife, Ashley Kavanaugh, who stood by him after every accusation. His old boss and close supporter, retired justice Anthony M. Kennedy, led him through the oath - to "administer justice without respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and to the rich." Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. looked on, the Associated Press reported, as did two conservative justices and two liberal justices. It was a formalized, scripted show of unity that bore no resemblance to the celebration taking place among Republicans beyond the Supreme Court's walls. - ... and gloating ... "Saturday Night Live" parodied the Republican reaction to Kavanaugh's victory as a locker-room celebration - senators hooting and backslapping with towels draped across their shoulders. President Donald Trump came close to imitating art at a Saturday-night rally in Topeka, when he told a cheering crowd that "just a few hours ago, the U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court." The president paused mid-speech and danced a little circle on the podium, pumping his fists as people in the stands hoisted babies and chanted, "Kav-a-naugh, Kav-a-naugh!" GOP senators were generally more restrained in public, though some of Kavanaugh's most enthusiastic supporters, such as Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., took victory laps on Twitter. But even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell saw the confirmation through a competitive lens, telling The Washington Post that the bruising confirmation battle had "been a great political gift for us. The tactics have energized our base." This, too, was evident on Twitter. - and #Beers4Brett The Beers4Brett hashtag was born last month, after Christine Blasey Ford testified that Kavanaugh had tried to rape her in the 1980s while drunk on beer. Grilled by Senate Democrats about the allegation and his teenage drinking habits, the nominee repeatedly dismissed their concerns with lines such as "I liked beer." The phrase caught on with Kavanaugh's supporters, who began to post photos of themselves hoisting beers in his honor. Many considered the meme demeaning to victims of alcohol-related sexual assaults, if not to Ford herself, but it nevertheless kept spreading. It went legitimately viral after the confirmation vote Saturday, when a College Republican at the University of Washington drank his first beer in the name of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and even Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, joined the party with a glass of bubbly. - ... and things unprintable. If #Beers4Brett was arguably in bad taste, the celebratory messages that spread across far-right message boards after Saturday's vote are mostly unprintable. Some called for Ford to be prosecuted and jailed. Others looked forward to the end of federal abortion rights (a fear of many Democrats who opposed Kavanaugh's nomination) and women's voting rights (which Kavanaugh has never suggested.) Matt Novak at Gizmodo collected samples of the most obscene memes, a fair number of which depicted the new Supreme Court justice as some sort of glowing-eyed superhero doing battle with women who would take men's rights away. Just as he denied the sexual allegations against him, Kavanaugh spent much of the past three weeks trying to distance himself from any hint of misogyny. He condemned sexist jokes that appeared in his high school yearbook, recited letter after letter from female supporters during his Senate testimony. "I've devoted huge efforts to encouraging and promoting the careers of women," he said. But like it or not, he's now many things to many people. He's a villain on the left, a star on the right and a role model to anonymous internet trolls who celebrate the sort of things he denied doing in the strongest terms. There are about 4,487 homeless students from pre-kindergarten through high school identified in the state, and those numbers are on the rise. But officials arent sure if its a true increase or if schools are getting better at reporting such situations, said Louis Tallarita, who oversees the rights of such children as the states McKinney Vento coordinator. Regardless of the trend, the need is great, shelter operators say, and there are many complex systems in place to assure the needs of children are met. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has made it a priority to help as many homeless families as possible by December. The federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, in place for some 30 years, protects the rights of such children to education, and financial help with supplies, clothes and lunches, and from discrimination. Tallarita said the count of 4,487 homeless students throughout Connecticut was for 2016-17 school year. According to the state statistics from last school year, the number of homeless students in area municipalities include: 274 in Bridgeport; 40 in Middletown; 47 in Torrington; 28 in Branford; 34 in Hamden; 12 in Milford; 23 in West Haven, 38 in Danbury. Towns with six or fewer homeless students are not disclosed. Tallarita said homelessness includes several scenarios: those living in shelters, cars, motels, parks, unsheltered areas, campgrounds and those doubled up living with friends or family. The state numbers for primary nighttime residence of those students show 1,070 are in shelters or transitional housing; 2,872 are doubled up or living with another family; 57 are unsheltered living in cars, parks, campgrounds, temporary trailer, or abandoned buildings; 488 are in hotels or motels. It is considered in the best interest of homeless children to stay in their home school for consistency, but there is also a school choice policy in which parents can petition for children to attend the school district in which they are homeless if its different than the one they came from. Tallarita said some people arent aware of their rights and so parents are hesitant to report they are homeless. Some dont consider themselves homeless if they arent living in shelter or on (the) street, Tallarita said. The law is in place to serve and protect childrens ability to stay in school. Every school system has a coordinator in place under the federal law to help keep kids stay in school, get them services, remedial assistance if needed, and supplies. Federal funds are available to school systems. Tallarita said theres a stigma attached to homelessness and parents are afraid their case will be referred to the state Department of Children and Families and they will lose their kids. But Tallarita said thats a misconception, because being homeless does not in itself qualify as abuse and neglect, although living in a car may under some circumstances be considered unsafe. Tallarita said DCF may be able to help with resources. Dierdre DiCara, executive director of the FISH shelter and food pantry in Torrington , said the need is great in Northwest Connecticut. She said more than 500 families used the food pantry last year and that translates to more than 1,700 people. For a family, its such a dilemma because families want to stay together, she said. They are so worried about DCF. DiCara said when children with families move into the shelter, they try to determine where their subsidized or low-income housing will be, and they get the children into that communitys school system. She said she recently had a family from Winsted with three teenagers who wanted to move back to Winsted, so the bus came to the shelter so they could stay in the schools in that community. Parents aware of residency statutes that require children to live in the district where they attended school are fearful if they are homeless and out of district their kids will be taken out of their home school. But the federal act protects them from that, Tallarita said. Last year, 2,000 students from Puerto Rico and other areas hit by storms came to the state, so this year numbers will likely be higher, he said. New Haven spokesman Laurence Grotheer said the citys school district receives a very modest amount of funding through a series of three-year grants, to help with its approximately 721 homeless students, as of last year. Grotheer said that figure includes 212 evacuees from Puerto Rico displaced by Hurricane Maria. Homeless students are enrolled in the general population; the district provides some school supplies and solicits donations for other accessories like coats, hats, gloves, as needed transportation to and from school is provided by the district, Grotheer said. NHPS has a districtwide McKinney-Vento liaison to state officials, as well as a designated McKinney-Vento liaison in each school to help individual homeless students with any other wraparound services they need, Grotheer said. Jennifer Paradis, executive director of Beth El Center shelter in Milford, said she encourages families who are homeless with no place to go to call the 211 hotline. We want people to come in for shelter and accept services, Paradis said. Paradis said the shelter has a system to bring in families the same day, and that there is a complex system in prioritizing for children, including family housing navigators in New Haven trying to remedy homelessness in cars. Its a shocking number, she said of the homeless student statistics. Paradis said the staff works closely with homeless students to ensure success. Beth El has a family shelter that houses six families and can expand space in crisis to house more in other areas. It is critical that education be a constant in life, for those dealing with housing insecurity and family displacement, Paradis said. She said working with homeless students requires advocacy and negotiation, on the students behalf, including making sure they are performing well. We work in partnership with others, we do everything in our power to partner, Paradis said. This is a child experiencing something overwhelming in their lives. Paradis said homelessness looks different in different situations. The important piece is theres a lot of coordinated effort, she said, and the work is to prioritize, identify issues. She said summer is when there is the most impact on children because there is an increase in family destabilization. Kids being around more at home causes stress of more noise and higher food costs. For that reason, shelters usually see an influx of students at the beginning of the school year. It takes a lot of education of the school system, she said. DiCara agreed that summer brings stresses and doubling up with others doesnt always last. She said a couple from Litchfield served by the shelter arrived because it became too stressful for a grandparent with whom they lived. The mom and dad had a 3-year-old and a baby, and both parents lost their jobs. The scenario had a happy ending, she said, as both parents later found jobs and housing. A Peruvian Supreme Court judge on Wednesday ordered the arrest of former President Alberto Fujimori after overturning a pardon that he had received roughly nine months ago on health grounds. 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 sympathizers. 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. Fujimori's defense will consider its options after reviewing the court's decision, lawyer Miguel Perez told Canal N on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Fujimori's doctor and former Health Minister, Alejandro Aguinaga, told Canal N that the ex-president is in his home in Lima where's he's receiving medical treatment for heart problems. Aguinaga added that the pardon is a constitutional right of the head of state. "A judge can't overrule a decision by the president. The judge has to respect independence of powers." At the time of the December pardon, Kuczynski administration officials said Fujimori's heart condition was the biggest concern and denied any political motivation. Still, the move sparked street protests in Peru and an international outcry. The United Nations' High Commissioner for Human Rights called it a "slap in the face" to victims and a "major setback for the rule of law in Peru." Kuczynski resigned in March on the eve of another impeachment vote, which had the backing of lawmakers opposed to the pardon. ROME - In a combative letter, a highly-placed cardinal on Sunday mounted the Vatican's first direct response to accusations that Pope Francis knew about and covered up the alleged sexual misconduct of a U.S. prelate, describing those claims as a "political fabrication devoid of a real foundation." The letter, written by Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, came six weeks after a former Vatican ambassador to the United States wrote a bombshell letter of his own, charging that much of the Vatican hierarchy, including Francis, had for years protected recently-resigned cardinal Theodore McCarrick. Ouellet's letter is significant because it ends a period of overwhelming silence among the key Vatican officials with the standing to rebut or back up the claims of that former ambassador, Carlo Maria Vigano. That silence has tested the patience of many Catholics, who remain divided over Vigano's credibility but say his claims have further wounded a church that is contending with multiple abuse-related crises. Ouellet, the head of the Vatican's powerful bishops office, said it was "unbelievable and unlikely from every point of view" to accuse Francis of "having covered up with full knowledge of this alleged sexual predator." Ouellet, who portrayed Vigano as bitter and disillusioned with his career within the Holy See, said he was in "open and scandalous rebellion," and Ouellet accused him of exploiting the broader clergy sex-abuse scandal in the U.S. as a way to land "an undeserved and unheard of blow" on the pope. But pushing back against Vigano, Ouellet said the Vatican had attempted years ago to place some restrictions on McCarrick - an acknowledgment that matches somewhat, but not completely, with Vigano's version of events. As Vigano describes it, the Vatican had ignored reports about McCarrick for years - until "2009 or 2010," when Pope Benedict XVI placed sanctions on the cardinal, forbidding him to travel, appear publicly or hold Mass. Vigano says he then told Francis in 2013, not long after he became pope, that McCarrick was a "serial predator." Francis nonetheless reportedly ignored those sanctions and made McCarrick a trusted adviser. Vigano wrote that he learned of Benedict's sanctions against McCarrick in part from Ouellet. But as Ouellet describes it in his letter, which was addressed to Vigano, the Vatican's measures against McCarrick did not reach the papal level. At an unspecified time, Ouellet writes, McCarrick was "strongly invited not to travel, and not to appear publicly, so as not to provoke further rumors about him." The measures could have been stronger, Ouellet said, had the Vatican been supplied with clear evidence of McCarrick's misconduct by its representatives - including Vigano - working in the United States. "Presenting the measures taken against (McCarrick) as 'sanctions' decreed by Pope Benedict and annulled by Pope Francis is false," Ouellet wrote. "After reexamining the archives, I can see that there are no documents in this regard signed by one or the other pope." Though the Roman Catholic Church is dealing with abuse scandals in multiple countries, McCarrick's case has become among the most damaging, because it raises questions about who within the Vatican's hierarchy knew of the prelate's behavior as he rose to become one of the most prominent figures within the global church. McCarrick is accused of sexual abuse of both adults and minors, and in July he became the first cardinal in nearly a century to fully resign his position. He is 88, and in 2006, when McCarrick reached the customary retirement age of 75, Benedict accepted his resignation as the archbishop of Washington. McCarrick's case has battered Francis's reputation, but some Vatican watchers say the Holy See's promised "study" into McCarrick's case, which it announced Saturday, could shine a spotlight on the actions of previous popes, including Benedict and John Paul II - who promoted McCarrick through the ranks and elevated him to cardinal in 2001. Ouellet, who became head of the bishops office in 2010, said he was "greatly astounded" by McCarrick's rise and wrote that he recognized "the flaws in the procedure of selection that was conducted in this case." Ouellet specifically defended Francis and said - ticking off the stops in McCarrick's career - that the current pope "didn't have anything to do with McCarrick's promotions in New York, Metuchen, Newark and Washington." "It is clear this (McCarrick case) had its origins in 1980s, 1990s, early 2000s," said Massimo Faggioli, a professor of theology and religious studies at Villanova University. "The problem is that this could be embarrassing for a pope who is dead and a saint, and even more embarrassing for Pope Benedict because he's still alive." Vigano says he told Francis about McCarrick's behavior with young men on June 23, 2013. Ouellet does not directly reject this claim but notes that the pontiff that day met with a long line of Vatican representatives. "I strongly doubt that McCarrick would have interested him to the point that you would lead people to believe," Ouellet wrote, saying that McCarrick was 82 at the time and had stepped down from his duties seven years earlier. After Vigano's letter was released by several conservative Catholic outlets in late August, Francis vowed not to "say a single word on this." But he made several opaque remarks that some interpreted as being aimed at Vigano, at one point saying during a homily that a "Great Accuser," Satan, is "among us." Other cardinals mentioned in Vigano's letter refused to comment, and one, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Ouellet's predecessor as head of the bishops office, attributed his silence to Francis."The pope has chosen not to talk, so it's not as if I can," Re said. "So I'm sorry." --- The Washington Post's Stefano Pitrelli contributed to this report. Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty announced the winning design at the 2004 Governor's Fishing Opener. By selecting the "Land of 10,000 Lakes" design, Governor Pawlenty chose the design recommended to him by the Minnesota State Quarter Commission. Other designs considered were "State with Symbols" including the State outline, snowflake, loon and plow, and "Mississippi River Headwaters" and "Fisherman/Lake Recreation." The Department of Treasury approved the "Land of 10,000 Lakes" design on June 15, 2004. The natural beauty of Minnesota is vividly depicted on the reverse of this new quarter-dollar. Lined with Norway Pine, many of the lakes throughout the State offer much in the way of outdoor recreation, as well as providing a home for the graceful loon, Minnesota's state bird. Minnesota is also home to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. This one- million acre wilderness area was established by Congress in 1978, and contains more than 1,500 miles of canoe routes and nearly 2,200 designated campsites. The "Land of 10,000 Lakes" actually contains more than 15,000 such bodies of water whose total shoreline exceeds 90,000 miles - more than California, Hawaii and Florida combined. Equally renowned as the home of the headwaters of the mighty Mississippi River, the name Minnesota is derived from the Dakota Sioux word for "cloudy water." he second quarter to be released in 2005 commemorates the State of Minnesota, "Land of 10,000 Lakes." On May 11, 1858, Minnesota became the 32nd state admitted into the Union, and as such, it is the 32nd coin to be issued in the United States Mint's popular 50 State Quarters Program. The design features a tree-lined lake with two people fishing, a loon on the water, and a textured outline of the State surrounding its nickname, "Land of 10,000 Lakes." Because of the large number of New England emigrants to the territory, Minnesota was sometimes referred to as the "New England of the West." It seems that there was some discussion in the middle of the 19th century, before Minnesota became a state, about whether to call Minnesota "The Gopher State" or "The Beaver State." Opponents of "The Gopher State" called the striped gopher an insignificant animal with a destructive nature. The striped gopher was too useless and undignified to represent the future great state of Minnesota. Opponents of "The Beaver State" argued that the beaver, while numerous in streams, was not abundant enough to represent to whole of Minnesota. A political cartoon, widely circulated throughout the territory, gave wider exposure to the gopher and "The Beaver State" faded into history. This name came into use at the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo, New York in 1902. The superior wheat, flour and dairy products of Minnesota caused the state to be referred to as "The Bread and Butter State." This nickname reminds one of the many lakes in Minnesota. In fact, there are 11,842 lakes that are 10 acres or more. Depending on one's definition of a lake, we have seen numbers as high as 15,000. Minnesota's license plates display the legend "10,000 Lakes." Perhaps the most common nickname for Minnesota, "The North Star State" evolved from the State Motto L'Etoile du Nord or "Star of the North." The State Motto appears on the Great Seal of Minnesota and the State Flag . The name of this state came from the Minnesota River so named by the Dakota Sioux for the river's "cloudy" or "milky water." The Dakota word "mnishota" means "cloudy" or "milky water." If you are ever asked to meet someone at Long Lake, you might want to take a raincheck: Minnesota has at least 91 different lakes named Long Lake! With more than 12,000 lakes within the borders of the state, unique names can be scarce. The lakes of the northern portion of the state have transformed the area into popular summer resorts, attracting thousands of visitors each year with their pristine beauty. Three great rivers, the mighty Mississippi, the Red River of the North, and the St. Lawrence all begin their long journeys within the state of Minnesota. The source of the Mississippi had been sought for years, and it was finally discovered here at Lake Itasca, where it begins its 2,552-mile path to the sea. Additional Information Minnesota Judy L. Hasday Judy L. Hasday Minnesota (From Sea to Shining Sea) , by Judy L. Hasday. 80 pages. Publisher: Children's Press(CT) (March 2003) Reading level: Grades 3-5. Presents information about Minnesota's people, geography, history, landmarks, natural resources, government, state capitol, towns and cities, and more. Minnesota Peter Jaffe Miriam Pollock Peter JaffeMiriam Pollock Minnesota (World Almanac Library of the States) , by Peter Jaffe and Miriam Pollock. 48 pages. Gareth Stevens Publishing (August 2002) Reading level: Grades 4-6. Filled with the most up-to-date information, including the latest Census results. Full-color photos bring to life the story of Minnesota. In addition to an in-depth factual profile of Minnesota in the form of a state Almanac, this book offers fascinating and lively discussions of the state's history, people, geography, government, economy, culture, and lifestyles. A section on Notable People, a calendar of events, and enough primary source documents, time lines, maps, and other tools to make this unquestionably the best young adult reference material on the USA available anywhere. Minnesota Book of Days: An Almanac of State History , by Tony Greiner. 335 pages. Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press; 1 edition (November 1, 2001) This handy guide explores famous and not-so-famous aspects of Minnesota's history in lively day-by-day entries. Whether you are a visitor or a lifelong resident, these titbits about noteworthy events and people just might inspire you to explore Minnesota history in greater detail. Minnesota 150 Kate Roberts Kate Roberts Minnesota 150: The People, Places, and Things that Shape Our State , by Kate Roberts. 224 pages. Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press; 1 edition (October 15, 2007) The people have spoken. Minnesota wouldn't be Minnesota without Bob Dylan. Or the BWCA. Immigrant farmers. The American Indian Movement. Thousands of citizens nominated their favorite topics for inclusion in Minnesota 150. With short essays, eye-catching illustrations, and text from the winning nominations, Kate Roberts reveals the many ways in which our past becomes our collective history. Read stories from people like former Iron Ranger Brian Weber, who wrote about watching the 1980 Olympic hockey team as a young boy: "It makes me think of our neighbor, a miner with a very Finnish last name, who watched all the games with us. Thinking about it now, after the taconite expansion of the early to mid-1970s, this was the beginning of the end for the mines up there. And I think they knew it. But they felt they had a hockey team and a coach that was fighting for us. And hockey mattered." Learn about the genesis of such iconic businesses as the Greyhound Bus Company, which got its start when Hibbing natives Carl Wickman and Andrew Anderson bought a used Hupmobile, hoping to sell it at a profit. Minnesota: A History , By William E. Lass. 335 pages. Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc; 2 Sub edition (April 1998) A comprehensive history of a state thought by many to be the most livable. Minnesota evolved from many cultures. By the time the territory was formed in 1849, the first European contacts were nearly two centuries old. When Minnesota was admitted to the union in 1858, only about one-fourth of its area was occupied by white settlers. In this volume, William Lass tells the story of Minnesota from its beginnings to the present with attention to people's adaptation to Minnesota's oftentimes harsh environment. He relates the persistence and change in the traditional frontier businesses in the twentieth century and describes recent developments in Minnesota society, including rapidly increasing metropolitanism, environmental concerns, and the resurgence of conservatism in politics. Minnesota's somewhat unique political history, which featured farm protest movements and the ultimate creation of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, is also discussed. Creating Minnesota Annette Atkins Annette Atkins Creating Minnesota: A History from the Inside Out , by Annette Atkins. 336 pages. Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press; 1 edition (August 1, 2008) Renowned historian Annette Atkins presents a fresh understanding of how a complex and modern Minnesota came into being in Creating Minnesota . Each chapter of this innovative state history focuses on a telling detail, a revealing incident, or a meaningful issue that illuminates a larger event, social trends, or politics during a period in our past. The vote for who should run Warsaw barely resonates outside Poland ordinarily, but this time the scene is set for another election that could have repercussions for an increasingly divided Europe. The city of almost 2 million is one of the last bastions of resistance to the nationalist, them-against-us political force that has turned Poland into the European Union's biggest rogue state. The municipal ballot on Oct. 21 pits the populists tightening their grip on all facets of Polish society against an opposition fighting to keep a foothold or potentially face oblivion. "This is a historic moment that may decide our future for generations," said Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz, a lawmaker for Poland's Nowoczesna opposition party and among the most prominent leaders of anti-government protests. "We'll either remain a part of the EU or we will drift to the East." The Law & Justice party has taken control of the publicly owned broadcasters, the biggest companies and the courts since winning the first parliamentary majority of Poland's post-communist era three years ago. It also embarked on a defense of Poland's national Catholic identity, which included a controversial defamation law on the country's role in the Holocaust and the branding of some opponents as traitors. Supported by that narrative in Warsaw, Law & Justice candidate Patryk Jaki, 33, has all-but closed the gap in the polls on his leading opponent, Rafal Trzaskowski. The numbers suggest Trzaskowski, 46, would prevail in a run-off. Should he lose and the ruling party regains power in other regional councils too, opposition groups say the consequences would resonate for years, especially after Law & Justice changed rules for local elections to give the government more oversight of the process. Already, Poland is in a protracted standoff with the EU over the government's alleged encroachment on the democratic rule of law. Poland is the biggest net beneficiary from the EU's common budget, and there are signs the economy is increasingly reliant on that money. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki says that things are going great and any criticism is just trying to distract from Poland's progress. Morawiecki hailed the country as an "economic miracle" as the Polish stock exchange was promoted from an emerging market to a developed one by index compiler FTSE Russell. Last week, he dismissed a media report linking him to a scandal involving secret recordings of top Polish officials as a German-led provocation before the local elections. Warsaw is the key battleground along with the Baltic port of Gdansk, where the Solidarity uprising that ultimately toppled communism started and now a stronghold of the opposition Civic Platform that governed Poland from 2007 to 2015. The son of Lech Walesa, the Solidarity grandee and Poland's first elected president after communism, is running for mayor in the city. Earlier this month, Jaki was pledging to build new metro lines with help from government funds offering coffee to pedestrians in downtown Warsaw. Trzaskowski walked in the old town presenting a thick booklet containing his election program and arguing his contender is just showing slides. "Warsaw is a liberal heartland and extremely difficult territory for Law & Justice but the party's candidate has run an extremely energetic campaign," Aleks Szczerbiak, professor of politics and contemporary European studies at the University of Sussex in England, said in a blog post. However, Trzaskowski remains favorite to win and a Law & Justice victory in Warsaw "would be a political sensation," he said. Jaki connects with fellow Poles with stories of humble beginnings growing up in a Soviet-style apartment block. They're mixed, of course, with the kind of anti-Muslim comments that are common in Poland nowadays. In 2015, he said he would take Muslim immigrants only over his dead body, though has toned down his message and backed off from his open support for more extreme nationalists groups. One of the pillars of Jaki's campaign has been to leverage his role in a government-appointed commission looking into irregularities in the return of Warsaw properties confiscated during communism. It's an issue that dogged outgoing Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, the former central bank governor in the post the past dozen years. "We want to destroy the corrupt structures" in Warsaw, Jaki said after a meeting with voters at a downtown cafe on a September afternoon. "It will be very tough but I believe we can win." At the gathering, Jaki heard pleas for such things as more traffic restrictions in Warsaw. Among them was Antoni Bojanowski, who voted for the opposition candidate in 2015 presidential elections, but now sees Jaki as someone who could help fix the problem he's having with the ownership of the prewar apartment block where he lives. "Law & Justice may win in Warsaw because Jaki doesn't have a strong enough competitor on the other side," said Bojanowski. "By lacking a convincing message, the opposition is in fact helping Law & Justice." That's the worry for opposition leaders, said Gasiuk-Pihowicz. The post of Warsaw mayor is crucial because it's a chance to be seen in the national media and City Hall independently approves-or rejects-applications for public demonstrations whether for or against the government. She cites Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, an ally of Law & Justice leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, whose deceased twin brother, Lech, was the last mayor of Warsaw from the party when he held the post between 2002 and 2005. Orban's Fidesz party took Budapest for the first time in 2010, the year he was re-elected to power before becoming the lightning rod for anti-immigrant, anti-Brussels movements across Europe. He has held the post since with rising support, allowing him to increase control of most media and courts and to crack down on non-government organizations. The European Parliament last month slammed Orban for his "illiberal democracy." Yet he won't face actual sanctions as several east European governments, including Poland, said they would veto them. "If we lose, we'll end up like opposition in Hungary, which is almost non-existent now," said Gasiuk-Pihowicz. - - - Bloomberg's Wojciech Moskwa contributed. A suspect was arrested early Sunday after police started chasing a stolen car used in an armed robbery. Just after midnight, Houston police spotted the stolen vehicle and began pursuing the driver. The chase started on Kelly and ended at Tuffly Park in the 3400 block of Russell. Two people jumped out of the car and fled, but police captured the driver and launched a hunt for the other suspect. Authorities did not immediately name the arrested suspect and it's not clear whether the duo may have been involved in the earlier armed robbery. Wearing a yellow shirt with the words deputy voter registrar emblazoned across the chest, Veronica Nasser greeted people walking to the annual Chicano concert at the Miller Outdoor Theatre. Registered to vote? she asked. As Texas Tuesday voting registration deadline approaches, Nasser and a number of other deputy voter registrars, volunteers allowed to register voters on the spot, were out in force Saturday evening. While many states allow voters to register the day of an election, Texas voters must register one month before. The last day voters can register for the Nov. 6 election is Tuesday, since Monday is a federal holiday and the voter registrar office will be closed. Voters who still need to register must visit their county voter registrar office to drop off a completed application or print and postmark an application to their county voter registrar by Tuesday. People can also register to vote when they obtain or renew a drivers license. As part of the Motor Voter Act, a federal judge has ordered Texas to allow voters to register online, but such a system will not be implemented in time for this midterm election because the order has been stayed while Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton appeals the decision. Nonetheless, the Texas voter rolls have grown to 15.6 million people, a new record that is 1.6 million higher than the last midterm election, according to Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos. The last way to register is through a deputy voter registrar, which is why Nasser and a number of volunteers were standing outside the Festival Chicano. Its probably one of my top five favorite things to do because its so rewarding to help people have access, said Erin Eriksen, another deputy voter registrar at the festival. Registrars will also be at a Beto ORourke voter registration rally from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Monday at White Oak Music Hall, 2915 N Main St. Another volunteer was helping Paul Flores double-check whether he was still registered. It says no records found, Beth Brashier said perplexedly. States occasionally remove voters from the rolls. Such removals are meant to target felons and the deceased. Texas, however, sometimes mistakenly purges voters by incorrectly presuming them dead, according to a report by New York University Law Schools Brennan Center for Justice. Sometimes other mistakes are made, such as when 1,700 voter registrations were mistakenly suspended this year due to what Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Ann Harris Bennett called a software glitch. Voters can check whether they are registered on the Texas Secretary of State site, although the webpage is not the official register of a voters registration, which is instead kept by county voter registration offices. Flores, who said he votes every year, filled out another voter registration form with a shrug. It pays just to check, he said. rebecca.schuetz@chron.com twitter.com/raschuetz A Bexar County Sheriff's Office dispatcher has been terminated following multiple DWI arrests, according to a news release. Vanessa Flores, 39, was arrested shortly before 4 a.m. Saturday for driving with a blood-alcohol level above 0.15, a misdemeanor, BCSO reported. Flores was not on duty at the time. She was previously arrested in 2011 for driving while intoxicated, leading to a 2013 conviction for obstructing a highway while intoxicated, authorities said. Flores was placed on administrative leave and served a notice of proposed dismissal by Sheriff Javier Salazar, according to BCSO. She had been employed as a dispatcher since 2006 at the county's Public Safety Communications Center. In a statement, Salazar said Flores' actions and choices had "brought us to this point." "Her past history has clearly demonstrated a lack of accountability in the past," Salazar wrote. "As I've stated before, any employee who decides to put the community at risk by driving while intoxicated will not be tolerated and will do all that is within my power to separate them from this agency in order to maintain the integrity of the Sheriff's Office." The BSCO Internal Affairs Unit will also be conducting an investigation. So far this year, 19 BSCO employees, all deputies, have been arrested. SEWARD, Ill. An ammonia leak at an agriculture plant sent a noxious white cloud wafting over this small northern Illinois town, sickening at least 10 people and forcing residents to evacuate, authorities said. Sgt. Aaron Booker of the Winnebago County sheriff's department said early today that the leak had been stopped. A mandatory evacuation had been issued for the town's less than 1,000 residents, who were told to go to one of two high schools in the nearby villages of Pecatonica and Winnebago, both less than 8 miles away, authorities said. A voluntary evacuation was later issued for those villages. It was not immediately clear how the voluntary evacuations affected those seeking shelter in the high schools, but Booker said fewer than 50 evacuees were at either building late Monday. Workers were transferring anhydrous ammonia from a Seward Agricultural Supply Inc. storage tank to a tanker truck late Monday when the hose burst open, State Police Sgt. Mark Nytko said. The storage tank holds 9,000 gallons, but it was unclear how much ammonia was in it at the time of the accident, he said. Ten people, including at least one firefighter, were hospitalized with respiratory problems, a Rockford Memorial Hospital spokesman said. As many as eight patients were expected to be treated and released, and none of the injuries were considered life-threatening, he said. A strong smell of ammonia was in the air and a white cloud could be seen drifting from the scene, the Rockford Register Star reported on its Web site. Seward residents were told to leave their homes as a precaution because the chemical drifts along with the wind patterns, Nytko said. Police blocked traffic around the town. "It's a small town surrounded by farm community," he said. "It's a low-lying area and that's the beauty of that chemical, it likes to sit low." Anhydrous ammonia can be extremely toxic and may be fatal if inhaled. The vapors are irritating and corrosive, according to the federal Emergency Response Guidebook. Seward is about 100 miles northwest of Chicago. The confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court dealt the #MeToo and #BelieveSurvivors movements their first major defeat. Those feminist ideologies will continue wreaking havoc throughout American institutions, howeverespecially the claim that self-professed sexual-assault victims deserve unqualified belief. That ideathat the presumption of innocence, fundamental to common law, should be suspended for accusations of sexual assaulthas been the cornerstone of the campus-rape bureaucracy; during the Kavanaugh hysteria, that conceit jumped out of the ivory tower into the world at large. It will be no easy task to put it back. In preparation for the next Salem witch trial-like ordeal, therefore, it is worth empirically rebutting the #BelieveSurvivors mandate, as well as its corollary: the claim that if most self-professed rape survivors in our patriarchal culture dont report their assaults, thats because the social and emotional costs are too high, as California congressman Ted Lieu explained on MSNBC last Sunday. Columbia Universitys infamous mattress girl, Emma Sulkowicz, was conducting an on-again, off-again sexual relationship with another student, Paul Nungesser. Two days after one of their consensual couplings, in August 2012, Nungesser invited Sulkowicz to a party in his room. She texted back: yusss, adding: Also I feel like we need to have some real time where we can talk about life and thingz because we still havent really had a paul-emma chill sesh since summmmerrrr. A week later, she suggested that they hang out together: I want to see yoyououoyou. Two months later, she texted: I love you Paul. Where are you?!?!?!?! It wasnt until eight months after their August 2012 coupling that Sulkowicz filed a campus-rape charge, alleging that Nungesser had anally raped her while she struggled and told him to stop. She claims that she waited so long to file so as to avoid re-traumatizing herself. Nungesser argues that she was simply chagrined that they had not become an exclusive couple. Whatever Sulkowiczs motivation for filing, it is impossible to read her post-coital pleas to Nungesser as the aftermath of the most terrifying experience a woman can have, short of murder, rather than as the attempts of a female to reel a favored male back into her orbit. Nevertheless, Sulkowicz was canonized as a martyr to rape culture, thanks to her stunt of carrying around a mattress to protest Columbias failure to expel Nungesser. New York senator Kirsten Gillibrand declared herself inspired by Emma and all of her sisters in arms who have made their voices heard and given voice to thousands of other survivors all around the country. Gillibrand invited Sulkowicz to President Obamas 2015 State of Union address in order to further amplify her voice. In September 2013, two freshmen at Occidental College in Southern California had sex after both had been on a 24-hour drinking binge. After making out at a party in the males dorm room, they conspired to evade the girls friends, who had escorted her back to her own room. The male, known as John Doe in court papers, texted Jane Doe: The second that you away from them, come back. Jane responded: Okay. John wrote back: Just get back here. Jane responded: Okay do you have a condom. John replied: Yes. Jane texted back: Good, give me two minutes. Before leaving her dorm room for their appointed tryst, Jane texted a friend from back home: Im going to have sex now. After their sexual encounter, Jane texted a smiley face to her friends. She then went to a common room and sat on another guys lap, joking about NASCAR. The next day she went back to Johns room to pick up her earrings and belt. Jane reported their coupling to campus authorities only after seeing that John was unaffected emotionally by it, whereas she, having lost her virginity, felt distracted and unable to concentrate. Having been instructed in the ways of the patriarchy by Occidentals Title IX bureaucracy, she decided that she should not have to experience the psychological discomfort of randomly running into John Doe around campus, and that he should be expelled. Occidental was only too happy to comply. It found John Doe guilty of rape and expelled him in December 2013. Janes psychological distress was undoubtedly real. Sexual liberation pretends that males and females respond identically to one-night stands, and that the loss of virginity is just an insignificant way station en route to the rounds of casual sex expected of contemporary adults. In fact, women are hormonally and emotionally affected by intercourse in a way that most men are not. And traditional culture was right to regard the loss of virginity as a milestone in a girls life, and to surround it with the sanctifying rituals of marriage. But however understandable Janes post-coital emotions, they do not justify converting what was clearly a mutually agreed-upon coupling into rape. Any male whose partner asks about condoms, then voluntarily enters his bed for the express purpose of sex, is going to assume consent, and with reason. In 2014, Brett Sokolow, a prominent advisor on campus sexual-misconduct cases, provided another window into the consensual sex that the feminist-industrial complex converts into campus rape. In an open letter to the higher-education community, he described a series of trumped-up charges with which his Title IX consulting firm had been involved, including a female student who had spread rumors by social media that she had been raped by a male student. She then admitted to investigators that she had consented to their drunken hook-up. When asked why she had called the encounter rape, she replied: You know, because we were drunk. . . . we just call it that when were drunk or high. In another case, a female student was caught by her boyfriend while cheating on him with another male student. She then filed a complaint of assault against that second male. The morning after their sexual encounter, they had exchanged texts. He wrote: How do I compare with your boyfriend? She responded to the boy she later accused of rape: You were great. In 1985, Ms. magazine published a study by psychologist Mary Koss that gave rise to the statistic that one in four college females would be sexually assaulted during college. The study also found that 42 percent of putative rape victims went on to have intercourse again with their alleged assailanta behavior inconceivable in the case of actual rape. In fact, it was the researcher herself who classified the subjects as victims; 73 percent of the women whom the researcher designated as rape survivors said that they hadnt been raped, when asked directly. According to the #BelieveSurvivors platform, the reason why most researcher-classified rape victims dont report their rapes is because the reporting process is too anti-female and re-traumatizing. In fact, most researcher-classified rape victims dont report because they dont think what happened to them was serious enough to reportanother conclusion inconceivable in the case of actual rape. In 2015, the Association of American Universities (AAU) conducted a sexual-assault survey at 27 selective colleges. The vast majority of survey respondents whom the AAU researchers classified as sexual-assault victims never reported their alleged assaults to their colleges rape hotlines, sexual-assault resource centers, or Title IX offices, much less to campus or city police. And the overwhelming reason that the alleged victims did not report is that they did not think that what happened to them was that serious. At Harvard, for example, over 69 percent of female respondents who checked the box for penetration by use of force did not report the incident to any authority. Most of those non-reporters65 percentdid not think that their experience was serious enough to report. Over 78 percent of Harvard female respondents who checked the box for penetration due to incapacitation did not report. Three-quarters of them said that what happened to them was not serious enough to report. This is a judgment not allowed by the campus rape industry. Even before the sexual revolution destroyed the norms that once governed the male libido and that steadied the relationship between the sexes, sex was the realm of ambiguity and indirection. The #BelieveSurvivors contingent asserts that survivors rarely if ever lie about their experiencesmeaning, they rarely make those experiences up out of whole cloth. This assertion is mostly true; in most cases of alleged campus rape, something did happen between the accused and the accuser. The issue is how to classify what happened. (To be sure, there are rapes that go unreported, but there are also outright fabrications, such as the Rolling Stone University of Virginia campus rape hoax, which cost the magazine millions in damages, and the Duke lacrosse team rape hoax, for which the local prosecutor lost his law license.) The #BelieveSurvivors movement claims unique authority to interpret womens experiences, even if that means ignoring a womans own classification of her experience as not rape. The rest of us need not accede to this assertion of monopoly interpretive power. Our booze-fueled hook-up culture has made relations between men and women messier than ever, leaving many girls and women with pangs of regretbut those regrets do not equal rape. If we were actually in the midst of an epidemic of sexual assault, as New Jersey senator Cory Booker asserted the evening of the Ford-Kavanaugh hearings, we would presumably have seen women and girls take protective actions, such as avoiding frat parties and flocking to single-sex schools. None of those protective actions has occurred, however. Either women are too clueless to avoid patent danger, or the epidemic of sexual assault is a fiction. All evidence points to the latter conclusion. Judge Brett Kavanaugh may be the latest male to have his life torn apart by that fiction, but he wont be the last. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Cookie Preferences Cookie List Cookie List A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website when visited by a user asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting for our advertising and marketing efforts. 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BEREA, Ohio -- Albert Baesel was a Berea farmer who simply wanted to serve his country. But the 28-year-old U.S. Army second lieutenant and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient embodied so much more than a man who worked the land. An appreciative crowd gathered in downtown Berea Sept. 27 to honor him on the exact date that he died 100 years ago while trying to save an injured comrade during World War I. The original flag that covered his casket was raised in military fashion, its worn and tattered stripes swaying gently from half-mast on the Triangle flagpole. A commemorative plaque marking the day was unveiled as a permanent fixture to the city clock tower. During the bloody Meuse-Argonne Offensive near Ivoiry, France, Baesel attempted to rescue his injured squad leader from where he lay on the battlefield. He asked permission three times to save Corporal Sterling S. Ryan before being granted his request. Upon wrapping the soldier around his shoulders to carry him to safety, both men immediately were killed. "Albert Baesel was no ordinary, everyday hero," said Mayor Cyril Kleem, acknowledging several Baesel family members in attendance. "What he did was selfless. He chose to surrender his life to help save another, and we will never forget him." Baesel served with the 148th Infantry Regiment, 37th Division, after being activated by the U.S. Army from his Ohio National Guard unit. Originally buried in France, Baesel's remains were re-interred in 1926 at Woodvale Cemetery in Middleburg Heights. American Legion Post 91 in Berea bears his name. Great-nephew Gary Cole, 67, spoke after the ceremony about the letters Baesel sent home, as well as those he received from family members, during the war. All of them were discovered in Baesel's footlocker. "He was so gung-ho and patriotic," Cole said. "He couldn't understand why everybody that was able to fight wasn't over there." Cole hopes people ponder the commemorative plaque and the ideals of patriotism, selflessness and bravery that it exemplifies. "There's something bigger here," he emphasized. "There is more to life than just what you're doing. I want people to walk up, read it and think: 'Wow. Maybe I want my kid to be like that.'" Baesel was one of only three Ohio soldiers to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor for bravery in World War I. Guest Columnist Mara Sankin-Reese works as a substance abuse treatment counselor in Cleveland. Mara Sankin-Reese Ohio's prisons are bursting at the seams, with thousands of people serving time for no other reason than drug possession. The state spends $1.8 billion to imprison 50,000 people. But the drug crisis isn't getting better. Last year, 5,232 Ohioans died from drug overdoses. We can't go on like this. That's why I support Issue 1 on the Nov. 6 ballot. If it passes, our communities will be safer, our families will be stronger, and people struggling with addiction will have a chance to get well. It's hard for people who don't suffer from addiction to understand this disease. We constantly baffle our friends and family when we promise to stop, but return to our substance of choice again and again. Even though we're in unspeakable pain and our world is crumbling, we can't give it up. This is what the recovery community refers to as "powerlessness." Despite our loved ones' sorrow, until there is a "psychic change"-- in other words, a change of thinking -- recovery is elusive. Treatment teaches how to change thought patterns associated with substance use. Now that I'm clean and sober and work as a substance abuse counselor, I know people with substance abuse disorder have brains that are wired differently -- myself included. Research from Pew Charitable Trust shows that the best way to help us achieve long-term recovery isn't through the prison system, but through sustained, high-quality treatment and rehabilitation, as well as prevention. Good treatment teaches that there are natural consequences for our actions. I educate my clients about the disease and its effects on the community, as well as how to appropriately make social amends by becoming a productive member of society. I'm well acquainted with in the science behind why prisons shouldn't be treatment centers, but I've also lived it. My husband died from an overdose. He had been sent to prison five times for nonviolent drug offenses. Prison time, multiple years of probation, social stigma and felony convictions followed him like a scarlet letter, keeping him from finding jobs and housing. Institutionalization didn't help him find bottom; it just sunk him deeper into despair. He was the first to admit that he learned how to be a smarter criminal in prison. Issue 1 does four things: * First, it reclassifies drug possession felonies as misdemeanors. There are still laws on the books that let prosecutors charge someone who possesses fewer than 20 grams of highly potent drugs like fentanyl with trafficking. * Second, Issue 1 would help inmates earn modest sentence reductions for participating in rehabilitation programs. * Third, 23 percent of people sent to Ohio's prisons each year go for probation violations, not new crimes. Issue 1 would prohibit prison sentences as punishment for these infractions. * Finally, many of Ohio's communities don't have the resources to properly address the drug crisis. A recent report by Policy Matters Ohio shows that Issue 1 would reduce Ohio's prison population by 10,000 and redirect $136 million in annual savings back to communities for treatment, education and services for crime victims. Our country has been waging a so-called war on drugs, but it's really a war on people like me, my husband and the people I treat. Those of us who haven't committed violent crimes don't need prison. We need to get well so we can be there for our families and contribute to our communities. Have something to say about this topic? Use the comments to share your thoughts, and stay informed when readers reply to your comments by using Notification Settings (in blue) just below. Readers are invited to submit Opinion page essays on topics of regional or general interest. Send your 500-word essay for consideration to Ann Norman at anorman@cleveland.com. Essays must include a brief bio and headshot of the writer. Essays rebutting today's topics are also welcome. CLEVELAND, Ohio - Ohioans who have Obamacare plans will see premium increases averaging 6.3 percent for health-insurance coverage in 2019, according to the Ohio Department of Insurance. They'll also have more coverage options. Insurers say a stabilizing marketplace has allowed them to increase premiums less and expand coverage to more counties in Ohio for 2019, after a year in which insurers largely blamed instability in Washington, D.C., for cost increases averaging 21 percent. Obamacare marketplace plans are typically purchased by those who are not insured through work, Medicaid or Medicare, roughly 230,000 Ohioans. Open enrollment runs Nov. 1 through Dec. 15. Program used to enroll Ohioans in Medicaid, Obamacare exchanges to shut down, cause layoffs Rising premiums The biggest premium increase in northeast Ohio was requested by New York-based Oscar Insurance Corp., a health insurance tech startup that entered the Ohio market with an insurance offering with the Cleveland Clinic for 2018 coverage. According to federal filings, its Classic Gold Plan will increase premiums 22.27 percent over last year. "For most insurers, not just Oscar, premiums are going up because prices for drugs and services are going up," said Kyle Estep, Ohio market director for Oscar Health. He also attributed rising rates to "misguided decisions in Washington to eliminate the individual mandate and create short-term plans that are a poor substitute for ACA (Affordable Care Act) plans." Other insurers also attributed higher costs to a number of changes at the federal level. Congress in 2017 repealed the individual mandate, which required that everyone have health insurance, or pay a fine. The mandate was intended to keep healthier people on the insurance market, which lowers costs for all insured people. Repeal of the mandate goes into effect for 2019 coverage. President Donald Trump this summer expanded Association Health Plans, through which small businesses can purchase insurance together, as well as short-term insurance plans. Those plans, however, aren't required to honor the same coverage guarantees as exchange plans. Coverage gaps in the cheaper plans, insurance experts say, could send sicker people to Obamacare plans. "With the short-term plans and with these association plans, basically the only people who might be attracted are those who don't have significant health concerns. Conversely, people more interested in traditional marketplace plans have significant health concerns," said Loren Anthes, a public policy fellow at the Center for Community Solutions, a nonpartisan think tank. Without healthier people enrolled to stabilize rates, he said, costs rise. Robert Brett, vice president of Marketplace for CareSource, a Dayton-based nonprofit health care insurer, also pointed to the elimination of the individual mandate and the rising costs of medical services and prescription drugs as the reason for premiums' increases. CareSource, which offers exchange plans in 60 of Ohio's counties, including Cuyahoga, plans to increase premiums just shy of 18 percent for its plans. "It's these factors and other federal policy changes that will most likely cause consumers with the greatest health care needs to enroll, creating a gap in Marketplace participation and ultimately a greater risk for insurers," Brett said. Expanding coverage Nationwide, 19 states, including Ohio, will have new insurance plans or expanded coverage by existing insurers on the marketplace in 2019, according to a September report by Avalere, a Washington, D.C.,-based healthcare consulting firm. "In many states, the individual market will offer stability for consumers in 2019, despite significant policy change," Elizabeth Carter, senior vice president of Avalere, said in a report. "Insurers that continue to offer plans have learned what to expect from the market." In Ohio, 10 insurers will participate in the exchange in 2019, compared to eight this year, according to the state insurance department. In all, 16 counties will only have one insurer, down from 42 in 2018. Locally, Obamacare plans will be offered by Buckeye Community Health Plan, CareSource, Medical Health Insuring Corp. of Ohio, Molina Healthcare of Ohio and Oscar. Two new players in Ohio are Indianapolis-based Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and a new arm of Oscar. Neither will offer plans in Northeast Ohio. Under the name Community Insurance Co., Anthem will offer individual health plans in 25 counties in the state next year, one year after exiting the state's marketplace over uncertainty in Washington. Anthem spokesman Jeff Blunt said the company did a "thoughtful review of marketplace stability in Ohio" before re-entering the state's exchange. "As far as how the decision was made, Anthem assesses the market each year and participates where the company believes there is sufficient stability," Blunt said. Anthem plans for 2019 are mostly limited to the southeastern part of the state. As Oscar Buckeye State Insurance Corp., Oscar will expand into the Columbus market next year. This is one of six new markets the company will enter. "Unlike last year, we are seeing more insurers join us in entering new markets, a clear sign that the markets are stabilizing and we remain confident that this trend will continue. The health care system as a whole is finally beginning to move in a more consumer-centric direction," Estep said. Oscar will offer plans in Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin and Licking counties. Until now, the insurer only offered plans in five counties in Northeast Ohio: Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain, Medina and Summit. Oscar's co-branded plans with the Clinic had 11,000 enrollments in 2018, three times the company's expectations, Estep said. People can enroll in marketplace plans using the federal site www.healthcare.gov or CuidadoDeSalud.gov or by calling the national hotline at 1-800-318-2596. Greg R. Lawson is research fellow with the Buckeye Institute. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Medicaid, as Gov. George Voinovich famously called it, is the "Pac-Man" of Ohio's budget, gobbling up an ever-greater share of taxpayer resources like pixels in a 1980s arcade game. Not surprisingly then, as Medicaid glowers over the state's annual budget and its costs and expenses continue to escalate, state policymakers routinely -- and rightly -- look for responsible ways to curb those costs in order to preserve other spending priorities without jeopardizing Ohio's fiscal future. Unfortunately, some proposed Medicaid remedies threaten to do more harm than good for Ohio. Medicaid's pharmaceutical drug program, for example, has proven notoriously expensive and in dire need of commonsense reforms. Pharmacy benefits managers, or "PBMs," have come under heavy scrutiny lately as policymakers struggle to control spiraling program costs. There are rumblings and whispers that some may be tempted to abandon Ohio's managed care system and return the state's prescription drug program to its fee-for-service model. That temptation should be resisted. Before 2011, Ohio used a fee-for-service system that paid pharmacies directly for each prescription that the pharmacy filled separately. This system created a financial incentive to dispense more expensive medications because reimbursements were tied to drug prices. And because those higher-priced drugs were reimbursed by Medicaid, Ohio taxpayers were left to pick up the tab for a necessary program at an unnecessary price. Gov. John Kasich recognized that the fee-for-service system was untenable, costing the state far more than it should, and ignoring the stubborn reality of economic incentives. Mr. Kasich transitioned Ohio Medicaid's drug benefits program to the managed care system we have today. Under the current system, the state contracts with private insurers to provide health care and pharmaceutical services, rather than managing the system itself through a bloated, state-run bureaucracy. The managed care approach allows the state to leverage private sector innovation and provider networks to better coordinate health care services, thereby avoiding duplicative efforts and eliminating the flawed, overpriced fee-for-service incentive structure. Indeed, a study commissioned by the Ohio Department of Medicaid found that the current system actually saves Ohio taxpayers $145 million annually when compared to the state's former fee-for-service protocols. And by contracting with PBMs to provide drug benefits and services, Ohio Medicaid takes better advantage of the expansive industry relationships and pharmacy networks that PBMs have built to provide patients with ready access to pharmaceuticals. PBMs can use such relationships and those they have cultivated with major pharmaceutical makers to leverage lower prices on Medicaid-covered prescription drugs. In the end, Mr. Kasich's managed care system has delivered better quality at a better price. This is not to suggest that the current system is above reproach or reform. Problems remain to be fixed and policymakers and legislators are wise to pursue solutions to perennial concerns that plague the system. As The Buckeye Institute has said before, for instance, Ohio's managed care Medicaid program -- including its PBM program -- should be more transparent. Medicaid recipients should be shown and advised of the least expensive prescriptions available and taxpayers should be told what PBMs are getting paid for their services. As the much-maligned "Pac-Man" of the state's annual budget, Medicaid costs must be controlled and services improved. But Ohio cannot afford a wistful return to the bygone fee-for-service model of yesteryear. To such a regrettable and avoidable mistake, we must say game over. Greg R. Lawson is the research fellow with The Buckeye Institute. ******** Have something to say about this topic? Use the comments to share your thoughts. Then, stay informed when readers reply to your comments by using the "Follow" option at the top of the comments, and look for updates via the small blue bell in the lower right as you look at more stories on cleveland.com. Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain. Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred. For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here. Pence said the administration will continue to respect the One China Policy, but added: "America will always believe Taiwan's embrace of democracy shows a better path for all the Chinese people". 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. USA warships and combat planes, as well as ground troops, would be mobilized for the operation. We want to solve it through negotiation and consultation between the two sides. He also criticised China's "aggression" in the South China Sea, its "debt diplomacy", theft of U.S. technology, crackdown on religious practice at home and its squeezing of Taiwan's worldwide space, among other things. Peace and stability could be on the edge of collapse at some point. China has retaliated with tariffs of its own on products such as soybeans and pork. China's response came one day after Pence on Thursday accused Beijing of waging an "unprecedented effort to influence American public opinion" ahead of critical congressional elections in November. He delivered the speech to a right-wing Washington, DC think tank, the Hudson Institute. "Instead, China has chosen economic aggression, which has in turn emboldened its growing military". Washington has long cited China as a major culprit in the hacking of USA government and corporate databases. It was confronted by a Chinese destroyer, with the two vessels coming within 45 feet of each other. "China has built a State surveillance unparalleled, which continues to grow and become more intrusive, often with the help of american technology", -he said. "We will not be intimidated and we will not stand down". Indeed, as the CNN report indicates, Washington is preparing far more massive and risky provocations. Beijing claims nearly all of South China Sea. Of course, the American vice president neglected to mention that Beijing's military spending amounts to barely a third of the amount allocated by Washington. China wants to see "another us President", he added. China has slammed as "very ridiculous" US Vice-President Mike Pence's "unwarranted accusations" that it is meddling in the United States' internal affairs and elections. Pence accused China of mobilising "covert actors, front groups and propaganda outlets" to change United States citizens' perception of Chinese policies. The vice president pointed to an advertising supplement that China ran in the The Des Moines Register, which he said "cast our trade policies as reckless and harmful to Iowans". China is meddling in America's democracy... Such paid supplements by foreign governments are commonplace in USA newspapers, but Pence complained that the United States was not allowed to print similar advertisements in China s state-controlled press. "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". Senator Marco Rubio in a statement welcomed the new United States policy towards China. welcome the Administration's heightened commitment to confront China's aggression. And Trump's first national security strategy released a year ago labeled China a "revisionist power" alongside Russian Federation. A report from the group said: "The speech is indicative of a broader shift across the U.S. government towards a more confrontational stance towards China". The Trump administration also asserted Thursday that Chinese "economic aggression" has helped undermine the global competitiveness of defense-oriented USA industries. Steve Dettelbach Ohioans have two compelling options for state attorney general in the upcoming Nov. 6 election. Republican Dave Yost and Democrat Steve Dettelbach are both experienced, well-prepared and highly qualified for the office. Both have had long and successful careers, including on the prosecutorial side of the law but also in private practice. Both also are justifiably proud of their public work thus far. Dettelbach, 52, of Solon, spent six-plus years as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, prosecuting many high-profile cases, including against drug cartels and child predators. Yost, 61, of Columbus, has served as Ohio auditor for the last eight years, pursuing investigations that have started scores of malefactors on their way to justice, including in a number of cases prosecuted by Dettelbach's office. Each candidate also, unfortunately, appears to be highly partisan - an unavoidable reality in the world of electoral politics but an unfortunate trait for a job that is best done with a nonpartisan approach. Yet each has proven over the years to have no compunction about prosecuting members of his own party. This is the first attempt at elective office for Dettelbach, a product of Greater Cleveland's Hawken School who holds degrees from Dartmouth and Harvard Law. His background includes stints in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, as an assistant U.S. Attorney and as commissioner of the Ohio Ethics Commission. He was a partner at the Baker & Hostetler law firm, which has done legal work for both The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com. Yost has spent significantly more time in the political arena. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University and Capital University Law School who spent four years as a reporter for the defunct Columbus Citizen-Journal. Prior to his two terms as state auditor he served two terms as county prosecutor and one term as county auditor in Delaware County, and served briefly on Delaware City Council and was a partner in a small law firm in Delaware, Burkam, Yost & Fuller. There is a tiebreaker in this decision, however, and it comes in the form of the long-running ECOT (Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow) scandal that has hung like a millstone around the neck of a number of Republicans on the Ohio ballot this year who took large campaign contributions from those connected to the now-shuttered online charter school. That includes Yost, who's announced he's given more than $29,000 in ECOT-related contributions to charity but denies the campaign donations impacted his actions. But as auditor for the last eight years, Yost is in the dock for not more aggressively investigating ECOT for the estimated tens of millions of dollars it overcharged the state by cooking the books on online attendance -- even after a whistleblower notified Yost's office that skullduggery was afoot. Yost says he deferred to a deal the Ohio Department of Education had struck at the time, that limited early counts to enrollment only, not other measures. And it was Yost whose audit that has led to some recovery for Ohioans. But the fact remains that the whistleblower's warning came in 2014 and Yost's office did not start investigating with gusto until 2016. And accepting the campaign contributions put him in a compromising position, at the very least. We can't look past those errors in judgment, and voters should not, either. Steve Dettelbach should be the voters' choice for attorney general on the Nov. 6 ballot. Early voting starts Wednesday. Early in-person and absentee voting for the Nov. 6 election begins Oct. 10. For more resources on Ohio races, consult the League of Women Voters' voters' guide. Republican Ohio Auditor Dave Yost and former U.S. attorney Steve Dettelbach, a Democrat, are competing to become the next Ohio attorney general. The two candidates were interviewed by the editorial board of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer on Oct. 1, 2018 as part of its endorsement process. Listen to full audio of the interview below: About our editorials: Editorials express the view of the editorial board of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer -- the senior leadership and editorial-writing staff. As is traditional, editorials are unsigned and intended to be seen as the voice of the news organization. Have something to say about this topic? * Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication. * Email general questions about our editorial board or comments on this editorial to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com. * Use the comments to share your thoughts. Then, stay informed when readers reply to your comments by using the "Follow" option at the top of the comments, & look for updates via the small blue bell in the lower right as you look at more stories on cleveland.com. COLUMBUS, Ohio - Columbus' Franklinton neighborhood is also known as the Bottoms, because of its low-lying geography and because it has been home to a population at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder. The Bottoms, however, are trending up, as private and public investors flood the neighborhood (pun intended). The opening this month of the National Veterans Memorial and Museum is just the latest development in Franklinton, across the Scioto River from downtown. Related: The neighborhood has earned a new nickname in recent years, "the next Short North," a reference to the once edgy, increasingly upscale neighborhood between downtown and the Ohio State University campus. Artists, pushed out of the Short North because of skyrocketing property values, are taking up residency in long-abandoned factories in Franklinton. "It's become a hot spot for the creative class," said Trent Smith, a long-time resident and executive director of the Franklinton Board of Trade, a nonprofit that's part chamber of commerce and part community association. Smith credits the neighborhood's turnaround, in large part, to the construction of a floodwall along the Scioto River, completed in 2004. Twenty years before, in the early 1980s, the federal government declared the area a floodplain, imposing rules that essentially halted building and investment in the neighborhood. Franklinton, according to Smith, "was left to fester," and became known for high poverty and high crime. Though problems remain, he said, the neighborhood is slowly inching back. Among the developments: * COSI, the city's highly-rated science museum, moved into the far eastern part of the neighborhood in 1999, taking over the vacant former Central High School on land that has become known as the Scioto Peninsula. Last year, COSI unveiled a major expansion in partnership with the American Museum of Natural History. * The Scioto Mile, 145 acres of parkland and greenspace on both sides of the Scioto River, was completed in 2015. * And later this month, the National Veterans Memorial and Museum will open across Broad Street from COSI, making the neighborhood a destination for locals and tourists alike. Grand opening is Saturday, Oct. 27. In addition, a collection of restaurants and craft breweries has created a cluster of activity along W. Town Street, a few blocks from the two museums. Among them: Strongwater Food and Spirits, a restaurant and event center located inside the old showroom and offices of the D.A. Ebinger Sanitary Manufacturing Co., which made porcelain drinking fountains. Also nearby: the Land-Grant Brewing Co., which opened here in 2014; and BrewDog Franklinton, the Scottish brewery's third Columbus outpost, with a roof-top patio offering downtown views. (Related: Ohio's new brewery hotel, BrewDog's Doghouse, offers in-room taps, beer for breakfast) Strongwater Food and Spirits, which opened in the arts building at 400 W. Rich Street in Franklinton, Thursday, February 6, 2014. The entrance is on W Town Street. (Dispatch photo by Courtney Hergesheimer) Meanwhile, several high-impact residential developments are nearing completion a few blocks from the riverfront, including River & Rich, located on the former site of a large public housing complex, and the Gravity project, a creative space rising on either side of Broad Street. Smith said the neighborhood's population is expected to double to perhaps 20,000 in the next five to seven years. There's one high-profile project in the neighborhood, however, that has been temporarily waylaid. A major mixed-use development slated for 56 acres just west of COSI hit a snag earlier this year when the Indianapolis developer backed out of the project. It's now being managed by the Columbus Downtown Development Corp., the private, nonprofit group that also developed the National Veterans Memorial and Museum. According to local reports, this proposed development is on land that is also part of the city's pitch to Amazon, which included Columbus on its short list of 20 finalists in the competition for the company's second headquarters. Assuming the land is not snagged by Amazon, development plans call for up to 1,700 residential units, retail, office space and a hotel, to be completed over 10 years. For the most part, investment in Franklinton has taken place just west of downtown, in an area known as East Franklinton. The neighborhood west of Ohio 315, sometimes referred to as West Franklinton, is more residential than East Franklinton, and has largely been ignored by investors, according to Smith, though he expects that may change in the coming years. Among the reasons why: the neighborhood is ideally located, with easy access to both downtown and several major highways. Smith pointed out that Franklinton, founded in 1797, is the city's oldest neighborhood - 15 years older than Columbus itself. In the mid-1800s, Franklinton was incorporated into its neighbor across the river. While Smith applauds the investment, he said there is concern among some long-time residents that gentrification will eventually price them out of the neighborhood - much like has occurred in the Short North. Smith and others are hoping that doesn't happen. "We want to see the neighborhood improve," he said, "but we want that without displacing the people who live here." More information: Franklinton Fridays The neighborhood hosts an open house, of sorts, on Franklinton Fridays, held the second Friday of every month. Among the activities: art demonstrations, live music, theater, food and more. The event runs roughly 6 p.m.-10 p.m. The next one is Oct. 12. For information: franklintonfridays.com. He spoke to CNBC in a phone interview on Friday afternoon from the streets of Times Square. "It was a zoo," Volpi said, in reference to the number of people in the room. "I barely got a coffee in my hand." Finally, on Friday morning, Volpi stopped by Elastic's breakfast at the New York Stock Exchange, where he greeted some of Elastic's 240-person contingent that was in town for bell ringing at the Big Board. It was a whirlwind few days for Volpi, who left San Francisco early in the week for meetings in London and Paris with Index's limited partners and other investors. On Thursday, shortly after the Cloudera-Hortonworks deal was made public, he flew to New York, where he and other Elastic board members met for three hours to price the software company's IPO and allocate shares. On Wednesday, Hortonworks , a big-data software company backed by Volpi, announced that it was merging with competitor Cloudera . Two days later, another one of Volpi's companies, Elastic , started trading on the New York Stock Exchange and doubled in value in its debut. Mike Volpi of Index Ventures started investing in open-source software companies when it wasn't clear if they could make much money. This past week more than any before it has validated his conviction that they can. Volpi is one of the few venture capitalists to make a name investing in open-source software, a difficult task because it often requires that companies successfully commercialize a product that also has a free version customers can use. Another big investor in the space is Benchmark's Peter Fenton, who also backed both Elastic and Hortonworks. Volpi first poured money in Hortonworks in 2011 and followed by investing in Elastic in 2013. At the time, many of his counterparts in venture were skeptical, but today Elastic is worth close to $5 billion and the combination of Cloudera and Hortonworks is valued at over $5 billion. Now, Volpi said, the open-source deals are much more competitive. That's to be expected considering Salesforce spent $6.5 billion this year on MuleSoft, and Microsoft shelled out $1 billion more than that for GitHub. Both were venture-backed open-source companies. "Investors are very straightforwardly motivated by making money," said Volpi, who was a senior executive at Cisco prior to his years in venture capital. "If they see other people making money they jump into the fray. Today there are a lot of top-tier venture firms who jump into open source. It was contrarian six to seven years ago; it's not contrarian anymore." Index's current stake in Elastic, which sells software for business search and data analytics, is worth $460 million. The firm's Hortonworks shares are valued at almost $54 million, according to FactSet. Volpi said most of the work on the Cloudera-Hortonworks deal was done last week. Part of what made it difficult was the historic rivalry between the two companies, which both commercialize Hadoop data tools, he said. Cloudera CEO Tom Reilly said that at an all-hands meeting at the company's Silicon Valley headquarters on Thursday, many employees were in shock. But that turned to excitement when they started to realize the potential growth and cost savings, he said. Joseph Jacks is one of the new investors in the open-source arena, having seen how powerful it can be to have large communities of developers contributing to a single project. Jacks, who previously co-founded Kismatic, a start-up focused on the deployment of the Kubernetes open-source software, announced the formation this week of OSS Capital, which aims to invest solely in open-source start-ups and provide them with advice on matters like finance and law. "I think this is the most profoundly exciting week for commercial open source in the history of commercial open source going back 20 years," Jacks told CNBC in an interview. "Our slogan is open-source software eats everything." In addition to the Cloudera-Hortonworks merger and the Elastic IPO Jacks also talked up big funding rounds for companies like JFrog, which is commercializing the Artifactory open-source software. He saw all those headlines fly by this week from his office in San Francisco. For Volpi, the long week was slated to end back in San Francisco on Friday night, after another meeting in New York with a portfolio company and a couple more press briefings. "I'm not sure what time zone I'm in and I haven't gotten a lot of sleep," he said, a few hours before heading to the airport. "It's been a little busy this week." -- CNBC's Ari Levy contributed to this report. For people who identify as transgender, going to the doctor can be an ordeal. The potential for discrimination, lack of caregiver knowledge, harassment, violence and refusal of medical services can make it more difficult for transgender patients to stay healthy. The situation in Columbia is improving, but barriers still remain, with potentially dangerous consequences. Apple and Amazon have strenuously denied Bloombergs claims of a sophisticated hardware exploit against servers belonging to them and numerous other entities, including U.S. law enforcement Chinese, Apple and chips Put in very simple terms, the claim is that malicious chips were found inside servers used in data centers belonging to the tech firms. These chips (its claimed) worked to exfiltrate data from those servers, which were themselves sourced from server manufacturer Super Micro. That companys server products are/were also used by Amazon, the U.S. government, and 30 other organizations. The chips were allegedly put in place by employees bribed by Chinese government agents. If thats true, this constitutes a severe security incident. The reporters claim to have a number of witnesses to these events, though all parties strenuously deny the allegations. To get up to date, read these reports: Bloombergs assertion Apples rebuttal. Amazons denial. Super Micros refutal. U.K. government's National Cyber Security Center backs Apple and Amazon's denials. U.S. government Department of Homeland Security also supports Apple and Amazon's denials of these claims. Here are some thoughts on the claims: 1. Everyone denies the claims Apple, Amazon, and Super Micro have all issued strongly worded statements in which they refute these allegations (above). Not only will those rebuttals have gone through a rigorous legal screening process to ensure veracity, but the fact that government agencies may also have been hit means the legal side of this matter must be a high-stakes game. Apples statement concedes a previously reported 2016 incident when the company found an infected driver on a single Super Micro server in one of its labs, but it said this was found to be accidental and not a targeted attack against Apple. The denials are so strenuous that it seems reasonable to think that if the Bloomberg report does turn out to be true, then all three tech firms must be telling untruths. I dont feel thats likely. 2. The spying games The world is full of hackers, cyber criminals, and spies. Governments spy on their own people and on each other. Security is always being tested in many different ways. This is why strategically important entities like Apple have their own incident response teams tasked with monitoring their systems for any signs of the kind of data exfiltration mentioned in this report. Apple is well aware of the nature of an advanced persistent threat (APT) in which an intruder has found a way to lurk surreptitiously inside a companys systems to steal secrets and intellectual property. The company says it works to constantly fortify itself against increasingly sophisticated attacks. This would also include attempts to insert malware (or fake components) inside new machines it placed inside its networks, such as Bloombergs claimed spy chips. It would seems strange that neither Apple nor Amazon would notice the unusual network activity that would be generated by a processor hack like this. 3. Inside the FUD processor The Registers Kieren McCarthy has an interesting take on the physical capabilities of the kind of chip described by Bloomberg. Its well worth a read. His conclusion is that while the exploit may be possible, it is extremely complex and the rogue chip described in the report would be a technically highly complex piece of hardware to create. I cant help but think that if government spies went to the trouble and expense of creating a spy chip like the one described in the report, then theyd be likely to also attempt to install it into servers belonging to other major companies, such as Microsoft or Google. It seems more likely they would than that they wouldnt. 4. Who watches the watchmen? The primary source seems to come from a tech/government meeting of a few dozen people that took place in 2015. Bloomberg has taken this story and added evidence garnered from other sources to craft its claims, in which it cites anonymous insiders from Apple, Amazon, and U.S. law enforcement. I cant help but wonder why it has no input from other major tech companies that would be more likely to be impacted, given their cloud-based enterprise offerings. If the rogue processor exists at all, why wouldnt similar attempts also be made against Cisco, Google, Microsoft, and Oracle? Were contacts at those companies asked about this story? To what extent have these claims emerged from competitors of the named firms who may also have attended that meeting? The story also hinges on a report that witnesses told Bloomberg exists but the reporters do not claim to have seen. Where did this alleged report come from? Who commissioned it? Who wrote it? Should we trust who claims to have seen it? asks McCarthy. 5. What's in a word? Ive written about Apple for decades. Ive seen claims come, and Ive seen claims go. With that in mind, I find it difficult to understand why the company has chosen to comment on this occasion. It would not be unusual for it to decline comment on grounds of "national security." That it has commented suggests (as the company states) that it is not under any form of gagging order on this matter which Id imagine it would be if this story were true. Where the puck is going True or false, I think the report illustrates several matters that should inform any enterprise security professionals outlook: It is highly probable that sophisticated attempts to place digital spies inside enterprise systems are already taking place. Perpetrators could be highly organized criminals or state-sponsored entities. Many enterprises may already have been penetrated by some form of APT attack. It seems likely numerous agencies are attempting to undermine hardware security by placing software-based backdoors or hardware-based vulnerabilities inside shipping systems. Enterprises should watch for and resist all such attempts. It is definite that traditional security models around maintaining perimeter defense are no longer adequate to protect systems. Its not enough to place a wall against external attacks; it is now important to monitor internal systems for signs of vulnerability. AI self-defense may help in this. Network monitoring, analysis of file and folder content in search of unauthorized data archives and investigation of overnight logins by accounts with high access rights may help identify covert invasions. If these rogue chips existed, they would have needed somewhere to store the data they were attempting to exfiltrate, as well as the network bandwidth to transmit it at an indeterminate point. Which servers do your systems talk to? Do you use whitelisting or geofencing to protect against unauthorized incursions? Modern computer security requires forensic investigation, network analysis, and incident containment skills to supplement good security practices. If it comes in a box check it, verify it, and change its default passwords. Signing-off, Im not personally convinced Bloomberg has its story straight on this matter, but the tale helps illustrate the complex security environment of our increasingly connected yet tragically polarized age. Updated October 7 with Department of Homeland Security rejection of Bloomberg claims. Google+? If you use social media and happen to be a Google+ user, why not join AppleHolic's Kool Aid Corner community and get involved with the conversation as we pursue the spirit of the New Model Apple? Got a story? Please drop me a line via Twitter and let me know. I'd like it if you chose to follow me on Twitter so I can let you know about new articles I publish and reports I find. US Navy's Pacific Fleet's draft has proposed that a series of operations should be conducted in a single week in November, CNN reported quoting several US defence officials. U.S. 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. "Beijing has mobilized covert actors, front groups, and propaganda outlets to shift Americans' perception of Chinese policies", Pence will say in a speech at the Hudson Institute in Washington, according to prepared remarks. Chinese foreign ministry officials were also upset by United States claims that China had cancel the talks themselves, saying it was "irresponsible" to make such claims when China had only done so at the request of U.S. officials. In recent days the USA consulate in Hong Kong said China had denied a request for a port call by the US navy's amphibious assault ship the USS Wasp. Wednesday's development comes just days after what the Pentagon has called an "unsafe" encounter between USA and Chinese destroyers in the South China Sea. A Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion Iron Horse helicopter takes off from the deck of the USS Wasp over a Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey on January 4, 2012. Sunday wasn't the first time that the two militaries have had a near miss in the South China Sea. The United States and China are embroiled in a trade war, sparked by Trump's accusations that China has long sought to steal US intellectual property, limit access to its own market and unfairly subsidise state-owned companies. He explained that China prioritizes the erosion of American military power. Pence claims China's aggression was on display when its warship came within about 40 meters of the USS Decatur that was conducting freedom-of-navigation operations. He says the USA "will not be intimidated" as it counters China's increasing maritime presence. "As the Secretary of Defense has said on countless occasions, we don't comment on future operations of any kind", said Lt Col David Eastburn, a Pentagon spokesman. Last month, roughly 3,200 Chinese soldiers and 30 aircraft participated in Russia's largest military drills since the Cold War. If the initial proposal is approved, the missions could be expanded close to Russian territory, it said. He was speaking at a Washington think tank. "We are in a phase of open, full-spectrum peer competition". EU signals new cautious optimism and the chance of a deal breakthrough They will offer May supercharged free trade deal, but no frictionless trade Sunday Telegraph Tusk says deal could be sorted this year Sunday Express Meanwhile, Juncker complains about British press The Sun on Sunday And Macron woos British-based carmakers Observer EU diplomats are primed for accelerated Brexit talks this week and expect some British proposals on the Irish border that could help to unlock the UKs exit deal, even as agreement on the future EU relationship remains elusive. Senior diplomats said there was a mood of cautious optimism on Friday evening after members of Brexit negotiator Michel Barniers team briefed them on signals that the UK was ready to come forward with a new Irish border plan. The new proposal could revive talks that have been stalled for nearly four months. People feel there is now a window of opportunity opening up, said one EU negotiator. This window will not get any wider, so people on both sides feel now is the moment to get a breakthrough. The Sunday Times >Today: ToryDiary: Canadians v Norwegians. How the Cabinet lines up on alternatives to Chequers As May steps up no deal planning Theresa May has ordered officials to step up crisis planning for a no deal Brexit. The PM wants measures in place to keep Britain moving if she returns empty-handed from crunch EU talks. Ministers have identified eight worst case scenarios which could arise if we crash out without an agreement. They include drug, fuel and energy shortages, collapse of the pound and house prices and businesses relocating. But last night Brexiteers claimed Downing Street was in a state of panic over the likely failure of her Chequers plan. They dismissed warnings of chaos as Project Fear reborn for the umpteenth time. A senior No 10 official has hosted informal dinners with Eurosceptic MP in a bid to get them behind the blueprint, The Sun on Sunday can reveal. Guests were warned of an absolute car crash if Britain leaves without a deal on March 29. The Sun on Sunday Theyve been war gaming possibilities Mail on Sunday Rees-Mogg, Duncan Smith, and other Brexiters back impasse solution of stationing EU officials at UK ports Varadkar hopeful for progress in next fortnight Sunday Express Leading Brexiteers have backed a package of concessions to help unlock a Canada-style trade deal with Brussels. Senior members of the Conservatives 60-strong European Research Group (ERG) have told The Telegraph they would support EU officials being stationed at UK ports after Brexit to break the impasse with Brussels. The MPs, including Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader, and Jacob Rees-Mogg, the ERG chairman, also suggest that they would support the Government enforcing EU rules on goods exported to the bloc by firms in this country. Brexiteers regard both proposals as a significant concession to help avoid a hard border with Northern Ireland, while paving the way for a much looser relationship with the EU than under the common rulebook envisaged by Theresa Mays Chequers plan. Sunday Telegraph >Today: Jason Reed in Comment: The DUPs threats are in vain. May doesnt need them any more Duncan Smith: This is the way forward: there is no need for a backstop A clear and detailed paper by former Northern Ireland Secretaries Owen Paterson and Theresa Villiers, along with David Davis and Lord Trimble, showed that there is no need for a hard border or a backstop. We also need to reassure the EU that their regulatory standards can be upheld and enforced. We can do so by conducting regulatory and customs checks together in a way that respects the single market, by building on systems already in place at the Channel Ports. The UK has long had arrangements with France under the Le Touquet Treaty where passports are checked by French officers at Dover and UK officers in Calais. Why? To ensure that border controls are frictionless and avoid delays. These juxtaposed controls and information sharing have been hugely successful in speeding transport, catching crooks and preventing illegal immigrants sneaking into the UK. Sunday Telegraph Editorial: We mustnt pay the divorce bill yet. May needs to stick to red lines The Sun on Sunday ERG threatens to vote down budget if May doesnt toughen Brexit stance SNP could back double referendum rerun Members of the European Research Group (ERG) threatened to vote down Government legislation last night, after claims the Prime Minister will use Labour MPs to push her Chequers plan through the Commons. At the annual Conservative Party Conference last week, all 18 cabinet ministers gave their backing for May to reach a deal and MPs would then up approving it. Yesterday however, Veteran Eurosceptic Bernard Jenkin told a WhatsApp group of Tory MPs if Mrs May failed to deliver an EU deal they saw acceptable, Brexiteers could defy No.10 on other key votes. He wrote: Make no mistake. A soft/non-Brexit pushed by the Conservative establishment but put through with Labour support will look like we are abandoning our supporters and remove any sense of obligation among Conservative Brexit-supporting MPs to continue to support the Government. Sunday Express The Scottish National party could support a second referendum on Brexit if there were guarantees Scotland could also hold another vote on independence, its Westminster leader has said. Ian Blackford said the SNP wanted clear assurances that if a majority of Scottish voters again chose to remain in the EU but the opposite happened in the rest of the UK, then Scotland would not be forced to accept the result. Speaking on the eve of the SNPs annual conference in Glasgow, Blackford said the party would not countenance a repeat the 2016 EU referendum, when Scotland voted heavily to remain but had to face leaving the EU with the rest of the UK. He said it would be very, very difficult for those campaigning for a fresh Brexit vote to deny Scotland a second independence referendum under those circumstances. Observer Meanwhile, heres the latest on the legacy scandal Belfast News Letter Comment: Nobodys expecting Sturgeon to set out a timeline for IndyRef2 Iain Macwhirter, Herald >Today: ToryDiary: Scottish Labour may yet do Britain a service by sparing it Corbyn May: Heres why Labour voters should think about supporting me Ministers are plotting to remove May next spring. Four would resign to force her out The Sunday Times Osborne to back Javid by naming him top of greatest Londoners The Sunday Times Tensions between May and Hammond ahead of budget after her end of austerity claims I want the Conservatives to be a party for the whole country. I believe that the principles that guide us security for families and the country, freedom under the rule of law and opportunity for everyone can unite our people and help build a better future for our country. That responsibility also rests on our shoulders because of what has happened to Labour over the past few years. Millions of people who have supported Labour all their lives are appalled by what has happened to a once-great party under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. Antisemitism has grown, the partys response to threats to our countrys security has become equivocal, and moderate Labour MPs have become targets for deselection and harassment. These are all alien to Labours best traditions. I want voters who may previously have thought of themselves as Labour supporters to look at my government afresh. They will find a decent, moderate and patriotic programme that is worthy of their support. Observer Theresa Mays pledge to end austerity has ramped up tensions with Philip Hammonds Treasury with allies of the Chancellor complaining that they were railroaded into it to ensure that she enjoyed a successful party conference. The Prime Minister used the Birmingham gathering to announce a boom in council house building and a freeze in fuel duty, heralding the end of the swingeing public spending cuts introduced by David Cameron in 2010. She said that austerity would come to an end in next years spending review, when Mr Hammond will set out the spending targets for Government departments. Mrs Mays move pleased party activists keen to neutralise the electoral threat of Jeremy Corbyn but has left Mr Hammond struggling to balance the books for this months Budget. Mail on Sunday And Ellwood calls for tax to be refunded on Tommy figures Sunday Telegraph Editorial: Hammond must avoid the Money, Money, Money approach The Sunday Times Home Office to announce lifting of restrictions on medical cannabis within fortnight Gove suggests opening up domestic dumps for people to find useful items Medical cannabis will be available on prescription in the UK within a month, The Telegraph can reveal. The Home Office will announce the rescheduling of cannabis-derived medicines in Parliament, lifting restrictions which mean that until now it has only been allowed in the most exceptional circumstances. Under the new rules, those suffering chronic pain, severe epilepsy or nausea as a result of chemotherapy could be prescribed the drug by specialist doctors, this newspaper understands. An announcement is expected in Parliament within a fortnight allowing the drug to be legally prescribed within a matter of weeks. Sunday Telegraph Michael Gove has a plan to boost post-Brexit Britain open the nations waste dumps for business. The environment secretary wants all council waste sites to let people pick over reject appliances, old TVs and half-used paint cans to find things they can use. If some find the idea Dickensian, they could be right. Gove is a fan of Charles Dickens one of whose books, Our Mutual Friend, is about a family who become rich by sifting rubbish for valuables. Gove said he wanted a change in the law on domestic dumps so that people could recover others cast-offs. We must reduce the amount of material we waste, he told a meeting. The Sunday Times Cabinet majority now think greenbelt land should be freed up for housing The public agree we need to build more. But theyre not convinced it should happen on the greenbelt Robert Colvile, Sunday Telegraph A majority of Theresa Mays Cabinet want the Prime Minister to relax green belt restrictions to help tackle the housing crisis, The Telegraph has been told. Senior ministers believe Mrs Mays current policies will fail to build the homes Britain needs, insisting she must consider more radical measures such as liberalising planning laws. One claimed that a majority of the Cabinet now support a relaxation of rules governing the green belt, if done carefully. Addressing historic concerns about the groundswell of Conservative opposition to such a move, the cabinet minister said that, as a result of the housing crisis, the mood has changed. Sunday Telegraph More Conservatives Will ministers take on Onward plan for new Help to Buy tenant scheme? The Sunday Times Hancock speaks about his dyslexia The Sunday Times Thoughts on the future Ruth Davidson, Sunday Telegraph Reason beats socialism down Daniel Hannan, Sunday Telegraph Kavanaugh is confirmed The US Senate has voted to confirm judge Brett Kavanaugh to the supreme court, handing Donald Trump a major victory and America a bench expected to tilt to the right for the next generation. The vote was almost a foregone conclusion after the dominant Republican party secured majority support during a procedural vote on Friday amid crackling tension, furious protests and high drama on Capitol Hill. But the final vote was still a monumental development in a sharply divided America. It came down to stark political loyalties in the face of multiple accusations of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh from his past, which brought up current questions about his honesty, temperament and partisanship during testimony. Kavanaugh has strongly denied all allegations of such misconduct. Votes fell almost entirely along party lines and the nomination passed narrowly, 50-48, one of the closest votes in the history of the court. The vote was interrupted at least four times by protesters in the gallery. Observer Comment: My anger at this Claire Cohen, Sunday Telegraph News in Brief A narrative is gaining shape that the Brexit negotiation will be settled by the Cabinet enforcing a Canada-style plan on Theresa May. To weigh whether thats likely to happen or not, lets have a quick look at where its members stand (full members only). Canadians Liam Fox has warned against free movement and customs union membership. Liam Fox has warned against free movement and customs union membership. Sajid Javid didnt back Brexit, but believes that if its to be done, it must be done visibly and properly. Esther McVey hasnt come out for the Chequers plan publicly, on Downing Streets resignation watch list. Penny Mordaunt Ditto. Dominic Raab in a difficult position, since the job requires sticking closely to the Prime Minister. Probables/possibles Jeremy Hunt mobile, but has indicated intellectual sympathy for a Canada-type deal. Gavin Williamson backed Leavers in the key Cabinet committee on Brexit (which no longer meets). Norwegians Philip Hammond wants to stay as close as possible to the Single Market. Philip Hammond wants to stay as close as possible to the Single Market. Greg Clark stresses frictionless trade in goods, a key part of the Chequers proposals. Probables/possibles David Lidington. David Gauke. Damian Hinds. Unknowns/undecideds Michael Gove has publicly distanced himself from the third way, Norway-to-Canada plan now being pushed by his supporter, Nick Boles, but has floated EEA membership, and other options, to Conservative MPs. Chris Grayling voted for Brexit but, as Mays former campaign manager, the ultimate loyalist. James Brokenshire a May appointee in Cabinet, so reliant on her patronage. Karen Bradley ditto. Brandon Lewis ditto. David Mundell will be mindful of the political culture of Scotland, which voted to remain in the EU. Baroness Evans voted for Brexit but, as Leader of the Lords, will be bound by her obligations to the Prime Minister and sensitive to the pro-Remain sympathies of the upper house. Alun Cairns. Matt Hancock. Jeremy Wright. With the Chancellor straining one way and the Home Secretary the other, plus a significant chunk of Cabinet members who are unlikely to push the Prime Minister one way or the other, it is difficult to see the top table uniting to urge taking one of the two available routes. The Canadians are a bigger block than the Norwegians, but dont have anything like a majority around the Cabinet table, at least at the moment. But with the Chequers proposals on separating manufacturing from services apparently dead, and with the EU opposed to Mays customs scheme, something will have to give somewhere though the most likely deal to be put to Parliament, if there is one, will be agreement on the Withdrawal Deal (which is why so much energy is currently being devoted to the backstop), plus a Cheqada political declaration that is unspecific on important essentials. Original review: Oct. 30, 2021 I received a brochure from Paula Young Wigs. I called their customer service, placed an order for a wig. When received, it was not the quality I expected nor the color. I called cust svc, requested a refund because I was charged the wrong amt, charged excessive shipping rates, which I was supposed to have free shipping according to the brochure. In the brochure the wig was $39.99, I was charged $44.99 and when questioned was told that particular color was an extra $5!! I was not informed of these charges! I was also charged $2.99 for "Protection plus" and an additional $1.30 for covid delivery surcharge!! I was never advised of any of these charges!! CORNWALL, Ontario Avery Trudeau, 19, and Brill Trudeau, 21, both of Cornwall, were arrested on Oct. 2, 2018 and charged with assault cause bodily harm. Avery Trudeau was also charged with breach of probation for failing to keep the peace. It is alleged on Oct. 1, 2018, both males assaulted a man known to them, causing him to seek medical attention for his injuries. Police were contacted and an investigation ensued. On Oct. 2, 2018, both men were taken into custody, charged accordingly and released to appear in court on Nov. 15, 2018. Naomi Osaka of Japan rallied from a set down - and from 1-4 in the final set - to see off Zhang Shuai and reach the semifinals of the China Open, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5. The Japanese moved on to plan B, began to prefer placement to pace and adapted her game when she couldn't get satisfaction in her massive groundstrokes. Zhang raced into an early lead and held firm to clinch the opening set comfortably. Zhang has a 2-2 win-loss record against Osaka and beat the Japanese player in their last meeting in Madrid this season. Sevastova defeated Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova 6-3, 7-6 (5) in their quarterfinal. Four tight errors in the first game and a double fault on the double break point gave Zhang a 3-0 lead. But Osaka responded with a break of her own, firing off a forehand victor down the line that left Zhang powerless to answer. Osaka seized on her opportunity to finally get into the rhythm that reminds any observer why she has just qualified for Singapore, breaking Zhang to level at 5-all as her backhand began to really find its mark. Her chopstick skills might not be the best but Naomi Osaka says an improvement in her focus is behind a run of success that culminated in winning the US Open. She went to serve for the match at 5-3 but Osaka suddenly found her range. She fought back, however, and eventually proved too strong for her Chinese opponent, prevailing in two hours and 33 minutes. "I was sort of apologizing for my behavior because I was kind of stressed", Osaka said when asked what the pair spoke about at the net following the match. Osaka is now due face Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova in the next round. Osaka, the eighth seed in Beijing, similarly thrashed unseeded American Danielle Collins 6-1, 6-0 in the previous round and is showcasing the ruthlessness that saw her beat Williams in a controversial NY final. CAIRO - The visual was striking - Melania Trump stood in front of Egypt's Great Sphinx, doing something she rarely does: Speaking about the news of the day. Reporters traveling with her as she traversed Africa this week asked her about the news back home of the confirmation of the president's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the allegations by Christine Blasey Ford that he sexually assaulted her. "I'm glad that Dr. Ford was heard," the first lady said. "I'm glad that Judge Kavanaugh was heard, FBI investigation was done, is completed, and [the] Senate voted." She spoke of sexual assault victims who have been speaking up, sounding a far more sympathetic note than President Trump, who has mocked Ford. "We need to help all the victims, no matter what kind of abuse they had," she said. "I'm against any kind of abuse." The first lady, who so often comes across as sphinx-like herself and has often remained silent amid the din of her husband's administration, was unusually outspoken. "I don't always agree what he tweets and I tell him that. I give him my honest opinion and honest advice. Sometimes he listens sometimes he doesn't. I have my own voice and my opinions and it's very important to me that I express how I feel." Asked if she has ever told him to put his phone down, she replied, "Yes!" As she prepared to end her trip, she lamented the social-media mocking of a pith helmet she wore in Kenya - a sartorial choice many saw as a throwback to the colonial era - saying she wished people would "focus on what I do, not what I wear." But though she bemoaned the focus on appearances, Trump carefully curates her public image, and no more so than during the week-long visit to Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt. The journey has produced a set of photos designed to burnish the first lady's public profile and generate goodwill in a continent wary of her husband's administration. Trump, who often comes across as removed, rehearsed and aloof - a former fashion model perched on five-inch stilettos, reading from scripts - appeared more spontaneous and at ease as she visited tourist sites, schools, hospitals, and orphanages. In Cairo, Trump was greeted by Egypt's first lady, Entissar al-Sissi. The pair then went to the presidential palace to have tea, where Trump was also greeted by President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi. The meetings were cordial, absent of any discussions of controversial topics such as President Donald Trump's derogatory comments about African countries, according to local news reports. By the afternoon, the first lady was on her way to see Egypt's most famous treasures. Near the Pyramids complex, streets were being cleaned and spruced up ahead of her arrival, but hardly any locals were around. At the base of the Sphinx, Trump observed a project of the United States Agency for International Development to protect the Sphinx and several of the country's other important archaeological sites from rising groundwater. During a visit Friday to a Kenyan orphanage, she swayed to a drum beat as she walked, holding hands with two children, as they crossed a flower-lined courtyard. She laughed as she fed a baby elephant from a bottle at a refuge in Kenya. And she appeared visibly moved by her visit earlier in the week to Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, where slaves were held captive in dungeons before they were sent abroad on ships. "It's very emotional," she said after spending time there and laying wreaths in the cells. "I will never forget the incredible experience and the stories that I heard." But aside from escaping Washington's tumult and softening her own image, what did she accomplish on her first major solo trip abroad? She seemed to pass the first test of any diplomatic mission: show up and show good will. Foreign policy experts, though, say the trip did little to reassure Africans that the Trump administration, which has largely ignored the continent and has proposed budget cuts to programs offering aid, would make them a priority. "She came, like many U.S. first ladies, to hold children, to say the right thing - and she has done that," said Boubacar N'Diaye, professor of Africana studies at the College of Wooster. "I'm sure in her heart she means those things - but that is very different from real policies that the government cares about." Others saw the visit as a gratifying gesture and said it raised her profile, even as it was unclear what effect, if any, it would have in terms of U.S. policy. "My take from the visit is very positive," said Edward Saweregera, Malawi's ambassador to the United States. The first lady was warmly received, he said, and the fact that "Malawi was one of the chosen few countries" she toured underscored the U.S.- Malawi bond. Most people in Malawi didn't know much about Melania Trump before she arrived, so "it was a chance to get to know her," he said. As for any impact on policy, the ambassador added, "That I will leave to the U.S. government." Trump's trip was a low-key one that generated few big headlines, a fact that had much to do with the news cycle at home, which was dominated by the Kavanaugh news. And her schedule, including visits to a hospital, a school and American embassies, was relatively light. Judd Devermont, Africa program director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that judging from news coverage in African countries she visited, "interest in her trip ranged from mild interest to indifference." Before her final story, the first lady spoke publicly only a few times, and then very briefly. "Thank you for educating them to be best," she said after touring a school in Malawi, echoing the name of her "Be Best" initiative aimed at children's well-being. "And to grow up into educated adults for generations to come." She avoided, as some quipped, the elephant in the room. She told reporters that her husband's derogatory comments about African nations (he called them "shithole countries" and also wondered whether Nigerians would return to "their huts" after coming to the U.S. on visas) had not come up during her visit. Lauren Wright, the author of "On Behalf of the President" and a politics lecturer at Princeton, said Melania Trump could have done more to smooth over the president's slurs, and the fact that she chose not to seems significant. "What would help would be is if she directly addressed her husband's comments about the continent," she said. "She doesn't clean up president's messes - she does her own thing. She's made it clear that she's not there to rescue him, even though she's the only one who can do it." Even Melania Trump's husband reacted to the trip as if it were something he watched on a television set on mute. "Our country's great first lady, Melania, is doing really well in Africa," he tweeted on Wednesday. "The people love her, and she loves them! It is a beautiful thing to see." But perhaps the trip will spur Melania Trump to find her voice. In addition to the interview in Egypt, she is scheduled for a rare televised sit-down to air Friday on ABCs "20/20." The network is promising a "wide-ranging" interview between the first lady and Tom Llamas, the weekend "World News Tonight" anchor who traveled with her on the Africa trip. Paolo Zampolli, a longtime friend of the Trumps, says the first lady might make more such trips, possibly to Central and South America next. The trip to the African nations served to "fly the American flag there." And it remains to be seen whether, up on her return, that the first lady will press the president to take more of an interest in the countries she visited - and whether he will listen. Even though the Trump administration loosened regulations to allow big-game hunters to import tusks, hides and other parts of animals, and her stepsons, Donald Jr. and Eric are hunters, Melania Trump visited a big-game conservation site. "She thinks animals are precious and she doesn't like big-game hunting," spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said. - - - Raghavan and Heba Farouk Mahfouz reported in Cairo. Heil and Jordan reported in Washington. A new system run by the United Parcel Service is tracking a different kind of package in Connecticut: sexual assault evidence collection kits. These kits, also known as rape kits, contain evidence, such as DNA, that is used in police investigations and for identifying repeat sex offenders. But a 2015 survey found that almost 1,188 sexual assault kits in Connecticut never made it to their final destination: the State Crime Lab, where scientists evaluate their contents. Instead, they sat on shelves in refrigerated evidence rooms in police stations around the state, untouched and untested, sometimes for years. Theres a number of reasons that kits werent sent to the lab. Number one would be the victim no longer wanted to participate with an investigation, said Kerry Dalling, a Fairfield Police detective who sits on the Governors Sexual Assault Kit Working Group. The lab already had a huge backlog of these kits, so we werent going to further burden it with cases that were not likely to be prosecuted. Connecticut is not the only state where a backlog of languishing kits exists. There is no national database that tracks sexual assault kit testing, but state data obtained by the Joyful Heart Foundation, a national nonprofit that does advocacy about the backlog, shows there are at least 225,000 untested kits around the country. In many states, the number of untested kits is unknown. But some states, including Connecticut, have taken steps to analyze their backlog and prevent it from developing again. These steps can mean solving more crimes and preventing some others. There are a lot of communities that are doing what Connecticut is doing taking these old kits off the shelf, sending them for testing and they are finding, locating, identifying dangerous offenders that have been on the streets, honestly because the rape kit sat on the shelf, said Ilse Knecht, director of Policy and Advocacy for the Joyful Heart Foundation. They are able to look at the history, the crimes that these people have committed, and can identify in many places preventable crimes while the kits sat on the shelf, Knecht said. If they had been tested earlier, somebody else would not have been effected by the same persons criminal actions. The tracking system A backlog of untested kits In 2015, the state discovered it had a backlog of 1,188 previously untested rape kits. Below is a breakdown how many untested kits each judicial district sent to the state Crime Lab. Ansonia/Milford: 85 Danbury: 28 Fairfield: 56 Hartford: 188 Litchfield: 94 Middlesex: 33 New Britain: 92 New Haven: 154 New London: 119 Stamford/Norwalk: 138 Tolland: 23 Windham: 19 Waterbury: 159 Source: Governor's Sexual Assault Kit Working Group September 2018 Lab update See More Collapse The 2015 survey showed Connecticut the backlog it didnt know existed. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy established a working group that year to coordinate tracking and testing of the kits. The state also passed a law in 2015 requiring law enforcement to deliver all sexual assault kits to the state Crime Lab within 10 days. The lab must analyze the kits within 60 days. In 2018, the Legislature passed more reforms ordering the state to implement an electronic tracking system for the kits and develop guidelines around how health care facilities use the system and how victims can access it. Laura Cordes, executive director of the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence and who chairs the sexual assault kit working group, said the 2018 law codified efforts already underway. The state purchased the UPS tracking system for $6,700 in 2017 and had it online by May of that year, said Kristin Sasinouski, deputy director of Forensic Biology and DNA for the state Crime Lab. The system which costs $600 a month works like a tracking number for a package. Kits are sent to hospitals and emergency departments with a serial number. A sexual assault victim who voluntarily appears at a hospital for evidence collection will undergo a three- to six-hour invasive examination and questioning; all that evidence will be systemically stored in the kit. The nurse, physician or sexual assault forensic examiner will then enter the completed kits number into the online system. The tracking has now begun. The system will show where the kit is after it is picked up by law enforcement and then transported to the state Crime Lab. The system is now in use at the states 28 hospitals as well as free-standing emergency departments. Marielle Daniels, director of regulatory advocacy for the Connecticut Hospital Association, called the tracking system very straightforward. We dont anticipate any trouble, she said. Victims are given their kits number when they leave the hospital so they can see where their evidence is at any time. The state reported 831 rape offenses in 2017, and between 625 and 925 rape offenses each year for the past decade, according to the Connecticut 2017 Uniform Crime Report. But research shows only a fraction of victims who experience sexual assault or rape seek evidence collection. Sexual assault victims who bravely step forward and undergo an invasive exam, we believe deserve to know what happened to the evidence that was so painstakingly collected from their bodies, said Cordes. The system is also an enforcement tool so state officials can ensure police departments and the crime lab are complying with the time frames for kit delivery and testing, said Knecht. Testing old kits The U.S. Department of Justice awarded Connecticut two grants totaling $3.25 million in 2015 and 2017 to pay for analysis of its 1,188 untested kits and about 1,000 more partially-tested old kits. The state has now completed testing of all the old, untouched kits. As a result, a national DNA database for violent crime created 368 new profiles, according to data published Tuesday by the Governors Sexual Assault Kit Working Group. The kits produced more than 100 hits with individuals already in the database. Fourteen of the kits contained DNA that matched already convicted offenders. We know that a lot of offenders, especially rapists in general, are serial offenders. They commit rape over and over again, but they also commit all kinds of crime, said Knecht. When they do identify some of the offenders from the rape kits and they take them off the streets and they look at their rap sheet, its very telling of how we need to be approaching these cases from now on. The state is now working on analyzing the partially tested old kits, as well as about 600 new kits that are sent to the Crime Lab each year, said Sasinouski. The state is also now contacting the victims to whom the old kits belong with the new results. The Working Group developed the contact guidelines and published them in February 2018. In some parts of the country, states showing a commitment to reducing their sexual assault kit backlog and testing all new kits has prompted more victims to seek evidence collection, said Knecht. States efforts show victims they will be taken seriously. All of this work around sexual assault kits is sort of like a seed, said Knecht. It really does seed change in a way that starts to look at the whole system and the way that it reacts to sexual violence, and that actually has a ripple effect out into the community. emunson@ hearstmediact.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson There have been months of protests and clashes along the Gaza border. Local media reports said that a boy was killed and 25 others were injured during clashes that erupted on Wednesday afternoon between dozens of Palestinian protesters and Israeli soldiers on the border. Yedioth Ahronoth published excerpts of the interview, which was conducted by a journalist who visited Gaza for five days, where the most important thing in the interview is that the leader of Hamas and its strong man in the Gaza Strip clearly declares that he does not want a new war in Gaza despite the escalation and ongoing confrontations on Borders of the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian teenager reportedly died of a head injury. 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 protests, in which 200 Palestinians have been killed since mid-March, have become more frequent recently and Hamas is calling for greater participation. Human rights groups have accused Israeli troops of using excessive force against unarmed protesters. Israel accuses Hamas of orchestrating the mass-mobilisations to provide cover for attacks and distract from Gaza's economic plight, allegations it denies. A small excerpt from the interview published Thursday on the news website of the popular Yedioth Ahronoth appears to ask Sinwar why he made a decision to give an interview to an Israeli newspaper, to which he answers: "Because now I see a true opportunity for change". "Certainly, not ours", he said in an interview with Italian daily La Repubblica that was carried by Israeli daily Yediot Achronot. "Who really wants to confront a nuclear superpower with four slingshots?" Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who leads the rival Fatah movement in the West Bank, has no interest in helping Hamas, which ousted his forces in 2007, leaving the Palestinian people divided ever since. Also on Wednesday, The Telegraph quoted Sinwar as telling senior Hamas officials that he believes indirect negotiations with Israel could achieve a cease-fire deal as early as in the next few weeks, providing Israel lifts the Gaza blockade.. It's created a paradoxical situation in which Israel has faced resistance from Abbas to provide fuel and other essentials in Gaza to fend off a humanitarian disaster. "Our response will be harsh, very harsh", Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters alongside visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel. When Ned Lamont made his first foray into politics more than three decades ago, he was a bright-eyed 33-year-old who had just started a business. He was ambitious, full of optimism and opinion about how his new hometown of Greenwich and the state should employ business tactics in government. He wanted to get involved. So when someone asked him after his first campaign speech in 1987, why he thought he could represent Greenwich on its three-member Board of Selectmen after living in town for just four years, he was taken aback and called the question hostile, news reports from the time show. Now, jaded by decades of brutal campaigns and a current election cycle thats turned negative more often than not, Lamont, the Democratic nominee for governor, laughs at his naivete. In hindsight that was a pretty legitimate question, Lamont said. Especially for local government. You have to know the community. People expect you to know the community. Lamont went on to win the election that year and serve as the lone Democrat in a town known for its deep-red roots, earning him name recognition long before he ever challenged a sitting U.S. Senator. Though he still campaigns as a businessman often using a line he used in his 1990 state Senate run, The problem is politics and politicians. Im running as a businessman, Lamonts politics where undoubtedly shaped by those early years in Greenwich. Lamont, the early days When Lamont was elected, he and Paul Hicks III were the two youngest selectmen to serve on the board in more than a decade. Hicks, 30 at the time, was and soon to become father of now-former White House communications director Hope Hicks. He and Lamont were both newly married with young daughters, and represented a shift in the face of local politics. Henry Fisher II, a 34-year-old elected to the Representative Town Meeting at the time, said there was a concerted grass roots effort among young Republicans to vote for Lamont. And though he was the lone Democrat on the board, Lamont gained a reputation for voting his conscience rather than along party lines. In local government, you take off your partisan hat, Lamont said this week. In local government and local issues there is not a partisan way to pick up the snow, and I think I learned a lot from that. In 1989, Lamont turned down an invitation from his party to run for First Selectman. Party leadership at the time said Lamonts bi-partisan support made him the best shot at electing a Democrat to the post for the first time since the 1930s. But Lamont declined to run. He couldnt take on the full-time position while also running his fledgling business. It is true we wanted him to run for first selectman because he is the best candidate, form DTC chairman Alma Rutgers said at the time. It would just come to him naturally. Instead, he found himself on the 12-member Board of Estimate and Taxation, where he was often the lone Democrat to side with Republicans on the town budget, spending, taxes and a controversial property revaluation. He butted heads with members of his own party just as often as he did with Republicans, news reports from the time show. The budget crisis of 1990 Ned Lamonts political timeline 1987 - Elected to the Greenwich Board of Selectmen alongside Republican Paul Hicks III. 1989 - Declines to run for First Selectman. Is elected to the Board of Estimate and Taxation. 1990 - Lamont runs a "spirited" campaign for the state Senate, drawing Republican contributions and votes as a "fiscally conservative Democrat" but falls short in the election. 1991 - Gov. Lowell Weicker attempts to appoint Lamont State Ethics Chief, but Lamont is deemed ineligible because of his recent political campaign. 1993 - Lamont resigns from his post on the BET. 2006 - Lamont runs for U.S. Senate against incumbent Joe Lieberman. Defeats Lieberman in the Democratic primary, but loses the general election. 2010 - Lamont loses a challenge to Dannel P. Malloy in the Democratic primary for governor. 2018 - Lamont is the Democratic nominee for governor See More Collapse After a year on the town finance board, Lamont decided to challenge a sitting Republican for his state Senate seat in the 36th district, representing Greenwich and part of Stamford. The bipartisan support he picked up in local politics positioned him to do the same in his run for the state legislature. Lamonts fundraising efforts surpassed his opponents at the time because he was pulling in contributions from both Republicans and Democrats. Republicans like Scott Frantz, who currently represents Greenwich in the same seat Lamont tried for, and Rene Anselmo, whos son Reverge Anselmo has this year poured more than $1 million into political action committees supporting GOP nominee Bob Stefanowski, contributed to Lamonts 1990 campaign. The campaign issues at the time sound familiar today a looming budget deficit, an impending transportation crisis and people leaving the state for lower taxes in states like Florida, and that was before the implementation of the state income tax, news reports show. Frankly the state was sort of in a similar pickle to where we are today, Lamont said. In 1990 we had an enormous real estate-led recession. You had probably the highest sales tax in the country, certainly the highest corporate income tax in the country. You had very high tax on capital gains. And despite all of those very high rates, you were looking in the eyes of a huge deficit ... they were skipping payments to the pension fund. I was running as a pro-business person who said, Hey maybe you want to have a Democrat up there to work with the majority party. It hasnt changed all that much. Lamont lost the election, Republicans far outnumbered Democrats in the district, and he returned to the finance board for several more contentious years. When he resigned in 1989, he said it was to focus on his family he had two children and a third on the way and his growing business. Lamont stayed out of campaigning until he challenged Joe Lieberman for his U.S. Senate seat in 2006, but served on a state finance board appointed by Gov. Lowell Weiker in the 1990s. In 1995 I was sitting there shouting that if the state doesnt put its share into the pension, youre going to have a mess, Lamont recalled. The more things change, the more they stay the same. kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasselt For Subscribers Holiday flight forecasts for Latrobe, Johnstown airports Three of the AAA's forecasted top 10 Thanksgiving travel destinations are served by the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe. Japan has made a decision to skip an global naval event in South Korea next week amid a dispute over its plan to fly the Rising Sun flag, a Seoul government source said Friday. Japan has announced it won't send a warship to an worldwide fleet review hosted by South Korea next week after Seoul requested the removal of the Japanese navy's "rising sun" flag. It said the "Rising Sun" flag reminds South Koreans and some Asian neighbors of Japanese militarism before and during World War Two, when it was used by the Japanese Imperial Navy. Iwaya noted that Japanese law requires displaying the flag and contended it has been so long identified with Japan's military forces that striking it would be contrary to maritime law and tradition. Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha in a press conference in Thursday said on the flag controversy, "The Foreign Ministry has plenty of times conveyed to the Japanese side that it should take into consideration the sentiments the Korean public have toward the rising sun flag, along with our historical experience". All participants will be flying their national flags. Tokyo has dismissed the request, arguing that it is mandatory to fly the "rising sun" flag under Japanese law. Japan had planned to send a warship to the event, saying it would fly the flag during the ceremony. Japan was a key player in US -led efforts to isolate and punish North Korea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. Earlier this week, Japan's Defense Minister said the Rising Sun flag will be raised during the fleet review, in his words, "as a matter of course". Japanese officials had signalled the flag would be flown, despite the protests. Thirteen foreign countries will participate in the fleet review. Japan will continue efforts to promote defense cooperation with South Korea, which is key to regional peace and stability, he said. The International Fleet Review kicks off Wednesday, with vessels from 14 countries taking part in the once-in-a-decade maritime event that runs for five days. Internet users have filed more than 150 online petitions to the office of President Moon, asking him to stop the Japanese destroyer from coming to the island. DOWNINGTOWN Downingtown Police Officer Joel Williams does not have children of his own, so he credits his training which helped bring a newborn baby into the world. He didnt just help deliver baby Hazel, he helped save her life. When she came into this world she was not with us, and he brought her back, Maria OLeary, the mother of Hazel, told 6abc in an interview. Police responded about 2 a.m. to the Downingtown Borough home. The nature of the call sounded like the mother was actively giving birth. I told the guys on the radio, it sounds like this ones coming, so get your gloves ready,' Williams said. ?Upon his arrival, the baby was partially delivered but stuck in the breech position, with her coming out feet first. My training kicked in, said Williams, who switched positions with the father and held the baby, while the father then moved behind his wife to continue supporting her. Seven-pound baby Hazel was born into Williams arms, but the complications continued. She did not have a heartbeat. Williams has performed CPR countless times on adults, but never on an infant, let alone a newborn. He trusted his training and lightly pressed on the center of her chest with two fingers until her heart began to beat again. ??I did CPR for what seemed to be an eternity for me, Williams said, and I can only imagine for mom and dad. Baby Hazel took a breath and gave them a sign of hope. Her heart started to beat again, just as the Minquas Fire Company medics arrived. The medics began to assist and stabilized the baby and mother for transport to the hospital. It was the best possible outcome in a somewhat dire situation, Williams said. Its a call that you dont wish you ever have in your career. The family thanked him for saving baby Hazel. He humbly says, I was just doing my job. Williams expressed confidence in his fellow Downingtown officers, as well as law enforcement officers nationwide, that any one of them could have done it. He says he just happened to be the first to respond to the home that night. We are trained, and this department has every officer ready to handle situations like that, he added. Williams was assisted by Sgt. Kiley and Officer Jaworski, and Minquas medics Paul Staley and Reene Cherwinski. It was truly a team effort, Williams said. The Minquas medics that got there they certainly have a big part in this as well, in getting baby Hazel healthy and back home. Williams and the other first-responders visited Hazel at home. She spent about a week in the hospital before being reunited with her mom, dad and sister, Violet. It was amazing, Williams said about the visit. It was definitely a moment of joy for me to be able to see everything come full circle, and to see her smiling. Its one of those moments Ill never forget. This was a good week for victims in Pennsylvania. At least some of them. The state Senate passed a package of bills that will make a huge difference in the safety of victims of domestic abuse. It will require persons convicted of domestic abuse, or subject to a final Protection From Abuse order to surrender their firearms within 24 hours. The laws also tighten the loophole that sometimes let abusers pass off their weapons to friends or relatives. The new provisions will require them to be surrendered law enforcement or a licensed gun dealer. That should make it much more difficult for an abuser with evil intent from easily reacquiring a weapon, often with deadly results. We hail a major milestone in the area of domestic abuse. But we lament the lack of action concerning another large group of victims in the Keystone State. It was just a few weeks ago that a statewide grand jury headed by Attorney General Josh Shapiro released the damning details of an investigation of child sexual abuse by Catholic priests in six dioceses. Among its findings: The horror of more than 300 priests preying on at least 1,000 children for decades, all while the church hierarchy actively engaged in a pattern of cover-up and moving problem priests that was clearly intended to protect the church, and equally clearly put more children at risk. The grand jury, which reached similar conclusions to two previous probes of similar abuse in both the Philadelphia and Johnstown-Altoona diocese, also made several recommendations. Among them was the recommendation that the statute of limitations for criminal charges be abolished, and that the window for victims to file civil suits be expanded. Legislation to do just that actually had already been approved last year by the state House before being bogged down in the Senate. The grand jury report sparked a renewed call for change, and again the measure was passed by the House. But once again it faces a critical impasse in the Senate. And once again politicians are tripping over the same element of justice. The legislation makes changes for future cases of childhood sexual abuse, but does nothing to deliver justice for past victims. Under current state law, victims have 12 years after they turn 18 to file a civil action. In other words, by the time they are 30. They have until age 50 to bring criminal charges. Most experts believe many victims do not come to grips with their abuse and are not ready to go public with their ordeal until well into adulthood, long after they turn 30. The new law would change the window to file until victims reach age 50, and eliminate the statute of limitations for criminal charges altogether. But again that is only for future cases. State Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks, knows a little something about the wait for justice. Hes a victim of abuse at the hands of priest when he was a youth. Rozzi has added amendments to the legislation that would open a two-year window for past victims of childhood abuse to retroactively file civil suits against their oppressors and the organizations that enabled them. As you might guess, this is not especially popular with church leaders. Instead they have proposed a victims compensation fund set up by the church and directed by a third party. Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput, in a letter read at masses throughout the archdiocese last Sunday, opposed the notion of a two-year window. He warned of severe financial stress on the church, as well as hurting parish services, including the possibility of closing more churches or schools. The two-year window also has been opposed by Republican leaders in the state Senate, some of whom have questioned whether it would pass constitutional muster. The Senate has been vaguely quiet on the issue this week. There are very few days left in which to take up the measure. If they dont, it will likely die until the next session. The Senate will be in session just four more days before they head back home, half of them running for re-election. Sessions are set Oct. 15, 16, 17 and Nov. 14. Passage of the bill in the House, including Rozzis amendment, was a huge step forward for victims of abuse. They have endured for decades in silence. Many of them have bravely come forward and testified before the grand jury as to the shameful acts to which they were subjected. They have waited for decades for an opportunity for justice. They have waited long enough. The state Senate should approve the two-year window for victims of past sexual abuse to file suit. It was one of the strongest passages in what was widely acknowledged to be the most impressive speech of her premiership. 'No one wants a good deal more than me,' Theresa May promised her party conference, 'but that has never meant getting a deal at any cost. Britain isn't afraid to leave with no deal if we have to.' It was also a lie. In reality, the Prime Minister is terrified of no deal. And so are her Cabinet. In the days before shimmying on to the stage to the strains of Dancing Queen, her aides were being deployed to sing a rather different and much bleaker tune. In a series of private briefings with key opponents and supporters of her Brexit strategy, the stark reality of no deal was laid bare. In the words of one senior official, it would be 'a car crash'. In a series of private briefings with key opponents and supporters of her Brexit strategy, the stark reality of no deal was laid bare. Cartwheeling out of the EU would invoke no less than 'a number of separate COBRA scenarios' emergencies requiring the activation of the Government's civil contingencies committee. As one adviser reportedly phrased it: 'Yes, the Remainers cried wolf with Project Fear. But remember, in the end a wolf did turn up and it ate the boy.' Which won't stop May's back-bench enemies branding such warnings as Project Fear 2.0. To their eyes, this is just a final, desperate attempt to terrorise them into dropping their opposition to Chequers. They are wrong. May's anxiety is not confected, but chillingly sincere. Not least because it is shared by most senior Ministers. Speaking to members of the Cabinet across the Brexit spectrum from committed Remainers, through born-again Brexiteers to battle-scarred Leavers the message is the same. No deal would be a political extinction-level event that would almost certainly hand the keys of No 10 to Jeremy Corbyn. 'Think back to the 2012 fuel crisis,' a Brexit-supporting Cabinet Minister explained to me. 'We would be looking at the equivalent of one of those every week for about three months. Yes, after that things would calm down. But imagine the damage that would have been done by then.' Another said 'there are just too many uncertainties with no deal'. A third stated simply: 'It would be a catastrophe.' On one level, this unanimity of dread is boosting May. With the effective deadline for a deal mere days away, there is a realisation there is no longer time for leadership game-playing. 'We have to stand behind her now,' one Cabinet member who harbours their own prime ministerial ambitions said bluntly. 'This is about the national interest.' But there is also growing agreement that the Government will need a fall-back position in the event Chequers fails to secure the support of a hostile EU. Last night Downing Street cautioned that Theresa May would not be bounced into a Brexit deal as the European Union said an agreement was imminent. The Prime Minister is preparing to table new proposals on how to avoid a hard border before a key Brexit summit on 17 October For a number of senior Ministers, this means giving the various Government departments the green-light to begin preparing the ground for a deal that comprises elements of both Chequers and a free-trade Canada model. Or, as one Government insider dubbed it, 'the Chanada option'. 'If we can't pull off Chequers, then we're going to need an alternative to no deal,' a Minister explained. 'But it's also going to have be something that doesn't make it look like Chequers has been completely dumped. The Prime Minister has said we need a bespoke agreement, and she can't be seen to be folding to the ERG or the EU. So Chanada may be a halfway house.' Up until now, May has been resolutely sticking to the line it is her way or the landmine-strewn no-deal highway. But Ministers believe they have started to detect a shift in her stance. In her main conference interviews, and her speech, there was no mention of the C-word. Chequers had indeed been chucked. 'She's started using the phrase 'free-trade deal' instead of 'Chequers',' a colleague noted. 'That's a positive move. And a significant one.' It's a move that has come very, very late. As one Minister explains: 'You can't just pivot to a new option. If you're going for a Canada-style deal, that needs all the departments to be in alignment. There are lots of highly technical details to get across. If we want a fallback, we have to start preparing now.' The dilemma for May is the signal that would send to her negotiating partners. Any suggestion of a change in stance would be seized on by the EU as evidence of weakness. If the PM isn't seen to be standing full-square behind Chequers, what chance is there of an endorsement from Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron or Michel Barnier? Cartwheeling out of the EU would invoke no less than 'a number of separate COBRA scenarios' emergencies requiring the activation of the Government's civil contingencies committee But in truth May is facing a simple, and much more fundamental problem. Reality has finally caught up with her. 'No deal is better than a bad deal,' was a fine soundbite, and a logical starting point for negotiations. But it was also a fiction. Yes, Britain can indeed leave with no deal. But not, No 10 believes, without facing a political and economic cataclysm. Gridlock, food shortages, shortages of vital medicines. Eventually each of these crisis would pass, as businesses and the markets adjusted. But they would leave permanent scars. Brexit would be forever defined and aligned in the public's mind by those eight to 12 weeks of crisis. AS WOULD the May Government. Corbyn would point to the empty shelves, the motorways turned into trailer-parks, the RAF flights bringing emergency medical supplies, and ask: 'Would I really be worse than this?' The answer, of course, is yes. But the motorist stuck in a ten-hour petrol queue would be forgiven for thinking otherwise. And that is what Theresa May is banking on: a hope that her rebellious MPs, and some of Corbyn's more moderate backbenchers, can be persuaded at the 11th hour by the cold, hard facts of a no-deal Brexit. It's why her advisers have been despatched to present, if not quite proclaim, the truth. In her conference speech she said of no deal: 'It would be tough at first, but the resilience and ingenuity of the British people would see us through.' They would. But not, she fears, before the little boy had been devoured by the wolf. Daredevil Hancock hits the skids I understand that Health Secretary Matt Hancock caused a mini-crisis for British diplomats on his recent trip to China by demanding to toboggan down the Great Wall. 'We were visiting the Mutianyu section,' an aide explains, 'and they have an area where tourists can get on a trolley and slide all the way back down. Matt said, 'We're definitely doing this!' ' But embassy officials were petrified by the idea of a Cabinet Minister careering off and crashing on to the Silk Road. 'They told us it would be better if we walked down, but Matt insisted,' the aide adds. 'He started down, but every time he got up any speed this figure in a suit would appear and slow him down.' The ambassador had apparently ordered a junior official to make the ultimate sacrifice and become a human crash barrier if needed. Jeremy Hunt was never this much trouble. Boris Johnson caused a stir, and Theresa May won plaudits for her speech. But I'm told the star of the Tory conference reception circuit was Deputy Chairman James Cleverly. 'There isn't a delegate he hasn't shaken hands with,' an MP said. 'And he wasn't just doing the 'brush past' he was properly spending time with them.' Keep an eye on him. Quotes of the week 'I've told him there will be no Septimus and no Octopus. I have had enough.' Helena Rees-Mogg, wife of Tory MP Jacob, rules out more children her sixth child is called Sixtus. 'Glad some brave young souls decided to ignore the difficulties caused by sudden noises 100 years ago.' Broadcaster Jeremy Vine tweets after the Students' Union at Manchester University voted to ban clapping at events. 'Love Island and #MeToo? We might have to decide which camp we are in.' Head teacher Jane Lunnon tells girls that being a fan of the TV dating show is incompatible with feminist causes. 'Some of your colleagues are pushing the theory that Mr Skripal was some kind of human rights activist. He was a spy He's a scumbag.' Vladimir Putin's scathing attack on Salisbury poisoning victim Sergei Skripal. 'We're missing double Latin!' Tom Symington, ten, tells Prince Harry and wife Meghan why he is delighted about their visit to Sussex. 'We won't be the only prisoner that will want to escape.' Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt sparks controversy by likening the EU to a Soviet gulag. 'You won't hear from me for a while and therefore well Merry Christmas, I guess.' DJ Mark Radcliffe, who is taking time off from presenting his Radio 2 and 6 Music shows after being diagnosed with mouth cancer. 'I'm a little bit broken.' Winter Olympics gold medallist Amy Williams reveals how back injuries and four knee ops have taken a toll on her health. Hes in. Brett Kavanaugh, Donald Trumps man, is on his way to the Supreme Court. But this wont be the end of the divisions, the rancour, that marked his confirmation. Ever since Christine Blasey Ford sensationally alleged during Senate hearings that he sexually assaulted her 36 years ago when he was 17 and she was 15 the appointment of Judge Kavanaugh has turned into the apotheosis of a new kind of politics: anger politics. And it turns out that it is young women who are best at this politics of raw emotion, better even than Donald Trump. Anger: Women hold a protest in front of Trump Tower in New York on October 4 The Democrats have promised that if they win the congressional elections in November, theyll call for a full hearing into the charges against Kavanaugh. But before they get there, we can expect young women opponents of Brett Kavanaugh a proxy for the president to be out in force in the election campaigns. Right now there is a gap of some 30 points between men and women college graduates in voting intentions. As political analyst David Frum observed: Its men versus women. That is a generalisation obviously there are many male feminists who oppose Kavanaugh and many women who support him but right now the most obvious feature of US politics is how much it is about gender. The Senate vote came to a head just in time for the first birthday of the #MeToo movement, and that was anything but an accident. In a way, the allegations are the political expression of that movement. U.S. Capitol Police arrest protesters from the steps of the Capitol in the hours ahead of a scheduled U.S. Senate vote on the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh Christine Blasey Fords allegations which struck everyone as wholly sincere resembled that Simpsons sketch from 1994, in which Homer is accused of sexual harassment and a reporter tells his accuser when she is unable to support her charge: Thats OK. Your tears say more than real evidence ever could. There was no actual evidence from Dr Ford that would have passed muster in a court of law, nothing that would have justified police in bringing a criminal case against Judge Kavanaugh. But he still found himself undergoing something like a criminal trial rather than a Senate hearing to confirm his suitability to be a Supreme Court judge. Retired Justice Anthony M Kennedy, right, administers the Judicial Oath to Judge Brett Kavanaugh in the Justices' Conference Room of the Supreme Court Building The protests during the process tell us lots about the new politics of emotion. When Susan Collins, a wavering Republican, gave a 45-minute speech explaining that she supported him because due process mattered to her, she had to struggle to be heard because of angry protesters. When Democrat Senator Joe Manchin tried to explain his decision to back Kavanaugh, he was drowned out by demonstrators mostly young women shouting: Shame, shame, shame You betrayed us! Think of your daughters! Police had to escort him away. The strength of the #MeToo movement is that it brings into the open the experience of many women who have been harassed by powerful men. The trouble is, the weaknesses of the movement have been exposed by being harnessed to the Kavanaugh controversy: chiefly the contention that subjective experience is all you need, that a woman who accuses a man of assault must always be believed. As a lawyer friend observed: This whole thing is the apotheosis of Twitter, because on Twitter virtue is victimhood; victimhood is status and status is everything. No one, not even Kavanaugh, disputed that she had been assaulted; what he did dispute was that he was the assailant. As Antonin Scalia, a formidable (conservative) Supreme Court judge, once observed, judges are deciding whether particular laws are consistent with the US Constitution The politics of anger seen last week is the subject of a new book called Nervous States: How Feeling Took Over The World, by political scientist William Davies. He had conservative populists in mind, like Trump supporters, but what is evident is that the primacy of personal feeling over everything else characterises the politics of gender too. The banners protesters held up during the past few days say it all: Believe Her. Women Must Be Heard. On Thursday, demonstrators chanted: Arrest sexual predators, not protesters. They cheered at a banner saying: We Believe All Survivors. Many recounted their own experience of assault: one woman wore a T-shirt saying: Standing up for my 12-year-old self. This is real, felt emotion it just shouldnt play a part in appointing judges. The divisions over Brett Kavanaughs appointment are, Id say, misplaced. As Antonin Scalia, a formidable (conservative) Supreme Court judge, once observed, judges are deciding whether particular laws are consistent with the US Constitution. It is for democratically elected representatives to make laws about abortion or gun control, not the Supreme Court. And we should remember that Brett K is already a judge of ten years standing in the second most senior court in the US, where he has given umpteen judgments, perfectly reputably. When he is sworn into the Supreme Court it wont, then, be the end of the politics of emotion. Well be seeing a lot more of it, worse luck. Designer fashion has never been my thing. Even when I was younger and had the figure and the disposable income for it, I was always more comfortable with the High Street knock-offs. While my girlfriends were investing in Prada dresses and Jimmy Choos, I was more of a Topshop or Designers-at-Debenhams shopper. And Whistles, at a push. There were the odd exceptions. I loved and still do a designer handbag, and I always enjoy a trawl through the rails at TK Maxx to see what discounted designer bargains I can squirrel away in my basket. But the truth is Ive always felt that paying more than 200 for anything is an unnecessary extravagance, especially given the variety of decent alternatives on offer. Sarah Vine asks why would pay 229.99 for a basic leather shopper from Mango (pictured right), when for the same amount you could buy a beautifully crafted, expertly designed equivalent from Michael Kors (pictured left)? For years, the great British High Street has offered shoppers like me fashion at affordable prices cheap and cheerful copies of designer pieces that, worn with a bit of flair, can approximate the real thing. Some of the oldest and more reliable friends in my wardrobe have humble origins: a silk shirt from H&M, a woollen cape from M&S, a timeless pair of Clarks winter boots. CPW cost per wear of these things must be less than a penny a pop. Yet they and I are none the worse for it. But something has started to change. Its not that High Street fashion has lost its appeal or its edge, plenty of mainstream brands still successfully borrow inspiration from the catwalks. Its that as well as adopting the designer shapes, textures and colours they are also starting to adopt the price tags. This Sheepskin coat (left) costs 1,800 from high street brand Whistles. Meanwhile the similar oversized coat (right) costs 1,495 and is from designer brand Joseph Some examples. A pair of suede leggings leggings, mind, not even trousers from Gap for 399.95 (albeit now discounted to 359.95, but still). Ouch, right? A mustard-coloured sheepskin coat from Whistles at 1,350. Leather trousers from Topshop for 225. Zara boots, 149. A leather coat from H&M (H&M!) at 249.99 (which is sold out). River Island wants 250 for a black embellished parka. Phase Eight is charging 320 for a checked trench coat. Even Next is asking 299 for an asymmetric leather skirt. Serious wonga, by anyones standards. Yet they must be confident that people will pay it or else why would they be selling these items? Whichever way you look at it, this trend constitutes a well- co-ordinated High Street land grab on previously hallowed designer ground Especially when you consider that, for the same price or sometimes even less, you can get the real thing a genuine designer item, cut from superior cloth and conceived by a brand with expertise and standing in the industry. Something that brings real cachet to the wearer and that, arguably, constitutes an investment and not just another everyday item. Whichever way you look at it, this trend constitutes a well- co-ordinated High Street land grab on previously hallowed designer ground. In the struggle to stay relevant and profitable and faced with an ever more challenging retail environment, the High Street has set its sights on new gains. Bond Street beware: the wagons are circling. One of the principal lines of attack seems to be quality. Whereas in the past, the High Street tended to be one vast expanse of man-made fibres, no more. Now luxury fabrics, more commonly associated with high-end brands, are ubiquitous. This belted coat from Phase Eight (left) costs 350 while the coat from luxury brand Maxmara now costs just 278 (right) I mention my H&M silk shirts, something theyve done for a couple of seasons now; but leather, suede, shearling, pure wool and cashmere are now everywhere. The association with luxury is unavoidable. It is, unquestionably, part of what is pushing up prices. Another is styling. Whereas in the past your High Street cashmere or wool coat would have been designed along conservative lines, many of these new high-cost items deliberately push the style envelope. They are edgy, fashion-forward, bold in concept and execution. They are aimed less at the High Street shopper, who wants something a little above the ordinary, more at the fashion-savvy Voguette who would otherwise shop legitimate designer labels. But the question remains: why pay 229.99 for a basic leather shopper (albeit extremely similar to a much-coveted Celine one) from Mango, when for the same amount you could buy a beautifully crafted, expertly designed equivalent from Michael Kors? Part of it is simple psychology. Because the High Street occupies the value-for-money bit of our shopper brains, many of us assume that any item we come across in that space that looks even vaguely high end must, de facto, be a bargain. Zara leather boots? Must be a steal, quick buy them. Boden cashmere? Bound to be cheaper than Brora, Ill take two. British high street brand Ted Baker is selling this Shearling biker jacket (left) for 949. Meanwhile, 1,070 gets you a Shearling jacket from Saint Laurent (right) Meanwhile, when it comes to designer labels, the reverse is true: if its got a swanky label then we assume its beyond our reach. In the past, this was true, but recently, the picture has become more and more confusing to the point where a Whistles sheepskin coat now costs more than a Joseph one. The designer houses havent helped much. In their eagerness to capture the mass market, many of the exclusive brands from Armani to Vivienne Westwood have invested in cheaper diffusion lines and diversification into accessories. Unwittingly, they have been complicit in their own demise. This democratisation of fashion opened up previously unaffordable labels to the High Street shopper, who could now sport a coveted logo on a T-shirt or a pair of sunglasses; but it had the unintended consequence of devaluing the brand overall, of partly divesting it of that magical exclusivity that made it so desirable in the first place. Meanwhile, when it comes to designer labels, the reverse is true: if its got a swanky label then we assume its beyond our reach. In the past, this was true, but recently, the picture has become more and more confusing The most famous example was Burberry, whose distinctive checks became synonymous with an urban culture far removed from the kind of customer the brand wanted to be associated with; but its also been the case with other designers, whose flair and talent have been diluted by one too many department store collaboration or High Street homewares line. Matthew Williamson, for example, once the darling of the London fashion scene, stopped showing at London Fashion Week in 2016; Orla Kiely, beloved of Kate Middleton, has closed its retail stores and website. In many ways its a tragedy: these are great talents. The global luxury goods industry is going through a significant period of change, says Samantha Dover, senior retail analyst at market monitors Mintel. As young consumers are fast becoming key purchasers of high-end fashion, luxury houses need to adapt. This has resulted in polarised performances among the leading players. Those that were slower to respond have lost market share. And its that market share the new high-end High Street stores are taking aim at. Its all part of a general repositioning, a shifting of the tectonic fashion plates that is changing the way we shop. Its a strange, topsy-turvy world in which something mass-produced in China can cost more than something lovingly conceived and designed by a skilled, highly trained artisan. And even I, as someone with no real fashion expertise, can see that its a tragedy. Sydney-based Elly Hatfull is a self-professed lingerie addict. Boasting a growing wardrobe of more than 150 sets, the 27-year-old underwear enthusiast runs a blog dedicated to reviewing intimates, promoting sustainable shopping and ethical consumerism and sharing her message of body positivity. With an Instagram following of more than 41,000 and counting, the creative blogger best known as Lace and Haze is becoming an increasingly well known figure in the intimate apparel industry. Speaking to FEMAIL, Ms Hatfull discussed her passion for lingerie, expert advice on getting the most from your undergarments and just how much she spends on indulging her past-time. Sydney-based Elly Hatfull (pictured) is a self-professed lingerie addict The 27-year-old blogger had a love for fashion from childhood, but discovered a passion for lingerie as a means of expressing her personal style 'I was obsessed with fashion from a young age, but with my job I wasn't able to express my style,' she told FEMAIL. 'Because of these restrictions, I started channeling my personal style through my lingerie. 'No one would see it, but it would make me feel good to wear something that I knew was true to myself.' Her Instagram presence came later, when Ms Hatfull noticed others sharing their lingerie experiences through social media. Ms Hatfull has an Instagram audience of more than 41,000 who she often shares shots of her beautiful lingerie collection with 'No one would see it, but it would make me feel good to wear something that I knew was true to myself' 'I wanted to get involved, meet new people and share the love with like minded people - one day, I just decided to start a page and it was the best decision I ever made,' she said. 'The blog followed soon after as an extension of my Instagram, initially as a means of challenging myself. 'As a child, I had difficulty with my speech and writing. It's still something I struggle with, so the blog was a way I could push myself to improve these skills.' Starting her blog, Lace and Haze, was the 'best decision' Ms Hatfull ever made So far this year, she estimates to have spent about $5,000 on lingerie and accessories Today, Ms Hatfull chooses her undergarments from a wardrobe of more than 150 sets, some of which no longer fit but are kept as 'show pieces and for sentimental value'. As for how much she spends on her favourite hobby, Ms Hatfull admitted she only vaguely keeps track. 'Whenever I buy lingerie, including lounge wear and accessories, I incorporate them into my outerwear to get maximum value from every item. 'This year, I've spent about $5,000 on lingerie so far.' Ms Hatfull's favourite brands include Bordelle, Harlow & Fox and Palindrome Ms Hatfull currently owns a wardrobe of more than 150 underwear sets and tries to incorporate her extensive collection into her everyday outerwear as much as possible Asked about her best-loved brands, Ms Hatfull said she has long-time favourites for different price points. 'It's near impossible to pick but for luxury, I love Bordelle and Harlow & Fox. 'For something more accessible, my go-to's are Silent Arrow and Palindrome.' Ms Hatfull is as passionate about responsible shopping and ethical fashion as she is about underwear, and regularly posts images to her social media feed wearing brands such as Hara The Label which is made with plant dye and bamboo. Bordelle and Harlow & Fox are the enthusiasts top picks when it comes to luxury lingerie She regularly posts images to her social media feed wearing brands from varying price points WHAT NOT TO WEAR: ELLY HATFULL'S GUIDE TO LINGERIE 'The world of lingerie can be daunting and complicated - there is so much more to it than simply picking a nice bra and brief. Here are some helpful hints to make your experience with lingerie a great one!' - Elly * Avoid wearing lace bras directly under knit wear 'Contrary to the classic Instagram post of over-sized cardigan and lace bralette, this really isn't a good idea. The friction of lace against knitwear causes both items to pill which destroys bras. Try wearing a silk slip between the two.' * Never wear low-rise briefs under high-waisted pants 'They are a match made in hell - always try to match underwear and trousers with the same rise, otherwise it can make for a very uncomfortable day.' * Avoid stockings and suspenders under short skirts or dresses ' While they may seem like a good, stylish idea in the morning, stockings will sag throughout the day and are likely to become exposed. For your first time wearing stockings and suspenders, pair them with a below the knee dress - my personal favourite way to wear is actually under trouser pants!' * Don't wear a thong under short skirts 'A light breeze can expose you, especially in mini-pleated skirts which rise up when they shouldn't.' * Always hand wash your bras 'I can't stress this enough - it really prolongs the life of bras by preventing wires poking through and elastics stretching out. If you are tight on time, try washing your lingerie in the shower!' * Avoid four strap suspenders with seamed stockings 'Stockings have a bad habit of twisting, especially when they are seamed. I recommend investing in a six or eight strap suspender belt to keep seams in place.' Advertisement Sharing her advice on body positivity and embracing her own natural physique, Ms Hatfull admitted self-love only fully came to her when she started her lingerie journey. 'You don't wake up one day and just decide to be positive about your body - it's a slow process unlearning all the lessons and expectations you've been told before. 'Your body constantly changes and so your mindset has to grow and expand as well.' 'You don't wake up one day and just decide to be positive about your body - [it] constantly changes and so your mindset has to grow and expand as well' 'I know when I'm wearing beautiful lingerie I am a better version of myself' 'For me personally, I became body positive when I started to wear lingerie. It made me feel good, like a form of self care. 'It makes you face some body hang ups you may have, but it also helps you embrace what you've got. 'I know when I'm wearing beautiful lingerie I am a better version of myself; if you feel good on the inside, it carries onto other aspects of your life.' A mother-of-four who tragically buried her little boy who died after he choked on a bouncy ball has encouraged families to be grateful for chores because they mean 'you have a full tribe to nurture'. Anna Davis, from Tasmania, watched from just three feet away as her toddler Alby Fox choked on a ball gifted to him as an early fourth birthday present in March this year. She recently posted a photo of her son, alongside his brother Acre and sister Sage, in a heartbreaking reminder to appreciate your children's mess. A mother-of-four who tragically buried her little boy who died after he choked on a bouncy ball has encouraged families to be grateful for chores (Pictured L-R: Acre, Alby and Sage) She recently posted a photo of her son, alongside his brother Acre and sister Sage, in a heartbreaking reminder to appreciate your children's mess (pictured) 'In the past I remember feelings of frustration surrounding the constant, unending chores that go hand in hand with family life,' Mrs Davis captioned the photo on Instagram. 'The bottomless washing pile, the "messy" floors, the constant dishes, the ever-hungry mouths... But now? 'What I wouldn't give to be hanging size 4's on the line, to be tripping over block creations in the hallway, to have one more cup to wash up after dinner time... it's all about perspective mamas.' She reminded parents there were some people out there, like herself, who were craving that daily reality (Alby pictured) 'As wearisome and unrelenting as it is, shifting your mindset to one of gratitude may make that monotony just a tad bit sweeter,' she explained She reminded parents there were some people out there, like herself, who were craving that daily reality. 'As wearisome and unrelenting as it is, shifting your mindset to one of gratitude may make that monotony just a tad bit sweeter,' she explained. 'This morning, please remember those mamas who are yearning to spread just one more piece of vegemite toast and face today's beautiful chaos with a smile in the knowing it means you have a full tribe to nurture. 'It is not just housework, after all. It is lovework.' The owner of toy shop The Small Folk was pregnant with Alby's brother Arnhem at the time of the heartbreaking ordeal which saw her son pass away After Alby's death the devastated mother took to social media to clarify some of the details and explain how 'incorrect assumptions' about the tragedy were hurting the grieving family further The owner of toy shop The Small Folk was pregnant with Alby's brother Arnhem at the time of the heartbreaking ordeal which saw her son pass away. After Alby's death the devastated mother took to social media to clarify some of the details and explain how 'incorrect assumptions' about the tragedy were hurting the grieving family further. 'The heartache we are already experiencing is indescribable,' she wrote. 'To very briefly clarify some of the most widely spread misconceptions - yes, I tried to save our beautiful boy (including, but not only, undertaking CPR for 16 excruciating minutes until paramedics arrived). She explained how the ball - which features the smiling face of a character from animated children's program PJ Masks - was larger than the 50 cent piece recommendation for young children's toys A picture of the same type of ball was supplied by Mrs Davis to Daily Mail Australia, revealing how it fits inside the palm of her hand 'I was three feet away from Alby when the incident occurred and was by his side within seconds.' She explained how the ball - which features the smiling face of a character from animated children's program PJ Masks - was larger than the 50 cent piece recommendation for young children's toys. Mrs Davis also said her son exceeded the ball's choking hazard warning by almost an entire year. The front of the packet features a choking hazard and warns the toy is a 'small ball not suited for children under three years' (Alby pictured) A picture of the same type of ball was supplied by Mrs Davis to Daily Mail Australia, revealing how it fits inside the palm of her hand. The ball came in a six pack of assorted colours, which can be found at department store BIG W and various party supplies stores for less than AUD$15. The front of the packet features a choking hazard and warns the toy is a 'small ball not suited for children under three years'. In a fantasy world, many of us would holiday for months at a time. But when it comes to travel and maximising our satisfaction, it seems that shorter really is sweeter. Israeli-American psychologist Daniel Kahneman revealed that shorter holidays are just as good as longer breaks, and declared one week to be the ideal length of time to holiday over the festive period. When it comes to travel and maximising our satisfaction, it seems that shorter really is sweeter (stock image) Dr Kahneman said it all comes down to the way the brain is wired for enjoyment, because the human condition can be separated into 'experiencing' and 'remembering' categories. Experiencing relates to what we are doing at any given time, when we are living in the moment, whereas remembering involves prolonging the happiness of a situation by reliving past events through photos, videos or conversation. And according to Dr Kahneman, we can maximise the potential of the memories we make in just seven days. Travel experts My Domaine recommend dramatically switching up your vacation at the half way mark if you have two or even three weeks already arranged, to create new and stimulating experiences for the duration of the holiday. According to Dr Kahneman, we can maximise the potential of the memories we make in just seven days (stock image) But if you are yet to firm up on your getaway plans, Skyscanner previously revealed that buying your fares 17 to 18 weeks out from the prospective break is the cheapest time to do it. The online travel agency explained that if you strike at the right time you're looking at saving upwards of 24 per cent on the airfare price. In July, the booking site revealed while almost three quarters of Australians intend to catch a flight for the holidays, 84 per cent of that number had yet to book an airline ticket. With flight prices steadily increasing as we near the Christmas period, research from the online giant revealed an informative list detailing potential savings based on Australia's most loved destinations. Skyscanner revealed while almost three quarters of Australians intend to catch a flight for the holidays, 84 per cent of that number had yet to book airplane tickets (stock image) Melbourne travellers can secure a flight to Wellington for eight per cent less than average if they book seventeen weeks in advance. New South Wales residents could be in for even greater reductions, with Sydneysiders saving 10 per cent on Manila flights when they book thirteen weeks ahead of time. Flying out of Australia on December 21 is one of the most expensive days of the year to travel, with fares costing 12 per cent more than average. Pushing your departure back to 23rd December will save you 3 per cent compared with two days prior. New South Wales residents could be in for even greater reductions, with Sydneysiders saving 10 per cent on Manila flights when they book thirteen weeks ahead of time TOP 20 DECEMBER HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS FOR AUSTRALIANS 1. Bali 11. Tokyo 2. Melbourne 12. Manila 3. Sydney 13. Adelaide 4. Auckland 14. Dublin 5. London 15. Nadi (Fiji) 6. Brisbane 16. Los Angeles 7. Gold Coast 17. Hobart 8. Bangkok 18. New Delhi 9. Singapore 19. Colombo 10. Perth 20. Cairns Advertisement Michael Grierson, Travel Expert at Skyscanner Australia, said when it comes to frugal flying, planning is everything. 'The festive period is naturally a busy time as Aussies prepare to visit family, head on holiday orcontinue to work, but travellers can bag a good deal if they plan smartly. 'We'd encourage Aussie travellers to consider travelling outside these key dates, and is possible to avoid peak times.' Skyscanner urged travellers not to leave their bookings until the last minute (e.g. within one week of intended departure) as this will likely incur a hefty premium. Australia's longstanding love affair with Bali is set to continue over the festive season, with the Indonesian island remaining the most booked travel spot even after the recent earthquake devastation. Other popular hot spots include Auckland and London, while domestic travel to major cities including Brisbane, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne is also a major focus. The research will likely be welcomed nationwide, as it was revealed 41 per cent of those surveyed said they would not travel due to prohibitively expensive cost. With the festive season almost upon us, you'll likely be scheduling in a few too many after work catch ups with friends. And while the night is young - and the drinks are flowing - everything is merry and bright, it's the next morning's hangover many of us would rather avoid. But if the damage is already done there are still ways to escape the dreaded sallow skin and sore eyes. Nutritionist Steve Macari told Harpers Bazaar Australia that drinking plenty of water is a given when prepping for a big night on the town Nutritionist Steve Macari told Harpers Bazaar Australia that drinking plenty of water is a given when prepping for a big night on the town. However, many people don't realise that adding a pinch of sea salt to your H2O boosts the mineral (electrolyte) content - making sure your body is well balanced before you start sweating on the dance floor. You should also line your stomach with a high protein meal before drinking, which will act as a shield to your digestive system. Before heading to bed - and setting your alarm - Mr Macari recommends eating a piece of fruit high in fructose to help your liver detoxify more efficiently. You should also line your stomach with a high protein meal before drinking, which will act as a shield to your digestive system Apples, grapes and watermelon are all good choices in this instance. He told the publication everyone should try and take a vitamin B1 supplement as well, as this vitamin depletes quickly when you take a swig of alcohol. Otherwise known as thiamine, vitamin B1 helps prevent complications in the nervous system, brain, muscles, heart, stomach and intestines. It is also involved in the flow of electrolytes into and out of muscle and nerve cells. When you wake up try a beetroot juice or Mr Macari's hydration cocktail of water, coconut water, orange juice and a pinch of salt - both will work in favour of boosting your liver function When you wake up try a beetroot juice or Mr Macari's hydration cocktail of water, coconut water, orange juice and a pinch of salt - both will work in favour of boosting your liver function. Choose skincare products with Camu Camu and caffeine in them to wake up your skin and stay in the shade. While there are plenty of clinics offering 'hangover IV' drips to those desperately seeking a cure, this is a guaranteed natural way to help your body reboot itself. ABC News says its reporter Tom Llamas will interview Melania Trump during her trip to Africa for a "20/20" special to air October 12. The first ladies have travelled to Africa fairly often. Melania will complete her solo global trip in Egypt on Saturday before returning to the United States. A group of children is also listed to entertain her on Friday. The U.S. first lady also went on a quick safari. On the second day of her visit to Ghana, 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 of the former slave fort called Cape Coast Castle. The First Lady later visited an orphanage, where she played with babies and read a book to the young children, before heading to watch a dance performance at the Nairobi National Theatre. Mrs Trump opened the trip on Tuesday in Ghana and visited Malawi on Thursday. Mrs. Trump toured classrooms at Lilongwe's Chipala Primary School, which gets textbooks and other education assistance from the US Agency for International Development. USA first lady Melania Trump, center, and Kenya's first lady Margaret Kenyatta, left, pose for a photograph with Kenyan children after attending a children's performance at the Kenya National Theater in Nairobi, Friday, Oct. 5, 2018. An hour into her safari ride, Trump adjusted her outfit and climbed out of a vehicle to visit an ivory burn site, where the material has been destroyed to discourage the ivory trade. She was briefed on the children living at the house for babies. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump quietly made a decision to once again allow Americans to import body parts of African elephants shot for sport. The trip is part of her "Be Best" initiative, which focuses on improving the lives of children. "She loves meeting people, learning new things, and being around kids", Grisham said. "We want [Melania Trump] to see it that Africans needs global aid particularly on reproductive health which Trump cut, which is affecting women and young girls negatively", Pope told the local Maravi Post. Bake Off star Nadiya Hussain has revealed that she's currently battling a 'black hole' of anxiety. Posting a loving image of her husband Abdal and their two children to her 180,000 followers on Instagram, the television star and cookery writer, said that even the smiles of her young family could not fix what is 'so badly broken'. The break-out star from the Bake Off series, which she won in 2015, has been vocal in recent months about her struggle with panic disorders and mental health. Scroll down for video The mother-of-two, who has been vocal in recent months about her struggles with anxiety and panic disorder, told her 180,000 followers on Instagram that she'd had a 'bad couple of days', describing the 'black hole' of anxiety Alongside the honest account of her mental health problems, Hussain posted this photo of her husband Abdal and her two young children, saying that in spite of their smiles they can't 'fix what is so badly broken' The celebrity said in the candid post, published yesterday, that she'd had a 'bad couple of days' and only got 'out of bed' because her family need her. She wrote: 'Ive had a bad couple of days. I want so badly to explain being in that black hole. But I can't.' She continued: 'I get out of bed because I have to because they need me. The saddest thing is, the people that give me light in my life, even their smiles cant fix what is so badly broken.' Describing her family as 'love leeches', mother-of-two Hussain said she took the photo to remind herself of their love for her, writing: 'They are the light in the dark place. I may not always find it, but they will guide me till I do. She added: 'Even if its just a glimmer, I will keep going till I feel the sun on my face #panicdisorder #anxiety #mentalhealth #feelthesun #itwillbeokay #three #life #happyplace #light' Support: Hussain has been married to husband Abdal for 13 years and says the key to their successful relationship is that they don't argue The Great British Bake Off winner, pictured on Lorraine, has hit back at trolls on social media who've told her to stop 'whinging about mental health' On ITV's Lorraine last week, Hussain spoke about her battle with anxiety and told how a recent panic attack left her bed-ridden for three days, and later hit back at a person on Twitter who accused her of 'whinging about mental health'. The user, @alfredoshead, directly responded to Nadiya: 'Awww...another overpaid so called celeb whining about mental health problems "ordinary" people have to put up with every day and just get on with...[sic]' She carefully responded: 'Your attitude is the reason why mental health issues are brushed under the carpet. Sickness of the heart, body and mind does not discriminate, it doesn't pick and choose. 'It can affect anyone. Stop being so ignorant. If you can't be a part of the solution don't add to the problem.' But the Twitter troll wasn't finished, adding: 'Good for you. You call sitting in front of a camera and picking up a big cheque to whine about your problems being brave? Takes all sorts I suppose.' Again, she responded: 'If it takes all sort then there might be an explanation for you're attitude . Which by the way is misinformed, ignorant and petty.' Her appearance on Lorraine may have been tinged with negativity online, but the outspoken businesswoman encouraged others to be more respectful of other people's struggles. Nadiya has enjoyed an illustrious career since winning the baking competition, going on to appear on numerous cooking and baking shows as well as releasing several cookbooks and novels. The weather may have taken a decidedly wintry turn in recent days, but the Queen regaled against the grey skies this afternoon in a striking scarlet coat and hat. As her annual summer break at Balmoral comes to an end - the 92-year-old monarch is due in Windsor on Friday for Princess Eugenie's wedding to Jack Brooksbank - the Queen was joined by Lady Sarah Chatto, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall for church this morning. Sporting a scarlet coat and matching hat with fur trim and snug-looking black gloves, the royal looked in good spirits as she made her weekly journey from the royal estate to nearby Crathie Church. Scroll down for video Monarch in red! The Queen opted for a colourful outfit as she arrived to attend Crathie church close to Balmoral this morning; the monarch, 92, finished the look with a matching fur-trimmed hat and black gloves A 20-strong group of Scottish soldiers welcomed the royal entourage this morning, providing a guard of duty for the Queen Travelling without the Duke of Edinburgh, 97, the Queen was joined by her 54-year-old niece, Lady Sarah Chatto, daughter of the late Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones Staying warm beneath a blue woollen blanket, the Queen chatted to her niece, Lady Sarah Chatto, the 54-year-old daughter of the late Princess Margaret. The Duke of Edinburgh, 97, wasn't in attendance at the service. Following closely behind was Prince Charles, 69, who drove his own car to the service, with Camilla closely behind. The Duchess of Cornwall, 71, sported an elegant deep red velvet beret to keep out the Scottish chill. The royal entourage received a ceremonial welcome to the traditional Sunday morning outing, with kilted soldiers on guard duty as the royals arrived. Wearing their traditional green and navy tartan, the 20-strong group of guards marched outside the church as the royal party pulled up. The Queen took her traditional form of transport, the claret-coloured Bentley, as she left the royal estate this morning Following closely behind was the Prince of Wales; the 69-year-old heir to the throne drove the Duchess of Cornwall to the church service Camilla looked elegant in a deep red velour beret as she smiled at well-wishers A cheery-looking Prince Charles is pictured behind the wheel as he makes the familiar drive to church Left, right, left...The Scottish guards show off their marching skills close to the royal estate It's likely that this will be the last appearance this season of the Queen at the church, as she travels back to London for her granddaughter's wedding at Windsor Castle on Friday. Princes Eugenie, 28, will wed her fiance Jack Brooksbank at 11am at St George's Chapel, in front of their families and a rumoured host of celebrity guests. A rundown of how Princess Eugenie and her partner Jack's wedding on Friday 12th October will unfold, following the 11am ceremony at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle The happy couple will exchange vows in front of the Dean of Windsor, the Right Rev David Conner. Eugenie appears to have paid a sweet tribute to her parents, the Duke and Duchess of York, by choosing the Archbishop of York John Sentamu to lead the prayers. Princess Eugenie is due to arrive at St George's Chapel at 11am and, although it's tradition for the bride to be fashionably late, royal weddings run to a strict schedule. The ceremony is being held at the same venue where Meghan and Harry, Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly and Sophie and Edward exchanged vows, and is expected to last around an hour. About 18 months ago, I was just a normal Instagram user. I had around 1,000 followers on my private profile, where I posted pictures of my children and holidays with no real purpose. Id heard of people who used the social media site professionally so-called fashion influencers, whose enviably stylish lives capture huge followings online and the eye of big brands, who pay them to wear their clothes. But these Instagram stars had hundreds of thousands of followers. Whats more, they were skinny little things in their 20s who spent hours setting up, taking and polishing photographs to perfection. Esther Walker decided to try and see if you could grow her Instagram follower count. She used company Social Circle which, as well as bringing together brands and influencers, runs free courses for wannabe Instagram superheroes Even if I made my profile public, I couldnt see how I would ever amass those sorts of followers. And if I could, werent these influencers making negligible amounts of money? But, over the past year, something has shifted. Midlife women like you and me have become surprisingly successful at selling clothes online. Forbess annual influencer list is topped by a married 31-year-old mother, Chiara Ferragni, whose deals with fashion brands from Guess to Gucci put her earnings in the millions. And this summer, when Clemmie Hooper, a 34-year-old midwife from South London, posted a picture of herself in a black Boden swimsuit, it instantly sold out. And (shock!) she is not a size 10. She has the sort of Ive-had-four-children-and-like-biscuits figure most of us can relate to. But they still have enviable numbers of followers: Clemmie has 566,000, while Chiara has a huge 15.2 million. It was a chance meeting with a friend who works in digital marketing that changed everything for me. You dont need a million followers, she told me. You can be a micro-influencer. You only need 10,000 followers. This Instagram photo was Esther's 'perfect post'. It got more than 700 'likes' after she posted it to the social media site, whereas her other photos earned around 300 Especially, it seems, if youre a midlife mum. Kat Farmer, 45, the British stay-at-home mum behind the blog Does My Bum Look 40 In This, may now boast 101,000 followers, but her lucrative deals with Marks & Spencer and House of Fraser started when she had fewer than 50,000. Erica Davies, 40, started earning a salary online when she had around 40,000 followers, thanks to partnerships with La Redoute, Marks & Spencer and Boden. And she readily admits shes a size 12 to 14 and doesnt look like a model. I did some maths. I had 12,000 followers on Twitter and I get about 6,000 visitors a day to my website The Spike (onthespike.com). If I could persuade a combination of those people to follow me on Instagram and put up some nicer photos than my kids playing in mud could I, a 38-year-old married mother-of-two, go pro? This, she says, is an example of one of her 'bad' posts on Instagram. She only around 300 posts for this dress photo Fast-forward a year and I have 13,400 followers on Instagram (those 400 are very important to me). I focus on posting outfit ideas, recipes and jokes. In the grand scheme of things, 13,400 is still tiny, but my followers are a kind and witty bunch. I take on a little sponsored work: it supports my writing income, but its by no means a living wage. A huge payout for me would be 1,500 for one campaign, which might mean one or two Instagram pictures, a series of Instagram stories posts that disappear after 24 hours and a mention on my website (all flagged up as sponsored). But those dont come along often and, even if they did, your audience switches off if you make too many sponsored posts. I know that you are supposed to try to grow your following. The more followers you have, the more reach you have and the more desirable you are (in theory) to brands. Its like being a billboard by the A40, as opposed to being fly-posted down a dark alley. So perhaps its time I thought bigger and had a bit of ambition. And this outfit picture did even worse with Esther revealing that she only got 200 or so 'likes' on Instagram after posting it My husband is looking tired and fed up with earning most of the money, so either I become an Uber driver or I get influencing. It turns out that I couldnt have chosen a better time to dive into the commercial side of Instagram. Along with the boom in social media, a secondary industry of digital marketing agencies has sprung up. Some act as talent agents for influencers; some act as dating agencies to match a brand to the right Instagram or YouTube personality. Social Circle is one of them. As well as bringing together brands and influencers, it runs free courses for wannabe Instagram superheroes who can pull in upwards of 1 million per year in sponsorship deals. It offers help with how to attract brands, secure deals and fulfil contracts and advises on accountancy and tax once money starts rolling in. But can it help me? I meet Eleana Overett, 29, and Beckii Flint, 23, at the Social Circle offices in Shoreditch, London (where else?). Eleana is a strategy mastermind who has 10,700 subscribers on YouTube, while Beckii is a veteran of the online world. Doll-like and charming, with vibrant red hair and a perfect cupids bow mouth, Beckii started making YouTube videos aged 11 and now has 126,000 followers after a video of her dancing to a Japanese pop song went viral. Clemmie Hooper, a 34-year-old midwife from South London, posted a picture of herself in a black Boden swimsuit, and it instantly sold out (pictured above). She is an inspiration for Esther But these girls are no airheads they are sharp and knowledgeable about the industry. People who say women arent good at negotiating money havent met these two. We start by running my Instagram numbers through Social Circles online value calculator. This algorithm works out what you can charge based on your followers and your engagement, which is a loose term meaning how many of your followers are paying attention to what you post. Engagement might mean someone commenting on or sharing a picture, for example. I am rather devastated to see I can charge just 50 for an Instagram post. My dreams of making a million at my kitchen table, are shattered. Eleana and Beckii are quick to reassure me this is merely a benchmark and not the maximum I could ever expect to earn per post at this stage. They are also dismissive of my claim my following is too piddly to be of any interest to brands. Follower numbers are only part of the picture, says Eleana. What brands look for as a measure of success is engagement. Engagement really is important, the pair insist, as followers can be bought or otherwise faked. She met Eleana Overett, 29, and Beckii Flint, 23, at the Social Circle offices in Shoreditch, London. Eleana is a strategy mastermind who has 10,700 subscribers on YouTube, while Beckii is a veteran of the online world But, even if an account genuinely has many followers, an Instagram personality with 500,000 followers may have low engagement simply because their followers feel removed from them. Its a fine line to tread: offering a lifestyle that is highly enviable and yet achievable, too. Lets get real, though. What do I need to do in order to pull in the big bucks? The girls go quiet. The elephant in the room is that Instagram favours beautiful photography. And, well, Im not taking very beautiful photographs. I ask for tips. There are a lot of apps that will help you edit your photos, says Beckii, kindly. You can increase brightness and saturation and apply a custom filter. It all really helps. Always keep in mind the rule of three, adds Eleana. Pictures ought to be divisible into blocks of three areas, both horizontally and vertically. This means nothing to me, but I admit my photos are pretty terrible, always taken in a rush, never edited and probably not madly inspiring. Eleana and Beckii comment on the fact that I regularly cut my head off when I post pictures of an outfit: Most people want to see faces. I take solace from the fact that, despite my terrible photos, I do convert which means that if I recommend something, it sells well. This is the key outcome High Street brands are looking for. Designer brands are usually just after someone cool to wear their clothes sales are a secondary concern, as their product is so prohibitively expensive (and they know it). In the most recent sponsored work I took on for John Lewis, for example, I raved about a brilliant, affordable black trouser suit, which sold out within the day in all sizes. When I recommended the Snoody a scarf for children sold by the shop Trotters, my followers crashed the website buying it. These are all good signs of potential influencer status. So perhaps there is still hope for me to become an Instagram superhero. Id better get practising my photography. Or learn how to dance to Japanese pop songs . . . www.socialcircle.media TVs Steph and Dom Parker, 51 and 54, draw on their 20 years of marriage to solve your relationship problems... Im a 40-year-old single mother. My relationship with my sons father lasted ten years, but I moved out 11 months ago. I had no intention of meeting someone new or starting any kind of romantic relationship, but I met a man six months ago and were already very much in love. The problem is, he is from Spain and hes talking about going back. Since we met, his mother has passed away, leaving his elderly and ailing father to fend for himself. Also, his work here is changing and hes likely to be out of a job in six months. Because of his father and his career, he says he cant see a future in this country any longer. He doesnt want to live in Spain, but feels he has no choice. Whenever he tries to talk to me about his concerns, it makes me very upset the thought of losing him is horribly painful. An anonymous reader asked TV's Steph and Dom for dating advice. She says that she is in love with a new man but he may have to go back to Spain (file photo) I cant go to Spain with him because my ex would make it impossible for me to take my son to live abroad, and I understand that. Also, to be honest, I would like my son to continue to go to school in England. We have about a year before he has to make a final decision. If he does decide to go back, I worry it will be even harder to break up when were living apart. I also dont want to waste this time together, so Im conflicted on the best course of action. Steph says: Your letter made me really sad. My heart goes out to you. You cant help who you fall in love with and, when you meet someone, you really cant know how deeply entwined you could become. Youre 40, youre in your prime and this is a chance for real happiness. As far as your boyfriend is concerned, he has a moral duty to go to look after his father and you know it. Its the honourable thing to do. And you want an honourable man. However, that doesnt mean that everything is doomed. Far from it! If hes the guy for you and youre the woman for him, then sit down together and strategise how you will make this work. Steph says that the woman's letter made her 'really sad' - however she tells her not to give up and that she should stop the doom-mongering But first things first: stop with the doom-mongering. Its incredibly damaging and you are simply creating the destiny you dont want. Theres no reason this cant work you fly one way once a month, he flies the other the next. Easy! The thing is, you dont know for how long this will have to happen. It might be only a year, at which point you can decide what to do next. The key thing here is that you both need to be fighting for your relationship. He needs to know you think hes worth it and you need to know he thinks youre worth it, too. You have to go in to bat for this one! Your first concern should be that neither of you can contemplate losing the other. Theres no point in running away from any possible future pain. You cant live with what ifs nobody can. You need to make a plan. Use your energy to sell the positives to yourself and to your boyfriend. Dont make this into a tragic love story. Its not! Turn it into a successful one. The reality is that youre in a position thats unavoidable. Find a way through it together and this may well create an even stronger bond. I understand you feel scared and insecure but this is your time to be strong. Find the courage to face it, hold each others hand and jump! Dom says: Well, I understand how you feel to have met such a lovely man and Im very happy for you. The first thing Id like to say to you is that true love conquers all. The second thing I will say is that Spain is a fabulous country. Its one of the most delightful places on the planet in which one could choose to live. Just saying. What worries me is this build-up of potential warning signs. Im concerned his commitment is not there. If it were me, Id be focusing on doing everything I could to be by your side. If he moves to Spain, it doesnt have to be the biggest impediment to love. When Steph and I met, she was living in Brussels and I moved heaven and Earth to get there. I understand there are issues with your ex regarding a move to Spain, and these should be respected, and I also understand your concern for your childs schooling you are quite right to put him first. But, when it comes to the relationship, you spend a lot of time in your letter explaining all the reasons why its not going to work. Well, if you focus so much on the negatives, then it wont work! I hope Im wrong, of course. My advice is simply to keep going with your Spanish boyfriend and see how things progress. Its been only six months, after all. That really is early days and things may well change over the next year. They might, they might not your problem is that, at the moment, there are too many mights! Enjoy it while it lasts, I say, for the love affair that it is. Falling in love is a wonderful thing that should be treasured, but I think you would do well to hold yourself back a little, just in case its not meant to be for ever. A dirty internet trick known as clickjacking has been revealed as the method by which thousands of people are being routinely signed up for nuisance text subscriptions without their consent. The cost for sending a plague of nuisance messages is then charged to customers mobile phone bills. A company called Xplosion has been fined more than 1 million by the mobile billing regulator for allowing this to happen causing a lot of consumer harm. Hidden cost: 'Clickjacking' is a method where people are charged for texts that they don't want Customers were sent texts they did not want about online games, adult videos and quizzes and charged 4.50 a week to receive them, simply after making a few wrong clicks on the internet. Xplosion operated several subscriptions services and had thousands of customers, many of whom received worthless content. Material delivered to their handsets was either limited in its availability or sometimes non-existent. Consumers did not know they were subscribing to a service because the consent to charge tool was hidden from them while browsing the internet. Some also complained of being charged for sending a STOP message to the company in an attempt to end the service. Those affected should contact the company for a refund. HOW USERS ARE DUPED When surfing the web often with a smartphone users might be tempted to click on a story of interest, a video or a logo imitating a brand they recognise. But what you click on might not always be on what you think instead you could be pressing an unseen button. Tools hidden behind a webpage can capture personal information including your mobile number and supposedly your consent. Frustrating: Thousands of people have received nuisance text messages without their consent This proof of consent is then delivered to companies providing mobile services. This is known as click-jacking, which has seen mobile users signed up to premium-rate subscription services without their knowledge or explicit consent. The Phone-paid Services Authority, the regulator for goods and services charged to a mobile phone bill, says it does not accept this as a valid method of obtaining consent from consumers. Joanne Prowse, the regulators chief executive, says: Consumers must not be charged without their consent. It is not complicated. Providers who fail to ensure customers have given consent will face robust regulatory action. The service in question caused a lot of consumer harm. SUBSTANTIAL PENALTY The mammoth fine referred to by the Phone-paid Services Authority as both substantial and appropriate is split between three different cases, amounting to 250,000, 350,000 and 440,000 each for three different types of service provided by Xplosion. This represents the conclusion of an investigation that was triggered by hundreds of complaints by members of the public. To put the penalty into context, the total sum of fines handed out in the financial year ending March 2018 was 3.8 million, spread across a dozen or so companies. Xplosion bosses claim to be unaware that clickjacking was affecting its services and that people were being fraudulently signed up to a subscription. In a statement to The Mail on Sunday on Friday, Xplosion bosses said the company does not accept blame and that it too was the victim of third-party fraud. Many people browsing the internet on their smartphone do not realise they've clicked on The statement reads: Whilst our services were compromised, not only was this without our knowledge but moreover we, like the affected customers, were innocent victims of third party fraud. We intend either to ask for a review of the decision, or to request an oral hearing for a fresh assessment of the facts. Regardless of Xplosions part in the case, the regulator says it is liable for the exploit. A WIDESPREAD TRAP Xplosion is the latest company to be named and fined for failing to check its customers consented to receive costly texts but there are many more operating which continue to dupe honest bill-payers. The Mail on Sunday has heard from dozens of readers caught by the premium rate trap. They include a child and a pensioner charged for messages related to fitness, a businessman fleeced for years by a competition service he knew nothing about and a meticulous household bill-checker who found 12p a time charges for texts relating to lottery number updates which he had no use for. Ernest Doku, a mobile phone expert at comparison website uSwitch, says: Premium rate texts are an expensive trap that anyone can find themselves falling into. People are being charged up to 4.50 a week to receive nuisance texts they didn't want Be careful about giving out your mobile number online. One victim of a premium rate trick, known only as Mick, told us how he lost a significant sum from what he calls a fraudulent practice. Mick was charged 3.75 per text, five times a month for a quiz competition he knew nothing about. In total he was left more than 100 out of pocket. He says: At the time I did not even have a smartphone, so was unable to open the messages. I was advised to text the word STOP and tried to block the number but this did not stop my receiving them. My only solution was to change my service provider and my phone number. Victims of such premium rate deceptions are often forced to fight their battles for refunds alone. Mobile networks can deny responsibility and refer customers to the third-party company. These companies often say they have proof of consent and refuse a refund leaving people with nowhere to turn. Pursuing the matter in court would be costly and time-consuming for the sums involved. At the moment, the advice is to kick up a fuss by complaining to your mobile network, the company in question and the regulator at psauthority.org.uk. You can also tell us email laura.shannon@mailonsunday.co.uk. Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers' corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below. Mrs E.P.R. writes: I find myself in a desperate situation. On May 30, bailiffs finally evicted my non-paying tenants. They had trashed the house, but that is the least of my worries. I opened a letter addressed to me but sent to the house I had rented out. It was from debt collectors acting for Welsh Water saying I owe 394. 'Angry': Emma Parsons-Reid has asked to be identified after her water firm saga I rang the water company and got the shock of my life. It says they have been writing to me at the rented property where I have not lived since 2007. As I have not replied, it has taken me to court twice and won judgments. It has taken three months to unravel what has taken place. But the bottom line is that Welsh Water has acted like a back alley mugger, picking on the easiest and weakest target, and failing to use readily available tracing resources. In the end it has landed itself with unnecessary legal costs that will do nothing to keep down the bills it sends to customers. You are so angry that while I normally do not name readers, you have asked me to identify you as other Welsh Water customers may then come forward with similar horror stories. So you are Emma Parsons-Reid from Cardiff and when you got married in 2007 you moved out of your home and into another property a short distance away. You rented out your old home with the tenants responsible for outgoings including water charges. All went well until 2014 when you wrote to Welsh Water with details of new tenants. They failed to pay the water charges and various other bills and were evicted in May this year. Other utility companies have either scrapped their bills or are chasing the tenants at their new address but Welsh Water chose to hold you responsible without your knowledge. Records: The Welsh Government operates a scheme called Rent Smart Wales, which includes a public register of landlords Legally, it can do this but ethically it made a mess of the process. The company says it never received your 2014 letter so it addressed its bills to you at the rented property. It is likely the tenants simply tore them up. When you did not pay these bills Welsh Water sued you, but it sent the court papers to the rented property and you received none of them. Should Welsh Water have known where you live now? The simple answer is yes. The Welsh Government operates a scheme called Rent Smart Wales, which includes a public register of landlords. This was launched in 2015 and your details are on it. The website of Rent Smart Wales even carries an article written by Gareth Williams, a senior official of Welsh Water. He writes: In order to identify landlords and rental properties, DCWW [Dwr Cymru Welsh Water] uses the public register on Rent Smart Wales website. Williams even claims: Once landlords are registered with Rent Smart Wales and DCWW, they will reap the rewards of registration as they will be compliant with the law and wont incur penalties such as fines or being held responsible for water charges at their rental properties. Fine sentiments. But Welsh Water told me its collection staff act on the assumption that anyone who owes them money must be living at the address where the water was consumed. It even hired debt collectors who of course found that you were not there. Nonetheless, Welsh Water told me all evidence pointed to the fact that you were living there. That evidence turned out to be a check with the Land Registry which showed you owned the property. But this is no evidence at all that you lived there and Welsh Water was well aware that it had been rented out since 2007. The water company has insisted it used its correct procedures to sue you. All I can say is that its procedures are rubbish. You have even offered Welsh Water the new address of the tenants who failed to pay and the company has shown no interest in pursuing them. Why should it, when you are an easier target? The result of Welsh Waters behaviour is that you have two debt judgments against your name. You have paid 2,000 to avoid further proceedings and you are paying off a further 30 a month. A separate debt means you also owe the company 283. When I contacted Welsh Water, it began by claiming it had done nothing wrong. It has now shifted its position. It now says it will write off the 283 and it will pay the legal costs to have the two court judgments set aside so they do not tarnish your credit record for years to come. But it will not budge on the 2,000 you paid or the 30 a month you still pay. Reluctantly, you have agreed to this as you cannot afford lawyers to fight a big bullying company like Welsh Water. Ironically, the companys collections boss Leon Hughes, who has been fielding my questions, is also an official of the Civil Court Users Association. He says the association aims to bring about improvements in the way the courts work. I am sure you could give him some suggestions. Mobile cost me my mortgage M.C. writes: I have been an O2 customer for more than ten years. In March, I requested an extra number for business use. I then had to make an urgent trip to the United States so was unable to collect the new phone and O2 cancelled my order. When I returned I found 306 had been taken from my bank account. O2 apologised and my bank retrieved the funds. But now, just as I am getting a mortgage, I have found that O2 registered a default on my credit agency file. What a mess. O2 cancelled the order but still charged 306. Even after returning the money it told a credit agency you had defaulted. When your mortgage lender found the bad mark on your credit file the mortgage offer was restricted, leaving you to find a bigger deposit. O2 has told me that when you did not collect the new phone a termination fee of 306 was automatically generated. The company added: This should not have occurred. All the big credit agencies have now been instructed to delete the default notice and O2 has added a 50 credit to your account. If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned. Shareholders own companies and executives are hired guns, paid to run them. Sometimes they have to be reminded of their place. And so it has been in recent weeks with the chair, chief executive and board of Unilever custodians of that vast array of brands we all use in our daily lives: Persil, Marmite, Radox, Vaseline the list is extensive. The company has been on an extensive PR campaign to try to win over shareholders for its plan to end an agreement, signed in 1929 when Lever Brothers and Margarine Unie merged to create a UK and Dutch consumer group with headquarters in both countries. Unilever is the maker of many popular products including Marmite, Hellmann's and Lipton What had been good enough for the past 89 years wasnt good enough now. The single HQ was to be in the Netherlands. On Friday, the board retreated but only when a string of large UK shareholders declared they would vote against it and it became clear that it probably could not win a sufficient majority to get it through. This shatters the boards authority, and it raises two questions. How on earth could they get things so wrong? And what happens now? For the first, there is a puzzle. On the face of it the board ticks all the boxes. It has a Dutch chief executive but one with long experience in the US. It has a gender balance, with nine women among the 23 people billed as our leadership. It has a nationality balance, with a mix of Europeans, Americans, Asians and Africans. The trouble is that despite this apparent variety, it clearly was a group of people who thought alike. Either no one was prepared to stick their head above the parapet and say this might not be a great idea, or they were simply too disconnected from their shareholder base to realise what asses they were about to make of themselves. Merger: An agreement was signed in 1929 when Lever Brothers and Margarine Unie merged It is a classic problem of decision-making, highlighted recently in a speech by Andy Haldane, chief economist of the Bank of England, popularly known as groupthink. What happens next? Well, there will be a takeover bid. It just managed to fend one off from Kraft Heinz late last year, thanks in part to the staunch support from the very shareholders that rejected its move to the Netherlands now. It can expect less loyalty in the future. There is, however, one way through. The logic of the board, that the dual structure was cumbersome, was right. It picked, however, the wrong solution. The obvious fix would be to split the company back into two: a Lever Brothers based in London and a Margarine Unie (perhaps under a more user-friendly name) in Rotterdam. Unilever is just a collection of brands. But some of those brands play naturally in the English-speaking world, while others are more attractive in Continental Europe. Thus Ben & Jerrys, the ice-cream maker based in Vermont, works fine in the US and UK, but doesnt ring quite so well in Paris or Rome. And while Knorr stock cubes are useful to pep up a soup, they would more happily sit in a Continental stockpot of European brands. Result: instead of one wounded and vulnerable giant, there would be two vigorous competing entities. Whats wrong with that? If you own a Tesla car lucky you enjoy it. If you own Tesla shares it might be time to trade them in. In fact, it would have been better to have traded them in the summer when they were 30 per cent higher than now. Instead of one wounded giant, create two vigorous competing firms. They were down sharply on Friday following another tweet from Elon Musk, this time attacking the Securities and Exchange Commission which had fined him and the company $20 million (15 million) apiece. But Tesla is still worth $45 billion, almost as much as General Motors at $48 billion, and more than Ford, $37 billion. Clearly it is valued as a technology company rather than a car-maker. That must be wrong. The other manufacturers are gearing up to crush Tesla. They know a lot about building luxury cars. Jaguar is already there. When every producer makes fully electric cars, the first-mover advantage of Tesla evaporates. It will become an interesting niche company. Sounds more like a $10 billion enterprise bigger than Aston Martin, smaller than Jaguar Land Rover than that $45 billion it is worth today. Newcastle Building Society says it will shortly contact customers who took out wills through its branch network, only for the company writing them to go out of business. The society says it will offer those affected by the collapse of The Will Writing Company an option to have their wills stored free of charge elsewhere. This means they can avoid the charge that one of the companies which acquired the remaining assets of The Will Writing Company wants to levy for storing them. The building society will offer customers affected to have their wills stored free of charge Seven days ago The Mail on Sunday reported on the displeasure of some Leeds Building Society customers who had been caught up in the will companys collapse. They felt Leeds had failed to keep them in the picture even though it earned an income for every will, lasting power of attorney or trust taken out as a result of a recommendation from branch staff. The article prompted Newcastle customers to come forward and say they were in a similar situation. One reader, who with her husband set up a will and trust as a result of a recommendation from Newcastle, said she now faces a not insignificant charge as a result of having to get the trust transferred to new solicitors and re-registered with the Land Registry. On Friday, Newcastle said its ability to update customers had been compromised by a lack of information from all involved. It said it would work with customers to help them and offer free support and assistance to those who had set up trusts. James White, joint winner of last years The Apprentice, says going on the hit BBC show was the best financial decision he ever made. White set up his own recruitment business, Right Time Recruitment, with Lord Sugar last year. He now employs 20 people and is generating monthly turnover of 200,000. He describes Sugar as motivating to work with. White, 27, is determined to get rich and says he wants to be a millionaire before he is 30. The 14th series of The Apprentice has just started you can catch it on BBC1 on Wednesdays at 9pm. Success: James White, pictured with Lord Sugar, was the joint winner of last year's Apprentice What did your parents teach you about money? My dad was a successful businessman who went bankrupt because he did not invest properly in what he had built. I took that as a lesson about what not to do when you start making serious money. My older siblings had a different upbringing than I had. They lived in a nine-bedroom house and had six holidays a year. I was born in a two-bed council house in Scotland. I had to save for anything I wanted. There was no money for luxuries and I went to a state school. What was the first paid work you ever did? At age 10, I set up a car-wash business. By 13, I was cleaning cars full-time at the weekend and earning 150. I had business cards and would take appointments. Have you ever struggled to make ends meet? Yes. I had a good time at university and spent a lot of money I did not have. When I graduated, I had run up a 15,000 debt on credit cards and bank overdrafts on top of my student loan debt. It was a real struggle for me to make the minimum payments. Luckily, I got a job in recruitment and by earning lots of commission managed to clear all my debts. Have you ever been paid silly money? Yes, companies will pay up to 4,000 to hear me talk for as little as ten minutes since I won The Apprentice. Business partner: The new series of the Apprentice is on every Wednesday at 9pm on BBC One What was the best year of your financial life? The year from June 2015 to June 2016, the last year in my old company. I made 250,000 and used some of the money to treat myself to a 45,000 white BMW 3 series M Sport and an 8,500 special edition Rolex Submariner Hulk watch. What is the most expensive thing you bought for fun? Three weeks of holiday in America that cost 24,000. I rented a supercharged car and went to LA, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Mexico. I stayed in five-star hotels, ate in the best restaurants and had a fantastic time. What is the best money decision you have made? Going on The Apprentice. As a result of that decision I am sitting here now with a one-year-old business that employs 20 people and is turning over up to 200,000 a month. It is brutal and cut-throat in Lord Sugars boardroom, but I knew that each week I survived I was one step closer to what I wanted. I am quite calm and do not tend to react to issues emotionally. I think that is why I got on with Lord Sugar. He could see I did not fall out with anyone. I came out of that process more motivated than I have ever been. Since then I have not looked back. New blood: One of these contestants will become Lord Sugar's business partner this year Has Lord Sugar ever given you any money advice? Yes. His advice is: Cash is king. I think his view is that your turnover is vanity, net profit is your sanity, but cash is your king. Without cash, you cannot operate. It is so motivating to work with Lord Sugar. He is a man of few words and the ones he uses he does not mince. I like that. He is direct. He is always saying to me: What is next? How are we going to get there? It is an old school approach. Do you save into a pension or invest in the stock market? I do both. I have a work pension I contribute to and I have a small investment of 5,000 in the stock market. The equity market is a gamble unless you know what you are doing and I am a novice. As for pensions, I only started saving because I was automatically enrolled into the work place scheme. But I would rather put my money into property as a way of saving for retirement. I think pensions are a good idea, but they do not suit my personality. Do you own any property? No. I am currently in the market for a 500,000 four-bedroom house in Birmingham. I would also like to buy an investment property with friends. What is the one luxury you treat yourself to? Holidays. This year I have been to Barcelona, Marbella and Madrid and I am going to the Caribbean at Christmas. If you were Chancellor what would you do first? I would look into how big global corporations pay their taxes and close all loopholes. Smaller business like mine pay our taxes in full and I think that big businesses should too. Do you donate money to charity? Oh yes. I donate 150 a month and currently sponsor a child in the Gambia via SOS Children and give to Macmillan Cancer Research. My business also fundraises for Acorn Childrens Hospice Trust and I volunteer for them as a trustee. I think giving to charity is important and everyone should do more of it. What is your number one financial priority? Get rich. My plan is to become a millionaire before I am 30. Even then I will not be satisfied. On the topic of the Nation-State law, Merkel expressed her concern that the legislation made her anxious about the rights of minorities; however, she added that she supported Israel as a Jewish state and that, in order to reach a peaceful solution, the Palestinians would have to accept it as such. 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. Despite their conspicuous disagreement on the issue of the Iran nuclear deal, Merkel echoed Israel's concerns over the Islamic Republic's acquisition of nuclear weapons. "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. 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. Merkel and Netanyahu did not make any statements after her arrival in Jerusalem. 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. She 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. Later, she visited the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, where she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Haifa. "I will inform him and also ask him some questions which also have to do with the situation in Gaza", she said. Merkel is scheduled to have dinner with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem later on Wednesday. Germany has also been among the European countries calling on Israel to refrain from carrying out its plans to demolish a West Bank hamlet that Israel says was illegally built. Germany says the joint government meeting on Thursday afternoon will focus on economic ties, innovation and technology, while noting that the consultations have been in place for 10 years. Fears of a resurgence in anti-Semitism in Germany are expected to be discussed. There has been no shortage of controversy ahead of this week's visit. 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. The Palestinians have tried to get Merkel to persuade Israel not to raze a Bedouin encampment in the occupied West Bank. Merkel is in Israel for the latest in a series of joint government consultations. "Why should she put her hands in the fire?" A visit to Israel by Germany's then-foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel in 2017 ended in acrimony when Netanyahu cancelled their meeting. Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis has called for a 1.25 billion tax on products sold via the internet to prevent Britains shops being annihilated by online rivals. In an interview with The Mail on Sunday, Lewis said Chancellor Philip Hammond should impose a 2 per cent charge dubbed an Amazon tax on goods sold online. The Tesco boss whose bold approach at the supermarket giant has earned him the moniker Drastic Dave said it was time to shift the burden of raising the countrys income away from store chains. 'Amazon tax': Lewis has said the Chancellor should impose a 2% charge on goods sold online Lewis said traditional retailers are caught in a stranglehold of rising costs, taxes, higher wages and competition from aggressive online firms. He said the money raised should be used to provide a tax break for retailers, which employ 4.2 million people. His intervention a highly unusual and frank analysis by a corporate chief will be regarded as the most dramatic call for Government action yet from an industry besieged in a rapidly changing world. It is a significant boost for The Mail on Sundays Fair Play On Tax campaign, which was launched last week. Lewis declined to say whether any communication with Government has taken place. But it is understood that Whitehall officials are aware of his analysis. His call follows a vow from the Chancellor last week that Britain might go it alone with a plan to tax digital firms if it could not reach a consensus with other countries to do so. Lewis said such a digital services tax was completely separate from his proposal. Taxed: Amazon is one of the biggest retailers online and would be impacted by online charges Industry chiefs say the retail sector has had a torrid year described by many as the worst in living memory with 40,000 jobs lost. Retail chains including House of Fraser, Toys R Us, Maplin and Poundworld have collapsed while many others have closed swathes of stores. At Tescos office in Clerkenwell, Central London, Lewis said the failure to tax digital firms comprehensively had now become an industry issue. Three years ago I talked about a potential lethal cocktail of pressures in the retail industry and now you are seeing that come to fruition, he said. The tax burden has reached the point where companies are going bust. Has the Government thought through what happens when retail starts to decline and if the job losses start to become significant? Upcoming budget: The Tesco chief is calling on the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, to implement a new tax on goods sold online Lewis conceded Tesco, despite delivering more than 40 per cent of Britains online food orders, would without doubt benefit overall. But he said all his supermarket rivals would get a much better deal out of this than I would. Online sales make up about 17 per cent of Britains 370 billion a year retail industry and the share is growing rapidly. Retailers have long complained that they pay a quarter of Britains 30 billion business rates bill despite representing just 5 per cent of the economy. This is because they have a large physical presence. They also have to stump up their share of the 56 billion corporation tax take each year. By contrast, rapidly growing online firms many of which utilise business models that wipe out profit or use offshore havens to slash their tax bills contribute little of either. One retail executive last night described Lewiss plan as an Amazon tax in reference to longstanding accusations that the company pays far less proportionately than many of its store-based competitors. Amazon has been accused of paying as little as 2.3 per cent on its UK profits. The UK corporation tax rate on profits is set at 19 per cent. Lewis said his plan could be used to cut business rates across the sector by 20 per cent. He added: If I were the Chancellor Id be saying how do I keep this industry going so I could keep this [tax] take for longer, because if Im not careful Im going to kill it. Retail is truly national. If you look at gross Value Added Tax, direct tax, indirect taxes, employment, the number of suppliers to our stores and our business, the contribution in terms of the wider community the role of retail in the economy is significant and it will be affected by this. The Treasury said it has set up an expert panel to assess the issues and it already has a 10 billion long-term help package in place. The billionaire Reuben brothers have become embroiled in a bitter row with the wealthy Ruimy brothers who run Mayfair-based property company Aerium. According to a docket filed at the High Court, Aldersgate Investments, the Reuben Brothers investment vehicle, has begun legal proceedings against Franck and Ely Ruimy over a breach of contract. Little else was disclosed in the document but City sources said the spat has been going on for several years and is focused on unpaid fees following a property investment the Reubens and Ruimys did together. Billionaires Simon, left, and David Reuben have begun legal proceedings against the Ruimys David and Simon Reuben are Britains richest brothers after amassing a 13 billion fortune over the last 20 years. Originally from Mumbai, India, the Reubens moved to England in the 1950s and went to state school. They made their first billion trading aluminium in Russia in the 1990s. They ploughed the proceeds into a collection of London properties, buying Carlton House and Millbank Tower in Westminster, the John Lewis Partnerships headquarters in Victoria, Connaught House in Mayfair and shops in Sloane Street. They have also built a portfolio that includes London Heliport, London Oxford Airport and Arena Racing, which owns courses such as Royal Windsor. Franck and Ely Ruimy made a smaller fortune by investing in commercial property across the world. Their property company Aerium has offices in London, Luxembourg and Geneva. Franck Ruimy is also thought to have made millions of pounds after hoovering up trophy apartments and houses in New York after the 2008 financial crisis. Neither of the parties would comment. A fraudster behind a controversial action group set up to sue the Royal Bank of Scotland is being accused of using small investors money to pay himself and his colleagues 1.9 million. The revelation comes as the RBoS Shareholders Action Group faces a police probe in the wake of concerns raised by a year-long investigation by The Mail on Sunday. The group, co-founded by Irish businessman Gerard Walsh, was established to sue the bank for compensation for investors who felt they were duped into buying shares in 2008. However, it has since been sidelined from management of the claim. The RBoS Shareholders Action Group faces a police probe after Mail on Sunday investigation Manx Capital, an investment vehicle of tycoon Trevor Hemmings, took its place at the top of the mass legal action. The 7,000 small investors who signed up to the group won a 200 million settlement from RBS in June last year, meaning the bank could avoid a high-profile court case. Much of the 200 million has yet to be paid out and serious concerns have been raised about the action group companys management of the claim, although these are firmly dismissed by the group. This newspaper revealed last year that Walsh was described as a fraudster by the Jersey Royal Court in 2014. In 1997, the High Court of Ireland found him guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation by posing as a Lamborghini salesman. A court heard earlier this year that Walsh was claiming a 3.75 million success fee from the 200 million RBS settlement, despite allegedly presenting himself as a volunteer. Tycoon Trevor Hemmings: Manx Capital took its place at the top of the mass legal action In a High Court dispute between the action group company and Manx, a judge heard that Walsh was charging 80 an hour plus expenses for his services. Manx, which instructs law firm Signature Litigation on behalf of investors who signed up to the action group, has now provided further details of payments made to Walsh. In a letter sent to investors, Signature says the action group collected 8 million in subscription fees from both small investors and large institutional funds which originally signed up for the claim. The letter also alleges that up to 1.9 million was paid to Walsh, as well as entities or people believed to be associated with him. It said this money apparently went towards paying for leaflets, professional fees and administrative charges. The RBoS Shareholders Action Group did not address this figure when asked for comment, but said Walshs consultancy contract with the company came to an end 18 months ago when RBS agreed to a settlement. A spokesman for the group added: We have no issues with him whatsoever. The group also pointed out that it has had a serious falling out with Signature Litigation. The spokesman added: The group has been run in an honourable and ethical way throughout its ten-year existence. The Signature Litigation letter, seen by The Mail on Sunday, also refers to Walshs links to two other organisations the RBS GRG Business Action Group, set up to sue the same bank over mistreatment of small businesses, and a campaign group set up following the Grenfell Tower disaster. Directors of the Grenfell group have denied knowledge of Walshs involvement. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing in respect of either of these groups. It emerged last month that the Ministry of Justice the Government department which regulates claims management companies has passed a dossier of information relating to the RBoS Shareholders Action Group on to the City of London Police. Several small investors have also asked the City of London Police to investigate this year. The force confirmed it has received the MoJ dossier and said it is assessing its contents. This came after Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb, who was alerted to the firm by this newspapers investigation, discussed his concerns with MoJ representatives. The MoJ has also told Lamb that it is planning to pass the dossier to the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and is now considering whether to also share it with the Serious Fraud Office and the Financial Conduct Authority. Lamb said: These new revelations of the amount of money that it appears Gerard Walsh was personally making out of this operation make it all the more important that the police and potentially the Serious Fraud Office treat this case with the utmost seriousness. Seventeen people have been killed and a dozen injured in a 'terrorist attack' on a restaurant popular with foreigners in Burkina Faso's capital, the government said Monday. Witnesses said three gunmen arrived at a Turkish restaurant in a pickup truck on Sunday evening and opened fire on customers seated outside. The government then launched a counter-assault, with gunfire heard into the night. 'A terrorist attack at Istanbul restaurant on Ouagadougou's Kwame Nkrumah Avenue claimed 17 victims, their nationalities are yet to be confirmed,' a government statement said, adding that 12 people had been injured. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the violence, which continued into the early hours Monday. Gunfire could be heard almost seven hours after the attack began. At least of the dead was French. Burkina Faso gendarmes and army forces patrol on August 13, 2017 as soldiers launch an operation against suspected jihadists in Burkina Faso after gunmen attacked a cafe in the capital Ouagadougou A wounded restaurant customer sits on the ground following an attack by gunmen on a restaurant in Ouagadougou Communication minister Remis Dandjinou said it was not clear how many assailants were involved. 'They are confined to one part of the building they attacked. Security and elite forces are conducting an operation,' he said on television. A paramedic told AFP that one of the victims was a Turkish national. 'We evacuated 11 people but one of them, a Turk, died on arriving at hospital,' the paramedic said, declining to be named. Police evacuated civilians from the area before launching the counter-assault, with the heavy exchange of fire becoming more sporadic as the operation went on. The above map of Ouagadougou, Bukina Faso, shows where the 'terrorist attack' took place One soldier had said there were hostages on the first and second floor of the two-storey building housing the Turkish restaurant. The mayor of Ouagadougou and government ministers were at the scene, he added. Video footage posted on Twitter shows people fleeing, as shouting and gunshots are heard. Armed officers in uniform are then seen walking towards the attack site. An AFP journalist at the scene said the gunfire stopped at around 3am GMT. Burkina Faso, a poor landlocked nation bordering Mali and Niger, has seen a string of attacks claimed by jihadist groups in recent years. Burkina Faso gendarmes and army forces patrol as soldiers launch an operation against suspected jihadists In December 2016 a dozen soldiers were killed in an assault on their base in the north of the country. And in October that year there was an attack that killed four troops and two civilians. The worst recent attack was an assault on a hotel and cafe in central Ouagadougou in January 2016 that killed 30 people including several foreigners. Gunmen from the Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) group attacked the Splendid hotel and the Cappuccino restaurant opposite, both popular with Westerners, sparking a protracted standoff with security forces. Soldiers are seen at the back of a truck following an attack by gunmen on a restaurant in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso A wounded unidentified person is evacuated following the attack by gunmen on a restaurant in Ouagadougou Burkina Faso, a poor landlocked nation bordering Mali and Niger, has seen a string of attacks claimed by jihadist groups in recent years. A wounded unidentified person is seen above AQIM named the three gunmen responsible and published photos of them, dressed in military fatigues and wielding weapons. The hotel and cafe attack came weeks after jihadists claimed an assault on a top hotel in Bamako, capital of neighboring Mali, that killed 20 people. There have also been kidnappings - of Burkinabes as well as foreigners. An Australian and a Romanian, abducted in 2015, are still being held hostage by Islamist groups affiliated with Al Qaeda. A Victoria Cross won by an Australian World War One hero who single-handedly captured machine gun nests and took 62 prisoners was sold to pay a phone bill. Alex Ingram said he made the decision to sell his father's medal after 'a lot of soul-searching.' Aside from financial worries, Alex told Fairfax Media that he was also concerned for the safety of the medal after three VCs were stolen in New Zealand. A Victoria Cross won by an Australian World War One hero who single-handedly captured machine gun nests and took 62 prisoners was sold to pay a phone bill Alex Ingram said he made the decision to sell his father's medal after 'a lot of soul-searching.' World War One hero Lieutenant George Ingram was awarded the prestigious medal for his valor at the offensive at Montbrehain, in France on October 5, 1918. Alongside the 24th Battalion, Ingram battled heavy fire from German machine guns and artillery. After gaining crucial ground, Ingram dashed ahead of his men and led them against the German strong point and seized nine machine guns. Their victory was short-lived when the company came under fire from a nearby quarry. Their company commander was one of the casualties that fell, leaving Ingram to take up the mantle. According to Alex, his father was found at the end of the battle in a quarry with 40 enemy soldiers, three dead men and a Luger pistol pointed at the rest of them. World War One hero Lieutenant George Ingram was awarded the prestigious medal for his valor at the offensive at Montbrehain, in France on October 5, 1918 Alongside the 24th Battalion, Ingram battled heavy fire from German machine guns and artillery at Montbrehain (pictured) The war hero was reticent about his experiences and only shared his stories with his third wife Myrtle. Ingram was the 64th and final Australian to earn the Victoria Cross during the First World War. It's this fact, in part, as well as the fond memories of his father that made it more difficult for Alex to sell the medal in 2008. Sotheby's in Melbourne sold it for $468,000. It is believed that the medal was bought at auction by a phone bidder, believed to be billionaire Seven Network owner Kerry Stokes, before it went on display at the Australian War Memorial. After gaining crucial ground, Ingram dashed ahead of his men and led them against the German strong point and seized nine machine guns Their victory was short-lived when the company came under fire from a nearby quarry. Their company commander was one of the casualties that fell, leaving Ingram to take up the mantle Not along after the auction, Alex suffered a heart attack. The Mornington Peninsula local's health has deteriorated since, but he plans to mark the 100th anniversary of the battle on Friday. 'I will probably go up to dads grave in Frankston [in Melbourne] and sit for a while up there,' he told Fairfax Media. A North Korean woman has described the moment she had a taste of freedom from her oppressive country, but was devastated to find that she was actually worse off when she escaped. Yeonmi Park was just 13 years old when she, along with her mother, escaped North Korea and made the harrowing journey across the border to China. Chatting with Chris Chappell on China Uncensored, the young woman explained how a copy of the film Titanic that was smuggled into the country changed her outlook on life. When asked what life is like in North Korea, Ms Park compared it to being on another planet, a place where internet is banned, along with songs, books, movies and international phone-calls. Yeonmi Park (pictured) was just 13 years old when she, along with her mother, escaped North Korea and made the harrowing journey across the border to China The people of North Korea are taught that everyone beyond the border is their enemy. 'If they do attack us, they're going to eat us all alive, like they're monsters. So we need our dear leader to defend us,' the 25-year-old said. Under the rule of Kim Jong-Il, Ms Park was convinced that growing up, she was living in paradise - despite starving every day and being shut off from the outside world. 'We're told he's our God. He's just not a human being. I literally thought that Kim Jong-Il was able to read my thoughts,' she told Chris. After the government stopped distributing food to the public, those suffering created a black market that provided clothes, food and outside information from China. In the black market, Ms Park's family found Titanic on DVD. She said that watching that movie with her family shocked her, as she couldn't believe a movie was made out of a love story, and wasn't about the revolution. 'Just seeing a movie dedicated to peoples love story, it made no sense to me. Thats when I had a taste of humanity and freedom,' she said. When she was 13, Ms Park and her mother escaped North Korea by crossing the frozen Yalu river and arriving in Changbai, in China's north east. Her then-16-year-old sister Eunmi had made the journey from their home to China the day before in such haste she wasn't able to tell anyone. 'It was actually worse than North Korea,' Ms Park said. Under the rule of Kim Jong-Il, Ms Park was convinced that growing up, she was living in paradise (pictured in North Korea as a child) The pair were taken out of the country by a man who bribed the guards on the border to allow them to cross, and then they began their grueling journey. Once across they were taken to a different man in China, and once Ms Park and her mother reached China, the man who had promised to help them, turned on them. 'The first thing was my mother was raped by the broker. I was 13, but this broker wanted to sleep with me first,' Ms Park said. At just 13 years of age, she had to watch the moment her mother was raped in front of her, describing it as a 'nightmare'. Both her and her mother where then sold to Chinese men - her mother was sold for around $65, while she was sold for over $200 for being young and a virgin. Ms Park was sold from broker to broker multiple times, each time she was sold for more and more money. Since escaping to the United States, Ms Park (pictured) has become an activist for those still suffering under the dictatorship Each man attempted to rape the teenager, yet she kept quiet because she knew if she complained, she would be sent back to North Korea. She eventually ended up back with the original broker that raped her mother, and decided that she was going to end her life to stop the torture. 'He said if I become his mistress, he was going to buy my mother back because he sold my mum. And he was also going to bring my father from North Korea to me. So I did become his mistress. Thats how he brought my sick father to North Korea,' Ms Park told Chris. Ms Park said she saw the rape she endured as a business arrangement and the trafficker kept to his side and bought back her mother and smuggled her father through the border. For two years, he paid for the family's food and home, until he let them go after falling in love with Ms Park. While expanding her role as an activist, Ms Park penned a memoir that details the gruesome journey her and her family took to freedom, called 'In Order to Live' Before she was released, her father died from cancer. Ms Park and her mother were able to reach Mongolia safely where they were sent to South Korea. Once safe, they lived under the radar as she finished high school in Seoul and two years later they were reunited with Ms Park's sister. Ms Park has since used her story to advocate for the human rights of those still suffering in North Korea. She has since settled down in the United States, and is now married and welcomed her first child in 2018. While expanding her role as an activist, Ms Park penned a memoir that details the gruesome journey her and her family took to freedom, called 'In Order to Live'. Australia's mining industry is booming again after years in the doldrums with thousands of six-figure jobs being advertised - even for those with little experience. Everything from cooks and cleaners to engineers and diesel mechanics are in demand as mining companies that downsized during the lean years ramp up production to capitalise on soaring commodity prices. The number of advertised jobs has climbed by a third during the past year with apprentices and mechanics with only two years' experience able to earn an annual six-figure sum in an industry with average salaries of $140,000. A recovery in coal and iron ore prices from a 2016 slump has encouraged tradies to move to Queensland and Western Australia in search of high-paying jobs, even though there are similar well-paid jobs only two hours north of Sydney. Australia's mining industry is booming with average salaries of $140,000 and a surge in job ads (An iron ore worker from Western Australia's Pilbara region pictured) The number of advertised jobs has climbed by a third during the past year with tradies of only two years' experience able to earn an annual six-figure sum (Pilbara miners pictured) In Queensland alone this month, 942 resources sector jobs are being advertised paying between $100,000 and $200,000. Mackay, in the state's north, had 394 or 42 per cent, of these lucrative positions, with high-paying jobs also on offer in Brisbane, Gladstone and Townsville. Mining-related companies in Western Australia are also competing for skilled talent, with a heavy-duty, fly-in, fly-out mechanic job in the remote Pilbara region being advertised with a salary of up to $200,000 a year. Experience isn't necessarily an impediment to a six-figure salary with a heavy-duty diesel mechanic position in Kalgoorlie, in the state's south, paying $55 an hour, for someone with a minimum of just two years' experience, which works out at $114,400 a year. The Minerals Council of Australia estimates workers in the resources sector have average salaries of $140,000, a level which is 71 per cent higher than the average Australian full-time salary of $82,000. In Queensland this month, 942 resources sector jobs being advertised paying more than $100,000. Mackay, in the state's north, had 394 or 42 per cent, of these lucrative positions A whopping 95 per cent of them are full-time. Online employment group Seek data showed advertised salaries surged by 16 per cent, from $106,271 in June 2017 to $123,430 in mid-2018, as the number of job ads rose by 32 per cent. Queensland Resources Council chief executive Ian Macfarlane, a former federal Liberal resources minister, said 70 per cent of mining industry jobs in his state paid six-figure salaries. 'That means you can have a high-paying job in the resources sector and the great lifestyle of regional Queensland, away from the rat race in the city,' he told Daily Mail Australia. The Minerals Council of Australia estimates resources sector workers have average salaries of $140,000, which is 71 per cent higher than Australia's average $82,000 full-time salary Workers wanting to live close to Australia's biggest city, Sydney, can move to the Hunter Valley, where more than 12,600 resources jobs are on offer, New South Wales Minerals Council data showed. In Singleton, a two-hour drive north of Sydney, a fourth-year apprentice plant mechanic job is being advertised with a starting package of $100,000 a year. The higher salaries of Western Australia, however, are continuing to lure workers away from NSW. CommSec economist Ryan Felsman said home construction workers in New South Wales and Victoria were relocating to Western Australia as mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP ramped up iron-ore projects in the Pilbara. 'They've got their new, big projects commencing and likely to soak up some of those construction workers and lift broader activity,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'You're seeing that reflected in job vacancies, particularly skilled job vacancies. Online employment group Seek data showed advertised salaries surged by 16 per cent, from $106,271 in June 2017 to $123,430 in mid-2018, as the number of job ads rose by 32 per cent 'We're seeing those emerging skills shortages certainly in the mining sector and the higher-paying jobs. 'There could be a bit of a relocation take place if the downturn in residential construction sees some of that excess labour relocate back to the West.' Projects mining for iron ore, used to make steel, are Western Australia's biggest resources sector employer, accounting for half of the industry's 52,869 people, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia said. Australia's resource exports have doubled since the 2006-07 financial year, despite the global financial crisis. Exports of minerals, metals, coal and petroleum hit a high of $220 billion in 2017-18, up 11 per cent from the previous financial year. Raw materials account for 55 per cent of Australia's export of goods and services. Since mid-2016, thermal coal and iron ore prices have recovered, after the key commodity values collapsed from 2013. Iron ore prices plummeted from $US130 a metric tonne to levels of just $US35, causing a spike in retrenchments. They have since recovered to $US68 a metric tonne. In August alone, iron ore was Australia's biggest export ahead of coal, in dollar terms, with a market worth of $7.4billion compared with coal's $5.5billion, Australian Bureau of Statistics international trade figures showed. A masseuse who was befriended by a notorious bikie has been jailed after he conviced her to help him deal almost a kilogram of the deadly drug ice. Leigh Sussman, of Elwood in Melbourne's inner south, had never had a run-in with the law before meeting Robert Ale, known as the 'Crybaby Comanchero', at work. Ale - the right-hand man of the gang's national president Mick Murray - was riddled with bullets in February at the Nitro Ink tattoo parlour in Melbourne's south-east. He was shot nine times during the attempted execution, which may have been linked to the murder of former Comanchero boss Mick Hawi, who was killed outside a Sydney gym just days earlier. Robert Ale was dubbed the 'Crybaby Comanchero' after sooking to his lawyer in jail Leigh Sussman's friendship with 'crybaby' criminal Robert Ale ended in a jail sentence Ale is a close associate of Murray, who used to own Nitro Ink. He was dubbed a 'cry baby' after he allegedly used mental health issues suffered in jail in an attempt to get bail. During that hearing, Con Heliotis, QC, reportedly said when Ale was visited by another lawyer in jail, 'he broke down and cried like a baby'. There were no tears from Sussman as County Court of Victoria Judge Paul Higham sentenced her to 15 months in jail, with a non-parole period of nine months. She had pleaded guilty to one charge of trafficking a commercial quantity of drugs, which carries a maximum penalty of 25-years in jail. Sussman could have faced life had Ale not been short-changed on the supposed kilogram of methylamphetamine caught in her possession, the court heard. The drugs were described by Ale's henchman as 'dynamite'. Robert Ale (pictured) was shot nine times outside Nitro Ink tattoo shop in February The court heard Ale asked Sussman to collect the meth from his henchman at a McDonald's restaurant in St Kilda on December 26, 2016. The bumbling bikie had hoped Sussman would not attract attention from police, but they were already waiting when Ale's unsuspecting puppet showed up. They let her take the drugs back to Ale and pounced as she drove off with 139 grams of meth in deal bags destined for sale. All up, police turned- p 995 grams of meth - five grams short of a charge that carries a possible life sentence. Sussman - a masseuse specialising with pregnant women - had lived a crime-free life before striking up a friendship with the hulking bikie. Ale (second from left) is a close associate of Mick Murray (right of Ale) - Comanchero national president and former owner of Nitro Ink Ale (pictured centre) stands beside jailed Comanchero president Mick Murray (second from left) and other gang members She ended up living with Ale and his partner for 18 months and developed a deep loyalty to him. Sussman also got on drugs and developed a taste for meth that would ultimately seal her doom. When Ale rang 'out of the blue' asking for help, Sussman felt obligated to help. 'It is out of that sense of loyalty that you followed Mr Ale's instructions to the letter until your arrest,' Judge Higham said. 'You, for Ale, were a safe pair of hands. You were of value to Mr Ale because you were unconnected to his criminal enterprise and therefore unlikely to come to notice of the authorities.' Sussman was not paid for her dirty work and unwisely believed that by holding onto the drugs she was not involved in dealing it. The tattoo studio 'crybaby' crook Robert Ale was shot at following an altercation in February Judge Higham condemned Sussman for her role in Ale's grubby business. 'Mr Ale ran a criminal enterprise which was dedicated to the wholesale distribution of drugs and to ensuring through various means of enforcement that that business would be carried out effectively and carried out without challenge,' he said. 'Such a criminal enterprise constitutes ... a direct challenge to the very fabric of our society. [It] cannot exist without the participation of people who are prepared to perform their particular task and to lend themselves to that criminal enterprise.'' Judge Higham told Sussman drugs were 'tearing out the heart of our community' and that jail was the only appropriate sentence. 'Those who participate in this evil trade, and that is what it is, can expect to be punished,' he said. Ale, who is currently free in the community on $400,000 bail, is set to face court in December for sentencing after a guilty plea to a swag of drug offences. A co-owner of one of Australia's largest family-owned dairy businesses has cast her family into turmoil after being caught stealing more than $165,000. Mandy-Jane Mulcahy - the wife of Kyvalley Dairy Group owner and director Peter Mulcahy - has been sentenced to a two-year community corrections order and ordered to carry out 250 hours of community work for the 'gross breach of trust'. She pleaded guilty in the County Court of Victoria last week to three counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception - a charge that carries a 10-year maximum sentence. Mandy-Jane Mulcahy (pictured) has avoided a stint in jail despite ripping off her father's dairy business Kyvalley is one of Australia's most decorated family businesses and just last month was the recipient of the 2018 Distinguished Family Business of the Year. In Australia, the group has supplied the a2 Milk Company since 2002, representing more than 40 per cent of the company's domestic business. But it was Mulcahy's role with her father's own dairy business that saw her fall from grace. The court heard Mulcahy was driven by a severe resentment of her brother, who served with her as a director of the family business. Judge Lisa Hannan said Mulcahy's brother asked her to help out with the business after he separated from his wife in 2010. She became a director of the business when her dad resigned in 2013 and began working in accounts payable. Mulcahy received no payment for her duties, but in 2013 her dad gave her family a car after her daughter wrote-off her own. It was about the same time she started dipping into the company's cash, writing cheques payable to herself. Her suspicious brother raised the issue in 2015, but Malcahy denied any wrong doing. She was dumped as a director and paid back $75,000 later that year amid threats of civil action. Mandy-Jane Mulcahy (third from right) upon Kyvalley Dairy Group receiving the 2017 Family Business Australia Victorian Hall of Fame award Police armed with forensic accounts were eventually called-in and the full extent of Mulcahy's betrayal was realised. Judge Hannan condemned Mulcahy for her treachery. 'You grossly breached the trust your father and brother were entitled to have in you,' she said. A victim impact statement supplied by her brother outlined his devastation over the thefts. 'He says he cannot come to terms with the fact it was his sister who he trusted, that he spoke to daily, that was capable of such betrayal,' Judge Hannan said. 'He describes the damage caused in the family as irreparable and something the family will have to live with for the rest of their lives.' A psychiatrist told the court the mother of six, who tragically lost one child in 1990, appeared to be well organised and the crimes planned. 'It appears to be an attempt at remuneration when no other remuneration appeared possible,' he said. Prosecutors had called on Mulcahy to be immediately jailed, but Judge Hannan refused. In cutting Mulcahy loose, Judge Hannan said she accepted her early plea of guilty, delay in being sentenced and absence of prior offending. The judge further defended her sentence, saying it would deter the general public from engaging in similar conduct. 'General deterrence in relation to this kind of offending is of importance ... the sentence must manifest the community's denunciation of your conduct and impose just punishment,' she said. Funeral directors in Maryland are increasingly concerned their employees could be exposed to opioids. That's why some are stocking naloxone, the medication the reverses the effects of an overdose. Funeral directors are calling themselves the 'last responders' to the opioid epidemic, The Baltimore Sun reported on Friday. Funeral directors in Maryland are increasingly concerned their employees could be exposed to opioids. That's why some are stocking naloxone, the medication the reverses the effects of an overdose. Narcan, the spray version of naloxone, is seen in the above stock image The concern is that employees could come into contact with opioids on a dead person's body or the clothes of a mourner. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl and carfentanyl can be deadly, even in quantities as small as a grain of salt when inhaled or absorbed through the skin. The National Funeral Directors Association is recommending members to prepare for the possibility that someone could suffer from exposure. The association has said that members should recognize overdose symptoms and train staff to administer naloxone. He put the country's oil exports volume at 2.8 million oil barrels per day (bpd) and reiterated that OPEC and non-OPEC member states can not make up for Iran's huge oil production volume in the worldwide markets. Price gains this week were limited by Saudi Arabia and Russia's saying they would raise output to at least partly make up for expected disruptions from Iran, Opec's Number 3 producer, due to the United States sanctions that take effect on 4 November. Speaking to hundreds of members of the Basij militia and top Revolutionary Guard leaders gathered at Tehran's Azadi stadium, he said: "The situation of the nation, region and world is sensitive, especially for us the people of Iran". The U.S. Labor Department's employment report showed that average hourly earnings increased 0.3 percent in September, while the unemployment rate fell to near a 49-year low of 3.7 percent. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for November delivery on Friday rose to US$74.34 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Crude futures rose on Friday as US unemployment data eased concerns about demand in the world's top oil consumer, with both benchmarks set for a weekly gain ahead of USA sanctions on Iranian oil exports. Trump at the time said he expected the Saudis and other Gulf allies to make up the shortfall in Iranian production that would result from the sanctions. Top buyer China continues to buy a significant share of Iranian crude, with flows averaging 660,000 b/d in January-September, up from 602,000 b/d a year ago. Khamenei's comments came prior to the date of US President Donald Trump's second batch of sections against Tehran, expected next November 4. The Iranian government has also agreed to it. Steps are being taken to transfer the rupee to Iran through the UCO Bank and IDBI Bank. Prices of alternative Middle Eastern sour crudes surged to four-year highs, with the Platts December Dubai crude benchmark rising to $82.95/b earlier this week. But its output has declined sharply in recent months under the threat of US sanctions. Five VLCCs have disappeared from global satellite tracking systems since late August, while six recently reappeared after previously vanishing. This compares with 15 million-17 million barrels about three weeks ago before some takers turned off their transponders. The U.S. chose to impose the sanctions after unilaterally withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in a move that was rejected by the deal's other signatories. On the one hand, Russia's oil sector stands to benefit economically by increasing its oil exports and thus increasing sales. A man has been charged with the murder of a mother after an emergency crew discovered her body when investigating a fire. Dannyll Goodsell was found dead in her Ballarat home, 100 kilometres north west of Melbourne, on Friday. Officers were responding to reports of smoke at the Mount Pleasant unit at 8am, but instead made the grim discovery. Dannyll Goodsell (pictured) was found dead in her Ballarat home, 100 kilometres north west of Melbourne, on Friday Officers were responding to reports of smoke at the Mount Pleasant unit at 8am, but instead made the grim discovery Police allege Ms Goodsell had died following an attack and had not been harmed by the fire, The Herald Sun reported. The mother's body was discovered after firefighters extinguished the blaze. An investigation has begun as Homicide Squad detectives look for evidence including DNA left by the killer, and a murder weapon. A 35-year-old man has since been charged with the mother's murder and is due to appear at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Monday. Friends and family have taken to Facebook to pay tribute to the Ms Goodsell. 'We need to bring her back home to NSW so she may now have that peace she desired and to be with her two children,' a fundraising page says. Ex-partner, Sarah Bentleigh, posted to Facebook saying that although they were no longer a couple, they would 'always be together'. 'R.I.P Dannyll I'll always love you and you'll always have a piece of my heart and be in there forever,' she wrote. Once a small fire was extinguished, her body was found badly injured and officers believe the death is suspicious 'We will always be a family and most of all We will always be together...' Another friend told The Herald Sun the shocking death had left her 'broken'. 'She was my best friend,' she told the publication. Ms Goodsell left New South Wales to move to the Ballarat region three years ago and has a son and daughter. The children are reportedly in NSW living with their extended family. A 35-year-old man has since been charged with the mother's murder and is due to appear at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Monday Residents of Kentworthy Place, the street where the alleged murder took place, said they've seen 'dangerous' people around the house. A female resident who lives on the street told The Courier she was afraid to be in her own home. Another resident with young children said she feared bringing her children to the area. 'We wanted to move because of the trouble. There was always something unusual. But this is the last straw.' US Senator Susan Collins for Maine suggested Judge Brett Kavanaugh was reacting as any father would as she further explained her thinking for supporting his confirmation to the US Supreme Court. She was the subject of angry tweets Saturday as celebrities condemned her for placing a 'vote against women'. Many have criticized Kavanaugh, 53, for reacting aggressively and disrespectfully in response to some of the questions he was being asked at a hearing in Washington DC last Thursday, but Collins was sympathetic in a pre-taped interview with CBS. US Senator Susan Collins for Maine explained her thinking for supporting Judge Brett Kavanaugh's appointment to the US Supreme Court Dr Christine Blasey Ford (pictured) has stated repeatedly that Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and covered her mouth with such force that she feared he might accidentally kill her, as he tried to remove her clothing while his friend watched, during a party in high school Kavanaugh, 53, is married to Ashley Estes Kavanugh, 43, and the two have daughters Liza and Margaret together. Collins said his emotional appearance last Thursday was understandable Appearing on Face the Nation, which airs Sunday, Collins told John Dickerson that she understood why the newly-appointed SCOTUS displayed the temperament he did. 'Well first let me say that I thought Judge Kavanaugh's denial at the second hearing was very powerful,' she said. 'His anger and his anguish, I think is are understandable given that he's been accused of being involved in gang rapes of women. I mean that is a devastating allegation. So I think it was understandable that he was reacting as a human being, as a father as a father of two young girls.' Kavanaugh is married to Ashley Estes Kavanugh, 43, and the two have daughters Liza and Margaret together. After his SCOTUS nomination several women came forward with allegations of sexual assault including Dr Christine Blasey Ford. During a hearing last Thursday, Dr Ford generally came off very well while Kavanaugh was criticised for his emotional reactions, visibly crying and often raising his voice. He repeatedly talked over senators as they asked him questions and incorrectly stated under oath that he could legally drink while in high school in Maryland. He deflected questions back at senators including Democratic Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar who he has since apologized to for asking if she's ever blacked out from drinking At points he deflected questions back at senators including Democratic Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar who he has since apologized to for asking if she's ever blacked out from drinking. 'But I will say that I thought his questioning with the questioning with the senators, that he went over the line and I was glad that he apologized to Amy Klobuchar in particular,' Collins admitted. After hearing Dr Ford detail an incident where she claims she was sexually assaulted at a party in high school, both Collins and Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski admitted they would find it difficult to vote on whether to push ahead with a confirmation. Julie Swetnik and Deborah Ramirez were two other women to come forward with allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against Kavanaugh. While Collins doesn't want her vote to be taken as a sign she doesn't believe Dr Ford, she maintained that Kavanaugh is of good character but simply came across badly while under pressure. 'I am convinced that Dr Ford believes what she told us and that she was the victim as a survivor of sexual assault and that, that has been a trauma that has stayed with her for her entire life,' she continued according to The Hill. 'But we have a presumption of innocence in this country. And when I looked at the lack of any corroborating evidence including no evidence from her very best friend who was present at the party I could not conclude that Brett Kavanaugh was her assailant.' Additional sexual assault and misconduct allegation came to light against Kavanaugh by Julie Swetnik (left) and Deborah Ramirez (right), respectively Kavanaugh has claimed the allegations were a 'smear' campaign against him adding that the leaking of Dr Ford's story was the Democrats getting revenge on behalf of the Clintons'. Collins didn't explicitly say she thought those who were against Donald Trump's selection for SCOTUS used the allegations to get back at the Republications for winning the election against Hillary Clinton in 2016, but she thinks the way the claims were handled was a 'shame. During the hearing last week, senators questioned Senator Dianne Feinstein Democratic Senator for California on whether her team had leaked information to the press. Trump has also posed the question. The ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee said while Dr Ford expressed her general accusations and requested to them remain private, she or her team did not leak any information. 'Well I can't help but think that there were some who wanted to use Dr Ford, and that really saddens me because otherwise they would have gone with her express wishes, which is to have been interviewed in private, to have kept her allegations confidential,' she added. 'They still could have been thoroughly explored and I think that's really shameful. I do not think the system treated her well.' Donald Trump and senators have asked whether Senator Dianne Feinstein or her team leaked the Dr Ford story and Collins said it's 'really shameful' for whoever did Collins also spoke at length on Friday in support of her decision to vote to confirm Kavanaugh. Collins held the floor for 45 minutes, and said she did not feel Ford's testimony rose above the threshold of establishing facts as 'more likely than not,' despite Rachel Mitchell, the prosecutor hired by Senate Republicans to question Ford, saying that standard was too high to apply in a confirmation hearing. Collins' comments were met with outrage on social media, with many posting similar sentiments to those of Molly Ringwald, who wrote: 'Susan Collins you are a betrayer of women.' Many Republicans in the Senate, however, showered her with appreciation for her words. Throughout her speech, Collins presented herself as a supporter of the #MeToo movement, saying she had listened to many survivors' stories in recent weeks. But Alyssa Milano called her on the carpet on that statement. 'Don't let this performance fool you,' Milano tweeted on Friday, during her speech. 'If @SentaorCollins believed in #MeToo she would have opened the door when I was in her office to hear stories of constituent survivors.' Many Republicans in the Senate shook Collins' hand and hugged her after she relinquished the podium, while security cleared the floor where her office is situated so she would not be confronted by protesters upon her return. Collins' comments were met with outrage on social media, with many posting similar sentiments to those of Molly Ringwald, who wrote: 'Susan Collins you are a betrayer of women' Ford and Kavanaugh both testified on September 27 before the Senate Judiciary Committee related to his alleged sexual assault of her, while she said Mark Judge was in the room. Ford has stated repeatedly that Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and covered her mouth with such force that she feared he might accidentally kill her, as he tried to remove her clothing while his friend watched, during a party in high school. A second sexual misconduct allegation came to light against Kavanaugh by Deborah Ramirez, in mid-September. Ramirez stated that the nominee exposed himself to her, putting his penis near her face and ultimately forcing her to touch it without her consent during his freshman year at Yale University, at some time in the 1983-84 academic year, as reported by the New Yorker on September 23. And on September 26, Julie Swetnik alleged in a sworn statement that she saw Kavanaugh at multiple house parties in the Washington, DC area between 1981-83, where she witnessed him and Judge engaging in conduct that included the 'fondling and grabbing of girls without their consent.' Swetnik also implied that Kavanaugh may have participated in multiple 'gang rapes' by 'running a train' on women at these parties. Swetnik said that Kavanaugh was present at a party where such an incident happened to her, personally, in approximately 1982. Kavanaugh has denied each of these allegations. A missing girl rang police to say she had been raped but did not know where she was and then was saved from her attacker when a police drone found her. The terrified 16-year-old called Lincolnshire Police to tell them she had been attacked and said she was still with the rapist. She told operators they were in an abandoned industrial estate inside a high fence, but had no idea of its precise location. Police deployed a drone equipped with a thermal camera and the aircraft located the pair within minutes near a drainage ditch in Boston. Officers arrested a man in his 30s. Police tweeted a film clip of the incident, showing the drones thermal camera picking out people in the dark. Earlier in the week, the same force found a missing man with dementia in the dark using the drone. Blundering officials tackling the monkeypox disease outbreak in Britain have put the public in danger, The Mail on Sunday can reveal today. A series of errors by 'clueless' public health officials resulted in a GP surgery and a house not being cleaned until last week almost a fortnight after possible contamination with the virus, which kills up to one in ten of those infected. The outbreak of the rare disease began early last month when two people fell ill in England. They had been in Nigeria, where the disease is rampant. One patient was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital in Lancashire. Too late? Public health officials clean up the infected woman's house in Fleetwood A 49-year-old NHS female health worker at the hospital then fell ill on September 21 after contracting monkeypox from the patient's bed linen though Public Health England (PHE) had previously claimed there was minimal risk of infection. Astonishingly, even though the woman told her GP on September 24 that she had been caring for a monkeypox patient, she was informed she only had 'heat rash'. She was correctly diagnosed with monkeypox the next day but it was not until nine days later that officials sent a team wearing masks and protective clothing to decontaminate her GP surgery, the Fleetwood Health & Wellbeing Centre. The blunder means that patients and staff who passed through in the meantime have possibly been exposed to the virus. Symptoms of one of the first known cases of the monkeypox virus are shown on a patient The health worker, who lives with her partner in Fleetwood, is now in an isolation unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. Her partner was taken to hospital in Liverpool after displaying possible symptoms before he was given the all-clear and sent home. But it was only last Friday ten days after his partner was diagnosed that their property was decontaminated. A friend of the couple said: 'The authorities have made one mistake after another. Their incompetence has put the whole town at risk. They are clueless.' Last night, infections expert Professor Hugh Pennington said health managers had underestimated the risk, adding: 'When you've got two confirmed cases, you would have thought they'd have pulled all the stops out to decontaminate.' A Negative Stain Electron Micrograph Reveals an 'M' Mulberry Type Monkeypox Virus Virion Dr Nick Phin, of PHE's National Infections Service told the MoS: 'The risk of transmission of monkeypox is very low, but we are unable to exclude the possibility of the virus being present in a patient's home, if they were at home when they were unwell.' He added: 'As a precaution, teams will be cleaning the homes of patients with confirmed monkeypox. During our investigation we have contacted and risk-assessed all those known to have potentially been in contact with the cases in order to determine what follow-up would be appropriate.' Dr Phin, who is deputy director of Public Health England, added all steps were taken to protect public health. He said: 'The rooms at the GP surgery in which the case was seen were closed on the day they attended and were not reopened until decontamination took place. It is generally accepted that transmission of monkeypox between people is very uncommon but as a precaution, anyone who entered the rooms before they were closed was informed, provided with health information and contacted by PHE every day for 21 days after their exposure in order to take action should they develop symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, rash, swollen lymph nodes, chills or exhaustion. 'Decontamination is a complex process and as such we put in place robust procedures to ensure that the job was completed to a high standard before reopening these rooms.' President Donald Trump has praised the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and blasted the 'angry left wing mob' that opposed him. Trump's remarks came on Saturday night at a rally in Topeka, Kansas, just hours after Kavanaugh was confirmed by a 50-48 Senate vote and sworn in as a Supreme Court Justice. He attacked Democrats over their fierce opposition to Kavanaugh and urged citizens to vote Republican in November, saying: 'You don't hand matches to an arsonist and you don't hand power to an angry left-wing mob, and that's what they've become.' The crowd packing the Kansas Expocentre cheered as Trump called the confirmation a 'historic victory for our nation, our people and our historic constitution.' Trump praised Republican senators for 'refusing to back down in the face of Democrats' shameless campaign of political and personal destruction.' He told the crowd that Kavanaugh was a 'brilliant scholar' whose family had endured the 'unthinkable' before he was sworn in. President Donald Trump addresses the crowd during a campaign rally in Kansas on Saturday Chief Justice John Roberts, right, administers the Constitutional Oath to Judge Brett Kavanaugh in the Justices' Conference Room of the Supreme Court Building. Ashley Kavanaugh holds the Bible. In the foreground are their daughters, Margaret, left, and Liza Judge Brett Kavanaugh is sworn in as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court by retired Justice Anthony M. Kennedy as his wife Ashley holds the bible Speaking at 6.30pm Central Time, Trump sparked confusion when he referred to Kavanaugh's 7pm Eastern Time swearing-in in the future tense - though in fact the swearing in occurred about half an hour before Trump began speaking. Trump praised the one-week FBI probe into Christine Blasey Ford's allegation that Kavanaugh pinned her down and groped her in 1982, when they were both in high school, which he denies. 'That week was a great thing because it showed no corroboration, no nothing,' Trump said. The rally was in support of Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a Republican who is running for governor of the state. Earlier Saturday, Kavanaugh's mine-laden trek to the U.S. Supreme Court ended with a narrow Senate approval, his skids greased by a November-shy Democrat and a president who defended him against an onslaught of uncorroborated sexual assault claims. Trump was campaigning to support of Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (with him above), a Republican who is running for governor of the state The crowd packing the Kansas Expocenter cheered as Trump called the confirmation a 'historic victory for our nation, our people and our historic constitution' Two young supporters hold campaign signs as they wait to hear President Donald Trump speak at a campaign rally at Kansas Expocentre on Saturday The court returned from eight to nine justices on Saturday night when Chief Justice John Roberts swore Kavanaugh in during a private ceremony. Also present was retired Justice Anthony Kennedy, who Kavanaugh once clerked for and whose retirement opened up a seat on the nine-member panel The political fallout won't be known until November 6, when more than one-third of the senators and every House member will face voters. 'He's going in looking very good,' President Donald Trump said on the South Lawn of the White House, a day after Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins offered her stamp of approval and guaranteed the narrowest of victories. Hours later on Air Force One, he told reporters he is '100 per cent' certain that Christine Blasey Ford, who claimed Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her decades ago, pointed her finger at the wrong man. 'There is no one with a squeaky clean past like Brett Kavanaugh,' the president said. 'He is an outstanding person and I'm very honored to have chosen him. We're very honored that he was able to withstand this horrible, horrible attack by the Democrats.' Protesters gather on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court after over running police barricades while demonstrating the confirmation of Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh on Saturday An activist protests the Senate confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh from the lap of Contemplation of Justice at the Supreme Court in Washington, DC Women stand in silent protest outside the U.S. Supreme Court building after the U.S. Senate voted to confirm the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh As dusk falls, groups including 'Sing Out Louise,' of New York City, front in pink, and Herndon Reston Indivisible, of northern Virginia, protest outside the White House on Saturday When Vice President Mike Pence's gavel fell Saturday, Kavanaugh had won on a 50-48 tally with his lone Republican opponent sitting on the sidelines as a favor to a friend. Protesters in the Senate gallery, mostly female, were in no mood for good will. They interrupted the vote at several stages, prompting police to remove them. Pence, presiding over the Supreme Court reckoning, demanded order as cries of 'Shame! Shame!' and 'I do not consent!' rang out. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spent Saturday predicting a red wave of Republican election turnout, saying activists on the left have shot Democrats in the foot. 'Our base is fired up,' he told reporters after the vote. 'We finally discovered the one thing that would fire up the Republican base. And we didn't think of it. The other side did it.' 'The tactics that have been employed, both by Democratic senators and by the virtual mob that's assaulted all of us in the course of this process has turned our base on fire,' McConnell said, looking forward to an election exactly one month away. 'I want to thank the mob, he told The Washington Post. McConnell denied the controversy would have an impact on the party's prospects among women voters in November: 'This was about someone being treated fairly ... not about unsubstantiated charges.' Vice President Mike Pence, fulfilling his constitutional duty to preside over the Senate, called for police to eject protesters from the gallery after about a half-dozen outbursts Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins left the Senate floor under armed U.S. Capitol Police guard; it was her pro-Kavanaugh speech on Friday that tilted the nomination fight against the women's-issues groups that hoped she would reject the nominee Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski was the only Republican who didn't vote for Kavanaugh; President Trump said that 'she will never recover from this' and 'the people from Alaska will never forgive her' The Women's March, the group behind protests the day after President Donald Trump's inauguration last year, tweeted that its members were responsible for disrupting the Kavanaugh vote. Trump thanked the lawmakers for giving him his second Supreme Court pick in two years. 'I applaud and congratulate the U.S. Senate for confirming our GREAT NOMINEE, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, to the United States Supreme Court,' the president tweeted from Air Force One. 'Later today, I will sign his Commission of Appointment, and he will be officially sworn in. Very exciting!' Senators knew before Saturday's vote how it would end. Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia crossed the aisle to support Kavanaugh in the hope of flattening a hurdle to his re-election in a deep red state that Trump won in a landslide. Protesters, estimated at 1,000, descended on the U.S. Capitol Saturday and took over the building's giant staircase to voice their opposition; about 100 who disobeyed U.S. Capitol Police or crossed barricades were arrested Centrist Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski refused to cast a 'yes' vote, but called out 'present' instead of 'no' so fellow Republican Steve Daines of Montana could skip the roll call and walk his daughter down the aisle on her wedding day. Trump tweeted that 'Steve was ready to do whatever he had to, but we had the necessary number. To the Daines Family, congratulations-have a wonderful day!' But the president had harsh words for Murkowski, the lone Republican senator who couldn't get to 'yes.' 'I think she will never recover from this,' he told The Washington Post. 'I think the people from Alaska will never forgive her for what she did.' Murkowski was re-elected in 2016, meaning she won't have to face voters again until 2022. The final tally, 50-48-1, was every bit as razor-thin as the national fault-line that rumbled under weeks of hearings for the man Trump nominated to replace retired Justice Anthony Stevens. About 1,000 protesters occupied the Capitol steps on Saturday, some willingly arrested and loaded into police buses. 'Vote them out!' was the most common chant, directed at every Republican who sided with Trump despite a heartfelt sexual assault claim from a woman who claims a 17-year-old Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and groped her at a 1982 party, when she was 15. The Women's March claimed responsibility for the protesters in the Senate gallery who disrupted Saturday's Kavanaugh vote with cries of 'Shame! Shame!' and 'I do not consent!' A dejected California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke to reporters after exiting the Senate floor Ford had hours of Senate Judiciary Committee time to make her case, and won converts outside Congress. But none of the witnesses she cited recalled the events she described in a letter to her senator, California Democrat Dianne Feinstein, that was later leaked to the press. Ford's attorney said Saturday that her client would not continue to press her allegations, and does not want to see Congress impeach Kavanaugh. Liberal forces never abandoned Ford, though, even after Sen. Collins said she found her unpersuasive. 'I believe that she believes what she testified to,' Collins told CNN in a needle-threading exercise. And Trump, normally cool to Collins' moderate form of Republicanism, declared before leaving for a Kansas rally that 'I have great respect for Susan Collins and I always have.' The partisan political split on Kavanaugh, and its implications for political opportunism, never showed signs of letting up on Saturday. Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer spoke on the floor, addressing the millions watching on TV more than the other 99 senators. 'I share the deep anguish that millions of Americans are experiencing today,' he said. 'But I say to you, my fellow Americans, there is one answer: Vote.' 'I share the deep anguish that millions of Americans are experiencing today,' Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said, 'but I say to you, my fellow Americans, there is one answer: Vote' Demonstrators were arrested on the steps of the U.S. Capitol as they protested the big political win that will tilt the nation's high court to the right Trump gave a thumbs-up as he walked to Marine One for the lift to Joint Base Andrews, where Air Force One awaited to take him to a rally in Kansas Republican majority Leader Mitch McConnell blasted back, saying Kavanaugh 'unquestionably deserves confirmation,' and sniping about the nature of Ford's claims and the nominee's denials. 'This is an institution where the evidence and the facts matter,' McConnell said. 'This is a chamber in which the politics of intimidation and personal destruction do not win the day.' He said in a post-vote press conference that Republicans 'stood up for the presumption of innocence.' 'We refused to be intimidated by the mob of people that were coming after Republican members at their homes, and in the halls,' he said. McConnell still has a slate of a dozen or more lifetime judicial appointments on his calendar, and he wants them confirmed before the midterm election. A Senate aide told DailyMail.com on Saturday that he is privately threatening to keep the Senate in session as long as it takes to get that done, even if senators have to stay in Washington instead of going home to campaign. This year, that would especially hurt Democrats. Protesters in Washington, D.C. set up the next round of political tensions as the midterm elections loom Trump fans in Topeka, Kansas lined upSaturday hours before the start of a rally where he's expected to take an extended victory lap about his Supreme Court success Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY's List, which contributes to female Democratic candidates, complained that the Senate had confirmed 'an alleged sexual assailant and anti-choice radical to a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court.' 'But we will carry that anger into the election. Women will not forget this,' Schriock vowed. Kay Coles James, president of the conservative Heritage Foundation, called the vote 'a victory for liberty in America' and said Kavanaugh is 'a good man and good jurist.' Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Judiciary Committee chair, told reporters he had a message for protesters: 'Thank god that you're willing to exercise your First Amendment rights of association and free speech. Keep it up because it's going to make America stronger.' But he had no such charity for his Democratic colleages, claiming they 'resorted to outright character assassination' an in attempt to torpedo Kavanaugh. 'Their smear campaign featured baseless allegations of perjury and claims that, as a teenager, he participated in the gang rapes of women,' Grassley said in a statement. 'I've been around long enough to see ugly left-wing smear campaigns against Supreme Court nominees, but this was beyond the pale.' A 1 billion deal to underpin Royal Navy operations and support more than 700 British jobs was unveiled last night. Defence Minister Stuart Andrew announced contracts had been signed with British firms to support vital military ships for the next decade. They will see a total of 17 ships, from the UKs Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) as well as vessels from the Royal Navys Survey and Hydrographic Fleet, serviced and fitted with the latest equipment. Scroll down for video The new contracts will see a total of 17 ships (pictured is a Royal Navy patrol vessel protecting UK fisheries), from the UKs Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) as well as vessels from the Royal Navys Survey and Hydrographic Fleet, serviced and fitted with the latest equipment RFA vessels supply all Royal Navy ships from the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers to destroyers, frigates and patrol vessels with fuel, ammunition, food and spares. Defence Minister Stuart Andrew announced contracts had been signed with British firms They also undertake disaster relief, counter-piracy, counter-narcotics and humanitarian operations around the world. Mr Andrew said: This deal secures work for some of our world-leading shipyards into the next decade, supporting over 700 jobs for workers to ensure our ships remain at sea to defend the nation. The contracts include deals worth 357 million and 262 million with Cammell Laird in Birkenhead to support RFA tankers and a 239 million deal with A&P in Falmouth to support RFA landing ships, a casualty ship and a Royal Navy ocean-survey vessel. There will also be a 150 million contract with UK Docks on Tyneside to support Royal Navy survey ships and an ice-patrol ship. Ministry of Defence officials also said the deals are expected to deliver savings worth over 100 million for defence partly through greater efficiency. The under-fire chairman of the Kennel Club has quit after losing a vote of no-confidence in a private board meeting, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Simon Luxmoore stood down along with committee chairmen Mark Cocozza and Jeff Horswell after allegations of mismanagement and bullying, as we reported last week. Chairman of the Kennel Club Simon Luxmoore (above) stood down along with committee chairmen Mark Cocozza and Jeff Horswell after allegations of mismanagement and bullying last week But the trio will remain on the board in a move that one critic, Geoffrey Davies, 71, a former senior judge of toy dog breeds, branded a 'fiasco'. A club spokesman said the trio 'have stepped down in order to ensure the stability of the Kennel Club'. Passengers were evacuated from a ferry bound for Liverpool amid reports of a 'device' on board. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said the Belfast to Liverpool service was held in the Northern Irish capital while the vessel is searched. The ferry had set off from Belfast (pictured is Belfast Harbour) and was bound for Liverpool. It had to be held in the Northern Irish capital while the vessel is searched The force said: 'Following a report that a device had been left on board a ferry docked in Belfast and bound for Liverpool. 'All passengers have now been safely evacuated and PSNI and Harbour Police officers are currently carrying out a search of the vessel.' PSNI have now confirmed that nothing was found on the ferry and passengers have been allowed to board the vessel. Alison Bakunowich European productions like Hunter Street help drive the channels drivers Beccas Bunch was acquired from Anglo-Irish outfit Jam Media for a global roll-out The Nick US pipeline includes Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles US-produced CG toon Top Wing While Nickelodeon channels continue to top pay TV homes in the UK and US, the network is also a leading brand across Europe in the so-called NEE region: the Nordics, Central and Eastern Europe and Russia.Nickelodeon is now the number one network in each of those markets under the direction of Nickelodeon's Senior Vice President (SVP) and General Manager (GM) Alison Bakunowich, whose role expanded from overseeing the UK and Ireland about one year ago to include NEE.Nickelodeon is the top commercial kids channel in Sweden, Denmark and Norway; the top kids pay TV channel in Poland, Hungary and Czech Republic, and rising rapidly in Romania; and in Russia its the top pay TV channel for 4-17s.Whats more, Bakunowich says linear TV growth is still underway in the CEE region, making it a very interesting market. In February, NickToons launched in Poland and a localised version of Nick Jr. launched in Slovenia in September. Local-language versions of the channel are already present in Hungary, Poland, Romania and the Czech Republic, and its Slovenian launch makes both Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. available as localised channels in these countries.According to figures supplied by Nickelodeon, in Poland, the groups portfolio reaches around 10.5% of kids aged 4-12 daily, and both Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. are the top international channels in highest average viewing terms. In Hungary, its share has grown by 5% year-to-September, to reach an 18.5% daily share of 4-14s. In the Czech Republic, Nick is the fastest growing kids channel portfolio, up by 54% to 2017, while Nick Jr. claims the highest average time spent (125 minutes) across all kids channels, including free-to-air (FTA) channels. Nickelodeon was also the fastest growing kids portfolio in Romania, up 29% in 2018.In the Nordics, Nickelodeons portfolio expanded with the launch of NickToons in February 2017. In Sweden, Nickelodeon has claimed the top spot for kids 6-11 among commercial channels since November 2016. Nick Jr. followed suit as top commercial kids channel among 3-7s since December 2017; and Nickelodeons performance in Denmark and Norway follows a similar trajectory.Bakunowich oversees a NEE region of real variations in Nickelodeons presence and channel configuration as well as programming preferences in individual markets. In some regions we have all three channels Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. and NickToons in others we just have Nick and Nick Jr.When it comes to the Nordic markets, she says: The thing thats most interesting is just how strong digital platforms are. Nickelodeons Nordic digital pay platform partner Viaplay has generated more than one million downloads of its award-winning Nick Play app, in what is Europes most developed OTT region.Bakunowich says Nickelodeons Nordics performance, as elsewhere, is about the entire ecosystem. You cant ignore the fact youre on more platforms, but consumption is extremely high and thats the business were in. Its about getting people to consume our content and you do that on all the platforms available to you.Its also a region where Nickelodeon now launches shows simultaneously on all platforms. Its still about having a hit show that your audience can find, says the exec. From that point of view, it hasnt changed, its just become a bigger opportunity, lets say.In fact, Bakunowich says: For Viacom, we see controlling the right to must-see IP as key to growth in the emerging on-demand TV ecosystem and its an area that Nickelodeon already has a strong pedigree and established pipeline.The region is also part of Nickelodeons global strategy to broaden its brand presence through live events and on the ground real-world experiences an area Bakunowich flags as a big opportunity for the group. In Denmark, aTour in collaboration with platform operator YouSee last year attracted over 10,000 kids and it due to return this autumn. TheTour will be extended to Sweden in Spring 2019.In CEE, the group has held an annual Nickelodeon Day of Play in Poland since 2013 and in Hungary since 2017, where effectively the channel goes dark for two hours in favour of real-world play activities. In Russia, the channel goes dark for six hours. This years event in Poland in August included a live performance by local popstar Dawid Kwiatkowski and attracted 14,000 people. Romania launched its first such event this September.All of Nickelodeons NEE markets rely on its US content pipeline, but European productions like(produced in conjunction with its Dutch counterpart,) are also among the ratings drivers. The latest crop set to launch across the region includes Nick US-producedand. But theres also Beccas Bunch , acquired from Anglo-Irish firm Jam Media for a global roll-out, and Bureau of Magical Things , from Australias Jonathan M Shiff Productions.Bakunowich says Nickelodeons top-performing shows in the Nordics are similar to those in the UK and Ireland. Live-action shows are particularly popular, accounting for between 37% and 45% of Nickelodeons ratings in Sweden, Denmark and Norway, notably slightly older more aspirational ones likeand. Nicks Euro productionwas another, topping Nicks ratings in Sweden and coming second in Denmark. For Nick Jr, the drivers areand, which accounted for 51% of ratings so far this year (January to September) in the Nordics.Although Nickelodeon doesnt have any local productions in the Nordics yet, Bakunowich says there are a lot of local connections with social media influencers feeding into additional content for digital platforms in the region.In CEE markets, the premiere run ofseason two in Poland picked up a 13.5% share of 4-12s, a 161% increase on season one. Hungarys top shows includedand. In Romania, it was. Meanwhile, animation is the top content driver for Nickelodeon in Russia with shows likeand. But Bakunowich says live-action series likeandalso do well.Flagging up a unique feature of Nickelodeons Polish market, Bakunowich says: We have a huge pipeline of telenovelas we make in Miami as part of the Nickelodeon Lat Am business and they work exceptionally well in Poland outside Spanish-speaking markets. Shows includeand the upcomingthis fall.Nickelodeons programming is as gender-neutral as it is about strong, positive role models for boys or girls, so adventure, fun and drama are usually at the heart of our telenovelas, says Bakunowich, noting that most of them attract a strong overall audience.Referring to girls specifically, she continues: Weve always had a strong position on this whether itsor even the new telenovela launching in Poland, shes a female racing driver.Theres always been that twist on its head with Nickelodeon, even going back to, whos basically a female business woman., one of our current shows, is about two girls who invented a game and started a business. It marries that thing about challenging female stereotypes and also the entrepreneurship we see in kids today.Citing recent Nickelodeon research, which highlights that being different is cool for its core kids demo, Bakunowich says: Being your real self and being celebrated for that is something well just continue to do, whether its about gender or equality. Its just a part of who kids are today and if we dont reflect that were completely irrelevant.On the current awareness-raising around gender fluidity, she adds: Kids today are looking at, and when we go out and talk to them theyre just so open and embracing. It gives me a lot of faith.Interesting developments are also coming out of Russia, where Nickelodeon has an established linear presence with Nickelodeon and Nick Jr., and a YouTube channel. In June and July this year, Nickelodeon increased its linear share of 4-17s by 6% over last year and its reach was up by 9%.On the digital front, Nick is the top website among kids broadcasters, including public broadcasters, pulling in up to 1.5 million monthly visits, and it was one of the most popular among kids in Russia and CIS, in part thanks to its gaming content.Its YouTube channel has also become a key part of Nickelodeons strategy in Russia, adds Bakunowich. It has generated one million subscribers over a fairly short period of time, and Nickelodeon and Nick Jr combined now attract over 80 million views per month.Nicks YouTube channel carries a selection of Nickelodeons half-hour longform shows. A big event, for instance, will be the launch of the first episode of, which will go out simultaneously on YouTube as well as linear in Russia, as a way of getting that reach out to drive back awareness, says Bakunowich.A related development in the past year was the successful launch of its first local production, a competition format called Be a Blogger (810) in November 2017. Each week local celebrities and popular bloggers showed kids how to create new blogs, with the winner becoming the host on Nickelodeons Russian YouTube channel in 2018. Following its success, the format was picked up by Nickelodeon Benelux.The exec says Nickelodeon is always looking for new original production opportunities. Russia has some great creative talent out there and were always looking for a good idea to come from anywhere. It may be that its just for Russia or it may be an idea that works anywhere.is one of my favourite examples. It was a local Dutch show, we thought it was a great script and decided to make an English-language version to show around the world. Thats absolutely the opportunity we have. We can make a local show or we can make a global show.She doesnt rule out potentially coproducing animation with Russian partners either if we find the right idea. Donald Trump was last night celebrating the crowning achievement of his presidency as his controversial choice as new US Supreme Court judge was confirmed. The Senate voted 50-48 in favour of confirming Brett Kavanaughs appointment following a week of drama, including an interruption of the final vote by protesters shouting Shame on you! and I do not consent! Moments after the result, Mr Trump tweeted: I applaud and congratulate the US Senate for confirming our GREAT NOMINEE, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, to the United States Supreme Court. Later today, I will sign his Commission of Appointment, and he will be officially sworn in. Very exciting! President Donald Trump, pictured on the steps of Air Force One upon his arrival at Regional Airport in Topeka, Kansas yesterday, was last night celebrating the crowning achievement of his presidency as his controversial choice as new US Supreme Court judge was confirmed Brett Kavanaugh (pictured) was confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 50-48 Senior Trump aide Kellyanne Conway described the outcome as the crowning achievement of Trumps presidency, saying Trump was the ultimate fighter who doesnt give up, doesnt give in and doesnt back down, even if theres an avalanche of criticism and vicious, vile reactions from the other side. The appointment marks the end of arguably the most turbulent and divisive episode of Trumps presidency. Giving evidence to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Kavanaugh launched an impassioned defence of his conduct and character after being accused of sexually assaulting Professor Christine Blasey Ford at a high school party in 1982 when she was 15 and he was 17. He denies her claims. The appointment marks the end of a turbulent and divisive episode of Trumps presidency Mr Trump wrote: Women for Kavanaugh, and many others who support this very good man, are gathering all over Capitol Hill Its a beautiful thing to see The vote to elect him to the highest court in the US was delayed by a week when the FBI was asked to investigate the claims against him. Before the vote, Mr Trump used tweets to mock demonstrations in Washington that resulted in the arrests of 300 women, including Hollywood star Amy Schumer and model Emily Ratajkowski. Hundreds were last night gathered outside the Supreme Court in Washington DC to protest against Kavanaughs appointment. But Mr Trump wrote: Women for Kavanaugh, and many others who support this very good man, are gathering all over Capitol Hill Its a beautiful thing to see. Kavanaugh, 53, will solidify the nine-member Supreme Courts conservative majority. He was sworn in at a private ceremony last night and will take his seat on the Supreme Court on Tuesday. Allies of Boris Johnson have accused Theresa May of being rattled by his barnstorming appearance at last weeks Tory conference after the former Foreign Secretary and a key aide were hit with the threat of fresh party investigations. Friends of Conservative chairman Brandon Lewis have privately warned that a controversial Tory HQ inquiry into burkagate triggered when Mr Johnson wrote that Muslim women wearing religious dress looked like letterboxes and bank robbers could be expanded to include his suicide vest comments in this newspaper. Meanwhile, the Tory MP closest to Mr Johnson has been hit with a separate investigation into allegedly racist remarks about travellers. Scrum: Boris Johnson and Conor Burns, left, battle through the media pack The developments come after a febrile Tory conference in Birmingham, during which Mr Johnson urged a packed rally to chuck Mrs Mays Chequers plan for Brexit. Mrs May fought back the following day by dancing on to the stage to the sounds of Abbas Dancing Queen, before delivering her best conference speech as Prime Minister. Her performance quelled some of the speculation about her future as leader and Mr Johnsons ambitions to succeed her in Downing Street. But it has left a legacy of acrimony, with one senior ally of Mrs May telling The Mail on Sunday: Mark my words, if Boris becomes leader we are going to f*** him up. There are 50 or 60 of us MPs who would mount a guerilla campaign to block everything he did nothing important would ever pass the Commons. Friends of Mr Lewis said that Tory HQ was looking at complaints received about the words that Mr Johnson used to castigate Mrs Mays backstop solution to the Irish border after Brexit. The Prime Minister plans to ensure no hard frontier by effectively leaving Northern Ireland as part of the single market and customs union if no other workable solution is found. Getaway: Carrie Symonds, left, tweeted this picture from Somalia Mr Johnson wrote in The Mail on Sunday last month: We have opened ourselves to perpetual political blackmail. We have wrapped a suicide vest around the British constitution and handed the detonator to [EU chief negotiator] Michel Barnier. The article led to civil war in the party, with a string of senior figures lining up to condemn his language. Tory officials are already investigating whether Mr Johnsons comments on burkas are a breach of the partys code of conduct, which says MPs and other party members should not use their position to bully, abuse, victimise, harass or unlawfully discriminate against others and should lead by example to encourage and foster respect and tolerance. Asked why it was taking so long for the burka investigation to conclude, the friend of Mr Lewis said: It is being slowed down by complaints we have also received about the suicide vest remarks. Under the partys constitution, a complaint is automatically considered for investigation. But friends of Mr Johnson say that it is ridiculous to investigate him at all for expressing his opinion, and argue that it is a breach of his freedom of speech. And they say that the net is being widened to include his supporters. Mr Johnsons chief lieutenant, Bournemouth MP Conor Burns, is also being probed by Tory party chiefs over accusations of racism for branding illegally camped travellers a blight on the community. Under threat: Boris wants to divert aid to save African elephants Mr Burns has been notified that he is under investigation by the party after saying these people think the normal rules of civilised society do not apply to them. He spoke out this summer after travellers were blamed for disturbances in the centre of his constituency, and The Mail on Sunday understands his comments sparked a formal complaint to the party. But last night, colleagues of Mr Burns labelled the racism inquiry ridiculous and accused party chiefs of targeting the MP because he was so close to Mr Johnson. One said: Ive near heard anything so daft in my life. It sounds as if Conor is being targeted by party bigwigs because he is so close to Boris. The row broke out after an illegal traveller encampment was linked to a spate of problems in the Dorset resort in August, including one night in which large groups allegedly stampeded through the town centre. Mr Burns, MP for Bournemouth West since 2010, responded by telling his local paper that the behaviour was utterly unacceptable in a town like ours in the middle of August with an economy that depends on tourism. The MP, parliamentary aide to Mr Johnson when he was Foreign Secretary, claimed those involved had turned parts of the town into a no-go area. He added: This issue has been a running sore throughout the entire time that I have been an MP and before. Mr Burns, who was at Mr Johnsons side for his flying visit to the Tory conference last week, vowed to fight for tougher measures against illegally camped travellers. He said: There are inadequate enforcement powers to swiftly move on these illegally set-up camps in settled communities, causing profound disturbance to decent people who make their full contribution to society and pay their taxes. I have consistently urged Government to review legislation to give police greater powers to deal with this blight on our community. Local reports said that, on one night, several bars were forced to close early because of fights. Last night, one friend of Mr Johnsons said: Conference has once again shown that reports of Boriss political death are greatly exaggerated. He connects with the electorate in a way few other politicians can, which is why they queued for hours to hear his speech. But what has most rattled No 10 is that party members clearly agree with Boris and think Chequers must be chucked. Last night, a spokeswoman for the Conservative Party said: We do not comment on code of conduct complaints. But a source added that complaints raised over the suicide vest article would not automatically trigger a fresh investigation into Mr Johnson. Mr Burns last night declined to comment. A couple from Texas has nine days to find a hospital willing to keep their young daughter- who doctors have declared braindead- on life support. On Monday a judge signed a temporary restraining order preventing Cook Childrens Medical Center in Fort Worth from removing Payton Summons, nine, from life support. The order was issued in order to give the family more time to find a facility that might better suit the wishes of the parents. Video shows Payton before a cancerous tumor behind her heart cut off her circulation and left her unconscious. My mom just got done doing my hair and it's so beautiful, she said in the video. The parents of a cancer-stricken Payton Summons, nine, have obtained a temporary court order blocking a Texas hospital from taking their daughter off life support Payton's parents Tiffany (left) and Joseph Summons (right) said they will not give up on her Tiffany Hofstetter, Payton's mother, said Payton was staying one night with her grandmother when she woke up. 'She screamed for her (grandma) to help her. And she said that she couldn't breathe'. It took medics an hour to get her heart beating again. Two separate tests showed Payton was legally brain dead due to lack of oxygen. Doctors advised the next step was to take her off life support. The restraining order will keep Payton on the breathing machine until October 15. Texas law allows doctors to stop certain life-sustaining measures. But the court said the family can appeal. At a hearing on Friday, a judge didn't rule on the order but instead appointed an independent attorney to represent Payton. 'The timeline is up in the air but she has more time to live so this is what we have,' said Justin Moore, the family's attorney. He said: 'The court believes its in the best interest of Payton Summons that we have an independent third party to represent her interest'. Doctors at the Fort Worth hospital insist that Payton is clinically brain dead and wanted to remove her from the ventilator that keeps her breathing Payton (pictured) was staying with her grandmother for the night around two weeks ago when she suddenly went into cardiac arrest and collapsed 'Of course, we would like Paytons best interest to be represented by her mom and dad'. Tiffany Hofstetter was in court but didnt comment afterwards. Doctors say Payton has a tumor near her heart and suffered cardiac arrest. An initial test showed no brain activity. 'She has more time to live. This is what we have. Its why we came here today to extend her life', Moore said. 'And thats what we did essentially.' Cook Children's Medical Center (pictured) were Payton is currently receiving treatment The family wants time to move Payton to a facility that will keep her on life support. Attorneys for the hospital and Paytons mother spent the day in a conference. They reached an impasse. 'We sat down with opposing counsel. We tried to work out an agreement,' Moore said. 'We couldnt really get anything down on paper'. The hospital and the family have looked at several facilities that might take Payton. The family says they have a couple of options. Moore added: 'There are some preconditions that we have to work out with the hospitals, but its just something that we got to sit down at the table and have a discussion about. 'As or right now, everything is still on the table'. 'Time is running out. Its what Fridays hearing was all about and will be continued next week. 'We still have hope, Moore said. 'We still got faith'. Attorneys will try again next Wednesday to arrive at an agreement or will go ahead with a court hearing on how to proceed with the restraining order. The parents have 12 days to find a new facility or else the hospital will remove her from life support. Payton's mother Tiffany (pictured) said her daughter is a fighter and won't give up easily 'As of right now, we have not found a facility but we remain hopeful. I have friends and family that are continuing to send us different locations all over the United States that they feel would be a best fit for Payton, and we stay on top of it,' Hofstetter told HLN's Michaela Pereira on Wednesday. 'Payton never gave up on anything. And I know that in this situation, she wouldn't give up, either,' she said. 'The fact that the doctors told me that her heart would stop on its own this weekend, and she made it until today, lets me know that Payton's not done. 'She's still here to fight. So I'm her voice, and I'll do it for her'. Britain's' defence chiefs have rehearsed a 'cyber-strike to black out Moscow' in the event of Russia attacking the West as thousands of troops take part in the biggest war-games exercise in a decade. The Sunday Times report that senior security sources are concerned that Britain's military resources are ill equipped to respond to Kremlin aggression short of firing a nuclear missile. Britain's' defence chiefs have rehearsed a 'cyber-strike to black out Moscow' in the event of Russia attacking the West as thousands of troops the biggest war-games exercise in a decade The Sunday Times report that senior security sources are concerned that Britain's military resources are ill equipped to respond to Kremlin aggression short of firing a nuclear missile Rehearsals suggest officials are also concerned at the speed with which a confrontation with Moscow could escalate Rehearsals suggest officials are also concerned at the speed with which a confrontation with Moscow could escalate. Security officials have vowed to step up offensive cyber-capability - including the ability to 'turn out the lights' in the Kremlin. This weekend 5,500 British troops took part in the biggest military exercise for a decade to hone their readiness for any confrontation with the Russian military. The exercise in the Omani desert, costing 100million, involves 200 armoured vehicles, six naval ships and eight Typhoon fighter jets. In a series of mock battles, the Household Cavalry played the role of an enemy using Russian T-72 tanks. Classified Whitehall meetings have agreed cyber-weapons give Britain the best chance of deterring Russia. Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is calling on the FBI to publish the findings of its week-long investigation into Justice Brett Kavanaughs alleged past sexual misconduct. Just hours after Kavanaugh was confirmed on Saturday, Pelosi released a statement calling it a profoundly heartbreaking day for women, girls, and families across America. Pelosi blasted the Republicans for purposely limiting the FBI investigation because it is clear [they] were not seeking the truth. The FBI began a week-long investigation into Kavanaugh after the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance his nomination on September 28. Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona demanded that the White House authorize the FBI to look into the allegations against Kavanaugh before his final confirmation vote, which took place on Saturday. Judge Brett Kavanaugh (middle) is sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court by retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy (far right) as Kavanaugh's wife Ashley holds the bible. Kavanaugh's daughters, Liza and Margaret, are seen far left looking on But the weeklong investigation did not turn up any corroborating information, Republicans claimed. Democrats, on the other hand, said that the FBI was not allowed to interview witnesses who could shed more light on the allegations. Pelosi, the California Democrat, also criticized the GOP for not making the findings of the FBI report public. Therefore, I am announcing that I will file a Freedom of Information Act request so that the public can see the FBI report, transcripts of the underlying interviews, instructions sent to the FBI from the White House, and any communications to the FBI from Senate Republicans regarding the scope of the investigation, Pelosi said. The conduct of the Senate Republican Majority did violence to the reputation of both the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Supreme Court. We must proceed in a judicious manner to set the record straight and ensure that this never happens again. Kavanaugh was sworn in Saturday night as the 114th justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, after a wrenching debate over sexual misconduct and judicial temperament that shattered the Senate, captivated the nation and ushered in an acrimonious new level of polarization - now encroaching on the court that the 53-year-old judge may well swing rightward for decades to come. Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (above) is calling on the FBI to publish the findings of its week-long investigation into Kavanaughs alleged past sexual misconduct In the weeks leading up to his swearing-in on Saturday, Kavanaugh was accused of pinning down and groping Christine Blasey Ford in 1982. Kavanaugh was 17 years old at the time and Ford was 15. Kavanaugh has denied the allegations. Another woman, Deborah Ramirez, alleged that during her freshman year at Yale University, an intoxicated Kavanaugh exposed himself at a dorm party. A third woman, Julie Swetnick, alleges that Kavanaugh was present at parties where young girls were drugged and gang raped. Kavanaugh denied all the allegations. Even as Kavanaugh took his oath of office in a quiet private ceremony, not long after the narrowest Senate confirmation in nearly a century and a half, protesters chanted outside the court building across the street from the Capitol. In the weeks leading up to his swearing-in on Saturday, Kavanaugh was accused of pinning down and groping Christine Blasey Ford in 1982. Ford is seen above during her appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capital Hill on September 27 The climactic 50-48 roll call capped a fight that seized the national conversation after claims emerged that he had sexually assaulted women three decades ago - allegations he emphatically denied. Those accusations transformed the clash from a routine struggle over judicial ideology into an angry jumble of questions about victims rights, the presumption of innocence and personal attacks on nominees. His confirmation provides a defining accomplishment for President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, which found a unifying force in the cause of putting a new conservative majority on the court. Before the sexual accusations grabbed the Senates and the nations attention, Democrats had argued that Kavanaughs rulings and writings as an appeals court judge had raised serious concerns about his views on abortion rights and a presidents right to bat away legal probes. Another woman, Deborah Ramirez, alleged that during her freshman year at Yale University, an intoxicated Kavanaugh exposed himself at a dorm party Deborah Ramirez, the second woman to accuse Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, spoke out about the Senate's vote Friday to move the judge's Supreme Court nomination forward. 'Thirty-five years ago, the other students in the room chose to laugh and look the other way as sexual violence was perpetrated on me by Brett Kavanaugh,' Ramirez wrote in a statement released Saturday. 'As I watch many of the Senators speak and vote on the floor of the Senate I feel like I'm right back at Yale where half the room is laughing and looking the other way,' she continued. 'Only this time, instead of drunk college kids, it is US Senators who are deliberately ignoring his behavior.' Ramirez was interviewed by the FBI after she claimed Kavanaugh exposed his penis to her and thrust it in her face at a dorm party, forcing her touch it while they were both student's at Yale. However, her accusations along with Ford's testimony were not enough for the Senate to vote against him. A couple whose toddler collapsed and died after waiting more than two hours in an emergency room have accused the hospital of murdering their two-year-old son. Shadrach Sumaru and Kathryn Ram called and asked for an ambulance for their son Isaiah twice in the hours leading up to his death on September 26. But despite him struggling to breathe, the couple claim they were told there was no need for him to be taken to A&E. A couple whose toddler collapsed and died after waiting more than two hours in an emergency room have accused the hospital of murdering their son (pictured) Parents Shadrach Sumaru (left) and Kathryn Ram had asked for an ambulance for their son Isaiah (right) twice in the hours leading up to his death on September 26 Ms Ram said she was told her son was likely just suffering from a fever. The infant, from Cranbourne in Melbourne's south-east, was not rushed to hospital after his parents took him to their GP - who urgently called an ambulance. With no beds available at Dandenong Hospital, the young boy was forced to wait in the emergency department as he grew increasingly lethargic. His feet began to discolour and his heavily-pregnant mother was forced to watch on as staff desperately tried in vain to save their son - who is believed to have contracted pneumonia. Mr Sumaru told The Herald Sun: 'There was so much miscommunication and mismanagement. 'I just don't want this to happen to anyone else.' Mr Sumaru (left pictured with wife Kathryn), from Melbourne's south-east, said 'there was so much miscommunication and mismanagement' in the handling of his son's final hours An investigation into the boy's death at the Dandenong Hospital (pictured) is being carried out by the Coroner and the Health Complaints Commissioner His wife went a step further, claiming the hospital 'murdered [her] son'. An investigation into the boy's death is being carried out by the Coroner and the Health Complaints Commissioner. Ambulance Victoria told the Herald Sun they were investigating how emergency call-outs were being co-ordinated. Senator Lindsey Graham says Justice Brett Kavanaugh became the sl*t whore drunk during his confirmation process because the 'roles reversed'. The South Carolina Republican disputed claims by womens advocates who say that sexual assault victims will hesitate to come forward now that a man accused of similar crimes has been elevated to the Supreme Court. I think the roles were reversed: The sl*t whore drunk was Kavanaugh, Graham told NBC News after the Senate voted to confirm him 50-48 on Saturday. He sad that Kavanaugh's accuser Christine Ford was 'treated well', while Democrats tried to ruin the nominee's life. Graham is a member of the Senate Judiciary Commitee, which voted to advance Kavanaughs nomination and send it along to a full vote on the floor. Senator Lindsey Graham has accused Democrats of treating Justice Brett Kavanaugh like a sl*t whore drunk during his confirmation process The South Carolina Republican disputed claims by womens advocates who say that sexual assault victims will hesitate to come forward now that a man accused of similar crimes has been elevated to the Supreme Court. Kavanaugh was sworn in as a justice on Saturday The committee interviewed Christine Blasey Ford, an academic who alleges that when she was 15 years old, Kavanaugh tried to sexually assault her while intoxicated at a party. Graham said that Ford was treated well by the committee despite criticism that she was unfairly grilled by an Arizona prosecutor that the Republican Senators used to question her. During the committee hearings, Graham most memorably launched an impassioned defense of Kavanaugh while slamming Democrats for an unethical sham. It was a surprising outburst from Graham, who in years past has been known as a moderate Republican who often agrees with Democrats on certain issues. Graham said that Kavanaugh's accuser, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford (above), was treated well by the Senate Judiciary Committee despite criticism that she was unfairly grilled by an Arizona prosecutor that the Republican Senators used to question her Graham said on Saturday that his decision to support Kavanaugh despite the allegations by Ford and two other women - Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick - were based on his experience as a lawyer and judge who has worked numerous rape cases. I've tried to look at this thing through a process that stood the test of time - some standards, some presumptions, some evidentiary requirements, he said. All I can say is that seldom do you advance justice by creating an injustice, and I think it would have been unjust for Judge Kavanaugh to have his life ruined based on the allegations that were presented. Graham dismissed some allegations against Kavanaugh, which he believes were outrageous, anonymous, and making no sense. Graham, like other Republicans, was eager on Saturday to savor their victory. Im not tired of winning...Victory! Graham tweeted. He posted a photo of him with Kavanaugh with the word CONFIRMED scrawled on the photo But he said that while Ford may have appeared credible, there wasnt enough corroborating information to support her claims. Dr. Ford, I think, is the victim of a process, Graham said. But we've got to have some verifications, some sense of balance, because if that's enough, just the mere accusation, then you're going to unleash Pandora's Box here. Because those of us in public service, you should be scrutinized but you don't want to set a standard where you just take anybody out by accusing them. Graham, like other Republicans, was eager on Saturday to savor their victory. Im not tired of winning...Victory! Graham tweeted. He posted a photo of him with Kavanaugh with the word CONFIRMED scrawled on the photo. The estranged husband of a woman who allegedly beat their 13-month-old daughter to death and left her twin brother lighting for his life has died after throwing himself from a Manhattan hotel. The body of Mohammad Torabi, who lived in Queens, was found on top of a third-floor air conditioning unit at the Renaissance New York Hotel on East 57th Street on Saturday. Police believe the 31-year-old plunged from the roof of the 17-story building 24 hours earlier. Cops told the New York Post that he didn't leave a note, but they are investigating his death as a suicide. He fell to his just two days after his wife, Tina Torabi, 30, was arrested and charged with brutally beating their twin toddlers, killing one of them. Mohammad Torabi (left) plunged from the roof of a Manhattan hotel just days after wife Tina (right) was arrested over the assault of their 13-month-old twins at their home in Queens Tina Torabi, 30, has been arrested and charged with felony assault after her infant twins were found dead and dying in her basement. More charges are pending Video courtesy of PIX 11 Officers arrived at their Queens home on Wednesday to find their 13-month-old daughter Elaina with horrifying injuries. She had burns, open wounds on her upper body and thighs and bruising, while brother Keon was suffering fractured ribs, a broken leg, a laceration to his liver, and more lacerations all over his body. Both children suffered bruising to their groins. Medics say Elaina's body showed signs of prelonged abuse. The pair were taken to hospital where Elaina was pronounced dead, while Keon was being kept in intensive care, the New York Daily News reported. Their older siblings - Mila, two, Nadia, four, and Ariana, five - were also taken from the home and are now in the care of children's services, the New York Post says. The husbands death ended a troubled marriage marred by drugs and violence. The couple had married in Houston in 2012, and lived in Texas before moving to New York to be near his relatives. Sources familiar with the case have said Mohammad at some point turned his wife, 30, on to drugs. Police believe Mohammad Torabi threw himself from the top of the Renaissance New York Hotel (pictured) Last January, Tina won an order of protection against the Mohammed which has been repeatedly renewed, and ran through October ten. We knew the dad was no good and didnt want him anywhere near the wife and kids, the source said. The twins were on the citys radar since their birth last year having been born with opioids in their systems. Concerns were raised about the children's welfare from the moment of their birth when opioids were found in their systems. Torabi has been under the watchful eye of city child services ever since, with workers reportedly visiting her home two days before the children were attacked. The Daily News reports the infants were taken away from Torabi to be raised by her mother for six months, until the older woman moved back to Texas. Mohammed was previously arrested for choking Torabi, and she filed for an order of protection against him. He also has a prior conviction from 2015 for assault against a family member and is currently wanted in Nashville for failure to pay child support. However, he was not at home at the time of the beatings and is not considered a suspect in the case. The Daily News reports that Torabi broke down in tears on the sidewalk as her dead and dying children were loaded into nearby ambulances. Despite the savage attack neighbors claim Torabi (pictured) is a good mother Police were called to this home in Queens by Torabi on Wednesday night where they found Elaina dead from her wounds and twin brother Keon in critical condition She was questioned by officers throughout the day on Thursday, but refused to give answers about their wounds. Investigators have since charged her with felony assault against Keon while awaiting an autopsy report from Elaina before pressing further charges. Judanna Cavallo, a neighbor, said she was stunned to learn Torabi was a suspect in the beatings, saying she was a dedicated mother. '[She was an] absolutely a beautiful person who adored her children,' Cavallo said. 'They were always well kept, and nicely dressed, and well taken care of'. Nickelodeon / Amblin Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images The long-lingeringsequel is still alive, but a long ways out.Peter Jackson is still hoping to follow up 2011s hit Nickelodeon theatrical moviewith a sequel, with him directing and Steven Spielberg producing. The project has been in development since 2008, when Sony agreed to finance twofilms.Speaking with Polygon at a press event promoting(another long-in-development project he is producing), Peter Jackson offered an update to the status of the secondfilm, and whether its still in the works.Im intending to make it, said Jackson. Ive got gotta get the script written, but Im certainly hoping to get anotherfilm, one which Ive directed. This one, Steven [Spielberg] would produce. Its within the next year or two, I would hope. I mean, theres nothing happening this very second, but it does literally need me to sit down and develop a script for it. So probably in the new year, Ill try to do that.For the last several years, the understanding was that the second film would focus on Prisoners of the Sun , astory set in Peru involving ancient Incan temples and princes. But it seems Jackson is not locked into pulling from that story when he does begin working on the script.Ive had certain times where I thought it was going to be this, its going to be that ... For a while, weve gone to, said Jackson. But Im not necessarily thinking that that would be where wed go next time. Theres so many good stories, and I just want to see what I feel like making.He continued, saying that its really his call what the second film ends up focusing on.Theres no one that dictates what it has to be, you know I get to choose. So I wanna just make that choice carefully because [...] I love the variety, you know? You can go the-sort of, or you can go into The Calculus Affair and be more of a Eastern Bloc thriller. [...] Theres the moon ones where you can explore the moon and space. Theres so many choices, and I couldnt tell you today [...] which way Im going.Sounds likefans shouldnt be holding their breath awaiting the next installment, but Jacksons passion for the franchise still seems clear. Its really just a matter of when he can make time for it.Whichstory would you like to see be made into a movie? Sound off in the comments below! First Lady Melania Trump has praised Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh as highly qualify, adding that she is glad accuser Christine Blasey Ford was given the chance to testify. 'I think he's highly qualified for the Supreme Court,' Melania told reporters near the Great Sphinx of Giza in Egypt on Saturday as she wrapped up a four-country trip in Africa. 'Im glad that Dr. Ford was heard. Im glad that Judge Kavanaugh was heard,' Trump said, referring to Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of pinning her down and groping her when they were both in high school. Melania declined to say whether she believed Ford's claim, which Kavanaugh strongly denied. 'I think he's highly qualified for the Supreme Court,' Melania told reporters of Kavanaugh near the Great Sphinx of Giza in Egypt on Saturday Kavanaugh's wife and daughters look on as he takes the Constitutional Oath on Saturday night. Melania said that she thinks he is a highly qualified justice 'We need to help all the victims, no matter what kind of abuse they had,' she said. 'I'm against any kind of abuse.' The First Lady said the message of her tour to Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt was 'show the world that we care.' The trip was a coming out of sorts for the First Lady on the world stage. It was her first major solo trip abroad and a rare example of a time when she has answered questions by reporters on a variety of topics. Asked about her wardrobe choices, the First Lady lamented the fact that her clothes drew more attention than her work on children's issues. 'I wish people would focus on what I do, not what I wear,' she said, before posing for pictures in front of some of Egypt's greatest landmarks. Melania earlier drew some criticism for wearing a white pith helmet during a safari in Kenya because of its association with European exploration of Africa. Some accused her of looking like a 'colonialist'. First Lady Melania Trump tours the pyramids of Giza near Cairo, Egypt on Saturday Melania is seen near the Sphinx of Giza. She is wrapping up a four-country tour of Africa The stylish former model also said she did not always agree with her husbands tweets and shared her opinions with him directly, even though he did not always follow her advice. When asked if any African leaders had asked about her husband's alleged remarks about 's**thole' countries on the continent, she said no. 'Nobody discussed that with me (during the trip), and I never heard him saying those comments. And that was anonymous source and I would leave it at that,' she said. During the trip, she has focused on her signature issue of campaigning for children with stops at a hospital, primary school and an orphanage. She lamented the fact that her clothes drew more attention than her work on children's issues Melania Trump stops to speak to the media before she tours the pyramids in Cairo, Egypt Melania is welcomed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (center) and his wife Intissar Amer upon her arrival at the Presidential palace in the Egyptian capital Cairo on Saturday Melania received a warm welcome from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his wife, Entissar, at the presidential palace in Cairo before she headed to visit the Pyramids and the Great Sphinx. She wore slacks and a tie as she stepped off the plane in Cairo, where she proceeded to the presidential palace, an ornate cream stone building with arabesque designs. Melania made a brief stop at the heavily fortified U.S. Embassy in downtown Cairo, driving through streets nearly deserted because of a national holiday marking the 45th anniversary of Egypt's 1973 war with Israel. She was due to arrive back in Washington DC early on Sunday. President Donald Trump accused Democrats of fabricating stories about Justice Brett Kavanaugh to derail his confirmation to the Supreme Court and said that he made light of Christine Blasey Ford's accusations in order to 'even the playing field.' Trump phoned in to Jeanine Pirros show on Fox News hours after the Senate voted to confirm Kavanaughs nomination on Saturday. Im very excited, the president told Pirro. Trump dismissed the tiny group of people who were protesting on the steps of Capitol Hill and the Supreme Court on Saturday during Kavanaughs swearing-in ceremony. Pirro praised Trump for sticking with Kavanaugh during his darkest moments. President Donald Trump phoned in to Jeanine Pirros show on Fox News hours after the Senate voted to confirm Brett Kavanaughs nomination on Saturday Trump accused Democrats of fabricating stories about Kavanaugh to derail his confirmation to the Supreme Court Trump dismissed the tiny group of people who were protesting on the steps of Capitol Hill and the Supreme Court on Saturday during Kavanaughs swearing-in ceremony. Kavanaugh is seen above being sworn in by Retired Justice Anthony Kennedy on Saturday Part 1 of my exclusive interview with the President @realDonaldTrump, take a look: pic.twitter.com/UM6SQA2YWq Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) October 7, 2018 It would have been very unfair to him [if Trump withdrew the nomination], the president told Pirro. Hes a highly respected man. What the Democrats did was disgraceful. These things happened that just came out of the wind. There was no corroboration. There was no anything, Jeanine. Trump praised Kavanaugh as a high quality, brilliant man who will be a phenomenal Supreme Court justice. Trump said allegations made by Christine Blasey Ford (above) and others were part of a Democratic scheme to derail his confirmation Here is part two of my exclusive interview with the President @realDonaldTrump, it's a must see! pic.twitter.com/w5VDwBG0yT Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) October 7, 2018 The president slammed the Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee - particularly New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, California Senator Dianne Feinstein, and Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal. Trump referred to Booker as the terrible mayor of Newark. He also said Blumenthal falsified his service in Vietnam while accusing Feinstein of leaking the papers - a reference to a letter written by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford in which she asked for confidentiality while accusing Kavanaugh of assault. Trump told Pirro that he thought in the wake of Kavanaughs confirmation that the Republicans are going to do very well in the upcoming midterm elections. We have these tiny majorities [in Congress], Trump told Pirro. If somebody catches a cold, we have to wait until they come back. We need more votes to get it all done. Pirro asked Trump about comments he made which appeared to be mocking of Ford during a rally in Mississippi earlier this week. 'There were a lot of things happening that weren't true and a lot of things left unsaid,' the president said. The president also accused Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for Julie Swetnick and Stormy Daniels, of making false allegations against him Swetnick claimed that during a house party, Kavanaugh, who was in high school at the time, was present when boys drugged and gang-raped girls Avenatti fired back at Trump on Twitter. 'You are an habitual liar and a disgrace to this nation,' the attorney tweeted on Saturday 'I thought I had to even the playing field. 'It was unfair to the judge, and now I can say Justice Kavanaugh. 'It was an unfair situation. 'Once I did that it started to sail through. He was treated very, very unfairly, Jeanine.' Trump agreed with Pirro's assessment that the president's comments at the rally were a 'turning point' which cemented Kavanaugh's confirmation. The president also accused Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for Julie Swetnick and Stormy Daniels, of making false allegations against him. Swetnick claimed that during a house party, Kavanaugh, who was in high school at the time, was present when boys drugged and gang-raped girls. Avenatti also represents Daniels, who claims that she and Trump had sex over a decade ago. She then says she was paid $150,000 to sign a nondisclosure agreement barring her from talking about the alleged affair. 'He made false accusations about me,' Trump says of Avenatti. 'It's a disgrace they are able to do it. I would love to see our libel laws get toughened up. 'But he made false statements.' Avenatti fired back at Trump on Twitter. 'You are an habitual liar and a disgrace to this nation,' the attorney tweeted on Saturday. 'You again claimed tonight that I have made false accusations against you. Name them! 'Those felonies that Cohen pled guilty to? The allegations about you having sex with my client with a 4 mo old at home?' Avenatti referenced Michael Cohen, Trump's longtime personal lawyer and fixer who arranged the payment to Stormy Daniels. Cohen pleaded guilty to financial crimes and is cooperating with federal prosecutors in an investigation that was triggered by news of the hush money payments to Daniels, also known as Stephanie Clifford. Trump repeated his criticism of Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, who was the only Republican to oppose Kavanaugh's confirmation In another tweet, Avenatti took a more personal shot at Trump. 'I have never seen a man despised in his own home city more than you,' Avenatti tweeted at Trump. 'It turns out that the people of NYC knew you were a complete fraud who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and a gold toilet under this butt long before the rest of us. 'You are an embarrassment.' Trump said the Democrats will pay a price at the ballot box for trying to derail Kavanaugh's nomination. 'I think they overplayed their hand,' the president said. 'They were dishonest with the leak and other things they did. Look at the lawyers representing certain people.' Trump was referring to Ford's lawyer, Debra Katz, who was referred to her by Feinstein, according to Fox News. 'How did they end up with all these lawyers who are always the same ones?' Trump said. The president said Republicans stand to benefit when voters head to the polls in a month. 'I can tell the enthusiasm and love and the feeling in the Republican Party is higher than I have ever seen it,' the president said. 'I see polls going up like rocket ships. Races that will be won on margins where the Republicans wouldn't have won.' Trump repeated his criticism of Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, who was the only Republican to oppose Kavanaugh's confirmation. 'I thought it was a sad vote and disgraceful,' the president said. 'I appreciate that a Democrat, Joe Manchin voted in favor of Kavanaugh. And that was a good thing. 'But [Murkowski's vote] was very disappointing. The people of Alaska, I had tremendous success for them. ' I have done so much for Alaska, I was shocked to see her vote. 'And frankly so were other Republicans. It was a very sad day I think for her. 'I think it will go down as a sad day for her because he'll be a great Supreme Court justice.' Australians are being warned to brace for hot, dry and wild weather despite massive rainfall hitting Sydney over the weekend. An El Nino is due to emerge at any moment, bringing severe weather including storms, fewer clouds, soaring daytime temperatures and lower-than-average rainfall. Parts of New South Wales have suffered through the driest start to the year in more than 50 years, while Sydney has experienced its driest start to the year since 2000. Despite the dry conditions, the harbour city has been slammed with on-and-off rain since Wednesday and collected a month's worth of rain in 24 hours. Scattered showers were recorded on the west of the country, in Perth, and those in Queensland's southern inland areas were celebrating rainfall in regional areas. Australians are being warned to brace for hot, dry and wild weather despite massive rainfall hitting Sydney over the weekend Despite the dry conditions, Sydney has been slammed with on-and-off rain since Wednesday and collected a month's worth of rain in 24 hours Weatherzone meteorologist Thomas Hough said the impressive rainfall of the last few days was brought on by a low pressure system and associated trough that have slowly moved across NSW. 'Looking at October alone, this month has been the wettest October since 2014 (87mm), with 75.6mm recorded already, including the 2.2mm that fell in the 24 hours from 9am Wednesday,' he said. 'If by the months end more than 87mm has been recorded at Observatory Hill, it will be the wettest October since 2009 when a massive 180mm fell, more than double the monthly average.' 'With showers expected on and off for the next week, and more than half the month left, a further 10-15mm of rainfall isn't unrealistic.' In unfortunate news for drought stricken farmers, the recent rainfall is not expected to last. According to Sky News chief meteorologist Tom Saunders, the El Nino typically emerges in winter but will arrive later than expected this year, the Daily Telegraph reported. In unfortunate news for drought stricken farmers, the rainfall is not expected to last as experts predict the country will be struck by an El Nino effect According to Sky News chief meteorologist Tom Saunders El Nino is going to occur, bringing fewer clouds, hotter daytime temperatures and lower-than-average rainfall WHAT IS EL NINO Australia's weather is influenced by many climate drivers, including El Nino and La Nina. They are a part of a natural cycle known as the El NinoSouthern Oscillation (ENSO) and are associated with a sustained period (many months) of warming (El Nino) or cooling (La Nina) in the central and eastern tropical Pacific. Potential effects of El Nino on Australia include: Reduced rainfall, warmer temperatures, shift in temperature extremes, increased frost risk, reduced tropical cyclone numbers, later monsoon onset, increased fire danger in southeast Australia, decreased alpine snow depths. An El Nino occurs when sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean become substantially warmer than average Source: BOM Advertisement Combined with a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), triggered by cold water off the West Australian coast, Mr Saunders said it's guaranteed there will be very little rain in the beginning of summer. He also said the saturation of rain in recent days does not mean the drought has been escaped. 'The rain we're having now is a one-off,' he said. 'There's a bit more rain about next week but it's not an indication of a change in weather patterns, which has seen two or three weeks of dry weather between rain events.' Mr Saunders has predicted Australia will swelter through severe weather over the next seven months, including an increase of dangerous thunderstorms and bushfires. The severe weather period, between October and April, is expected to bring hail, wind gusts exceeding 90km/h and flash flooding. 'The hot trend is almost certain to continue across Australia through the severe weather season with maximum temperatures from October to April above average,' Mr Saunders said. El Nino, during spring, typically means below-average rainfall in eastern and northern Australia, but daytime temperatures are typically above average over the southern two-thirds of Australia. Researchers from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) believe there is a 70 percent chance of a strong El Nino weather system in coming months. The body has claimed this could mark 2018 as one of the world's hottest years on record. Mr Saunders has predicted Sydney will swelter through severe weather in the next seven months, including an increase of dangerous thunderstorms and bushfires Researchers from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) believe there is a 70 percent chance of a strong El Nino weather system in coming months The Bureau of Meteorology climate outlook predicts that median temperatures will hit 30C and creep toward 40C as the nation heads into summer in December. BOM said the above average daytime temperatures recorded across Australia are likely to continue for the remainder of the year. Most of the country is expected to experience warmer than average days between October and December, according to the bureau. Weatherzone meteorologist Drew Casper-Richardson said the rain is expected to continue into the beginning of the week in Sydney. Most of the country is expected to experience warmer than average days between October and December, according to the bureau Weatherzone meteorologist Drew Casper-Richardson said the rain is expected to continue into the beginning of the week in Sydney 'It has been a soggy start to October and more is on the way with a low pressure system lingering just off the Sydney Coast,' he said. 'Showers started over parts of the Illawarra on Sunday morning before spreading north into Sydney and the Central Coast.' 'Further showers are likely throughout Sunday and into Monday, although not has heavy or as widespread, before the low dissipates.' Mr Casper-Richardson also warned winds of strong winds on Sunday, especially along the coast. 'Gusts of 60-80km/h can be expected with exposed parts of the Illawarra likely to have the strongest winds,' he said. Mr Saunders said that the saturation of rain in Sydney does not mean the drought has been escaped Melbourne is anticipated to face partly cloudy conditions before rain draws in on Tuesday. Brisbane residents can expect the rain to continue into next week with showers forecast. Conditions will stay predominantly clear in South Australia with temperatures hovering in the low to mid twenties in Adelaide. Perth is forecast to have partly cloudy conditions following the light rainfall in recent days. 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. A shower or two is expected to hit the nation's capital on Monday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wife Sara Netanyahu faced judges today for allegedly using state funds to fraudulently pay for hundreds of meals. According to the charge sheet, the meals were ordered from a variety of well-known Jerusalem businesses, including an Italian restaurant, a Middle Eastern grill joint and a sushi establishment. The embarrassing trial, that could last for months, is just part of a list of legal troubles facing the Netanyahu family. The start of the trial is the latest chapter in a saga intensely scrutinised in Israel, but dismissed by the Netanyahus as another 'absurd' attempt to discredit them. The veteran premier himself faces possible charges in separate corruption investigations, leading to speculation that he will eventually be forced to step down. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara visit a synagogue in Vilnius on August 26, 2018 Sara Netanyahu was charged with fraud and breach of trust in June. Prosecutors accuse her of misusing state funds to pay for catered meals costing $100,000 (76,219) by falsely declaring there were no cooks available at the premier's official residence. From 2010 to 2013, she, her family and guests received 'fraudulently from the state hundreds of prepared meals', the indictment read. The trial, opened in the Jerusalem magistrates court at 1:30 PM today, overseen by a panel of three judges due to the 'public sensitivity' of the case. It was originally scheduled to start in July but was postponed for reasons that were not made public. Sara Netanyahu, 59, and a high-profile presence at her husband's side throughout his long tenure, has denied any wrongdoing. But the case has again turned the spotlight on the Netanyahu family and past allegations of misbehaviour. An Israeli police car arrives at the entrance to the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on March 2, 2018 Sara Netanyahu has previously been accused of pocketing cash from deposit refunds for empty bottles returned from the official residence. She has also faced accusations of mistreating staff, and in 2016 a court awarded some $47,000 (35,823) in damages to a former housekeeper who accused the couple of repeated workplace abuse. All the allegations have been closely covered in the Israeli media. The Netanyahus have hit back, calling them grossly unfair smear attempts. Sara Netanyahu has in the past said that her 'blood has been spilled publicly.' One particularly high-profile example occurred in 2017, when both the premier and his wife appeared in court in their libel case against a journalist's claim that Sara Netanyahu kicked her husband out of the car during a row. Israelis demonstrate outside the Netanyahus' official residence on March 2, 2018 over accusations of corruption Benjamin Netanyahu testified that the story was a 'ridiculous' fabrication. The court later awarded the Netanyahus $32,500 (24,771). But there are potentially more serious allegations facing Benjamin Netanyahu. The right-wing prime minister has held the job for a total of more than 12 years, first from 1996-99 and again beginning in 2009. He could next year surpass the record set by Israel's founding father David Ben-Gurion, who spent more than 13 years in office. But Netanyahu faces a possible indictment in the months ahead. On Friday police quizzed him for a 12th time as a suspect in various cases. Allegations against him include allegedly seeking a secret deal with the publisher of Israel's top-selling newspaper Yediot Aharonot to ensure positive coverage in return for pushing forward a law that would have limited the circulation of a rival. Israeli tycoon Shaul Elovitch appears at a court in Tel Aviv on February 22, 2018 over a graft probe threatening prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu Another case involves suspicions that the prime minister and his family received luxury gifts from wealthy individuals in exchange for financial or personal favours. There is also an ongoing inquiry into the prime minister's ties with local telecoms giant Bezeq and its largest shareholder, Shaul Elovitch, according to Israeli media. In that case, Benjamin Netanyahu is alleged to have sought favourable coverage from another Elovitch company, the Walla news site, in exchange for government policies that could have benefited the mogul's interests to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. Elovitch was arrested in February along with six other people, including Nir Hefetz, a former media adviser to the Netanyahu family who has turned state witness. Police have recommended Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted in two cases, though the attorney general has yet to decide whether to do so. Despite the ongoing investigations, Netanyahu has remained strong in polls and he is not obliged to step down if formally charged. A teenager who dreamed of becoming a vet was nearly mauled to death by a pack of feral dogs while she was on holidays. Sarah Calley, 16, was enjoying an early morning run along the sandy coast of Nai Yang in Thailand when the 12 rabid dogs set upon her. The Christchurch local felt a sharp pain in her backside and turned around to see a stocky brown dog had bitten her. Sarah Calley, 16, (pictured) was enjoying an early morning run along the sandy coast of Nai Yang in Thailand when the 12 rabid dogs set upon her Eleven more stray dogs joined in on the attack and chased Calley down the empty beach. 'I kept hearing them snapping behind me and I was screaming, 'someone help me', but there was no one on the beach,' Calley told NZ Herald. The frightened teenager made a daring leap into the water where she waited it out. A passing tourist came to the victim's aid and escorted her back to the hotel. Though the holiday-turned-nightmare didn't end there. The brown dog returned for a second helping, but this time around Calley managed to slam the hotel gate in its face. She rushed to the room where her parents were enjoying a sleep-in. Eleven more dogs joined in on the attack and chased Calley down the empty beach (stock photo) Her unsuspecting mother Moira admitted that when she woke up to the terrifying scene, she was in a bit of a daze. 'She [Sarah] was standing there dripping wet, she had her phone in her hand, she was really hysterical and she had blood running down her legs,' she said. While Calley's father called a taxi to rush to a nearby hospital, Calley's mother washed her wounds in the shower. Fortunately her skin had not been torn open, but there were deep punctures on the back of her leg. Calley was given numerous injections such as a rabies shot, and she visited medical clinics every day for the remainder of her two-week holiday. Since the horrifying attack, Calley said she had fostered a fear for dogs. But despite her newfound terror, she said she is determined to achieve her pipe dream and work as a vet. Senator Gary Peters is leading a pack of Democrats who believe Michael Avenatti ruined the case against Brett Kavanaugh being removed from his nomination for United States Supreme Court Justice. The Michigan Democrat told CNN that the lawyer, who represented Stormy Daniels in her case against President Donald Trump and announced he was considering a career in politics as a Democratic presidential candidate amid the SCOTUS sexual assault allegations, turned the story into a spectacle. 'It turns it into a circus atmosphere and certainly that's not where we should be,' he said about the allegations raised by Avenatti and his client Julie Swetnick, adding, 'at some point there were a lot of folks coming forward making all sorts of accusations'. Senator Gary Peters is leading a pack of Democrats who believe Michael Avenatti ruined the case against Brett Kavanaugh being removed from his nomination for United States Supreme Court Justice Avenatti - who represented a woman with allegations against Brett Kavanaugh - said: 'Many establishment Democrats are concerned because they see me as a threat' He continued: 'I think we should have focused on the serious allegations that certainly appeared very credible to me that would be our best course of action.' Swetnick claimed she had seen Kavanaugh 'fondling and grabbing girls without their consent' at numerous parties between 1981 and 1983. She alleged he was part of a group that spiked drinks and lined up to 'gang-rape' young women who did not have control of their actions. The accuser added that his friend Mark Judge was also there but didn't say they were one of the people who assaulted the victims nor did she provide names of witnesses. For many, it meant she wasn't credible after Dr Christine Blasey Ford's sexual assault claim and second accuser Deborah Ramirez's sexual misconduct allegation. While Avenatti told his client's story to the media he also shared his political ambitions which didn't bode well with Democrats who believe 'his involvement set us back, absolutely'. 'Democrats and the country would have been better off if Mr Avenatti spent his time on his Iowa vanity project rather than meddling in Supreme Court fights,' an anonymous senior Senate Democratic aide said. Julie Swetnick claimed she had seen Kavanaugh 'fondling and grabbing girls without their consent' at numerous parties between 1981 and 1983 Ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Dianne Feinstein called for the confirmation to be paused after the third allegation emerged Another Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee who wished not to be named said: 'It wasn't helpful because the story became about Avenatti.' Ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Dianne Feinstein called for the confirmation to be paused after the third allegation emerged but at that point many Democrats believed the story was getting less credible and distanced themselves from Avenatti's client's allegations. But it was too late. Republican Susan Collins mentioned the evidence against him not being reliable enough as she voted to confirm him and was met with protests afterwards. CNN also obtained a comment from an unnamed Democratic senator who said he was 'not helpful at all. I think Susan was always yes, but Avenatti was a useful foil.' For many, Swetnick's allegation wasn't as credible after Dr Christine Blasey Ford (right) sexual assault claim against Kavanugh (left) Democratic Senator Ed Markey called the FBI investigation a White House-directed 'cover-up' and the refused to give more attention to Swetnick and Avenatti Avenatti said his client was willing to testify under oath but she was not approached by the FBI in their probe into Kavanaugh's past. Senator Ed Markey called the investigation a White House-directed 'cover-up' and the Democrat from Massachusetts refused to give more attention to Swetnick and Avenatti when he thought there was a bigger problem. He said: 'I just consider this to be a larger story.' Peters didn't think any distractions from Dr Ford's case helped. 'So there are always efforts whenever you dealing with a serious issue like this, that people want to change the discussion and have everybody chanse another different shiny object,' Peters continued. 'Our job in the Senate, and it should have been the job of the FBI too, is to focus on those that are credible.' In a response, Avenatti called the Democrats 'cowards' who were 'blaming accusers for coming forward'. He also told CNN that Collins' labelling of his client's claims as 'outlandish' was unfair because they did not investigate Swetnick who he says has six supporting witnesses. Avenatti reaffirmed the idea of running for POTUS 2020. He said: 'Many establishment Democrats are concerned because they see me as a threat.' A mother-of-two has been given months to live after being diagnosed with terminal cervical cancer, despite getting regular check-ups. Samantha Smithson, from Adelaide, was diagnosed with stage four cervical cancer in June. The 45-year-old said the room went dark when doctors told her of the horror diagnosis, 9News reported. Samantha Smithson, from Adelaide, (pictured) was diagnosed with stage four cervical cancer in June All she could do was think about her two sons, Jye, 5, and Levi, 10, she said. Ms Smithson went to the doctor every two years for a pap smear - the required amount for all women - but the tests did not detect the cancer. It wasn't until the mother-of-two went to her doctor to have her Mirena birth control removed that a cancerous tumour was discovered on the device. And just like that, Ms Smithson was told she only had a year to live. 'They said that even through my Pap smear two years ago came back fine, I probably still had cancer at that time,' she said. Samantha Smithson, 45, said the room went dark when doctors told her of the horror diagnosis WHAT IS HPV? THE INFECTION LINKED TO 99% OF CERVICAL CANCER AND 91% OF ANAL CANCER CASES Up to eight out of 10 people will be infected with HPV in their lives Human papilloma virus (HPV) is the name for a group of viruses that affect your skin and the moist membranes lining your body. Spread through vaginal, anal and oral sex and skin-to-skin contact between genitals, it is extremely common. Up to eight out of 10 people will be infected with the virus at some point in their lives. There are more than 100 types of HPV. Around 30 of which can affect the genital area. Genital HPV infections are common and highly contagious. Many people never show symptoms, as they can arise years after infection, and the majority of cases go away without treatment. It can lead to genital warts, and is also known to cause cervical cancer by creating an abnormal tissue growth. Annually, an average of 38,000 cases of HPV-related cancers are diagnosed in the US, 3,100 cases of cervical cancer in the UK and around 2,000 other cancers in men. HPV can also cause cancers of the throat, neck, tongue, tonsils, vulva, vagina, penis or anus. It can take years for cancer to develop. Advertisement 'When the doctors told me, the room just felt like it went dark, I couldn't register what they were saying to me 'To hear those words it was pretty daunting and my first thoughts were that I'm not going to see my boys grow up.' The combination of the HPV vaccine and screenings in Australia is expected to see the number of deaths related to cervical cancer dramatically decline over the next four years. There were 269 deaths caused by cervical cancer in Australia in 2016. If screening and vaccinations continue, the number of cervical cancer deaths are expected to drop to less than six people in every 100,000 by 2022. Australia became one of the first countries to introduce a human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination scheme for girls. Ms Smithson missed out on the HPV vaccine, which was introduced in 2007, as she was too old. She said she was happy to think other women, in the future, wont have to go through what she has gone through. Nearly all cases of cervical cancer are caused by persistent infections of high-risk HPV, which causes changes to cervical cells. Last year, Australian officials replaced the pap test routinely offered to women aged between 16 and 89 with new HPV cervical screening. The new test against HPV, offered to people aged 25-74, is expected to lower cervical cancer diagnoses and mortality by around 20 per cent. The Moroccan delegation taking part at the preparatory meeting of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) has left the event in protest over the presence of Polisario members. Representatives of the Algerian backed separatist SADR entity managed to intrude into the meeting, which they have not been invited to. They used Algerian passports and were accredited using the badges of the African Union, a source told the Moroccan news agency. Japan has reaffirmed that it does not recognize the Polisario imaginary state after such an intrusion that brings to memory the chaos caused by Polisario members and their supporters last year at the TICAD conference in Mozambique. However, a well informed source said that Morocco has expressed its disappointment to Japan which failed to avert such an intrusion into the meeting by Polisario members. The source said that Japan gave guarantees to Morocco at a meeting on the sidelines of the 73rd UN General Assembly that the separatist group has not been invited to the event. Japan made it clear that the Polisario cannot participate as a state in TICAD. Last year in Maputo, the TICAD follow-up meeting was disrupted due to an attempt by Mozambique authorities, under orders from Algeria, to impose the participation of the Polisario. White supremacist leader David Duke's godson lived a double life, where he ran an anti-Semitic radio talk show while dating a Jewish girl. Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist tells the story of Derek Black who as recently as 2010 was separating his life as a 21-year-old at New College of Florida, in Sarasota, from his strict family life. The book's author Eli Saslow writes that he believed that 'white nationalism wasn't just a fringe racist movement'. His father, Don Black, was also a KKK Grand Wizard, like Duke and founded the racist Stormfront internet forum. . But when he went to college he was opened up to other races and made friends. Derek Black (pictured), the godson of white supremacist David Dake and son of former Grand Wizard Don Black, lived a double-life as an anti-Semitic radio host while he dated a Jewish girl Don Black (center), a former KKK Grand Wizard, saw other races as a threat to the survival of white people. He also founded the anti-Semitic website Stormfront Derek is today dating Allison, a woman he met through his Jewish friends at Shabbat dinner He became pals with a Peruvian boy, socialized with Orthodox Jews and even got a Jewish girlfriend named Rose. It was an eye-opening experience for the anti-Semetic radio talk show host when he joined the institution, which has a 20 percent non-white student body. Although he kept his background a secret, the book claims he tried to out himself on one occasion by leaving a copy of Details magazine in the school's gym that featured his name and could expose him. David Duke (left and right) cut off Derek as did his father when he wrote an open letter against white nationalism in 2013 While it didn't work in April 2011, a student researching a thesis on domestic extremism saw his name on the Southern Poverty Law Center's website The Extremist Files and it took over the student forum. Derek found out that his true identity had been revealed while he was spending a semester in Europe. While he felt liberated in one way, he desperately didn't want to lose the friendships he'd formed. 'He had expected to feel some relief at being freed from his double identity, but instead he found himself mourning all of the relationships he'd lost,' the book details. Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist tells the story of Derek Black While he ended up losing his girlfriend, other members of the Jewish community worked to get him to see his ideologies were wrong. It took years to show Derek, who believed 'whites were better served living apart from other races' and 'words like 'racist' had been invented to demonize well-meaning white people'. Derek was under the impression that there was a high risk of white genocide and even showed recent census data about rising minority population in the United States as proof. However by attending Shabbat dinners with Jewish friends he changed his tune. Derek also met another woman named Allison at the Sabbath day gatherings each Friday, who despite initially opposing the idea of him joining the meals and temporarily halting her own attendance, eventually warmed to him. He finally was cut off from his family and godfather in 2013 after openly shunning white nationalism. Derek still has contact with his parents but the book claims their relationship has deteriorated.. 'I can't support a movement that tells me I can't be a friend to whomever I wish or that other people's races require me to think about them in a certain way or be suspicious at their advancements,' he wrote in a letter on the website of the Southern Poverty Law Center. 'Minorities must have the ability to rise to positions of power, and many supposed 'race' issues are in fact issues of structural oppression, poor educational prospects and limited opportunity. I believe we can move beyond the sort of mind-boggling emphasis white nationalism puts on maintaining an oppressive, exclusive sense of identity oppressive for others and stifling for our society.' A hunt is underway for two armed men who robbed three liquor stores in hour before fleeing on a bright green motorbike. Detectives released CCTV footage of the moment the two men robbed the liquor stores in Logan City in Queensland on Saturday afternoon. The pair entered the Marsden drive-thru bottle shop on Chambers Flat Road on a green coloured motorbike at 4.10pm, police said. A hunt is underway for two armed men who robbed three liquor stores in hour before fleeing on a bright green motorbike (pictured) The pair entered the Marsden drive-thru bottle shop on Chambers Flat Road on a green coloured motorbike at about 4.10pm One of the men brandished a firearm and threatened a staff member, before he made off with the money, officers allege. Shortly afterward, the two men rode into a drive-thru bottle shop on Albert Street at Waterford West, a suburb of Logan City. The pair repeated the manoeuvre, when one of them raided the store with a firearm and left with the money, police said. It is believed the duo hit another bottle shop on the Mount Lindsay Highway at North Mclean at 4.30pm, police allege. The motorbike is described as a Kawasaki KLX250 trail bike or of a similar make. Both men are described as Caucasian, of medium build, and sporting dark clothing and helmets. One of the men brandished a firearm and threatened a staff member, before he made off with the money A man is extremely lucky to be alive after being ejected from his car when it crashed into a pole on Sunday morning. The 31-year-old driver was travelling along West Dapto Road in Wollongong, 90 kilometres south of Sydney, when he lost control of the car. He was driving a silver Holden Commodore at about 9.00am, before skidding and slamming into a pole on the side of the road. A man is extremely lucky to be alive after being ejected from his car when it crashed into a pole on Sunday morning The 31-year-old driver was travelling along West Dapto Road in Kembla Grange, a suburb of Wollongong, 90 kilometres south of Sydney He was driving a silver Holden Commodore at about 9.00am, before losing control and hitting a pole on the side of the road The car hit the pole so hard that it split completely in two, ejecting the driver out of his seat belt and onto the road. Images of the crash were posted to Facebook, showing how the driver's seat had been completely ripped off of the car. One of the doors remained wrapped around the pole, as different car parts lay scattered across the road, with fuel spilling everywhere. Members of the emergency crew said they are shocked the man is still alive after attending such a horrific scene. Darin Sullivan posted the pictures to Facebook with the hope of warning others to drive safely. 'The driver of this car is one of the luckiest I've ever seen in my nearly 30 years in emergency services,' his post reads. Members of the emergency crew are shocked the man is still alive after attending such a horrific scene One of the doors remained wrapped around a pole as different car parts lay scattered across the road, with fuel spilling everywhere Mr Sullivan warned drivers to slow down: 'The roads are not the Bathurst 1000 people.' The driver was conscious when emergency crews arrived, and was quickly transferred to St George Hospital. Officers are investigating whether speed or alcohol was a factor in the horrific incident. 'I'm surprised anyone could survive a crash like that,' a police spokesperson from Lake Illawarra told Daily Mail Australia. The images have since been shared on Facebook over 5,000 times, with one share being from the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command. The images have since been shared on Facebook over 5,000 times, with one share being from the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command A man who allegedly raped a two-week-old baby is being kept on 24-hour guard in jail to 'stop other prisoners from attacking him'. The man, 25, is being held at HMP Maghaberry in Northern Ireland and was arrested last weekend on suspicion of raping the baby at a home. He is being treated as a 'Special Person At Risk' which means inmates such as terrorists and murderers are being kept away from him. Inmates at HMP Maghaberry in Northern Ireland such as murderers are being kept away from the 'Special Person at Risk' A source told The Sun said: 'He has been located in a secure unit for his own protection. He is also on round-the-clock watch in case he presents any evidence of suicidal thoughts. 'I would be pretty sure that if any other prisoners got near him they would lynch him, such is the outrage being expressed by inmates on the landings.' The child is being treated in intensive care at Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children The source added that feelings are extremely high, both inside and outside the prison. The man appeared at Armagh Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, and the infant is said to be from Annalong, which is a seaside village. The child is being treated in intensive care at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children. A social worker died after she was attacked and stabbed in the neck during a house call. The woman stumbled into the busy Dome Cafe in Rockingham, Western Australia, just before 6pm. She allegedly drove herself from the apartment block, where she had been attacked during a visit to one of her clients, to the cafe 700 metres down the road. Patrons and staff allegedly did all they could to save her, and tried to cover the wound with paper towels (pictured), but she later died at Fiona Stanley Hospital from her injuries The cafe has become an integral part of the investigation as police try to figure out what happened Patrons and staff allegedly did all they could to save her, and tried to cover the wound with paper towels, but she later died at Fiona Stanley Hospital from her injuries. Armed police stormed the apartment and took a man into custody. He has been questioned in relation to the attack, but no charges have currently been laid. The cafe owners shared a statement to their Facebook page, announcing they would close The cafe owners shared a statement to their Facebook page, announcing their store would be closed while police investigated the death. 'We will be closed tomorrow Sunday 7th October due to unforeseen circumstances,' it read. 'Police have requested that the cafe remain closed whist they investigate the incident,' they told 9News. 'Our thoughts are with all those affected by this incident.' Advertisement Meghan Markle's controversial half-sister claims she has been turned away by royal security from Kensington Palace after arriving uninvited with a letter. Samantha Markle, 53, flew in to the UK with the aim of confronting the Duchess of Sussex over the ongoing family feud involving the treatment of their father Thomas who failed to attend her wedding to Prince Harry. But she appeared to have been met with a wall of silence and was photographed in an embarrassing stand-off with a security guard on the private road leading to the palace in West London. The American, who has multiple sclerosis, failed to hand over her handwritten note on Kensington Palace Gardens before buying royal merchandise including Prince Harry and Meghan masks. Samantha Markle visits Kensington Palace to hand a letter over to her half sister, Meghan Markle but is turned away Samantha Markle and Meghan are no longer on speaking terms after high-profile bust ups tore the Markle family apart Samantha, who suffers from MS, is wheeled away from the Royal residence by her partner after failing to meet Meghan Bizarre pictures show Samantha clutching a Harry mask that she bought from a souvenir shop nearby. Samantha flew in two weeks after palace officials received a letter saying her behaviour would 'escalate' if they did not arrange a meeting with the Duchess, according to The Mirror. It is the latest in a string of high profile public bust-ups with the palace after an on-going family feud involving her half-sister and father, Thomas. A source told The Mirror that the fact Meghan's older sibling was turned away 'speaks volumes'. Samantha clutches a mask from a souvenir stall of her estranged half-sister Meghan and her new husband Harry Samantha Markle, 54, has criticised Meghan in the past for 'fake waves and smiles' and also called Prince Harry a 'wuss' Samantha Markle Visits Kensington Palace to hand a letter over to her half sister, Meghan, and looks wowed by trivial masks Samantha bought cut-outs of Meghan and Harry's faces after appearing to remonstrate with security at the couple's residence before settling for handing over a letter for the Duchess The source said: 'The ongoing feud between Meghan, her sister and her father has so far been played out in public interviews and communication across the Atlantic via aides and representatives. 'This was a huge move on the part of Meghan's sister to try to see her face to face and the fact she was turned away speaks volumes. 'This is the closest Meghan has come physically to that side of her family since she married into the royal family but palace staff had clearly been instructed not to allow her access.' Meghan Markle's half sister Samantha Markle is also known by as Samantha Grant, she is pictured leaving the front of Harry and Meghan's residence after a failed attempt to reconcile 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 Samantha, being pushed in a wheelchair by her partner, got closer than ever to Harry and Meghan since their lavish marriage in May but the move is likely to cause further ire from the royal side. The timeline of Markle embarrassment moves in peaks and troughs, with the silence likely worrying the palace in regards to what the next Markle move will be. In May Thomas Markle sparked a whirlwind of media attention after being exposed for selling pictures to paparazzi before the royal wedding and then giving a tell-all interview to British TV. In the interview with Good Morning Britain, the 74-year-old leaked details of private conversations with Meghan and Harry before telling US press he felt 'frozen out'. Samantha lashed out at the couple afterwards, calling her 37-year-old half-sister 'cold' for ignoring their dad before dubbing her 'DuchASS' and her husband Harry a 'wuss'. Samantha first hit out at her famous half-sister after her romance with Prince Harry was revealed, branding her a 'social climber' who is 'not fit to be a royal'. She then announced that she would release her memoirs and that her sister should prepare herself for some home truths. The public spat was accentuated after Samantha did not receive and invite to the royal couple's May wedding. Markle took to her favorite past-time tonight of tweeting about her fractured relationship with the Duchess Samantha Markle responds to almost all twitter users who call her out for making public statements about her half-sister Markle retweeted a series of comments she had previously posted at detractors she say she should remain silent Samantha Markle , a prolific twitter user, wasn't happy to leave London quietly and she continued post comments online Brexiteers have backed a last-ditch compromise plan to kill off Theresa May's Chequers plan as the clock rapidly runs down on the crunch talks. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said they are prepared to let EU officials be stationed at British ports after Brexit in order to get a Canada-style free trade deal. Brexiteers are furious at Mrs May's Chequers plan - which they say will mean the UK will have to keep swallowing EU rules and be unable to strike global free trade deals. And anger is mounting among Tory Brexiteers at reports that the PM is ready to offer Brussels another compromise to unblock the talks. She is expected to suggest a backstop to avoid a hard Irish border which would the UK remains in a customs arrangement with the EU, with Northern Ireland closely aligned to the single market. But today Mr Duncan Smith and Jacob Rees-Mogg backed plans for the border force officials, which they say mean EU customs and single market rules can be enforced on goods heading to the bloc without the UK having to stick to them. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith (pictured at the Tory Party conference in Birmingham last week) says Brexiteers are prepared to let EU officials be stationed at British ports after the UK's departure in order to get a Canada-style free trade deal Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Duncan Smith said allowing EU officials at UK ports - as happens now with Eurotunnel - would answer concerns about the Irish border. He wrote: 'We can... (conduct) regulatory and customs checks together in a way that respects the EU's single market, by building on systems already in place at the Channel Ports. Downing Street steps up no deal Brexit planning Downing Street officials are preparing for a Car Crash Brexit if the Prime Ministers Chequers plan is rejected by Brussels or voted down by the Commons. Secret war games have been held to tackle a possible fuel crisis, vital medicines running short and power blackouts. Senior No 10 figures have warned in private briefings that they are deeply worried about Britains preparation for a no-deal exit. One leading official said last week: The no deal is now a real prospect. And it would be a car crash. We are talking about a number of Cobra-level crises. Cobra is the Government committee that meets in times of national emergencies. Advertisement 'The UK has long had arrangements with France under the Le Touquet Treaty where passports are checked by French officers at Dover and UK officers in Calais. 'The UK should seek to build on this by agreeing a Le Touquet-plus system with the EU. 'Any customs or regulatory checks could be made at juxtaposed controls with information-sharing and cooperation between the UK and the Republic of Ireland. 'This would not simply answer concerns about keeping the Northern Ireland border open - it would also ensure the channel ports continue to provide as frictionless trade as possible.' Mr Rees-Mogg, who is head of the European Research Group - the powerful group of backbench Tory Brexit-backing MPs - also backs the plan. He said: 'Agreeing to European officials being stationed at UK ports following the Le Touquet precedent, and for action to be taken against companies that fail to meet EU rules on goods exported to the EU, are both sensible steps. 'I would be prepared to support them to help to minimise friction in trade while allaying European concerns about compromising the single market.' Mrs May is facing a race against time to get a Brexit deal done amid a revolt from her backbenchers and difficulties in Europe. Theresa May (pictured today on her way to church in Maidenhead) is facing a race against time to get the EU and her warring Tory MPs to back her Brexit plan in time for a crunch EU summit in just ten days She was humiliated when EU leaders rejected her Chequers plan in in Salzburg last month, and she must show that she has made significant progress on drawing up a new deal by the time of a crunch EU summit in just ten days time. But Brexiteers on her backbenches are threatening to pull their support for her if she does not toughen her stance with the EU. Tory MP Sir Bernard Jenkin wrote to the ERG WhatsApp group: 'Make no mistake a soft/non Brexit pushed by the Conservative establishment but put through with Labour support will look like we are abandoning our supporters and remove any sense of obligation among Conservative-Brexit supporting MPs to continue to support the Government.' But Sir Bernard played down reports that the message was a threat to vote against the government on the Budget later this month. Cancer Research UK customers have been targeted by the same Russian hackers behind recent cyber attacks on Ticketmaster and British Airways. Magecart, an anonymous group of cyber criminals, attempted to steal the card details of people buying gifts through the charity's website, cyber security experts at consultancy RiskIQ said. The hackers reportedly planted malicious code into the online store, which was designed to copy the credit card details of customers. Those buying gifts on Cancer Research UK's online shop have been targeted by the Russian hackers behind recent cyber attacks on Ticketmaster and British Airways (file photo) Publishing house Faber & Faber, care home suppliers Countrywide Healthcare, and furniture shop Aria were also targeted, the Sunday Telegraph reported. Cancer Research UK's online shop offers products for those undergoing cancer treatment, such as bandannas, and clothing designed for those who have had a mastectomy. A spokesperson confirmed that the store was hacked in June 2016, but said no credit card details were stolen. Nigel Armitt, chief financial officer at Cancer Research UK, said the online services 'were immediately disabled to ensure exposure was limited.' It comes after Ticketmaster UK admitted British customers may have had their credit card data stolen in a security breach that affected up to 40,000 people. The company said it 'identified malicious software' on a third party product in June. The hack affected UK transactions between February and June 23 this year and 'international customers who purchased, or attempted to purchase, tickets between September 2017 and June 23, 2018.' Ticketmaster advised all customers to reset their passwords and offered all clients a free one-year identity monitoring service. Around 380,000 British Airways customers may also have had personal details stolen by hackers last month. The Information Commissioner's Office said it was 'making inquiries' after the extensive security breach was not detected for 16 days. Magecart, an anonymous group of cyber criminals, attempted to steal the card details of people buying gifts through the charity's website (file photo) Magecart intercepts data as it is sent to online shops and sends a copy of the credit card information to online servers. Terry Bishop, technical director of Risk IQ, said: 'The group seems to have started by finding weakness and exploiting it aggressively across other platforms using new technologies.' These stolen details are then sold in hacker forums for as little as 1.50 per card - which are used to make fraudulent purchases. The anonymous hackers have also been linked to a stolen credit card information marketplace called Trump's Dumps, which uses the image of Donald Trump to advertise the stolen details. The Foreign Office told the Sunday Telegraph it was aware of 'indiscriminate and reckless' cyber attacks from groups linked to the Kremlin. The three-year-old son of parents with a terminally ill baby told his mother and father his brother was passing just moments before the little one took his final breath. Taylor, the brother of baby Jordan who died from a rare disease at 10 weeks old, told his parents Kristy and Josh Fiorini 'Jordan is going now' right before he died. Jordan, a 'social butterfly' who his mother said loved music and to be cuddled, was born on July 17 with Total Intestinal Aganglionosis (TIA), a disease that causes faeces to back up and obstruct the bowel. Taylor (right), the brother of baby Jordan (left) who died from a rare disease at 10 weeks old, told his parents Kristy and Josh Fiorini (top right) 'Jordan is going now' right before he died Jordan (pictured), a 'social butterfly' who his mother said loved music and to be cuddled, was born on July 17 with Total Intestinal Aganglionosis At eight weeks old his family, from South Morang in Victoria, were delivered the tragic news their baby was not going to make it, so they brought him home. On September 27 baby Jordan took his final breath in the arms of his mother, just 10 days after leaving the hospital. In an incredible series of events, Taylor stopped playing and without warning came inside to tell his mother that her baby was about to die. 'It was unbelievable! He was out of the room playing with his Uncle and all of a sudden he said 'I want to go see mummy' so he walked straight into the room and that's when he said 'Jordan's going now',' Mrs Fiorini told Daily Mail Australia. On September 27 baby Jordan took his final breath in the arms of his mother (pictured together), just 10 days after leaving the hospital In an incredible series of events, Taylor stopped playing and without warning came inside to tell his mother that her baby was about to die (Mr Fiorini pictured with Jordan) Taylor (pictured with Jordan and Mr Fiorini) stopped playing and came inside to tell his mother Jordan was about to pass away 'That was the only time he had ever said it. I said 'I actually think he is going now' because his breathing had changed. So I put Jordan on the bed, checked his heart and it had stopped.' At just three days old Jordan was transferred to Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital where he underwent surgery and 17 intestinal biopsies. Doctors then informed the parents their son's condition was incurable, a moment Mrs Fiorini said still 'haunted' the couple. 'At the point in time we were both just so shocked we didn't know what to say. When the surgeon walked out the door we just both broke down in tears. I'd never seen my husband cry before,' Mrs Fiorini told Yahoo7. At just three days old Jordan (right with Taylor) was transferred to Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital where he underwent surgery and 17 intestinal biopsies Doctors then informed the parents their son's condition was incurable, a moment Mrs Fiorini said still 'haunted' the couple (Jordan pictured) 'He was super, super strong. They didn't think he was going to live an hour after he got home and his heart was still beating strong 10 days later.' Jordan was farewelled on Thursday in a ceremony attended by about 200 people, just one day before his brother's third birthday. '(Jordan) had such a strong personality. He hated his feet being touched. He loved being cuddled and movement. He loved music. He was a social butterfly,' Mrs Fiorini said. She added Taylor often asked where his baby brother was and all they could do was tell him the truth - that he was unwell and was now gone. Jordan (pictured) was farewelled on Thursday in a ceremony attended by about 200 people, just one day before his brother's third birthday Japan has dealt a hard blow to the Polisario separatist group and their Algerian supporters who failed this weekend to impose the presence of the secessionists in the follow-up meeting of Africa-Japan summit held in Tokyo (Oct.5-7). Even if a group which claims itself as a State which Japan does not recognize was sitting in this room, this does not mean that Japan in anyway implicitly or explicitly recognizes it as a State, said on Saturday Japanese Foreign minister Taro Kono, referring to the Polisario intruders. Mr. Konos statement comes following the withdrawal of the Moroccan delegation from the preparatory meeting of the Africa-Japan Summit, in protest to the presence of the separatists in the event. I would like to make it clear that it is not allowed to put any flag other than that of the African Union (AU) and Japan, said the Japanese top diplomat, warning that anybody who disrupts the order will be asked to leave the summit. The Algerian regime provides Polisario separatists with Algerian travel documents and logistics enabling them to sneak in international conferences and take the floor to undermine Moroccos territorial integrity. But the Moroccan diplomacy has, once again, foiled the Algerian plot and unveiled to the world the direct involvement of Algeria in the regional conflict of the Sahara. The Tokyo incident comes as Morocco has confirmed its participation in the UN-sponsored round table on the Sahara issue due in Geneva in December. At the end of September, UN envoy for the Sahara Horst Kohler sent invitations to Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and the Polisario for the Geneva talks. A young man is fighting for life after a vicious one punch attack. The alleged blow occurred late on Saturday night in front of a Perth bar, after the victim and his brother got into an argument with another patron. The victim was punched in the jaw and hit his head on the pavement. Police are searching for a man they believe can help with investigations into a horrific one punch attack The man and his brother were leaving the pub when they were confronted by the alleged attacker. After a short shouting match, the one punch attack connected, leaving the victim sprawled on the sidewalk. The alleged attacker ran from the bar, with a friend of the victim chasing him. The man almost caught up with him, before the accused assailant took a swipe at him and fled. Paramedics tended to the victim out the front of the King Street pub. They eventually rushed him to Royal Perth Hospital for serious head injuries, where he remains in a critical condition. The attack allegedly took place out the front of a bar in Perth's central business district Police are hunting the alleged attacker, releasing CCTV footage of a man they believe can help with their inquiries. The man is believed to be around 20 to 25 years of age, slim and medium build with short dark hair. He was wearing a long sleeve white shirt, dark long pants and dark shoes. A Household Cavalryman has been ordered to move out by his wife after she discovered he was having an affair with another woman in his regiment. James Rosendale, 34, reportedly told his wife he'd had a fling with Collette Fear, 34, who was the first woman to join his front-line combat unit. His wife Jodie, 35, who works as the chief clerk at Combermere Barracks in Windsor and had been friends with Ms Fear, is said to be 'heartbroken.' James Rosendale is said to have been kicked out by wife Jodie (pictured together) after she found out about his affair with Collette Fear, the first female recruit to his regiment The regiment recently went on a 'six-month training exercise in Canada' and it is thought they may have got together while overseas, reports the Sun. Mrs Rosendale, who married Staff Corporal Rosendale in 2011, has now asked him to move out of their home and into a nearby barracks. Ms Fear became the Household Calvary's armoured regiments first female recruit in April 2017 after ex-PM David Cameron lifted a ban on women serving in combat roles. Army bosses have also confirmed they are looking into the couple's affair. A spokesman said: 'An investigation is taking place into an allegation of misconduct. As this is ongoing it would be inappropriate to comment further.' An MOD spokesperson added: 'Women have already given exemplary service in recent conflicts, working in a variety of highly specialised and vital roles. 'By opening all combat roles to women, we will continue to build on these successes, as well as ensuring that roles in our armed forces to be determined by ability, not gender.' Mrs Rosendale (pictured) is said to be 'heartbroken' after finding out about the affair that sources claim has been going on for 'several months' A source also told the Sun : 'James is a senior rank to Collette, so could be in trouble.' The Household Calvary is made up of the two most senior regiments in the British Army, The Life Guards and The Blues & Royals. It's divided into the Household Cavalry Regiment, stationed at Combermere Barracks in Berkshire, and the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, garrisoned at Hyde Park Barracks in London. Mrs Rosendale has been contacted by MailOnline. Medical cannabis will be available on prescription in the UK within a month and experts say 10,000 MS sufferers could benefit. Decisions on administering the currently illegal treatment will be made on a case by case basis until The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence issues the results of a review into routine funding of the treatment on the NHS. The Sunday Telegraph reported that the Home Office will announce the 'rescheduling' of cannabis-derived medicines in Parliament. This will lift restrictions that until now have meant the oil has been allowed only in the most exceptional circumstances, like that of Northern Irish boy Billy Caldwell and former Emmerdale actress Leah Bracknell. Billy Caldwell, who has a rare form of epilepsy, with his mother Charlotte in Belfast city centre shortly after they flew home to Northern Ireland Leah Bracknell revealed recently that she is breaking the law by making cannabis oil at home to slow the progress of her terminal terminal cancer. The 54-year-old says she would not be alive today if it wasn't for the oil which is 'as easy as baking a cake' to make. The case of Billy Caldwell saw the Home Office agreeing to release medicinal cannabis it confiscated from the mother of the 12-year-old boy with epilepsy. An announcement on the new move is expected in Parliament within a two weeks according to the Sunday Telegraph. The move puts Britain on par with some of Europe's most medical cannabis liberal countries. The case of Billy Caldwell saw the Home Office agreeing to release medicinal cannabis it confiscated from the mother Billy's mother revealed her son would have up to 100 seizures less per day due to the oil Germany gave the go-ahead to medicinal cannabis last and in Britain joining them, the chronic pain of 28 million people could be eased. There are an estimated 28 million people with chronic pain in the UK, with conditions including arthritis and multiple sclerosis (MS). The decision revolves around easing laws on cannabis that has the active high ingredient, THC. When used recreationally this chemical is what creates highs but cannabis oil without this active agent can already be purchased on the high street. Cannabis-derived medicinal products currently sit in the Schedule 1 category for drugs that have professional uses. Actress Leah Bracknell believes cannabis oil helps slow the effects of her terminal cancer These drugs require a licence from the Home Office licence but if the review on cannabis oil is successful it could mean a move into Schedule 2. Genevieve Edwards, from the MS Society, told the Telegraph: 'This is very encouraging progress for thousands of people with MS who have been forced to choose between living with relentless pain and muscle spasm or breaking the law.' The case of Billy Caldwell ended with Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, allowed legal prescriptions of medical cannabis to him following a specialist review by England's chief medical officer earlier this year. The move followed a long campaign by his mother, Charlotte, to allow her son to be legally treated with the oil. In June, drugs prescribed for Billy in the United States were seized at Heathrow Airport. After the rescheduling this autumn, users will no longer have to try many other opiate-based epileptic drugs before being allowed to use cannabis oil. Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, Ms Caldwell said that her son's condition had improved dramatically. 'I feel absolutely, truly blessed from the bottom of my heart, that Billy has had access to this medicine,' she said. Ms Caldwell and Paul Birch, a philanthropist who supported Billy's campaign in June, will tomorrow launch the Centre for Medicinal Cannabis to lobby the government to widen access. Emmerdale star Mark Jordon (pictured) has been charged with GBH and assault after allegedly biting a pensioner in a pub row, it has been claimed Emmerdale star Mark Jordon has been charged with GBH and assault after allegedly biting a pensioner in the face in a pub row, it has been claimed. Jordon, 53, is reportedly accused of attacking 67-year-old Andy Potts at the Farrars Arms pub in Oldham, Greater Manchester. Mr Potts needed hospital treatment after he allegedly suffered injuries to his face in the row with the TV star in July. Jordon plays Daz Spencer in the ITV soap and earlier starred as PC Phil Bellamy in Heartbeat. He is reportedly set to appear at Tameside Magistrates' Court in Ashton-under-Lyne on Thursday, November 8. An ITV source told the newspaper: 'It's very serious. Producers are concerned and weighing up what to do. 'It's possible Mark will be suspended and if found guilty his days would be numbered.' Greater Manchester Police reportedly confirmed that Jordon had been charged with GBH and common assault after Mrs Potts claimed he had been bitten in the face and hands. Jordon, who is in a relationship with his co-star Laura Norton, previously starred as a police officer in Heartbeat. An ITV spokesperson told MailOnline at the time of the alleged incident: 'This is a personal matter.' Britain's former top spy has warned that he finds the prospect of Jeremy Corbyn in Number Ten 'worrying' because of his past associations. Richard Dearlove, the ex head of MI6, tore into Mr Corbyn for spending much of his political career supporting groups which were Britain's enemies. And he said that he doubts that the left-winger has 'dumped' his past views just because he is now Labour leader. Mr Corbyn has been widely criticised for meeting with convicted members of the IRA and Islamic extremists. Richard Dearlove (pictured on Sophy Ridge show on Sky News) the ex head of MI6, tore into Mr Corbyn for spending much of his political career supporting groups which were Britain's enemies Jeremy Corbyn (pictured in late September at his party conference in Liverpool) has been widely criticised for meeting with convicted members of the IRA and Islamic extremists And earlier this year, The Daily Mail exclusively revealed photographs of him with a wreath at the foot of a grave of a Palestinian leader linked to the Munich Olympic massacre. But John McDonnell furiously hit back at Sir Richard's comments - dismissing him as an 'establishment' figure who is scared of a Labour government. Jeremy Corbyn's meetings with the IRA In 1984, Corbyn hosted Linda Quigley and Gerard McLoughlin in Parliament. Both were convicted of IRA terrorism. In 1986, Corbyn was arrested as he took part in a protest outside an Old Bailey trial of the Brighton bomber Patrick Magee In 2000 Corbyn shared a platform with Brendan McKenna at an event commemorating Bloody Sunday. He was jailed for a bombing in Portadown. Advertisement Appearing on Sky New' Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Sir Richard hit out at Mr Corbyn's track record courting enemies of Britain. He said: 'Someone from my background is troubled by Jeremy Corbyn's past associations, some of which I find surprising worrying. 'He may have abandoned them now, but I don't think you can entirely as it were dump your past. 'He has enthusiastically associated himself with groups and interests which I would not say were the friends of the British nation.' But he dismissed accusations made by close allies of the Labour leader that the 'deep state' could work against a Corbyn Government. He said that if Mr Corbyn gets into power then he 'becomes Prime Minister and that will be the democratic decision of the British people - you have to treat him as Prime Minister'. But Mr McDonnell - Mr Corbyn's closest allies in Parliament - lashed back at the former senior spy. Labour's John McDonnell (pictured today on Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Sky News) furiously hit back at Sir Richard's comments - dismissing him as an 'establishment' figure who is scared of a Labour government Appearing on the same programme, he said: 'Well, I'm not surprised, look this is a member, a reactionary member, of the establishment, so I don't think he'd welcome a Labour government of any sort, to be frank. 'Can I just say to him directly, I think he should spend his retirement in quiet contemplation of the role that he played with regard to the Iraq war where over half a million people at least were killed. 'He was strongly criticised as the head of an organisation whose intelligence took us into that war, so I think he should have a bit of humility about the judgements he makes about individuals and others in the future.' Shamed MP Andrew Griffiths could be kicked out of the Commons if a Standards Commissioner investigation finds he breached rules after sending 2000 seedy sex texts to two barmaids. The Tory MP for Burton sent reams of explicit texts to Imogen Treharne, 28, and a fellow barmaid detailing sick fantasies, paying them for racy images and asking one to beat the other sent just weeks after his wife Kate, 47, gave birth to their long-awaited first child. The Mirror reported that a source told them that Griffiths is fighting to save his marriage. MP Andrew Griffiths is facing a probe by Parliament's watchdog over 2000 seedy sex texts Despite facing the boot, it has already emerged that Mr Griffiths plans to apply for re-selection. The 47-year-old was initially investigated for allegedly putting his hand on local councillor, Deneice Florence-Jukes' knee and clutching her waist at a fundraising ball. She said on the lewd texts: 'I trust if he does indeed apply for re-selection, he fully commits to the Nolan Principles by being honest, transparent and accountable to us the public by disclosing the content of messages sent to the two young female constituents. Tory councillor sent reams of explicit texts to Imogen Treharne, 28, and a fellow barmaid Griffiths's texts detailed sick fantasies, offered women money for racy images and asked one to beat the other 'Then let the people of Burton and Uttoxeter, the Conservative Association and the Conservative Party decide if he is morally fit to be in public office.' The MP was also accused of bullying Mrs Florence-Jukes and other local politicians from his own party, but was cleared following an investigation. Mrs Florence-Jukes, a councillor on East Staffordshire Borough Council, said his bullying left her 'completely humiliated' and forced her to quit the Tory party. She now sits as an independent. Disgraced MP Andrew Griffiths speaks during the EFL Community Awards Texts obtained by the Mirror show the MP detailing his sick fantasies to the women 'He portrays himself as a man who is pro-women but he isn't at all,' she told the Daily Mail in July. 'In fact, I don't think he likes women very much he certainly doesn't have any respect for them. He knew I wanted to be MP for the area. I am from the area, he isn't, he is from Dudley, and I think he felt threatened.' She said Mr Griffiths was 'very forward' when he touched her knee and clutched her waist at the ball at Uttoexter racecourse in September 2016. She made a formal complaint to Conservative Campaign Headquarters. The MP was also accused of bullying Mrs Florence-Jukes and other local politicians In her complaint, she told how he came over to her table and she told him that she aspired to become an MP. 'His hand was on my knee for a few seconds, then he removed it. I felt [Griffiths] was being very forward by touching me,' she said. 'My guests even commented on what they had witnessed.' The councillor added: '[Griffiths] is far too familiar with regards to inappropriate touching. I feel it crosses boundaries by him touching my knee, holding me around the waist and what I term lingering holds when in close proximity to him. 'It got to the point where I would specifically keep a distance and bend forwards so I was out of his reach.' Her complaint was referred to the party's sexual harassment hotline and an investigation was launched. It was ongoing when Mr Griffiths, formerly Theresa May's chief of staff, was appointed small business minister in January. Mrs Florence-Jukes, a former military police officer, quit the party in February over its handling of the complaint. After the revelations emerged, the MP said he was 'deeply shamed' and apologised for embarrassing Prime Minister Theresa May and his family. He said he would be 'seeking help'. Mr Griffiths has been contacted for comment. Thousands of fliers have had their journeys interrupted by an airport staff member who called in sick the day before students were due back at school. An air traffic controller rang it in at Sydney Airport on Sunday, leaving the runway understaffed and unable to keep up with the high volume of flights. About 26 outbound flights had to be cancelled from airlines including Qantas, Qantas Link, Tiger Air, Jetstar and Virgin passengers, Daily Telegraph reported. Thousands of fliers have had their journeys interrupted by an airport staff member who called in sick the day before students were due back at school (stock photo) The damage spread to regional airports where many planes didn't arrive due to being cancelled out of Sydney, causing chaos for those with connecting flights. An additional three flights were delayed because of the employee's sick day. Flight schedules for the entire day had to be re-organised due to the airport being down a staffer, according to Airservices Australia By the afternoon, schedules had returned to normal and flights that were due for Sydney later in the day were expected to arrive on time. The damage spread to regional airports where many planes didn't arrive due to being cancelled out of Sydney, causing chaos for those with connecting flights (stock photo) Disappointed commuters took to Twitter to air their frustrations, some accusing their airline of inadequate communication. 'First Jetstar cancel my 7am flight on Friday to Sydney without notifying me and then our flight at 4pm today to go back to Melbourne is cancelled with no notification. What a waste of money and points,' one traveler wrote. 'The reason our Qantas flight was cancelled this evening was because there aren't enough air traffic controllers. Is this a normal thing?,' a puzzled flier tweeted. More flights were scheduled because it was the middle weekend of school holidays in New South Wales and the last weekend of break for Victorian students. Disappointed commuters took to Twitter to air their frustrations, some accusing their airline of inadequate communication (stock photo) Airlines reportedly put passengers on later flights or delayed them to board a separate flight on Monday to cope with the backlog. A statement from Qantas said it was doing everything it could to 'get customers moving', 'but the reduced take off and landing rates meant we've had to cancel some flights.' 'Some customers were moved to flights on Sunday evening but as it's school holidays we have limited spare seats so others won't travel until Monday.' The first woman to lead insurance giant Lloyd's of London has revealed she suffered sexist and homophobic abuse when she took the job. Dame Inga Beale, 55, who is leaving one of the City's most powerful jobs after five years, said some of the sick abuse had come from male financiers. In one letter sent to Beale, who is bisexual, she was reportedly told: 'You don't deserve to be on the planet; you should go and die.' Beale - who will be replaced by former Australian insurance chief John Neal - said women who reached top jobs knew that a man would succeed them, The Sunday Times reported. Dame Inga Beale, 55, who is leaving one of the City's most powerful jobs after five years, said some of the sick abuse had come from male financiers What is Lloyd's of London? Lloyd's of London, founded in 1686, is an insurance market which plays a major role in insuring insurance companies. The organisation had its origins in the 17th and 18th centuries providing shipping insurance during the American Revolutionary War and Napoleonic Wars. Its current headquarters are on Lime Street, in the City of London. More than 50 insurance firms and over 200 Lloyd's brokers are part of its insurance market. It is not an insurance company itself but shares risk with other players in the market. Lloyd's tumbled 2billion into the red last year when insurers were hit by mammoth bills following hurricanes in the Caribbean and Florida, earthquakes in Mexico and wildfires in California. Profits halved this year with Beale saying it was starting to emerge from 'one of the costliest years for natural catastrophes in the past decade'. It announced plans for Brussels as the location of its post-Brexit EU subsidiary last year, and had its licence approved in May. Advertisement The 55-year-old, a diversity campaigner who came out as bisexual in 2008, was paid 1.3m last year, taking her earnings since becoming chief executive to 5.9m. She said: 'Anonymous messages were sent to the chairman about me, and some emails and letters were sent directly to me. 'They were rude, sexist and homophobic. 'My way of coping was immediately to delete the emails and throw away the letters so it didn't prevent me from moving forward'. Male City workers would comment in surprised terms when they hired a woman to a top job and she performed well, Beale said. She said female CEOs were 'pretty certain' they would be replaced by a man because companies would think 'we've done that' by appointing one woman. Beale is the only woman to have run Lloyd's of London since it was founded in 1686. Speaking today she warned that Dame after Brexit the firm will not be able to offer insurance from London as before. Many insurance contracts already in force will have claims beyond 2019, and insurers are waiting for guidance on how to handle existing cross-border contracts after the Brexit date. On the Andrew Marr show she said: 'Post-Brexit, we won't have the ability to offer insurance just from London as before, so therefore we're opening subsidiary in Brussels. 'We wouldn't have done that if it wasn't for Brexit, something that we've been forced to do.' 'We will potentially lose the ability to pay any claims on our contracts and that's what we're lobbying the Government for, to say can you resolve this continuity of contract, how can we service our customers beyond Brexit.' Mr Neal, the head of Australian insurer QBE, was confirmed as Ms Beale's replacement earlier this month. Prior to leading QBE he was associated with the Lloyd's market as underwriter and later as chief executive of the Ensign Managing Agency. A search is underway for an elderly man who was caught spray painting a homophobic slur calling for people to 'bash a gay today'. Laura Hunter and April Long were travelling through Alexandria in Sydney's inner west when they saw an older man crouched by a brick wall. When the pair walked over to the man they noticed the violent message sprawled across the wall in white paint. According to Ms Hunter, the man said he had been 'robbed by a gay man once' when confronted. The search begins for an old man who spray painted a homophobic slur calling for people to 'bash a gay today' The unknown man pulled his hat down over his face as the Sydney woman photographed him and the offensive message. Ms Long wrote in a post to Facebook, 'For people who think the plebiscite has solved everything in our country it has not.' New South Wales police are calling for any witnesses or those with information to come forward. Since gay marriage was legalised in November last year, murals supporting gay rights have been vandalised including one of George Michael in Newtown. Since gay marriage was legalised in November last year, murals supporting gay rights have been vandalised including one of George Michael in Newtown (pictured) The Tony Abbott gay marriage mural in Redfern (pictured) hasn't been vandalised since it was painted In July, Magistrate Carolyn Huntsman found Sydney vandal, Ben Gittany guilty of malicious damage after slathered black paint over the inner west mural. Gittany believed the mural - which depicted the gay icon as a saint - was disrespectful to his religious beliefs. Other murals including one of Tony Abbott and Cardinal George Pell were covered in black paint in protest to the 2017 plebiscite results. Police said they are growing increasingly concerned for the safety of a 15-year-old achoolgirl after she went missing. Jessica Barr has not been seen since Friday evening after last being spotted in Worksop, Notts. Nottinghamshire Police have now launched an urgent appeal to find the teenager who is described as white, of slim build and being around 5ft 2ins tall. Jessica Barr hasn't been seen Friday evening after last being spotted in Worksop, Notts A family member launched an appeal on Facebook, stating that the teenager is penniless in the village of Rhodesia, Notts. She had been in the village with her older brother before going missing. The family believe she may have returned to Worksop, where they are originally from. The family member said the police are doing all they can but cannot trace her using her IPhone location as she has turned the setting off. She has brown, shoulder length wavy hair and was last seen wearing a blue denim Jacket, dark hooded top and black leggings. A police spokesman said: 'Officers are concerned for her safety after she was reported missing from the Worksop area at around 5pm Friday 5th October 2018. 'If you have seen Jessica or have any information about her whereabouts, please contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 51 of 2nd October 2018.' In a new report to the Security Council, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has once again rebuked Polisario for lack of cooperation with the UN mission in the Sahara, MINURSO. Guterres expressed to the Security Council his great concern over the refusal of the Polisario to receive in Rabbouni camps in eastern Algeria, his Special Representative and Head of MINURSO, as well as the Commander of the military component after a year in office. Polisario refuses to receive the UN mission in eastern Algeria where they are based and insist on meeting with the MINURSO officials east of the Moroccan security wall in the Sahara territory, an area that they insist on labeling liberated territory although in fact it is a demilitarized area under the 1991 cease-fire agreement. The Polisario has even sought to set up administrative structures east of the berm leading to warnings by Morocco that such a move would trigger a military response. The UN intervened and called on the Polisario to withdraw and refrain from altering the status of the territory east of the security wall. After the Polisarios refusal to meet UN officials in their headquarters in eastern Algeria, the two high-ranking officials of MINURSO still categorically refuse to give in to the blackmail of the separatist front to meet with them East of the defense structure. Hence, the UN Secretary-Generals call for the polisario to meet with the MINURSO senior officials in Rabbouni, Tindouf as has been the case before. Theresa May received a boost today as a poll found that voters back her over Boris Johnson. The ex Foreign Secretary has become the PM's arch critic since quitting the Cabinet in fury at her Chequers Brexit plan. And he lobbed another grenade into the debate when he gave a fiery speech lashing the PM's plans and telling her to 'chuck' Chequers - sending the 1,500-strong crowd wild. But Mrs May hit back by calling for her party to unite behind her to deliver Brexit in what many said was the best speech she has given as leader. And in a boost for the embattled PM, a poll found that voters see her as a stronger leader and more decent person than Mr Johnson. It comes as the PM made a direct appeal for Labour voters to abandon Jeremy Corbyn and switch to her 'moderate' Tory party. The Prime Minister said the Tories have a 'patriotic' programme, including a new emphasis on house building, as she tried to claim the middle ground of politics. Theresa May outpolled Boris Johnson among general voters and Tory voters on a string of questions - including who is the more decent person and who is seen as a strong leader Theresa May (pictured today going to church in Maidenhead with her husband Philip) is facing a mutiny from her backbench Tory MPs who are demanding she ditch her Chequers plan The survey, by the pollsters Opinium for the Observer, also found that the PM polls higher than her former minister among Tory activists. It found that 83 per cent of voters think Mrs May is a decent person against 48 per cent for Mr Johnson, for Tory voters this was 47 per cent and 30 per cent in the PM's favour. May makes direct appeal to Labour voters to back her 'moderate' Tory party Theresa May has made a direct appeal for Labour voters to abandon Jeremy Corbyn and switch to her 'moderate' Tory party. The Prime Minister said the Tories have a 'patriotic' programme, including a new emphasis on house building, as she tried to claim the middle ground of politics. Writing in the Observer, the PM said: 'I want voters who may previously have thought of themselves as Labour supporters to look at my Government afresh. 'They will find a decent, moderate and patriotic programme that is worthy of their support.' Her pitch for the centre ground comes after reports she was trying to persuade Labour MPs to back her Brexit plan in the national interest. Mrs May's remarks in the Labour-supporting newspaper come after she pledged to end austerity in her conference speech in Birmingham last week. Many Labour voters have deserted the party in protest at the hard-left politics of Mr Corbyn and his allies, and the anti-Semitism crisis. And she used the article to again claim that the end of austerity 'is in sight' and that the spending taps will be turned on. She said: 'The British people are not bound by ideology and there has never been a time when party labels have counted for less. 'This presents an opportunity Conservatives must seize to be a party not for the few, not even for the many, but for everyone in our country who works hard and plays by the rules.' Advertisement While 81 per cent of Tories say they think Mrs May has the nation's best interests at heart - far higher than the 52 per cent who said the same for Mr Johnson. Among general voters this stood at 43 per cent for the PM and 30 per cent for the ex foreign secretary. And Mrs May also poled higher when voters were quizzed about who they see as a strong leader. Nearly two thirds (63 per cent) of Tories think Mrs May is a strong leader - nearly twice as many of the 39 per cent who said the same of Mr Johnson. Among all voters it stood at 32 per cent for Mrs May and 27 per cent for Mr Johnson. The findings suggest that Mr Johnson's fiery intervention in Birmingham last week has not gone down well on the doorstep. The former Brexiteer cast a long shadow over the party's annual conference and threatened to plunge it into civil war after making a series of outspoken interventions on the eve of the event. He toured the television studios to lash Mrs May's Chequers plan and told a newspaper he though the proposal was 'deranged'. And he used a fiery speech at a conference fringe meeting to fire off a volley more insults at the PM's Brexit plan in a move which threatened to totally overshadow the PM's big speech the next day. The 1,500-seater hall was packed with Tory activists who went wild for the speech and leading Conservative MPs and former Cabinet ministers - including Priti Patel and Iain Duncan Smith - sat in the front row to cheer Mr Johnson on. Mr Johnson used it to warn that 'after 1000 years of independence this country might really lose confidence in its democratic institutions'. He said he was devastated that 'we should be so demoralised and so exhausted as to submit those institutions forever - to foreign rule'. 'If I have a function here today it is to try, with all humility, to put some lead in the collective pencil, to stop what seems to me to be a ridiculous seeping away of our self-belief, and to invite you to feel realistic and justified confidence in what we can do,' he said. The poll today comes as the PM made a pitch for Labour voters to back her 'moderate' Tory Party as she again pledged to end austerity and get the country building. She said the Tories have a 'patriotic' programme, including a new emphasis on house building, as she tried to claim the middle ground of politics. Boris Johnson (pictured at Tory Party conference last week) gave a fiery speech lashing the PM's plans and telling her 'chuck' Chequers - sending the 1,500-strong crowd wild Writing in the Observer, the PM said: 'I want voters who may previously have thought of themselves as Labour supporters to look at my Government afresh. 'They will find a decent, moderate and patriotic programme that is worthy of their support.' Her pitch for the centre ground comes after reports she was trying to persuade Labour MPs to back her Brexit plan in the national interest. Many Labour voters have deserted the party in protest at the hard-left politics of Mr Corbyn and his allies, and the anti-Semitism crisis. Mrs May used the article to again claim that the end of austerity 'is in sight' and that the spending taps will be turned on. She said: 'The British people are not bound by ideology and there has never been a time when party labels have counted for less. 'This presents an opportunity Conservatives must seize to be a party not for the few, not even for the many, but for everyone in our country who works hard and plays by the rules.' A bronze sculpture - interpreted as an open book lined with the branches of a tree of knowledge or of a female vulva - is set to stand at a Cambridge college to mark equality for women. The two-storey tall statue will arrive on the 70th anniversary of the first degree ceremony for the university's women graduates. Cathy de Monchaux, 57, who lives in Hoxton, east London, created the artwork, named Beyond Thinking, which was inspired by the words of Virginia Woolf. The artist describes the bronze sculpture as an open book but has been compared to a vulva The artist's previous work often alluded to genitalia and she designed this new piece to resemble an open book with the motif of female woman that can also be interpreted as as female genitalia, according to the Observer. The Turner Prize nominee said: 'That is not the first thing I want people to see. it is not explicit. 'However there are hopefully many readings to the work.' Woolf's famous essay, A Room Of One's Own, argues that young women need the same space to sit and contemplate that young male students have traditionally had. Ms De Monchaux said: 'The piece is about making a stand. Cathy de Monchaux, 57 (pictured) created the artwork, named Beyond Thinking, which was inspired by the words of Virginia Woolf 'It is a startling fact that women did not get degrees here until 1948, so I was moved by how woefully short the history of women's education really is.' The artist says she is pleased by people's reaction to her brand new sculpture which will be placed at the women-only Newnham College in Cambridge. She told the Observer: 'They are quite intrigued.' The two-storey tall statue will arrive on the 70th anniversary of the first degree ceremony for the university's women graduates Author Virgina Woolf landmark essay was based on two texts she read while studying at Newnham which is one of Oxbridge's last remaining all-female colleges. The sculpture will celebrate the achievements of graduates and the opening of new Dorothy Garrod building. Newnham's principal, Professor Dame Carol Black, confirmed they were happy to let Ms De Monchaux have free reign over the design of the sculpture. She said: 'Once we had made the commission we gave Cathy a pretty free hand.' Cambridge only allowed women to study in it's college in 1869, but they were required to live 30 miles away in Hertfordshire. In July 1998, 900 female students who studied before 1948 were invited to receive their full degrees. Up until 70 years ago they were just given certificates. The pastor who guided the Bali Nine ringleaders through their time on death row has shared the mens' final moments before they faced the firing squad. Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan were convicted of attempting to smuggle 8.3kg of heroin out of Indonesia and into Australia in 2005, and were sentenced to death for their leadership roles in the ring. Sukumaran and Chan spent 10 years on death row, and were widely believed to be rehabilitated when they faced the firing squad in 2015. Sukumaran and Chan spent 10 years on death row, and were widely believed to be rehabilitated when they faced the firing squad in 2015 (pictured at Sukumaran's funeral) Christie Buckingham (pictured) was a pastor in the prison who led and worked with both of the men during their journey to rehabilitation Christie Buckingham was a pastor in the prison, who led and worked with both of the men during their journey to rehabilitation, the Herald Sun reported. The Christian leader saw Sukumaran become an accomplished artist and teacher within the prison and watched Chan follow in her footsteps to become a pastor as well. She lobbied tirelessly to get the men off death row, but Indonesia was firm in its decision, and her pleas went unanswered. Ms Buckingham was with Sukumaran in the minutes before he was killed. 'I could see the lights from the lasers of the guns turn from off to ready and I knew they were lining up their hearts because the lasers were circling their chest,' she said. 'I didn't want Myuran to see this, so I raised my right arm to allow the beams to go underneath, and I said "Myu', I'm taking a couple of steps back, now is your time to say your last words and let's start singing".' She put her hand over his heart in the moments before she had to step out of the way, and was astonished by how calm he was. Myuran Sukumaran (pictured) was convicted of attempting to smuggle 8.3kg of heroin out of Indonesia and into Australia in 2005 Sukumaran and Chan (pictured) were sentenced to death for what the courts determined to be their leadership roles in the ring She said he had accepted his fate, and was at peace with what was about to come. Her last words to Sukumaran before he died were: 'You have a good heart. Ill see you on the other side.' Ms Buckingham portrays herself in the film 'Guilty', which will be released to coincide with a United Nations vote to put pressure on countries who still impose the death penalty. The film documents the last 72 hours of both men's lives. It hopes to draw awareness to the implications of making potentially deadly mistakes in foreign countries, particularly at a time when holiday packages to Indonesia are so cheap, with over 3.5 million Australians visiting the nation each year. Nicola Sturgeon today said the SNP will back a second Brexit referendum vote if it comes to Parliament. The Scottish First Minister's comments come as Remainers ramp up their campaign to try to stop Brexit as the talks head into their final crunch weeks. Anti-Brexit campaigners at the People's Vote organisation immediately seized upon her comments this morning as proof their campaign is gaining momentum. Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show this morning, Ms Sturgeon said she would expect her 35 SNP MPs to back a vote for another referendum if it went to Parliament. Nicola Sturgeon (pictured on the BBC@s Andrew Marr show today) today said the SNP will back a second Brexit referendum vote if it comes to Parliament Nicola Sturgeon addressed her party faithful at their annual conference in Glasgow today after she announced the shift in her party's policy She said: 'No doubt calls for a second referendum would grow in those circumstances, and I've said before we wouldn't stand in the way of a second referendum. Eurosceptics back last-ditch compromise on Brexit in bid to kill off Chequers Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith (pictured at the Tory Party conference in Birmingham last week) says Brexiteers are prepared to let EU officials be stationed at British ports after the UK's departure in order to get a Canada-style free trade deal Brexiteers have backed a last-ditch compromise plan to kill off Theresa May's Chequers plan as the clock rapidly runs down on the crunch talks. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said they are prepared to let EU officials be stationed at British ports after Brexit in order to get a Canada-style free trade deal. Brexiteers are furious at Mrs May's Chequers plan - which they say will mean the UK will have to keep swallowing EU rules and be unable to strike global free trade deals. And anger is mounting among Tory Brexiteers at reports that the PM is ready to offer Brussels another compromise to unblock the talks. She is expected to suggest a backstop to avoid a hard Irish border which would the UK remains in a customs arrangement with the EU, with Northern Ireland closely aligned to the single market. But today Mr Duncan Smith and Jacob Rees-Mogg backed plans for the border force officials, which they say mean EU customs and single market rules can be enforced on goods heading to the bloc without the UK having to stick to them. Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Duncan Smith said allowing EU officials at UK ports - as happens now with Eurotunnel - would answer concerns about the Irish border. He wrote: 'We can... (conduct) regulatory and customs checks together in a way that respects the EU's single market, by building on systems already in place at the Channel Ports. 'The UK has long had arrangements with France under the Le Touquet Treaty where passports are checked by French officers at Dover and UK officers in Calais. 'The UK should seek to build on this by agreeing a Le Touquet-plus system with the EU.' Advertisement 'I think SNP MPs would undoubtedly vote for that proposition.' Her comments are the first time the SNP have clearly stated they would back a push for a second vote. Former Brexit Minister Steve Baker slammed her comments saying its is time for the SNP to respect that Britain voted Leave. Theresa May is in a race against the clock to get a Brexit deal done amid open mutiny from many of her own backbench Tory MPs and opposition in the EU. After having her Chequers proposal humiliatingly rejected by EU leaders in Salzburg last month, she must show that she has made progress on a new plan by a crunc h summit in just ten days time. In a boost for the PM, EU leaders have been sounding more optimistic about the prospect of a deal being thrashed out this year. MPs in Parliament will then get a 'meaningful vote' on whatever deal the Prime Minster comes back with. But the People's Vote campaign want MPs to get a vote on whether a second referendum should be held on the final deal. Tory MP Mr Baker, a leading Brexiteer who quit the Cabinet over the PM's Chequers plan, salmmed Ms Sturgeon for the remarks. He told MailOnline 'Of course the nationalists can be relied upon to keep struggling to break up the UK. 'It's time to respect both the Scottish and EU referendum results by leaving the EU as one United Kingdom.' Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, who is chairman of the influential European Research Group - a group of backbench Eurosceptic MPs - said: 'The SNP's reaction to losing any vote is to cry foul and ask for another.' A spokesperson for the People's Vote campaign said: 'There is growing support in every part of the UK to give voters the democratic opportunity to cancel Brexit, and the SNP and people of Scotland have a crucial role to play to cleaning up a mess that is not of their making. 'On this crucial issue Nicola Sturgeon is showing she is a political leaders who listens to her voters who back a People's Vote by a margin of more than four to one and also her party's members who are shown by our poll today to support giving the public a final say by an even bigger margin. Ms Sturgeon, who is in Glasgow for the SNP's annual conference this week, also put the PM on notice that she could come forward with her own plans to hold another Scottish independence referendum within weeks. Ms Sturgeon also said she will make her opinion known about the case for another poll after 'this phase' of Brexit talks are over. She said: 'I will set out what I think the next steps are when we are at the end of this phase of negotiations. Nicola Sturgeon (pictured at her party's annual conference in Glasgow today) also laid out her plans to relaunch her push for another Scottish independence referendum - saying this could happen in a matter of weeks Theresa May (pictured today arriving for church in Maidenhead) is in a race against the clock to get a Brexit deal done amid open mutiny from many of her own backbench Tory MPs and opposition in the EU 'Whether I like it or not or whether anybody likes it or not the future of EU/UK relationship is the context in which Scotland will decide that question of independence.' She added: 'I will set out my views on the next steps at that stage, if that's when Theresa May comes back with the deal. 'It could be later this month, it could be November, it could be December.' The majority of sex abuse allegations made against teachers are 'made up by pupils', according to the chief of Britain's biggest teaching union. Kevin Courtney, the joint secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), revealed that while some complaints were correct, most are found to be incorrect after an investigation. He also claims that pupils who misbehave in class often made spurious complaints to 'get an effect'. Kevin Courtney said most complaints are found to be incorrect after an investigation Mr Courtney acknowledged that some of the complaints are correct and 'accusations should be taken seriously'. Speaking to The Telegraph, he said: 'You should take the accusation seriously. You should investigate and we should tell children that it is safe to make an accusation so then the ones that are true get made. But you can't say that you will believe every accusation that a child makes, because we have many cases where children who are misbehaving are street smart enough to know. He explained that a child can 'get an effect' by making an accusation and getting a teacher suspended, adding teachers are sometimes suspended before there has been any check at all. Mr Courtney also called for falsely accused teachers to have the allegations removed from their criminal records. Referring to a recent case that was dealt with by the NEU, he said: 'The mum of the girl who made the accusation came forward and said, 'I know she made it up'. 'This is on [the teacher's] extended CRB check. This comes up every time he goes to a new school. And yet there was never anything found against him it was only ever the accusation.' The Education Act 2011 gave teachers the right to automatic anonymity when accused of criminal offences. Despite this, schools generally have their own individual suspension procedures. However, Mr Courtney said there is a preliminary stage when somebody has a sense check of whether this could have happened or not. He explained that 'no names should be released before that preliminary common sense check'. He said that Government guidance states 'the default position should be to assume the teacher has behaved reasonably unless a complainant can show that a teacher has behaved unreasonably'. He added the act also 'gives head teachers the power to temporarily or permanently exclude pupils who make false allegation's, or even 'press criminal charges against the pupil in extreme circumstances'. According to research carried out by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers in 2015, more than 22 per cent of school and college staff have had false allegations made against them by a pupil. Study also found that 14 per cent of allegations against staff was made by a pupil's parent or family member. Avalone Fishback, 20 (pictured), of Guthrie, Oklahoma, was charged with first-degree solicitation of murder on Wednesday for attempting to have her ex-boyfriend killed A college student has been arrested after she allegedly attempted to hire someone to kill her ex-boyfriend. Avalone Fishback, 20, of Guthrie, Oklahoma, was charged with first-degree solicitation of murder on Wednesday, reported KFOR. According to a probable cause affidavit filed in Payne County District Court, Fishback contacted at least four different people asking if they would kill her former lover living in Lee's Summit, Missouri. Lee's Summit police say they learned of the incident after a man contacted them and told them Fishback had allegedly contacted him asking him to commit the murder. He told officers he met the college student on the dating app Plenty of Fish. From there, police contacted the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the FBI, with all agencies conducting a joint investigation. According to KFOR, the man said he was contacted in late August and an FBI agent took over the account in early September. Documents show Fishback also contacted another man on the dating app about the murder. The man asked for $1,000 to shoot her ex-boyfriend and dump the body, but Fishback backed out after she learned he was already facing criminal charges, reported KMBC. When officers showed Fishback a copy of the conversations she'd had on the app, she confessed to the plot. She told police that she'd also reached out to a man on Snapchat and suggested they travel to Missouri to kill her ex-boyfriend. Fishback (left and right) contacted at least four different people about the plot. She allegedly told police that she wanted her former lover murdered 'because he had betrayed her, lied to her mother and broke off the relationship he had with her' One person Fishback contacted on the dating app Plenty of Fish (pictured) asked for $1,000 to shoot her ex-boyfriend and dump the body. But Fishback backed out after she learned the man had pending criminal charges against him. Fishback admitted she'd also spoken to a fourth person, who agreed on September 28 to commit the crime for $600. In an interview with investigators, Fishback allegedly said she wanted to have her ex-boyfriend murdered 'because he had betrayed her, lied to her mother and broke off the relationship he had with her' and she 'would be happy' if the plot had worked. She was arrested in her dorm room at Langston University in Langston, Oklahoma, and is being held in Logan County Jail on a $150,000 bond. Her next court appearance is scheduled for 9am on October 25. If she is convicted of the felony, she faces five years to life in prison. Langston University officials have not commented but released a statement on the incident on Wednesday afternoon. 'Langston University is aware of the matter and the Langston University Police Department is working with and will continue cooperating with the OSBI who is the lead agency on this matter,' the statement read. He also called for end to outdated discriminatory laws dictating the succession Sir Crispin Agnew of Lochnaw said all heirs of nobility should have same rights Children who were adopted or born out of wedlock should be able to inherit ancient aristocratic titles, a leading heraldic expert said. Sir Crispin Agnew of Lochnaw, the 11th holder of the Agnew baronetcy, said this weekend that all children of the British nobility should have the same rights when it comes to inheriting titles. He also called for an end to outdated discriminatory laws dictating the succession rights of women and transgender men, the Sunday Times reported. Benjamin Lascelles (pictured left with wife Carolina and son Mateo) will not inherit his family's title because his parents married five months after his birth Instead Benjamin's younger brother, Alexander Lascelles, will become the next Earl of Harewood Sir Crispin listed his demands in the upcoming 150th edition of Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage - the definitive guide to 30,000 noble families first published 250 years ago. He wrote: 'Parliament should reconsider all these exemptions with a view to bringing the succession to peerages, baronetcies and other dignities in line with the general law governing family relationships and succession. 'Such debate and reform would ensure that heirs are not excluded on discriminatory grounds which are no longer recognised in other areas of the law.' Sir Crispin's demands come after a recent legal case, which revealed the infidelity of a baronet's wife more than 100 years ago. The Privy Council ultimately decided to transfer the line of succession for the baronetcy of Pringle of Stichill - discrediting the claims of three generations. Sir Crispin described how the nobility has been excluded from reforms intended to eliminate the stigma of being born out of wedlock in the past 40 years. An act passed in 1976 to legitimised children if their parents went on to marry later - but it still excluded potential heirs from inheriting titles. Another act passed in the same year gave full legal protection to an adopted child, but it again did not include titles. Charlotte Carew Pole, who heads the Daughters' Rights pressure group, said she was surprised by the degree of opposition Similarly, it was decided in 2004 that if a person decided to change their legal gender, their claim to a title would remained based on their birth gender. The issue of succession rights affects some of the most noteworthy peerages and baronetages in England, including that of the Earl of Harewood. Benjamin Lascelles, 40, is the first-born son of the current Earl of Harewood, but because his parents married five months after his birth, the title will be passed to his younger brother Alexander. Thomas Vesey, 7th Viscount de Vesci, is the nephew of Princess Margaret's late husband - the 1st Earl of Snowdon. His son Damian was born in 1985, two years before he married, and the first-born will consequently miss out on a title. There are also eight noble families in the UK whose adopted sons will be unable to inherit peerages or baronetages, Debrett's said. Charlotte Carew Pole, who heads the Daughters' Rights pressure group, said she was surprised by the degree of opposition to changes regarding the inheritance process. She said she had faced 'resistance among fathers who prefer to abide by archaic practices that favour distant male relatives over their daughters.' A terminally ill retired nurse says she was left in tears after a beauty salon told her 'we don't treat cancer patients'. Elspeth Gibson, 78, went to get her nails done to 'cheer herself up' after being told that the disease she had been battling for four years could no longer be treated. But the former oncology nurse claims she was 'made to feel like a leper' when she revealed her condition to a beautician at Lavender and Stone Beauty Rooms in Bourne End, Buckinghamshire, who was manicuring her nails. Elspeth Gibson, 78, said she felt 'humiliated' when she was refused a beauty treatment at a nail bar in Bourne End, Buckinghamshire The grandmother claims she was told by staff at Lavender and Stone Beauty Rooms (pictured) that she couldn't return to have her nails done again The grandmother-of-three alleges a staff member at the salon said she couldn't return to have her nails done due to her cancer. Mrs Gibson, who spent years working with terminally ill patients, said the ordeal left her feeling 'absolutely awful' and she hasn't received an apology from the salon. The pensioner from Bourne End in Buckinghamshire said: 'It made me feel humiliated, rejected, I felt like a leper.' She said staff had not asked her if she was unwell before the treatment, adding they were unable to find her medical form with details of her health history or provide information relating to the alleged policy. Company director Mr Bryan Nickless explained that the salon has a duty of care to clients with serious illnesses and they should provide a doctor's note. He said the health and beauty bar followed British Association of Beauty Therapy & Cosmetology guidelines. Son Andrew (pictured with his mother) said she had been in 'floods of tears' and described the incident as shambolic, heartless and cruel' on Facebook Mr Nickless said: 'The manager sat Elspeth down, held her hand and said, "we're more than happy to treat you if you get a doctor's note". 'We have a duty of care to our clients who have serious illnesses, not just cancer, to provide a doctor's note, which Mrs Gibson has now done.' He said that asking for a doctor's note was to ensure that there was no risk to a cancer patient's weakened immune system, adding a simple cut sustained during treatment could present a greater threat to somebody undergoing treatment. Mrs Gibson's doctor sent a letter sent to the beauty salon saying: 'Mrs Gibson came to see me today very upset as I understand you are not willing to treat this lovely lady as apparently you do not treat cancer patients.' It described her treatment as 'extremely upsetting' and said there was 'absolutely no reason why she cannot have her nails treated'. Mrs Gibson's son Andrew, 50, said: 'It's knocked my mother for six, the way she has been treated. 'I had three days of her in floods of tears about this. She was saying, "I can't believe it".' Mrs Gibson (left and right with her children) said staff couldn't provide information relating to the alleged policy. Lavender and Stone has strongly refuted the claims saying their staff have a 'professional and caring' approach to customers Sales and marketing manager Mr Gibson described his mother's treatment at the salon on September 20 as 'shambolic, heartless and cruel' in a Facebook post, which has since been shared more than 1,500 times. In the post, he wrote: 'Halfway through the treatment she told the girl that this was a great tonic as she had had bad news in regards to her cancer which she has fought bravely for nearly four years now. 'A nail painting later the girl announced that is was their policy not to treat cancer patients, they would finish her nails and would not be able to paint them again, shocking and outrageous.' Mr Gibson, from Slough, Berkshire, also said that they had not been contacted by the company. Mrs Gibson's doctor sent a letter to the salon explaining there was 'absolutely no reason why she cannot have her nails treated' In a Facebook post, Lavender and Stone said it was investigating 'how its policy is communicated', but insisted staff had a 'professional and caring' approach to customers. Company director Bryan Nickless said: 'We strongly refute Mrs Gibson's claim she was treated like a leper.' He added it was 'totally untrue' that Mrs Gibson had been told by a staff member that they didn't treat cancer patients, or that she could not return for future manicures. Mr Nickless said: 'The manager sat Elspeth down, held her hand and said, 'we're more than happy to treat you if you get a doctor's note'. 'We have a duty of care to our clients who have serious illnesses, not just cancer, to provide a doctor's note, which Mrs Gibson has now done. 'We would be more than happy for Mrs Gibson to come to the salon for treatment.' He added that it was not true that the salon refuses to treat cancer patients, arguing that Mrs Gibson's decision to get a note as advised proved they were willing to do so. Mr Nickless said a letter had been sent to Mrs Gibson regarding the dispute. Protesters demonstrate against Kavanaugh outside the U.S. Supreme Court on October 03, 2018. Photo: WIN MCNAMEE/Getty Images On the eve of Brett Kavanaughs confirmation to the Supreme Court, not long after Senator Susan Collins offered the apologia that clinched his elevation, Justice Elena Kagan was asked how she and her colleagues managed to find comity and stay above politics even at a time when Washington was burning with partisan rage over the soon-to-be newest member of the institution she loves. Kavanaugh and the ugly politics of his nomination remained nameless, but Kagan all but conceded that with him on the Court, and Justice Anthony Kennedy gone, things wont ever be the same. Part of the Courts strength and part of the Courts legitimacy depends on people not seeing the Court in the way people see the rest of the governing structures of this country now, Kagan said at a Princeton University event celebrating, of all things, the contributions of women to that institution. In other words, people thinking of the Court as not politically divided in the same way, as not an extension of politics but instead somehow above the fray. The brute ascension of Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, in one of the closest confirmation votes in all of American history, throws a wrecking ball at any remaining illusion, or shared conception, that the Supreme Court is the only apolitical, nonpartisan branch of the federal government. If everything Donald Trump touches dies, as Republican strategist Rick Wilson has written, his appointment of Kavanaugh is, in effect, the culmination of a campaign to capture and delegitimize every corner of our constitutional structure; the presidency, Congress, and now the Supreme Court all bear his imprimatur. Kavanaugh fought hard for his attention. Snubbed from candidate Trumps short list of Supreme Court candidates, he broke with security protocols and added a picture to his official biography, delivered speeches, chatted up his Washington friends, and ultimately got the primetime unveiling of a lifetime in the East Room of the White House. Before an audience of millions, the judge kissed the ring: He sucked up to Trump with the outlandish claim that the president has an abiding respect for the courts, and offered up a fabricated line about Trump being the most well-versed appointer-in-chief the republic has ever seen: No president has ever consulted more widely, or talked with more people from more backgrounds, to seek input about a Supreme Court nomination. That kind of sycophancy, which everyone in Trumps sphere must deploy faithfully to remain in his good graces, bled right into Kavanaughs performance at his first confirmation hearing. Try as they did, Democratic senators couldnt get him to say anything untoward about his benefactor. He wouldnt defend Gonzalo Curiel, the federal judge on the receiving end of Trumps racist invectives and doubts about his impartiality. Asked about the events in Charlottesville, and Trumps both-sidesism in the controversy, he dodged the question as political denouncing white supremacy was apparently a bridge too far for Kavanaugh. But it was the judges incensed partisan diatribe at his second hearing, convened for him to answer to allegations of sexual assault by Christine Blasey Ford, a California psychology professor, that unquestionably sealed his fate as the next associate justice of the Supreme Court. Right before he delivered his screed, I pondered whether hed lift a page out of the Anita Hill hearings, where an angry Clarence Thomas turned the Senate and public sentiment in his favor by lashing out against the high-tech lynching politicians were putting him through. Kavanaugh did that and then some: He dissembled under oath, talked back at Democratic senators, and huffed and puffed without evidence about being the target of a political hit what he deemed revenge on behalf of the Clintons and millions of dollars in money from outside left-wing opposition groups. Thomas never went that far. It was at that moment that Brett Kavanaugh became Justice Brett Kavanaugh the first Trumpian nominee on the cusp of joining the Supreme Court. From there on out, facts didnt matter. His lies about matters big and small didnt matter. Fords credible testimony didnt matter. His clear-as-day record against Roe v. Wade and didnt matter. His subservience to executive power didnt matter. His mountain of still-secret White House records didnt matter. All that mattered was that his good name and image and pedigree and record as champion for women had been sullied by the Democratic machine, risking his appointment to a Supreme Court seat that he and the conservative legal movement saw as rightly his. Enraged at this rank injustice, Republicans rallied around Kavanughs parade of grievances and demanded due process for his birthright. A female assistant was enlisted to provide cover for the true victim Kavanaugh and his gaps in credibility. With facts out of the way and a Fox News interview and Wall Street Journal op-ed to make up for them Kavanaughs place as Donald Trumps man on the Supreme Court was secure. He was portrayed as a martyr for conservatives and for mothers concerned for their sons. A sham FBI investigation at the behest of an agonized Jeff Flake wouldnt change that perception. On a 50-to-48 vote, the Senate promoted Kavanaugh on Saturday to the seat left vacant by his former boss, Justice Anthony Kennedy Ronald Reagans last appointee and also the kind of justice Republicans have vowed to never put on the high court again. Kavanaughs confirmation is the culmination of a five-decade campaign by conservatives to cement a true Republican majority on the Supreme Court with no more Kennedys, David Souters, and Sandra Day OConnors to derail efforts to erase once and for all the stain of Roe v. Wade. It took John Paul Stevens, one of the four living retired justices from that nearly extinct brand of unpredictable Republican-appointed justices, to sound the alarm against Kavanaugh. But that too didnt matter. For the good of the Court, its not healthy to get a new justice that can only do a part-time job, Stevens said on Thursday, referencing Kavanaughs unmasked partisan bias and the raft of demands for recusals that hell face as a sitting justice. Contrary to his public vow to be an independent, impartial judge, can anyone reasonably expect Kavanaugh to be fair in all the cases that matter? With the constitutionality of political gerrymandering still an open question, will Democrats ever get a fair shake? How about immigrants, voting-rights advocates, or affirmative-action defenders? Or any case or cause even remotely associated with the left? With Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court, its legitimacy as a fair arbiter of our biggest differences no longer hangs in the balance; its fallen off it. That Court is gone forever, lamented Garrett Epps, a fellow Court observer and onetime believer in the majesty of its fairness and marbled halls. Like the deep state that is believed to resist Trump from within, it may yet fall to Justice Kagan or Chief Justice Roberts or whoever else fashions themselves an institutionalist to save whatevers left of the edifice. With some Democrats already rumbling about Kavanaughs untruthfulness and the prospect of impeachment, theres no telling what chaos awaits the new justice in the event of a Democratic takeover of Congress in November. As for the rest of us, well have to get used to the idea that the Supreme Court wont save us. As legal scholar Jack Balkin put it in his latest essay in his series on constitutional rot, Kavanaughs rise is yet another symptom of the cancer that Trump has inflicted on our constitutional system itself a product of our times intense partisanship. His prescription, which I recommend in full, doesnt mince words: The Supreme Court is unlikely to save us from decay. We will have to do that ourselves. Advertisement Soldiers are preparing for war in the biggest British army training exercise for 17 years as the threat of Russia looms large. Troops have taken to the dust, sand and searing heat of the Omani desert to prepare for the 'enemy', decked out in full military gear. The exercise, named Saif Sareea 3 - or Swift Sword 3 - involves 5,500 British personnel, 200 armoured vehicles, six warships and eight Typhoon fighters. The exercise is a combined military training exercise between UK and Omani Armed Forces, costing 100 million. The land forces will train in Oman and naval forces in Omani and international waters nearby. Air forces from the two countries will operate throughout in support. In the series of mock battles, the Household Cavalry played the role of an enemy using Russian T-72 tanks. The war games included 60,000 Omanis from the Sultan's Armed Forces and was the largest field exercise the outfit had carried out in its history. Soldiers pack armoured trucks under the stars of the Milky Way in the desert of Oman. UK forces are taking part in a month-long exercise The sun sets in the Oman desert, where UK troops are training. The exercise is a combined military training exercise between UK and Omani Armed Forces Troops dry their clothes on the gun of a Challenger II Main Battle Tank as the sun sets over the Oman desert The sun sets in the Oman desert, where UK forces are taking part in a month-long Exercise, Saif Sareea 3 War games: Challenger II Main Battle Tank crews take shade in the Oman desert. Some 5,500 UK Regular and Reserve military personnel are taking part alongside over 60,000 Omanis from the Sultan's Armed Forces It is a so-called 'peer-plus' strategy that revolves around being able to trump military heavyweights like Russia and constant threats like ISIS who also have well-trained fighters. The training readies the troops to react quickly to any impending threat, with the brave men and women ready to deployed anywhere from Africa to the epicentre of the ongoing wars in the Gulf nations. Held in a 155-mile long stretch of desert, the exercise is testing Britain's ability to quickly react and get troops to a war zone, fight battles and then pack up and move to another flashpoint if necessary. A Puma helicopter takes off behind a Challenger II Main Battle Tank in the Oman desert Armed Forces Minister Col Mark Lancaster MP gives a speech to the packed deck of HMS Albion at Duqm Port, Oman V for victory: A Warrior armoured fighting vehicle crew take shade from the searing heat A Warrior armoured fighting vehicle makes a simulated attack on an enemy position From Goodall Garrison at Camp Shafa, Brigadier Zac Stenning, commander of 1 UK Armoured Infantry Brigade, said: 'We face many threats, this is an uncertain world. 'As the Army, we want to be able to offer choices to our political leaders and UK citizens that we are capable of acting. 'It's very hard to predict where the next crisis is but we want to ready for it. We train our army for a variety of different threats across the world.' The war games in Oman are expected to last around a month and will include training rapid reaction forces to deploy in to crisis zones around the world and respond to threats from terrorists and rogue states. The Royal Tank Regiments Cyclops squadron will travel 160 miles from Camp Shafa, at the base of the Jebel mountains near the capital Muscat, across the desert to a finish point near Duqm Port. After giving the order for a fleet of tanks to attack the 'enemy' in an excericse, Lt Pearson said: 'When I give the "Release" order, it's brilliant, it's like releasing a pack of dogs.' A soldier from B Company 2 Mercian dismounts from an warrior armoured vehicle to make a mock attack on enemy forces Armoured Warrior vehicles from B Company, 2 Mercian battlegroup push forward from Shafa Camp in Oman Warrior armoured fighting vehicle crews clean their wagons. The Royal Tank Regiments Cyclops squadron will travel 160 miles from Camp Shafa, at the base of the Jebel mountains near the capital Muscat, across the desert to a finish point near Duqm Port Vehicles move between a mass of camouflaged vehicles as dust and sand swirl around the troops in Oman A Challenger II Main Battle Tank makes a simulated attack during a huge month-long series of war games to prepare troops for Russian or ISIS threats Armed Forces Minister Mark Lancaster told the Mirror troops were able to deploy anywhere in the Gulf 'if the situation demands it'. He added: 'Saif Sareea 3 is the culmination of what proper militaries can do, the ability to deploy overseas and operate in far-flung places around the world. 'This is as much of a deterrent it's sending a very clear message that the UK has a military that is prepared to deploy at scale and at reach to support our allies in delivering global security.' The joint operation with the Omani forces comes as the UK faces a growing threat from Russia with tensions between the countries rising over of the Novichok poisoning scandal and Russian naval ships encroaching into British waters. Always be prepared: A Warrior armoured fighting vehicle crew prepare to camouflage their wagon A soldier from the Royal Tank Regiment hangs out washing on a makeshift line on his Challenger II Main Battle Tank A Challenger II Main Battle Tank on manoeuvres. The joint operation with the Omani forces comes as the UK faces a growing threat from Russia with tensions between the countries rising over of the Novichok poisoning scandal and Russian naval ships encroaching into British waters Assault Ship HMS Albion in Port Duqm. Busy period coordinating the offload of vehicles and crews for start of Saif Sareea 3 A Challenger II Main Battle Tank. Saif Sareea 3 involves 5,500 British personnel, 200 armoured vehicles, six warships and eight Typhoon fighters Put your feet up: British soldiers remove their boots during a pause in the simulated battles Britain's' defence chiefs rehearsed a 'cyber-strike to black out Moscow' in the event of attacking the West as thousands of troops take part in the biggest war-games exercise in a decade. Rehearsals of an attack suggest officials are also concerned at the speed with which a confrontation with Moscow could escalate. Security officials have vowed to step up offensive cyber-capability - including the ability to 'turn out the lights' in the Kremlin. This week four Russian hackers were arrested outside the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in the Hague trying to sabotage the testing of Novichok samples as part of the investigation into the Salisbury attack. A Russian military expert warned last week there is 'no doubt' Russia has moved nuclear missiles to the Crimean peninsula. A Challenger II Main Battle Tank in action in Oman. Over 60,000 Omanis from the Sultan's Armed Forces joined with British soldiers A Warrior armoured fighting vehicle crew prepare to camouflage their wagon in the Oman desert HMS Albion took part in the exercise in Oman which was designed to prepare the British military for desert warfare Pavel Felgenhauer, a military analyst who successfully predicted Putin's invasion of Georgia in 2008, accused the Russian premier of reneging on several treaties in order to bolster defences in the disputed territory which was annexed in 2014. Last year the Royal Navy revealed it responded to 33 instances of Russian ships appearing in British waters, compared with just one in 2010. British forces were called to respond to Russian military activity near the UK more than 160 times in the past seven years. Earlier this year the head of the army, General Sir Nick Carter, said Britain must take action so that the armed forces can tackle the threat from Russia. He said Britain needs to 'keep up' with Vladimir Putin's growing military strength or see our ability to take action 'massively constrained' with Russia simulating attacks across northern Europe. 'We need to get our act together if we are to be a serious player on the world stage. The crew of a Warrior armoured fighting vehicle brush sand of their tank with a broom during Saif Sareea 3 British soldiers take shade. Britain has said it needs to 'keep up' with Vladimir Putin's growing military strength or see the countries ability to take action 'massively constrained' with Russia simulating attacks across northern Europe Royal Marines official Twitter account shared this picture of HMS Albion in the port of Duqm with hastag #Saturdaymotivation A Warrior armoured fighting vehicle crew take a break from the intense war games. Last year the Royal Navy revealed it responded to 33 instances of Russian ships appearing in British waters 'Our ability to pre-empt or respond to threats will be eroded if we don't keep up with our adversaries. 'The threats we face are not thousands of miles away but are now on Europe's doorstep we have seen how cyber warfare can be both waged on the battlefield and to disrupt normal people's lives. We in the UK are not immune from that.' Britain deployed 800 British troops to the Arctic to ward off Russian aggression last month. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson announced the move before his speech at the Tory party conference in Birmingham in which he pointed to Russia's re-opening of Soviet-era bases high in the arctic circle. He said there had been an 'increased tempo' of submarine activity and insisted it proved Britain needed to 'demonstrate we're there' to 'protect our interests'. Several hundred anti-Brexit protesters are marching on Parliament today with their dogs to demand a second referendum. Pet owners have taken to the streets with their pooches for the 'Wooferendum' demonstration to try to pile more pressure on Theresa May over the crunch talks. They are ramping up their efforts to try to force the Government to put whatever Brexit deal it thrashes out with the EU to a public vote. It comes as Nicola Sturgeon today said the SNP will back a second Brexit referendum vote if it comes to Parliament. Dog owners, including Tony Blair's former spin chief Alistair Campbell, marched through central London for today's rally. Ministers revealed last month that pets-owners who want to take their dogs and cats abroad to the EU with them face having to make plans months in advance if there is a no deal Brexit. Several hundred anti-Brexit protesters are marching on Parliament today with their dogs to demand a second referendum (pictured, today's protest in central London) Tony Blair's former spin chief Alistair Campbell was among the protesters who marched through central London for today's rally (pictured) Protesters and their dogs (pictured) used a series of puns to hammer home their opposition to Brexit on the demonstration Protesters out today carried banners declaring it is time to 'bark out' against Brexit and that it is time to get 'paw-liticial'. While organisers of the march set up stations along the route so that canines could relieve themselves on pictures of the leading Brexiteer Nigel Farage. Eurosceptics back last-ditch compromise on Brexit in bid to kill off Chequers Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith (pictured at the Tory Party conference in Birmingham last week) says Brexiteers are prepared to let EU officials be stationed at British ports after the UK's departure in order to get a Canada-style free trade deal Brexiteers have backed a last-ditch compromise plan to kill off Theresa May's Chequers plan as the clock rapidly runs down on the crunch talks. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said they are prepared to let EU officials be stationed at British ports after Brexit in order to get a Canada-style free trade deal. Brexiteers are furious at Mrs May's Chequers plan - which they say will mean the UK will have to keep swallowing EU rules and be unable to strike global free trade deals. Today Mr Duncan Smith and Jacob Rees-Mogg backed plans for the border force officials, which they say mean EU customs and single market rules can be enforced on goods heading to the bloc without the UK having to stick to them. Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Duncan Smith said allowing EU officials at UK ports - as happens now with Eurotunnel - would answer concerns about the Irish border. He wrote: 'We can... (conduct) regulatory and customs checks together in a way that respects the EU's single market, by building on systems already in place at the Channel Ports. 'The UK has long had arrangements with France under the Le Touquet Treaty where passports are checked by French officers at Dover and UK officers in Calais. 'The UK should seek to build on this by agreeing a Le Touquet-plus system with the EU.' Advertisement But the ex Ukip leader hit out at the marchers, telling MailOnline: 'As Brexit day nears the remoaners become more desperate. their bizarre stunts leave normal people shaking their heads.' The protesters will march through London before ending up outside Parliament where Labour MP and leading Remainer Stella Creasy will address the crowds. Tiffany Haynes, 32, a dog walker from London, took Welsh Collie Megan with her to the march. She said: 'I think this is a nice idea for a protest, it's a clever way of doing it because dogs make light of politics and bring people together. 'People can relate to each other more with their dogs.' Ministers admitted last month that Britons will find it far harder to take their pets abroad to Europe if Britain crashes out of the bloc without a deal. Under current rules Britons can get pet passports, which allows them to take their cats and dogs abroad as long as they have a rabbies vaccination and a microchip. But if Mrs May does not get a deal then Britain will become a 'third country' and pet owners face having to register their animal three months in advance of travelling to the country. Today's protest comes as Brexiteers have backed a last-ditch compromise plan to kill off the PM's Chequers plan as the clock rapidly runs down on the crunch talks. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said they are prepared to let EU officials be stationed at British ports after Brexit in order to get a Canada-style free trade deal. Brexiteers are furious at Mrs May's Chequers plan - which they say will mean the UK will have to keep swallowing EU rules and be unable to strike global free trade deals. And anger is mounting among Tory Brexiteers at reports that the PM is ready to offer Brussels another compromise to unblock the talks. She is expected to suggest a backstop to avoid a hard Irish border which would the UK remains in a customs arrangement with the EU, with Northern Ireland closely aligned to the single market. But today Mr Duncan Smith and Jacob Rees-Mogg backed plans for the border force officials, which they say mean EU customs and single market rules can be enforced on goods heading to the bloc without the UK having to stick to them. Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Duncan Smith said allowing EU officials at UK ports - as happens now with Eurotunnel - would answer concerns about the Irish border. He wrote: 'We can... (conduct) regulatory and customs checks together in a way that respects the EU's single market, by building on systems already in place at the Channel Ports. Organisers set up stations along the route so that canines could relieve themselves on pictures of the leading Brexiteers including Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage (pictured) Protesters wrapped themselves in EU flags and carried banners and placards as they marched on Parliament today (pictured). They are trying to up the pressure as the PM is making a frantic final push to secure a Brexit deal in time The protesters (pictured) will march through London before ending up outside Parliament where Labour MP and leading Remainer Stella Creasy will address the crowds 'The UK has long had arrangements with France under the Le Touquet Treaty where passports are checked by French officers at Dover and UK officers in Calais. 'The UK should seek to build on this by agreeing a Le Touquet-plus system with the EU. 'Any customs or regulatory checks could be made at juxtaposed controls with information-sharing and cooperation between the UK and the Republic of Ireland. 'This would not simply answer concerns about keeping the Northern Ireland border open - it would also ensure the channel ports continue to provide as frictionless trade as possible.' Hours after voting no on Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court, Democratic Senator Cory Booker was in the early presidential state of Iowa, offering words of hope and cautioning against despair. Booker is the first top-tier potential challenger to President Donald Trump to set foot in Iowa, where a victory in the caucuses can boost a candidate's chances of being their party's White House nominee. The senator, who was headlining a fundraiser for the Iowa Democratic Party, told 1,400 Democrats not to despair of Kavanaugh's confirmation, which came in the wake of sexual assault allegations and emotional testimony from one of his accusers, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. New Jersey Senator Cory Booker is the first top-tier potential challenger to President Trump to visit the early voting state of Iowa President Trump has already attacked Booker as a 'horrible' mayor of Newark 'Hope is the act of conviction that despair can never have the last word,' he said. 'We're not defined in this state by Republicans in power; we're defined by how we respond to them. We're not defined by a president who mocks a hero, Dr. Blasey Ford. We're not defined by a president who doesn't believe women.' But, in speaking to reporters after his 45 minute speech, Booker declined to use Trump's name and brushed away a question about the president's criticism of his time as mayor of Newark, New Jersey. 'I have nothing personal against the president,' Booker said, according to The Washington Post. 'If he wants to attack me personally, he can. If he wants to attack my record, the reality is that the people of New Jersey elected me statewide, and I'm proud of the work we did. I will never let him pull me so low as to hate him. I'm going to continue to be a voice in this country for the love, for bringing the nation together, not driving the nation apart.' Trump has been attacking Booker during his campaign rallies, calling him a 'horrible' mayor during his time in Newark. Asked flat-out by reporters if he was running for president, Booker joked: 'I do need to get in shape. So I will probably go jogging here in Iowa in the morning,' according to The New York Times. 'In all seriousness, we're here to focus on the elections that are coming up in 31 days,' he added. Booker stoked White House speculation with a fiery speech that cited Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1965 speech on voting rights. 'How long? Not long! Until we answer the president's hate with our universal love,' Booker said. 'How long until November? Not long!' His speech also served to rally the crowd ahead of November's midterm election. 'It is not a time to give up, it's a time to get up, to rise up, to speak up,' he said. 'It's time for you not to wait for hope, but to be the hope.' Booker's appearance in the early presidential state caps off a recent rise in the spotlight, where he used his perch on the Senate Judiciary Committee to rail against Kavanaugh and express his support for Ford, even bringing her a cup when she said she needed caffeine during her emotional testimony about her claim Kavanaugh assaulter her at a high school party in the 1980s. He also had what he called his 'I am Spartacus' moment when he threatened to release confidential committee documents related to Kavanaugh's nomination. Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court by a 50-48 vote on Saturday. Booker's speech in Iowa captivated the crowd. 'You don't give a speech like that unless you're running for president,' Scott Brennan, Iowa Democratic National Committee member and former state party chair, told Politico afterward. 'It was a very good message, obviously well received,' Tom Vilsack, the former secretary of agriculture and a two-term Iowa governor, told The Post. 'Anger comes and goes. This stuff can stick with you during the tough times. I, for one, don't think anger wins elections. I think hope and opportunity wins elections.' Booker's appearance in the early presidential state caps off a recent rise in the spotlight Booker brought Christine Blasey Ford a cup of coffee when she asked for caffeine during her emotional testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris have both been mentioned as possible 2020 challengers; here they speak during a Senate Judiciary Hearing on Kavanaugh's nomination Other Democrats who have been mentioned as potential Trump challengers have shied away from Iowa and New Hampshire ahead of the 2018 midterms. But they are making preparations to travel there, where Iowans expect to see presidential contenders multiple times before deciding how they will vote. California Sen. Kamala Harris has not been to Iowa yet, but she has made calls in the state indicating she will be there, probably the last week before November's election. Lesser-tier candidates are already barn storming the state: Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for Stormy Daniels, was there in August; Democratic Congressman John Delany of Maryland has campaigned in all of the state's 99 counties; and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was there in April. Vice President Mike Pence faced down protesters on Capitol Hill following Judge Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court. Pence walked down the steps of the Capitol on Saturday afternoon when he came across demonstrators chanting loudly 'Shame! Shame! Shame!' across the plaza. Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms Jim Morehand allegedly told Pence that he could exit through a side entrance if he wanted, according to Fox News Senior Producer Chad Pergram. But, as the security detail told Pence the new plan, he paused and said: 'Let's do this' - and continued down the steps. Vice President Mike Pence (center) faced down protesters on Capitol Hill following Judge Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court Security detail suggested Pence via a side entrance, but instead he said 'Let's do it' and continued his walk to the motorcade and waved at demonstrators instead On Saturday afternoon, Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed in a slim 50-48 vote, with the Vice President presiding in case there was a tie. Pictured: Kavanaugh is sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court by retired Justice Anthony Kennedy Signs held by the protesters included 'Stop the War on Women' and 'He Lied Under Oath', in reference to Kavanaugh's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on sexual assault allegations. But Pence paid no heed even waved to the protesters he walked down the stairs and to his awaiting motorcade. On Saturday afternoon, Kavanaugh was confirmed in a slim 50-48 vote, with the Vice President presiding in case there was a tie. The only successful confirmation closer than Kavanaugh's occurred when Stanley Matthews Swayne was confirmed in May 1881 in a 24-23 vote under President James Garfield. In a statement issued on Twitter, Pence called Kavanaugh's confirmation a 'historic day for our country' and said it was a success for the Trump administration. 'In nominating Judge Kavanaugh, President Trump kept his word to the American people to appoint judges who will interpret the Constitution as written and uphold the God-given liberties enshrined there,' the statement read in part. Signs held by the protesters included 'Stop the War on Women' and 'He Lied Under Oath', in reference to Kavanaugh's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on sexual assault allegations The only successful confirmation closer than Kavanugh's occurred when Stanley Matthews Swayne was confirmed in May 1881 in a 24-23 vote under President James Garfield Demonstrators chanted loudly 'Shame! Shame! Shame!' as they saw pence descend the steps of the Capitol The nomination seemed all but certain after Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) and Joe Manchin III (D-West Virginia) - all seen as swing votes - confirmed they'd be voting for Kavanaugh. The only Senator to break with her party was Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). On Friday, she voted 'no' to advance the judge's nominator and planned to vote the same on Saturday. However, as a courtesy to Senator Steve Daines (R-Montana), who missed the vote because of his daughter's wedding, she withdrew her 'no' and was instead marked as 'present'. Daines had said he would vote 'yes' and was prepared, if necessary, to hop on a plane to Washington, DC, after his daughter's vows. This 'pairing of votes' means the margin remains the same because the votes offset each other. In an interview with the Washington Post, President Donald Trump said he considered Murkowski's resistance to be a huge mistake. 'I think she will never recover from this,' Trump said. 'I think the people from Alaska will never forgive her for what she did.' However, Murkowski's intention to vote 'no' is not surprising. In a statement issued on Twitter, Pence called Kavanaugh's confirmation a 'historic day for our country' and said it was a success for the Trump administration The nomination seemed all but certain after Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) and Joe Manchin III (D-West Virginia) confirmed they'd be voting for Kavanaugh. Pictured: Pence (center) walks to the Senate floor to preside over the vote Kavanaugh's nomination was held up after three women accused of him sexually assaulting them or others in the 1980s. According to the 2015 Alaska Victimization Survey, Alaska has the highest rate of sexual assault with around 33 percent of women in the state saying they have experienced sexual violence. This is a rate that is more than double the national average. Additionally, Native Alaskan women are assaulted at a higher rate than any other group in the state. A 2018 report found that they made up 42 percent of all victims of felony sex offenses in 2017. Native Alaskans helped Murkowski to a historic re-election victory in 2010, after she lost the Republican primary but won as a write-in candidate. The husband of a pregnant woman killed in a horror crash along with their twin unborn sons has woken from a coma to the shattering news his family is dead. Bronko Hoang cried in agony after learning his wife Katherine, 23, and her unborn babies were killed in a horrific smash in Sydney's west on the evening of September 28. Mr Hoang was told on Friday by a doctor and social worker and became so hysterical he had to be sedated for his own safety, Daily Telegraph reported. 'He screamed so loudly, "Why Katherine? Please not the babies",' his aunt, Pham Crawford, told the publication. Bronko Hoang (right) cried in agony after learning his wife Katherine (left), 23, and her unborn babies were killed in a horrific smash in Sydney's west on the evening of September 28 Mr Hoang screamed 'Why Katherine? Please not the babies', according to his aunt Pham Crawford (Mrs Hoang pictured) 'He can't stop crying and feels guilty he's the only one who survived. He's in complete shock and in so much pain. 'We're all devastated, it would have been the first grandchildren for both families.' Mr Hoang survived the collision with broken ribs, a smashed leg and a fractured cheekbone. Ms Crawford said his nephew was 'in a bad state' and continued to tell her 'everything hurts so much' when she called to check on him. Father-of-four Richard Moananu, 29, faced 10 charges in a hospital bed court hearing last Sunday in relation to the incident. He will face two counts of manslaughter, driving unlicensed and aggravated dangerous driving resulting in death. Mr Hoang (pictured with his late wife) has reportedly not stopped crying since being delivered the shattering news by a doctor and social worker at Westmead Hospital on Friday Mr Hoang (right with Mrs Hoang) survived the collision with broken ribs, a smashed leg and fractured cheekbone Moananu's lawyer, Sarah Ha'angana, said they were working toward a release application that will be put forward on October 19. He remains under police guard in the meantime. A 17-year-old relative of Mrs Hoang was also killed in the crash. Parramatta Bail Court heard Moananu was unlicensed and it was alleged he was on the wrong side of the road and travelling 45km/h over the speed limit at the time of the crash. The court heard two other cars were forced to take evasive action to avoid crashing, with Moananu also facing charges over injuries sustained by one of these drivers. Father-of-four Richard Moananu (pictured), 29, faced 10 charges in a hospital bed court hearing last Sunday in relation to the incident An 18-year-old man behind the wheel of a ute suffered minor facial injuries while the other driver was uninjured. Lucy La, a family friend of the victim's, said many believed the manslaughter charges were not severe enough, news.com.au reported. 'We are upset as these babies were already part of the family and they did die in the accident,' she said. 'Unfortunately only two out of four lives were recognised,' she said. Ms La has launched a GoFundMe page to raise money for the family. The couple, who married in May, were due to become parents to two twin boys next week 'The money we raised will be given to both Katherine's family as they begin to make funeral preparations,' the page says. 'We have also discussed with the family and they have agreed to donate some of the money to the trauma team who worked endlessly to save Katherine's life at the scene of the accident and rescuing Bronco.' Over 800 people have donated to the page in eight days, raising close to $50,000. Members of the public shared their condolences on the page following the horrific tragedy. 'We are deeply saddened by the loss of our lovely neighbours. We hope that Bronko and their mother, Mrs Hoang, will be okay and that they know that we will be there to support their family in any way we can,' wrote one person. Ms Hoang, 23, her unborn twins and her teenage relative who was driving the vehicle were killed Katherine and Bronko married in May after meeting and falling in love years ago at the Western Sydney University Taekwondo Club. Club vice-president Hansel Rebello said Bronko, who'd recently started a new job in the disability sector, had an 'infectiously vibrant outlook to life'. 'Katherine was a beautiful gentle soul who always had a smile on her face,' Mr Rebello posted online. 'Pull through Bronko, you have a lot of mates waiting for you.' One of Katherine's university friends said people were 'devastated and paralysed' by her death. 'Katherine, who liked being called Kate, was a smart, brilliant, funny, kind, loving friend who never had a bad word to say about anyone,' Tom Cross told AAP. 'Hearing of her passing along with two unborn twins is a senseless loss beyond words.' There are chapters in history books devoted to its historic legacy of protests, but it appears even Berkeley has its limits. The Whole Foods in the liberal California city has been granted a restraining order against animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere (DxE). Whole Foods filed for the restraining order last week, just days before DxE was scheduled to start a week-long protest at the organic grocery store chain. DxE is claiming that Whole Foods sells animal products from suppliers who treat chickens poorly, alleging they are kept in crowded sheds and covered in feces but that their eggs are still labeled 'free-range' once they get to the store. The Whole Foods in Berkeley has been granted a restraining order against animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) This isn't the first time the vegan activist group has clashed with Whole Foods. DxE has protested at the grocery store in the past few years, chanting between the aisles and even splattering eggs with fake blood, putting on performances that showcase animal slaughter, and showing graphic photos to shoppers. Whole Foods claimed that DxE members have blocked 'access to our aisles, departments and cash registers', hurting its business and 'putting the safety of both customers and team members at risk'. Alameda County Superior Court agreed and now DxE organizers can't step foot inside the Whole Foods, or even access its parking lot. And the battle has just begun. Whole Foods is trying to block DxE from accessing any Whole Foods in California, a request that will be decided by a judge on October 26. The grocery store chain has fought hard against the animal rights group, which has challenged its well-known 'organic' image. Whole Foods filed for the restraining order last week, just days before DxE was scheduled to start a week-long protest at the grocery store chain DxE is claiming that Whole Foods sells animal products from suppliers who treat chickens poorly, alleging they are kept in crowded sheds and covered in feces Whole Foods has a five step 'animal welfare rating', explained at length on its website, to help customers 'make informed food choices'. And the grocery chain promises that no product gets on the shelves if it doesn't meet step one, which is 'no cages, no crates, no crowding'. 'You'll find a different selection in each store, but if it doesn't meet Step 1, you won't see it because we won't sell it,' the website states. 'Remember: To reach even Step 1, farms and ranches must meet more than 100 requirements!' DxE has protested at the grocery store in the past few years, chanting between the aisles and even splattering eggs with fake blood, putting on performances that showcase animal slaughter, and showing graphic photos to shoppers Dena Jones, the director of farm animal program the Animal Welfare Institute, said Whole Foods applies far more rigorous standards than the average store looking to gain an 'organic' label from the United States Department of Agriculture. 'All suppliers of fresh meat, poultry and eggs to Whole Foods must be certified by Global Animal Partnership (GAP), which is a farm animal welfare rating program,' she told the Guardian. 'On-farm inspections are conducted every 15 months to determine whether the farm is in compliance with GAP standards. Unlike the organic program, GAP standards are comprehensive and cover nearly all aspects of animal care.' But it hasn't been enough to appease DxE, which has ruffled more than a few feathers in Berkeley in recent years. Whole Foods claimed that DxE members have blocked 'access to our aisles, departments and cash registers', hurting its business and 'putting the safety of both customers and team members at risk' Last year the group held graphic demonstrations outside a family-owned butcher shop until it agreed to hang an animal rights sign in its window. The butchers said the group committed 'ethical extortion'. And the group has said in the past it's hoping to one day make Berkeley the first city to ban the sale of meat. For now DxE has its sights set on Whole Foods, hoping to boost support for 'right to know' legislation that it believes would better inform customers on where their food is coming from. Advertisement Palestine female guerilla fighters who are members of the al-Quds Brigades group showed off their combat skills in a military display on the Gaza Strip. al-Quds Brigades is the second-most powerful armed group in the Gaza Strip after Hamas and the military wing of the Jihad Islamic organisation. In the Gaza Strip, the al-Quds Brigades often fight using Quds rocket-attacks outside of populated civilian areas. The female members of the group hit the headlines in December last year after US President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The women responded by burning the US flag and vowing to 'redeem Palestine with our souls and our blood,' as they marched through Gaza. Yesterday they were in the public eye again when they took part in an exercise at Khan Yunis in the south of the Gaza Strip. The women of the al-Quds Brigades holding Kalashnikov rifles and poised for action during the exercise at Khan Yunis on the southern section of the Gaza Strip In the Gaza Strip, the al-Quds Brigades often fight using Quds rocket-attacks outside of populated civilian areas. During the exercise the women showed off their close combat skills by firing rifles As part of the exercise the women fired shots into the sky. The event came after Donald Trump decided to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem in May this year. It was an issue that sparked the worst outbreak of violence in four years, leaving more than 60 Palestinians dead Khan Yunis sits around 8.5km away from the border with Israel. Dozens of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces during protests at the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip in the run-up to celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel this year The camouflage wearing women of the outfit stand in line holding wooden rifles. al-Quds Brigades is the military wing of Islamic Jihad, the second-most powerful armed group in the Gaza Strip after Hamas al-Quds brigades typically use rocket, mortar fire or suicide bombings to carry out attacks on Israel As well as the firing of rifles, flames could be seen during the exercise. The worst fighting in the Israel and Gaza conflict was in 2014. Hamas and other groups launched rockets at heartland cities in Israel. Israel carried out air strikes and artillery bombardment that devastated neighbourhoods in Gaza In May this year, Israeli tank fire at an Islamic Jihad observation post killed three Palestinians in the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday. The al-Quds Brigades claimed two of them as members In December last year, dozens of female members of the Islamic Jihad's Al-Quds Brigades marched through Gaza in protest of US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital These burka-clad and bandanna wearing women take aim and get ready to fire their Kalashnikov rifles When US President Donald Trump's recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December last year. Female fighters of the group burned the US flag and vowed to 'redeem Palestine with our souls and our blood,' as they marched through Gaza The group is motivated to establishment of a sovereign, Islamic Palestinian state that lies within the geographic borders of pre-1948 Mandatory Palestine The women are seen here marching with their weapons during the exercise as spectators look on Republican Texas Senator John Cornyn was slammed after gloating 'Bubbly For Brett' with a photo of a glass of champagne on Twitter after Kavanaugh's confirmation on Saturday. Cornyn, who was instrumental in ensuring Kavanaugh had enough Senate votes to be confirmed, was following the hashtag trend of 'BeersForBrett' that conservatives shared after Saturday's vote. The hashtag was spawned from Kavanaugh's testimony where he defended himself from sexual assault allegations by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. During his sworn statements the now Supreme Court Judge said 'I drank beer with my friends, sometimes I had too many beers, sometimes others did, I liked beer, I still like beer, but I did not drink beer to the point of blacking out and I never sexually assaulted anyone.' Senator John Cornyn's tweet Saturday 'BubblyForBrett' was slammed for being 'tone deaf' Republican Texas Senator Cornyn (left) was instrumental in lobbying fellow senators to vote Kavanaugh in for the Supreme Court spot Twitter users expressed outrage at Cornyn's 'frat boy' tweet. Actress Patricia Arquette hit out: 'Wow. Really? Nothing funnier than out of control drinking.' 'Celebrating the alcoholism of a sexual predator you just promoted after making one of his survivors publicly relive her trauma is absolute peak white man,' Caileigh Scott responded. 'This is a US Senator getting in on a gloating hashtag that makes light of approving a guy who was accused of being a belligerent drunk who assaulted women under the influence,' Twitter user Austin Swafford hit back. There were very few people on Twitter who supported the Senator's tone deaf tweet. 'Shouldnt we expect more from our elected representatives? @JohnCornyn acting like a gloating frat boy sticking it in the face of a majority population who didnt want this Supreme Court Nominee is more than tone deaf. Vote him out,' another user shared. Twitter users were outraged at Cornyn's 'tone deaf frat boy' tweet after Kavanaugh's confirmation 'That's it, feed his addiction. At least you acknowledged his likes beer (a lot). Btw, he didn't get his ruddy complexion from being a weekend drinker. He's an alcoholic with anger issues,' yet another Twitter user chimed in. Kavanaugh was confirmed earlier on Saturday with by a 50-48 vote in the Senate, and was sworn in shortly afterward. The Senate vote and Kavanaugh's swearing in was consistently interrupted by protesters yelling and being escorted out of the The pilot involved in the helicopter crash which killed one of Vladimir Putin's top prosecutors was found with two bullets in his body, it has been claimed today. Deputy prosecutor-general Saak Karapetyan - a former MP and long-time ally of Putin - died Wednesday, died when his AS-350 helicopter came down in Kostroma region northeast of Moscow on Wednesday. Karapetyan has been linked to Moscow's alleged offers of 'dirt' on Hillary Clinton to Donald Trump's election campaign via the glamorous lawyer who met with the Trump campaign in 2016. Deputy prosecutor-general Saak Karapetyan - a former MP and long-time ally of President Vladimir Putin - died in a helicopter crash Karapetyan has been linked to Moscow's alleged offers of 'dirt' on Hillary Clinton to Donald Trump's election campaign via Natalia Veselnitskaya, the glamorous lawyer who met with the Trump campaign in 2016 Natalia Veselnitskaya, 43, met with Donald Trump Jr, Paul Manafort and Jared Kushner in Trump Tower during the 2016 campaign. Veselnitskaya led a pro-Moscow campaign to overturn anti-corruption laws imposing sanctions on key senior Russian officials and organisations. The US Magnitsky Act, signed into law by then-President Barack Obama in 2012, authorizes the government to sanction Russian human rights offenders, freeze their assets, and ban them from entering the US. While overturning the law would have been Veselnitskaya's main aim, leaked emails saw her claim that she had dirt on Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, allegedly given to her by Karapetyan's Prosecutor-General's Office. Before his death this week, Karapetyan had been in charge of the Russian criminal investigations into the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in March. He also led the investigation into the deaths of Putin foe Boris Berezovsky, and dissident Alexander Litvinenko - which both took place on UK soil. There are also extraordinary claims he was a channel of leaks to British, US and Swiss secret services. Karapetyan was one of four people who died when the AS-350 helicopter came down in Kostroma region northeast of Moscow Wednesday Mystery: The cause for the crash is not yet know, but Russian media reports the pilot - who also died in the crash - was found with two bullets in his body No survivors: The charred remains of the wreckage can be seen in official images Russian critics have claimed that all three of Karapetyan's criminal probes into the Skripal, Berezovsky and Litvinenko cases were aimed at masking Moscow's involvement in each case. The shooting allegation is expected to increase speculation that the leading prosecutor was assassinated. The official version is that the 'overloaded' helicopter crashed after clipping trees in Kostroma region, killing Karapetyan, his nephew Areg Arutyunyan, 47, pilot Stanislav Mikhnov, and another passenger Viktor Kopteev, 54. But respected Moscow journalist Sergei Dorenko has bluntly accused the investigating authorities of a cover-up in seeking hide two bullet wounds to highly experienced 54-year-old pilot - and gun shot damage to the copter's blade. Deputy prosecutor-general Saak Karapetyan, 58, had been in charge of the Russian criminal investigation into the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, UK, earlier this year The claim that Mikhnov was shot immediately before the helicopter crash was made by Dorenko's Govorit Moskva radio station and promptly denied by the Investigative Committee (IC) - in charge of probing serious crime. Dorenko retorted: 'We have the official version that the pilot mistakenly touched the trees and the helicopter fell to the ground. 'But in fact I suppose that the pilot was good and did not touch any trees. 'He did not take off at all. 'He was shot with two bullets in the back before this.' This leaves the possibility that someone else was at the controls when the helicopter took off and crashed - or that it was destroyed on the ground, killing all on board. Dorenko said: 'The IC decided that there were no gunshots 'So two 5.45 caliber bullets one of which broke through the pilot's blade are not to be considered. Why?' He insisted: 'There are two 5.45 bullets in the pilot. the blade is also pierced.' Veselnitskaya said she and Donald Trump Jr discussed the prospect of overturning the Magnitsky Act Investigative Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko had insisted:: 'The information is not true. 'None of those killed in the crash has any gunshot wounds.' Reports say Karapetyan and his nephew Arutyunyan, 47, a senior customs official, were using the helicopter for a hunting trip. The pilot landed near village Vonyshevo due to atrocious weather and the pair ordered a car to come and collect them. Then they randomly met a villager Kopteev, who offered to show them the route to take a short flight to meet the car. This is when the accident allegedly happened. Kopteev's relative heard the cracking of branches and the sound of the impact. In the wake of the crash, there were anonymous claims from respected anonymous 'Kremlin insider' blogger nicknamed Nezygar suggesting that Karapetyan's death will 'resolve a number of very painful issues' in the Russian government. Among these 'it will stop leaks of highly confidential information to the West'. In particular Karapetyan's death would prevent future passing of information to the secret services of Britain, the US and Switzerland, it was claimed. A couple have been held at gunpoint after two hooded intruders posing as online buyers threatened them in their own home. Teng Cheong posted his second-hand computer on Gumtree in the hope he could make a quick and easy transaction. Instead the 27-year-old and his girlfriend were violently attacked when the deal turned into a home invasion and robbery. Mr Cheong didn't think twice when a prospective buyer contacted him to see the electrical goods at his home in Brisbane's south. Scroll down for video Teng Cheong (pictured) posted his second-hand computer on Gumtree in the hope he could make a quick and easy transaction The pair were messaging about the posted product as well as other electrical goods which were stored at his Calamvale home. 'They had a look at the iMac and the phone,' Mr Cheong told Nine News. The men then said they had to go outside to make a phone call before they finalised the purchase. CCTV footage outside the home of Mr Cheong captures the two mystery men turn back in to the house and go inside - this time armed with plastic guns. Mr Cheong was punched, kicked and threatened before the men turned to chase his girlfriend. The intruders kicked through a locked door and pulled his girlfriend out - enraging Mr Cheong who launched himself at one of the men. CCTV footage outside the home of Mr Cheong captures the two mystery men turn back in to the house and go inside - this time armed with plastic guns 'Leave the ladies alone, just take whatever you want to take and leave,' Mr Cheong said. He tackled the intruders down the stairs forcing one to loose grip of his gun. His distraught girlfriend picked up the gun and then realised it was fake. The men fled scene leaving behind the fake gun, a backpack and gloves which have been seized by police. The pair were messaging about the posted product as well as other electrical goods which were stored at his Calamvale home The intruders kicked through a locked door and pulled his girlfriend out - enraging Mr Cheong who launched himself at one of the men Mr Cheong advised other sellers to be careful while on the Australian trading website. 'Just don't let them in to the house,' he said. Security footage is being reviewed by police in the hope to catch the two men. Anyone who recognises the pair have been asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Security footage is being reviewed by police in the hope to catch the two men. Authorities have advised for anyone with information to come forward Gumtree said in a statement to Daily Mail Australia, 'We recommend everyone using Gumtree should visit our Help section for tips on how to have a safe and successful experience and to be vigilant when using any online marketplace.' 'The safety and security of our community is our main priority. While the majority of our community members have a positive experience, sometimes bad seeds do target our users. 'We work closely with law enforcement to assist with reported incidents, and urge users to report any suspected unlawful activity to the Police.' Majmutaj now claims extradition to Albania would harm his basic human rights Hektor Mahmutaj was sentenced to 25 years in his absence for the murder of farmer Gentjam Jahaj in Albania in 1997 An Albanian murder suspect on the run from a 25-year jail sentence is free on bail in Britain. Hektor Mahmutaj, 42, has now claimed any potential extradition would infringe his human rights. Majmutaj was sentenced to 25 years for the murder of farmer Gentjan Jahaj in Albania in July 1997. The immigrant hid on a farm before smuggling himself into the UK in a lorry in December of the same year, Westminster magistrates court heard. He has now lived in Britain for more than 20 years, using 13 aliases to avoid detection, the Sunday Express reported. Majmutaj, who lives in Liverpool, was convicted of Mr Jahaj's murder in his absence in April 2000. He allegedly shot the man when in a car with three other men in Bejar village. Interpol list his charges as 'premeditated homicide, illegal manufacturing and keeping military weapons and ammunition.' Mahmutaj was arrested on an Interpol warrant in December 2006, when his identity was uncovered. He was then convicted and jailed for two-and-a-half years for firearm offences in the UK, but an extradition application from Albania was denied the following year. The judge ruled that Mahmutaj had not intentionally hidden from Albanian authorities, and he was not guaranteed a retrial when he returned. Albanian police reissued the warrant ten years later after a change in its law concerning retrials. Mahmutaj has now claimed any potential extradition would infringe his human rights Mahmutaj was arrested again in January, and will now face a retrial if he is extradited. In his judgement on Friday, Judge Tan Ikram said Mahmutaj could now be extradited, but as he is a non-EU national the case must be referred to the Home Secretary. The judgment said: 'He passed through the criminal justice system several times without giving his proper identity. 'This included being convicted of firearms offences in this jurisdiction.' After paying a 10,000 surety to the court, the Albanian is now free to walk the streets aside from a four-hour curfew between 11pm and 3am. The father-of-two said the extradition would be unfair as he was never arrested for the offence, and it would break up his family. Mahmutaj also denied murder, and claimed he went into hiding due to fear of the real offender. But Judge Ikram said the fact the father-of-two never faced arrest or trial for the murder is because he went on the run. 'He is a fugitive. I am not satisfied that extradition would amount to a disproportionate interference with his or his family's human rights,' he said. A Home Office spokeswoman was unable to explain why Mahmutaj was not deported in 2003 when he first came to the attention of the criminal justice system as an illegal immigrant. Tory MP Phillip Davies said: 'Clearly he should be in custody or he could just go missing. With these decisions we are making a rod for our own back and are the laughing stock of the world.' A father has flown to Zimbabwe to retrieve his 11-year-old son after winning custody of the boy, who had been taken out of the country by his mother. James Way was awarded custody by a Zimbabwe court, allowing him to bring his son, Nicholas, home to New Zealand on Monday. The boy had been taken out of New Zealand by his mother, Lauren Smith, 42, in February this year, sparking a global manhunt and leading to the mother being charged with abduction offences. James Way was awarded custody in a Zimbabwean court, allowing him to bring his son, Nicholas (left), all the way home to New Zealand on Monday. He had travelled to Africa with his mother, Lauren Smith (right) The 11-year-old had been in Zimbabwe for nearly eight months, the New Zealand Herald reports. After spending most of the past year in a boarding school in Harare, the country's capital, he was returned to New Zealand last Monday. His father is happy to have his son home but just wants life to return to normal for the boy. Ms Smith's New Zealand-based father, Gerald, was glad to have his grandson back in the country, while seeking to explain his daughter's actions. The 11-year-old boy had spent most of the past year in a boarding school in Harare (the city is pictured), Zimbabwe's capital Mr Smith said his daughter had become disillusioned with the New Zealand family court system and said he decision to spirit the boy out of the country was a desperate move by a desperate person. Ms Smith was in New Zealand for a holiday when she took her son to Zimbabwe, and was apparently unaware of the subsequent global effort to retrieve him. The former daycare manager remained in Africa. 'We just don't know what her strategy is at the moment," Mr Smith said. 'Until such time as I hear from her and find out how it all happened, I really don't know. It came as a bit of a shock.' Kim Jong Un has agreed to allow international inspectors to examine the country's nuclear testing site after meeting with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Officials will be taken to the Punggye-ri testing site, buried inside a mountain near North Korea's border with China, once the two sides have agreed on 'logistics'. Kim claimed to have destroyed the site with a series of explosions last year, though there have been doubts cast over how badly damaged it is and whether it could be easily restarted. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he had a good meeting with Kim Jong Un in North Korea President Trump said he's looking forward to another meeting with Kim soon Disarmament experts have also expressed concerns that North Korea dismantled the site away from prying eyes in order to hide traces of its activity there. Pompeo also said he is 'close' to setting the date for a second meeting between Trump and Kim after their historic first meeting in Singapore earlier this year. President Moon Jae-in of South Korea, who is helping with negotiations, said there will be another meeting between the two leaders as soon as possible. The diplomat announced the news as he left Pyongyang for Beijing on a whirlwind diplomatic tour, saying the two sides had made 'significant progress'. However, he refused to comment on what steps the US might take in return. We 'had a good, productive conversation,' Pompeo said of his time in Pyongyang. 'It was another step forward. So this is, I think, a good outcome for all.' He met with Kim for two hours before flying to South Korea Sunday afternoon for a two-day visit there. An American official who accompanied Pompeo said the North Korea trip was 'better than the last time,' referring to the secretary's trip there in July, according to a State Department pool report. But the official added: 'It's going to a long haul,' according to The New York Times. When Pompeo was in North Korea in July - his last visit there - Kim would not even met with him. But on this, his fourth visit to Pyongyang, he and Kim had lunch together before Pompeo left for South Korea. Officials said this meeting with Pompeo and Kim went better than Pompeo's last trip when Kim would not meet with him President Trump has praised Kim as an ally, saying they 'fell in love' Trump, meanwhile, said on Sunday that progress was being made on the agreement between the two nations originally signed in Singapore and added that he is looking forward to another meeting with Kim. '.@SecPompeo had a good meeting with Chairman Kim today in Pyongyang. Progress made on Singapore Summit Agreements! I look forward to seeing Chairman Kim again, in the near future,' he tweeted Sunday morning. Pompeo was expected to lay the groundwork for a second summit between Kim and Trump during his trip. The two leaders met for the first time in June in Singapore. Trump has praised Kim as an ally and even noted the two 'fell in love.' North Korean officials who dined with members of Pompeo's staff in a separate room pushed for Trump to visit Pyongyang for a second summit. Since Trump and Kim met in Singapore, relations between their nations have stalled and questions have emerged about the accord they signed, which had no timetable and no measurable factors to show North Korea was denuclearizing. Trump canceled Pompeo's planned trip to Pyongyang in August, citing little evidence that North Korea had followed through on any of its commitment to denuclearize. Interpol says its president who was reported missing after returning to his native China has resigned amid a probe in Beijing. Meng Hongwei vanished after returning to his homeland and his wife voiced concern for his life after he sent her a final text message with a knife emoji. Beijing had remained tight-lipped about Meng's fate since his disappearance was disclosed by French officials on Friday. But on Sunday, Chinese authorities confirmed Meng, who is also China's vice minister for public security, is being investigated over suspected violations of the law. Hours later, Interpol confirmed Meng had resigned as president of the international police organisation. 'Today, Sunday 7 October, (at) the Interpol General Secretariat in Lyon, France received the resignation of Mr Meng Hongwei as President of Interpol with immediate effect,' Interpol said in a statement. Grace Meng is giving a press conference today after her husband Meng Hongwei (pictured) seemingly vanished while on a trip home to China Interpol said South Korean national Kim Jong Yang would becomes its acting president, while it would appoint a new president at a November meeting of the organisation in Dubai. Earlier on SUnday Grace Meng revealed she has not heard from her husband since September 25. Making her first public comments on the mystery surrounding Meng's whereabouts, she told reporters in Lyon, France - where Interpol is based - that she thinks the knife was her husband's way of trying to tell her he was in danger. She said four minutes before Meng shared the emoji of the knife, he sent a message saying 'wait for my call'. She said she has had no further contact with him since the message that was sent on September 25. Then on Sunday, Chinese authorities confirmed Meng is under investigation for unspecified violations of the law. The disciplinary organ of China's ruling Communist Party says the head of Interpol is under investigation on suspicion of unspecified legal violations. Grace Meng read a statement during her press conference in Lyon but would not allow reporters to show her face, saying she feared for her safety and the safety of her two children Grace Meng, the wife of missing Interpol President Meng Hongwei, who does not want her face shown, consults her mobile phone in the lobby of a hotel in Lyon on Sunday The party's watchdog for graft and political disloyalty said on its website late on Sunday that Meng, China's vice minister of public security, is 'suspected of violating the law and is currently under the monitoring and investigation' of China's new anti-corruption body, the National Supervision Commission. Meng is a senior Chinese security official as well as president of the International Criminal Police Organisation. Interpol said on Saturday it has used law enforcement channels to inquire with China about Meng's status. Grace Meng refused to speculate on what might have happened to him or whether he had been arrested, saying: 'In China, what happened, I'm not sure.' Meng's wife said he had traveled back to China for work, after a visit to the Nordics. 'His job is very busy,' she said. 'We connected every day.' She read a statement during her press conference in Lyon but would not allow reporters to show her face, saying she feared for her own safety and the safety of her two children. A journalist holds Grace Meng's mobile phone, showing what she says is the last message exchanged with her husband, during a press conference on Sunday French police investigating the 64-year-old's disappearance have placed his family under special protection. The country's interior ministry said they were under police supervision in Lyon after Meng's wife was threatened over the phone and on social media. A source familiar with the investigation said the working assumption was that Meng had antagonised Chinese authorities and had been detained as a result. Previously, Interpol had said that reports about Meng's disappearance were 'a matter for the relevant authorities in both France and China.' The organisation went out of its way to say that its secretary general, not Meng, was responsible for the day-to-day running of the agency. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the Chinese Communist Party's secretive internal investigation agency, had no announcements on its website about Meng and could not be reached for comment. News of Meng's apparent disappearance comes after Chinese officials announced that Hollywood star Fan Bingbing (pictured) had been ordered to pay millions of dollars in taxes News of Meng's apparent disappearance comes after Chinese officials announced that Hollywood star Fan Bingbing, who also vanished without a trace several months ago, has been ordered to pay millions of dollars in alleged back taxes and penalties. Fan took to social media for the first time in months on Wednesday to apologise to fans and the Communist Party for tax evasion, shortly after news broke that authorities had ordered her to pay nearly $130 million in back taxes and fines. The 36-year-old took to China's Twitter-like Weibo to acknowledge her wrongs, beg for her supporters' forgiveness, and apologise to 'society, the friends who care about me, the public and the national tax authorities.' 'Without the Party and country's good policies, without the loving attention of the masses, there would be no Fan Bingbing,' she wrote to her 62 million followers. The actress, model and producer had been a ubiquitous household name in China for years and tasted Hollywood success with a role in the 2014 blockbuster 'X-Men: Days of Future Past.' But she disappeared from the public eye and her once active social media presence went silent in May after allegations emerged that she had evaded taxes on a lucrative movie shoot, charges her studio called 'slander'. Julie Swetnick, the third woman to accuse Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, says she is 'disgusted and appalled' by the way her claims against the now-Supreme Court Justice were ignored by the Senate. In a statement released Sunday through her high-profile lawyer Michael Avenatti, Swetnick criticizes both media pundits and politicians for 'claiming I should have ''shut up'' and continued to stay silent about what happened to me'. 'They claim my allegations were ''not helpful to the process,'' Swetnick writes, particularly calling out Meet the Press host Chuck Todd and Republican Senator Susan Collins. 'This is outrageous and shows a complete lack of empathy for survivors.' Swetnick's comments come the morning after Judge Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in to serve on the highest court in the nation despite her claims that she witnessed him take part in drugging and gang raping women at numerous high school parties. Julie Swetnick, the third woman to accuse Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, has spoken out She released a statement via her lawyer Michael Avenatti Sunday This comes the morning after Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court Saturday night Swetnick's statement was released via Twitter by Avenatti - the lawyer known for suing Donald Trump over the alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels. In her statement, she takes jabs at President Trump, Senator Chuck Grassley, Ted Cruz and others for 'never really wanting to get to the truth' and impeding the FBI investigation into the allegations of sexual misconduct against a younger Kavanaugh. While Dr Christine Blasey Ford - the first woman to come forward with accusations - testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Kavanaugh's second accuser Deborah Ramirez was interview by the FBI, Swetnick was never contacted. 'My allegations should have been investigated. I know of multiple corroborating witnesses and we were all prepared to speak with the FBI as we made known for weeks,' she writes. 'But because of the efforts of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the White House, the FBI refused to interview us or even attempt to hear our stories,' she adds. 'They could not be bothered to take one hour or even ten minutes to hear about what happened to us and what we witnessed.' Swetnick had written a sworn statement saying she had seen Kavanaugh 'fondling and grabbing girls without their consent' at numerous parties between 1981 and 1983. She alleged he was part of a group that spiked drinks and lined up to 'gang-rape' young women who did not have control of their actions. She also provided the names of four people she said could support her description of the house parties at that time, however of the four, NBC reported one was dead, two did not respond and another said they did not recall Swetnick. Despite the accusations, senators voted Saturday to confirm Kavanaugh with a 50-48 vote, with one Republican sitting on the sidelines as a favor to a friend attending his daughter's wedding. Senator Gary Peters is leading a pack of Democrats who believe Michael Avenatti ruined the case against Kavanaugh because of Swetnick's claims 'They claim my allegations were ''not helpful to the process,'' she writes, calling out Republican Senators Susan Collins (center), Mitch McConnell (right) and and political pundit Chuck Todd (left) for criticizing her She calls Senator Susan Collins' speech on Friday 'especially shameful and an attack on all sexual assault victims'. 'Some of the allegations levied against Judge Kavanaugh illustrate why the presumption of innocence is so important,' Collins said during her lengthy speech on the Senate floor where she announced her vote for Kavanaugh. 'I am thinking in particular not of the allegations raised by Professor Ford, but of the allegation that when he was a teenager, Judge Kavanaugh drugged multiple girls and used their weakened state to facilitate gang rape,' she said without specifically naming Swetnick. Collins called her claims 'outlandish' and put forth 'without any credible supporting evidence'. Swetnick hit back saying Collins 'does not deserve to represent women.' This particular comment has struck a chord with Democrats and political pundits, including Chuck Todd who said on Meet the Press: 'Michael Avenatti is probably the best thing to happen to Brett Kavanaugh. All these Democrats that have been flirting with him, they've got to really be embarrassed by him now.' She says she is 'disgusted and appalled' by how senators handled investigation Senator Gary Peters is now leading a pack of Democrats who believe Michael Avenatti ruined the case against Kavanaugh with Swetnick's claims. 'It turns it into a circus atmosphere and certainly that's not where we should be,' he said about the allegations raised by Avenatti and his client Julie Swetnick, adding, 'at some point there were a lot of folks coming forward making all sorts of accusations'. Swetnick ends her statement by calling for Americans to be 'outraged' by how she and the other Kavanaugh accusers were 'treated and shamed'. 'And remember- next time it might be your spouse, your daughter, your mother, your friend or your sister,' she writes. 'Would you want her to be treated the same way?' Dame Olivia de Havilland is taking her feud with producer Ryan Murphy to the US Supreme Court. The 102-year-old claims Murphy and network FX never asked to use her name or likeness for their 2017 eight-episode series 'Feud: Bette and Joan' about legendary actresses Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, reported Deadline. Catherine Zeta-Jones portrayed the two-time Oscar winner, who was a friend of Davis and participated in a 1970s documentary on Crawford, in a recurring role. De Havilland filed her original lawsuit in June 2017 claiming that Zeta-Jones's portrayal of her as 'b***h' had damaged the actress's 'professional reputation for integrity, honesty, generosity, self-sacrifice and dignity'. Dame Olivia de Havilland (left) is taking her feud with producer Ryan Murphy (right) to the US Supreme Court. The 102-year-old actress says Murphy and network FX never asked to use her name or likeness for their 2017 eight-episode series 'Feud: Bette and Joan' Catherine Zeta-Jones portrayed de Havilland (pictured), who was a friend of Bette Davis and participated in a 1970s documentary on Joan Crawford, in a recurring role In September 2017, Deadline reported that LA Superior Court Judge Holly Kendig had agreed to let de Havilland's case proceed to trial. But higher courts agreed with Murphy and FX that they were protected by the First Amendment. In March 2018, an appellate court agreed unanimously to dismiss the lawsuit. Then, in July, the California Supreme Court rejected de Havilland's request to have judges review her case. In the petition filed on Friday, the actress asked that the Supreme Court overturn the California court's decision. 'We must persevere and speak truth to power,' de Havilland said in a statement from her home in Paris. 'The fight is itself important to the principle of honesty, so much in need today in the face of deliberate public confusion for selfish agendas.' De Havilland's attorney Suzelle Smith told Deadline that the California decision 'is a radical departure from traditional First Amendment precedent and benefits no group other than those who seek to use the names and identities of others in untrue and salacious "historical dramas" for their own profit.' De Havilland filed her original lawsuit in June 2017 claiming that Zeta-Jones's portrayal of her as a 'b***h' had damaged her 'professional reputation for integrity, honesty, generosity, self-sacrifice and dignity'. Pictured: Davis, left, and de Havilland in 1942's In This Our Life An LA court agreed in September 2017 to take her lawsuit to trial but, in March 2018, an appellate court agreed unanimously to dismiss the lawsuit. Pictured: Zeta-Jones as de Havilland, left, and Susan Sarandon as Davis De Havilland's most famous role is that of Melanie Hamilton in 1939's Gone with the Wind (left). She and her sister Joan Fontaine (right) are the only siblings to have each won an Academy Award in a lead acting category The actress made her film debut in 1935's A Midsummer Night's Dream and received her big break just three years late as Maid Marion in 1938's The Adventures of Robin Hood opposite Errol Flynn as the titular chracter. De Havilland's most famous role is that of Melanie Hamilton in 1939's Gone with the Wind, with her performance being praised by critics. The film went on to garner 10 Academy Awards, and de Havilland received her first nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She won Best Actress in a Leading Role in 1946 for To Each His Own and again in 1949 for The Heiress. De Havilland and her sister Joan Fontaine are the only siblings to have each won an Academy Award in a lead acting category. An investigation into the violent death of a young British mother who was found close to her home in Italy with ten knife wounds to her neck has been reopened. Claire Martin died six years ago after fatal wounds were inflicted to her neck and Italian authorities had at the time concluded that the 30-year-old had killed herself after suffering from post-natal depression. However her parents Pat and Ray Martin remained adamant that their daughter had been murdered and now new evidence has called Ms Martin's death into question. According to Mr and Mrs Martin hair fibre and skin found under their daughter's nails has led to the case being reopened. A police probe into the violent death of Claire Martin (above), 30, who was found dead close to her home in Italy with ten knife wounds to her neck is being reopened Italian authorities had initially concluded that the 30-year-old had killed herself after suffering from post-natal depression, however new evidence has called Ms Martin's death into question. Pictured: Claire Martin (right), with partner Diego Mascolo (left) and son Alex (centre) The young mother had been living with her 14-month-old son Alex and her in-laws in the rural villages of the Campania region of Italy, 50 miles north-east of Naples at the time of her death. Her Italian fiance and chef, Diego Mascolo had been working in Germany at the time. She had been working as a waitress in a local restaurant and would often tell her parents that she loved her Italian life, referring to her adopted home as a 'sleepy backwater'. However in March 2012, at around 11am, Ms Martin suffered multiple stab wounds as she was leaving for work. Ms Martin was seen outside the front door covered in blood as she was leaving for work. Italian authorities found a blood stained eight-inch kitchen knife near the bottom of a flight of stairs and initially investigated the death as murder but later concluded it was suicide According to police reports, approximately 90 seconds after Ms Martin had walked out of the villa's first-floor entrance she was seen by mother-in-law Maria Mascolo re-appearing outside the door covered in blood. Mrs Mascolo rushed to Ms Martin who collapsed to her knees clutching at knife wounds to her throat. According to Italian media, before she died Ms Martin was heard saying 'a man, a man' and gestured to land at the back of the house. She later died cradled in Mrs Mascolo's arms as the blood filled her lungs. According to Mr and Mrs Martin (above) hair fibre and skin found under their daughter's nails has led to the case being reopened Italian authorities found a blood stained eight-inch kitchen knife near the bottom of a flight of stairs and initially investigated the death as murder. However 15 months later the investigation was closed, with police saying the evidence pointed towards suicide and that Ms Martin's wounds were self inflicted. Following Ms Martin's death Dr Stuart Hamilton, a Home Office pathologist, and retired detective Tony Blockley told a BBC Inside Out investigation: 'If I was briefing a senior investigating officer at this autopsy, I would be suggesting that you need to go and find the murderer.' Following the programme, Ms Martin's parents met with a public prosecutor in Italy and later received a letter from their Italian solicitor saying new evidence had been found. Mrs Martin told the BBC: 'Apparently it's hair fibre and skin that were found under my daughter's nails has now been tested to see if they can glean any DNA off it. 'I honestly believe there's a 50 per cent chance they may get a match but let's wait and see.' Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell dodged questions as to whether he'll impose the same restriction on President Donald Trump that he put on President Barack Obama and not confirm any Supreme Court nominees during the 2020 election. 'Will see if there's a vacancy in 2020,' McConnell said on 'Fox News Sunday' when asked if he would move forward on a nomination if Trump got another wack at the court as his first term comes to an end in 2020. The Senate Majority Leader was heavily criticized when he put a halt to Merrick Garland's nomination to the Supreme Court, whom Obama nominated in his final year in the White House. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell dodged questions as to whether he'll impose the same restriction on President Donald Trump that he put on President Barack Obama and not confirm any Supreme Court nominees in during the 2020 election President Trump has nominated two justices to the Supreme Court McConnell held up President Obama's final nominee to the Supreme Court McConnell and Republicans argued that, since it was an election year, the new president - decided upon by the voters, should get the nomination. He declined to say if he would use that same philosophy in the next presidential election. McConnell argues history is on his side when it comes to a president in the opposition party nominating a Supreme Court justice in his final year in office, a hint things may be different with a Republican in the Oval Office. Garland was nominated on March 16, 2016 to fill the vacancy created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. But his confirmation was blocked by Senate Republicans, who controlled the upper chamber and refused to hold hearings or a vote on him. Garland's nomination lasted 293 days and expired on January 3, 2017, with the end of the 114th Congress. And McConnell's gamble paid off when Trump, after his election, nominated Neil Gorsuch to replace Scalia on the Supreme Court. Democrats had slammed McConnell for his willingness to advance the Kavanaugh nomination despite the sexual assault allegations against him when he would not give Garland a hearing. McConnell argued what they did to Garland didn't destroy him personally. 'We didn't attack Merrick Garland's background and try to destroy him,' he said on 'Fox News Sunday.' 'We didn't go on a search and destroy mission, we simply follow the tradition in America which is if you have a party of a different Senate come of a different party then the president, then you don't fill a vacancy created in the presidential year.' Judge Merrick Garland with President Barack Obama, who nominated him to the Supreme Court in 2016 Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Anthony Kennedy swears in Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court while his wife Ashley holds the bible and his daughters watch He added: 'So what we did was follow tradition. But we didn't attack the nominee, we didn't go on a search and destroy mission.' Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court by a 50-48 vote on Saturday after his confirmation was put in jeopardy from sexual assault allegations from multiple women, all of which he denied. His confirmation vote was delayed by a week when the FBI investigation allegations he sexually assaulted women in high school and in college. Kavanaugh denied all allegations against him. Every Democrat except Sen. Joe Manchin voted against Kavanaugh while every Republican - except Sen. Lisa Murkowski - was a yes. Republicans called the FBI probe through while Democrats argued agents didn't interview enough witnesses. Trump said Murkowski would be punished in her next primary by her Kavanaugh no vote but McConnell didn't go that far. 'Senator Murkowski is a Republican member of our conference in good standing. We're happy that we won. I'm sorry that we lost her, but we got the votes of all the other members of my conference and those who wanted the additional FBI investigation for a week took a look at the report, found no corroborating evidence, and were comforted to vote for Judge Kavanaugh,' he said on CBS' 'Face the Nation.' Ministers are considering launching a new scheme to get 'Generation Rent' on the housing ladder as the Tories desperately try to woo back younger voters. Theresa May has pledged to get the country building again as she makes tackling the housing crisis a key plank of her premiership. And ministers are said to be looking at plans to create a new Help to Buy scheme for renters in private properties. Under the plans, landlords would be encouraged to sell homes to tenants by being capital gains tax break. So they would not have to pay the 28 per cent tax on their profits if the buyers had lived in the property for three years or more. Senior Tories say the plan due to be unveiled tomorrow by a Conservative think tank has gone down so well in Number Ten that it could be in the Budget later this month. Ministers are considering launching a new scheme to get 'Generation Rent' on the housing ladder as the Tories desperately try to woo back younger voters. Philip Hammond (pictured at Tory Party conference in Birmingham last week) could unveil housing plans in his Budget later this month Current rules hit property sellers with a 28 per cent tax on the profits they make from selling a home. Critics say this tax is a major disincentive for second home owners to sell up. The plan, being pitched by the new think-tank Onward and reported in The Sunday Times, comes after minsters queued up at the Tory Party conference in Birmingham last week to say that tackling the housing crisis is the UK's most pressing problem. It comes amid reports that Mrs May is facing pressure from her Cabinet to relax laws that stop building on the greenbelt. Treasury minister Liz Truss has publicly called for more building on Britain's green belt and has often criticised nimbys who stop new development. And today The Sunday Telegraph reported that a minister said that a majority of the Cabinet now supports a relaxation of rules governing the green belt 'if done carefully'. They said the 'mood has changed' in response to the housing crisis, which has seen property prices balloon so much that many Millennials may never get on the housing ladder. Young voters deserted the Tory Party at the last election and overwhelmingly backed Jeremy Corbyn's Labour. And pollsters have warned the Tories that they may never win these voters over unless they can get them on the housing ladder. Mrs May last week vowed to tackle the crisis in her speech at the Tory Party conference in Birmingham last week. Theresa May (pictured today going to church with her husband Philip in Maidenhead) is facing pressure from her Cabinet to relax laws that stop building on the green belt 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.' A man has 'miraculously' survived after plunging a sharp knife deep into his skull without sustaining brain damage. Yury Zhokhov, 41, claimed he wanted to make another hole in his head because he could not breathe properly through his nose. Police found the Russian man kneeling in a field with the eight inch kitchen blade buried deep in his head. Scroll down for video Yury Zhokhov, 41, claimed he wanted to make another hole in his head because he could not breathe properly through his nose. Police found the Russian man kneeling in a field 'He was fully conscious,' said a law enforcement source in the Russian town of Donetsk in Rostov region. 'My nose was not breathing. I pierced my head to breathe,' he said. X-rays taken after he was rushed to hospital show how deeply the knife had pierced his head - with medics saying it was a 'miracle': he had not killed himself or suffered acute brain damage. Surgeons removed the knife and say the man is alive but in a 'grave' condition because of the risk of infection, say doctors Neurosurgeons were rushed from regional capital Rostov-on-Don to remove the knife, above, which was lodged in the man's skull. A medic has said it is 'miraculous' he survived Surgeons removed the knife and say the man is alive but in a 'grave' condition because of the risk of infection, say doctors. The astonishing scene was filmed on a police video as shocked officers arrived at the scene and realised how at least five inches of the blade was embedded in the head of a man known locally as Yura. 'Who stuck it in you?' asked a bemused policeman who pleaded with the man not to try and move his head or the knife, fearing he would die immediately. 'Don't touch, don't touch,' said the officer. Then the man calmly explained he had done this to himself. 'My nose was not breathing. I pierced my head to breathe,' he said. 'So my head could breathebut the knife stuck and my head doesn't breathe.' The officer instructs the man: 'Sit as you are, do not move.do not bend your head.' The officer's quick thinking is believed to have saved the man's life. Neurosurgeons were rushed from regional capital Rostov-on-Don to remove the knife. A medic has said it is 'miraculous' he survived. An Emergencies Ministry spokesman said: 'The blade itself was buried so deeply inside. A spokesman from Russia's emergencies ministry said even experienced nurses, 'who have seen so much, still cannot get over it'. The astonishing scene was filmed on a police video The man reportedly works at a local factory. He has 'miraculously' survived after plunging a sharp knife deep into his skull without sustaining brain damage 'It was horrific. 'Even our experienced nurses, who have seen so much, still cannot get over it. 'The X-rays were made showing the blade was exactly between the two hemispheres of the brain. 'Local doctors did not dare pull it out. 'They called the regional hospital, and asked them to send specialists for help.' The man works as a technician at a local factory, it was reported. Prince Harry should be made an ambassador to Washington as part of efforts to boost global Britain, a senior Tory has said. Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, said the royal would cut through to the American public. And he called for the Government to have a fundamental rethink on how it uses people to boost the country's image after Brexit. He said that Harry - who got married to American actress Meghan Markle last year - would be the ideal candidate. Prince Harry (pictured with his wife Meghan at a London youth centre last week) should be made an ambassador to Washington as part of efforts to boost global Britain, senior Tory MP Tom Tugendhat said He told The Sun: 'We could use someone like Harry, in somewhere like the US, to say - the UK is back. 'Having somebody who could really cut through would be one hell of an asset. Tom Tugendhat (file picture) chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, said the royal would cut through to the American public 'He does have an American wife, and he served alongside US forces. 'The idea of representing his country is something he's done a lot.' The Tory MP has also suggested that former Prime Minster David Cameron could be a UK ambassador for China. Prince Harry spent ten years in the Army, rising to the rank of Captain and serving two tours in Afghanistan. In an interview with The Atlantic magazine, Mr Tugendhat pointed out that those in the military need diplomacy skills. He said his proposal is the 'redesign we need to make global Britain work'. But his comments were met with an immediate backlash with critics warning that it would politicise the royals. Sir Andrew Wood, the former British ambassador to Russia, told the magazine: 'I see no virtue for either Prince Harry or the government in sending him over. 'In fact, it risks politicising him.' Kensington Palace declined to comment. Mr Tugendhat is one of the rising young stars of the Tory Party and has been tipped for the leadership one day. Republican Sen. Susan Collins on Sunday defended her decision to vote in favor of Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court and shrugged off concern her action could cost her her Senate seat in 2020. 'Whatever the voters decide, but I'm going to do what I think is right,' Collins said on CNN's 'State of the Union.' She also dismissed talk of a challenge from President Barack Obama's Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, pointing out Rice doesn't live in Maine. 'Her family has a home in Maine but she doesn't live in the state of Maine,' Collins said. 'Everyone knows that.' Sen. Susan Collins dismissed talk of 2020 challenges against her Former United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice indicated that she would consider running Her confident tone comes as Democrats in her state expressed their anger that Collins, a key vote in the confirmation process, moved to elevate him to the Supreme Court. Already possible contenders are exploring a challenge to her and a multi-million fundraising campaign against her is in the works. Collins added that Rice 'pleaded' with her to give an introduction when she was nominated to be ambassador in 2009. 'The irony is that back in 2009 when she was nominated to be ambassador to the U.N., she came to me, even though I did not know her back then at all, and pleaded with me to introduce her before the committee, which I was happy to do because her family had links to the state of Maine,' Collins said. Rice indicated on Twitter she would consider running when Collins faces voters again in two years. Rice's mother is from Maine and she spent summers there as a child. Collins also defended her vote for Kavanaugh, who was accused by sexual assault by multiple women, which he denies. The Republican senator took care to say she believed Christine Blasey Ford, who testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, was attacked but she did not think it was Kavanaugh who was the perpetrator. 'I do not believe that Brett Kavanaugh was her assailant. I do believe she was assaulted, I don't know by whom, and I'm not certain when. But I do not believe he was the assailant,' Collins said. Collins took care to say she believed Christine Blasey Ford was attacked but not by Kavanaugh President Trump praised Collins as 'incredible' She also expressed her displeasure for Kavanaugh blaming the Clintons for his confirmation problems. In his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee he argued anger at his work on Clinton's impeachment was behind the attacks on him. Collins also said she didn't like Kavanaugh's angry response to Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, when she questioned his drinking habits. 'I did believe that he should not have taken the shot at the Clintons and that in his questioning with certain senators and responding to their questions, particularly Amy Klobuchar, that he stepped over the line,' she said. And she noted she didn't like President Donald Trump's attack on Ford. 'I felt that the president was not respectful to Dr. Ford,' she said. She also conceded Kavanaugh probably drank too much in high school. Ford accused Kavanaugh of pinning her to a bed, trying to rip her clothes off, and covering her mouth when she screamed during a teenage party in the 1980s. 'I think that Judge Kavanaugh drank too much in high school,' Collins said on CBS' 'Face the Nation.' 'But the background investigations that the FBI conducts always have a question of 'did you drink? Did the nominee drink to excess or use drugs?' That is a standard question that's asked each and every time. And 150 people were interviewed for those background investigations and none of them brought forth evidence to support that.' She also said former President George W. Bush called her three times to lobby her. Kavanaugh worked as staff secretary for the president 'He actually called me three times. He knows Brett Kavanaugh very well,' Collins said. She said her decision on how to vote on Kavanaugh was one of the toughest she has ever made. 'I's certainly ranks right up there. There's no doubt about it. There have been ... very difficult decisions, but this was a tough one,' she said. Collins on Friday gave a 45-minute speech on the Senate floor laying out her reasons for supporting Kavanaugh. Her vote was essential to his confirmation. Trump praised her as 'incredible.' 'She gave an impassioned, beautiful speech yesterday. And that was from the heart, that was from the heart,' he said on Saturday. But Democratic donors and political activists rallied against Collins and launched a multi million dollar bid to defeat her. A deeply divided Senate voted on Saturday to confirm Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, delivering a victory for Trump with a narrow 50-48 vote. Campaigning is underway to ensure Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins (pictured) does not retain her seat in the 2020 election over her decision to support Justice Brett Kavanaugh Collins delivered a 40 minute speech in the Senate announcing her support for Kavanaugh Justice Brett Kavanaugh (pictured) was confirmed as the 114th Justice in a narrow vote Saturday Dr Christine Blasey Ford accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her while the two were in high school, prompting a week's delay in his confirmation to allow the FBI to conduct an investigation into the alleged incident. Kavanaugh has denied all allegations. Collins reviewed the results of the investigation, which included testimony from ten different witnesses but not from Ford or Kavanaugh on Friday. She subsequently voted to advance Kavanaugh's nomination and said that she will vote yes on Kavanaugh' during the full Senate's confirmation vote on Saturday. Recruiting efforts have now begun to ensure that Collins is defeated by whichever Democrat runs against her in the 2020 election campaign. In the day after Collins threw her support behind Kavanaugh, a crowd-sourced effort to finance her eventual 2020 opponent raised more than $1 million. The whopping sum brought the total amount raised to just about $3.2 million far more than Collins' last challenger spent in total in the 2014 midterm race. Major donors already pledged $1 million to an effort to register and educate voters in Maine ahead of the contest, organizers told the Huffington Post. More than 100,000 pledges were made as of Saturday afternoon, with around 30,000 of those coming in the previous 24 hours. Jesse Graham, the co-executive director of Maine People's Alliance said: 'We're in conversations with lots of major donors over the last couple of weeks'. 'They want to make sure that everyone who is upset by this vote is actually a registered voter by 2020, and that we have resources to make sure everyone in Maine remembers how Sen. Collins voted'. Jesse Graham (pictured) hopes his fundraising drive can ensure Collins is defeated by the opponent who runs against her in Maine in the 2020 election She won her last two Senate elections in 2008 and 2014, with more than 60 percent of the vote. She has a strong reputation for bipartisanship in her home state both because of her clashes with more right-wing Republicans like unpopular outgoing Governor Paul LePage, and her votes against Republican attempts to repeal Obamacare. But the big donors funding the effort think Collins' reputation as a bipartisan crowd-pleaser is overstated after her votes for Kavanaugh, Justice Neil Gorsuch and the GOP tax law. A major Democratic donor who is helping organize the effort said: 'There's this narrative out there about Collins being untouchable. 'And I think that's an outdated narrative, based on her running in an off year, in a pre-Trump era, against an underfunded candidate with no name ID'. The separate crowdfunding campaign crossed the $2 million mark while Collins was delivering her speech explaining her vote for Kavanaugh. There is already one announced challenger for Collins named Dr Cathleen London, a physician who announced her bid in July. Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon (pictured) announced she would consider a bid after November's election, saying Kavanaugh doesn't deserve a seat on the highest court in the land Dr Cathleen London (pictured) announced her candidacy for US Senate against Susan Collins But Democratic operatives in Maine named several other potential challengers including Democractic Congresswoman Chellie Pingree and her daughter, Hannah Pingree, a former speaker of the state House. Adam Cote, a lawyer and Iraq War veteran who finished second in this year's Democratic gubernatorial primary and Jared Golden, the Democratic nominee in Maine's rural 2nd District and a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars , were also touted as contenders. Two other potential candidates expressed interest Friday. Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon wrote on Facebook she would consider a bid after November's elections. 'Women both in Maine and across the country have raised our voices loud and clear,' Gideon wrote. 'Brett Kavanaugh should have no seat on the highest court in the land. Unfortunately, Senator Collins has chosen to vote against the interests of us all. Maine deserves a champion in the US Senate'. The crowdfunding project, which had an average donation of $28.40, was organized by the Maine People's Alliance, Mainers for Accountable Leadership and progressive activist Ady Barkan. The funds will sit in an escrow account until her opponent emerges, Barkan told the Huffington Post. Collins denounced the fundraising drive, saying she considered the 'quid pro quo fundraising to be the equivalent of an attempt to bribe me to vote against Judge Kavanaugh'. A Bulgarian television journalist was suffocated and beaten to death, prosecutors say, in a case which has sparked international condemnation. Viktoria Marinova, 30, was identified only by her initials after she was found in a park in the town of Ruse, northern Bulgaria yesterday, regional prosecutor Georgy Georgiev said. Mr Georgiev claimed the death was caused by blows on the head and suffocation, adding: 'Her mobile phone, car keys, glasses and part of her clothes were missing.' The body of Viktoria Marinova (pictured), 30, was found in a park in Ruse, Bulgaria yesterday The prosecutor added that authorities were probing all leads - both personal and linked to Marinova's job. Interior Minister Mladen Marinov later confirmed to journalists that the victim had also been raped. Prime Minister Boyko Borisov expressed hope that the investigation would succeed because of the 'work that has been done'. 'Thanks to the large amount of DNA material collected it is just a matter of time before the perpetrator will be found,' he said. Police sources said that the crime did not immediately appear linked to Ms Marinova's work A journalist is killed on average every week, according to figures compiled by RSF Police sources said that the crime did not immediately appear linked to her work. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's media freedom representative Harlem Desir condemned Marinova's killing on Twitter: 'Shocked by horrific murder of investigative journalist Victoria Marinova in #Bulgaria. Urgently call for a full and thorough investigation. Those responsible must be held to account.' Ms Marinova was an administrative director of Ruse's small private TVN television and had recently launched a new current events talk show called 'Detector'. Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov (pictured) said it was only 'a matter of time' before the perpetrator was found The first episode of the show on September 30 broadcast interviews with investigative journalists Dimitar Stoyanov from the Bivol.bg website and Attila Biro from the Romanian Rise Project, about an investigation of alleged fraud with EU funds linked to big businessmen and politicians. The pair were briefly detained by police, drawing condemnation from Reporters Without Borders (RSF). 'We are in shock. In no way, under any form, never have we received any threats - aimed at her or the television,' an anonymous journalist from TVN said, adding that he and his colleagues feared for their safety. In a statement on their Facebook page, Bivol.bg insisted for police protection of Marinova's colleagues. A journalist is killed on average every week around the world, according to figures compiled by RSF. Among the most high-profile recent cases were Malta's anti-corruption blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia who died in a car bombing outside her home in October 2017, and top Slovak reporter Jan Kuciak who was shot dead with his fiancee at their home in February. Bulgaria tumbled to 111th place in the annual RSF media freedom ranking in 2018 - the lowest among EU member states. Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia (pictured) died in a car bomb in October last year Widespread corruption, shady media ownership and suspected collusion between journalists, politicians, and oligarchs have made objective reporting a constant obstacle course, RSF said. According to the Bulgaria-based Association of European Journalists, reporters from small regional and local media are particularly subjected to pressure from local businessmen and politicians and outright threats, often leading to self-censorship. Violence against women has also been widespread in Bulgaria, with several brutal killings of women by their ex-boyfriends and ex-husbands causing an outcry in the media recently. A candlelight vigil in Marinova's memory is organised for Monday evening in Sofia. American DJ David Morales was arrested at an airport in Japan on Sunday on the charge of drug smuggling after a small quantity of ecstasy was found in his carry on luggage. Morales, 58, was detained Fukuoka airport and was scheduled to perform at an event in Tokyo on Sunday. Its unclear if the DJ was released in time to attend the event. 'He was arrested for allegedly violating the law on narcotics and psychotropics control,' a police spokesman told AFP. DJ David Morales (pictured) was arrested at an airport in Japan on suspicion of drug smuggling after a small quantity of ecstasy was found in his carry-on luggage Morales was arrested at Fukuoka Airport (pictured) on Saturday. He was scheduled to perform in Tokyo on Sunday Authorities said they found five granules of MDMA, weighing all of 0.3 grammes but the laws against drugs in Japan are extremely strict and can lead to jail sentences. Possession of ecstasy can carry a fine of up to $26,000 and a maximum jail sentence of up to seven years. The Sankei Shimbun newspaper reported that the DJ denied the allegation, saying: 'It's not mine. (Someone) might have tried to frame me.' Morales was an influential figure in the New York dance scene during the 1980s and 1990s. He has worked with a slew of enormous names in the music business including Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson and Eric Clapton. In 1996 he was nominated for a Grammy Award for producing Mariah's song Fantasy. In 1998 he won a Grammy for Remixer of the Year. In arguably Japan's most infamous music drug bust, Paul McCartney spent nine days in a Tokyo jail in 1980 after being caught at the airport with a bag of marijuana in his suitcase. White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway said women saw their husbands and sons in Brett Kavanaugh, which is why they defended his nomination to the Supreme Court. 'A lot of women, including me in America,' saw him as a victim of 'political character assassination,' she said Sunday on ABC's 'This Week.' She added: 'We looked up and saw in him possibly our husbands, our sons, our cousins, our co-workers, our brothers. And this was unfair.' Kellyanne Conway said women saw their husbands and sons in Brett Kavanaugh, which is why they defended his nomination to the Supreme Court Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Anthony Kennedy swears in Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court while his wife Ashley holds the bible and his daughters watch Kavanaugh's nomination divided women across the board, with some defending him and others protesting him. Both sides believe they can use his confirmation to rally women to the polls in the midterm election this November. Thousands of women - including actresses Alyssa Milano and Amy Schumer - protested his nomination and expressed their belief in Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who alleged Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed, groped her and covered her mouth when she screamed during a teenage party in the 1980s. Kavanaugh denied the allegation and many women defended him as innocent until proven guilty. But the protests got so bad on Capitol Hill key senators like Jeff Flake, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski had to receive police protection. And Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell took to the Senate floor to declare lawmakers wouldn't be 'intimidated' by them. In one of the more memorable moments, two women held open an elevator door and begged Flake to believe their stories and vote against Kavanaugh. It led to Flake's support for an FBI probe into the allegations, delaying the vote for a week. Ultimately Flake was a yes on Kavanaugh's confirmation. Trump claimed - without proof - the protestors were paid. 'The very rude elevator screamers are paid professionals only looking to make Senators look bad,' he tweeted on Friday. The protests went on right on up to Kavanaugh's swearing-in, which took place inside the Supreme Court on Saturday night as protestors screamed outside. Many women were careful as they defended Kavanaugh to say those also believed something happened to Ford but she named the wrong person. Republican Sen. Susan Collins, a key vote who's 'yes' helped put Kavanaugh on the bench said she believed Ford but did not think her attacker was Kavanaugh. 'I do not believe that Brett Kavanaugh was her assailant. I do believe she was assaulted, I don't know by whom, and I'm not certain when. But I do not believe he was the assailant,' Collins said on CNN on Sunday. Conway tweeted her congrats to Kavanaugh using the #metoo hashtage Trump claimed protestors were paid On Saturday night, after Kavanaugh was confirmed a close 50-48 vote in the Senate, Conway tweeted her congratulations using the #metoo hashtag usually used by those expressing their support for women who have been sexually assaulted. 'Congratulations to Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court Brett Kavanaugh, and to his family. Your refusal to quit amidst the bullying, harassment, insults and lies is a great lesson to our children. Millions of women are thrilled you are on the Court. #metoo,' Conway wrote, adding a photo of Kavanaugh and his two daughters. Actress Amy Schumer was among those arrested protesting Kavanaugh Alyssa Milano joined activists in protesting senators' offices When asked what Kavanaugh could do going forward, Conway said he should get to work. 'What Justice Kavanaugh should do is what he's done for 12 years on the second highest court in the land, having authored over 300 judicial opinions,' she said on ABC. 'He should go to work. He should do his job. He should look at the document. He should listen to the cases in front of him. He should read the briefs. And then he should apply the law, not make it up as he goes along,' she noted. Police in the Netherlands are seeking the owners of a tiny lion cub found abandoned in a cage in a field. The cub, estimated to be around four months old, was spotted by a jogger near the small village of Tienhoven, about six miles north of the city of Utrecht, on Sunday. The animal was taken for examination by a veterinarian, and then to the Lion Foundation in northern Netherlands, the NOS public broadcaster said. 'Today (Sunday) we received quite an extraordinary message: 'a witness has found a mini-lion in a cage in a pasture',' local police said on their Facebook page. Police in the Netherlands are seeking the owners of a tiny lion cub found abandoned in a cage 'When we arrived at the scene, we discovered a lion cub in a cage. It seems to have been abandoned.' Vet Peter Klaver said police initially asked him to sedate the animal. 'Its cage was not very sturdy and there was a chance that it could have escaped,' he told the RTL private broadcaster. 'But eventually that was not necessary and we managed to get the lion cub into my car, cage and all.' Klaver said he believed the cub was dumped because it was getting too big to handle. 'I've been all over the world to sedate animals, also lions and tigers. This is the first time something like this has happened to me,' the vet said. The cub, estimated to be around four months old, was spotted by a jogger near the small village of Tienhoven, about six miles north of the city of Utrecht, on Sunday Robert Kruijff, director of the Lion Foundation, said the cub was doing well and did not seem to be malnourished. 'We now have him in quarantine, and he needs a lot of rest,' Kruijff told the NOS, adding the animal was being held in isolation from other lines. 'A caregiver is giving him small pieces of meat,' said Kruijff, whose foundation mainly takes care of former circus animals. Local police and the Dutch food and goods watchdog appealed to the public for information leading to the lion cub's owners Meanwhile, local police and the Dutch food and goods watchdog appealed to the public for information leading to the lion cub's owners. 'If you know anybody who recently bought a lion cub, or know anything about this particular cub, please contact us immediately,' police said. Keeping an animal such as a lion as a pet is illegal in the Netherlands - and the maximum penalties for abusing or abandoning animals are high, including stiff fines or even jail terms. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell on Sunday slammed President Donald Trump, saying the United States has became 'me the president' instead of 'we the people.' 'My favorite three words in our Constitution is the first three words 'We the People.' 'We the People.' But recently it's become 'me the president,' as opposed to 'We the People.' And you see things that should not be happening,' he said on CNN's 'Fareed Zakaria GPS.' He also said he sees no way Trump can be a moral leader on the world stage. 'I don't know that he can do that because right now, that is not the way he is acting,' Powell said. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell slammed President Donald Trump, saying the United States has became 'me the president' instead of 'we the people.' Powell said there is no way President Trump can be a moral leader on the world stage Powell, who head the State Department under President George W. Bush, was harshly critical of Trump's immigration policies, his treatment of the press, and the way he insults people. He challenged Trump's 'Make America Great Again' slogan, arguing the United States has always been great. 'We are great now. We always have been great,' he said. 'And so I think what we really have to do is to start changing our mode of dealing with the rest of the world and try to get a system where we are calming down, stop insulting everybody, and see if we cannot reach out.' Powell also criticized Trump's attacks on media, who the president has dubbed the 'fake media' and 'the enemy of the press.' 'How can a president of the United States get up and say that the media is the enemy of Americans? Hasn't he read the First Amendment? You're not supposed to like everything the press says or what anyone says in the First Amendment,' Powell said. The retired Army general also blasted the way Trump insults people. 'And I hope the president can come to the realization that he should really stop insulting people. And I used this two years ago when I said I could not vote for him in the 2016 election and why? He insulted everybody,' Powell said. Trump's insults date back to the beginning of his 2016 presidential campaign, where he derided 'Crooked' Hillary Clinton and he has added on from there. He called his former FBI director 'lying' James Comey, labeled lawmaker Maxine Waters as 'crazy,' and called North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un 'rocket man.' Powell also had strong words from Trump's 'zero tolerance' immigration policy that separated children from their families who were illegally crossing at the border. 'The world is watching, and they cannot believe that we are doing things like separating mothers and children who were trying to get across the border from south of our border - immigrants,' Powell said. 'They can't believe that we're making such an effort to cease immigration coming into the country. It's what's kept us alive.' Nearly 3,000 children have been separated from their families since April as part of the administration's efforts to crack down on illegal immigration. Trump reversed his separate policy in June when it came under heavy criticism but 13,000 children remain in detention centers, The New York Times reported. Powell has not been a fan of Trump's. During September 2016, during the height of the presidential campaign, Powell's emails were hacked and it was revealed he called Trump a 'national disgrace' and an 'international pariah.' The student died at just 21 after taking the 'party drug' GBL while at university When I was headmaster at Brighton College, one of my students, Hester Stewart, stood out as particularly vivacious, engaged and bright. She had ambitions to be a surgeon but in 2009, while studying molecular medicine at Sussex University, she died after taking the party drug GBL. Hester was just 21, yet another in the long line of those who have fallen victim to the evils of drug-taking. Today the damage and deaths continue. At Brighton, and later at Wellington College, I made a strong stand against drug-taking. When I was headmaster at Brighton College, one of my students, Hester Stewart (above), stood out as particularly vivacious, engaged and bright So when I became a vice-chancellor three years ago, one of the first questions I asked was: Why cant we make Buckingham a drug-free campus? I was told by long-serving colleagues at other universities that I simply didnt understand the culture; drugs, like heavy-drinking nights, were a rite of passage for students at university. Any attempt to challenge that culture would be seen as an infringement on the right of students and an over-reaction. I was out of touch, a middle-aged school teacher in the bright world of higher education. Forget it, they said. I have, over the years, fought many battles. I once received a death threat from a pupil I expelled for drug-pushing, and when I introduced well-being lessons to the curriculum, I was mocked by some in the educational establishment and the media (now they are commonplace). But I had no desire to face down undermining comments Id attract by tackling the campus drugs issue. Instead I focused on improving student mental health and the quality of university teaching. The concerns would not go away, however, and the stories of drug-induced death, injury and psychological damage among students across the country have continued to haunt me. As many as half of all students have taken drugs. So when I became a vice-chancellor three years ago, one of the first questions I asked was: Why cant we make Buckingham a drug-free campus'? In despair, I wavered between one of two policy extremes: Following the practice of some boarding schools and expelling drug users, or managing an intractable problem the best we could by offering advice to students on how to take drugs safely. I didnt favour either option. I asked myself what kind of moral leadership we university leaders were providing in colluding in the mass consumption of illegal drugs on our premises? Where was the compassion, and care for vulnerable and often still young students living away from home for the first time, in letting the status quo blithely continue? It is often the less confident students who are sucked in by social pressure to start taking drugs, and the most vulnerable who suffer the worst psychological damage. Now, however, through talking to students at Buckingham, I believe we have found a different way a revolution from below if you like. Students tell us they no longer want to be part of a culture that tolerates the injection, inhalation or ingestion of toxic chemicals, the origin and potency of which are unknown. They have a point. We know these drugs can cause irreparable damage. Just this month, researchers at Montreal University reported that cannabis poses a far greater risk to the teenage brain than alcohol. Crucially, students dont want to see money from their peers going into a criminal activity that thrives by selling drugs and includes inveigling children to courier illegal substances, as the Mail has highlighted with its investigation of the county lines scandal. There is something admirable, and ironic, about students making this stand where one might have expected university leaders to show the way. There is something admirable, and ironic, about students making this stand where one might have expected university leaders to show the way. (Stock photo) Dominant student leaders decree what the culture is, a culture that has for too long tolerated drugs and excessive drinking that many students want no part of and which those from different religious backgrounds and cultures find hard to challenge. The middle way, which we are rolling out at Buckingham, aims to make the taking of illegal drugs as socially unacceptable as cigarette-smoking now is in public. We aim to do this not by focusing on expulsion this can lead to already marginalised students experiencing acute difficulties but by a compassionate policy of making it clear that drug-taking is totally unwelcome on campus. And we will actively support those students who are struggling. However, any students who dont respect our policy, who repeatedly use drugs or who deal drugs, will be asked to leave. Bunckingham is the first university to adopt positive psychology as our mental-health approach, which means we put the emphasis on giving students guidance and encouragement to lead physically and psychologically healthy lives. We already invite police and sniffer dogs on to campus to look for drugs to deter use. We promote healthy alternatives to show students they do not have to get wasted to have a good time. Ultimately, we are working towards a student-framed contract pledging to our values and no drug-taking. Old fashioned maybe. But never more needed. Fifteen years ago, most people would have said that you could never stamp out cigarette-smoking, yet we are close to doing exactly that. In 15 years, through this culture change driven by students, we will make drug-taking just as socially unacceptable. Moreover, we will look back and be utterly amazed that our top academic institutions tolerated for so long the taking of chemicals supplied by criminals. With cigarettes, initially we lacked the evidence that showed the harmful effects. On drugs, we already have the evidence. It is insane to let this continue. The tragedy is so many young lives have been destroyed while we were asleep to our responsibilities. Almost half a tonne of the party drug MDMA, or ecstasy, has been seized by police. The Australian Border Force together and the Australian Federal Police seized 496kgs of MDMA in Sydney on September 28. The MDMA was discovered hidden inside four industrial mincing machines in a shipping container that arrived in Port Botany from Turkey. Police later arrested three men during a series of raids. Pictures released by the police show more than 100 bags of white and brown powder laid out inside a warehouse Almost half a tonne of MDMA was seized by police in September (pictured) The Australian Border Force together with the Australian Federal Police seized 496kgs (pictured) of MDMA in Sydney AFP officers identified an overall of 248 packages within the four machines, with each package weighing about two kilograms. Further testing was conducted on the MDMA, which is estimated to have a street value of more than $57 million. A search warrant was executed by AFP and ABF officers on Saturday at a business address in Clyde, in Sydney's west, where they arrested a 27-year-old man. They also seized a mobile phone and a small amount of what they allege to be cocaine. Another search warrant was executed at a nearby business in the same area, where the four mincing machines were seized. A 24-year-old man and a 29-year-old man was arrested at this location. Three men, all aged in their 20s, were arrested following the police raids AFP Detective Superintendent Kirsty Schofield, Coordinator Organised Crime Sydney, said if the MDMA been pressed into pills, it could have made more than 1.7 million pills Further search warrants were executed in the Sydney suburbs of Guildford, Auburn and Elizabeth Hills on Sunday. AFP Detective Superintendent Kirsty Schofield, Coordinator Organised Crime Sydney, said if the MDMA been pressed into pills, it could have made more than 1.7 million pills. 'Had this drug seizure made its way to Australian streets, countless lives would have been affected,' she said. 'Seizures like this don't address the issues of demand and why people are willing to risk their lives by taking drugs without accurate knowledge of what they contain, but stopping almost half a tonne goes some way to reducing the harm these drugs can cause our communities'. The 27-year-old was charged with one count of importing and attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, namely MDMA. He was remanded in custody and is due to appear in court on October 17. Both the 24-year-old man and the 29-year-old man were charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, namely MDMA. They were remanded in custody and the 29-year-old will appear in court on October 11. The 24-year-old will appear in court on October 12. Further enquiries are ongoing into the syndicate responsible for this importation. A university is to ask students to agree contracts not to take drugs in its bid to become Britain's first 'drug-free campus'. Students at Buckingham University are being asked to start a 'revolution' in making drug-taking 'socially unacceptable' in higher education - but will still kick out those who flaunt the rules. Vice-chancellor Sir Anthony Seldon says it is 'insane' to allow drug-taking in universities to continue 'with half and more students taking them'. And he warns that education bosses are in danger of 'colluding in the mass consumption of illegal drugs on our premises'. Buckingham University will be asking students to agree contracts agreeing not to take drugs in its bid to become Britain's first 'drug-free campus' and start a 'revolution'. Pictured: Verney Park Campus at Buckingham University It comes as a top university was criticised last week for giving detailed advice on how to take drugs 'safely' on its website. Sheffield University, where a student died last year after taking ecstasy during a club night, offers a step-by-step guide online on taking specific substance through its student union. It tells students who take drugs with a needle not to 'inject alone' and gives instructions about crushing MDMA and how long to wait before 'considering redosing'. Writing for the Mail, Sir Anthony said: 'I began to ask myself what kind of moral leadership we university leaders were providing in colluding in the mass consumption of illegal drugs on our premises, with half and more students taking them? Vice-chancellor Sir Anthony Seldon (above) said it was 'insane' to allow drug-taking in universities to continue and warned that education bosses were in danger of 'colluding in the mass consumption of illegal drugs on our premises' 'Where was the compassion, and care for vulnerable and often still young students living away from home for the first time, in letting the status quo blithely continue? 'We aim to do this not by focusing on expulsion - this can lead to already marginalised students experiencing acute difficulties in their lives - but by a compassionate policy of making it clear that drug-taking is totally unwelcome on campus. 'And we will actively support those students who are struggling. The university already allows police and sniffer-dogs on campus to deter use, but now hopes its 'compassionate policy' and support for those who want to stop using will lead to a culture change. (Stock photo) 'However, any students who don't respect our policy, who repeatedly use drugs or who deal drugs, will[ital] be asked to leave.' Buckingham University already allows the police and sniffer-dogs on campus to deter use, but the university hopes its 'compassionate policy' and support for those who want to stop using will lead to a culture change. 'We are working towards a student-framed contract pledging to our values and no drug taking. Old fashioned maybe. But never more needed,' Sir Anthony said. Students will be asked to leave if they continue to take drugs on the 3,000-strong campus after agreeing the contract, with Sir Anthony preferring to 'support' those who use substances but willing to resort to drastic measures. He added: 'We aim to do this not by focusing on expulsion - this can lead to already marginalised students experiencing acute difficulties in their lives - but by a compassionate policy of making it clear that drug-taking is totally unwelcome on campus. Sir Anthony said he would prefer to 'support' those who use substances but willing to resort to drastic measures 'And we will actively support those students who are struggling. However, any students who don't respect our policy, who repeatedly use drugs or who deal drugs, will be asked to leave.' A report published this year revealed that the number of UK students disciplined for drug-use has risen by 42 per cent since 2015. More than 1,300 students were disciplined for drugs by British universities in the 2016-17 academic year - a 42 per cent rise on 2014-15. Most involved smoking cannabis, but increasing numbers involved hard drugs or dealing. Earlier this year the NUS urged universities to stop reporting students found in possession of drugs to the police. A report showed that in 2016-2017, of the 2,067 cases of student drug possession recorded across the country, 531 were reported to police and 21 were permanently excluded from university. It urged universities to play a more supportive role in dealing with the issue, arguing that mental health could play a part in some students' decision to take drugs. The NUS also argued the use of sniffer dogs and searches on campus were 'Incredibly invasive and intimidating' and could cause high anxiety levels, after it emerged one in 10 of those who had used drugs said they had been searched on campus. Countless more studies have shown that the use of illegal drugs is not without consequence. Hospital admissions of 18 to 25-year olds for mental illness involving cocaine have risen by 74 per cent since 2014, with more than 2,200 cases last year, while admissions involving young people and cannabinoids are also up 11 per cent, to just under 8,000. Vice chancellor Sir Anthony Seldon: Tragic death of bright student Hester, 21, shows why we must drive 'party drugs' from our universities When I was headmaster at Brighton College, one of my students, Hester Stewart, stood out as particularly vivacious, engaged and bright. She had ambitions to be a surgeon but in 2009, while studying molecular medicine at Sussex University, she died after taking the party drug GBL. Hester was just 21, yet another in the long line of those who have fallen victim to the evils of drug-taking. Today the damage and deaths continue. At Brighton, and later at Wellington College, I made a strong stand against drug-taking. When I was headmaster at Brighton College, one of my students, Hester Stewart (above), stood out as particularly vivacious, engaged and bright So when I became a vice-chancellor three years ago, one of the first questions I asked was: Why cant we make Buckingham a drug-free campus? I was told by long-serving colleagues at other universities that I simply didnt understand the culture; drugs, like heavy-drinking nights, were a rite of passage for students at university. Any attempt to challenge that culture would be seen as an infringement on the right of students and an over-reaction. I was out of touch, a middle-aged school teacher in the bright world of higher education. Forget it, they said. I have, over the years, fought many battles. I once received a death threat from a pupil I expelled for drug-pushing, and when I introduced well-being lessons to the curriculum, I was mocked by some in the educational establishment and the media (now they are commonplace). But I had no desire to face down undermining comments Id attract by tackling the campus drugs issue. Instead I focused on improving student mental health and the quality of university teaching. The concerns would not go away, however, and the stories of drug-induced death, injury and psychological damage among students across the country have continued to haunt me. As many as half of all students have taken drugs. So when I became a vice-chancellor three years ago, one of the first questions I asked was: Why cant we make Buckingham a drug-free campus? (Stock photo) In despair, I wavered between one of two policy extremes: Following the practice of some boarding schools and expelling drug users, or managing an intractable problem the best we could by offering advice to students on how to take drugs safely. I didnt favour either option. I asked myself what kind of moral leadership we university leaders were providing in colluding in the mass consumption of illegal drugs on our premises? Where was the compassion, and care for vulnerable and often still young students living away from home for the first time, in letting the status quo blithely continue? It is often the less confident students who are sucked in by social pressure to start taking drugs, and the most vulnerable who suffer the worst psychological damage. Now, however, through talking to students at Buckingham, I believe we have found a different way a revolution from below if you like. Students tell us they no longer want to be part of a culture that tolerates the injection, inhalation or ingestion of toxic chemicals, the origin and potency of which are unknown. They have a point. We know these drugs can cause irreparable damage. Just this month, researchers at Montreal University reported that cannabis poses a far greater risk to the teenage brain than alcohol. Crucially, students dont want to see money from their peers going into a criminal activity that thrives by selling drugs and includes inveigling children to courier illegal substances, as the Mail has highlighted with its investigation of the county lines scandal. There is something admirable, and ironic, about students making this stand where one might have expected university leaders to show the way. Dominant student leaders decree what the culture is, a culture that has for too long tolerated drugs and excessive drinking that many students want no part of and which those from different religious backgrounds and cultures find hard to challenge. The middle way, which we are rolling out at Buckingham, aims to make the taking of illegal drugs as socially unacceptable as cigarette-smoking now is in public. We aim to do this not by focusing on expulsion this can lead to already marginalised students experiencing acute difficulties but by a compassionate policy of making it clear that drug-taking is totally unwelcome on campus. And we will actively support those students who are struggling. However, any students who dont respect our policy, who repeatedly use drugs or who deal drugs, will be asked to leave. Bunckingham is the first university to adopt positive psychology as our mental-health approach, which means we put the emphasis on giving students guidance and encouragement to lead physically and psychologically healthy lives. We already invite police and sniffer dogs on to campus to look for drugs to deter use. We promote healthy alternatives to show students they do not have to get wasted to have a good time. Ultimately, we are working towards a student-framed contract pledging to our values and no drug-taking. Old fashioned maybe. But never more needed. Fifteen years ago, most people would have said that you could never stamp out cigarette-smoking, yet we are close to doing exactly that. In 15 years, through this culture change driven by students, we will make drug-taking just as socially unacceptable. Moreover, we will look back and be utterly amazed that our top academic institutions tolerated for so long the taking of chemicals supplied by criminals. With cigarettes, initially we lacked the evidence that showed the harmful effects. On drugs, we already have the evidence. It is insane to let this continue. The tragedy is so many young lives have been destroyed while we were asleep to our responsibilities. A male refugee who allegedly raped his stepdaughter for about a decade will have his genitals photographed at the request of police, to be used as evidence. A Wollongong magistrate granted the request after a court hearing on Friday. The girl, who is now in her late teens, said the man has a distinctive mark on the tip of his penis. The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, also allegedly has a scar on his penis from a vasectomy between 2015 and 2016, the Illawarra Mercury reported. The alleged rape began when the girl's mother separated from her step father, leaving her daughter and son at the northern Illawarra home (stock image) The girl was allegedly asked to photograph his penis at the time as he was concerned about how it was healing. The alleged offending, which began almost 10 years ago when the girl was aged between eight and 16 years, included violent and degrading sexual acts. The girl was allegedly at one point held hostage in their northern Illawarra home by the man who changed his name multiple times in the past 20 years. The alleged rape and molestation spanned about 10 years after the girls mothers relationship with the man ended, a court heard. The mothers relationship with the man began when the girl was two-years-old, a court heard. When the pair separated six years later and the mother left the home, her daughter and son were left behind. A refugee man who allegedly raped his stepdaughter for about a decade will have his genitals photographed at the request of police The girl said she was once left with bruises on her neck, which she had to cover with a scarf, after he allegedly strangled her during an argument. The man has been refused bail as magistrate Peter Thompson had concerns he may not show up to court. The case was adjourned to December 12. More than one in three girls has been sexually harassed while wearing school uniform, a survey has found. Childrens charity Plan International UK polled 1,004 girls aged 14 to 21 and 35 per cent reported being groped, stared at, catcalled or wolf-whistled while wearing their uniform in public. One in seven girls was followed while in uniform, and 8 per cent say they have been filmed or photographed by a stranger without their permission or that someone has tried to take a photo up their school skirt. Childrens charity Plan International UK polled 1,004 girls aged 14 to 21 and 35 per cent reported being groped, stared at, catcalled or wolf-whistled One in seven girls was followed while in uniform, and 8 per cent say they have been filmed or photographed by a stranger without their permission or that someone has tried to take a photo up their school skirt One in eight say they were aged 12 or younger when they first experienced unwanted sexual attention. The findings are contained a report on street harassment in the UK. Tanya Barron of Plan International UK said: Its simply not acceptable that girls as young as 12 are being wolf-whistled, touched against their will, stared at or followed. This disgraceful behaviour needs to be called out and stopped. Just a day after Justice Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in as a member of the US Supreme Court, there has been speculation that his first vote could revolve around a Trump administration request to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. According to Politico, Kavanaugh's first vote could come as soon as Tuesday or Wednesday. And that vote may involve deciding how much power courts should hold over top executive branch officials. Last week, the Supreme Court declined to step in to stop officials, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore, from having to sit for depositions about the Trump administrations decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. In a one-sentence order, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg denied the request to stay a lower court's ruling that allowed for the deposition of Ross and Gore while a federal appeals court in New York reviews the dispute. Just a day after Justice Brett Kavanaugh (center, in July) was sworn in as a member of the US Supreme Court, there has been speculation that his first vote could revolve around a Trump administration request to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census But Ginsburg said the government could request the Supreme Court's intervention after the appeals court rules and 'before the depositions in question are taken'. US District Judge Jesse Furman in Manhattan ruled on September 21 that Ross, whose department oversees the Census Bureau, must face a deposition because his 'intent and credibility are directly at issue' in the litigation. The lawsuit, which includes 18 states and a number of cities and counties, was spearheaded by Democratic officials. The US Constitution mandates a census every 10 years, which is used to allocate seats in Congress and state legislatures and distribute billions of dollars in federal funds. Critics of adding a citizenship question to the census have said it will deter people in immigrant communities from participating in the census, disproportionately affecting Democratic-leaning states. The Justice Department told the Supreme Court that the states should not be allowed to probe Ross's 'mental state' over the citizenship question, saying that compelling testimony from high-ranking officials is rarely justified. Despite Ginsburg's rebuff, the Justice Department attorneys have indicated they plan to return to the Supreme Court with another emergency stay application within days unless they get full relief from lower courts, according to Politico. The department's lawyers argue the deposition constitutes an unwarranted intrusion into executive authority and could prove distracting to senior officials with important duties. Kavanaugh's first vote could come as soon as Tuesday or Wednesday. He was sworn in late on Saturday despite allegations of sexual misconduct. Hundreds demonstrated against the confirmation of Kavanaugh outside the US Capitol Kavanaugh is expected to take the bench for the first time at the Supreme Court on Tuesday. The justices will hear arguments in three criminal cases relating to the application of three-strikes-and-youre-out provisions in federal law. He will not have to immediately cast any public votes in the cases being argued. Kavanaugh was sworn in late on Saturday despite allegations of sexual misconduct. He was narrowly confirmed in a 50-48 Senate vote but with questions raised from Democrats and liberal groups as to whether he will be a partisan justice. Some Democrats in the House of Representatives have indicated Kavanaugh could face investigations or even potential impeachment if they win majorities in the House and possibly the Senate. Trump (pictured on Saturday) said the public protests against Kavanaugh were the work of 'an angry left-wing mob' But Senators Chris Coons and Mazie Hirono distanced themselves from those demands, saying they are concentrating on the November 6 congressional elections. 'I think thats premature,' Coons said of impeachment talk on NBC's Meet the Press. 'Frankly we are just less than a month away from an election. Folks who feel very strongly one way or other about the issues in front of us should get out and vote and participate.' Democrats are hopeful of winning control of the House but the Senate is a long shot. Republicans say that anger on the right at the way Democrats treated Kavanaugh may have energized their voters as well. Trump said the public protests against Kavanaugh were the work of 'an angry left-wing mob' and has urged his supporters to vote in November. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Saturday that 'nothing unifies Republicans like a court fight'. With both parties focusing on the confirmation battle, it is unclear who will capitalize on it most effectively in the elections. Samuel Chase in 1804 was the only justice to be impeached by the House. He was aquitted by the Senate the following year. Kavanaugh fought back against the accusations with a blistering partisan attack at a September 27 Senate hearing on Christine Blasey Ford's allegation that he had sexually assaulted her when they were in high school. Kellyanne Conway, a senior White House adviser, said on ABC's This Week that the focus should turn from Kavanaugh's combative testimony and toward his 12 years as a respected appeals court judge in Washington. 'The Supreme Court, thank God, is a sacrosanct institution that can withstand much,' Conway said. Kavanaugh's confirmation means the nine-justice court now has a solid 5-4 conservative majority that is likely to move the court further to the right as it rules on contentious issues such as abortion, immigration, transgender rights, industry regulation and presidential powers. She's known for her outspoken attitude and not holding back as an X Factor judge. But now Ayda Field's 'constant swearing' has reportedly lead mogul Simon Cowell to decide to delay X Factor broadcasts to stop them breaching watershed rules. Simon, 58, told the Mirror 'With huge efforts being made by production to rein in Ayda's swearing, she still reckons she will have to make a 'public apology'. Potty mouth: Ayda Field's 'constant swearing' has reportedly lead mogul Simon Cowell to decide to delay X Factor broadcasts to stop them breaching watershed rules The US actress, 39, who joined the series this year with husband Robbie Williams and former One Direction star Louis Tomlinson blamed her beau, who she described as 'a rough man from the north' for her potty mouth. MailOnline has contacted X Factor's reps for comment. 'The live shows Simon can't edit and I'm very excited about that. There will be chaos because Rob doesn't have a filter and I swear a lot' she said. 'That's only because I live with Rob, he's given me a sailor's mouth. When I met Rob I was a respectable woman, 12 years down the line, it's bleeping this, bleeping that and see you next Tuesday. Cautious: Simon, 58, told the Mirror 'With huge efforts being made by production to rein in Ayda's swearing, she still reckons she will have to make a 'public apology' 'A lot of the words I don't know are bad words'. In June, the mother-of-three was forced to apologise twice after cursing on ITV daytime show Loose Women. She said both 'p****** it down' and 'b*******'. Leaping to the defence of his wife, Angels hitmaker Robbie, 44, said: 'That's the thing about my wife she doesn't know that a lot of the things she's saying are English swear words because she lives with me.' The loved up couple welcomed their newborn daughter Coco via surrogate last month. The former Take That star, 44, said theres no jealousy between the siblings, 'just lots of love.' Rather than panicking over noises disturbing the newborn, he said: 'On the third one, you know, the kids are fighting, the TV's on and baby stays asleep and I think because we're more chilled, she's more chilled.' Rough man from the north: Ayda, 39, blamed her husband Robbie, 44, for her swearing And when asked how his other children have adapted to having a newborn around, he revealed: 'The kids, theres no jealousy, theres just lots of love.' Ayda and Robbie, who have been married since 2010, are also parents to Theodora 'Teddy' Rose, six, and Charlton 'Charlie' Valentine, who turns four on October 27. When asked about what his two older children think of baby Coco, Robbie revealed: 'Teddy wants to feed her all the time and cuddle her all the time, and we keep waiting for her to be a nightmare, but so far she hasn't done anything other than sleep, drink and occasionally smile and then get confused about what shes doing.' Robbie Williams has quit social media following backlash from trolls because the impact can leave him feeling low. The pop icon, 44, decided to take a step back from the likes of Twitter after revealing that the 'hate' he receives from users can really affect his mental health. Since quitting the online platform Robbie's team have taken over his tweeting duties while he fulfils his current judging role on the X Factor, reports the Sun. Quitting: Robbie Williams has quit social media following backlash from trolls because the impact can leave him feeling low He said: 'I've had to take myself off social media reading Twitter and stuff. 'The love is massive but the hate can make you feel like the world is crashing in. 'If there's more than half the country that hate me, that's 50million people. Robbie, who previously battled anxiety and depression, said that it's a lot of people and can feed into your psyche and make you feel bad. Emotionally affected: The pop icon, 44, decided to take a step back from the likes of Twitter after revealing that the 'hate' he receives from users can really affect his mental health He said that he could react negatively to criticism from viewers, although you can try and understand the comments it is hard to tell your feelings that. Admitting that it does hurt, however he added that despite his concerns he is loving the job and thinks they're doing it well. He has previously been candid about his addictions to drinks, drugs and prescription medicine in the past, claiming that the perils of fame left him thinking that the could could 'kill him'. Speaking to The Sunday Times Magazine, the British hitmaker frankly discussed his struggles with being in the spotlight - admitting that it was 'bad for his health' and touched upon his battle with depression. Taking over: Since quitting the online platform Robbie's team have taken over his tweeting duties while he fulfils his current judging role on the X Factor, reports the Sun (pictured with his wife Ayda Field in July 2018) Robbie, who is married to Ayda Field, revealed: 'This job is really bad for my health. Its going to kill me. Unless I view it in a different way.' '[Depression] sprints through my family. I dont know if Id be this mentally ill without fame. I dont think it would be as gross or as powerful if it hadnt have been for fame,' the Angel hit-maker, who is currently touring Australia, continued. Honestly speaking about his experiences, Robbie revealed: 'You get a magnifying glass in the shape of the worlds attention and your defects will obviously magnify too.' In 2016, he also came clean with his battle with his demons as he appeared on ITV's Loose Women. Turning it around: The musician described how wife Ayda - turned around his life before he broke down over a video of his daughter singing a song he wrote about his children The musician described how wife Ayda - turned around his life before he broke down over a video of his daughter singing a song he wrote about his children. '[Depression and anxiety] didn't exist when I was battling it - thankfully we're in brand new times now and it's talked about - it's not "poopooed" any more. I felt more and more isolated because I was told to just get on with it.' The musician admitted that he's still plagued by the insecurities that he battled during his time in Take That but he will always be open with his children about his personal struggles. Battle: The musician admitted that he's still plagued by the insecurities that he battled during his time in Take That but he will always be open with his children about his personal struggles 'I didn't know what was going on, I didn't know there was something going on and something to say. 'You don't know to label it as anxiety and depression and I went on the roller coaster ride of drugs and drink. 'My hedonism was way too much for this planet and I wanted to stay here so I had to say something. 'I went to rehab a couple of times and done a lot of therapy and me masking or meditating it led to a lot of bad things. I nearly was no longer here.' Asked whether he could do any drugs safely, he told the Radio Times last year: Yep! Im not searching to do anything. But I definitely cant drink. I definitely cant do coke. I cant do ecstasy. And I dont fancy heroin.' Love Island star Megan Barton Hanson was showing off her amazing pins on Saturday as she led the stars attending the CoppaFeel! Festifeel in London's House Of Vans. The 24-year-old Essex beauty looked chic in a stylish frock as she supported the breast cancer charity along with numerous other stars, including newly wed Candice Brown. The Bake Off winner was seen at the launch just weeks after tying the knot to Liam Macaulay, rocking a campaign t-shirt with a pretty pink midi skirt. Stylish: Love Island star Megan Barton Hanson was showing off her amazing pins on Saturday as she joined Candice Brown for the CoppaFeel! Festifeel in London's House Of Vans Megan was certainly dressed to impress as she attended the star-studded event, showing off her pins in a black silky shirt dress with heeled lace-up boots. The TV personality - who is still dating her villa beau Wes Nelson - had her blonde hair in loose voluminous curls, and accentuated her flawless complexion with a dramatic smoky eye and nude lip. Showing her support for the charity - which encourages women to get to know their breasts by checking them regularly - Megan also posed with some hilarious props which focused in on her ample bust. Gorgeous: The 24-year-old Essex beauty looked chic in a stylish frock as she supported the breast cancer charity Lovely: Megan looked nothing short of chic in a silky black shirt dress with a belt accentuated at the waist Energetic: The gorgeous star also posed with numerous props to express her support for the cause - which encourages women to check their breasts regularly Also seen at the event was Bake Off champion Candice Brown, who put on an animated display as she arrived ahead of the bash. The 33-year-old TV star put on a casual display in a commemorative charity t-shirt and pretty heart-printed midi skirt, which she teamed with black platform wedges. Styling her glossy brunette tresses into a side-swept look, Candice showed off her signature plum lip with classic eye makeup. Gorgeous: Also seen at the event was Bake Off champion Candice Brown, who put on an animated display as she arrived ahead of the bash Looking good: The 33-year-old TV star put on a casual display in a commemorative charity t-shirt and pretty heart-printed midi skirt, which she teamed with black platform wedges Girls night out: Fellow Love Island star Laura Crane was rocking an ab-flashing black crop top and orange flared trousers Pals: She was seen rubbing shoulders with villa-mate Samira Mighty, who is back on the market following her split from Frankie Foster Gorgeous girl: Samira was also showing off her abs in a red crop top and dramatic black flared trousers Candice's outing came after she confirmed last week that she had tied the knot with long-term boyfriend Liam. Taking to Twitter she wrote: 'Got married, didn't we?' She later returned to the micro-blogging site to state: 'The congratulations & love we have received is incredible! Thank you so much for all your kind words!' 'Candice completely took my breath away,' Scottish-born Liam, who cut a dapper figure in a bespoke Siobhan Mackenzie kilt in his familys tartan, gushed in an interview with this week's HELLO! magazine. Sporty chic: Gabby Allen was showcasing her eccentric sense of style in a 90s-look block coloured jacket and tight orange skirt Close friends: Gabby was seen at the event with TV presenter Fearne Cotton, who is a regular supporter of the charity Sensational: Fearne made a bold statement in a t-shirt covered in an array of drawings of breasts, which had been specially designed to be sold at the event Vixen: Kat Shoob went for a classic black turtleneck minidress with a crocodile skin clutch Candice said: 'We have always said we work better together than we do apart. Being able to say we are now husband and wife is such a lovely thing.' Clearly relishing her new married status, Candice also shared a picture of her husband in walking down a street in France. She captioned the image: 'Just my husband walking down a cobbled street in beautiful Beaune #husbandandwife #willnevergetboring.' Candice celebrated her hen do less than two weeks ago, posting pictures of herself celebrating while wearing a mock bridal veil. Casual: Showing her support for the cause, Angela Scanlon teamed the event's t-shirt with high waisted jeans and boots Low-key: The TV presenter had her gorgeous red tresses on full display for the outing Close: She was also seen rubbing shoulders with the charity's supporter Fearne Looking good: Laura caught the eye as she left Mahiki Kensington later that night Three's company: Samira, Megan and Laura were in high sirits as they prepared for the journey home Striking: Megan flashed her legs as she greeted onlookers following her latest night out He has faced backlash after posting controversial messages onto social media this last week. But it doesn't seem like Kanye West will be making a stir on Twitter or Instagram any time soon, as he has once again deleted his profiles. The 41-year-old rapper removed his online presence on Saturday at around 1:45 PM Pacific Time. Disappeared: It doesn't seem like Kanye West will be making a stir on Twitter or Instagram any time soon, as he has once again deleted his profiles (Pictured here in September 2018) The Yeezus creator's disappearance from social media followed his Sunday tweet where he stated the 13th amendment should be abolished. He later clarified his post, saying it should be amended. Kanye also received a lot of social media backlash after he donned a 'Make America Great Again' hat on Saturday Night Live. Where'd you go: The 41-year-old rapper removed his online presence on Saturday at around 1:45 PM Pacific Time Gone: The Yeezus creator's disappearance from social media followed his Sunday tweet where he stated the 13th amendment should be abolished This isn't the first time the husband of Kim Kardashian has removed himself from social media. In May of 2017, he deleted his accounts and stayed off for 11 months, only returning in April of this year ahead of his newest album's release. The My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy rapper made no announcement prior to the deletion of his accounts. Seen it before: This isn't the first time the husband of Kim Kardashian has removed himself from social media (Pictured here in August 2018) There is plenty of speculation surrounding Kanye's choice to remove himself from social media, but the answer may be as simple as he doesn't want any distractions. The rapper recently revealed that he would be heading to Africa to finish up work on his forthcoming album, Yandhi. The record is due out November 23 and features an array of guest artists, including Ty Dolla Sign, 070 Shake, 6ix9ine, Kid Cudi, Young Thug, Rihanna, and posthumous vocals from XXXTentacion. On Friday, she clapped back at a fan who accused her of 'never' working. And later, an unrepentant Kourtney Kardashian posted a new photo to Instagram of herself relaxing poolside in a bikini. The 39-year-old reality TV star was joined by supermodel sister Kendall Jenner for the laid-back snap. Sorry not sorry: After being called lazy, an unrepentant Kourtney Kardashian, 39, posted a new photo to Instagram of herself relaxing poolside in a bikini The mother-of-three showed off her impeccable physique in a black string bikini while sitting on the edge of the pool with her raven tresses slicked back. Her half-sister wore her own skimpy swimwear, although she covered her own dark hair with a straw hat. Kourtney snapped back at a fan on Friday, as Instagram gossip account The Shade Room documented. The reality star listed her professional responsibilities to one person who claimed 'you never work,' and quoted the Bible at another who attacked her parenting. Perfect: The mother-of-three showed off her impeccable physique in a black string bikini while sitting on the edge of the pool with her raven tresses slicked back. Seen here with Kendall Jenner First volley: When Kourtney Kardashian posted an Instagram album of bikini snaps Friday, commenters attacked her as a layabout who entrusts her children 'to your nanny' This whole fracas began when Kourtney posted an album of bikini snaps to Instagram, writing in the caption that 'sometimes you need a day away.' When one Instagram user commented: 'But sis you never work lmao,' the elder sister of sex tape icon Kim Kardashian decided not to take it lying down. 'Let me respond to you with all the time I haveoh wait, my attorney's on the other line to discuss 6 business deals, I have a camera in my face filming season SIXTEEN of KeepingUpWithTheKardashians (you may have heard of it) and I'm raising my three amazing childrenGod bless you and your worry about me,' Kourtney replied. Hitting back: The reality star listed her professional responsibilities to one person who claimed 'you never work,' and quoted the Bible at another who attacked her parenting Fire with fire: But Kourtney was clearly fed up with it and snapped back Friday, as Instagram gossip account The Shade Room documented Another Instagram user, one who has the beginning of the Lord's Prayer as her bio in her profile, commented: 'Yeah give the kids to your nanny'. Kourtney responded: 'Or with their father. Since you like Bible verses: Matthew 7:1-2,' then quoted the passage as it appears in the New International Version. '1 'Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.' The eldest child of momager Kris Jenner and late O.J. Simpson lawyer Robert Kardashian has been seen attending the celeb-flypaper megachurch Hillsong. Kourtney had her children - Mason, eight, Penelope, six, and Reign, three - with her ex Scott Disick, 35, who is now with Lionel Richie's 20-year-old daughter Sofia. On the currently airing season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kim famously dismissed Kourtney as 'the least exciting to look at' in the family. She's been at the centre of controversy since her ex-boyfriend Grant Kemp accused her of cheating on him earlier this year. Now, Ali Oetjen, 32, has shared a glimpse of her gratitude journal, which reveals she is 'thankful for inspiring others'. On Sunday, the blonde bombshell took to Instagram Story to share a penned entry from the diary dated October 7. Scroll down to video 'I'm thankful for inspiring others': Bachelorette Ali Oetjen shares a glimpse of her gratitude journal... after she was accused of having sex with her ex-fiance's brother 'I'm grateful for my ability to always try and understand others and what they're feeling. My soul for always being true and remaining connected,' she wrote. Ali, who has so far appeared on the first season of The Bachelor and spin-off series Bachelor in Paradise, then touched on inspiring others. 'My spirit flying free, floating, balanced and allowing me to inspire others,' she noted. 'Another person from so far away is looking up at the same sight': Ali also dropped a hint that she might have found a suitor in the poetic diary entry, which was shared on Sunday Ending the entry, Ali appeared to hint that she's found love. 'Looking up at the sun, moon, clouds stars trips my mind that another person from so far away is looking up at the same sight.' The Bachelorette will premiere this week on October 10. 'She accidentally confessed to me': Grant Kemp (right) made a shocking claim that his ex-girlfriend Ali (left) had sex with a man then got engaged to his brother It comes after Ali was hit with more shock claims, after her former boyfriend Grant Kemp claimed she once confessed to sleeping with her ex-fiance's brother prior to getting engaged. On Thursday, Grant told Who magazine that Ali, who got engaged in 2015 to a former flame, told him about the situation while they were still dating. '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. '[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]': Grant Kemp told Who magazine. Ali is pictured here in the Bachelorette trailer '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?'' 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.' '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 ex Grant Kemp 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. 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. 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 '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.' 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 They renewed their vows during a large ceremony in Greece, 10 months after getting married on live television. And after stunning in gorgeous white dress on the altar Saturday, Maria Menounos changed into a intricate yellow frock. The 40-year-old glowed in the astonishing second garment as she celebrated with her husband Keven Undergaro, 50. Details: after stunning in gorgeous white dress on the altar Saturday, Maria Menounos changed into a intricate yellow frock The knee-length dress was covered in flowers and petals burst across fine sheer material. She added a couple inches with gem-encrusted black heels and her blonde locks were tied into a leaf-covered braid. The One Tree Hill alum took part in the traditional plate smashing, tossing the plaster dishes onto the floor in front of her. Gorgeous: The 40-year-old glowed in the asstonishing second garment as she celebrated with her husband Keven Undergaro, 50 Smashing: The knee-length dress was covered in flowers and petals burst across fine sheer material Kevin remained in his black and white suit, but relaxed a little by removing his bowtie and jacket. After smashing the plates, the couple swept up the shards together and even stopped for a quick smooch during the process. The reception followed the couple renewing their vows in Akovos, Greece, in a fairytale ceremony organised by Maria's father - who had missed out on the first celebration. Smooching: She added a couple inches with gem-encrusted black heels and her blonde locks were tied into a leaf-covered braid Tradition: The One Tree Hill alum took part in the traditional plate smashing, tossing the plaster dishes onto the floor in front of her Sweeping up: Kevin remained in his black and white suit, but relaxed a little by removing his bowtie and jacket They exchanged vows surrounded by friends and family, nearly 10 months after they first wed in December 2017. The TV personality wore an off-the-shoulder dress by designer Celia Kritharioti, featuring hand-pained white flowers, and a matching 10-foot lace veil. The designer wrote on Instagram: 'Maria is wearing Celia Kritharioti off the shoulder wedding creation made from silk organza with hand-painted flowers and veil made from silk tulle.' Celebration: After smashing the plates, the couple swept up the shards together and even stopped for a quick smooch during the process Fairytale: The reception followed the couple renewing their vows in Akovos, Greece, in a fairytale ceremony organised by Maria's father - who had missed out on the first celebration Before her nuptials, Maria took a moment to post on social media about her feelings. 'I've been planning this for maybe a month but really been planning this for a long time in my heart because I always wanted to return to Greece and do our wedding here. Greece means so much to us and our village and our roots and im so beyond thankful to all of our friends who put this together.' And she continued: 'Honestly, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. 'I have the best husband, I have the best family, nothing is without its problems and nothings perfect but I am so blessed and so so happy today that we get to do this amazing wedding in this beautiful village that I want to move to although I think Keven may divorce me and that would kind of suck.' They're rapidly becoming one of the most featured families in the world of showbiz. And the Thomas brothers might get one step closer to the spotlight as they are reportedly in talks to get their own reality show, according to the Daily Star Sunday. Celebrity Big Brother winner Ryan, 34, and his twin brothers Scott and Adam, 30, are said to be in talks with a production company over a fly-on-the-wall show featuring the family and the actor's TOWIE star girlfriend Lucy Mecklenburgh, 27. Reality veterans: CBB winner Ryan, 34, and his twin brothers Scott and Adam, 30, are said to be in talks with a production company over a fly-on-the-wall show featuring the family Brothers in arms: The Thomas brothers might get one step closer to the spotlight as they are reportedly in talks to get their own reality show It's in the Thomas blood to chase the spotlight, with Ryan Thomas appearing on Coronation Street for 16 years followed by stints on Aussie soap Neighbours and Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls followed by winning performance on Celebrity Big Brother this year. Meanwhile, younger brothers Scott and Adam have both sought fame on reality TV. Adam starred in Emmerdale and Waterloo Road before placing third on the 2016 Series of I'm A Celeb!. Likewise, Scott gained celebrity after winning during an explosive appearance on the second series of Love Island where he placed third with now ex-girlfriend with Kady McDermott. Reunited: The three brothers (left to right: Adam, Ryan and Scott) have endured a whirlwind few weeks since Ryan won CBB The Manchester-born brothers are thought to be hot stock with TV producers with a source telling the Daily Star Sunday they've been in talks since Ryan left the CBB house. They added: 'All three are keen and there's a lot of money on the table, so it's looking promising' 'The production company hope to start filming before Christmas to capture the Thomas family fun and drama over the festive season. 'If it goes ahead, the show will follow all three of them, their partners , friends and family.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for the brothers for comment. The brothers have endured a whirlwind few months since eldest of the three Ryan emerged victorious after a dramatic season of Celebrity Big Brother. Ryan's time in the house was marred with controversy after his co-star Roxanne Pallett caused ructions when she accused him of 'repeatedly and deliberately punching' her - however she later quit the show and admitted she was wrong. During a TV appearance after he left the house, the Coronation Street star was grilled over whether he would meet up with Roxanne for 'a cup of tea' to hash out their issues, however he ruled out the meeting and admitted his focus was seeing his nine-year-old daughter Scarlett, who he shares with ex-Tina O'brein. Moving on: Ryan's time in the house was marred with controversy after his co-star Roxanne Pallett caused ructions when she accused him of 'repeatedly and deliberately punching' her The excited star delightedly said: 'I cant wait to get home, I'm picking her up from school you're keeping me from my daughter! 'That's the next leg of the journey. So looking forward to getting back to normality.' In the chat after Ryan left the house, CBB host Emma Willis couldn't help but begin by pointing out that while Ryan had been victorious on Celebrity Big Brother, his famous brothers (who were sat in the audience) both came third in their respective reality show competitions. The presenter then added salt to his brothers' wounds as she read out a note which she had been given by the show's producers, which contained a sassy statement, that Ryan allegedly made before entering the Elstree bungalow. False claims: Ryan's time in the house was marred with controversy after his co-star Roxanne caused ructions when she accused him of 'repeatedly and deliberately punching' her - however she later quit the house and admitted she was wrong Over it: Ryan Thomas has insisted he is sick of discussing the CBB Punchgate scenario It read: 'I'm the big brother and I've got the show them how it's done. I came here to prove a point to them and them only.' The new CBB champion later said that: 'I can't live my life without my two brothers, and that's where everything's come into play. 'I think about them every single day. They're the closest thing to anything I have in my life, and as much as my daughter, my brothers - if anything goes wrong - they're always there for me, and I've never, ever, ever let that go while I was in that house. Twins: Adam and Scott supported their big brother while he was in the house - and are a close knit trio 'I am very lucky to have the best girlfriend, the best, best friends in the world, and the best family, but my brothers to me keep me going and keep the light on, and that's why I kept going. 'Adam and Scott you have no idea how much you mean to me.' The show might even see Ryan prepare for a wedding, as rumours have swirled about the Corrie star popping the question to gorgeous girlfriend Lucy. Happy families: Ryan recently gushed about his girlfriend Lucy Mecklenburgh and life with his nine-year-old daughter Scarlett in an exclusive chat with MailOnline The Mirror claim Lucy has been repeatedly liking images of engagement rings on Instagram - even liking one jewel a whopping 20 times. Feeling tap happy on various accounts, it was an oval cut diamond by Jean Dousset, the great-great grandson of Louis Cartier, which truly caught her eye although in a recent interview with MailOnline, Ryan insisted he was happy with their romance as it is. Wedding bells? Lucy Mecklenburgh has been repeatedly liking images of engagement rings on Instagram - even liking one jewel a whopping 20 times They're some of the most recognizable celebrities on the planet. But on Saturday the focus was definitely on their furry friends as Paris and Nicky Hilton attended a pet rescue event in New York City. Elder sister Paris, 37, still managed to turn some heads thanks to her nautical-themed frock. Too cute! On Saturday the focus was definitely on their furry friends as Paris and Nicky Hilton attended a pet rescue event in New York City The garment featured a plunging neckline and keyhole cutout which exposed a glimpse of her taut tummy. A black and white ship's anchor pattern decorated the dress, which fell all the way to her ankles. Classic black pointed-toe pumps completed her chic outfit. Before entering the venue, she also rocked a pair of oversized cat-eye sunglasses and a medium-size black leather purse. Peek-a-boo! The garment featured a plunging neckline and keyhole cutout which exposed a glimpse of her taut tummy Two of a kind! Before entering the venue, she also rocked a pair of oversized cat-eye sunglasses and a medium-size black leather purse Her famous blonde tresses were parted in the middle and styled straight down, almost falling to her waist. A smokey eye, subtle blush and pale pink lipstick ensured she was ready for her photo op on the event's red carpet. Sister Nicky, 35, went with a slightly more relaxed ensemble. She opted for a black blouse printed with teal and white leaves, which she paired with some very tight jeans. More relaxed! She opted for a black blouse printed with teal and white leaves, which she paired with some very tight jeans Furry friends! The siblings looked to be having a ball at the event, and even took a photo with each holding an adorable puppy Like Paris, a pair of pointed toe black heels rounded out her look. She parted her own blonde locks on the left, though they only dropped to her shoulders. A pair of large chandelier-style earrings appeared to be her only accessory aside from the turquoise purse and classic shades in which she arrived. The siblings looked to be having a ball at the event, and even took a photo with each holding an adorable puppy. Double trouble! Meanwhile, Nicky just celebrated her 35th birthday on Friday, and sister Paris couldn't help but post a multitude of photos to Instagram to celebrate the big day Baby blondes: 'Happy Birthday @NickyHilton! Love you so much! You are my best friend! I dont know what Id do without you. Im so lucky to have such a loyal, supportive, beautiful, brilliant, sweet & amazing sister. Wishing you the best birthday ever! Love you!,' gushed the hotel heiress Meanwhile, Nicky just celebrated her 35th birthday on Friday, and sister Paris couldn't help but post a multitude of photos to Instagram to celebrate the big day. 'Happy Birthday @NickyHilton! Love you so much! You are my best friend! I dont know what Id do without you. Im so lucky to have such a loyal, supportive, beautiful, brilliant, sweet & amazing sister. Wishing you the best birthday ever! Love you!,' gushed the hotel heiress. Along with the loving caption she included several photos of the sisters together at different ages. They star as a married couple on the time-traveling drama, Outlander. And on Saturday, Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan stopped by IMDB at New York Comic Con to discuss the show's upcoming season. Joining the attractive duo were series co-stars, Sophie Skelton, and Richard Rankin. Promotion: On Saturday, Caitriona Balfe, 39, and Sam Heughan, 38, (both far left) stopped by IMDB at New York Comic Con to discuss their drama, Outlander Caitriona, 39, looked to be a blast from the past herself, styled in a '70s-inspired blouse. The Ireland native paired her top with a set of brown trousers and suede boots. Sam, 38, kept warm in a grey T-shirt, leather jacket and jeans. Crowd: The duo were joined by co-stars Sophie Skelton, 24, and Richard Rankin, 35, along with panel moderator Kevin Smith, 48 Vintage: Caitriona looked to be a blast from the past herself, styled in a '70s-inspired blouse Downtown style: Sam kept warm in a grey T-shirt, leather jacket and jeans Show inspiration? Sophie looked lovely in a 17th century-inspired ruffle blouse, blazer and dressy shorts Sophie looked lovely in a 17th century-inspired ruffle blouse, blazer and shorts. On the show, the actress plays Brianna Randall Fraser, the daughter of Caitriona and Sam's characters. Richard Rankin, who plays pastor and historian Roger Wakefield MacKenzie, was casually dressed in a simple T-shirt and suede jacket. Her role: On the show, the actress plays Brianna Randall Fraser, the daughter of Caitriona and Sam's characters Time traveller: On the show, Caitriona plays Claire Fraser, a married WWII nurse who's transported to 1743 Outlander premiered on Starz in 2014. The show was based on a set of books written by Diana Gabaldon in 1991. '...It's interesting to see this family as immigrants and sort of what America has now become today. The inception of all of that, politics that kind of shaped that.' 'So it's been really interesting for us. Obviously, we didn't grow up going to school in America, learning American history in that way, so it's been really cool, I think,' said Caitriona, in an interview with IMDB. It looked like luck wasn't on Sam Cochrane's side on Saturday night. The reality star, 34, was pictured putting on a very flirty display with a mystery blonde during a night out drinking with fellow Bachelor In Paradise stars Davey Lloyd and Eden Schwenke in Sydney. Thing seemed to be going swell for beret-loving Sam, until the beauty looked away with a scowl. Scroll down for video Was it something he said? Sam Cochrane, 34, was pictured putting on a very flirty display with a mystery blonde during a night out drinking with fellow Bachelor In Paradise stars Davey Lloyd and Eden Schwenke in Sydney on Saturday... but things seemed to go awry Sam then diverted his attention to another attractive female that was in the same bar as the boys. At one point in the evening, it appeared that single Sam may had made a lasting connection as he cosied up to the first mystery woman. The beauty, wearing a figure hugging white sleeve crop top with red floral print trousers, appeared to be reciprocating his clear affection too. Saying all the right things: At one point in the evening, it appeared that single Sam may had made a lasting connection as he cosied up to the first mystery woman It started so well: The beauty, wearing a figure hugging white sleeve crop top with red trousers, appeared to be reciprocating his direct attention too at one stage Take a seat: The blonde's body language could have been a telling sign of what was to come, as she remained with her arms crossed across her chest once they sat down Standing by a terrace door, Sam could be seen whispering to her as their hands appeared to touch as they grew closer. They then sat side by side at a table with another couple. However, the blonde's body language could have been a telling sign of what was to come, as she remained with her arms crossed across her chest. What happened? Moments later she had moved away from Sam and was speaking with a female friend Should Sam's ears be burning? The woman didn't appear too pleased after chatting with Sam Moments later she had moved away from Sam and was speaking with a female friend, with a scowl on her face. Seemingly still enjoying his evening out, Sam was then spotted engaging in conversation with the second blonde in attendance. As Davey had also been chatting with her previously, Sam failed to grow as close with the stunner as he had with the first girl earlier in the evening. Who are you? Sam was seen engaging in conversation with the second blonde in attendance at the bar Sam then appeared to be having an intense chat with Davey. The friends then ended their evening with a hug, as it appeared that all of the girls had left them alone. Sam's night out comes after he recently he hinted at romance with Love Island Australia's Edyn 'Mac' Mackney in September. The hunk cuddled up to and kissed the blonde bombshell, 22, on the cheek at a single's night as she exclaimed: 'It's official.' Happy ending: The friends then ended their evening with a hug The two reality TV personalities appeared to get very cosy in the video as Mac introduced him to her legions of social media followers. 'We look so pretty look at my eyes,' Sam said, as Mac complimented the former Bachelorette contestant: 'They're gorgeous, they're gorgeous.' Mac then told Daily Mail Australia: 'There was definitely one man who I had my eye on last night but it wasnt Sam, we are just friends.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Sam for comment. She's the buxom beauty who found fame on Married At First Sight. But now it appears Sarah Jane Roza has her sights set on making a name for herself in the United States. The reality star shared a picture on Instagram in an elevator on Sunday. What's next for Sarah Roza? Married At First Sight star teased upcoming projects in the United States with an elevator selfie The lifestyle and beauty hack enthusiast joked that she was practising her 'elevator pitch' before explaining that she was headed to America for meetings. Although she didn't reveal the nature of the meetings yet she did share her excitement. She told Daily Mail Australia that it has been in the pipeline for a while. Lifting humour! The lifestyle and beauty hack queen joked that she was practicing her 'elevator pitch' before revealed that she was heading to America for meetings. Pictured with MAFS co-stars Charlene Perara and Ashley Irvin Familiar face! Sarah first appeared on Australian screens during the Amazing Race in 2012, which she competed on with former partner James. However she cemented her high-profile status on Married At First Sight where she was 'married' to Telv Williams 'I've had quite a few requests over the past six months from very well connected people in the media industry to come over to the U.S. for series of meetings,' she said. Sarah insisted that after all this time they were still asking her to make the trip. 'I've finally cleared some space in my schedule to do so,' she said. Tight-lipped! The lifestyle and beauty hack queen joked that she was practising her 'elevator pitch' before revealed that she was heading to America for 'meetings' 'It's for potential work and collaborations that I'm very passionate about.' Sarah first appeared on Australian screens during the Amazing Race in 2012, which she competed on with former partner James. However, she cemented her high-profile status on Married At First Sight where she was 'married' to Telv Williams before the couple called it quits within months. This season's The Bachelor has been panned after Nick Cummins failed to choose a girlfriend from the two finalists, Brittany Hockley and Sophie Tieman. And on Sunday, it appears viewers are still raging at the ending, with threats to boycott The Bachelorette premiere on Wednesday. After Channel Ten released a group photo of Ali Oetjen's male suitors on Instagram, a number of fans vented their anger at the franchise. Scroll down for video 'Sorry won't watch again, wasted two months of my life': Viewers have threatened to tune out of The Bachelorette after the shock finale of The Bachelor this week (Pictured: The Bachelorette's Ali Oetjen) 'Sorry, won't watch again,' one fan vented. 'Wasted two months of my life that I won't get back on the last series with no result and no explanation.' However, the fan wasn't alone in her anger at the franchise which is traditionally expected to end with a happily ever after moment. Does she find love? Viewers were annoyed at Bachelor Nick Cummins, 30, not finding love on the show with that being the whole point of the series and may not watch The Bachelorette 'Hopefully somebody wins this time,' a separate viewer added. While another added: 'Producers get this so wrong. Most of these guys are too young for her. Another fail I'm guessing.' On Thursday night's finale, Nick Cummins, 30, shocked fans of the series when he rejected both finalists Sophie Tieman, 25, and frontrunner Brittany Hockley, 30. Tuning out! A number of viewers vented their anger of the The Bachelor 'fail' In New Caledonia for the final episode, Nick turned to Brittany and told her he was 'letting her go.' 'You were just a force, a force of nature. You're an amazing woman. I've developed strong feelings for you Brittany. And I know you're ready,' he said. 'I'm not looking for a girlfriend, I'm looking for a life partner. And right now, I can't give 100 percent to you. My head, is very clouded. Right now, I'm a little bit lost. Dramatic! In The Bachelor finale, Nick shocked the nation when he walked away from the reality dating show single, telling both Sophie and Brittany that it was over for them 'I have to say that this time has come to an end and I'm letting you go.' The move sent shockwaves through fans, who were expecting Nick to choose a girlfriend as has been the case in previous seasons. Fans of The Bachelorette, however, might be in for a surprise this season with Ali hinting to TV Week magazine she's found love. 'I'm just a normal person looking for love,' she told the publication. 'In order to get there, there will be struggles, challenges, fear but I've always been vulnerable, because I want to find love.' He'll soon be vying for Ali Oetjen's affections on The Bachelorette. And potentially putting bodybuilder Taite Radley at an advantage ahead of the other suitors, is the fact he's no stranger to a reality show romance. In September 2017, the 28-year-old appeared on First Dates where he enjoyed a whirlwind fling with Dee Nguyen, who later joined the cast of Geordie Shore. Scroll down for video Did Ali Oetjen watch his episode? The Bachelorette suitor Taite's First Dates stint revealed... after he appeared with Geordie Shore babe Dee Nguyen The pair instantly hit it off, with Dee spending the majority of their date gushing over Taite while scrolling through his Instagram for shirtless photographs. 'I just work out a little bit... like six days, seven days a week,' Taite boasted. Following their date, exactly one year ago, the hunk allowed Dee to strip his t-shirt off him in front of the cameras while he showcased his gym-honed body. 'I just got to see what's under the hood first,' Dee explained before agreeing she'd like to see Taite for another date. The pair then enjoyed a whirlwind fling before it quickly fizzled out. Throwback to September 2017: The pair instantly hit it off, with Dee spending the majority of their date gushing over Taite while scrolling through his Instagram for shirtless photograph 'I just got to see what's under the hood first': Dee asked him to take his shirt off before agreeing to a second date, which he didn't seem to mind as they then went on to enjoy a whirlwind fling It's believed Taite is set to go quite far on The Bachelorette. The immediate charm which won Dee over obviously works on Ali too, with an early teaser of her whole season showing the hunk about to seal the deal with a kiss. In the brief second shot, Ali can be seen leaning in with a huge smile on her face. Pucker up! The immediate charm which won Dee over obviously works on Ali too, with an early teaser of her whole season showing the hunk about to seal the deal with a kiss We doubt his First Dates match Dee will be too bothered by his return to TV. Following their brief fling, she went on to star on one season of Geordie Shore as the British gang filmed for several months on the Gold Coast. She has since found love herself with an equally as muscular chap, named Ell. Social snaps! Taite, 28, is a former bodybuilder that lives in Victoria She has become the BBC's highest paid woman after being handed a 1.2million a year salary to host the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, according to reports. And Zoe Ball has quit her ITV chat show Zoe Ball On Saturday and Sunday following the announcement of her new role on Wednesday. The radio and TV star, 47, won't return to host a second series of the morning weekend stalwart but will present two Christmas specials, according to reports. Quit: Zoe Ball has quit her ITV chat show Zoe Ball On Saturday and Sunday following the announcement of her new role at BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show host on Wednesday The series ended last month and was a hit with viewers, prompting plans for a return to the show next year, with bosses tweeting: 'We're back for Christmas specials and a brand new series next year! Can't wait!' However, a source told The Mirror: 'A second series was scheduled but the Radio 2 job was too good to turn down. 'It meant Zoe no longer had time to do the show around other commitments. Zoes are big shoes to fill so they have a job on their hands.' New role: The radio and TV star, 47, won't return to host a second series of the morning weekend stalwart but will present two Christmas specials, according to reports MailOnline has contacted Zoe's representatives and ITV for comment. The television presenter was revealed as the first female host of the show earlier this week for the first time in its 51-year history after bosses opted for her over Sara Cox. Zoe's 1million salary rise was agreed after several weeks of complex regulations, with bosses hoping to make savings on Chris Evans' 1.69million pay packet but fearful that slashing too heavily would raise equal pay questions, it is claimed. The Strictly It Takes Two host's previous salary was officially disclosed as between 250,000 to 300,000 for her work on Radio 2 and presenting the Strictly spin-off. Big shoes to fill: Chris Evans unveiled Zoe as his replacement and posed for this photo after the show - and it was reported she will be getting a 1.2million salary A source told The Sun: 'Zoe was very much the BBC's frontrunner and they began negotiations some time ago. But it has taken a lot of back and forth to reach a deal. 'She pushed hard for the right terms and it's a massive jump but well-deserved. This is the UK's most listened-to radio show and Zoe's the perfect host. She deserves every penny.' Zoe will take over from January when Evans returns to Virgin Radio but she won't get his giant salary. When asked about her pay, Zoe said: 'I'm definitely not expecting the same. I am very, very happy with what the BBC are paying me. If it comes out, and usually these things do, I hope people will look at it and think: "That's fair".' Miss Ball, pictured leaving the BBC after the announcement earlier this week, says she is thrilled but also scared as she revealed she will take over the Radio 2 breakfast show The star has admitted being terrified and excited about taking over and told listeners: 'I hope you're not too disappointed' - a nod to those who had wanted Sara Cox to get the job. She added: 'I know some people might be saying: "Hmmm. We didn't want her" - but I hope they will give me a chance'. Some supporters have claimed Sara missed out because she is northern, accusing the BBC of 'southern bias'. The decision will be a devastating blow for Cox, who has been open about her desire to move from her 10pm slot into the flagship role. Different pay: Zoe will take over from January when Evans returns to Virgin Radio but she won't get his giant salary Zoe revealed she was offered the job 'a few weeks ago' and said: 'This is bonkers, can I just say? I am a crazy mix of elation, wanting to burst into tears, thinking about running away, everything. But mainly thrilled. I couldn't sleep all night'. She added: 'I definitely didn't expect to get a call, but getting a call was an amazing thing. You think 'I can't do it. How can I do it?'. The presenter rose to fame in the 1990s hosting the Radio 1 Breakfast Show and was known for her 'ladette' lifestyle. She went on to present several shows for the BBC, including Top Of The Pops and the Strictly spin off It Takes Two Miss Ball was announced as the new star presenter and described her excitement and anxiety about taking the job Zoe said she was not 'under-estimating the enormity of the task ahead'. Ball said she will have to 'see how it goes' when it comes to hosting Strictly Come Dancing's spin-off show It Takes Two show, saying: 'I'm really hoping I can do both.' Meanwhile Chris, who recently became a father to twins, said: 'It's one of the best jobs in this business, as you know... You really light up the radio.' The radio host previously shocked fans by announcing a return to Virgin Radio, 'my spiritual home', almost 20 years after he left the station. It's not every day an up-and-coming starlet, who is on the upward trajectory of fame, shuns social media. But that is exactly what Olivia Cooke, star of the upcoming British drama Vanity Fair, is doing. The 24-year-old hasn't got a single official social media platform, including Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and, according to The Sunday Telegraph, is refusing to give in. 'It's so deadly': Up-and-coming Hollywood starlet Olivia Cooke refuses to have any social media platforms...weeks after slamming gender disparity within the acting industry in Hollywood 'It's a strange, murky pool where nothing ever really rises to the surface, you just have to sludge your way through it. It's a really weird analogy but it feels like that. You just think 'why am I here, why am I doing this?' she told the publication. But sometimes, even for strong-willed actresses, the lure of reading about yourself online is sometimes too great to fight. 'When I'm feeling really sh*t about myself I sometimes just type my name into the Twitter machine,' she told The Sunday Telegraph. '(But that's) not very often because it's so deadly. They're horrendous I don't even have social media and it still lures me.' ' They're horrendous' Olivia admitted to searching her own name in Twitter when she's 'feeling sh*t about herself' but tries to avoid doing it as much as possible This isn't the only time the forward-thinking star has stood up to conventionality. Just last month, the Manchester-born actress, slammed gender disparity within the acting industry, saying she wouldn't have had the same career opportunities if she had stayed in the UK and not moved to America. The television leading lady said while male actors from working class backgrounds can 'rise up the ranks and do all these different accents', she would be typecast as 'maid number two' from the moment she opened her mouth. Up-and-coming: Olivia previously spoke out against the gender pay-gap in Hollywood, saying 'working-class men can rise up the ranks and do all these different accents, and I just dont think they assume women can' 'I'm only guessing, and with the benefit of hindsight, but I wonder, if Id stayed here as a working-class northern actress, whether I would have had this career path,' she told Radio Times. 'In America, my accents not a thing, Im just British. Here working-class men can rise up the ranks and do all these different accents, and I just dont think they assume women can. But its definitely changing.' The actress broke out starring in a lead role in the popular thriller Bates Motel, a role in which she shaved her head for. Since then, she hasn't slowed down, appearing in films such as The Quiet Ones, Me and Early and the Dying Girl and Steven Spielberg's recent sci-fi adventure Ready Player One. The new Vanity Fair begins on BBC from October 11. Rebel Wilson was radiating with beauty on the green turf carpet at the ninth annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic. The Australian native flaunted her voluptuous curves while clad in a stunning black and white ensemble for the event, which was held in Los Angeles on Saturday. Rebel opted for a polka dot maxi dress that featured a diaphanous silhouette and short ruffle sleeves. Spotted! Rebel Wilson radiated as she cut a chic figure in stunning polka dot maxi dress ahead of the 9th Annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic in Los Angeles on Saturday Flaunting a glimpse of her ample cleavage, the frock was designed with a small a keyhole opening at the bust. She teamed the elegant attire with a pair of black round-toe pumps, a small clutch and a pair of cat-eye sunglasses. The Pitch Perfect star showed off her flawless complexion with a light layer of makeup, pink blush and a pop of nude lip gloss. Elegance: Rebel opted for a polka dot maxi dress that featured a diaphanous silhouette and short ruffle sleeves She styled her glossy blonde tresses in textured waves that framed her face. A day before the event, Rebel was all smiles as she exited a movie cinema in Hollywood. The actress was seen enjoying the outing with her friends, Aussie actor Hugh Sheridan and hairstylist Nicole Leal. Cute: She teamed up the elegant attire with a pair of black round-toe pumps, a small clutch and a pair of cat-eye sunglasses Racy: Flaunting a glimpse of her ample cleavage, the frock was designed with a small a keyhole opening at the bust The group had stepped out to see the remake of A Star Is Born, starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. Taking to Instagram shortly afterwards, Rebel shared a series of photos of the group outside the theatre. 'Impromptu midnight photoshoot a top [sic] Arclight Hollywood after seeing A Star Is Born with these stars,' she captioned her post. 'We thought we should shoot an album cover just in case anyone needed us to form a band! We're ready! Love these guys.' Tens of thousands of people descended upon the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for Conor McGregor's UFC fight against of Khabib Nurmagomedov. And among the crowds of famous faces were reality TV star Scott Disick, 35, and his model girlfriend Sofia Richie, 20. The pair posed up a storm on Saturday night as they left the fight after Nurmagomedov produced a career-best performance to defeat Irishman McGregor. Together: Among the crowds of famous faces at Conor McGregor 's UFC fight were reality TV star Scott Disick , 35, and his model girlfriend Sofia Richie, 20 Sporting a Nike hoodie, Scott kept it casual with his black sweater and joggers, paired with pristine white trainers. The daughter of Lionel Richie matched her beau's outfit as she opted for a silky corset-like black top. Accentuating her ample assets, the top was teamed with some light-wash ripped jeans. Matching: Sporting a Nike hoodie, Scott kept it casual with his black sweater and joggers, paired with pristine white trainers Sofia's golden locks were left flowing in loose waves as she accessorised with simple silver bangles. Earlier that day Scott played the perfect Instagram husband to Sofia as he snapped away to get the perfect shot of the beauty. The father-of-three made a fleeting appearance in Sofia's latest photo, reflected in a wall-length mirror in their hotel room. Richie had taken to the social media site, sharing a sultry snap of herself sitting on a hotel bed. What a daring photo: Sofia and Scott were still going strong on Friday after the father-of-three made an appearance in Sofia's Instagram photo. She can be seen wearing a little black dress while sitting cross-legged and giving a seductive half-smile for the camera. Next to Sofia is the small mirrored reflection of Scott, who can be seen taking the photograph in a fairly nonchalant manner. The TV personality wasn't all that recognisable to fans in the wake of having recently clipped his hair in favour for a buzz trim. Yet, Sofia ensured that her 3.8 million followers were very much aware of who was taking her appealing image. The day after: The 20-year-old made it known she was happy, having shared another photo to her Instagram on Saturday 'The man in the mirror,' Richie captioned the photo before including a heart eyes emoji at the end. Despite having made fewer public appearances in recent weeks, the couple is still happily in love with one another. Just a month ago, in what seems to be quite a rare instance, Richie had opened up about her relationship with the reality star, depicting the 35-year-old as her 'best friend.' 'We are very happy, very lovey-dovey,' she told Sydney Morning Herald. Lunch with her beau: On Wednesday, Scott and Sofia enjoyed a meal at Nobu in Malibu The Tommy Hilfiger model proceeded by specifying that she's had a solid connection with Scott since they first got together, before noting that she was happy. In an apparent attempt to silence breakup rumors, Richie doesn't plan to call it quits with Disick anytime soon, it seems. 'We are best friends and that is mainly the strongest connection we have,' the social media fanatic continued. 'We have always had that best friend connection and from there it has really worked out. I am so happy.' Sarah Harris has been left incredibly red-faced after an invite to accompany her to a concert was awkwardly turned down live on-air. The panel were in the middle of their usual banter on The Sunday Project after an announcement that iconic American rock-band The Eagles were returning to Australia. Sarah, sitting next to fellow-panelist Hamish Macdonald, excitedly bumped him on the arm, telling him they should go to one of their shows together. 'I've got better people to go out with': Sarah Harris (right) was REJECTED by co-host Hamish Macdonald (left) on The Sunday Project after asking him to go to The Eagles concert with her 'We should go, you and me!' Sarah said. This question sent the audience and Tommy Little into hysterics, as Hamish awkwardly responded with an apprehensive 'Alright...'. 'Well I just know how much you love them,' Sarah continued as she tried to dig herself out of the hole. 'I've got better people to go out with' Hamish replied in jest. Savage: Sarah was left flabbergasted as Hamish's rejection sent the entire panel and audience into hysterics The laughter from the audience then subsided into gasps. Sarah stared in disbelief for a few seconds before suddenly launching into announcing the next segment as if in a bid to save herself from further humiliation. The awkward exchange came after Lisa Wilkinson's sit down interview with the Hotel California hit-makers. Burned: Co-host Tommy Little tried unsuccessfully to hide his laughter, as he bent over and attempted to hide his face As Lisa discussed with Eagles keyboardist Joe Walsh's past bid for presidency, Joe responded nonchalantly that he's thinking of running again. 'The incumbent has proved that anyone can become president,' Joe said. Lisa reacted to his serious face by saying she believed him, and the 70-year-old veteran rocker cheekily added: 'I know what not to do'. 'That's my campaign slogan I think,' he said. The Eagles will bring their world tour to Australian shores in February 2019. They have all been dumped by the same man - Nick 'The Honey Badger' Cummins - during this season of The Bachelor. But beauties Sophie Tieman, Cassandra Wood and Brittany Hockley seemed to have brushed off the heartbreak by hitting the town for a girls' night out in Sydney's Double Bay on Saturday. The three stunning ladies were seen enjoying each other's company just two days after the show's shock finale showed the former Wallabies star leaving the competition solo. Nick who? The Bachelor's Cassandra Wood (left), Brittany Hockley (centre) and Sophie Tieman (right) showed The Honey Badger what he's missing as the trio enjoyed a girls' night out Looking glamorous and cheerful, Sophie, 25, stunned in a racy plunging mini dress by Zimmerman, worth approximately $1,000. Featuring long sleeves, billowing ruffles and cut-out detailing at the hip, the bronze number showed off Sophie's trim pins and slender figure. She teamed the ensemble with a black cross body bag, light grey block heels and silver hooped earrings. Carefree! The three stunning ladies were seen enjoying each other's company just two days after the show's shock finale showed the former Wallabies star leaving the competition solo Gorgeous! Looking glamorous and cheerful, Sophie, 25, stunned in a racy plunging mini dress by Zimmerman, worth approximately $1,000 Envy-inducing physique: Featuring long sleeves, billowing ruffles and cut-out detailing at the hip, the bronze number showed off Sophie's trim pins and slender figure Glowing: The blonde bombshell's makeup look consisted of defined eye brows, subtle bronzer and neutral eye shadow Details: She teamed the ensemble with a black cross body bag, light grey block heels and silver hooped earrings The blonde bombshell's makeup look consisted of defined eye brows, subtle bronzer and neutral eye shadow. Meanwhile, finalist co-star Brittany dropped jaws in a striking blazer-style dress, cinched at the waist. The sizzling white number, which was by label Kookai, featured gold buttons down the front and was worth approximately $220. Showing him what he's missing? Meanwhile, finalist co-star Brittany dropped jaws in a striking ensemble Sizzling: The beauty opted for a crisp white blazer-style dress, cinched at the waist Wow! The number was by label Kookai, featured gold buttons down the front and was worth approximately $220 A bit of all-white! The 30-year-old styled her raven-haired locks in subtle textured waves and opted for a slick of bright red lipstick to her full pout The 30-year-old styled her raven-haired locks in subtle textured waves and opted for a slick of bright red lipstick to her full pout. Cass was all smiles as she wore a figure-hugging white frock that featured one shoulder sleeve and a belt around her lithe waist. She finished off the look with a black shoulder bag, matching strappy heels and silver drop earrings. Beautiful: Cass was all smiles as she wore a figure-hugging white frock that featured one shoulder sleeve and a belt around her lithe waist Complexion: Her flaxen tresses were curled in beach waves and she flaunted her illuminated visage with natural makeup Amazing: She finished off the look with a black shoulder bag, matching strappy heels and silver drop earrings Her flaxen tresses were curled in beach waves and she flaunted her illuminated visage with a natural makeup. The three bombshells were pictured arriving at Mrs Sippy in Double Bay and mingling with friends. And the outing comes after Nick unconventionally left The Bachelor without a partner - breaking the hearts of finalists Sophie and Brittany during Thursday night's finale. The two reunited in the blonde beauty's hotel room as Brittany giggled, 'It's almost laughable. He didn't pick me either?' 'I'm sorry but are you f***ing kidding me,' a shocked Sophie gasped. Meanwhile, a heartbroken Cass was eliminated from the rose ceremony several episodes prior. Support: The three bombshells were pictured arriving at Mrs Sippy in Double Bay and mingling with friends After the axing of Family Feud in June, Grant Denyer made a welcome return to television screens on Sunday night with his new show, Game of Games. But the family game show has received mixed reviews, with fans at home praising the 41-year-old host but slamming the 'over the top' contestants. Game Of Games, based on Ellen DeGeneres' American program of the same name, features a series of mini tournaments where contestants answer trivia questions for the chance to win large sums of money. 'Too over the top and fake': Grant Denyer's new show Game of Games gets mixed reviews as fans take to Twitter to slam the contestants as 'obviously paid' actors The participants, who are chosen from the studio audience, are required to answer trivia questions such as, 'How many wives has Tom Cruise had?' If they get the answer wrong, they may be dropped from the set via trapdoors or lifted off stage on giant hooks. 'You have never seen a game show like this before!' exclaimed Grant in a preview clip. 'Contestants will be sprung, flung, splattered and dumped!' Too much? The family game show has received mixed reviewers, with fans at home praising the 41-year-old host but slamming the 'over the top' contestants Acting? Some fans at home felt that the contestants on the high energy show may be 'paid actors' or overreacting on purpose Significant amounts of prize money are on offer - including $50,000 in one episode. However fans at home felt that the contestants on the high energy show may be 'paid actors' or overreacting on purpose. One viewer Tweeted: 'How to ruin a good concept with hire a crowd and obviously paid over the top contestants. Just terrible!' One viewer Tweeted: 'How to ruin a good concept with hire a crowd and obviously paid over the top contestants. Just terrible!' Another wrote: 'I think @grantdenyer is a great host and I am sure #GameOfGamesAU will pan out to be a great show when they aren't using paid actors & extras. Too over the top and fake.' Yet one more Tweeted: 'I want to punch every contestant on this show. Clearly they have been directed to act zany, panic when asked a question'. Love him: There was lots of praise for Grant himself, with one fan writing: 'It is so good to have Grant back on our screens' One more commentator offered: 'I like Grant Denyer as a host but this games of games show is pathetic!!! The contestants are wannabe actors and on some sort of pills you would find at a music concert'. There was lots of praise for Grant himself, with one fan writing: 'It is so good to have Grant back on our screens' while another said the charismatic host could make any show fun to watch. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Channel Ten for comment. She has starred on reality series The Valleys and Ex On The Beach - both of which she has been known to flaunt her assets. But Natalee Harris - who has turned to surgery to enhance her look - has warned women away from the dangers of the 'Brazilian bum lift'. Having been the victim of botched surgery the first time around, the busty personality, 30, is currently in recovery having had the original procedure amended. Learnt her lesson? Reality star Natalee Harris - who has turned to surgery to enhance her look - has warned women away from the dangers of the 'Brazilian bum lift' She told The Daily Star: 'I went to the clinic [in Turkey] because I had seen someone post about it on Instagram. The whole experience was horrific. 'The surgeon barely asked me any questions. We were trying to use Google Translate as no-one spoke English. When I came round they didn't give me a bodysuit which I should wear or anything. 'My bed was soaking because I was leaking from my wounds, but they basically sent me back to the hotel the next day with paracetamol. I was crying my eyes out and in so much pain.' Natalee admits to regretting ever turning to surgery; to date, she has had three breast operations, a nose job, liposuction, work done on her teeth, fillers and botox, all since gaining fame in 2012 on The Valleys. Botched bum job: Having been the victim of botched surgery the first time around, the busty personality, 30, is currently in recovery having had the original procedure amended She has spent close to 40k on the work she has had done over the last five years, admitting that it becomes an 'unhealthy obsession'. Natalee, who warns women to do their research before embarking on surgical procedures, has spoken out after a second British woman died this week from undergoing the same treatment abroad. Leah Cambridge died in August having 'bum lift' surgery - made famous by the likes of Kim Kardashian; and last week, a yet-to-be named woman also died from the operation, while undergoing the procedure. Women have flocked to Turkey in particular thanks to the cheaper surgery out there - while Kim Kardashians own surgically-enhanced figure is done in America, by top surgeons, thanks to her immense wealth. New and improved: She returned to a different surgery in Turkey to get her 'bum lift' amended 'Unhealthy obsession': She told The Daily Star, 'I went to the clinic [in Turkey] because I had seen someone post about it on Instagram. The whole experience was horrific' Yet Natalee added that the situation is a Catch 22: 'If you try to ban it there will be a black market for it, which would be even more risky!' Last week's second victim, who is in her late twenties, underwent the surgery earlier this year, with an inquest into her death expected to take place in the coming months. It has sparked fresh warnings over the risks of the operation in which fat is 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 - again, in Turkey. Before vs After: She has spent close to 40k on the work she has had done over the last five years, admitting that it becomes an 'unhealthy obsession' She suffered three heart attacks on the operating table at the Elite Aftercare Clinic in Izmir, which is popular among reality stars like Natalee. 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. Tragic: In August 29-year-old Leah Cambridge died while undergoing the procedure at a clinic in Turkey '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. Death trap? Miss Cambridge died after having the procedure at the Elite Aftercare clinic in Turkey, pictured False advertising? Pictured - the Elite Aftercare clinic showing the results after surgery 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.' 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 buttocks 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. He lands on Australianshores in less than a month, and has promised that nothing will be off limits in his shows. But Charlie Sheen has made a promise to himself to not do one thing on his upcoming tour. The 53-year-old star will not be touching alcohol while he's Down Under, reported the Herald-Sun on Saturday. Winning? Charlie Sheen announces the one thing he will NOT do on his upcoming Australian speaking tour His publicist has announced that the former Two and a Half Men star will be completely sober at both his appearances in Melbourne and Sydney. While Charlie plans to remain sober while in town, the actor has no trouble playing characters who indulge in mind-altering substances. Charlie recently appeared in a music video with Lil Pump titled 'Drug Addicts'. In the video, the actor's character is seen administering drugs in bottles around scantily dressed nurses and guzzling cough syrup straight from the bottle. Staying clean: The 53-year-old star is said to be arriving on Australian shores completely sober and will stay that way during his two shows in Melbourne and Sydney (Charlie pictured playing a role in music video Drug Addicts) His speaking tour promises to be 'a truly unique opportunity to get up close and personal with Hollywood Royalty' and will see the pop culture icon delve into his illustrious and controversial career. The speaking tour, which will be hosted by Richard Wilkins, promises to touch on his time on TV, sex, booze, drugs and living with HIV. Charlie is reportedly keen to really get into character for his visit, as he has pushed for Aussie-centric promos, showing him in a cork-hat and a bearing a Koala on his shoulder. You can look but you can't touch: The former Two and a Half Men star seems to be changing his ways after recently appearing in a raunchy video with Lil Pump called 'Drug Addicts' where he guzzles down cough syrup and dances with scantily clad nurses Tickets for his tour range from $195 to $1,495, which may go some way to helping Charlie solve his money woes. Earlier this year, Charlie was issued with a $5.7 million tax bill. Charlie was once the highest paid TV star before being booted off Two and a Half Men and replaced by Ashton Kutcher. Charlie will be appearing at Melbourne's Convention Centre on November 3 and Sydney's ICC Theatre on November 4. Seann Walsh's girlfriend was moved to tears as she watched him dance on Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday- just hours before shocking pictures emerged of him kissing married dance partner Katya Jones. Actress Rebecca Humphries, who has been dating the comedian, 32, for five years, choked back sobs during his Paso Doble to The Matrix theme tune with the Russian dancer, 29. It comes as Katya's husband and fellow Strictly dancer Neil Jones broke his silence on Sunday morning following the cheating scandal. Emotional: Seann Walsh's girlfriend sobbed as she watched him dance on Strictly on Saturday- just hours before pictures emerged of him kissing married dance partner Katya Jones Viewers watched the actress hold her hands to her face as she watched Seann perform the outstanding routine, bursting into tears as he hugged Katya with relief at nailing the dance. While the judges raved about the performance- which included a backflip in the air- Rebecca could hardly contain her emotion as she watched from the front row. However, less than 24 hours the broken actress shared her heartache on social media, liking a tweet from Corrie's Kirsty Leigh-Porter who sent her a red love heart emoji. Sizzling chemistry: Seann performed the Paso Doble to The Matrix theme tune with the Russian dancer, 29 Proud: Actress Rebecca Humphries, who has been dating the comedian, 32, for five years, choked back sobs during his Paso Doble, overwhelmed with emotion Overwhelmed: Viewers watched the actress hold her hands to her face as she watched Seann perform the outstanding routine, bursting into tears as he hugged Katya with relief Devastated: Following the betrayal, Rebecca shared her heartache on social media, liking a tweet from Corrie's Kirsty Leigh-Porter who sent her a red love heart emoji Meanwhile Katya's husband Neil confused fans by choosing to ignore pictures of his wife in a passionate embrace with Seann as he uploaded a snap of the pair dancing on Instagram. He wrote: 'Wow last nights @bbcstrictly movie week was really epic and Im really proud of @mrs_katjones and @seannwalsh Paso Doble. Great shapes and of course like always the choreography was on point.' Breaking silence: Katya's husband Neil confused fans by choosing to ignore pictures of his wife in a embrace with Seann as he uploaded a snap of the pair dancing on Instagram Seann was spotted sharing a passionate smooch with Katya during a night out earlier this week. In pictures obtained by the Sun, the comedian looked carefree as he held his professional partner in an embrace outside a London pub. An onlooker told the publication they were 'snogging like a pair of teenagers' and 'didn't seem to care who might see them. Tactile display: While the judges raved about the performance- which included a backflip in the air- Rebecca could hardly contain her emotion as she watched from the front row Getting close: Strictly's Seann Walsh was pictured looking very cosy with his married dance partner Katya Jones as they kissed in the street They appeared in high spirits as Katya, who is married to fellow professional dancer Neil Jones - who also appears on the show - skipped along the pavement. Seann then pulled her in for one of several kisses, according to witnesses, before she performed a sultry dance routine in the street. MailOnline have contacted representative's for Seann and Katya for further comment. Kissing: In pictures the comedian looked carefree as he held his professional partner in a passionate embrace outside a London pub Betrayal: Seann and Rebecca (pictured) have been in a long-term relationship for five years The pair were reportedly at the Duke Of York pub in Marylebone in Central London at around midnight on Wednesday. A source told the website that the pair have had chemistry since the day they met, adding that they are very touchy giggly and tactile. Although their close relationship has been noted by members of the crew it has still come as a shock to everyone. They added that it is bound to cause friction on the show as Katya has to work alongside her husband Neil every week. Husband: They appeared in high spirits as Katya, who is married to fellow professional dancer Neil Jones (pictured) - who also appears on the show - skipped along the pavement Sexy: On Saturday they performed a sensual paso doble as Seann's girlfriend Rebecca cheered them on from the audience The Mock The Week regular has been training for the show with Katya nine hours a day, five days a week. She previously gushed over Seann saying that he is 'adorable', adding that she believes that viewers will fall in love with him. Prior to the snog, his girlfriend Rebecca's social media has been full of references to her boyfriend's stint on the show. She even praised Katya, tweeting: 'Actual footage of me in the audience watching boy dance with fierce, kick-ass queen @Mrs_katjones. If anyone can turn Gene Simmons into Gene Kelly it's this girl.' Chemistry: A source told the website that the pair have had chemistry since the day they met, adding that they are very touchy giggly and tactile A week later she posted the official show photo of the pair, writing: 'I can't b***dy breathe. These two legends are working their a***s off. 'Walsh has been doing moves on holiday, in coffee shops, around Westfield (shopping centre), at the pub, in his sleep. 'We have moved half our (very heavy) furniture to create an.. at home dance studio. I am living for it. Get behind them!' Seann mentioned his girlfriends support in an interview on Saturday, admitting he cried reading a good luck book she had made him ahead of his appearance on the show. Shocked: Although their close relationship has been noted by members of the crew it has still come as a shock to everyone However when asked if he might propose soon he said 'Ha! I'm not falling into that trap', adding he didn't want her to think he was proposing every time he bent down.' Katya married Neil in 2013, and have been an item for the past ten years, just this week she shared a throwback of them celebrating their fifth anniversary. Neil has danced in the professional routines for the last two years however he is yet to be teamed with a celebrity on the show. The Mock The Week regular has been training for the show with Katya nine hours a day, five days a week His wife has previously petitioned for him to be made a professional on the show, while describing their relationship as 'solid'. She said that he supports her while she trains for the show, running her baths and talking her through everything. When questioned whether babies are on the horizon, she said: 'It is in the near future but I don't want to plan.' Anniversary: Katya married Neil in 2013, and have been an item for the past ten years, just this week she shared a throwback of them celebrating their fifth anniversary Support: Prior to the snog, his girlfriend Rebecca's social media has been full of references to her boyfriend's stint on the show Competing on the show requires hard work and often draws competitors away from their families, creating rifts between loved ones. This phenomenon is known as the Strictly curse. Its led to divorces, breakups, called off engagements and more. Karen and Kevin Clifton are the latest to feel the effects of the Strictly curse. Cursed? Karen and Kevin Clifton are the latest to feel the effects of the Strictly curse Over: After placing second in the 2016 iteration of Strictly Come Dancing, reports surfaced claiming that Louise Redknapps nearly two-decade old marriage was in a state of disaster And after placing second in the 2016 iteration of Strictly Come Dancing, reports surfaced claiming that Louise Redknapps nearly two-decade old marriage with Jamie was in a state of disaster. They were granted a quick divorce in December 2017. The Strictly Curse doesnt just affect married contestants. In February 2017, Joanne Clifton and Joe Edward-Bader broke up weeks after she won Strictly Come Dancing. Going their separate ways: Daisy Lowe and boyfriend Bradley Frankie Wade succumbed to the Strictly curse in 2016 Daisy Lowe and boyfriend Bradley Frankie Wade succumbed to the Strictly curse in 2016. Sources close to the couple said they simply couldnt find time to spend together. Georgia May Foote broke up with Coronation Street co-star Sean Ward after she began appearing on Strictly Come Dancing in 2015. She and partner Giovanni Pernice took runner up in the competition and were later seen kissing openly while on holiday together in Paris, The Sun reported. Rachel Riley divorced husband Jamie Gilbert after 15 months together to be with Strictly Come Dancing partner Pasha Kovalev. She's one of the 28 women who had their hearts broken by Nick 'The Honey Badger' Cummins during this season of The Bachelor. But Cassandra Wood showed no signs of sorrow when she braved the rain for a day of shopping with friends on Sunday. The 24-year-old turned heads as she strutted down the streets of Sydney's Bondi in a chic ensemble. Something to smile about? The Bachelor's Cassandra Wood braved the rain in a white crop top and leather mini skirt after being left heartbroken by Nick 'The Honey Badger' Cummins Who's Nick? Cassandra Wood showed no signs of sorrow when she braved the rain for a day of shopping with friends on Sunday Looking good! The 24-year-old turned heads as she strutted down the streets of Sydney's Bondi in a chic ensemble Cass showed off her lithe physique while clad in a white crop top and black leather mini skirt. Protecting herself from dribbles of rain, the slender blonde covered her locks with a hoodie that was attached to her black puffer jacket. Cass completed the look with a black tote bag and wore stylish white sneakers for the occasion. Showing him what he's missing! Cass showed off her lithe physique while clad in a white crop top and black leather mini skirt Simple: Cass completed the look with a black tote bag Touch of gold: Keeping the accessories to a minimum, the stunner adorned her fingers with a collection of dainty rings Glowing visage: Cass appeared fresh-faced and pulled back her flaxen tresses in a low bun to reveal a pair of golden drop earrings Keeping the accessories to a minimum, the stunner adorned her fingers with a collection of dainty rings and appeared fresh-faced in neutral makeup. She also pulled back her flaxen tresses in a low bun to reveal a pair of golden drop earrings. Visiting the outdoor mall with a friend, Cass cheerfully engaged in an amusing conversation before making an entrance into mineral store, Opals. Crystal shopping: Cass made an entrance into mineral store, Opals Girls' day out! Visiting the outdoor mall with a friend, Cass cheerfully engaged in an amusing conversation Texting someone? Wearing a wide grin, Cass periodically glanced down at her smartphone while browsing Neat: She also pulled back her flaxen tresses in a low bun to reveal a pair of golden drop earrings See something you like? Cass looked up in surprise at one point Wearing a wide grin, Cass periodically glanced down at her smartphone while browsing. The student and her activewear-clad friend then visited a clothing boutique where they enjoyed a humorous exchange. Later, Cass seemed to have made a purchase as she clung onto a white shopping bag. The student and her activewear-clad friend then visited a clothing boutique where they enjoyed a humorous exchange Cheerful: Cass smiled ear-to-ear while browsing the store for attire Not going to stop her! Protecting herself from dribbles of rain, the slender blonde covered her locks with a hoodie that was attached to her black puffer jacket Comfortable and chic: Cass wore stylish white sneakers for the occasion And on Sunday, Cass spoke to veteran journalist Lisa Wilkinson and tearfully admitted he's struggling to move on after being brutally dumped by the former Wallabies star on the show. 'I feel like a bit of a joke,' she said. Lisa asked Cassandra, 'Has it been easy to move on?' to which she replied, 'It hasn't been.' Splashing the cash! Later, Cass seemed to have made a purchase as she clung onto a white shopping bag She is preparing to make her debut as the first female Time Lord on Sunday. And Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker nailed her character's androgynous style as she stepped out in North London ahead of the show's first episode for season 11. The TV favourite, 36, cut a casual figure in a white and green T-shirt, teamed with a pair of light-wash, culotte jeans which featured a neat frayed hem. Time Lord: Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker nailed her character's androgynous style as she stepped out in North London ahead of the show's first episode for season 11 Jodie teamed her easy-going ensemble with chunky black sandals and a tan cross-body bag. The Attack The Block beauty left her cropped blonde tresses untouched and opted out of any heavy makeup for a minimalist look. Reflective glasses covered the Broadchurch actress' face as she was spotted carrying a child's scooter to a car along with a few bags. Heavy-load: The TV favourite, 36, cut a casual figure in a white and green T-shirt, teamed with a pair of light-wash, culotte jeans which featured a neat frayed hem Simple: The Attack The Block beauty left her cropped blonde tresses untouched and opted out of any heavy makeup for a minimalist look Accessories? Reflective glasses covered the Broadchurch actress' face as she was spotted carrying a child's scooter to a car along with a few bags Jam-packed: Meanwhile, speaking about her role as the 13th reincarnation of the much-loved character, Jodie said on This Morning: 'Every actor brings their perspective and point of view Meanwhile, speaking about her role as the 13th reincarnation of the much-loved character, Jodie said on This Morning: 'Every actor brings their perspective and point of view. 'The pressure was probably more on for Chris [Ecclestone] and Matt [Smith] and Peter [Capaldi], because they're a different actor, but within the version of a man playing the role. 'It's an odd one. Being a woman, talking about it in a way that I don't think a man would. I want to celebrate this journey for me, because I'm the first.' Pals: Jodie said that former Doctor Who star David Tennant was rather amused when she took on the role This Morning: Jodie also touched upon Doctor Who's character, saying: 'I love the childlike energy, the enjoyment of the unknown Giddy: Jodie attended the BBC America's Doctor Who Global Premiere at New York Comic Con on Sunday Glamorous: The star rocked a bird embellished dress which showcased Jodie's love of colours The crew: Executive Producer Matt Strevens, Jodie, and Showrunner & Executive Producer Chris Chibnall all posed on the Doctor Who red carpet Jodie also touched upon Doctor Who's character, saying: 'I love the childlike energy, the enjoyment of the unknown. 'The doctor is such a fascinating character because there are no rules.' Jodie said that former Doctor Who star David Tennant was rather amused when she took on the role. She explained: 'He laughed a lot. He was incredibly enthusiastic and excited for me. He did warn me the line learning is hard and he's not wrong.' Doctor Who airs on BBC1, Sunday 7th October at 6.45pm. Vision in red: Later on, Jodie looked stunning in a red suit, a black shirt and studded black boots at New York Comic Con Energetic: Jodie was keen to discuss the series and answer questions from fans And another thing: Jodie put on an animated display as she discussed playing the 13th Doctor Happy: Jodie was in high spirits as she talked at the panel Sending her love: Jodie blew a kiss to the audience as she arrived on stage Looking forward to it: Chris Chibnall, Jodie Whittaker and Matt Strevens were excited for the panel and for what they could talk about with the audience Happy to be there: Jodie looked pleased as she took questions from the audience Tara Pavlovic has moved on with her life since announcing her split from former fiance Sam Cochrane in June. And now the 28-year-old is rocking a new look, complete with edgy purple hair. Taking to Instagram on Sunday, the former blonde explained it was a spontaneous decision. Purple hair, don't care! Bachelor In Paradise star Tara Pavlovic debuts her new edgy lilac locks after saying she 'woke up one morning' and just decided to dye it She shared an image of the new look and captioned it: 'How good is adulting. If you wake up one morning and decide you want purple hair you can do it.' The reality star added a series of unicorn emojis. In the image, the beauty's formerly blonde locks are a bright purple, with some lighter lilac tones streaked lower down. Changes in progress: Taking to Instagram on Sunday, the former blonde explained it was a spontaneous decision She shared an image of the new look and captioned it: ' How good is adulting. If you wake up one morning and decide you want purple hair you can do it' She added reflective sunglasses with glitter, floral shaped frames and a pink flower crown to her outfit, which appeared to consist of a metallic jacket. Her matte baby pink lipstick enhanced the purple and pinkish tones in the former Bachelor star's hair. It comes after the childcare worker went public with new boyfriend Nick Sheperdson. New love: It comes after the childcare worker went public with new boyfriend Nick Sheperdson (left) The pair spent August travelling around Europe together with friends before confirming their new romance. Tara split with fellow Bachelor in Paradise star Sam in June after the pair became engaged on the dating show. Both 34-year-old Sam and Tara have accused one another of being abusive in their relationship. She's made a name for herself as the seductive jewellery designer on Bold And The Beautiful. But Ashleigh Brewer decided to trade the glittering lights of Los Angeles for the sandy shores of Summer Bay. And even though filming for the 27-year-old's scenes have since wrapped for the long-running soap, she told The Daily Telegraph she believes it won't be the end. 'She definitely doesn't die': Speaking to Monday's Daily Telegraph, Ashleigh Brewer (pictured) teased it's not the end for her Home And Away character 'Home And Away was incredible to work on,' she told Confidential. Ashleigh, who portrayed feisty police officer Chelsea Campbell on the Channel Seven show, said she loved playing the 'cool' character and would love to see her again. 'I don't feel like it's end at all, but I was very lucky to have her for the time of my life when I needed to come home and also work at the same time.' she said. Endless Summer: Ashleigh, who portrayed feisty police officer Chelsea Campbell on the hit show, said she loved playing the 'cool' character and would love to see her again After assuring fans that she definitely hasn't been killed off, Ashleigh said her character just 'goes away for a little while'. Ashleigh is currently in Melbourne to attend the Manikato Stakes and Cox Plate at the end of month and after that, the world is her oyster. 'It's nice to just feel settled and everything is moving in the right direction'. No place like home: Ashleigh made a name for herself appearing on Bold & The Beautiful for five years but decided to trade the glittering lights of Los Angeles for Summer Bay Just last week, Ashleigh was spotted reuniting with Neighbours co-star Margot Robbie at a Hollywood premiere. The pair were seen laughing and mingling at HBO's My Dinner With Herve premiere at Paramount Studios. Margot, 28, cut a smart figure in a grey tartan pants suit for the occasion. Real-life Neighbours: The pair, who have remained close friends, were spotted reuniting at a film premiere in Los Angeles last week She paired the ensemble with a black shirt and gold accessories, including a chain around her neck. The Suicide Squad actress sported a half-up half-down hair style, wearing part of her blonde locks in a knot at the top of her head. The two women have remained close since their time together on Neighbours. Margot left the soap in 2011 while Ashleigh departed in 2014. Making them green with envy: Ashleigh stood out in a low-cut seafoam green animal print gown with long sleeves, she paired her dress with large gold sun, moon and star earrings She's been hard at work choreographing routines for Strictly Come Dancing. But on Sunday, Dianne Buswell used her one day off from rehearsing with YouTuber Joe Sugg to work out with fellow pro dancer Johannes Radebe at Define London gym in Central London, in order to stay 'camera ready.' The flame-haired beauty, 29, looked delighted as she was spotted leaving the boutique fitness studio clad in a pair of vibrant pink and purple tie-dye leggings after her personal training session with gym founder Ashley Verma. Non-stop: On Sunday, Dianne Buswell, 29, used her day off from rehearsing with Joe Sugg to work out at Define London gym in Central London Australian dancer Dianne teamed her eye-catching ILU vitality leggings with a white cropped T-shirt with Define London emblazoned cross the chest. She strolled out of the celeb workout hotspot ready for the cold London weather, wrapped up in a black quilted jacket, with her belongings packed into a Louis Vuitton Neverfull. Dianne wore her long red tresses in a half-up, half-down hairstyle, and displayed a full face of make-up, complete with a deep purple shade of lipstick. While Joe Sugg was nowhere to be seen, his dance partner Dianne was joined for her exercise session by fellow Strictly professional dancer Johannes Radebe, 31. In good company: The flame-haired beauty looked delighted as she was spotted leaving the boutique fitness studio with fellow Strictly dancer Johannes Radebe, 31 Dancing duties: On last night's Strictly Come Dancing Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell, danced an American Smooth to Breaking Free from High School Musical Looking good: Dianne revealed to MailOnline she goes to Define in order to keep her 'strong, toned, and camera ready' Johannes hasn't been paired with a celebrity in this series of Strictly Come Dancing, but dances as part of the electric group performances. He looked stylish in a pair of black tracksuit bottoms, coordinating his sweatshirt and cap, adding a splash of colour with burgundy trainers. The professional dancer from South Africa sported a cap atop his head and a backpack over his shoulder as he left Define Gym with Dianne. Define was founded by former broadway dancer Ashley Verma, who put Dianne and Johannes through a session geared around the Barre, focused on sculpting and toning their bodies, infused with cardio sprints to keep their heart rates lifted. Stylish: Dianne was clad in a pair of vibrant pink and purple tie-dye leggings after her personal training session with gym founder Ashley Verma Ashley regularly trains model Joudann Dunn, and presenter Lisa Snowdown, and Define is where Select models went to get into shape for fashion week. Its fast becoming to coolest place to train in London, with Pippa Middleton having also trained at the boutique studio. Dianne told MailOnline: 'Strictly has a gruelling schedule so its important to stick to a workout like Define London that pays attention to my form, posture, and alignment. 'The Define London studio is gorgeous and the staff are so friendly. Ashley Verma is a sweetheart. Her workouts are perfect to keep me strong, toned, and camera ready.' Important: Dianne told MailOnline: 'Strictly has a gruelling schedule so its important to stick to a workout like Define London that pays attention to my form, posture, and alignment' Meanwhile, on Saturday's episode of Strictly Come Dancing, YouTuber Joe and Dianne proved they could also nail ballroom dance after previously impressing with their latin routines. Dancing an American Smooth to Breaking Free from High School Musical, the couple proved they could also wow in hold, with judge Bruno Tonioli gushing: 'Another night of surprises. 'You're definitely not just a one trick pony, you can do ballroom, you have a natural instinct for the music, you take the phrasing of the dance right from the right beat.' Agreeing that he needed to work on tucking in his behind, Craig Revel Horwood added: 'Your posture did let you down, smoother in the whole feel I love watching you dance, and that little bottom -what there is of it - was sticking out - so you need to tuck that baby in!' It was another solid score for the pair, earning 26 points out of 40. Katya Jones romantic dance with husband Neil on Sunday's edition of Strictly Come Dancing was met with ridicule from followers following her passionate kiss with dance partner Seann Walsh. The Russian pro, 29, who has been married to fellow dancer Neil, 35, for five years, performed a romantic dance with her beau while soul superstar Gladys Knight belted out her 1989 hit single Licence to Kill. Viewers took to Twitter in their droves as they commented on the 'cringing and awkward' dance to the 'appropriate song' which features the lyrics: 'Got a license to kill, anyone who tries to tear us apart.' Awkward: Katya Jones appeared to defend her marriage with husband Neil on Sunday's edition of Strictly Come Dancing, following her passionate kiss with dance partner Seann Walsh In the extremely cosy snaps, comedian Seann, 32, who is dating actress Rebecca Humphries, looked carefree as he shared a smooch and held his professional partner in an embrace outside a London pub. An onlooker told the publication that they were 'snogging like a pair of teenagers' and 'didn't seem to care who might see them. While showcasing their fancy footwear, married couple Katya and Neil twirled around the stage while the 'Empress Of Soul', 74, showcased her award-winning vocals. Fans quickly pointed out that their performance was seemingly convenient, with one fan tweeting: 'Katya & Neil dancing to Licence to Kill (anyone who tries to tear us apart) Yikes!! #Strictly.' Steamy: In the extremely cosy snaps, the Russian pro, 29, and comedian Seann, 32, looked carefree as he shared a smooch and held his professional partner in an embrace outside a London pub Soulful: Katya, who has been married to fellow dancer Neil, 35, for five years, performed a romantic dance together while Gladys Knight belted out her 1989 hit single Licence to Kill Passionate: Viewers took to Twitter in their droves as they commented on the 'cringing and awkward' dance to the 'appropriate song' which features the lyrics: 'Got a license to kill, anyone who tries to tear us apart' Hmm: Fans quickly took to the social media site to point out that their performance was seemingly convenient In agreement, another penned: 'Watching Neil Jones and Katya dancing together is making me cringe. The song lyrics are not helping. #Strictly.' 'Katya and Neil dancing in a cloud of tension #strictly', a third wrote. Others were amazed by Gladys' stellar show, with viewers branding the star 'immortal' and 'a class act'. The show saw Blue's Lee Ryan become the second contestant to be eliminated from the new series, after his Cha Cha Cha with failed to impress the judging panel, following a dance-off with Charles Venn and his partner Karen Clifton. Excited: Others were amazed by Gladys' stellar show, with viewers branding the star 'immortal' and 'a class act' On Saturday's edition of the show, Seann's girlfriend Rebecca sobbed during his Pasa Doble with Katya just hours before shocking pictures emerged of his kiss with Katya. While the judges raved about the performance- which included a backflip in the air- Rebecca could hardly contain her emotion as she watched from the front row. However, less than 24 hours the broken actress shared her heartache on social media, liking a tweet from Corrie's Kirsty Leigh-Porter who sent her a red love heart emoji. Breaking silence: Katya's husband Neil confused fans by choosing to ignore pictures of his wife in a embrace with Seann as he uploaded a snap of the pair dancing on Instagram Meanwhile Katya's husband Neil confused fans by choosing to ignore pictures of his wife in a passionate embrace with Seann as he uploaded a snap of the pair dancing on Instagram. He wrote: 'Wow last nights @bbcstrictly movie week was really epic and Im really proud of @mrs_katjones and @seannwalsh Paso Doble. Great shapes and of course like always the choreography was on point.' At the time of publication, MailOnline contacted representatives for Seann and Katya for further comment. Betrayal: Seann and Rebecca (pictured) have been in a long-term relationship for five years Katya married Neil in 2013, and have been an item for the past ten years, just this week she shared a throwback of them celebrating their fifth anniversary. Neil has danced in the professional routines for the last two years however he is yet to be teamed with a celebrity on the show. His wife has previously petitioned for him to be made a professional on the show, while describing their relationship as 'solid'. She said that he supports her while she trains for the show, running her baths and talking her through everything. Cursed? Karen and Kevin Clifton are the latest to feel the effects of the Strictly curse When questioned whether babies are on the horizon, she said: 'It is in the near future but I don't want to plan.' Competing on the show requires hard work and often draws competitors away from their families, creating rifts between loved ones. This phenomenon is known as the Strictly curse. Its led to divorces, breakups, called off engagements and more. Karen and Kevin Clifton are the latest to feel the effects of the Strictly curse. Support: Prior to the snog, his girlfriend Rebecca's social media has been full of references to her boyfriend's stint on the show And after placing second in the 2016 iteration of Strictly Come Dancing, reports surfaced claiming that Louise Redknapps nearly two-decade old marriage with Jamie was in a state of disaster. They were granted a quick divorce in December 2017. The Strictly Curse doesnt just affect married contestants. In February 2017, Joanne Clifton and Joe Edward-Bader broke up weeks after she won Strictly Come Dancing. Anniversary: Katya married Neil in 2013, and have been an item for the past ten years, just this week she shared a throwback of them celebrating their fifth anniversary Daisy Lowe and boyfriend Bradley Frankie Wade succumbed to the Strictly curse in 2016. Sources close to the couple said they simply couldnt find time to spend together. Georgia May Foote broke up with Coronation Street co-star Sean Ward after she began appearing on Strictly Come Dancing in 2015. She and partner Giovanni Pernice took runner up in the competition and were later seen kissing openly while on holiday together in Paris, The Sun reported. Rachel Riley divorced husband Jamie Gilbert after 15 months together to be with Strictly Come Dancing partner Pasha Kovalev. Advertisement Seann Walsh and Katya Jones both had haunted expressions on Monday morning as they emerged for the first time since pictures emerged of their drunken yet passionate kiss on a London street. Walsh, 32, appeared with baggy eyes outside his home just before 11am after his actress girlfriend Rebecca Humphries hinted she had 'binned' him following his betrayal. Comedian Seann refused to comment to waiting journalists as he wandered up and down the street before getting into a waiting black Mercedes. Not so funny now? Strictly Come Dancing's Seann Walsh (left) and Katya Jones (right) appeared ashen as they were seen for the first time on Monday morning, five days after they were pictured drunkenly kissing on a London street Heartbroken: Seann is dating actress Rebecca Humphries, who sobbed with joy when Seann nailed the Paso Doble on Saturday night Apology: Strictly's Seann Walsh has taken to Twitter to say sorry after he was spotted passionately kissing his dance partner Katya Jones on Wednesday outside a London pub (pictured) - it was his girlfriend Rebecca Humphries' birthday He scratched his head and kept his head down as he appeared outside his flat in West London wearing a black jacket, black and white striped T-shirt, dark jeans and white Nike trainers. Meanwhile married Katya was stony-faced after leaving the home she shares with husband Neil ahead of another day of rehearsals with Seann. The Russian dancer, 29, wore a casual grey top and jogging bottoms while making her way towards a waiting car. The pair WILL perform on Strictly next Saturday and a source told MailOnline: 'Seann was pictured going to dance training for next Saturdays show earlier today. 'No one is pulling out of the show. It is business as usual for all of the Strictly parties involved. The dance couple Seann and Katya have already apologised publicly. Seann has been in a relationship with actress Rebecca Humphries for more than three years and Katya has been married to Neil Jones for five years Tellingly Rebecca liked this tweet suggesting her boyfriend was now 'in the bin' after the kiss on her birthday last week They will be carrying on as normal this week, where the only time theyll be adding to that will be on the BBCs Strictly show It Takes Two. And that will take place later this week on a date yet to be confirmed. But that will be it in terms of anyone on the show speaking out. There are no meetings with bosses scheduled in light of whats happened over the weekend. All the bosses were around and discussed everything in full when the story first broke on Saturday night. The source could offer no further comment on anyones personal views or on how the story of the couple caught kissing in public had impacted on either Katyas marriage to fellow Strictly dancer Neil Jones or on comic Seanns long-term relationship with his actress partner Rebecca Humphries. They added: I cant say anything else about how anyone has been personally effected by all of this. I couldnt possibly comment.' Sorry: Seann has apologised for his 'mistake' but he didn't mention his girlfriend specifically in his apology Carefree: The pair were spotted larking around in the street, with Katya performing a sexy dance routine for Seann before he pulled her in for a passionate kiss Nothing to say? Seann clasped his hand over his mouth but said nothing as he made his way, presumably to a very awkward rehearsal amid reports he is now a single man On his way: Seann looked solemn as he made his way towards his car on Monday morning Meanwhile, Katya's appearance came as husband Neil shared a shirtless Instagram snap with fans, just days after pictures of his wife kissing another man emerged. Captioning the shot, he wrote: 'Its Monday and if you dont mind Im just going to hang out by the rocks with my smouldering look. Whats your plans for the week ahead????' Seann and Katya were spotted 'snogging like a pair of teenagers' outside a London pub on Wednesday night and as a result, have pulled out of a joint appearance on ITV's Lorraine today. The comedian has been dating actress Rebecca, 32, for more than three years and she was pictured crying tears of pride as he danced through to the next round with Katya on Saturday night. Hours later photographs of their kiss emerged, (taken three days before), and both have apologised for their 'drunken mistake'. Happier times: Neil and Katya looked closer than ever as they posed up a storm in a sultry shoot from 2016 Ab-tastic: The Russian pro showed off her fantastic figure in a crop top as she rested on her husband's legs for the sizzling snap Stepping out: Meanwhile married Katya was stony faced after leaving the home she shares with husband Neil ahead of another day of rehearsals with Seann Back to work: The Russian dancer, 29, wore a casual grey top and jogging bottoms while making her way towards a waiting car Can't take his eyes off her: Seann appeared captivated with married Katya as she showed off her exhibitionist side Rebecca has since unfollowed Seann on social media and appears to have now dumped him. She liked a number of tweets including one from a fan saying: 'Mate, youve massively messed up here. Monumentally. Shes a 10. Youre now in the bin'. Katya has been married to fellow Strictly dancer Neil Jones since 2013, and it is not known how he has reacted to his wife's drunken kiss. Critics have called for the pair to pull out of the show and there are doubts whether Strictly fans will vote for the couple to remain in the competition next Saturday. Low key: The professional dancer looked subdued during her first appearance since being photographed kissing Seann Regret: Katya has publicly apologised for her indiscretion with Seann, claiming it was the result of 'a few drinks' Meanwhile: Her appearance came as husband Neil shared a shirtless Instagram snap with fans, two days after pictures of his wife kissing another man emerged But a Strictly source said last night: 'Its very much business as usual', which could cause even more upset for Seann's girlfriend and Katya's husband. Seann wrote on Twitter on Sunday: 'I would like to offer my sincere apologies for my actions. This is no excuse but it was a one-off drunken mistake which I am truly sorry for.' Katya also tweeted about the incident and said: 'I'm so sorry about any offence or hurt I may have caused with my actions. I wasn't thinking and it was a one-off mistake after some drinks. I love my husband and we are very happy together, this is not a reflection on our relationship'. Comfortable with one another: Seann and Katya were pictured looking very flirty while sitting outside the Marylebone pub, with the comedian stroking her neck at one point Making a call? Seann was pictured on the phone to someone while giggling Katya waited for him to finish Making light of it: The dance partners smoked outside the bar because headed off and kissing one another My round: Seann was pictured getting the drinks in after no doubt spending the day training with Katya on his girlfriend's birthday Seann and Katya have both taken to Twitter to apologise for their kiss, which a witness described as a 'snogging like teenagers' Rebecca's Twitter account has been inundated with messages of support - and she has liked around a dozen including one saying her boyfriend had 'made a fool of her'. Another she backed said: 'I've been thinking about you all day, i don't know you but the whole thing is just so cruel & heartbreaking! Something similar happened to me once & it knocked me off my feet because i wasnt expecting it all, so i can vaguely relate to your pain! You got this girl x'. Susanna Reid has appeared to defend the kiss between Strictly Come Dancing couple and said: 'We've all had a few drinks and had a kiss'. She said on Good Morning Britain: 'It was just a kiss, and they'd had a few drinks, we've all had a few drinks.' She added: 'We've all had a few drinks and had a kiss, haven't we?' Her co-star Richard Arnold said: 'I think it's possibly the fact they had partners waiting in the wings, that's the real issue.' Support: Rebecca broke her social media silence on the shock kiss by replying to a tweet by author Marian Keyes, who sent her support to her on Sunday evening Making her point known: Rebecca liked a post which read that Seann is 'in the bin' as she unfollowed him on social media SEANN AND KATYA'S NEXT MOVE... It was revealed on Monday that the dance partners have pulled out of a scheduled TV appearance on Lorraine this Thursday. Lorraine confirmed the news to viewers on Monday, saying: They were booked to appear on this very show, but have suddenly become unavailable. Theyre not coming on. 'If they do stay on the show, its going to be so awkward. What do you say? Yikes.' The Scottish television presenter added: I think because they apologised quickly we should give them a second chance. But I dont think that people will vote for them.' The pair are also set to appear on Strictly's sister show, It Takes Two... on Monday but it's unknown if this will go ahead. Advertisement Fans were quick to comment on the statement, angrily demanding that Seann should quit the show due to his and Katya's actions. The pair have pulled out of a scheduled TV appearance on Lorraine this Thursday. Lorraine confirmed the news to viewers on Monday, saying: They were booked to appear on this very show, but have suddenly become unavailable. Theyre not coming on. 'If they do stay on the show, its going to be so awkward. What do you say? Yikes.' The Scottish television presenter added: I think because they apologised quickly we should give them a second chance. But I dont think that people will vote for them.' The incident also prompted furious debate on Mondays edition of Loose Women, with the panel divided over their actions. Discussing the incident, Stacey Solomon admitted: Part of me feels sorry for them. Perhaps it was a reckless, silly thing that they did just when they were drunk. Maybe they didnt mean to do it Ruth Langsford, who participated on the show in 2017, added: I used to end my training with Anton with a hug, and a well done partner, you worked hard." But I didnt finish the day by falling on top of him and sticking my tongue in his mouth. Eamonn was never worried because I would absolutely never behave like that. The panel later confirmed that Seann and Katya will return to the ballroom floor on Saturday evening, dispelling claims that the pair will walk. Regardless, bookmakers have made the pair hot favourites to be axed from the programme, with online bookie Betfair pricing Seann up at 6/4 to depart the programme after the upcoming weekend's performances, with doctor Ranj Singh the next likely to leave at 3/1. Betfair Spokesperson Katie Baylis said: 'It's been quite the weekend for Seann Walsh who went from hero to zero on the Strictly dancefloor with his stomping paso doble with partner Katya Jones. 'The judges loved the raw passion shown between them, which clearly spilled into the night after pictures of the pair snogging emerged the next day. 'Seann may face a backlash from viewers for his transgression as despite his comeback on the dancefloor is the 6/4 favourite to be eliminated this weekend. We also have it at 16/1 that he will just quit the show completely before the weekend.' Defiant: Seann and Katya will return to the ballroom floor on Saturday evening, dispelling claims that the pair will walk, but bookmakers believe they will be axed following this weekend's performance Some fans insisted that it wasn't the public that Seann owed an apology to, however it is currently unclear whether Seann and Rebecca have spoken since the pictures emerged. Although this is uncertain, they appear to have unfollowed each other on Instagram, but Rebecca's page is still littered with snaps of Seann and Katya. She has regularly gushed over her boyfriend's Strictly stint, sharing an image of him wearing a 'keep calm and listen to Katya T-shirt', as a good luck present. Rebecca broke her social media silence on the shock kiss by replying to a tweet by author Marian Keyes, who sent her support to her on Sunday evening. Marian tweeted to say: 'Hello. I'm putting ALL THREE of my AGINs on Seannnnnn Walsh and if anyone has any spare AGINs oging, I'll take them offa you. His poor girlfriend! (This means I'm lifting my AGINs from Faye and The Curtain Wiper and Doctor Ranj and Jeanette)'. AGIN means taking against someone - and is a phrase used by the author and her followers while watching Strictly based on who they dislike on the show. In response Rebecca tweeted back 'Wanna be friends?', while liking a series of tweets including one tweet directed at Seann which said 'no apology to @Beckshumps?'. Reaction: Some fans insisted that it wasn't the public that he owed an apology to, however it is currently unclear whether Seann and Rebecca has spoken since the pictures emerged Budget meal: Fans had previously labelled Katya a 'cheap date' after he posted this shot of the dancer tucking into a McDonalds on Instagram However while she has unfollowed her boyfriend, Rebecca has also recently followed Katya's husband on Neil on Twitter, with the kiss no doubt coming as a shock to both of them. Before the pictures of the kiss emerged, Rebecca was moved to tears as she watched him dance on Strictly on Saturday. The actress, who has been dating the comedian for five years, choked back sobs during his Pasa Doble to The Matrix theme tune with the Russian dancer. Viewers watched Rebecca hold her hands to her face as she watched Seann perform the outstanding routine, bursting into tears as he hugged Katya with relief at nailing the dance. While the judges raved about the performance, which included a backflip in the air, she could hardly contain her emotion as she watched from the front row. However, less than 24 hours later Rebecca shared her heartache on social media, liking a tweet from Corrie's Kirsty Leigh-Porter who sent her a red love heart emoji. Sizzling chemistry: Seann performed the Pasa Dobleto The Matrix theme tune with the Russian dancer, 29 Proud: Rebecca , who has been dating the comedian, for five years, choked back sobs during his Pasa Doble, overwhelmed with emotion Overwhelmed: Viewers watched the actress hold her hands to her face as she watched Seann perform the outstanding routine, bursting into tears as he hugged Katya with relief Devastated: Following the betrayal, Rebecca shared her heartache on social media, liking a tweet from Corrie's Kirsty Leigh-Porter who sent her a red love heart emoji Meanwhile Neil confused fans by choosing to ignore pictures of his wife in a passionate embrace with Seann as he uploaded a snap of the pair dancing on Instagram. He wrote: 'Wow last nights @bbcstrictly movie week was really epic and I'm really proud of @mrs_katjones and @seannwalsh Paso Doble. Great shapes and of course like always the choreography was on point.' An onlooker who witnessed Seann and Katya's kiss, told the Sun they were 'snogging like a pair of teenagers' and 'didn't seem to care who might see them. Breaking silence: Katya's husband Neil confused fans by choosing to ignore pictures of his wife in a embrace with Seann as he uploaded a snap of the pair dancing on Instagram Tactile display: While the judges raved about the performance- which included a backflip in the air- Rebecca could hardly contain her emotion as she watched from the front row Betrayal: Seann and Rebecca (left) have been in a long-term relationship for five years while Katya and Neil (right) have been married since 2013 The pair were reportedly at the Duke Of York pub in Marylebone in Central London at around midnight on Wednesday. A source told the website that the pair have had chemistry since the day they met, adding that they are very giggly and tactile. Although their close relationship has been noted by members of the crew it has still come as a shock to everyone. They added that it is bound to cause friction on the show as Katya has to work alongside her husband Neil every week. Sexy: On Saturday they performed a sensual paso doble as Seann's girlfriend Rebecca cheered them on from the audience But Katya appeared to defend her marriage with husband Neil again on Sunday's edition of Strictly Come Dancing. Then pro performed a romantic dance together while soul superstar Gladys Knight belted out her 1989 hit single Licence to Kill. Viewers took to Twitter in their droves as they commented on the 'cringing and awkward' dance to the 'appropriate song' which features the lyrics: 'Got a license to kill, anyone who tries to tear us apart.' Awkward: Katya appeared to defend her marriage with Neil on Sunday's edition of Strictly Come Dancing, following her passionate kiss with dance partner Seann While showcasing their fancy footwear, Katya and Neil twirled around the stage while the 'Empress Of Soul', 74, showcased her award-winning vocals. Fans quickly pointed out that their performance was seemingly convenient, with one fan tweeting: 'Katya & Neil dancing to Licence to Kill (anyone who tries to tear us apart) Yikes!! #Strictly.' In agreement, another penned: 'Watching Neil Jones and Katya dancing together is making me cringe. The song lyrics are not helping. #Strictly.' Soulful: The Russian pro performed a romantic dance together while Gladys Knight belted out her 1989 hit single Licence to Kill Passionate: Viewers took to Twitter in their droves as they commented on the 'cringing and awkward' dance to the 'appropriate song' which features the lyrics: 'Got a license to kill, anyone who tries to tear us apart' Hmm: Fans quickly took to the social media site to point out that their performance was seemingly convenient 'Katya and Neil dancing in a cloud of tension #strictly', a third wrote. Others were amazed by Gladys' stellar show, with viewers branding the star 'immortal' and 'a class act'. The show saw Blue's Lee Ryan become the second contestant to be eliminated from the new series, after his Cha Cha Cha with failed to impress the judging panel, following a dance-off with Charles Venn and his partner Karen Clifton. Doctor Who Rating: Just what the Doctor ordered a female Time Lord to save the world. Even if she has mislaid her Tardis. Jodie Whittaker delivered a desperately needed reboot for Doctor Who, which after 55 years had become bogged down in a morass of politically-correct dross about sexuality, with plots built on impenetrable lesbian love triangles and parables about inter-species romances. No wonder viewer ratings nose-dived, plummeting to below five million bad enough to threaten cancellation. Whittaker looks as though shes excited by the role, and bursting with ideas about how to play it. Shell need a few episodes to get into her stride but already I believe in her Doctor Whittaker, pictured above, speaks onstage at the Doctor Who panel during New York Comic Con today Instead, the BBC has demonstrated its commitment to reviving the show by moving it to Sunday nights, between its mega-hits Countryfile and the Strictly Come Dancing results. Thats as close as dammit to buying a guaranteed audience. But it all depended on Jodie. My great worry, when she was announced as the new Doctor (the 13th, 14th, or 15th to play the part, depending on how you count it), was that shed be stuck as a woman playing a camp, flamboyant male role all make-up and wild gestures, like Jon Pertwee with boobs. She has easily avoided that pitfall. Crucially, her Doctor is likeable. Her predecessor never was Peter Capaldi tried so hard to be cool in his sonic sunglasses, waving his electric guitar, but he always looked like a pretentious wazzock. The BBC has demonstrated its commitment to reviving the show, above, by moving it to Sunday nights, between its mega-hits Countryfile and the Strictly Come Dancing results. The previous Doctor Peter Capaldi, above, tried so hard to be cool in his sonic sunglasses, waving his electric guitar, but he always looked like a pretentious wazzock [File photo] Don't imagine Whittaker, pictured above in London earlier this month, is an actress shoehorned into the part by a BBC hierarchy obsessed with gender awareness. This show needed a major change, and thats what she brings By the end of his spell in the Tardis, he couldnt hide what a disappointment it had all been. Jodie looks as though shes excited by the role, and bursting with ideas about how to play it. Shell need a few episodes to get into her stride but already I believe in her Doctor. From the moment she plunged into the story, falling into a train carriage while a marauding alien was on the loose, she had the role by the scruff. Dont imagine she is an actress shoehorned into the part by a BBC hierarchy obsessed with gender awareness. This show needed a major change, and thats what she brings. Less comfortable is the new writing style, which combines the old-fashioned sci-fi adventure with a heavy dose of crime drama. Chris Chibnall, the man who has taken over as chief writer and producer of Doctor Who, created ITVs murder mystery Broadchurch in which Jodie Whittaker herself provided the emotional weight as the mother of a dead child. Any overlap between the shows is hardly coincidental. Many early scenes in her debut episode, The Woman Who Fell To Earth, seemed to have tumbled out of the wrong genre. A policewoman confronted two women whose row over a parking space had turned violent. A stroppy teenager flung his bicycle off a cliff before turning an ugly tirade on his grandparents. And when Jodie dashed into a garage, seconds too late to catch a killer, and knelt over the corpse, she seemed about to pull out a pair of blue latex gloves before setting up a perimeter of yellow striped police tape. Perhaps Chibnall is trying to invent a whole new telly genre, the Doctor Whodunnit. The Tardis looks like a police box, after all, and a Dalek screaming Ex-Ter-Min-Ate will always make a convincing prime suspect. Whittaker, above, had already donned welding goggles to make herself a replacement sonic screwdriver, which she described as a Swiss Army knife, without the knife only idiots carry knives! Jodie Whittaker, pictured at the New York Comic Con today, delivered a desperately needed reboot for Doctor Who, which after 55 years had become bogged down in a morass of politically-correct dross about sexuality Good crime television is deliberately slow, full of long, wordless reaction shots and fraught victims lying awake for hours staring at the ceiling The difficulty is that good crime television is deliberately slow, full of long, wordless reaction shots and fraught victims lying awake for hours staring at the ceiling. Family adventure should be the opposite pell-mell action sequences and lots of running. Chibnalls version of Doctor Who features too many drawn-out sequences of distant police cars driving through the night-time cityscape. By the end of the hour, when a character slipped and fell to her death, the tone had become dangerously depressing. Bradley Walsh, playing a retired bus driver, made a tearful speech at the funeral that could have come from every cop drama youve ever watched. Thank heavens for Jodie. Our new Doctor came galloping to the rescue, rounding everyone up to build a teleporter out of a car battery and a microwave oven. She had already donned welding goggles to make herself a replacement sonic screwdriver, which she described as a Swiss Army knife, without the knife only idiots carry knives! Shes even duelling with old-fashioned scary monsters including an intergalactic assassin who killed his victims by deep-freezing them, before pulling out their teeth to wear as face jewellery. Thats gruesome enough to send the whole family, including the cat, scurrying to hide behind the sofa. This Doctor is, as ever, bossy, eccentric, ridiculously clever and a bit of a show-off but shes quite different from all the men who preceded her. Getting to know her promises to be great fun. Ten years ago, when I asked Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, the genius TV comedy-writing partnership, if I could compile an anthology of their seminal sitcoms, they showed me the basement at Rays home. Crammed with filing cabinets, it functioned as their archive. I pointed out that the room was underground and the house was next to the Thames. What would happen to this priceless collection of scripts, many of them the sole surviving copies, if the river flooded? In unison they shrugged: It gets wet. 1954: Hancock's Half Hour with Tony Hancock (centre), Alan Simpson (left) and Ray Galton Rehearsing for Hancock's Half Hour, perhaps the first true sitcom, written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. Left to right: Tony Hancock, Moira Lister, Bill Kerr and Sid James Despite their extraordinary success, neither of the boys thats what the great Tony Hancock dubbed them after he hired them when they were barely 21 had a trace of ego. Which is why Ray would have approved of the low-key obituaries over the weekend, following his death aged 88. He didnt give a hoot about the media establishment and the people who ran television. But I think it would have been a more honest reflection of his legacy as one of Britains most influential ever writers, if the Sunday front pages had carried portraits and TV channels had made space in their schedules to honour him. Ray and Alan Simpson, who died last year at 87, devised and then perfected a whole comedy genre as the television era began. Wilfrid Brambell (left, 1912-1985) pictured as Albert Steptoe, with Harry H. Corbett (1925-1982) as Harold Steptoe, in the sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson With Hancocks Half Hour, then Steptoe And Son, they created sitcom not just the idea of a half-hour play packed with one-liners, but all the rules and rhythms that make situation comedy work. Without Ray and Alan, its impossible to imagine Dads Army, Fawlty Towers, Only Fools And Horses or alternative sitcoms such as The Young Ones. Rays knowledge of comedy was literally encyclopaedic the library at his home in Richmond upon Thames was filled entirely with books about humour and humorists but all his achievements mattered much less to him than his family and his dogs. Writing for Hancocks radio shows, Galton and Simpson realised sitcom has to be about failure, because Brits (unlike Americans) dont find success amusing. The characters must be trapped, dependent on each other in a prison of their own making. And despite their failings, especially those British foibles, pomposity and frustration, they must feel like our friends. All this the duo had discovered before they were 25. Over the next decade, in the late Fifties and early Sixties, they honed a writing style that has been constantly copied, but never matched, full of aching pauses and pathos. Together, they wrote more than 600 scripts, including pieces for most of the great comedy performers of the era such as Frankie Howerd and Leonard Rossiter. Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, pictured in 1970, created the rules of British comedy They never wrote catchphrases, but many of their lines have entered the language Does Magna Carta mean nothing to you? Did she die in vain? For three years I had the privilege of working with them on that anthology that also became their joint biography. My happy job was mostly enjoying hundreds of their shows, and then sitting spellbound as they expounded for hours on the art of writing comedy. Sprawled at either end of a vast settee in Rays living room a space so big that a grand piano was tucked in one corner the two men, both 6ft 4in, talked as if they shared one train of thought. 1963: Ray and Alan, co-writers of 'Hancock's Half Hour' and 'Steptoe and Son' They completed each others sentences, echoed each others punchlines and never disagreed in the least detail. Ray and Alan were two friends, but Galton & Simpson was really one writer. From the start, they wrote only when they were together unlike most writing duos, who typically work apart before swapping notes. When they began submitting jokes to comedians, Alan had borrowed a typewriter. He had worked as a shipping clerk, and could type a bit, so he bashed the keys while Ray stood behind him. Neither would work on a script without the other one present, not even to tweak a gag. If I was out of the room, and I heard the typewriter, Ray told me, Id dash back in What are you changing? And hed just be putting the date at the top of the page. This reliance on each other extended to brain-storming sessions. When they were stuck for ideas, they would lie on the floor of their office, side by side, each saying whatever came into their heads. If it sounded like rubbish, the other would stay silent: that was all the criticism they needed. One afternoon in the early Sixties, flat on their backs, one mused aloud: Theres these two ragnbone men . . . The idea was met with silence. But about three hours later, still on the carpet, the other said: What was that about ragnbone men? Steptoe And Son was born though Ray and Alan would never reveal who first had the thought. After years of interviewing them, my feeling is Alan was the one with an innate sense of plot structure, and Ray had a turn of phrase that could make your skin tingle. He described actor Kenneth Williams to me, for instance: Turning his head and smiling at you like a goblin in a woodcut drawing from a book of fairytales. Ray Galton (left) and Alan Simpson (right) in front of 20 Queen's Gate Place, London, where an English Heritage blue plaque commemorates comedy star Tony Hancock Talking about that famous line of Hancocks in The Blood Donor, Alan told me: One of us suggested, A pint? Thats an armful! and the other said, Nearly an armful! and then we decided on, Very nearly an armful! Much funnier. This almost telepathic understanding was born just after World War II, in the tuberculosis sanitarium in Surrey where they met. Both were healthy teenagers when the illness struck, and yet neither was expected to survive it: Alan had been given the last rites. The only cure was years of bed rest, in a quarantined hospital, with horrific treatments to drain fluid from the chest cavity through fat surgical needles. They listened to the radio, especially American comics such as Jack Benny, and read favourite novelists such as Thornton Wilder. And they began inventing jokes. Ray Galton at the funeral of Alan Simpson in Hampton, London, in February last year When cured, their early gag-writing efforts were quickly spotted by Howerd and Hancock, and though ordered by their doctors to take it easy for at least a couple of years, the duo were soon turning out full scripts at a lightning pace. They joined Spike Milligan (who was writing The Goon Show) and Eric Sykes (writing Educating Archie) in offices above a grocers shop in Shepherds Bush, West London. The set-up, officially Associated London Scripts, was known as the House of Fun. Spike and Eric often stuck their heads round the door and asked if we thought a joke worked, Ray said. We didnt have to do that, we had each other. Ray Galton was never able to write effectively after Alan retired in the late Seventies Unsatisfied by churning out stand-up routines for star turns, they quickly started working on comic playlets about working-class Londoners, the sort of people theyd grown up with chancers, layabouts, dreamers, spivs . . . the characters portrayed in Hancocks Half Hour by The Lad Himself, Anthony Aloysius St John Hancock, with Sid James, Hattie Jacques and Bill Kerr. Seven years later, they cast two serious stage actors, Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H. Corbett, as the dirty old man and his pitifully uneducated son, in Steptoe. Alan retired in the late Seventies, and Ray was never able to write effectively without him. But they continued to rely on each other, and met every Monday to reminisce for hours over cups of Rays rocket-grade black coffee. Even in their 80s they had the irrepressible mischief of a couple of schoolboys. When Ray began to show signs of the dementia that blighted his final years, an arthritic Alan liked to joke: We still need each other. He helps me up the stairs, and I remind him what day it is. To watch their shows now is to see British sitcom at its purest and wittiest. The jokes cut to the bone and the repartee is often brutal, but they are never foul-mouthed or dependent on cheap slapstick. Galton & Simpson didnt have to stoop to make us laugh. They were giants, who could pluck all their jokes off the top shelf of comedy. Christopher Stevens compiled Galton & Simpson: The Masters Of Sitcom, published by Michael OMara. It was long awaited after she was confirmed as the first female doctor. And Doctor Who made a spectacular return on Sunday night as Jodie Whittaker thwarted her first alien enemy, with the help of a Sonic Swiss Army Knife and her new best friends in Sheffield. In an action-packed hour, showrunner Chris Chibnall broke the mould by cutting to the chase when it came to this new Doctor meeting her new companions, as its revealed that Ryan, Yaz and Graham already know each other in one way or another. Girl power: Doctor Who made a spectacular return on Sunday night as Jodie Whittaker thwarted her first alien enemy, with the help of a Sonic Swiss Army Knife The show takes a huge step into 2018 as Ryan Sinclair opens the show with a candid Youtube video about the greatest woman he ever met. Speaking about his struggles with dyspraxia, we see him struggling to ride a bike with grandmother Grace and her second husband Graham. It seems the two men are still battling to establish that crucial. After hurling his bike into the woods in frustration, Ryan then comes across the first Random Alien Thing of the series (and yes I will be calling it that). Emotional: As well as plenty of laughs in the episode there was also a surprise tragedy we see Grace die from her injuries leaving Graham and Ryan devastated Meanwhile policewoman in training Yasmin (or Yaz for the forseeable) is the classic copper wanting to do more, and after being called to the Random Alien Thing, many minutes of introductions are happily skipped as its revealed she and Ryan know each other from school. Meanwhile Graham and Graces train comes to an abrupt end as it plunges into the darkness thanks to an electric alien force. As its revealed to be a mass of metallic tentacles, we get our first glimpse of The Doctor as she crashes through the ceiling, again after being hurled from the TARDIS in the 2017 Christmas Specials closing scenes. In typical post-regeneration fashion our new female Doctor seems to have forgotten her identity, but does send the tentacle mass flying away after it makes a scan of random character Karl Wright. Who's that girl? In typical post-regeneration fashion our new female Doctor seems to have forgotten her identity, but does send the tentacle mass flying away Despite Yazs attempts to police the situation, the Doctor quickly calls her out, while fans are left questioning the location of the TARDIS - and more importantly its new interior. Meanwhile a new character seems to have tracked down the Random Alien Thing and taken it back to a warehouse, and for some reason decides to keep watch and see what happens. Following the classic post-regeneration collapse, the Doctor finally snaps back into action with a classic monologue of exposition, just as an electric pulse across the city sees our team of five installed with DNA bombs that could turn them to dust at any moment. And finally we get to see the Random Alien Thing open, as a robot/armoured figure emerges, bearing an eery resemblance to the Who classic villain The Ice Warrior. Standing up for herself: Despite Yazs attempts to police the situation, the Doctor quickly calls her out, while fans are left questioning the location of the TARDIS Its here that finally fans get to see the Doctor reunited with her precious sonic screwdriver, though in this case it seems we should now call it a Sonic Swiss Army Knife (but without the knife). After tracking down the robot creature, its then revealed to be a warrior from the land of Stenza, who is on a hunt for a mystery human target, and keeps the teeth of its victims as a trophy on their face. In reality this Stenza - or Tim Shaw as our Doctor said in her Northern accent - has cheated in the hunt by using the electric tentacle mass to track his victim. And so begins the classic Who pursuit of our antagonist, with the random human target of course revealed to be crane operator Karl who we met on the train earlier in the show. Tracking him down to a building site, the Doctor and her gang (or team or fam) climb the crane to rescue Karl, with Graham and Grace pursuing the giant tentacle electric mass. One to watch: Following the classic post-regeneration collapse, the Doctor finally snaps back into action with a classic monologue of exposition After cornering the Stenza, we then get The Doctor delivering her epic Im The Doctor speech we see in every debut episode, as she finally remembers her identity with the help of a dash of adrenaline, bit of outrage and a heat of panic. So with a bit of quick thinking - and only ten minutes of the episode remaining - The Doctor reveals shes taken the Stenzas recall button that helps him get home, and transferred all the DNA bombs into his armour. With a hint of pre-watershed gore in the form of his brains melting out his helmet, we see the Stenza make a hasty getaway leaving his victim behind, just as Grace manages to destroy the tentacled mass. But sadly the electric proves too much, and in a surprise tragedy we see Grace die from her injuries leaving Graham and Ryan devastated. We then cut back to Ryans YouTube video where he reveals the greatest woman he ever met was his Nan. After a quick time jump The Doctor is seen attending Graces funeral along with Graham, Ryan and Yaz, with a quick bit of exposition showing Ryans mother had passed away, and his father isnt a constant figure in his life. Finally, we then get to see The Doctor don her brand new outfit, complete with piercings, and with the help of the alien technology, she and her three new best friends are zapped to the okanet where her TARDIS is supposed to be. Supposed because the teleport actually sends to the middle of space, ending the episode on a cliffhanger - new for a debut episode! But post-credits fans get to then see a montage of the slew of guest stars who are set to appear this series, including Lee Mack, Julie Hesmondhalgh and Chris Noth. Doctor Who continues on Sunday 14th October at 6:55pm on BBC One. The Bachelorette's Ali Oetjen, 32, was accused of cheating by her ex-boyfriend Grant Kemp earlier this year. And a new report has claimed the cheating scandal was a hot topic among contestants on the show, with some potential suitors reportedly getting the boot after demanding answers from her. Speaking to New Idea on Monday, American model Grant claimed some contestants left the show after confronting Ali about infidelity rumours. 'Some guys tried to get to the bottom of it': Ali Oetjen 'kicked Bachelorette contestants off the show' after they asked about claims she cheated on her ex-boyfriend Grant Kemp 'I know that my name definitely is a subject of importance on the show because of what she did, as it should be,' he said. 'I heard she sent a couple of guys home because of it, because they probably tried to get to the bottom of it.' Grant added: 'I've never in my life seen someone come across as such a kind-hearted and caring person and then turn around and do what she did to me.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ali Oetjen and Network Ten for comment. Official cast photo: On Sunday, Channel Ten revealed the official cast photo of the 18 potential suitors competing for Ali's heart It comes after Ali revealed for the first time what really happened in the days leading up to the house party in Los Angeles where she allegedly cheated on Grant. Ali travelled to America 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.' Scandalous! Earlier this year, Grant accused Ali of cheating on him in Los Angeles. Pictured on Bachelor In Paradise, which was filmed in Fiji last year Grant's version of what happened in LA 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 magazine recently 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'. More allegations: Last week, Grant claimed Ali once confessed to sleeping with one brother before getting engaged to the other. Ali is pictured in a trailer for The Bachelorette Last week, Grant claimed Ali 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. '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. '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 Los Angeles where she allegedly cheated on Grant '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?"' 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.' 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 on Bachelor in Paradise It's been more than 15 years since they have dated. But exes Mandy Moore and Wilmer Valderrama are still good friends, as they proved after reuniting on Saturday. Moore, 34, shared a number of photos on Instagram from the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic on Saturday, where she ran into Valderrama, 38. Moore was also seen hanging out with actresses Garcelle Beauvais and Rumer Willis at the event, which was held at the at Will Rogers State Historic Park in Pacific Palisades, California. Still friends: Wilmer Valderrama reunites with his ex-girlfriend Mandy Moore at the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic in Pacific Palisades, California on Saturday Moore, 34, shared a number of photos on Instagram from the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic on Saturday, where she ran into Valderrama, 38 Moore, who is currently engaged to Dawes frontman Ryan Adams, with a March 2019 wedding set, was wearing a red dress with a plunging neckline. She was also wearing a small gold pendant and black shoes, while carrying a black handbag. Valderrama, who dated pop star Demi Lovato on and off from 2010 to 2016, was wearing a grey turtleneck Friends forever: Moore, who is currently engaged to Dawes frontman Ryan Adams, with a March 2019 wedding set, was wearing a red dress with a plunging neckline Polo friends: Moore was also seen hanging out with actresses Garcelle Beauvais (middle left) and Rumer Willis (middle right) at the event, which was held at the at Will Rogers State Historic Park in Pacific Palisades, California. More polo friends: Moore and Valderrama are joined by Harold Perrineau, Justin Hartley, Christina Hendricks, Ellen Pompeo and Olivia Wilde at the event Moore and Valderrama dated between 2000 and 2002, with the This Is Us star recently opening up about their relationship on The Howard Stern Show in June. She met the That 70's Show star at a photo shoot when she was just 15, adding she had never even French kissed a boy then. 'He was like my first, true boyfriend,' Moore said. 'Were not that close, but were friendly. Hes a good guy, he really is.' Valderrama and Moore: Moore and Valderrama (seen in 2005 at The 57th Annual Emmy Awards) dated between 2000 and 2002, with the This Is Us star recently opening up about their relationship on The Howard Stern Show in June Friendly exes: She met the That 70's Show star at a photo shoot when she was just 15, adding she had never even French kissed a boy then The pair always hadn't been so friendly, after Valderrama revealed in a 2006 Elle interview that he took her virginity, which she claims is not true. His claim about taking her virginity was, 'utterly tacky, not even true,' adding, 'it hurt my feelings because I like him.' 'I love him and I still love him and hes a very good friend, and thats why I was so shocked by it,' Moore added. 'Because not only was it a fib, but it was so unlike him it was so uncharacteristic.' Reunited in 2016: The pair last reunited in 2016, when Valderrama shared an Instagram photo of the exes together, after running into each other on the Paramount studio lot The pair last reunited in 2016, when Valderrama shared an Instagram photo of the exes together, after running into each other on the Paramount studio lot. 'A Paramount Studios moment..,' Valderamma started his Instagram post. 'When one of the most special people just so happens to be shooting her show @nbcthisisus at the same lot you're shooting @ncis_cbs.. Love you Mandela!' Moore will voice Rapunzel in Disney's Ralph Breaks the Internet, a sequel to Wreck-It Ralph, and the third season of This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9 PM on NBC. Valderrama's series NCIS also airs Tuesdays at 8 PM on CBS. A vision in red: Moore will voice Rapunzel in Disney's Ralph Breaks the Internet, a sequel to Wreck-It Ralph, and the third season of This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9 PM on NBC Ali Larter brought her A-game as she hit the red carpet on Saturday. The 42-year-old attended the P.S ARTS Express Yourself 2018 fundraiser at the historic Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. The actress looked vibrant in her floral print dress as she graced the blue carpet in a pair of pink bow-tied Louise et Cie shoes, which appeared to blend effortlessly well with her upper ensemble. Pretty in pink: Ali Larter looked sensational as she arrived at the P.S Arts Express Yourself fundraiser in Santa Monica, California Her blonde tresses were swept to the back while her facial features were enhanced with a radiant dusting of make-up. The Resident Evil actress didn't attend the event on her own. Larter's son Theodore Hayes MacArthur, seven, and Vivienne, three, were also in tow. Ali joined a handful of celebrities in raising money for an organization that provides arts education to underprivileged children in multiple communities and schools. A family event: Larter looked radiant as she posed on the blue carpet with her son Theodore The event, which boasts of holding up to 1,500 adults and children, is described as being packed with fun-filled educational games and art activities that children of all ages can have the pleasure of taking part in. All in the efforts of raising money to supply disadvantaged schools with compulsory supplies to prevent their arts education in dance, music, and theatre from being abandoned. Prior to attending the fundraiser, Larter had taken to her official Instagram page, urging fans to make contributions to the organization in the lead-up to the four-hour event. Inside the venue: The Hollywood actress seemed to be having a great time with her daughter Vivienne, who appeared to have been disrupted from her drawing 'Art is everything. Please join me in supporting P.S. ARTS!' Ali told her followers on the social networking site. 'They are dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing arts education to underserved public schools & communities. 'They are the only organization in Southern & Central California that provides yearlong, high-quality arts education in dance, music, theater, and/or visual arts to every child in a school during the regular school day. White Chicks actress Busy Philipps was also in attendance at the charity event, wearing a patterned multi-colored dress, which she accompanied with a pair of Adidas sneakers. That's an interesting ensemble: Busy Philipps sported a mix-and-match outfit at the same event Meanwhile, Ali Larter who runs her own lifestyle blog has made it no secret to her fans on social media that she's quite the cook. 'My chewy crackly Gingersnaps came out perfect, and I have good curls?!' Larter began her caption of a photo showing her self-made Gingersnaps. 'This day is on point. Go to the link in my bio to get one of my favorite recipes! And make these if you want to make someone smile today. The mother-of-two looked pleasantly happy with the outcome, as she packaged the cookies with her own plastic wrapping. She's got quite the sweet tooth: Larter showed off her Gingersnaps on Instagram earlier this week Results! The blonde beauty was clearly happy with the outcome of her cookies Supporting a friend: She had also tried out the recipe to Reese Witherspoon's cheddar biscuits, having received instructions from the actress' book Whiskey In A Teacup Last month, Larter helped to promote her pal Reese Witherspoon's book Whiskey In A Teacup, 'Cheddar Biscuits on point from #whiskeyinateacup!' the Obsessed star gushed while complimenting Reese's publication. 'You are a southern gem @reesewitherspoon. I've seen @jennifer.garner @iamcamilaalves rocking out in their hot rollers, and I'm wondering girls... will you show me your biscuits? #cheddar biscuits #lifemakesmehungry.' Workers would get a new legal avenue to pursue unpaid wage and superannuation claims separate from the federal court under the unions' bold pre-election vision. Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Sally McManus will outline further plans to shake up the industrial relations system in a speech to Labor-aligned think-tank John Curtin Research Centre on Thursday night. Instead of an "economic" minimum wage, Ms McManus will also call for an umpire to ensure Australia's lowest-paid workers' pay packets do not lose touch with industry or community standards. That body would also be charged with stamping out gender pay inequality. "A feminised industry should no longer mean a low-paid industry," she will say. The ACTU wants the umpire to have increased powers to mediate pay disputes, make bargaining more efficient and resolve conflicts in negotiations. Ms McManus will also detail plans for workers to access a quick, low-cost and easy-to-access jurisdiction to hear claims of unpaid wages or superannuation. "It should not be a costly, lengthy process for working people to get back wages that have been stolen from them," Ms McManus will say. "Employers should also have the expectation that there is a good chance they will get caught." Under the plan, superannuation theft, discrimination and harassment in the workplace would be included in the industrial relations framework. The ACTU is also ramping up calls for sector-wide bargaining, which would allow employees to negotiate pay and conditions across industries rather than workplaces. "Our narrow, restrictive system of single enterprise bargaining has failed in so many industries because business owners are encouraged to undercut one another to compete on wage costs," Ms McManus will say. The new proposals are part of the ongoing Change The Rules campaign, which an elected Shorten Labor government would be pressured to implement. "They can change the rules so working people get a fair go again," Ms McManus will say. "This is the historic mission of both the trade union movement and the party we gave birth to." Today's Birthday, October 4: Ian Kiernan, environmentalist known for Clean Up Australia (1940 - ). Former yachtsman and environmentalist Ian Kiernan was poised for some well-deserved recognition, after founding the national movement Clean Up Australia Day. In 2017 his name was among other worthy Australians in the running to be emblazoned on the side of a Sydney ferry. But in a move that stunned the public, NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance made a "captains call" and opted instead for Ferry McFerryface. FOI documents showed Kiernan's name had received the most public votes in a naming competition that cost taxpayers $100,000. Following the news Kiernan blasted the transport minister. "He's made a balls-up of it," Mr Kiernan told AAP. "It's a political hijack, that's what it is. I'm not particularly concerned about it except that the public's been deceived. They voted, they selected it, then the government grabs it." Following a controversial summer on the sea, the ferry was re-named after children's author May Gibbs, with the minister saying the name was always meant for the kids. Born in Sydney in 1940, Kiernan attended school in Armidale, NSW. After graduating from Sydney Technical College as a builder, he later specialised in historic restorations. A keen yachtsman, Kiernan has sailed competitively for more than 40 years. In 1987 he represented Australia in the BOC world yacht race. He set the Australian record for a solo sail around the world, finishing in sixth place. It was touring the seas where Kiernan became dismayed at the level of pollution clogging the world's waterways. After his big win, he organised community event Clean Up Sydney Harbour in January 1989. More than 40,000 volunteers joined the effort, and a year later the national campaign was set in motion. In 1993 he took his campaign to the world stage, creating Clean Up the World, with 30 million volunteers from 80 countries participating. Kiernan received an award as Australian of the Year in 1994. Four years later, he was awarded the prestigious United Nations Environment Programme Sasakawa Environment Prize for "mobilising tens of millions of people around the globe". In 2014 the 73-year-old was fined $1000 and had his licence suspended for six months following a mid-range drink driving charge. A man's on the run after attacking another man's head with a metal pole on Queensland's Gold Coast. Detectives say a unknown man snuck up behind the 56-year-old man and hit him in the face and on the head with the pole before running away at home on Watson Esplanade, at 4.50pm on Wednesday. The victim is in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while police are looking for the attacker, who is described as a solidly-built Caucasian in his mid-40s and was wearing an orange hi-vis hoodie, a black and red cap, and blue shorts. 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 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 men's products like condoms and Viagra are exempt. Minister for Women Kelly O'Dwyer 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. Police are hunting a man who assaulted a woman after her car broke down on a deserted country road in southeast Queensland. Detectives say the man pulled over to help the woman, whose car was stopped on the side of Rose Street in Warwick on Tuesday night. The pair worked under the bonnet of her white Nissan Patrol before the woman walked to the back of her car. It's alleged the man followed the woman and slammed her head into the vehicle, knocking her unconscious. Police say the man then further assaulted the woman before fleeing in his white ute. He is described as chubby with a beard and was wearing a dark blue tradie shirt, matching shorts and work boots. Vietnam's Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (C), flanked by Indonesia's President Joko Widodo (L) and Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R), pictured at the World Economic Forum in Hanoi on September 12, 2018 Vietnam Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was nominated Wednesday as the only candidate for president, effectively ordaining him as the most powerful person in the country. The party's central committee announced the nomination after President Tran Dai Quang died last month following a long illness. "The Party Central Committee unanimously agreed on nominating Nguyen Phu Trong to the post of President," the party said on its website. The country's rubber-stamp National Assembly is expected to approve the nomination of Trong, also a member of the powerful politburo, at their next month-long session which opens on October 22. Trong will become the first person to hold the top posts of president and party leader simultaneously since Ho Chi Minh, the country's independence leader and Communist Party founder, did so in the 1960s. His roles will make up half of Vietnam's top political posts -- known as the "four pillars" -- which also include Prime Minister and head of the National Assembly. The president's post is largely seen as ceremonial, though officially it will make Trong the head of state as well as chief of the Communist Party, in a country where all other political parties are banned. Trong, 74, is known as a conservative and hardline leader who has led a high-level crackdown on corruption that has seen dozens of former officials, bankers, and executives put behind bars. He has also been accused of waging a crackdown on dissidents, with at least 40 jailed this year alone. Observers say the lengths of sentences for political prisoners -- which have hit up to 20 years -- have crept up under Trong leadership. Trong, who has been a member of the communist party since 1967, started his career as an editor of one of the party's official journals when he was just in his 20s. He has been party general secretary since 2011 and was reelected to the post in 2016. Nhlanhla Nene was re-appointed as South African finance minister by the new president, Cyril Ramaphosa, after being sacked by former president Jacob Zuma South Africa's finance minister gave damning testimony Wednesday against former president Jacob Zuma, accusing him of pushing policies designed to benefit the wealthy family at the heart of a government corruption scandal. Nhlanhla Nene was sacked by Zuma in 2015 in a move that shocked many South Africans and foreign investors as allegations grew that Zuma and the Gupta family were overseeing rampant state corruption. The Gupta brothers are accused of fraudulently profiting from vast government contracts and energy and transport deals under Zuma, who was ousted earlier this year by the ruling ANC party. Nene was re-appointed as finance minister by the new president, Cyril Ramaphosa, who 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 under oath at the hearings, said that his then deputy Mcebisi Jonas was offered his job after Nene refused to back a proposed $100-billion Russian-built nuclear programme that the Guptas were set to benefit from. - 'Astronomical' nuclear costs - "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, piling accusations of misconduct on Zuma. Nene added that pressure was put on the treasury "to conceal dubious or irregular procurement". He described the cost of the proposed nuclear power stations as "astronomical" and posing a threat to the country's finances. At a meeting with Zuma in 2015 when Nene declined to back the nuclear project, Nene said he received "a very tense and hostile" response from Zuma who wanted to report on progress to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The inquiry, which opened in August, is probing allegations that Zuma organised a web of graft at government departments and public enterprises in a scandal known as "state capture". Zuma was forced to resign in February over allegations centring around the Guptas, who reportedly held such sway that they chose some of Zuma's cabinet ministers. Former deputy finance minister 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. Nene told the inquiry that he met Jonas on a balcony to avoid being bugged by the intelligence services, saying "even when you look at a flower pot, you are not sure." - Zuma's tarnished legacy - The Guptas owned a uranium mine, which would have seen profits soar from the nuclear deal, as well as a portfolio of mining, technology and media companies. When Nene was fired in 2015, Zuma replaced him with a little-known loyalist who lasted four days in the job as markets dived and investors pulled out of the country before a more respected minister was appointed. The Indian-born Gupta brothers -- Ajay, Atul and Rajesh -- have left South Africa and are now based in Dubai. Both Zuma and the Guptas, who employed Zuma's son Duduzane, deny any wrongdoing. The inquiry chair, deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo, urged public officials to give evidence. "I just hope people will realise it will be better if they come forward on their own... rather than be dragged screaming and kicking," he said. "This is a very serious issue in our country, the whole country wants to know what happened." Ramaphosa faces difficult elections next year as public support has declined for the ANC party, which has ruled since Nelson Mandela came to power in 1994 after the end of apartheid rule. 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. Security researchers say an elite group of North Korean hackers has stolen hundreds of millions of dollars from banks worldwide An elite group of North Korean hackers has been identified as the source of a wave of cyberattacks on global banks that has netted "hundreds of millions" of dollars, security researchers said Wednesday. A report by the cybersecurity firm FireEye said the newly identified group dubbed APT38 is distinct from but linked to other North Korean hacking operations, and has the mission of raising funds for the isolated Pyongyang regime. FireEye researchers said APT38 is one of several hacking cells within an umbrella group known as "Lazarus," but with unique skills and tools that have helped it carry out some of the world's largest cyber heists. "They are a cybercriminal group with the skills of a cyberespionage campaign," said Sandra Joyce, FireEye's vice president of intelligence, in a briefing with journalists in Washington. Joyce said one of the characteristics of APT38 is that it takes several months, sometimes nearly two years, to penetrate and learn the workings of its targets before its attacks, which have sought to illegally transfer more than $1 billion from victimized banks. "They take their time to learn the intricacies of the organization," Joyce said. Once they succeed, she added, "they deploy destructive malware on their way out" to hide their traces and make it more difficult for victims to find out what happened. - Sense of urgency - Researchers said that North Korean national Park Jin Hyok, who was named in a US criminal complaint last month unveiled by Justice Department officials at a news conference pictured here, was peripherally involved in an elite bank hacking operation Joyce said FireEye decided to go public about the threat out of a "sense of urgency" because the group appears to still be operating and is "undeterred by any diplomatic efforts." The group has compromised more than 16 organizations in at least 11 different countries since at least 2014, according to the FireEye report. Some of the known attacks have targeted the Vietnam TP Bank in 2015, Bangladesh Bank in 2016, Far Eastern International Bank of Taiwan in 2017 and Bancomext of Mexico and Banco de Chile in 2018. Joyce said the group appears to have "the scope and resources of a nation-state" but offered no specific figures on how many people it uses. Nalani Fraser, a member of the FireEye research team, said APT38 attacks sought at least $1.1 billion since 2014 and have managed to steal "hundreds of millions of dollars based on data that we can confirm." FireEye said there appears to be some sharing of resources between hacker groups in North Korea, including those involved in espionage and those in other kinds of attacks. - Focused mission - FireEye researchers say North Korean hacking and cyberespionage is continuing despite diplomatic efforts inlcuding US President Donald Trump's meeting with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un Some of the information about APT38 was revealed in a US criminal complaint unsealed last month against Park Jin Hyok, charged in connection with WannaCry ransomware outbreak and the attack on Sony Pictures. But Park likely played only a peripheral role in APT38,which "has a focused mission to steal money to fund the North Korean regime," according to Joyce. FireEye's new report was based in part on forensic analysis it conducted for the FBI in the investigation into Park, but also from other data the security firm has gathered from its global client base. The researchers said APT38 used techniques including "phishing" emails to gain access to credentials and using "watering holes" -- hijacked websites that appear normal but which contain malware that enable hackers to gather more data and access. As part of the scheme, the hackers created fake identities within known nongovernmental organizations or foundations to help move the stolen money, in some cases manipulating the global interbank transfer system known as SWIFT. Security researchers say an elite North Korean hacker group known as APT38 get into networks and wait for up to almost two years to carry out cyber thefts The report is the latest highlighting a vast and increasingly sophisticated cyber campaign by North Korea for both political and financial ends. In September, a 176-page criminal complaint against Park outlined what officials called "a vast and audacious scheme by the North Korean government to utilize computer intrusions as a means to support the varied goals of their regime." On Tuesday, the US Department of Homeland Security warned that North Korea is likely behind malware used to hack into and steal money from bank teller machines. The bulletin said officials believe the "Hidden Cobra" malware enabled North Korea to illegally get cash from bank machines in at least 30 countries, mainly in Asia and Africa, since 2016. US scientists Frances Arnold and George Smith and British researcher Gregory Winter have won the 2018 Nobel Chemistry Prize US scientists Frances Arnold and George Smith and British researcher Gregory Winter won the Nobel Chemistry Prize on Wednesday for applying the principles of evolution to develop proteins used in everything from new biofuels to to the world's best-selling drug. Arnold, just the fifth woman to clinch chemistry's most prestigious honour since Marie Curie was honoured in 1911, won one half of the nine million Swedish kronor (about $1.01 million or 870,000 euros) award, while Smith and Winter shared the other half. "The 2018 Nobel Laureates in Chemistry have taken control of evolution and used it for purposes that bring the greatest benefit to humankind," the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences said. Life on Earth exists because over the past 3.7 billion years organisms have adapted to their environment, with evolution solving complex chemical problems: fish can for example swim in polar oceans because they have antifreeze proteins in their blood. US scientist Frances Arnold said she was "bouncing off the walls" at the news, but annoyed she couldn't tell her sons: "They never answer the phone when Mom calls" The trio used the principles of evolution -- genetic change and selection -- to develop proteins now used in a range of fields, in what is known as directed evolution. "They have applied the principles of Darwin in test tubes. They have used the molecular understanding we have of the evolutionary process and recreated the process in their labs," the head of the Academy's Nobel Chemistry committee, Claes Gustafsson, told reporters. "They have been able to make evolution many 1000s of times faster and redirect it to create new proteins." - 'Bouncing off the walls' - Arnold, 62, who has survived breast cancer and is a single mother to three sons, is a professor of chemical engineering at the California Institute of Technology. The women Nobel laureates since the beginning of the prize "I'm bouncing off the walls but I'm trying to pretend to sound calm and collected," she told the Nobel Foundation in an interview, adding she was "annoyed" she couldn't reach her sons to give them the news. "They never answer the phone when Mom calls." Her method of rewriting DNA to mimic evolution has helped solve problems such as replacing toxic chemicals like fossil fuels. As a result, renewable resources like sugar cane are being converted into biofuels. More environmentally friendly chemical substances are being developed, improving everyday products such as laundry and dishwashing detergents to enhance their performance in cold temperatures. The recent winners of the Nobel Chemistry Prize "What I do is copy nature's design process. All this tremendous beauty and complexity of the biological world all comes about through this one simple beautiful design algorithm," she told the Foundation. "What I do is use that algorithm to build new biological things," she said. "Nature is solving all sorts of problems that we throw at her such as how to degrade plastic bottles, how to degrade pesticides and herbicides and antibiotics... she creates new enzymes in response to that all the time, in real time." - 'Great surprise' - British scientist Gregory Winter developed an "elegant method" known as phage display, where a bacteriophage -- a virus that infects bacteria -- can be used to evolve new proteins Meanwhile, Smith, of the University of Missouri, and Winter, a 67-year-old genetic engineer at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology at Cambridge, developed an "elegant method" known as phage display, where a bacteriophage -- a virus that infects bacteria -- can be used to evolve new proteins, the jury said. Pharmaceuticals for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and inflammatory bowel diseases have resulted from their research, as well as antibodies that can neutralise toxins, counteract autoimmune diseases and in some cases cure metastatic cancer. The world's most sold prescription drug -- adalimumab, which treats rheumatoid arthritis and is sold by its trade name Humira -- is a result of their efforts. Alan Boyd, president of Britain's Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine, hailed the award. US scientist George Smith said he thought it was a joke when he received the call informing him he had won a Nobel "The use of antibodies has resulted in a paradigm shift in the way that we now treat so many diseases which has brought significant benefits to patients across the world and will continue to do so for years to come," he said. Smith told the Foundation that the Nobel was a "great surprise". "I thought it was one of the numerous jokes like 'call coming in from Stockholm!' which is kind of like a meme." But there was "so much static on the line (I knew) that it had to be real." Alfred Nobel, who created the prizes in his will, was himself a chemist, and devised his famed awards in part to atone for inventing dynamite. The 2018 Nobel season continues on Friday with the announcement of the peace prize, and wraps up on Monday with the economics prize. For the first time since 1949, the Swedish Academy has postponed the announcement of the 2018 Nobel Literature Prize until next year, amid a #MeToo scandal and bitter internal dispute that has prevented it from functioning properly. Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has issued a new denial of accusations by a former model that he raped her in Las Vegas in 2009 Cristiano Ronaldo on Wednesday denied accusations by a former American model that he raped her in a Las Vegas hotel in 2009 and said his conscience is clear. "I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me," the Portuguese superstar tweeted in Portuguese and English. "Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in," said the 33-year-old Juventus forward. "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 said. "My clear conscious (sic) will thereby allow me to await with tranquillity the results of any and all investigations," he added on his Twitter feed @Cristiano, which has nearly 75 million followers. Kathryn Mayorga, 34, of Las Vegas, accused Ronaldo, in a 32-page complaint filed last month with a district court in Nevada, of raping her on June 13, 2009. Las Vegas police this week said they were reopening a case filed on that date but did not identify the victim or the alleged perpetrator by name. Mayorga's lawyers are to hold a news conference in Las Vegas at 3:00 pm Pacific time (0000 GMT) on Wednesday to discuss the case. Mayorga alleges in the lawsuit that she was pressured into signing a nondisclosure agreement to keep the alleged rape secret and is seeking no less than $200,000 in penalties and damages. The complaint was first reported by the German magazine Der Spiegel. Lawyers for Ronaldo have reportedly threatened to sue the magazine over the story. In the suit, Mayorga said she met Ronaldo, who was then 24 years old, on the evening of June 12, 2009 at the Rain Nightclub in the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. It said she accepted an invitation to join Ronaldo and others in his penthouse suite to "enjoy the view of the Las Vegas strip." - 'No, no no' - She was invited to join guests in a hot tub but she declined because she did not have a bathing suit, the complaint said. Ronaldo offered her clothing and then followed her into a bathroom where she was going to change clothes, it said. After she refused his demand to perform oral sex and said she wanted to leave, Ronaldo pulled her into a bedroom and anally raped her while she screamed "no, no, no," according to the suit. "When Cristiano Ronaldo completed the sexual assault of the plaintiff, he allowed her to leave the bedroom stating he was sorry, he was usually a gentleman," it said. The lawsuit said Mayorga reported the alleged assault to police the same day and was examined at a local hospital. It said the assault left her with "severe emotional and bodily injuries including but not limited to anal contusions, posttraumatic stress disorder and major depression." Under pressure from Ronaldo's "fixers," Mayorga settled the case "in exchange for a payment of $375,000 and non-disclosure of the sexual assault," the lawsuit said. It claimed the agreement should be voided because she was "incompetent and lacked the mental capacity to participate in negotiations and settlement of her claims due to the injuries suffered during the initial sexual assault." The unidentified "fixers" were named as co-defendants. In an interview with Der Spiegel, Mayorga said she was inspired to come forward in part by the #MeToo movement that has exposed the sexual abuse of women by powerful men. Ronaldo is a five-time winner of FIFA's men's player of the year award. The Portuguese striker, a married father of four, left Real Madrid this year to join Juventus for 100 million euros ($117 million). Forbes believes that the value of Donald Trump's personal brand has declined since he became US president in January 2017 US President Donald Trump's net worth has flatlined at $3.1 billion, but he has slid down a Forbes ranking of billionaires as the magazine believes his White House stint is harming the Trump brand. Trump's ranking dropped to number 259 on the list of Forbes's wealthiest 400 billionaires released Wednesday, down from spot number 248 in 2017. In 2015, the year that Trump announced his then improbable run for the presidency, Forbes valued his net worth at $4.5 billion. Forbes attributes his declining wealth to deeper reporting about his assets, decline in brick-and-mortar retail, slowdown in real-estate, particularly in the luxury sector, and how being president affects the brand. While he built much of his fortune on lending his name to projects he does not always own, a Forbes investigation say the strategy is backfiring, with his name no longer synonymous with luxury but divisiveness, driving away business partners and potential apartment buyers. Nevertheless the value of property that he does own, including his Trump Tower penthouse, his personal private jet and Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, dubbed the Winter White House, has gained in value, Forbes believes. Before taking office, Trump placed his business interests in a trust managed by his adult sons, Don Junior and Eric, and veteran Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg. He refused multiple calls to divest fully, leading to ongoing accusations of conflict of interest. Forbes calculated that if Trump had liquidated, paid capital gains tax on his fortune and created a blind trust to invest everything in the booming stock market, he would be would now be $500 million richer. Amazon's Jeff Bezos, whose fortune jumped $78.5 billion in one year, tops the Forbes list this year, with a net worth of $160 billion. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who held the number one spot for 24 consecutive years, is ranked number two at $97 billion. Forbes said the 400 on the list have a record-breaking, combined net worth of $2.9 trillion, up from $2.7 trillion in 2017. Entrance to the exclusive club cost an all-time high of $2.1 billion and 204 Americans with 10-figure fortunes fell short. The full list can be found at www.forbes.com/forbes-400/. US Defense Department personnel screen mail as it arrives at a US government facility near the Pentagon in Washington 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. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the United States is terminating a 1955 friendship treaty with Iran after it was cited in a ruling against US sanctions by the International Court of Justice The United States on Wednesday called an international court ruling against its Iran sanctions a defeat for Tehran as it terminated a 1955 treaty on which the case was based. The International Criminal Court ordered the United States to lift sanctions on medicine, food and civilian airplane spare parts, just as President Donald Trump tries to squeeze Iran's economy. But Secretary of State Mike Pompeo noted that the UN court did not rule more broadly against US sanctions and he insisted that the United States already exempted humanitarian goods from the sanctions. "The court's ruling today was a defeat for Iran. It rightly rejected all of Iran's baseless requests," Pompeo told reporters. Accusing Iran of "abusing the ICJ for political and propaganda purposes," Pompeo announced that the United States was ending a friendship treaty signed when Iran was ruled by the pro-US shah. "This is a decision, frankly, that is 39 years overdue," Pompeo said, referring to the time since the 1979 Islamic revolution transformed Iran from one of the closest allies to a determined foe. "Given Iran's history of terrorism, ballistic missile activity and other malign behaviors, Iran's claims under the treaty are absurd," he said. The Treaty of Amity with Iran, signed in 1955 and ratified by the US Senate a year later, lays out practicalities for unfettered economic relations and consular rights between the two countries. The US withdrawal will have limited direct effect, with the two countries not even having diplomatic relations. But Iran has repeatedly cited the treaty to press claims from the United States, including when the US Navy shot down an Iran Air civilian plane in 1988, killing 290 people. NASA and its Russian counterpart Roscosmos "are both investigating the incident to determine the cause" of a small hole found on a Russian spacecraft attached to the International Space Station NASA expressed doubts Wednesday over a theory floated in Russia that a tiny hole that caused an air leak on the International Space Station was the result of sabotage. The breach detected on August 29-30 in a Russian space craft docked at the orbiting station was not the result of a manufacturing defect, according to the Russian space agency, which says it is investigating the possibility that it was drilled maliciously. But NASA, the US space agency, countered in a statement that ruling out defects "does not necessarily mean the hole was created intentionally or with mal-intent." Russian space agency Roscosmos immediately launched an investigation into the hole, and its chief official Dmitry Rogozin went on television days later to say it could have been the result of foul play either back on Earth or by astronauts in space. "Where it was made will be established by a second commission, which is at work now," said Rogozin, a former Russian deputy prime minister who was placed under US sanctions over the Ukraine crisis in 2014. The Russian daily Kommersant reported that an investigation at home was probing the possibility that US astronauts deliberately drilled the hole in order to get a sick colleague sent back home -- something Russian officials later denied. "NASA and Roscosmos are both investigating the incident to determine the cause," NASA said on Wednesday. ISS astronauts are planning a spacewalk in November to gather more information on the hole, which was quickly sealed. An astronaut and cosmonaut are due to travel to the ISS on October 11 aboard a Russian Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine plans to meet Rogozin - their first in-person encounter -- when he attends the launch. The six-person ISS crew includes two Russians, two Americans and a German representing the European Space Agency. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (l) met in Washington with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (r) who has voiced outrage over European plans to preserve commercial ties with Iran Germany on Wednesday told the United States that it shared its goals on Iran even as the Europeans press ahead to save a denuclearization deal threatened by US sanctions. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas met in Washington with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who has voiced outrage over European plans to preserve commercial ties with Iran. "In the end, we pursue the same goals with respect to Iran," Maas told reporters after meeting Pompeo. "We just have different paths that we want to follow," he said. Maas said that Germany shared concerns about Iran's ballistic missile program and believed Tehran should withdraw from Syria, where the Shiite clerical regime is supporting President Bashar al-Assad. But Maas said that the end of the 2015 agreement would lead Iran to pursue a nuclear program with military purposes. "This would create the danger of a military conflict in the region," Maas said. The United States under former president Barack Obama negotiated the deal with Iran alongside Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia. UN inspectors say that Iran has complied with the agreement, under which it ceased sensitive nuclear work in exchange for sanctions relief. President Donald Trump withdrew from the accord, vowing instead to target Iran aggressively and roll back its role in the region. That European Union said last month that it was working on a legal entity through which businesses could trade with Iran and avoid US sanctions. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Berlin on June 4, 2018 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. The Facebook breach affecting some 50 million users and disclosed late last month is now under investigation by Ireland's data protection authority The security breach revealed on September 28 by Facebook affected tens of millions of accounts at the social network, which boasts more than 2.2 billion monthly users. On Wednesday, the Irish data authority said it was opening up a formal investigation into whether the world's biggest social network complied with tough new EU privacy regulations. - What happened? Hackers took advantage of a "complex interaction" between three software bugs, which required a degree of sophistication. The vulnerability was created by a change to a video uploading feature in July of 2017. It involved a flaw in a "See As" feature that showed Facebook what their profiles look like to other people at the social network. Using the feature generated digital keys, called "access tokens," which let users stay connected to their accounts without having to enter passwords anew. Hackers were able to steal copies of the digital keys, giving them the same access and control of accounts as their legitimate owners. On September 16, Facebook noticed a spike in activity that prompted it to investigate. On September 25, Facebook engineers determined hackers had launched a sophisticated attack exploiting the vulnerability. A fix was in place two days later and stolen tokens rendered useless. Facebook did not disclose when hackers first took advantage of the flaw, saying the investigation was early. - What data was leaked? Information hackers appeared interested in included names, genders, and home towns, but it was not clear for what purposes, the executives said in a telephone briefing. Facebook said it was still trying to figure out what, if anything, hackers did in violated accounts. It did not seem at the outset that messages or posts were tampered with, and there was no access to banking or password information, according to the social network. Given that digital keys opened Facebook doors wide to hackers, they would have had the ability to reach into third party applications linked to social network accounts. They would have been able to get into linked accounts including Messenger or Instagram, both owned by Facebook, but not into the social network's WhatsApp service. An analysis of logs of third-party applications turned up no sign they were meddled with by the hackers, Facebook said on October 2. - Who should worry? Facebook said that "up to 50 million accounts" were directly affected, meaning hackers swiped digital keys. According to the Data Protection Commission in Ireland, five million or fewer European users were among those affected. An additional 40 million accounts that used the "View As" feature had tokens reset although it didn't appear they were targeted by hackers. - Measures taken by Facebook? Facebook said it sealed the breach late on September 27 in California, where it has its headquarters, and alerted US law enforcement authorities as well as regulators in Ireland. Facebook invalidated "access tokens" at issue in the breach, requiring people to log in anew with passwords. The social network informed those involved by posting messages atop news feeds. - What is the risk to Facebook? The risks for Facebook depend on how it complied with various laws and regulations, including the new General Data Protection Regulation in Europe. Questions likely to be asked will include whether Facebook was fast enough notifying users of the breach and how well it protected accounts. Protection of people's data falls under the purview of the Federal Trade Commission in the United States, but states could also be interested in making sure local privacy or data protection laws were not violated. In Europe, the Facebook breach and how it was handled would be examined through the lens of the GDPR, which strengthened protection for personal data. Companies can now be fined a percentage of annual revenue if they break GDPR rules. Facebook appeared to have complied with a 72-hour deadline regarding publicly disclosing a hack, which could spare it a fine of more than a billion dollars. gc/rl --- Despite a second term being almost assured for state governors, Lagosian incumbent Akinwunmi Ambode (pictured May 2017) failed to secure the APC ticket to stand for re-election in March 2019 The governor of Nigeria's commercial hub of Lagos has lost his bid for re-election, officials said Wednesday, after a tense race highlighting divisions in the country's ruling party. Lagos, a megacity of more than 20 million people, is the beating heart of Nigeria's economy and home to a thriving business sector and flourishing creative scene. It forms the backbone of Nigeria's southwest swing region -- the keystone to winning a second term for incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari and his All Progressives Congress (APC). But despite a second term being almost assured for state governors, in Lagos incumbent Akinwunmi Ambode failed to secure the APC ticket to stand for re-election in March next year. In primaries held on Tuesday, Ambode won 72,901 votes while former state commissioner Babajide Sanwo-Olu secured 970,851. The backing of APC leader and political godfather Bola Tinubu for Sanwo-Olu was seen as key to the surprising reverse for Ambode. In the run-up to the Lagos primary, speculation was rife that Tinubu was butting heads with Buhari over who should be the APC candidate. At the same time, Ambode made headlines for defiantly refusing to stand down. Confusion had mounted because the date for the primary, which was originally slated for last Saturday, was changed three times. On Tuesday election officials initially said the primary was not fair but by Wednesday had declared Sanwo-Olu the winner. The embattled governor congratulated the winner in a state broadcast on Wednesday and urged party members to ensure victory for the APC in 2019. "Dear Lagosians, APC is a great party and the interests of our beloved state must always supersede that of any person or group. "It is in this regard that I wholeheartedly congratulate the winner of the Lagos state APC primaries," he said. "As governor, I will do everything possible to ensure a smooth transition in the remaining period of this administration and ultimately to the new governor, come May 2019," he added. At the last presidential election in 2015, Buhari narrowly won Lagos with 54.9 percent of the vote. Politics in Nigeria is characterised by patronage and politicians easily change parties when their personal interests are threatened. Buhari faces a formidable challenge from the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which will this weekend pick a flag-bearer from an array of candidates, including former vice president Atiku Abubakar and Senate president Bukola Saraki. Far-right sympathiser Luca Traini embarked on a two-hour assault against Africans following the sordid murder of a young Italian woman allegedly at the hands of Nigerian drug dealers A far-right sympathiser who went on a shooting spree against Africans in a revenge attack in the central Italian town of Macerata was Wednesday jailed for 12 years, media reports said. Luca Traini embarked on his two-hour assault in February, following the sordid murder of a young Italian woman allegedly at the hands of Nigerian drug dealers. Pamela Mastropietro's body was found dismembered and stuffed into suitcases days before Traini's attack. The two incidents, which occurred at the height of Italy's tense electoral campaign, shook the country and laid bare deep tensions surrounding immigration. Pro-migrant demonstrations across Italy condemning the shooting were in contrast to an outpouring of support for Traini who received messages of solidarity for his actions. Controversially, no politician paid a visit to his victims in hospital. Traini, who was charged with attempted murder and racial hatred, would appeal, his legal team said, claiming the wounds suffered by the injured Africans showed he had not shot to kill. He offered an apology to the wounded, five of whom were in court. "I would like to apologise for what I did," Traini reportedly said. "In prison I have understood that there is no difference between blacks and whites." During questioning, he had told police: "I wanted to hit the dealers, like those who sold drugs to Pamela. "It's not my fault if in Macerata all the dealers are black," he added. The former security guard admitted to the shooting but rejected allegations the attack was racially-motivated. His defence team had provided a psychiatric report which stated that Traini suffered from a personality disorder and that he was not completely aware of his actions at the time of the attack. Traini surrendered to police draped in an Italian flag. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blames Fethullah Gulen (seen) -- a cleric he once regarded as an ally -- for the July 15, 2016 coup plot that saw 250 killed, not including the plotters An armed intruder was chased away Wednesday after attempting to enter the compound of a US-based Turkish preacher accused of masterminding a failed 2016 coup in his homeland, the cleric's organization said. A statement released by Fethullah Gulen's Alliance for Shared Values said the man, "who appeared to be armed," attempted to enter the group's retreat center in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania. "A guard reacted to the situation with a warning shot in the air and the person fled," it added. Police were unable to confirm details about the incident. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blames Gulen -- a cleric he once regarded as an ally -- for the July 15, 2016 coup plot that saw 250 killed, not including the plotters. Ankara wants Gulen extradited from the United States and has expressed impatience over Washington's failure to hand him over, with the issue a major bone of contention in Turkey-US ties. Gulen's group suggested the attempted entry was linked to the Turkish government, noting it came after Erdogan's spokesman said Ankara would launch "overseas 'operations'" against Gulen and his supporters. Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has issued a new denial of accusations by a former model that he raped her in Las Vegas in 2009 Cristiano Ronaldo on Wednesday denied accusations by a former American model that he raped her in a Las Vegas hotel in 2009 and said his conscience is clear. "I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me," the Portuguese superstar tweeted in Portuguese and English. "Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in," said the 33-year-old Juventus forward. "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 said. "My clear conscious (sic) will thereby allow me to await with tranquillity the results of any and all investigations," he added on his Twitter feed @Cristiano, which has nearly 75 million followers. Kathryn Mayorga, 34, of Las Vegas, accused Ronaldo, in a 32-page complaint filed last month with a district court in Nevada, of raping her on June 13, 2009. Las Vegas police this week said they were reopening a case filed on that date but did not identify the victim or the alleged perpetrator by name. Mayorga's lawyers are to hold a news conference in Las Vegas at 3:00 pm Pacific time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday to discuss the case. They said in a statement they would provide background information about the suit, a summary of the evidence and outline the claims against Ronaldo. Mayorga alleges she was pressured into signing a nondisclosure agreement in 2010 to keep the alleged rape secret and is seeking at least $200,000 in penalties and damages. The complaint was first reported by the German magazine Der Spiegel. Lawyers for Ronaldo have reportedly threatened to sue the magazine over the story. In the suit, Mayorga said she met Ronaldo, who was then 24 years old, on the evening of June 12, 2009 at the Rain Nightclub in the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. It said she accepted an invitation to join Ronaldo and others in his penthouse suite to "enjoy the view of the Las Vegas strip." - 'No, no, no' - She was invited to join guests in a hot tub but she declined because she did not have a bathing suit, the complaint said. The woman who accuses Cristiano Ronaldo of raping her is seeking the voided of a nondisclosure agreement she signed with the Portuguese superstar Ronaldo offered her clothing and then followed her into a bathroom where she was going to change clothes, it said. After she refused his demand to perform oral sex and said she wanted to leave, Ronaldo pulled her into a bedroom and anally raped her while she screamed "no, no, no," according to the suit. "When Cristiano Ronaldo completed the sexual assault of the plaintiff, he allowed her to leave the bedroom stating he was sorry, he was usually a gentleman," it said. The lawsuit said Mayorga reported the alleged assault to police the same day and was examined at a local hospital. It said the assault left her with "severe emotional and bodily injuries including but not limited to anal contusions, posttraumatic stress disorder and major depression." Under pressure from Ronaldo's "fixers," Mayorga settled the case "in exchange for a payment of $375,000 and non-disclosure of the sexual assault," the lawsuit said. It claimed the agreement should be voided because she was "incompetent and lacked the mental capacity to participate in negotiations and settlement of her claims due to the injuries suffered during the initial sexual assault." The unidentified "fixers" were named as co-defendants. In an interview with Der Spiegel, Mayorga said she was inspired to come forward in part by the #MeToo movement that has exposed the sexual abuse of women by powerful men. Ronaldo is a five-time winner of FIFA's men's player of the year award. The Portuguese striker, a married father of four, left Real Madrid this year to join Juventus for 100 million euros ($117 million). Lockheed Martin's lunar lander concept vehicle is designed to carry a crew of four and be able to stay on the moon for up to two weeks 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 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. Adel Abdel Mahdi (C) has been given the difficult task of forming the next Iraqi government United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday he hopes for the "swift" formation of an "inclusive" Iraqi government following the election of the country's president. "The secretary-general hopes the election of the president will pave the way to the swift formation of an inclusive government in line with constitutional timelines," Guterres said in a statement that also congratulated Barham Salih on his election as the Iraq's new president. Salih tasked Adel Abdel Mahdi -- who is seen as an independent -- with forming the next Iraqi government late Tuesday, only hours after being elected. The prime minister designate faces an uphill task of bridging differences among sharply-divided Iraqi political parties. 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 weeks of deadly protests sparked by anger at the poor services in Iraq's south cost his fragile alliance the support of populist Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. A Uruguayan soldier of the United Nations' Stabilization Mission in DR Congo (MONUSCO) is pictured in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo The UN Security Council is heading to the Democratic Republic of Congo this week ahead of December elections, amid tensions between Congolese authorities and the UN and concerns over a risk of poll violence. The UN wants "free, fair and peaceful elections," Karel Van Oosterom, Dutch ambassador to the global organization said Wednesday. Van Oosterom will be among those in the Security Council delegation, joined by representatives from the United States, Bolivia, France and Equatorial Guinea. The trip is planned Thursday to Monday and will be limited to Kinshasa. The council hopes to meet with President Joseph Kabila, his prime minister and foreign minister, as well as the election commission and other stakeholders. Diplomats will also meet UN peacekeepers via video links. The DR Congo hosts the UN's biggest peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, with some 17,500 troops and police. Last week, Kabila called on the UN General Assembly to make a "substantial" start to withdrawing troops from his country. Kabila vowed to "oppose any interference in the electoral process under way" and said the DR Congo would cover the full cost of the elections. Britain, France and the United States have urged Kabila to state clearly that he would not seek another term amid fears that his failure to step aside could trigger violence. The DR Congo has not known a peaceful transition of power since independence from Belgium in 1960. Diplomats said friction between the UN mission and Kabila is leading to difficulties in flying aircraft to supply Moroccan and Indonesian UN troops. "They are very fussy about giving approvals," said one diplomat. The UN will also discuss the fight against the Ebola epidemic in the east of the country, which was the subject of a closed Security Council meeting Wednesday. "Members of Security Council highlighted the urgency of the medical response because the disease can spread rapidly, including to neighboring countries, possibly impacting regional stability," the Council said in a statement. DC Congo's 10th Ebola outbreak since the first known case in 1976 came on August 1 in a highly restive northeastern region home to a clutch of armed groups near the border with Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan. The latest outbreak has killed at least 101 people, according to the World Health Organization. Donald Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton, said the United States was pulling out of a protocol concerning the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which considers disputes between nations The United States said Wednesday it was quitting an international accord related to the top UN court after the Palestinians challenged the US move of its Israel embassy to Jerusalem. It was the latest attack on the international justice system by the administration of President Donald Trump, who last month at the United Nations virulently rejected the authority of the International Criminal Court. Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton, said the United States was pulling out of a protocol concerning the separate International Court of Justice in The Hague, which considers disputes between nations. "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 told reporters at the White House. 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 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. Trump last year broke with longstanding international precedent and declared Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel, shifting the embassy. The move -- long resisted by previous US presidents who hoped to reach a negotiated settlement -- outraged Palestinians who want the holy city as their capital. The Palestinian leadership said Saturday it had filed a lawsuit at the International Court of Justice over the embassy move, calling it a violation of international law. The UN General Assembly in 2012 recognized the Palestinian Authority as a non-member observer state, paving the way for it to join international courts. It was the second withdrawal in one day announced by the Trump administration. Earlier Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States was terminating a 1955 friendship treaty with Iran reached under its pro-Western shah. Iran cited the treaty as it sought an end to renewed US sanctions imposed by Trump, who has left an accord on curbing the clerical regime's nuclear program. The International Court of Justice ruled that the United States was required to allow shipments of humanitarian goods such as medicine, an exemption that Washington insists it has already allowed. Bolton said the court "failed to recognize that it has no jurisdiction to issue any order with respect to sanctions the United States imposes to protect its own essential security under the treaty." "Instead, the court allowed Iran to use it as a forum for propaganda," he said. Five officers -- two city officers and three Florence County Sheriff's deputies -- were wounded during an "active shooter" incident 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. Vermont Democrat Christine Hallquist is on the cusp of making history as America's first transgender governor, -- should she beat Republican incumbent Phil Scott When Christine Hallquist first told her children she wanted to run for governor, they were angry. When she told her former board of directors, they thought it was a joke. Now, the Vermont grandparent is on the cusp of making history as America's first transgender governor -- if she beats Republican incumbent Phil Scott in the November 6 midterm elections. Before the race, 62-year-old Hallquist was best known in her bucolic home state for leading the charge toward renewable energy, and as a pioneering American CEO who transitioned on the job. Until 2015, she was officially Dave, father of three and husband of Pat. Today, she is Christine, still living with Pat, and convinced that she can pull off an upset victory against a moderate and fairly popular Republican in a largely blue state whose most famous politician is Senator Bernie Sanders, a self-described Democratic Socialist. Vermont Governor Phil Scott (L) and Hallquist face off in a debate on September 14, 2018 at the Tunbridge World's Fair in Tunbridge, Vermont Jumping into state-wide politics has been a breeze compared to the life-altering events of her transition and its impact on her family, documented by her son in the 2016 film "Denial." "This is definitely not the hardest thing I ever did," Hallquist tells AFP, sitting in a demure skirt and jacket at the Democratic Party's cramped campaign headquarters in the lake-side city of Burlington. "In 2014, I had cancer, I was sure I was going to die," she says. "When it came to transitioning, it was harder than facing my own death... So once you cross that threshold and I'm sitting here today, I'm just enjoying." - 'Despot' - Hallquist greets 4H Club members and their cows Crisscrossing the state, Hallquist is campaigning hard. But politics was never her goal in life. Instead, her passion was trying to solve climate change as CEO of a Vermont electricity cooperative. Donald Trump's 2016 election, she says, "changed everything." Having run an incendiary campaign, in office the president has sought to erode transgender rights, including an attempted military ban, roll back environmental protections and orchestrated a crackdown on immigration. Neither has peaceful, rural Vermont, home to just 624,000 people, been cocooned from growing intolerance. White supremacist flyers, as well as racist and Nazi graffiti, have been reported. Hallquist says it was hearing four Muslim girls perform slam poetry about being harassed, that made her decide to run, determined to counter a president she accuses of eroding American values. "We have a despot," she says, "doing all the classic things that an autocratic leader in a banana republic would do." Polls are few and far between in Vermont, so there is little objective data about her chances against Scott, who if defeated would become the state's first incumbent governor ousted since 1962. Hallquist trailed Scott 42-50 percent, with a margin of error of 4.86 percent, in a survey released by the Democratic Party on October 1. The Republican holds a modest fundraising lead and after only two years on the job, some critics are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, not all of them particularly energized about Hallquist. - 'Unbelievable' - Hallquist greets voters Trump is loathed in Vermont and while Scott has distanced himself from the president, Hallquist's team hopes that Democrats and independents will flock to the polls to make a point and put her over the line. Buoyed by her victory in a crowded Democratic primary, she sees herself as a role model and her candidacy as expanding America's moral compass. "I believe Vermont is a beacon of hope for the rest of the country," she says. Hallquist says her gender status is "not an issue for Vermont," that it rarely comes up with voters and that for every death threat or vitriolic email, there are a hundred messages of support. "Every time I go to an event... people cry," she says. "I think there's so much hope for the leadership that I'm providing in terms of people who were bullied in school." Modest and warm, she has seen her family survive her transition. She speaks glowingly of her children and credits spouse Pat with being her "image consultant" on what to wear on the campaign trail. Her mom, Hallquist says, is also "elated and proud." Never in a million years did she imagine as a child that she would be running for governor as Christine. "Fifty years ago, I didn't even know what a transgender woman was. It wasn't until I was 44 years old that I even learned that there were other people like me," she recognizes. "This is pretty unbelievable." Her hope for November is a blue wave, that "we look back at 2018 and say that's when we made history, that's when our democracy survived a despot." Cameroon's 6.5 million eligible voters are casting their ballots at a time of unprecedented violence in the country's English-speaking regions Cameroon voted on Sunday in a presidential election marked by deadly violence in the country's English-speaking regions and the cancellation of voting in at least one affected area over security fears. Cameroon has been rocked by a separatist insurgency from within its anglophone minority, who number around five million, since last October. They accuse likely election winner President Paul Biya, 85, of oppression and are concentrated in the northwest and southwest of the majority-francophone country. Poll closed at 1700 GMT with the law stating that final results must be announced within 15 days. After voting got under way Sunday, security forces shot dead three suspected separatists who had allegedly fired at passersby from a motorcycle in Bamenda, the main city in the northwest region, a local official said. In Buea, capital of the southwest, three separatists of the so-called Ambazonia Republic separatist movement were gunned down on Friday and a priest was executed by soldiers on Thursday, according to witnesses. Gunfire was heard in the town throughout the day and a car belonging to the state-run Cameroon Tribune newspaper came under fire. The army confirmed that voting could not be held in at least one district of the southwest, Lysoka village. "This area is dangerous. It's calm but it can erupt at any moment," a police officer told AFP at the scene. A heavily-armed convoy had attempted to deliver ballot boxes, signs and voting papers to the village but commanders decided it was too risky and withdrew. Separatists hold a "significant" amount of territory, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG) think-tank, and had threatened to disrupt the vote. - 'Satisfying to be reelected' - The violence in the anglophone regions has killed at least 420 civilians, 175 members of the security forces and an unknown number of separatists, according to the ICG. Sunday's vote, in which 6.5 million voters were eligible to cast ballots, followed a last-minute opposition unity bid to dislodge Biya, one of Africa's longest-serving rulers. Biya and his wife Chantal, who wore a matching canary yellow skirt, jacket and handbag along with her signature brown bouffant hair, voted in the Bastos public school in the capital Yaounde surrounded by heavily-armed soldiers. "The election campaign was conducted peacefully... as president, it would be satisfying to be reelected to see that the people trust me," Biya told journalists as he left the voting booth and returned to his Mercedes-Maybach limousine. Voter Ulrich, 26, said he wanted a president "who can keep the country peaceful" after casting his ballot at the same polling station as Biya. The far north of the oil and rubber-producing country is also mired in insecurity, as Nigeria-based Boko Haram fighters mount attacks despite US efforts to equip and train Cameroon's military to battle the jihadists. - Low turnout? - Tens of thousands have been displaced by that conflict, and 246,000 people have fled their homes in the southwest and 25,000 have left the country altogether for Nigeria, according to UN figures. The sheer number of displaced people, who it is thought will have been unable to cast ballots because of hometown voting requirements, would likely depress turnout, analysts said. "As expected, turnout in the English regions has been particularly low with virtually all the returns we have seen suggesting less than five percent," said ICG analyst Hans de Marie Heungoup. Only a handful of voters cast ballots at a polling station in downtown Buea, according to the AFP team at the scene. That could favour Biya's bid for another seven- year term as anglophones have traditionally backed the Social Democratic Front (SDF) party of his rival Joshua Osih. In a rare coordinated political manoeuvre, a key opposition frontrunner, Maurice Kamto, agreed late Friday to a unity deal between his Movement for the Rebirth of Cameroon (MRC) and the People's Development Front (FDP), meaning he stood for both parties. However it is unclear whether the eleventh-hour deal, which Osih and other opposition barons did not join, will have swayed the vote -- especially as voters were still able to cast ballots for the FDP candidate. De Marie Heungoup warned that the tie-up "may have arrived too late". In a rare coordinated political manoeuvre, one of the key opposition frontrunners, Maurice Kamto, agreed late Friday to a unity deal between his Movement for the Rebirth of Cameroon's (MRC) and the People's Development Front (FDP) Kamto's MRC previously warned that a "massive fraud" was under way to secure a Biya win. "We're not preparing for war, but wherever there is fraud, there will be a firm response," said MRC spokesman Paul-Eric Kingue. The government hit back saying that it would "not tolerate any disorder before, during or after the presidential vote". The opposition has long accused the authorities of giving unfair advantage to Biya who enjoys support from Washington and Paris. The Israeli army said the shooter's identity was "known to security forces" but provided no further details Three Israelis were seriously wounded in a shooting on Sunday at an industrial zone for a West Bank settlement, police and medics said, in a possible Palestinian militant attack. Magen David Adom emergency medical services said a man and a woman were evacuated from the Barkan industrial zone in critical condition. Another woman aged 54 was taken to hospital in serious condition, it said. Police and the army said the shooter had fled the scene and an operation was underway to track him down. The Israeli army said the shooter's identity was "known to security forces" but provided no further details. "The circumstances of the incident are yet to be determined and all investigation leads are being looked into," it said in a statement. The industrial zone is located next to Israeli settlement Barkan and near the settlement of Ariel in the north of the occupied West Bank. Palestinians work side by side with Israelis in the industrial zone. A wave of Palestinian attacks against Israelis broke out in 2015, but they have since become sporadic. Last month, a Palestinian teenager stabbed an Israeli to death at a junction at the entrance to a large bloc of Israeli settlements in the West Bank near Jerusalem. A number of attacks have occurred at that location, the Gush Etzion Junction. South Sudan descended into war in late 2013 when President Salva Kiir accused rebel leader Riek Machar of plotting a coup More than a dozen inmates have disarmed prison guards and seized part of a notorious detention centre in South Sudan's capital Juba, officials said Sunday. A detained officer of the National Security Service (NSS) overpowered a guard at the entrance of the Blue House compound and disarmed him in overnight, the NSS said in a statement. After opening the prison gate by firing shots at the locks, Captain Keribino Wol then "mobilised" 15 detainees and "took over one part of the prison" where he forced several inmates to form a human shield to protect him from NSS officers, according to the statement. The detainees have seized 32 guns and knives, the NSS said, adding that it was seeking "to disarm (Keribino) peacefully for the safety of the other prisoners". The jail is part of the headquarters of the NSS. The prison has repeatedly drawn condemnation from human rights organisation over the alleged illegal detention of prisoners, torture and suspicious deaths. South Sudan, the world's youngest nation, broke away from Sudan in 2011 after a long and bloody independence struggle. But just two years later, fresh conflict broke out when President Salva Kiir accused rebel leader Riek Machar of plotting a coup. The civil war has killed more than 380,000 people and triggered one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Last month, Kiir and Machar signed a peace deal in an attempt to end the unrest, which is often fought along tribal lines and characterised by massacres of civilians, rape and looting. But international observers remain sceptical of the agreement, saying that entrenched distrust between the two men was likely to hamper peace efforts. WASHINGTON (AP) - In an early version of a story Oct. 2 about EPA regulation of radiation, The Associated Press reported erroneously in a headline that EPA says a little radiation may be good for you. As the story made clear, that assessment came from scientific outliers, including one quoted by EPA in a news release. The headline was changed in later versions of the story. A corrected version of the story is below: Experts say Trump's EPA moving to loosen radiation limits Experts say Trump's EPA is moving to loosen radiation limits By ELLEN KNICKMEYER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - The EPA is pursuing rule changes that experts say would weaken the way radiation exposure is regulated, turning to scientific outliers who argue that a bit of radiation damage is actually good for you - like a little bit of sunlight. The government's current, decades-old guidance says that any exposure to harmful radiation is a cancer risk. And critics say the proposed change could lead to higher levels of exposure for workers at nuclear installations and oil and gas drilling sites, medical workers doing X-rays and CT scans, people living next to Superfund sites and any members of the public who one day might find themselves exposed to a radiation release. The Trump administration already has targeted a range of other regulations on toxins and pollutants, including coal power plant emissions and car exhaust, that it sees as costly and burdensome for businesses. Supporters of the EPA's proposal argue the government's current model that there is no safe level of radiation - the so-called linear no-threshold model - forces unnecessary spending for handling exposure in accidents, at nuclear plants, in medical centers and at other sites. At issue is Environmental Protection Agency's proposed rule on transparency in science. EPA spokesman John Konkus said Tuesday: "The proposed regulation doesn't talk about radiation or any particular chemicals. And as we indicated in our response, EPA's policy is to continue to use the linear-no-threshold model for population-level radiation protection purposes which would not, under the proposed regulation that has not been finalized, trigger any change in that policy." But in an April news release announcing the proposed rule the agency quoted Edward Calabrese, a toxicologist at the University of Massachusetts who has said weakening limits on radiation exposure would save billions of dollars and have a positive impact on human health. The proposed rule would require regulators to consider "various threshold models across the exposure range" when it comes to dangerous substances. While it doesn't specify radiation, the release quotes Calabrese calling the proposal "a major scientific step forward" in assessing the risk of "chemicals and radiation." Konkus said the release was written during the tenure of former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. He could not explain why Calabrese was quoted citing the impact on radiation levels if the agency does not believe there would be any. Calabrese was to be the lead witness at a congressional hearing Wednesday on the EPA proposal. Radiation is everywhere, from potassium in bananas to the microwaves popping our popcorn. Most of it is benign. But what's of concern is the higher-energy, shorter-wave radiation, like X-rays, that can penetrate and disrupt living cells, sometimes causing cancer. As recently as this March, the EPA's online guidelines for radiation effects advised: "Current science suggests there is some cancer risk from any exposure to radiation." "Even exposures below 100 millisieverts" - an amount roughly equivalent to 25 chest X-rays or about 14 CT chest scans - "slightly increase the risk of getting cancer in the future," the agency's guidance said. But that online guidance - separate from the rule-change proposal - was edited in July to add a section emphasizing the low individual odds of cancer: "According to radiation safety experts, radiation exposures of ... 100 millisieverts usually result in no harmful health effects, because radiation below these levels is a minor contributor to our overall cancer risk," the revised policy says. Calabrese and his supporters argue that smaller exposures of cell-damaging radiation and other carcinogens can serve as stressors that activate the body's repair mechanisms and can make people healthier. They compare it to physical exercise or sunlight. Mainstream scientific consensus on radiation is based on deceptive science, says Calabrese, who argued in a 2014 essay for "righting the past deceptions and correcting the ongoing errors in environmental regulation." EPA spokesman Konkus said in an email that the proposed rule change is about "increasing transparency on assumptions" about how the body responds to different doses of dangerous substances and that the agency "acknowledges uncertainty regarding health effects at low doses" and supports more research on that. The radiation regulation is supported by Steven Milloy, a Trump transition team member for the EPA who is known for challenging widely accepted ideas about manmade climate change and the health risks of tobacco. He has been promoting Calabrese's theory of healthy radiation on his blog. But Jan Beyea, a physicist whose work includes research with the National Academies of Science on the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant accident, said the EPA science proposal represents voices "generally dismissed by the great bulk of scientists." The EPA proposal would lead to "increases in chemical and radiation exposures in the workplace, home and outdoor environment, including the vicinity of Superfund sites," Beyea wrote. At the level the EPA website talks about, any one person's risk of cancer from radiation exposure is perhaps 1 percent, Beyea said. "The individual risk will likely be low, but not the cumulative social risk," Beyea said. "If they even look at that - no, no, no," said Terrie Barrie, a resident of Craig, Colorado, and an advocate for her husband and other workers at the now-closed Rocky Flats nuclear-weapons plant, where the U.S. government is compensating certain cancer victims regardless of their history of exposure. "There's no reason not to protect people as much as possible," said Barrie. U.S. agencies for decades have followed a policy that there is no threshold of radiation exposure that is risk-free. The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements reaffirmed that principle this year after a review of 29 public health studies on cancer rates among people exposed to low-dose radiation, via the U.S. atomic bombing of Japan in World War II, leak-prone Soviet nuclear installations, medical treatments and other sources. Twenty of the 29 studies directly support the principle that even low-dose exposures cause a significant increase in cancer rates, said Roy Shore, chief of research at the Radiation Effects Research Foundation, a joint project of the United States and Japan. Scientists found most of the other studies were inconclusive and decided one was flawed. None supported the theory there is some safe threshold for radiation, said Shore, who chaired the review. If there were a threshold that it's safe to go below, "those who profess that would have to come up with some data," Shore said in an interview. "Certainly the evidence did not point that way," he said. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which regulates electronic devices that emit radiation, advises, broadly, that a single CT scan with a dose of 10 millisieverts may increase risks of a fatal cancer by about 1 chance in 2,000. Supporters of the proposal say it's time to rethink radiation regulation. "Right now we spend an enormous effort trying to minimize low doses" at nuclear power plants, for example, said Brant Ulsh, a physicist with the California-based consulting firm M.H. Chew and Associates. "Instead, let's spend the resources on minimizing the effect of a really big event." Govt to bring positive change in Balochistan: Imran Khan Prime Minister Imran Khan Saturday said his government was committed to bring a positive change in the lives of the people of Balochistan, as it believed that progress of the countrys largest province was directly linked to the prosperity of Pakistan. Addressing a gathering of retired judges, members of civil society and senior officials here at the Governors House, the prime minister said his party was against the progress of a selected group of people, a particular area or a certain segment of society as it violated the basic principles of justice and equality. He regretted that the previous governments and different political parties exploited the deprivation of the people of Balochistan for their personal gains and did little in practical terms to improve the life of the common man. He asked the political leadership of Balochistan to rise to the occasion and bring about a real change. He mentioned success of his party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and attributed it to the success of its local government system. He urged the local leaders to emulate the Village Council model of KP, saying that they need to be provided funds directly to enable them serve the people and address their basic issues. The local leaders are the best judges of the problems of the people of their areas and they are needed to be empowered fully, he added. He appreciated the commitment shown by Chief Minister Jam Kamal and his team and expressed confidence that they would fully exploit the potential of the resource-rich province and bring it at par with the developed areas of the country. He said completion of Kaachi Canal would irrigate 0.8 million acres of land and help the province and the country address its food security concerns. Imran extended full support of the federal government to the provincial government in addressing any shortcoming in building its capacity. He pointed to the brain drain from Balochistan due to acts of terrorism in the past and said with improvement in situation, people would return. He said there was an urgent need to establish a cancer hospital in Quetta so that the people did not have to travel far to get treatment. He said he would soon chair a meeting for a feasibility of the project and send a team of the Shaukat Khanum Hospital for initial study in this regard. The prime minister said he had also discussed the issue of provision of health facilities with Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who had assured to assist the provincial government in meeting any shortage of doctors. Imran Khan said no nation can progress without eradicating corruption from all tiers of society. Corruption erodes national economy and destroys state institutions, he added.He said today Pakistan was under a heavy debt of Rs 28,000 billion, up from Rs 6,000 10 years ago, just because of rampant corrupt practices. He cited the example of China which threw behind bars around 400 of its ministers and hundreds of thousands of government officials who were involved in corrupt practices. He said today majority of the government-run corporations were running in losses of billions only because the previous governments appointed their cronies on hefty packages without any consideration. He said it was the time that the provincial government of Balochistan focus on fully exploiting the estimated Rs 450 billion worth of minerals, besides benefiting from the Gwadar port and its oil and gas reserves. He assured that Balochistan would get more than its due share in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. During a visit to the headquarters of the Southern Command at Quetta Cantt, the prime minister acknowledged and appreciated the contributions of security forces towards improving peace, stability and socio-economic development of Balochistan. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa received the prime minister at Quetta Air Base. The prime minister said that through a comprehensive national effort, cooperation between federal and provincial governments and assistance of the Pakistan Army true potentials of Balochistan will be realised. He said only a cohesive national effort would take provinces and the country to the rightful destination of peace, progress and prosperity. A detailed briefing on security situation of the province, challenges and response was given. The prime minister was also briefed about socio-economic development based Khushal Balochistan program, security of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects and progress of fencing along Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The COAS said that having achieved stability in troubled areas of KP, focus of the security forces had shifted towards Balochistan, which was economic future of Pakistan. Later, Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired a meeting of Balochistan cabinet in which he was briefed about different uplift projects aimed at economic and social uplift of the province. PALU, Indonesia (AP) - Climbing over reeking piles of sodden food and debris, a crowd on Wednesday searched a warehouse wrecked in Indonesia's 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. "I'm 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 haven't 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 Friday's magnitude 7.5 quake and tsunami that smashed homes and businesses, downed communications and made roads impassable on Sulawesi. Men scavenge for food inside an abandoned warehouse in an earthquake and tsunami-affected area in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia Indonesia, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. Clambering over the reeking pile of sodden food or staking out a patch of territory, people who had come from devastated neighborhoods and elsewhere in the remote Indonesian city pulled out small cartons of milk, soft drinks, rice, candy and painkillers from the pile as they scavenge for anything edible in the warehouse that tsunami waves had pounded. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) 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 at a shop near the beach in front of a row of warehouses when the ground shook violently. He ran to a hill and watched as the ocean heaved and hurled 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. It's so tragic. It's so scary to remember." The Sulawesi coastline spreading out from Palu was a surreal landscape of debris, beached boats, overturned cars and the foundations of obliterated houses. Wrecked houses still standing were spray painted with appeals for aid. The wall of one dwelling was scrawled with the message: "Help us Mr. President." President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo visited the disaster zone Wednesday for a second time, saying there's still work to be done, but that conditions were improving. "We are going in phases. There are lots of things happening related to evacuation, as aid and fuel are also coming in," he said, noting that 30 people remain buried under rubble at the Roa Roa Hotel in Palu. The U.N. estimated that some 200,000 people need assistance, announcing a $15 million allocation to bolster relief efforts. Australia said it will send 50 medical professionals as part of a $3.6 million aid package. The U.N. said the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs has asked UNICEF to send social workers to support vulnerable children who are alone or became separated from their families. Some homeless residents weren't waiting for help. Besides those searching for food, dozens of others combed a flattened complex of warehouses along Palu's ravaged coast for anything they could sell or use to rebuild homes. They carted away corrugated metal, wood, piping and other items. They included all ages, middle class and poor, university students and sullen young men. "We have to do this because there's no assistance from the government," said Zaitun Rajamangili, 41, adding that his home was swept away but his family survived. Rehanna, the student searching the warehouse for food, had come from Balaroa, a neighborhood of several hundred houses in Palu that was turned upside down by the quake and where many remain buried beneath the rubble. "I'm very angry," she said of the lack of aid. "I know the assistance is coming, but the distribution is very bad." Picking through the pile nearby was a 50-year-old woman named Rosminah, who had a plastic shopping bag bulging with muddy packets of food. "There's no support. Our house was destroyed," she said. "We came here to search for food. There's no assistance. We have to find it by ourselves." Following widespread looting and aid vehicles being stopped and surrounded by people on roads, Indonesian military chief Hadi Tjahyanto said one soldier and one police officer would be placed on every aid truck, and that soldiers would be sent to secure markets, the airport and fuel depots to maintain order. He added that a Singaporean military transport plane will help evacuate victims from Palu. In addition, aircraft from South Korea, the United Kingdom and Japan were expected to ferry aid. Separately, a volcano erupted on another part of seismically active Sulawesi island, about 940 kilometers (585 miles) northeast of the disaster zone. It sent up a plume of ash more than 6,000 meters (20,680 feet) high. Planes were warned about the ash cloud billowing from Mount Soputan that can be hazardous for aircraft engines. No evacuations were ordered in the area. Experts said it's possible the quake accelerated the eruption, but there is no concrete evidence to prove that. Activity at the volcano had been increasing since August and began surging Monday, according to the head of Indonesia's Volcanology and Geology Disaster Mitigation Agency. The vast archipelago of 260 million people 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. ___ Associated Press writers Niniek Karmini in Palu, Indonesia; Margie Mason and Eileen Ng in Jakarta, Indonesia; Rod McGuirk in Canberra, Australia; and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed. A man holds bottles of syrup and cans of condensed milk scavenged from an abandoned warehouse at an earthquake and tsunami-affected area in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia Indonesia, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. Clambering over the reeking pile of sodden food or staking out a patch of territory, people who had come from devastated neighborhoods and elsewhere in the remote Indonesian city pulled out small cartons of milk, soft drinks, rice, candy and painkillers from the pile as they scavenge for anything edible in the warehouse that tsunami waves had pounded. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) In this Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018, photo, a child recovers after his left hand was amputated after being injured in the massive earthquake in Palu, Central Sulawesi Indonesia. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana) In this Wednesday, Oct. 3, 20-18, photo, an earthquake victim is bandaged at a makeshift hospital in Palu, Central Sulawesi Indonesia. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana) A giant plume of volcanic ash rises from Mount Soputan, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018, in the town of Tomohon, Northern Sulawesi, Indonesia. The volcano erupted Wednesday morning on the same central Indonesian island as an earlier earthquake and authorities warned planes about volcanic ash in the air. (AP Photo/Hetty Andih) The body of a tsunami victim waits for evacuation at a village heavily damaged by Friday's earthquake and tsunami in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia Indonesia, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. Aid is trickling into areas crippled by the devastating earthquake and tsunami on Indonesia's Sulawesi island, with residents of one neighborhood clapping, cheering and high-fiving at the arrival of a supply truck. (AP Photo/Fauzy Chaniago) In this Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018, photo, rescue teams recover bodies from the earthquake-damaged Roa-Roa Hotel in Palu, Central Sulawesi Indonesia. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana) A police officer carries his K9 unit search dog as they continue 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) An Indonesian rescue team carries the body of a victim following an earthquake 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) 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) In this image made from drone video footage Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, long queues lead out from a petrol station in the earthquake and tsunami-devastated area of Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. 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) In this Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018, photo, a police K9 unit continues to search for victims in the wreckage following earthquakes and tsunami in Palu, Central Sulawesi Indonesia. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana) In this Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018, photo, men dig through sodden piles of food inside an abandoned warehouse following an earthquake and tsunami in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) A man put beverages scavenged from an abandoned warehouse into a sack at an earthquake and tsunami-affected area in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia Indonesia, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. Clambering over the reeking pile of sodden food or staking out a patch of territory, people who had come from devastated neighborhoods and elsewhere in the remote Indonesian city pulled out small cartons of milk, soft drinks, rice, candy and painkillers from the pile as they scavenge for anything edible in the warehouse that tsunami waves had pounded. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Men scavenge for food inside a destroyed warehouse following an earthquake and tsunami in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia Indonesia, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. Clambering over the reeking pile of sodden food or staking out a patch of territory, people who had come from devastated neighborhoods and elsewhere in the remote Indonesian city pulled out small cartons of milk, soft drinks, rice, candy and painkillers from the pile as they scavenge for anything edible in the warehouse that tsunami waves had pounded. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) A man holds bottles of body lotion scavenged from an abandoned warehouse following an earthquake and tsunami in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia Indonesia, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. Clambering over the reeking pile of sodden food or staking out a patch of territory, people who had come from devastated neighborhoods and elsewhere in the remote Indonesian city pulled out small cartons of milk, soft drinks, rice, candy and painkillers from the pile as they scavenge for anything edible in the warehouse that tsunami waves had pounded. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) People scavenge for food inside an abandoned warehouse in an earthquake and tsunami-affected area in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia Indonesia, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. Clambering over the reeking pile of sodden food or staking out a patch of territory, people who had come from devastated neighborhoods and elsewhere in the remote Indonesian city pulled out small cartons of milk, soft drinks, rice, candy and painkillers from the pile as they scavenge for anything edible in the warehouse that tsunami waves had pounded. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) In this Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018, photo, a man carries a sack containing food scavenged from an abandoned warehouse damaged in an earthquake and tsunami-affected area in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia Indonesia. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Rescue teams continue to search through the wreckage of the Roa-Roa Hotel following earthquakes and a tsunami 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/Tatan Syuflana) CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - The attorney for a West Virginia Supreme Court justice who wrote a book chronicling political corruption in the state and now is on trial tried to cast doubt on the federal government's belief that Justice Allen Loughry used his office for personal gain. Attorney John Carr made his opening remarks at the start of Loughry's criminal trial Wednesday after a federal judge agreed to a prosecution request to drop three counts in the 25-count indictment. Carr told jurors the government will fail to prove the offenses beyond a reasonable doubt "because it's not true." Most charges against Loughry involve wire fraud allegations that he used state vehicles and gas cards for personal use. Others contend Loughry made false statements, tampered with witnesses and committed wire fraud. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Wright said each detail of the case is like a piece of a puzzle that will "portray a picture of the fraud the defendant committed." That includes records for vehicle reservations and fuel purchases, as well as cellphone data to track a person's location. Loughry was suspended from his seat earlier this year after the state Judicial Investigation Commission said he kept secret a December federal subpoena served on the Supreme Court. He was replaced as chief justice in February after the other justices received another subpoena and found out about the first one. West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Allen Loughry emerges with his lawyer John Carr from the Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse after a federal jury was selected for his criminal trial on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018 in Charleston, W.Va. (Craig Hudson/The Charleston Gazette-Mail via AP) Separately, Loughry and three other justices were impeached by the state House of Delegates in August stemming from questions involving lavish renovations to their offices that evolved into accusations of corruption, incompetence and neglect of duty. One of those justices, Beth Walker, was cleared of an impeachment charge Tuesday in a trial before the state Senate. Loughry and justices Margaret Workman and retired Justice Robin Davis face impeachment trials later. A fifth justice, Menis Ketchum, resigned before impeachment proceedings began. In federal court, Wright said Loughry tried to cover up his conduct, including allegedly planting false facts in conversations with a court official about spending, then reporting his own concerns to a federal prosecutor about others' spending in the court. Loughry, in consultation with the other justices, had constitutional autonomy in deciding how the court system spends a $139 million annual budget. But a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot would give the Legislature more budgetary control over the judiciary. Loughry has repeatedly denied involvement in renovations to his office which cost $353,000 and included a $32,000 blue suede couch and a $7,500 wood-inlay floor map of West Virginia. He made one such denial to the House Committee on Finance in January. He blamed the spending on former court administrator Steve Canterbury, whom he fired in January 2017. One of the criminal counts accuses Loughry of lying when he told an FBI agent he didn't know the desk he had transferred to his house had historical significance and value, determined to be $42,000. Loughry returned the desk after news outlets asked about it. "He willfully lied about matters under investigation," Wright said. That includes Loughry allegedly planting false facts with a Supreme Court employee during a meeting about court spending, then going directly to a federal prosecutor to report his own concerns about spending by others in the court, Wright said. According to state records, Loughry signed for a state car for a total of 212 days from 2013 to 2015 but failed to list a destination for 148 days, including trips to visit family and for signings of his 2006 book. The indictment says he also sought mileage reimbursements for trips even though he drove a state vehicle and used a government credit card for gas. Wright said records show Loughry didn't provide a destination when he was making reservations because "he didn't think the other justices had any business knowing where he was going." Carr said Loughry had no idea a reservation system existed and that the court also had no definition for the personal use of a state vehicle at the time. During Loughry's book-signing trip to The Greenbrier resort, he discussed court matters and "did not make a dollar. They did not sell books there," Carr said. Loughry did make trips to his native Tucker County as alleged by prosecutors, but Carr explained there was "intense fighting" amid court administrators over spending, so Loughry sought advice from probation officials back home. "He was trying to make a change," Carr said, adding that Loughry will testify he "never took a vehicle unless he had an official reason which was part of his job." U.S. District Judge John Copenhaver told jurors to expect the trial to last up to two weeks. West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Allen Loughry emerges with his lawyer John Carr from the Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse after a federal jury was selected for his criminal trial on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018 in Charleston, W.Va. (Craig Hudson/The Charleston Gazette-Mail via AP) NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - With an execution scheduled for next week, 32 death row inmates in Tennessee are asking the state's high court to declare Tennessee's lethal injection method unconstitutional. In arguments before the court on Wednesday, inmates' attorney Kelley Henry said that "unassailable science" shows Tennessee's latest three-drug cocktail will cause excruciating pain. Referencing the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment, she told the court, "If the 8th Amendment means anything, you will rule for the plaintiffs." But U.S. Supreme Court precedent requires the inmates to show there is a more humane alternative available. Associate Solicitor General Jennifer Smith argued the inmates were unable to meet that requirement. In court filings, the inmates say the barbiturate pentobarbital is better than the 3-drug cocktail, which they say causes extreme suffering but renders the inmate unable to cry out. Smith said that if pentobarbital were available, the state certainly would have used it when it executed Billy Ray Irick in August. Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Jeffrey S. Bivins, second from right, speaks as the court hears arguments regarding the state's use of a three-drug cocktail for executions Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. With an execution scheduled for next week, 32 death row inmates are asking Tennessee's high court to declare the state's lethal injection method unconstitutional. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) "If they had identified a single supplier, we would have gone to that supplier," Smith said. "I'm pretty certain we would have used it because it was found to be constitutional by the court." Pentobarbital became widely unavailable for executions after an uproar over its use in that context several years ago. Henry said notes from the Correction Department's drug procurer show pentobarbital is available. But Smith disputed the meaning of those notes, saying they show the state attempted to procure pentobarbital unsuccessfully. Because of state law that makes the identity of those involved with executions secret, the inmates' attorneys were not allowed to question the procurer. Justice Sharon Lee asked Smith how it was fair to ask inmates to "prove what they can't possibly prove because they can't get the records." Smith said there was nothing preventing their attorneys from contacting pharmacists themselves about the drug's availability. "It gets complicated in this case because the alternative they identified is a form of execution we do use," she said. But that is just happenstance. If the inmates had identified a different alternative drug they would not expect to find out from the state whether it was available. The court did not say when it expects to rule. Edmund Zagorski is scheduled to be executed on Oct. 11. He was sentenced in 1984 in the slayings of two men during a drug deal. Last September, school speech therapist Kathy Hoffman was settling into the new academic year, working with youngsters in her small classroom behind a playground at Sahuaro Ranch Elementary School in a blue-collar neighborhood outside Phoenix. This year, the political novice is gone from her classroom and on the campaign trail across Arizona full-time as the Democrats' choice in the race to become superintendent of public education, overseeing the state's schools. The job is typically held by career politicians or political insiders. "My tipping point was realizing we need more teachers running for office, people who understand what it's like in the classroom, who have seen the effect of having the lack of resources from our lawmakers," Hoffman said. Hundreds of current and former educators, most of them Democrats like Hoffman, are on general election ballots from school board to governor - far exceeding educator candidacies prior to this year's #RedForEd protests. In her first campaign during the Democratic primary, the 32-year-old Hoffman beat a former state senate minority leader, illustrating how much a surge in teacher activism centering on higher teacher pay and increased educational funding have shaken up November midterm elections around the U.S. She and the other teacher candidates represent a wild-card political movement following the teacher-driven #RedForEd effort that drew support from parents and school children in Arizona, Colorado, Kentucky, Oklahoma and West Virginia and also focused on outdated textbooks, crowded classrooms and teacher shortages. Across the country, some educators have already won primary races against the incumbent state legislators they blamed for public school spending cutbacks. FILE - In this April 26, 2018 file photo participants in #RedForEd protest march in Yuma, Ariz. Teachers have been making their mark in the U.S. midterm elections, running in what may be unprecedented numbers and empowered by the successful #RedForEd protests for higher teacher pay and increased school spending. After years of dense education debates over teacher evaluations and the Common Core standards, analysts say the teachers' complaints about outdated textbooks and teacher shortages are resonating. (Randy Hoeft/The Yuma Sun via AP, File) "It's about standing up for what's right and bringing that teacher's voice to that position," Hoffman said. "I felt it should come straight from the classroom." After years of dense education debates over teacher evaluations and the Common Core learning standards, the new teacher candidates' simplified message for higher pay and more funding for schools represent "talking points (that) are resonating," said Frederick Hess, director of education policy at the conservative American Enterprise Institute public policy think tank. "What we might be seeing is the emergence of a number of individuals who will be an elected mainstream set of advocates for these teacher issues," he said. In the state senate races in Maine and Minnesota, teacher candidates could help flip state legislatures to Democratic control, according to Mara Sloan, spokeswoman for the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. She said her group knows of 650 educators running for state legislative positions across the country this year and that more than 450 are Democrats. In Kentucky, at least 34 current and former teachers are on the ballot in the general election for seats in the state legislature, 29 of them Democrats. In Connecticut, former National Teacher of the Year Jahana Hayes won the Democratic primary for a U.S. House seat. The Oklahoma Education Association said 55 educators are running in the general election for the state legislature. As for the Republicans, Oklahoma City assistant school principal Sherrie Conley upset three-term incumbent state lawmaker Bobby Cleveland in a primary runoff election. Cleveland is one of six Republican state House members in Oklahoma who lost their jobs after voting against a tax hike used to fund a teacher pay raise. Experts say it's too soon to say what sort impact the teacher candidates may have on policy if elected. Republican State Leadership Committee communications director David James accused teacher unions of fielding Democratic candidates who would use "their education platforms to defend a Bolshevik monopoly, that turns to the Prussian model of classroom teaching, rather than new innovative techniques." He also said "Republicans have a sizable force of educators that will win this cycle." Hoffman said she decided to run out of a feeling that too many education decision-makers don't understand how public schools work. She was dismayed with the confirmation hearing of U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who stumbled over questions about students with disabilities. Hoffman became more politicized after Arizona state lawmakers refused to grant the same 20 percent raises Arizona teachers got to school support staff and a decision by the state's outgoing education chief, Diane Douglas, to support an ethnic studies ban that a federal judge ruled was discriminatory. Douglas ended up finishing third in a five-way Republican primary. "That's when I realized it's not how many offices you've run for and how many political campaigns you've had," Hoffman said. She calls her opponent, Frank Riggs, one of the "establishment politicians" who have put the state's schools in crisis. Riggs is a three-term Republican California U.S. congressman who was the CEO of a nonprofit company that helps charter schools with financing and is the founding president of an online K-12 Arizona charter school. He has criticized Hoffman for being "inexperienced and extreme" and has said she holds "radical views." In an interview, the 68-year-old Riggs called Hoffman "a very nice young person" who is dedicated to education but said she has limited teaching experience and no leadership credentials. "The job involves high-level executive leadership. It requires a deep knowledge of education policies and practices at the local, state and federal level," Riggs said. "And to be a credible advocate as our state's chief K-12 officer, it requires a degree of legislative and political expertise, which I certainly feel I have as a former member of Congress." Hoffman said getting her campaign going was like starting a new company. Her campaign workers in the primary were all under 40 and one was an Arizona #RedForEd protest leader. She had to learn about branding, logos, messaging and hone her public speaking and networking skills. "Every little piece of that had to come together, and I know I've grown so much professionally and personally from this experience," she said. But candidates like Hoffman in states like Arizona that lean Republican must not only get votes from Democrats, but also Republicans or independents. And they are dependent on voters who are still thinking about public education as a key issue in November - months after the #RedForEd protests demonstrations captured national attention. "Even if the moment is ripe and even if the message resonates, and even if there is concern about the state of public education in these states, these candidates for the most part, are still going to have to overcome the partisan disadvantage that they face at the ballot box," said Patrick McGuinn, a political science and education professor at Drew University in New Jersey. FILE - In this April 25, 2018 file photo NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia speaks at the #RedForEd Walkout, March and Rally news conference regarding teacher pay and school funding in Phoenix. Teachers have been making their mark in the U.S. midterm elections, running in what may be unprecedented numbers and empowered by the successful #RedForEd protests for higher teacher pay and increased school spending. Teacher candidates from both major parties are on ballots from school board to governor, though most are Democrats. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin,File) FILE - In this April 27, 2018 file photo a sign reads "Because education matters, #redfored" as thousands of teachers and supporters begin their rally from the amphitheater at Civic Center Park in Denver. Teachers have been making their mark in the U.S. midterm elections, running in what may be unprecedented numbers and empowered by the successful #RedForEd protests for higher teacher pay and increased school spending. (Dougal Brownlie/The Gazette via AP, File) In this Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018 photo, Kathy Hoffman, a public school speech therapist, is a Democratic candidate running for superintendent of public education in Phoenix. Hoffman is running against three-term California congressman Frank Riggs, the founding president of an online charter school. In a wild card movement shaking up U.S. midterm election campaigns, hundreds of teacher candidates are running for elected office. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) 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. In nature, evolution proceeds slowly as random genetic mutations generate variety in organisms and proteins, and those versions that work best in their environment persist for future generations. The research honored Wednesday mimicked that process by inducing mutations in proteins and selecting those that best met the goals of the research. Smith, 77, and Winter, 67, worked with viruses called phages that infect bacteria. Smith showed in 1985 that inserting DNA into these viruses would make them display proteins linked to that DNA on their surfaces. It was a way to find an unknown gene for a known protein. George P. Smith talks on the phone with The Associated Press at his home in Columbia, Mo., Wednesday Oct. 3, 2018, after learning he had won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Frances Arnold of the California Institute of Technology, Smith of the University of Missouri and Gregory Winter of the MRC molecular biology lab in Cambridge, England were announced winners of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry by The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on Wednesday. (Marjorie Sable via AP) Winter adapted the approach to create useful antibodies, proteins that target and grab onto disease-related targets. Winter introduced mutations to make antibodies progressively better at binding to their targets. In 1994, for example, he developed antibodies that grab onto cancer cells. The first pharmaceutical based on Winter's work, AbbVie's adalimumab, was approved for sale in 2002. It's used to treat immune-system disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and inflammatory bowel diseases, the academy said. Sold as Humira in the U.S. and under other brand names elsewhere, it brought AbbVie $18.4 billion in revenue last year, in part because of its price: about $5,000 a month without insurance coverage in the U.S. Other antibodies produced by this approach fight cancer, neutralize the anthrax toxin and slow down lupus, the Swedish academy said. Dr. Wayne Marasco of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston said the lab technique developed by Smith and Winter was "revolutionary ... and it's used today, every day." Arnold, 62, was seeking ways to make improved enzymes, which are proteins that encourage chemical reactions to occur. In 1993, she showed the power of "directed evolution" for doing that. First she created random mutations in DNA that lets cells produce an enzyme. Then she slipped these mutated genes into bacteria, which pumped out thousands of different variants of the enzyme. One variant did a particularly good job at a certain task, so she made a new round of mutations in this variant. That produced another variant that worked better. When she made mutant versions of that variant, she got an even better version. It contained a combination of 10 mutations that nobody could have predicted would work so well, the Swedish academy said. Techniques for directed evolution have improved since then and Arnold has been at the leading edge, the academy said. Her tailored enzymes have become important for making medications and other valuable substances like renewable fuels. "Her work is incredible," Matt Hartings, an associate chemistry professor at American University, told The Associated Press. Arnold, reached by telephone at an airport in Dallas, told the AP, "I predict that we will see many more Nobel chemistry prizes for women." She learned she had won when she was "unceremoniously woken up" at 4 a.m. in her hotel room in Dallas. "The phone rang and I was certain it was one of my kids or some emergency, but it wasn't. First I was stunned, like somebody hit me over the head with something, and then I started to wake up," she said. Smith credited others for the work that led to his breakthrough. "Very few research breakthroughs are novel. Virtually all of them build on what went on before. It's happenstance. That was certainly the case with my work," he told the AP. Of the pre-dawn phone call from Stockholm informing him of his win, Smith said: "It's a standard joke that someone with a Swedish accent calls and says 'You won!' But there was so much static on the line, I knew it wasn't any of my friends." Winter said an encounter with a cancer patient early in his career made him realize the importance of his work. The woman was receiving his then-experimental antibody treatment. Even though Winter didn't know whether it would work, the patient was grateful for whatever extra time the treatment would give her to spend with her husband. Winter says he realized afterward there was a "moral imperative" to ensure "what was produced could be used for public benefit." In other Nobel prizes this year, the medicine prize went Monday to James Allison of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and Tasuku Honjo of Kyoto University, who developed an approach for unleashing the immune system on cancers, helping doctors fight many advanced-stage cancer tumors. Scientists from the United States, Canada and France shared the physics prize Tuesday for revolutionizing the use of lasers in research. Arthur Ashkin became the oldest Nobel Prize laureate at 96, while Donna Strickland of the University of Waterloo in Canada became only the third woman to win a physics Nobel. Strickland had worked with the third winner, Frenchman Gerard Mourou of the Ecole Polytechnique and the University of Michigan. The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize is to be announced Friday and the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences will be revealed on Monday. No Nobel literature prize will be awarded this year due to a sex abuse scandal at the Swedish Academy, which choses the winner. The academy plans to announce both the 2018 and the 2019 winner next year - although the head of the Nobel Foundation has said the body must fix its tarnished reputation first. The man at the center of the Swedish Academy scandal, Jean-Claude Arnault, was sentenced Monday to two years in prison for rape. ___ Heintz reported from Moscow, and Ritter and Chester from New York. Associated Press writers David Keyton in Stockholm, Danica Kirka in London and Linda Johnson in Trenton, N.J., contributed to this report. ___ Follow the AP's coverage as the 2018 Nobel Prizes are awarded at https://apnews.com/tag/NobelPrizes . FILE - In this Tuesday, May 24, 2016 file photo, US biochemical engineer Frances Arnold, speaks after winning the Millennium Technology Prize 2016 during the awards ceremony in Helsinki, Finland. Frances Arnold, US, George P Smith US and Gregory P Winter of Britain have been awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. (Heikki Saukkomaa/Lehtikuva via AP) This undated photo made available by Trinity College shows Gregory Winter of the MRC molecular biology lab in Cambridge, England. Frances Arnold of the California Institute of Technology, George Smith of the University of Missouri and Gregory Winter of the MRC molecular biology lab in Cambridge, England were announced winners of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry by The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on Wednesday. (Aga Machaj via AP) George P. Smith photographed at his home in Columbia, Mo., Wednesday Oct. 3, 2018, after learning he had won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Frances Arnold of the California Institute of Technology, George Smith of the University of Missouri and Gregory Winter of the MRC molecular biology lab in Cambridge, England were announced winners of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry by The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on Wednesday. (Marjorie Sable via AP) The 2018 Nobel Prize laureates for Chemistry are shown on the screen from left, Frances H Arnold of the US, George P Smith of the US, and Gregory P Winter of Britain, during the announcement at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Tuesday Oct. 3, 2018. (Jonas Ekstromer/TT via AP) PARIS (AP) - France's prime minister on Wednesday assumed responsibility for the country's domestic security after the interior minister resigned in an apparent act of defiance toward President Emmanuel Macron. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe is in charge until a successor to Gerard Collomb, until recently one of Macron's closest political allies, is appointed. In a handover ceremony, Philippe said his main focus would be to ensure "the highest security level" in the country. "We live in difficult times with threats abroad and sometimes on our territory ... It's our role to be up to the task," he said. Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux said a new interior minister would be chosen within "a few days." Macron accepted Collomb's resignation late Tuesday, after initially refusing it the previous day. Collomb insisted he wanted to leave to be able to run for mayor of the city of Lyon in 2020 and made the dispute public by speaking to the French newspaper Le Figaro. During Wednesday's weekly Cabinet meeting, Macron told his ministers that "what's been happening for 48 hours has nothing to do with a political crisis ... what we're going through is related to strictly personal issues," Griveaux said. FILE - This Wednesday Sept. 6, 2017 file photo shows French President Emmanuel Macron, center, French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb, right, and Prime Minister Edouard Philippe as they arrive at the Interior Ministry in Paris, France. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has assumed responsibility for France's domestic security after the interior minister resigned in an apparent act of defiance toward President Emmanuel Macron. (Francois Guillot, Pool via AP, File) Collomb, 71, said he regretted leaving the ministry, listing the changes he led over the last 16 months, including passing a counter-terrorism law last year that replaced the state of emergency declared following Nov. 2015 attacks in Paris. His departure against the president's will leaves the government weakened at a moment when Macron is about to launch sensitive economic reforms. Macron has pledged to make changes to unemployment benefits and streamline the pension system. Macron has faced a series of recent challenges and his popularity has dropped to a record low since his election in May 2017. Last month, popular French environment minister Nicolas Hulot unexpectedly announced his resignation on the radio, saying he felt powerless to speed up the country's slow progress on green issues. Macron has also struggled for weeks to cope with a major scandal over his former security aide that erupted in July when the man was identified in a video beating a May Day protester. FILE - This Wednesday, Jan.17, 2018 file picture shows French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb, left, and French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe during a press conference in Paris, France. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has assumed responsibility for France's domestic security after the interior minister resigned in an apparent act of defiance toward President Emmanuel Macron. (Charles Platiau, Pool via AP, Fiule) VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Francis urged Catholic bishops to dream of a future free of the mistakes of the past as he opened a global church leadership meeting Wednesday amid renewed outrage over the priestly sex abuse and cover-up scandal. Yet down the block from the Vatican's synod hall, about two dozen abuse survivors staged a sit-in, demanding their cause be taken up at the meeting and voicing outrage that some of the delegates had covered up for abusive priests. "Make 'Zero Tolerance' Real," read one protest sign. Francis welcomed more than 250 priests, bishops and cardinals - as well as 34 young Catholics - to a monthlong meeting on ministering to future generations, urging young and old to listen to one another without prejudice. 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." The Oct. 3-28 synod comes amid new revelations about decades of sexual misconduct by priests and cover-ups in the U.S., Chile, Germany and elsewhere. That has sent confidence in Francis' leadership to all-time lows among the American faithful. Bishops and Cardinals attend a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis for the opening of a synod, a meeting of bishops, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. The synod is bringing together 266 bishops from five continents for talks on helping young people feel called to the church at a time when church marriages and religious vocations are plummeting in much of the West. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) A new survey by the Pew Research Center found that just 31 percent of U.S. Catholics felt the pope was doing an excellent or good job in addressing the abuse issue, down from 45 percent in January and 55 percent in 2015. It has been a disastrous year for the pope on the abuse front, after he botched a prominent cover-up scandal in Chile before changing course. More recently, he has been accused of rehabilitating an American ex-cardinal who pressured seminarians to sleep with him. Those cases, coupled with the release of devastating studies about decades of abuses and cover-ups in Pennsylvania and Germany that predated his papacy, have fueled doubts about his oft-stated pledge of having "zero tolerance" for that, since implicated bishops remain in place. "Pope Francis talks about 'zero tolerance,' and that bishops who cover-up should be removed and put on trial," said Alessandro Battaglia, who was 15 when he was abused by a Milan-area priest who last month was convicted and sentenced to over six years in prison. The current archbishop of Milan, Mario Delpini, testified at the trial of the Rev. Mauro Galli that he had transferred Galli to another parish rather than report him to police or keep him away from other potential victims, as Battaglia's family had requested. Despite publicity about the case, Francis named Delpini archbishop of Milan in July and named him a papal delegate at the synod. "What is this 'zero tolerance'?" Battaglia asked at the protest Wednesday. "If he wants to give a sign of zero tolerance and coherence and credibility, remove him (Delpini)." Among those participating in the protest were the hearing impaired victims of the notorious Antonio Provolo Institute in Verona, Italy, where deaf children were sodomized for years by Catholic priests and brothers. The victims have found no justice even though Francis and the Vatican were informed of their plight in 2014. They are now preparing a case to take to Italian prosecutors. "We think young people should question the way the church has dealt with this in the past," said Matthias Katsch of the Ending Clergy Abuse global advocacy group. Francis didn't refer directly to the abuse scandal in his homily at Mass or later Wednesday in his opening speech to the synod. He did, however, call for an end to the "scourge of clericalism" - the culture that puts clergy on a pedestal and unaccountable to their flocks, which Francis has blamed for the scandal. "Clericalism is a perversion and is the root of many evils in the church," he told the delegates. "We must humbly ask forgiveness for this and above all create the conditions so that it is not repeated." Francis choked up during his homily when he welcomed two Chinese bishops to the gathering, the first time Chinese bishops have attended a Vatican synod. That was made possible thanks to a landmark agreement with Beijing over bishop nominations that unified the Chinese Catholic leadership for the first time in decades. Pope Francis, center, celebrates a Mass for the opening of a synod, a meeting of bishops, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. The synod is bringing together 266 bishops from five continents for talks on helping young people feel called to the church at a time when church marriages and religious vocations are plummeting in much of the West. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Pope Francis, bottom right, arrives to celebrate a Mass for the opening of a synod, a meeting of bishops, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. The synod is bringing together 266 bishops from five continents for talks on helping young people feel called to the church at a time when church marriages and religious vocations are plummeting in much of the West. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Cardinals arrive to attend a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis for the opening of a synod, a meeting of bishops, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. The synod is bringing together 266 bishops from five continents for talks on helping young people feel called to the church at a time when church marriages and religious vocations are plummeting in much of the West. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Bishops attend a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis for the opening of a synod, a meeting of bishops, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. The synod is bringing together 266 bishops from five continents for talks on helping young people feel called to the church at a time when church marriages and religious vocations are plummeting in much of the West. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Bishops attend a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis for the opening of a synod in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. The synod (council) is bringing together 266 Roman Catholic bishops from five continents for talks on helping young people feel called to the church at a time when church marriages and religious vocations are plummeting in much of the West. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Bishops and Cardinals, bottom, attend a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis for the opening of a synod, a meeting of bishops, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. The synod is bringing together 266 bishops from five continents for talks on helping young people feel called to the church at a time when church marriages and religious vocations are plummeting in much of the West. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Pope Francis, center, celebrates a Mass for the opening of a synod, a meeting of bishops, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. The synod is bringing together 266 bishops from five continents for talks on helping young people feel called to the church at a time when church marriages and religious vocations are plummeting in much of the West. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) STOCKHOLM (AP) - The Latest on the awarding of the Nobel Prizes (all times local): 12:45 a.m. Nobel chemistry winner Frances Arnold is celebrating her prize with her students and fellow faculty members at the California Institute of Technology. Arnold learned of her prize while traveling in Texas but flew back home Wednesday for a ceremony honoring her at the Pasadena, California, campus where she's worked for three decades. Arnold gave credit to her research team at Caltech. She called the institute a "jewel," where she was always "pushed to do her best and do things other people couldn't do." The 62-year-old shared the Nobel for her work on the directed evolution of antibodies with Cambridge University scientist Greg Winter and George Smith of the University of Missouri. FILE - In this Tuesday, May 24, 2016 file photo, US biochemical engineer Frances Arnold, speaks after winning the Millennium Technology Prize 2016 during the awards ceremony in Helsinki, Finland. Frances Arnold, US, George P Smith US and Gregory P Winter of Britain have been awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. (Heikki Saukkomaa/Lehtikuva via AP) Arnold said she'll donate some of the prize money to worthwhile institutions, possibly including Caltech. ___ 6:45 p.m. Nobel chemistry winner Frances Arnold says she expects to see an increasing number of female Nobel chemistry laureates in the coming years. "There are a lot of beautiful, elegant women in chemistry, and I predict we will see many more Nobel chemistry prizes for women," said Arnold, 62, who is only the fifth woman ever to win the Nobel chemistry prize. Arnold learned she'd won when was "unceremoniously woken up" at 4 a.m. Wednesday in her hotel room in Dallas. "I was certain it was one of my kids or some emergency, but it wasn't. First I was stunned, like somebody hit me over the head with something, and then I started to wake up." "I managed to pull a couple of neurons together, and now I'm processing it," she told The Associated Press. Arnold had planned to deliver a lecture Wednesday at the University of Texas Southwestern, but says she will now return to Pasadena, California, "to celebrate with my students" at the California Institute of Technology. ___ 5:55 p.m. Cambridge University scientist Greg Winter says he was staring at his computer wondering how he would ever finish multiple projects when the phone rang. He was "a bit rocky" early Wednesday after a feast the night before at Trinity College and was having coffee and aspirin when a caller from Sweden told him to expect a "very important announcement." Winter says the line went dead and he thought it was the bank "ringing up and telling me I had some dodgy transaction." In fact, he shared the 2018 Nobel Prize for chemistry for his work on the directed evolution of antibodies along with Frances Arnold of the California Institute of Technology and George Smith of the University of Missouri. There will be another party shortly in Cambridge. Lab colleagues told Winter that 2,793 pounds ($3,636) worth of Champagne have been ordered before asking "can we have your credit card please?" ___ 4:55 p.m. Dr. Wayne Marasco of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston said the lab technique developed by the new Nobel laureates George Smith and Gregory Winter was "revolutionary ... and it's used today, every day." Marasco said he uses it daily in his own research on developing therapies that use antibodies, which are disease-fighting proteins in the blood. The two prizewinners harnessed viruses called phages that infect bacteria. Smith, of the University of Missouri in Columbia, showed that inserting DNA into these viruses would make them display proteins linked to that DNA on their surfaces. Winter, of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England, adapted the approach to create antibodies that target disease-related targets. In a process mimicking evolution, Winter introduced mutations to make antibodies progressively better at binding to their targets. Marasco said the technique lets scientists screen millions or even billions of antibodies for their ability to grab onto a target like a protein on the surface of a cancer cell. It makes such screening far faster and more efficient. Frances Arnold of the California Institute of Technology shared the Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday along with Smith and Winter. ___ 4:15 p.m. Greg Winter, a British scientist who shared the 2018 Nobel Prize for chemistry, says an encounter with a cancer patient made him realize the importance of his work. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, the 67-year-old Winter recalled a moment early in his career when he visited a woman who was receiving his then-experimental antibody treatment. Even though Winter didn't know whether the treatment would work, the patient was grateful for whatever more time it would allow her to spend with her husband, who was also sick. Winter, who shared the prize with two other scientists for his work on the directed evolution of antibodies, says he realized afterward there was a "moral imperative" to ensure "what was produced could be used for public benefit." The patient responded to the therapy but died when there wasn't enough to continue her treatment. __ 3:15 p.m. Frances Arnold of the California Institute of Technology is only the fifth woman to be awarded a Nobel Prize in chemistry since the prizes were first handed out in 1901. The first winner was Marie Curie, who was honored in 1911 for the discovery of radium and polonium. Twenty-four years later, Curie's daughter, Irene Joliot-Curie, was recognized, alongside her husband Frederic Joliot, for the synthesis of radioactive elements. British scientist Dorothy Hodgkin was the next winner, in 1964. After a 45-year gap, Israel's Ada Yonath was one of three winners in 2009. On Tuesday, Canadian Donna Strickland became the third female physics laureate and the first in 55 years. There have been several female winners in the areas of medicine, literature and peace, but only one woman -the American Elinor Ostrom in 2009- has been awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in economics. ___ 2:45 p.m. One chemical expert says the research of new Nobel laureate Frances Arnold "has really enabled lots of different chemists to think about how we can make proteins and design proteins to do some fascinating chemistry." Matt Hartings, an associate professor of chemistry at American University in Washington, D.C., says "her work is incredible." Arnold of the California Institute of Technology was awarded half of the 9-million-kronor ($1.01 million) prize Wednesday, while the other half will be shared by George Smith of the University of Missouri and Gregory Winter of the MRC molecular biology lab in Cambridge, England. Hartings says the proteins that Arnold designed "do these really off-the-wall chemical things in record time." He says her directed evolution approach has greatly helped chemists make enzymes do jobs that nature never intended, such as for industrial purposes. Hartings said her recent development of an enzyme that can promote chemical reactions involving silicon was a startling accomplishment, "completely bonkers." ___ 1:10 p.m. Scientists have been applauding the winners of the Nobel chemistry prize, saying that it highlights the practical role chemistry plays in our daily lives. Carol Robinson, president of Britain's Royal Society of Chemistry, says the prize shows how chemistry contributes "to many areas of our lives including pharmaceuticals, detergents, green catalysis and biofuels." Robinson said Wednesday that directed evolution of enzymes and antibody technology "are now transforming medicine." Douglas Kell, a professor of bioanalytical science at the University of Manchester, says the prize is "fantastic news. Really well deserved. Nobels commonly go to folk who develop methods that revolutionize practice or understanding. These methods are entirely general and have done both." ___ 12:30 p.m. Nobel chemistry laureate George Smith, reached at his home in Columbia, Missouri, was quick to credit the work of others in his prize. "Pretty much every Nobel laureate understands that what he's getting the prize for is built on many precedents, a great number of ideas and research that he is exploiting because he is at the right place at the right time," he told The Associated Press. "Very few research breakthroughs are novel. Virtually all of them build on what went on before. It's happenstance. That was certainly the case with my work. Mine was an idea in a line of research that built very naturally on the lines of research that went before." Smith said he learned of the prize in a pre-dawn phone call from Stockholm. "It's a standard joke that someone with a Swedish accent calls and says you won! But there was so much static on the line, I knew it wasn't any of my friends," he said. He said he has "no idea" what he'll do with the prize money. "We're going to give it away, I think. But we'll think hard how we'll do it. It's not just the money, it has a meaning well beyond the money." Smith, 77, was a professor for 40 years at the University of Missouri at the Division of Biological Sciences. ___ 12:20 p.m. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences says the three researchers who were awarded this year's Nobel Prize in chemistry "harnessed the power of evolution" to develop enzymes and antibodies that have led to new pharmaceuticals and biofuels. Frances Arnold of the California Institute of Technology was awarded half the prize for conducting the first directed evolution of enzymes, leading to more environmentally friendly manufacturing of chemicals, including drugs, and in the production of renewable fuels. George Smith of the University of Missouri and Gregory Winter of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England, share the other half of the prize. Smith developed a new way to evolve proteins and Winter used the method for evolving antibodies with the aim of producing new drugs. The first drug based on this work is used against rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease, the academy said. ___ 11:45 a.m. The Nobel Prize in chemistry has been awarded to two researchers in the United States and one in Britain. Half of the 9-million-kronor ($1.01 million) prize was designated for Frances Arnold of Caltech in Pasadena for work that has led to the development of new biofuels and pharmaceuticals. The other half of the prize will be shared by George Smith of the University of Missouri and Gregory Winter of the MRC Laboratory in Cambridge. They were honored for "phage display of peptides and antibodies." ___ 6 a.m. The Nobel Prize in chemistry, which honors researchers for advances in studying how molecules combine and interact, is being announced Wednesday by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. The 9-million-kronor ($1.01 million) chemistry prize is the last of this year's scientific Nobel Prizes. Last year's prize went to researchers in the United States, Switzerland and Britain who developed a microscope technique that lets scientists see details of the molecules that drive life. The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize is to be announced Friday. No literature prize will be awarded this year. The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, honoring the man who endowed the five Nobel Prizes, will be revealed Monday. The medicine prize was awarded Monday to American and Japanese researchers. Scientists from the United States, Canada and France shared the physics prize Tuesday. ___ Follow the AP's coverage as the 2018 Nobel Prizes are awarded at https://apnews.com/tag/NobelPrizes This undated photo made available by Trinity College shows Gregory Winter of the MRC molecular biology lab in Cambridge, England. Frances Arnold of the California Institute of Technology, George Smith of the University of Missouri and Gregory Winter of the MRC molecular biology lab in Cambridge, England were announced winners of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry by The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on Wednesday. (Aga Machaj via AP) The 2018 Nobel Prize laureates for Chemistry are shown on the screen from left, Frances H Arnold of the US, George P Smith of the US, and Gregory P Winter of Britain, during the announcement at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Tuesday Oct. 3, 2018. (Jonas Ekstromer/TT via AP) FILE - In this Tuesday, May 24, 2016 file photo, US biochemical engineer Frances Arnold, receives the Millennium Technology Prize 2016 during the awards ceremony in Helsinki, Finland. Frances Arnold, US, George P Smith, US, and Gregory P Winter of Britain have been awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. (Heikki Saukkomaa/Lehtikuva via AP) Govt working on uniformity in education system: Shafqat Mahmood LAHORE: Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood said on Saturday that government was working on introducing a uniform education system across the country. Chairing the 53rd meeting of the governing body of Iqbal Academy Pakistan (IAP), he said the government was also reviewing the existing curricula because the students of English medium educational institutions managed to grab most of the employment opportunities and excelled in competition examinations as well. Mr Mahmood said the government wanted to introduce a system under which students of government-run institutions and those of madressahs could land good jobs and avail handsome opportunities. He said there should be five to six core subjects which should be taught in all educational institutions of the country. The minister underlined the need for presenting the message of Allama Muhammad Iqbal in an effective manner so that students could be attracted to it. Chapters of Iqbal Society should be established in schools and colleges. He urged the IAP to post on its website literature about Iqbal and his philosophy because this would provide an authentic platform to those who wanted to read about the great thinker and philosopher. NEW YORK (AP) - President Donald Trump on Wednesday expressed outrage over a New York Times report that he received at least $413 million from his father over the decades, much of that through dubious tax dodges, including outright fraud. 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% of their stories on me are bad. Never recovered from bad election call!" The 15,000-word Times report contradicts Trump's portrayal of himself as a self-made billionaire who started with just a $1 million loan from his father. The Times says Trump and his father, Fred, avoided gift and inheritance taxes by setting up a sham corporation and undervaluing assets to tax authorities. The Times says its 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 Trump, Charles J. Harder, told The Times that there was no "fraud or tax evasion" and that the facts cited in the report are "extremely inaccurate." The White House dismissed the report as a "misleading attack against the Trump family by the failing New York Times." It criticized 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." FILE - In this Feb. 9, 2017, file photo, a portrait of President Donald Trump's father Fred Trump, and three un-signed Executive orders are seen in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. The New York Times is reporting that President Donald Trump received at least $413 million from his father over the decades, much of that through dubious tax dodges, including outright fraud. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File) The New York state tax department told The Associated Press that it was reviewing the allegations in The Times and "is vigorously pursuing all appropriate avenues of investigation." The department typically refers findings to the state attorney general's office. The Times said 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 Trump's buildings with boilers, cleaning supplies and other goods, the father would pad invoices with markups of 20 percent or even 50 percent, thereby avoiding gift taxes, the newspaper reported. The report said that before Fred Trump died in the late 1990s, he transferred ownership of most of his real estate empire to his four living children. The value of the properties in tax returns summed up to $41.4 million, vastly less than The Times said they were worth. The same properties would be sold off over the next decade for more than 16 times that amount. In total, the president's father and mother transferred over $1 billion to their children, according to the newspaper's tally. That should have produced a tax bill of at least $550 million, based on a 55 percent tax on gifts and inheritance at the time. Instead, the children paid $52.2 million, or about 5 percent. Tax experts cited in the report say that Trump was unlikely to face criminal prosecution in helping his parents evade taxes because the maneuvers occurred long ago and were past the statute of limitation. The president's brother Robert Trump said that "all appropriate gift and estate tax returns" were filed. "Our family has no other comment on these matters that happened some 20 years ago," he said in a statement to The Times, "and would appreciate your respecting the privacy of our deceased parents, may God rest their souls." The Times report said documents it reviewed show that the future president was earning $200,000 a year in today's dollars at the age of 3. By the time Trump had graduated from college, the report says, he was getting the equivalent of $1 million a year from his father. When he was campaigning, 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 that's worth many, many billions of dollars." BERLIN (AP) - A German businessman reportedly plans a long-shot challenge to Chancellor Angela Merkel as leader of the country's main conservative party. Andreas Ritzenhoff, the owner of a company that makes aluminum products, told the Funke newspaper group Wednesday that the Christian Democratic Union needs "new political aims" and a "change of direction." Merkel, Germany's chancellor since 2005 and CDU leader since 2000, has indicated she will likely seek a new two-year term at the party's helm at a congress in December. Her authority has been weakened recently by constant squabbling in her fourth-term government and the ouster last week of a close ally as the conservatives' parliamentary leader. However, there's no sign of any heavyweight challenger. Alongside Ritzenhoff, law student Jan-Philipp Knoop has said he plans to challenge Merkel. ATLANTA (AP) - The federal case against a white supremacist jailed for 20 months after exposing himself to ricin has fallen apart. Prosecutors blamed "a technical error" by Congress, which didn't include the deadly material in its list of illegal biological toxins. U.S. District Court Judge Richard Story dismissed the possession charge against William Christopher Gibbs and ordered his immediate release on Sept. 21. The Gainesville Times first reported on the judge's order, which said Gibbs might be charged under some other law, but "cannot be convicted under this one." Gibbs was 27 when he drove to a hospital in February 2017 and said he was exposed to ricin, which is found in castor beans and can be deadly when purified. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Gibbs associated with the Church of Creativity movement. NEW YORK (AP) - The publisher of such blockbusters as "Fire and Fury" and "The Da Vinci Code" has made plans for a successor. Stephen Rubin will leave his position as president and publisher of Henry Holt and Company next May. He announced his decision Wednesday in a company memo shared with The Associated Press. Rubin, 76, has chosen Ben Schrank to replace him. Schrank currently oversees the Razorbill imprint at Penguin Random House. Razorbill publishes young adult and middle grade books. Rubin, who will remain with Holt as chairman and continue to work with some authors, said he thought the company needed "a fresh pair of eyes." Authors he has worked with, at Holt and with previous publishers, range from John Grisham to Dan Brown to "Fire and Fury" writer Michael Wolff. NEW ORLEANS (AP) - New Orleans' service and hospitality workers are asking for better pay and benefits from a city that last year drew in around $8 billion from the tourists they serve. News outlets report workers and activists spoke before the New Orleans Community Development Committee on Tuesday to advocate for "sustainable tourism." Researchers from Loyola University's Workplace Justice Center say Orleans Parish has the state's largest pay gap. Advocates assert the city's largest economic driver, tourism, is built on the backs of the working poor. Workers are asking for better enforcement of the Living Wage Ordinance, which took effect in 2016. The council will vote on changing its enforcement Thursday. Workers are also seeking improved affordable transit, local hiring and apprenticeship programs and representation on City Hall's various committees and boards. BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) - British Prime Minister Theresa May battled to unite her Conservative Party on Wednesday, telling critics to abandon their dreams of a "perfect" Brexit and "come together" as divorce negotiations with the European Union enter their tough final phase. May took on her detractors in a punchy address to the party's annual conference, a day after her rival, former foreign secretary Boris Johnson, challenged her authority with a crowd-pleasing speech of his own. "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," May said in a warning to Johnson and others who aim to oust her or force her to change course. "A Brexit that might make Britain stronger 50 years from now is no good to you if it makes your life harder today," she noted. Britain's governing party is deeply divided over the country's impending departure from the EU, with pro- and anti-EU camps both criticizing the prime minister's negotiations with the bloc. With just under six months until Britain leaves the EU on March 29, the speech Wednesday was an attempt by May to solve her Brexit conundrum. 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) The EU has rejected her proposed Brexit deal and demanded new ideas from Britain. But pro-Brexit members of May's Conservative government oppose any softening of the U.K.'s stance. So the negotiations with the EU have ground to a halt, U.K. businesses are growing jittery and Conservative Brexiteers like Johnson are demanding that the U.K. make a clean break with the bloc - deal or no deal. Less than three weeks before a make-or-break EU summit in Brussels, May said divorce negotiations were entering their "toughest phase." But she rejected calls by Euroskeptics to walk away from the talks, saying 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." May's speech was a direct riposte to Johnson, who told a rapturous audience on Tuesday that May's proposal for close post-Brexit economic ties with the EU was an "outrage" that would leave Britain unable to strike new trade deals around the world. May defended her Brexit blueprint, which aims to keep Britain aligned with many EU rules in return for remaining in the bloc's single market for goods. She argued that her plan would preserve the frictionless trade that many businesses depend on, while ensuring "no change whatsoever" to Northern Ireland's border with Ireland. The U.K. and the EU agree there must be no customs checks or other barriers along the currently invisible border between the U.K.'s Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland. But they don't agree on how to achieve that, and the issue remains the biggest obstacle to a Brexit deal. May's speech was a triumph compared to last year's disastrous event, when she was plagued by a cough, interrupted by a prankster and had parts of the stage backdrop fall down as she was speaking. This time, 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." She reached out to voters whose living standards have been squeezed by stagnating incomes and public-spending cuts since the 2008 global financial crisis. In a major policy shift, May said the government would abandon its long-held policy of slashing public spending in the name of deficit reduction. "A decade after the financial crash, people need to know that the austerity it led to is over," she said. She painted an optimistic picture of post-Brexit Britain, saying "our future is full of promise." It was an upbeat end to an anxious Conservative conference in Birmingham, central England. A week ago, the opposition Labour Party met in Liverpool, at an event brimming with energy and confidence. The Conservatives, in contrast, were full of doubt. Many delegates lamented the fact that Brexit has drowned out the party's message on housing, taxation, health care and other big issues. While pro-Brexit delegates railed against May's compromises and the iniquities of Brussels, pro-EU Tories claimed Brexit had tainted the party with an inward-looking image that turns off voters, especially the young. May's speech was welcomed by many in a party worn down by Brexit bickering. "It was not just about Brexit - she gave a vision for the country for the future," said Rishi Fernando from London. "This has definitely increased my respect for her." But May's future remains uncertain. Many Conservatives expect her to face a leadership challenge soon after Brexit day - or even before. Pro-Brexit legislator James Duddridge on Wednesday called the Brexit negotiations "an absolute disaster" and said he had added his name to a list of Conservative lawmakers demanding a confidence vote in the prime minister. A vote will be triggered if 48 legislators ask for one. No one knows yet how many have already submitted their requests. "We need a strong leader and we haven't got that at the moment," Duddridge said. 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) - Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder's administration and Canadian pipeline giant Enbridge announced an agreement Wednesday to replace twin 65-year-old crude oil pipes that critics have long described as an environmental disaster waiting to happen in a crucial Great Lakes channel. The plan calls for decommissioning the pipes after installing a new line in a tunnel to be drilled through bedrock some 100 feet (30 meters) beneath the Straits of Mackinac, a more than 4-mile-wide (6.4-kilometer) waterway where Lakes Huron and Michigan converge. The massive engineering project is expected to take seven to 10 years to complete, at a cost of $350 million to $500 million - all of which the company would pay. In the meantime, about 23 million gallons (87 million liters) of oil and natural gas liquids used to make propane would continue moving daily through the twin lines at the bottom of the straits. They are part of Enbridge's Line 5, which extends 645 miles (1,038 kilometers) from Superior, Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Ontario, crossing large areas of northern Michigan. The state and Enbridge described the agreement as a win-win that eventually would get rid of the twin lines, removing the threat of a spill that studies have said could despoil the lakes and shorelines for hundreds of miles. "This common-sense solution offers the greatest possible safeguards to Michigan's waters while maintaining critical connections to ensure Michigan residents have the energy resources they need," Snyder said. Environmental groups criticized it for failing to shut down the existing pipes quickly and accepting oil transit through the straits area indefinitely. FILE - This July 19, 2002, file photo, shows the Mackinac Bridge that spans the Straits of Mackinac from Mackinaw City, Mich. Officials tell The Associated Press that Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder's administration and Canadian pipeline giant Enbridge have reached a deal on replacing 65-year-old twin pipelines in a channel linking two of the Great Lakes. An announcement was scheduled for Wednesday Oct. 3, 2018. Officials tell the AP the agreement calls for shutting down the Line 5 pipes in the Straits of Mackinac connecting Lakes Huron and Michigan. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File) "We know that Line 5 is a threat to the Great Lakes and our way of life now whereas a tunnel, if it is ever built, is many years away," said Mike Shriberg, regional director of the National Wildlife Federation. "The communities, businesses, water, and wildlife that would be lost if Line 5 ruptures cannot be replaced." Enbridge insists the pipes are in good condition and could be used far into the future. But the company has been on the defensive in recent years following discoveries of dozens of spots where protective coating has worn off, plus damage from a ship anchor strike last April. Spokesman Ryan Duffy said the company, based in Calgary, Alberta, "has operated Line 5 safely and reliably for decades" and cooperated with state regulators, although Snyder and other officials previously have accused Enbridge of being less than forthcoming - particularly about the coating gaps. "We believe this agreement makes a safe pipeline even safer," Duffy said. The deal, reached as Snyder's term winds down, is sure to be a contentious issue in the campaign to succeed him. Democratic nominee Gretchen Whitmer has pledged to shut down Line 5 if elected governor in November. Her Republican opponent, state Attorney General Bill Schuette, has endorsed the tunnel option. It wasn't immediately clear whether the next administration would have legal authority to undo the agreement. Michigan owns the straits bottomlands and granted Enbridge an easement when the pipes were laid in 1953. Keith Creagh, director of the state Department of Natural Resources, said any effort to revoke the easement would trigger a lengthy and expensive court battle. But opponents argued the agreement isn't legally binding because it calls for further negotiations on key details, including the design, construction and operation of the tunnel. Creagh said officials hope to reach agreement on the unsettled issues before Snyder leaves office at year's end. Among them: creating a public-private partnership between Enbridge and the Mackinac Bridge Authority, the state agency that oversees the suspension bridge traversing the straits between Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas near the underwater pipes. Under the deal, the bridge authority would help Enbridge obtain government permits for the tunnel and replacement pipeline and would assume ownership of the tunnel when completed. The agency would lease the tunnel to Enbridge for its pipeline and could work out similar arrangements to house electric and telecommunications cables. State officials say the bridge authority's original mandate in 1952 envisioned the possibility of managing tunnels. But environmental attorney Jim Olson, president of a group called For Love of Water, said the authority could not legally operate a tunnel "that has nothing to do with vehicles." He said the agreement raises "serious legal issues." The plan includes provisions intended to reduce the likelihood of a leak from the existing pipes while the tunnel is built and to ensure close collaboration between Enbridge and the state after the new pipeline becomes operational, officials said. Among them: underwater inspections to detect potential leaks and evaluate pipe coating; placement of cameras at the straits to monitor ship activity and help enforce a no-anchoring zone; a pledge that Enbridge personnel will be available during high-wave periods to manually shut down the pipelines if electronic systems fail; and steps to prevent leaks at other places where Line 5 crosses waterways. The agreement also includes a process for dealing with the existing oil lines after they're deactivated, although it leaves open the question of how much of the pipe material will be removed. ___ Follow John Flesher on Twitter at: twitter.com/johnflesher CHICAGO (AP) - The Latest on the murder trial of white Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke in the shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald (all times local): 11:55 a.m. Testimony in the murder trial of a white Chicago police officer in the 2014 shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald has concluded. Defense attorneys did not call any witnesses Wednesday . But they rolled out and put into evidence the squad car tire that McDonald stabbed with a knife before Officer Jason Van Dyke arrived and shot him 16 times. Prosecutors read into the record what Van Dyke told Chicago police Detective David March shortly after the shooting. That includes a statement that Van Dyke made that McDonald had raised a knife at him and kept pointing at him even after he was shot and fell to the ground. The video shows no such actions by the teen. Testimony wrapped day after the officer himself took the stand, at times becoming defiant as he said that what he saw did not unfold the way it did on dashcam video. Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke, wearing sunglasses, is escorted out of the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, after testifying in his first degree murder trial for the shooting death of Laquan McDonald. (Ashlee Rezin/Chicago Sun-Times via AP) Closing arguments are set for Thursday. ___ 10:30 a.m. Defense attorneys and prosecutors in the case of a white Chicago police officer charged with murder in the shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald have rested their cases. Officer Jason Van Dyke's attorneys rested first Wednesday without calling anymore witnesses. Prosecutors then called one rebuttal witness and rested a short time later. Attorneys will return to court on Thursday to give their closing arguments to the jury. The quiet ending of the trial came a day after explosive testimony from Van Dyke in which the officer maintained that squad car video didn't show his perspective. He contended that he saw the teen raise a knife at him. Video does not show that. Van Dyke also said McDonald tried to get up after he fell to the ground when he was shot. The video does not support that. ___ 12:30 a.m. Attorneys for the Chicago police officer charged with murder in the shooting death of Laquan McDonald are expected to rest their case. Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan said late Tuesday that Officer Jason Van Dyke's attorneys will rest their case Wednesday morning. After that, prosecutors will have a chance to call rebuttal witnesses. Closing arguments could come as soon as Thursday. Van Dyke testified Tuesday. He fought back tears at times and later turned defiant when questioned by prosecutors who pointed out that video of the 2014 shooting didn't match his account of what happened. He said he opened fire when McDonald kept advancing toward him while waving a knife. He said the shooting video "doesn't show my perspective." Van Dyke, who is white, shot the black teenager 16 times. ____ For the complete story: https://bit.ly/2O2L6uL For the AP's complete coverage of the case: https://apnews.com/tag/LaquanMcDonald Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke dabs his eyes as he testifies in his murder trial Tuesday Oct. 2, 2018, in Chicago, for the shooting death of Laquan McDonald. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool) Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke testifies on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, during his first degree murder trial for the shooting death of Laquan McDonald at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago. (Antonio Perez/ Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool) Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke testifies on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, during his first degree murder trial for the shooting death of Laquan McDonald at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago. (Antonio Perez/ Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool) Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke testifies on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, during his first degree murder trial for the shooting death of Laquan McDonald at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago. (Antonio Perez/ Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool) Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke is sworn in before taking the stand in his murder trial Tuesday Oct. 2, 2018 for the shooting death of Laquan McDonald, in Chicago. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool) Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke takes the stand on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, during his first degree murder trial for the shooting death of Laquan McDonald at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool) Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke testifies in his murder trial Tuesday Oct. 2, 2018, in Chicago, for the shooting death of Laquan McDonald. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool) Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke leaves the stand after testifying on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, during his first degree murder trial for the shooting death of Laquan McDonald at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago. (Antonio Perez/ Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool) Laquan McDonald's mother, Tina Hunter listens on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, during Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke's first degree murder trial for the shooting death of her son at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago. (Antonio Perez/ Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool) Tiffany Van Dyke, wife of Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke listens in court on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, during her husband's first degree murder trial for the shooting death of Laquan McDonald at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago. (Antonio Perez/ Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool) WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced that the U.S. is canceling a 1955 treaty with Iran establishing economic relations and consular rights between the two nations. The move follows a ruling by the United Nations' highest court ordering the United States to lift sanctions on Iran that affect imports of humanitarian goods. Iran alleges that the sanctions imposed by the Trump administration after its withdrawal from a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran violated the so-called Treaty of Amity. Pompeo told reporters Wednesday that the termination of the treaty was decades overdue. He said that Iran was abusing the International Court of Justice for political and propaganda purposes. He said Iran's claims under the treaty were "absurd." 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. FILE - In this March 28, 2007, file photo, Bishop George Murry celebrates mass at Saint Columba Cathedral in Youngstown, Ohio. The Roman Catholic diocese was the first in Ohio to announce that it would release a list of priests who have been removed from parishes because of sexual abuse and misconduct allegations. Now The Associated Press has learned that a second Ohio diocese, Steubenville, plans to release a list. (Michael Semple//Tribune Chronicle via AP, File) 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. FILE - In this Sept 12, 2012, file photo, Steubenville Bishop Jeffrey Monforton speaks in Steubenville, Ohio. The Associated Press has learned the diocese plans to become the second in Ohio to release a list of priests who have been removed from parishes because of sexual abuse and misconduct allegations. (Michael D. McElwain/Herald-Star via AP, File) PLM-N to overcome all hurdles to win upcoming by-elections: Nawaz Sharif Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif on Saturday expressed confidence that his party would be able to overcome all hurdles to win upcoming by-elections. He was chairing a party meeting in the aftermath the arrest of his brother Shehbaz Sharif by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Ashiana Housing Society scam. During the meeting, Nawaz heaped praise on his younger brother, saying Shehbaz had worked tirelessly for the people of Punjab during his tenure as the Punjab chief minister. Nawaz reassured the party leadership not to worry as their hands were clean of any corruption. According to reports, PML-N leader Hamza Shehbaz informed the PML-N supremo about the legal aspects of the accountability case against his father Shebaz Sharif. Moreover, party leader Raja Zafarul Haq has written a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner over partys reservations of pre-poll rigging in the wake of by-elections scheduled for October 14. The letter details how Shehbazs arrest, allegedly an act of political victimisation, will affect the upcoming by-polls. PARIS (AP) - France's government has unveiled a bill to get the country ready in case of a "no-deal" Brexit. The plan would allow the French government to quickly pass emergency measures by decree if needed, as Britain is scheduled to leave the European Union on March 29. European affairs minister Nathalie Loiseau said Wednesday that she hopes a successful Brexit agreement is possible. She said 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 U.K., while others concern the movement of goods and people. Loiseau said the bill might change depending on the outcome of Brexit negotiations. France's plan follows EU recommendations to member states to be prepared for all eventualities. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is looking into 38 shootings involving police, the agency said Wednesday after officers fatally shot a man in a Memphis suburb. TBI spokesman Josh DeVine told The Associated Press about the active probes across the state after the agency began investigating the death of Toby Bailey, 38. Bailey was killed early Wednesday when police said he barricaded himself inside a house and raised a handgun at officers who had barged into the residence. The TBI investigates fatal police shootings when requested by the district attorney in the county where the shooting happened. The agency is also looking into the police shooting of a Memphis man who was critically wounded but survived. Some lawmakers are calling for the TBI to investigate all shootings where police are involved, even those that are not fatal. In the most recent shooting, officers went to a Bartlett home Tuesday night on a domestic violence call when Bailey ran inside and threatened officers, the TBI said in a news release. Bailey fired several shots inside the home before SWAT officers from the Bartlett Police Department deployed tear gas and entered, TBI said. Officers said Bailey raised a handgun toward police before at least two officers shot at him, according to TBI. Bailey died on the scene. The officers' names and races have not been released. A Rottweiler dog also was shot and killed by police during the incident. Police, family members and a pastor tried to convince Bailey, who was black, to surrender, TBI said. TBI will turn over results of its investigation to Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirich. She will decide whether to pursue charges against the officers. The bureau also is investigating the Sept. 17 shooting of Martavious Banks in Memphis. Police say Banks, 25, was driving a car that was stopped by officers, who said they saw a gun in the vehicle. Police said Banks, who is black, ran away and was shot. He was hospitalized in critical condition. Three officers have been relieved of duty pending the investigation into the Banks shooting. Memphis police have said the officer who shot Banks is black. The two other officers were involved in the traffic stop and arrived at the scene after the shooting happened. The three officers did not have their in-car or body cameras activated during the confrontation, a possible violation of police policy, Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings has said. Activists have challenged police accounts of the Banks shooting. MILAN (AP) - The Missoni Group says Margherita Maccapani Missoni has been named creative director of their diffusion line that's targeted at younger women. The fashion house said Wednesday that the 35-year-old designer would be in charge of both styling and positioning the M Missoni ready-to-wear brand. The spring-summer 2020 collection will mark her debut. Founded in 1998, the M Missoni brand has annual revenues of 50 million euros, one-third of the group's overall turnover. The Missoni group received a cash injection from Italian investment fund FSI earlier this year, but remains 58.8 percent in family hands. Missioni's creative director, Angela Missoni, welcomed her daughter back to the group, saying "Margherita has demonstrated her considerable skills" both inside and outside the company. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court seems somewhat sympathetic to arguments from a Pennsylvania woman fighting her town over a cemetery ordinance. The Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday in the case of Rose Mary Knick. Knick sued Lackawanna County's Scott Township after the town passed a cemetery ordinance in 2012. The ordinance requires anyone with a cemetery on their land to open it to the public during daylight hours. The town says it applies to Knick. But Knick has disputed whether her 90-acre farm even contains a cemetery. She wants to sue in federal court. She's asking the Supreme Court to partially overturn a 1985 case that has effectively kept her case out of federal court. At least four of the court's current eight justices seemed sympathetic to Knick's arguments. DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AP) - The World Bank says it's "deeply concerned" by new legislation in Tanzania that criminalizes the collection and dissemination of information contradicting official statistics. Lawmakers last month passed amendments to the 2015 Statistics Act despite opposition from critics who say it will undermine the free flow of information and deter the work of non-governmental groups and others. The World Bank statement says the amendments "could have serious impacts on the generation and use of official and non-official statistics, which are a vital foundation for the country's development." It urges Tanzanian authorities to "protect openness and transparency" in the use of official data. President John Magufuli is yet to sign off on the amendments, which criminalize the dissemination of information "which is intended to invalidate, distort or discredit official statistics." TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) - The Latest on an agreement to replace oil pipelines in a crucial Great Lakes channel (all times local): 1:02 p.m. Environmental groups are pledging to fight a plan to replace twin oil pipelines in the waterway that links Lakes Huron and Michigan, while business interests are praising it. The deal announced Wednesday by the state of Michigan and Enbridge would shut down the Line 5 pipes in the Straits of Mackinac and put a new tunnel beneath the lake bed. Mike Shriberg of the National Wildlife Federation says the agreement would expose the Great Lakes to potential oil spills for many years. David Holtz of Oil and Water Don't Mix says state officials ignored their own studies showing better energy alternatives for Michigan than moving oil through the straits. FILE - In this July 6, 2017, file photo, Lauren Sargent, takes part in a protest before the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline public information session in Holt, Mich. Officials tell The Associated Press that Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder's administration and Canadian pipeline giant Enbridge have reached a deal on replacing 65-year-old twin pipelines in a channel linking two of the Great Lakes. An announcement was scheduled for Wednesday Oct. 3, 2018. Officials tell the AP the agreement calls for shutting down the Line 5 pipes in the Straits of Mackinac connecting Lakes Huron and Michigan. (Cory Morse/The Grand Rapids Press via AP File) Michigan Chamber of Commerce President Rich Studley says the "practical, problem-solving agreement" meets needs for safe water and modern energy infrastructure. ___ 12:40 p.m. Gov. Rick Snyder says an agreement between the state of Michigan and Enbridge to replace twin oil pipelines in a crucial Great Lakes channel is "a common-sense solution" to a problem that's been debated for years. Snyder said Wednesday that shutting down the existing Line 5 pipes and building a new pipeline in a tunnel beneath the lake bed would eliminate "nearly every risk" of an oil leak in the Straits of Mackinac. He says the tunnel also would provide space for utility cables, further protecting the lakes while ensuring a steady supply of energy and promoting economic growth. U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, a fellow Republican whose district includes the straits area, also praised the plan. ___ 12:20 p.m. Michigan officials and Enbridge have reached a deal on replacing 65-year-old twin oil pipelines that critics describe as a serious threat to the Great Lakes. Under a plan announced Wednesday, a new pipeline would be constructed in bedrock beneath the Straits of Mackinac, which connect Lakes Huron and Michigan. Afterward, the existing lines on the bottom of the more than 4-mile-wide (6.4-mile-wide) straits would be decommissioned. They are part of Enbridge's Line 5, which carries about 23 million gallons (87 million liters) of crude oil and natural gas liquids daily between Superior, Wisconsin, and Sarnia, Ontario. The tunnel project could take seven to 10 years to complete and cost up to $500 million, which Enbridge would pay. Environmentalists have pushed to shut down Line 5, saying a leak would be ruinous to the lakes. ___ 11:01 a.m. Officials tell The Associated Press that Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder's administration and Canadian pipeline giant Enbridge have reached a deal on replacing 65-year-old twin pipelines in a channel linking two of the Great Lakes. An announcement was scheduled for Wednesday. Officials tell the AP the agreement calls for shutting down the Line 5 pipes in the Straits of Mackinac connecting Lakes Huron and Michigan. A new pipeline would run through a tunnel dug into bedrock below the lake bed. The project could take seven to 10 years to complete and cost up to $500 million, which Enbridge would pay. Supporters say the deal protects the lakes and ensures reliable energy. But it's sure to draw criticism from groups that oppose any oil shipments in the straits area. NEW YORK (AP) - The American Federation of Teachers is filing a lawsuit against Navient, one of the country's largest student loan servicing companies, alleging that it failed to guide borrowers through a critical student loan forgiveness program. The lawsuit focuses on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which allows borrowers who work 10 years in an eligible public service job to have their loans forgiven. The program has been plagued with problems as the first borrowers have become eligible. A Department of Education report issued last week found only 96 applications were approved out of 28,000, with most being denied for having the wrong loan type or missing or incomplete information. Navient is also being sued by several states for failing to service student loans correctly. The company denies all the allegations. 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. An envelope also was sent to the president Monday with unknown contents. The Secret Service says it didn't reach the White House. Law enforcement officers participate in an operation at 380 N. 200 West on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018, in Logan, Utah. A man suspected of mailing ricin to the Pentagon and President Donald Trump was taken into custody at the scene. (Amy Macavinta/Herald Journal via AP) 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. New charges are expected to be filed later this week. __ Associated Press writer Brady McCombs contributed to this story. Law enforcement officers search a house on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018, in Logan, Utah. A man suspected of mailing ricin to the Pentagon and President Donald Trump was taken into custody at the scene. (Eli Lucero/Herald Journal via AP) Law enforcement officers search a house on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018, in Logan, Utah. A man suspected of mailing ricin to the Pentagon and President Donald Trump was taken into custody at the scene. (Eli Lucero/Herald Journal via AP) SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. (AP) - Police say a North Carolina man displaced from his home by Hurricane Florence is accused of raping a woman who let him stay in her home. The Southern Pines Police Department said on its Facebook page that 37-year-old Freeman Scott Ireland is charged with second-degree forcible rape. Investigators say the woman was assaulted as she slept Monday, and Ireland was still inside the home with officers arrived. According to police, Ireland was on supervised release from the state Department of Public Safety after serving time for second-degree murder and armed robbery. He was displaced from his Brunswick County home by hurricane damage and police said he was looking to relocate to Moore County. Ireland is jailed on a $500,000 secured bond. It's not known if he has an attorney. WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is distancing himself from a previously stated goal of getting North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons by the end of President Donald Trump's first term in January 2021. Trump himself said last week that he doesn't want to get into a "time game" over how long it will take North Korea to denuclearize. Pompeo, who's preparing for a trip to North Korea, says 2021 wasn't his goal. But that date was referred to in a Sept. 19 statement in his name on the outcome of summit between the leaders of South and North Korea. Pompeo tells reporters that he'd just been restating a potential timeline that was discussed at that summit. PML-N requisitioned NA session The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Saturday requisitioned a session of the National Assembly (NA) over party president Shehbaz Sharifs arrest. A PML-N delegation headed by Raja Zafarul Haq and comprising Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Murtaza Javed Abbasi visited NA Speaker Asad Qaisers residence to submit the requisition. The requisition demands that a debate be held in the Lower House over the arrest of the leader of the opposition. Shehbaz was arrested without any reason, Raja Zafarul Haq told media after submitting the requisition. Former NA speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said, We have requisitioned the NA session after consultation with the opposition. Hoping that a session will be called in the next two days, he said, The requisition has officially been submitted on October 6 which means the session has to be called within 14 days. However, we have requested the speaker to not wait for the entire 14 days and call the session as soon as possible. I will try to contact Defence Minister Pervez Khattak and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and speak to them about not creating any hindrance in this regard, he added. Shehbaz was called to record statement in the Saaf Pani case and detained in the Aashiana Housing case. This is a case in which Shehbaz himself cancelled the contract and ordered anti-corruption unit to conduct inquiry, Ayaz said, adding that not a single penny of the government was lost. This is political victimisation statements from ministers prove it, he asserted. MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Republican U.S. Senate candidate Leah Vukmir told Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin on Wednesday that "your lies are spiraling," as Baldwin and Democrats unleashed more attacks on Vukmir's record with the election less than five weeks away. Baldwin faces Vukmir , a state senator, on Nov. 6. Polls have shown Baldwin with a lead as she seeks a second term. Both candidates are scheduled to meet Monday for the first of three debates ahead of the election. Health care has been a major issue in the race. Vukmir wants to repeal and replace the national health care law, while Baldwin supports keeping it and is a co-signer of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders' "Medicare for all" proposal. She has also supported universal health care. "I truly believe that the direction that Sen. Baldwin wants to take us in will destroy health care as we know it," Vukmir said at a Milwaukee Press Club and Rotary Club of Milwaukee event Tuesday. "You must be confusing our positions," Baldwin tweeted at Vukmir in response on Wednesday. "Because I'm not the one trying to undermine health care for 2 million Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions, impose an age tax on seniors, and sell folks health care they can't actually use." Vukmir responded : "Your lies are spiraling. ... Your plan decimates Medicare for seniors, forces people to lose private insurance, and will cause provider shortages for rural WI. It's time for you to come back to the private sector so you can better understand how the real world works." Democrats have been pointing to Vukmir's record in the Legislature, saying she's sided with insurance companies over individuals while opposing coverage for cochlear implants, mental health care and substance abuse treatments. Vukmir argues her record has been distorted. Meanwhile, the Wisconsin Democratic Party on Wednesday tried to undermine Vukmir's touting of her work as a member of Republican Gov. Scott Walker's task force on opioid and heroin abuse. Vukmir was named a member of the panel when it was created in 2016, but the Democratic Party said a review of video and audio recordings found Vukmir attended only three of 10 meetings in person. In two others she phoned in at the beginning but did not participate, the party said. "Leah Vukmir glaringly failed to show up to work," said Democratic Party Chairwoman Martha Laning. Vukmir's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The attack comes after a conservative group ran an ad accusing Baldwin of missing more than 70 percent meetings of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Baldwin had a 100 percent voting record on the committee, but senators do not have to be physically present to have a vote recorded. Also Wednesday, Baldwin released an ad hitting Vukmir for not releasing public records that were related to her work as a state senator for the conservative group the American Legislative Exchange Council, while charging taxpayers $15,000 to defend her from a lawsuit seeking the records. Vukmir settled the case before trial and handed over the records. Vukmir's campaign manager Jess Ward did not directly address the issue in the Baldwin ad, instead saying that because Congress is immune from open records requests, Baldwin's "cover-up surrounding the opioid crisis at the Tomah VA even worse." There is no evidence that Baldwin took steps to cover up what was happening at the Tomah Veterans Affairs Medical Center. A Senate committee that investigated it determined she had not engaged in a cover up. ___ This story has been corrected to reflect that Vukmir settled the open records case before trial. ___ Sign up for "Politics in Focus," a weekly newsletter showcasing the AP's best political reporting from around the country leading up to the midterm elections: https://bit.ly/2ICEr3D TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Kansas Democrats have pulled their support from a deaf legislative candidate who is accused by three women of being emotionally abusive. The state party and the Kansas House Democrats said in a joint statement that the allegations against Chris Haulmark are "deeply troubling." The party said it won't invest any resources in Haulmark's effort to unseat Republican John Toplikar, The Kansas City Star reports. Haulmark told The Star the Democrat's decision was "reached prematurely and without merit." He would be the first deaf legislator - at the state or national level - if he wins the House seat in a GOP-leaning Olathe district, according to the National Association of the Deaf. The Star contacted three women who alleged abuse in videos posted in sign language and received their permission to share their stories. Haulmark said in a Facebook post last week, as allegations circulated on social media, that he is "far from perfect" and went to therapy to "work on those things to make me a better friend, boyfriend, co-worker, and possibly future husband." Former girlfriend Tonia Jimmerson described a volatile relationship and one instance in which she said Haulmark threatened to burn down a tent in which her youngest daughter was sleeping at a campground in Glacier National Park in Montana. Haulmark said he recalled threatening to throw the tent into the fire during an argument, but contends it wasn't a threat to harm anyone. Candy Villesca, a former roommate, said Haulmark was manipulative, and even convinced her that she had mental problems. She said she went to a mental hospital and was told there was nothing wrong with her. Another ex-roommate, Jennifer Carlino, said she had to sue in small claims court in June to get him to pay back the $1,100 he borrowed to pay back his filing fee to run for Kansas 3rd congressional seat. He later dropped out of that race. Haulmark said Carlino had given him until July 1 to pay her back and that he sent a certified check with full payment, which she received one day after she had filed her small claims complaint. He said he was "dumbfounded" by the allegations. Carlino also described Haulmark as controlling and manipulative. ___ Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com MILAN (AP) - An Italian man with extreme right-wing views has been convicted in a shooting rampage targeting immigrants and sentenced to 12 years in prison. The 28-year-old Luca Traini was arrested by police in the main square of the central city of Macerata following the rampage that injured six immigrants and terrorized the city last February. The sentence included an aggravating circumstance of racial hatred. Police said the suspect claimed to have been acting out of revenge after a Nigerian immigrant was arrested on suspicion of killing and dismembering an 18-year-old woman whose remains had been found days earlier. Traini had been an unsuccessful candidate for the anti-migrant Northern League and had previously been associated with neo-fascist groups. The attack came amid the electoral campaign that saw a spike in anti-migrant rhetoric. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The Minneapolis Police Department said Wednesday that it won't investigate domestic abuse allegations against Rep. Keith Ellison due to a conflict of interest. State Democratic officials asked Minneapolis police to conduct an investigation after an attorney with links to the party found an ex-girlfriend's claims unsubstantiated. Minneapolis police said they won't handle the matter due to a conflict, or the appearance of a conflict, and they are talking with other agencies to see where they can refer the case. The department didn't elaborate on the conflict. An ex-girlfriend of Ellison, Karen Monahan, alleged in August that the Democratic congressman dragged her off a bed by her feet while screaming obscenities at her in 2016. Ellison, a deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee who is now running for Minnesota attorney general, has denied the allegation. A draft report of an investigation requested by the state Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party found that Monahan's claims were unsubstantiated . Since the report was leaked Monday, the DFL has said it wanted law enforcement to conduct an objective investigation. In this Sept. 14, 2018 photo, U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison is shown in Minneapolis. A Minnesota prosecutor says he'll review allegations of domestic abuse against Ellison only if a formal complaint is first investigated by law enforcement. An ex-girlfriend of Ellison, Karen Monahan, alleges the Democratic congressman dragged her off a bed by her feet in 2016. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) Minneapolis City Attorney Susan Segal already cited a conflict of interest, because Ellison's son is on the City Council. She 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 Monahan would cooperate with any investigation. 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 dated for several years but broke up before she accused him of physical abuse. CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - The Latest on the federal trial of suspended West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Allen Loughry (all times local): 12:50 p.m. Federal prosecutors are limiting the scope of their criminal case against a West Virginia Supreme Court justice accused using of his office for personal gain. Opening arguments were held Wednesday in the trial of suspended Justice Allen Loughry. A federal judge allowed prosecutors to dismiss three counts related to allegations about the transfer of an antique desk from Loughry's Supreme Court office to his home. That includes one count each of mail fraud, obstruction of justice and making a false statement. Loughry now faces 22 counts, mostly involving wire fraud allegations that Loughry used state vehicles and gas cards for personal use. Prosecutors also kept other allegations that Loughry made false statements, tampered with witnesses and committed wire fraud. West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Beth Walker, right, and her attorney, Mike Hissam, address reporters Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Charleston, W.Va., after state senators voted to allow her to remain in office following a two-day impeachment trial. (AP Photo/John Raby) U.S. District Judge John Copenhaver told jurors to expect the trial to last up to two weeks. ___ 12 a.m. One West Virginia Supreme Court justice has survived an impeachment scare. Another could face more serious consequences. Justice Beth Walker will remain in office after state senators overwhelmingly voted Tuesday to reject an impeachment article against her after a two-day trial. Walker was accused of abusing her authority. The impeachment charge stated she and other justices failed to control office expenses and maintain policies over matters such as working lunches and state vehicle use. Meanwhile, a federal jury has been seated in the criminal trial of suspended Justice Allen Loughry. Opening statements are scheduled Wednesday on a 25-count indictment accusing Loughry - in part - of repeatedly lying about using his office for personal gain. He has pleaded not guilty. 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) 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) West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Allen Loughry emerges with his lawyer John Carr from the Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse after a federal jury was selected for his criminal trial on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018 in Charleston, W.Va. (Craig Hudson/The Charleston Gazette-Mail via AP) West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Allen Loughry emerges with his lawyer John Carr from the Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse after a federal jury was selected for his criminal trial on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018 in Charleston, W.Va. (Craig Hudson/The Charleston Gazette-Mail via AP) LIMA, Peru (AP) - Peru's Supreme Court has overturned a medical pardon for former strongman Alberto Fujimori and ordered he be returned to jail. Former President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski pardoned Fujimori on humanitarian grounds last Christmas Eve in what many saw as an attempt to stave off impeachment by courting favor with Fujimori's allies in Congress. But the high court ruled Wednesday the pardon was unlawful. Magistrates immediately ordered the 80-year-old Fujimori be captured so he can serve out the remainder of a 25-year sentence for his role in the killing of 25 people during his decade-long rule that ended in 2000. Some Peruvians credit Fujimori with defeating the nation's Maoist guerrillas, but others condemn him for permitting human rights abuses. SAYLORSBURG, Pa. (AP) - A security guard at the Pennsylvania compound of a Turkish-born Muslim cleric fired a shot near an "unwanted person" outside the gate, state police said Wednesday. The suspected intruder fled the scene, and troopers were unable to find him. Police were called to Fethullah Gulen's longtime home in the Pocono Mountains after a security guard fired a "warning shot in the air" around 8:30 a.m., according to a statement from the New York-based Alliance for Shared Values, a group that promotes Gulen's philosophies. The man, "who appeared to be armed, attempted to enter the retreat center," and the guard responded by firing the shot, the statement said. No injuries were reported. State police said they are continuing to investigate. Turkey blames Gulen and his supporters for a July 2016 military coup attempt that killed 250 people. Gulen denies the allegations. Turkey has long demanded the cleric's extradition so he can stand trial, but Washington has told Turkey it must present convincing evidence for any extradition proceeding to go forward. Gulen, who's in his late 70s, has lived in self-exile for nearly 20 years on the grounds of the Golden Generation Worship & Retreat Center, an Islamic retreat founded by Turkish-Americans. Supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have staged protests outside the gates, while Gulen's supporters have accused Turkey of plotting to kidnap Gulen. The Turkish government has dismissed the claim as "utterly false, ludicrous and groundless." "We urge the U.S. authorities to continue to hold Turkey accountable for its actions and threats against innocent people both here in the United States and abroad," said the statement from the Alliance for Shared Values. SC ordered to hear Model Town case on daily basis Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar Saturday ordered the accountability court to hear the case pertaining to Model Town carnage on daily basis. A two-member bench of the apex court, headed by the chief justice, heard a petition pertaining to the Model Town incident at the Supreme Courts Lahore registry. Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri appeared before the bench and requested that the top court constitute an impartial joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the incident. The chief justice informed the PAT chief that on his request he has ordered the ATC to hear the case on daily basis. Since your appeal was rejected in the Lahore High Court, you can file it in the Supreme Court, he told Qadri. Directing the ATC to hear the case on daily basis, the bench issued notices to the Punjab government, police and the prosecution department. At least 14 people were killed and 100 others injured in police action against PAT workers in Lahores Model Town area during an anti-encroachment operation on June 17, 2014. SAO PAULO (AP) - Authorities in Brazil say nine prisoners have been killed and 19 are on the run after fleeing into a wooded area near a prison in the northern state of Tocantins. The state's Public Security Department said Wednesday that 28 inmates fled the Barra da Grota prison amid a riot that broke out on Tuesday. Nine of them were killed in a subsequent shootout with police officers who tracked them down in the woods. Police are scouring the area for the missing 19 prisoners and two prison staff members who were taken hostage. Jail and prison breaks are frequent in Brazil's overcrowded penitentiary system. The Barra da Grota prison was built to hold 480 inmates and had a prison population of 493 before the escape. TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - New Jersey's Supreme Court has dismissed more than 500 lawsuits against the maker of an acne drug that caused some patients to develop a gastrointestinal disease. The court ruled Wednesday that Hoffmann-LaRoche's warning labels for its Accutane treatment were adequate. Plaintiffs have contended the warnings should have said Accutane "causes," rather than "is associated with," inflammatory bowel disease. A trial court had dismissed the suits in 2015, but an appeals court had reinstated most of them. The Supreme Court also ruled the 532 product-liability claims from patients in multiple states were properly consolidated in New Jersey, where Hoffmann-LaRoche has its principal place of business. MOSCOW (AP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has replaced the longtime governor of the nation's second-largest city, the latest move in the Kremlin's reshuffle of regional leaders. The 65-year-old Georgy Poltavchenko has served as governor of St. Petersburg for seven years. Putin named longtime aide Alexander Beglov, who had been the presidential envoy to northwestern Russia, as acting governor pending local elections next September. Putin named Poltavchenko, a KGB veteran, to head the state-controlled United Shipbuilding Corp. The Russian leader praised Poltavchenko's performance as governor during their meeting Wednesday, but the Kremlin was reportedly unhappy with cost overruns and delays of big construction projects under his leadership. In recent weeks, Putin has reshuffled many provincial governors in what was widely seen as part efforts to contain growing public discontent amid economic troubles. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Latest on abortion services at a Columbia, Missouri Planned Parenthood clinic (all times local): 1 p.m. Missouri is down to one clinic that can perform abortions after the license of another facility expired. The Columbia Planned Parenthood clinic's abortion license expired Tuesday. The site also has not been able to meet a new state requirement that doctors must have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals before they perform abortions. Federal appeals judges ruled last month that Missouri could enforce that rule as of Monday. A Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis is the last in the state that can provide abortions. Planned Parenthood Great Plains spokeswoman Emily Miller says the organization hopes the state will issue the Columbia facility another license soon. Planned Parenthood attorneys have asked a federal judge to temporarily exempt the Columbia clinic from the hospital privileges requirement. ___ 9:30 a.m. Missouri is down to one abortion clinic amid a legal battle over state abortion laws. Planned Parenthood Great Plains spokeswoman Emily Miller says abortions scheduled for Wednesday at the Columbia clinic are cancelled. She says the organization's St. Louis clinic is now the only one in the state that can provide abortions. Federal appeals judges ruled last month that Missouri can enforce a requirement that doctors must have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals before they perform abortions. The Planned Parenthood Columbia clinic was unable to meet that requirement. Planned Parenthood has asked U.S. Western District Court Judge Brian Wimes to temporarily exempt the Columbia clinic from the requirement, but Wimes has yet to rule. Wimes could still grant Planned Parenthood's request, which would allow abortions to resume at the clinic. MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) - Police in suburban Atlanta say a woman filled her son's sippy cup with an alcoholic beverage, sneaked it into a movie theater and became so drunk she couldn't walk, talk or care for the 5-year-old. News outlets quote a Cobb County police arrest warrant as saying Kristina Gibson is wanted on charges including public intoxication. Police say Gibson also possibly combined the drink with prescription drugs. Sgt. Wayne Delk says a theater employee called police after moviegoers complained because Gibson's son was crying. Police say theater staff stopped Gibson from getting into her car with her child. Police called her friend to pick up the boy and the woman was taken to a hospital. Gibson hadn't surrendered to police as of Wednesday morning. WSB-TV's attempts to contact her for comment were unsuccessful. ATHENS, Greece (AP) - An association of theologians in Greece is urging school teachers not to use new books in religious studies classes, arguing that too much emphasis is placed on other faiths in the predominantly Orthodox Christian country. The association's chairman, Iraklis Rerakis, on Wednesday said teachers had the right to act "according to their conscience" and ignore curriculum changes introduced in the current school year. The Education Ministry has threatened to take disciplinary action against teachers who boycott the new book. Greece's left-wing government is at odds with several powerful religious organizations, which last year won legal action against an earlier revision of religious studies books. They successfully argued that they violated the constitution which says schools have a duty to develop the "national and religious consciousness" of students. LONDON (AP) - Ireland's data regulator has launched an investigation of Facebook over a recent data breach that allowed hackers access 50 million accounts. The Irish Data Protection Commission said Wednesday that it will look into whether the U.S. social media giant complied with European regulations that went into effect earlier this year covering data protection. 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, is moving swiftly to investigate the U.S. tech company since the breach became public on Sept. 28. Shehbaz Sharif remanded for 10 days Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif was Saturday remanded in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after being arrested in the Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing Scheme case. A NAB court heard charges that Shehbaz Sharif illegally cancelled a contract with a construction company in 2014 and sought to award it to another company allegedly for a bribe, and ordered him remanded in custody for 10 days to be interrogated, his lawyer Azam Nazir Tarar said. As Judge Najmul Hasan arrived in the courtroom, a huge number of PML-N workers were present, owing to which he summoned Shehbaz, his lawyers and the NAB prosecutor in his chambers. Shehbaz requested that the hearing not be held in the chambers, following which the judge resumed it in the open court. When the hearing began, the NAB prosecutor requested that Shehbaz be sent on a 14-day physical remand. Shehbaz cancelled the contract awarded to M/s Latif & Sons for infrastructure development of Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing Scheme and awarded it to the CASA Developers, the NAB prosecutor upheld. He misused his powers and his actions caused a huge loss to the national exchequer, he told the accountability court. Shehbaz needs to be further investigated in the case and should be sent on a 14-day physical remand, he pleaded. However, Shehbaz rejected the allegations as false and baseless, and his counsels opposed the NAB prosecutors request for a physical remand. In his statement before the accountability court, Shehbaz said the Ashiana case was politically motivated, adding that he had not committed corruption of even a single penny. I worked day and night to serve the people, he told the court, adding that he had saved billions by personally intervening, with Rs 75 billion saved in the Orange Line Train project alone. After hearing the arguments, the court reserved its judgment on the NABs plea for a 14-day physical remand of Shehbaz Sharif. The court then granted NAB a 10-day physical remand of the PML-N chief. Shehbaz Sharifs counsel Tarar said the PML-N chief was improperly arrested on a warrant that was kept secret. He went to the court for questioning in another corruption case involving a water purification scheme but instead was arrested on the housing project warrant. They cannot arrest the leader of the opposition in this manner, the lawyer said. Shehbaz was brought to the accountability court in an armoured vehicle that was escorted by a fire brigade, an ambulance and police mobiles. PML-N presidents sons Hamza and Salman Shehbaz were the only ones allowed entry inside the court premises during the hearing. PML-N leaders Marriyum Aurangzeb, Khurram Dastgir and Saira Afzal Tarrar were, however, not allowed to enter the premises. Hundreds of PML-N activists gathered outside the court, chanting pro-Sharif slogans as police and Rangers guarded the venue. On Shehbazs arrival, the workers climbed up one of the armoured vehicles. A few PML-N workers managed to enter the accountability court premises despite being barred as they were sitting atop the armoured vehicle. A worker was also injured as he fell from atop the vehicle and was shifted to the hospital. WASHINGTON (AP) - The impassioned fight over Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court has led to heightened security at the Capitol, with some senators using police escorts to shield them from protesters. 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. 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." Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is escorted by U.S. Capitol Police past waiting reporters trying to ask about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. Sen. Collins, whose vote on Kavanaugh is uncertain, was leaving the Senate Special Committee on Aging which she chairs. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - A Texas judge has signed an order that exonerates a man who spent 19 years in prison after being wrongly convicted of murder. The Wednesday ruling means 44-year-old John Earl Nolley has been declared innocent in the 1996 slaying of Sharon McLane. The order also makes Nolley eligible for state compensation. State District Judge Louis Sturns apologized to Nolley for the state's actions. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned Nolley's conviction in May , leading to Wednesday's ruling. Nolley was freed in 2016 after a witness admitted he lied and a bloody palm print at the crime scene was linked to another person. The witness who lied was a jailhouse informant. The case contributed to changes in Texas law that placed more controls on testimony provided by informants. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump era has, at times, been uncomfortable for Republican women, especially the six senators who will be asked to vote for Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation by week's end. They've listened to a recording of President Donald Trump boasting of grabbing women without their consent. They've heard the president characterize his female critics as liars, ugly and "a dog." Now Trump has ridiculed Christine Blasey Ford, who accuses Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in high school - a claim Kavanaugh denies. Recent polls show a majority of women think the Senate should not confirm Kavanaugh. But Republican women, like GOP men, are overwhelmingly sticking with the nominee. Here's a look at how it's playing out across the American political landscape: ___ GOP: NO PROOF, SO VOTE Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is escorted by U.S. Capitol Police as she is met by cameras and reporters asking about embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. Collins was arriving to chair the Senate Special Committee on Aging. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Ford testified nearly a week ago. So did Kavanaugh. The clock is ticking on the FBI's investigation of her claims, as well as any other credible allegations against Kavanaugh. But Republican leaders are done waiting. Trump mocked what he described as the holes in Ford's story and suggested that the people in peril nowadays are men like Kavanaugh who might be falsely accused. The crowd laughed Tuesday in Mississippi as Trump mimicked Ford's testimony that Kavanaugh clamped a hand over her mouth and groped her in a bedroom. "How did you get home? 'I don't remember,'" Trump said. "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.'" He lamented the damage false claims could inflict on men. "Think of your son, think of your husband!" Trump shouted to the audience. A trio of GOP senators - Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Jeff Flake of Arizona - blasted the president's comments as "wrong," ''inappropriate" and "appalling." But while the FBI is investigating, they're not saying how they'll vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation, making his prospects uncertain. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared the Senate would soon begin voting on the nomination, even though it's not clear he has the votes in the 51-49 Republican majority chamber. Meanwhile, shouting demonstrators chased senators through the hallways on Capitol Hill in an increasingly tense scene fueling - and fueled by - the midterm elections less than five weeks away. ___ THE TWO In the Senate, the savage national debate over power and who to believe has above all been about the math. Two GOP votes against Kavanaugh's confirmation sinks it if every Democrat votes no. That's put a pair of female Republicans, Collins and Murkowski, under excruciating pressure. Neither was saying how she will vote. Each wants to see the results of the FBI investigation. Collins on Wednesday called Trump's scoffing at Ford "just plain wrong." Added Murkowski a few hours later: "I thought the president's comments yesterday mocking Dr. Ford were wholly inappropriate and in my view unacceptable." Neither senator is up for re-election this year. ___ TWO MORE ON THE BALLOT Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith was rushing to a vote Wednesday when a woman shouted at her: "Do you believe survivors?" Hyde-Smith didn't answer. The Mississippi Republican, appointed only two months ago to a seat the GOP needs to keep, hopped on a Senate subway that sped her toward the Capitol. But she's left no doubt where she stands on Kavanaugh. In her first speech on the Senate floor, she announced that it was her "duty" to support Kavanaugh. She made time to appear at Trump's rally Tuesday night in Southaven, Mississippi. Also on the ballot is Sen. Deb Fischer of Nebraska, who is campaigning for a second Senate term. Protesters shouted at her on the way in and out of a hearing Wednesday. Fischer has said she intends to support Kavanaugh, but added, "We're going to see what the investigation brings, and let's get the vote." ___ ERNST AND CAPITO The two other Republican women in the Senate say victims should be heard, but they want Kavanaugh confirmed. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said that's because Ford's story hasn't been corroborated and because people should be presumed innocent until proved guilty. And West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito - like Ford, a graduate of the Holton-Arms School - has said she supports Kavanaugh. ___ POLLING The bad news for Republicans: Recent polls show that a majority of women do not think Kavanaugh should be confirmed. The good news: Republicans, women and men, are overwhelmingly sticking by the nominee. A Quinnipiac University poll conducted in the days after Ford and Kavanaugh testified showed that public opinion had started to tilt against Kavanaugh, with 48 percent of voters opposed to his confirmation and 42 percent in favor. A September Quinnipiac poll found a nearly even split in opinions on the confirmation. Women were far more likely than men in the poll to oppose Kavanaugh, 55 percent to 40 percent. But 84 percent of Republicans - including more than 8 in 10 Republican men and women - said Kavanaugh should be confirmed. Nearly 8 in 10 Republicans said they approve of how Trump has handled the allegations in the new poll, which was conducted before Trump mocked Ford at Tuesday night's rally. About 6 in 10 said they approve of how Senate Republicans are handling the situation. Among Republicans, men and women were about equally likely to approve of both Trump and Republicans in the Senate. ___ Associated Press writers Emily Swanson, Hannah Fingerhut, Lisa Mascaro and Padmananda Rama contributed to this report. ___ Follow Kellman on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/APLaurieKellman Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, walks on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018 in Washington, as reporters ask her questions. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) HELENA, Mont. (AP) - Industry-funded opponents of Montana citizen's initiatives to raise the state's tobacco tax and add new mining regulations are vastly outspending the measures' supporters to put their messages in front of voters about a month before Election Day, according to campaign finance reports. One ballot initiative would raise taxes on cigarettes and snuff for the first time since 2005, and tax vaping products for the first time ever. One tobacco giant in particular, Altria, is spending millions of dollars to flood the state's airwaves with ads to defeat the initiative after successfully lobbying against a similar measure killed by the Montana Legislature in 2017. Altria, the parent company of Philip Morris USA, has funneled more than $12 million to a committee organized to oppose the measure, Montanans Against Tax Hikes. That $12 million in loans and in-kind contributions, along with $267,000 from the lobbying arm of R.J. Reynolds' parent company, represents nearly the entirety of Montanans Against Tax Hikes' funding. Montanans Against Tax Hikes spent an average $895,000 a week in September and in the beginning of October on television, radio and print advertising, according to an Associated Press analysis of the report filed Monday. That much money goes a long way in Montana, which has relatively low rates for political ads. For example, regular viewers of one television station in Billings will have the opportunity to see 57 anti-tax ads this week, according to Federal Communication Commission filings. Sponsors of the tax initiative are struggling to keep pace with the tobacco companies' rate of spending, even with a $3.5 million contribution from the Montana Hospital Association last month. The ballot committee, Healthy Montana for I-185, has spent an average of about $405,000 a week this month and last, which is less than half of the tobacco companies' spending, according to filings. Revenue from the tobacco tax would continue the state's Medicaid expansion program, pay for other health programs and some go to the state's general fund. The tobacco companies' ads say the tax would create an unfunded mandate because it doesn't fully fund the Medicaid expansion program. Kathy Weber-Bates, a spokeswoman for the initiative sponsors, said tobacco already costs the state hundreds of millions of dollars a year in health care costs, taxes and lost productivity. But the tobacco companies fail to mention the health care savings from people who quit smoking or don't start because of the tax, she said. "Those numbers are all being drowned out by big tobacco-funded ads designed to protect their profits and hide these facts," Weber-Bates said. Montanans Against Tax Hikes spokesman Charles Denowh did not immediately respond to an email for comment. Another group funded by five mining companies has spent about $828,000 in September and October on ads to defeat an initiative that would add new requirements to mine cleanup plans. Initiative I-186 would require any new hard-rock mine to submit a plan with clear and convincing evidence that the mine won't require the perpetual treatment of polluted water once it ceases operations. The companies, which mine copper, silver, gold, platinum and other minerals, say the language is so vague that environmental groups will use the measure to prevent any new mines from being developed in Montana. Initiative sponsors have said the mining companies are using scare tactics to mislead voters. The sponsors report spending $110,000 on ads at the end of September, which is about an eighth of what the mining companies have spent on ads over the same period. The initiative's backers, made up of several environmental and wildlife advocacy groups, say the measure would prevent mining companies from leaving behind permanent water pollution and saddling the state's taxpayers with the costs of dealing with the cleanup. LAS VEGAS (AP) - A panel of federal judges has denied a request from casino operator MGM Resorts International to centralize 13 lawsuits stemming from last year's mass shooting in Las Vegas. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation issued its ruling Wednesday. The company had asked the judges to centralize the cases after it filed nine lawsuits in various states in July against more than 1,900 victims. The company argues it owes nothing to survivors or families of slain victims under a 2002 federal law. Victims earlier had filed the other four lawsuits. They allege negligence by MGM, which owns the casino-resort and festival grounds involved in the shooting. MGM says it respects the ruling and will litigate its motions in the courts where the actions are pending. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - The government says 38 people in seven states have gotten sick from eggs produced by an Alabama poultry farm. The Food and Drug Administration says the illnesses are linked to salmonella-tainted eggs from Gravel Ridge Farms, which is north of Birmingham in Cullman. The agency issued a recall notice last month, and it provided an update Tuesday. The FDA says 10 people were hospitalized after coming in contact with cage-free eggs from the farm, but no one has died. The government says recalled eggs were sold to several grocery stores in Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama. Most of the illnesses are in Tennessee, where 23 people have been affected. Alabama has had seven cases and Ohio has four. Single cases have occurred in Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky and Montana. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - A jury in Puerto Rico has convicted a woman of hiring a hit man to kill her wealthy Canadian husband more than a decade ago. Aurea Vazquez Rijos had been charged with offering a man $3 million to kill real estate developer Adam Anhang. He was stabbed repeatedly and hit in the head with an object while walking with Vazquez in Puerto Rico's capital on Sept. 22, 2005. Vazquez is scheduled to be sentenced in January. She will not face the death penalty and attorneys have said they expect she will serve a life sentence. During Wednesday's session, a jury 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. PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A Philadelphia nonprofit says it plans on opening the city's and possibly the country's first supervised drug injection site with the help of former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell. The move comes days after California's governor vetoed legislation that would have given San Francisco some legal cover to open a safe injection site- a place for people to use drugs under medical supervision. They are illegal under federal law and the U.S. Attorney General's office has promised swift legal action against cities that open them. Philadelphia officials said they would support a site operated by a private entity. Rendell bucked state and national laws to open the city's first needle exchange program when he was Philadelphia's mayor in the 1990s. He said Wednesday that he was willing to go to jail then and would be willing to go to prison now. JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Authorities say three bears fed on the body of a contract employee who was killed this week at a remote southeast Alaska mine site. Ken Marsh, a spokesman with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, said Wednesday the circumstances surrounding Anthony David Montoya's death remain unclear. Authorities say no one witnessed what happened to the 18-year-old from Hollis, Oklahoma. Megan Peters, an Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman, says an autopsy report from the medical examiner's office was pending. She says Montoya had left a group to go to a nearby water pump site. When he didn't return, others went looking for him. They say Montoya and the bears were about 35 yards from them. Peters says the site was reportedly noisy. The bears were subsequently killed. Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad: ___ Oct. 3 The Baltimore Sun on President Donald Trump's remarks on a psychology professor who has accused his Supreme Court nominee of sexually assaulting her at a party: Dear Sens. Jeff Flake, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, There was a time - fleeting as it was - when it seemed President Donald Trump would give the proper respect and deference due to Christine Blasey Ford, the 51-year-old psychology professor who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a party when she was 15. Last week after her testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Mr. Trump called her "very compelling" and a "very credible witness."... Mr. Trump's civility did not last, of course. He eventually got around to speculating about how she, or her parents, would surely have reported the incident to police decades ago had it really happened - ignoring the reality of such trauma and how rarely it comes to light. But the president hit rock bottom Tuesday when, speaking before a political rally in Mississippi, he savagely mocked Ms. Ford. "'I don't know. I don't know.' 'Upstairs? Downstairs? Where was it?' 'I don't know,'" Mr. Trump said in his shameful attempt to imitate her testimony. "'But I had one beer. That's the only thing I remember.'" What followed this public sadism? Cheering. Laughter. Applause. One of Ms. Ford's attorneys, Michael R. Bromwich, a former Justice Department inspector general, called the performance a "vicious, vile and soulless attack."... We write to you, senators, because you know - as all Americans must know - that you hold the future of the Kavanaugh nomination in your hands. It's clear most senators have already made their choices in this matter following the customary lines of Washington's tribal politics. Senator Flake, in particular, demonstrated that while he may be inclined toward consenting on the nominee, he can recognize that something seriously wrong is happening right now on Capitol Hill. His choice to force a further FBI inquiry into Mr. Kavanaugh's background was at least a step toward making things right. But it's proving to be an inadequate one. One week was always a tough deadline to expect the FBI to do a meaningful investigation but what's come out so far - of its limited scope and rigor (interviewing as few as four individuals, according to some accounts) - suggest the effort is more a fig leaf than an attempt to gain insight. Meanwhile, there's the matter of Mr. Kavanaugh's own testimony before the committee, his sharply partisan tone that seemed inappropriate to a first-year District Court judge let alone a Supreme Court justice. Senator Flake recently admitted he was troubled by the "tone" of Mr. Kavanaugh's remarks. How often does a nominee talk about "revenge for the Clintons" or other perceived partisan slights as Mr. Kavanaugh did last week? And then there's the matter of how often the nominee evaded questions about, or outright misrepresented, his heavy drinking to the Senate committee and the prospect that his memory of events in 1982 is hazy at best. Don't let this train leave the station, senators, not if you care about decency, about the integrity of the court, about what this episode is telling victims of sexual abuse. ... Online: http://www.baltimoresun.com/ ___ Oct. 1 The Toronto Star on the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government have done as well as anyone could reasonably expect in negotiating a new economic deal with the United States and Mexico. Canada (and Mexico as well) were always going to be playing defense in these talks, given the overwhelming size of the U.S. economy and the willingness of the Trump administration to use every kind of threat and bully tactic. In the end, for Canada, it came down to making a few acceptable concessions in order to keep the most important aspects of NAFTA in place and win guarantees in key areas, including autos and culture. Most important, it avoids the truly troubling prospect of Canada being left on the sidelines as Washington and Mexico City made a deal of their own. ... We've dodged that bullet and, make no mistake, it was a big one. It would have been an enormous political blow to the Trudeau government and - much more important - a real danger to a Canadian economy that for better or worse has been shaped for decades around easy access to the world's biggest and most dynamic market. That being said, the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, falls short of the "win-win-win" deal that was promoted during the 13 months of trade talks. For one thing, it's notable that the words "free trade" appear nowhere in the new name. The very phrase has become synonymous with "lost jobs" in rust belt states that saw factory jobs migrate to Mexico under NAFTA. This is frankly about managed trade and political branding. Count that as a big win for Trump. Canada did make a real concession in opening our dairy industry a bit more to U.S. producers. But the howls from the industry are way out of proportion to the real impact: it still amounts to giving the Americans access to only 3.6 per cent of the Canadian market. Weigh that against ending the threat of big tariffs against Canadian-made cars exported to the United States, and a ceiling on Canadian auto exports that is well above what Canada currently sends south of the border. That's a huge win for Canadian industry, and in particular for Ontario. No wonder the auto workers' union is thrilled. Canada also bent on extending patent protections for pharmaceuticals, raising the prospect of higher drug prices. And most disappointingly, U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum stay in place. They should have been removed as part of the deal. Still, there are other gains for Canada in this accord. For one thing, Canadian workers stand to benefit from a major concession by Mexico, increasing guarantees for higher-wage workers in the auto industry. This was aimed at helping U.S. workers, but Canadians will win as well. The threatened "sunset clause" won't be in the new USMCA, thanks also to Mexico's negotiators. Canada will keep important exemptions for cultural industries. And, key to reaching the deal, the new accord will include dispute settlement mechanisms that Canada had insisted on and the Americans wanted to dump. That was a red line that Canada had to maintain, and it did. For those inclined to criticize the new deal from the left, including the federal NDP, it should be noted that it drops a couple of NAFTA provisions they found particularly objectionable. Chapter 11, which allowed corporations to sue governments, is no more. And the so-called "proportionality rule," which required Canada to maintain its proportion of energy exports to the U.S., is also gone. That will make it easier to diversify Canada's markets. Realistically, Canada was never going to make big gains in these negotiations and simply walking away was a fantasy. The real question is whether another government could have done significantly better under the circumstances. At this point, the answer to that must be no. Online: https://www.thestar.com/ ___ Oct. 2 The New York Times on its reporting that President Donald Trump received millions of dollars from his father over decades: "I built what I built myself." This boast has long been at the core of the mythology of Donald Trump, Self-Made Billionaire. As the oft-told story goes, young Mr. Trump accepted a modest $1 million loan from his father, Fred, a moderately successful real estate developer from Queens, and - through smarts, hard work and sheer force of will - parlayed that loan into a multibillion-dollar global empire. It's a classic American tale of ambition and self-determination. Not Horatio Alger, exactly, but appealing, and impressive, nonetheless. Except that, like so much of what Mr. Trump has been selling the American public in recent years, this origin story was a sham - a version of reality so elaborately embellished that it qualifies as fan fiction more than biography. Also, as we've come to expect from Mr. Trump, the creation of this myth involved a big dose of ethically sketchy, possibly even illegal activity. As an in-depth investigation by The Times has revealed, Mr. Trump is only self-made if you don't count the massive financial rewards he received from his father's business beginning as a toddler. (By age 3, little Donald was reportedly pulling in an annual income of what today would be $200,000 a year.) These benefits included not only the usual perks of hailing from a rich, well-connected family - the connections, the access to credit, the built-in safety net. For the Trumps, it also involved direct cash gifts and tens of millions in "loans" that never charged interest or had to be repaid. Fred Trump even purchased several properties and business ventures, putting ownership either fully or partly in the names of his children, who reaped the profits. As Donald Trump emerged as the favorite son, Fred made special deals and arrangements to increase Donald's fortunes in particular. The Times found that, before Donald had turned 30, he had received close to $9 million from his father. Over the longer haul, he received upward of what, in today's dollars, would be $413 million. Along the way, it seems that certain liberties were taken with tax laws. The Times found that concocting elaborate schemes to avoid paying taxes on their father's estate, including greatly understating the value of the family business, became an important pastime for Fred's children, with Donald taking an active role in the effort. According to tax experts, the activities in question show a pattern of deception, a deliberate muddying of the financial waters. Asked for comment on The Times's findings, a lawyer for the president provided a written statement denying any wrongdoing and asserting that, in fact, Mr. Trump had little to do with the dizzying transactions involving his family's wealth. Everyone can understand the impulse to polish one's background in order to make a good impression. For Mr. Trump, whose entire life has been about branding and selling a certain type of gaudy glamour, this image-polishing has been all the more vital to his success. And he has pursued it with a shameless, at times giddy, abandon. ... With this glimpse into the inner workings of the Trump family finances, some of the grimier, ethically suspect aspects of Mr. Trump's mythmaking begin to emerge - and with them, many questions about all that we still do not know about the man and his business empire. Seeing as how that empire and his role in building it are so central to who Mr. Trump claims to be - the defining feature of his heroic narrative - the American public has a right to some answers. For starters, now would be an excellent time for Mr. Trump to hand over those tax returns on which he has thus far kept a death grip. In his 1987 memoir "The Art of the Deal," Mr. Trump famously offered his take on the origins of his success: "I play to people's fantasies. People may not always think big themselves, but they can still get very excited by those who do. That's why a little hyperbole never hurts. People want to believe that something is the biggest and the greatest and the most spectacular. I call it truthful hyperbole. It's an innocent form of exaggeration - and a very effective form of promotion." But increasingly, Mr. Trump's willingness to bend the truth - and the rules - in the service of his myth looks less like innocent exaggeration than malicious deception, with a dollop of corruption tossed in for good measure. It's not the golden, glittering success story he has been peddling. It's shaping up to be something far darker. Online: https://www.nytimes.com/ ___ Oct. 1 Chicago Sun-Times on the U.S. Justice Department suing California over its net neutrality laws: Trying to protect an open internet state by state, rather than by federal law, is a daunting and unwieldy goal. Unfortunately, it's also entirely necessary, given that the Trump administration and Congress are more than happy to let internet providers restrict what we - the American people - can see and access online. Just on Sunday, the U.S, Justice Department sued to stop California from requiring "net neutrality," the concept of protecting full and equal access to the internet. It's a sad day - and a threat to our democracy - when the federal government goes to bat for those who would squelch the free flow of information. Why is this a big worry? President Donald Trump and his administration have been all about attacking independent news sources and trying to reshape the media into a lapdog that supports all the president's policies. As much as the internet has been abused by bogus web and social media sites, an independent internet is an important part of maintaining an informed citizenry. Getting rid of net neutrality also means you might pay more for such things as streaming movies from particular sites. You might also suddenly find you can't go into competition with an established web-based company with your own web-based start-up because you don't have the deep pockets to pay for fast internet speeds. Last year, the Federal Communications Commission pulled back Obama-era rules to protect internet access. Several states, including Washington, Oregon and Vermont, have enacted some protections in response. But a bill California Gov. Jerry Brown signed on Sunday gives that state the nation's toughest laws protecting internet freedom. Average Americans have come to assume that the internet is a level playing field where they can go wherever they want. But the big internet service providers see an opportunity to make huge profits by speeding up connection speeds for companies willing to pay a premium while slowing down speeds for those who don't pay. That would put corporate entities in the position of deciding who gets information at what speed. Many valued voices on the internet could be throttled out of existence. ... Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and 22 other state attorneys general earlier this year filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to overturn to FCC decision. Arguments in the lawsuit have been scheduled for February. At the time of the filing, Madigan said the repeal of net neutrality would allow internet service providers to block or slow access to some content and charge consumers to access certain sites. Telecommunication companies say they dread the thought of having to contend with a patchwork of internet access laws from state to state. No doubt. But the solution is not the wholesale dispensing with net neutrality. Rather, the companies should be leading the charge for a free and open internet. Net neutrality is one of many issues in which states suddenly find themselves having to take an activist stance on national policies so as to protect their residents. States also are stepping up on immigration, LGBTQ and environmental issues. They have been forced to do so by an administration and Congress that are failing to meet the needs and heed the wishes of average Americans. ... Online: https://chicago.suntimes.com/ ___ Oct. 2 Los Angeles Times on the Trump administration's immigration policies: Stoking fears of changing demographics and hinting at the decline of white America, the Trump administration has adopted a severe, xenophobic immigration policy. After trying to bar Muslims from the country, after insulting Mexicans, after cutting back the number of refugees admitted, after separating children from their parents, the latest outrage is that the government has moved nearly 2,000 of the estimated 13,000 "unaccompanied minors" it has in custody to a barren tent city in the remote border town of Turnillo, about 30 miles southeast of El Paso. According to the New York Times, the children were awakened, put onto buses with snacks and backpacks and shipped off to the internment camp in the dead of night, supposedly because they would be less likely to try to escape in the dark. At their new "emergency shelter," they will be without access to schooling or to lawyers. It cannot possibly be morally permissible to cram 2,000 children into a tent city in West Texas while they await hearings on whether they should be allowed to stay in the country. Or to target for arrest family and friends who are willing to take in some of the children. Or, for that matter, to arrest families seeking asylum, jailing the parents on misdemeanor illegal border-crossing charges and removing their children from them. Yet this is where we are as a country. Sure, many people have protested the administration's draconian steps, and immigration advocates have fought some of the moves in court. But Trump just bulls ahead with little meaningful pushback from Congress, which has for far too long shirked its responsibility to fix the unworkable immigration system. And the prognosis for a break in the current stasis is bad so long as an anti-immigration hard-liner runs the White House, and Congress remains in the control of right-wing Republicans who persistently work against the nation's best interests. The U.S. should have an immigration system that balances its economic needs with its right to control its border and with reasonable ideas of fairness, justice and generosity. We should reopen our arms to refugees who deserve resettlement, after proper vetting, instead of slamming the border gates shut. We need to continue to focus, in part, on reunifying families. We should offer a path to citizenship to the 11 million undocumented immigrants leading productive, lawful lives, beginning with the so-called Dreamers, people who live here illegally after being brought here as children - decisions they had little to do with. It's unfair and self-defeating for the government to deport them - especially after they have been raised as Americans and educated by American taxpayers - to nations where they are strangers. The U.S. needs enforcement at the border to ensure an orderly immigration process in which rational decisions are made about who may come in and out - but Americans also need to acknowledge that our economic strength as a nation is based on immigration. ... Online: http://www.latimes.com/ ___ Oct. 1 Houston Chronicle on James Allison of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center winning the Nobel Prize in medicine: Jim Allison lost his mother, a brother, two uncles and a cousin to cancer, but he says he never set out to find a cure for the disease. Like many great scientists, he was driven by "the selfish desire to be the first person on the planet to know something," as he explained to Houston Chronicle medical writer Todd Ackerman. In the 1990s, Allison's development of an antibody that frees the body's immune system to attack tumors revived the moribund field of immunotherapy, now taking its place alongside surgery, chemotherapy and radiation as a key weapon in treating cancer. Allison, the MD Anderson Cancer Center's director of immunology, was honored on Monday with the Nobel Prize in Medicine. He shared the award with Tasuku Honjo of Kyoto University in Japan, who conducted similar research. The Nobel announcement, which follows the prestigious Lasker Award and other recognition showered on Allison's work, is a proud moment for the harmonica-playing scientist, for MD Anderson and for Houston. And it's a reminder that even amid the turmoil and drama that often roils major medical institutions, the men and women toiling behind the scenes in labs deserve our support - including the support of public funding - even when the practical benefits of their work aren't immediately apparent. "Everyone thought I was crazy," Allison says, when his research with mice challenged conventional wisdom regarding the function of a newly identified protein. While other scientists believed the protein stimulated the immune system, Allison's work indicated it had the opposite effect - it was a brake, not a gas pedal. Even as Allison's work advanced - he figured out how to unlock the brake - it wasn't clear whether or when it would lead to effective treatments. Twenty years later, immunotherapy drugs are extending the lives of patients with lung, breast and other deadly cancers. The accolades for Allison's work over the past few years have coincided with controversy and turmoil in the institution that employs him. After five years as MD Anderson's president, Dr. Ron DePinho resigned in March 2017 amid a revolt by faculty members who said they felt pressure to produce more revenue through higher patient loads. The world-renowned cancer center started in 2017 with an operating deficit of nearly $170 million. It laid off hundreds of employees. Leadership issues and financial problems ebb and flow, but the work of scientists like Jim Allison will endure. Its legacy will be the lengthened and improved lives of countless cancer patients, and the inspiration that trickles down to future generations of researchers driven, like Allison, by a pure thirst for knowledge. Online: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/ Washington should not view relations with Pakistan through Afghan issue: Shah Mehmood Washington should not view relations with Pakistan through Afghan issue: Shah MehmoodForeign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Saturday said that Washington should not view relations with Pakistan through the perspective of the Afghan issue or the ties with India. Talking to the media in Multan after completing his 10-day visit to the United States, the foreign minister said that he had presented Pakistans stance on key global and regional issues at the United Nations in a clear and vivid manner. The minister said that everything could not be achieved in one meeting, adding that efforts would be continued to bring the US-Pakistan relations on track. Pakistans sacrifices in war on terror must be acknowledged, he added. The UN is a global forum and it needs to be made more effective for the resolution of issues being faced by the regions and countries. Qureshi went on to say that he had demanded a commission of inquiry into the United Nations report, adding that voices were being raised against Indian violence in Held Kashmir on international forums. Kashmir dispute is not new but its nature has change, he added. Commenting on the meeting with his US counterpart, he said that several issues were discussed in the meeting. The foreign minister said that the USs stance had changed after his meeting with the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. He said Pak-US relations could not be undermined easily. The relations with US are improving gradually. I have made it clear to the US authorities that Pakistan wants bilateral relations with Washington based on mutual respect and reciprocity. When asked about his statement eon the arrest of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif, Qureshi said that the arrest was a court matter and the ex-Punjab CM had the right to contest his case. He said that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) took decision of Sharifs arrest after investigation and that the anti-graft watchdog was an independent institution. HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania lawmakers on Wednesday passed the first anti-violence legislation in more than a decade that deals directly with firearms, after years of lobbying by violence-prevention groups to persuade a Legislature historically protective of gun rights. The bill would force people in Pennsylvania with a domestic violence ruling against them to more quickly surrender their guns, and advocates say February's Parkland, Florida, high school shooting that killed 17 people and the pervasiveness of the #MeToo movement helped propel it. The Republican-controlled Senate voted 43-5 on Wednesday to send the bill to the desk of Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, who plans to sign it. "I'm glad that Pennsylvania is joining the ranks of states that are doing something post-Parkland, post-Sandy Hook, post-everything," said Shira Goodman, executive director of CeaseFirePA, a gun violence-prevention group that supports the bill. "This is the first time and it should be a start." The bill picked up speed in March, when the Senate negotiated changes that moved the National Rifle Association to drop its opposition to it. The Senate promptly passed it, unanimously, but changes in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives triggered a new fight with gun-rights advocates before the chamber approved it last week, 131-62. "It took a long time, it was a slow process," said Deb Marteslo of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. "It's a mind shift here in the Capitol, but it happened and we're deeply grateful. The winners here are the victims of abuse." Under Pennsylvania's bill, people convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence or subject to final restraining orders must surrender their guns within 24 hours, although a judge could agree to an extension. Twenty-nine other states, including Texas, already require people convicted of domestic violence to turn in firearms and prohibit all people under domestic-violence restraining orders from having firearms, according to data from Everytown for Gun Safety. Current Pennsylvania law gives people convicted of domestic violence 60 days to turn over guns, although some defense lawyers say such defendants usually are forced to give up their guns well before conviction, either as a condition of bail or a restraining order. On restraining orders, current law the leaves forfeiture to a judge's discretion, and advocates say a judge orders the forfeiture of firearms in 14 percent of those cases. The bill also eliminates a provision for people convicted of a domestic violence crime to give their firearms to neighbors or even relatives or friends, as long as they don't live in the same home. Lawmakers approved the bill over the protests of some gun rights advocates that the bill's new period in which to surrender a firearm and new limits on who can take custody of relinquished guns. Pennsylvania's Legislature has long been gun-friendly, and for years has rejected efforts by two different Democratic governors to win more gun-control restrictions, including an expansion of background checks. The last time the Legislature approved anti-violence legislation targeting firearms was 2005, when it gave judges the discretion to seize firearms in restraining orders, anti-violence advocates said. But advocates for the bill say they focused on a message of domestic-violence prevention, saying the bill targets the dangerous period when one partner tries to leave a relationship by reporting their partner to law enforcement or seeking a restraining order. "The people who are affected by this law are not law-abiding," Goodman said. "They are dangerous and they've been found to be by a court." A recent Associated Press review of all firearms-related legislation passed this year nationwide, encompassing the first full state legislative sessions since the mass shooting that killed 58 people in Las Vegas, showed a mixed record, though gun control bills did pass in a number of states. BOSTON (AP) - Hotel workers have walked out at seven Marriott hotels in Boston in what union organizers say is the city's first-ever hotel strike. Local 26 of Unite Here says 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 Boston hotels impacted include the Aloft Boston Seaport District, the Element Boston Seaport District, the Ritz-Carlton Boston, the Sheraton Boston, the W Hotel Boston, the Westin Boston Waterfront and the Westin Copley Place. The Maryland-based company says its proposal matches the "economic terms" of the last contract and doesn't propose any benefit changes. The union says similar strikes are being considered in San Francisco, Detroit, Seattle, San Jose, San Diego, Oakland and Honolulu. UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. Security Council is calling for an immediate end to hostilities by all armed groups to combat the deadly Ebola outbreak in Congo. Council members stressed the urgency of getting medical teams to the affected areas quickly "because the disease can spread rapidly, including to neighboring countries, possibly impacting regional stability." The council issued the statement after a closed-door video briefing Wednesday by World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and ahead of a trip to Congo. WHO said Saturday the risk of the Ebola virus spreading from northeastern Congo where the latest outbreak began is now "very high" after two confirmed cases were discovered near the Uganda border. Bolivia's U.N. Ambassador Sacha Llorentty Soliz said Ebola and December's elections are on the agenda of the council's Congo visit. ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) - The body of an Ohio woman has been found a week after she went missing while hiking with her daughter in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. News outlets cite a park release saying Mitzie Sue "Susan" Clements was found Tuesday near the Appalachian Trail on the North Carolina-Tennessee border, not far from the Clingmans Dome parking area. The cause of death was unclear. The 53-year-old woman had last been seen Sept. 25, when she and her daughter became separated during a hike. More than 100 trained searchers had combed 500 miles (800 kilometers) looking for the mother of three. Clements was an accounting technician for Cincinnati's Metropolitan Sewer District. DORTMUND, Germany (AP) - Borussia Dortmund midfielder Christian Pulisic has been ruled out for at least two games with a muscle tear in his calf. The 20-year-old American missed Dortmund's Champions League game against visiting Monaco on Wednesday and the club says he will definitely miss the side's Bundesliga game at home to Augsburg on Saturday. The club did not give further details on when he could return. Pulisic was included on Monday in the United States' 24-man roster for games against Colombia on Oct. 11 and Peru five days later. Pulisic made the last of his 21 appearances for the U.S. against Bolivia on May 28. He missed last month's games against Brazil and Mexico because of an unspecified muscle injury, then scored two decisive goals within four days - including the winner on his birthday against Club Brugge - after returning to Dortmund's lineup. 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. 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. The first test of the national wireless emergency system by the Federal Emergency Management Agency is shown on a cellular phone in Detroit, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. About 225 million electrtonic devices across the United States received alerts from FEMA Wednesday afternoon. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) 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, 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. ___ Associated Press writers Larry Neumeister and Jeff McMillan in New York contributed to this report. The first test of the national wireless emergency system by the Federal Emergency Management Agency is shown on a cellular phone at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. About 225 million electronic devices across the United States received alerts from FEMA Wednesday afternoon. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - President Donald Trump is heading back for a rally in Minnesota, where his presence could help boost some Republican congressional candidates but perhaps not others Trump's Thursday visit to Rochester brings him to the state's 1st Congressional District. That's where Jim Hagedorn hopes to break through in a third run for a seat that Trump handily won in 2016. The president previously visited Duluth to rally for GOP candidate Pete Stauber. Stauber is running for an open seat long held by Democrats but that swung for Trump by 15 percentage points. Those two seats could figure heavily in Republicans' efforts to maintain control of the House. But it's a different story in Minnesota's suburbs, where two GOP incumbents are locked in close re-election battles. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The Latest on the Minnesota Democratic party's request to have law enforcement investigate domestic abuse allegations against U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (all times local): 3:45 p.m. The Minneapolis Police Department says it won't investigate allegations of domestic abuse against Rep. Keith Ellison due to a conflict of interest. State Democratic officials asked law enforcement to investigate after an attorney with links to the party found the allegations were unsubstantiated. Ellison's ex-girlfriend, Karen Monahan, alleged in August that the Democratic congressman dragged her off a bed by her feet and screamed obscenities at her in 2016. Ellison has denied the allegations. Minneapolis police say they won't handle the case due to a conflict, or an appearance of a conflict of interest. In this Sept. 14, 2018 photo, U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison is shown in Minneapolis. A Minnesota prosecutor says he'll review allegations of domestic abuse against Ellison only if a formal complaint is first investigated by law enforcement. An ex-girlfriend of Ellison, Karen Monahan, alleges the Democratic congressman dragged her off a bed by her feet in 2016. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) The department is talking with other law enforcement agencies to see where they might refer the case. ___ 12 p.m. The Minnesota Democratic party is asking Minneapolis police to investigate allegations of domestic abuse against U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison. The move comes after an attorney with links to the Democratic Party found that allegations by Ellison's ex-girlfriend, Karen Monahan, were unsubstantiated . Monahan alleged in August that the Democratic congressman dragged her off a bed by her feet and screamed obscenities at her in 2016. The Democratic-Farmer-Labor party sought a review by law enforcement, but a prosecutor said Tuesday that he'd review the case only if police investigated first . The DFL forwarded the case to police Wednesday, saying they want police to determine whether a crime was committed. Ellison, a deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee, has denied the allegation. He is running for Minnesota attorney general. CLEVELAND (AP) - A motorist arrested in the hit-and-run death of a Cleveland police patrolman has pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide and other charges. Forty-six-year-old Israel Alvarez also pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges including driving under the influence and drug possession in David Fahey's death on Interstate 90 on Jan. 24, 2017. Alvarez was arrested after a Department of Homeland Security agent spotted his damaged car in a driveway. Authorities said Alvarez was driving around 60 mph (97 kph) when he struck the 39-year-old police officer, who was setting down flares to close the interstate's westbound lanes after a fatal accident. A message seeking comment was left Wednesday at the office of Alvarez's attorney. His sentencing is set for Nov. 16. Authorities in Turkey have indicated that Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent Saudi journalist known for his criticism of then kingdom, could have been killed at Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul where went missing in on Tuesday. They said: "The initial assessment of the Turkish police is that Mr Khashoggi has been killed at the consulate of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul". An official, speaking to Reuters news agency, said Jamal Khashoggi was killed in a premeditated murder and his body removed from the consulate. The Turkish sources did not say how they believed the killing was carried out. "Everything was videotaped to prove the mission had been accomplished and the tape was taken out of the country". Ankara and Riyadh have given contradictory versions of the circumstances of Khashoggi's disappearance. The Saudi crown prince has told Bloomberg that the journalist was not inside the consulate and said he was ready to allow Turkish authorities to search the building. They said a "team" of 15 Saudi officials were sent to Turkey to kill the 59-year-old on the day he vanished. The official added: "It was a preplanned murder". UKs May tells party to drop dream of a perfect Brexit Forty-eight lawmakers would need to write such letters to trigger a vote of confidence in the leader. But Wednesday's speech seemed to have gone down well among the party faithful. West Ham choca con el muro de Brighton y Pellegrini tropieza El viernes el triunfo del Brighton 1-0 al West Ham , en duelo correspondiente a la Jornada 8 de la Premier League , fue opacado por un juguete sexual que fue arrojado al campo. Dramatico rescate: un joven quedo atrapado entre el anden y el tren Los socorristas calificaron el episodio como un verdadero milagro lo que ocurrio en el ramal Tapiales-Marinos del Crucero Gral. Freire especifico que " no es la primera vez que sucede que alguien se cae a las vias justo antes de que arranque el tren". "Saudi Arabia was there before the United States of America", Salman said. Two months later, writing about the detentions of scores of Saudi royals, senior officials and businessmen accused of corruption, he said Mohammed bin Salman dispensed "selective justice" and said there was "complete intolerance for even mild criticism" of the crown prince. 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 women's rights activists after the lifting of a ban on women driving. Khashoggi went to the consulate to receive an official document for his marriage. Khashoggi is a familiar face on political talk shows on Arab satellite television networks and used to advise Prince Turki al-Faisal, former Saudi intelligence chief and ambassador to the United States and Britain. "If this is true - that the Saudis lured a USA resident into their consulate and murdered him - it should represent a fundamental break in our relationship with Saudi Arabia", Murphy wrote on Twitter. GERMANTOWN, Tenn. (AP) - Police fired their guns when a woman hit two officers with her car as she fled possible arrest on suspicion that she used counterfeit cash at a Waffle House in Tennessee. Police in the Memphis suburb of Germantown said 23-year-old Chelse Chambers hit an officer's vehicle with her Nissan Altima and then struck him with her car as he got out. Police said she pinned another officer against a vehicle as she tried to elude police Tuesday. Officers fired their guns during the confrontation. No one was hit by bullets. Chambers was arrested when officers entered her car. Four officers were treated at a hospital and released. Chambers faces charges including aggravated assault, forgery and evading arrest. Online records did not show if she had been officially charged Wednesday afternoon. RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Authorities say a Florida deputy shot and wounded a man while serving a warrant for burglary and weapons-related charges. The Palm Beach Post reports that the shooting occurred Wednesday afternoon at a Riviera Beach home. Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw says agents from his office's warrants division were surrounding the house when two armed men crashed out of a window into the yard. As one man started to raise his gun, the sheriff says a deputy shot the suspect one time. The suspect was taken to a nearby hospital. Bradshaw says he's expected to survive. The names and races of the suspect and the deputy who shot him weren't immediately released. ___ Information from: The Palm Beach (Fla.) Post, http://www.pbpost.com PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A strike by Providence school bus drivers that's affecting more than 9,000 Rhode Island students continued for a fifth day Wednesday, with no end in sight. Drivers picketed Wednesday near the yard where buses are kept by First Student, the private company overseeing the city's school bus operations. The drivers' union, Teamsters Local 251, said no meetings are currently scheduled between the sides to resolve their dispute over retirement benefits. The school district has urged both sides to end the strike but says it currently isn't taking any action to compel them. The company will meet "at any time and at any place" to resolve this issue, spokesman Frank McMahon said. Advocates for people with disabilities have called on the city to provide transportation for about 1,000 special education students. They warned that failing to do so violates federal law. The school district said it can't find vendors to drive all of these students, and believes it should not transport some and not others. It's offering to reimburse parents for their transportation costs after the strike ends. School bus drivers picket on the fifth day of a strike, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018, in Providence, R.I. The union that represents 200 bus drivers, Teamsters Local 251, began the strike Thursday after negotiations with management over retirement benefits failed. (AP Photo/Jennifer McDermott) First Student's contract excuses it from providing transportation services during a labor dispute. Providence parent Cynthia Velez said she recently was late to work because she had to drive her daughter to middle school. She's worried about losing her job if it happens again. She feels the issues should've been addressed before the school year began. "It has been a struggle," she said. "I'm upset, frustrated, and I know a lot of parents agree with me. This is one of the worst things that could happen to our children." Local 251 Principal Officer Matt Taibi said the strike will continue for "as long as it takes" for the company to commit to a secure retirement, in the form of a Teamsters pension. "Many of our members are parents and live in Providence. We understand," he said. "But it's First Student's stance that the retirement and dignity of our members do not matter." McMahon, of First Student, called the Teamsters pension plan "failing" and said it would be irresponsible to allow employees to participate. The company wants drivers to participate in a 401(k). Police say a 13-year-old girl who was riding a bike to school because of the strike was struck and injured by a car last week. Authorities say the student normally takes the bus. School bus drivers picket as a city bus rolls past, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018, in Providence, R.I. The union that represents 200 bus drivers, Teamsters Local 251, began the strike Thursday after negotiations with management over retirement benefits failed. (AP Photo/Jennifer McDermott) School bus drivers picket on the fifth day of a strike, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018, in Providence, R.I. The union that represents 200 bus drivers, Teamsters Local 251, began the strike Thursday after negotiations with management over retirement benefits failed. (AP Photo/Jennifer McDermott) ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A former supervisory U.S. Border Patrol agent has pleaded guilty in New Mexico to a child pornography charge. Federal prosecutors say 46-year-old Jason Christopher Davis of Las Cruces could serve up to 15 years in prison under the plea agreement. Davis pleaded guilty Wednesday in an Albuquerque courtroom to production of a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He will have to register as a sex offender. The ex-border agent was arrested in May on suspicion of receiving child pornography. Investigators say they found digital media with child pornography at his home. His sentencing has not yet been scheduled. 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." The White House dismissed the report as a "misleading attack against the Trump family by the failing New York Times," but spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the newspaper got one thing right: Trump's father not only did deals with his son but heaped praise on him by saying "everything he touched turned to gold." FILE - In this Feb. 9, 2017, file photo, a portrait of President Donald Trump's father Fred Trump, and three un-signed Executive orders are seen in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. The New York Times is reporting that President Donald Trump received at least $413 million from his father over the decades, much of that through dubious tax dodges, including outright fraud. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File) A lawyer for Trump, Charles J. Harder, told the Times that there was no "fraud or tax evasion" and that parts of the report were "extremely inaccurate." 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 report contradicts Trump's portrayal of himself as a self-made billionaire who started with just a $1 million loan from his father. Tax law experts expressed skepticism that the IRS would mount any civil investigation. The main reason, they said, is that the Times account says IRS officials have already conducted extensive audits of the estate left by Trump's parents. "That ship has sailed," said Mark W. Everson, who was IRS commissioner during President George W. Bush's second term and is now vice chairman of AlliantGroup, a Houston-based corporate tax advisory firm. He added: "I would be concerned were the service to reach back that far in time, given that it could only be doing so because of the person's current position." In addition to maneuvers aimed at avoiding estate taxes, the Times reported that the president's father, Fred Trump, paid no federal gift taxes on seven buildings that were transferred to Donald Trump and his siblings. That opens another possible avenue of investigation, said Beth Shapiro Kaufman, a Caplin & Drysdale tax lawyer and a former Treasury official. There is typically a three-year statute of limitations on federal gift inquiries, but that doesn't apply when a gift is made without being reported to the government. And if the donor is dead, the IRS would have the ability to go after the beneficiary of the gift for unpaid taxes, Kaufman said. In New York, tax officials had already been looking into whether Trump or his charitable foundation misrepresented their tax liability. State law would allow them to seek civil penalties if they can show someone intentionally sought to evade taxes, even decades ago. Those who lose such cases are often required to pay their back taxes along with penalties. In August, the state subpoenaed former Trump attorney and "fixer" Michael Cohen as part of the probe. The state investigation follows Democratic state Attorney General Barbara Underwood's lawsuit alleging Trump illegally tapped his Trump Foundation to settle legal disputes, help his campaign for president and cover personal and business expenses, including the purchase of a 6-foot portrait of himself for $10,000. Eisen said that if Democrats win the House in November, they will have the investigative muscle and subpoena power to scour Trump's latter-day tax records and see whether the tax schemes alleged by the Times have continued. Former IRS Deputy Commissioner Mark E. Matthews cautioned that the IRS would not be obligated to conduct an investigation if Congress turned up new evidence of continuing tax maneuvers, but added: "The agency knows where its bread is buttered. If it gets to the point of a full committee report with new evidence, somebody at the IRS will take a hard look. But there's no guarantee they'd go beyond a look." The federal tax code's statute of limitations for criminal cases is typically no more than six years, legal experts said. To bring criminal charges, investigators would have to find a continuing tax fraud conspiracy that stretched into recent years, they said. Building such a case - similar to the charges that former Trump presidential campaign chairman Paul Manafort pleaded guilty to last month - would require overwhelming recent evidence, buttressed by new documents and strong testimony from Trump insiders, the experts said. ___ AP writers David Klepper in Albany, N.Y., Michael Sisak in New York and Marcy Gordon in Washington contributed to this report. DALLAS (AP) - New Dallas Mavericks center DeAndre Jordan missed the team's trip to China for two exhibition games for unspecified personal reasons. Jordan and fellow starter Harrison Barnes stayed behind when the team left for China this week. Barnes injured a hamstring in practice and could miss all the preseason games. The 30-year-old Jordan joined the Mavericks this year, three years after agreeing to sign with them in free agency and changing his mind before contracts could be signed. He came to Dallas after opting out of the final season of that contract he signed to stay with the Los Angeles Clippers. The Mavericks play Philadelphia twice in China, early Friday morning and early Monday morning Dallas time. Their final preseason game is Oct. 12 at home against Charlotte. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports ST. LOUIS (AP) - Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas is asking Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri to remove his name and praise for her from a new campaign ad. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Roberts wants McCaskill to remove from the ad his quote from August 2017 describing her as a senator he seeks out to get things done on a bipartisan basis. McCaskill is in a tight re-election race with Republican Secretary of State Josh Hawley, whose campaign paints her as a Democratic obstructionist. McCaskill says she is known for working across party lines. Late Tuesday, Hawley's campaign sent out a news release quoting Roberts' demand that McCaskill remove "my name and quote from her ad." In the statement from Hawley, Roberts does not dispute the quote. Roberts said McCaskill turned more partisan after President Donald Trump was elected. Roberts' spokeswoman Stacey Daniels on Wednesday cited as examples McCaskill's announced plan to vote against Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and her vote against the Republican-backed tax reform package in November. The McCaskill campaign did not immediately respond to a question from The Associated Press about whether it would alter the ad. In the ad, McCaskill notes she has supported Trump on some issues and nominations, and that the president has signed bills she co-sponsored. Republicans point out that she also has opposed Trump on big votes like the tax cuts, repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and the Supreme Court nominations of Neil Gorsuch and Kavanaugh. McCaskill's ad describes her as "always willing to work with anyone" and quotes Roberts saying that "if you want to pick somebody to work in a bipartisan manner ... to get things done - you pick Claire McCaskill." 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. 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. FILE - This Monday, Aug. 31, 2017, file photo shows a Barnes & Noble Booksellers store in Pittsburgh. The board of Barnes & Noble said Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018, it is reviewing the company's future after several parties expressed interest in buying it. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File) "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. LOGAN, Utah (AP) - The Latest on suspicious envelopes sent to President Donald Trump and two top military chiefs (all times local): 4:25 p.m. Authorities say a Utah man has been arrested in connection with suspicious envelopes sent to President Donald Trump and others. A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney for Utah said Wednesday that 39-year-old William Clyde Allen III was taken into custody Wednesday in Logan, a small city in northern Utah. Pentagon authorities say two envelopes were addressed to top military chiefs containing the substance from which the poison ricin is derived. Another envelope was sent to the president with unknown contents. The Secret Service says it didn't reach the White House. A Pentagon spokeswoman says the envelopes addressed to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and the Navy's top officer, Adm. John Richardson, contained castor seeds. They were isolated at a mail screening facility and sent to the FBI. No attorney was immediately listed for Allen. ___ 10:30 a.m. A Pentagon spokeswoman says the suspicious substance found in envelopes turned over to the FBI contained the substance from which the poison ricin is derived, but not ricin itself. Dana W. White, the chief Pentagon spokeswoman, told reporters traveling with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in Brussels that the substance was castor seeds. On Tuesday, Pentagon officials said two envelopes that had been suspected of containing ricin were isolated at a Pentagon mail screening facility, then sent to the FBI. They said one envelope was addressed to Mattis, the other to the chief of the U.S. Navy, Adm. John Richardson. No one was injured. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if castor seeds are swallowed the released ricin can cause injury. BARTLETT, Tenn. (AP) - The Latest on the fatal shooting of a man by police in Tennessee (all times local): 5:25 p.m. Tennessee's state police agency says it is currently working on 38 investigations of police-involved shootings in the state. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokesman Josh DeVine told The Associated Press of the active and ongoing probes after the agency said it is investigating the fatal shooting of a man by police early Wednesday in the Memphis suburb of Bartlett. The agency investigates police shootings when someone is killed, usually at the request of the district attorney in the county where the shooting took place. TBI is also currently looking into the shooting by police of a Memphis man who was critically wounded but survived. Some lawmakers are calling for the TBI to investigate all shootings where police are involved, even non-fatal ones. ___ 10:50 a.m. Authorities in Tennessee say officers fatally shot a man who had barricaded himself inside a home and fired several shots in the residence. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says it is investigating the death of 38-year-old Toby Bailey in the Memphis suburb of Bartlett early Wednesday. TBI says officers went to a home Tuesday night on a domestic violence call when Bailey ran inside and threatened officers. TBI says Bailey fired several shots inside the home before SWAT officers from the Bartlett Police Department deployed tear gas and entered. Officers reported Bailey raised a handgun toward police before at least two officers shot him. The officers' names and races have not been released. TBI says police, family members and a pastor tried to convince Bailey, who was black, to surrender. 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 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Latest on legal challenge to Tennessee's lethal injection method (all times local): 5:15 p.m. With an execution scheduled for next week, 32 death row inmates are asking Tennessee's high court to declare the state's lethal injection method unconstitutional. Inmates' attorney Kelley Henry said in arguments before the court Wednesday that "unassailable science" shows Tennessee's latest three-drug cocktail will cause excruciating pain. Referencing the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment, she told the court that it should rule for the plaintiffs "if the 8th Amendment means anything." But U.S. Supreme Court precedent requires the inmates to show a more humane alternative is available. Associate Solicitor General Jennifer Smith argued the inmates were unable to meet that requirement. Edmund Zagorski is scheduled to be executed Oct. 11. He was sentenced in 1984 in the slayings of two men during a drug deal. ___ 11:20 p.m. With an inmate set to be executed next week, Tennessee's Supreme Court is hearing arguments Wednesday about the constitutionality of its lethal injection method. The lawsuit by more than two dozen inmates claims the state's three-drug method of execution causes severe pain and suffering. Attorneys for the inmates want the court to consider the affidavit of an expert witness who claims the August execution of Billy Ray Irick was "torturous." Attorneys for the state oppose the introduction of the new evidence. They're asking the high court to uphold a lower court's July finding that its method of execution is legal. Edmund Zagorski is scheduled to be executed on Oct. 11. He was sentenced in 1984 in the slayings of two men during a drug deal. ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The Latest on a hearing for Track Palin in an assault case (all times local): 3:45 p.m. The oldest son of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin told a judge he appreciated the opportunity to participate in a therapeutic program for veterans stemming from an assault case. Shortly afterward, the judge decided Wednesday that new assault allegations against Track Palin disqualified him from the program and ordered him to spend a year in custody. The 29-year-old Army veteran must report to a halfway house at month's end, and the Department of Corrections will determine if he serves time there or behind bars. Anchorage District Attorney Richard Allen said jail time is unlikely. Track Palin, center, Todd Palin, right, and attorney Patrick Bergt stand outside court in Anchorage, Alaska, on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. The oldest son of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Track Palin, will spend a year in custody after a judge decided new assault allegations disqualified him from a therapeutic program for veterans linked to another assault case. A judge told Track Palin on Wednesday that he was dropped from the program offering veterans mental health treatment instead of a traditional sentence. (AP Photo/Rachel D'Oro) Palin was arrested Friday night after a female acquaintance said he hit her in the head. It came less than a year after he was arrested in an attack on his father. Palin pleaded guilty in Alaska Veterans Court to a lesser charge in the earlier case. ___ 3:25 p.m. The oldest son of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will spend a year in custody after a judge decided new assault allegations disqualified him from a therapeutic program for veterans linked to another assault case. A judge told Track Palin on Wednesday that he was dropped from the program offering veterans mental health treatment instead of a traditional sentence. The 29-year-old Army veteran must report to a halfway house at month's end, and the Department of Corrections will determine if he serves time there or behind bars. Anchorage District Attorney Richard Allen said jail time is unlikely. Palin was arrested Friday night after a female acquaintance said he hit her in the head. It came less than a year after he was arrested in an attack on his father. Palin pleaded guilty in Alaska Veterans Court to a lesser charge in the earlier case. ___ 2:40 p.m. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's oldest son has appeared with his father in court in a case stemming from allegations that Track Palin attacked his father. Father Todd Palin declined to comment Wednesday on his son's case. Track Palin told an Associated Press reporter: "Pay me, and I will." A judge will decide whether new assault allegations against Track Palin should lead to jail time or whether the 29-year-old Army veteran can stay in a therapeutic program for veterans tied to the attack on Todd less than a year ago. Track Palin pleaded guilty in Alaska Veterans Court to a lesser charge in that case. He was arrested Friday night after a female acquaintance said he hit her in the head. A judge will decide whether the new arrest violates conditions in the December case. ___ 12 a.m. A judge will decide whether new assault allegations against Track Palin should lead to jail time or whether he can stay in a therapeutic program for veterans tied to a separate assault case. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's oldest son was arrested Friday night after a female acquaintance said he hit her in the head. He faces misdemeanor charges including assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. The 29-year-old Army veteran is set to appear in court Wednesday in Anchorage. A judge will decide whether Track Palin can stay in a program intended to rehabilitate veterans or serve jail time because the new arrest would violate conditions in the previous case. He was arrested in an attack on his father last December and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in Alaska Veterans Court. Track Palin, left, his father Todd Palin, center, and attorney Patrick Bergt, right, stand outside court in Anchorage, Alaska, on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. The oldest son of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will spend a year in custody after a judge ruled that allegations of hitting a woman on the head disqualified him from a therapeutic program for veterans linked to another assault case. A judge told Track Palin on Wednesday that he was dropped from the program offering veterans mental health treatment instead of a traditional sentence (AP Photo/Rachel D'Oro) LONDON (AP) - British and Australian officials said on Thursday the Russian military intelligence unit GRU is behind a wave of global cyberattacks. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Thursday the GRU is responsible for "indiscriminate and reckless" attacks against political institutions, businesses, media and sports. Britain's National Cyber Security Center has concluded that hackers behind numerous attacks have been identified as GRU personnel. The agency says four new attacks are associated with GRU as well as earlier cyberattacks. It cites attacks on the World Anti-Doping agency, Ukrainian transport systems, the 2016 U.S. presidential race and others as very likely the work of the GRU. 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." They said Australia was not significantly impacted, but the cyberattacks caused economic damage and disrupted civilian infrastructure in other places. British officials earlier blamed the GRU for the March nerve agent attack on Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury. Secretary of State for Existing the European Union Dominic Raab, second left, and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Jeremy Hunt, second right, in the audience before Conservative Party Leader and Prime Minister Theresa May's speech at the Conservative Party Conference at the ICC, in Birmingham, England, Wednesday, Oct. 3 , 2018. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira) Russia denies any involvement. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Education Department is investigating whether a Georgia school district's policy allowing transgender students to use the bathroom of their choice created a "hostile environment" for a girl who says she was sexually assaulted in a school bathroom. The agency's Office for Civil Rights says that bathroom policy is one aspect of the investigation. It also will look at the school district's response to the report of the attack, which the complaint alleges was by "a male student who identified as gender fluid." The complaint was filed by the conservative group Alliance Defending Freedom on behalf of a parent at Oakhurst Elementary School in Decatur, Georgia. She charges that last November the transgender boy groped her child against her protests. Spokesman Nathan Bailey confirmed Wednesday that the department is investigating. MESQUITE, Texas (AP) - School officials say one child was killed and three others were injured after their school bus crashed in North Texas. The Mesquite Independent School District says a bus carrying 41 students from Terry Middle School crashed Wednesday afternoon. Aerial video showed the bus lying on its side in a ditch with its rear half showing scorch marks. It wasn't immediately clear what caused the wreck. The district confirmed on its Facebook page Wednesday evening that one student had died. The child was not identified. The 37 uninjured students were later returned to the school where counselors were on hand to meet them and their families. Mesquite is a suburb just east of Dallas. BURLINGTON, N.C. (AP) - A worker at a North Carolina pizza store has been fired after a customer complained a racial slur was written on her receipt. News outlets report Myasia Nelson, who is black, says she and her family went to a Domino's Pizza store in Burlington on Monday, but when their order was posted, she saw a racial slur instead of her name. Nelson says the manager spoke to the employee, who is white, who she said at first was laughing about it. She says she canceled the order and left. District manager Junior Snyder confirmed Wednesday the employee was fired. Snyder says he apologized to Nelson, who declined a $50 gift card. Officials at the Domino Pizza headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan, weren't immediately available for comment Wednesday. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said her office will launch a criminal investigation of how Gov. Bruce Rauner's administration handled a three-year-old Legionnaire's disease crisis at a state-run veterans' home. The Democrat will review compliance with state law and whether residents and staff of the Quincy home and the public were notified in a timely manner, spokeswoman Eileen Boyce said. Republican Rauner faces a stiff re-election challenge in a state that leans Democratic. The announcement came late on the same day that WBEZ Chicago reported that emails from the summer of 2015 indicate that officials in the Republican governor's office made a deliberate decision to hold off making a public statement even though more than a dozen people had contracted the flu-like malady. A dozen residents died that fall. The crisis has contributed to the deaths of 14 during the past three years and has sickened six dozen more. "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," Boyce said in a statement. She did not elaborate on how the probe would proceed. Rauner and his public health director, Dr. Nirav Shah, have vigorously defended the state's response to the crisis caused by water-borne bacteria since WBEZ reported in December that Shah maintained that his six-day delay in publicizing the first two cases was within standard protocol. But the new documents show that then-Rauner press secretary Lindsay Walters, who now works in President Donald Trump's administration, advised in an Aug. 25, 2015 email against making a public statement about the situation, suggesting, "Let's hold and see if we receive any reporter inquiries." The issue has hounded Rauner and Madigan's announcement drew a sharp response from the governor's election Democratic opponent, J.B. Pritzker. But Rauner spokeswoman Patty Schuh said the administration has been open about its management of the outbreak. This combination of March 20, 2018, file photos shows Illinois Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, left, and J.B. Pritzker, his Democratic challenger in the November election. Rauner and Pritzker will face off in their first two-way debate of the Illinois governor's race Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018 (AP Photo/File) "The administration is focused on maintaining quality care for our veterans. The state has been transparent in this process, providing hundreds of thousands of pages of documents to the General Assembly, to the Auditor General at the General Assembly's request, and to the news media," Schuh said. "We have regularly communicated with residents, staff, family members, and the general public throughout the past three years." Pritzker, just before stepping before Chicago television cameras with Rauner in their second face-to-face debate Wednesday night, issued a rebuke of his opponent. "While Rauner's own office tried to keep the Legionnaires' crisis under wraps - delaying notification to the public and selectively releasing state records to the media - veterans, their spouses, and staff at the home continued to get sick and die on this failed governor's watch," Pritzker said in a statement. "Their families deserve justice, and Bruce Rauner must be held accountable." The news brought a political sigh of relief for Pritzker who, just a day earlier, agreed to repay $330,000 in property tax breaks he got dating back to 2012 after pulling toilets from a Chicago mansion to have it declared "uninhabitable." Pritzker responded to a report by the Cook County inspector general, who dubbed the instance a "scheme to defraud" taxpayers. Attorney General Lisa Madigan is the daughter of powerful state Democratic Party chairman and House Speaker Michael Madigan. Disputes between Rauner and Madigan left the state without a budget for two years. ___ Follow Political Writer John O'Connor at https://twitter.com/apoconnor . His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/john%20o'connor ___ Sign up to have a weekly roundup of our best 2018 election coverage delivered straight to your inbox: http://apne.ws/hzZJF7Z ISTANBUL (AP) - Turkish investigators believe a prominent Saudi journalist who contributed to The Washington Post was killed in "a preplanned murder" at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul, the Post reported Saturday night, citing two anonymous officials. Saudi authorities had no immediate comment, though they've insisted the writer left their diplomatic post. One Turkish official also told The Associated Press that detectives' "initial assessment" was that Jamal Khashoggi was killed at the consulate, without elaborating. Khashoggi, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the U.S. for the last year, vanished Tuesday while on a visit to the consulate. His disappearance has threatened to upend already-fraught relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkey, and it raises new questions about the kingdom and the actions of its assertive Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whom Khashoggi wrote about in his columns. "If the reports of Jamal's murder are true, it is a monstrous and unfathomable act," the Post's editorial page editor Fred Hiatt said in a statement. "Jamal was - or, as we hope, is - a committed, courageous journalist. He writes out of a sense of love for his country and deep faith in human dignity and freedom." The Post cited one anonymous official who said investigators believe a 15-member team "came from Saudi Arabia." The official added: "It was a preplanned murder." A Turkish official, requesting anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation, told The Associated Press earlier Saturday night something similar. Holding a poster of missing Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi, a man stands near the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul, Friday, Oct. 5, 2018. Khashoggi, a 59-year-old veteran journalist who has lived in self-imposed exile in the U.S. since Prince Mohammed's rise to power, disappeared Oct. 2 while on a visit to the consulate to get paperwork done to be married to his Turkish fiancee. The Saudi Consulate insists Khashoggi left its building, contradicting Turkish officials who say they believe he is still there. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) "The initial assessment of the Turkish police is that Mr. Khashoggi has been killed at the consulate of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul," the official said. "We believe that the murder was premeditated and the body was subsequently moved out of the consulate." Khashoggi, 59, went missing while on a visit to the consulate in Istanbul for paperwork to marry his Turkish fiancee. The consulate insists the writer left its premises, contradicting Turkish officials. "Jamal is not dead! I don't believe he's been killed!" his fiancee Hatice wrote on Twitter late Saturday night. Turkey's official Anadolu News Agency said Saturday that the Istanbul public prosecutor's office began a probe into Khashoggi's disappearance Tuesday, immediately after he went missing. It added the investigation over allegations that the writer was detained had "deepened," without elaborating. Khashoggi 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 self-imposed exile in the United States following the ascension of Prince Mohammed, now next in line to succeed 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 women's rights activists after the lifting of a ban on women driving. All those issues have been viewed as being pushed by Prince Mohammed, who similarly has led roundups of activists, businessmen and others in the kingdom. "With young Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's rise to power, he promised an embrace of social and economic reform," Khashoggi wrote in his first column for the Post. "But all I see now is the recent wave of arrests." 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-Qaida leader refused. Khashoggi maintained ties with Saudi elites, including those in its intelligence apparatus, and launched a satellite news channel, Al-Arab, from Bahrain in 2015 with the backing of Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. The channel was on air for less than 11 hours before it was shut down. Its billionaire backer was detained in the Ritz Carlton roundup overseen by Prince Mohammed in 2017. The dispute over Khashoggi's disappearance also threatens to reopen rifts between Ankara and Riyadh. Turkey has supported Qatar amid a yearlong boycott by Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over a political dispute. Turkey's support of political Islamists, like the Muslim Brotherhood, also angers leaders in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, which label the organization a "terrorist group" threatening their hereditarily ruled nations. Press freedom groups have decried Khashoggi's disappearance. ___ El Deeb reported from Beirut, while Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Holding a picture of missing Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi, Tawakkol Karman, of Yemen the Nobel Peace Prize laureate for 2011, talks to members of the media near the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul, Friday, Oct. 5, 2018. Khashoggi, a 59-year-old veteran journalist who has lived in self-imposed exile in the U.S. since Prince Mohammed's rise to power, disappeared Oct. 2 while on a visit to the consulate to get paperwork done to be married to his Turkish fiancee. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) The Saudi Arabia flag flies over the consulate in Istanbul, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018. Saudi Arabia's Consulate in Istanbul insisted Thursday that Jamal Khashoggi, 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. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) A security guard walks behind barriers blocking the road leading to the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018. Saudi Arabia's Consulate in Istanbul insisted Thursday that Jamal Khashoggi, 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. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) A security guard enters the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018. Saudi Arabia's Consulate in Istanbul insisted Thursday that Jamal Khashoggi, 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. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) FILE - In this Feb. 1, 2015, file photo, Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi speaks during a press conference in Manama, Bahrain. The Washington Post said Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018, it was concerned for the safety of Khashoggi, a columnist for the newspaper, after he apparently went missing after going to the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali, File) DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - In the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk on the edge of Syria's capital, bulldozers and trucks are clearing tons of rubble from streets gutted by war. The built-up residential area was once home to 160,000 residents, both Palestinian refugees from the 1948 war around Israel's creation as well as middle-class Syrians. Today, it is a post-apocalyptic vista of bombed out buildings coated in gray dust. Syrian rebels seized the district in 2012, and government forces responded with a crippling siege and near-daily shelling, driving most residents out. Fighting broke out among different armed groups, and Islamic State militants seized control in 2015, before being driven out in a government offensive earlier this year. The neighborhood was established after 1948 to house thousands of Palestinians who fled or were driven out of what is now Israel. Some 5 million Palestinian refugees and their descendants are scattered across the Middle East. On Saturday, Associated Press reporters saw bulldozers clearing away mounds of rubble beneath the jagged shells of hollowed-out apartment blocks. The streets are covered with piles of steel rebar, cinder blocks and burnt-out cars. Mahmoud Khaled, an engineer supervising the work, says clearing operations on the main roads began three weeks ago and will continue for another month, before work begins on side streets. Only then can the government start to restore electricity, water and other infrastructure. Khaled says around 50,000 cubic meters of rubble have so far been removed. A Syrian soldier directs a bulldozer as removes rubble from damage in street at the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk in the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. The camp, once home to the largest concentration of Palestinians outside the territories housing nearly 160,000 people, has been gutted by years of war. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) Syrian officials estimate the country will need up to $400 billion to rebuild from the devastating civil war, which is still underway as insurgents control parts of northern Syria. Western countries have refused to pledge reconstruction aid in the absence of a political transition from President Bashar Assad's rule, something the government adamantly rejects. It is unclear when or if the Palestinians of Yarmouk will ever return. ___ Follow Hassan Ammar on Twitter https://twitter.com/HassanAmmar5 and on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hassanammar . Follow Associated Press photographers and photo editors on Twitter: http://apne.ws/15Oo6jo . A man rides his bicycle at the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk in the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. Bulldozers and trucks are working to clear tons of rubble from the main streets. The camp, once home to the largest concentration of Palestinians outside the territories housing nearly 160,000 people, has been gutted by years of war. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) A man walks through rubble in the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk in the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. Bulldozers and trucks are working to clear tons of rubble from the main streets. The camp, once home to the largest concentration of Palestinians outside the territories housing nearly 160,000 people, has been gutted by years of war. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) A Syrian soldier stands guard inside a destroyed apartment in the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk in the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. Bulldozers and trucks are working to clear tons of rubble from the main streets. The camp, once home to the largest concentration of Palestinians outside the territories housing nearly 160,000 people, has been gutted by years of war. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) A bulldozer removes rubble from damage in street at the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk in the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. The camp, once home to the largest concentration of Palestinians outside the territories housing nearly 160,000 people, has been gutted by years of war. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) A truck removes rubble from damage in street at the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk in the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. The camp, once home to the largest concentration of Palestinians outside the territories housing nearly 160,000 people, has been gutted by years of war. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) A man walks through rubble in the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk in the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. Bulldozers and trucks are working to clear tons of rubble from the main streets. The camp, once home to the largest concentration of Palestinians outside the territories housing nearly 160,000 people, has been gutted by years of war. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) A Syrian Soldier rides his scooter as helps a woman to through a devastated part of the in the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk in the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. The camp, once home to the largest concentration of Palestinians outside the territories housing nearly 160,000 people, has been gutted by years of war. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) Buildings lie in ruins in the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk in the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. Bulldozers and trucks are working to clear tons of rubble from the main streets. The camp, once home to the largest concentration of Palestinians outside the territories housing nearly 160,000 people, has been gutted by years of war. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) Syrian Soldiers ride a scooter through a devastated part of the in the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk in the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. The camp, once home to the largest concentration of Palestinians outside the territories housing nearly 160,000 people, has been gutted by years of war. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) Men sit under a poster of the late Iranian revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, left, Syrian President Bashar Assad, second left, Head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command Ahmed Jibril, second right, and Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah at a check point in the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk in the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. The camp, once home to the largest concentration of Palestinians outside the territories housing nearly 160,000 people, has been gutted by years of war. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) Buildings lie in ruins in the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk in the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. The camp, once home to the largest concentration of Palestinians outside the territories housing nearly 160,000 people, has been gutted by years of war. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) Buildings lie in ruins in the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk in the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. The camp, once home to the largest concentration of Palestinians outside the territories housing nearly 160,000 people, has been gutted by years of war. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - The Latest on Romania's vote to change the definition of marriage (all times local): 9:45 p.m. Election officials in Romania say too few voters participated in a weekend referendum that sought to put a same-sex marriage ban into the country's constitution, so the vote is void. The Central Election Bureau reported after polls closed Sunday that 20.41 percent of registered voters cast ballots on the proposed amendment. The referendum needed at least 30 percent turnout to be valid. The failed amendment would have changed the definition of family in Romania's Constitution to make marriage a union between a man and a woman instead of between "spouses." Same-sex marriage is already illegal in Romania. Opponents had encouraged voters to boycott the referendum. The Romanian Orthodox Church supported the constitutional revision. A Romanian Orthodox nun exits the voting booth, in Ciorogarla, Romania, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018. Romanians are voting Sunday around the country for a second day on a constitutional amendment that would make it harder to legalize same-sex marriage. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) ___ 8:10 p.m. Polls have closed in Romania after two days of voting on a constitutional amendment that would make it harder to legalize same-sex marriage. But the weekend referendum to redefine marriage failed to attract large numbers of voters and risks being voided. Elections authorities said voter turnout stood at just below 19 percent two hours before polls closed Sunday. The referendum needs a 30 percent turnout to be valid. The proposed amendment would change the definition of family in Romania's Constitution to make marriage a union between a man and a woman instead of between "spouses." Same-sex marriage is already illegal in Romania. Final voter turnout is expected later Sunday and early results Monday. ___ 7:40 p.m. Romania's referendum on a constitutional amendment to redefine marriage is failing to attract significant voter participation and is in danger of being voided. Election officials said 18.87 percent of eligible voters had cast ballots as of two hours before the close of polls Sunday. The referendum that opened Saturday needs a voter turnout of at least 30 percent to be valid. If the turnout threshold is reached, the referendum seeking to amend the Romanian Constitution to say marriage is a union between a man and a woman instead of a union between "spouses" requires a simple majority to pass. The revision would make it harder to legalize same-sex marriages, which already are prohibited by statute in Romania. ___ 5:45 p.m. Election officials in Romania say 15.21 percent of eligible voters had cast ballots by mid-afternoon Sunday in the country's two-day referendum on changing the definition of marriage. The referendum needs a voter turnout of at least 30 percent to be valid. If that turnout threshold is reached, the referendum seeking to amend the Romanian Constitution requires a simple majority to pass. The conservative Coalition for Family that spearheaded a referendum to redefine marriage in Romania's Constitution and make it harder to legalize same-sex marriages is blaming "disinformation" for low voter turnout. The coalition initiated the referendum with a signature petition. Passage would amend the constitution to say marriage is a union between a man and a woman instead of a union between "two spouses. ___ 4:15 p.m. The conservative group that spearheaded a referendum to redefine marriage in Romania's Constitution and make it harder to legalize same-sex marriages is blaming "disinformation" for low voter turnout. As of midday on Sunday, voter turnout was 11.67 percent. The referendum needs at least 30 percent turnout to be valid. The Coalition for Family said in a statement that "a massive disinformation campaign" by the media, politicians and local governments was responsible for weak voter participation. It alleged "a general boycott by all political parties" that was "primarily directed against the Christians of Romania." The coalition initiated the referendum with a signature petition. Passage would amend the constitution to say marriage is a union between a man and a woman instead of a union between "two spouses. ___ 3:30 p.m. The head of the Romanian Orthodox Church is urging the faith's adherents to vote in a referendum that would make it harder to legalize same-sex marriage, if it passes. The church's news agency said Patriarch Daniel called on Romanians who hadn't yet cast ballots on Sunday to "vote before it's too late." The referendum would amend the Romanian Constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman, instead of a union between two spouses. Voter turnout of 30 percent is required for the referendum to be valid. Turnout was 11.67 percent as of midday Sunday. Another prominent church official, Metropolitan Teofan of Moldova and Bucovina, told Romania's Agerpres national news agency Romanians "deserved their fate" if the amendment fails. ___ 1:55 p.m. Romania's Central Electoral Bureau said 11.67 percent of voters had cast a ballot by lunchtime Sunday in the country's two-day referendum on changing the definition of marriage. The vote requires a 30 percent turnout to be valid. The proposed amendment would change the definition of family in Romania's Constitution to make marriage a union between a man and a woman instead of between "spouses." Same-sex marriage is already illegal in Romania. The conservative Coalition for Family initiated the referendum and Romanian Orthodox priests during Sunday services encouraged the faithful to vote. Opponents say the amendment could make LGBT people feel more like second-class citizens and could discriminate against non-traditional families. ___ 8 a.m. Romanians are voting for a second day on a constitutional amendment that would make it harder to legalize same-sex marriage. The Central Electoral Bureau said 5.72 percent of voters had cast a ballot Saturday in the two-day referendum. The vote requires a 30 percent turnout to be valid. The conservative Coalition for Family initiated the referendum, backed by the influential Romanian Orthodox Church. During Sunday services, priests are expected to encourage the faithful to vote. The proposed amendment would change the definition of family in Romania's Constitution to make marriage a union between a man and a woman instead of between "spouses." Same-sex marriage is already illegal in Romania. Opponents say the new constitutional language could make LGBT people feel more like second-class citizens and could discriminate against non-traditional families. A Romanian Orthodox nun exits the voting booth, in Ciorogarla, Romania, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018. Romanians are voting Sunday around the country for a second day on a constitutional amendment that would make it harder to legalize same-sex marriage. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) A child lifts the courtain of a voting booth as his father casts his vote, in Ciorogarla, Romania, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018. Romanians are voting Sunday around the country for a second day on a constitutional amendment that would make it harder to legalize same-sex marriage. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) A man watches a mother casting her vote next to her child in a voting booth, in Ciorogarla, Romania, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018. Romanians are voting Sunday around the country for a second day on a constitutional amendment that would make it harder to legalize same-sex marriage. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) A Romanian Orthodox nun casts her vote, in Ciorogarla, Romania, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018. Romanians are voting Sunday around the country for a second day on a constitutional amendment that would make it harder to legalize same-sex marriage. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) Theresa May namechecked the NHS more than Brexit in her conference speech, and did not utter the word Chequers once. The Prime Minister referred to the National Health Service 14 times, compared with 11 direct mentions of Brexit. And though she talked about her preferred terms for leaving the European Union, she decided not to refer to the proposals by name, dodging the word Chequers entirely. Theresa Mays conference speech - key words. Just 24 hours earlier, former foreign secretary Boris Johnson had urged his party to chuck Chequers during a speech at a conference fringe event. Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn also referred to the Chequers plan during his conference speech last week. Mrs May waited to talk about Brexit until she was almost half-an-hour into her speech. Mr Corbyn had waited even longer, holding off referring to Brexit for almost 40 minutes. She also clocked up more uses of the words freedom (15 compared with three for Corbyn), security (13 compared to six) and opportunity (eight compared to two). But while Mrs May made 10 mentions of the word build, she did not mention rebuild once, unlike Mr Corbyn who said it 12 times. Other words that cropped up more regularly in the Labour leaders speech included rights (10 mentions compared to one by Mrs May), childcare (eight compared to one), and investment (10 mentions compared to three). Mr Corbyn mentioned Theresa May by name just twice during his speech. The Prime Minister returned the favour by namechecking her opponent seven times. 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 Review will set out a programme of increased investment in public services, as a mark that the decade of cuts following the financial crash is coming to an end. Esther McVey and Michael Gove join applause for Mrs Mays speech (Victoria Jones/PA) 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. Mrs May said she was lifting the cap on councils borrowing to fund new developments, in a move which aides said could lead to additional investment of an estimated 1 billion in as many as 10,000 new homes a year. In a message to voters weary of belt-tightening, the PM said: Because you made sacrifices, there are better days ahead. 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. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell dismissed Mrs Mays austerity claim as a complete con, saying; The Government has already told us that spending for the next four years will be hit by many more vicious cuts. Nothing, sadly, has changed. 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. (PA Graphics) Standing firmly by her Brexit plan, 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 did not use the word Chequers the name of her country residence where the plan was agreed by Cabinet in July but aides insisted that this was not intended to signal any shift away from her blueprint. There was also 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. James Duddridge has submitted a letter of no confidence in the Prime Minister (PA) 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 Abba hit Dancing Queen and joked about the coughing fit and collapsing stage backdrop which marred her calamitous conference speech in Manchester last year. The reprise of the dance steps from her recent African trip surprised not only Tory delegates and TV viewers but even her closest aides and husband Philip, as Mrs May had kept her plans secret. 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. Theresa May dances as she arrives on stage (Stefan Rousseau/PA) 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. A kiss from husband Philip, after giving her speech (Aaron Chown/PA) Some markets are still not working in the interests of ordinary people, she said. 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 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. To applause from activists, she said that sound finances would remain an essential part of the Governments economic policy, but would no longer be the limit of our ambition. The British people need to know that the end is in sight, said the Prime Minister. 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. 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. Congratulations @theresa_may for a remarkable speech delivered with humour and passion. Firmness of purpose, clarity and conviction - EU friends do not underestimate! Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) October 3, 2018 We've heard nothing today from Theresa May to spark dancing in the streets or justify any on the conference platform. Her meaningless offer to end austerity is reliant on a Brexit deal that she cannot deliver while prisoner of the ideological fantasists on the Tory right.#CPC18 Tom Watson (@tom_watson) October 3, 2018 Mrs May was joined on stage by Philip as activists gave her a standing ovation after her 64-minute speech. CBI director-general Carolyn Fairbairn welcomed the PMs unambiguous call to back business. But the SNPs Ian Blackford said: The Prime Minister danced around the key issues the disastrous impact of Tory austerity and a Tory hard Brexit. The mother of a woman allegedly murdered more than 18 years ago has told a court she thought her daughter was getting on with her life and enjoying herself. Margaret Cruickshanks, who told a jury she last spoke to her daughter Margaret Fleming more than 20 years ago, said she did not think she was welcome in her daughters life. The witness also claimed she was assaulted by one of the two people accused of murder when she went to try and bring her daughter home. Ms Fleming was reported missing in October 2016 from her home in Inverkip, Inverclyde, but it is claimed she has not been seen since December 1999. Edward Cairney, 76, and Avril Jones, 58, are accused of Ms Flemings abduction and murder, and of fraudulently claiming 182,000 in benefits by pretending she was still alive. The pair are on trial at the High Court in Glasgow, where they deny all the charges against them. Ms Cruickshanks, 71, told the court her daughter, who was born in 1980, had learning difficulties. Edward Cairney, 76, and Avril Jones, 58, are on trial at the High Court in Glasgow (PA) She sometimes had a temper and could be difficult to handle as a youngster, the court heard. Jurors were told how Ms Fleming went to live with her father after he and her mother separated. Following his death she stayed with her grandparents, before returning to live with her mother at the age of 15-and-a-half, the court was told. Ms Cruickshanks said Jones and Cairney, described as friends of her ex-husband, would take Ms Fleming for a few nights to help her out. By the age of 16, she was staying with them for good, the court was told. Ms Cruickshanks described a time when she went to the home where they resided, known as Seacroft, to bring my daughter home but she said she was not allowed to do so. She and Cairney had words and he assaulted her, she alleged. The witness told the court: He actually threw me up against a wardrobe He put his hands round my throat, tried to choke me, and spat on my face and threw me down on the ground. She added that Jones was present, watching everything that was going on. The witness said Cairney then asked Ms Fleming where she wanted to live. She looked terrified and said there (Seacroft), Ms Cruickshanks said. The witness also told jurors the episode left her (Ms Cruickshanks) crying and nervous and that she reported it to police. Officers later reported back that Ms Fleming said she was quite happy staying at the property, the court heard. The Crown alleges the incident happened in 1997, while the witness said she believed it to be in 1996. Ms Cruickshanks told the court she never saw, or had contact with, her daughter again after that visit, apart from a possible sighting of her with Cairney near a supermarket. The sighting was said to be a couple of months afterwards, although the court later heard she told police Ms Fleming was aged in her 20s by that point. By October 2016, the court heard that police were conducting an investigation into Ms Fleming being a missing person. Advocate Depute Iain McSporran QC, prosecuting, asked the witness about her feelings towards her daughter over the years that had elapsed with no contact. She said: I actually thought she was getting on with her life and enjoying herself in every way possible. I never thought the likes of this would happen. She added: I thought she was still with Eddie Cairney and Avril Jones. Asked whether she thought she was welcome in her daughters life, she replied: No, I dont think so. Cristiano Ronaldo has firmly denied allegations of rape made against him. The Juventus forward is being sued by a woman in the United States who claims he raped her in the penthouse suite of a Las Vegas hotel in 2009. Writing on Twitter, Ronaldo said: I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me. Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in. 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 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. My clear conscious will thereby allow me to await with tranquillity the results of any and all investigations. The Nevada woman alleges the former Manchester United forward dispatched a team of fixers to obstruct the criminal investigation and trick her into keeping quiet for 375,000 US dollars (268,000). Cristiano Ronaldo has denied allegations of rape (Mike Egerton/PA) The suit says the woman last month asked police to reopen the criminal case. My clear conscious will thereby allow me to await with tranquillity the results of any and all investigations. Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) October 3, 2018 Las Vegas police confirmed to the Associated Press on Monday that they have reopened a sexual assault case from 2009 brought by the woman named in the lawsuit. The lawsuit also accuses Ronaldo or those working for him of battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, coercion and fraud, abuse of a vulnerable person, racketeering and civil conspiracy, defamation, abuse of process, breach of contract, and negligence for allowing details of the confidential settlement to leak out. It asks for general damages, special damages, punitive damages and special relief, each in excess of 50,000 US dollars (38,000), along with interest, attorney fees and court costs. UK-based experts are spearheading a major drive to revolutionise the response to a large-scale chemical, biological, radioactive or nuclear incident. A team led by researchers from Loughborough University is developing a number of advanced methods to help emergency services around the world tackle a CBRN (chemical, biological, radioactive or nuclear) attack or accident. The new tools include technology to determine casualty exposure to poisons through rapid skin, breath and saliva tests, drone equipment to measure toxic fumes in the atmosphere and crisis communications techniques to stop the spread of fake news. The multi-million pound TOXI-Triage project was set up to establish novel ways of giving effective and diagnostically sound medical and toxic assessments amid the confusion, disorder and dangers of a CBRN emergency. While the work started around three years ago, full details are emerging now ahead of a full-scale field trial later this month. Paul Thomas, Professor of Analytical Science from Loughboroughs Department of Chemistry, who is leading TOXI-Triage, described the project as truly revolutionary. The danger posed by chemical weapons was underlined by the Novichok poisoning in Salisbury earlier this year (Andrew Matthews/PA) He said: Over the last four years, some of the strongest teams across Europe have been working together to help ensure society can respond to and tackle a CBRN incident in the best possible way. We live in a time where CBRN terrorism is a real threat, and incidents such as the Birling Gap gas cloud and Japans Fukushima nuclear crisis illustrate how CBRN incidents can and do occur as a result of human error or a natural disaster. The emergency services need to have the best possible information when a CBRN incident occurs, in the quickest time possible without having to put further lives at risk. TOXI-Triage has created new hot zone assessment, diagnostic, communications and track and tag triage technologies, along with an integrated system that pulls all the information together in real time. Funded by the European Commission, the project brings together 18 teams spanning emergency and health services, defence, industry, and university academics. One strand of the initiative is focused on developing technologies that enable diagnosis of CBRN agents by analysing a potential casualtys skin, saliva or breath. Experts have identified metabolic markers present in someone affected by radiation, while data recovered from toxic alcohols and pesticides, which act in a similar manner to nerve agents, are being examined. Using the markers, a diagnosis map has been created which can be used alongside new analysis technology to carry out rapid triage of casualties in a CBRN emergency. The project has also devised: Payloads for drones that contain radiological and poison cloud monitoring instrumentation; Systems for mapping the environmental impact of an incident and managing decontamination activity; Tools to tackle the spread of fake news and improve official communications during an emergency; A method of using social media to track a crisis situation as it develops and to help in the deployment of emergency services. Later this month, the project team will travel to Athens for a full-scale field trial in partnership with Greeces Ministry of National Defence. It will be the first time so many new advanced methods and technologies will have been combined to tackle a simulated CBRN crisis, Loughborough University said. At the end of the project next year, it is anticipated that the technologies and systems will become the gold standard for an emergency response. A terrorist attack involving CBRN materials has the potential to cause harm by contaminating people, animals, buildings, outdoor environments, water supplies and food, according to the Governments national risk register of civil emergencies. It adds: Extremists remain interested in CBRN materials, however alternative methods of attack such as employing firearms or conventional explosive devices remain far more likely. The danger posed by chemical weapons was underlined by the Novichok poisoning in Salisbury earlier this year. The closure of a beautiful bay in Thailand made famous by Leonardo DiCaprio film The Beach is to be extended indefinitely until it recovers from years of environmental damage caused by too many tourists, authorities said. They had announced in March that tourists would be barred from Maya Bay from June 1 to September 30. Leonardo DiCaprio at the European Gala premiere of The Beach in Leicester Square, London, in 2000 (Michael Crabtree//PA) An official announcement published in the Royal Gazette said the bay, part of a national park, will now be closed from October 1 2018 onwards until the marine natural resources return to their normal condition. Maya Bay had remained open year-round to meet tourist demand since a Hollywood crew set foot there in 1999, while other marine national parks are shut annually for four months. Police Scotland are working with Europol and Spanish officers in the search for a man last seen in Tenerife almost four months ago. Alan Jeffrey, 25, was last seen by his girlfriend on June 10 on the popular holiday island. He was due to return home with her that day but said he was going to stay on with some friends, and his girlfriend then returned home by herself. Mr Jeffrey, from Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, has not been in touch with his family since then and he was reported missing to Police Scotland on June 26. Officers said it is unusual for the 25-year-old not to be in touch with his family and given the passage of time, they cannot rule out that he may have come to harm. Alan Jeffrey has not been seen since June in Tenerife Police Scotland/PA) Mr Jeffrey is white, around 5ft 10in with a stocky build and short, receding brown hair. Inspector Keith Campbell said: Whilst it may seem an unusual move for police in Scotland to be investigating a person missing in Spain, we are liaising with Spanish authorities and Europol with our inquiry. All of Alans family, friends and associates are here in Scotland and he was reported missing here. A number of officers have been working on this inquiry for some time, however it has been challenging as we havent received much information so far, and this is why we are now appealing to the public for their help. Given the passage of time and with some of the information we have received, we cannot rule out that some harm may have come to Alan. He may have decided himself not to return home, however it is very unusual for him not to be in touch with his family for such a long period of time. When last seen, police said Mr Jeffrey had indicated he was planning to travel to Marbella in Spain with some friends. Mr Campbell added: We remain focused on tracing him safe and well. If Alan himself is reading this appeal, please get in touch with your family as they are very concerned. I would ask anyone who may have information in relation to this inquiry to contact police via 101. The family of a man who died in police custody more than three years ago said they are disappointed and disgusted by the Crowns decision not to bring any prosecutions at present as a result. Sheku Bayoh, 31, died after being restrained by officers responding to a call in Kirkcaldy, Fife, on May 3 2015. Now his family are demanding a public inquiry into his death, with their lawyer pledging they would continue to fight for the truth. Sheku Bayoh, 31, died after being restrained by police in May 2015 (handout/PA) Mr Bayohs family have already been critical of Police Scotland, the Crown Office and the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (Pirc) over what they describe as a lack of answers. They met Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC on Wednesday for an update on the case, but voiced anger upon learning the Crown Office will not be pursuing prosecutions. A spokesman for the Crown Office confirmed the decision not to pursue prosecutions at this stage following a complex investigation. He said: The Crown has conducted this investigation with professionalism, integrity and respect. It is committed to ensuring that the facts and circumstances surrounding the death of Sheku Bayoh are fully aired in an appropriate legal forum and, to that end, it has discussed possible next steps with a small number of colleagues in the justice system. Lawyer Aamer Anwar alongside Mr Bayohs sisters Adama Jalloh, left, and Kadijatu Johnson, second right, and Deborah Coles, director of the Inquest group, as they leave the Crown Office in Edinburgh (Andrew Milligan/PA) The Crown Office would not comment further in order to protect any potential proceedings resulting from what is known as the Victims Right to Review, the spokesman said. Mr Bayohs sister Kadijatu Johnson said: We have left this office very disappointed and disgusted, my brother Sheku has died and yet the police get to walk free. The justice system has failed us as a family as well as his two boys Isaac and Tyler. The familys solicitor Aamer Anwar said they want a public inquiry into the incident. He said: The family will continue to fight for the truth and seek a review of the decision, albeit they believe that such a process is simply a box-ticking exercise, they have demanded that all evidence must now be disclosed to the family by the Crown Office, and the Lord Advocate must not stand in the way of justice and the pursuit for truth if he will not act. They will robustly pursue a civil action and meet with the justice minister this afternoon. Kadijatu Johnson, right, and her sister Adama Jalloh outside the Crown Office (Andrew Milligan/PA) They will accept nothing less than a public inquiry from the Scottish Government a FAI (fatal accident inquiry) would be another betrayal and would do nothing to bring about real change, accountability and justice. Mr Bayohs family announced earlier this year that they are suing Police Scotland for 1.85 million, claiming the death could have been avoided and alleging the manner of restraint was not reasonable, proportionate or necessary. The Scottish Green Party has backed the familys calls for a public inquiry. Family of #ShekuBayoh devastated & feel nothing but betrayal by Lord Advocates decision not to prosecute any of the 9 officers or @policescotland for death in custody on 3rd May 2015-now the sisters, @DebatINQUEST & Legal team meet with @HumzaYousaf seeking Public Inquiry pic.twitter.com/8KtfGQwvML Aamer Anwar#BlackLivesMatter (@AamerAnwar) October 3, 2018 Justice spokesman John Finnie, a former police officer, said: The Scottish Green Party have always supported a thorough investigation of the circumstances leading to Mr Bayohs death, such as the familys request for a full judicial public inquiry under the Inquiries Act to be ordered by the Justice Secretary. There are wider considerations which go beyond this case that must be fully understood. Our thoughts are with Mr Bayohs family and friends. Sexual offenders and their victims could be brought together outside the courtroom to tackle under-reporting, a former judge leading a review said. Eight out of 10 alleged sexual crimes are not being divulged to police and the pros and cons of restorative justice are under consideration as part of possible future reforms. The way the criminal justice system handles sexual crime is under review following a high-profile trial in which rugby players Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding were acquitted of raping the same woman. Thank you to our partners for helping to launch #NoGreyZone. Many voices joined together to raise awareness of sexual consent and empower people to be #ConfidentAboutConsent Be part of the movement and start talking about sexual consent now. pic.twitter.com/Pd7JLupYC6 Police Service NI (@PoliceServiceNI) October 3, 2018 The retired appeal court judge leading the review, Sir John Gillen, said Northern Ireland was a shining example in its use of restorative justice in other areas involving low-level wrongdoing or that committed by youths. He added: The main reason I am looking at it is because 85% of young women and young men, older women and older men, are not coming forward into the criminal justice system. We are therefore looking at the possibility of something additional to the criminal justice system for people to be able to come forward and get closure. He said restorative justice had been used in the US, Australia and New Zealand. It is working in other parts of the world, some better than others, but it is certainly working in other parts of the world. We work extremely well here in youth justice and in low-tariff crimes, we are a shining example of how restorative justice works in youth justice and low-tariff crime. We are looking at the possibilities, there are pros and cons and we are looking at the possibilities. The PSNI and other official agencies have launched a new sexual consent awareness campaign entitled No Grey Zone. It aims to raise public consciousness of what sexual assault and consent is and covers behaviour from unwanted groping to penetration. It seeks to equip society, particularly young people, with knowledge and skills to safeguard them. PSNI detective chief superintendent Paula Hilman said: Over the past number of years we have seen an increase in the number of sexual crimes being reported and we wanted to develop a campaign to educate young people about sexual consent and send the clear message that there is no grey zone. PSNI detective chief superintendent Paula Hilman said it was vital society understood what sexual assault and consent was. Michael McHugh/PA. The campaign is aimed at those aged 16-28. The senior officer said a student survey showed just over 4% of those who said they had been sexually assaulted reported it to police. Half had not told anyone. Cara Cash Marley, chief executive of the Nexus NI support charity, said: The No Grey Zone campaign is we hope the start of a movement. It is the beginning of a changed conversation for Northern Ireland. Plans for a 250 million film and TV studio have been halted after a land court ruled a tenant farmer cannot be removed from the area earmarked for the site. The development on the Pentland Estate in Midlothian was given planning permission by Government ministers last year and was said to be of national importance, but the Scottish Land Court has now ruled that land from two smallholdings cannot be used for the development. The estate is owned by the Gibsone family but part of it is farmed by James Telfer. The court decided it could not approve the resumption of the two smallholdings farmed by Mr Telfer and the sale could not be said to be for the good of the whole estate. In his ruling, Lord Minginish said: Resumption followed by a sale of the whole estate could not be for the good of the estate because no estate would remain in the hands of the landlords. Our decision is, therefore, that the application should be refused for want of a reasonable purpose in relation to the good of the estate. The film studio had been described as `nationally important but the ruling could mean it does not go ahead (Andrew Milligan/PA) We recognise that deciding the case in such a way that a project said to be of national importance does not go ahead is a serious matter. However this is not the only place in Scotland on which such a development can take place. Congratulations to Jim, Mary, and family and all those who have stood with them in this long struggle. Shout out too for Copper who has been stoical throughout. 10/11 pic.twitter.com/oKqt5RM4JJ Andy Wightman (@andywightman) October 3, 2018 Developers said the studio would have supported hundreds of jobs. The Gibsone family said it was devastated by the decision and would consider an appeal to the Court of Session. Nick Gibsone, co-owner of the Pentland Estate, said: We are not by any means a wealthy family and the current estate is little more than 100 acres. We have spent five years trying to make the best of what we own and leave a lasting legacy that would be of benefit to the many, not the few. We had hoped to reach an amicable agreement with the smallholding tenant, Mr Telfer, within the provisions of smallholding law, which would have resulted in substantial compensation, and this remains the case. This would also enable the developers to facilitate a project of national importance and make much-needed improvements to local land, in particular restoration of a site where thousands of tons of waste material had been left by a previous tenant. We are disappointed not only for ourselves and the developers, but for Midlothian and Scotland with the loss of hundreds of potential jobs and the boost to the economy the film studio could deliver. Scottish Green MSPs Alison Johnstone and Andy Wightman have campaigned in support of Mr Telfer, and they welcomed the ruling. They said: We welcome this decision from the Scottish Land Court. It is clear that the landlord has no lawful grounds to resume Jim Telfers tenancy. Quite why the landlord, the developers and some voices within the Scottish film industry ignored the fact that a sitting tenant has legal rights that have now been upheld is for them to explain. We have been consistent in our support for our constituent throughout this process and hope that the stress and anxiety facing Jim and his family is now over. It is now incumbent on industry and the Scottish Government to deliver the much-needed national film studio on a site where development would be lawful. 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. The 53-year-old was rescued by specialist officers on Wednesday morning (GLAA/PA) 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 Trump administration has said it is terminating a decades-old treaty affirming friendly relations between the US and Iran in response to a UN court order. 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 US sanctions on the basis that they were a violation of the treaty. Judges enter the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands (Peter Dejong/AP) The Iranians have ignored the treaty for an awfully long time, Mr Pompeo told reporters. We ought to have pulled out of it decades ago, he added. The treaty was signed when America and Iran were allies after the 1953 revolution, fomented by Britain and the US, that ultimately cemented the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Diplomatic relations were severed following Irans Islamic Revolution in 1979 and the takeover of the US embassy and ensuing hostage crisis. Nonetheless, the treaty remains in force. Mr Pompeo said the practical fallout from the US decision to withdraw remains to be seen. This marked a useful point for us to demonstrate the absolute absurdity of the treaty, he said. On Wednesday, the UNs highest court ordered the United States to lift sanctions on Iran that affect imports of humanitarian goods and products and services linked to civil aviation safety. Mohammed Zahedin Labbaf, third left, of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the US delegation, right, listen to the ruling of the judges at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands (Peter Dejong/AP) President Donald Trump moved to restore tough US penalties in May after withdrawing from Tehrans nuclear accord with world powers. Iran challenged the sanctions in a case filed in July at the court. 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. 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 Chief Coroner has called for distressing pictures of the Westminster attack victims to be taken off 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 then 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 hired Hyundai. 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 urge that it is removed. John Frade, the widower of Westminster terror attack victim Aysha Frade, outside the Old Bailey, London, for the inquests into the Westminster terror attack (Nick Ansell/PA) During the inquest, Gareth Patterson QC, representing families of the victims on the bridge, said graphic pictures of mother-of-two Mrs Frade had 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. 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. Thousands of Glasgow City Council workers will stage a two-day strike later this month in a row over equal pay claims. More than 8,000 members of the GMB and Unison unions are due to walk out for 48 hours from Tuesday October 23. 8000 GMB and Unison members will strike on October 23-24 to fight back against a decade of discrimination and to demand fair and full settlement of outstanding equal pay claims. @GlasgowCC we're ready to start talks Monday- are you? @unison_glasgow https://t.co/VO7ZOt2Cqf Glasgow GMB (@GMBGlasgowCC) October 3, 2018 The unions said the strike will affect home care, schools and nurseries. Thousands of female workers are proceeding with equal pay claims against the council following a Court of Session ruling last year. GMB Scotland organiser Rhea Wolfson said members will bring the city to a standstill in order to progress negotiations. Mary Dawson, Unison Glasgow chairwoman, added: Our members are now standing up and fighting back. Low-paid workers, mostly women who have had enough. Council workers have announced a strike in an equal pay row (Lucinda Cameron/PA) We have given the council 10 months to make progress on addressing the historical discrimination suffered by these workers. However, the council has agreed nothing, offered nothing and all we have had are meetings about meetings and talks about talks. Its time for some action. A Glasgow City Council spokesman said the unions know their demands cannot be met. He added: Unions agreed to the current timescale as part of the negotiations which have been ongoing for several months and it is simply wrong to move to strike action when they know that it will not and cannot achieve anything. The unions also fully understand that we cannot continue to negotiate an equal pay settlement with them while they are engaged in industrial action. However, the vast majority of the claimants are represented by Action 4 Equality Scotland and we will continue negotiations with them during this time. 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. Sinn Feins Gerry Kelly said it was "not unreasonable" to describe the UK government as the main protagonist in the Troubles (David Young/PA) As 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 (Victoria Jones/PA) 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 lobbying 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. The widow of murdered Pc Keith Palmer has said he was left to die with no protection after a coroner found his death could have been prevented. Michelle Palmer said her husband was left alone, unarmed, guarding an open gate when he was stabbed by a marauding terrorist armed with two foot-long knives. Chief Coroner Mark Lucraft QC found shortcomings in security at the Palace of Westminster meant armed officers did not know they were supposed to guard the open gate where Pc Palmer was on duty. Pc Keith Palmer (Met Police) 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 two armed officers tasked with patrolling New Palace Yard had been nowhere near Carriage Gates for nearly an hour before the attack. Khalid Masood, 52, had targeted the unarmed police officers guarding Parliament after mowing down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge in a hired car, killing four. Following a four-week inquest at the Old Bailey, Chief Coroner Mark Lucraft QC found all five victims had been unlawfully killed by Masood. Khalid Masood (Metropolitan Police/PA) In his conclusions, he said: 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. Had they been stationed there it is possible that they may have been able to prevent Pc Palmer suffering fatal injuries. Masood was eventually shot dead by a plain clothes close protection officer. (PA Graphics) Mrs Palmer issued a statement saying: 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 countrys 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 wouldnt have lost her daddy. What is so disappointing is that the police havent 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. 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. (PA Graphics) The parents and sisters of Pc Palmer, who would have turned 50 on Wednesday, said the inquest had been traumatic and extremely difficult. They said the coroner should have gone further in his findings, accusing senior Met officers of closing ranks. John and Sylvia Curtis, Angela Clark, Michelle Palmer, and John Curtis said in a statement: The inquest has been traumatic and extremely difficult for our family. We welcome the fact that the Chief Coroner has recognised some of the Mets 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? Speaking outside court, Mr Basu said the Met accepted the coroners findings. The Chief Coroner has plainly carried out a rigorous and full inquiry and we unreservedly accept his conclusions, he said. Even the possibility that the Metropolitan Police Service lost the chance to prevent the murder of a brave and courageous officer is unacceptable. For the loss of that possibility to protect him from Khalid Masood we are deeply sorry. 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. 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. 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. Kurt Cochran, one of the victims of the Westminster terror attack, walking on to the bridge with his wife Melissa (Met Police) 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. 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. He also told how Mr Cochran almost certainly saved the life of his wife Melissa by pushing her out of the way. He said: Had he not taken the action he did she may have died or sustained even more serious injuries than she already sustained. John Frade speaks to the media outside the Old Bailey, (Nick Ansell/PA) Ouside court, John Frade, who lost his wife Aysha, said: Even though these proceedings can never bring Aysha back we are here to make sure that the only ones who are remembered as a result of this atrocity are Aysha and the other victims. One of the first pieces of advice Aysha ever gave me was that for things to change, you need to change. We hope that as a part of her legacy lessons will be learned in preventing other families from being in this situation in the future. Aysha will be forever our guiding light and even though our family will never be the same without her, we will continue to fight against the injustice. The Duchess of Sussex rushed to the aid of a young girl who stood crying after being pushed over in the heaving crowds waiting to greet her. Meghan was seen dashing over to the tearful youngster in Peacehaven, East Sussex, on Wednesday during her first official visit to the county which inspired her royal title. The Joff youth centre in the seaside town was the last visit on a whistle-stop tour of the county. As the couple left the building, they went to speak to crowds outside and Meghan saw Kara Fairhall, 10, was upset. She was seen reaching out to hold the girls hand and speaking to her for some time. Thank you to everyone in Sussex for the unforgettable welcome for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex today! #RoyalVisitSussex pic.twitter.com/Q4YpywIYnC The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) October 3, 2018 Afterwards Kara said: When Meghan came over everyone rushed forward and I got pushed over. I started to cry as I was a bit upset, but I wasnt hurt. The crowd waits for the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Chris Jackson/PA) Meghan saw I was crying and came over to me to see if I was ok. She took my hand and said Are you OK? I said yes and she said: Its going to be OK. I felt a lot better afterwards and said thank you. Shes really nice and I was really happy I got to meet her. The couple spent much of the day focusing on young people and children as they made five stops in east and west Sussex. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex members of the @SurvivorsNetBtn Knitwork Project, which brings together survivors of sexual violence and the wider community. #RoyalVisitSussex pic.twitter.com/KK10otQUCh The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) October 3, 2018 Meghan gathered numerous gifts and bouquets of flowers while Harry was spotted patting the head of a baby and hugging a girl who he met at the youth centre. The newlyweds appeared to be very much still in the honeymoon phase and were seen holding hands and laughing together. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at The Joff, Peacehaven Youth Centre (Chris Jackson/PA) Harry spoke of his love for his wife and how very happy he was. First arriving in Chichester, the duke and the US-born former actress were greeted by excited crowds and then saw a rare copy of the American Declaration of Independence in 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 and surprise at finding it in Sussex, saying: My goodness, wow, what are the chances? Thats amazing. I just cant believe it. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (centre) during a visit to the Royal Pavilion in Brighton (Tim Ireland/PA) The duchess wore a camel Giorgio 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 for her trip to the sunny south coast. Her hair was tied back in her signature bun and she wore subtle gold jewellery including a number of rings. Harry was dressed in a grey suit, brown shoes and a white shirt. At their next stop in Bognor Regis, they officially opened the University of Chichesters Engineering and Digital Technology Park. The pair donned donned safety goggles to watch an experiment in one of the laboratories then 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. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex during a visit to the Royal Pavilion (Tim Ireland/PA) The couple chatted with cellist Laura Ritchie, 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. A drawing of Meghans dog (Drawings Of Dogs/PA) When Harry was shown how close the centre was to the famous Butlins holiday resort, he was heard saying it looks like a circus before reportedly hinting that he and Meghan should go. In Brighton, after a tour of the Royal Pavilion, Harry and Meghan met volunteers and staff at the nearby Survivors Network, a service that supports victims of sexual violence. The organisation presented dog lover Meghan with a pencil drawing of her dog by local artist Henry James Garrett, who works under the moniker Drawings Of Dogs. The Duke of Sussex strokes a dog as he and the Duchess of Sussex arrive in Chichester (Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA) Harry pointed out: No ones even seen our dog. But the duke then suggested the drawing may indeed depict their beagle Guy. Looking at the drawing, Meghan pointed out the little freckles to Harry. The artwork also includes writing which says Whos a good boy? Whos a good boy? The answer to the question says: A boy who makes every effort to dismantle the patriarchy (whilst keeping in mind intersections with other forms of oppression). Taking a closer look at the Sussex copy of the Declaration of Independence, a rare copy of the American Declaration of Independence and one of only two in existence that was discovered in 2016 #RoyalVisitSussex pic.twitter.com/1lueajUbjp The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) October 3, 2018 The couple were also given pins, created by the same artist, which say You have a superpower and its called empathy. Meghan said: Oh I love that. Wow this is really special. Thank you. The pair heard from volunteers and also people who use the service, as well as chatting to men from Mankind, a charity that helps male survivors. When in the Peacehaven youth centre, the couple talked to youngsters about the importance of speaking openly about mental health, taking part in themed games and activities before gathering for a group photo. Harry told the group it was fantastic they were sharing personal experiences in order to help others who may need support. Life-saving aid supplies will be sent to Indonesia, where a volcano has erupted days 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. Now 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. Plumes of volcanic ash rising from Mount Soputan (Yehezkiel Dondokambey/AP) International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt has now pledged thousands of shelter kits, solar lanterns and water purifiers will be on a flight to the disaster zone tomorrow. 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. The supplies will leave on a plane from Doncaster airport flying to help more than 70,000 people forced to flee their homes. Through our partners, and directly, we are providing funds to support the vulnerable survivors of this catastrophe. The UK stands side-by-side with the people of Indonesia who remain in our thoughts at this terrible time. We will help, in the immediate aftermath and in the long-term too. 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 to the Indonesia earthquake response. DfID provided 20% of all contributions to the fund in 2017. The $15 million 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. Pope Francis urged Catholic bishops to dream of a future free of the mistakes of the past and hit out at clericalism as he opened a global church leadership meeting amid renewed outrage over the priestly sex abuse and cover-up scandal. Yet close to the Vaticans synod hall, about two dozen abuse survivors staged a sit-in, demanding their cause be taken up at the meeting and voicing outrage that some of the delegates had covered up for abusive priests. Make Zero Tolerance Real, read one protest sign. Chinese bishops Yang Xiaoting, right, and Guo Jincai attended the opening of the15th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (Alessandro Di Meo/AP) Francis welcomed more than 250 priests, bishops and cardinals, as well as 34 young Catholics, to a month-long meeting on ministering to future generations, urging young and old to listen to one another without prejudice. He prayed for Gods 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. The October 3-28 synod comes amid new revelations about decades of sexual misconduct by priests and cover-ups in the US, Chile, Germany and elsewhere. It has been a disastrous year for the pope on the abuse front, after he botched a prominent cover-up scandal in Chile before changing course. More recently, he has been accused of rehabilitating an American ex-cardinal who pressured seminarians to sleep with him. Those cases, coupled with the release of devastating studies about decades of abuses and cover-ups in Pennsylvania and Germany that predated his papacy, have fuelled doubts about his oft-stated pledge of having zero tolerance for that, since implicated bishops remain in place. We ask for the grace to listen to one another, in order to discern together what the Lord is asking of His Church. #Synod2018 Pope Francis (@Pontifex) October 3, 2018 Pope Francis talks about zero tolerance, and that bishops who cover-up should be removed and put on trial, said Alessandro Battaglia, who was 15 when he was abused by a Milan-area priest who last month was convicted and sentenced to over six years in prison. The current archbishop of Milan, Mario Delpini, gave evidence at the trial of Mauro Galli that he had transferred Galli to another parish rather than report him to police or keep him away from other potential victims, as Mr Battaglias family had requested. Despite publicity about the case, Francis named Mr Delpini archbishop of Milan in July and named him a papal delegate at the synod. What is this zero tolerance? Mr Battaglia asked at the protest Wednesday. If he wants to give a sign of zero tolerance and coherence and credibility, remove him (Delpini). Francis did not refer directly to the abuse scandal in his homily at mass or later Wednesday in his opening speech to the synod. A view of St Peters Square, at the Vatican, during a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis (Alessandra Tarantino/AP) He did, however, call for an end to the scourge of clericalism, the culture that puts clergy on a pedestal and unaccountable to their flocks, which Francis has blamed for the scandal. Clericalism is a perversion and is the root of many evils in the church, he told the delegates. We must humbly ask forgiveness for this and above all create the conditions so that it is not repeated. Francis got emotional during his homily when he welcomed two Chinese bishops to the gathering, the first time Chinese bishops have attended a Vatican synod. That was made possible thanks to a landmark agreement with Beijing over bishop nominations that unified the Chinese Catholic leadership for the first time in decades. Lionel Messi tormented Tottenham as Barcelona inflicted a Champions League blow on their hosts with a 4-2 victory at Wembley. Mauricio Pochettinos Spurs were rocked by stunning goals from Philippe Coutinho, Ivan Rakitic and two from the irrepressible Messi. Harry Kane, and then Erik Lamela, briefly gave the hosts a chance of taking something from the match by cutting the deficit to one goal. But Messis second in the last minute put paid to that, meaning the late collapse at Inter Milan now looks even more costly for Tottenham who have no points from their opening two matches in Group B. Yet this was supposed to be a good time to play Barcelona, the Spanish champions having not won in three LaLiga matches, including a shock defeat by bottom club Leganes. They were certainly vulnerable at the back, but going forward they remain an awesome force as they proved by racing into the lead inside two minutes. Barcelonas Lionel Messi celebrates his first goal (Nick Potts/PA) In one fluid movement Messi, on the halfway line, stepped away from Son Heung-min and clipped a superb crossfield pass to Jordi Alba. Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris did not exactly cover himself in glory upon his return to the side, opting to come charging out of his goal even though Alba was always favourite to get there first. With Lloris left in a heap on the pitch, Alba squared the ball to Coutinho who took one touch and slotted home from 20 yards. Spurs fell two behind in the 29th minute courtesy of an outrageous piece of improvisation from Coutinho and a sensational strike from Rakitic. Collecting Luis Suarezs chest-down, Coutinho shanked his attempted finish and the ball looked to be spinning out of play. But the Brazilian managed to retrieve it, flicking it back into play to the edge of the area where it was met with an exquisite leaping volley from Rakitic. Spurs had memorably beaten Real Madrid in last seasons group stages, but injuries are taking their toll this term and they were missing five players including Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen. As he glanced at how little in the way of cavalry he had on the bench, Pochettino must have been questioning the wisdom of the club not adding to their squad during the summer transfer window. After the break Messi was twice denied by a post, gliding through the Tottenham defence each time only to see both shots come back off the foot of the same upright. Yet from out of nowhere they pulled one back through Kane, who dragged the ball back in the area before curling into the bottom corner. But within four minutes Messi had found the net, a perfectly executed finish after Coutinho and Suarez both let Albas pull-back run across them. Lamelas deflected strike halved the arrears with 24 minutes still to play, but Tottenham could not haul themselves level and instead Messi fittingly had the final word. Liverpool received a taste of their own medicine as Napoli scored a 90th-minute winner to inflict a 1-0 defeat on Jurgen Klopps side in the Stadio San Paolo. Two weeks ago the Reds snatched a winner of their own deep into added time to beat Paris St Germain but the tables were turned in Naples with Lorenzo Insigne sliding home from close range 30 seconds from the end of normal time. In truth the hosts, who also hit the crossbar through substitute Dries Mertens, deserved it having dominated against a Liverpool side putting in one of their worst performances under Klopp. The last time the Reds came here in 2010 with an understrength side they left with an instantly-forgettable goalless draw. This performance will also not live long in the memory but had they managed to hold out it would have been an important point. Napoli became only the second team, after Porto in a dead rubber at Anfield, to stop Liverpool from scoring in the last 19 European matches, but that was only half the problem as Klopps side were poor in possession to the point where they were, occasionally, all over the place. Lorenzo Insigne was the hero for Napoli (Scott Heavey/PA) Midfielder Naby Keita made his Champions League debut while Napoli fielded Marek Hamsik, the only survivor from the two sides meeting eight years ago in the Europa League. Liverpools team from that encounter is one fans have been trying to forget ever since, coming midway through Roy Hodgsons ill-fated six-month tenure. Only Jose Reina and Jamie Carragher are remembered with any fondness from an XI which also comprised Martin Kelly, Martin Skrtel, Jamie Carragher, Paul Konchesky, Jay Spearing, Christian Poulsen, Jonjo Shelvey, Milan Jovanovic and David Ngog. But they played like that much-maligned side, carelessly giving the ball away too many times, especially in midfield with Keita one of the main culprits. However, he was far from on his own as Napoli seized on every error to establish dominance and had it not been for Liverpools excellent centre-back pair of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez things could have been much worse. Keitas ridiculous backpass in the direction of Van Dijk was easily cut out and switched to the unmarked Insigne on the left but he drilled a shot just wide of Alisson Beckers left-hand post. An injury to Keita, he departed on the medical cart in the 18th minute, may actually have been something of a blessing as his replacement Jordan Henderson at least tried to get a grip of possession in midfield. It worked briefly although they still needed Van Dijk to do some clearing up at the back when Kalidou Koulibaly broke through down the left earning a clattering from the Napoli defender, who was booked for sending the Dutchman rolling off the pitch. The hosts were soon back on it though and Arkadiusz Milik should have done better when he was allowed to turn and shoot around the penalty spot, Alisson parrying before catching the rebound. Miliks skidding shot from distance had Alisson scrambling low down to block with Gomez hacking away the danger from the lurking Insigne. Even the usually unflappable Van Dijk was being affected as he sloppily played the ball into midfield and it came back twice as quickly. With Gomez trying to cover the space he had vacated it broke to Fabian Ruiz but Trent Alexander-Arnold produced a perfectly-timed tackle to block the shooting opportunity. Mohamed Salah shot just wide in the 68th minute with his first real sight of goal but it was a rare one for any of Liverpools front three. Substitute Mertens made an immediate impact, having a shot cleared off the line by Gomez and then heading against the crossbar when he should have scored with Alisson getting a slight touch. The pressure remained on the visitors and they finally cracked when Jose Callejons low cross into the six-yard area was diverted home by Insigne. Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita was taken to hospital for further examination of a back injury sustained in the 1-0 Champions League defeat to Napoli in Italy. The Guinea international, on his debut in the competition for the club he joined in the summer, lasted just 19 minutes before going to ground on the pitch and eventually being taken off on the medical cart. Press Association Sport understands Keita was subsequently transported to a local hospital as a precaution after complaining of severe pain. The team have an overnight stay in Naples so Keitas condition will be assessed again in the morning. There is no indication yet whether the injury will rule him out of Sundays top-of-the-table clash at home to Manchester City. 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. Plumes of volcanic ash rising from Mount Soputan (Yehezkiel Dondokambey/AP) 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. 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 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. Steve Baker has warned of a Tory revolt over Chequers (Chris McAndrew/UK Parliament) 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. 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. Theresa May dances onto the conference platform in Birmingham (Stefan Rousseau/PA) 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. 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. Mr Varadkar (left) and Michel Barnier (Niall Carson/PA) 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. Three Scottish health technology companies are to share more than 1.7 million in research funding. The UK Government grants are part of a programme to improve patient outcomes in health and social care. RoslinCT in Edinburgh has been awarded 887,000 to develop stem cell therapies for clinical use, while Storm, based in Edinburgh and Glasgow, received 586,000 to work on digital services for patients with lung conditions. Daysix, which has centres in Edinburgh and Glasgow has also been awarded 290,000 to develop a clinical decision support app for trauma care. UK Business Secretary Greg Clark said: Technology is revolutionising industries across our economy, and new innovations play a key role in advancing our healthcare sector to make sure people are living longer, healthier and happier lives. By pooling the expertise of the public and private sectors, as highlighted through the Life Sciences Sector Deal and the modern Industrial Strategy, we are making every opportunity to reach our full potential in finding new discoveries and technologies to diagnose illnesses earlier that could lead to more lives being saved. Three Scottish companies will share 1.7m for health technology developments (Lynne Cameron/PA) Scotland Office minister Lord Duncan said: This UK Government funding is about supporting breakthrough technologies to transform healthcare across the country for both patients and staff. Three Scottish companies will receive more than 1.7 million to develop cell-based therapeutics, digital self-management services for lung patients and systems to provide real-time decision support in the care of trauma patients. Scottish companies are at the forefront of life science developments, and this UK Government funding will help them develop their expertise even further. Online tools aimed at preventing youth homelessness could be used to help teens and their parents communicate better. The Scottish Centre for Conflict Resolution (SCCR) set up by Edinburgh-based charity the Cyrenians has developed a series of specialist psycho-educational resources to better explain the science of conflict. The early intervention strategies were initially used to help prevent troubled youngsters from becoming homeless and to assist families going through conflict. But they have now been made available online after experts assessed they could help families and young people talk more easily about their feelings and emotions, helping improve mental wellbeing as a result. The Emotional Homunculus and The Brains Amazing Drugs Cabinet package of resources was produced with the help of a child development and mental health expert, explaining complex neuroscience in a more easily understood format. Childrens minister Maree Todd hailed the project as having delivered real value to young people and their families. The new online resources could be used to help all young people, according to experts (Peter Jordan/PA) Speaking as the resources were made available via on online hub, she added: The Scottish Government recognises the importance of creating and maintaining healthy relationships within families and communities, and I commend the Scottish Centre for Conflict Resolution for delivering high-quality innovative resources and making them freely accessible to everyone. SCCR network development manager Diane Marr said: We wanted to help people better understand their inner self and how, combined with the chemicals in our brain, this shapes how we learn and react with the world around us. Our core work at the SCCR centres on reducing the impact of conflict, which can lead to problems with mental health, relationship breakdown and youth homelessness. But whats become clear over the past nine months is how these resources have a universal, practical use across many professions and generations. We have reports of them being used to tackle not just social concerns around family conflict and youth homelessness, but also support programmes involving mental and physical health and wellbeing, exploring toxic stress and adverse childhood experiences and helping kinship carers and foster parents. James Docherty, development officer for the Violence Reduction Unit, said: The SCCR resources should be made available to every child in Scotland so we can start talking about what affects our health and wellbeing, and help children, families, social workers and parents to understand that were just trying our best with what we know at the time. Gordon McKinlay, head of schools at Renfrewshire Council, added: Making these resources available for every child in Scotland would provide schools with an excellent opportunity for teachers professional learning through an evidence-based approach to the science behind conflict, and also give young people tools to make informed decisions to improve their own mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing. Children come to school with all sorts of emotions, and from all sorts of circumstances. Whether teachers are aware of children with recognised adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) or trying to get it right for every child, an understanding of conflict ensures our children are all able to learn. Teachers are keen to use evidence-based approaches, like these from the SCCR, to better understand how learning is accessible to all children. Road stops are being carried out as part of a new crackdown on illegal dumping in Scotland. Waste crime costs an estimated 600 million a year, including the illegal transport and dumping of waste in Scotland. Hauliers travelling from across the UK are among those believed to be responsible, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) said. Sepa is working with police forces across Britain and the English, Welsh and Northern Irish environment agencies as part of the 3.8 million Life Smart Waste project. Waste dumped illegally in a rural area. PA/Environment Agency As well as a series of road stops, it also includes site visits and awareness-raising activity with hauliers. Kath McDowall, unit manager in Sepas waste crime investigations team, said several companies are currently under investigation. Intelligence gathered by the LIFE SMART Waste project indicates that waste is being hauled from England and Wales and illegally deposited in Scotland, she said. Several companies are known to be involved and many of these are under investigation by SEPAs Waste Crime Investigation Team for criminal offences. There are also indications of serious and organised crime group involvement in the transport, sale and disposal of illegal waste so its vital that we work with partners across the UK to tackle this issue. Waste crime will not be tolerated and SEPA will, with its partners, pursue and take proportionate action against those who seek to profit from waste crime. SEPA, Environment Agency and Police Scotland officers at the waste crime road stop at Gretna on Wed 3 October 2018. PA/SEPA Road stops have so far been carried out last month in Dumfries and Galloway targeting lorries and vans travelling to ferry crossings to Northern Ireland, and also in Gretna. These road stops also aim to gather intelligence on metal theft, which is estimated to cost the UK at least 220 million a year. It has been illegal in Scotland since September 2016 to trade scrap metal for cash or accept scrap metal without verifying the identity of the seller. Similar laws are in place across England and Wales and Northern Ireland. Doctors are not technophobic dinosaurs, the UKs leading GP has said, as she blamed a lack of resources for outdated methods. GP practices already struggling with finances are unable to keep up with the latest innovations, the chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs (RCGPs) will say in a speech on Thursday. Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard will call on political leaders to invest in technology to support GPs and ensure the NHS leads the way in patient care. 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. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has listed the transformation of technology as among his top priorities since taking on the role and urged health chiefs to get on board. Addressing members at their annual conference, Professor Stokes-Lampard is expected to say: I get really exasperated when I hear accusations that GPs are technophobic dinosaurs. What utter nonsense. GPs are not afraid of technology or innovation. But robots dont come cheap, tech costs money, and for GP practices that are already on the brink, implementing new, good technology is unfeasible. Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard will address the annual conference on Thursday (Grainge Photography/RCGP) Professor Stokes-Lampard, a practising GP in the Midlands, will also accuse tech companies of creating a digital divide, with younger, fitter patients granted better access than those in need. She will say: Those with the latest smartphone, those who speak English and live in cities, those who have high speed broadband, are being offered something that others are not. 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. But GPs on the frontline just cant afford the investment in technology, most of us arent being propped up by wealthy venture capitalists, after all. 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. I have heard the concerns @HelenRCGP has raised in the media about GP at Hand. We need more GPs, we need more AHPs, and we need to engage the best possible technology to make sure NHS is sustainable and there for generations says @MattHancock #FutureVisionGP #cpc18 RCGP (@rcgp) October 1, 2018 Professor Stokes-Lampard will also reiterate concerns about GP at Hand, which is available to some patients in London and has received the backing of Mr Hancock. The app offers a symptom check for patients and video GP consultations, but has been accused of cherry-picking healthy patients. We need rapid, independent and scientific way to evaluate new innovations, such as online consulting options, software, apps and wearables, so that we can swiftly, safely and effectively establish which is the good new technology, she is expected to say. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: Innovative technology has the potential to really transform healthcare for patients and staff thats why we are encouraging innovation from right across the tech sector to work with the NHS. New tech will augment primary care services and give patients greater choice about how they access expert medical advice. Were also investing for the future with an extra 2.4 billion a year in funding for general practice by 2021 a 14% increase. The Royal College of GPs annual conference takes place in Glasgow from October 4 to October 6. As the UK exposes a campaign of Russian cyber attacks, the Russian military intelligence service known as the GRU is under the spotlight once again. The UKs National Cyber Security Centre has identified the GRU as being the organisation behind a dozen notorious cyber-hacker fronts, including Fancy Bear. The GRU first came to national attention after the Salisbury nerve agent attack, with suspects Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov believed to be aliases used by officers in Russian intelligence service the GRU. Theresa May told MPs the GRU was highly disciplined, so the Novichok attack in Salisbury was likely to have been officially sanctioned rather than a rogue operation. NEWS: PM statement on Salisbury investigation: "Only Russia had the technical means, operational experience and motive to carry out the attack." Prime Minister's full statement: https://t.co/Nx8K7TLkae pic.twitter.com/NmaTudbzo2 Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) September 5, 2018 What is the GRU? It is Russias military intelligence service. Sergei Skripal, the former spy targeted in the Salisbury attack, was previously a colonel in the GRU. Personnel in Hazmat suits securing a tent covering a bench in the Maltings shopping centre (Andrew Matthews/PA) Emily Ferris, from the Royal United Services Institute defence think tank, said: The GRU is Russias foreign military intelligence agency, one of three of Russias 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 Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014. GRU Is Putins hybrid warfare agency of choice. Bob Seely MP (@IoWBobSeely) September 5, 2018 How does the GRU operate? The Prime Minister said the GRU had played a key part in malign Russian activity in recent years. The military intelligence service has been blamed or implicated in assassinations, espionage and cyber warfare around the world. The US authorities believe the Democratic National Committee hack in the 2016 presidential election was the work of GRU agents. As well as being active in the annexation of Crimea, reports have also linked a GRU officer to the downing of Malaysian Air flight MH17 over Ukraine. Ms Ferris said: The GRU is currently engaged in active signals intelligence gathering and espionage activities abroad and has been linked to several high-profile operations. The two individuals are officers from the Russian military intelligence, the GRU. The GRU is a highly disciplined organisation with a well-established chain of command. This was not a rogue operation. It was almost certainly also approved at a senior level of the Russian state Rt. Hon Ben Wallace MP (@BWallaceMP) September 5, 2018 Who could have authorised the GRU operation in Salisbury? The Prime Minister told MPs the GRU had a well-established chain of command and the nerve agent attack would have been approved at a senior level of the Russian state. Tory MP Bob Seely, a member of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee and Russia expert, said Vladimir Putin himself would have given the green light. Under a 2006 Russian Federation law, extrajudicial assassinations by agents of the Kremlin need be approved only by the Russian head of state, without reference to others, he said. 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 said: President Putin bears responsibility for a war-like act. What will happen now? The Prime Minister told MPs the organisation was a threat to all our allies and to all our citizens and we will deploy the full range of tools from across our national security apparatus in order to counter the threat posed by the GRU. In the US, a number of GRU-linked individuals, including its chief Igor Korobov, are already subject to sanctions over the agencys activities. Mr Seely called for a permanent body to investigate, understand and expose Russian political warfare. Four new attacks have been associated with the GRU by the UKs National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). These include a series of attacks on Russian and Ukranian transport, media and banks, and a separate attack made on a database of international athletes, in 2017. The third attack was on an American political partys governing body, the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and the fourth on a small UK TV network, both in 2016. GRU hackers operate under a dozen different names, with the most well-known being Fancy Bear. The NCSC assesses with high confidence the GRU was almost certainly responsible for the following recent attacks. The latest was of BadRabbit ransomware, which encrypts the contents of a computer and demands payment in this case 0.05 bitcoins, or 213. The attack caused disruption to Ukraines Kyiv metro and Odessa airport, as well as Russias central bank. The ransomware also hit two privately-owned Russian media outlets, St Petersburg-based Fontanka.ru and news agency Interfax, whose website was still down 24 hours after the attack in October 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 reason (Adam Davy/PA) The second attack by Fancy Bear hackers 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 reason. WADA confirmed the records were from its Anti-Doping Administration and Management system, hacked using a spear phishing method to gain the password. The hacking group claimed to be exposing the athletes who violate the principles of fair play by taking doping substances but WADA said the attack was a cheap shot at innocent athletes. A third attack was made on the USA Democrat party (Steve Parsons/PA) A third attack was made on the USA Democrat party, which was targeted by Fancy Bear in 2016 when documents from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) were published online. A closed-door briefing to Senators reportedly saw American intelligence service the CIA declare it was quite clear that electing Donald Trump was Russias goal. They also reportedly said Russian hackers had hacked the Republican National Committee but chose not to leak the information obtained. The fourth attack was on an unnamed small UK-based TV station between July and August 2015, when multiple email accounts were accessed and content stolen. Hackers are understood to have been monitoring internal communications, about any stories coming in or being discussed by journalists. Previous attacks include the targeting of Ukrainian financial, energy and government sectors, which the UK Government attributed this attack to the GRU in February 2018. VPNFILTER malware infected thousands of home and small business routers and network devices worldwide in October 2017, which allowed attackers to control infected devices, render them inoperable and intercept or block network traffic. A joint technical alert on activity by Russian state-sponsored actors was issued by the NCSC, FBI and Department for Homeland Security in April 2018. Hopes that a Brexit deal will be hammered out within weeks have risen after key EU leaders expressed optimism an agreement can be reached. Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar insisted it is increasingly important to cut a deal sooner rather than later. The remarks came after both European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and his counterpart at the European Council Donald Tusk delivered unusually upbeat messages. Mr Juncker struck a positive note when asked if a deal could be made, telling Austrian media: I have reason to think that the rapprochement potential between both sides has increased in recent days. Jean-Claude Juncker has voiced optimism that a deal can be struck soon (AP) The mood was echoed by Mr Tusk who said the EU is trying to agree a deal this month, adding: And I think there is a chance to have an accord by the end of the year. Mr Varadkar said: There will be a summit in just under two weeks time in Brussels and thatll be a chance for us to take stock. I would be hopeful that at that point there will be some decisive progress allowing us to conclude an agreement by November. But that remains to be seen as I think there is a fair bit of work to be done. Its increasingly important that we do conclude an agreement sooner rather than later. I would have concerns for business and jobs and for the economy if we were to run into December into the new year without knowing what the content of the withdrawal agreement would be. Irelands deputy prime minister Simon Coveney said talks are now entering an intensive phase. I outlined to @Channel4 why Northern Ireland is different, fragile and needs protecting through #Brexit. https://t.co/luenG85g5U via @YouTube Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) October 6, 2018 He told the Press Association: It is now time for the UK and EUs talented negotiators to lock themselves into a room and complete the withdrawal agreement over the next two weeks. The EU summit of October 17/18 must hear of progress for a special summit to be called in November. The Irish and EU position has not changed and the UK must deliver on its written commitments of last December and March. That is a backstop that guarantees no hard border in Ireland or related checks or infrastructure. We dont want the backstop to ever be used, instead we want a close future trading relationship with the UK negotiated over the transition period of a managed Brexit. We believe this can be done and it is the responsibility of politicians to give the final push for a deal. Irish deputy prime minister Simon Coveney (Brian Lawless/PA) Meanwhile, prominent pro-Europe Labour MP Chris Bryant insisted he had not been involved in talks with the Government on backing a deal after reports that Downing Street had launched a charm offensive to try and win opposition support for Prime Minister Theresa Mays stance. Swedish furniture giant Ikea on Sunday said it would not raise the prices of low-end furniture and furnishing products if the company costs increase due to Centre's recent hike in customs duty on some furnishing items to curb imports of non-essential goods. For now, we have not seen any repercussions, but if there is continuation of costs due to hike in customs duties on furniture and furnishing items, then at some point of time we would have to pass it (burden) on to customers, but we may do it on higher-end products, not lower-end, Deputy Country Manager Patrik Antoni said. Patrik said Ikea is a global company and it would appreciate global trade, but would not be happy with trade barriers such as customs tariff or import duties. He also said trade barriers will only affect 'ease of doing business,' which will in the long run affect customers. The central Government had on September 26 hiked customs duties on as many as 19 items, including jet fuel, Air Conditioners and refrigerators, with an aim to curb imports of non-essential goods. Ikea imports most of the products it sells, and many are covered by the latest customs duty hike which includes tableware, kitchenware and household items made of plastic and travel bags, among others. The total import bill on account of shipment of such items into the country last fiscal was Rs 86,000 crore. Curbing non-essential imports was part of the five-pronged steps announced by the government to check widening current account deficit and capital outflows. Ikea is planning to invest nearly Rs 3,000 crore in the next three years to open three fulfillment centres (packing warehouses) in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi. It is entirely possible to be sympathetic to the argument emanating from the Congress camp that the alliance talks with the Bahujan Samaj Party in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan broke down on account of Mayawatis exaggerated demands for seats. From a purely psephological angle, the BSP seems to have insisted on seats where its presence was nominal and where it had little hope of winning. The Congress, or so the argument goes, could therefore hardly be faulted for abandoning all hope for a mahagathbandhan in these three States. That part of the story seems correct, although Congress president Rahul Gandhi is still optimistic that when it comes to the 2019 general election, Mayawati will be on board. It is difficult to ascertain at this stage whether or not Rahuls confidence is warranted. What is certain, however, is that the Congress has to appear optimistic if it is to translate its internal self-confidence into a public belief that a Congress-led alliance is in with a chance. It is worth mapping the shifts in the Congress narrative over the past few months. In the wake of the BJPs defeat in five important parliamentary by-elections two in Rajasthan and three in Uttar Pradesh the Congress went out of its way to show that it was willing to be extra accommodative in the interests of a grand alliance. This was particularly so after traditional rivals Samajwadi Party and BSP stitched up alliances for the by-elections and inflicted defeats on the BJP, defeats that were particularly humiliating for UP Chief Minister Mahant Adityanath. Responding to reservations voiced by the likes of Mamata Banerjee, the Congress let it be known that it had no objection to the grand alliance approaching the general election without an obvious captain. The important thing was to defeat the BJP and the rest would follow painlessly. On the face of it that narrative has not been abandoned. In his interaction at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit last Friday, he repeated that a Prime Minister would be chosen after the election. However, he added that he was quite ready to assume charge if needed. Part of this shift could be attributed to dispelling fears that Rahul is at the end of the day a casual politician who cant do without his occasional short breaks and a mandatory summer vacation, preferably to the First World. During both the terms of the UPA Government he didnt accept any line responsibility, although that could be on account of the family convention of not ever working in a subordinate role. To be Prime Minister or, at least, to be seen to be a credible claimant, Rahul has to display both awareness and gravitas. At present his prime ministerial preparation is work in progress. He seems to swing between rash impetuosity and passable scripted interventions. At the same time, it is important to record that the Congress has not reconciled itself to keeping the leadership of the proposed mahagathbandhan open-ended. The partys well drafted resolution issued at Sevagram, Wardha, calling for a second freedom struggle to oust the Narendra Modi Government is extremely revealing. According to the resolution, the Congress is the only party that truly embodies the ethos of Bharat that is fundamentally inclusive, liberal, secular and assimilation of Indias pluralities and diversities. The inclusion of only is quite deliberate and significant. It suggests two things. First, that the Congress regards the regional parties that are targeted to be included in the grand alliance as expedient allies. The Congress, in effect, has equated them as (to use Lenins evocative phrase) useful idiots. Secondly, despite the huge drubbing in the 2014 general election and the loss of many States in the subsequent Assembly elections, not to mention its utter inability to recover any ground in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the Congress hasnt given up on nostalgia. The party still believes that it has a divine right to be Indias dominant party. It has still not accepted the cruel realities of post-2014 politics a reason why the likes of Mamata Banerjee, Mayawati and Sharad Pawar are miffed. As of today, there is a powerful section of the Old Establishment that sees the 2019 general election as a do-or-die battle for relevance. Apart from the professional middlemen rendered unemployed by Modis strict approach to an anti-corruption agenda, these include notables that have lost their toehold in the decision-making process. For them, it is important that Rahul is projected as a credible alternative and seen to be so by the electorate. The Old Establishment seems aware that going into battle with the leadership issue undecided will allow Modi to run away with the stability card. Moreover, if Rahul doesnt accept his family calling now, it will be too late. To these beleaguered left-outs, the issue is not the future of the Idea of India but the reality of power: How to ensure the return of an all-too-familiar Congress rule, headed by the personification of entitlement. The Congress is, of course, battling Modi vigorously. However, at the same time it is also engaged in a crafty battle to show the regional parties their rightful places as subordinate partners of the Congress. Mayawati knows this and has used the Assembly election as a warning shot. Rahul is right that she hasnt foreclosed her 2019 options and may be entirely willing to join a grand alliance but on her terms. The approach of a general election is the time smaller parties flex their muscles. Mayawati is a relatively big player, given her undeniable ability to determine electoral outcomes in UP. But even within the NDA there are the likes of Upendra Kushwaha, permanently scouting for opportunities to establish their relevance. The outcome of 2014 was terrible news for a tribe that has always made hay while there are dark clouds over India. They have thrived on uncertainty and turbulence. Modi deprived them of their livelihood by securing a majority and providing India a commanding leadership. The 2019 election is their last before India moves to a different trajectory altogether. Anyone who is not a Muslim is looked down upon as a non-believer or a kafir and state structures are geared to support this theological doctrine Soon after his appointment to the Economic Advisory Council, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan Niazi was induced to remove Dr Atif Mian because he is an Ahmadiyya, which is a Muslim 'sect' considered blasphemous by mainstream Sunnis. Two other economists, although Sunni, namely Dr Imran Rasul and Dr Asim Ijaz Khwaja, disapproved of the action and resigned. Ahmadiyyas believe themselves to be a sect of Islam, but in Pakistan, orthodoxy had them expelled some 50 years ago. The concept of a minority does not sit well in Islam and Pakistan was created as a Muslim holy land or Darul Islam. Anyone who is not a Muslim is looked down upon as a non-believer or a kafir who can theoretically be made to pay jizya and is de facto a dhimmie or a protected or inferior citizen. S/he may, of course, be offered conversion to Islam, or alternatively enslaved or exiled or killed according to doctrinal law. No minority, therefore, has a future in Pakistan. If there was any doubt whatsoever on this score, it was removed by the cruel and expeditious manner in which Hindus and Sikhs were killed or chased out by early 1948. In East Pakistan, the process was slower but equally callous. This religious cleansing was consistent with what Justice MC Chagla wrote in his autobiography entitled, Roses In December: To Pakistan everything is communal. She cannot understand how Hindus and Muslims can live peacefully and have the best of relations. Pakistans philosophy is that in the very nature of things Muslims must hate the Hindus and the Hindus must hate the Muslims. If Hindus and Muslims constitute two separate nations, then the inevitable result must follow that the 50 million Muslims in India are aliens in their own homes. Following the disposal of Hindus and Sikhs, the next round of minority purging was inaugurated against the Ahmadiyyas or Qadianis. During the late 19th century, a devout Muslim called Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of the Qadian township in Gurdaspur district of east Punjab reportedly saw a divine vision. A significant number of people followed his leadership. The orthodox clergy, especially of the Barelvis and the Deobandis, saw in this development a phenomenon of apostasy. How could anyone dare experience a divine vision after Prophet Muhammad had seen a series and, based on them, delivered the final message of God? Thereafter, there could only be khalifas or his representatives or imams. There cannot be another divine vision. Nevertheless, the followers of Ghulam Ahmad continued to consider themselves Muslim and pressed for the creation of the holy land or Pakistan as vociferously as any other member of the Muslim League. Sir Muhammad Zafarullah Khan, an eminent lawyer, single-handedly drafted the Leagues Pakistan resolution of March 23, 1940. In 1931-32, he had been President of the Muslim League, and from 1935 to 1941 he sat on the Viceroys Executive Council. When Partition happened, he was a judge of the Federal Court of India (the apex court in New Delhi). Sir Zafarullah was appointed the Foreign Minister of Pakistan. He also represented the country at the United Nations. This gentleman is only one example but any number of his sect identified themselves in the service of their new holy land. Yet, in 1952, virulent riots were ignited against the Ahmadiyyas and Sir Zafarullahs house was set on fire at Lahore. He soon transferred himself out and joined the International Court of Justice at The Hague. In the wake of another agitation in 1977 when Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was the Prime Minister, the Ahmadiyyas were declared non-Muslims. Soon after, President Zia-ul-Haq had the Constitution amended to formalise the Bhutto declaration. This particular amendment read, non-Muslim means a person who is not a Muslim and includes a person belonging to the Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist or Parsi community, a person of the Qadiani group or the Lahori sect, or a Baha'i, and a person belonging to any of the scheduled castes. After the Ahmadis were officially declared non-Muslim in 1947, a new campaign began to subject the Shias to similar prescriptions. On August 11, 1947, Quaid-e-Azam MA Jinnah gave his presidential address to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan. He observed: You are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other places of worship. In this state of Pakistan, you may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the state. Now, I think we should keep that in front of us as our ideal and you will find that in course of time, Hindus would cease to be Hindus and Muslims would cease to be Muslims, not in the religious sense, because that is the personal faith of each individual, but in the political sense as citizens of the state. The statement was an affirmation of what Jinnah had told a Reuters correspondent in 1946: The new state would be a modern democratic state with sovereignty resting in the people and the members of the new nation having equal right of citizenship regardless of their religion, caste or creed. In this context, Farahnaz Ispahani observes: This vision outlined by the founder remains unfulfilled. At the time of Partition in 1947, almost 23 per cent of Pakistans population, which then included Bangladesh, comprised non-Muslim citizens. The proportion of non-Muslims has since fallen to approximately three per cent in the western wing. Furthermore, the distinctions among Muslim denominations have become far more accentuated over the years. Groups such as the Shias, who account for over 20 per cent of the population, are often targeted by violent extremists. Ahmadis, barely one per cent of the population, have been declared non-Muslims by a writ of the state. Minorities such as Christians, Hindus and Sikhs have been the victims of bomb attacks on their neighbourhoods, some of them have been converted to Islam against their will. Houses of worship have been attacked and bombed while filled with worshippers. Pakistan has descended to its current state of religious intolerance through a series of political decisions by Jinnahs successors. (Purifying the Land of the Pure: Pakistans Religious Minorities by Farahnaz Ispahani, published by Harper Collins, India, 2015.) The descent began in 1949 with the Constituent Assembly declaring the objective of Pakistans Constitution to be the creation of an Islamic state. It reached a nadir with the Islamisation drive under General Zia during the 1980s. At the time of Partition, Christians thought that the division of India had taken place on the basis that Muslims could not co-exist with Hindus. Moreover, Christians thought they were (people of the book), and therefore, would not be harassed in Pakistan. Unfortunately, with the demise of Jinnah, the so-called tolerance for even Christians vanished. General Zia introduced Islamic laws which were openly against the minorities. The military rulers of Pakistan did nothing to control the violence of the fundamentalist outfits. Since then, Christians have been prosecuted and killed mainly on grounds of blasphemy. Salman Taseer, a Minister in the Sharif Government in Punjab was assassinated. His crime, according to fundamentalists, was that he asked for a fair trial of Christians charged with blasphemy. Hindus and Sikhs were the first to be driven out of Pakistan during 1947-48. A very small proportion of them stayed behind. Their population, according to estimates, is about 14 lakh. A majority of them are based in Sind. Many among them are agricultural labourers. In the last 30 years, women from the community have often been kidnapped, forced to embrace Islam and married off to Muslims. When parents of these girls have tried to get the state through police and law courts to return their abducted children, the reply they have got is the women embraced Islam voluntarily and married Muslims of their own volition. The suffering of the Shias should not be overlooked. The number of times they have been bombed while praying in their mosques is becoming difficult to keep track of. Extremists like the Wahabis have expressed a desire to expel the Shias from Islam; what was earlier done with the Ahmadiyyas. Serious intra-Islamic cleansing efforts began at the time of Zia. The obvious target of brutalisation were the Shias. Sunnis were provoked to look upon the Shia community as a worm in the Muslim apple of Pakistan. The required poison was manufactured in madrasahs associated with the Deobandi and Ahle-Hadith traditions. As written by the distinguished Shia scholar Vali Nasr in his book, The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future: The Pakistan ulema began to share Saudi Arabias perception of the Iranian and Shia threat. The extent of the establishment hatred is such as that a Sunni Muslim terrorist group called Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan targets and kills only Shias and is alleged to enjoy the covert patronage of the state. Whither minorities? (The writer is a well-known columnist and an author) The collapse in the value of the rupee in the past few months and by over 25 per cent since the start of Narendra Modis time as Prime Minister is having an impact on Indians deciding to send their children abroad for an education. That coupled with the difficulties in getting working visas following degrees in the United Kingdom and United States, the number of Indians heading abroad to study has been declining. Now, many believe this might save India foreign exchange and after all, India has some decent educational institutions. But these are both fallacies, first it is important that India send some of her best and brightest to foreign countries and even if some of them do not come back, many of them will and they will come back having lived and worked in other countries and bring in new and fresh ideas and thinking to India. Secondly, Indias higher educational system is not that great, with no institutions of excellence in the worlds top 100 Universities. A sad thing indeed for the worlds second-most populous nation and one that has a historical heritage of education. The collapse of the Rupee is not just impact prices at the petrol pump, it will have some serious long-term impacts on India future prospects. Country has independent foreign policy, says Army chief in reaction to US sanction threat In a clear indication that India was not going to buckle under the threat of US sanction over the S-400 missile deal with Russia, Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat on Sunday said the country has an independent foreign policy and it might go ahead with acquiring the Kamov helicopters and other weapon systems from Moscow. The Army chiefs statement is significant as New Delhi is confronted with the threat of US sanction under the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) after India on Friday signed a multi-billion-dollar deal to procure the S-400 Triumf air defence system from Russia. Gen Rawat, who returned on Saturday night after a six-day visit to Russia, had held talks with military officials of that country to enhance bilateral cooperation. He said the Russians were very keen on associating with the Indian defence forces. They (Russians) do understand that we are a strong Army, capable of standing up for what is right for us, based on our strategic thought process, he said while delivering the Gen KV Krishna Rao Memorial lecture here. On his Russian visit, Gen Rawat recalled a question posed to him by a Russian naval officer that India seemed to be looking westwards at America, which has put sanctions on Russia, and that Washington has also threatened to impose restrictions on New Delhi for dealing with Moscow. To this, Rawat responded saying, Yes, we do appreciate that there could be sanctions on us, but we follow an independent policy. Seeking to assuage Russian concerns over Indias growing ties with the US, Rawat said, You (Russia) can be rest assured (that) while we may be associating with America in getting some technology, but we follow an independent policy. I told them while we are talking sanctions and you are questioning on sanctions, President Vladimir Putin and Mr Narendra Modi, at this juncture, are signing the treaty on purchase of S-400 weapon system in spite of the fact that we may face challenges from America in the future. Disclosing that India was looking forward to procuring Kamov helicopters and other weapon systems and technology from Russia, he said New Delhi was looking to get space-based systems and technologies from Moscow to enhance its space capabilities. There is no end in sight to the manner in which we can cooperate with your country. I think the way forward is to see what is best for the nation, strategically important for us, he had said. In a guarded reaction to the Indo-Russian deal, the US said on Friday that its intent to slap sanctions on Russia was not aimed at causing damage to the military capabilities of its allies or partners. The (CAATSA presidential) waiver is narrow, intended to wean countries off Russian equipment and allow for things such as spare parts for previously-purchased equipment, a White House National Security Council spokesperson told PTI hours after the conclusion of the S-400 contract. But for the presidential waiver, CAATSA sanctions come into place in the event of a major purchase like S-400 missile defence system. Ahead of the deal, the US had urged India not to purchase Russian defence systems. 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 defence system, the White House NSC spokesperson said. Last month, the US had imposed sanctions on China for the purchase of S-400 from Russia. Our recent action to sanction a Chinese Government entity for an S-400 delivery underscores the seriousness of our resolve on this issue. The waiver authority is not country-specific. There are strict criteria for considering a waiver, said the spokesperson. The State Department, which is tasked with reviewing the deal and initiating the process of sanctions or waiver under CAATSAA, and make recommendations to the President, did not respond to questions. However, an industry source said the law is ambiguous about when a waiver is necessary so this can be avoided for years. The National Defense Authorization ACT (NDDA) 2019 gives the president the power to waive of the CAATSA sanctions if it is a national security interest. It also mentions several other reasons for a presidential waiver, prominent among which is if the purchasing country is taking or will take steps to reduce its inventory of major defense equipment and advanced conventional weapons produced by the defence sector of the Russian Federation as a share of its total inventory of major defence equipment and advanced conventional weapons over a specified period. In fact, over the last decade, India the top arms purchaser of the world, has gradually reduced its dependence on Russian weapons. It now stands at about 60 per cent, which is much lower than it was a decade ago. As part of its diversification plan, India has increased its purchase of arms from the US to the tune of $18 billion. A presidential waiver can also be given if a country is cooperating with the US Government on other security matters critical to US strategic interests. Experts believe that is exactly the case and one of the main reasons for the US designating India as a Major Defence Partner. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) will soon commission a Wildlife Institute of India (WII) study to assess if the canine distemper virus (CDV) the deadly pathogen that recently killed over 5 lions in Gir forests can affect the health of the tigers too. Sources said the decision to conduct the study was discussed at a NTCA technical committee meeting last month. Incidentally, the WII proposal had been gathering dust for the last several years with the two departments of the Dehradun-based Governments premier wildlife research body in tug-of-war to conduct the study. However, now all the issues have been sorted out and the WII experts will soon start the study in a few tiger reserves which will soon be identified. CDV is a highly contagious disease and we should not be seen caught unprepared in the matter, the sources quoting officials said. He was referring to the death of 23 lions in Gujarats Gir sanctuary in less than a month, most of them due to CDV and protozoa infections. The lions, an endangered species, are now being vaccinated with shots of the vaccine against the virus which have been imported from the US. CDV is considered a dangerous virus and had been blamed for wiping out 30 per cent population of African lions in East African forests. CDV is mainly found in wild dogs, jackals and wolves. It attacks the immune system and other vital organs in animals. In most of the cases, the infection is fatal. Sources in the NTCA said the study is being conducted with an aim to assess and suggest preventive measures to tackle the virus if it is found to be lurking around. There are just over 2,500 tigers left in the wild, with majority of them in India. Threat from poaching and shrinking habitat has always been a major concern to survival of these highly endangered striped cats. Following a report in Veterinary Science which cited how a dead Asiatic lion from Gujarat was detected with a lethal virus in its tissues after the animal came in contact with other infected animals like cattle, buffaloes or dogs, the NTCA had issued an advisory to the tiger reserves to vaccinate stray cattle and dogs living around reserves on a regular basis. Though, in India there has been no report of tiger death due to the CTV virus, global studies have pointed out that it can wipe out the striped cats. According to a 2014 study from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), CDV has the potential to be a significant driver in pushing the tigers towards extinction. The authors evaluated these impacts on the Amur tiger population in Russias Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Zapovednik (SABZ), where tiger numbers declined from 38 individuals to 9 in the years 2007 to 2012. In 2009 and 2010, six adult tigers died or disappeared from the reserve, and CDV was confirmed in two dead tigers leading scientists to believe that CDV likely played a role in the overall decline of the population. Joint investigations of CDV have been an ongoing focus of scientists since its first appearance in tigers in 2003. The finding shows that smaller populations of tigers were more vulnerable to extinction by CDV. Populations consisting of 25 individuals were 1.65 times more likely to decline in the next 50 years when CDV was present, as per the WCS study. Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani here on Sunday alleged that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has not only failed in ensuring effective development of the State but has also failed in providing security to women and empowering them. The Odisha Government has conceded in the State Assembly that 60 per cent of women are suffering from anaemia in the State. From this, the development aspect of women can be known, Irani said at a Press meet after attending a BJP State executive meeting. She added that Odisha stands number one in the stunting (low physical and mental development proportionate to age) index among the States in the country. Stating that people are dying without getting treatment in the State every day, she said it is disappointing that the Ayushman Bharat Yojana is not implemented in the State. Naveenbabu didnt implement this programme knowingly as he didnt accept it as a welfare programme and rather took it as a scheme that would cause of loss of votes for his party, she said. Regarding reopening of the Odisha Textile Mill (OTM) at Choudwar, Irani said, The State Government doesnt want to re-operate it. If the Government wants to reopen it, the Centre will certainly provide required support, she said. She too slammed the State Government for not taking any step to reduce prices of petrol and diesel by Rs 2.50 while the BJP-ruled States have done so. Among others, BJP State general secretary Bhrugu Baxipatra and spokesperson Golak Mohapatra were present. The BJP prepared a blueprint on its much-hyped Odisha Mission 120+ (to win over 120 Assembly seats in the 2019 elections) at its two-day State executive meeting that concluded here on Sunday. A party release said party leaders and workers took oaths to drive out the inefficient and corrupt State Government in coming elections. The Naveen Patnaik Government has betrayed people by not implementing the Ayushman Bharat Yojana and slashing prices on petrol and diesel. The BJP will expedite its agitation in coming days over these two important issues, said the party release. The BJP would make chit fund, mines, sapling, dal, sand mining, irrigation, Anganwardi Chhatua, cooperation and seeds scams, irregularities in paddy procurement and CC road construction and PC taking as main poll issues. Union Minister Smriti Irani inaugurated the meeting presided over by State president Smriti Irani. Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Jual Oram, BJP Odisha-in-charge Arun Singh, national secretary Suresh Pujari, KV Singh Deo and all senior leaders like Bishwabhushan Harichandan and Giridhar Gamang and MLAs were present. A political resolution brought by State Secretary Bhrugu Baxipatra was passed at the meeting. There was nothing lazy about Sunday-October 7. In fact, Punjab virtually went into an election mode with all major political parties holding their massive show of strength, trading barbs against each other, the parties and their workers crowding the rally grounds in the politically-strategic Malwa region carrying banners, flags, raising slogans pro and anti. The day was reminiscent of the last day of election campaigning, when all political parties indulge in a high pitch battle of words to emerge victorious. But, it was just the beginning. The states three major political players the ruling Congress, challengers Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and the third front led by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) flexed their muscles drawing huge crowds for their respective rallies, which has become an issue of prestige rather than just popularity. While SAD made an apparent attempt to save its image that suffered a huge dent following the report of Justice Ranjit Singh Commission on sacrilege and related firing incidents, the Congress and AAP targeted the regional outfit over the same making it amply clear that sacrilege would be the main issue for Punjab in 2019 elections, putting the rest be it drugs, farmers, social welfare, industry, among others on back burner. All three events witnessed sizeable turnout. And whose show outnumbered whose is just a matter of guesses and surmises. However, the immense attendance during AAP-led rosh march from Kotkapura to Bargari in Faridkot main areas affected by sacrilege incidents demanding action against guilty was enough to give sleepless nights to the panthic SAD, and so the ruling Congress. Not only religious or panthic leaders, people from all walks of life, including even women and children, participated in the protest march. On the other hand, the Congress and SAD held their show in each others home-turf. Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh lashed out at the Badals for all the sins of Punjab at Lambi the bastion of SAD patron and five-time Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. In reply, Akalis came down heavily on the Chief Minister over his failure to fulfill all the tall pre-poll promises by holding a parallel Jabar Virodh rally at Patiala Capt Amarinders citadel. Akali leaders did not mince a word to blame the Congress for trying to malign the image of the SAD and the Badal family by using various means, including the Bargari issue. CAPT SOUNDS POLL BUGLE, LAUNCHES MISSION 13 Sounding the poll bugle from Lambi, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Sunday launched Punjab Congress Mission 13 to mark the beginning of partys election campaign in the state. Mission 13 is aimed at winning all the 13 Lok Sabha seats of the state in the ensuing elections. At the same time, Capt Amarinder launched a scathing attack on the Badals from their home ground accusing them of blatantly lying on Bargari sacrilege case and subsequent incidents of police firing of 2015, as well destroying the lives of youth and farmers by failing to do anything on the issues of drugs and farm debts. Capt Amarinder, addressing a rally at Mandi Killianwali in Lambi, urged the people to wipe out SAD from both the state and the national politics by voting the Congress to power in all the 13 seats in Punjab. Congress would win all the 13 parliamentary seats in the state, including Bathinda and Lambi segments, he said. Taking on his arch rival and predecessor Parkash Singh Badal for his falsehood on the police firing incidents, Capt Amarinder said that the former Chief Minister claimed to have slept through the entire episodes, though the then DGP had already exposed the lie before the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission. He pointed that the DGP had spoken to Badal at 2 am that morning and had also spoken with the IG 22 times. Capt Amarinder squarely blamed the Badals for drug related deaths in the state, and for failing to save the farmers from their debt burdens, which was left to his government to waive off despite the economic crisis facing it. Reiterating that he would not indulge in political vendetta against the Badals or anyone else, Capt Amarinder made it clear that anyone found guilty by the SIT for sacrilege cases would be punished as per the law and nobody would be spared. Badals would have to pay for all their sins, including the sacrilege and false cases as well the deaths of youth due to drugs and of the farmers, warned Capt Amarinder, adding that be-adbi will not be tolerated at any cost. Finance Minister Manpreet Badal said that the public response to the rally was a clear sign of the demolition of the Badals fiefdom. Condemning the Akalis for destroying states future generations, he vowed that the Capt Amarinder government will build a new Punjab for the people. Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar hit out at Badal accusing him of putting all his might into saving Sukhbir, which he described as his compulsion. Badal had put the panth under threat to save his son, said Jakhar while appealing to the people to break the Badals monopoly on the SGPC to end political exploitation of religion unleashed by them. SAD NOT BADAL FAMILYs PROPERTY: SUKHBIR Facing revolt from within for his style of functioning and amidst rising clamour for change of guard, SAD president Sukhbir Badal, during partys Jabar Virodhi rally at Patiala, declared that SAD is not the property of the Badal family something he said for the first time in the recallable past. In an apparent attempt to damage control and please the disgruntled taksali leaders, Sukhbir said: SAD is not a property of the Badal family. It is a property of elders and the (Sikh) community. Today, I am serving Akali Dal. In next few years, it could be someone else. SAD is a representative of Sikh community. On the same lines, former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal too suggested Sukhbir to honour all senior or taksali Akali leaders in a befitting manner. For the same, Badal deputed SGPCs former president Kirpal Singh Badungar to prepare a list as soon as possible of all jathedars who were jailed either with him or before him. Sudden change of stance can be attributed to its senior leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsas resignation from all party posts, besides open revolt by three senior Akali leaders from Majha MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Rattan Singh Ajnala and Sewa Singh Sekhwan. Launching a sharp attack on Capt Amarinder, Badal accused him of conspiring to take control of Sikh institutions, including the SGPC, saying that Sikh Sangat would not allow the Congress to succeed in its nefarious designs. Likening Capt Amarinder to dictator and Hitler, Badal claimed that the Chief Minster wanted to create a "stumbling block" to stop people from reaching the rally he was addressing in Patiala. Badal also hit out at the Congress regime for having failed to honour its pre-poll promises. He asked his son Sukhbir to hold two more similar rallies in Doaba and Majha region also to make people aware about the failure of the Congress-led State Government. Defending his party and taking on his rivals on the issue of sacrilege, Badal said: Today, they are talking about sacrilege of religious scriptures. When Army had attacked the Golden Temple, the damage was caused to the shrine and Guru Granth Sahib and Akal Takht. Sukhbir, on the issue of sacrilege, said that he was upset with the incidents at Bargari in 2015. Badal Sahib at that time could not sleep for two days. Those who are involved in this heinous crime are demons, he said adding that at least 70 incidents of sacrilege had taken place during one and a half years, and now no Congressman raises this issue. Lashing out at the Congress and AAP, Sukhbir accused both the parties of spewing venom against SAD during last elections for their "vested interests". KHAIRA SETS 15-DAY DEADLINE FOR CAPT TO ACT AGAINST GUILTY Aam Aadmi Partys rebel MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira on Sunday set a 15-day deadline for the Congress-led Punjab Government to act against those responsible for the death of two persons in connection with sacrilege incidents in 2015. Khaira, addressing a rally at Kotkapura before a protest march towards Bargari, declared that in case, the Government could not take any action against the police officials as well as other elements responsible for the incident, the party would intensify the agitation. Besides AAPs rebel MLAs, its state unit president Bhagwant Mann, Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha Harpal Singh Cheema, Lok Insaaf Partys president and MLA Simarjeet Singh Bains, religious leader Baljit Singh Daduwal, self-styled jathedar Dhian Singh Mand, among others marked their presence during the impressive show. The district police Bokaro led by Superintendent of Police Kartik S conducted drunk drive checks on Saturday late night. As many as 150 vehicles including cars and two-wheelers were seized while over dozens of boozers were held. Police also applied breath analyser test at NH23 Bokaro-Ramghar highway, the traffic rules violators who found driving under the influence of liquor and caught drinking on roadsides were fined and released later. Among the arrested people few of them were handed over to the excise department officials, police said. Motor Vehicles Act categorically says that whoever, while driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle has, in his blood, alcohol exceeding 30 mg per 100 ml of blood detected in a test by breath analyser, shall be punishable for drunken driving, said R Giri Advocate of the district court. A research report reveals that drunk-driving death claims 19 lives daily in India. The research report was carried out after a collaborative study between American researchers and Rajasthan police in May last year. Drunk driving is an offence that results in the violation of the public safety on roads leading to accidents, said Anand Jyoti Minz Traffic DSP Bokaro. The first offence can earn up to six months imprisonment or a fine up to Rs 2000 or both. While the second subsequent offence, if committed within three years of the previous offence, entails imprisonment up to two years or Rs 3000 fine or both, said Minz. Special Task Force (STF) of the State police nabbed a murder accused who was absconding for the past six months and having a reward of Rs 20000 and was nabbed near Bhopal railway station. The absconding accused identified as Susheel Pandey was nabbed when he came to meet an accused serving jail at Bhopal central jail. The nabbed accused along with his aide Dinesh Giri whom he came to meet in the state capital killed a notorious criminal in Datia; killing was fuelled by establishing power in the district. After the crime the DIG of Chambal range has declared a cash reward of Rs 20,000 on providing whereabouts of the accused and later based on the information Susheel was nabbed near Bhopal railway station and later handed over to Datia police. Notably the arrested accused Susheel Pandey is a resident of Dabra and deals in construction material. He works as contractor along with his stone crusher plant in the area. Around six months ago fuelled with old enmity and to establish dominance over the region he along with Dinesh Giri and other aides shot Jaipal Yadav dead in Larayta village of Datia. The police managed to arrest Dinesh Giri but Susheel and other aides remained absconding and Susheel was nabbed from Bhopal. Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) is the English version of the Spanish name Cristobal Colon, and the Italian Cristoforo Colombo. His voyages of exploration were sponsored by Spain, and he made four of these in his attempt to reach India, searching for gold and spices. Though he never arrived in India, his voyages made him famous as they led to the European conquest of North and South America, and of the Caribbean islands. This has led to some parts of the world celebrating Columbus Day. This year Columbus Day occurs on October 8. It is said to be the day he first reached the Americas in 1492. Columbus did not discover America, as is often erroneously mentioned in texts. There were inhabitants of both North and South America thousands of years before Columbus arrived. And nor was he the first European to reach there. Yet Columbuss arrival in the Americas and the Caribbean definitely changed the destiny of these lands, leading to conquest and devastation, and in many cases to the total elimination of the local population. The history of the Caribbean islands rarely finds its way into textbooks, and here we look at the effects of Columbus visits to these islands. Located east of Central America, they consist of hundreds of islands which today are grouped into 27 territories. Out of these thirteen territories are independent, the others still under various European powers. The independent territories are Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago. Each island has its own unique history and cultural heritage. Some of the Caribbean islands were occupied from around 5000 BCE. When Europeans reached the region a little before 1500, there were different groups of native people in the region. These groups mainly lived by farming, fishing and hunting. The island where Columbus first landed was known as Guanahani. This was thought to be the island later named San Salvador, while recent research suggests his first landing was Samana Cay island. Both these are in the Bahamas. He found the islands very beautiful, but did not find gold. He then reached Colba (later known as Cuba), and next another island that he named Hispaniola (today contains Haiti and the Dominican Republic). With the help of a local chieftain he established a small Spanish settlement. It was named Navidad (the Nativity). Twenty-one Spanish people were left there, while Columbus returned to Spain. He began his second expedition in 1493, with seven ships and 1500 men. When he returned to Navidad, he found all the Spaniards there had been killed, as they had misbehaved with the native people. Further east, he then founded a settlement called Isabela. Protests and revolts by the local people of Hispaniola were suppressed with guns and he again returned to Spain in 1496. The population of Hispaniola at the time of Columbus arrival is not known. Estimates vary from eight million to 50,000. When Columbus first reached Hispaniola in 1492 a peaceful and helpful group of people were living there. The Spanish called them Tainos, and Columbus wrote that they were such an affectionate and generous people and so tractable that there are no better people or land in the world. But Columbus was not trying to make friends, he was looking for wealth, gold and control over the region. Apart from the Taino, there was a rival group known as the Carib. There were five territories on the island of Hispaniola at this time, each ruled by a chief. On his second voyage, there in 1493, Columbus brought 1500 people to settle there, and insisted that every Indian, that is, every local person, over the age of 14, should supply him with a certain amount of gold every three months. But there was not much gold there, and they could not do so. Many had their hands and feet cut off as punishment, and bled to death. Other local people died of diseases. By around 1512 there were only 28,000 people, and by 1542, only 200. As the local people had declined, slaves were imported from Africa for labour. The Spanish too found it difficult to live there, and moved to South America. All kinds of people occupied the island. French adventurers were among them. Part of Hispaniola was ceded to France by the Peace of Ryswyk in 1697. It was known as Saint Dominique, and later Haiti. Haiti was a French colony at the time of the French revolution. The Bahamas form an archipelago consisting of about 700 islands and islets, though only 40 of these are occupied. A branch of the Taino, the Lucayan, lived in the region when Columbus reached here, mainly in the 19 largest islands of the archipelago. The total population was around 40,000. Almost the entire population was transported as labour to other islands. Only 11 people remained there in 1520, and soon there were none. For another 130 years, the islands had no people. Thick forests grew. Resettlement began from 1648. The new settlers included whites, slaves and free blacks. It was again abandoned and resettled and conflicts continued. For a few years, the Bahamas were under the newly independent America, and then again under Spain, but became a British colony in 1787. Not a single descendant of the original inhabitants remained. The third voyage started in May 1498, and Trinidad was reached in July. He then reached the coast of Venezuela, but did not realise he was exploring a whole continent. It was Amerigo Vespucci who first realised this, following the same route as Columbus, and America was named after him. Columbus fourth voyage was from 1502-04. He reached the Central American coast and sailed along Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Soon after this, Columbus died in 1506. The story in the other Caribbean islands too is similar. In South America great civilisations were destroyed, as after Columbus, Spain and Portugal conquered the continent. In North America too, the new settlers devastated the indigenous people. That is why it seems inappropriate to celebrate his arrival in the American region, though one has to recognise his contribution in altering the history of the world. Indigenous people of these regions have a movement called Abolish Columbus Day, and some States in the USA have acknowledged their concerns, and started celebrating it as Indigenous Peoples Day or Native American Day. (A PhD in ancient Indian History, the writer lives in Dehradun and has authored ten books) Additional Director General (ADG) of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Sunday stated that police were working round the clock to nab the criminals involved in murder of rice trader Narendra Singh Hora adding they were hopeful of solving the case soon. The ADG Ajay Kumar Singh, Ranchi Deputy Inspector General Amol V Homkar and other officials inspected the crime spot on Sunday. Talking to press persons Singh said that CID was presently helping the police in solving the crime adding it was providing relevant information in this regard. The works of the CID and the district police officials have been distributed and all are working round the clock in the case, Singh said. He said that a few suspected persons have been taken into custody for interrogation but did not provide further details. It may be noted here that rice trader Narendra Singh Hora was shot dead by bike-borne criminals last Friday. The criminals also looted his money during the assault. The incident led to protests and also criticism of the police performance in the state capital. Police said that though prima facie the intention of the murder seems to be looting the traders money, police are investigating the case from various angles. We are also not ruling out trade rivalries as a possible cause, the Ranchi SSP Anis Gupta said. The SSP said that district was getting around 300 police personnel which would be used for strengthening the town outposts of the state capital. It may be stated here that the DGP had on Saturday issued a series of instructions to SPs of all districts in order to improve law and order. Among them was the direction to strengthen the town outposts. There are around 30 town outposts in the Ranchi city out of which most are non-functional due to manpower shortage. An ex-servicemen rally was held at Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) Centre, Bhopal on 07 October 2018. The rally served as a platform for the Ex-servicemen and Veer Naris of Bhopal and neighbouring districts of Hoshangabad, Sehore, Vidisha and Raisen to interact with various agencies of the Army and Civil Administration. The aim of the rally was to disseminate information related to various welfare schemes, rehabilitation and amelioration of problems being faced by the veterans. It also provided an opportunity to senior officers of the Army and Civil administration to interact with the Ex-servicemen and make efforts to address their grievances. The chief guest of the rally was Lieutenant General RP Singh, General Officer Commanding, Sudarshan Chakra Corps. During his address, the Corps Commander assured the veterans, that their welfare and well being was a focus area and urged the representatives of the District Sainik Welfare Organisation, various Record Offices, Banks and Pension disbursing authorities to take proactive measures for early resolution of grievances of the retired soldiers. The General Officer Commanding presented modified scooters to differently abled veterans and serving soldiers. Over 1500, Ex-servicemen and Veer Naris attended the Rally, where a Medical Camp had been organised by Military Hospital and Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) Polyclinic, Bhopal. A major drive for carrying out registration of Ex-servicemen on the online portal of Directorate of Indian Army Veterans was also carried out during the Rally. Delhi Police on Sunday arrested four people who had kidnapped a 28-year-old man from Khanjawala area in National Capital on Friday evening. The victim was rescued from village Kurana in Panipat (Haryana). The accused identified as Sahil (19), Pawan (27), Deepak (24) residents of Sonipat, Haryana and Ankit (20) resident of Panipat in Haryana have abducted Lal Babu on October 5 at around 7 pm from his house in Khanjawala, said Seju P Kurvilla, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Delhi-outer district. A complaint was under section 384/18, 365/34 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered at police station Kanjhawala and investigation was taken up. During investigation, electronic surveillance of cell phone of the victim Lal Babu was initiated and same was located in village Kurana in Panipat (Haryana), said the DCP. The team rushed to the location and rescued the abducted person from the clutches of four accused persons who had kidnapped him. The victim after getting rescued told the police that Sahil along with other person came at his house and forcefully took him to Sonipat and then Panipat in a Wagon-R car. He further disclosed that Sahil is a friend of his brother-in-law and to settle some score and to get his Rs 2 lakhs from his brother-in-law abducted him, the DCP said. All the arrested accused have confessed to commit the crime. The car used for the crime was also recovered from the spot. Further investigation is going on, the DCP added. The annual closure of Ganga for cleaning and silt removal has been enforced from Sunday midnight. According to the Uttar Pradesh irrigation department officials, it would remain closed for the next 30 days and the full flow would resume on the night of Diwali. However, during the time of the closure, 1000 cusecs of water would be maintained at Har Ki Paudi so as to enable the pilgrims to take holy dip, add the officials. Every year around this time, the canal is closed by the UP irrigation department and during the time of the closure, various social organisations and academic institutions engage themselves in cleaning the river bed. Speaking to The Pioneer, SDO Upper Ganga Canal Vikrant Kumar Saini said, Keeping the religious sentiments of the people thronging Haridwar for holy dip, the required water level would be maintained at Har Ki Paudi and some other ghats. We have ensured that 1000 cusecs of water would be maintained at Har Ki Paudi. From October 7 mid-night, the Ganga canal regulated from Mayapur regulator which goes through Har Ki Paudi has been closed and from October 10, the Bhimgoda barrage would also be closed. However, through the escape channel, the water flow would be maintained at Sati Ghat and other important Ganga ghats falling along the way. Asked on the resumption of the water flow, Kumar said that the normal water flow would resume on the night of Diwali. However, the Ganga Mahasabha president Purushottam Sharma Gandhiwadi vented anger over the closure of the Ganga for a month. The irrigation department officials have got no right to hurt the sentiments of the visitors who come to Ganga for holy dip. Even the President has articulated the same view when he visited Haridwar, he said. Expressing doubt over whether the departments assurance on the maintenance of 1000 cusecs of water at Har Ki Paudi, Kusha Ghat, Vishnu Ghat and Ganesh Ghat would be acted upon, he said that despite the assurance, the low water level disappoints the pilgrims who come around this time every year. Notably, a pact was signed in 1916 between the then British Government, some rulers of the erstwhile princely States and Madan Mohan Malaviya on the volume of water required to be maintained at the mainstream Ganga, particularly across the ghats of Haridwar, so that the Hindus coming here for taking the holy dip were not inconvenienced. A 3 Kilometer stretch of NH 99 between Balumath and Panki More has turn into a mine of dust. Residents and shop keepers are badly affected following this storm of dust that engulfs their houses and shops every minute when a heavy coal loader passes through the stretch. Locals complained that ahead of festive time houses and shops get a fresh coat of paint and white washing but the dust is making heel out of that. Balumath has seen two episodes of public protest against NH 99 dust asking Latehar administration to ameliorate their sufferings. NH 99 was jammed here for two hours on two successive days here this outgone week. Residents and shop keepers are demanding two things. One is limit the number of heavy coal loader vehicles on this road in day time. Second sprinkle water on the highly damaged portions of NH 99. Sources said neither the CCL nor the Latehar administration is any keen to do the needful. Jay Prakash Jha SDO Latehar when contacted said, NH 99 here in Balumath is in extremely pitiable condition. It is no NH but a dusty road. It has to be repaired by NHAI (National Highway Authority of India) officials of Jharkhand unit. Here our role is limited. Asked that Jharkhand unit of NHAI can be pressured to undertake this repair without any more loss of time Jha said, We have been doing this but in vain. As regards heavy coal loader vehicles passing through this NH 99 CCL have their own problem. CCL has told us that coal transportation from its Tetarya colliery is being done by out sourced agency. The coal laden vehicles are all outsourced. The dust is raised by their fleet of vehicles. CCL cannot do anything in this regard. It cannot even go for sprinkling of water on this part of NH 99. Jha added, We cannot limit number of coal lorries to ply here every day as this will affect thermal power stations located as far as MP where this dispatch of coal is rushed by CCL from this region. There has been imposed no entry for 6 hours of heavy duty coal vehicles a day with 2 hour slab but this too proves insufficient SDO Latehar admitted. Sources said by this account residents and shopkeepers of Balumath are left to their own destiny of dust! Sources said neither NHAI Jharkhand unit is any serious about this not the Latehar administration. Sources said locals are skeptical if any elected representatives right from panchayat level to the Vidhan Sabha to the Lok Sabha will be of any help. Balumath comes under Chatra lok sabha segment whose MP is Sunil Kumar Singh and sources said this MP has no time to take up this issue with Jharkhand unit of NHAI. Tension prevails in Birgaon locality of the capital city after religious harmony was disrupted as a clash between two groups over Pathsanchalan of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) on Sunday afternoon. Heavy police force has been deployed in the area. Additional Superintendent of Police Rural Prafull Thakur, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Raipur Rural informed The Pioneer that now the situation has been brought under control as police force had been deployed in the area. Police had registered cases against both groups under relevant sections, however, no arrests have been made so far, police official said. Dispute erupted in the region when the Pathsanchalan was being undertaken and passing through Muslim community dominated area. A group, of the area raised objection over the Pathsanchalan in their locality. Swayamsevaks got angry over the raised objection. Following the objection, the dispute took alarming proportion leading to stone pelting from both the sides. Several persons from both the sides sustained injuries in the incident, police said. After getting intimation, police finding the matter sensitive immediately rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. The police took the injured to Medical College Hospital for medical examination and treatment, police said. Around 300 militants are active in the Kashmir valley while over 250 ultras have been waiting in the launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) to infiltrate into this side, a top Army officer said on Saturday. Over 250 militants are on different launch pads and are trying to get into this side. Our army is alert and ready to stop them, General officer commanding (GoC) of the Armys 15 Corps, Lt Gen A K Bhatt told reporters in Kupwara district of north Kashmir. He said the Armys efforts would be to not let the militants infiltrate into this side. People of this village (near the LoC) have been supporting us and we want to crush terrorism in entire Kashmir, he said. The army officer said around 300 militants were active across the Kashmir valley. He said the army along with police and CRPF are conducting area domination exercises to ensure the smooth conduct of the local bodies polls. Our aim is peace and tranquillity and that the elections are concluded peacefully. We are conducting area domination with CRPF police during day and night, he said. The four-phased urban local bodies (ULB) polls in Jammu and Kashmir are scheduled to begin on October 8. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made unspecified progress on Sunday toward an agreement for the North to give up its nuclear weapons. But there was no immediate indication whether Pompeo had managed to arrange much-anticipated summit between Kim and President Donald Trump. Arriving in Seoul on his fourth visit to N Korea, Pompeo tweeted he had good trip and he and Kim continue to make progress on agreements made at Singapore summit. Trump and Kim held historic summit there in June resulted in a vague agreement for the North to denuclearise. The top US diplomat offered no details, and upon landing in South Korea, he briefed White House national security adviser John Bolton and Trump chief of staff John Kelly on his trip, officials said. Pompeo then met South Koreas President, Moon Jae-in. Moon, who has met twice with Kim, asked Pompeo to make public as much information as he could about the trip. I dearly hope that your latest visit, as well as the upcoming US-North Korea summit, which I hope will be happening soon, will make an irreversible, decisive progress, Moon said. Since we have the media present here, I would like to ask you to disclose anything that you can open to the public here. American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. 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The following companies are subsidiares of Kroger: 84.51 HQ Building Company, 84.51 LLC, Agri-Products, Alpha Beta, Alpha Beta Company, Ansonborough Square Investors I, Ansonborough Square Retail, Ardrey Kell Investments, Bay Area Warehouse Stores, Beech Tree Holdings, Bell Markets, Bleecker Ventures LLC, Bluefield Beverage, Bluefield Beverage Company, Box Cutter, Brier Creek Arbors Drive Retail, CB&S Advertising Agency, Cala Co., Cala Foods, Cheeses of All Nations, Country Oven, Crawford Stores, Creedmoor Retail, Dillon Companies, Dillon Real Estate Co, Dillon Real Estate Co., Dillons, Distribution Trucking Company, Dotto, Edgewood Plaza Holdings, Embassy International, FM, FMJ, Farmacia Doral, Food 4 Less GM, Food 4 Less Holdings, Food 4 Less Merchandising, Food 4 Less of California, Food 4 Less of Southern California, Fred Meyer, Fred Meyer Jewelers, Fred Meyer Stores, Gerbes Supermarkets, Glasswing Labs, Glendale/Goodwin Realty I, Grubstake Investments, HT Fuel DE, HT Fuel MD, HT Fuel NC, HT Fuel SC, HT Fuel VA, HTGBD, HTP Bluffton, HTP Plaza, HTP Plaza LLC, HTP Relo, HTPS, HTTAH, Harris Teeter, Harris Teeter LLC, Harris Teeter Properties, Harris Teeter Supermarkets, Harris-Teeter Services, Healthy Options, Healthy Options Inc., Henpil, Home Chef, Hood-Clayton Logistics, Hood-Clayton Logistics LLC, Hughes Markets, Hughes Realty, I.T.A., IRP, ITAC 119, ITAC 265, Infusion Solutions of Puerto Rico, Inter-American Foods, Inter-American Products, J.V. Distributing, Jondex Corp, Jondex Corp., Jubilee Carolina, Junior Food Stores of West Florida, KCDE, KCDE 2012, KCDE 2013, KCDE-2 LLC, KCDE-3 LLC, KCDE-4 LLC, KCDE-5 LLC, KGO, KGO LLC, KP Sourcing, KPF, KPF Insurance Services, KPF Insurance Services LLC, KPS, KPS AG, KRGP, KRGP Inc., KRLP, KRLP Inc., Kee Trans, Kessel FP, Kessel Pharmacies, Kessel RCD, Kessel Saginaw, King Soopers, Kiosk Medicine Kentucky, Kirkpatrick West Retail, Kroger, Kroger Community Development Entity, Kroger Dedicated Logistics Co, Kroger Dedicated Logistics Co., Kroger Fresh Fare, Kroger G.O., Kroger G.O. LLC, Kroger Limited Partnership I, Kroger Limited Partnership II, Kroger MC Holdings, Kroger MTL Management, Kroger Management Co, Kroger Management Co., Kroger Management Corryville, Kroger Management NMTC Athens I, Kroger Management NMTC Champaign I, Kroger Management NMTC Champaign II, Kroger Management NMTC Cincinnati I, Kroger Management NMTC Dallas I, Kroger Management NMTC Danville I, Kroger Management NMTC Griffin I, Kroger Management NMTC Logansport I, Kroger Management NMTC Missouri I, Kroger Management NMTC Oak Ridge I, Kroger Management NMTC Olney I, Kroger Management NMTC Omaha I, Kroger Management NMTC Portsmouth I, Kroger Management NMTC Starkville I, Kroger Management NMTC Topeka I, Kroger Management NMTC Warrenton I, Kroger NMTC Fremont I, Kroger OZ1 Inc., Kroger OZ1 LLC, Kroger OZ2 Inc., Kroger OZ2 LLC, Kroger OZ3 Inc., Kroger OZ3 LLC, Kroger Opportunity Fund I, Kroger Prescription Plans, Kroger Specialty Infusion, Kroger Specialty Infusion AL, Kroger Specialty Infusion CA, Kroger Specialty Infusion Holdings, Kroger Specialty Infusion TX, Kroger Specialty Pharmacy, Kroger Specialty Pharmacy CA, Kroger Specialty Pharmacy CA 2 LLC, Kroger Specialty Pharmacy FL 2 LLC, Kroger Specialty Pharmacy Holdings, Kroger Specialty Pharmacy Holdings 2, Kroger Specialty Pharmacy Holdings 3, Kroger Specialty Pharmacy Holdings I, Kroger Specialty Pharmacy LA, Kroger Specialty Pharmacy TN, Kroger Texas L.P., LCGP3 Home Cooking, Local Mkt LLC, Main & Vine LLC, Matthews Property 1, Mega Marts, Michigan Dairy, ModernHealth LTC, Murrays Cheese LLC, Murrays LIC LLC, Murrays Table LLC, Pace Dairy Foods Company, Paramount Logistics, Pay Less Super Markets, Peytons Fountain, Peytons-Southeastern, Plum Labs LLC, Pontiac Foods, Queen City Assurance, RBF, Ralphs Grocery Company, Relish Labs LLC, Rocket Newco, Roundy's, Roundys, Roundys Acquisition Corp., Roundys Illinois, Roundys Supermarkets, Second Story, Shop-Rite, Smiths Beverage of Wyoming, Smiths Food & Drug Centers, Southern Ice Cream Specialties, Stallings Investors I, Sunrise R&D Holdings, Sunrise Technology LLC, THGP Co., THLP Co., TLC Corporate Services LLC, TLC Immunization Clinic LLC, TLC of Georgia LLC, The Kroger Co. of Michigan, The Little Clinic LLC, The Little Clinic Management Services LLC, The Little Clinic of Arizona LLC, The Little Clinic of Colorado LLC, The Little Clinic of IN LLC, The Little Clinic of Kansas LLC, The Little Clinic of Mississippi LLC, The Little Clinic of Ohio LLC, The Little Clinic of TX LLC, The Little Clinic of Tennessee LLC, The Little Clinic of VA LLC, Topvalco, Turkey Hill, Ultimate Mart, Ultra Mart Foods, Vine Court Assurance Incorporated, Vitacost, Vitacost.com, Woodmont Holdings, and YOU Technology. The following companies are subsidiares of Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft: 87 Leonard Development LLC, ABFS I Incorporated, ABS MB Ltd., Acacia (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., Accounting Solutions Holding Company Inc, Alex. Brown Financial Services Incorporated, Alex. Brown Investments Incorporated, Alfred Herrhausen Gesellschaft mbH, Amber Investments S.a r.l., Ambidexter GmbH, Ambidexter GmbH i.L., Argent Incorporated, BHW - Gesellschaft fur Wohnungswirtschaft mbH, BHW Bausparkasse Aktiengesellschaft, BHW Holding GmbH, BHW Kreditservice GmbH, BNA Nominees Pty Limited, BT Globenet Nominees Limited, BTAS Cayman GP, BTD Nominees Pty Limited, Baincor Nominees Pty Limited, Bainpro Nominees Pty Ltd, Baldur Mortgages Limited, Bankers Trust Investments Limited, Barkly Investments Ltd., Bayan Delinquent Loan Recovery 1 (SPV-AMC) Inc, Bayan Delinquent Loan Recovery 1 (SPV-AMC) Inc., Berkshire Mortgage Finance, Betriebs-Center fur Banken AG, Biomass Holdings S.a r.l., Birch (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., Blue Cork Inc, Blue Cork Inc., Borfield Sociedad Anonima, Breaking Wave DB Limited, Cape Acquisition Corp., CapeSuccess Inc., CapeSuccess LLC, Cardales UK Limited, Cardea Real Estate S.r.l., Career Blazers LLC, Career Blazers Management Company Inc, Career Blazers Management Company Inc., Career Blazers Personnel Services Inc, Career Blazers Personnel Services Inc., Career Blazers Personnel Services of Washington D.C. Inc. Washington D.C., Caribbean Resort Holdings Inc, Caribbean Resort Holdings Inc., Carpathian Investments Designated Activity Company, Cathay Advisory (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Cathay Advisory (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Cathay Asset Management Company Limited, Cathay Capital Company (No 2) Limited, Cedar (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., Centennial River 2 Inc., Centennial River Corporation, Chapel Funding, Charlton (Delaware) Inc, China Recovery Fund LLC, China Recovery Fund LLC, Cinda - DB NPL Securitization Trust 2003-1, City Leasing (Thameside) Limited, City Leasing Limited, Consumo S.p.A., Consumo Srl in Liquidazione, Cyrus J. Lawrence Capital Holdings Inc., Cyrus J. Lawrence Capital Holdings Inc., D B Investments (GB) Limited, D&M Turnaround Partners Godo Kaisha, D.B. International Delaware Inc., D.B. International Delaware Inc., DAHOC (UK) Limited (in members' voluntary liquidation), DAHOC Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, DB (Barbados) SRL, DB (Malaysia) Nominee (Asing) Sdn. 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Limited, DBRE Global Real Estate Management IA Ltd., DBRE Global Real Estate Management IB Ltd., DBRE Global Real Estate Management IB Ltd., DBRE Global Real Estate Management US IB L.L.C., DBRMS4, DBRMSGP1, DBUK PCAM Limited, DBUKH No. 2 Limited, DBUSBZ1 LLC, DBUSBZ1 LLC, DBUSBZ2 S.a r.l., DBUSBZ2 S.a r.l., DBX Advisors LLC, DBX ETF Trust, DBX Strategic Advisors LLC, DBO Vermogensverwertung GmbH, DEBEKO Immobilien GmbH & Co Grundbesitz OHG, DEE Deutsche Erneuerbare Energien GmbH, DEUFRAN Beteiligungs GmbH, DEUKONA Versicherungs-Vermittlungs-GmbH, DEUTSCHE BANK A.S., DG China Clean Tech Partners, DI Deutsche Immobilien Treuhandgesellschaft mbH, DIB-Consult Deutsche Immobilien- und BeteiligungsBeratungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., DISCA Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, DNU Nominees Pty Limited, DSL Portfolio GmbH & Co. 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KGaA, DWS Group Services UK Limited, DWS Grundbesitz GmbH, DWS International GmbH, DWS Investment GmbH, DWS Investment Management Americas Inc., DWS Investment Management Americas Inc., DWS Investment S.A., DWS Investments Australia Limited, DWS Investments Hong Kong Limited, DWS Investments Japan Limited, DWS Investments Shanghai Limited, DWS Investments Singapore Limited, DWS Investments UK Limited, DWS Management GmbH, DWS Real Estate GmbH, DWS Service Company, DWS Trust Company, DWS USA Corporation, De Heng Asset Management Company Limited, De Meng Innovative (Beijing) Consulting Company Limited, DeAM Infrastructure Limited, Deloraine Spain S.L., Delowrezham de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Deposit Solutions, Deutsche (Aotearoa) Capital Holdings New Zealand, Deutsche (Aotearoa) Foreign Investments New Zealand, Deutsche (Mauritius) Limited Port, Deutsche (New Munster) Holdings New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Access Investments Limited, Deutsche Aeolia Power Production Societe Anonyme, Deutsche Alt-A Securities Inc., Deutsche Alt-A Securities Inc., Deutsche Alternative Asset Management (France) SAS, Deutsche Alternative Asset Management (UK) Limited, Deutsche Asia Pacific Holdings Pte Ltd, Deutsche Asset Management (India) Private Limited, Deutsche Asset Management (Japan) Limited, Deutsche Asset Management (Korea) Company Limited, Deutsche Asset Management S.A., Deutsche Asset Management S.G.I.I.C. S.A., Deutsche Australia Limited, Deutsche Bank (Cayman) Limited, Deutsche Bank (Chile), Deutsche Bank (China) Co. Ltd., Deutsche Bank (China) Co. Ltd., Deutsche Bank (Malaysia) Berhad, Deutsche Bank (Suisse) SA, Deutsche Bank (Uruguay) Sociedad Anonima Institucion Financiera Externa, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft, Deutsche Bank Americas Holding Corp., Deutsche Bank Bauspar-Aktiengesellschaft, Deutsche Bank Capital Finance LLC I, Deutsche Bank Capital Finance Trust I, Deutsche Bank Europe GmbH, Deutsche Bank Financial Company, Deutsche Bank Holdings Inc., Deutsche Bank Holdings Inc., Deutsche Bank Insurance Agency Incorporated, Deutsche Bank Insurance Agency of Delaware, Deutsche Bank International Limited, Deutsche Bank Investments (Guernsey) Limited, Deutsche Bank Luxembourg S.A., Deutsche Bank Luxembourg S.A. - Fiduciary Deposits, Deutsche Bank Luxembourg S.A. - Fiduciary Note Programme, Deutsche Bank Mutui S.p.A., Deutsche Bank Mexico S.A. 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Institucion de Banca Multiple, Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, Deutsche Bank National Trust Company Los, Deutsche Bank Nominees (Guernsey) Limited, Deutsche Bank Nominees (Jersey) Limited, Deutsche Bank Polska Spolka Akcyjna, Deutsche Bank Representative Office Nigeria Limited, Deutsche Bank S.A. - Banco Alemao, Deutsche Bank S.A. - Banco Alemao Sao, Deutsche Bank SPEARs/LIFERs Series DBE-8011 Trust, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Limited, Deutsche Bank Services (Jersey) Limited, Deutsche Bank Sociedad Anonima Espanola, Deutsche Bank Sociedad Anonima Espanola, Deutsche Bank Societa per Azioni, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Delaware, Deutsche Bank Trust Company National Association, Deutsche Bank Trust Company National Association, Deutsche Bank Trust Corporation, Deutsche CIB Centre Private Limited, Deutsche Capital Finance (2000) Limited, Deutsche Capital Hong Kong Limited, Deutsche Capital Management Limited, Deutsche Capital Markets Australia Limited, Deutsche Capital Partners China Limited, Deutsche Cayman Ltd., Deutsche Colombia S.A.S., Deutsche Custody N.V., Deutsche Domus New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Equities India Private Limited, Deutsche Finance Co 1 Pty Limited, Deutsche Finance Co 2 Pty Limited, Deutsche Finance Co 3 Pty Limited, Deutsche Finance Co 4 Pty Limited, Deutsche Finance No. 2 Limited, Deutsche Foras New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Immobilien-Leasing mit beschrankter Haftung, Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Immobilien-Leasing mit beschrankterHaftung, Deutsche Global Markets Limited, Deutsche Group Holdings (SA) Proprietary Limited, Deutsche Group Services Pty Limited, Deutsche Grundbesitz Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Deutsche Grundbesitz Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., Deutsche Grundbesitz-Anlagegesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Deutsche Holdings (BTI) Limited, Deutsche Holdings (Grand Duchy), Deutsche Holdings (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., Deutsche Holdings (Malta) Ltd., Deutsche Holdings Limited, Deutsche Holdings No. 2 Limited, Deutsche Holdings No. 3 Limited, Deutsche Holdings No. 4 Limited, Deutsche Immobilien Leasing GmbH, Deutsche India Holdings Private Limited, Deutsche International Corporate Services (Ireland) Limited, Deutsche International Corporate Services Limited, Deutsche International Custodial Services Limited, Deutsche Inversiones Dos S.A., Deutsche Inversiones Limitada, Deutsche Investments (Netherlands) N.V., Deutsche Investments India Private Limited, Deutsche Investor Services Private Limited, Deutsche Knowledge Services Pte. Ltd., Deutsche Leasing New York Corp., Deutsche Mandatos S.A., Deutsche Master Funding Corporation, Deutsche Mexico Holdings S.a r.l., Deutsche Morgan Grenfell Group Limited, Deutsche Morgan Grenfell Group Public Limited Company, Deutsche Mortgage & Asset Receiving Corporation, Deutsche Mortgage Securities Inc., Deutsche Mortgage Securities Inc., Deutsche Nederland N.V., Deutsche New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Nominees Limited, Deutsche Oppenheim Family Office AG, Deutsche Overseas Issuance New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Postbank, Deutsche Postbank Finance Center Objekt GmbH, Deutsche Postbank Funding LLC I, Deutsche Postbank Funding LLC II, Deutsche Postbank Funding LLC III, Deutsche Private Asset Management Limited, Deutsche Securities (India) Private Limited, Deutsche Securities (Proprietary) Limited, Deutsche Securities (SA) (Proprietary) Limited, Deutsche Securities Asia Limited, Deutsche Securities Australia Limited, Deutsche Securities Inc., Deutsche Securities Israel Ltd., Deutsche Securities Korea Co., Deutsche Securities Mauritius Limited, Deutsche Securities Menkul Degerler A.S., Deutsche Securities S.A., Deutsche Securities S.A. de C.V. Casa de Bolsa, Deutsche Securities S.A. de C.V. Casa de Bolsa, Deutsche Securities Saudi Arabia, Deutsche Securities SpA, Deutsche Securities Venezuela S.A., Deutsche Securitisation Australia Pty Limited, Deutsche Services Polska Sp. z o.o., Deutsche StiftungsTrust GmbH, Deutsche Strategic Investment Holdings Yugen Kaisha, Deutsche Trust Company Limited Japan, Deutsche Trustee Company Limited, Deutsche Trustee Services (India) Private Limited, Deutsche Trustees Malaysia Berhad, Deutsche Wealth Management S.G.I.I.C. S.A., Deutsches Institut fur Altersvorsorge GmbH, Durian (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., EC EUROPA IMMOBILIEN FONDS NR. 3 GmbH & CO. KG i.I., Elba Finance GmbH, Elizabethan Holdings Limited, Elizabethan Management Limited, Emerald Asset Repackaging Designated Activity Company, Erste Frankfurter Hoist GmbH, European Value Added I (Alternate G.P.) LLP, Exinor SA, FARAMIR Beteiligungs- und Verwaltungs GmbH, FRANKFURT CONSULT GmbH, Fiduciaria Sant' Andrea S.r.L., Finanzberatungsgesellschaft mbH der Deutschen Bank, Franz Urbig- und Oscar Schlitter-Stiftung Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Freddie Mac Class A Taxable Multifamily M Certificates Series M-037, Freddie Mac Class A Taxable Multifamily M Certificates Series M-039, Freddie Mac Class A Taxable Multifamily M Certificates Series M-040, Freddie Mac Class A Taxable Multifamily M Certificates Series M-041, Freddie Mac Class A Taxable Multifamily M Certificates Series M-043, Freddie Mac Class A Taxable Multifamily M Certificates Series M-044, Freddie Mac Class A Taxable Multifamily M Certificates Series M-047, Funfte SAB Treuhand und Verwaltung GmbH & Co. Suhl "Rimbachzentrum" KG, G Finance Holding Corp., G.O. IB-US Management L.L.C., G918 Corp., GAC-HEL Inc., GWC-GAC Corp., Galene S.a r.l., Gemini Technology Services Inc., German American Capital, German American Capital Corporation, Gladyr Spain S.L., Global Markets Fundo de Investimento Multimercado, Global Markets III Fundo de Investimento Multimercado - Credito, Greenwood Properties Corp., Grundstucksgesellschaft Frankfurt Bockenheimer Landstrae GbR, Grundstucksgesellschaft Kerpen-Sindorf Vogelrutherfeld GbR, Grundstucksgesellschaft Leipzig Petersstrae GbR, Grundstucksgesellschaft Wiesbaden Luisenstrae/Kirchgasse GbR, HTB Spezial GmbH & Co. KG, Hollandsche Bank-Unie, IOS Finance EFC S.A., ISTRON Beteiligungs- und Verwaltungs-GmbH, IVAF I Manager S.a r.l., IVAF I Manager S.a r.l., Immobilienfonds Buro-Center Erfurt am Flughafen Bindersleben I GbR, Immobilienfonds Buro-Center Erfurt am Flughafen Bindersleben II GbR, Immobilienfonds Mietwohnhauser Quadrath-Ichendorf GbR, Immobilienfonds Wohn- und Geschaftshaus Koln-Blumenberg V GbR, J R Nominees (Pty) Ltd, Joint Stock Company Deutsche Bank DBU, Jyogashima Godo Kaisha, KEBA Gesellschaft fur interne Services mbH, Kidson Pte Ltd, Konsul Inkasso GmbH, Kradavimd UK Lease Holdings Limited, LA Water Holdings Limited, LAWL Pte. Ltd., Latitude Australia Secured Personal Loans Trust, Leasing Verwaltungsgesellschaft Waltersdorf mbH, Leonardo III Initial GP Limited, Lindsell Finance Limited, London Industrial Leasing Limited, MEF I Manager S. a r.l., MEF I Manager S. a r.l., MHL Reinsurance Ltd., MIT Holdings Inc., MIT Holdings Inc., MPP Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Maher Terminals Holdings (Toronto) Limited, Morgan Grenfell & Company, MortgageIT, MortgageIT Inc., MortgageIT Inc., MortgageIT Securities Corp., Motion Picture Productions One GmbH & Co. KG, NCW Holding Inc., Navegator - SGFTC S.A., Navegator - SGFTC S.A., New 87 Leonard LLC, Nordwestdeutscher Wohnungsbautrager Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, OOO "Deutsche Bank TechCentre", OOO "Deutsche Bank", OPB Verwaltungs- und Beteiligungs-GmbH, OPB Verwaltungs- und Treuhand GmbH, OPB-Holding GmbH, OPB-Nona GmbH, OPB-Oktava GmbH, OPB-Quarta GmbH, OPB-Quinta GmbH, OPB-Septima GmbH, OPPENHEIM Capital Advisory GmbH, OPPENHEIM Flottenfonds V GmbH & Co. KG, OPPENHEIM PRIVATE EQUITY Manager GmbH, OPPENHEIM PRIVATE EQUITY Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, OPS Nominees Pty Limited, OVT Trust 1 GmbH, OVV Beteiligungs GmbH, Opal Funds (Ireland) Public Limited Company, PADUS Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, PARTS Funding LLC., PB Factoring GmbH, PB Firmenkunden AG, PB International S.A., PB Spezial-Investmentaktiengesellschaft mit Teilgesellschaftsvermogen, PBC Banking Services GmbH, PCC Services GmbH der Deutschen Bank, PT Deutsche Sekuritas Indonesia, PT. Deutsche Verdhana Sekuritas Indonesia, Pan Australian Nominees Pty Ltd, Peruda Leasing Limited, Plantation Bay Inc., Plantation Bay Inc., Postbank Akademie und Service GmbH, Postbank Beteiligungen GmbH, Postbank Direkt GmbH, Postbank Filialvertrieb AG, Postbank Finanzberatung AG, Postbank Immobilien GmbH, Postbank Immobilien und Baumanagement GmbH, Postbank Immobilien und Baumanagement GmbH & Co. Objekt Leipzig KG, Postbank Leasing GmbH, Postbank Service GmbH, Postbank Systems AG, QR Tower 2 LLC, Quantiguous, R.B.M. Nominees Pty Ltd, REO Properties Corporation, RREEF, RREEF America L.L.C., RREEF China REIT Management Limited, RREEF European Value Added I (G.P.) Limited, RREEF Fund Holding Co., RREEF India Advisors Private Limited, RREEF Management L.L.C., RTS Nominees Pty Limited, Reference Capital Investments Limited, RoPro U.S. Holding Inc., RoPro U.S. Holding Inc., Route 28 Receivables LLC, Route 28 Receivables LLC, SAB Real Estate Verwaltungs GmbH, SAGITA Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, SAPIO Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, SCUDO Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., SEDO Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., SENA Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. Objekt Kamenz KG, SIFA Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, SOLIDO Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, SP Mortgage Trust, SPINO Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., SPV I Sociedad Anonima Cerrada, SPV II Sociedad Anonima Cerrada, STATOR Heizkraftwerk Frankfurt (Oder) Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Sal. Oppenheim, Sal. Oppenheim Alternative Investments GmbH, Sal. Oppenheim jr. & Cie. AG & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien, Sal. Oppenheim jr. & Cie. Beteiligungs GmbH, Sal. Oppenheim jr. & Cie. Komplementar AG, Sechste Salomon Beteiligungs- und Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Sechste Salomon Beteiligungs- und Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., Service Company Four Limited, Sharps SP I LLC, Singer Island Tower Suite LLC, Somkid Immobiliare S.r.l., Stelvio Immobiliare S.r.l., Structured Finance Americas LLC, Structured Finance Americas LLC, Swabia 1. Vermogensbesitz-GmbH, Suddeutsche Vermogensverwaltung Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, TAKIR Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, TELO Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, TEMATIS Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., TERRUS Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., TESATUR Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. Objekt Halle I KG i.L., TESATUR Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. Objekt Nordhausen I KG i.L., TOSSA Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, TRIPLA Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, TRS Aria LLC, TRS Leda LLC, TRS Maple II LTD, TRS Oak II LTD, TRS SVCO LLC, TRS Scorpio LLC, TRS Tupelo II LTD, TRS Venor LLC, TRS Walnut II LTD, Tagus - Sociedade de Titularizacao de Creditos S.A., Tasfiye Halinde Deutsche Securities Menkul Degerler A.S., Tempurrite Leasing Limited, Thai Asset Enforcement and Recovery Asset Management Company Limited, Tianjin Deutsche AM Fund Management Co. Ltd., Treuinvest Service GmbH, Triplereason Limited, UKE Beteiligungs-GmbH, UKE Grundstucksgesellschaft mbH, UKE s.r.o., Ullmann - Esch Grundstucksgesellschaft Kirchnerstrae GbR, Ullmann - Esch Grundstucksverwaltungsgesellschaft Disternich GbR, Ullmann Ullmann Krockow Krockow Esch GbR, VCJ Lease S.a r.l., Vesta Real Estate S.r.l., VOB-ZVD Processing GmbH, WEPLA Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, WEPLABeteiligungsgesellschaftmbH, Wealthspur Investment Ltd., Whale Holdings S.a r.l., World Trading (Delaware) Inc., World Trading(Delaware)Inc., Zumirez Drive LLC, db PBC, and norisbank GmbH. Michael Dom PAUL OATES GOLD COAST - There are sometimes times when the mists of myopia clear from our eyes and we suddenly see the world as it is and not as we want it to be. Without these moments of clarity, it can be easy to lose sight of the obvious if it doesnt fit the usual blandishments being bantered around. On 20 September on this blog, Dr Michael Dom offered his views in a post about ex-kiaps and their lamentations over PNG and what could have been. When trying to take a middle path through political action, some of us are hamstrung on both sides, he said. I suggest that Michaels statement goes precisely to the heart of the matter that many of us lapun former field staff have been saying for years. The real issue however is not that we are either right or setting ourselves up as more virtuous than anyone else. The real issue is that either we as a species must either learn from our history or we will make the same mistakes over and over again. When the acclaimed Father of the Nation and the Bully Beef Club declared they would lead Papua New Guinea along a Melanesian road after Independence in 1975, the hopes of many rejoiced in a wonderful vision for PNGs future. First BanCorp (Puerto Rico) is a holding company, which engages in the provision of personal, commercial, and corporate banking services through its subsidiaries. It operates through the following segments: Commercial and Corporate Banking, Consumer (Retail) Banking, Mortgage Banking, Treasury and Investments, United States Operations, and Virgin Islands Operations. The Commercial and Corporate Banking segment consists of the company's lending and other services for large customers represented by specialized and middle-market clients and the public sector. The Consumer (Retail) Banking segment includes consumer lending and deposit-taking activities conducted mainly through FirstBank's branch network in Puerto Rico. The Mortgage Banking segment focuses on the origination, sale, and servicing of a variety of residential mortgage loan products and related hedging activities. The Treasury and Investments segment deals with treasury and investment management functions. The United States Operations segment represents all banking activities conducted by FirstBank on the United States mainland. The Virgin Islands Operations segment includes all banking activities conducted by FirstBank in Read More Thomson Reuters Corporation provides business information services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in five segments: Legal Professionals, Corporates, Tax & Accounting Professionals, Reuters News, and Global Print. The Legal Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on legal research and integrated legal workflow solutions that combine content, tools, and analytics to law firms and governments. The Corporates segment provides a suite of content-enabled technology solutions for legal, tax, regulatory, compliance, and IT professionals. The Tax & Accounting Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on tax offerings and automating tax workflows to tax, accounting, and audit professionals in accounting firms. The Reuters News segment provides business, financial, national, and international news to professionals through desktop terminals, media organizations, and industry events, as well as directly to consumers. The Global Print segment offers legal and tax information primarily in print format to legal and tax professionals, governments, law schools, and corporations. The company was formerly known as The Thomson Corporation and changed its name to Thomson Reuters Corporation in April 2008. The company was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Thomson Reuters Corporation is a subsidiary of The Woodbridge Company Limited. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Quest Diagnostics: AmeriPath, AmeriPath Cincinnati Inc. (OH), AmeriPath Cleveland Inc. (OH), AmeriPath Consolidated Labs Inc. (FL), AmeriPath Florida LLC (DE), AmeriPath Hospital Services Florida LLC (DE), AmeriPath Inc. (DE), AmeriPath Indianapolis PC (IN), AmeriPath Kentucky Inc. (KY), AmeriPath Lubbock 5.01(A) Corporation (TX), AmeriPath New York LLC (DE), AmeriPath Texas Inc. (DE), AmeriPath Tucson Inc. (AZ), American Medical Laboratories, American Medical Laboratories Incorporated (DE), Associated Clinical Laboratories L.P. (PA), Associated Clinical Laboratories of Pennsylvania L.L.C. (PA), Athena Diagnostics, Athena Diagnostics Inc. (DE), Blueprint Genetics, Blueprint Genetics FZ-LLC (UAE), Blueprint Genetics Inc. (DE), Blueprint Genetics Oy (Finland), California Laboratory Associates, Cape Cod Healthcare - Business, Celera, ClearPoint Diagnostic, Clearpoint Diagnostic Laboratories LLC (TX), Cleveland HeartLab, Cleveland HeartLab Inc. (DE), Clinical Laboratory Partners, Colorado Pathology Consultants P.C. (CO), ConVerge Diagnostic Services, Consolidated DermPath Inc. (DE), DFW 5.01(a) Corporation (TX), DGXWMT JV LLC (DE), Dermatopathology of Wisconsin S.C. (WI), Diagnostic Laboratory of Oklahoma LLC (OK), Diagnostic Pathology Services Inc. (OK), Diagnostic Reference Services Inc. (MD), ExamOne Canada Inc. (New Brunswick), ExamOne LLC (DE), ExamOne World Wide Inc. (PA), ExamOne World Wide of NJ Inc. (NJ), Focus Diagnostics, HemoCue, Hoffman M.D. Associated Pathologists Chartered (NV), Institute for Dermatopathology Inc. (PA), Isabella Street Urban Renewal LLC (NJ), Kailash B. Sharma M.D. Inc. (GA), Kilpatrick Pathology P.A. (NC), LabOne, LabOne LLC (MO), LabOne of Ohio Inc. (DE), Laboratorio de Analisis Biomedicos S.A. (Mexico), Lancet Labs, MACL, Med Fusion LLC (TX), Med fusion, MedPlus, Mid America Clinical Laboratories LLC (IN), Nomad Massachusetts Inc. (MA), Nuclear Medicine and Pathology Associates (GA), Ocmulgee Medical Pathology Association Inc. (GA), Pathology Building Partnership (MD) (gen. ptnrshp.), PeaceHealth Laboratories, PhenoPath Laboratories, PhenoPath Laboratories PLLC (WA), Q Squared Solutions Holdings LLC (DE), Q Squared Solutions Holdings Limited (UK), Quest Diagnostics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. (China), Quest Diagnostics Brasil Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories, Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics Domestic Holder LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics HTAS India Private Limited (India), Quest Diagnostics Health & Wellness LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Holdings Incorporated (DE), Quest Diagnostics Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (MD), Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NV), Quest Diagnostics India Private Limited (India), Quest Diagnostics Infectious Disease Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics International Holdings Limited (UK), Quest Diagnostics International LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Investments LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Ireland Limited (Ireland), Quest Diagnostics LLC (CT), Quest Diagnostics LLC (IL), Quest Diagnostics LLC (MA), Quest Diagnostics Massachusetts LLC (MA), Quest Diagnostics Mexico Holding Company Trust (Mexico), Quest Diagnostics Mexico S de RL de CV (Mexico), Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute (CA), Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute Inc. (VA), Quest Diagnostics Receivables Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics Subsidiary Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics TB LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Terracotta LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Venture LLC (PA), Quest Diagnostics Ventures LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics do Brasil Ltda. (Brazil), Quest Diagnostics of Pennsylvania Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics of Puerto Rico Inc. (PR), Quest HealthConnect LLC (CA), ReproSource, Reprosource Fertility Diagnostics Inc. (MA), Solstas Lab Partners, Sonora Quest Laboratories LLC (AZ), Specialty Laboratories Inc. (CA), Summit Health, UMass Memorial Medical Center - Anatomic Pathology Outreach Laboratory Business, Unilab Corporation, and Unilab Corporation (DE). Aareal Bank AG, together with its subsidiaries, provides financing, software products, digital solutions, and payment transaction applications for the property sector and related industries in Germany and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Structured Property Financing, Banking & Digital solutions, and Aareon. The Structured Property Financing segment offers property financing and refinancing solutions for office buildings, hotels, and shopping centers, as well as retail, logistics, residential properties, and student apartments. This segment also provides deposits, registered and bearer Pfandbriefe, promissory note loans, medium-term notes, debt securities, private placements, other bonds and subordinated issues, mortgage Pfandbriefe, and public sector Pfandbriefe. The Banking & Digital solutions segment offers various services and products for the housing, commercial property, and energy and waste disposal industries. Its services include specialized banking, payment systems, and optimized business processes. The Aareon segment provides IT systems consultancy and related advisory services, enterprise resource planning systems, software solutions, hosting and software as a service, and in-house services. Aareal Bank AG was founded in 1923 and is headquartered in Wiesbaden, Germany. Read More 5 hours ago Washington seeks over $38 billion from opioid distributors SEATTLE (AP) Having rejected a half-billion-dollar settlement offer, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson is taking the state's case against the nation's three biggest drug distributors to trial Monday, saying they must be held accountable for their role in the opioid crisis. But his gamble isn't without risk, as a loss by three California counties in a similar case this month demonstrates. Read Article Bridgepoint Education, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides postsecondary education services in the United States. Its academic institutions, Ashford University and University of the Rockies, offer associate's, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs in the disciplines of business, education, psychology, social sciences, and health sciences. The company offers its programs primarily through online; and at its campuses. As of December 31, 2017, its institutions offered approximately 1,200 courses and 80 degree programs; and had 45,730 students enrolled. The company was formerly known as TeleUniversity, Inc. and changed its name to Bridgepoint Education, Inc. in February 2004. Bridgepoint Education, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in San Diego, California. Read More The Bank of Nova Scotia provides various banking products and services in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Colombia, the Caribbean and Central America, and internationally. It operates through Canadian Banking, International Banking, Global Banking and Markets, and Global Wealth Management segments. The company offers financial advice and solutions, and day-to-day banking products, including debit and credit cards, chequing and saving accounts, investments, mortgages, loans, and insurance to individuals; and business banking solutions comprising lending, deposit, cash management, and trade finance solutions to small businesses and commercial customers, including automotive financing solutions to dealers and their customers. It also provides wealth management advice and solutions, including online brokerage, mobile investment, full-service brokerage, trust, private banking, and private investment counsel services; and retail mutual funds, exchange traded funds, liquid alternative funds, and institutional funds. In addition, the company offers international banking services for retail, corporate, and commercial customers; and lending and transaction, investment banking advisory, and capital markets access services to corporate customers. Further, it provides Internet, mobile, and telephone banking services. The company operates a network of 952 branches and approximately 3,540 automated banking machines in Canada; and approximately 1,400 branches, 5,200 ATMs, and 22 contact centers internationally. The Bank of Nova Scotia was founded in 1832 and is headquartered in Halifax, Canada. Read More American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at contact@marketbeat.com | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research. Suncor Energy Inc. operates as an integrated energy company. The company primarily focuses on developing petroleum resource basins in Canada's Athabasca oil sands; explores, acquires, develops, produces, transports, refines, and markets crude oil in Canada and internationally; markets petroleum and petrochemical products under the Petro-Canada name primarily in Canada. It operates in Oil Sands; Exploration and Production; Refining and Marketing; and Corporate and Eliminations segments. The Oil Sands segment recovers bitumen from mining and in situ operations, and upgrades it into refinery feedstock and diesel fuel, or blends the bitumen with diluent for direct sale to market. The Exploration and Production segment is involved in offshore operations off the east coast of Canada and in the North Sea; and operating onshore assets in Libya and Syria. The Refining and Marketing segment refines crude oil and intermediate feedstock into various petroleum and petrochemical products; and markets refined petroleum products to retail, commercial, and industrial customers through its other retail sellers. The Corporate and Eliminations segment operates four wind farm operations in Ontario and Western Canada. The company also markets and trades in crude oil, natural gas, byproducts, refined products, and power. The company was formerly known as Suncor Inc. and changed its name to Suncor Energy Inc. in April 1997. Suncor Energy Inc. was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Read More CoreLogic, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides property information, insight, analytics, and data-enabled solutions in North America, Western Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates in two segments, Property Intelligence & Risk Management Solutions (PIRM) and Underwriting & Workflow Solutions (UWS). The PIRM segment combines property information, mortgage information, and consumer information to deliver housing market and property-level insights, predictive analytics, and risk management capabilities. It also offers proprietary technology and software platforms to access, automate, or track the information and assist its clients with decision-making and compliance tools in the real estate and insurance industries. This segment primarily serves commercial banks, mortgage lenders and brokers, investment banks, fixed-income investors, real estate agents, MLS companies, property and casualty insurance companies, title insurance companies, government agencies, and government-sponsored enterprises. The UWS segment combines property, mortgage, and consumer information to provide comprehensive mortgage origination and monitoring solutions, including underwriting-related solutions, and data-enabled valuations and appraisals. This segment also provides proprietary technology and software platforms to access, automate, or track the information and assist its clients with vetting and onboarding prospects, and meeting compliance regulations, as well as understanding, evaluating, monitoring property values. It primarily serves mortgage lenders and servicers, mortgage brokers, credit unions, commercial banks, fixed-income investors, government agencies, and property and casualty insurance companies. The company was formerly known as The First American Corporation and changed its name to CoreLogic, Inc. in June 2010. CoreLogic, Inc. was incorporated in 1894 and is headquartered in Irvine, California. Read More 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. The following companies are subsidiares of Dominion Energy: 96WI 8me LLC, Alamo Solar LLC, Align RNG Arizona LLC, Align RNG Arizona-Snowflake LLC, Align RNG California LLC, Align RNG California-Corcoran LLC, Align RNG Grady Road LLC, Align RNG LLC, Align RNG Magnolia LLC, Align RNG North Carolina LLC, Align RNG North Carolina-Bowdens LLC, Align RNG Utah LLC, Align RNG Utah-Milford LLC, Align RNG Virginia LLC, Align RNG Virginia-Waverly LLC, Atlantic Coast Pipeline LLC, Azalea Solar LLC, BOE Holdings Inc., Blackville Solar Farm LLC, Blue Ocean Energy Marine LLC, BrightSuite Home LLC, BrightSuite Inc., BrightSuite Solar CT Inc., BrightSuite Solar SC Inc., BrightSuite Solar VA Inc., Buckingham Solar I LLC, CEA Americus LLC, CEA CO-Fort Morgan LLC, CEA Clovis LLC, CEA Dairy RNG Colorado LLC, CEA Dairy RNG Georgia LLC, CEA Dairy RNG Idaho LLC, CEA Dairy RNG Nevada LLC, CEA Dairy RNG New Mexico LLC, CEA Dairy RNG Texas LLC, CEA Greely LLC, CEA Mason LLC, CEA TX-Dimmitt LLC, CID Solar LLC, CNG Coal Company, CNG Power Services Corporation, Carolina Gas Transmission Corporation, Catalina Solar 2 LLC, Clean Energy Asset USA LLC, Clean Energy Enterprises Inc., Clipperton Holdings LLC, Consolidated Natural Gas Company, Correctional Solar LLC, Cottonwood Solar LLC, Cove Point LNG LP, Cove Point LNG Limited, DE Arlington Solar LLC, DE Fluvanna Solar LLC, DE Hanover Solar LLC, DE Henrico Solar LLC, DE King William Solar LLC, DE Louisa Solar LLC, DE Newport News Solar LLC, DE Powhatan Solar LLC, DE Virginia Beach Solar LLC, DECP Holdings Inc., Dairy RNG Holdings LLC, Dairy RNG NY LLC, Dairy RNG NY-Curtin LLC, Dairy RNG OH LLC, Denmark Solar LLC, Dominion ACP Holding Inc., Dominion Alternative Energy Holdings Inc., Dominion Atlantic Coast Pipeline LLC, Dominion Capital Inc., Dominion Cogen WV Inc., Dominion Energy Fuel Services Inc., Dominion Energy Gas Distribution LLC, Dominion Energy Generation Marketing Inc., Dominion Energy Inc., Dominion Energy Kewaunee Inc., Dominion Energy Marketplace LLC, Dominion Energy Nuclear Connecticut Inc., Dominion Energy Overthrust Pipeline LLC, Dominion Energy Payroll Company Inc., Dominion Energy Questar Corporation, Dominion Energy Questar Pipeline LLC, Dominion Energy Questar Pipeline Services Inc., Dominion Energy RNG Holdings II Inc., Dominion Energy RNG Holdings Inc., Dominion Energy Services Inc., Dominion Energy Solar CA LLC, Dominion Energy Solutions Inc., Dominion Energy South Carolina Inc., Dominion Energy Southeast Services Inc., Dominion Energy Technical Solutions Inc., Dominion Energy Technologies II Inc., Dominion Energy Technologies Inc., Dominion Energy Terminal Company Inc., Dominion Energy Wexpro Services Company, Dominion Equipment III Inc., Dominion Equipment Inc., Dominion Fairless Hills Inc., Dominion Fowler Ridge Wind LLC, Dominion Gas Projects Company LLC, Dominion Generation Inc., Dominion Greenbrier Inc., Dominion High Voltage Holdings Inc., Dominion High Voltage MidAtlantic Inc., Dominion Investments Inc., Dominion Keystone Pipeline Holdings Inc., Dominion Keystone Pipeline LLC, Dominion MLP Holding Company III Inc., Dominion Mt. Storm Wind LLC, Dominion Nuclear Projects Inc., Dominion Oklahoma Texas Exploration & Production Inc., Dominion Person Inc., Dominion Privatization Florida LLC, Dominion Privatization Georgia LLC, Dominion Privatization Holdings Inc., Dominion Privatization Kentucky LLC, Dominion Privatization Maryland LLC, Dominion Privatization Pennsylvania LLC, Dominion Privatization South Carolina LLC, Dominion Privatization Texas LLC, Dominion Privatization Virginia LLC, Dominion Products and Services Inc., Dominion Projects Services Inc., Dominion Resources Capital Trust III, Dominion Retail Gas Holdings Inc., Dominion Solar Construction and Maintenance LLC, Dominion Solar Gen-Tie LLC, Dominion Solar Holdings I LLC, Dominion Solar Holdings II LLC, Dominion Solar Holdings III LLC, Dominion Solar Holdings IV LLC, Dominion Solar Projects A Inc., Dominion Solar Projects B Inc., Dominion Solar Projects C Inc., Dominion Solar Projects D Inc., Dominion Solar Projects I Inc., Dominion Solar Projects II Inc., Dominion Solar Projects III Inc., Dominion Solar Projects IV Inc., Dominion Solar Projects V Inc., Dominion Solar Projects VI Inc., Dominion Solar Projects VII Inc., Dominion Solar Services Inc., Dominion State Line LLC, Dominion Voltage Inc., Dominion Wholesale Inc., Dominion Wind Development LLC, Dominion Wind Projects Inc., ESCT-SA-Suffield LLC, Eagle Holdco Solar LLC, Eagle Solar LLC, Eastern Shore Solar LLC, Enterprise Solar LLC, Escalante Solar I LLC, Escalante Solar II LLC, Escalante Solar III LLC, Four Brothers Solar LLC, Fremont Farm LLC, Granite Mountain Holdings LLC, Granite Mountain Solar East LLC, Granite Mountain Solar West LLC, Greenbrier Marketing Company LLC, Greenbrier Pipeline Company LLC, Greensville County Solar Project LLC, Hardin Solar Energy LLC, Hecate Energy Cherrydale LLC, Hecate Energy Clarke County LLC, Hope Gas Inc., Imperial Valley Solar Company (IVSC) 2 LLC, Indy Solar Development LLC, Indy Solar I LLC, Indy Solar II LLC, Indy Solar III LLC, Innovative Solar 37 LLC, Iron Springs Holdings LLC, Iron Springs Solar LLC, Louis Dreyfus Natural Gas, Maricopa West Solar PV LLC, Moffett Solar 1 LLC, Moorings Farm 2 LLC, Mulberry Farm LLC, Mustang Solar LLC, PSNC Blue Ridge Corporation, PSNC Cardinal Pipeline Company, Pavant Solar LLC, Phone House, Pikeville Farm LLC, Prairie Fork Wind Farm LLC, Public Service Company of North Carolina Incorporated, QPC Holding Company LLC, Questar Corporation, Questar Energy Services Inc., Questar Field Services LLC, Questar Gas Company, Questar InfoComm Inc., Questar Southern Trails Pipeline Company, Questar White River Hub LLC, RE Adams East LLC, RE Camelot LLC, RE Columbia Two LLC, RE Kansas LLC, RE Kent South LLC, RE Old River One LLC, Richland Solar Center LLC, Ridgeland Solar Farm I LLC, SBL Holdco LLC, SCANA, SCANA Communications Holdings Inc., SCANA Corporate Security Services Inc., SCANA Energy Marketing LLC, SCANA Pharmacy LLC, SRFI LLC, Scana Corporation, Scott-II Solar LLC, Seabrook Solar LLC, Selmer Farm LLC, Siler Solar LLC, Sol Madison Solar LLC, Somers Solar Center LLC, South Carolina Fuel Company Inc., South Carolina Generating Company Inc., Southampton Solar LLC, Summit Farms Solar LLC, Sussex Drive Solar Project LLC, TA - Acacia LLC, TWE Myrtle Solar Project LLC, The East Ohio Gas Company, Trask East Solar LLC, Tredegar Solar Fund I LLC, VP Property Inc., Virginia Electric And Power Company, Virginia Power Fuel Corporation, Virginia Power Nuclear Services Company, Virginia Power Services Energy Corp. Inc., Virginia Power Services LLC, Virginia Solar 201 Projects LLC, Wakefield Solar LLC, Wexpro Company, Wexpro Development Company, Wexpro II Company, Wilkinson Solar LLC, Wrangler Retail Gas Holdings LLC, and Yemassee Solar LLC. 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. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, a diversified financial institution, provides various financial products and services to personal, business, public sector, and institutional clients in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through four strategic business units: Canadian Personal and Business Banking; Canadian Commercial Banking and Wealth Management; U.S. Commercial Banking and Wealth Management; and Capital Markets. The company offers chequing, savings, and business accounts; mortgages; loans, lines of credit, student lines of credit, and business and agriculture loans; investment and insurance services; and credit cards, as well as overdraft protection services. It also provides day-to-day banking, borrowing and credit, investing and wealth, specialty, and international services; correspondent banking and online foreign exchange services; and cash management services. The company serves its customers through its banking centers, as well as direct, mobile, and remote channels. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce was founded in 1867 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of TE Connectivity: 999 Arques Corp., ABB ENTRELEC terminal block business, ACC Telecommunications, ADC Chile Limitada, ADC Communications (SEA) Pte. Ltd., ADC Communications (UK) Holding Ltd., ADC Communications (UK) Ltd., ADC Communications Hong Kong Limited, ADC Telecommunications Equipment (Shanghai) Co., AMP Amermex, AMP Products Pacific Limited, AMP Taiwan B.V., AMP Trading B.V., AMP de Venezuela, Acalon Holdings Limited, Advanced Fiber Products LLC, Advanced Fiber Products Limited, Advanced Tube Technologies, AdvancedCath, AdvancedCath Technologies, Alpha Technics, American Sensor Technologies, Betatherm (R&D) Limited, Brantner Holding Company, Brantner and Associates, Butterfly Management SAS, C.S. Tyco Decisive Inc., C.S. Tyco Dependable Inc., C.S. Tyco Durable Inc., C.S. Tyco Reliance Inc., C.S. Tyco Resolute Inc., C.S. Tyco Responder Inc., CII Guardian International Limited, Cablotec GmbH, Carrier Kheops Bac SAS, Catheter and Disposable Technology, Celis Eletrocomponentes Ltda., Cima de Acuna S.A. de C.V., Clarebury Pty. Ltd., Codenoll Technology Corporation, Communication Expert International Investments Limited, Compagnie Deutsch Distribution SAS, Compagnie Deutsch SAS, Comtec Systeme GmbH, Connecteurs Electriques Deutsch SAS, Corcom, Corcom West Indies Limited, Cotsworks LLC, Creganna, Creganna Captial Holding Ireland Unlimited Company, Creganna Finance (US) LLC, Creganna Finance Ireland Limited, Creganna Luxembourg SARL, Creganna Medical Devices, Creganna Medical Pte. Limited, Creganna Medical Technology Unlimited, Creganna Medical s.r.l., Creganna Regulatory, Creganna Solutions Limited, Creganna Solutions Unlimited Company, Creganna Tactx Singapore Limited, Creganna Unlimited Company, Cregstar Bidco Limited, Critchley Group Limited, Crompton Instruments (South-East Asia) Pte. Ltd., Deutsch, Deutsch Connectors Hong Kong Limited, Deutsch Connectors Manufacturing (Shanghai) Co., Deutsch Connectors Trading (Shanghai) Co., Deutsch Finance SAS, Deutsch GB Limited, Deutsch Group SAS, Deutsch India Power Connectors (Pvt) Ltd, Deutsch Israel Ltd., Deutsch SAS, Deutsch Servicios S. de R.L. De C.V., Deutsch Subco Limited, Deutsch UK, F.A.I. Technology (Hong Kong) Limited, First Sensor, Grangehurst Enterprises Pty. Ltd., Hirschmann Car Communication, Hong Kong Sensors Technologies Limited, Howard A. Schaevitz Technologies, Intercontec Connector System (Shanghai) Co., Intercontec Produkt GmbH, Intercontect Pfeiffer Industrie-Steckverbindungen GmbH, Jaquet North America, Jaquet Technology Group AG, Kemex Holding Company, Kenabell Holding Limited, LADD Distribution LLC, LADD Distribution Limited, LSA, MEAS Asia Limited, MEAS Europe SAS, MEAS France SAS, MEAS Ireland (Betatherm) Limited, MEAS Norway AS, MEAS Shenzhen Limited, MEAS Switzerland S.a r.l., MEAS US Holding, MP&E, Measurement Specialties, Measurement Specialties (Chengdu) Ltd., Measurement Specialties (China) Ltd., Measurement Specialties (China) Ltd. Production Branch, Measurement Specialties Foreign Holdings LLC, Measurement Technology (Chengdu) Ltd., Medical Engineering & Design, MicroGroup, Morlynn Ceramics Pty. Ltd., Nikkiso-Therm Co., PT KRONE Indonesia, PT. Tyco Electronics Indonesia, Pfeiffer GmbH & Co KG, Pfeiffer Verwaltungs GmbH, Polamco, Polamco Limited, Potter & Brumfield de Mexico, Precision Interconnect LLC, Precision Subsea AS, Precision Wire Components, Precision Wire Holding Company, Produxx, RAYCHEM-RPG Private Limited, Raychem (HK) Limited, Raychem (Shanghai) Trading Ltd, Raychem China Limited, Raychem Dominicana S.A., Raychem Industries BVBA, Raychem International LLC, Raychem International Manufacturing LLC, Raychem Juarez, Raychem Limited, Raychem Ltd., Raychem Pacific Corporation, Raychem Saudi Arabia Limited, Raychem Shanghai Cable Accessories Ltd, Raychem Technologies Limited, Rochester Wire and Cable LLC, SEACON Advanced Products LLC, Seacon (Europe) Limited, Seacon Global Production, Seacon Produtos e Servicos Opticos e Eletricos Ltda., Sensitive Object, Servo Interconnect Limited, Shanghai CII Electronics Co., Shenzhen Century Man Communication Equipment Co., Sibas Electronics (Xiamen) Co., TCN Holding (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., TE Connectivity (Barbados) SRL, TE Connectivity (Denmark) ApS, TE Connectivity (HKZ) Holding Limited, TE Connectivity (Kunshan) Company Limited, TE Connectivity (Netherlands) Holding S.a r.l. - Irish Branch, TE Connectivity (Schweiz) Management AG, TE Connectivity (Suzhou) Co., TE Connectivity Argentina S.R.L., TE Connectivity Australia Pty Ltd, TE Connectivity Colombia S.A.S., TE Connectivity Connectors (Suzhou) Co., TE Connectivity Distribution (Thailand) Limited, TE Connectivity EMEA Holding GmbH, TE Connectivity Germany GmbH, TE Connectivity HK Limited, TE Connectivity Holding International II S.a r.l., TE Connectivity Holding International II S.a r.l. Luxembourg (LU) Schaffhausen E-Finance branch, TE Connectivity Holding International II S.a r.l. Luxembourg (LU) Schaffhausen branch, TE Connectivity Holding International II S.a r.l. (Ireland Branch), TE Connectivity Holding International S.A., TE Connectivity Inc., TE Connectivity India Private Limited, TE Connectivity Investments Holding S.A., TE Connectivity Investments Holding S.A. Luxembourg (LU) Schaffhausen branch, TE Connectivity Ireland Limited, TE Connectivity LATAM Holding S.a r.l., TE Connectivity LATAM I S.a r.l., TE Connectivity LATAM II S.a r.l., TE Connectivity Limited, TE Connectivity MOG Europe S.a r.l., TE Connectivity MOG Holding S.a r.l., TE Connectivity MOG Inc., TE Connectivity MOG Sales GmbH, TE Connectivity Manufacturing (Thailand) Company Limited, TE Connectivity Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd., TE Connectivity Morocco SARL, TE Connectivity Nederland B.V., TE Connectivity Netherlands (Poland II) Cooperatief U.A., TE Connectivity Netherlands (Turkey) B.V., TE Connectivity Netherlands Cooperatief U.A., TE Connectivity Phoenix Optix Inc., TE Connectivity Seacon Phoenix Inc., TE Connectivity Sensors Germany GmbH, TE Connectivity Services India Private Limited, TE Connectivity Solutions GmbH, TE Connectivity South Africa Proprietary Limited, TE Connectivity Spain, TE Connectivity SubCom S.L.U., TE Connectivity SubCom Spain Holding S.L.U., TE Connectivity Technology Solutions Limited, TE Connectivity Tunisia Sarl, TE Connectivity ULC, TE Connectivity US Group Holding Inc., TE Connectivity Vietnam Holding Company Limited, TYCO Electronics Polska Sp.z.o.o., TYCO SUBMARINE SYSTEMS INC., TacPro, Tactx Medical, Taicang Speed & Spin Sensors Co., Taliq Taiwan Limited, Tappat Engineering Pty Ltd, TechDevice Costa Rica Limitada, TechDevice Holdings, TechDevice LLC, The Whitaker LLC, Transoceanic Cable Ship Company LLC, TyCom Holdings II SA, TyCom Networks (Peru) S.A., Tyco Electronics (AMP Korea) Malta Limited, Tyco Electronics (Dongguan) Ltd, Tyco Electronics (Gibraltar) Holding Limited, Tyco Electronics (Gibraltar) Limited, Tyco Electronics (Korea) Malta Limited, Tyco Electronics (Kunshan) Ltd, Tyco Electronics (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Tyco Electronics (Qingdao) Ltd., Tyco Electronics (Schweiz) Holding II GmbH, Tyco Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Tyco Electronics (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Tyco Electronics (Suzhou) Ltd., Tyco Electronics (Zhuhai) Ltd, Tyco Electronics AMP Guangdong Ltd, Tyco Electronics AMP Italia Products S.R.L., Tyco Electronics AMP Italia S.R.L., Tyco Electronics AMP Korea Co., Tyco Electronics AMP Manufacturing (S) Pte Ltd, Tyco Electronics AMP Qingdao Ltd., Tyco Electronics AMP Shanghai Ltd., Tyco Electronics Austria GmbH, Tyco Electronics Belgium EC BVBA, Tyco Electronics Brasil Ltda., Tyco Electronics Canada ULC, Tyco Electronics China (Gibraltar) Limited, Tyco Electronics Componentes Electromecanicos Lda., Tyco Electronics Corby Limited, Tyco Electronics Corporation, Tyco Electronics Czech s.r.o., Tyco Electronics Del Peru S.A.C., Tyco Electronics EC Trutnov s.r.o., Tyco Electronics EC Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Tyco Electronics Eta Limited, Tyco Electronics Finance Alpha GmbH, Tyco Electronics Finance S.a r.l., Tyco Electronics Finland Oy, Tyco Electronics France SAS, Tyco Electronics Germany Holdings GmbH, Tyco Electronics Group S.A., Tyco Electronics Group S.A. (French Branch), Tyco Electronics Group S.A. (Ireland Branch), Tyco Electronics H.K. Limited, Tyco Electronics Hellas MEPE, Tyco Electronics Holding Corp., Tyco Electronics Holding France, Tyco Electronics Holding S.a r.l., Tyco Electronics Holdings (Bermuda) No. 7 Limited, Tyco Electronics Holdings (Bermuda) No. 7 Limited Taiwan Branch, Tyco Electronics Hong Kong Holdings No. 1 Limited, Tyco Electronics Hong Kong Holdings No. 2 Limited, Tyco Electronics Hong Kong Holdings No. 3 Limited, Tyco Electronics Hungary Termelo Kft, Tyco Electronics Idento, Tyco Electronics India (Gibraltar) Limited, Tyco Electronics Industrial Y Comercial Chile Limitada, Tyco Electronics Integrated Cable Systems LLC, Tyco Electronics Ireland Limited, Tyco Electronics Israel Ltd., Tyco Electronics Italia Holding S.r.l., Tyco Electronics Japan G.K., Tyco Electronics Lambda, Tyco Electronics Latin America Holding LLC, Tyco Electronics Manufacturing Singapore Pte Ltd, Tyco Electronics Mexico, Tyco Electronics Middle East FZE, Tyco Electronics Motors Ltd, Tyco Electronics NZ Limited, Tyco Electronics Netherlands (Germany Holding) S.a r.l., Tyco Electronics Netherlands (Gibraltar China) Cooperatief U.A., Tyco Electronics Netherlands (Gibraltar India) Cooperatief U.A., Tyco Electronics Netherlands (India) Cooperatief U.A., Tyco Electronics Netherlands Holding B.V., Tyco Electronics Norge AS, Tyco Electronics Philippines, Tyco Electronics Precision Engineering Ltd., Tyco Electronics Printed Circuit Group LP, Tyco Electronics RIMC Holding LLC, Tyco Electronics RUS OOO, Tyco Electronics Raychem GmbH, Tyco Electronics Raychem Korea Limited, Tyco Electronics SIMEL SAS, Tyco Electronics Saudi Arabia Limited, Tyco Electronics Services GmbH, Tyco Electronics Singapore Pte Ltd, Tyco Electronics Subsea Communications LLC, Tyco Electronics Svenska AB, Tyco Electronics Svenska Holdings AB, Tyco Electronics Technology (SIP) Co., Tyco Electronics Technology (SIP) Ltd., Tyco Electronics Tecnologias S. de R.L. de C.V., Tyco Electronics UK Holdings Ltd, Tyco Electronics UK Ltd., Tyco Electronics UK Ltd. (Kenya Branch), Tyco Electronics Ukraine Limited, Tyco Electronics Uruguay S.A., Tyco Electronics Verwaltungs GmbH, Tyco Electronics Wireless Systems B.V., Tyco Electronics de Venezuela, Tyco Elektronik AMP Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Tyco Global Networks Ltd., Tyco Iberia, Tyco International Services GmbH, Tyco Networks (Argentina) S.R.L., Tyco Networks (Italy) Srl, Tyco Networks (Netherlands) B.V., Tyco Networks Iberica, Tyco Submarine Systems, Tyco Submarine Systems C.A., Tyco Submarine Systems de Argentina S.A., Tyco Telecommunications Ltd., Wema Americas LLC, Wema Automotive System Private Limited, Wema Environmental Technologies (Shanghai) Co., Wema Environmental Technologies (Shenzhen) Co., Wema Environmental Technologies Ltd., Wema System AG, Wema System AS, Wema System Hong Kong Limited, Wema System Production and Distribution HK Limited, Xiamen Delixing Electric Equipment Businesss, and motec Montage GmbH. The following companies are subsidiares of Illinois Tool Works: A V Co 1 Limited, A V Co 2 Limited, A V Co 3 Limited, ACCU-LUBE Manufacturing GmbH - Schmiermittel und -gerate -, AIP/BI Holdings Inc., Accessories Marketing Holding Corp., Advanced Molding Company Inc., Allen Coding GmbH, Allen France SAS, Alpine Automation Limited, Alpine Engineered Products, Alpine Holdings Inc., Alpine Systems Corporation, Anaerobicos S.r.l., AppliChem GmbH, Arylux Hungary Elektromechanikus Alkatreszgyarto Kft, Avery Berkel France, Avery India Limited, Avery Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avery Weigh Tronix, Avery Weigh-Tronix (Suzhou) Weighing Technology Co. Ltd., Avery Weigh-Tronix Finance Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Holdings Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix International Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix LLC, Avery Weigh-Tronix Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Properties Limited, Azon Limited, B.C. Immo, Beijing Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Berkel (Ireland) Limited, Berrington UK, Brapenta Eletronica Ltda., Brooks Instrument (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Brooks Instrument B.V., Brooks Instrument GmbH, Brooks Instrument KFT, Brooks Instrument Korea Ltd., Brooks Instrument LLC, Buell Industries Inc., CAPMAX Logistica S.A. de C.V., CCI Realty Company, CFC Europe GmbH, CS (Australia) Pty Limited, CS (Finance) Europe S.a.r.l., CS Mexico Holding Company S DE RL DE CV, CSMTS LLC, Calvia Spolka z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnosci, Capital Ventures (Australasia) S.a r.l, Capmax Logistica S.A. de C.V., Celeste Industries Corporation, Coeur, Coeur (Shanghai) Medical Appliance Trading Co. Ltd, Coeur Asia Limited, Coeur Holding Company, Coeur Inc., Compagnie Hobart, Compagnie de Materiel et d'Equipements Techniques-Comet, Constructions Isothermiques Bontami C.I.B., Crane Carrier Company, Despatch Industries, Diagraph Corporation Sdn. Bhd, Diagraph ITW Mexico S. de R.L. De C.V., Diagraph Mexico S.A. DE C.V., Dongguan Ark-Les Electric Components Co. Ltd., Dongguan CK Branding Co. Ltd., Dorbyl U.K. (Holdings) Limited, Duo Fast de Espana S.A.U., Duo-Fast Korea Co. Ltd., Duo-Fast LLC, E.C.S. d.o.o., ECS Cable Protection Sp. Zoo, ELRO (Holding) AG, ELRO Grosskuchen GmbH, ELRO-WERKE AG, Elga Skandinavian AS, Elro Group, Eltex-Elektrostatik-Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Envases Multipac S.A. de C.V., Eurotec Srl, FEG Investments L.L.C., Fasver, Filtertek, Filtertek De Mexico Holding Inc., Filtertek De Mexico S.A. de C.V., GC Financement SA, Gamko B.V., Gun Hwa Platech (Taicang) Co. Ltd., HOBART Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Hartness International, Hobart (Japan) K.K., Hobart Andina S.A.S., Hobart Brothers International Chile Limitada, Hobart Brothers LLC, Hobart Dayton Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Hobart Food Equipment Co. Ltd., Hobart Foster Belgium, Hobart International (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Hobart Korea LLC, Hobart LLC, Hobart Nederland B.V., Hobart Sales & Service Inc., Hobart Scandinavia ApS, Hobart Techniek B.V., Horis, ILC Investments Holdings Inc., ITW (China) Investment Company Limited, ITW (Deutschland) GmbH, ITW (EU) Holdings Ltd., ITW (European) Finance Co. Ltd., ITW (European) Finance II Co. Ltd., ITW (European) Finance III Co. Ltd., ITW (Ningbo) Components & Fastenings Systems Co. Ltd., ITW AEP LLC, ITW AOC LLC, ITW Aircraft Investments Inc., ITW Alpha Sarl, ITW Ampang Industries Philippines Inc., ITW Appliance Components EOOD, ITW Appliance Components S.A. de C.V., ITW Appliance Components S.r.l.a, ITW Appliance Components d.o.o., ITW Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, ITW Australia Property Holdings Pty Ltd., ITW Australia Pty Ltd, ITW Automotive Components (Chongqing) Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Components (Langfang) Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Japan K.K., ITW Automotive Korea LLC, ITW Automotive Parts (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, ITW Automotive Products GmbH, ITW Automotive Products Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Bailly Comte, ITW Befestigungssysteme GmbH, ITW Belgium, ITW Brazilian Nominee L.L.C., ITW Building Components Group Inc., ITW CER, ITW CP Distribution Center Holland BV, ITW CS (UK) Ltd., ITW Canada Inc., ITW Celeste Inc., ITW Chemical Products Ltda, ITW Chemical Products Scandinavia ApS, ITW Colombia S.A.S., ITW Construction Products (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW Construction Products (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., ITW Construction Products AB, ITW Construction Products AS, ITW Construction Products ApS, ITW Construction Products CZ s.r.o., ITW Construction Products Italy Srl, ITW Construction Products OU, ITW Construction Products OY, ITW Contamination Control (Wujiang) Co. Ltd., ITW Contamination Control B.V., ITW Covid Security Group Inc., ITW DS Investments Inc., ITW DelFast do Brasil Ltda., ITW Delta Sarl, ITW Denmark ApS, ITW Dynatec, ITW Dynatec Adhesive Equipment (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., ITW Dynatec GmbH, ITW Dynatec Kabushiki Kaisha, ITW EAE B.V., ITW EAE Mexico S de RL de CV, ITW EF&C France SAS, ITW EF&C Selb GmbH, ITW Electronic Business Asia Co. Limited, ITW Electronic Components/Products (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW Electronics (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., ITW Epsilon Sarl, ITW Espana S.A., ITW FEG Hong Kong Limited, ITW FEG do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW Fastener Products GmbH, ITW Finance Designated Activity Company, ITW Finance Europe S.A., ITW Fluids and Hygiene Solutions Ltda., ITW Food Equipment Group LLC, ITW France Finance Alpha S.A.S., ITW GH LLC, ITW GSE ApS, ITW GSE Inc., ITW Gamma Sarl, ITW German Management LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings Y Compania Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones, ITW Global Investments II Inc., ITW Global Investments Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Europe GmbH, ITW Global Tire Repair Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Japan K.K., ITW Graphics (Thailand) Ltd., ITW Graphics Asia Limited, ITW Graphics Italy S.R.L. in liquidazione, ITW Great Britain Investment & Licensing Holding Company, ITW Group France (Luxembourg) S.ar.l., ITW HLP Thailand Co. Ltd., ITW Holding Quimica B.C. S.L. Sole Shareholder Company, ITW Holdings Australia L.P., ITW Holdings I Limited, ITW Holdings II Limited, ITW Holdings III Limited, ITW Holdings IV Limited, ITW Holdings IX Limited, ITW Holdings Inc., ITW Holdings UK, ITW Holdings V Limited, ITW Holdings VI Limited, ITW Holdings VII Limited, ITW Holdings VIII Limited, ITW Holdings X Limited, ITW Holdings XI Limited, ITW Hungary Finance Beta Kft, ITW ILC Holdings I Inc., ITW IPG Investments LLC, ITW Imaden Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW India Private Limited, ITW International Holdings LLC, ITW Invest Holding GmbH, ITW Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, ITW Ireland Unlimited Company, ITW Italy Finance Srl, ITW Italy Holding Srl, ITW Japan Ltd., ITW Korea LLC, ITW LLC & Co. KG, ITW Limited, ITW Lombard Holdings Inc., ITW Lys Fusion S.r.l., ITW M FILMS II LLC, ITW MH LLC, ITW Meritex Sdn. Bhd., ITW Metal Fasteners S.L., ITW Mexico Holding Company S. De R.L. de C.V., ITW Mexico Holdings LLC, ITW Morlock GmbH, ITW Mortgage Investments II Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments III Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments IV Inc., ITW Netherlands Administration BV, ITW Netherlands Beta B.V., ITW Netherlands Finance Alpha BV, ITW New Universal LLC, ITW New Zealand, ITW Novadan Sp. Z.o.o., ITW PPF Brasil Adesivos Ltda., ITW Packaging Technology (China) Co. Ltd., ITW Participations S.a r.l., ITW Pension Funds Trustee Company, ITW Performance Plastic (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Japan Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Korea Limited, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids OOO, ITW Performance Polymers (Wujiang) Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers ApS, ITW Performance Polymers and Fluids Group FZE, ITW Peru S.A.C., ITW Philippines Holdings LLC, ITW Poly Mex S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Polymers Sealants North America Inc., ITW Pronovia s.r.o., ITW Pte. Ltd., ITW Qufu Automotive Cooling Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Real Estate Germany GmbH, ITW Residuals III L.L.C., ITW Residuals IV L.L.C., ITW Rivex, ITW SMPI, ITW SPG Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Simco-Ion (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., ITW Slovakia s.r.o., ITW Spain Holdings S.L., ITW Specialty Film LLC, ITW Specialty Films France, ITW Specialty Materials (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., ITW Spraytec, ITW Sverige AB, ITW Sweden Holding AB, ITW Test & Measurement Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, ITW Test & Measurement GmbH, ITW Test and Measurement Italia Srl, ITW Test and Measurement Services Industry and Trade Ltd., ITW Texwipe Philippines Inc., ITW Thermal Films (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW UK, ITW UK Finance Beta Limited, ITW UK Finance Delta Limited, ITW UK Finance Gamma Limited, ITW UK Finance Limited, ITW UK Finance Zeta Ltd., ITW UK II Limited, ITW Universal II LLC, ITW Welding, ITW Welding AB, ITW Welding GmbH, ITW Welding Products B.V., ITW Welding Products Group FZE, ITW Welding Products Group S. DE R.L. De C.V., ITW Welding Products Italy Srl, ITW Welding Products Limited Liability Company, ITW Welding Produtos Para Solgdagem Ltda., ITW Welding Servicios Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Welding Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW de France, ITW do Brasil Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Ideal Molding Technologies LLC, Illinois Tool Works (Chile) Limitada, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) Nederland B.V., Illinois Tool Works Norway AS, Impar Comercio E Representacoes Ltda., Industrie Plastic Elsasser GmbH, Inmobiliaria Cit. S.A. de C.F., Innova Temperlite Servicios S.A. de C.V., Innovacion y Transformacion Automotriz S.A. de C.V., Instron (Shanghai) Ltd., Instron (Thailand) Limited, Instron Brasil Equipamentos Cientificos Ltda., Instron Foreign Sales Corp. Limited, Instron France S.A.S., Instron GmbH, Instron Holdings Limited, Instron International Limited, Instron Japan Company Ltd., Instron Korea LLC, International Leasing Company LLC, International Truss Systems Proprietary Limited, Isolenge - ITW Sistemas de Isolamento Termico Ltda., KCPL Mauritius Holdings, Kester, Kester Components (M) Sdn. Bhd., Kleinmann GmbH, Krafft S.L., Loma Systems, Loma Systems (Canada) Inc., Loma Systems BV, Loma Systems sro, Lombard Pressings Limited, Lumex Inc., Lys Fusion Poland Sp. z.o.o., M&C Specialties (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., M&C Specialties Co., MAGNAFLUX GmbH, MEHB Holdings Limited, MGHG Property LLC, MOA Enterprises Inc, Manufacturing Avancee S.A., Meritex Technology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Meurer Verpackungssysteme GmbH, Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, Miller Insurance Ltd., NDT Holding LLC, NOVADAN APS, Norden Olje AB, North Star Imaging Europe, North Star Imaging Inc., Nova Chimica S.r.l., Orbitalum Tools GmbH, PENTA-91 OOO, PR. A. I. Srl, PT ITW Construction Products Indonesia, Pacific Concept Industries Limited (Enping), Panreac Quimica S.L., Paslode Fasteners (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Peerless Machinery Corp., Penta Dnepr LLC, Penta Sever OOO, Penta Volga OOO, Polyrey, Premark FEG L.L.C., Premark HII Holdings LLC, Premark International, Premark International LLC, Prolex Sociedad Anonima, QSA Global Inc., Quimica Industrial Mediterranea S.L., Ramset Fasteners (Hong Kong) Ltd., Rapid Cook LLC, Refrigeration France, S.E.E. Sistemas Industria E Comercio Ltda., ST Mexico Holdings LLC, Sealant Systems International Inc., Sentinel Asia Yuhan Hoesa, Shanghai ITW Plastic & Metal Co. Ltd, Simco (Nederland) B.V., Simco Japan Inc., Societe de Prospection et dInventions Techniques SPIT, Speedline Holdings I Inc., Speedline Holdings I LLC, Speedline Technologies GmbH, Speedline Technologies Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Speedline Technologies Mexico Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Stokvis Celix Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Stokvis Danmark ApS, Stokvis Holdings S.A.R.L., Stokvis Promi s.r.o, Stokvis Prostick Tapes Private Limited, Stokvis Tapes (Hong Kong) Co. Limited, Stokvis Tapes (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes (Taiwan) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes BVBA, Stokvis Tapes Benelux B.V., Stokvis Tapes Deutschland GmbH, Stokvis Tapes France, Stokvis Tapes Italia s.r.l., Stokvis Tapes Limited, Stokvis Tapes Limited Liability Company, Stokvis Tapes Norge AS, Stokvis Tapes Oy, Stokvis Tapes Polska Sp Z.O.O., Stokvis Tapes Sverige AB, Stolvis Holdings II S.A.R.L., Technopack Industria Comercio Consultoria e Representacoes Ltda., Teknek (China) Limited, Teknek (Japan) Limited, Teksaleco Ltd., The Miller Group Ltd, Thirode Grandes Cuisines Poligny, Tien Tai Electrode (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., Tien Tai Electrode Co. Ltd., Unichemicals Industria e Comercio Ltda., VR-Leasing Sarita GmbH & Co. Immobilien KG, VS European Holdco BV, Valeron Strength Films B.V.B.A., Veneta Decalcogomme S.r.l., Versachem Chile S.A., Vesta, Vesta (Guangzhou) Catering Equipment Co. Ltd, Vesta Global Limited, Viltronics Soltec, Vitronics Soltec B.V., Wachs Canada Ltd., Wachs Subsea LLC, Weigh-Tronix Canada ULC, Weigh-Tronix UK Limited, Wilsonart International Holdings LLC, Wynn Oil (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd., Wynn's Automotive France, Wynn's Belgium BVBA, Wynn's Italia Srl, Wynn's Mekuba India Pvt Ltd, ZF TRW (Engineered Fasteners and Components), and Zip-Pak International B.V.. 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. Read More Bank of Montreal provides diversified financial services primarily in North America. The company's personal banking products and services include checking and savings accounts, credit cards, mortgages, and financial and investment advice services; and commercial banking products and services comprise business deposit accounts, commercial credit cards, business loans and commercial mortgages, cash management solutions, foreign exchange, specialized banking programs, treasury and payment solutions, and risk management products for small business and commercial banking customers. It also offers investment and wealth advisory services; digital investing services; financial services and solutions; and investment management, and trust and custody services to institutional, retail, and high net worth investors. In addition, the company provides life insurance, accident and sickness insurance, and annuity products; creditor and travel insurance to bank customers; and reinsurance solutions. Further, it offers client's debt and equity capital-raising services, as well as loan origination and syndication, balance sheet management, and treasury management; strategic advice on mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, and recapitalizations, as well as valuation and fairness opinions; and trade finance, risk mitigation, and other operating services. Additionally, the company provides research and access to markets for institutional, corporate, and retail clients; trading solutions that include debt, foreign exchange, interest rate, credit, equity, securitization and commodities; new product development and origination services, as well as risk management advice and services to hedge against fluctuations; and funding and liquidity management services to its clients. It operates through approximately 1,400 bank branches and 4,800 automated banking machines in Canada and the United States. The company was founded in 1817 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Read More Vermilion Energy Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of petroleum and natural gas in North America, Europe, and Australia. It owns 81% working interest in 642,300 net acres of developed land and 87% working interest in 376,700 net acres of undeveloped land, and 613 net producing natural gas wells and 3,034 net producing oil wells in Canada; and 96% working interest in 248,900 net acres of developed land and 91% working interest in 222,100 net acres of undeveloped land in the Aquitaine and Paris Basins, and 325 net producing oil wells and 3.0 net producing gas wells in France. The company also owns 49% working interest in 930,000 net acres of land and 51 net producing natural gas wells in the Netherlands; and 36,900 net developed acres and 965,900 net undeveloped acres of land, and 61 net producing oil wells and 8 net producing natural gas wells in Germany. In addition, it owns offshore Corrib natural gas field located to the northwest coast of Ireland; and 100% working interest in the Wandoo offshore oil field and related production assets that covers 59,600 acres located on Western Australia's northwest shelf. Further, the company holds 138,000 net acres of land in the Powder River basin, and 136.6 net producing oil wells in the United States; and 951,200 net acres of land in Hungary, 244,900 net acres of land in Slovakia, and 2.4 million net acres of land in Croatia. Vermilion Energy Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Read More Medtronic Plc is a medical technology company, which engages in the development, manufacture, distribution, and sale of device-based medical therapies and services. It operates through the following segments: Cardiac and Vascular Group; Minimally Invasive Technologies Group; Restorative Therapies Group; and Diabetes Group. The Cardiac and Vascular Group segment consists of products for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of cardiac rhythm disorders and cardiovascular disease. The Minimally Invasive Technologies Group segment focuses on respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, renal system, lungs, pelvic region, kidneys, and obesity diseases. The Restorative Therapies Group segment comprises of neurostimulation therapies and drug delivery systems for the treatment of chronic pain, as well as areas of the spine and brain, along with pelvic health and conditions of the ear, nose, and throat. The Diabetes Group segment offers insulin pumps, coninuous glucose monitoring systems, and insulin pump consumables. The company was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Read More Ellie Mae, Inc. provides cloud-based platform for the mortgage finance industry in the United States. It provides Encompass, an enterprise solution that engages in running the business of originating mortgages, including marketing and lead management; loan origination and processing; underwriting; preparation of mortgage applications, disclosure agreements, and closing documents; loan funding and closing; compliance with regulatory and investor requirements; and enterprise management. The company's Encompass Digital Lending Platform helps lenders and investors across their workflow from the prospective customers to the point of loan delivery. In addition, the company provides education and training services; professional and technical support services; and loan product, policy, and guideline data and analytics services. Ellie Mae, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Pleasanton, California. Read More Wells Fargo & Co. is a diversified, community-based financial services company. It is engaged in the provision of banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance. It firm operates through the following segments: Community Banking, Wholesale Banking, Wealth & Investment Management, and Other. The Community Banking segment offers complete line of diversified financial products and services for consumers and small businesses including checking and savings accounts, credit and debit cards, and automobile, student, and small business lending. The Wholesale Banking segment provides financial solutions to businesses across the United States and globally. The Wealth and Investment Management segment includes personalized wealth management, investment and retirement products and services to clients across U.S. based businesses. The Other segment refers to the products of WIM customers served through community banking distribution channels. The company was founded by Henry Wells and William G. Fargo on March 18, 1852 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. Read More TC Energy Corporation operates as an energy infrastructure company in North America. It operates through Canadian Natural Gas Pipelines, U.S. Natural Gas Pipelines, Mexico Natural Gas Pipelines, Liquids Pipelines, and Power and Storage segments. The company builds and operates 93,400 km network of natural gas pipelines, which transports natural gas from supply basins to local distribution companies, power generation plants, industrial facilities, interconnecting pipelines, LNG export terminals, and other businesses. It also has regulated natural gas storage facilities with a total working gas capacity of 535 billion cubic feet. In addition, it has approximately 4,900 km liquids pipeline system that connects Alberta crude oil supplies to refining markets in Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas, and the U.S. Gulf Coast. Further, the company owns or has interests in seven power generation facilities with a combined capacity of approximately 4,200 megawatts that are powered by natural gas and nuclear fuel sources located in Alberta, Ontario, QuAbec, and New Brunswick; and owns and operates approximately 118 billion cubic feet of non-regulated natural gas storage capacity in Alberta. The company was formerly known as TransCanada Corporation and changed its name to TC Energy Corporation in May 2019. TC Energy Corporation was incorporated in 1951 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Read More 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. Read More Whitbread has been the subject of 7 research reports in the past 90 days, demonstrating strong analyst interest in this stock. According to analysts' consensus price target of GBX 3,715.56, Whitbread has a forecasted upside of 16.1% from its current price of GBX 3,200. Whitbread has received a consensus rating of Buy. The company's average rating score is 2.90, and is based on 9 buy ratings, 1 hold rating, and no sell ratings. 4.7 Community Rank Outperform Votes Whitbread has received 821 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Whitbread has received 346 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Whitbread has received 70.35% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Whitbread and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe WTB will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe WTB will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next Zurich Insurance Group AG is a holding company. The Company and its subsidiaries provide insurance products and related services. Its segments include General Insurance, Global Life, Farmers, Other Operating Businesses and Non-Core Businesses. The General Insurance segment provides a range of motor, home and commercial products and services for individuals, as well as small and large businesses. The Global Life segment is engaged in providing unit-linked, protection and corporate propositions through global distribution and proposition pillars. The Farmers segment, through Farmers Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries, provides certain non-claims administrative and management services to the Farmers Insurance Exchange, Fire Insurance Exchange, Truck Insurance Exchange, and their subsidiaries and affiliates. The Other Operating Businesses segment includes the Company's Holding and Financing activities. The Non-Core Businesses segment includes its insurance and reinsurance businesses. Read More | Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Lakhimpur violence: UP agrees ex-judge should be considered to monitor probe and his state should not be an issue. Lakhimpur violence: SC seeks names of IPS officers by Tuesday; posts case for announcing name of judge to monitor probe on Wednesday. SC seeks names of IPS officers who are of UP cadre but not natives of state, for being included in SIT to probe in Lakhimpur case. Facebook makes American society better Facebook makes American society worse Worse because of the way some people use Facebook Worse because of the way Facebook itself is run Facebook has no effect on American society No opinion Vote View Results The government has announced to ban online pornography with the aim to combat sexual violence like rape and murder against woman. Following the decision, about sixteen thousand online pornography sites have also been blocked. The sweeping ban on all forms of pornography is being implemented as of the governments effort to tackle the prevailing problems of sexual violence against woman. However, the move taken by the government to combat the prevailing sexual violence through the means of banning the pornography is itself a ridiculous even though the initiation taken by the government on the name of protecting ours mothers, sisters and daughters from such a heinous crime like rape, murder, acid attacks and others have to be praised. The government seems to have wake-up from the heat waves of protests launched at all levels over rape and murder of a 13-year-old school going girl Nirmala Pant of Bhimdatta municipality of Kanchanpur district on July 27. Likewise, another 10-year-old girl Sreya BK was raped and choked to death just few days ago at tourist city Pokhara in the mean time when the government has failed even to identify the culprit(s) of the previous crime. Similarly, teenage sisters-Samjhana Das, 18, and her sister Susmita, 15, of Rautahat and a 27 year old married woman Basanti Pariyar of Kawasoti Municipality-16, Nawalparasi were attacked with acid by their neighbors for their denial of love. Samjhana has already lost her battle for life while her sister Susmita and Pariyar are struggling for life at hospitals bed. The decision taken by the government to ban the pornography seems to have followed the footstep of the Indian government. Neighboring India had enacted a pornography ban in 2015 with the similar reason of combating growing sexual violence against woman. But the decision was lifted latter. While giving example of neighboring India, it is not meant that we are advocating in favor of pornography sites. But our concern is that banning pornography sites would not enough to combat the crimes including the sexual violence. The thing to realize is here that not only the pornography sites but hundreds of thousand bizarre sites and channels are destroying not only our social as well as cultural values and norms but also fueling to criminalize the society. While banning the pornography sites, all the bizarre sites and channels have to be banned if the government was desirous to mention integrity in the society. As the government has become failure even to arrest the culprit(s) of the rape and murder case of Nirmala during three months, the decision would have nothing than merely a diversionary tactic to hide the governments incompetence in prosecuting rapists. The government has begun treat as enemies and conspirator to those who raise voice either for the justice to the victims or other misdemeanors of the government. The government has to come with the realization that the father and mother of Nrmala including others, who have raised voices in favor of justice, have done nothing crime by raising demand to arrest the culprit(s). The government has to realize first to get rid from such a misconception even if it was desirous to run for the full term. Considering to the alarming situation that number of rape cases have increased by four-fold in the past ten years, the government has to formulate comprehensive plans and policies rather than indulging on merely a diversionary tactic to hide the governments incompetence in prosecuting rapists. The government has to come up with strict laws to regulate the sale and distribution of acid as acid is easily available in market for just Rs 120 a bottle. The better approach to combat the social crimes including the sexual violence would rather be empowering people with necessary strict and prompt measures against the accused with strong commitment to end the culture of impunity. KATHMANDU, Oct 7: The government has decided to increase the minimum wage of working journalists by 25 percent. The meeting of the Council of Ministers today took the decision that all journalists and employees working at media houses would have their wage increased from coming October 18. Currently, the minimum wage of a working journalist is Rs 19,500 per month. After the meeting, the government spokesperson and Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Gokul Prasad Baskota, shared that senior journalist Krishna Murari Bhandari was appointed as the Executive Chairman of the Gorkhapatra Corporation. According to him, General Manager of the Corporation Basanta Prakash Upadhyay was asked to furnish justification within three days, while the resignation submitted by Chairman Govinda Pokhrel approved. 7-member taskforce A seven-member task force has been formed for the protection of consumers, sugarcane farmers, and sugar mill. The task force is led by a member of the National Planning Commission who looks after the agricultural sector. It has the members from various sectors representing the sugarcane farmers, sugar producers, consumers group, and joint secretaries from the ministries of finance, and industry. The spokesperson Baskota further said the Finance Secretary was given authority to accept Rs 11.63 billion to be provided loan by the international development corporation of the World Bank Groups for augmenting investment in the energy sector. The meeting also accepted Rs 1.4 billion to be provided by Japan for the upgrading of roads in Sindhuli. Also, Dr Ramchandra Bhattarai would be nominated in the Board of Directors of Citizens Investment Fund and assigned as its chair. This page may be updated if the event is repeated Past Event - Saturday, October 20, 2018 This page may be updated if the event is repeated Free Event Antioch College is hosting a free and open to the public screening of suicide prevention documentary The S Word at Little Art Theatre in Yellow Springs, OH. On Saturday, October 20 from 1:00-3:30 PM, Antioch College will host a free and open to the public screening of suicide prevention film, The S Word, at Little Art Theatre, 247 Xenia Ave., Yellow Springs, OH. The award-winning documentary from the filmmakers who created Of Two Minds aims to end silence around and bring focus to the issue of suicide. Sponsored by the 365 Project and Yellow Springs Human Relations Commission, Antioch College is hosting this free event to generate public discussion around suicide and suicide prevention. The S Word features powerful first-person testimony from suicide attempt survivors and families and loved ones affected by suicide completion. Director Lisa Klein examines suicide in its complexity and from the standpoint of personal experience, including perspectives from traditionally underrepresented populations, such as people of color. This free screening is made possible by a generous donation by Dave and Julie Gribbin, parents of Matthew Walker Gribbin, an Antioch College student who died by suicide in 2007. Learn more about The S Word at the films website. More information about the screening will be available on the Little Art Theatres website as well as Antioch Colleges website. Questions about the movie and free screening can be directed to Nzingha Dalila, Antioch College Mental Health Counselor, at ndalila@antiochcollege.edu. Kathmandu, Nepal: The ruling head Nepal Communist Party (NCP) is holding its secretariat meeting today with intent to bury the brewing factional war in the part. The meeting is taken importantly because the secretariat meeting is called after partys senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal led faction raised serious reservation against decision taken by the top leadership of the party, particularly the two chairpersons- KP Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal through the secretariat meeting. As the secretariat meeting decided to nominate 28 office bearers at the partys provincial committees without consulting in the partys legitimate mechanism like standing committee, the dissident Nepal led faction had come heavily against of the unilateral decision. Nana Patekar and Tanushree Dutta worked for the first and the last time on Horn OK Pleasss. Mumbai: Tanushree Dutta on Saturday filed a police complaint against veteran actor Nana Patekar for allegedly sexually harassing her on the sets of a film in 2008, police said. Dutta, in a recent interview alleged that Patekar had misbehaved with her while filming a song for the 2008 film Horn OK Pleasss. She has filed the complaint at the Oshiwara police station against Patekar, choreographer Ganesh Acharya, producer Sameer Siddiqui and director Rakesh Sarang. According to Dutta's advocate Nitin Satpute, the actor will be giving a statement to the police on Sunday. "We have filed a police complaint, they are investigating the matter and tomorrow (Sunday) they have called her (Dutta) for recording her statement," Satpute told PTI. He added that a similar complaint had been filed by the actor back in 2008 as well. In a letter, Dutta said that she lodged her complaint for the registration of FIR under Sections 354, 354 (A), Section 34 and Section 509 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). She further said before shooting the song, which was supposed to be a solo song picturised only on her, she had clearly mentioned that she will not enact or perform any lewd, vulgar or uncomfortable steps. However, on the fourth day of the shoot, Patekar's behaviour was inappropriate as he was grabbing her by the arms and pushing her around on the pretext of teaching her some steps, the complaint said. "When he was touching me indecently and unnecessary I felt very uncomfortable because of his behaviour, I felt he has outraged my modesty," the letter read. Dutta even complained to the choreographer, producer and director hoping some action would be taken and everything would be fine. But to her surprise, new steps were introduced by Acharya, which were intimate and included Patekar touching her inappropriately, she alleged. The actor said she was being forced and pressurised to do the steps but after she refused, the producer threatened to defame her. Everyone was taking side of Patekar, she said. She then called her parents and manager, who questioned Patekar's actions. However, the producer refused to budge, and Dutta had no choice but to leave the studio, the complaint said. On the way out, her car was attacked, but with the help of the police she managed to escape from the spot, it added. We were then taken to the police station and my statement was recorded but not as per the complaint. Many parts of my complaint were deleted, omitted and avoided, she alleged. She also lodged a complaint with CINTAA in March 2008. "After the above incident I was under tremendous shock and I suffered psychological trauma and was unable to take work and suffered huge monetary loss in crores," Dutta said in the letter. Tanushree Dutta's lawyer on Saturday said that the actress will move the High Court if the police failed to take adequate action against the accused. Addressing the media, Advocate Nitin Satpute said, "We have all evidence of the incident and will move the High Court if proper action is not taken by the police." On being asked why did the actress file a complaint ten years late, Satpute said, "Tanushree had tried to lodge an FIR against Nana Patekar, Ganesh Acharya, the director and producer of the movie in 2008, but police made fool of her by registering a case only against the incident of attack on her vehicle and didn't mention anyone's name. (sic)" He added, "Since she doesn't know Marathi she was unaware of it. Moreover, she was also in depression due to the harassment that she had undergone. Now that Tanushree has recovered she decided to take action and registered a case against them." Earlier in the day, Patekar, who was shooting for his upcoming film Housefull 4 in Jodhpur, landed here Saturday. "I said this ten years ago... a lie is a lie (Dus saal pehle bol chuka hoon, ab jo jhoot hai woh jhoot hai')," Patekar told reporters here Saturday. Patekar's lawyer had sent a legal notice to Dutta demanding apology. The stance of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (A.M.M.A.) to postpone decision on whether actor Dileep, accused of masterminding the abduction and sexual harassment of his female colleague, will continue to be a member or not, has not gone down well with many in the industry and public. The organisations meeting on Saturday in Kochi happened after the members received a letter from actors Revathy, Parvathy and Padmapriya seeking a final decision on the issue. Irked by the associations position, actor-producer Prakash Bare unleashed his criticism through a Facebook post, which starts with a phrase: A.M.M.As middle finger greetings to Malayalam. Further, it reads, After months of deliberations, they have decided to delay the decision by a few more months. Total submission to the accused, expelled and reinstated actor! Good riddance to resigned actresses. Just some jabajaba to the complaining members... But of course, they fully support the unofficially banned, physically attacked and then forced to resign actress. They are working really hard to get justice for her. Where were all these excuses when the all-powerful EC banned Sukumaran to Mala to Bhavana to Vinayan to Thilakan to Prithviraj! Now they want a GB to hide behind. This mafia is not going to mend its ways. They are only going from bad to worse. The racket will only rot and decompose. Hope the 400+ members of this racket will someday realise what they have been supporting and will disassociate from this vulgarity and react. Irra Mor, from Mumbai, is all set to make a splash in Tollywood with her forthcoming film, Bhirava Geetha. And going by the recently released trailer, which has been trending, looks like the film is a rustic, intense love story amid high action. The response to the trailer has been overwhelming, it has boosted our confidence. In fact, on the very first day when I heard the narration, I felt this film will work, says the engineering graduate. Talking about her role, Irra says, I play a girl who goes to London for higher studies. But when I return to the village, certain incidents make me take a stand to support the oppressed. The experience of working for a film has been liberating and I have thoroughly enjoyed the filmmaking process. Although its Irras debut film, she says she wasnt nervous. After I moved to Mumbai, I joined theatre and was part of several plays. So my past theatre experience has helped me in getting my expressions and body language right, she explains, adding, As for the language, I am new to it, but my entire team helped me understand my lines. Irra described the films director Siddharatha as an exciting talent. Whats more heartening is when someone like Ram Gopal Varma, who is also part of the films production, appreciates my work, she said. A tiny European nation, almost always overshadowed by its more popular neighbours, is amongst the few places in the world I have visited more than once. Belgium offers the diversity you would expect from a country drenched in history but constantly evolving with the new. Bang in the middle of Western Europe, it surprises explorers with its medieval belfries alongside contemporary arcades, historic and quirky museums in equal measures (over 150 in total), age-old breweries bringing us frothy goodness, and comfort food like no other (waffles, frites and chocolates). The Dutch speaking Flanders (the northern part of the country) is where I flocked during both my visits. While one can never get enough of Brussels and Bruges, a quick trip to Oostende on the sea front will make it a perfect visit. Here are some must-not-miss activities in each of these cities. Get ready to be surprised by a stunning mix of old and modern, world heritage sites and perhaps an expanding waistline as you leave this cultural and gastronomic hotpot. Brussels Imagine being awestruck by old world architectural brilliance on a street and finding yourself having a meal at a funky cafe, right around the corner. Thats Brussels for you. The heart of the EU, Brussels is just the perfect mix of art nouveau mansions and hip buildings, contemporary art and cafes. A must visit is the Grand Place, perhaps one of the most stunning city squares in the world, which stuns you as the cobble-stoned enclosure pops up as you walk the narrow alleys surrounding it. Nothing compares to the comfort food! Head to Maison Dandoy near the square, for one of the best classic waffles with snowfall of icing sugar and to Fritland at Rue Henry Maus for Belgian fries, incontestably the best in the world, and of course double fried, just like the Belgians love it. Better still, just pick up your favourite food from the umpteen roadside joints near the grand place, sit back and watch life go by as you revel in the architectural marvels of antique guildhalls and statues. Belgium is beer-lovers ultimate heaven. Its innumerable old-breweries still carry the mystic charm and have a selection unmatched. I recommend The Sister, a bar which is stones throw away from the Grand Place and stacked with over 70 organic Belgian brews like the Zoevel or the Alfoncine. For the quirk-smitten, there is Le Cercueil, a famous bar with spooky and psychedelic interiors, so you can grab your beer while you chill in the bar where Exorcist was shot. The royal quarter with its museums will stun and satisfy the art lovers. The most intriguing is the Museum of Music in the Old England building which in itself is an art nouveau masterpiece. Utopia for chocolate lovers, you can get your hands on chocolate brands from famous chocolatiers include Godiva, Leonidas, Guylian and others. But the best chocolates are the indigenous ones you would buy at tiny boutiques, found aplenty in the city. Bruges Bruges looks straight out of a fairytale which makes it one of the prettiest cities in Europe. This authentic medieval charmer, with dreamy canals, most photogenic market squares, charming houses converted to museums, houses with a unique white-washed facade in every other lane, and historic towers and churches, is one of the best preserved cities in Europe. In contrast to Brussels, it is quaint, laidback but packed with the same historic charm. The old Markt Square brims with pavement cafes with best views in the evening, Groeninge museum, Bruges most celebrated art gallery prides itself in the amazing collection of Flemish and Renaissance artists, the 12th century basilica Heilig-Bloedbasiliek, a colourful chapel within the sliver facade interspersed with gold statues. If you want the best view of the city, climb the 366 steps of the Belfort, a stunning 13th century belfry to get amazing views, especially at sunset. You are sure to love the almost hidden, yet so popular De Garre Bar and their house beer staminee de garre, which is so strong that they only allow you to have three. You could also head to the Halve Maan brewery, creator of the famous Brugse Zot beer. The exact reason behind the attack is yet to be ascertained, the police said. (Representational Image) New Delhi: A 36-year-old man was shot dead and his wife injured when some unidentified assailants opened fire on them in the Bawana area of Rohini, police said on Sunday. The incident occurred at around 8:40 pm on Saturday. The assailants shot at Amit and he was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared brought dead, the police said. His wife Jyoti (34) also received a gunshot injury on the right side of the waist, they added. She was admitted to the Saroj Hospital near Madhuban Chowk, where her condition was stated to stable. The exact reason behind the attack is yet to be ascertained, the police said. Jyoti has two children from her first marriage and she left her first husband Satpal nine years ago, they added. Hyderabad: The Pahadi Shareef police has solved the murder mystery of a person named Umar Shareef which took place 10 days back. The father-in-law of Shareef murdered him because the victim used to physically abuse his daughter. The accused murdered Shareef and dumped his body in a forest near Jalpally. The police has identified the accused as Abbas Khan, 65, Asif Khan, 33, Syed Baba, 32, Shaik Khaeer, 25, Nazia Begum, wife of the victim, Smt Sulthan Begum, Reshma Begum, 23 and Shahed Begum, 27. According to the police, one person informed about the half burnt body of Shareef which was lying in the forest. The Pahadi Shareef police came to know about the family issues and made arrests. The police questioned Abbas Khan about the murder, and he confessed to the crime. Abbas Khan confessed that he got his daughter married to Shareef eight years ago and they were blessed with three children. The victim has previously been jailed for theft cases. After coming out on bail he used to harass his wife Nazia Begum following which she went to her fathers house. However, 20 days ago Shareeef came to his in laws house and started quarreling with his wife. M. Shankar, inspector of Pahadi Shareef said that seven of the eight have been arrested. It transpired that Uma had suffered from consistent pain in her breasts while feeding her baby, which is why she decided to kill the baby. Police sources said that the child's father Venkanna (30), was employed in a supermarket. CHENNAI: In a cold blooded murder that shook the conscience of right thinking citizens of the city, a young mother killed her one-month-old baby boy and tried to fake it with a 'baby missing' complaint, which she and her husband filed with the police. A day after the couple lodged the 'baby missing' complaint, police recovered the child's body from a lake, and on Sunday arrested the mother who the police concluded, had murdered the child and staged a drama at her home in Velachery. It transpired that Uma had suffered from consistent pain in her breasts while feeding her baby, which is why she decided to kill the baby. Police sources said that the child's father Venkanna (30), was employed in a supermarket. He married Uma (27), two years ago, and the couple lived in Erikkarai, in Velachery. On August 30, Uma gave birth to a baby boy, and the couple named the child Charvik. On Saturday, the couple lodged a complaint at the Velachery police station, wherein Uma had stated that she had put the baby to sleep around 4 am on Saturday only to find him missing as she woke up around 5:30 am. The complaint also stated that they had kept their front door open for ventilation since there was a power cut in the area at that time. Police had registered a case, and launched a search for the baby. As police began investigations, they grilled Uma also who allegedly gave contradictory statements, which led police to suspect her hand in the crime. Interrogations with Umas neighbour revealed that they saw a woman clad in a nightie, carrying the child on her shoulders around 4 am. They also hinted that the woman appeared like the infants mother herself. On intense police grilling, Uma confessed to have killed the child, since she was unable to breastfeed him due to unbearable pain she developed during breastfeeding. Though she had complained about this to her husband and her mother, both ignored her and failed to provide her medication. They told her that its part of motherhood, and she had to bear this, said an investigating officer. It is alleged that she even once told her husband to take away the baby and give it to her mother, to which he refused. Hence, she decided to kill the child and on Saturday threw him in the Velachery lake. Police booked Uma on charges of murder and arrested her. 'He (Jaitley) will not contest the Lok Sabha elections, but will strengthen the BJP in the Congress bastion,' Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's representative said. (Photo: File) Lucknow: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will spend his MP area development funds on Rae Bareli, a move being seen as an attempt by the BJP to breach the Gandhi family bastion in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. 'Representative' of Arun Jaitley and UP BJP spokesperson Hero Bajpai told news agency PTI, "Almost a month back, Jaitley had chosen Rae Bareli district as a Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh. The backwardness of the district despite being represented by a prominent political family and the various demands which have been emanating from the district, prompted Jaitley ji to choose this." Under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), each MP has the choice to suggest to the district collector for works to the tune of Rs 5 crore per annum to be taken up in his/her constituency. A Rajya Sabha MP can recommend works in one or more districts in the state from where he/she has been elected. Bajpai said, "The Union finance minister may tour Rae Bareli in the first or second week of November." However, Bajpai ruled out any possibility of an epic battle in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections between Sonia Gandhi and Arun Jaitley. "He (Jaitley) will not contest the Lok Sabha elections, but will strengthen the BJP in the Congress bastion," Jaitley's representative said. The people in Rae Bareli have been demanding a stadium, a university, solar lights and solar energy-operated pumps in remote villages of the district, Bajpai said, and added that efforts would be made to fulfil all the incomplete works in the district so that people could heave a sigh of relief. He also said Rs 2.5 crore had already reached the chief development officer of Rae Bareli (the nodal person to carry out the works using the MPLADS funds). Rae Bareli is currently represented by Sonia Gandhi in the Lok Sabha, while the neighbouring parliamentary constituency of Amethi is represented by Rahul Gandhi (current Congress president). Prior to this, Indira Gandhi had won from Rae Bareli in 1980, while her elder son Rajiv Gandhi had represented Amethi in Lok Sabha in 1984, 1989 and 1991. Sanjay Gandhi had won from Amethi in 1980. "Rae Bareli, which remained in darkness, as development eluded it during the Congress rule, has now started experiencing the first rays of development touching its soil. Whenever any stalwart leader enters a district, it adds a new dimension to the growth saga of the district," Bajpai said, claiming that people of Rae Bareli are happy that the Union finance minister will be spending his MP area development funds on the district. Jaitley's representative also said, "This will help the BJP achieve its mission of bagging more than 73 Lok Sabha seats from UP in the 2019 general elections." Uttar Pradesh sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha. In the 2014 parliamentary elections, the BJP won 71 seats, its ally Apna Dal got two, while the SP bagged five and the Congress won the remaining two. Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani, during a recent visit to Amethi and Rae Bareli last month, had attacked the Gandhi family for the lack of development in its stronghold. She had accused the two Congress leaders for failing to develop their own constituencies, claiming that 70 to 80 per cent of houses were still made of mud. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections Sonia Gandhi had bagged 5,26,434 votes and defeated her BJP rival by a margin of 3,52,713 votes. 'The district administration also claimed that one person has been taken into custody. Others involved in the case have also been identified and will be arrested soon'. (Photo: Twitter | ANI) Patna: Nitish Kumar government, which is facing flak over rising cases of crime against women, was in for another setback after a group of girl students was beaten up for resisting eve-teasing and sexual harassment in Bihars Supaul district. Police said that over 40 girls who sustained injuries in the attack were later admitted to a local hospital for treatment. The district administration also claimed that one person has been taken into custody. Others involved in the case have also been identified and will be arrested soon. The girls all aged between 12 to 16 years, are students of Kasturba Gandhi School in Daparkha village of Triveniganj. Sources from Supaul informed Deccan Chronicle that youths from a nearby village used to pass lewd remarks and write vulgar comments on the school wall about girls. On Saturday, over two dozen local villagers ransacked the school and thrashed the girls when they tried to their raise their voices against the issue. Girls were beaten up by villagers while they were playing on Saturday. Villagers were furious because these girls tried to raise their voices against the harassment they faced on regular basis, school sources said. The issue has snowballed into a political controversy as opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday blamed the state government for its failure in maintaining law and order in the state. In a tweet, he said that anti-social elements ransacked the Kasturba Gandhi Girls School in Supaul and thrashed 34 students. The state government is silent and the crime graph is rising in Bihar. 34 - , Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) October 6, 2018 He further said, This kind of incident keeps happening because Chief Minister personally interferes and ensures that rapists and perpetrators get a free run. In majority cases, his party men, lawmakers and office bearers are main culprits. Honest officers who have been taking action against them are often transferred. Because CM personally interferes to ensure that rapists & perpetrators gets a free run. In majority cases his party men, law makers and office bearers are the main culprits. If an honest officer tries to catch hold of them, He/she is transferred immediately. #NitishKaAatankRaj https://t.co/vdVH3ro5BF Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) October 7, 2018 Earlier this year, cases of sexual abuse inside several government-funded shelter homes had rocked the state. In a Muzaffarpur-based shelter home rape case, over 34 minor girls told the police said that they were raped by officials and employees of the facility. In another case, around 15 minors living in Bodh Gaya monastery were molested by a monk. At least 170 people have been arrested in connection with attacks on migrant workers. (Representational Image | File) Ahmedabad: After a worker hailing from Bihar was arrested for raping a 14-month-old girl in Gujarats Sabarkantha district last week, protests broke out against migrant labourers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. According to reports, hundreds of workers have left Gujarat and returned to their home states. At least 170 people have been arrested in connection with attacks on migrant labourers. A 14-month-old girl was allegedly raped in a village near Himmatnagar town, around 100 km from Ahmedabad on September 28. A man, identified as Ravindra Sahu hailing from Bihar was arrested the same day and charged with the toddler's rape. Sahu was working in a local ceramic factory. The toddler, who is from the Thakor community, has been admitted to the civil hospital in Ahmedabad where her condition is stated to be stable, a report in Hindustan Times said. Following the incident, hate messages on WhatsApp led to violence and attacks on some people, mostly belonging to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, in several parts of the state, including Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Patan, Sabarkantha and Mehsana. Congress leader Alpesh Thakor, who heads Thakor Sena in Gujarat, has been accused of fanning violence against the migrant workers. However, Alpesh Thakor denied the allegations and appealed for peace saying, This is unfortunate. We have never advocated violence and only talked peace. All Indians are safe in Gujarat. On Saturday, Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said that he has written to Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy of the Gujarat High Court seeking speedy trial in the rape case of a 14-month old girl. Patel said he has also sought setting up of fast-track courts for the speedy trial in two other similar cases in Surat and had also requested the chief justice to ensure that the accused get the harshest punishment possible, including capital punishment. (With PTI inputs) Kathmandu, Nepal: CK Raut, the so-called chairman of Free Madhes Alliance (FMA) has been arrested on Sunday afternoon from Gaur of Rautahat district. The team of police led by DSP Mahendra Prasad Marasini arrested Raut while he was while returning from the district court. The opposition Congress and BJP had come out against the government stand and alleged that the Left government was trying to implement the court order in haste without taking into consideration the sentiments of the believers. (Photo: File) Thiruvananthapuram: Both the ruling CPI(M) and opposition Congress on Saturday wanted a dialogue with the people concerned before implementing the Supreme Court verdict on the entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple. The parties' stand comes in the backdrop of mounting protest by devotees of Lord Ayyappa across the state. On Saturday, hundreds of devotees, mostly women, took part in the 'namajapa' (chanting the name of Lord Ayyappa marches in Kottayam and Malappuram districts against the LDF government's decision to implement the top court verdict without going for a review. According to a Hindustan Times report, CM Pinarayi Vijayan will hold talks this week with the head priests of the shrine and members of the Pandalam royal family. Addressing devotees who gathered at Changanassery in Kottayam braving heavy rains, Sabarimala tantri (head priest), Kandararu Rajeevaru said everyone should stand together to preserve the traditions, rituals and faith of the Lord Ayyappa shrine. A section of Ayyappa devotees staged a dharna Saturday in front of the TDB headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, which manages the hill shrine. Meanwhile, Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran said here that the government was ready to hold discussions with anybody on the matter. Attacking the BJP and the Congress-led UDF over the issue, he said the opposition parties were trying to create "misunderstanding" among the faithful and "fishing in troubled waters". He also said that the government's stand was to move ahead with mutual cooperation. The ruling CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told reporters in New Delhi that the apex court verdict should be implemented after discussions with everyone concerned. "The consultation is for implementing the verdict. The government is seeking the support of persons concerned to implement it, but not by force," Balakrishnan said. The Left party has no confusion over the issue, he said, adding that the move by 'vested interests' to turn the faithful against the government would be checked with the help of the believers themselves. The CPI(M) Secretariat had on Friday asked the government to hold discussions with those concerned on the matter. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Mullappally Ramachandran urged the Left government to convene an all-party meet to discuss the present development over the top court verdict. He said his party would support the government if it files a review petition against the verdict, which lifted the restrictions imposed on the entry of women belonging to the age group of 10-50 in the hill shrine as part of its centuries-old tradition. Protests over the entry of women in Sabarimala has gained momentum after the LDF government made it clear that it would not go in for a review of the Supreme Court verdict. The opposition Congress and BJP had come out against the government stand and alleged that the Left government was trying to implement the court order in haste without taking into consideration the sentiments of the believers. The Congress also alleged the BJP-RSS combine had adopted double standards on the issue and said if it was sincere in protecting the interests of believers, the NDA government at the Centre should come out with a legislation to overcome the verdict. CMO sources said members of the Pandalam royal family, the erstwhile rulers associated with the Sabarimala temple, have sought permission to meet Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is now in New Delhi, on Monday to discuss the issue. On September 28, a five-judge Constitution bench, headed by former Chief Justice Dipak Misra, lifted the ban on the entry of women of menstrual age (10-50) into the shrine. Hundreds of devotees, mostly women, take part in the 'namajapa' (chanting the name of Lord Ayyappa ) during march in Kottayam on Saturday. (Photo: PTI) Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government's move to hold talks with 'Thazhamon tantries', the head priests of the Sabarimala Temple, on the Supreme Court verdict on the entry of women into the shrine received a setback on Sunday with one of the priests saying there was no relevance in holding discussions. The Pandalam royals, the erstwhile rulers associated with the Lord Ayyappa temple, also said there was no point in holding discussions now as the CPI(M)-led LDF government had already taken a decision to implement the top court order. Meanwhile, protests by devotees of Lord Ayyappa, demanding the retaining of the age-old tradition, rituals and faith of the hill shrine, continued in several parts of the state. There were reports that the government invited the tantri family and the members of Pandalam royals for a discussion with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. Kandararu Mohanaru, one of the three tantries, and Sasikumar Varma, a member of the Pandalam royal family, said there was no relevance of holding talks with the government right now as they were not ready for a review against the apex court order. On September 28, a five-judge Constitution bench, headed by then Chief Justice Dipak Misra, lifted the ban on the entry of women of menstrual age into the shrine. There had been restrictions imposed on the entry of women belonging to the age group of 10-50 in the hill shrine as part of its centuries-old tradition. "We will go for a review petition. Let us know the result of the review... We can hold a discussion with authorities after knowing views of the Pandalam royal family also in this regard," Mohanaru said in Chengannur. The tantri also took exception to the government's move to deploy women police personnel at 'sannidhanam', the temple complex, and said it would amount to violation of rituals and traditions of the hill shrine. Echoing the same sentiments, Sasikumar Varma said the royal family's stand on the issue was very clear. "The Supreme Court verdict is wrong. It is a violation of customs and traditions of the Lord Ayyappa shrine. But the government is for permitting women into the shrine without going for any review. So there is no point in holding talks with them now," he said. The CPI(M)-led LDF government opened the doors for dialogue in view of mounting protests by Ayyappa devotees across the state against its decision to implement the court verdict without going for a review. Both the opposition Congress and BJP had also come out openly against the LDF government's stand and stated very clearly that they were with the believers. Hundreds of Ayyappa devotees, especially women, on Sunday took part in 'namajapa' (chanting the hymns of Lord Ayyappa) rallies at Tripunithura in Ernakulam and Tirunakkara in Kottayam districts, demanding the safeguarding of 'sanatana dharma', the tradition of Hinduism. In Tripunithura, the faithful started the march from a temple dedicated to Lord Dharma Sastha, an incarnation of Lord Ayyappa, at Tamarakulangara in the morning. Chanting the 'swamiye saranam Ayyappa' mantras, the devotees marched through the main roads and ended the procession at the famed Poornathrayeesa Temple there. Police said over 40 schoolgirls who were injured in the attack were later admitted to a local hospital for treatment. Patna: A group of schoolgirls was beaten up by local villagers for protesting against sexual harassment by local youth in Bihars Supaul district, dealing yet another setback to the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government that is facing attacks over rising cases of crime against women. Police said over 40 schoolgirls who were injured in the attack were later admitted to a local hospital for treatment. The district administration also claimed that one person has been taken into custody. Others involved in the case have also been identified and will be arrested soon. Sources from Supaul informed this newspaper that youths from a nearby village used to pass lewd remarks and write vulgar comments on the school wall about girls. On Saturday, over two dozen local villagers ransacked the school and thrashed the girls when they tried to raise their voices against the harassment. Girls were beaten up by villagers while they were playing on Saturday. The villagers were furious because these girls tried to raise their voices against the harassment they faced on a regular basis, school sources said. The issue has snowballed into a political controversy as Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday blamed the state government for its failure in maintaining law and order in the state. In a tweet, he said that anti-social elements ransacked the Kasturba Gandhi Girls School in Supaul and thrashed 34 students. The state government is silent and the crime graph is rising in Bihar. He further said that this kind of incident keeps happening because Chief Minister personally interferes and ensures that rapists and perpetrators get a free run. In majority cases, his partymen, lawmakers and office-bearers are main culprits. Honest officers who have been taking action against them are often transferred. Earlier this year, cases of sexual abuse inside several government-funded shelter homes had rocked the state. In a shelter home in Muzaffarpur over 34 minor girls in their statement to the police said that they were raped by officials and employees of the facility. In another case, around 15 minors living in Bodh Gaya monastery were molested by a monk. Hyderabad: Mission 60+ is the target BJP president Amit Shah has set the party for the Assembly elections, and will whip up the cadre to meet the mark at his meeting at Karimnagar on Wednesday. Mr Shah is reportedly targeting the Mahbubnagar, Karimnagar and Warangal districts largely on the basis of urban voters who had shown substantial support for BJP candidates earlier, said a party source. Twenty states had elected the BJP under Mr Shahs leadership, and TS unit president K. Laxman hoped that the magic would rub off on Telangana state. Why cannot Telangana be a BJP-led state? When it is possible in a majority of states in the country, why not here? Thats the intention behind Mr Shahs focus on Telangana. Mr Shah held a series of meeting with state leaders and has finalised the list of contestants, sources said. It is expected that Mr Shah would announce names at Karimnagar. Dr Laxman said the party leadership had spent three days filtering the aspirants for all the 119 constituencies, before recommending candidates purely on the consideration of winnability. It is expected that dissidents who failed to secure tickets from the TRS and the Congress could head towards the BJP. Dr Laxman said at a meeting the Mission 60+ target was the guiding star. We will invite winnable candidates no matter which party they come from. But they should abide by our policies and philosophy, he said. Dr Laxman said the BJP had extended to all sections of society, it was no longer perceived as a party limited to the forward communities. He said the party was strong organisationally. The anti-Dalit stance of the TRS was exposed. We have reached out to all sections including women, youth, BCs, Dalits and all sections to strengthen the party, Dr Laxman said. The MIM won seven seats in 2014, followed by the BJP with four and then alliance partner Telugu Desam three. Hyderabad: The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) is taking a hard look at its performance in Hyderabad in the 2014 elections, where it failed to bag a single seat. The party is confident that it can gain the support of AP-origin voters due to its alliance with the Telugu Desam. Also having its eyes on Hyderabad is the TRS which had won one seat from the capital the last time round. It has since seen legislators defecting to its side, and won the civic body elections with a record margin. The MIM won seven seats in 2014, followed by the BJP with four and then alliance partner Telugu Desam three. AP-origin voters have a decent share in many of the constituencies in Hyderabad. The TD leaders have several times claimed that its alliance helped the BJP in winning seats in Hyderabad. This is why the TD is asking for more seats in the capital during its grand alliance seat-sharing talks. Having the TD on our side definitely is an advantage and the graph of Congress will improve. We will win a majority of the seats in the city, said a senior leader from Congress. The city Congress started a padayatra in the city on Sunday. Party leaders claimed that the development of Hyderabad took place during their tenure. Mr Shabbir Ali, senior Congress leader, said that Hyderabad saw an all-round development during the Congress regime and alleged that caretaker Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was only limited to making tall claims. All India Congress Committee secretary N.S. Bosu Raju said, A manifesto sub committee will be announced to look into the issues in the GHMC region. The padayatra will be taken up in all the 15 constituencies in Hyderabad. Chennai: Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohits remarks that crores of rupees exchanged hands in the appointment of Vice-Chancellors to state universities before he took over has stirred a debate among academicians. They are demanding a detailed enquiry and punishment for the persons found to be involved in corruption in the past. While participating in an education-related event on Saturday Mr Purohit had said, In the appointment of Vice-Chancellors crores of money have exchanged hands. I could not believe that and then I decided that things have to be changed. Till date, I have selected nine Vice-Chancellors purely on merit and nobody can raise a finger against me. Though the Governor was stating a well-known fact among academic circles, the Governor himself saying it surprised many and assumed significance. It was an open secret and everybody knew. One of the previous Governors was involved in the corruption and former higher education ministers were also involved. The fact that the Governor said it assumes very great significance, said M. Ananthakrishnan, former Vice-Chancellor, Anna University and former chairman, IIT Kanpur. The Governor has stopped the corruption in the appointment of Vice-Chancellors. But, what is the guarantee that the old practices will not resume if the Governor changes? he asked. Governor Banwarilal Purohit should ask for an investigation and give exemplary punishment for both who have paid the money and received it. If that has been done, in future people will be afraid of punishment, he said. Till that happens, Governor's statement alone will not have the long-term and permanent effect to ensure probity in the appointment of Vice-Chancellors, he added. Educationist and former Vice-Chancellor of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University V.Vasanthi Devi also urged the Governor to investigate the corruption. If the Governor says that there has been corruption in the appointment of Vice-Chancellors in the past, he should order an investigation into what had happened. A proper investigation can bring the guilty to book, she urged. A very deep malice has crept into the higher education system of Tamil Nadu and it should definitely be stopped at the top level, she said. Pointing out that a huge amount of money is involved in every appointment and transfer in higher educational institutions, she said, Once a Vice-Chancellor post itself has become a matter of bargaining and very shady dealing it is very difficult to contain the disease from spreading downwards in the university system. Anna University former Vice-Chancellor E.Balagurusamy welcomed the Governor's statement. It is good that the Governor has raised the issue and the public is aware of it now, he said. In the appointment of Vice-Chancellors, money power, political power and caste power have all been acting in the last decade. Every Vice-Chancellor during this period, was appointed based on one of these factors, he alleged. Some of the Vice-Chancellors who paid the bribe to get the post used to say it openly and even urged the colleges to help make their returns on the investment made. When the Anna University was bifurcated in 2007, an assistant professor named R. Radhakrishnan was made Vice-Chancellor of Anna University, Coimbatore. Without paying money, how he would have got the post? he asked. Mr.Radhakrishnan was convicted to 5 years imprisonment in a related graft case. Bengaluru: Paying tribute to the royal family of Mysuru, Infosys Foundation chairperson, Sudha Murty on Saturday said the state owed the Mysuru maharajas for protecting Kannada heritage and culture by organising the Nada Habba Dasara during their reign. Speaking at a Meet the Press programme jointly organised by the Bengaluru Press Club and Bengaluru Reporters' Guild here, Ms Murty said, "We definitely owe a lot to our Mysuru maharajas, who protected our culture and heritage by organising the Dasara for several centuries. Even when I was young girl, I went to Mysuru with my parents just to see the grandeur of the celebrations, which are an attraction even today. Although Karnataka, prior to its unification, had many principalities, with Bombay-Karnataka governed by the Maratha rulers, Hyderabad- Karnataka under the Nizamas of Hyderabad and the Kasargod region ruled by Malayalam speaking monarchs, it was only the Mysuru maharajas who protected and propagated Kannada language and heritage, she noted. For this work of our Mysuru marajas, we must forever remain indebted to them, she added, revealing that she would be part of the Dasara festivities organised by both the state government and the Mysuru royal family this year. Asked for her views on the demand in some quarters for a division for Karnataka, Ms Murty said she could not imagine such an eventuality. "I do not agree with this. I hail from North Karnataka and my husband is from Mysuru. So I would always want Karnataka to remains united," she insisted. Would she ever join politics? Replying in the negative, Ms Murthy said she was happy doing work for the Infosys Foundation . "To do people's work, you dont need to join politics. I have still a lot to accomplish as Infosys Foundation chairperson," she maintained. Strongly defending her husband and IT czar, Narayanmurthy, Ms Murty regretted that some people held him responsible for the heavy traffic in Bengaluru. Actually, it was his vision to set up Infosys in Bengaluru that not only catapulted it to the IT world map, but also created the biggest employment hub in the country. Aren't these big achievements in themselves? But there are people who will criticise everything. Some even blame my husband for the citys chaotic traffic. What to do?," she shrugged. The 19th India-Russia summit was held in New Delhi on October 4-5, led by President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Both are complex personalities shaped by their nations past and current global dilemmas caused by Trumpian uncertainty. Mr Modi became chief minister of Gujarat in 2001, while Mr Putin succeeded an ailing President Boris Yeltsin on January 1, 2000. They are both children of 21st century power competition. Mr Putin has, whether directly as President or indirectly controlling power as Prime Minister, attempted to resurrect Russia from Boris Yeltsin letting it collapse to a tottering, second-rate power, with energy resources purloined by oligarchs. The West as well, instead of drawing Russia into a new but fair power-sharing arrangement in Europe, devoured its former Warsaw Pact periphery by expanding the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the European Union. Russia recalled its historical experience that inability to dominate its surroundings had led to the Mongol invasion and two and a half centuries of Mongol suzerainty (1237-1480). Thus, as the rest of Europe settled after the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 to a balance of power order, Russia, having no natural borders between the Arctic and the Pacific, sought depth by conquest into Central Asia, the Far East and Europe. Mr Putin, through his stand in the Ukraine, laid down red lines to stop any Western encroachment. His intervention in the Syrian civil war has resurrected Russian influence in West Asia, drawn Russia closer to the Iran-led Shia crescent, seamlessly linking Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, and got a seat at the Afghan peace table as well. Thus, the summit this year repositions Indo-Russian relations in a world destabilised by maverick US President Donald Trumps whims and phobias. The joint statement released in New Delhi on Friday recalls the 1971 Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation and the 1993 treaty, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, as India faced the Cold Wars end. Article VIII of the 1971 pact enjoins that neither party would enter into or participate in any military alliance directed against the other party. Persisting tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine, the assassination of Russian defectors by GRU agents in the UK and alleged Russian interference in the American elections makes this relevant. Article X states that no obligation will be entered into which might cause miitary damage to the other party. It remains debatable whether Russian military sales to Pakistan and China breach that or India signing foundational agreements with the United States, last being Communication Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA), may be perceived by Russia as causing them military damage by exposing their equipment in India to US scrutiny? However, since the May 21, 2018 Sochi summit, a new dynamism in bilateral relations is visible. The joint statement claims deep trust at a personal level and a shared desire for a more interconnected and diverse world. The agreements exchanged were not pathbreaking, but more a continuation of past engagements, with some tweaking. Most significant was the announcement of the Inter-governmental Commission on Military-Technology Cooperation meeting in December 2018, as indeed India buying the S-400 ground-to-air missile system. The announcement on the purchase of four frigates was withheld, perhaps to deal with the US and its Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), from which waivers can be given only by the US President on a case-by-case basis. Incidentally, the US has imposed sanctions on Chinese entities buying the same missile system and SU-35 fighters. Defence will remain one of the two anchors of the bilateral relationship, the other one being energy, despite India diversifying its purchases, with the US overtaking Russia in some recent years after orders for US transport planes, light artillery, Chinook and Apache helicopters, etc. Although Russia loaning India the Akula-class nuclear submarines outscores any technology sharing by the West, Russia failed to deliver on the joint production of fifth-generation fighters or medium transport planes. In this Indian balancing between Russia and the US, it is unclear what would be American red lines, beyond which the waivers would stop. On the economic side, Indo-Russian trade has never recovered the vigour of the Cold War era, when the rupee-rouble trade provided India an easy export route. In the last year, trade has jumped 25 per cent, but the target of $30 billion by 2025 sounds ambitious, though a depreciating rupee may help. Energy cooperation is the mainstay of economic relations. Russias intervention in Syria has a strategic purpose as that controls the land route for the Gulf gas to flow to European markets via the Mediterranean. Likewise, for President Trump, blocking European dependence on Russian gas is a strategic imperative to market American gas. That explains his strong criticism of Germany receiving additional Russian gas via Nord Stream 2. Russias Gazprom dominates the Central East European energy market; it gets 37 per cent of its profits from and controls 34.7 per cent of the European market. India has to keep the Russian route open for energy security. Similarly, Russias Rosatom is dominating the setting up of new nuclear power plants in Hungary, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. India has benefited from past nuclear energy cooperation and can now be a partner abroad. In Syria and Afghanistan, both sides agreed to back local-led solutions without outside interference. On Iran, both supported the US standoff over the nuclear deal being resolved through peaceful means and dialogue. On Korea, they welcomed the ongoing efforts for a peaceful resolution of all disputes. Finally, they shared incantations on fighting terrorism and avoiding an arms race in outer space. Russia committed itself to helping Indias space exploration and perhaps putting an Indian on the moon. India seeks a multipolar world, neither dominated by past hegemon America nor the Middle Heaven syndrome inspired China. For that, Russia and Japan remain critical partners in the Indo-Pacific and continental Asia, as they cannot abandon the region as the US episodically does. The current summit is a course correction for that purpose. Today, 336 million people worldwide use Twitter every month, and its become so important that its being used to influence the outcomes of elections and other significant events. (Photo: AP) Since Twitters creation in 2008, the microblogging platform has become an irreplaceable part of both media and the internet, as millions of users type out short text-based messages to their followers, who can then like, respond, and retweet those messages. But Twitter is not just a toy, or an amusement, its a major source of information: mainstream media disseminate news and analysis through their digital platforms; politicians and government leaders use the site to engage in digital diplomacy and connect with worldwide audiences; users seek out debate, conversation, and education on all subjects possible. Today, 336 million people worldwide use Twitter every month, and its become so important that its being used to influence the outcomes of elections and other significant events. Opinion influences action, and with powerful software tools at the hands of hackers or social media teams, messages can be spread and amplified with such volume that users can be made to believe that theyre true, and act on them classic propaganda multiplied a thousandfold. Pakistan, despite its low volume of internet users as compared to the rest of the world has a lively presence on Twitter. Users discuss national and global events in 140 characters. Every newspaper and television station has an official Twitter account; companies and television shows tweet out information and try to interact with the users who consume their products. The scope is vast: Imran Khan has 8.5m followers, news anchor Maria has 1m, Wasim Akram has 4.5m. Twitter is its own ecosystem, with etiquette and conduct that mirrors but also distorts how we live our lives offline. Pakistani politicians, government officials, and party leaders all have Twitter accounts; theyve realised that Twitter is the fastest way to reach the most connected and educated Pakistanis, of all social classes, ages, and walks of life, in order to influence their opinions and seek their support. Yet when leaders make statements on social media, they can be immediately challenged by the public, who present facts or counterarguments to dispute whats being told to them. Unfortunately, this isnt as effective as holding the powerful to account in the media or at the ballot box. Its superficially more expedient, and for Pakistanis unused to long-term democracy, an incredibly seductive illusion. When social media influences governments, Twitter can resemble the direct democracy of ancient Athens, but when its misused, or used badly, it looks more like the Roman political scene, where senators and citizens alike engaged in insults, slander and mockery. Pakistani Twitter users express their displeasure with their leaders by posting memes and jokes, erasing the traditional barriers and distances usually maintained between the governors and the governed. Unfortunately, Pakistani politicians and officials have not adjusted well to the age of digital diplomacy. So far, their attempts at using the medium have been clumsy at best, damaging at worst. Leaders and officials across all parties and offices often disseminate misinformation and propaganda, tweet out unintelligible messages at the expense of language and grammar, and engage in slanging matches. Given the importance of social media, its astonishing that no political party, nor the government has established an official policy for Twitter usage. Well-thought-out guidelines are badly needed on how to tweet transparently and accurately about governance, diplomacy, or political policy and initiatives; this would make our leaders look much more professional online. The Foreign Office should provide directives to all its diplomatic missions and ambassadors on how to promote Pakistans image and our achievements in the countries to which we are connected and attempting to connect. Meanwhile, politicians and leaders must interact with the public in a more formal manner, while still maintaining a personal touch. The implications for political sway and global influence through social media are only just becoming apparent. Pakistanis who represent authority must learn how to act like leaders, not thugs and buffoons, on social media. A uniform policy for social media must be created and adhered to by government representatives if we want to make use of this powerful medium. There are many examples of other governments who have done so successfully: the Dutch on Twitter and the Swedish on Facebook. We should attempt to follow suit, otherwise well squander this opportunity, like we have so many others, to harness one of the worlds most powerful digital tools. By arrangement with Dawn Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in as a judge of the US Supreme Court for life even as allegations had been aired that he sexually assaulted women three decades ago. Strenuously denying the significant charge brought by Dr Christine Balsey Ford in emotional outbursts before the Senate, the rightwing judge invited derision over whether he was emotionally and temperamentally fit for the high chair. His nomination and subsequent 50-48 Senate vote, with one Democratic Senator too plumping for him, garnered the attention of the world just as it raised very serious issues concerning the very foundation of life in modern society. There was far more to this bitter battle that shook up America than a conservative judge joining the top court. At times, it seemed even more important than the Presidential election. Dr. Fords testimony presented uncorroborated evidence of sexual assault and the FBI cleared Kavanaugh after a hasty investigation. The issue, however, goes beyond prosecutable evidence and into the very heart of what is the truth and whether men in the glaring spotlight can pass such a test. The judge passed the Capitol Hill test, but did the US pass the true democracy test? The greatness of the US as a democratic leader, despite its record in Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc., is it distinguishes itself with relentless introspection, besides investigation and inquiries into issues small and great. And the process of such a crucial nomination was held most transparently. There is nothing authoritarian about this nomination, which is to serve a larger political aim as Kavanaugh is set to tilt the balance in favour of the conservatives in the Supreme Court for decades to come. Claiming that the Congress did nothing for the tribal population, BJP president Amit Shah said in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh Saturday that his party had ensured that government funds reached the tribals and forest-dwellers. The Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Madhya Pradesh will go to the polls on November 28, the Election Commission (EC) announced Saturday. Addressing a rally at Jhabua in the state, Shah observed that under Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's government, people of this area could now afford motorcycles. "The Congress will come, Rahul baba (Rahul Gandhi) will come. They will talk about everything, but development. They will talk about caste, religion. But whenever they come to power, they take money meant for the forest-dwellers to their own homes...The BJP ensures that the money meant for them reaches their (forest-dwellers') homes," Shah said. The Congress ruled Madhya Pradesh for 55 years, but development did not reach Jhabua, he added. "After getting off the helicopter, I was surprised to see that during Shivraj Singh Chouhan's tenure, people are riding motorcycles," Shah said. People in large numbers using two-wheelers meant that Chouhan had brought enough prosperity to the district, he added. "(During the Congress rule) There was not even a tribal ministry. When Atal Bihari Vajpayee became prime minister, the Adivasi Kalyan Mantralaya was formed for the first time," the BJP president said. He attributed the saffron party's victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls to support from tribals and forest-dwellers and added that in his first speech after becoming prime minister, Narendra Modi had made it clear that his government was for the poor, Dalits, tribals and forest-dwellers. "I want to ask (state Congress chief) Kamal Nath and company, how much money was allocated for tribals in their (Congress governments') budgets? In all the BJP-ruled states, we have abided by the Constitution and increased the allocation for tribals, with the largest allocation for Madhya Pradesh," Shah said. Political activity is gaining momentum after the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the dates for the by-election for Mandya Lok Sabha constituency. While the alliance between JD(S) and Congress parties is likely to continue, BJP too is preparing for the polls scheduled for November 3. The by-election is necessitated as C S Puttaraju, who was MP, tendered his resignation to contest in the elections from Melukote Assembly segment on a JD(S) ticket. Puttaraju won the election and was appointed Minister for Minor Irrigation. The by-poll, six months prior to the general election, has turned into a prestige issue for all the three major political parties. It is crucial for all the parties to maintain their political hold on the region. As JD(S) and Congress have formed the State Cabinet, the alliance between the parties is likely to continue. According to political pundits, JD(S), which managed to win all seven Assembly segments in the district, would field its candidate. Names of Dr Lakshmi Ashwingowda, former IRS officer, and Nikhil Kumaraswamy, son of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, are doing the rounds in the JD(S). Nikhil, during his recent visit to Mandya, had expressed his desire to enter active politics. Dr Lakshmi was an aspirant of a ticket to contest from Nagamangala Assembly segment, but, she was assured of an MP ticket from the party. A native of Kodihalli in Malavalli taluk, Dr Lakshmi is an MBBS graduate from Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences in Hubballi. Her husband Ashwingowda was also an IRS officer and served in West Bengal. Dr Lakshmi is the daughter of Malavalli JD(S) president Kenchaiah. Speaking to DH, Dr Lakshmi said, JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda had assured of fielding her in the MP elections three months back. I am preparing for the elections and I am in regular contact with the party workers and leaders of the constituency. I would meet Deve Gowda on Saturday evening," she said. According to sources, JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda nurtures a desire to field his grandson Nikhil. But, Kumaraswamy wants to field him in the general election in 2019. However, BJP leaders say that the by-election was not necessary as the gap for the general election is less. "The election is necessitated due to Puttaraju and no political party or people are ready for it. But, it is inevitable to face the election. We will move as per the advise of our leaders. Party leader Sudhakara Hosahalli has demanded a party ticket," said BJP leader H R Aravind. WASHINGTON (AP) Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in as a Supreme Court justice Saturday night after the bitterly polarized U.S. Senate narrowly confirmed him. The Senate vote delivered an election-season triumph to President Donald Trump that could swing the court rightward for a generation after a battle that rubbed raw the countrys cultural, gender and political divides. Kavanaugh was quickly sworn in at the court building, across the street from the Capitol, even as protesters chanted outside. The near party-line Senate vote was 50-48, capping a fight that seized the national conversation after claims emerged that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted women three decades ago which he emphatically denied. Those allegations magnified the clash from a routine Supreme Court struggle over judicial ideology into an angrier, more complex jumble of questions about victims rights, the presumption of innocence and personal attacks on nominees. Acrimonious to the end, the battle featured a climactic roll call that was interrupted several times by protesters in the Senate galleries before Capitol Police removed them. Vice President Mike Pence presided over the roll call, his potential tie-breaking vote unnecessary. Trump, flying to Kansas for a political rally, flashed a thumbs-up gesture when the tally was announced and praised Kavanaugh for being able to withstand this horrible, horrible attack by the Democrats. The vote gave Trump his second appointee to the court, pleasing conservative voters who might have revolted against GOP leaders had Kavanaughs nomination flopped. Instead, Its turned our base on fire, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters. Democrats hope that the roll call, exactly a month from elections in which House and Senate control are in play, will do the opposite, prompting infuriated women and liberals to oust Republicans. Change must come from where change in America always begins: the ballot box, said Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York, looking ahead to November. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, confronting a tough re-election race next month in a state that Trump won in 2016 by a landslide, was the sole Democrat to vote for Kavanaugh. Every voting Republican backed the 53-year-old conservative judge. Alaskas Lisa Murkowski, the only Republican to oppose the nominee, voted present, offsetting the absence of Kavanaugh supporter Steve Daines of Montana, who was attending his daughters wedding. That rare procedural maneuver left Kavanaugh with the same two-vote margin hed have had if Murkowski and Daines had both voted. Republicans hold only a 51-49 Senate majority and therefore had little support to spare. It was the closest roll call to confirm a justice since 1881, when Stanley Matthews was approved by 24-23, according to Senate records. Within minutes, dozens of political and advocacy groups blasted out emailed reactions. Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILYs List, which contributes to female Democratic candidates, assailed the confirmation of an alleged sexual assailant and anti-choice radical to a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court. But we will carry that anger into the election. Women will not forget this. Kay Coles James, president of the conservative Heritage Foundation, called the vote a victory for liberty in America and called Kavanaugh a good man and good jurist. The outcome, telegraphed Friday when the final undeclared senators revealed their views, was devoid of the shocks that had come almost daily since Christine Blasey Ford said last month that an inebriated Kavanaugh tried to rape her at a 1982 high school get-together. Since then, the country watched agape as one electric moment after another gushed forth. These included the emergence of two other accusers; an unforgettable Senate Judiciary Committee hearing at which a composed Ford and a seething Kavanaugh told their diametrically opposed stories, and a truncated FBI investigation that the agency said showed no corroborating evidence and Democrats lambasted as a White House-shackled farce. All the while, crowds of demonstrators mostly Kavanaugh opponents ricocheted around the Capitols grounds and hallways, raising tensions, chanting slogans, interrupting lawmakers debates, confronting senators and often getting arrested. Capitol Police said 164 were arrested, raising that count in recent days well into the hundreds. Inside the Senate, resentments fanned by the battle showed no signs of receding. Schumer called the GOPs push for Kavanaugh one of the least transparent, least fair, most biased processes in Senate history. McConnell said a vote for Kavanaugh showed that the Senate was a chamber in which the politics of intimidation and personal destruction do not win the day. Democrats said Kavanaugh would push the court too far, including possible sympathetic rulings for Trump should the president encounter legal problems from the special counsels investigations into Russian connections with his 2016 presidential campaign. And they said Kavanaughs record and fuming testimony at a now-famous Senate Judiciary Committee hearing showed he lacked the fairness, temperament and even honesty to become a justice. But the fight was defined by the sexual assault accusations. And it was fought against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement and Trumps unyielding support of his nominee and occasional mocking of Kavanaughs accusers. About 100 anti-Kavanaugh protesters climbed the Capitols East Steps as the vote approached, pumping fists and waving signs. U.S. Capitol Police began arresting some of them. Hundreds of other demonstrators watched from behind barricades. Protesters have roamed Capitol Hill corridors and grounds daily, chanting, November is coming, Vote them out and We believe survivors. On Friday, in the moment that made clear Kavanaugh would prevail, Collins delivered a speech saying that Fords Judiciary Committee telling of the alleged 1982 assault was sincere, painful and compelling. But she also said the FBI had found no corroborating evidence from witnesses whose names Ford had provided. Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who has repeatedly battled with Trump and will retire in January, wavered but also backed Kavanaugh. When Trump nominated Kavanaugh in July, Democrats leapt to oppose him, saying that past statements and opinions showed hed be a threat to the Roe v. Wade case that assured the right to abortion. They said he also seemed too ready to rule for Trump in a possible federal court case against the president. Yet Kavanaughs path to confirmation seemed unfettered until Ford and two other women emerged with sexual misconduct allegations from the 1980s. Kavanaugh replaces the retired Justice Anthony Kennedy, who was a swing vote on issues such as abortion, campaign finance and same-sex marriage. ___ Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick, Matthew Daly, Padmananda Rama, Ken Thomas and Catherine Lucey contributed to this report. ___ This story corrects that Manchin only Democrat to vote FOR Kavanaugh. The following is a response to a recent guest column by James Coyle against any moratorium in construction of the Mariner East 2 pipeline: Dear Mr. Coyle: The pipeline incident in Beaver County is not bringing increased attention to pipeline safety issues. The incident is our worst fears being confirmed. You are correct, residents are concerned about pipelines that pass by our homes, schools and places of business. This month, every day, on the way to my childs bus stop I smelled mercaptan. That is the additive included in natural gas to ensure our senses keep us safe. My neighbors called our provider and the issue was fixed prior to an ignition event. This is the scary scenario for high-density areas, especially for pipelines whose contents are meant for plastic production. When Mariner East leaks we are instructed to run on foot, up wind, a half a mile. How will we know when to commence these exercises? Unlike natural gas, natural gas liquids are heavier than air and odorless. In all likelihood, a pipeline leak would be small, just like the natural gas one on my street. Imagine this going unnoticed. We are going a step further, and calling for a statewide moratorium on all pipeline construction. Those of us living with the endless construction, spills, contaminated drinking water, and sinkholes have seen what under-regulated pipeline approvals has created. Legality has eclipsed morality in Pennsylvania when it comes to pipeline construction. As you know, as a member of Tom Wolfs Pipeline Infrastructure Task Force, not one of your recommendations have been crafted into law. We still have no pipeline siting agency unlike every other state. It is my guess, you as an attorney at Babst Calland, probably enjoy the benefits of this haphazard pipeline buildout. Your firm is heavily entrenched with the most powerful lobby firm in Harrisburg, the Marcellus Shale Coalition. Furthermore, your online profile states (Keith J. Coyle) practice focuses primarily on the regulation of pipelines and the transportation of hazardous materials. You wrote, I understand the anxiety that people feel after a pipeline incident. They want to know that their families are safe, and that the folks in charge are doing what is necessary to protect public safety. Every incident serves as a reminder of the additional work that needs to be done to make pipelines safer. But by making this statement you leave me with a bad case of cognitive dissonance. Firms like yours, are lobbying our state Senate, pushing legislation like SB652 at a record pace through the House and Senate, making our community safety coalitions afraid to plan a peaceful protest. I do not see you pushing legislation to help ensure responsible placement and construction of pipelines though? Pipelines are a critical part of the nations energy infrastructure, thank goodness our nations energy needs are met. These new pipelines carrying the wet fracked gas, deliver dangerous materials that are meant to provide feedstock for plastics; and nothing else. Pipelines might be the safest and most reliable means of transporting energy products. However, Pennsylvanian legislators could be investing in clean, green energy. Instead they are in bed with the likes of you, planning more pipelines. This irresponsible pipeline buildout holds the long term economic vitality of our region in the balance and is unacceptable to residents of southeastern Pennsylvania. A statewide moratorium, on Mariner East and all pipeline construction, is the only thing that makes sense for our schools, communities and vulnerable populations. Placing colorless, odorless, heavier than air gases within feet of our children is reckless. The ban should remain in place until our legislators remember that their primary duty is to protect the health, welfare, and safety of citizens; and not lobbyists. One last thought: You might be a Pennsylvanian native; but I live here. You might have lots of fancy job titles in the pipeline industry, but I have something a love for my neighbors, for the innocent that work or learn in blast zones, love for my family. I have an actual vested stake in the outcomes. I have one more thing you dont. I have thousands of Pennsylvanian voters with me. You and your friends at the Marcellus Shale Coalition keep trying to bury us, but, what you fail to realize is, we are seeds. I spent last week in Washington, D.C., and witnessed the dumpster fire that is the Supreme Court confirmation process. As a U.S. citizen, Utahn and woman, I welcomed the chance to return to the Beehive State where civility still means something, and reasonable people can disagree, while still building a great community together. My enthusiasm deepened this week as I had the opportunity to moderate a panel of Utahs new mighty five the female college presidents in Utah. Their leadership inspires me and stands in stark contrast to the venomous and divisive leadership we see in our nations capital. I think we can learn a lot from Utahs remarkable female college presidents. The panel discussion took place on center stage of the beautiful Hale Centre Theatre. The backdrop for the conversation was the living room of the 1960s thriller film Wait Until Dark, which is currently being performed there. There was nothing frightening, however, about this gathering. Instead attendees were nourished and inspired by the ever-graceful University of Utah president, Ruth Watkins; the down-to-earth and approachable Utah State University president, Noelle Cockett; the newly appointed and lightening-in-a-bottle Utah Valley University president, Astrid Tuminez; the gracious and immensely capable Salt Lake Community College president, Deneece Huftalin; and the liberal-arts-minded and insightful Westminster College president, Beth Dobkin. I asked each of them about their path to the presidents office. I didnt want their academic journey, but their personal journey the story they would share with a granddaughter, grandniece or someone important in their life. One president said, I was counseled early to live up to my ability. That is sage wisdom for all people, but especially for women who hold back in some way. Another simply answered, I said yes, referring to her willingness to step into ever-increasing roles of responsibility. Her answer reminded me of the quote often attributed to Woody Allen that 80 percent of life is showing up. Two presidents shared that their success followed an unconventional or zig-zag path. I liked being reminded that dreams are personal, happen in their own way, and are rarely a straight line. Do your path, not someone elses. Dont worry if your path is different. One president commented on the importance of a work ethic. She said, I learned to work until the job is done. I take that to mean many late nights and early mornings. I asked each president to offer advice to the men in the audience who would like to elevate female leadership. I felt this was important because of frequent negative news stories about Utahs wage gap, sexism and other gender discrimination. One president reflected on how a male mentor gave voice to her talent. She said, He made it a point to provide a stage for my ideas. This is an important reminder that elevating female leadership is a team sport. Another president switched the question and shared advice from her husband. He told her, You are responsible for your own happiness a not so subtle reminder that we own our destiny. My favorite part of the discussion was advice offered to the young women in the audience. One president emphasized the importance of listening and communicating. Another sang the praises of tempered radicalism the concept of changing the culture, but doing it in a constructive way. Still another encouraged young women to get comfortable in your skin early in life. We ended the dialogue by discussing how to make a better and more prosperous community. The presidents encouraged attendees to take risks and stoke the spirit of entrepreneurship, show more empathy, be kind, seek fairness, value diversity and make education a lifelong pursuit. I left feeling inspired by these mighty five female presidents, just like I am when I leave one of Utahs mighty five national parks. I also left asking the question, How can we share their grace and intelligence with our leaders in Washington, D.C.? The Church News is an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The publication's content supports the doctrines, principles and practices of the Church. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. SALT LAKE CITY Two homegrown Utah tech companies will help an iconic PBS home improvement show celebrate its 40th anniversary season, which began airing this weekend. Products from Lehi-based Vivint Solar and North Salt Lake's Orbit Irrigation will be utilized by the crew of "This Old House" to renovate a historic cottage in Jamestown, Rhode Island. Norm Abram, Tom Silva, Roger Cook, Richard Trethewey, Scott Caron and host Kevin O'Connor will leverage a Vivint solar installation and super high-efficiency irrigation system from Orbit to achieve a net-zero energy goal for the unique project on Conanicut Island in Narragansett Bay. Vivint CEO David Bywater said his executive team and employees were honored by the opportunity to participate in the show, of which he has been a longtime fan. "We couldn't be more excited," Bywater said. "I grew up remodeling homes and watching 'This Old House.' The fact that we could be a part of the show is just awesome." Brad Wardle, director of Orbit's smart irrigation system B-hyve and the company's digital products, shared Bywater's enthusiasm for the chance to work with the team from the popular program. "This is amazing exposure for Orbit," Wardle said. "We're all fans of 'This Old House' they teach America how to do great things in and around their homes." "This Old House" first aired in 1979, intended to be a one-off production from PBS-affiliate WGBH in Boston. The show was an instant hit and has since grown to include a number of spinoff television programs as well as a monthly magazine. It's 40th anniversary season features an expansive renovation of an island cottage constructed in 1926. Homeowner Don Powers, an architect who specializes in sustainable design, said he purchased the property with the goal of showcasing how a historic renovation could also incorporate new technology and techniques to achieve a net-zero energy rating. "When we found the property, it was a pretty tired cottage but a good example of the kind of architecture typical in Jamestown a hundred years ago," Powers said. "I knew it would be an excellent chance to demonstrate a net-zero project in a way that hadnt been done before. That was the idea, the professional idea behind it and a great chance for me to put my money where my mouth was, in terms of design." While Powers said the project was completed a few weeks ago, the "This Old House" season featuring the Jamestown house aired the first episode on Saturday. Powers' design called for nearly doubling the square footage of the home, redoing landscaping on the property and installing a solar panel system to offset 90 percent of the home's energy requirements while garnering the other 10 percent needed to achieve a net-zero energy rating by incorporating ultraefficient appliances, lighting and heating/cooling systems. The renovation also needed to stay in keeping with the historic character of the area and navigate a water use scenario that prohibits residents from drawing irrigation from the municipal system. Powers said the products from Vivint and Orbit played critical roles in navigating those restrictions. "My firm spends a lot of time on neighborhood design and the importance of how a home, or group of homes, looks from the street," Powers said. "Solar panels, in and of themselves, typically do not add anything to the streetscape." To solve that dilemma, Powers said Vivint designed an array to exactly match the roof on an outbuilding, which was constructed with a roofline to optimize solar collection. "Vivint was a perfect partner," Powers said. "Once the specs were submitted, I really didn't have to do anything. The installation was very thoughtful the solar array on the barn looks like it was meant to be there." Powers noted the Orbit irrigation system, which utilizes a web-connected controller to adjust watering for changing environmental conditions using real-time weather data from sources like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, was custom-designed to deal with a very low pressure water source. And, he said the high-efficiency hybrid system that uses pressure regulators in conjunction with micro sprinkler heads and driplines, was one that fit very well in an area where neighbors are very aware of each other's water use habits. "On an island with a real sensitivity to water use and drawing from a minimal source, Orbit was extremely helpful in providing a system that appears to be perfectly suited to our circumstances." While Vivint was contacted directly to participate in the show, Orbit had a more fortuitous connection, thanks to a chance run-in with Thomas Baker, the building technology editor at 'This Old House Magazine.' After accepting an invitation to join a project for the magazine, Wardle said Orbit then got the chance to work with the television team, and it's one he said will be remembered. "It really was an awesome opportunity to participate in a special project for a show that is much-loved around the country," Wardle said. "This Old House," season 40, airs Saturdays on Salt Lake City PBS-affiliate KUED. SALT LAKE CITY The Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation will hold a series of workshops across the state to assist with the Outdoor Recreation Grant process. The grant program helps fund outdoor recreation infrastructure projects that aim to improve amenities for residents as well as attract tourists to the region. New this year, state and federal partners will participate in the workshops to teach attendees about the three major programs available to help increase recreation. The programs are the office's Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant program, the National Parks Service Recreational Trails and Conservation Assistance program, and the Utah State Parks Recreational Trails Program. The Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service will also make brief presentations during the workshops. The workshops will be held at the following locations: Monday, Oct. 15, Toquerville Town Hall, 212 Toquerville Blvd., 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16, Cedar City Visitor Center, 581 N. Main, Cedar City, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.; Richfield City Fire Department, 77 E. 100 North, Richfield, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17, Utah State University-Moab, 125 W. 200 South, Moab, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.; Blanding City Office, 50 W. 100 South, Blanding, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, Helper Auditorium, 19 S. Main, Helper, 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19, Uintah Conference Center, 313 E. 200 South, Vernal, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, Governor's Office of Economic Development, 60 E. South Temple, Salt Lake City, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 5, Utah Lake State Park Visitor Center, 4400 W. Center, Provo, 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6, Park City Library, 1255 Park Ave., Park City, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7, Box Elder County Commission Building, 1 S. Main, Brigham City, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. During the workshops, a team with the office will walk participants through the process to help them create a compelling grant submission. Also, partner organizations will present other grant opportunities available. Applications for next year's UORG grant cycle will be accepted from Jan. 10 to Feb. 28, 2019. For additional information, or to register, log on to business.utah.gov/outdoor. SALT LAKE CITY The president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints opened his remarks in the historic general womens session of the 188th Semiannual General Conference with a plea to women across the globe. I pray that you will sense how deeply I feel about you about who you are and all the good you do, said President Russell M. Nelson on Saturday evening. No one can do what a righteous woman can do. No one can duplicate the influence of a mother. When speaking of mothers, President Nelson said he is not only talking about women who have given birth or adopted children in this life, but to all adult women. Every woman is a mother by virtue of her eternal divine destiny, he said. President Nelson said he chose to be a doctor because he could not be a mother. Men can and often do communicate the love of Heavenly Father and the Savior to others. But women have a special gift for it a divine endowment. You have the capacity to sense what someone needs and when they need it. You can reach out, comfort, teach and strengthen someone in his or her very moment of need. The meeting marked the first time the general womens session has been held on conference weekend between the four general sessions and followed the same pattern as the general priesthood session. Speakers included three women leaders and the entire First Presidency. Holding the women's session between the general sessions "is very appropriate, said Carol Harmer, from Pleasant Grove, Utah. It shows the respect the General Authorities have for women. Her daughter, Lisa Young, also from Pleasant Grove, said hearing from church leaders helped her to know measurable, concrete things that will help her respond to the prophets call. They helped us to know what they expect from us, she said. And we are expected to get a lot done. President Nelson said women have special spiritual gifts and propensities. Tonight, I urge you, with all the hope of my heart, to pray to understand your spiritual gifts to cultivate, use and expand them, even more than you ever have. You will change the world as you do so. He asked women to shape the future by accepting four invitations: To engage in a social media fast, to read the Book of Mormon before the end of the year, to attend the temple and to participate fully in Relief Society. The church needs the strength, conversion, conviction, leadership, wisdom and voices of women. My dear sisters, we need you, he said. Camilla Garrido, who attended the meeting in the Conference Center, said President Nelson's invitations will be good for women, who face many struggles. "I think that the challenge comes specifically from the prophet to help strengthen ourselves and our families, Garrido said. Penny Merrill, who also attended the meeting, said "we adults need it as much as the youth. I think sometimes we as women, and as adults, we think weve outgrown the influences of the world. But thats just not the case. Sister Joy D. Jones, Primary general president, said women gathered in unity, in strength, in purpose and in testimony on the historic night. Can you think back on a time when you lovingly reached out with sincere effort to help someone in need and felt that your efforts went unnoticed or perhaps were unappreciated or even unwanted? she asked. In that moment, did you question the value of your service? Focusing on all that God has done will allow service to flow from a heart of gratitude, she said. As we become less concerned about our service magnifying us, we realize instead that the focus of our service will be on putting God first. Service is between us and the Lord, she said. When Jesus Christ, through the power of his Atonement, works on us and in us, he begins to work through us to bless others, said Sister Jones. We serve them, but we do so by loving and serving him. Sister Michelle D. Craig, first counselor in the Young Women general presidency, addressed "divine discontent" which comes when women compare what they are to what they have the power to become. We should welcome feelings of divine discontent that call us to a higher way, while recognizing and avoiding Satans counterfeit paralyzing discouragement, she said. This is a precious space into which Satan is all too eager to jump. We can choose to walk the higher path that leads us to seek for God and his peace and grace, or we can listen to Satan, who bombards us with messages that we will never be enough: rich enough, smart enough, beautiful enough, anything enough. Our discontent can become divine or destructive. One way to tell divine discontent from Satans counterfeit is that divine discontent will lead us to faithful action, she said. Because of our Saviors atoning sacrifice, we can be made equal to the tasks that lie ahead, said Sister Craig. Sister Cristina B. Franco, second counselor in the Primary general presidency, spoke of her former Primary teacher who had to choose between paying for the bus to take herself and her children to church or buying the ingredients to make a chocolate cake for her Primary class. She always chose the chocolate cake over the bus, and she and her children walked more than two miles, each way, regardless of the weather. The secret ingredient to her teachers cake was the love she had for those she served and her unselfish sacrifice in our behalf. Are we giving our all to the Lord without reservation? Are we living the two great commandments to love God and to love His children? Often that love is manifest as service. After praising mothers who understand that children are the most precious gift from God our eternal increase, President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, said, Latter-day Saint women understand that being a mother is their highest priority, their ultimate joy. He also spoke directly to young women. Quoting a University of North Carolina study of American teens and religion, President Oaks said Latter-day Saint teens cope better than other teens their age with the difficulties of growing up. You understand our Heavenly Fathers great plan of happiness. This tells you who you are and the purpose of your life, he told the young women. Youth with that understanding are first in problem-solving and first in choosing the right. You know you can have the Lords help in overcoming all the difficulties of growing up. Another reason why you are most effective is that you understand that you are children of a Heavenly Father who loves you. He asked the young women and women to limit the use of cellphones and to be kind to others. If you participate in any meanness or pettiness individually or with a group resolve now to change and encourage others to change. President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, said the Lord has charged the women of the church to be the principal gospel educators in the family. "The includes the nurture of gospel truth and knowledge." Fathers and mothers are partners equal in their potential and unified in their efforts, he said. They are equal in their divine destiny to be exalted together. In fact, they cannot be exalted alone. Women have an innate and great capacity to sense the needs of others and to love, said President Eyring. That, in turn, makes you more susceptible to the whisperings of the Spirit. The Spirit can then guide what you think, what you say, and what you do to nurture people so the Lord may pour knowledge, truth and courage upon them. All women, despite their personal circumstance, are part a key part of the family of God and of their own family, whether in the future, in this world, or in the spirit world, he said. Your trust from God is to nurture as many of his and your family members as you can with your love and your faith in Jesus Christ. Contributors: Aubrey Eyre and Marianne Holman Prescott SALT LAKE CITY On the same day divided senators voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., unified Latter-day Saint leaders in the shadow of Utah's mountains announced a major adjustment designed to create a more "home-centered church." The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will reduce its traditional three hours of Sunday meetings to two beginning in January 2019 to strengthen members' committment to Jesus Christ through home gospel study and service, according to leaders who spoke at the start of Saturday's first session of the faith's 188th Semiannual General Conference. The news bookended a stunning six-month stretch that one apostle on Saturday characterized as a "remarkable and revelatory season." In half a year, President Russell M. Nelson and the Council of The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have remade the church's Sabbath practices, reemphasized its official name, revamped its ministering program and overhauled priesthood quorums in all 30,500 congregations around the world. The day's juxtaposition was stark. While protesters pressed police outside the Supreme Court, about 60,000 people gathered in three peaceful sessions at the Conference Center across from Temple Square and then went home to ponder a remade church. "As Latter-day Saints we have become accustomed to thinking of 'church' as something that happens in our meetinghouses, supported by what happens at home. We need an adjustment to this pattern," President Nelson said. "It is time for a home-centered church, supported by what takes place inside our branch, ward and stake buildings." The weekly sacrament meeting will be reduced from 70 minutes to 60 minutes beginning in January. The second hour of church services will also change. The traditional third hour of church services will be eliminated, replaced by flexible, individual- and family-oriented learning and worship, said Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. "Our purpose is to balance the church and the home experience in a way that will greatly increase faith, spirituality and deepen conversion to Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ," he said. President Nelson, Elder Cook and other church leaders said the announcement was divinely inspired and that the Council of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles unitedly endorsed the change. "We live in a remarkable and revelatory season of the restored Church of Jesus Christ," said Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. "The historic adjustments announced today have only one overarching purpose: to strengthen faith in Heavenly Father and his plan and in his son Jesus Christ and his Atonement." The changes include a new "integrated curriculum" to strengthen members both through home study and focused worship at church. Since 1980, the church's Sunday services have included weekly Sunday School classes and a third hour of instruction separately for both men and women. Now the second and final hour of the new schedule will vary from week to week, with Sunday School classes conducted on the first and third Sundays, and the priesthood quorum, Relief Society and Young Women meetings conducted on the second and fourth Sundays. When there is a fifth Sunday of the month, instruction will be under the direction of each congregation's bishop or branch president, church leaders said. Instruction for young children in the Primary program will be held every week during the second hour. A revelation President Nelson called the adjustment divinely inspired and necessary in a complex world. "The adversary is increasing his attack on faith and on families at an exponential rate," he said. "To survive spiritually, we need counter-strategies and proactive plans. Accordingly, we now want to put in place organizational adjustments that will further fortify our members and their families." Elder Cook echoed that concern. "World conditions increasingly require deepening individual conversion to and strengthening faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and his Atonement," he said. The church had been testing the new curriculum in congregations around the world with success, Elder Cook said. One pilot program was in Brazil. Leaders also considered a study that found that individual scripture study and prayer did the most to help young Latter-day Saints feel the influence of the Holy Ghost, Elder Cook said. "As leaders have sought revelation, the guidance received over the past few years is to strengthen the sacrament meeting, honor the Sabbath day and encourage and assist parents and individuals to make their homes a source of spiritual strength and increased faith a place of joy and happiness." Family learning The church had been preparing for the announcement for some time. "For many years," President Nelson said, "church leaders have been working on an integrated curriculum to strengthen families and individuals through a home-centered and church-supported plan to learn doctrine, strengthen faith and foster greater personal worship. Our efforts over these recent years to hallow the Sabbath to make it a delight and a personal sign to God of our love for him will be augmented by the adjustments we will now introduce." The new Sunday schedule provides more time for families to have a home evening and study the gospel at home. Family activity night can still be held on Mondays, but it is up to each individual or family to determine what works best for them. Gospel learning at home will be enhanced by a harmonized curriculum with "Come, Follow Me" manuals for home organized for a weekly schedule adult classes, Aaronic Priesthood, Young Women and Primary. The manual for home, "Come, Follow Me For Individuals and Families" will be provided to every member home. The new plan begins January to give the church time to distribute the manual and allow local leaders to change meetinghouse schedules. One goal is to have more wards begin services earlier in the day, church leaders said. Elder Cook said leaders should consider how to emphasize spiritual priorities over administrative function during the condensed Sunday meetings. As they considered the change, he also said church leaders were mindful that the three-hour block of services now in place can be difficult for elderly members, parents with small children, Primary children, new converts and others. Elder Bednar quoted Handbook 2, a policy manual for church leaders that says, "Church organizations and programs exist to bless individuals and families and are not ends in themselves." The move had been long-rumored due to years of pilot programs. Spiritual self-reliance "I think a lot of us saw this coming," said Terryl Givens, co-author with his wife Fiona Givens of "The Christ Who Heals: How God Restored the Truth That Saves Us." He said it felt inevitable given the emphasis on Sabbath observance, the change from home and visiting teaching to ministering and regular teaching about spiritual self-reliance. "Sabbath observance has become the temporal locus and home the physical locus and this change facilitates that synthesis," Givens said. It also is a sign that church leaders, as they did with ministering, are placing more trust in members to, as Givens said, "step up to this challenge. Some will, and some won't." First reaction Reaction on Saturday was widely positive. "To be honest, who is going to complain about two-hour church?" said Christopher Schuman of West Jordan. He attended the morning session at the Conference Center with his wife, Rebecca. She felt the change was inspired because "it works for all families." The Schumans are unable to have children. "For me it's been a struggle because I was trying to find my place and if I'm not able to have children, what does that look like?" she said. "Just because my husband and I can't (have children) doesn't mean we can't have a family and help inspire those around us that have children and be an example." Some single church members took to social media to say they will miss the longer church meetings for social reasons. But that was addressed by Elder Cook in his talk: "It would be completely appropriate for young singles, single adults, single parents, part-member families, new members and others to gather in groups outside the normal Sunday worship services to enjoy gospel sociality and be strengthened by studying together the home-centered, church-supported resource," Elder Cook said. "Having more time to be with our families and strengthen each other will be nice," said Carlos Anugulo, who serves in a bishopric in Venezuela and is a husband and father of two children. He said it was nice to know that President Russell M. Nelson is thinking about families and homes as holy places. "I think it's inspired and I'm really thankful," he said. Royce Rhead, the father of a family of six from Boise, Idaho, said that while he won't miss afternoon church meetings, he plans to make a new effort in holding family home evening. "I think this will give everyone more of an opportunity to fit family home evening in," Rhead said. "With everyone's busy schedule, it's been (a) hard time fitting that in." Meetings history Latter-day Saint worship has evolved over the years. Since 1980, Sunday meetings have been organized in the current three-hour block, with Sacrament meeting, Sunday School and a third hour for priesthood, Relief Society and Young Women meetings. In the decades before the three-hour schedule, church meetings were spread out between Sundays and various days of the week. Primary, Young Women and Relief Society meetings all occurred during the week. Priesthood and Sunday School were held on Sunday mornings, with Sacrament meeting held on Sunday evening. By 1960, the church had implemented a weekly Family Home Evening program. Then it coordinated all its auxiliaries, manuals and publications. The late President Boyd K. Packer often reflected church leadership's belief and teaching that the church supports the home. In his final conference talk before his death three years ago, President Packer said the church's role was to strengthen the home. "We do not build the church out of wards and branches and stakes and districts," he said. "We build the church out of families and individuals." SALT LAKE CITY Jesus Christ named The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Russell M. Nelson declared at the faith's general conference on Sunday morning, and it offends him and expunges his name when people use nicknames for it. The church's president gave a detailed, plain, impassioned explanation for his announcement six weeks ago that the faith would no longer use nicknames such as "Mormon church" or "LDS Church." He said his emphasis on the full name is not a name change, not re-branding, not cosmetic, not a whim and not inconsequential. "Instead it is a correction," he said. "It is the command of the Lord." He grew emotional when he said the church itself, both administration and members, have perpetuated nicknames that do not include Christ's name, "subtly disregarding all that Jesus Christ did for us, even his Atonement." "After all he had endured," President Nelson said, his voice trembling slightly, "after all he had done for humankind, I realize with profound regret that we have unwittingly acquiesced in the Lords restored church being called by other names, each of which expunges the sacred name of Jesus Christ." He noted that reaction to the emphasis on the church's full name has been mixed, but dismissed concerns about worldly arguments like branding and search engine optimization. "When the Savior clearly states what the name of his church should be, and even precedes his declaration with, 'Thus shall my church be called,' He is serious." He called the issue "not negotiable." "For much of the world, the Lords church is presently disguised as the 'Mormon church,'" he said, adding that it is disingenuous for church members to be frustrated others use nicknames if the church and its members do the same. He said Christ should be at the center of members' lives, and that the church is filled with Christ's power. "I promise you," President Nelson added, "that if we will do our best to restore the correct name of the Lords church, He whose church this is will pour down his power and blessings upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints, the likes of which we have never seen." While President Nelson urged the church to keep Christ's name in the center of the church's name, other speakers in the morning session put Christ at the center of their messages. One spoke poignantly, days after his wife's death, of Latter-day Saint revelation about Christ's visit to the spirit world and its promise that families can be reunited. Another said forgiveness and forsaking offenses is central to the majesty of Christ's Atonement. Sister Barbara Ballard died on Monday. On Sunday, her husband, President M. Russell Ballard, led off the morning session speaking touchingly about the meaning of his great-grandfather's vision of the redemption of the dead during the 100th anniversary of a key Latter-day Saint scripture and doctrine. Based on that "heavenly revelation," "I'm grateful to know that my precious Barbara lives and that we will be together with our family again for all eternity," said President Ballard, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He said he prepared his talk for the Sunday morning session of the faith's 188th Semiannual General Conference weeks before Sister Ballard's death, then spoke about the grief that racked Joseph F. Smith in October 1918 over deaths in his immediate family. "I am speechless (numb) with grief!" President Smith wrote after the loss that year of his oldest son, one of 13 children he had seen die. "My heart is broken and flutters for life! O! I loved him! I will love him forever more." As a boy, President Smith lost his father Hyrum Smith, uncle Joseph Smith and mother Mary Fielding Smith. In the course of his life, he also lost two wives, 13 children, a brother and two sisters. Weeks before he himself would die at age 80, President Smith also mourned the loss of 20 million in World War I and another 70 to 120 million people in 1918's Spanish flu pandemic. Then he received the vision on the eve of general conference. "The revelation he received on Oct. 3 comforted his heart and provided answers to many of his questions," his great-grandson, President Ballard, said. President Smith saw Christ visit the dead in the spirit world and lead others to preach the gospel to them. He also saw his father Hyrum and Uncle Joseph. "The vision revealed more fully the depth and breadth of Heavenly Fathers plan for his children and Christs redeeming love and the matchless power of his Atonement," President Ballard said. "On this special 100th anniversary," he added, "I invite you to thoroughly read and thoughtfully read this revelation. As you do so, may the Lord bless you to more fully understand and appreciate Gods love and His plan of salvation and happiness for his children." Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve and the churchs Young Women general president, Sister Bonnie H. Cordon, focused talks about the churchs six-month old ministering program on Christ. Elder Holland focused on the ministry of forgiveness. "The miracle of reconciliation is always available to us," he said, adding "that forgiving and forsaking offenses, old or new, is central to the grandeur of the Atonement of Jesus Christ." Those who access it then should minister to others. "Jesus is asking us to be instruments of his grace," Elder Holland said, "to be 'ambassadors for Christ' in the 'ministry of reconciliation.' ... The Healer of every wound, he who rights every wrong, asks us to labor with him in the daunting task of peacemaking in a world that wont find it any other way." Sister Cordon said members must develop a shepherds heart to become effective ministering sisters and brothers. She said members can become the shepherds God and his prophet need them to become by knowing and numbering his sheep, watching over them and gathering them into the fold of God. Numbering the Lord's sheep isn't about numbers, she said, "it is about making certain each person feels the love of the Savior through someone who serves for him." "I hope those to whom you minister will see you as a friend," she added, "and realize that, in you, they have a champion and a confidant someone who is aware of their circumstances and supports them in their hopes and aspirations." Another speaker, Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve, mentioned that President Nelson himself lost daughter to cancer in the mid-1990s, and relied on Latter-day Saint doctrine for comfort. President Nelson's first wife has also passed away. Elder Andersen said it is certain that every person's soul will be wounded at some time. He shared the example of Richard Norby, one of the Latter-day Saint missionaries injured in the Belgium airport terrorist bombing in 2016. "Along with the bright colors of happiness and joy, the darker-colored threads of trial and tragedy are woven deeply into the fabric of our Father's plan," he said, adding that his message was for the Norbys and others confronted with unexpected, painful trials and challenges. "These struggles, although difficult, often become our greatest teachers," he said, because "In the crucible of earthly trials, as we patiently stand steady, the Saviors healing power brings light, understanding, peace and hope." He said the temple is soothing balm for wounded souls. "However deep the wounds of your soul, whatever their source, wherever or whenever they happen, and for how short or long they persist, you are not meant to perish spiritually. You are meant to survive spiritually, and to live and grow in your faith and trust in God." Elder Shayne M. Bowen called the Book of Mormon "the most powerful tool of conversion." "That is what we are doing as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: We are seeking to bring the world to an understanding of and a conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are the 'latter-day gatherers.'" Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said that President M. Russell Ballard is acting president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. President Ballard is the acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. SALT LAKE CITY President M. Russell Ballard opened the second day of the 188th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with a talk about Joseph F. Smith's vision of the redemption of the dead. President Ballards wife, Sister Barbara Ballard, passed away on Oct. 1 at the age of 86. "We too can be comforted and learn more about our own future when we or our loved ones die and go to the spirit world by studying this revelation and pondering its significance in the way we live our lives each day," he said. Social media reacted to his somber talk. #ElderBallard speaking after just losing his sweet wife, shows how much our church leaders are dedicated to us and the work of God. #GeneralConference Rest in honor Sister Ballard. And God be with you all till you meet again. Sistas in Zion (@SISTASinZION) October 7, 2018 I think its amazing that Elder Ballard wrote this talk before his wife passed. #spiritualprompting #guidedbythespirit #generalconference The Latter-day Zone (@LatterDayZone) October 7, 2018 I love hearing stories like this about prophets & other leaders having deep questions in moments of grief that match what I've asked. Humanizes them and makes it easier for me to believe in their calling. #ldsconf ace dad, ma (@TheConorHilton) October 7, 2018 The prophets and apostles, like our Savior Jesus, are well-acquainted with grief and sorrow. They find peace and comfort in the eternal promises of God. The family is forever. Death is not the end of our existence. #GeneralConference David Tertipes (@dteeps) October 7, 2018 We too can be comforted and learn more about our own future when we die and go to the spirit world by studying this revelation and pondering its significance in the way we live our lives each day. #PresidentBallard #PresBallard #GeneralConference #LDSconf Travis (@GospelTrek) October 7, 2018 We too can be comforted and learn more of the future as we study this revelation (D&C 138).#PresBallard #GeneralConference Renee Zamora (@rzamor1) October 7, 2018 My brother took his life almost 3 years ago. I miss him every day, but I am comforted in the fact that Jesus Christ lives and has provided a resurrection for all. Through the sealing power of the Priesthood of God we are an eternal family and will be reunited. #GeneralConference David Tertipes (@dteeps) October 7, 2018 president ballards testimony comforts me i know i will be reunited with my loved ones again. #GeneralConference pennys mom has got it going on (@hayzul_nut) October 7, 2018 President Ballards countenance is sad. Breaks my heart for him. Nevertheless, he testifies of the reality of spirit world, revealed by J.F. Smith, and eventual reuniting of ALL spirits with their bodies. We will be with our loved ones again...in time. #GeneralConfernce Corbin Allred (@corbinallred) October 7, 2018 FARMINGTON A Los Angeles businessman charged in Utah in an alleged $511 million tax credit scheme involving biodiesel fuel wants to be released from jail and allowed to stay at home while being watched by private guards. But prosecutors don't like the idea. Lev Aslan Dermen, 52, asked a federal judge to release Dermen from federal custody in the Davis County Jail in Farmington, the Standard-Examiner reports. Dermen's motion said he isn't a flight risk and that a private security firm would install security cameras and alarms and have armed guards present around the clock. Prosecutors said Dermen would flee to Turkey where he has millions of dollars of assets and investments and that the security firm couldn't be held accountable if Dermen escapes. Dermen has pleaded not guilty. SALT LAKE CITY A former Forest Service fleet manager from Utah, accused of rigging a surplus truck auction and using a government credit card to fix up the vehicle, has pleaded guilty to a theft charge. The Standard-Examiner reports Robert Joseph Alexander, of North Ogden, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of theft of government money. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. An investigative affidavit and a May 30 grand jury indictment say Alexander was charged after a transaction Dec. 12, 2017, in which his girlfriend, Jennifer Jean Nielsen, paid $6,900 for a 2012 Dodge Ram. Nielsen faces identical charges. She has pleaded not guilty. Both Alexander and Nielsen remain free pending further court appearances. Alexander is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 10. AVON, Cache County A veteran Cache County Sheriff's deputy died Saturday night from injuries resulting from the rollover of a utility task vehicle in the Paradise Dry Canyon area. The deputy was identified as Lt. Brian Locke, a longtime employee of the Cache County Sheriff's Office, according to the Utah Peace Officers Association. According to a statement by the Cache County Sheriff's Office, deputies and search and rescue team members responded to an off-highway vehicle accident about 8:45 p.m. Saturday. The driver was transported to Logan Regional Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Numerous messages of tribute and condolence were posted on social media following Locke's death. Former Cache County Sheriff Lynn Nelson wrote, "Tragic loss of my close friend, Brian Locke. He was an awesome friend and a great mentor to me. His insight, support, and friendship will greatly be missed. Our prayers are with his family." State Rep. Lee Perry, R-Perry, who is a lieutenant in the Utah Highway Patrol and section commander for northern Utah added: "Brian will be deeply missed in northern Utah law enforcement." Meanwhile, the Utah Peace Officers Association issued the following statement: "UPOA mourns the death of one of our own members of our board of directors. Brian Locke will be deeply missed. Godspeed dear friend!" The Cache County Fire District extended its "deepest condolences to Lt. Brian Locke's family and to the Cache County Sheriff's Office for the tragic loss of Lt. Locke. We will miss him." The nearby Preston City (Idaho) Police Department issued this statement: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Lt. Brian Locke and our friends of the Cache County Sheriffs Office. We mourn your loss with you." SALT LAKE CITY During Sunday afternoon's final session of a worldwide general conference, Latter-day Saint leaders continued a weekend-long theme of dealing with trials by relying on divine help, ministering and loving. That divine help is available in the temple, said President Russell M. Nelson, who announced 12 new temples on Sunday afternoon during the final address of the 188th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "My dear brothers and sisters, the assaults of the adversary are increasing exponentially, in intensity and variety," he said. "Our need to be in the temple on a regular basis has never been greater. I plead with you to take a prayerful look at how you spend your time. Invest time in your future and in that of your family. "If you have reasonable access to a temple, I urge you to find a way to make an appointment regularly with the Lord to be in his holy house then keep that appointment with exactness and joy. I promise you that the Lord will bring the miracles He knows you need as you make sacrifices to serve and worship in His temples." He said each church members needs the ongoing spiritual strengthening and tutoring "only possibel in the House of the Lord. The church's new emphasis on spiritual learning in the home makes it another possible sanctuary, he added. "The new home-centered, church-supported integrated curriculum has the potential to unleash the power of families, as each family follows through conscientiously and carefully to transform their home into a sanctuary of faith." President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, shared an intimate example from his own home, where the physical ailments suffered by his wife, Kathleen, limit her to only a few words per day. "We face trials that come from having mortal bodies," he said. "All of us (also) live in a world where Satans war against truth and against our personal happiness is becoming more intense. The world and your life can seem to you to be in increasing commotion. "My reassurance is this: The loving God who allowed these tests for you also designed a sure way to pass through them. Heavenly Father so loved the world that he sent his Beloved Son to help us." Every morning and night, President Eyring sits with his wife, voices a prayer and sings hymns. She mouths the words. One recent day, she softly but clearly said "try, try, try," when he sang the line, "Try to show kindness in all that you do." "I think that she will find, when she sees him, that our Savior has put his name into her heart and that she has become like him," President Eyring said. "He is carrying her through her troubles now, as he will carry you through yours." He said some may feel that their faith and hope are being overcome by their troubles, but he said they can rely on God. "You can pray with confidence for the Lord to lead you to love someone for him," he said. "He answers the prayers of meek volunteers like you." Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said the church's new ministering initiative, announced in April, helps unlock divine help for others. "May we raise our sights to this prophetic vision, so we can shepherd souls toward the temple and ultimately to our Savior, Jesus Christ. He does not expect us to perform miracles. He only asks that we bring our brothers and sisters unto him for he has the power to redeem souls." Ministering goes beyond being nice, he said: "Done in the Lords way, ministering can have a far-reaching influence for good that ripples throughout all eternity." The calling of a ministering brother or sister does not begin in Elders' Quorum or Relief Society, Elder Stevenson said. "Who is a shepherd? Every man, woman and child in the kingdom of God is a shepherd. No calling is required. From the moment we emerge from the waters of baptism we are commissioned to this work." The responsibility is rooted in Christ's ministering to each church member. "We enjoy the blessing of being individually ministered to by Jesus Christ. Simultaneously, we have a responsibility to provide ministering assistance to others around us as shepherds ourselves." He urged members to learn lessons from a modern shepherd with a flock of 2,000 today. The shepherd told Elder Stevenson that "the sooner they found lost sheep, before the sheep drifted too far from the flock, the less likely the sheep were to be harmed. Recovering lost sheep required much patience and discipline." Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said each person's agency determines who they are and will become. "Our Heavenly Father wants to help and bless us, but we do not always let him," he said. "Our Heavenly Fathers goal in parenting is not to have his children do what is right; it is to have his children choose to do what is right, and ultimately become like him." While "God wants us to be on the covenant path," he said, "he gives us the dignity of choosing. Indeed, God desires, expects, and directs that each of his children choose for himself or herself. He will not force us." Elder Renlund said commandments are not whimsical or arbitrary but linked to developing godliness, receiving joy and returning to Heavenly Father. "Agency allows us to choose to get on the path, or not. It allows us to get off, or not," he said. Christ provides a way back onto the path for all. "After baptism, all members slip off the path some of us even dive off. Therefore, exercising faith in Jesus Christ, repenting, receiving help from him and being forgiven are not one-time events but lifelong processes, processes that are repetitive and iterative. This is how we 'endure to the end.'" "No matter how long we have been off the path or how far away we have wandered, the moment we decide to change, God helps us return. From Gods perspective, through sincere repentance and pressing forward with a steadfastness in Christ, once back on the path, it will be as if we were never off." Elder Matthew Carpenter a General Authority Seventy said "mortal infirmities can refine us and deepen our reliance upon God." "Jesus Christ can change our hearts, heal us from the effects of injustice or abuse we may experience, and strengthen our capacity to bear loss and heartache, bringing us peace to help us endure the trials of our lives, healing us emotionally." He can also heal people from sin, Elder Carpenter said. "Our spiritual healing requires us to submit ourselves to the conditions our Savior has outlined," he said. "We must not delay. We must act today." Elder Robert C. Gay of the Presidency of the Seventy that Christ's healing is available to all. "Can any one of you imagine our Savior letting you and your burdens go unnoticed by him? The Savior looked upon the Samaritan, the adulterer, the tax collector, the leper, the mentally ill and the sinner with the same eyes," he said. "All were children of His Father, and all were redeemable. Can you imagine him turning away from someone with doubts about their place in Gods kingdom or from anyone afflicted in any manner? "I cant. In the eyes of Christ each soul is of infinite worth. No one is preordained to fail. Eternal life is possible for all." SALT LAKE CITY Rentable electric scooter operator Bird Rides Inc. announced plans this week to launch a new service that will deliver scooters right to riders' front doors and let them keep the vehicle all day. Bird Delivery, according to company founder/CEO Travis VanderZanden, will aid riders who are looking to make scooters a regular part of their commute and/or short-hop travel plans by adding an option for predictable access. Bird was created to provide an equitable, convenient and reliable alternative to short car trips," VanderZanden said in statement. "Since launching, we are continually inspired by riders who opt for Bird rides over traveling by car, and share in the pain of riders when they express frustration about not having consistent and reliable access to Bird. With Bird Delivery, we are aiming to address this pain point by guaranteeing they have access to a Bird when and where they need it and throughout the day. The Bird announcement did not include details on pricing, how the delivery program would work or how soon it will launch, but VanderZanden told tech website TechCrunch that pricing would "make financial sense" and the service would launch "very soon." The company also unveiled plans to phase in an updgraded fleet of e-scooters with new models that were custom-designed and manufactured in partnership with China-based Okai. The new vehicles, according to a company spokeswoman, will feature puncture-proof tires, a redesigned and wider rider deck, batteries with 60 percent longer operating time and a new, digital steering handle display that will indicate speed, battery life and other information. Salt Lake City, along with Los Angeles, Nashville, Atlanta, Baltimore and Austin will be among the first U.S. cities to beta test the new scooters. Bird is one of two dockless, on-demand e-scooter services that launched in Salt Lake City this summer and currently deploys about 500 vehicles each day in downtown and surrounding areas. Dockless companies rent scooters, and bikes in some cities, for rides via a smartphone app, and instead of needing to be returned to a designated location, or dock, they can be left wherever users finish their trips. Locating a scooter to rent is also coordinated by the app, which identifies available vehicles with a digital map. Bird is operating in about 100 cities, many of which, including Salt Lake City, are working to navigate what, if any, new regulations may be required to keep up with the transportation innovation. Mayor Jackie Biskupski held a press conference this week to launch a series of safety outreach events, in partnership with Bird and Lime, the two e-scooter companies currently operating here. While one local hospital recently reported a spike in emergency room visits for scooter-related injuries, it's not clear if data reflects the scooters pose safety concerns more serious than bicycles, skateboards or unpowered scooters. According to Salt Lake City Council Chairwoman Erin Mendenhall, the foremost concern for city leaders is the interactions of scooter riders, who can travel up to 15 mph, with pedestrians on downtown sidewalks. City ordinance prohibits scooters and bicycle from sidewalks in the city's downtown central business district. Late last month, Bird announced it reached its 10 millionth ride with 2.1 million unique riders traveling 14.3 million miles in its first year of operations. SALT LAKE CITY While explaining the new format for Sunday worship services, Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wanted to make one point clear. "There is so much more to this adjustment than just shortening the Sunday meetinghouse schedule," the apostle said. "This Sunday schedule allows more time for a home evening and to study the gospel at home on Sunday, or at other times as individuals and families may choose." Shortly after the announcement, a letter from the First Presidency and some frequently asked questions were posted on the church's Newsroom site. Here are six takeaways that will hopefully help members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly called the Mormon church, better understand how Sunday services will proceed starting in 2019. 1. Sacrament meetings should have minimal announcements. Local church leaders should give consideration to speakers, hymns and musical numbers. "The Sunday church meetings will consist of a 60-minute sacrament meeting, each Sunday, focused on the Savior, the ordinance of the sacrament and spiritual messages," Elder Cook said. 2. Church members should become familiar with the "Come, Follow Me" curriculum for individuals and families, which is designed to significantly enhance gospel study in the home. "In pilot test stakes across the world there was a highly favorable response to the new 'Come, Follow Me' home resource," Elder Cook said. "Many reported that they progressed from reading scriptures to actually studying the scriptures. It was also commonly felt the experience was faith-promoting and had a wonderful impact on the ward." 3. Second-hour classes, including Priesthood and Relief Society, Young Women, Primary and Sunday School, will not begin with a prayer or hymn but will close with prayer. For Priesthood and Relief Society, first-Sunday council meetings will be discontinued. Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood holders will no longer meet together, although they may meet together briefly if a special need exists. They will instead gather in their respective quorums. Young Women will also meet in their respective classes. Primary's schedule will be divided into three parts: a 25-minute segment with prayer, scripture or article of faith, talk and singing time with music that supports scriptures studied in class; a five-minute transition to class; and a 20-minute class with a lesson from "Come, Follow Me For Primary." If the Primary is large enough to separate into junior and senior groups, the schedule can be reversed. 4. The Gospel Principles class, usually reserved for new members, investigators or members who are learning basic gospel principles, will be discontinued. These members will now be taught by ward and full-time missionaries from lessons in Preach My Gospel outside of regular church meetings. These members will now attend Sunday School, Priesthood quorums, Relief Society, Young Women classes or Primary in their respective wards. 5. Other temporary courses, such as temple preparation, missionary preparation, family history, and strengthening marriage and family, will not be held during the second hour. These courses may be taught at other times at the bishop's discretion for people based on needs. The teacher council meeting will take place quarterly during the second hour. 6. Why wait until 2019 to start? Elder Cook gave two reasons. First, to allow for time to distribute the "Come, Follow Me" materials; and second, for presidents and bishops to arrange meeting schedules so some wards can meet earlier in the day. The greatest goal and ultimate blessing of these changes will be deep and lasting conversion. Members are encouraged to counsel together and seek revelation for implementing these adjustment, Elder Cook said. "As leaders have sought revelation, the guidance received over the past few years is to strengthen the sacrament meeting, honor the Sabbath day, and encourage and assist parents and individuals to make their homes a source of spiritual strength and increased faith a place of joy and happiness," Elder Cook said. "The announcements made today will result in profound blessings for those who enthusiastically embrace the adjustments and seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost. We will become closer to our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, of whom I am a sure witness." Want to know more? Read the Frequently Asked Questions provided by the church. Love Yatri Movie Expectations: Why This Film Is Not Our Weekend Watch After making us all get into the festive mood with the superhit Chogada Tara, Loveyatri is all set to hit the theatres on 5th October. Directed by Abhiraj Minawala the film is the launch vehicle of Salman Khans brother-in-law and Arpita Khans husband Ayush Sharma. Debutante Warina Hussain is also entering the Bollywood with this ambitious project. The film is being made under Salman Khans home production banner and he has been aggressively promoting the film. Based on a love story in the backdrop of Navratri, here are some of the factors which is making us excited about the film and some that arent. Aayush Sharmas Dancing Skills This has been the biggest disappointment so far. Ayush Sharma is playing the role of Sushruth, a garba teacher from Baroda, however, if you look at the festively shot songs, his dance skills look really limited to play the character of a dance teacher. Thus even after superb beats and a general plot woven around garba, we are finding it difficult to expect some great garba moves from the garba boy. Good Music Talking about garba, apart from Ayush Sharmas dance another thing that was needed to get the vibe of Garba right was the music. Honestly, the songs of the film, especially Chogada Tara is actually very catchy and has struck a chord with the masses. In fact, music seems to a very strong aspect of the film and is actually quite good. Stale Love Story As fresh Aayush and Warina is in the industry, the love story is Loveyatri looks like something we have seen much time over. Boy falling in love with a visitor from a strange land and then boy traveling to the strange land to win back the girl despite parental opposition offers nothing that we have not seen in 100 love stories before this. If the story is anything to go by then the story of Loveyatri is going to be a story that has really been done to death. The Salman Khan Factor Salman Khan who is producing the film obviously has a personal interest given he is launching the husband of his darling sister with the film. As a result, he has been quite heavily involved with the promotions of the film and due to his loyal following people has been receiving Ayush and Zarina pretty well. Thus it can surely be predicted that the Salman Khan factor of the film will pull the loyal Bhai fans which might work wonders for the film in terms of box-office. Sans Forgetica is the new font in town. Developed by typographic design specialists and psychologists at Melbournes RMIT University, the font is based on the principle of desirable difficulty, a concept that suggests that people tend to remember things better if their brains are challenged to prevail over obstacles. According to researchers, This promotes deeper cognitive processing. Sans Forgetica is a backward slanted font and has breaks in the text so that the brain is challenged to connect the gaps, hence retaining more of what is read. We believe this is the first time that specific principles of design theory have been combined with specific principles of psychology theory in order to create a font, said Chair of the RMIT Behavioural Business Lab and behavioural economist, Dr Jo Peryman. Dr Peryman believed Sans Forgetica is a great tool for students studying during exams. Sans Forgetica features varying degrees of distinctiveness built in that undermine the design principles normally associated with conventional typography. These degrees of distinctiveness cause readers to dwell longer on each word, giving the brain more time to engage in deeper cognitive processing, to enhance information retention, RMIT wrote in the study published on the universitys website. The font was tested in laboratory conditions as well as online in which close to 400 Australian students read fonts which different varieties of obstructions. Sans Forgetica emerged the winner in the process and helped students retain information while remaining legible. Breakthroughs in robotics have helped in developing some very high-end prosthetics off late, but never have we seen one that can attach to a smartphone...until now. Parisian scientists have developed a new robotic limb called MobiLimb which can be attached to a phone to serve multimodal communication. MobiLimb can help users control virtual and physical objects and also provides rich haptic feedback such as strokes, pats and other tactile stimuli on the hand or the wrist to convey emotions during mediated multimodal communications, notes the research paper detailing MobiLimb. How does MobiLimb work? The devices is has shape-changing abilities and a compact form factor, making it easily compatible with smartphones. It is essentially a small 5 DoF (Degree of Freedom) robotic manipulator that attaches to phones or tablets. Our approach aims at overcoming mobile device limitations (static, passive, motionless) by using a robotic limb. This approach preserves the form factor of mobile devices and the efficiency of their I/O capabilities, while introducing new ones: (1) the users can manipulate and deform the robotic device (input), (2) they can see and feel it (visual and haptic feedback), including when its shape is dynamically modified by the mobile device. Moreover, as a robotic manipulator, (3) it can support additional modular elements (LED, shells, proximity sensors), noted researchers from the University of Paris-Saclay in France. The device is also designed to assist users with disabilities to ease tactile tasks. Imagine getting a notification on your phone and having a robotic finger tapping you to alert you of the notification. Or, using it to turn on/off lights in your living room. It can also be used as an alternative to display information on the phones screen such as the current state of the phone (e.g. flight mode, battery level, etc). Whats more? Well, with the robotic limb attached, a smartphone can also move on its own and crawl to you when you need it! Creepy, but one can definitely see the use for something like this. Check out the MobiLimb in the video below. Dont for a second think that Australia is home solely to amazing red wines such as Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, oh no. We here Down Under are also masters of white wines, from crisp and thirst-quenching light and dry whites all the way through to fuller, medium-bodied varietals. The most popular bottles in Australia are without doubt Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc, although others such as the Semillion grape are becoming increasingly popular, especially in the Hunter Valley region. South Australia, however, is easily the most important wine-growing region (although, not just for white wine, but all Australian wine) with the different sub-regions producing white wines of varying tastes and textures. Unlike with Australian red wine, which has an overarching producer in the form of Penfolds, there is no real main producer of Australian white wine (although Penfolds does produce some exemplary Chardonnays). As wed always say, finding the best Australian white wine for you is as easy as going to some Cellar Doors, trying the wines on offer and seeing how your tastebuds react. After all, wine can become an incredibly expensive hobby if you dont know what youre doing (or even if you do, as it happens). To help make your search for some amazing white wines that bit easier, weve put together this list of the best Australian white wines currently available, encompassing different grape varietals and various budgets. For some extra help and insider knowledge, weve previously reached out to some expert Australian sommeliers, to spill the grapes with regards to how to pick a great white wine. How To Pick A Great White Wine When selecting, start with varietal, then region: Theres a reason Chardonnay and Riesling attract the most attention from wine lovers worldwide; they are without a doubt the two greatest white wine varietals and lucky for us they both fare well here in Australia, (Nick Stamford, Managing Director of MW Wines). Dont write off vintages from cooler regions. Nick also told us that. In places like Victorias Yarra Valley and Macedon or even down in Tasmania the cool climate means grapes are given time to ripen slowly on the vine, developing delicate fruit flavours. These arent your 1990s style big buttery chardonnays; its a leaner and crisper style. In the mouth youre looking for good acid, almost sharp in your mouth (the opposite, a more velvet finish, is known as flabby acid and wont give you the refreshment you need in a summer white). In the store, select a vintage with good quality grapes and minimal intervention in the cellar. If you plan on letting it age, Chiara Danieli, Head Sommelier at Matteo Downtown, says to make sure you buy something acidic: Its always very important that a white has high acidity for ageing. It also, Needs to be true to the region where it comes from and reflect into the glass the characteristics of the soils and climate. Now that youve had your crash course in grape slurping, its time to step up your summer cellar selection: here are the best producers of white wine in Australia you can rely upon for a delectable drop. Australian White Wine FAQ What is the most popular white wine in Australia? Chardonnay is the most popular white wine in Australia, and even outsells the incredibly popular Shiraz. Chardonnay grapes can be grown virtually anywhere, and so the vast majority of Australian wine makers will have at least one example in their repertoire. What white wines are dry? Quite a lot of Australian white wine is dry, with Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay being prime examples. Read Next The two young Burtonport men behind the hit Destination Dungloe video have landed a contract with Riverdance Productions and are off to China. Shaun Doogan and Ciaran McCann who produced the five minute long promotional video for the Dungloe Community Network, were in Dublin on Wednesday to meet executives from Riverdance productions. They want us to go to China for two weeks at the end of the month to film the Riverdance tour of China, Shaun Doogan told the Democrat. They were on the phone to us last week after seeing the Destination Donegal video, and to be honest when we got the call first we thought it was someone taking a hand. But when we realised it was true we were gobsmacked and naturally we jumped at the idea. It is a great opportunity for us and takes us to a new level. Shaun and Ciaran who are former students at Letterkenny IT only set up their production company Re-Act Productions last year. The video has gone down really well, Shaun said. We are finding it hard to believe and weve had numerous queries about it and because we have done it in a trailer type format, people have been asking when is the film coming out. There is no film and there wont be because it is not what we do. The video shows the current Mary from Dungloe, Caroline O'Donnell, who is a native of the town, being sent to Dungloe to infiltrate the locals and get them on side for her boss, played by Mark Sharkey, Chief Executive of the Templecrone Co-op, who wants to build a nuclear power plant in the town. It is made in the form of a James Bond film and features some of the business premises and historic sites around Dungloe as well as some breathtaking scenery around the Rosses. We did everything from writing the script to filming and editing the whole package. It took us three weeks to film and we spent another week of long days and nights editing it. The video was produced for the Dungloe Community Network as part of their submission for the towns entry in the Bank of Ireland Enterprise Town of the Year. The judges for the Town of the Year were in the town last week and we showed them the video and they were blown away with it. We are really pleased how it turned out and we have been totally gobsmacked with how it has gone down with the public. From the brand-wise sales report of September 2018, it was pretty evident that Hyundai India has done significantly well even though they still have to go a long way to catch up with Maruti. However, the market presence of Hyundai has become so good that they are now the only foreign-origin competitor, Maruti should worry about. You can also check out the best-selling cars of August 2018 here. With that being said, below is the list of the top-selling cars from September 2018: Rank Model Units Sold 1 Maruti Swift 22,228 2 Maruti Alto 21,719 3 Maruti Dzire 21,296 4 Maruti Baleno 18,631 5 Maruti Brezza 14,425 6 Maruti WagonR 13,252 7 Hyundai i20 12,380 8 Hyundai Grand i10 11,224 9 Hyundai Creta 11,000 10 Maruti Celerio 9,208 (click on the respective heading of each model to know more details such as the specifications, mileage and price) The Maruti Swift has been India's favourite hatchback, ever since it was first introduced more than 10 years ago. The third-generation Maruti Swift was launched at Auto Expo 2018 which was held back in February. The new model brings a lot of improvements and additions over the previous models; the automatic transmission choice being one. The Maruti Alto is perhaps the most popular car on the Indian market. Be it any remote location across India, chances of a Maruti Alto not being there are an extreme rarity. The Alto can be regarded as a successor to the iconic Maruti 800 and is available in both 800cc and 1.0-litre formats. The Maruti Alto K10 (the 1.0-litre model) is also a fun-to-drive hatchback. The Maruti Dzire is a really successful compact-sedan on the market and has become the top-selling car in the country, quite a few times. While the Swift hatchback on which it is based is rather sporty, the Maruti Dzire has got an elegant styling. The Dzire is available in both petrol and diesel formats, just like the Swift, plus with the option for an automatic transmission. The Maruti Baleno is the most premium hatchback from the Indian car manufacturer and is sold exclusively through the brand's Nexa outlets. The Maruti Baleno features upmarket interiors and lots of cabin space, keeping the European hatchback market in mind. There is also a sportier version of the car called the Baleno RS, which is powered by a 1.0-litre turbocharged Boosterjet engine. The Maruti Brezza is the first and only compact-SUV from the Indian brand and is also one of the best-selling SUVs on the market. The Brezza comes only in a diesel format, although a petrol variant might be introduced in the near future. Maruti Suzuki has also introduced an AMT version of the Vitara Brezza, recently. The Maruti Wagon R, with its compact dimensions and unique tall boy design, has been a favourite among Indians since long. The car has gone through a few updates and upgrades over the years; the Stingray variant being one of them. The Wagon R features all the essentials on the inside and is a joy to drive in the city. The Hyundai Elite i20 is one of the most favourite premium hatchbacks on sale in the country and also the most successful model of Hyundai. The latest version of the Hyundai i20 brings some much-needed additions including a touchscreen infotainment and a host of safety features. The new Hyundai Elite i20 is available in both petrol and diesel formats of which the latter is more popular. The Hyundai Grand i10 is slotted in between the Elite i20 and the Eon (soon to be replaced with the new Santro), in the South Korean brand's product portfolio. The Grand i10 offers quite a lot for its price and is also one of the best-looking cars in its segment. Available in only a petrol format, the Hyundai Grand i10 is abig seller for the brand, after the i20. The Hyundai Creta has become more of a status symbol now, among the range of sub-20-lakh five-seater SUVs on the Indian market. The latest version of the Hyundai Creta comes with numerous features and updates compared to the older model, including the exterior aesthetics. The Hyundai Creta has even become the top-selling SUV in India, at one point. The Maruti Celerio started the AMT trend in the Indian automotive market and is still one of the best affordable automatics on sale. The Celerio comes only in a petrol format and is also available in the funkier CelerioX avatar. Inside, the Maruti Celerio gets all the equipment you would expect at the price point while also returning good fuel efficiency figures. Verdict Maruti Suzuki has once again proved their market presence in our country but Hyundai seems to be the next big thing. It is quite interesting to see that only two brands have managed to come up in the top 10 positions on the list of best-selling cars in India. Reasons for this could be the recent Kerala floods and the rising fuel prices. What do you think? UPDATE: Tuesday's session saw the Pound to Australian Dollar (GBP/AUD) exchange rate fluctuate around the day's opening levels, with the cross priced -0.05% lower at 1.85038. Monday's session saw the best GBP/AUD conversion of 2018, around the 1.86 level. GBP/AUD extended its decline (-0.56 percent) on Monday morning, with 1 buying just AU$ 1.85019. This decline in sterling was reflected across the FX board with the pound trading lower against a basket of global currencies. Leading analysts at Maybank noted that The AUD remains under pressure and the rise in global yields also weakens the demands for the Australian bonds. That said, the 10y yield spread between the Australian government bonds and UST remained near its widest since it had tumbled into discount in Feb this year, last seen at 46bps. RBAs monetary policy divergence vis-a-vis the rest of the DM, especially the most aggressively tightening Fed could continue to keep AUD on the backfoot." GBP/AUD roared higher last week, rising around 4 cents and striking its best levels since the EU referendum as the Aussie came under heavy selling pressure this week. Australian Dollar (AUD) Battered as Market Risk Appetite Evaporates The Australian Dollar (AUD) was met by heavy losses this week, plummeting against the Pound (GBP) and the majority of its other peers as it was hit by a slump in market risk appetite. These losses did not materialise immediately however, with the Aussie appearing resilient at the start of the week due thin-trading volumes as domestic markets closed for the Labour Day celebrations and the Reserve Bank of Australias (RBA) decision to maintain in neutral bias following its latest policy meeting. Things began to sour for the Aussie overnight on Tuesday however, with the currency getting caught up in a broad sell-off of risk-sensitive assets, with concerns over Italys budget and debt pile spooked investors. These losses accelerated through Wednesdays session amid a jump in the US Dollar (USD), with demand for the Greenback soaring as markets flocked to the currency following a surge in US bond yields. The downwards momentum carried through to the second half of the weeks session as well, with markets shrugging off a stronger-than-expected rebound in domestic retail sales as higher US treasury yields as well as losses across the commodity market sent the Australian Dollar spiralling lower. Pound (GBP) Bolstered by Brexit Optimism Meanwhile the Pounds (GBP) advance against the Australian Dollar (AUD) this week was supported by renewed Brexit optimism. However this was largely focused in the latter half of the week, with Sterling largely stalling at the start of the weeks session as the UKs latest PMI figures failed to impresses GBP investors. After drifting higher in the middle of the week, mainly on the back of weakness in the Australian Dollar, the GBP/AUD exchange rate accelerated its advance on Thursday following reports Ireland would back Theresa Mays Brexit plans for an all-UK customs union with the EU. This led to a marked upswing in Sterling sentiment, allowing the Pound to close out the weeks session on a high note as it bolstered optimism that this could help to resolve the Irish border issue, something which has proved to be a major roadblock in the UK attempting to finalise a Brexit agreement with the EU. Speaking to BBC Radio 4, Irelands Europe Minister Helen McEntee, said: I do believe that we can reach an agreement. I am confident given the fact that we have done a huge amount of work on the withdrawal agreement it is about 90% complete. GBP/AUD Exchange Rate Forecast Looking ahead, a lull in notable data means Brexit is likely to remain the dominate force in the the Pound Australian Dollar (GBP/AUD) exchange rate next week, especially as we rapidly approach the EU summit of leaders later this month. This may prompt some notable volatility in Sterling throughout the session depending on whether it appears likely the UK could finalise a Brexit agreement with the EU. Meanwhile analysts are warning that there may be further losses in store for the Australian Dollar in the immediate future as markets brace for further trade tensions between the US and China. National Australia Banks (NAB) FX Strategy Team suggests: Were concerned that the high probability of President Trump proceeding to both lift the recently imposed 10% tariff rate on $US200 billion worth of Chinese imports to 25% and to extend this to the full gamut of Chinese imports another $US267 billion or so is not fully priced by markets. If the US mid-term elections come and go and there is still no sign of a Trump Xi love in capable of prompting a Sino-US trade pact, then emerging markets, and with that AUD, are at risk of further downward pressure either side of year-end. Whether these losses will materialise in the coming week remains to be seen however. The British Pound (GBP) to SA Rand (ZAR) exchange rate has plunged on Tuesday afternoon after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed former central bank Governor Tito Mboweni as his finance minister. The latest rand spot rates can be seen below: The Pound to South African Rand (GBP/ZAR) exchange rate is -0.9% lower at 19.29193 . The Euro to South African Rand (EUR/ZAR) exchange rate is -1.31% lower at 16.86641 . The US Dollar to South African Rand (USD/ZAR) exchange rate is -1.29% lower at 14.67614 GBP/ZAR had initially advanced on Tuesday despite a number of announcements from the International Monetary Fund about the UK economy causing negative volatility for the British currency. Last week saw the Pound open trading against the South African Rand at a level of ZAR18.4052 on Monday. Growing confidence among GBP traders led to clear GBP/ZAR exchange rate gains throughout the week, with the Pound closing trading around ZAR19.2512 on Friday. In extremes of trading, the GBP/ZAR exchange rate fell to a low of ZAR18.3717 and rose to a high of ZAR19.4424 during the week. Pound to Rand Exchange Rate Recap: GBP/ZAR Boosted by Higher Hopes for Brexit Deal Pound Sterling (GBP) steadily rose against the South African Rand (ZAR) last week, thanks to growing optimism about the Brexit process. Prime Minister Theresa May was partly responsible for this GBP/ZAR advance, when she indicated a desire for continuing Brexit talks. Late-week support came from remarks by EU leaders, which suggested that Brexit talks might be concluded in the space of a few weeks. Key issues like the Irish border hadnt been resolved by the end of weekly trading, but the overwhelming sentiment among GBP traders was that there could be an end in sight to Brexit talks. Last Weeks ZAR/GBP Exchange Rate Losses Caused by Manufacturing Slowdown and US Dollar Strength The South African Rand (ZAR) performed poorly against the Pound (GBP) last week, falling in value because of disappointing PMI data and external pressures. In the former case, the ABSA manufacturing PMI for September revealed a decline during the month when it fell from 43.4 points to 43.2. While a minimal decline, this still proved to be a disappointing development as there were expectations for a rise to 45 points. Elsewhere, an increase in US Dollar demand put further pressure on the South African Rand; USD trader optimism rose because a provisional trade deal had been agreed to. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) averted a feared collapse in North American trading, having itself replaced the previous North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Weekly Pound to Rand Forecast: Is GBP/ZAR Exchange Rate Volatility ahead on UK GDP Data? The Pounds (GBP) steady advance against the South African Rand (ZAR) last week may not be repeated in the week ahead, depending on how UK data turns out. The main piece of UK economic news will be Wednesdays GDP reading for August, which some economists think will show a slight decline during the month. If the reading does dip from 0.3% to 0.2% then the Pound could fall against the South African Rand because of the negative news. This isnt a guaranteed outcome, however, so the GBP/ZAR exchange rate could instead rise if GDP growth increases to 0.4% as other analysts are anticipating. Other UK data out on Wednesday will include construction, manufacturing and industrial output stats for August. Monthly manufacturing and annual industrial output levels are tipped to rise, although this wont necessarily cancel any negative impacts from slowing GDP growth. The year-on-year construction output reading is tipped to be especially negative, with experts anticipating a slowdown from 3.5% in 2017 to 2.6% in 2018. A GBP/ZAR exchange rate rally on Wednesday seems unlikely on paper, but if all of the days economic data prints positively then Pound Sterling could still appreciate. On the other side of the currency pairing, the weeks main South African economic announcements will include Wednesdays business confidence reading and Thursdays production stats. There could be mid-week ZAR/GBP exchange rate gains on the business confidence data, if it shows a forecast-matching rise in sentiment during September. Thursdays output data is expected to show rising levels of mining production during August, which may extend any existing Rand to Pound exchange rate gains. Manufacturing output is tipped to slow and gold production levels are set to remain negative, but the Rand could still firm on forecast-matching mining growth due to its importance for national economic stability. Pound Sterling Euro (GBP/EUR) Exchange Rate Breaks Higher on Single Currency Weakness UPDATE: The British pound to euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate has finally moved higher on Tuesday afternoon after Italian Economy Minister Giovanni Tria failed to halt market fears over the Italian budget concerns. Any sterling gains could be short-lived if analysts at Scotiabank are right: "Sterlings recent burst of Brexit optimism EUR/GBP trading a cent below the 200-day MA currently to the lowest since Jun is hard to fathom given the lack of real progress on substantive issues that need to be resolved quickly. N. Irelands DUP leader Foster is in Brussels currently to talk with EU leaders and reports indicate that she has rebuffed the idea of border checks in trade with mainland Britain as a compromise plan. PM May has promised more detail around a work around in due course. We remain concerned that the near impossibility of resolving these challenges will leave the UK facing a cliff edge Brexit." UPDATE: The Euro to Pound Sterling (EUR/GBP) exchange rate broke below the 200-day simple moving average for the first time since early July last week and the pair is currently correcting the recent losses, trading at 0.8775 on Tuesday morning. Brexit optimism has improved and EUR/GBP has dropped nearly 1.5% since the Conservative Party Congress ended on 3 October, as Theresa May managed to leave the congress without any new troubles. Both momentum and the technical outlook especially after the break below the 200-day moving average point to further downside in the short term. Tuesday will be seeing a steady stream of Brexit headlines, but the tone could turn decidedly bearish as the two sides continue to seem further apart than initial announcements of progress keep making it appear. PREVIOUSLY: The British pound to euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate returned to the daily opening inter-bank level on Monday afternoon, with 1 buying 1.13799. For traders this equates to 1 trading for 0.87791. The Euro exchange rates are under pressure as Italian bonds and stocks are sold off once again. The euro zone's third-largest economy remains at loggerheads with the European Union about the 2019 budget deficit. At 2.4%, the Italian government's proposal breaches the EU's demand for a maximum of 2%. German Industrial Production disappointed with a drop of 0.3%, worse than expectations. The downbeat figure joins weak Factory Orders from the continent's locomotive.Pound Sterling demand has been limited today because of UK business uncertainty about Brexit; there may be additional losses ahead on Wednesdays UK ecostats. The headline data is Augusts GDP growth rate reading, which is currently forecast to decline from 0.3% to 0.1%. A drop in GDP growth might unsettle GBP traders and cause midweek Pound to Euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate losses, given the negative implications of such data. Slowing GDP growth in the run-up to the November Brexit deadline creates a bad precedent and might drain GBP trader confidence. Euro-Sterling analysts at Lloyds warned earlier on Monday that "Intra-day studies are a little oversold warning of a corrective rebound. Focus is therefore on 0.8830-0.8860 resistance. While under there, we can see an eventual move towards 0.8725 next support. Back through there would negate the current bear bias and take us back into an upper range. 0.9000-0.9100 being the current top of that range. Euro to Pound Sterling (EUR/GBP) exchange rate seen drifting lower in the coming weeks The Euro to Pound Sterling (EUR/GBP) exchange rate is trading at 0.8790 on Monday morning. Political tensions between the European Commission and Italy are growing as Deputy PM Di Maio dismissed concerns on Sunday that the current budget pointed to a significant deviation from the agreed fiscal path. Monday is a holiday stateside, keeping the brunt of the early week's volatility limited to the London market session, and a thin calendar with only the BRC's Retail Like-For-Like Sales late at 23:01 GMT (previous 0.2%) will see markets keeping a close eye on Brexit developments, with the EU set to be handing down an alternative trade deal for the UK this Wednesday. Pound Sterling Euro (GBP/EUR) Exchange Rate Boosted by Italy Budget Fears The British Pound to Euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate climbed over a cent last week, with the pairing breaching 1.13 and striking a three-month high on the back of concerns over Italys new budget plans. The Euro (EUR) tumbled against the Pound (GBP) and the majority of its other currency peers last week, with markets shunning the single currency as investors express concerns over Italys budget plans. This saw EUR sentiment slide at the start of the week as Italy was put on a collision course with Brussels over Romes plan to target a budget deficit of 2.4% of GDP over the next three years in order to fund the ruling coalitions ambitious spending plans, flouting the EU laws limiting members to 2%. While Wednesday saw Italys government back down, announcing it would lower its deficit target to 2.2% of GDP in 2020 and then 2% of GDP in 2021, this only resulted in some brief respite for the single currency as analysts continued to raise concerns over how Romes new spending plans would impact Italys already sizable debt pile. Thu LanNguyen, FX strategist at Commerzbank, said: That the Italian government is trying to appease its EU partners can be seen as a step in the right direction and therefore justifies some euro-positive reaction. The devil is in the details. The euros recovery will only continue if the new fiscal plans are also feasible. These concerns lingered throughout the second half of the weeks session as well, leaving the Euro to fall to a three-month low against the Pound by Friday, with markets struggling off a sharp rebound in German factory orders as sentiment remained dampened by Italys fiscal outlook. Pound (GBP) Exchange Rates Bolstered by Brexit Optimism Meanwhile the Pound (GBP) punched higher last week as it was bolstered by renewed Brexit optimism in the latter half of the week. The first half of the session saw Sterlings struggle to make any headway against the Euro (EUR) however as the UKs latest Run of PMI figures failed to impress markets Commenting on the UKs services PMI, Duncan Brock, Group Director at the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, said: Gloom over Brexit continued to bear down on confidence which translated into client hesitancy over placing big ticket contracts. Longer delays in decision-making also contributed to the underwhelming pace of new order growth as a subdued UK economy failed to fill the void. Things finally perked up for the Pound come Thursday, with sentiment in the UK currency soaring following reports that Dublin would support Theresa Mays new plans to avoid a hard border in Ireland by seeking an all-UK customs union with the EU. The news helped to turbo charge Sterling last week as markets hoped the possible solution to the Irish border issue could help to break an impasse in Brexit negotiations. This sense of Brexit optimism was further bolstered on Friday as Reuters reported EU officials were confident that a Brexit deal with the UK is very close. GBP/EUR Exchange Rate Forecast: Brexit to Remain in Focus this Week? Looking ahead, Brexit is likely to remain the main catalyst for movement in the Pound Euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate next week as we fast approach this months EU summit on the 18th. This may result in a mixed session for Sterling, with the currencys fortunes likely to be tied to whether it appears likely that the UK and EU will be able to reach an agreement ahead of the summit. Meanwhile the start of this weeks session is likely to see EUR investors playing close attention to Germanys latest economic data, with an expected rebound in German industrial production and expansion of the countrys trade surplus, potentially helping the Euro to get off to a better start this week. Privacy Settings This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. Which cookies and scripts are used and how they impact your visit is specified on the left. You may change your settings at any time. Your choices will not impact your visit. NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using. (Bloomberg) -- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell indicated that a Republican Senate would take up a nomination to the Supreme Court made by President Donald Trump in 2020, the next presidential election year. McConnell blocked Democratic President Barack Obamas nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court in 2016, arguing at the time that voters should have a say in the matter in that years election. Garland wasnt granted a hearing or a vote. Asked on Fox News Sunday if the same logic would apply in 2020, McConnell said well see if there is a vacancy in 2020. The Kentucky senator then said that the tradition in the Senate since 1880 has been that a vacancy is not filled by a president in an election year -- if the Senate is controlled by the opposing party. That appears to indicate the Garland rationale wouldnt apply if a Republican president has a Republican Senate majority. Now Playing: Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Says Nomination Battle Good for Republicans Video: Time Proudest Moment McConnell also said Saturdays confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court is his proudest moment as a senator. Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press We stood up to the mob, he said. This has been an extraordinarily productive Congress. In a separate appearance on CBS Newss Face the Nation, the majority leader predicted that the anti-Kavanaugh protests will backfire by energizing the Republican base in the Nov. 6 mid-term elections, in which the GOP is looking to hang on to its majorities in the House and Senate. A new CBS poll released on Sunday suggested the court battle may have hurt Democratic Senate hopes in states like Texas and Tennessee, where more voters wanted the Senate to confirm Kavanaugh than not. Things also got testy between McConnell and "Face the Nation" host John Dickerson. "Democrats are pointing not only to the way this was handled but in the history of partisanship on the Supreme Court, your decision to block Merrick Garland is something they see as-as having kicked off a new stage in the partisanship associated with Supreme Court nominees," Dickerson said. McConnell replied that those critics "don't know much history," an assertion Dickerson pushed back on. "Mr. Leader I don't think that's right," Dickerson said. "In 1956 Eisenhower nominated Brennan the- the 84th Congress was a Democrat controlled and also on the Biden rule, Joe Biden was talking in the abstract. There was no nominee, no nominee was blocked." "John you are not listening to me," McConnell said. "The history is exactly as I told you." On the same program, McConnell chuckled when asked if Republicans will not campaign against West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin now that he voted for Kavanaugh -- the only Democrat to do so. Still a Democrat Manchin is still a Democrat and were trying to hold onto our majority, he said. McConnell also indicated he wouldnt try to punish Alaskan Republican Lisa Murkowski for her vote against on Kavanaugh, saying she is a member of his conference in good standing. Trump, at a rally in Kansas on Saturday, called Murkowskis vote disgraceful. McConnell predicted that the House and Senate will soon wrap up talks over a bill creating a new process for congressional employees to make sexual harassment and assault allegations against lawmakers. That is something I know will get done before the end of the year, he said on CBS. (Updates with comments on election from eighth paragraph.) To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Wasson in Washington at ewasson@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Joe Sobczyk at jsobczyk@bloomberg.net, Ros Krasny, James Ludden 2018 Bloomberg L.P. WASHINGTON - When Christine Blasey Ford accused Judge Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault last month, she did more than open herself up to unwanted scrutiny. She held up a mirror to a country in crisis, revealing its political players and embattled institutions not for what they claimed to be but for what they really are. The painful 20-day passion play that followed - staged in committee rooms, Senate floor debates, hallway protests and millions of private conversations - did little to alter the future makeup of the Supreme Court. Kavanaugh was narrowly confirmed Saturday by the Senate, 50-48, in a vote that tracked expectations from the summer, with only one Democrat and one Republican defecting from the party line. But few of the players emerged from the process unchanged or unblemished, underscoring the uncharted territory of deepening distrust and polarization that now defines the American system. The events further distanced the Senate Judiciary Committee from its nearly forgotten bipartisan traditions and raised new questions about the potential for the Supreme Court to maintain an independent authority outside the maelstrom of politics. Public denunciations of the continuing slide were frequent and bipartisan, while political strategists and lawmakers raised new alarms about the ominous implications. Even top Republicans were downbeat on Saturday afternoon as the vote neared, cognizant of the cost of the political and cultural reckoning that had been sparked alongside the confirmation process. "There is a split culturally, spiritually, and socially," said Sen. John Neely Kennedy, R-La., who served on the Judiciary Committee and supported Kavanaugh. "It has to do with the pace of change more than anything else. There are some Americans who would like to see our country change quickly." Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, the second ranking Republican, attributed the divisions in Washington to wounds inflicted by Donald Trump's election in 2016, which he said "half the population can't seem to get over." Should Democrats win the House majority, as now appears likely, there will be a major push among some members to impeach both Kavanaugh from the high court and Trump from the presidency, all as special counsel Robert Mueller III is expected to finish parts of his work on the federal probe into Russian interference in the 2016 campaign. That whirlwind on the horizon has leaders in both parties anxious about how bitter national fights could escalate as Trump lashes out at his opponents and the 2020 presidential race heats up later this year. "The scar tissue will be thicker, the poison stronger, and the well of distrust deeper," said Republican strategist Michael Steel, a former adviser to Speaker John Boehner. Other Republicans see more fundamental cracks with historic connotations. "This is the second most divided time in our history and I'm worried about the legitimacy of the court," conservative commentator William Bennett said, comparing the current moment to the breakdowns that preceded the Civil War. "You have a growing number of liberal critics saying that Kavanaugh would give the court two people credibly accused of sexual harassment," he continued, "and they're now making noise to the effect that maybe the court's decisions will lack legitimacy." Democrats are beleaguered by Trump's relentless combat, the White House's tight grip over the FBI's probe of Ford's allegations, and fear that the institutional seams of the nation are fraying by the day as they try to rally their voters ahead of November. "There is a real question of whether we can all move forward amid these cultural and human challenges and the raw partisanship," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said in an interview. "The damage will be enduring to the court and the country." Under the pressure of these divisions, no public official has been able to rise above the fray to chart a path forward toward greater national unity and mutual understanding. Moral outrage has been accepted as the basic currency of political debate, opponents regularly attack each others' motives along with their positions, and honest reflection, when it cuts through the maw, is often dismissed as a sign of weakness or posturing. Kavanaugh himself publicly dropped his own carefully constructed facade as a nonpartisan and independent jurist, with an angry display in prepared remarks on Sept. 27 that impugned the motives of Democratic senators and included an unsubstantiated claim that his opponents were seeking revenge against him "on behalf of the Clintons." He later backtracked from the outburst, as legal scholars warned the statements could imperil his ability to rule on cases with partisan implications. "I said a few things I should not have said," Kavanaugh wrote in the Wall Street Journal, though he did not say exactly which things he regretted. President Trump similarly gave up on his initial effort to provide a respectful platform for Ford's story to be heard, reverting in the final week to familiar - and false - personal attacks on her and her supporters coupled with refrains about the danger the #MeToo movement poses to men. "It's a very scary time for young men in America when you can be guilty of something you may not be guilty of," he said. His advisers praised his initial restraint as a sign of an unrecognized self-control, while also heralding Trump's subsequent approach to the crisis. Once again, he sought to foment the anger of his supporters and direct it at his political opponents. "The president is breaking the norms and Kavanaugh gets it," said a Trump adviser who was not authorized to speak publicly. "When everything is coming at you, you don't cry. You've got to be like Trump and roar back at opponents." Democratic strategists tracking polls in Republican-leaning states where Democratic senators are running for reelection said they were surprised by the apparently galvanizing impact Trump's offensive had on his base. Brian Fallon, a former adviser to Hillary Clinton who ran Demand Justice, a group opposing Kavanaugh, said the support for the judge increased in these states after Trump changed tactics. As a result, Fallon said he has begun to reevaluate one of the dominant analyses of the 2016 election, which held that Trump was elected despite evidence of his sexual misconduct against him, not because the resulting controversy motivated his voters to the polls. "I feel like there was a primal scream-type reaction from the Republicans' overly white, overly male base," Fallon said of the response to the Kavanaugh controversy. It may have been a repeat of the reaction in the fall of 2016, when a recording from "Access Hollywood" showed Trump boasting of sexual assault. "Very few people were willing to grapple with the idea that it may have had a galvanizing effect that further polarized the country," Fallon said. Without direct corroboration of the claims of sexual misconduct by Kavanaugh made by Ford and other women, Americans from the halls of Congress to the kitchen table were forced to fill in the blanks themselves. Public polling showed they did so by overwhelmingly falling back on their political identities, a tribal response that tracks other evidence of increasing polarization. An August Pew poll found 78 percent of Americans say Democrats and Republicans disagree not only on "plans and policies" but on "basic facts." After both Ford and Kavanaugh had testified before the Senate about the alleged high school assault, 86 percent of Democrats told Quinnipiac pollsters they believed her account, compared to 84 percent of Republicans who said they believed Kavanaugh. Women, who increasingly identify with the Democratic Party, were more likely than men to side with Ford. "Republicans looked at it and saw two individuals whose competing credibilities should have determined if a qualified constitutionalist shouldbe denied a seat on the Supreme Court," said Alex Castellanos, a GOP political consultant. "Democrats looked at it and saw women's long journey to independence and to freedom from the constraints of their gender." Those differences are likely to provide significant support this fall for Democratic House candidates, who have clear opportunities to pick up Republican seats in more moderate rural and suburban districts where college-educated women hold sway. Democrats privately argued that Kavanaugh's success could provide benefits at the ballot box. "I think anger lasts a lot longer than satisfaction as far as a voting motivator," said a senior Senate staff member, who requested anonymity to discuss the politics of the nomination. Republicans, who are hopeful the controversy could help them in Republican-leaning Senate contests, said they also thought the effect on Democratic turnout would be minimized by the fact that these same voters were already far more enthusiastic to vote in the midterms than Trump's base. "Republicans should go into every red state and confront Democrats and ask, 'Will you commit to not impeach Kavanaugh?'" former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich said. "Keep them on defense. Remind people of how rabid these people are." Conservative activists, meanwhile, have celebrated the last weeks, both as a victory in the war for direction of the high court and an effort to reframe the #MeToo effort as an overreaching assault on men, some of whom are wrongly accused. "We have been winning little victories with regulation. This is the big win," Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist said. "We are cutting down the forest, not the trees." He said Kavanaugh's position on the high court would weaken the Democratic Party by further rolling back legal precedent that empowered labor unions, a major source of funding for the left. On Fox News - which is watched daily by Trump and whose former executive Bill Shine currently serves as the president's deputy chief of staff - rhetoric has gone from partisan to biblical about the stakes. "Crucifixion was an important event because it was designed to establish a wall between justice and mob rule - Christ died so that the mob wouldn't survive," Fox News anchor Greg Gutfeld said this week, adding that with the Kavanaugh nomination, Democrats have "decided to crucify someone once again." Grievances about gender and race on the network have been prevalent. A prime time host, Laura Ingraham, tweeted that the focus on the lack of corroborating evidence behind Ford's accusation could herald "the #YearoftheMan." "This is the world in which we now live in, in which white men are presumed guilty because they are white men, because they are supposedly in a position of privilege," writer and podcaster Ben Shapiro said on Fox News. Such rhetoric, which has been countered on the left with the #BelieveWomen hashtag and angry confrontations at the U.S. Capitol, frames the complex debate over the prevalent problem of sexual assault as a binary choice, with both sides casting themselves as victims of bigoted opponents operating in bad faith. As a result, the public space for reaching common ground, a basic starting point for a functioning democracy, has diminished. On Capitol Hill, the planned overhaul of harassment rules in Congress remains stalled. Even the proper response to evidence of misconduct is now a subject to debate. Then-Democratic senator Al Franken, Minn., resigned in January following allegations of misconduct, including a photograph of him groping at the chest of a sleeping woman, and a bevy of House members, both Republicans and Democrats, have also left office following allegations. Trump ridiculed Franken this week at a rally in Minnesota, saying he folded "like a wet rag" and was "wacky." "One can only hope that the Kavanaugh nomination is where the process has finally hit rock bottom," Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins said Friday, when she announced her decision to support the judge, despite finding the testimony of Ford to be "sincere, painful and compelling." She was repeating a phrase - "rock bottom" - that Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, had used a day earlier as he angrily lambasted the press for bias he believed it had shown in its reporting on Kavanaugh, by choosing to interview more supporters of Ford than Kavanaugh. As he made his way into the chamber Saturday, retiring Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., repeated the sentiment. When asked why he and others kept using that phrase, Flake grimaced and said, "Because it feels like we are at the bottom." What no one could offer was a credible path up out of the abyss. When Gina Ortiz Jones started thinking last year about launching a campaign for Congress, she sought the advice of some veteran politicos. By that point, Jones had, in the space of 36 years, put together a formidable set of credentials: Masters degree in economics from Boston University, Iraq War veteran, Air Force intelligence officer and senior adviser and director of investment in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. She had no political experience, however, and wanted to know the basics. Right off the bat, she was given a high viability hurdle to clear: Would she be able to raise $300,000 in the first three months of her campaign? The implicit message in the question was that if she couldnt do it, there was no point in making the effort. I was maybe naive in thinking, I've got a record of public service. I know exactly what it's like to grow up in the community that I did and why its so important that my community has a voice, the John Jay High School graduate said. And I thought that was going to be enough, right? But given our campaign finance laws, this is, unfortunately an expensive endeavor. Jones didnt get to that $300,000 mark in the first three months of her campaign (not quite making it halfway there), but she subsequently stepped up her fundraising game to the point where she out raised her general-election opponent, U.S. District 23 Republican incumbent Will Hurd, in the second quarter of 2018. Theres a bigger lesson, however, in the Jones story. Whether you agree with the Democratic challengers support for Medicare for All or her advocacy for gun-control legislation, theres no doubt that our politics would benefit from more candidates with the kind of resume and expertise she brings to this campaign. But before she entered the District 23 race, Jones found herself wondering if the fiscal demands would be prohibitive. Raising $300,000 in three months is daunting for somebody that, frankly, if you come from this area, you probably dont have the personal or professional networks that lend itself to that, Jones said. To think that service and wanting to serve your community would not be the most important factors in determining whether somebody could be part of the political process is fundamentally wrong. I look forward to changing that. Jones made a declaration of her commitment to the issue Thursday, when she joined 106 other congressional challengers in a letter calling on the 116th Congress to make campaign-finance reform its first priority in January. We must all acknowledge the corrosive role money and special interests have played in shaking the American peoples faith in the system, the letter states. We all know the amount of money in our politics is obscene. Much of the scrutiny devoted to campaign fundraising focuses on the way that elected officials are compromised either consciously or subconsciously by accepting the generosity of high-powered donors. We often overlook two other negative effects of the money demands that come with our politics: the way potential candidates are blocked from the process unless they can pay for the exorbitant ticket to ride and the time drain of fundraising on elected officials. David Jolly, a former Republican congressman from Florida, has talked about how the process of running for office turned him into a radical campaign-finance reform advocate. Jolly says he was informed when he launched his first campaign that he would need $14,000 to $18,000 per day in fundraising to have any hope of victory. He also said members of Congress are forced to spend 30 to 40 hours a week (time that could be spent mastering the intricacies of policy or listening to the concerns of constituents) raising money. While federal election law puts fairly tight limits on direct contributions to congressional candidates ($2,700 from individuals and $5,000 from political action committees per election), the challenge is controlling the flow of so-called soft money to political parties and independent advertising from corporations and other organizations. That flow of money was unleashed by the U.S. Supreme Courts controversial 2010 Citizens United decision. These forces are particularly evident in District 23, the sprawling 29-county swing district that inevitably draws major interest from the national congressional campaign committees for both major parties. The 2016 District 23 race, which Hurd narrowly carried over Democratic rival Pete Gallego, became the most expensive U.S. House race in this states history, with total spending topping $20 million. Two months ago, Hurd predicted the total bill for this years contest could exceed $25 million. No one thinks thats healthy for our system. But everyone knows that solutions wont come easy. Gilbert Garcia is a columnist covering the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470 Re: A different time, Your Turn, Friday: Virginia Castros well-written and honest venture back to a different time was elegant. Thank you for printing her letter, and thanks to her for reminding us that things happened in our past that we are not happy about. I am a supporter of Beto ORourke and opposed to Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Yet, I am feeling guilty about why I have defended Betos admission to his past DWI. I dont believe the judges story that he did not attack Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. If Judge Kavanaugh drank as much as has been reported, and may still, I doubt that he has a recollection of attacking Dr. Ford. I believe her and not him. So, why am I feeling guilty about not weighing the sins of Beto and Brett on the same scale? The difference is Mr. ORourke has repeatedly admitted he made a serious mistake. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no repeat offenses. On the other hand, Judge Kavanaugh has admitted nothing, diminished his youthful drinking and partying, showed his political bias, and aggressively defended his love of beer. In his mind, Judge Kavanaugh may be innocent. In my mind, he is guilty. Mike Horridge Same ol, same ol While the country and politicos have been in turmoil over Judge Brett Kavanaughs Supreme Court confirmation, your Senate and House have been quietly passing another massive spending bill and sending it to President Donald Trump. In fact, more Democrats voted for this spending package than Republicans. There was no fight; the Republicans just continue to fund all the Democratic priorities. Is there funding for the border wall or tougher border security? No. Did the Republicans defund Planned Parenthood? No. Did the Republicans fund the majority of Obamacare? Yes. Does this spending package curtail any spendingto start addressing our $21 trillion debt? No; in fact, the spending is still increasing. The Republicans have majorities in the House and the Senate, and the White House. So I have to ask, has anything really changed in Washington. D.C.? David Gay, Alamo Heights BRIDGEPORT City Council members and municipal attorneys have been ordered to go back to school for a refresher course on government transparency. Specifically, they must schedule a training session with the state Freedom of Information Act Commission. The councils Budget Committee has to attend, and City Halls law department is strongly encouraged to be there as well, according to a report from FOIA Commission staff. The states FOIA office recently investigated a complaint filed by retired Superior Court judge-turned-activist Carmen Lopez, who for the past several years has waged various good-government fights in Bridgeport. This time Lopezs target was a May 2 private meeting of the councils Budget Committee. Lopez alleged that the council members, a handful of city lawyers and the budget and finance directors who attended did not offer a good reason for kicking out the public and holding their hour-long executive session. The Freedom of Information (Act) is a very useful tool for those of us that want to know what government is doing behind closed doors, Lopez said. Behind closed doors According to the May 2 meeting transcript, Mark Anastasi, a veteran Bridgeport City Hall attorney, announced the group would discuss major pending litigation before the Budget Committee voted to enter executive session. The law department was apprising council members of strategy and negotiations with respect to pending claims and litigation, the FOIA offices case report said. It is found that some of the strategies discussed included settlement offers and the potential need to hire outside counsel and expert witnesses, the report continued. The May 2 meeting took place during budget season, when some on the council were complaining about the amount of money spent on hiring outside lawyers to augment the law departments staff. The FOIA investigation concluded that Anastasis explanation for that private huddle was not specific enough. Descriptions such as personnel, personnel matters, legal or even strategy and negotiations with respect to pending claims or pending litigation are inadequate and do not state the reason for convening in executive session, said the FOIA report. Further, FOIA staff found that too many people, including council members who are not part of the budget committee, were allowed to attend the executive session meeting. Updated minutes Bridgeport officials failed to prove that the non-committee members in attendance provided testimony or opinion on strategy and negotiations with respect to pending claims or pending litigation or that their attendance was limited to the period for which their presence was necessary, said the FOIA offices report. Instead, the presence and participation by so many city officials supports an inference that the discussion was not confined merely to legal strategy and negotiations ... but was instead a broad substantive discussion about Bridgeports legal budget or the municipal budget as a whole. Not only was the refresher course on the Freedom of Information Act ordered, but the city has to retroactively create minutes of the executive session held during its May 2, 2018 meeting to include a detailed account of the discussions that took place, including the names of the cases discussed and provide a free copy to Lopez. The FOIA did not, however, agree with Lopezs other complaints that an executive session was not included on the budget committees original agenda and that not enough committee members voted to hold the behind-closed-doors meeting. City Attorney R. Christopher Meyer, who runs the law department, said in an interview Friday that his office routinely receives FOIA training. This (May 2 meeting) is a kind of unique situation at budget time where were discussing how major litigation could potentially affect our budget, Meyer said. To disclose the cases were talking about ahead of time does a disservice to the taxpayer. It lets our opponents know we think their cases have value. But, Meyer added, To the extent we didnt comply with technical rules of Freedom of Information, its our intent to do our best to always comply with it. Lopez, meanwhile, thanked the FOIA office for being courageous enough to hold not just the council members accountable, but Bridgeports law department. But, Lopez said, she feared her victory would not make much difference. It doesnt matter to me if they go to a course, Lopez said. I dont think they (the council) have any interest to learn. All they do is want to listen to the city attorneys and to whatever the city attorneys say. Thats happened over and over. GREENWICH It looks like a flash drive until a student glances around, bends down and takes a hit from the innocuous stick containing vape liquid while on the bus, in the bathroom or in class. Most teenagers smoke these devices, called Juuls, for a nicotine buzz; some fill the pods with THC oil. Teenagers stow Juuls in their wallets and pockets. Girls stick them in their yoga pants and bras. They bedazzle them or etch into them like tree bark. Underage vaping, a problem nationwide, continues to surge in Greenwich schools. Kids now start as young as 10, and by senior year, roughly a third of Greenwich teens report vaping consistently. Vaping is absolutely an epidemic, Greenwich High Dean of Student Life Lorraine Termini said. The leadership at GHS is looking for new ways to fight vaping on school grounds after last years policy of suspending students after first offenses failed to change behavior. Former GHS Headmaster Chris Winters had initiated the policy of immediately suspending any student caught with a device. All the policy did, however, was pull teens from class, Termini said. Administrators have seen a decrease in vaping at GHS this year, Interim Headmaster Richard Piotrzkowksi said in an email. Still, the school has not successfully stopped students from vaping, Termini said. Maybe we stopped them from doing it here, but theyre addicted, she said. Any e-cigarette that is confiscated at GHS is immediately tested for THC oil, Termini said. As for disciplining students, she said her leadership team is still unsure what it will look like this year, but there will be levels of intervention. First, she calls in parents and sets up a meeting between each student and a counselor from Liberation Programs, a local nonprofit. Her team is still considering how to increase consequences and provide help for students who continue to vape. GHS has presentations for parents and sent out an educational video, and Termini emphasized working with parents. She advises parents to check credit cards for online purchases and search their chilrens rooms. Talk to your kid. Explain how bad it is, show them the articles, she said. Talk to us. Not to get the kids in trouble, but to get them help. Student vaping increases with age, according to recently released data the Prevention Council obtained from a survey conducted in February of Greenwichs middle and high school students in public and independent schools. Just under 2 percent of seventh-graders reported having used an e-cigarette in the 30 days preceding the survey, but that number grows to 4.6 percent by eighth grade. Vaping jumps when students enter high school: in the last 30 days, 13.2 percent of ninth-graders, 20 percent of sophomores, 24 percent of juniors and 36 percent of seniors reported smoking an e-cigarette. For many students, vaping is an alternative to smoking cigarettes. Less than 1 percent of seventh-graders reported smoking a cigarette in the last month, and by 12th grade, only 6.4 percent of seniors reported smoking, the same survey found. Many choose vaping because they think it is safer, but it is not, said nurse Diane DeMain, who runs an anti-smoking program at Greenwich Hospital and gives presentations in schools. Theyll say to me, a child or adult, Im only vaping, but one cartridge equals a pack of cigarettes, DeMain said. And if it has a nice flavor, theyre easily taking in that whole cartridge in a day. Last year, Greenwich High hosted a number of educational presentations on the dangers of vaping, but Termini said they do not seem to reach students. This year, the school has yet to do any outreach specific to vaping. One GHS senior said the programming is ineffective. We already know what were getting into, he said. Another senior vaped his freshman year but stopped. I quit because it wasnt doing anything for me, he said. I wasted a lot of money. Nicotine poisoning, which is more common among e-cigarette users, dissuaded another GHS senior from vaping, also known as Juuling. He said pretty much everyone Juuls, but he said he does not feel social pressure to join. Its common for students who do not own e-cigarettes to ask for a hit from one who does. Some people are pretty generous, he said. Getting one is easy, he said. Students order them online or have 18-year-old friends buy for them. They are also sold at gas stations, which dont always ask for identification, he said. In the past six months, however, community members have not complained to police about local businesses supplying vaping material to underage teens, said Lt. John Slusarz, the Greenwich Police Department spokesman. But the cloying smell of juice vapor motivated two Greenwich high students to help combat the epidemic with projects as part of their classwork in Andy Bramantes honors science research class. They use devices confiscated by security guards in their research. Sophomore Hannah Goldenberg demonstrated the presence of diacetyl a chemical that causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder and bronchiolitis obliterans a condition that damages the smallest airways in the lung and causes coughing and shortness of breath. The condition is nicknamed popcorn lung because diacetyl is used to flavor popcorn. She measured the diacetyl in vapor by making a pair of lungs with plastic containers and a 3-D printed set of bronchioles that smoked a Juul. Three hits contain 18 parts per million of diacetyl. In clinical studies, 100 parts per million of diacetyl was enough to cause those health problems, Goldenberg said. Its only a couple days before you run into serious problems, she said. Current research does not touch on the amount of diacetyl in vaping devices, said Goldenberg, who is making a film with another student to release her findings. Because many go to a bathroom in the GHS student center to vape, senior Jeremy Fertig is constructing a device that can be installed there to detect the chemicals in e-cigarettes and notify security via smartphone alerts. Determining the chemicals that the body absorbs and those that go back into the air, and how to make the device sensitive enough to detect them, are a challenge, Fertig said. Both students agreed that researching e-cigarettes has further dissuaded them from starting. The stuff in there is really gross, Fertig said. The more I look at it, the grosser it gets. jo.kroeker@hearstmediact.com WASHINGTON - A moderate Supreme Court justice retired, a critical swing vote who despite being appointed by a Republican president had regularly sided with the bench's liberal wing on social issues. The ideological tilt of the court hung in the balance, and a Republican president pushed hard with a conservative nominee that led to the most politically charged confirmation hearings in a generation, including intimate questions about the nominee's personal life. That battle ended 31 years ago this month with the defeat of Robert Bork's nomination. But the war over this particular slot goes on. All Supreme Court seats are not created equal, and that's what made Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation on Saturday to fill the seat of Anthony Kennedy, who retired, such an epic fight - the latest brawl over the most critical swing seat on the court for the past 50 years. President Donald Trump's nomination of Kavanaugh had all the echoes of President Ronald Reagan's nomination of Bork in July 1987 to replace the retiring Lewis Powell, whose 16 previous years as a justice had been marked by centrist votes that maintained abortion rights and affirmative action. Bork's defeat in October 1987 led to the eventual compromise selection of Kennedy, who went on to continue Powell's roll as a critical swing vote. He supported abortion rights and, in particular, authored landmark gay rights rulings that led to legalizing same-sex marriage. Powell himself had been something of a compromise after President Richard Nixon's original front-runners ran into opposition. So Bork's loss became a rallying cry among conservative ranks, who even coined the term "borked" to signify a nomination that blows up when one side believes the other does not play by the rules. So when Kennedy announced his retirement in the summer, Republicans were going to fight, and fight harder than ever, to win this seat. Conservatives were not going to lose again, like they did with Bork, or settle for a centrist, like they did with Kennedy and Powell for the past 47 years. By Friday, as the nomination was on a glide path to victory, one of today's combatants coined a new battle cry for conservatives. "When you say Kavanaugh'd, I don't know what you'll be saying in the future. But I think it will become a shorthand, at least on our side, for a double standard," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who gave a fiery defense of the nominee in last week's hearings, "and, at least on our side, for wanting to win too much." Graham meant that as an attack on Democrats, suggesting their desire to defeat Kavanaugh led them to embrace allegations against the judge of sexual misconduct in high school and college that Graham considers unfounded. Democrats, if they choose to embrace the term "Kavanaugh'd," will agree that it means wanting to win - and they will point the finger straight at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. To them, McConnell orchestrated the defense of Kavanaugh when he was accused of sexual assault as a 17-year-old in 1982, dictating tactics that prioritized speed over a full investigation into that accusation and another while the nominee was a freshman at Yale University. "The manic rush to place Judge Kavanaugh on the bench was more important to the Senate than these women," Sen. Patrick Leah, D-Vt., the longest-serving senator, said in a floor speech. Leahy made clear in an interview afterward that he blames the GOP leader for the recent clashes over judicial nominations. As contentious as Bork's confirmation was, six Republicans voted against him, and two Democrats supported him - a far cry from Saturday's vote in which just two senators, Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va., crossed the aisle. Leahy, a former Judiciary Committee chairman, remains bitter at McConnell for declaring, within hours of Justice Antonin Scalia's death in February 2016, that he would not allow any Supreme Court nominee of President Barack Obama's to receive a hearing because it was Obama's last year in office. He noted that Kennedy was unanimously confirmed in 1988, Reagan's final year in office. "Of course Senator McConnell has said you never have a vote on a justice in a presidential election year," Leahy said. Conservatives saw the Kavanaugh confirmation as part of long, slow decline that began with Democrats fighting Bork, followed by similar allegations of sexual misconduct during the 1991 confirmation of Justice Clarence Thomas. "It's really just been a continuation and sometimes an escalation of what we saw in 1987," Leonard Leo, a White House adviser on Supreme Court nominations, said after leaving the Senate's public gallery after the vote on Saturday. Leo, who will return later this month to his role overseeing the Federalist Society, said he believes that every one of the nine seats is "equally important" but that he realized the Powell-Kennedy-Kavanaugh slot is a "historic seat" for its pivot point on the ideological tilt of the court. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, the Judiciary Committee chairman, acknowledged this weekend that his panel has become so divisive that it is hard to recruit senators to serve on it, forcing McConnell to beg several Republicans to join so the chairman can have a full slate. Grassley contends that, after Bork and Thomas, the succeeding decade of judicial confirmations changed. But then, he said, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., as a junior member in 2001, led a strategy that enabled Democrats to block President George W. Bush's nominees based on legal ideology rather than qualifications for the posts. Soon after that strategy took hold, Democrats blocked conservative lawyer Miguel Estrada from an appellate court seat because they said he did not answer their questions about his ideology. "That's poisoned the well for the last 18 years," Grassley said. Other senators have grown increasingly dark about the outlook for these confirmation fights in the future, noting that this latest process was so brutally personal. "I hope and I pray that we don't find ourselves in this situation again," Murkowski said during her speech explaining her opposition to Kavanaugh's nomination. "But I'm worried. I am really worried that this becomes the new normal, where we find new and even more creative ways to tear one another down." Comparing the Bork and Kavanaugh fights, Leo said that the biggest difference might have been the 24-7 cycle of news moving across multiple cable outlets and social media networks that didn't exist 30 years ago. As bad as Bork seemed, Leo said, it might have been worse. "It's hard to know what 1987 would have looked like if we had the technology that we have today." 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. Since then, ECH shares have increased by 8.6% and is now trading at $27.20. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. Targa Resources Corp. provides midstream natural gas and natural gas liquids services. It also provides gathering, storing, and terminaling crude oil and storing, terminaling, and selling refined petroleum products. It operates through the following business segments: Gathering and Processing, and Logistics and Transportation. The Gathering and Processing segment includes assets used in the gathering of natural gas produced from oil and gas wells and processing this raw natural gas into merchantable natural gas by extracting NGLs and removing impurities; and assets used for crude oil gathering and terminaling. The Logistics and Transportation segment includes all the activities necessary to convert mixed NGLs into NGL products and provides certain value added services such as storing, fractionating, terminaling, transporting and marketing of NGLs and NGL products, including services to LPG exporters; storing and terminaling of refined petroleum products and crude oil and certain natural gas supply and marketing activities in support of its other businesses. The company was founded on October 27, 2005 and is headquartered in Houston, TX. Read More There is not enough analysis data for Bahamas Petroleum. 4.0 Community Rank Outperform Votes Bahamas Petroleum has received 157 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Bahamas Petroleum has received 103 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Bahamas Petroleum has received 60.38% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Bahamas Petroleum and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe BPC will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe BPC will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next Kinder Morgan, Inc. operates as an energy infrastructure company. The firm engages in the operation of pipelines and terminals that transport natural gas, gasoline, crude oil, carbon dioxide (CO2) and other products and stores petroleum products chemicals and handles bulk materials like ethanol, coal, petroleum coke and steel. It operates through the following segments: Natural Gas Pipelines, CO2, Terminals, Product Pipelines and Kinder Morgan Canada. The Natural Gas Pipelines segment engages in the ownership and operation of major interstate and intrastate natural gas pipeline and storage systems, natural gas and crude oil gathering systems and natural gas processing and treating facilities. The CO2 segment focuses on the production, transportation and marketing of CO2 to oil fields that use CO2 as a flooding medium for recovering crude oil from mature oil fields to increase production. The Terminals segment consists of the ownership and operation of liquids and bulk terminal facilities located throughout the U.S. and portions of Canada that trans load and store refined petroleum products, crude oil, chemicals, ethanol and bulk products, including coal, petroleum coke, fertilizer, Read More iShares Latin America 40 ETF's stock was trading at $22.49 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, ILF stock has increased by 14.2% and is now trading at $25.68. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. Legal & General Group Plc provides various insurance products and services in the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. It operates in four segments: Legal & General Retirement (LGR), Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), Legal & General Capital (LGC), and Legal & General Insurance (LGI). The LGR segment offers annuity contracts with guaranteed income for a specified time; longevity insurance products for company pension schemes; lifetime mortgages; lifetime care plans; and retirement interest only mortgages. The LGIM segment provides index fund management; active fixed income funds and liquidity funds; active equity management; solution and liability driven investment; multi-asset funds; corporate pension scheme solutions; and real estate funds. The LGC segment offers investment strategy and implementation, and direct investment and structuring services. The LGI segment provides protection products, such as health, disability, critical illness, and accident; individual term assurance; reinsurance; savings and death benefits; and annuities. The company is also involved in the unit trust and institutional fund management, mortgage finance, treasury, building project and modular housing development, general insurance, and open-ended investment businesses, as well as manufacture of sheds. It also engages in the real estate investment, operation, management, and trading, fund general partner, fund trustee, commercial lending, venture capital investing, contractual scheme, management, pension tracing and transfer, investor alternative investment fund, collective asset-management, and investment management activities; and provision of investment advisory, business information consultancy, and technology services. The company was founded in 1836 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Read More There is not enough analysis data for Mongolia Growth Group. 4.5 Community Rank Outperform Votes Mongolia Growth Group has received 35 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Mongolia Growth Group has received 16 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Mongolia Growth Group has received 68.63% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Mongolia Growth Group and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe YAK will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe YAK will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next The long-term cold storage and guaranteed public procurement of lamb will be essential in no deal Brexit, according to sheep farmers. In response to the Governments recent plethora of technical notices, the National Sheep Association (NSA) has expressed its concern at the "serious damage" a no deal scenario would cause the sheep sector, due to the volumes of lamb currently exported to the EU. The organisation has now set out what steps need to be taken to enable the country to react to and survive such a period of volatility. Phil Stocker, NSA Chief Executive said: It would be highly damaging to the UK sheep sector if we ease the flow of imports, something the Government has suggested it would do to keep our manufacturing going, at the same time as the EU delays the approval of products destined for its side of the Channel. If we lose access for UK sheepmeat, even for a few months, and still allow imported lamb to come in, then our markets will quickly become flooded and prices will plummet, with farmers feeling the brunt of it. NSA believes the only option in that scenario would be to close the doors to sheepmeat imports and focus on getting UK production into the domestic market. Mr Stocker added: It would give us challenges with seasonality, as lamb production fluctuates at different points in the year but using public procurement markets such as our armed forces, schools and hospitals, and investing in long-term cold storage would allow us to make the most of what would otherwise be a catastrophe. Third country NSA said getting the UK listed as a third country able to trade with the EU will be a "matter of urgency" in a no deal scenario. But even then, sheepmeat exports into Europe will be affected by WTO terms and tariffs. Expecting wider world markets to absorb what currently goes to the EU in the short to medium term is "unrealistic", according to the sheep group. NSA highlighted that the UK Government must offset tariff costs in order to allow trade to continue to function. Mr Stocker said: The Government says it would not pay the 40 billion divorce bill if no deal is reached and it is not unreasonable to expect that money to be reinvested to enable industries to continue to operate. Food producing industries hardest hit by the failure to secure a deal should be prioritised, as output cannot be turned on and off like a tap. Ewes are already pregnant with the lambs we may not be able to sell next year; it is too late to stop that product needing a marketplace. He added: An immediate investment in building our domestic markets can be viewed as a very positive move and then, as trade allows, we can review rebuilding our exports and trading with other global partners. The UK is better placed to grow grass and raise sheep than most other nations around the globe and it would be a travesty if this traditional, yet sustainable and renewable industry was allowed to fall apart because of ill thought-through disruptions in trade. Slurry legislation changed in Scotland to cut emissions Changes to way that slurry & digestate is stored The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike. We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve. If you are currently a print subscriber but don't have an online account, select this option. You will need to use your 7 digit subscriber account number (with leading zeros) and your last name (in UPPERCASE). Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category RHODES, Greece, October 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Joschka Fischer, German Foreign Minister until 2005, underlined the necessity of the United States of America remaining part of the multilateral world. Speaking at the 2018 Rhodes Forum, Fischer expressed the opinion that the American body politic beyond the president and the immediate White House team still shared a sense of international responsibility and still shared Western values. "The Trumps will come and go", Fischer said, reminding the audience that "we had the same experience in other cases". The ex-Foreign Minister left no doubt, however, that the Donald Trump presidency is putting a heavy strain on the established world order. Confronted with the first isolationist US president since the pre-World War Two era, the world is experiencing the vacuum that a retreating United States is leaving behind. Fischer hinted that he doesn't see China or Russia as ready to fill the gap. Thus, he flatly denied the claim by Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Mikhail Bogdanov, that Russian military intervention in Syria in support of the legitimate government was a contribution to multilateralism. In Fischer's opinion, multilateral policies require common values, so multilateralism should not be mixed with "just any foreign policy". He sees the key problem in the overdue adaptation of existing multilateral structures to the changes the world has undergone. At the time of his birth 70 years ago, the UN had some 50 members - today, around 200 countries make up the General Assembly. And yet, the basic procedures remain the same. Alongside Ibrahima Kassory Fofana, the Prime Minster of Guinea, Fischer discussed the complicated process of restructuring the UN's Security Council. Securing representation for the African continent had already been a hot issue during his tenure. In a way, what Fischer suggested was a joint strategy by European and African countries. When determining who should sit, on their behalf, on the Security Council, both continents shared the same problem - not being able to agree on one single country. The only way out, to Fischer's mind, would have to be based on a new and progressive understanding of continental unity and opinion-making. Jean-Christophe Bas, the DOC's new CEO reviewed the Forum's opening by saying: "The message from all participants in this session was clear: any attempt to shut down multilateralism - from any source - will clearly benefit nobody; a limit on multilateralism will harm a world economy recovering from financial crisis and will harm us as human beings. There is an urgent need to reinvent a multilateral system that works for all, and this requires all parties to sit around the table together in a spirit of collaboration." The Rhodes Forum, organised by the Berlin-based Dialogue of Civilizations Research Institute (DOC), is a traditional autumn get-together for politicians and experts from the globalised world. The motto of this year's 16th Forum is 'Making multilateralism work'. The conference, with leaders from every continent of the world, is seeking ways to ensure the survival of multilateral policymaking in an increasingly self-centred, or at best bilateral, environment. Media Contact: Agnieszka Rzepka Press Officer Dialogue of Civilizations Research Institute Franzosische Str. 23 10117 Berlin http://www.doc-research.org BERLIN, October 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The world is in the throes of a cocktail revolution. Nearly a quarter of all Americans drink cocktails when out with friends[1], as do almost a fifth of UK consumers[2]. In the past eight years, London Cocktail Week - the biggest drinks festival in the world - has more than quadrupled in size to over 230 bars and 30,000 cocktail lovers[3]. This year, bartenders from more than 56 countries journeyed to Berlin for the tenth anniversary of WORLD CLASS - one of the biggest bartending competitions worldwide. The result of this cocktail renaissance is a new emphasis on quality over quantity. (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/755056/WORLD_CLASS.jpg ) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/755057/WORLD_CLASS.jpg ) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/755059/WORLD_CLASS.jpg ) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/755060/WORLD_CLASS.jpg ) This weekend, as the bartending elite battled it out in Berlin for the title of WORLD CLASS Bartender of the Year, a panel of the world's leading flavour experts, hosted by Diageo Global Cocktailian, Lauren Mote, included bartending legend Jeffrey Morgenthaler, king of the Instagrammable cocktail Elliott Clark (a.k.a. Apartment Bartender), Claire Smith Warner, Head of New Brands at Seedlip (the world's first non-alcoholic distilled spirit) and World Class Bartender of the Year 2012, Tim Phillips-Johansson, discussed what the future of drinks will look like in 2019. 1. Low and No-ABV Cocktails It may seem odd for cocktail enthusiasts to wax lyrical about the perks of low and no-alcohol drinks, but 2019 is set to see plenty of new low and no-ABV cocktails. Non-alcoholic spirit Seedlip has gone from strength to strength since its launch in 2016. No-alcohol options are particularly popular among younger consumers, with 46% of under-35s likely to order a mocktail, versus just 16% of over-35s[4]. This is all about a desire for choice; to have drinks for any occasion without compromising on flavour. Brands, blenders and bartenders have always insisted that flavour is key, and low-proof options allow consumers to savour taste while managing their alcohol intake. In 2019, WORLD CLASS expects to see this pick up steam, as the global trend towards well-being continues to flourish. Claire Smith Warner added: "There's a growing awareness of cocktails as experiences that are as intricate and thoughtful as meals, and more people want to take part. It's not about replacing alcoholic cocktails altogether; it's about bartenders experimenting and adding more low-ABV options to their repertoire." 2. MyCocktail Cocktail culture has skyrocketed, and today any mixologist can whip up an array of complicated cocktails at the drop of a hat. WORLD CLASS offers a few ideas on how to make a drink to stand out. Many turn to social media, and a new generation of 'drinkstagrammers' have emerged, bringing a fresh vibrancy to cocktail making and reaching an audience that might never have got involved before. Elliott Clark (@apartment_bartender), said: "For people like me with no formal bartending experience, social media opens up this incredible industry and provides a creative outlet to engage and interact with the wider drinks community. But more than that, it challenges seasoned bartenders to think outside the bar and push themselves creatively." In 2019, how the drinks look will be just as important as how they taste. Social media recognition plays a major role in the drinking habits of younger consumers[5], and in response, brands and bartenders will continue to experiment to take their cocktails, and their social reach, to a whole new level. 3. Sustaining the Momentum The drinks industry is in the grips of an anti-waste movement, and consumers are increasingly concerned with social responsibility. 73% of millennials express a willingness to spend more products from sustainable brands[6]. Top bars will go above and beyond to reduce waste, scrapping the perishables and turning leftovers into innovative eco-friendly cocktails. Tim Philips-Johansson said: "It might seem odd since we sell alcohol for a living, but bartenders want the best for our customers and the environment. We want our world to be healthier, and that means making conscious decisions to positively influence the direction the world is moving." Global Head of World Class, Emily Wheldon, added: "Whether it's a Johnnie Walker highball or a Zacapa Old Fashioned, drinks that look and taste great and contribute in some way to making the world a better place are going to take centre stage. "Drinks can be low-alcohol or zero-waste, but if they don't taste superb, people won't buy them. That's why all our Reserve brands, like Tanqueray No. TEN, Bulleit and Talisker, work closely with bartenders to create spirits with their needs in mind. We're really excited about working with the best talent in the business as these trends take shape." Visit makeitworldclass.com or the WORLD CLASS Instagram for delicious recipes, how-to videos and to get the low-down on all the latest trends. 1. Nielsen CGA 2. CGA Mixed Drinks Report 2018 3. London Cocktail Week, https://drinkup.london/ 4. Imbibe, http://imbibe.com/news-articles/spirits-cocktails/cocktails/new-survey-gen-z-pay-more-instagrammable-cocktails/ 5. Imbibe, http://imbibe.com/news-articles/spirits-cocktails/cocktails/new-survey-gen-z-pay-more-instagrammable-cocktails/ 6. Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahlandrum/2017/03/17/millennials-driving-brands-to-practice-socially-responsible-marketing/#6ef0db6a4990 "Execution by Nitrogen Hypoxia: The Search for Scientific Consensus" | Main | "Robot Criminals" October 7, 2018 You be the Illinois judge: what sentence for Jason Van Dyke after second-degree murder conviction in slaying of Laquan McDonald? Though somewhat eclipsed by Supreme Court confirmation controversies, a high-profile criminal case culminated with a murder conviction on Friday when a jury found Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke guilty Friday of second-degree murder in the 2014 shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. This CNN article about the verdict details that Van Dyke was also "found guilty of 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm [but] found not guilty of official misconduct." And this AP piece, headlined "With conviction, Van Dyke likely avoided decades behind bars," highlights some of the sentencing realities that attend this verdict: Jurors convicted Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke for murder and aggravated battery in the slaying Laquan McDonald, the black teenager who was shot 16 times as he walked away carrying a knife on Oct. 20, 2014. But a legal expert explained that the 40-year-old Van Dyke is likely looking at less than 10 years in prison for killing the teen rather than many decades because jurors opted to convict him of second- and not first-degree murder. After less than two full days deliberating on three weeks of testimony, jurors returned Friday with 17 guilty verdicts and one acquittal. By far the most serious charge Van Dyke faced originally was first-degree murder. But Judge Vincent Gaughan told jurors before they started deliberations that they had the option of replacing first-degree murder with second-degree murder. First-degree required a finding that Van Dyke's use of deadly force wasn't justified that it was both unnecessary and unreasonable. But Gaughan said jurors could find that Van Dyke truly believed his life was in jeopardy but that that belief wasn't reasonable. That's the criteria for second-degree murder. The jury also found Van Dyke guilty of all 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm. Each count corresponded to every bullet Van Dyke shot into McDonald. They acquitted him on the least serious charge, official misconduct.... First-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. And with enhancements for having used a gun, Van Dyke would have faced a mandatory minimum of 45 years, according to Chicago defense attorney Steve Greenberg, who has defended clients at more than 100 murder trials. Such a sentence, at Van Dyke's age, could have amounted to life. The punishment for second-degree murder is no less than four years but no more than 20 years behind bars. Jurors weren't told anything about the range of punishments for each charge. The judge did tell them that whether one charge might carry a greater or lesser sentence shouldn't factor at all into their decisions. Each count of aggravated battery carries a mandatory minimum six years and a maximum of 30 years in prison. If Van Dyke had to serve six for each of the 16 counts and do so one sentence after another - that would add up to 96 years. But Greenberg said judges almost always order defendants to serve such sentences simultaneously. So, if Van Dyke gets the minimum for each count, he'd serve six years for all the battery convictions. Another possibility is that the defense will ask, under complicated legal rules, for the judge to merge the crimes for which Van Dyke is convicted for sentencing purposes since they were all tied to a single event, Greenberg said. That could mean Van Dyke is effectively sentenced only for second-degree murder, with its lower four-year mandatory minimum. For a man convicted with no previous criminal record, Greenberg said the mandatory minimum is his best guess for a sentence handed down on Van Dyke. "I would be shocked if he got a day over the four or six years," Greenberg said. Greenberg said prison conditions for an officer, like Van Dyke, could be rougher than for average convicts. As a white officer convicted of killing a young African-American, prison authorities are likely to conclude he has to be kept away from other prisoners for his own safety. "He will probably be in a cell by himself," Greenberg said. "It will be very hard time." That may have already started. At prosecutors' request, Van Dyke's bond was revoked minutes after the verdicts were announced and Judge Gaughan ordered he be held in jail pending sentencing. He stood up from the defense table, then put his arms behind his back as two deputies led him away. I am not an expert on Illinois sentencing law, but presuming this article has the law corrected, I am struck that the mandatory minimum prison term for second-degree murder in the state is 50% less than mandatory minimum for aggravated battery with a firearm. It is also notable and telling that if the sentencing judge here were permitted and inclined to run the various sentences consecutively rather than concurrently, the defendant here would be facing 100 years in prison as the applicable mandatory minimum. But if the crimes are found to be "merged" under Illinois law, four years could become the minimum and 20 years the max. October 7, 2018 at 12:55 PM | Permalink Comments Whether Officer Van Dyke's sentence is 4, 6, or 20 years, his life will never be the same. He will emerge from prison a far different man than he is now, and will face a lifetime of limited employment and other opportunities as a felon. If he is married now, there is an 85% chance that his wife will divorce him. Even if his marriage survives his prison sentence, there is a 7.5% chance that it will end in divorce within a year of his release from prison. His parents may die while he is serving his sentence, but he probably would not be granted a furlough pass to attend their funerals. He will likely wither on the vine of life. Posted by: Jim Gormley | Oct 7, 2018 6:23:19 PM Chicago sentences can be pretty light. Ten years should be enough, when looked at from the standpoint of Chicago's lenient sentencing. Posted by: federalist | Oct 7, 2018 6:56:24 PM But if you are an addict and run up a few charges, then your a career offender under federal guidelines. Makes good sense right. This guy shot another running away 16 times and his range is 4-20. Joke. Posted by: MidWestGuy | Oct 7, 2018 7:57:34 PM I am confused a bit, federalist, as to your normative principles here. Are you suggesting a defendant should get a sentence lower than you otherwise think he would deserve because other defendants in the region get lower sentences? I know capital defense lawyers make that kind argument all the time --- stressing worse local killers who got sweet deals or only life sentences --- to try to get out of a death sentence for a murderer. Your comment here makes me think you see merit in this kind of "situational sentencing" argument for a reduced sentence, but I am not sure. Posted by: Doug B | Oct 7, 2018 8:22:37 PM In my state, former Officer Van Dyke's offenses would be called voluntary manslaughter, assault 2nd, and armed criminal action. He would be looking at -- respectively -- 5 to 15, 3 to 10, and a mandatory minimum of 3. As a first time offender, but someone who abused a position of trust, I could see a sentence in the 7-10 range. Posted by: tmm | Oct 8, 2018 10:18:14 AM I was being sarcastic. I am not sure what I think. Posted by: federalist | Oct 8, 2018 6:45:29 PM Having seen the video, the thing that bothers me the most is that Van Dyke continued shooting. McDonald fell to the ground from the first shot. After he fell, I don't see how a knife wielding person can remotely be considered a threat. Yet Van Dyke shot McDonald a total of 16 times over 14 seconds after he fell! That's unnecessary and frankly ridiculous. And because of it, I would not show Van Dyke any kind of mercy. I think he should get an effective life sentence. Posted by: William Jockusch | Oct 9, 2018 4:33:34 AM The mandatory minimum is at least 12 years and probably much higher. In Illinois, any class x offense that causes severe bodily injury must be served consecutively. So each aggravated battery with a firearm that resulted in such injury will have to be consecutive to each other and to one other agg batt that did not result in SBI. Posted by: Applaw | Oct 9, 2018 4:39:30 PM Time Served. all McDonald had to do was comply with the lawful orders of the police. Posted by: Rich | Mar 29, 2019 10:07:09 PM Post a comment By Marc Jones LONDON (Reuters) - Several member states have called for the head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to be investigated over claims the lender inappropriately gathered personal information on some of its directors, according to a document seen by Reuters. The May 29 complaint against EBRD President Suma Chakrabarti was made by several board members, who represent some of the bank's 67 member governments, to its chief compliance officer at the end of May, four sources told Reuters. By Marc Jones LONDON (Reuters) - Several member states have called for the head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to be investigated over claims the lender inappropriately gathered personal information on some of its directors, according to a document seen by Reuters. The May 29 complaint against EBRD President Suma Chakrabarti was made by several board members, who represent some of the bank's 67 member governments, to its chief compliance officer at the end of May, four sources told Reuters. All four were directors at the EBRD at the time. "The President and ExCom (executive committee) members would seem to have put a repeated practice in place which involves collecting sensitive and personal information on Board Members," the complaint, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, said. "We hereby request that you, as Chief Compliance Officer, initiate a procedure regarding alleged misconduct and alleged inappropriate behaviour by the President of EBRD," the letter said. It was anonymously signed "a number of concerned board members and shareholders". The four sources said an external investigation had since been opened. The letter of complaint said that on May 3-4 a number of board members anonymously received documents containing copies of email exchanges between the president and executive committee, as well as excerpts from other official bank reports, which contained personal information on board members compiled without their consent. The letter said the language used in some of the documents appeared as "rude, unethical and derogatory". One of the sources said that seven government representatives had jointly filed the complaint. Chakrabarti declined to answer questions on the matter when approached by Reuters. The EBRD's Managing Director for Communications, Jonathan Charles, declined to confirm or deny the existence of the leaked documents or whether there was an inquiry. "We would never comment on any alleged leaks of documents or alleged inquiries," Charles said. "That should not be taken as either confirmation or denial of whether any documents or inquiries exist." Charles posted a tweet after the Reuters story was published, describing the piece as "inaccurate". He declined to detail the inaccuracies to Reuters, reiterating that the bank will "never comment on alleged leaks". The British government, which put Chakrabarti forward for the EBRD president role in 2012, also declined to comment. Reuters has not seen or been able to independently review the leaked documents or establish the reasons why they were produced. The letter of complaint said that based on the contents of the leaked documents, "there is reason to believe" that "sensitive medical information" on one government-appointed director had been relayed to the executive committee, the EBRDs top management body, without consent. It also said that, based on the documents, there was reason to believe that members of the executive committee had "collectively and knowingly" misled another director to slow down a strategic decision and "planned and taken measures" to influence the composition of influential committees at the bank. The letter was written on EBRD headed paper and referred in depth to technical details of the bank's code of conduct. SENSITIVE DOCUMENTS In another letter seen by Reuters, Chakrabarti wrote to EBRD board directors on May 4, days after the documents were said to have been leaked. He said that he had been "made aware that some of you have been sent, anonymously, sensitive official bank documents." In the letter, he said the matter would be looked into by the bank's chief compliance officer but questioned whether it was a deliberate attempt to stoke divisions within the EBRD. "It seems to me that both the act and its timing are designed to try to both divide Board colleagues and to create a rift between Board and management," the letter said. "We must not let either of those things occur." The letter did not specifically refer to any dossier containing personal information. The EBRD declined to comment on the May 4 letter. Two of the sources said the EBRDs chief compliance officer had referred the complaint from the group of board members to the head of the bank's audit committee, who then convened a broader committee to assess it. The two sources said that committee decided to bring in an external investigator. One of the sources said the external investigation was being carried out by Swiss law firm Lenz & Staehelin. Two spokeswomen for Lenz & Staehelin did not respond to e-mailed and phone requests for comment. The EBRD's secretary general and the head of its audit committee also did not respond to requests for comment. The EBRD was founded in 1991 by the international community to help the communist Eastern Bloc transform to capitalism after the Cold War. The bank has seen rapid expansion in recent years into the Middle East and North Africa. It is owned by 67 governments, invests around 10 billion euros ($11.5 billion) a year in almost 40 countries, but has faced a run of turbulence in recent years. In 2014 it stopped lending in Russia, once its biggest market, after Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea, while Britain's vote to leave the EU in 2016 has stirred debate about its location in London and the fact that a Briton runs it. ($1 = 0.8687 euros) (Editing by Catherine Evans and Nick Tattersall) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. An official of South 24 Parganas' Sonarpur Police Station said that the factory owner had been held and was being questioned. Kolkata: One person died and 12 were injured when a fire broke out at a fireworks factory on Sunday in South 24 Parganas district's Sonarpur area, police said. "The owner of the factory, who was also injured in the fire, has been detained," Sonarpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Paresh Roy said. "Debasish Sardar (19), a worker of the factory, succumbed to his injuries late at night at the state-run Chittaranjan Hospital in Kolkata," a senior hospital official told PTI. He said that five injured persons were brought to the hospital on Sunday evening. While two of them were released after preliminary medical assistance, one among the three others died. After the fire broke out, the injured were taken to Baruipur hospital. The condition of five worsened and they were referred to Chittaranjan Hospital in the city. "The incident occurred at Sonarpur's Gobindopur area. Three fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames which broke out at the factory at around 12.40 pm," a fire department official said. "This was a small factory with only a tin shed. There were some finished and unfinished firecrackers at the site," the official said. "The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained," a police officer said adding that there were a few explosions in the factory which damaged a few nearby houses. The fire was doused at around 3.40 pm. "The owner is undergoing treatment in the hospital and we are waiting for his release to question him," the police officer said. "Other materials and commodities used to manufacture firecrackers were seized from the factory," the officer added. The Election Commission (EC) had on Saturday announced the election schedule for five states, including Telangana. Hyderabad: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has predicted a hung Assembly in the coming Telangana polls with no single party getting a majority, while promising a "Delhi model" government as its poll plank in the southern state. AAP in-charge of the southern states and Delhi MLA Somnath Bharti claimed that an "unspoken anti-incumbency" prevailed against the K Chandrasekhar Rao government in poll-bound Telangana. "This time, Telangana is going to give you surprising results. It will not be along the expected lines...we believe this. Given the scenario in Telangana, where the BJP has fielded candidates separately and against KCR, and there is an alliance between the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) and the Congress, the state is possibly going to throw up a hung Assembly," Bharti told PTI. "That is what we foresee. It is going to be a mysterious and interesting election," he said. Bharti claimed that there was huge anti-incumbency against KCR. "People may not be speaking, but the ballot box will speak. We are waiting for the people to think about the new polity in Telangana," he said. Bharti had earlier said the AAP would contest all the 119 seats in Telangana. The Election Commission (EC) had on Saturday announced the election schedule for five states, including Telangana, which will go to the polls on 7 December. Counting of votes for all these states will be taken up on 11 December. The Telangana Assembly was dissolved on 6 September. The polls were originally scheduled to be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha election next year. However, the Assembly was dissolved prematurely last month, which necessitated the polls ahead of the schedule. Bharti claimed that they had a proven model of governance in Delhi, where the education standards in government schools had surpassed that of the private schools and there was a world-class healthcare system. "(Former UN secretary general) Kofi Annan appreciated our model and experiments. If Delhi can get it (better facilities), why not Telangana? That is going to be our plank," he said. AAP Telangana observer Priyanka Kakkar said screening of candidates for the polls was on and the party expected to announce the first set of candidates by 15 October. According to Kakkar, who recently toured certain parts of the state, the screening process included filling up application forms, followed by an interview. "Whoever wants to contest from our party will have to get the signatures of at least 1,000 voters in that particular constituency. We have adopted this exercise for Telangana, because we see loyalty as a big question in political parties. The AAP had garnered 0.18 percent votes in the last Telangana Assembly election in 2014, the party's state convenor, Ramu Goud, said. The forecast comes after the Kerala Meteorological Department withdrew the red alert issued on Saturday for Idukki and Malappuram districts of the state. Heavy rains are likely to continue in isolated places across Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Lakshadweep, as well as at isolated places over Andaman and Nicobar Islands, coastal and south interior Karnataka on Sunday, reports said, as the low pressure weather system in Arabian Sea is likely to become a deep depression and cyclonic storm as it moves northwestwards towards the Oman Coast. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan tweeted on Saturday night that the IMD has issued the first bulletin warning cyclonic storm. IMD has issued the first cyclone bulletin. Following this, the Additional Chief Secretary DMD has opened his special coordination cell with officials from both KSDMA and NDRF. This cell will function overnight in the Govt Secretariat. CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) October 6, 2018 The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has also predicted that a thunderstorm with lightning and gusty winds will occur in isolated places over Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and south interior Karnataka. Winds speed reaching 40-50 kilometres per hour gusting to 60 kilometres per hour have been predicted over Lakshadweep area and Southeast Arabian Sea, and wind speed 60-70 kilometres per hour gusting to 80 kilometres per hour central Arabian sea. Rough to very rough sea conditions have been predicted over Lakshadweep area and the central Arabian Sea area. The IMD forecast said that fishermen are advised not to venture into these areas. The Indian Coast Guard has also taken steps to ensure fishermen have not sailed into the impending storm. They coordinated with rescue centre along the Oman coast to assist missing or stranded fishermen in the region: Rough to Very Rough sea prevails over South East Arabian Sea while system moves in NWly direction @IndiaCoastGuard coordinates with Rescue coordination centre of #Muscat #Oman #Sanaa & #Yemen to assist Indian Fishing Boats & Dhows in their respective #SAR Regions @DefenceMinIndia pic.twitter.com/ntloXQ2zJH Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) October 7, 2018 @IndiaCoastGuard Five #CoastGuard Ships & Aircraft have been deployed to advise fishermen at sea to return harbour. Advisory in local languages being relayed to #Kerala & #TamilNadu registered boats operating off #Lakshdweep & adjoining areas. @DefenceMinIndia @SpokespersonMoD pic.twitter.com/Tg0RXE01ZX Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) October 6, 2018 However, the Kerala Meteorological Department withdrew the red alert issued on Saturday for Idukki and Malappuram districts of the state, ANI reported. Vijayan said that the red alert has been changed to orange, however, "heavy rainfall is forecasted for Wayanad, Malappuram, Palakkad, Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts". The IMD had put Kerala and Tamil Nadu on high alert earlier this week, predicting heavy rains over the weekend due to the deepening of a low-pressure area over the southeast Arabian Sea. According to the IMD bulletin released on 6 October, the low pressure would likely become more marked, and concentrate into a depression. They predicted that the depression would likely intensify into a cyclonic storm and move towards Oman's coast thereafter. Following the warning, one shutter of the Cheruthoni dam in Idukki was opened on 6 October, and 50 cumecs of water released from the reservoir, ANI reported. The district administration authorities on Friday had warned the people residing near the dam to take necessary precautions, The New Indian Express had reported. A high-level meeting was called by Idukki District Collector K Jeevan Babu to decide when the shutters would be opened. A two-judge Delhi High Court bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Chander Shekhar ordered that water in the Kushak drain be treated and directed the Public Works Department (PWD) of the Delhi government to install a proper filtration system in the ''nullah'' before handing it over to the local municipal corporation. New Delhi: Terming as "unacceptable" and "deplorable" the condition of the Kushak drain near South Extension-II in New Delhi, the Delhi High Court has directed the AAP government to clean it up to ensure it does not become a mosquito breeding ground. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Chander Shekhar ordered that water in the drain be treated and directed the Public Works Department (PWD) of the Delhi government to install a proper filtration system in the ''nullah'' before handing it over to the local municipal corporation. "The pictures depict a deplorable state of affairs in the drain with garbage floating on it. This is absolutely unacceptable and action be taken by the Delhi government to ensure the entire area is cleaned of garbage. "Effective steps be taken to ensure there is no stagnant water in the nullah (drain) and that it does become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Water in the nullah be treated before it flows through the outlet into the river (Yamuna)," the court said. It also said that the PWD cannot refuse to clean the drain under the Barapullah flyover here just because it has to hand it over to the corporation in December this year. "Instead of blaming others or leaving it to others, do what you had promised (the court). Get it cleaned up," the bench said. The PWD has on several occasions in the past few years assured the court that it will clean the drain of all garbage and construction debris after the construction of the Barapullah flyover is completed. However, the deadline for completion of work kept getting extended even as residents of the areas, especially South Extension-II, near the nullah complained of waterlogging in their colonies during monsoon due to garbage and debris in the drain. The latest directions of the court came during the hearing of a PIL initiated by it in 2012 regarding water-logging and flooding in South Extension-II. The forest department's failure to pin down the exact cause of the lions' deaths in Gir National Park is the only certain outcome of the hectic maneuverings of the last few days. So far, nobody in the forest or government is even talking about a contingency plan in case things turn worse Sasan Gir: So what exactly killed the 23 lions of Gir National Park in Gujarat? A hapless forest department, now reduced to clutching straws in the wind, doesnt have any concrete answer. Till Saturday, Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) was held as culprit no. 1, but it only accounted for four out of the 23 deaths. What about the rest? Now its being claimed by the department that 10 lions died of tick borne babesiosis. The babesiosis-infection claim only makes the official position more untenable. Officials and lion experts the reporters interacted with are surprised over the failure to pinpoint the exact cause behind the deaths. To add further to the confusion, another theory behind the 23 deaths has started making the rounds, one which the forest officials neither confirm nor deny. This, if proved, could well account for all the 23 deaths. According to this theory, which interestingly the Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife Circle, Junagarh), DT Vasavada, does not rule out, a dead buffalo carrying the deadly babesiosis protozoa could have transmitted the disease to a pride of lions after they consumed the carcass. A section of forest staff of Gir is already talking in a hushed tone about a dead and partly eaten buffalo found in the Dalkhaniya range of the national park about a month ago. All the fatalities have occurred in this range; and equally significant is the fact that the lions started dying or falling sick with days of the carcass discovery. When asked about this, Vasavada said he was "aware" of this talk about the dead buffalo eaten by the lions of Dalkhaniya range. Pressed further, he said, "At the moment, I will say neither yes nor no to this hypothesis. People are talking all kind of things. But yes, we are studying this aspect too." It does seem likely that a huge smoke-screen is being created around the death of lions, so that no single conclusion could be drawn about. The old and often-tried 'if you cant convince them, confuse them' dictum could well be at play here. Consider this: the post-mortem of lions and other related tests are being conducted by five different institutes: Veterinary College (Junagarh), National Institute of Virology (Pune), Forensic Science Laboratory (Junagarh), Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (Gandhinagar), and Indian Veterinary Research Institute (Bareilly). Beside, the Gujarat forest department has also reached out to a number of big cat experts and zoos across the country. Another Gujarat-based senior forest official who did not want to be quoted said the departments' zeal to "leave no stone unturned" was also adding to the overall confusion, a feeling of too many cooks in the kitchen. Vasavada, when asked why experts from Royal Veterinary College, London, were being called, almost echoed the statement. "We are leaving nothing to chance. Let nobody say later that in a moment of crisis we failed to exhaust all our options," he said with a straight face. Vasavada said multiple causes could also be behind the swift elimination of the entire pride of lions. "Canine Distemper Virus, infighting, babesiosis protozoa. Any or all of these reasons could have caused the deaths. We are studying all the evidence before us," he added. The forest department's failure to pin down the exact cause of the lions' deaths is the only certain outcome of the hectic maneuverings of the last few days. So far, nobody in the forest or government circles is even talking about a proper contingency plan in case things start taking a turn for the worse. After all, outside of Africa, these are for the last remaining wild lions in the world. Maybe its time to pick up and dust off the half-forgotten, over two decades old plan to shift at least some of the Gir lions to Madhya Pradesh. The move would substantially protect the gene pool of Asiatic lions, if not everyones pride. Non-Gujaratis were targeted and hate messages circulated against them on social media after a native of Bihar was arrested for allegedly raping a toddler. Ahmedabad: The police have so far arrested 342 people from various parts of Gujarat for allegedly attacking non-Gujaratis, especially those hailing from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, following the rape of a 14-month-old girl in Sabarkantha district, a senior officer said on Sunday. Non-Gujaratis were targeted and hate messages circulated against them on social media after a native of Bihar was arrested for allegedly raping the toddler on 28 September. "Six districts have mainly been affected (by the violence), with Mehsana and Sabarkantha being the worst hit. In these districts, 42 cases have been lodged and so far we have arrested 342 accused. "More arrests will be made as names of the accused come up during investigation," Director General of Police Shivanand Jha told reporters. He said 17 companies of State Reserve Police (SRP) have been deployed in the affected areas. "Security of areas inhabited by non-Gujaratis and the factories where they work has been increased. Police have also increased patrolling in these areas," he added. Two cases have been lodged for spreading rumours on social media which led to violence, the DGP said. Responding to a question about the exodus of non-Gujaratis following the attacks, Jha said they may be leaving for their native states in view of the upcoming festive season. "If people are leaving for home for a festival, it should not be seen otherwise. I have told my officers to visit residential areas, and if required, visit bus stands and railway stations and if people are found leaving due to fear, (then to) persuade them to come back," he said. Police officials in Gandhinagar, the worst-affected district, have been directed to organise camps and communicate with local leaders to convince the people to stay, he said. Additional forces and vehicles are being provided in districts which have asked for them to ensure safety of the non-Gujarati residents, he added. Meanwhile, Congress MLA Alpesh Thakor announced that he will go on a 'sadbhavna' (goodwill) fast from 11 October if the government does not withdraw "false cases" registered against his supporters in the wake of the attacks. He said the fast will be held to protest the "government's attempt to malign him and his supporters" over the violence. Last week, Thakor had raked up the issue of non-Gujaratis while demanding "justice" for the rape survivor. He had demanded that local people be given preference in jobs in industries in Gujarat. A violent backlash in Gujarat against north-Indian migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar following the arrest of a Bihar man, for allegedly raping a 14-month-old girl in the Sabarkantha district last week, has sparked an exodus of such labourers. A violent backlash in Gujarat against workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar following the arrest of a Bihar man, for allegedly raping a 14-month-old girl in the Sabarkantha district last week, has sparked an exodus of 'migrant' labourers in the state. According to several media reports, many workers belonging to northern Indian states boarded home-bound trains after some of them were targeted following the arrest of the suspect. Many people reported an atmosphere of fear and mistrust across Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Sabarkantha and Aravalli districts of Gujarat following the violence which has allegedly been sparked by the Kshatriya Thakor Sena (KTS), a Hindustan Times report said. Director General of Police Shivanand Jha told PTI that attacks have taken place in Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Sabarkantha, Patan and Ahmedabad districts in the last one week and 170 people have been arrested in connection with the incidents. The attacks took place after hate messages against non-Gujaratis, particularly those from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, were circulated on social media, he said. Addressing reporters, Jha said that around 18 FIRs were lodged in different districts of Gujarat so far following the attacks on non-Gujaratis. "We have also arrested 170 persons. We will not allow such activities at any cost. We have instructed the local police to increase vigil at factories and (housing) societies having a good number of non-Gujaratis. We are also keeping a watch on social media messages," he said. After it came to light that the rape accused hailed from Bihar, the Kshatriya Thakor Sena said that workers from other states should not be given jobs in Gujarat, PTI reported. On 3 October, a mob allegedly comprising members of the Thakor community engaged in vandalism in Chandlodia area of Ahmedabad, demanding people from north India to leave the city, said the police. Hindi-speaking migrants who have been living in Gujarat for years are fleeing the state fearing violence. In some cases, landlords have asked them to leave as well, The Indian Express reported. "Some 20 buses, each packed with more than 80 passengers, left for Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar on Saturday," the report said. Meanwhile, Congress MLA Alpesh Thakor, who heads the Kshatriya Thakor Sena, appealed to his community and members of his outfit, who were allegedly involved in the attacks, to maintain peace, saying non-Gujaratis are also our "brothers". On 28 September, a 14-month-old girl was allegedly raped in a village near Himmatnagar town of Sabarkantha district, around 100 kilometres from Ahmedabad, the police had said. The victim belonged to the Thakor community. One Ravindra Sahu, a labourer hailing from Bihar and working in a local ceramic factory, was arrested the same day for the toddler's rape, the police had said. Thakor claimed he never asked the Kshatriya Thakor Sena to engage in violence or attack non-Gujaratis. Gujarat Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Akshay Kumar Saxena, debunks reports that all 500 lions in Gir National Park will be vaccinated, says 'It is not humanly possible to round up 500-plus wild lions and vaccinate them.' Sasan Gir: Even as the forest department of Gujarat struggles to find the exact reason behind the death of 23 lions in Gir National Park, it has initiated the process of vaccinating some of the captive lions. Akshay Kumar Saxena, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Gujarat, debunked reports that all the lions of Gir would be vaccinated against possible infection. "It is not humanly possible to round up 500-plus wild lions and vaccinate them. Secondly, it is not even needed. The vaccination process which started on Saturday concerns only those captive lions which are there in the rescue centres," Saxena said on Sunday. The PCCF was referring to the 36 lions which were tranquilised and rounded up from the "immediate vicinity" of the region where 23 lions fell prey to a mysterious disease. It was feared that in the eventuality of the deadly Canine Distemper Virus most likely spreading out, it would first strike the big cats which lived nearest to the affected region. Hence, as a precautionary step, they were isolated in captivity. These 36 lions held in three rescue centres at Jambwala, Jasadha and Babarkot inside the national park are under medical supervision. A team of nine doctors have been keeping an eagle eye on the condition of these lions, taking their blood samples at regular intervals and going for detailed tests sometimes even thrice a day. And the action is not just limited to Gir. Some of the top Indian institutes such as Wildlife Institute of India (Dehradun, Uttarakhand), National Institute of Virology (Pune, Maharashtra), Indian Veterinary Research Institute (Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh) and Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (Gandhinagar, Gujarat) have been roped in to provide valuable inputs. Meanwhile, the ICMR-National Institute of Virology based in Pune found Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) responsible for the death of 5 Asiatic lions in Gir forest, a press statement by the health body said. On Saturday, the doctors vaccinated the first captive lion (see video), but how many more would be given the shots is still not clear. "In this regard, we will be following the veterinary protocol," Saxena said. "Its the doctors who will decide; and I believe they would base their assessment on the report of lions blood samples and any warning signs among the big cats. But let me say that the process of vaccination (of the captive lions) has started and will proceed to its logical conclusion." A number of theories as to the probable cause behind the death of the 23 lions in the Gir National Park have been making the rounds, both among the forest staff as well as lion experts. One such hypothesis suggest that the affected lions succumbed to a fatal infection after consuming contaminated meat (in fact, a few days before the lions started dying, a partly-eaten carcass of a buffalo was found from a nearby area in Dalkhania range of the park). Saxena, as well as DT Vasavada, the Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife Circle), Junagarh, agree it could be a crucial piece of evidence and they were definitely looking into it. The PCCF said that they were back-checking on all possible leads, including this contaminated buffalo theory. "At times, the lions of Gir National Park do move out of the forest and eat outside food. Its like a human kid going out of home and you dont know whether he or she has eaten meal from McDonalds or a road-side dhaba," he added. Incidentally, the video of a captive lion being vaccinated is the first documentation released to the media a full one week after the nightmarish scope of the tragedy started trickling out in the public domain. Therefore, one just cannot shrug off the feeling that this might be a case of closing the stable after the horse has bolted away. Nguyen Minh Tu, 27, from HCM City, is 1.78meters tall and measures 86-60-96. She won the Silver Award at the Vietnam Supermodel Contest 2013. The Miss Supranational pageant has been launched in Pock City, Poland since 2009. The duties of Miss Supranational are to work for charitable causes as well as travelling the world promoting tourism, goodwill among all nations and a healthy image. Vietnam has sent many representatives to the beauty contest, including Chung Thuc Quyen in 2009, Nguyen Thu May in 2011, Khanh Phuong in 2017. By KHAC THI - Translated by Kim Khanh Rajnath Singh, speaking at the CRPF camp, said districts affected by Naxal violence in the country have come down to about 10-12 as compared to 126 some time back. Lucknow: Home Minister Rajnath Singh Sunday said the menace of Left Wing Extremism (LWE) will be wiped out from the country in about three years. Addressing troops of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) on the occasion of their 26th-anniversary celebrations in Lucknow, Singh said their action should be rapid and quick but never "reckless." Singh, speaking at the CRPF camp, said districts affected by Naxal violence in the country have come down to about 10-12 as compared to 126 some time back. "The day is not far, maybe in a time period of 1-2 or 3 years, that the LWE will be eliminated from the country and this would happen due to your (CRPF) determination, courage and hard work and that of the state police forces," he said. "I congratulate you on the kind of work you have done in the LWE theatre of the country," Singh said. The minister said the force has killed 131 Maoists and militants this year while it has apprehended 1,278 of them and has affected 58 surrenders during the same time. The home minister also asserted that Jammu and Kashmir, where the CRPF is deployed as the lead counter-militancy force, has been and will be an "inseparable" part of India. "Some youth there have been misled into militancy, but this force has ensured security commendably," he said. Talking about the specific role of the RAF, a special unit under the CRPF, during riots and protests, the home minister advised them to be prompt and rapid but never "reckless." All the police forces are like civilised units and they should never do anything that will label them as "brutal." One should know how to behave during crowd control and similar duties and should always know how much and when to use force, he said. Singh's comments can be seen in the context of a recent incident in Uttar Pradesh's capital where a police jawan allegedly killed an unarmed MNC executive. An RAF battalion has a strength of just over 1,000 personnel and it is equipped with gadgets and non-lethal weapons like pump action guns, tear smoke grenade launchers and others to enforce security and law and order in case of protests or riot-like situations. The force is part of the Central Reserve Police Force, the country's largest paramilitary force or the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) with over 3 lakh personnel. It was raised and made fully operational in October 1992. It has ten battalions (of about 10,000) based in various parts of the country in order to cut down response time to counter an incident of trouble. The ten existing RAF battalions are based in Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Aligarh, Coimbatore, Jamshedpur, Bhopal and Meerut. Five of its new bases are in Jaipur, Varanasi, Mangalore, Hajipur (Bihar) and Nuh (Haryana). Through the amendment, the Telangana government has included provisions under which selling of spurious seeds, insecticides, fertilisers, adulteration of food, making of fake documents, unauthorised selling of forest products and gambling are punishable crimes. New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind has given assent to a bill which will help tackle sexual offenders, cybercriminals and traditional unlawful acts like bootlegging and dacoity in Telangana, officials said on Sunday. The Telangana Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Dacoits, Drug-Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders and Land-Grabbers (Amendment) Bill, 2017 will replace a 1986 Act which had jurisdiction for the undivided Andhra Pradesh but could not punish offenders of present-day white-collar crimes or financial frauds. The legislation is one of the showpiece laws of the outgoing K Chandrashekar-led TRS government which faces Assembly elections soon. The amended Act has provisions to punish sexual offenders, explosive substances offenders, arms smugglers, cyber fraudsters and white-collar or financial offenders, the official said. Through the amendment, the Telangana government has included provisions under which selling of spurious seeds, insecticides, fertilisers, adulteration of food, making of fake documents, unauthorised selling of forest products and gambling are punishable crimes. Provisions against common and traditional crimes like dangerous activities, bootlegging, dacoity, drug trafficking, immoral trafficking and land-grabbing will continue to be part of the amended Act. There was no scope in the old legislation to check cyber frauds, sexual harassment, online gambling and fake certificates cases, which are common nowadays, another official said. The amendment has provisions to deal with all these crimes, the official added. The accused, including village head of Sikanderpur, were booked by Uttar Pradesh Police under the relevant sections of the IPC on the basis of a complaint from a girl's family. Muzaffarnagar: The police in Muzaffarnagar have booked 21 people, including a village head, in connection with an alleged incident of eve-teasing. According to Circle Officer Ram Mohan Sharma, the accused, including Nempal Singh, the village head of Sikanderpur, were booked under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on the basis of a complaint from a girl's family. Those named in the complaint were accused of teasing the girl and beating up her family members when they objected to it, Sharma said. The case against the 21 people was lodged after the family members of the girl staged a protest in front of the sub-divisional police officer's (SDPO) office. Rae Bareli is currently represented by Sonia Gandhi in the Lok Sabha, while the neighbouring constituency of Amethi is represented by Rahul Gandhi. Lucknow: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will spend his MP area development funds on Rae Bareli, a move being seen as an attempt by the BJP to breach the Gandhi family bastion in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. 'Representative' of Arun Jaitley and Uttar Pradesh BJP spokesperson Hero Bajpai told PTI, "Almost a month back, Jaitley had chosen Rae Bareli district as a Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh. The backwardness of the district, despite being represented by a prominent political family, and the various demands which have been emanating from the district, prompted Jaitley ji to choose it." Under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), each MP has the choice to suggest to the district collector for works to the tune of Rs 5 crore per annum to be taken up in his/her constituency. A Rajya Sabha MP can recommend works in one or more districts in the state from where he/she has been elected. Bajpai said, "The Union finance minister may tour Rae Bareli in the first or second week of November." However, Bajpai ruled out any possibility of a battle in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections between Sonia Gandhi and Arun Jaitley. "He (Jaitley) will not contest the Lok Sabha elections, but will strengthen the BJP in the Congress bastion," Jaitley's representative said. The people in Rae Bareli have been demanding a stadium, a university, solar lights and solar energy-operated pumps in remote villages of the district, Bajpai said, and added that efforts would be made to fulfil all the incomplete works in the district so that people could heave a sigh of relief. He also said Rs 2.5 crore had already reached the chief development officer of Rae Bareli (the nodal person to carry out the works using the MPLADS funds). Rae Bareli is currently represented by Sonia Gandhi in the Lok Sabha, while the neighbouring parliamentary constituency of Amethi is represented by Rahul Gandhi (current Congress president). Prior to this, Indira Gandhi had won from Rae Bareli in 1980, while her elder son Rajiv Gandhi had represented Amethi in Lok Sabha in 1984, 1989 and 1991. Sanjay Gandhi had won from Amethi in 1980. "Rae Bareli, which remained in darkness, as development eluded it during the the Congress rule, has now started experiencing the first rays of development touching its soil. Whenever any stalwart leader enters a district, it adds a new dimension to the growth saga of the district," Bajpai said, claiming that people of Rae Bareli are happy that the Union finance minister will be spending his MP area development funds on the district. Jaitley's representative also said, "This will help the BJP achieve its mission of bagging more than 73 Lok Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh in the 2019 general elections." Uttar Pradesh sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha. In the 2014 parliamentary elections, the BJP won 71 seats, its ally Apna Dal got two, while the SP bagged five and the Congress won the remaining two. Union textiles minister Smriti Irani, during a recent visit to Amethi and Rae Bareli last month, had attacked the Gandhi family for the lack of development in its stronghold. She had accused the two Congress leaders of failing to develop their own constituencies, claiming that 70 to 80 percent of houses were still made of mud. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Sonia Gandhi had bagged 5,26,434 votes and defeated her BJP rival by a margin of 3,52,713 votes. In his half-hour speech, Asaduddin Owaisi spent far more time lashing out at the Congress than at the ruling party in the state and the Centre. Will the Opposition in Maharashtra form a united alliance against the BJP in 2019? On Saturday, the Congress again expressed unwillingness to join any formation that has the AIMIM in it. Until AIMIM Aurangabad MLA Imtiaz Jaleels announcement last month, of a tie-up between Asaduddin Owaisi and Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar, it was almost a given that the Congress-NCP combine would ally with the Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, a front comprising all anti-BJP parties in the state as well as the two parties of the Left. Jaleels announcement, met with skepticism by Ambedkars allies, took concrete shape on 2 October, when Owaisi and Ambedkar jointly addressed a mega rally in Aurangabad. Till now, the Congress had cited the AIMIMs "communal politics as unacceptable. But on Saturday, an MPCC member pointed to Owaisis speech at the rally as the reason they couldnt team up with this new alliance. In his half-hour speech, the Hyderabad MP spent far more time lashing out at the Congress than at the ruling party in the state and the Centre. Significantly, he referred to the Congress as the "Nehru-Gandhi parivar, a phrase popularised by the BJP. This was not Owaisis usual audience of Muslims. More than half the ground was packed with Ambedkars supporters. Billed as the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadis Shetkari Adhiveshan (farmers meet), the crowd comprised OBCs, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, with a large number of women. Accordingly, the fiery orator changed tack. Though he started as usual with the invocation recited at the start of every Muslim meet: "Bismillah al Rahman al Rahim, it was followed by "Namaskaar and only then "Assalamualaikum." Gone were the frequent references to Allah; the parallels drawn between heroic episodes of Islamic history and the atrocities heaped on Muslims in India today; the evocative cries of "Ai Musalmanon and "Hum Musalman, all of which have always enabled Owaisi to drive his overwhelmingly Muslim male audience to a frenzy. So how did the AIMIM chief address this new audience? Having always appealed primarily to Muslim identity, he used the same marker here. He simply used the name given by Ambedkar to his new front. "Bahujan vanchit samaj ke zimmedaron (you in a position of responsibility among the bahujan vanchit community), Owaisi exhorted his audience. "Aaj bahujan vanchit samaj ke log ek hokar (Today, the people of the bahujan vanchit samaj have united), he said. As if this was not enough, Owaisi thought it necessary to list all the castes gathered there, right at the start, and again during his speech, reading out their names from a slip of paper. Obviously, the names from Maharashtra were unfamiliar to the MP whose primary base has always been the old city of Hyderabad. Muslim victimhood has always been the mainstay of Owaisis speeches. A litany of the major communal riots, with graphic descriptions of the brutalities Muslims were subjected to in them, are constants in his speeches. In Aurangabad, he omitted these but chose to recount instead the indignity that the Mahar caste was subjected to by the Peshwas in Maharashtra: the earthen pot that they had to carry round their necks to spit into, and the broom they had to tie round their waists. One wonders what the Mahars, proud Ambedkarites, felt about this narration in the 21st century, of a practice abandoned more than a century ago. Normally, Owaisi projects himself as the messiah of Muslims. But his half-hour speech in Aurangabad was a paean to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Owaisi said that Ambedkar, "by giving us the Constitution, gave us the bahujan vanchit samaj the status of human beings." But while praising Ambedkar, Owaisi made sure to run down the Congress, which he, using Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewalas words, mockingly referred to as the "janeu-dhari (sacred thread wearing) party, one which has "Brahmin blood in its DNA. "Let me teach you the history these others wont, he told his audience, specifically asking young Muslims to pay attention. Citing instance after instance when the "Nehru-Gandhi parivar had slighted Ambedkar, he informed the audience that it was with the help of the Muslims of Bengal the Muslim League there that Ambedkar had got a place in the Constituent Assembly. Later, in the 1952 general election, Nehru had campaigned the most against Ambedkar. Then came the punchline: "We (Muslims) lifted Babasaheb Ambedkar on our shoulders and put him in the Constituent Assembly; now we will put his grandson in the Lok Sabha. This was a selective rendering of history. Jogendra Nath Mondal, who ensured that Ambedkar entered the Constituent Assembly, migrated to Pakistan, became a minister and later returned disillusioned. As for the 1952 election, Prakash Ambedkar had himself said in a TV interview that the person most opposed to Dr Ambedkars candidature was the CPIs SA Dange. But half-truths suited Owaisis twin goals well. Not only could he appeal to Muslim pride in having helped Ambedkar, he could also destroy the Congress reputation. "On the one side, you have Narendra Modi and on the other, the party that has Brahmin blood in its DNA. Where will you, vanchit bahujan samaj go? he asked. Calculated to wreck any chance of a Congress-Prakash Ambedkar alliance, the AIMIM chiefs speech has probably also put paid to the possibility of a broad united front in the state against the BJP in 2019. The Congress claimed Saturday that Goa Forward Party leader Vijay Sardesai had offered to remove his party colleague Vinod Palyekar from the Goa cabinet in return for more portfolios for himself. Panaji: The Congress claimed Saturday that Goa Forward Party leader Vijay Sardesai had offered to remove his party colleague Vinod Palyekar from the Goa cabinet in return for more portfolios for himself. Sardesai, who is the Agriculture Minister in the Manohar Parrikar-led cabinet, denied this, calling it another attempt to destabilise the government. Congress's Goa spokesperson Amarnath Panjikar claimed in a press conference that during a recent meeting with Parrikar in Delhi, Sardesai said his party would accept dropping of Palyekar if Sardesai was given more departments. Parrikar is being treated for a pancreatic ailment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi. Sardesai dismissed the claim. "With their senior leaders like Luizinho Faleiro being busy elsewhere, these kids, whom the operation to destabilise the government has been outsourced, are exposing the Congress's intellectual level," Sardesai said. Palyekar too issued a statement, condemning Panjikar's claim and saying that Sardesai was not like Congress leaders who "sell the party tickets". Rao is obviously angry over attempts of the Opposition parties Congress , TDP, CPI and the Telangana Jana Samithi to form an alliance against his party. TRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao, in his election campaign meetings, has been repeatedly targeting Chandrababu Naidu and invoking Telangana pride. Rao's tirade against Naidu has transformed into a sort of social media war between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, which is reminiscent of the bitter divide which was seen during the movement for a separate state. Addressing a series of meetings in the poll-bound state in Nizamabad, Nalgonda and Wanaparthy, the TRS chief called Naidu a thief and traitor. Tearing into the Congress-TDP alliance, a fuming Rao said, "People should not support the traitor of Telangana. He is an evil person, a thief who got caught (a reference to the notes-for-votes scam allegedly involving Naidu offering inducement to an MLA to vote in his partys favour in the elections to the Legislative Council). Do we want such a person to rule us? Aren't the years of enslavement that we suffered enough? We no longer need to be slaves to Delhi and Amaravati." Rao is obviously angry over the attempts of the Opposition parties Congress , TDP, CPI and the Telangana Jana Samithi to form a grand alliance to take on his party. The election in Telangana, necessitated by the premature dissolution of the Assembly, is due to be held on 7 December. In fact, Chandrababu Naidu had led the Telangana unit of the TDP from the front during the 2014 elections and afterwards. But after the alleged notes-for-votes scam surfaced, he slowly retreated from active politics in the state. This cost the TDP dear in the elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). Hyderabad has a significant proportion of people who hail from the Seemandhra region that constitutes the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh. This section of the population is generally considered to be disinclined towards parties espousing sub-regional Telangana pride. The TDP, with its electoral partner BJP, won 20 Assembly seats (15 on its own) in 2014, most of which were from the city. However, the party was decimated in the GHMC elections, which were swept by the TRS. Political observers, and even TDP activists, attributed this to the absence of Chandrababu Naidu from the campaign. Naidu has acquired the image of having placed Hyderabad on the global IT map. Now, with the TDP joining the Congress-led Opposition combine, Rao fears a repeat of the 2014 election. Since 2014, the TDP saw many desertions, with the TRS poaching almost all of its legislators. Despite this, the TDP enjoys some support in the state, especially in Hyderabad and a few other pockets like Khammam and Nizamabad, where there is a sizable numbers of voters who originally hail from Seemandhra. The TDP and Congress claim that Rao is acting at the behest of Narendra Modi due to the latter's animosity towards Chandrababu Naidu. The TDP chief has, in fact, alleged that Rao has colluded with Modi to target him. He, however, said that he would not respond to personal attacks by Rao. The post-bifurcation period had initially seen bonhomie between the chief ministers of the two Telugu states. Rao had joined the celebrations in Amaravati when the prime minister inaugurated the new capital of Andhra Pradesh. Further, when asked about roping in Naidu into his proposed federal front, Rao had described him as his best friend. The TRS has extended support to Andhra Pradeshs demand for special status. All this was seen as a strategy to woo the Seemandhra electorate, which forms a decisive vote base in several constituencies in Telangana. However, as the TDP moved towards the Congress to challenge Rao, the bonhomie turned into hostility. Raos strong attack on the TDP is not just an angry outburst over Naidu's attempts to form a broad Opposition combine with the Congress. It is a calculated strategy to turn the election into a Rao-Naidu fight, so as to rally the people of Telangana against the alleged machinations of the Andhra Pradesh chief minister. The TRS believes that this would dissuade the Telangana voter from preferring the Congress-led mahagatbandhan, of which the TDP is a part. The movement for a separate state of Telangana was primarily against the domination of the Andhra-based political leadership. The two Telugu states still have many unresolved issues, like sharing of the waters of the Krishna and Godavari rivers; dividing joint properties, etc. Naidu, being the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, has obviously defended the interests of his state. The Andhra Pradesh government objected to the prestigious Kaleshwaram and Palamuru-Ranga Reddy lift irrigation schemes in Telangana. The high court is still undivided. There is a widespread perception that Naidu is responsible for the undue delay in the bifurcation of the judiciary. The wounds of bifurcation are still fresh. The TRS and Rao want to appeal to precisely this Telangana identity in order to question the TDP. Thus, Rao wants to frustrate the attempts of the Congress to mount a joint Opposition fight against the TRS in the upcoming Assembly elections. It is difficult to predict to predict the gainers and losers from this renewed battle. However, the battle will have major implications for Telugu society. Claiming that the ruling AIADMK was afraid of facing elections, MK Stalinn accused it of avoiding the by-polls through the Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan. Chennai: DMK chief MK Stalin Sunday flayed the Election Commission (EC) for not announcing by-elections to two Tamil Nadu assembly constituencies citing monsoon as the reason and said it was not a 'justifiable' decision. Expressing 'surprise' at the EC's decision, he said by-elections had been held in the state in the past during the North East Monsoon season, between October-December. "The by-poll for RK Nagar constituency, held to fill the vacancy caused by the death of late chief minister Jayalalithaa, was conducted only during the monsoon season in December 2017," he pointed out. The EC while announcing poll schedule for five states and by-elections in Karnataka Saturday had said Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan had written a letter asking the commission not to announce the poll dates as there was forecast of cyclones and rains in the state. "The EC putting off by-polls citing a letter by the state chief secretary and the monsoon does not appear to be a unbiased and justifiable decision," Stalin said in a statement. By-polls are due in Thiruvarur and Thirupparankundram Assembly constituencies which fell vacant following the demise of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi on 7 August and AIADMK MLA AK Bose on 2 August respectively. Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat had said the EC would announce the by-poll after ascertaining the situation. Stalin said by-polls for three assembly constituencies in the state when Jayalalithaa was hospitalised in 2016 were also held during monsoon season in November. Claiming that the ruling AIADMK was afraid of facing elections, he accused it of avoiding the by-polls through the Chief Secretary. Senior AIADMK leader and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai sought to dismiss the Opposition party's charge and said the EC was an independent and powerful body which none can influence. Defending the Chief Secretary's communication, Revenue Minister RB Udhayakumar said in Madurai that the government has the responsibility to apprise the commission of the prevailing situation in the state. According to Vasundhara Raje's announcement, more than 12 lakh farmers in Rajasthan will receive free electricity up to Rs 10,000 for a year on their agricultural electricity connection. Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Saturday announced free electricity for farmers up to Rs 10,000, hours before the Election Commission announced the schedule for upcoming Assembly elections in the state. The Chief Minister made the announcement while addressing a public meeting in Ajmer, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to the announcement, more than 12 lakh farmers of the state will receive free electricity up to Rs 10,000 for a year on their agricultural electricity connection. The scheme will be effective from November 2018 billing month for the general category rural farmers. This benefit will be available in the form of grants through Direct Benefit transfer (DBT), confirmed officials of the Rajasthan Energy Department. The farmers will have to pay the bill first, after which a maximum amount of Rs 833 per month shall be deposited in their bank accounts, explained the officials. The Energy Department has already issued orders to the power distribution companies in Jaipur, Ajmer and Jodhpur. Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has flayed Chief Minister Raje for her bid to "lure" farmers, saying she is reminded of their issues when it is time for her "vidai" (departure). She announced free electricity for farmers only after the Congress announced to give free power to farmers at "Charbhuja Kisan Sammelan", he claimed. "What's the meaning of making this announcement an hour before the implementation of a code of conduct by this outgoing government?" Gehlot asked, adding: "Why she didn't give free electricity to farmers in her five-year tenure?" He said in its five-year tenure, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government increased the electricity tariff three times and despite this, it failed to provide sufficient power to them. "Farmers will not be lured by this announcement," he added. Indo-Asian News Service Qualcomm will set up up a campus in Hyderabad at an investment of $400 million (about Rs 3,000 crore), which will be its largest facility outside of the United States, the Telangana state government announced on 6 October. The phase-1 of the project will include a built-up space of 1.7 million sqft, housing about 10,000 employees. Qualcomm hopes to start its work in 2019. Qualcomm already has a presence in India in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai. The delegates from the US-headquartered telecommunication equipment maker met the state's Minister for IT and Industries KT Rama Rao to discuss their growth plans in the city, according to a Ministry statement. Qualcomm joins the elite list of companies that have their largest presence globally outside of their headquarters in Hyderabad, Rama Rao said in the statement. "We have Apple, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Facebook and now Qualcomm. This list will only increase as they are a few more in the pipeline that we are working actively with. This is indeed a big boost to the state of Telangana, as well as to the electronics, and semiconductors industry...," he said. Do Muoi, who passed away in Hanoi on October 1 at the age of 101, served as General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee from June 1991 to December 1997. Vietnam holds a State funeral and two days of national mourning for him on October 6 and 7. In Chile, after the Vietnamese Embassy opened a condolence book on October 5 (local time), a representative from the Chilean foreign minister Juan Carlos Barrientos and President of the Chile-Vietnam Cultural Institute Angela Margarita Jeria Gomez were among the guests who came to pay last respects to the deceased Vietnamese party leader. Ambassadors and diplomats from the embassies of Russia, Cuba, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, El Salvador, Brazil, Venezuela and Turkey also paid tribute and wrote in the funeral book. At the tribute ceremony held by the Vietnamese Embassy in the Czech Republic, the embassy staff were joined by representatives from the Communist Party of Bohemia and Morava, ambassadors and diplomats of ASEAN countries, Japan, Russia, the Palestine, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Libya, Ghana, and Vietnamese associations in Europe and the Czech Republic. A representative from the Communist Party of Bohemia and Morava wrote in the funeral book: On behalf of the leader of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Morava and Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies Vojtech Filip, we offer deepest condolences to the Vietnamese people over the loss of a great son, a great politician who is also a friend of the Czech Republic. Similar events were held and funeral books opened at the Vietnamese Embassies in Germany, Belgium, Ukraine, Myanmar and Israel on October 4 and 5. Most funeral books will remain open through October 6.-VNA Kavya Narayanan The 4th India International Science Festival got off to a grand start on 5 October at the Indira Gandhi Prathishtan in Lucknow. The second of the four-day festival saw students in thousands, and Indian researchers from the global science community and members of Indias science policy team engage in the days events. EU countries extend a welcome to young researchers The second and final day of the Young Scientists Conference saw a panel of counselors from the EU walk an audience of students and undergraduate students, as well as teachers from across India, through available opportunities for research abroad. Delegates from Netherlands, Britain and Switzerland were part of the panel that engaged with an audience of high school and university students about research opportunities, scholarships and other nuances of pursuing an education or doctoral programs in their respective countries. Global Indians brought new Ideas to the table One of the most engaging conversations during the course of past two days has been the role NRI scientists can play in shaping science in India. As part of the Global Indian Science and Technology Stakeholders Meet, one such scientists, Dr Manu Prakash from Stanford University, caught the imagination of students, industry experts and policymakers alike. Prakash heads a collaboration with the Department of Biotechnology, the DBT-Foldscope program, to provide access to microscopes and small collaborative grants to students through partnerships through a network of social organisations in a network of remote villages across India. "It often isn't about finance or money when you're getting students or anyone you meet excited about science," Prakash said. "The class and quality of mentors you've got to guide you makes all the difference." The session also brought other delegates from America and Vietnam to renew discussions about opportunities for collaborative research. Better access to education A parallel dialogue on Day 2 of the National Social Organisations and Institutions Meet (NSOIM) gathered educators and social workers in hundreds to discuss better access to education at the grassroots. Representatives from these efforts included members from organisations like CARE India and SNEHA, who spoke about ongoing strategies to provide a science education and opportunities to study abroad for students in rural India. Dr Vandana Mishra, a program manager for CARE Indias Teachers Resource Lab in Uttar Pradesh points out that the uses of scientific temper extend well beyond schools, universities or laboratories in the context of rural India. Among girls who are marginalised poor.. scientific temper is an important skill to handle situations in their daily lives be it menstrual and personal hygiene, nutrition, addressing the many health issues that plague them, even their superstitions, Mishra says. The real disease here is a lack of awareness.. which is something that a healthy scientific temper can correct.. and organisations like ours are helping develop just that. Debating the education system One of the most laudable sessions from the day was a closed-doors meeting of over 50 educators from schools, universities and the central board of education to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of our education system. The session dwelled largely on input from educators on what works and doesnt at the level of schools and educational institutes. There may be 1000-2000 children in school that will actually take science forward.. out of the 10,000 children in all. What we need is exchange programs, or teaching faculty from universities to get trained to educate and inspire young minds in science the right way, said a school principal from DPS. "Is there any merit in a section devoted to objective (multiple-choice) questions in our board exams at all?" and "What about improving incentives for science teachers to perform better?" were some of the other questions being raised at the roundtable with teachers, academics, Vigyan Bharathi members and members of the education ministry. Inauguration of the IISF by President Kovind Day 2 ended in an audience of thousands awaiting the inauguration and President Ram Nath Kovinds address at the Science Festival. "From the green revolution to the space program to a thriving biotech industry, science has been among the biggest drivers of Indias post-1947 modernisation," the President said. Appreciating the progress of Indias frugal innovation in engineering and design, the President said that the Jugaad mentality attributed to Indians has its own role to play in the growth of science, and is something important and worth encouraging. Also at the inauguration was Chief Minister of UP, Yogi Adityanath, Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology, Dr Renu Swarup, Secretary of Department of Science and Technology Professor Ashutosh Sharma, and Union Minister of Science and Technology, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Ministry of Earth Sciences, Dr Harsh Vardhan, who the President jokingly referred to as being given a few many titles. Agence France-Presse Two American astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut returned to Earth on 4 October 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 11.45 GMT. The landing is the first since Russian space chief Dimitri Rogozin bemoaned "problems" in the Russian space agency's cooperation with NASA that he attributed to interference from unnamed American officials this week. The outspoken official also said Russian investigators believed a small hole that appeared in a Russian spacecraft docked at the orbiting station in August causing an air leak on the ISS had been made deliberately. Feustel has called the suggestion that the crew was somehow involved "embarrassing" and NASA on 3 October expressed doubts over the theory that the hole was the result of sabotage. The ISS is one of the few areas of tight Russia-US cooperation that remains unaffected by the crisis 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. Feustel 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 in a tweet late on Wednesday that included a photo of the sun taken from the ISS. tech2 News Staff The largest international body that studies climate change and its impacts, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is planning to release a report on 8 October about where we the globe currently stand with global warming, and the projections for warming levels this century. It releases amidst a lot of controversy and concern from experts about the degrees of warming this century. This is, compared to limits set by the previous major international agreement on global warming levels, namely, the Paris Agreement. What is the Paris agreement? On assessing the trend of rising temperatures and its impact worldwide, 270 countries came together at the Paris Accord in 2015 with one objective: create an agenda to limit the rise in global temperatures. Researchers, climate experts and political leaders from around the world deliberated warming levels, focus areas and division of responsibility. The result was the Paris Agreement, in which all 270 countries including the largest contributors to global carbon dioxide emissions, China, US, EU and India came to an agreement to set the warming limit of 1.5 degree Celcius, and cap it at 2-degree Celcius. What was the controversy surrounding the Paris Agreement? The agreement was hotly contested because the benefits to keeping the levels of warming to 1.5 degree Celcius were global, but the pledges made by individual countries in the agreement were dictated by their own governments. Both the responsibility to follow through and the consequences of not doing so fell upon the countries themselves, and no penalty was agreed upon as per the agreement. By 2017, it became clear that the goal set in Paris was ambitious and unrealistic based on the trend. Then, the US pulled out of the agreement, citing that the agreement disadvantages the United States to the exclusive benefit of other countries according to a BBC report. While no other countries have followed suit, many are struggling to meet the goals set in Paris. The pledges countries made during the Paris climate accord dont get us anywhere close to what we have to do, Drew Shindell, a climate expert at Duke University and one of the many authors of the IPCC report, said to Washington Post. They havent really followed through with actions to reduce their emissions in any way commensurate with what they profess to be aiming for. The IPCC report This week, hundreds of climate researchers invited by the United Nations have convened in Incheon, South Korea to evaluate (independently of the Paris Accord) their findings about the global trend of warming really is. This new report will lead up to another international climate meeting in December the Talonoa Dialogue. At Talonoa, member-countries of the Paris Accord are expected to reconvene in the hopes of course-correcting after the Paris Agreement, and possibly set realistic objectives and strategies based on the IPCC reports findings. Leaked early drafts of the IPCC report On 27 June, an early draft summary of the IPCC report was leaked to the Climate Home News, according to the Washington Post report, and said that there was a very high risk of the warming exceeding 1.5 Celcius. A second leaked draft, also leaked to Climate Home, revised what the previous summary claimed, instead said there is no simple answer to the question of whether it is feasible to limit warming to 1.5 Celcius.. and that feasibility has multiple dimensions that need to be considered simultaneously and systematically." There is a lot riding on the IPCC in terms of global climate change policy, and both these reports highlight the contrast in positions that different experts have taken in recent years. Why the IPCC report matters While researchers are divided about what rise in temperature is an acceptable goal to set, the IPCC report, due to release on Monday, 8 October, will be a product of the week-long deliberations in Incheon and the premise for the Talonoa Dialogue later this year. With the powerful political and environmental implications the report could have, theres a significant challenge ahead of the IPCC council. In charting such a trajectory for global warming, there is the key factor that it takes a decade for the buildup of carbon dioxide in the environment to show its influence on the planets temperature, a Vox report points out. A trajectory of 1.5-degree Celsius warming would demand reducing global carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent by 2030. The more time spend without implementing the necessary measures to curb warming, the more drastic the eventual strategies will have to be. Haiti's civil protection agency said two minor aftershocks were registered and no tsunami warning was issued in connection with the quake activity. Port-de-Prince: A 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck just off the northwest coast of Haiti late on Saturday, killing at least 11 people and causing damage to buildings in the Caribbean nation, authorities said. The epicenter of the quake was located about 19 kilometres northwest of the city of Port-de-Paix, the US Geological Survey reported. Government spokesman Eddy Jackson Alexis told AFP that 11 people were so far reported dead, seven of them in Port-de-Paix, the capital of Haiti's Nord-Ouest department. Four others were killed in the town of Gros-Morne, about 50 kilometres to the southeast. The quake, which was felt across the country, struck at 8.10 pm at a shallow depth of 11.7 kilometers. Haiti's civil protection agency said two minor aftershocks were registered, adding that no tsunami warning was issued in connection with the quake activity. The tremor rattled the capital Port-de-Prince, sparking emotion among residents still reeling from the massive 2010 earthquake that left at least 2,00,000 people dead and 3,00,000 more wounded. "I urge the population to remain calm," President Jovenel Moise said on Twitter, adding that local and regional authorities were assisting those in need and that some damage had been reported. Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant is heading up an inter-ministerial disaster response task force, he said on Twitter. "The injured are being treated at area hospitals," the civil protection agency said late on Saturday, noting that some of the injuries were sustained when people panicked after the quake. The agency confirmed that some homes were destroyed or damaged, without offering specific figures. Images of damaged homes and partially destroyed buildings were circulating on social media, but AFP was not immediately able to confirm their authenticity. The Nord-Ouest department is the poorest part of impoverished Haiti, with many isolated areas due to the dire state of the roads. The devastating 7.0-magnitude quake in January 2010 left many people homeless. Tens of thousands remain in makeshift camps. The damage caused was worth an estimated 120 percent of GDP in Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Longer-term reconstruction has been hampered by lingering political chaos in the nation of nearly 11 million people, and by a deadly cholera epidemic introduced by infected Nepalese UN peacekeepers sent in after the quake. Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in Saturday night as the 114th justice of the US Supreme Court, after a wrenching debate over sexual misconduct and judicial temperament that shattered the Senate, captivated the nation and ushered in an acrimonious new level of polarisation Washington: Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in Saturday night as the 114th justice of the US Supreme Court, after a wrenching debate over sexual misconduct and judicial temperament that shattered the Senate, captivated the nation and ushered in an acrimonious new level of polarisation now encroaching on the court that the 53-year-old judge may well swing rightward for decades to come. Even as Kavanaugh took his oath of office in a quiet private ceremony, not long after the narrowest Senate confirmation in nearly a century and a half, protesters chanted outside the court building across the street from the Capitol. The climactic 50-48 roll call capped a fight that seized the national conversation after claims emerged that he had sexually assaulted women three decades ago allegations he emphatically denied. Those accusations transformed the clash from a routine struggle over judicial ideology into an angry jumble of questions about victims' rights, the presumption of innocence and personal attacks on nominees. His confirmation provides a defining accomplishment for President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, which found a unifying force in the cause of putting a new conservative majority on the court. Before the sexual accusations grabbed the Senate's and the nation's attention, Democrats had argued that Kavanaugh's rulings and writings as an appeals court judge had raised serious concerns about his views on abortion rights and a president's right to bat away legal probes. Trump, flying to Kansas for a political rally, flashed a thumbs-up gesture when the tally was announced and praised Kavanaugh for being "able to withstand this horrible, horrible attack by the Democrats." He later telephoned his congratulations to the new justice, then at the rally returned to his own attack on the Democrats as "an angry left-wing mob". You dont hand matches to an arsonist, and you dont give power to an angry left-wing mob. Democrats have become too EXTREME and TOO DANGEROUS to govern. Republicans believe in the rule of law - not the rule of the mob. VOTE REPUBLICAN! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2018 Like Trump, senators at the Capitol predicted voters would react strongly by defeating the other party's candidates in next month's congressional elections. "It's turned our base on fire," declared Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. But Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York forecast gains for his party instead: "Change must come from where change in America always begins: the ballot box." The justices themselves made a quiet show of solidarity. Kavanaugh was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts and the man he's replacing, retired Justice Anthony Kennedy, as fellow Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan looked on two conservatives and two liberals. Still, Kagan noted the night before that Kennedy has been "a person who found the centre" and 'it's not so clear we'll have that' now. Noisy to the end, the Senate battle featured a call of the roll that was interrupted several times by protesters shouting in the spectators' gallery before Capitol Police removed them. Vice President Mike Pence presided, his potential tie-breaking vote unnecessary. VIDEO: Protesters ahead of the vote to confirm Kavanaugh as a Supreme Court justice pic.twitter.com/ZXxtSGv4st AFP news agency (@AFP) October 7, 2018 Trump has now put his stamp on the court with his second justice in as many years. Yet Kavanaugh is joining under a cloud. Accusations from several women remain under scrutiny, and House Democrats have pledged further investigation if they win the majority in November. Outside groups are culling an unusually long paper trail from his previous government and political work, with the National Archives and Records Administration expected to release a cache of millions of documents later this month. Kavanaugh, a father of two, strenuously denied the allegations of Christine Blasey Ford, who says he sexually assaulted her when they were teens. An appellate court judge on the District of Columbia circuit for the past 12 years, he pushed for the Senate vote as hard as Republican leaders not just to reach this capstone of his legal career, but in fighting to clear his name After Ford's allegations, Democrats and their allies became engaged as seldom before, though there were obvious echoes of Thomas' combative confirmation over the sexual harassment accusations of Anita Hill, who worked for him at two federal agencies. Protesters began swarming Capitol Hill, creating a tense, confrontational atmosphere that put Capitol Police on edge. As exhausted senators prepared for Saturday's vote, some were flanked by security guards. Hangers and worse have been delivered to their offices, a Roe versus Wade reference. Some 164 people were arrested, most for demonstrating on the Capitol steps, 14 for disrupting the Senate's roll call vote. McConnell told The Associated Press in an interview that the "mob" of opposition confronting senators in the hallways and at their homes united his narrowly divided GOP majority as Kavanaugh's confirmation teetered and will give momentum to his party chances this fall. Beyond the sexual misconduct allegations, Democrats raised questions about Kavanaugh's temperament and impartiality after he delivered defiant, emotional, testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee where he denounced their party. Schumer said Kavanaugh's "partisan screed" showed not only a temperament unfitting for the high court but a lack of objectivity that should make him ineligible to serve. At one point in the hearing, Kavanaugh blamed a Clinton-revenge conspiracy for the accusations against him. The fight ended up less about judicial views than the sexual assault accusations that riveted the nation and are certain to continue a national debate and #MeToo reckoning that is yet to be resolved. Republicans argued that a supplemental FBI investigation instigated by wavering GOP senators and ordered by the White House turned up no corroborating witnesses to the claims and that Kavanaugh had sterling credentials for the court. Democrats dismissed the truncated report as insufficient. In the end, all but one Republican, Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, lined up behind the judge. She said on the Senate floor late Friday that Kavanaugh is "a good man" but his "appearance of impropriety has become unavoidable". In a twist, Murkowski voted "present" Saturday as a courtesy to Republican Kavanaugh supporter Steve Daines, who was to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding in Montana. That balanced out the absence without affecting the outcome, and gave Kavanaugh the same two-vote margin he'd have received had both lawmakers voted. It was the closest roll call to confirm a justice since 1881, when Stanley Matthews was approved by 24-23, according to Senate records. As the Senate tried to recover from its charged atmosphere, Murkowski's move offered a moment of civility. "I do hope that it reminds us that we can take very small steps to be gracious with one another and maybe those small gracious steps can lead to more," she said. Republicans control the Senate by a meager 51-49 margin, and announcements of support Friday from Republicans Jeff Flake of Arizona and Susan Collins of Maine, along with Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia, locked in the needed votes. Manchin was the only Democrat to vote for Kavanaugh's confirmation. He expressed empathy for sexual assault victims, but said that after factoring in the FBI report, "I have found Judge Kavanaugh to be a qualified jurist who will follow the Constitution." A procedural vote Friday made Saturday's confirmation a foregone conclusion. White House Counsel Don McGahn, who helped salvage Kavanaugh's nomination as it teetered, sat in the front row of the visitors' gallery for the vote with deputy White House press secretary Raj Shah. Senators on both sides know they have work to do to put the chamber back together again after a ferocious debate that saw them arguing over the sordid details of high school drinking games, sexual allegations and cryptic yearbook entries. Sentor John Cornyn of Texas said, "The Senate has been an embarrassment. We have a lot of work to do." The turmoil surrounding Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the US Supreme Court has transformed the midterms into something bigger than Donald Trump, with implications that could endure long after his presidency. Washington: The bitter battle over Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court has exacerbated the nations political divide and left many Americans emotionally raw. Its also given a new definition to the high stakes of Novembers election. Until now, the fight for control of Congress has largely been viewed as a referendum on President Donald Trumps first two years in office. But the turmoil surrounding Kavanaugh has transformed the midterms into something bigger than Trump, with implications that could endure long after his presidency. The election is suddenly layered with charged cultural questions about the scarcity of women in political power, the handling of sexual assault allegations, and shifting power dynamics that have left some white men uneasy about their place in American life. Both parties contend the new contours of the race will energize their supporters in the elections final stretch. And both may be right. Republicans, however, may benefit most in the short term. Until now, party leaders Trump included have struggled to energize GOP voters, even with a strong economy to campaign on. The presidents middling job approval rating and independent voters disdain for his constant personal attacks have been a drag on GOP candidates, particularly in the more moderate suburban districts that will determine control of the House. But Republican operatives say internal polling now shows Kavanaughs acrimonious confirmation has given the party a much-needed boost, with GOP voters viewing Democrats as overzealous partisans following the public testimony by Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, who accused the judge of trying to rape her while they were both in high school. Ford said she was 100 percent certain that Kavanaugh was her attacker, while the judge steadfastly denied her allegations. Their strategy to capitalize on the Me Too movement for the political purposes backfired on them, Republican strategist Alice Stewart said of Democrats. The fact that they were willing to use Dr Fords story that was uncorroborated to launch character assassinations on Judge Kavanaugh did not sit well with voters. A lot of people looked at this as a bridge too far. The surge in GOP enthusiasm could recalibrate a political landscape that was tilting toward Democrats throughout the summer. Though Democrats still maintain an advantage in competitive House races, the past two weeks appear to have shifted momentum in the fight for the Senate majority back to the GOP. In North Dakota, Republican Representative Kevin Cramer has pulled comfortably ahead of Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, who voted no on Kavanaugh. GOP operatives say theyre also seeing renewed Republican interest in states like Wisconsin, where Democratic candidates for both Senate and governor have been polling strong. Its turned our base on fire, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Saturday, moments after the Senate confirmed Kavanaugh. To be sure, some tightening in the race was likely inevitable this fall. Wavering voters often move back toward their partys candidates as Election Day nears, and most of the competitive Senate races are in states that voted for Trump by a significant margin. With just over four weeks until Election Day, there is still time for the dynamics to shift again. And the political headwinds from the Kavanaugh confirmation are unlikely to blow in just one direction. To Democrats, Kavanaughs assent to the Supreme Court in spite of decades-old sexual misconduct allegations will only deepen the partys pull with female voters, including independents and moderates who may have previously voted for Republicans. Democrats point to the flood of women who have spoken out about their own assaults following Fords testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Party operatives also believe the optics of the all-male GOP panel that presided over the hearing struck a chord with female voters. Kavanaughs confirmation will leave a lot of outraged and energized women in its wake, said Geoff Garin, a Democratic pollster. Democrats argue that some of the same tactics that have helped energize Republican voters also motivate their base, particularly Trumps attacks on Ford. During a campaign rally in Mississippi, the president mocked Ford for not remembering key details of the alleged attack, including the date and location of the party she says she and Kavanaugh attended 36 years ago. Youve seen some shifts, but I still think that were in a strong place, said New Mexico Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, who heads the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. I still think that it gives us a lot of enthusiasm on our side because there are a lot of people out there that are really upset, not just with the testimony that came from Judge Kavanaugh but the way the president was even mocking (Ford) days ago. Trump remains the fall campaigns biggest wildcard. White House advisers and Republican senators are encouraging him to keep Kavanaugh in the spotlight in the campaigns final weeks. But theyre well aware that the president often struggles to stay on message and can quickly overshadow his political victories with new controversies. Given that, Stewart said Republicans cant assume that this burst of momentum will sustain itself through Election Day. The question is whether this is the October surprise or the calm before the storm, Stewart said. IMD predicts heavy rain and thunderstorm in parts of Kerala, Tanushree Dutta files police complaint against Nana Patekar; other top stories of the day Heavy rains, thunderstorm predicted in Tamil Nadu and Kerala The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday forecasted heavy rains in isolated places across Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Lakshadweep, as well as over Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Coastal and South Interior Karnataka. The IMD also predicted that a thunderstorm with lightning and strong winds might occur in some places over Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and south of Karnataka. Tanushree Dutta files complaint with Mumbai Police against Nana Patekar and Ganesh Acharya Bollywood actor Tanushree Dutta, who has accused actor Nana Patekar of sexually harassing her on a film set in 2008, filed an official police complaint in Mumbai on Saturday. In the complaint, Dutta also named choreographer Ganesh Acharya, whom she had accused of being an accomplice in the incident involved. The matter, if not resolved with "adequate action", will be taken to the high court, her lawyer told ANI. Naval Commander Abhilash Tomy reaches India Golden Globe Race (GGR) participant and Indian naval officer Commander Abhilash Tomy, who was under medical observation at Ile Amsterdam, was brought to Visakhapatnam safely onboard INS Satpura on Saturday. The naval officer has now been shifted to INHS Kalyani, the naval hospital of Eastern Naval Command (ENC) for observation and medical assistance as required. Brett Kavanaugh sworn-in as US Supreme Court judge The US Senate on Saturday confirmed President Donald Trump's Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh in the closest such vote in more than a century. The Senate voted 50-48 to approve Kavanaugh for the position of a Supreme Court justice amid controversy over sexual abuse allegations levelled against him. He was sworn-in later even as protests against him continued in Washington. Liverpool takes on Manchester City in Premier League clash for top position: League leaders Manchester City travel to Anfield to face title rivals Liverpool with both sides levelled on the points table. Liverpool is favourite to win the clash given their excellent home record in 2018 as well as their recent record against City. Pep Guardiola's City had faced Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool four times in the last season but won only once. The Indian government has for once shown itself to be both courageous and independent in its dealings with other nations by defying unilateral ukases issued by the United States (US). The Indian government has for once shown itself to be both courageous and independent in its dealings with other nations by defying unilateral ukases issued by the United States (US). Thus, its decisions to go ahead with the purchase of five S-400 Triumf missile defence systems from Russia in a big-ticket defence deal and maintain commercial ties with Iran in the shape, mainly, of crude oil purchases. I will focus on the latter. To begin with, the sanctions imposed against Iran have no legal backing. They are unilateral and have not been routed through the United Nations (UN). No country is bound to play along with Uncle Sams ingrained prejudices and strategic interests. Moreover, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled less than a week ago that the sanctions must be lifted, in so far as they apply to the movement of humanitarian goods. Unsurprisingly, the United States has contested this judgement. Secretary of state Mike Pompeo, a pugnacious West Asia hawk-like his boss, President Donald Trump, has said that the ICJ has no jurisdiction (its rulings are binding and cannot be appealed, even though the court has no means of ensuring compliance). He has also said that the United States will abrogate the Treaty of Amity between the two countries signed in 1955, on which the ICJ ruling was based. In this context, there can be no earthly reason for New Delhi to kowtow to Washingtons dictates, other than a desire to adopt a supine and spuriously unquestioning reliance on the United States. There is more, however. Trumps animosity towards Iran is based on a particular view of its interests in West Asia. Its two main allies in the region are Israel and the Saudi Arabia-led Gulf alliance. Washingtons calculations are not hard to decode. Israel is, of course, a prohibited area for both strategic and deeply etched ideological reasons. No US administration will ever do anything that even remotely risks alienating Tel Aviv. Saudi Arabia is a strategic ally, being one of the biggest producer of crude oil in the world and the principal supplier to the United States. Its often deranged delinquencies must be condoned. The US accuses Iran of two things, principally. First, it says that the international nuclear deal signed with Iran is worthless because the country has not suspended its nuclear arms programme in response to the easing of sanctions Washington has pulled out of the deal that Barack Obama, the former president, signed up to alongside the European Union (EU) in 2015. Second, it accuses Iran of fomenting terror in West Asia by extending moral and material support to militant groups like the Hezbollah. The first charge is patently untrue. Periodic inspections by international monitoring agencies have certified that Iran is, in fact, in compliance with the agreement. The European Union (EU), too, has rubbished the positions taken by the Trump administration because the deal is crucial to its security. The foreign ministers of the EU, France, Germany and the United Kingdom issued a statement in early August saying that they would do everything within their powers to ensure that entities engaged in legitimate trade with Iran could continue to do so unhindered, though some companies have pulled out. India is in a similar position now. Even though the government is sticking to its commitments, faced with payment problems that will kick in from 4 November, when the sanctions become operational, some companies have stopped purchases. China and Russia, also signatories to the agreement, are obviously not going to play ball. The tough sanctions envisaged by the Trump administration will hopefully prove to be infructuous. The second charge has greater substance. It is true that Iran supports the Hezbollah and the Huthi rebels in Yemen. The reasons for doing so is the protection of Shia communities in the Arab world, for instance in Iraq, and the propagation of its influence in the region. To condemn Iran unreservedly for following its strategic interest, would be both unfair and naive. After all, the USs allies in West Asia are also guilty of supporting terrorists in other West Asian countries. Saudi Arabias most important export throughout the world, apart from petroleum, is, lest we forget, the Wahhabi brand of Islam, that toxic fount of global terrorism. Saudi Arabia is also the most significant exporter and backer of terrorism. Al-Qaeda and its former leader Osama bin Laden a Saudi national are prime examples. Saudi Arabia is also the perpetrator of possibly the dirtiest war being fought in the word today in Yemen, where it has indiscriminately bombed civilians and innocents, including children and hospitals using sophisticated US-supplied weaponry. Israels human rights abuses in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and its blatant disregard for the sovereignty of other nations and all its appurtenances is the stuff of legendary notoriety. That it can pursue its illegal activities with impunity is a blot on the international communitys already soiled and tattered escutcheon. So, when the US talks of Irans destabilising influence in West Asia and the Gulf region, we need to ask of ourselves all the questions we try to keep in abeyance. It is, of course, true that Iran is a theocratic state and, as is true of all theocratic states including Saudi Arabia and Israel (whatever it and its backers say), is involved in some serious human rights abuses. There are international agencies tasked with bringing such countries to book. This problem does not fall within Uncle Sams bailiwick. But it would not be out of place to take a small peek at the historical record to investigate how Iran became a theocratic state. In the early twentieth century, Iran underwent a process of constitutional reform (1905-1909). Under a constitution modelled on Western exemplars, a legislative body was created, though the monarchy was retained. The Majlis (parliament) had significant legislative rights and elected executives were accountable to it. To all intents and purposes, Iran became a constitutional monarchy. Iran was, however, in economic turmoil and it suited the worlds largest colonial power, the United Kingdom (UK), to keep matters that way. Elected governments were destabilized and with the US getting into the act in 1925, Colonel Reza Khan seized power after a coup with the backing of the two forces. Khan adopted the traditional name of Pahlavi and became an autocratic ruler: The Shah of Iran. The power of the constitutional reforms, however, forced him to continue with elected, though severely attenuated, governments. As discontent and opposition to the Shahs rapacious and brutal kleptocracy grew apace, so did support for a communist group and a centrist nationalist party, the National Front, led by a charismatic leader Muhammad Mossadeq. In 1951, Mossadeq, who wanted to nationalise the countrys oil reserves, was elected as the prime minister. As Mossadeqs power also grew, the Shah was forced to flee Iran in 1953. This was not compatible with the strategic interests of the colonial and neo-colonial powers, to wit, the UK and the US. Together they successfully plotted the overthrow of Mossadeqs elected government, just another Cold War casualty, reinstated the much-reviled Shah and kept him in power. The forces of Iranian nationalism deprived of a democratic space in which it could grow and flourish, gradually took on the colour of an orthodox Shia nationalism, led by the expatriate Ayatollah Khomeini, who finally overthrew the US-backed kleptocratic Shah and came to power. The US, and to a lesser extent the UK, are, therefore, historically responsible for the installation of a theocratic state in Iran. And, small wonder, it is the self-same arbiter of the destiny of nations, which is seeking, confessedly, to engineer regime change in Iran this time around with a hectoring incumbent occupying 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. India, which has traditionally had friendly ties with Iran, should have none of this delinquency. Interpol demanded an official 'clarification' from China on the whereabouts of its missing police chief Saturday, after reports said he was detained for questioning on arrival in his homeland. Beijing: Interpol demanded an official "clarification" from China on the whereabouts of its missing police chief Saturday, after reports said he was detained for questioning on arrival in his homeland. Beijing has remained silent over the mysterious disappearance of Meng Hongwei, who was last seen leaving for China in late September from the Interpol headquarters in Lyon, southeast France, a source close to the enquiry told AFP. His wife has since reported him missing. "Interpol has requested through official law enforcement channels clarification from China's authorities on the status of Interpol President Meng Hongwei," Jurgen Stock, the secretary-general of the international police body said in a statement. "Interpol's General Secretariat looks forward to an official response from China's authorities to address concerns over the President's well-being." It is the latest high-profile disappearance in China, where a number of top government officials, billionaire business magnates and even an A-list celebrity have vanished for weeks or months at a time. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to a request for comment from AFP. But news of his absence was swiftly followed by speculation that the 64-year-old Meng who also serves as a vice-minister of China's Ministry of Public Security had been swept up in Beijing's secretive anti-corruption campaign. Citing an anonymous source, the South China Morning Post said authorities from the country's disciplinary commission had snatched Meng upon arrival in Beijing. China's recently established National Supervisory Commission holds sweeping powers to investigate the country's public servants with few requirements for transparency. While the law requires authorities to inform family members of a detention, it makes exceptions for cases involving national security, terrorism, or concerns over the destruction of evidence or witness tampering. People have been known to disappear into the commission's custody for weeks or even months without a word. It is not clear why Meng the first Chinese president of Interpol would be under investigation. Chinese president Xi Jinping has presided over a popular anti-graft drive since coming to power in 2012 that has punished more than one million officials, with critics comparing it to a political purge. Meng rose up the ranks of the country's domestic security apparatus when it was under the leadership of Zhou Yongkang, a rival to Xi and the highest-ranking official to be brought down on corruption charges. Zhou who was sentenced to life in prison in 2014 was subsequently accused of conspiring to seize state power and authorities have continued working to root out his influence. He appointed Meng vice security minister in 2004. In the role, Meng has been entrusted with a number of sensitive portfolios, including heading up the country's counter-terrorism division, which saw him in charge of the response to several major incidents in China's fractious western region of Xinjiang. Critics of Meng's 2016 election to Interpol's presidency said he would use the position to help China target dissidents abroad under the guise of pursuing corrupt officials. Interpol has downplayed the concerns, saying the president has little influence over the organisation's day-to-day operations, which are handled by secretary-general Stock, a German. The Chinese effort to track down corrupt officials abroad, known as Operation Fox Hunt, has led to claims in some countries that Chinese law-enforcement agents have been operating covertly on their soil without the approval or consent of local authorities. China currently has 44 outstanding red notices, mostly related to murder, intentional injury and drug smuggling, according to Interpol's website. During Meng's tenure, Interpol issued a red notice for fugitive Chinese billionaire real estate tycoon Guo Wengui, who threatened to reveal corruption at the country's highest levels. Authorities in China and Hong Kong have accused Guo, who resides in the United States, of laundering billions of dollars among other crimes. On the flight to Tokyo, Pompeo said his aim was to 'develop sufficient trust' between Washington and Pyongyang to inch towards peace. Seoul: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hailed "progress" in talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang Sunday before landing in Seoul on a whirlwind diplomatic visit to the region. The top US diplomat met Kim for around two hours Sunday morning in the North's capital, where denuclearisation and a second US-North Korean summit were expected to be high on the agenda, before the pair shared a lunch together. "Had a good trip to Pyongyang to meet with Chairman Kim," Pompeo tweeted. "We continue to make progress on agreements made at Singapore Summit. Thanks for hosting me and my team." The visit was Pompeo's fourth to North Korea. US President Donald Trump met Kim in Singapore in June for the first-ever summit between the countries. Speaking to Pompeo via an interpreter following the morning's talks, Kim praised their "nice meeting". He added: "It's a very nice day that promises a good future ... for both countries." After a previous visit to Pyongyang in July, Pompeo had said the two foes had made progress on key issues. But within hours of the Secretary of State departing the North released a statement condemning "gangster-like" demands from the US, raising questions over how much the two sides really saw eye to eye. An official on Sunday's latest visit to Pyongyang with Pompeo said the trip was "better than the last time", but added: "It's going to be a long haul." Details of Sunday's discussions were not immediately available. But prior to the meeting, Pompeo tweeted that he would "continue our work to fulfill the commitments made (by) POTUS and Chairman Kim," using an acronym to refer to US President Donald Trump. On the flight to Tokyo, Pompeo said his aim was to "develop sufficient trust" between Washington and Pyongyang to inch towards peace. "Then we are also going to set up the next summit," said Pompeo. However, he played down expectations for a breakthrough. "I doubt we will get it nailed but begin to develop options for both location and timing for when Chairman Kim will meet with the president again. Maybe we will get further than that," said the top US diplomat. No sitting US president has ever visited North Korea, which according to human rights groups remains one of the most repressive countries on Earth. Since the Singapore summit, which yielded what critics charge was only a vague commitment by Kim towards denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, the road towards warmer ties has been bumpy. Trump scrapped a previously planned trip by his top diplomat to Pyongyang after what he said was insufficient progress towards implementing the terms of the Singapore declaration. But the unorthodox US president has also since declared himself "in love" with Kim. Washington and Pyongyang have sparred over the exact terms of their vaguely-worded agreement in Singapore, with the US pushing to maintain sanctions and pressure against the North until its "final, fully verified denuclearisation. In September, the North's foreign minister told the United Nations there was "no way" his country would disarm first as long as tough US sanctions remain against his country. Analysts say Washington may now consider new options as China, Russia and South Korea seek to relax sanctions. "North Korea took some steps towards denuclearisation and the US will face criticism from the international community if it continues to demand complete denuclearisation without any lifting of sanctions," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "We can't rule out the possibility that Washington... may move in the direction of partial easing of sanctions based on progress in denuclearisation," he said. Speaking alongside Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe earlier in the trip, Pompeo said the two historic allies would have a "fully coordinated, unified view of how to proceed, which will be what is needed if we are going to be successful on denuclearising North Korea." Pompeo landed Sunday afternoon in South Korea, whose dovish president Moon Jae-in has served as a go-between for the two sides. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has given a hint of what a grand bargain between the two countries could look like. In an interview with the Washington Post, she said the North could agree to dismantle Yongbyon, its signature nuclear site. "In exchange, the US would declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War - which concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty - but North Korea would stop short of delivering an exhaustive list of its nuclear facilities," she said. After Seoul, Pompeo ends his trip Monday in China, North Korea's political and economic lifeline. The Beijing stop could be tense as it comes days after Vice President Mike Pence delivered a blistering speech accusing China of military aggression, commercial theft, rising human rights violations and electoral intervention against Trump. Speaking at a ceremony to mark the 73rd founding anniversary of the Indonesian military, the leader also highlighted the militarys importance in safeguarding the national integrity and responding to natural disasters. On the occasion, he expressed his strong belief that the military will win further respect from other countries in the world, describing the work as evidence proving that the force is always the first and the most important in defending the country and providing help to the people. President Widodo and the participants observed a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the earthquakes and tsunami that hit Central Sulawesi province on September 28. Indonesia announced on October 5 the death toll from the disaster had swollen to 1,558. Central Sulawesi was ravaged by two devastating quakes measuring 6.1 and 7.5 on the Richter scale. The second was followed by giant tsunami waves on the afternoon of the same day, destroying thousands of houses and roads. The United Nations said that nearly 200,000 Indonesians, including tens of thousands of children, are in need of urgent aid. 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 series of earthquakes in July and August killed nearly 500 people on the holiday island of Lombok, hundreds of kilometres southwest of Sulawesi. In December 2004, a massive 9.1-magnitude earthquake off the northern Indonesian island of Sumatra triggered a tsunami across the Indian Ocean countries, killing 220,000 people in 13 countries, including more than 168,000 in Indonesia. VNA US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo headed to Pyongyang Sunday for new talks with Kim Jong-un on denuclearisation and a second US-North Korean summit. Seoul: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo headed to Pyongyang Sunday for new talks with Kim Jong-un on denuclearisation and a second US-North Korean summit. Pompeo departed from Tokyo, where he spent the first leg of a tour that will include stops in Pyongyang, South Korea and China. "Next stop Pyongyang to meet with Chairman Kim and continue our work to fulfil the commitments made (by) POTUS and Chairman Kim," Pompeo tweeted, using an acronym to refer to US President Donald Trump. The trip will be Pompeo's fourth to Pyongyang, as the contours of a possibly historic US-North Korea deal take shape. On the flight to Tokyo, Pompeo said his aim was to "develop sufficient trust" between Washington and Pyongyang to inch towards peace. "Then we are also going to set up the next summit," said Pompeo. However, he played down expectations for a breakthrough. "I doubt we will get it nailed but begin to develop options for both location and timing for when Chairman Kim will meet with the president again. Maybe we will get further than that," said the top US diplomat. In June, Trump met Kim in Singapore for the first-ever summit between the countries. No sitting US president has ever visited North Korea, which according to human rights groups remains one of the most repressive countries on Earth. Since the Singapore summit, which yielded what critics charge was only a vague commitment by Kim towards denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, the road towards warmer ties has been bumpy. Trump scrapped a previously planned trip by his top diplomat to Pyongyang after what he said was insufficient progress towards implementing the terms of the Singapore declaration. But the unorthodox US president has since declared himself "in love" with Kim. While the US has pushed to maintain pressure on the North until its "final, fully verifiable denuclearisation", analysts say Washington may consider new options as China, Russia and South Korea seek to relax sanctions. "North Korea took some steps towards denuclearisation and the US will face criticism from the international community if it continues to demand complete denuclearisation without any lifting of sanctions," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "We can't rule out the possibility that Washington... may move in the direction of partial easing of sanctions based on progress in denuclearisation," he said. Speaking alongside Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Pompeo said the two historic allies would have a "fully coordinated, unified view of how to proceed, which will be what is needed if we are going to be successful on denuclearising North Korea." Japan, which has seen North Korean missiles fly over its territory and been threatened with annihilation, has historically taken a hard line on Pyongyang and stressed the need to maintain pressure on the regime. More recently, however, Abe has said the only way to improve strained ties is a face-to-face meeting with former international pariah Kim. After Pyongyang, Pompeo travels to South Korea, whose dovish president Moon Jae-in has served as a go-between for the two sides. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has given a hint of what a grand bargain between the two countries could look like. In an interview with the Washington Post, she said the North could agree to dismantle Yongbyon, its signature nuclear site. In exchange, the United States would declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War which concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty but North Korea would stop short of delivering an exhaustive list of its nuclear facilities, she said. Pompeo, who has repeatedly declined to be drawn publicly on the shape of an eventual agreement, did not discuss the possible outlines of a deal, saying only that his "mission is to make sure that we understand what each side is truly trying to achieve". After Seoul, Pompeo ends his trip Monday in China, North Korea's political and economic lifeline. The Beijing stop could be tense as it comes days after Vice President Mike Pence delivered a blistering speech accusing China of military aggression, commercial theft, rising human rights violations and electoral intervention against Trump. Social Security provides retirement benefits to more than 47 million retired workers at the end of their careers, as well as support to family members of those workers. The vast majority of workers earn benefits by paying into the Social Security system through payroll taxes. Yet what many people don't realize is that there are some workers who aren't part of Social Security. They don't have to pay Social Security payroll taxes on their earnings during their careers, but they also can't count on the program to provide retirement benefits. In particular, teachers and other public sector workers in 15 states across the country get left out of Social Security in many cases. How Social Security works for most people For most workers, participation in Social Security is almost automatic. Employees pay a 6.2% payroll tax to fund Social Security, which employers match dollar for dollar. Once you've accumulated 40 Social Security credits -- which for most workers takes 10 years -- you're entitled to retirement benefits on your own work history. The longer you work in the Social Security system, and the more money you make, the larger your benefits will be. The public sector exception from Social Security However, some state government employees, including teachers, don't pay Social Security payroll taxes and aren't entitled to retirement benefits from Social Security. The history of this practice dates all the way back to Social Security's formation, when the law was intended to cover only private employees. At the time, it wasn't clear whether the federal government could force states to pay payroll taxes. Only in the 1950s did the rules change, allowing states to have the ability to join Social Security. The majority of states elected to enroll their government workers in Social Security. At that point, those workers started paying payroll taxes, and they earned their retirement benefits in the same way as any other worker. However, not every state participated. Now teachers in 12 states -- Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, and Texas -- don't have coverage arrangements with Social Security. In addition, three other states -- Georgia, Kentucky, and Rhode Island -- have varying degrees of coverage that differ by school district. What it means for teachers Lack of Social Security coverage doesn't mean that teachers in these states are left completely high and dry. In order to opt out of Social Security, states had to provide pensions that would provide benefits that were at least as good as what Social Security would provide. However, the big problem that teachers in these states face is when they have some work during their careers that is covered by Social Security. In the 35 states that do participate in Social Security, total work history produces predictable and desirable results that are based on an entire career's worth of earnings. By contrast, how Social Security interacts with public sector pensions doesn't always provide for a clean calculation of total benefits. For some, the Windfall Elimination Provision can take away a portion of Social Security benefits even when workers have otherwise met all the requirements. Others who are eligible for Social Security spousal benefits -- because the teacher's spouse qualifies for retirement benefits -- find that the Government Pension Offset can in some cases completely eliminate that potential Social Security payment. Understand your retirement benefits If you work as a teacher in one of the states listed above, it's vital to understand the conditions under which your pension benefits will kick in. That way, you can use those figures to run calculations and determine what impact your pension will have on any Social Security benefits you're entitled to receive. The public sector exception to Social Security is easy to overlook. Even though you'll save the payroll taxes you'd otherwise have to pay to Social Security, some teachers won't be pleased at the trade-off of having severe limits on any Social Security benefits they'd otherwise get. 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. Spreading the message Students across all nine South African provinces get The Truth About Drugs through the Church-sponsored drug education program. South Africans have the unfortunate reputation of living in one of the top 10 countries for narcotic and alcohol abuse in the world. According to national health studies, an estimated 15 percent of South Africans face drug-abuse issues, and the age at which drug dependency often starts is as low as 12 years old. Carmen Margro once was among those abusing drugs. She became addicted to crack cocaine, and it took six months of dependency before she decided to get help. I went into a rehabilitation center for about 14 days, relapsed three times, Carmen told Freedom. And then I started realizing that it didnt just start by using drugsand this was only by reading through The Truth About Drugs and the Drug-Free World (DFW) materialthe problem started way before then. It started when I was diagnosed with depression and I was given antidepressants. I was given sleeping tablets. I was given pain tablets. I was in and out of the hospital with different operations and it was an ongoing thing. When Carmen became drug-free, she set out on a mission that culminated in her work as CEO and founder of Leading African Women and Hope Online. Her journey began with a call to action invitation to train 3,000 volunteers in South Africa to address drug issues. The Johannesburg native then launched training for volunteers, and arranged for the Drug-Free World South Africa team to march in Eldorado Park in Soweto to distribute anti-drug information. By March 2015, Carmen had formed her own Drug-Free World group and set out on a provincial campaign. One month later, she became executive director of Drug-Free World South Africa, which held 45 events in one day using the South African subchapters for the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. You have to be defiant and tell yourself that this is what I need to dothe same way that you went out looking for that drug every day. Because right now, youre fighting for your life. Carmen Margro, Drug-Free World South Africa Carmens dedication led her to realize the best way to leave the drug culture behind is by going out there and helping peopletelling people, giving my time. DFW South Africa has expanded to 40 chapters nationwide. The regional departments of education in three of South Africas provinces today use Drug-Free World materials in all of their schools. Recently, South Africas National Department of Education for Basic Education sent a letter to Drug-Free World South Africa allowing the schools in all nine of South Africas provinces to implement the Truth About Drugs program. For addicts out there who really feel like there is no hope, look at me today, Carmen said. Im one example that its not easy. Its a fight. You have to wake up every day. You have to be defiant and tell yourself that this is what I need to dothe same way that you went out looking for that drug every day. Because right now, youre fighting for your life. Nobody else can do it for you. You have to do it yourself. Watch her story on the Scientology Network and on demand at Scientology.tv As an impromptu exercise this morning I decided to read two news featuresat the extreme ends of the spectrum of human existencesimultaneously. Two paragraphs here, two there and then back again. One was a piece in The Guardian headlined Beheadings, roadside bombs and airstrikes: one day in Afghanistan and the other in The New York Times headlined Around the World in a Day With Carmen Electra. It was a deeply upending experience which I recommend anyone who can spare about half an hour. In one corner of the world, a grotesquely unconscionable war burning for the past 17 yearstoday is the Afghan wars 17th anniversaryand in another a chronicle of a ceaselessly glamorous life of Carmen Electra. Just consider these two paragraphs as a juxtaposition. From the Guardian: Three beheadings at a school, and an airstrike after 11pm were the last of the conflict-related violence recorded in Afghanistan on 30 June. Taking place on the first day after a three-day ceasefire, these incidents were the culmination of a day of murder and maiming, shootings, explosions, aerial bombardments and one unclaimed political assassination. For everyone except the injured survivors and families of the dead, it was an unexceptional day in a conflict that much of the world appears to have forgotten. There were no such attacks in big cities, no key battles, just the ceaseless grind of war. From The New York Times: At the last minute, I almost backed out. I was really nervous because you have to wear something. You know what I mean? Just a little something, said Ms. Electra. My publicist said, No, youre going to be barefoot. I go, Barefoot and naked? I havent done that one. The way something like Playboy works, you would start off almost like a striptease, where youre wearing stuff, and that gets you comfortable, Ms. Electra said. They would say, O.K., take off the corset. Then youd be in little panties, or whatever, and a bra. One thing comes off but I always had shoes. Beheadings at a school versus a celebs dilemma whether to take off her shoes for a shoot after taking off everything else on her. In the interest of clarity, I am not at all censuring Carmen Electra or her lifestyle but merely using them to illustrate the existential absurdities of human life as contrasted by one 24-hour, blood-soaked period in Afghanistan. By the time I finished reading the two features, I was both tickled and traumatized in equal measure. While reading the Afghan piece it struck me yet again that there has been no serious attempt to fix accountability for the utterly misanthropic bloodletting going on for 17 years. People forgot who was fighting whom and for what purpose a long time ago. Now it is just perpetual killing fields in a country that catches no break. On a single dayJune 3060 people died across the country and barely found any mention in the international media.Individuals do not matter in a war like Afghanistan, it seems. They are just faceless bundles of human flesh, bones and blood which had life once. On the other hand, the most significant challenge a single individualnamely Carmen Electrafaces is whether to keep her shoes on while posing nude. Let me reiterate that I am not even remotely judging her life but merely using it to underline how bizarrely uneven human lives are. More power to Carmen Electra for being able to do what she wants and when she wants. It is not her fault that the relentless Afghan war continues to strangle an entire country in broad daylight. After just four rounds, Khabib Nurmagomedov has taken down Conor McGregor through submission. The moment Mcgregor tapped out, with Khabib holding him in a chokehold, the Russian UFC fighter spun out of control, screaming in McGregor's face then jumping the Octogan's fence and getting into a full noise dust up with McGregor's team. Meanwhile, someone in Khabib's own team vaulted into the Octagon and launched an attack on a stunned McGregor. Soon after, McGregor was escorted out off the building by a hoard of security. Having defended his belt, the UFC champion demanded he be presented wih it, however he was hushed by President Dana White, who told him he's not getting his belt, out of fear of the crowd getting hostile. Probably a little late for that, mate. Security then escorted Khabib out of the venue as he was attacked with water bottles by the furious Irish. Commentator Joe Rogan has said that Khabib will be facing huge fines following his win, due to the serious misconduct. Le Collectif Cheikh Yassine a organise un certain nombre dactivites et de festivites pour les enfants de Gaza sous le theme La joie des enfants de Gaza pour lAid . Ces activites ont commence le premier jour de lAid et continue jusquau 4eme jour de lAid dans la bande de Gaza. Plusieurs activites, ont ete organisees parmi lesquelles : des competitions recompensees par des prix, des jeux, des animations et des chants presentes par un groupe ainsi que des distributions de cadeaux et daides financieres. Ice Attraction was nowhere to be found in the early stages of Sundays $72,000 Allerage Farms Fillies & Mares Open Trot, but she was a major force in the closing strides for trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt. Ice Attraction rallied from last to first en route to shaving one-fifth of a second off Ariana Gs 1:50.2 world record for four-year-trotting mares on a one-mile oval. Royal Witch shot to the top and carved out the opening quarter in :27 before race favourite Broadway Donna brushed to the top in the backstretch. She rolled the field to the half in :55 before coming under pressure from the first-over Caprice Hill around the final turn. Those two locked up in a big league tussle on the way to the three-quarter pole in 1:23, but Broadway Donna succumbed to the pressure by making a break in deep stretch. Caprice Hill tried to shake loose late, but Svanstedt and Ice Attraction stormed up on the outside of the track and collared that mare in the closing strides. Ice Attraction went on to freeze the teletimer in 1:50.1 en route to defeating Caprice Hill and the classy veteran, Charmed Life. Last year [winning the Kentucky Filly Futurity] was a real shock. This year was just a nice suprirse, co-owner Jeff Gural said. Shes been racing good but shes had bad luckshes just been shuffled too far back. And of course with a seven-horse race and a horse breaking that makes it a lot easier. Ice Attraction, who was crowned the queen of the 2017 Kentucky Filly Futurity, won for just the second time this season for Ake Svanstedt Inc, Douglas Sipple, Mal And Janet Burroughs and Little E LLC. The daughter of Muscle Hill-The Ice Queen is an 11-time winner with career earnings totalling $615,066. Be sure to check out the rest of the coverage from Kentucky Futurity Day in the 2018 Kentucky Futurity Day News Centre. Google Assistant Google Assistant communicates with you just like Siri, only with better responses. Now a part of most Android phones, you can access it by holding the home button or as is the case in some devices, by squeezing the phone by its sides. The Google Pixelbook comes with a dedicated Google Assistant button. In addition to making calendar appointments and answering questions, it can also place calls and make reservations on your behalf. Cortana The biggest appeal of Cortana is its cross-platform availability. The advantage is that you can send a text message from your laptop when you miss a call. If you are already using Cortana on your laptop or Xbox, installing it on your phone is a great way to keep things consistent. Cortana also works well with Amazon Echo devices. Amazon Alexa The popularity of the Amazon Echo smart speakers has made Alexa a household name throughout the world. While the Android app can tell you about the weather, read off headlines and tell you a joke just like the smart speaker, if you have integrated smart home products with Amazon's ecosystem, Alexa offers a great way of controlling it all. You don't need to have an Amazon Echo smart speaker in order to pick up Alexa. Lyra Virtual Assistant Formerly known as Indigo and debuting five years ago as a Siri alternative, Lyra made it possible to continue conversations across multiple devices. Once you have logged in on your computer or have installed the mobile app, you can pick up a conversation regardless of where you are. Robin Robin is something that was designed as a challenger for Siri. It comes from a smaller developer so you do not have to worry about your information falling into the hands of big players. But Siri is more of a driving assistant than a way to surface information. Dragon Mobile Assistant This is the one you should go for if you want a more corporate feel but without worrying about the privacy concerns associated with using a personal assistant. Made by Nuance, a company known for impressive voice dictation software for PCs and mobile devices. It responds to the phrase "Hello Dragon" and although not very conversational, has the ability to provide answers to basic questions about the weather and other general questions. Smart Voice Assistant The first thing that you will need to do after having installed the app is going through a list of features that you will be able to activate via voice commands and then add your custom keywords. Once you get that out of the way, you have a way of issuing commands anytime and not have to worry about things being misunderstood. Operation Rescue Congratulates Judge Kavanaugh on His Confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court info.operationrescue@gmail.com Contact: Troy Newman, President, 316-683-6790 ext. 111; Cheryl Sullenger, Senior Vice President, 316-516-3034; both with Operation Rescue WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2018 / Standard Newswire / -- Operation Rescue congratulates Judge Brett Kavanaugh on his confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court. The following quote is attributable to Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue: The confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh represents a turning point in American jurisprudence, which has suffered under the activist philosophies of those who have all too often legislated from the bench. Roe v. Wade was such wrongly decided ruling that has cost over 60 million innocent lives. I understand that overturning that horrendous decision will take time, but now, I believe we are now at last on the final road to accomplishing our goal of ending abortion in America. I look forward to President Trump's next Supreme court pick, and pray the process will not stoop to the same level of rancor that Judge Kavanaugh was forced to endure. The following quote is attributable to Cheryl Sullenger, Senior Vice President, Operation Rescue: Sexual assault is a very serious crime, and needs to be taken seriously. However, in this case, the allegations never rang true and appeared to be completely motivated by politics. Many women said we should trust the accusers without question or corroboration, but this was always an unjust and insincere request. Instead, as a woman, I chose to trust the evidence, of which there was none, and above all, trust God to use the process to reveal the truth. That's why we never wavered in our support of Judge Kavanaugh, and in fact, became more certain he was the man for the job as the process dragged on. I am so very proud of Judge Kavanaugh for withstanding the vicious onslaught of baseless gutter-level attacks that tried so desperately destroy him and provoke his withdrawal from the process. From the beginning when his name was first announced, I had faith that President Trump chose well, and I not have great faith that Judge Kavanaugh will distinguish himself on the Supreme Court with unbiased decisions based in the law. ISTANBUL - Turkey has concluded that Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent journalist from Saudi Arabia, was killed in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul last week by a Saudi team sent "specifically for the murder," two people with knowledge of the probe said Saturday. Turkish investigators believe a 15-member team "came from Saudi Arabia. It was a preplanned murder," said one of the people. Both spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. They offered no specific evidence to back up the account. Earlier Saturday, however, Turkey's Anadolu news agency said the Istanbul public prosecutor's office had opened a probe into Khashoggi's disappearance. Turkish authorities have said that Khashoggi never left the consulate. Saudi Arabia had vehemently denied that Khashoggi, who contributed to The Washington Post's Global Opinions section, was detained after he entered the mission. In an interview with Bloomberg last week, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said Khashoggi had left the consulate shortly after he arrived Tuesday. Saudi officials have yet to provide any evidence for that assertion. The Saudi consul-general in Istanbul allowed reporters from the Reuters news agency to tour the consulate Saturday, to show that Khashoggi was not inside. "I would like to confirm that . . . Jamal is not at the consulate nor in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the consulate and the embassy are working to search for him," the consul-general, Mohammed al-Otaibi, was quoted as saying. Later Saturday, the Saudi Press Agency released a statement saying that an unidentified official at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul dismissed the reports that Khashoggi had been killed in the consulate. "The official strongly denounced these baseless allegations, and expressed doubt that they came from Turkish officials that are informed of the investigation or are authorized to comment on the issue," the statement says, in part. It goes on to say that a "security delegation of Saudi investigators" arrived in Istanbul on Saturday, and that they were there to assist in investigating Khashoggi's disappearance. The United States is aware of The Post report but cannot confirm it, and does not know where Khashoggi is, a senior U.S. official said Saturday. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the case on the record. U.S. officials did not immediately comment on the Turkish conclusions. The conflicting accounts appeared certain to deepen a rift between Saudi Arabia and Turkey, both regional powers that have competed for influence in the region. The killing, if confirmed, would mark a startling escalation of Saudi Arabia's effort to silence dissent. Under direction from the crown prince, Saudi authorities have carried out hundreds of arrests under the banner of national security, rounding up clerics, business executives and even women's rights advocates. "If the reports of Jamal's murder are true, it is a monstrous and unfathomable act," Fred Hiatt, the director of The Post's editorial page, said in a statement. "Jamal was - or, as we hope, is - a committed, courageous journalist. He writes out of a sense of love for his country and deep faith in human dignity and freedom. He is respected in his country, in the Middle East and throughout the world. We have been enormously proud to publish his writings." Khashoggi may have been considered especially dangerous by the Saudi leadership, analysts said. His criticisms of the royal family and its vast powers were delivered from his self-imposed exile in the United States and could not be dismissed as the complaints of a longtime dissident. Rather, he has long been a pillar of the Saudi establishment who was close to its ruling circles for decades, had worked as an editor at Saudi news outlets and had been an adviser to a former Saudi intelligence chief. Khashoggi first visited the consulate on Sept. 28 to obtain a document related to his upcoming wedding, according to his fiancee and friends. He returned to the consulate on Tuesday, at about 1:30 p.m., concerned that he might not be allowed to leave, according to his fiance, Hatice Cengiz. Khashoggi left his phone with her, along with instructions that she should call a member of Turkey's governing party if he did not emerge. After waiting more than four hours, Cengiz called the police, she said. Within a day, Turkish officials were saying they had no evidence that Khashoggi had ever left the consulate while Saudi officials were insisting that the journalist had left fairly quickly. The episode was made more confounding by the thicket of security cameras around the consulate, monitoring its entrances and perched on the walls of villas nearby. But neither government has released any video. In Turkey, Khashoggi's disappearance, and the allegation that his government was responsible, has sparked fears among the many political dissidents from Arab countries who have settled in the country over the past few years and previously felt secure, according to a Saudi dissident living in Istanbul. "It's a new era," he said. - - - The Washington Post's Anne Gearan contributed to this report. The new government in Baghdad has evoked two broad reactions in Washington: hope and dread. My Bloomberg Opinion colleague Meghan O'Sullivan is encouraged by Iraq's new president and designated prime minister, Barham Salih and Adil Abdul-Mahdi. Both men have longstanding relationships with the U.S. government and have played important roles in building a new Iraq from the ashes of Saddam Hussein's tyranny. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is more pessimistic. Looking at Iraq's new government, he declared Iran the "clear winner," tweeting that the chief of Iran's potent Quds Force, Qassem Suleimani, had brokered the deal for the new government. U.S. and Iraqi officials with whom I spoke told me the Iranians did not get everything they wanted, but neither did the Americans. Salih and Abdul-Mahdi represent a kind of compromise. The Iranians supported the coalition of Shiite religious parties represented by former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and militia leaders like Hadi al-Amiri. Iran also favored another Kurdish candidate for the presidency favored by a rival Kurdish party. U.S. special envoy Brett McGurk, on the other hand, favored the slate of candidates affiliated with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. McGurk was instrumental in getting the Iraqi parliament to support al-Abadi over Maliki in 2014, a key condition for deeper U.S. military involvement in the fight against the Islamic State. In the end, it was an Iraqi who was most influential in the negotiations: Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the 88-year-old head of the Shiite hawzas of Najaf, set the stage for Abdul-Mahdi's selection as prime minister when he released a statement urging "new faces" in the next government. That ruled out Maliki and al-Abadi. Sistani's position was understandable. The party that won the largest bloc in parliament in May was affiliated with the rebellious cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, a leader of the Shiite insurrection against U.S. forces in Iraq in 2004 and 2005 who has emerged as a fierce critic of Iranian influence in Iraq in recent years. His bloc, which includes communists and other outsiders, was most blunt in criticizing the corruption that has become endemic to Baghdad politics. The unrest and desire for change has only become more pronounced since the spring. Protesters torched government ministry buildings and the Iranian consulate last month in Basra, Iraq's third largest city and an important hub for its chief export, oil. They demanded more jobs, a functioning power grid and an end to widespread corruption. One of the organizers of those protests, a human rights activist named Suad al-Ali, was shot dead in the street last month. Al-Ali's murder also coincides with renewed threats from Iranian-backed militias against the U.S. U.S. officials tell me there is an increasing risk that those militias intend to kidnap Americans in Iraq. That's one factor that led the U.S. to suspend operations in its consulate in Basra. Another is U.S. allegations that those militias fired rockets and mortar rounds at the consulate last month. Hostility between the U.S. and Shiite militias is nothing new. One such group, Asaib al-Haq, was responsible for the brutal murder of U.S. troops near Karbala in 2007. More recently, however, there has been an uneasy ceasefire between U.S. forces and the militias during the fight against the Islamic State. What does all this have to do with the new government in Iraq? Between the election in May and the recent protests in Basra, Iraqis are making it clear that they don't want to be a vassal state of Iran. This presents an opportunity. The new Iraqi government will have to show its independence. With a little skill and luck, the U.S. can quietly give Abdul-Mahdi the support he needs to push back against Iran and address the economic misery in places like Basra. To do that however, the U.S. needs to signal its commitment to Iraqi cities under threat from the militias. Barbara Leaf, who served as a senior U.S. diplomat in Basra in 2010 and 2011, told me when she served there, the consulate was shelled two to three times a week. By suspending operations in Basra, she said, the U.S. is sending the wrong message "not just to the Iraqi government, but to the Iraqi people." She's right. And there is another audience for this message: Suleimani and his many proxies in Iraq. Surely he needs to know that a few threats and errant rockets cannot drive the U.S. out of a city whose people are fed up with the thieves and terrorists he has empowered. --- Lake is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering national security and foreign policy. He was the senior national security correspondent for the Daily Beast and covered national security and intelligence for the Washington Times, the New York Sun and UPI. There are no phones quite like the LG V40 ThinQ, a rugged handset with a refined taste in multimedia. Its the first phone with five cameras on board, three on the back and two on the front. More importantly, we could argue that this is the first triple camera done right. Three lenses, three fields of view 107, 78, 47. Mechanized optics for zooming never caught on in the mobile world, so this is the only way to overcome the last remaining advantage of point & shoot cameras. Huawei and Leica produced the first phone with a triple camera on its back, but we felt that the B&W sensor wasnt strictly necessary. Not when you have a massive Quad Bayer sensor for low-light. Thats why we like LGs setup better. Speaking of sensor size and low-light performance, the main 78 camera of the V40 features large 1.4m pixels and a brighter f/1.5 aperture, quite an improvement compared to the LG G7 (1.0m, f/1.6). LG even adopted Dual Pixel AF, which offers fast and accurate focus locks in most lighting situations (we think its a fine replacement of Laser AF). Then theres a dual selfie camera on the front, something LG hasnt done since the V10, the original V-series phone. Like it, the V40 ThinQ takes durability seriously with MIL-STD-810G compliance in addition to the usual IP68 waterproofing. Theres no grippy rubber back anymore, but the fast wireless charging is a fine development. The V-series is not one to give into trends just because. Case in point the V10 had a proto-notch because LG found a good use for it, not because it wanted to copy Apple. That was before the iPhone X, anyway (but we digress). Similarly, LG hasnt given into the whole no headphone jack trend the company is in the business of selling you phones with 32-bit Quad DACs, not Bluetooth headphones. Plus, the BoomBox speaker is constructed like a dedicated speaker with a resonance chamber to produce a deeper bass. The speaker was tuned by Meridian to boot. You can find more details on the flagship in our hands-on (if youre not in the mood for reading, watch the video instead). Don't forget to check out the camera samples! When youre done, you can cast your vote LG V40 ThinQ, love it or hate it? Published on 2018/10/07 | Source Hyundai and its affiliate Kia's combined sales are expected to surpass 1 million cars in Europe, the carmakers said on Wednesday. Advertisement 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. Published on 2018/10/07 | Source U.S. citizens' support for the American troop presence in South Korea has risen to a record 74 percent, a survey by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs released Monday suggests. The figure rose from 60 percent in 2012 and 70 percent in 2016. Advertisement But asked what their position would be if North Korea agrees to complete denuclearization, 54 percent said they would favor a partial withdrawal of the U.S. Forces Korea, while 18 percent supported complete withdrawal. President Moon Jae-in said during a luncheon celebrating the 70th Armed Forces Day at Cheong Wa Dae on Monday, "The USFK will continue to serve as peacekeepers in Korea and contribute to stability and peace in Northeast Asia". His speech seems to be aimed at quelling fears of a U.S. withdrawal being on offer in return for North Korea's denuclearization. In the poll, a record 64 percent also said the U.S. must protect South Korea if North Korea attacks, compared to only 26 percent in the 1990 survey. Support seems to have grown as North Korea appeared on the radar of ordinary Americans, who typically have little curiosity about the outside world. Even if North Korea agrees to a denuclearization program, 51 percent said joint military drills between South Korea and the U.S. must continue, while 44 percent said they should stop. Also, 77 percent called for stronger economic sanctions against North Korea in case denuclearization does not happen, while 37 percent said they support military action against North Korean nuclear facilities and 25 percent said they would back the overthrow of the North Korean regime by military force. This survey was conducted on 2,016 adults from July 12 to 31. Published on 2018/10/07 | Source The basic taxi fare in Seoul is expected to increase to W4,000 next year, with the nighttime surcharge beginning an hour earlier (US$1=W1,122). Advertisement The Seoul Metropolitan Government agreed on the increase at a meeting on Tuesday with taxi companies and unions, and civic groups. The last time the fare was increased was in October 2013 when it went up from W2,400 to W3,000. The night surcharge will be applied from 11:00 p.m., instead of midnight, to 4:00 a.m. The city government will make a final decision on the increase after listening to public opinions and consultation with the city council in late December. Some citizens are expressing concerns, as the increase is quite steep. A 28-year-old office worker said, "I have to take a taxi to get to a subway station almost every day on my way to work. The hike will be financially burdensome to me". At the same time, the city government will introduce new measures to improve taxi services. Taxi drivers who refuse to take passengers will be suspended for seven to 10 days. By Panos Kotzathanasis | Published on 2018/10/06 The film that launched Moon Hee's career is a testament to its times (1966), particularly regarding the youths of the country and their search for an identity after the Korean war, when the whole country was experiencing a crisis on all fronts. Advertisement On a rainy day, car mechanic Cheol-soo stumbles upon Yeong-hee, a housemaid at the French ambassador's house. As the woman wears an expensive French coat her mistress gifted to her, Cheol-soo, who is a very ambitious man, mistakes the girl for a rich one, and introduces himself as the son of a rich businessman and acts as if the luxury sedan he is actually test-driving, belongs to him. Yeong-hee also has similar sentiments, and in order to impress him, introduces herself as the daughter of the French ambassador. After a date full of passion and lies, the two agree to meet the next time it rains. This tendency continues for a number of dates, and the two of them fall more and more in love with each other, but at the same time, their effort to sustain their lies becomes harder, particularly for Cheol-soo, who exploits everyone around him in his search for money. Eventually, their lies come back to bite them. Jung Jin-woo directs a film with two obvious goals. The first one is to highlight the penetration of the western culture (French clothes, American music) in the Korean youth of the time, who was searching for an identity after the war, and was quite susceptible to those elements. The second is to present the concept of "one could lie so much", through a distinct crime and punishment approach that begins to show during the last part of the film, mainly towards Cheol-soo, who is the one that goes to greater lengths to sustain his deceit. An old lady that owns a convenience store outside the ambassador's mansion also serves as a rather amusing metaphor for the latter concept, with her repeatedly complaining about fake briquettes, that cannot sustain a fire, with the parallel with the two liars and their relationship being quite obvious. Jung, however, makes a point of highlighting who the most despicable is, as he presents Cheol-soo as a womanizer who will stop at nothing in order to achieve his goal of a greater status. Starting with the way he immediately ditches his former girlfriend upon his meeting of Yeong-hee, who actually supported him financially for a long time, while he does not shy away from exploiting the simpleton colleague of him or from pawning away the things that his friends loan him in order to get money to sustain his fake image. This aspect finds its apogee during the finale, through the way the relationship concludes. The punishment he inevitably receives for his actions completely turns the narrative in the last part of the film, where violence takes over, as Cheol-soo becomes the victim of his attitude, in the most horrid way. The scene where he is almost lynched by a mob is probably the most shocking in the film, while the whole part functions as tragic irony, considering that his efforts are rooted in a fake hope. Kang Shing Sung-il embodies all the aforementioned elements exceptionally, in a rather impressive performance. On the other hand, Yeong-hee is presented as a woman who mostly goes along with a lie instigated by her beau, with her purpose being mostly a relationship rather than a change of status. However, both the tragic irony and the crime and punishment part also apply on her, although in radically different fashion than of Cheol-soo's. Moon Hee is also great in the part, with her highlighting both her feelings for the man she met so unexpectedly and her mischievousness. Yu Jae-hyeong black and white cinematography is one of the film's best aspects, with him presenting the radically different settings of the living quarters of the two protagonists with precision and in direct contrast, while a number of bucolic shots near the end are quite beautiful. The violent scenes are also very well shot, communicating the agony of the protagonist, while Kim Hui-su's editing also finds its apogee in those scenes, while retaining a rather fast pace for the entirety of the movie. "Early Rain" is a great sample of the "youth movie" that became a tendency in Korean cinema during the 60's and the 70's and a rather impactful film that thrives on both content and presentation. Review by Panos Kotzathanasis Facebook "Early Rain" is directed by Jung Jin-woo and features Moon Hee, Kang-Shin Sung-il and Twist Kim. By William Schwartz | Published on 2018/10/06 Going by promotional materials one would probably be inclined to think of "The Soul-Mate" as being a typical supernatural odd couple buddy cop comedy. Jang-soo (played by Ma Dong-seok) is a beefy middled-aged judo instructor. Tae-jin (played by Kim Young-kwang) is the currently incorporeal young cop who only Jang-soo can see. Together, they fight crime. In actuality Jang-soo and Tae-jin spend a ridiculous amount of time engaging in petty bickering before the ghost thing comes up at all. Advertisement More than the petty personality clash Jang-soo and Tae-jin have wildly differing life philosophies. Tae-jin became a cop to catch bad guys, however much the extra work greatly annoys his fiance, fishmonger Hyeon-ji (played by Lee Yoo-young). By the way "The Soul-Mate" takes place in a minor town on South Korea's western coast- which is relevant considering the equally petty small scale nature of the criminal gang Tae-jin brushes up against. Note how I only mention Tae-jin. The gang isn't really Jang-soo's problem, and he's reluctant to get involved with Tae-jin's problems even though the big man often wears a big gaudy shirt with "Justice Always Wins" highlighted on the back. It's quite awhile before we find out just why it is that a big tough guy with an impressionable and adorable young daughter is so reluctant to set a good example- although the explanation, when it comes, is pretty good. That's the main conflict. Tae-jin is a static and frequently boring character who's oddly disconcerted with the likely prospect of his immediate death. It doesn't help that Lee Yoo-young, in stark contrast to Kim Young-kwang, is much better at emoting grief. Jang-soo is the one with a serious character arc, as he contrasts Tae-jin's plight to his own. In reality all of us are living on borrowed time- and what's significant about Tae-jin is that he stubbornly insists on trying to solve the case in spite of that. This thematic point is also highlighted in subplots with Tae-jin's fellow officers. But all this narrative analysis is a bit far afield. "The Soul-Mate" really is just an affably goofy comedy where Jang-soo and Tae-jin bounce off of one another. There aren't really solid punchlines here so much as there are a lot of smile-worthy moments. That goofy gag of extras watching perplexed as Jang-soo yells at someone they can't see is done just often enough to feel fresh, even if it's an extremely obvious joke for this kind of genre comedy. "The Soul-Mate" is not an especially slick production. This movie has to rely on charm, chemistry, and good old-fashioned unambiguous moral values to carry the day. So I'm honestly surprised I liked it as much as I did. The whole conceptual idea of this movie veers dangerously close to corniness and the script runs perilously close to obvious plot holes about how exactly the whole ghost thing even works. But you know what? I liked that Tae-jin moves on from his cynicism to make the world a better place. That kind of warm fuzzy feeling beats aesthetics every time. Review by William Schwartz "The Soul-Mate" is directed by Jo Won-hee-I and features Ma Dong-seok, Kim Young-kwang and Lee Yoo-young. Published on 2018/10/07 | Source Korea marks the 70th anniversary of Korea's Armed Forces Day last Monday. Commemorating soldiers' service and sacrifice, the main event of the day takes place at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul in the evening. Advertisement Unlike some of the previous ceremonies, this year's Armed Forces Day will not include large military parades. Instead, future combat systems such as the Army's warrior platform and dronebots will be on display. Taking place at night for the first time, the event will also feature performances by K-pop stars like Psy. We're a family of seven living in Georgia where Andrew's working as a professor at GSU. You can read more about us here All gave some; some gave all. Here's how to honor veterans this year Over the last two decades, China has invested more than $125 billion in Africa to build ports, highways, airports, railways and other infrastructure. Chinese President Xi Jinping says funds, to the tune of $60 billion, will continue to flow because inadequate infrastructure is believed to be the biggest bottleneck to Africas development. Chinas largesse has certainly benefited the continent. An Indian innovation, however, could be what African countries really need: Aadhaar. The biometric identification system has given hundreds of millions of citizens a portable digital ID, allowing them to receive government services, join the banking system and otherwise partake in the formal economy. The need for similar technology in Africa is acute: According to the World Bank, the continent is home to 502 million of the worlds identity-less individuals, half of the global total and roughly 40 percent of Africas population. The problem is worse for women, who in many African countries are critical to family finances. In low-income countries surveyed by the World Bank, over 45 percent of women lacked identification, compared to 30 percent of men. These citizens face towering social and political challenges. Services such as education, health care and welfare are often targeted and delivered on the basis of identification, thereby bypassing those who need them most. In many African countries, individuals are required to show identity when registering a mobile phone or signing up for value-added services such as Africas pervasive, feature phone-based mobile money systems. Getting a formal bank account is even harder, which helps explain why over half of Africas population remains unbanked. Those who cant vote because of a lack of identification are politically excluded, which only reinforces their economic isolation. The Aadhaar system creates a 12-digit unique identification number for each citizen, issued on the basis of biometric and demographic data. Data is stored centrally and enrollment is free, simple and document-light. From the start, particular efforts have been made to enroll women and ensure that births are recorded (and prenatal benefits received). By most metrics, the system has been a success. Over 1.2 billion people have enrolled, including in rural locations disconnected from the modern digital economy, making Aadhaar the worlds largest biometric database. Its improved access and delivery of government services, and promoted digital and financial inclusion. According to one recent survey, more than three-quarters of new bank accounts in three Indian states were opened using Aadhaar biometric data, while mobile-phone registrations have boomed. Not all of these benefits will hold, of course. Privacy concerns and bureaucratic interference are beginning to curb the private sectors ability to use Aadhaar. But theres no turning back to a pre-identity India. At a September roundtable at the United Nations, the World Bank estimated it will cost $6 billion to meet Africas civil registration and digital identification needs by 2030. Currently, at least 23 projects are underway. Some are country-specific, while others focus on regional solutions designed to ensure that the new IDs are interoperable across Africas porous borders. The potential benefits are immense. Registering women and births can play a crucial role in curbing threats from child marriage to sex trafficking. Africa is also home to the worlds highest rates of female entrepreneurship (more than a quarter of adult females in sub-Saharan Africa are engaged in early-stage entrepreneurial activity). Digital IDs would enable them to acquire bank accounts, save assets, register property and formalize their businesses. A continent-wide system similar to Aadhaar could be even more beneficial. Africa is home to large volumes of intra-continental economic migration, and individuals who cross borders without identification are forced to use irregular channels that promote smuggling. Migrants who might have been exploited in the past would be able to assert their citizenship rights, both at home and abroad. That could be especially valuable for Africas large population of forcibly displaced people. Above all, an African Aadhaar would help to spur digital and mobile innovations in a region thats been a pioneer in fintech and shown a capacity to leapfrog older technologies. More people with registered mobile phone accounts means more opportunities to leverage Africas emerging digital sector. At a time when Africa is building more physical highways than ever before, the digital ID could be the expressway it actually needs. (Adam Minter is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is the author of Junkyard Planet: Travels in the Billion-Dollar Trash Trade. To contact the author of this story: Adam Minter at aminter@bloomberg.net.) (The views expressed are personal.) Actor Shilpa Shetty on Sunday said it is time women spoke about their harassment but not under the hashtag MeToo but YouToo as it is the men who are at fault. Shilpa applauded Tanushree Dutta for speaking up about the alleged harassment she faced from Nana Patekar on a films set ten years ago and said it has kick-started a movement. In any milieu, actors, entrepreneurs, the working environment should feel safe. That should be a prerequisite. This entire movement which has been initiated by Tanushree Dutta, my heart goes out to her, as a woman and on a human level because something like this was brushed under the carpet, Shilpa told PTI. Patekar has denied the allegations of sexual harassment. Shilpa said women should not feel weak or blame themselves and should rather be strong today. We dont know the nitty-gritties of the goings on but it has kick-started a movement. People have suffered. Its time women wake up and take charge. It shouldnt be hashtag MeToo, it should be YouToo, for the men. Its shouldnt be the women, cowing down and saying oh #MeToo, she added. Reality show judge Malaika Arora also spoke on the subject. She said it is important to create safe working environment for women and believes the only way to achieve that is if women come out and name perpetrators.We can keep talking about it that we want to work in a safe environment. But the only way we can achieve that is when we talk about it and actually call out the supposed perpetrators. Thats the only way, Malaika told PTI. Actor Pulkit Samrat requested the film fraternity to come together and remove toxic people from the industry. The Fukrey actor on Sunday took to social media to share a lengthy letter expressing his stance on the whole row. As a part of the Bollywood industry that stands by values such as equality, freedom, and non-discrimination, I feel I need to stand up and address the hypocrisy. The case in point: Tanushree Dutta accusing Nana Patekar of harassment on the sets of a film. As soon as the story broke out, I heard the usual talk going around: Why didnt she say all of this sooner? Why did she wait for almost a decade since the incident? Nana Patekar? But he is such a nice guy. He has done so much for farmers, he wrote in the letter. Pulkit then blamed the society for encouraging silence.As a society, we somehow encourage the culture of silence. We are scared to rub powerful people the wrong way for fear of repercussions it might have on our career or social standing. Apathy of authorities does not help matters. Follow @htshowbiz for more Nearly 150 Scheduled Caste (SC) members of Huneti village in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand have threatened to change their religion if they are not provided with burial rights at a 0.96 hectare traditional land. The families have alleged that members of the so-called upper castes are objecting to providing a route, and the ground. The SC villagers submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate (DM) on Saturday. We will be compelled to change our religion if the government wont provide us a proper route to our traditional burial land, which is opposed by upper caste people, said Arjun Ram, an SC villager in Huneti. Under the Member of Legislative Assembly Local Area Development (MLALAD) scheme, Rs 1.5 lakh was provided to the local administration for construction of the cremation ground. However, people belonging to the upper castes refused to provide passage, and the ground. It is discrimination by upper caste people, who are not allowing the passage and also the rights to the land, where we have traditional burial rights. We will be forced to change our religion if the government wont provide us the rights, said Rakesh Kohli, another villager who was among those who handed the memorandum to the DM. Bhagwan Singh, a social worker in the area advocates the demand. The onus is on the government and district administration to convince the upper caste villagers not to disturb the religious sentiments of the SC villagers in the area. SK Pandey, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Pithoragarh said that the land has already been identified by the administration for the construction of a permanent tin shed, meant for burial rituals of SC community residing in Haneti village. We have prepared the spot report on the matter, which will be submitted and a decision will be taken by the DM, he said. Pithoragarh district magistrate C Ravishankar said he was yet to see the report, and therefore cant comment on the issue right now. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday wrote to chief ministers of 11 states that are not ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), seeking their support in his stand against the proposed amendments to the Electricity Act, 2003. Kejriwal said he will also travel to these states to build a consensus to stall the amendments. The electricity (amendment) bill, 2014, was introduced in the Lok Sabha in December 2014. It was then referred to the standing committee on energy, and after its recommendations, consultations were held with all states. The Centre had sent the proposed amendments to the states for their feedback on September 7. According to the draft amendments, the Centre wants to give consumers a wider choice by promoting competition in the power distribution sector and addressing contracting issues with medium- and long-term power purchase agreements. It will allow consumers to buy electricity from a power firm of their choice. Alleging that the changes would lead to an immediate and steep hike in electricity tariffs, Kejriwal asked the CMs to give the draconian proposal wide publicity and make people aware of how it will hit ordinary folks. The proposed amendments to the Electricity Act, 2003 are a matter of serious concern as they concentrate all powers in the electricity sector in the hands of central government to the exclusion of state governments and it will lead to an immediate steep hike in electricity tariffs, stated the letter, copies of which were released to the media. A draft of the proposed amendments to the Electricity Act, 2003 has also been circulated among the CMs of the 11 states for their perusal. The letter has been sent to Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), N Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh), Pinarayi Vijayan (Kerala), HD Kumaraswamy (Karnataka), V Narayanasamy (Puducherry ), Edapaddi K Palaniswami (Tamil Nadu), Lal Thanhawla (Mizoram), Amarinder Singh (Punjab), K Chandrashekhar Rao (Telangana), Naveen Patnaik (Odisha) and Pawan Chamling (Sikkim). It appears that the motive of the central government is to impose and hasten privatisation of electricity all over the country and to favour a few companies. By concentrating all powers with itself, the Centre will be able to do that, the letter read. Kejriwal has been critical of the electricity amendment bill, calling it draconian, because it, according to him, it would put an end to cross-subsidy, which, at present, helps keep electricity tariffs lower for small, medium and agricultural consumers by imposing higher rates on industrial and commercial consumers. We all need to get together to ensure the central government does not succeed in getting this amendment bill passed in Parliament, he urged the leaders. Responding to his allegation, the BJP, which leads the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre, said the proposed amendments to the Act, on the contrary, will help lower power tariffs. Kejriwal is completely rattled by the success of the BJP-led central government. He has connivance with power companies in the city, said Delhi BJP general secretary Rajesh Bhatia. At a public meeting in the Rohini neighbourhood, Kejriwal told the gathering he will travel to the states and meet the chief ministers to secure their backing in the fight against the proposed amendments. If the Modi government passes the amendments, power tariff in Delhi will become R7.5 per unit for all consumers in every category, Kejriwal said at the meeting on Saturday. In Delhi, power tariffs for consumers who use up to 400 units, which comprise 85% of all electricity connections in the city, will have to be hiked by over five times, he has said earlier. In the national capital, the average cost of power is R7.4 per unit. A 40-year-old man died after his neighbour allegedly hit him with an iron rod for dumping a dead rat near his house in outer Delhis Kirari area, police said on Friday. The incident took place on Monday. Police said they were informed about the incident by the hospital authorities the next day, following which they registered a case. The victim died on Thursday during the course of his treatment, a police official said. A case has been registered and we are probing the matter, Seju P Kuruvilla, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) said. The body was sent for post-mortem, police said, adding that the accused is yet to be arrested. According to a recent Delhi Police data, 62 of the 337 killings (18.39 per cent) reported till September 15 this year in Delhi took place due to sudden provocation over trivial issues. Over the last few days, Nasa satellites have picked up several red dots inside Delhi, indicating that incidents of waste burning in the open are continuing unabated in the national capital, despite a ban. Concerned that these incidents could worsen the already deteriorating air quality in Delhi, the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) has directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and other government agencies to step up vigil. Nasa satellites have picked up several red dots within Delhi, in areas such as Narela, Najafgarh and Bawana. Red dots have also appeared in Gurugram. These, however, cant be incidents of stubble burning as agriculture is not practiced in these areas. These dots mostly likely indicate burning of plastic and garbage in the open in industrial areas, Bhure Lal, chairman, EPCA, said. Red dots, appearing on the Nasas Fire Information for Resource Management System, indicate any kind of active fires, including stubble burning in northwest India, forest fires and even garbage burning. A satellite wont be able to detect small fires such as a burning matchstick or a chulla (oven) inside a house. The fire has to be big, generate huge amount of heat and should continue for a few hours for satellites to detect it, a senior official of the DPCC said. Soon after the southwest monsoon retreated from Delhi on October 1, the air quality of Delhi registered a marked decline. The air quality has remained in the poor category for three consecutive days now. On Saturday the AQI value for Delhi was 209. On Friday several areas in Delhi such as Bawana, Narela, Delhi Technological University (DTC), Mundka, Dwarka Sector-8 and Anand Vihar recorded very poor levels of pollution. Satellite towns such as Gurgaon and Ghaziabad also recorded very poor air quality. EPCA has asked the DPCC to depute environment marshals in some of the industrial areas such as Bawana and Narela where authorities apprehend plastic or garbage burning to be going on undetected. We already have around 83 environment marshals on the ground. We would depute more in industrial areas to step up vigil. If necessary, more environment marshals would be deployed, a senior official of the state environment department said. Since January, environment marshals have flagged around 10,000 violations, helping authorities take action against violators and curb air pollution. This year, we already have the required laws, guidelines and bans in place. There is a ban in force on the use of pet coke and furnace oil and DPCC has come up with a list of approved fuel. CPCB has set permissible limits for industries with regard to SO2 and NO2 emissions. We just need to implement them and for this, we require more men on the ground, Sunita Narain, member, EPCA, said. IGNOUs Campus Placement Cell in association with regional centres of Delhi-NCR is organising campus placement drive on Tuesday, October 9. The placement drive starts at 10am at Baba Saheb Ambedkar Convention Centre, IGNOU Campus, New Delhi - 68. The placement drive is being held to hire business development executives in banking sector. Graduates and post graduate programme students are eligible to participate in the drive. The students are required to carry two copies of their latest resume (having IGNOU enrolment no.), ID proof, address proof, and passport size photographs for the interview. Selected candidates will be required to join immediately. The list of selected/shortlisted students will be declared at the end of the day. For further details visit IGNOU website or click here. The West Bengal police recruitment board has declared the result of the preliminary examination to recruit sub-inspector/lady sub-inspector of police (unarmed branch) and sub-inspector of police (armed branch) in the state police on its official website policewb.gov.in. The exam was held on July 29, 2018. Here is the direct link to check the result on the official website Candidates need to enter their Application Sl. No. and date of birth to check the result on the login page. The short listed candidates need to appear in Physical Measurement Test (PMT) and Physical Efficiency Test (PET) scheduled to commence tentatively on and from November 15. The e-admit cards for the PMT and PET will be available on the official website from November 5 onwards. SMS alerts will also be sent to the candidates. The board will not responsible for non-delivery of such SMS. No paper admit card will sent by post to the candidates who have applied online nor will it be made available from the office of the West Bengal Police Recruitment Board. The candidates must carry their e-admit card while going for PMT and PET. They should also carry identical photographs along with proof of identity as described in the admit cards. Note: Follow instructions on the admit card and visit the official website of West Bengal Police regularly for latest updates. West Bengal Police SI, LSI result 2018: Steps to check 1) Visit the official website of West Bengal Police 2) Click on the link for result on the home page 3) Key in your application number, date of birth and select your district and submit on the login page that opens 4) The result will be displayed on the screen 5) Take a print out and save it on your computer. Tripura, which the Communist Party of India (Marxist) ruled for an uninterrupted 25 years, will hold a religious extravaganza at the famous Tripura Sundari temple this Diwali to restore the cultural identity of the state now governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), two people familiar with the matter said. A three-day yajna (a ritual to invoke the blessings of the gods) is planned between November 7 and 9 and invitations have gone out to all four Shankaracharyas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and senior union ministers, too, will be invited, the first person quoted in the story said on condition of anonymity. We are also planning to invite the chief ministers of the northeastern states (too). It will be a big event to restore the religious and cultural identity of Tripura. Tripura Sundari a temple dedicated to goddess Parvati is one of the 51 so-called Shakti Peethas, shrines dedicated to goddess Parvati , and a new committee, headed by chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb took over the management of the temple in April this year. Deb became chief minister of Tripura, the first BJP leader to occupy the top position, in March. Under Marxist rule, Tripuras cultural history was gradually ignored and icons like Marx and Lenin were promoted. We want to reverse this and bring places like Tripura Sundari temple on the world map, the second person said. The first person said, During CPM rule, yajna was not allowed on the temple premises, even as a religious fair is organised every year around Diwali. A yajna under the current regime will also be a manifestation of the change that the state has seen. Debs officer-on-special duty, Sanjay Mishra, said the state government has finalised a detailed plan to develop the temple in Udaipur district as a world-class destination for religious tourism. We are planning to develop Tripura Sundari temple on the lines of Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir. About Rs 150 crore will be spent on this. Head priests of the Sabarimala hill shrine and erstwhile rulers associated with the Lord Ayyappa temple on Sunday rejected Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayans offer for talks over the Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all ages to worship at the complex, saying the government had already decided to enforce the order. Hundreds of devotees have protested in Kerala since September 28, when the Supreme Court, in a 4-1 verdict, lifted the centuries-old ban on women of menstruating age from entering the temple, saying it was upholding the rights to equality of worship. The temple authorities have said the ban is essential to the rites related to the deity, who is considered eternally celibate. Mohanaru Kandarau, one of the three priests at the Sabarimala temple, said there was no point in talking with the government as it had already decided to enforce the order. Let the government first file a review plea in the Supreme Court. Then we can talk, he said. Kandarau said they will go for a review petition. The Pandalam royals, who are associated with the temple, also rejected the offer of talks, which were scheduled for Monday. The Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Kerala government, which has accepted the order of the apex court and is making safety arrangements for the women devotees, reiterated its stand after the tantris (chief priests) backed out of the talks. We dont have any other options left. We will go ahead with the order of the highest court, said state temple affairs minister Kadakampally Surendran. The verdict has come in for criticism from Union minister and top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley, who said the court was selective in targeting one practice. If you want to take a progressive step under article 14 and 21, it will apply uniformly against all religions. It cannot happen that you select a practice and apply it because that will have many social consequences in a pluralistic society like India, Jaitley, the Union finance minister, said at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit on Saturday. Justice Indu Malhotra, the lone dissenting judge and the only woman judge in the five-member bench that struck down the ban on women at the temple, said in her judgment that notions of rationality cannot be invoked in matters of religion. The Travancore Devasom Board (TDB), which runs the temple, has issued a circular to appoint women officials and police at the hilltop temple. We have to comply with the court order. We will make arrangements to appoint women officials and others to ensure safety of women devotees, said TDB commissioner N Vasu. Kandarau said on Sunday that allowing women to enter the temple will obliterate its divinity. Entry of women of reproductive age will affect temple customs and will destroy the divinity of the temple, he said, adding that deploying women cops will hurt temple customs. About 600 women security personnel will be stationed at the shrine, according to the state police chief, Loknath Behra. The temple is set to open on October 18 for monthly rituals and the TDB has said no woman devotee will be stopped from worshipping there. Many outfits have, however, threatened to prevent women from entering the shrine. Amid protests against the SC order, the state units of the BJP and Congress have supported the demands of a review petition. Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma on Sunday defended the state unit seeking a review of the SC judgement urged the central and state governments to take a call on the issue. They (state unit leaders) are the best judges to connect with the local tradition, historical practices and sentiments to ensure there is a balance, he told reporters in Kochi. Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Jaitley said that for instance, the courts observations could mean polygamy, oral divorce, or other religions where women are not allowed entry into places of worship are no longer allowed. If you want to be progressive and bold, you cant be selectively so, Jaitley said. If you are willing to proclaim you must be willing to strike not only willing to strike at one target but willing to uniformly strike. In her order, Justice Malhotra, whose dissenting voice sparked hope among those supporting the ban, said: Religious practices cannot solely be tested on the basis of the right to equality. It is up to the worshippers, not the court, to decide what is the religions essential practice. Pathanamthitta district, where the Sabarimala temple is located, observed a shutdown on Sunday called by the BJPs Yuva Morcha. Kottayam and Tripunithura in Kochi also witnessed big rallies by political outfits to demand a review of the apex court order. The Left Front government blamed the BJP and Congress for trying to exploit the sentiments of believers. Eyeing votes, some parties are fanning trouble. Their mischief wont succeed. It is nothing but cheap politics, said Surendran. On Saturday, scion of the Pandalam royal family and the custodian of the temple, Sasikumar Verma, and chief priest Rajeevaru Kandararu participated in a protest rally in Kottayam district. A woman in Assams Dhubri district was beaten up and partially stripped by an angry mob which also tonsured her and poured hot water on her for opposing the marriage of her underage son to a minor girl. Rashima Bibi, 39, was attacked on October 2 at Boterhat village, but police swung into action four days later on Saturday after a video of the incident was widely shared. According to police, the victims 19-year-old son from her second marriage was forcibly married off to a minor girl a few months ago by her second husband Mantu Sheikh despite her opposition. The legal age of marriage for a man in India is 21 years. Sheikh and family members of the girls family were unhappy with Bibi as she had registered a case in this regard in August and the some of the accused were arrested, said Dhubri superintendant of police Longnit Terong. Several members of the girls family including some women cornered Bibi on October 2 and tonsured her head. Some of her clothes were also removed and hot water poured on her, he added. In the video, few women are seen beating Bibi, pulling at her clothes and tonsuring her head in broad daylight on a road while several bystanders are recording the assault on their phones. Based on a complaint by the victims third husband Moinul Haque, the police have arrested three women involved in the incident and are on the lookout for several others. Police said both Rashima Bibis son and his wife have since been separated and are living with their parents. Bibi is admitted at a hospital at Cooch Behar in West Bengal for treatment. Child marriages have witnessed a spurt in Assam in recent years. The government told the state assembly last month that there have been 317 incidents of child marriages in 2017-18 compared to from 96 in 2016-17 and 32 in 2015-16. According to a report on child marriages and teenage pregnancy in India released recently by National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Assam with 16.7% of child marriages is among the 12 states in India with higher than the national average of 11.9%. Nine districts in Assam are ranked among the top 100 districts in the country with high incidents of child marriages. Dhubri ranks 17 in the list. Rajasthan has alternated between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress in the last five assembly elections. Voters here havent elected the same party to power for two terms in a row. This is the Congresss biggest advantage and BJPs biggest challenge in this years assembly elections. The Congress is upbeat over its victories in recent bypolls to two Lok Sabha Alwar and Ajmer and one assembly (Mandalgarh) seats all held by the BJP. The Congress hopes to carry the momentum into the state polls riding on anti-incumbency sentiment. However, it also faces a leadership challenge as people are unclear about who will lead the government if the party is voted to power. While state Congress chief Sachin Pilot is being credited for the partys bypoll victories, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot enjoys mass popularity. The party hasnt named a chief ministerial face. The BJP won a record 163 seats in the 200-member assembly in 2013 elections. It, however, is facing unrest among its workers and traditional vote banks such as the Rajputs and the Gujjars. Party cadres feel ignored, claiming that chief minister Vasundhara Raje remained inaccessible to them. After the bypoll losses, Raje started an outreach initiative and travelled across the state, first holding public meetings at different locations and then launching the Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra to showcase the work done by her government. Rajasthan was also high on the agenda of BJP president Amit Shah, who held several meetings with party workers. Though the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has announced that it will contest all seats in Rajasthan, non-Congress, non-BJP parties have never got more than 10% of the votes. Former faculty member of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, Manohar Lal Yadav said the BJP knows that its electoral prospects are not too good in Rajasthan. It needs more time to campaign; that is why probably the polling in Rajasthan has been kept to the last and theres a gap of nine days between voting in MP and Rajasthan, he said. Farm crisis Rajasthan, for the first time, witnessed suicides by farmers following crop failure and low costs for the produce in the local markets. Farmers protested in several parts of the state and the police used force against them in some places. Caste conundrum Four communities Gujjars, Jats, Meenas and Rajputs who together can decide wholl form next government, have flexed muscle before the polls, making several demands. Main players Chief minister Vasundhara Raje is leading the Bharatiya Janata Party. She, however, faces peoples anger. It will also be interesting to see if Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, MP from Jodhpur and partys convenor of the election management committee, can pull out a trick or two . For Congress, former CM Ashok Gehlot remains the most popular face but at the same time state party chief Sachin Pilot is credited with steering the Congress to three major bypoll victories in February this year. A BJP worker was beaten by the wife of an IPS officer in Rudrapur on Saturday for allegedly sending her obscene messages. A video of the incident went viral on social media. A BJP worker of Sitarganj lives with his family in our society. He was sending obscene messages on her mobile. She rang us and told about her plight on Saturday. On learning this, we went to the BJP workers flat, but instead of realising his fault, he started misbehaving with us, said Devendra Shahi, president of Metropolise resident welfare society. The woman got furious and started to beat him with her slippers, Shahi said. Police reached on the spot but no case was lodged as the woman forgave him after he apologised to her, he said. The woman, whose husband is posted in Uttar Pradesh, refused to talk to the media. The incident sparked uneasiness in the ruling party. The incident has maligned the image of the party. The party must see into the incident and take proper action, BJP leader and local MLA Raj Kumar said. BJP US Nagar district unit president Shiv Arora said: The incident has come into our notice. Party will take proper action against him. With a day left before the state goes for the first phase of local bodies election on October 8, high security arrangements placed across various districts, including polling stations. As many as 2,990 candidates are in the fray for the four-phased urban local bodies (ULB) polls in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Saturday. The polling will be held in south Kashmirs Kokernag and north Kashmirs Baramulla, Handwara, Kupwara, Bandipore and three wards of Srinagar municipal corporation. We are taking no chances. The polling stations where people will cast their votes have been properly secured, a senior official said. He added that additional check points have been set up on the Jammu and Kashmir National Highway (NH 44) and other highways leading towards the polling areas. Around 40,000 additional forces have been deployed and three-tier security will be placed around the polling stations, the official said. The army has been asked to go for area domination to deter militants or their supporters from targeting candidates, he said. Director general of state police Dilbag Singh said, About 450 to 500 OGWs of militants who were issuing threats and hatching conspiracies to sabotage the election process were arrested over the past one week, He said the police and other security agencies were fully prepared to face any kind of situation for smooth conduct of the polls. Officials said in the wake of recent attack on Friday where two National Conference workers were killed by the militants, the security of the candidates has been further beefed up. All the candidates have been given proper security, including secure accommodation. We are taking all the necessary precautions for smooth conduct of the polls, an official said. Government holiday has also been declared in all the areas where polling will be held. Governor reviews arrangements Governor Satya Pal Malik took a detailed review of the security situation in the state at Raj Bhavan, said an official on Saturday. The meeting included senior civil, police, central armed police, army, and state and central intelligence agencies. In first phase, 1,283 candidates are in the fray with 1,010 from Jammu, 207 from Kashmir and 66 from Ladakh for 422 wards (247 in Jammu, 149 in Kashmir, 26 in Ladakh), the official said. The second phase will seal the fate of 1,094 contestants in 218 wards in Jammu region and 166 wards in Kashmir valley, the official said, adding that 61 candidates got elected unopposed in this phase. In the third phase, a total of 411 candidates are trying their luck - 242 in 56 wards of Jammu province and 169 in 151 wards of Kashmir valley, the official said. Forty nine candidates got elected unopposed in this phase, the official said. Similarly, 202 candidates are in the fray for the fourth and final phase under which are 132 wards. Migrant workers in Gujarat remained on the edge on Sunday amid alleged threats and violence they have been facing after a 14-month-old was raped in the states Himmatnagar district last month. Raghuvir Sahu, a ceramic factory worker from Bihar, has been arrested for allegedly raping the baby. The rape has triggered attacks on workers in Mehsana, Sabarkantha and Aravali districts since September 28. Police said two men from Uttar Pradesh were assaulted in Ahmedabads Ghatlodia and Sardarnagar areas on Sunday. Migrant workers have been leaving for Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar ahead of the usual time this holiday season, with many alleging they have been asked to leave by October 8. Uttar Bharatiya Vikas Parishad (North Indian Development Council) president Shyamsinh Thakur said they have received reports that migrants have been asked to leave by October 8. We fear that if this escalates, it may sow the seeds of a regional divide, said Thakur. Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive officer Hasmukh Hingu echoed Thakur and said they too had been receiving reports about threats to migrant labourers. In some cases, they have been injured also. He said a large number of migrant labourers are part of the industrial workforce in Gujarat. The industries are running overtime to meet deadlines before Diwali. We appeal to the government to take adequate measures. Bhavani Lal, who lives in Ahmedabads Chandlodiya, said they were planning to leave for Madhya Pradeshs Bhind around Diwali. But due to tensions in our area in Ahmedabad, we have decided leave early. We have not received any direct threat... Rupesh Sikarwar of Satyam Travels in Meghaninagar said they usually run a daily bus service for Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh. But these days, we are running an extra bus or two due to the rush. Some are panic-stricken while others are going back for other reasons. Pappu Chottelal said around 1,200 to 1,400 migrants from Madhya Pradesh like him live in Chandlodiya. Over the last few days, some 150 of them have returned... Though police have been patrolling in the area, some people came on Saturday and threatened us to leave. Gujarat police chief Shivanand Jha on Sunday visited violence-hit areas and insisted that migrants were mostly leaving because of the holiday season. many people are leaving because of Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath (festivals) are around the corner. I have asked policemen to talk to people and assure them of security in case they are leaving out of fear. Police have arrested over 300 people for the violence. Five persons have been arrested for spreading rumours on the social media, said Jha. He added they have provided security in industrial and residential areas in the affected areas. Congress lawmaker Alpesh Thakor has threatened an agitation for the release some of the men from his Kshatriya Thakor Sena , who have been arrested for the violence. He said his community men have been falsely implicated. Deputy CMNitin Patel said they know who and which party is behind the violence. Moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was Sunday placed under house arrest ahead of the first phase of urban local body (ULB) polls in Jammu and Kashmir. Elections to ULBs in the state will start from Monday and be held in four phases. On October 2, police took Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Yasin Malik into preventive custody. Hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani continues to be under house detention. Under #HouseArrest!Peculiar"Democratic"process of elections"gearing up "as huge deployment of forces,PSAs, incarcerations,house arrests,raids Curbs,internet bans gather momentum! Not to mention the unknown contestants and amused public ! What mockery of democracy is at display! Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (@MirwaizKashmir) October 7, 2018 The three separatist leaders under the banner of Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) have called for boycott of the polls beginning Monday. A Kashmiri student who was studying engineering at a college in Dehradun has joined a militant outfit two weeks after he went missing, police said on Sunday. He has joined the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit, said Kulgam superintendent of police Harmeet Singh. Shoaib Ahmed Lone , 21, was a BTech (IT) student at Dehraduns Alpine Institute of Management and Technology (AIMT). He left Dehradun on September 20 saying he had a flight for Srinagar from Chandigarh, but never reached home. His family members came to know about his joining the militant outfit from photographs on social media. Locals said that Lone was raised by his mother after his father, a militant, was killed in the early nineties. The SP also confirmed the fact. AIMT director SK Chauhan said, We came to know about his joining militancy after officials from security agencies inquired about him. Chauhan said after sitting for his fourth semester examination in June, Lone left for home and was supposed to return to college in August. When we enquired about him at his house, they said his mother was ill due to which he couldnt return. However, on September 19, he returned to the institute but left within a day saying his mother is seriously ill and he has a flight from Chandigarh for Srinagar... Lones mother, who lives in Bumrath village in Kulgam, has made a passionate video appealing him to return. I am Shoaibs mother. Besides God nobody is there for me. I plead that if he is with any Tanzeem (organisation) please send him home... He is innocent, he made a mistake. He should come back... I will take poison. Then he is free to do anything, she said in the video. Amid fears of US sanctions over the S-400 deal with Russia, Army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat on Sunday asserted that India follows an independent policy and was also keen on getting the Kamov helicopters and other weapon systems from the Moscow. India and Russia on Friday signed a multi-billion-dollar deal to procure the S-400 Triumf air defence system, which could attract sanctions under the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). The act is primarily aimed at countering Russia, Iran and North Korea. India and Russia concluded the deal notwithstanding the US warning that it would be a focus area for it to implement punitive sanctions against a nation undertaking significant business deals with the Russians. The US passed the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act earlier this year, and said countries trading with Russias defence and intelligence sectors would face automatic sanctions under the sweeping legislation. Gen. Rawat, who returned on Saturday night after a six-day visit to Russia, held talks with military officials of that country to enhance bilateral cooperation. He said the Russians were very keen on associating with the Indian Army and defence forces. Because they do understand that we are a strong Army, capable of standing up for what is right for us, based on our strategic thought process, he said. The Army chief was speaking at the Gen. K V Krishna Rao Memorial lecture here. On his Russian visit, Gen. Rawat recalled a question posed to him by a Russian naval officer that India seemed to be looking westwards at America, which has put sanctions on Russia, and that Washington has also threatened to impose restrictions on New Delhi for dealing with Moscow. To this, Rawat responded saying, Yes, we do appreciate that there could be sanctions on us, but we follow an independent policy. Rawat also sought to assuage Russian concerns over Indias growing ties with the US. You (Russia) can be rest assured (that) while we may be associating with America in getting some technology, but we follow an independent policy. I told them while we are talking sanctions and you are questioning on sanctions, President Vladimir Putin and Mr. Narendra Modi, at this juncture, are signing the treaty on purchase of S-400 weapon system inspite of the fact that we may face challenges from America in the future, the Army chief said. Rawat said India was looking forward to procuring Kamov helicopters and other weapon systems and technology from Russia.He said New Delhi was looking to get space based systems and technologies from Moscow to enhance its space capabilities. There is no end in sight to the manner in which we can cooperate with your country. I think the way forward is to see what is best for the nation, strategically important for us, he had said. Migrant labourers in Ahmedabad and north Gujarat are keeping their fingers crossed following threats to leave the state by October 8 in the wake of the rape of a 14-month-old baby allegedly by a worker from Bihar in Himmatnagar district last month. The threats have not stopped despite a warning from the states police chief. After sporadic incidents of attacks in Mehsana, Sabarkantha and Aravali districts between September 28 and October 4, labourers maintained that threats have not stopped. One Raghuvir Sahu, a worker at a ceramic factory was arrested in connection with the rape. Earlier this week, a backlash against non-Gujaratis following Sahus arrest sparked an exodus of migrant workers hailing from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. They come to our houses and ask us to leave, said Devendra Rathod, a resident of Ahmedanbads Chandlodiya area. Devendra, who has his roots in Bhind district of Madhya Pradesh, said that some of his neighbours gave in to the threats and left for their native places in MP. But most of those going back do not have a permanent house here, he added. I was born and brought up here. We have our own house. This is our place. We cannot leave anywhere, Rathod added. Chandlodiya is home to migrants from MP, Rajasthan and UP engaged in masonry, painting and fabrication works. Pappu Chottelal, also a resident of Chandlodiya and a native of MP, said, Around 1,200 to 1,400 migrants from MP live in this area. Over the last few days, some 150 of them have returned to MP. Though police have been patrolling in the area, some miscreants came on Saturday night and threatened us to leave. Shyamsinh Thakur, president of Uttar Bharatiya Vikas Parishad, said they are hoping for some action from police to quell the threats. We have received reports that in many parts of Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Sabarkantha and Aravali districts migrants have been asked to leave by October 8. We have asked them to contact the local police, said Thakur. We have never before experienced such threats in Gujarat. We fear that if this escalates, it may sow the seeds of regional divide, added Thakur. The toddler who was assaulted belongs to Thakor community. Congress MLA and OBC leader Alpesh Thakor has announced to sit on an indefinite fast from October 8 demanding justice and compensation for the victim. The government has announced a compensation of Rs 3 lakh to the family of the minor rape victim. Thakor is demanding that the amount be raised to Rs 5 lakh. We have been maintaining peace. Our men have been falsely implicated. With a demand to withdraw cases against them, we will begin agitation from October 18, Thakor said. Meanwhile, the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry has asked the government to take adequate security measures for protection of labourers. We have been receiving reports about threats being issued to migrant labourers. In some cases, they have been injured also. The GCCI condemns these attacks, said CEO Hasmukh Hingu, adding, A large number of migrant labourers account for the work force in many industries in Gujarat. Industries at this time are running overtime to meet deadlines before Diwali. We appeal to the government to take adequate measures. Shivanand Jha, Director General of Police, said, We have rounded up 180 persons for threats and violence. The attacks were sparked off by social media posts. The Gujarat police cyber cell has been roped in to trace those behind the rumors. Jha also said that police patrolling and security covers around industrial towns and areas in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and districts of north Gujarat have beefed up to avoid any untoward incident. Such incidents will not be tolerated, he warned. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has written to the Gujarat High Court Chief Justice to set up fast track courts for rape cases of minors. Rupani has specifically mentioned Himmatnagar and two other cases from Surat, where two five-year-old girls were raped. Will Smith may be one of the worlds most bankable movie stars, but his decision to turn actor wasnt exactly out of choice. When he did make up his mind that acting was what he wanted to do, the Hollywood star failed all the way to the top. Smith, who celebrated his 50th birthday last month by jumping out of a chopper over the Grand Canyon, gained prominence as a rapper in the 1980s and then moved on to acting, with a starring role in the hit sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. I was young; I was growing up... I didnt pay my taxes... They (Internal Revenue Service) come and they start taking your things. So my transition from music to acting wasnt exactly a choice. I was like, oh man, I need to do something to make some new money, Smith said to a burst of laughter at the 16th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit on Saturday. In the first three years of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, the IRS was taking 70% of my money. I was still broke, he joked. The Men In Black star said that having gotten a second shot, he decided he never wanted to be broke again. I got really disciplined. I wanted to be the biggest movie star, Smith said. He looked up the 10 biggest grossing movies and figured out a pattern. Smith said nine out of 10 of them had special effects and creatures and most of them had special effects, creatures and a love story. And just like that, he had the winning formula. During the 1990s and the 2000s, Smith emerged as one of the worlds most successful leading men with roles in films such as Independence Day and Bad Boys. His boxoffice streak of delivering eight consecutive films to have grossed more than $100 million in the US remains unmatched. The lessons he learned along the way? Fail early, fail often, fail forward, he quoted a popular saying. You fail your way to the top... I have been lucky enough to embrace failure, Smith said about his success story. The two-time Oscar nominee said this is possibly his 10th trip to India. (I have) loved it here for a lot of years. The contrast was always so beautiful to me that at any street corner, you could cross a thousand years. Towards the end of the session, the Hollywood star tried Bhangra, the Punjabi dance, by imitating the hand and shoulder gestures displayed Farhan Akhtar, the moderator of the session. When asked if he had any plans for making his Bollywood debut, Smith said: I am doing a show called the Bucket List... One of the things on the Bucket List was that I wanted to be dancing in a Bollywood sequence... I would love to do some work with Aishwarya (Rai Bachchan). He also paid tribute to legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, whose biopic Ali Smith starred in. Playing Ali was the most formative time in my career. It changed me forever. Anytime you go that far into a character, a piece just stays with you. Nothing for Ali was ever above people and love. In our lives we put money and our products above people. Ali taught us that if you care for people you will have everything. Smith has played the lead role in two other biopics, including The Pursuit of Happyness. It is such a beautiful thing to have an opportunity as an actor to wear the skin of someone you admire so much, he said. It was time to rejoice for 550 Lucknow students who set a Guinness World Record for conducting DNA isolation experiment of banana simultaneously. They achieved this feat during the ongoing India International Science Festival (IISF 2018) on Saturday. The students of GD Goenka Public School (aged between 13 to 17 years) took 61 minutes to carry out lesson explanation with slides support and experiment demonstration on stage in the presence of scientists from the ministry of science and technology. Guinness World Record adjudicator Rishi Nath issued the certificate after NBRI director Prof SK Barik and Biotech Park CEO Pramod Tandon gave their confirmation about 550 students successfully accomplishing the task, at the behest of ministry of science and technology, Government of India. The previous record was held by 302 children and was achieved by the Seattle Childrens Research Institute in Seattle, Washington, USA on February 8, 2017. But now Lucknow students have set a new record, said Guinness World Record adjudicator Rishi Nath. Sarvesh Goel, chairman of the school, credited students, teachers and principal Raveen Pande for this accomplishment. Dr Renu Swarup, secretary, department of biotechnology, Government of India, visited the venue to wish luck to the participants just minutes before they began the record setting experiment. She said it would be a proud moment for Lucknow to set a record in the field of science. Students showed a lot of enthusiasm and curiosity while performing this activity and gained hands-on knowledge. This activity was aimed at giving a meaningful learning experience to students and will improve their subject-related knowledge. The students were enthusiastic to participate in this world record making attempt, she said. Shikhar Verma of Class 8 said, It was a great honour for me to be a part of this record breaking team. I will now proudly tell my friends and family that now Im a part of Guinness World Record. Tushar Yadav and Vinay Sharma, both in Class 12, were equally happy to be a part of the team. Since an attempt of this level requires prior orientation and practice, a mock training session was organised in the school on October 4. The students were instructed to follow simple protocol and steps of DNA isolation from ripened bananas. Another record making bid During IISF 2018, nearly 3,000 students aged between 13-17 years will attempt to set another new record for Largest First Aid Lesson at Indira Gandhi Pratisthan on Sunday. The current record involves 1,795 participants and was achieved by the Community Save A Life Scheme and Bolsover District Council (both UK) at the Proact Stadium, Chesterfield, UK, on May 20, 2016. It will involve lesson explanation with slides support and demonstration with volunteers on stage. Violence rocked the Allahabad University campus soon after results of the students union elections were declared around Friday midnight. The split verdict Samajwadi Chatra Sabha and National Students Union of India (NSUI) bagging two posts each and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) managing just one out of five crucial posts triggered a bout of violence in which an inspector was injured. Reports said crude bombs were hurled by supporters of losing candidates. While Uday Prakash Yadav of Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha was elected president and Akhilesh Yadav of NSUI vice president, the post of general secretary went to Shivam Singh of ABVP. Satyam Singh Saini of Samajwadi Chatra Sabha was elected joint secretary while Aditya Singh of NSUI won the post of cultural secretary. Soon after the results were announced, unidentified persons torched a few rooms belonging to the outgoing president of Samajwadi Chatra Sabha Avanish Yadav and newly-elected president Uday Prakash Yadav in the Holland Hall. While around eight rooms were torched, it was unclear as to who was behind it.The outgoing and newly-elected presidents blamed supporters of the losing candidates for the incident. Some unidentified persons also exploded crude bombs at KPUC Hostel gate in which inspector Daraganj Vineet Singh was injured. He was sent to a nearby hospital where his condition is stated to be stable. Fire tenders and senior district officials, including the senior superintendent of police (SSP), rushed in with reinforcements to calm the unruly mob. An FIR named 20 students, including student leader Atendra Singh, on the complaint of newly-elected Allahabad University students union president Uday Prakash Yadav.Police sources said at least four persons have been detained in connection with the arson at Holland Hall Hostel. SP City Brajesh Kumar Srivastava said raids are being carried out to arrest those involved in arson.The situation on the campus is under control, he added. Minor clashes erupted again at Holland Hall Hostel after some supporters of student leader Atendra Singh, who was a contender for presidents post, reached the hostel on late Saturday evening. About two months before the Supreme Court decriminalised homosexual acts between consenting adults, one 64-year-old government institution was already taking brave steps to celebrate the contributions of Indias queer community. On July 17, the Sahitya Akademi organised a literary meet in Kolkata, exclusively featuring LGBTQ writers and poets. The event was anchored by a transgender woman, included five published authors and was so popular the 150-seat venue ran out of standing room. The Akademi, Indias central institution for literary dialogue, publication and promotion, which undertakes activities in English and 23 regional languages, hasnt had a particularly risk-taking history. Though set up by the government, it functions autonomously, hosting seminars, lectures, translation workshops and awarding grants for authors research and travel. The panel at Sahitya Akademis LGBTQ literary meet in Kolkata anchored by Manabi Bandopadhyay, Indias first transgender college principal. Over the last three years, however, a quiet but determined transformation has been in the works. The Akademi, which runs one of the countrys largest multi-lingual libraries, opened its first bookstore outside of its New Delhi headquarters - at a Metro station. It has launched an initiative to take literature to rural pockets. And its creating digital records of tribal language translations in English and Hindi. Rainbow moves Subodh Sarkar, a Sahitya Akademi award-winning poet and the convener of the Akademis Bengali Advisory Board, says Kolkatas LGBT meet almost worked like a prelude to the Supreme Court ruling. He found Dr Manabi Bandopadhyay, Indias first transgender college principal and vice-chairperson of West Bengal Transgender development board, to be the obvious choice for an anchor. Bandopadhyay underwent a series of sex-change operations in 2003 and 2004 and identifies as a woman, changing her first name from Somnath to Manabi, which means beautiful woman. For 25 years, Bandopadhyay has also produced a Transgender Magazine in Bengali called Ob-Manab (sub-human), so she says she was familiar with the literary works of the LGBTQ community. The event featured the voices of poets like Rani Majumder and Prosphutita Sugandha, who read out original works on themes of sexual identity, repressed desire and rejection. Sarkar wasnt prepared for the response. The Sahitya Akademi auditorium can seat 150, he recalls. We didnt arrange for a bigger venue because we didnt think many people would attend. The venue was packed out with other LGBT authors. One group of Kolkata transgenders even gatecrashed - insisting on performing songs they had created themselves. They mistakenly thought that if you turned up with any writing, the government would pay you, explains Bandopadhyay. We had to explain that the only money involved was an honorarium offered to participating poets and writers. But they came hoping to get their voices heard, so we let them perform. I dont think theyd ever been before such a large audience. Right on track Sahitya Akademi has been seen as a kind of a musty quasi-government organisation. Now they are looking for young people with promising talent. In 2015, the Akademi broke free of its Ferozeshah Road offices in Delhi to open its first bookstores at the Kashmere Gate and Vishwavidyalaya Metro stations. The stores, called Metro Reading Rooms, are a treasure trove of books in Bengali, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kashmiri, Maithili, Odia, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil, Urdu and more. The institution plans to open bookstores at three more stations Rajiv Chowk, Noida and Gurugram. Sahitya Akademi bookshops at New Delhi Metro stations are part of long-term strategy of targeting readers in major cities, says Akademi secretary K Sreenivasa Rao. We want to promote better reading habits among commuters especially adolescents. We are also keen on creating small libraries along with the bookstores and have requested the Metro authorities for approval. Away from the Metro and metros, is the village outreach programme Gramalok, which has been identifying the literary talent in rural spaces for the last year. The aim is to encourage rural litterateurs who often do not get the exposure their urban counterparts do. Gramalok has been to 150 villages so far, making a pool of undiscovered talents. One of their discoveries is 14-year-old Sri Anthakarana from Shivamogga in Karnataka. Anthakarana has been writing since he was nine and has published 25 books novels, poetry, short stories. He attended the Gramalok programme with his latest Kannada novel, Gwalimar Rahasya, a thriller, says Sri Sarjashankar Hiremath, Anthakaranas father. He conducted a workshop with a group of students, teaching them how to write and inspiring them to be expressive with a pen. 14-year-old Anthakarana from Shivamogga in Karnataka has been writing since he was nine. Change is constant Much of the Akademis changes are aimed at making the institution relevant to a younger demographic and reflect Indias evolving literary focus, says Rao. Organisations that produce literature of any kind, be it prose or poetry or economic or religious or scientific literature, have to evolve with their readers, he says. For a 64-year-old institution with a focus on the hundreds of languages in India, this is no easy task. The most difficult part of tribal and oral literature is collection and documentation, he says. The challenge is to link such literature with nearest mainstream language. Only then can we think of video and audio clips, and podcasts. Since 2017, they have published English and Hindi translations of many tribal songs, epic poems and folktales on CD. Its never too late, says Anil Dharker, writer and director of the Mumbai International Literary Festival. All this time, Sahitya Akademi has been seen as a kind of a musty quasi-government organisation, moving at a slow pace. He cites the example of their 2013 Sahitya Akademi Young Writer Award for the English Language. The Akademi awarded Janice Pariat, then 31 years old, for her debut collection of short stories Boats on Land. Pariat is the first writer from Meghalaya to receive an award from the Akademi for a work in English. Generally you have to be old and venerable to win an award. Now they are actively looking for young people with promising talent, going to unexplored areas, he says. Its a welcome departure from playing safe. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, on the first day of the partys two-day long meeting in Mumbai, which started on Saturday, clarified that he was not interested in contesting in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls. He also hinted against the potential candidature of Parth Pawar, son of party leader and former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. Parth Pawar, representative of Sharad Pawars third generation, was reportedly interested in contesting from the Maval Lok Sabha constituency. The party held the two-day meet at its Mumbai office at Ballard Pier to review the current scenario and its probable candidates in the 25 constituencies it wishes to contest. While addressing the meeting of the party leaders and office-bearers on Saturday morning, Pawar ruled himself out of the race. I am not contesting any elections. Please do not consider and discuss my name, said Sharad Pawar. With regards to Parth Pawars name cropping up for the Lok Sabha polls from the Maval constituency, Sharad Pawar shot it down saying if the family members contest all polls, what will be the future of party workers. If all Pawar family members will contest the polls, what will happen to those party workers who build our party, said Sharad Pawar. This stance is unlikely to go down well with Sharad Pawars nephew Ajit Pawar and his supporters who have been promoting Parth Pawar as the probable candidate from Maval. Party workers believe there is a hidden tussle between Ajit Pawar and Supriya Sule for the control of the party. The meeting saw top NCP leaders trying to gauge the mood of their local leaders as well as asking them to prepare for the polls where Sharad Pawar is expected to play a crucial role. The NCP had called leaders from various parts of the state as part of an exercise to choose the Lok Sabha candidates. Former NCP minister Sunil Tatkare proposed Bhaskar Jadhavs name for the Lok Sabha seat from the Raigad constituency. At least 36 schoolgirls, aged between 10 and 14, were injured and admitted to a local hospital after a mob assaulted them near their residential school in Bihars Supaul district on Saturday. The mob was angry with the girls who had allegedly beaten up four boys for sexually harassing them and passing lewd comments. Parents of the boys were part of the mob, an official said. Supaul district magistrate Baidynath Yadav said four of the accused were arrested for the assault on Sunday. more arrests would be made soon. Police superintendent Mrityunjay Kumar Choudhary told PTI that nine people had been named in the case. The boys and their parents were agitated because the girl students had beaten up some boys, he said. When asked whether the girls had been subjected to regular sexual harassment, he said the matter was being investigated. The mob attacked the girls when they were playing in a ground close to the residential school. Some of the attackers were armed with lathis. They also beat up some teachers when they tried to intervene. Six to seven girls are still in the hospital and will be discharged soon, said Yadav. Local residents and the workers of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad took to the streets in Triveniganj to protest against the attack on the girls. The protesters blocked a national highway and disrupted vehicular traffic for about three hours. The blockade was cleared after assurances from Yadav that the remaining accused would be arrested immediately. Congresss Ranjeeta Ranjan, who is the Parliament member from Supaul, visited the girls in the hospital. She told reporters that the girls had sustained internal injuries and needed better treatment. Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav targeted the state government over rising cases of rapes, harassment and murder in Bihar. He called the lawlessness in the state aatank raj (rule of terror). A woman and two children were killed and two others were critically injured when one of their neighbours attacked them with axes and spade in remote hilly village Mirzapur under Tilauthu police station in Rohtas district, 160 km from Patna, on Saturday. Sources said the incident took place when Sunil Yadav and his five associates, armed with axes and spades, forcibly entered the house of the neighbour Upendra Yadav and brutally attacked the women and children. The male members of the house had gone to graze animals at the time of incident. The villagers informed the police after which sub divisional police officer (SDPO) Anwar Javed Ansari rushed to the remote village with police force and found five women and children lying in a pool of blood. Police rushed all the injured to a nearby hospital, but Lalsa Devi, 40, Golu Kumar, 4, and Chhotu Kumar, 3, died on way. Critically injured Sunita Devi, 40, and Arti Kumari, 5, were admitted to a nearby hospital. The bodies were sent to Sasaram for post-mortem examination. Superintendent of police (SP), Satya Veer Singh said the assailant Sunil Yadav and two others were arrested and raids were on to nab other accused. Prima facie it appeared that the attack was result of enmity between the two families, he said. Police were interrogating the arrested accused to ascertain the reason behind the attack, he said. The Punjab Police have made proper security arrangements near the India-Pakistan border to thwart any terrorist strike, director general of police (DGP) Suresh Arora said on Saturday. Arora said this while presiding over a meeting of senior police officers in Gurdaspur. In view of earlier terrorist strikes or intrusion of the terrorists through the Pakistan border, the Punjab Police has made proper security arrangements near the international boundary to check any such untoward incident, Arora said. DGP (STF on drugs) Mohammad Mustafa, ADGP (law and order) Ishwar Singh, IGP (STF) RK Jaiswal, IGP (border range, Amritsar) Surinderpal Singh Parmar, besides SSPs of Pathankot, Gurdaspur attended the meeting. In continuation of special campaign launched by chief minister Amarinder Singh, the state government had launched a three-pronged strategy based on enforcement, de-addiction and prevention for comprehensive action against use of drugs. There is zero tolerance against drugs and those involved in exploiting and ruining the youth would not be spared, he said. The property made through illegal means by smugglers should be confiscated as per provision of law, he stressed. (with PTI inputs) Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in Saturday as US Supreme Court justice following the closest Senate confirmation vote in more than a century, marking a major win for President Donald Trumps drive to move the countrys political institutions to the right. The Senate voted 50-48 to approve Kavanaugh as protesters rallied across the country against a nominee who has been plagued by allegations of sexual misconduct as a young man and had questions raised over his candor and partisan rhetoric. The prolonged nomination battle has roiled American politics and passions -- the vote was disrupted on several occasions by angry protests from the gallery -- but handed Trump one of the biggest victories of his presidency. It drew the line under a bruising nomination process defined by harrowing testimony from a woman who says Kavanaugh tried to rape her when they were teenagers -- and by his fiery rebuttal. The two-vote margin of victory made it the closest Supreme Court confirmation vote since 1881 -- and by far the most contentious since Clarence Thomas in 1991. As Chief Justice John Roberts swore in Kavanaugh during a private Supreme Court ceremony, protesters demonstrated loudly outside, at one point rushing the steps of the court and banging on its ornate bronze doors while some sat on a Lady Justice statue. The confirmation means Trump has succeeded in having his two picks seated on the court -- tilting it decidedly to the right in a major coup for the Republican leader less than halfway through his term. During an evening rally in Topeka, Kansas, Trump was greeted by prolonged cheers on what he called a truly historic night. I stand before you today on the heels of a tremendous victory for our nation, our people and our beloved Constitution, he told supporters after signing Kavanaughs commission aboard Air Force One. A separate, public swearing-in ceremony is planned for 7:00 pm (2300 GMT) Monday in the White Houses East Room. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has railed against Kavanaughs critics, said he was proud of his colleagues while Vice President Mike Pence, who presided in the Senate during the vote, called it a historic day for our country. It reflects a high water mark of the Trump presidency: Republican control of the White House, the Senate, the House of Representatives and the judiciarys top court. But the Kavanaugh spectacle, fueled by extraordinary accusations and counter-claims in nationally televised hearings, and tense battles over an 11th-hour FBI investigation to address the assault allegations, has inflamed political passions. Shame! Hours before the vote, scores of protesters broke through barricades and staged a raucous sit-in protest on the US Capitol steps. As protesters chanted Shame! and November is coming! police took several dozen demonstrators down the steps and put them in plastic flex-cuffs. With tensions simmering, Pence got an earful from activists who booed and chanted Vote them out! as he walked to his motorcade. Kavanaughs confirmation process has laid bare the partisan gridlock on Capitol Hill and the political polarization of America just a month before midterm elections. You dont hand matches to an arsonist, and you dont give power to an angry left-wing mob. Thats what they have become. The democrats have become too extreme and too dangerous to govern, Trump said. Republicans are the party of law and order and justice. And we really have become even more so than ever before the party of opportunity and wealth. Democratic senators, who had battled hard to block the 53-year-old judge, insisted the caustic battle over Kavanaugh would galvanize Democrats at the polls. It is a sad day, but the recourse will have to be on election day, Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar told reporters. Kavanaughs confirmation had already been all but sealed Friday, when he won the support of key Senate Republican Susan Collins and conservative Democrat Joe Manchin. Presumption of innocence The choice of Kavanaugh to replace retired justice Anthony Kennedy was controversial from the start -- but the initial focus was solely on the conservative views held by the married father of two. His ascent to the Supreme Court was thrown into doubt last week after university research psychologist Christine Blasey Ford testified that he had sexually assaulted her at a Washington area gathering in the early 1980s. The brutal hearing sparked a supplemental FBI dive into Kavanaughs background and a weeklong delay of the Senate vote. While many Republicans said they were satisfied with the FBI probe, Democrats and Blasey Fords lawyers called the investigation insufficient. Praying for the country Kavanaughs nomination seals a conservative majority on the nine-seat high court, possibly for decades to come. Hundreds of protesters were arrested on Capitol Hill this week -- including several dozen in the hours leading to the final vote. Authorities took the rare step of putting up low metal fencing around the Capitol, keeping the public some distance from the building. But protesters overran the barricades and defiantly claimed the Capitol steps. After the confirmation, activists gathered in their hundreds on the steps of the Supreme Court, chanting slogans and banging on its closed front doors. Senator Lisa Murkowski, the only Republican to oppose Kavanaugh, said it was time for the Senate -- and Americans -- to heal after such a divisive few weeks. She acknowledged the anguish of the protesters who interrupted the historic Senate vote, telling reporters afterward that I was closing my eyes and praying. Praying for them, praying for us and praying for the country. United States President Donald Trump flashed reporters aboard Air Force One two thumbs up as the Senate confirmed Brett Kavanaugh to push the top US court to the right, and later assailed demonstrators who banged on the doors of the Supreme Court in protest as an angry mob. Trump told reporters on his plane he was 100 per cent certain that Christine Blasey Ford, who accused the Supreme Court nominee of sexual assault, named the wrong person. Later, he said that pivoting to attack to the California professor in a speech marked a turning point for Kavanaughs nomination. Trump celebrated the victory at a rally in Kansas Saturday night, drawing cheers as he announced he had signed the justices official commission just before his plane landed in the state. Trump boasted that he could yet move a court now considered the most conservative since the New Deal further to the right. Could be three, could be four, could be a lot of vacancies coming up, he said. In his latest get-out-the-vote effort before the November 6 mid-term elections, Trump cast Democrats as not to be trusted. You dont hand matches to an arsonist, and you dont give power to an angry left-wing mob, he said. The Democrats have become too extreme and too dangerous to govern. Private viewing He dismissed the protesters who crowded the US Capitols hallways for days, shouted from the Senate gallery during Kavanaughs confirmation vote, and demonstrated on the steps of the Supreme Court on Saturday as a small group that couldnt fit into the front row of the Kansas rally. Reporters aboard Air Force One earlier were invited into Trumps private, wood-paneled cabin on the presidential jet, where Trump monitored the Senate vote on a big-screen television tuned to Fox News. The president flashed two thumbs up when the vote was called 50 to 48 in favor of Trumps second Supreme Court pick. I appreciate those 50 great votes, he said. Three senior aides in the cabin applauded. Totally brilliant Trump said Kavanaugh is going to go down as a totally brilliant Supreme Court justice for many years, and praised the nominees temperament and past judicial service. He is, said Trump, a brilliant scholar. Were honoured that he was able to withstand these horrible, horrible attacks by the Democrats, Trump added. A horrible attack that nobody should have to go through. Upon landing, the president said he spoke to Kavanaugh during the flight. The Senate narrowly confirmed the 53-year-old after a historically bitter and partisan battle. Kavanaugh overcame allegations of school-age sexual assault and claims by Democrats he was dishonest in Senate hearings. In response to a reporters question, Trump said it was a total misnomer that women were angry about Kavanaughs confirmation. Women, I feel, were in many ways stronger in his favor, Trump said. He then made similar comments to those hes tweeted in the past two days: that women demonstrating against Kavanaugh had been paid to do so, potentially by billionaire philanthropist George Soros. Turning point In a Fox News interview after the Kansas rally, Trump said that comments about Blasey Ford during a speech in Southhaven, Mississippi, on Oct. 2 had been a turning point in the push to confirm Kavanaugh. Trump, who days before had called Fords testimony very credible, ridiculed her -- drawing cheers from the audience. I thought I had to even the playing field, he said on Fox. I evened the playing field. The president earlier said in response to a reporters question that he had no doubt Ford, a California professor, had named the wrong person as her assailant in an attack she said took place while she and Kavanaugh were in high school. Theres nobody with a squeaky clean past like Brett Kavanaugh, Trump said. Im very honored to have chosen him. Rightward tilt Trump, who campaigned on the promise of appointing conservative judges, can celebrate helping to create the most decisive conservative majority on the top court in decades as Kavanaugh joins the presidents first pick, Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch. Trump rallied in Kansas in support of two Republican candidates: Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, an ally whos running for governor, and Steve Watkins, the nominee for the states 2nd Congressional District. Kansas hasnt elected a Democrat to Congress in more than a decade. In what some surveys have forecast will be a Democratic wave election in November, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates one of the states four House seats a tossup and another as leaning Democratic. From Kansas, Trump travels over the next week to rallies in Iowa, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Kentucky in his bid to save the Republican majorities in Congress. The president said the fight over Kavanaugh had energised Republicans in the past two to three weeks. Democrats, he said on Fox, overplayed their hand. The first human spaceflight aboard a SpaceX rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) is expected to take place in June 2019, while a flight on a Boeing spacecraft is set to follow in August 2019, NASA said. It is the first crewed mission by the US since the retirement of the space shuttle in 2011. NASA astronauts currently use Russian Soyuz spacecraft, and its contract is set to expire in November 2019. While both SpaceX and Boeing launches have already been postponed several times, NASA on Thursday said that it would now be providing monthly updates on deadlines. This new process for reporting our schedule is better; nevertheless, launch dates will still have some uncertainty, and we anticipate they may change as we get closer to launch, Phil McAlister, director of commercial spaceflight development at NASA headquarters, said in a blog post. These are new spacecraft, and the engineering teams have a lot of work to do before the systems will be ready to fly, he added. In 2014, Boeing and SpaceX were awarded a combined $6.8 billion in contracts from NASA to develop spacecraft capable of flying crews to the space station. Earlier in August, NASA had also named nine astronauts including Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams for its first human spaceflight programme since the retirement of the space shuttle in 2011. For the first time since 2011, we are on the brink of launching American astronauts on American rockets from American soil, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine had said while announcing the names of the astronauts. The crewed flights will succeed uncrewed missions. The first test flight - Demo-1 - is scheduled in December, 2018 but the launch will occur in January, 2019 to accommodate docking opportunities at the orbiting laboratory. Boeings targeted readiness for its Orbital Flight Test is March 2019, NASA said. Boeing and SpaceX have made significant strides in the development and operation of a new generation of spacecraft and launch systems in partnership with NASAs Commercial Crew Programme. The success of these human spaceflight systems will be an unprecedented achievement for the commercial space industry and will enable NASA to focus on deep space exploration with NASAs Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System, as we return humans to the Moon and on to Mars. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus wife Sara Netanyahu goes on trial on Sunday for allegedly using state funds to fraudulently pay for hundreds of meals, part of a list of legal troubles facing the family. The start of the trial will be the latest chapter in a saga intensely scrutinised in Israel but dismissed by the Netanyahus as another absurd attempt to discredit them. The veteran premier himself faces possible charges in separate corruption investigations, leading to speculation that he will eventually be forced to step down. Sara Netanyahu was charged with fraud and breach of trust in June. Prosecutors accuse her of misusing state funds to pay for catered meals costing $1,00,000 by falsely declaring there were no cooks available at the premiers official residence. From 2010 to 2013, she, her family and guests received fraudulently from the state hundreds of prepared meals, the indictment read. According to the charge sheet, the meals were ordered from a variety of well-known Jerusalem businesses, including an Italian restaurant, a Middle Eastern grill joint and a sushi establishment. The trial, which could run for months, is to open in the Jerusalem magistrates court at 1:30 PM (1030 GMT), overseen by a panel of three judges due to the public sensitivity of the case. It was originally scheduled to start in July but was postponed for reasons that were not made public. Sara Netanyahu, aged 59 and a high-profile presence at her husbands side throughout his long tenure, has denied any wrongdoing. But the case has again turned the spotlight on the Netanyahu family and past allegations of misbehaviour. Sara Netanyahu has previously been accused of pocketing cash from deposit refunds for empty bottles returned from the official residence. She has also faced accusations of mistreating staff, and in 2016 a court awarded some $47,000 in damages to a former housekeeper who accused the couple of repeated workplace abuse. Blood spilled All the allegations have been closely covered in the Israeli media. The Netanyahus have hit back, calling them grossly unfair smear attempts. Sara Netanyahu has in the past said that her blood has been spilled publicly. One particularly high-profile example occurred in 2017, when both the premier and his wife appeared in court in their libel case against a journalists claim that Sara Netanyahu kicked her husband out of the car during a row. Benjamin Netanyahu testified that the story was a ridiculous fabrication. The court later awarded the Netanyahus $32,500. But there are potentially more serious allegations facing Benjamin Netanyahu. The right-wing prime minister has held the job for a total of more than 12 years, first from 1996-99 and again beginning in 2009. He could next year surpass the record set by Israels founding father David Ben-Gurion, who spent more than 13 years in office. But Netanyahu faces a possible indictment in the months ahead. On Friday police quizzed him for a 12th time as a suspect in various cases. Allegations against him include allegedly seeking a secret deal with the publisher of Israels top-selling newspaper Yediot Aharonot to ensure positive coverage in return for pushing forward a law that would have limited the circulation of a rival. Another case involves suspicions that the prime minister and his family received luxury gifts from wealthy individuals in exchange for financial or personal favours. There is also an ongoing inquiry into the prime ministers ties with local telecoms giant Bezeq and its largest shareholder, Shaul Elovitch, according to Israeli media. In that case, Benjamin Netanyahu is alleged to have sought favourable coverage from another Elovitch company, the Walla news site, in exchange for government policies that could have benefited the moguls interests to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. Elovitch was arrested in February along with six other people, including Nir Hefetz, a former media adviser to the Netanyahu family who has turned state witness. Police have recommended Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted in two cases, though the attorney general has yet to decide whether to do so. Despite the ongoing investigations, Netanyahu has remained strong in polls and he is not obliged to step down if formally charged. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has agreed to hold a second summit with US President Donald Trump as soon as possible, Seoul said Sunday. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he agreed with Chairman Kim to hold the second US-North Korea summit at the earliest date possible, South Koreas presidential office said in a statement. The two sides agreed to continue talks to decide on the specific time and location for the second summit, Pompeo told South Korean President Moon Jae-in, following his meeting with Kim in Pyongyang earlier Sunday. Posting non-white diplomats to represent Britain abroad would amount to putting the countrys security and institutional reputation at risk, according to an official historical assessment of race that held sway in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office until the 1980s. The first analysis of the history of race in the FCO released on Friday documents the ways in which non-white people earlier called the coloureds were systematically discriminated against in recruitment and roles they were given. The document, titled Black Skin, Whitehall: Race and the Foreign Office, 1945-2018, by FCO historian James Southern, mentions that Indian-origin Robin Chatterjie was the first successful minority applicant in the entry level Diplomatic Service Fast Stream in 1975. Recalling the history of migration from India and the Commonwealth after World War 2, and its influence on recruitment and other aspects of the FCO, Southern said: Like many similar British institutions, the FCO has a difficult history when it comes to race. At the Foreign Office, until the 1980s at least, those who did not match diplomats definitions of whiteness were presumed potentially disloyal to Britain and were consequently excluded from the representative grades of the Diplomatic Service, he writes. Over the years, changed perceptions have led to Indian-origin diplomats being among the UKs largest number of non-white envoys. They include Ajay Sharma, who played a key role in re-establishing UKs diplomatic ties with Iran in 2014, and Bharat Joshi, deputy high commissioner in Chennai. Historically influenced by perspectives of the British empire, Southern writes that the FCO relationship with the empire is a difficult one, particularly when there is no public consensus (in the UK) around whether it was a good thing or a bad thing. Empire quite literally depended on crude skin racism in order to function, and until that basic fact is processed and accepted, British politics in general and the FCO in particular will find it an uncomfortable legacy with which to deal, he writes. The document notes that Chatterjie, who died in 1986, fitted with the cultural template of an upper-middle-class Englishman, and quotes colleague Matthew Parris that neither he nor any of his colleagues discussed or particularly noticed Robins Indian background. Parris wrote: I think actually if Robin had been a white boy, and had been the kind of person he was, we would have assumed he was gay, and we would have thought it pretty odd and thought him an anachronism. But because he was obviously, very high-born Indian, one somehow put him in a special category. The FCO said that now its staff from a non-white background represents the UK all around the world and at all grades, including the first black career diplomat in Mozambique (Nnenne Iwuji-Eme). Over 23% of its graduate entry intake is from this background, it added. Drake and Migos were busy blessing fans in Houston with a memorable performance last week when one police officer overstepped his boundaries. One keen-eyed concertgoer filmed the officer taking pictures of a female's booty while he was on duty. The cop admires the skin tight dress and curvaceous body as he flicks a quick shot, and goes back to make sure the picture came out to his liking. Houston police are allegedly investigating the incident, but Juice WRLD already has his mind made up about the situation. TMZ caught up with the "Lucid Dreams" rapper and asked his opinion of the distracted police officer. "They finna terminate that nigga," replies Juice WRLD. "I got family members that's police officers. I don't got no problem if you a cop as long as ya'll doing ya'll job, and ya'll not harassing. But you were put there to serve and protect, not be a pervert, fool, like what is you doing?" "I understand every nigga got they vices," he continued. "But, you on the clock bro." Juice WRLD went on to inquire about how many officers record private or perverted videos with their body cams. "If you there to serve and protect, and do your job. Then don't be there getting material for your pornography collection," he concluded. Kanye West is taking a well-needed hiatus from social media... again. The outspoken rapper disappeared from Twitter and Instagram on Saturday afternoon (October 6). Twitter has been 'Ye's top platform to communicate with his fans, but his Twitter fingers have landed him in endless controversy. Ye's tweets supporting Donald Trump and comparing their dragon energy sent the internet into an uproar earlier this year. He continued on to make questionable statements about slavery, fight for prison reform, and talk about many random topics that came to mind. Most recently, West's tweets about the 13 amendment caused wide-spread backlash. Although his intentions were good (as explained by T.I., the 13 amendment allows slavery as a punishment, incentivizing mass incarceration), West was once again a victim of his own words. West's Instagram has been no different. He was recently slammed for rocking a MAGA hat on Instagram, with several celebrities coming out to scold the G.O.O.D. Music creator. West did claim he was heading out to Africa to complete his Yandhi album, so there is a possibility he deleted his social media pages to stay focused. He has gotten rid of his Twitter on several occasions, only to return more confident than ever each time. Donald Trump's Twitter fingers are infamous. Barack Obama and Donald Trump are the only American presidents to have access to the social media site, and their actions on Twitter have been on opposing sides of the spectrum. Trump is known to take shots at journalists, politicians, comedians, rappers, and athletes in his spare time. His wife Melania claims she doesn't see eye-to-eye with all of her husband's online tactics. As reported by DailMail, Melania had a few choice statements to make about Donald's behavior on Twitter. While on a solo trip in Egypt, Melania was asked about Trump's online rants. "I don't always agree with what he tweets, and I tell him that," she stated. "I give my honest opinion and honest advice. Sometimes he listens and sometimes he doesn't, but I have my own voice and my opinions, and it's very important to me I express what I feel." "Have you ever told him to put his phone down?," asked one reporter. "Yes," responded Melania with a laugh. It's hard to imagine that the discussion of Trump's Twitter antics doesn't come up often at their dinner table. Still, Melania stands behind her husband even if she doesn't agree with how he handles his social media presence. Chris Evans has finished his portion of Avengers 4. That means the man who played Captain America for the last eight years has completed his contract with Marvel. Evans revealed in the past that he planned on putting down the shield once his contract was up, but that was years ago. It's possible that Evans changed his mind, or at least, that's what MCU fans are hoping. In reality, one of two things will occur in the next Avengers film. The first, more obvious ending, would be Captain America sacrificing himself to save his friends. If you think about it, Thanos had to sacrifice someone to get the Soul Stone. If the Avengers plan on going back in time, or finding any way to reacquire all the stones on their own, they will have to make a sacrifice as well. The second less obvious ending might have Captain retire and walk away into the proverbial sunset. Evans took to Twitter last week to announce that he had wrapped filming for Avengers 4. "Officially wrapped on Avengers 4. It was an emotional day to say the least," he wrote. Robert Downey Jr. has been right there alongside Evans for the entire Avengers run, and Iron-Man himself took to Twitter to respond to the news. He shared a photo of Buzzlightyear and Woody from Toy Story. The two Disney cartoons were reimagined as Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, with the title "To Infinity And Beyond" altered to include the word "War" as a nod to the last Avengers film. "We all know who the real sheriff in town is @ChrisEvans," wrote Downey Jr., paying his utmost respects to Evans. There will never be another Captain America... until Disney decides otherwise. https://twitter.com/_/status/1048596995919794176 The BET Awards were being taped in Miami this weekend to little fanfare. Thanks to a few breaches of conduct if you will, a few incidents taking place during the taping have come to light, one particular is sure to get people talking. DJ Scheme, among the biggest influencers in the South Florida rap game, was there in attendance, and according to him Vic Mensa straight up disrespected XXXTentacion's name, with the deceased rapper's own mother somewhere in attendance. It appears that yes, X's mother Cleo was among the invited guest taking in the show, as were several other luminaries "loyal to the cause." https://twitter.com/_/status/1048736784241369088 https://twitter.com/_/status/1048737128371376128 The particulars are kind of foggy, so we don't know exactly what was said about XXXTentacion, but apparently the "diss," if you will, occurred during a BET freestyle of which Vic Mensa was asked to participate. DJ Scheme warned his Twitter audience that they'd surely be disgusted once the Cypher hit the press. He then followed his caveat with a pointed message to the alleged aggressor in the situation: "@VicMensa SUCK MY DICK." https://twitter.com/_/status/1048755636224364545 https://twitter.com/_/status/1048756168020168705 As of this writing, no media of the performance has leaked to the Web. Back in June, Jay-Z allegedly intervened (out of decency) when he heard Vic Mensa was about to release a diss on The Autobiography, with X the rumored target. San Francisco socialite Summer Tompkins Walker, the daughter of North Face and Esprit co-founder Douglas Tompkins, has lost another bruising round in her battle to claim a portion of her late fathers inheritance. The state Second District Court of Appeal in Los Angeles rejected her bid to overturn a probate court decision upholding her fathers right to hand over his entire estate to his second wife, Kristine McDivitt Tompkins, and to the foundations that the couple created to preserve millions of acres of open space in Chile and Argentina. Douglas Tompkins, an outdoorsman, businessman and philanthropist, died in a kayaking accident in December 2015. Tompkins Walker is the 51-year-old daughter of Susie Tompkins Buell, who is one of Hillary Clintons best friends and, with Douglas Tompkins, co-founded the Esprit clothing line. The couple divorced in 1988. Now Playing: With several high-profile acquisitions lately, who actually owns some of our favorite Bay Area brands? Video: Alix Martichoux / SFGATE Tompkins Walker has argued that Chilean laws, which forbid the disinheritance of children, should govern the estate rather than the laws of California. A three-member panel of the court disagreed, writing: We are hard-pressed to imagine a reason that, as a matter of public policy, Chile would be concerned about Summers inheritance or lack thereof, as she is neither a citizen or a resident of Chile. Neither Tompkins Walker nor her attorneys responded to requests for comment. But as she told us soon after filing her case, her fathers decision to cut his children out of his will was definitely an insult. He clearly had no trust of us and no respect, she said. Adam Streisand, an attorney for the Douglas R. Tompkins Trust, called the ruling a good day for the late conservationists extraordinary preservation gift adding that the court had powerfully rebuked Tompkins Walkers attempt to satisfy her greed. San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross Hundreds of people crowded into the Bayou City Event Center ballroom, some armed with iPads or multiple clipboards to help keep track of the properties they planned to bid on. One man commandeered an entire table with a laptop, printouts and bottles of Five-Hour Energy. They were gathered, earlier this week, for the Harris County foreclosure auction, an event has grown in recent months as local foreclosures have soared. In July, Houston-area foreclosure starts were up 76 percent from the year before, according to property data company Attom. While foreclosure starts in the area hovered around 600 per month leading up to Hurricane Harvey, which caused widespread flooding across the area 13 months ago. Since April, those numbers have ranged from 700 to 1,800 a month. There was a huge jump, said Daren Blomquist, vice president of communications at Attom. Weve now seen five consecutive months of year-over-year increases. In August, the most recent month for which Attom provided data, there were 870 foreclosure starts and 544 bank repossessions a 90 percent increase over the year before. When people borrow money to buy a house, both they and their bank make an informed prediction about their future ability to make regular payments over upcoming decades. But any number of unforeseen events, ranging from illness to natural disaster, can hurt a persons finances. Blomquist has seen local spikes in foreclosures in Florida following Hurricane Irma and in Santa Rosa following the Tubbs fire. He sees the same in Houston following Hurricane Harvey. Were not seeing a lot of loans default because theyre bad loans, Blomquist said. Natural disasters are one of the main causes of spikes of foreclosures were seeing. Part of the spike relates to disaster regulations. When an area is declared a national disaster, foreclosures for any property directly affected by the disaster put on hold for 90 days. The federal government paused foreclosures in areas affected by Harvey for even longer until Feb. 21. During those six months, action at the the Harris County foreclosure auction slowed to a trickle. Attom data show the Houston area had as few as 160 foreclosure starts a month, many of which are cured before they have the chance to reach an auction. Auction.com, which usually runs two simultaneous auctions side-by-side at the Bayou City Event Center, was down to one for a time. It was like a ghost town, wholesaler Craig Brooksby recalled during Tuesdays auction. The foreclosure spike began almost as soon as the moratorium ended. Its the natural backlog, said Robin Pentecost of County Tax Sale App, which helps investors research Harris County tax auctions. However, she acknowledged that financial strain caused by Hurricane Harvey may also be contributing to the number of foreclosures. Others agreed. James Toler, a real estate agent and investor, said he had client who bought a home without flood insurance the month before Harvey. The estimated repair costs were nearly half the price of the home. He didnt even make his first payment, Toler said. He just let it foreclose. He believed others are in a similar situation. Were in the first stages of Harvey, he predicted. Therell be more and more and more (foreclosures). However, experts disagree on how many people are in foreclosure because of flooding. Precise statistics are hard to come by. Amanda LeCureux of Foreclosure Information & Listing Service, said the moratorium affected more than just storm victims. Many of those in the foreclosure backlog would have been there anyway. When we see the spike after the moratorium, thats not a spike of flooded homes, said LeCureux, who over the past 25 years has seen foreclosures paused for other national disasters. Because foreclosures are seasonal, typically peaking toward the end of the year when financially distressed homeowners have the hardest time selling their homes, many predict the Harris County foreclosure auction will remain busy for months to come. Youll see a big spike for the next couple of months, said Natalie Larson of the Houston Real Estate Investment Association as investors, wholesalers and home flippers crowded around the auctioneers podiums, bidding cards in hand. rebecca.schuetz@chron.com twitter.com/raschuetz WASHINGTON - Once again, Lisa Murkowski was all alone. Eight years ago, Republican leaders abandoned the Alaska senator after she lost to a tea party primary challenger. On Saturday, some 20 hours after delivering an anguished speech to a nearly empty Senate chamber, she etched her place in history as the only GOP senator to oppose Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court. She also became the target of sharp criticism from President Donald Trump, who predicted in brief telephone interview Saturday that she would "never recover" from her vote and never be forgiven by the people of her state. As the rest of her party celebrated Kavanaugh's ascent to the nation's highest court after a tumultuous nomination jolted by allegations of sexual misconduct, Murkowski reflected on what she said was a wrenching decision that had kept her from eating and sleeping well. "Painful," she said late Friday, describing her choice, which she attributed to concerns about Kavanaugh's temperament when he testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the allegations last week. After the vote on Saturday, she voiced hope that Kavanaugh would work "to restore or build that public confidence." Republicans confirmed Kavanaugh without Murkowski's help, thanks to the support of her close friend and fellow centrist, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. But Murkowski's vote was a stark reminder of the divisions the nomination fight sparked and of her increasingly lonely position in a party that has become less hospitable to moderating voices during Trump's presidency. "I was surprised," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. "She has every right to vote the way she would like. I disagree that he's not the right guy at the right time." As one of just two Republican women in the Senate who favor abortion rights - Collins is the other - and an opponent of the GOP push to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act last year, Murkowski was seen as one of a handful of senators who could vote either way on Kavanaugh, even before the allegations against him emerged publicly in September. Unlike the other swing voters who revealed their decisions the last few days in splashy speeches and high-profile interviews, the first indication that Murkowski had decided to oppose Kavanaugh arrived when she cast a vote against advancing his nomination on Friday morning. "I don't have a statement right now because I did not come to a decision on this until walking into the floor this morning," she said in an impromptu appearance after the key procedural vote to a pack of reporters waiting outside the Senate chamber. She was torn after a process she said was neither fair to Kavanaugh nor satisfactory for victims of sexual assault. "I believe we are dealing with issues right now that are bigger than a nominee," she said, and it "just may be that in my view he's not the right man for the court at this time." It was a signature moment in Murkowski's political career, which has spanned nearly two decades. Her father Frank Murkowski, a titan in Alaska politics, appointed her to fill his Senate seat in 2002 when he became governor. She quickly climbed the ranks in the Senate and became a junior member of now-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's leadership team, developing a reputation for her devotion to delivering resources to her far-flung state. In 2010, at the height of the tea party movement, she lost her primary to a far right challenger, Joe Miller. After her defeat, Murkowski pressed on, waging an extraordinary write-in campaign in the general election, while party leaders supported Miller. Murkowski campaigned aggressively and creatively, handing out wristbands and reminding voters how to spell her name. She won and returned to Washington with a fresh perspective, having secured a major victory without owing any of it to party leadership. Murkowski's rejection of Kavanaugh marked the third time she has opposed a Supreme Court nominee - but the first against a nominee from a Republican president. She had spoken about Kavanaugh with Collins and other colleagues before deciding to go her own way. The Alaska senator faced pressure back home to vote no. The state's governor and lieutenant governor came out against Kavanaugh in late September, citing concerns that he posed a threat to health-care protections and Native American tribal government, in additions to worries about the allegations he faced. Murkowski concluded that Kavanaugh would not be a threat to protections for people with preexisting medical conditions or to Alaska Natives, she said in her speech on the Senate floor Friday night. It was Kavanaugh's fiery testimony, charged with partisan accusations, that swayed her. "After the hearing that we all watched last week, last Thursday, it became clear to me, or was becoming clearer, that that appearance of impropriety has become unavoidable," she said. Murkowski said she has experienced a "#MeToo" moment, Alaska Public Media reported last week. Asked Saturday whether that factored into her vote, Murkowski replied, "Every one of us brings experiences, life experiences to the position that we hold here. And that shapes who we are. But I don't want to suggest that something that I have chosen not to make public, not to discuss, that that becomes an issue point for others." As for the women who protested the Kavanaugh vote, Murkowski said, "I was closing my eyes and praying. Praying for them. Praying for us. I'm praying for the country." Moira Smith, a lawyer from Anchorage who in 2016 alleged that Justice Clarence Thomas groped her at a 1999 dinner party, was a part of two groups of constituents who met with Murkowski on Thursday. Smith said they focused on Kavanaugh's disposition and why it should disqualify him. "I think the group of us who met with her hit her with the right message," Smith said. Now, Murkowski is facing a backlash on the right for her vote. "Hey @LisaMurkowski - I can see 2022 from my house," tweeted former Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, referencing the next time Murkowski would face reelection. In the interview with The Washington Post, Trump said: "I think the people from Alaska will never forgive her for what she did." Murkowski is part of shrinking crop of moderates in a party that has enthusiastically embraced Trump. While she has voiced her concerns about him, she has done so with less fanfare than retiring Sens. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Bob Corker, R-Tenn., who have routinely offered stinging, televised rebukes of Trump's presidency. Even as she opposed Kavanaugh, Murkowski requested that her final vote be recorded as "present" as a courtesy to Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., a Kavanaugh supporter who was away from the Senate for his daughter's wedding. She said she hoped the gesture would remind people of the things they can do to help each other. But the Kavanaugh nomination has further poisoned already strained, partisan relations in the Senate. With the midterm elections just weeks away, there appeared to be little hope for bridging the divide any time soon. As the Friday morning vote to advance Kavanaugh's nomination unfurled, the mood inside the Senate chamber was tense. Called out in alphabetical order, senators stood from their chairs to announce their vote, a formal style reserved for the most important business. When the clerk reached the Ms, it was Murkowski's turn. She rose and practically whispered "no," returning to her chair and not talking to any senator for another 10 minutes as she stared stone-faced at the front of the room. Finally, toward the end of the roll call, Collins reached over and grabbed Murkowski's left arm. They smiled, laughed and whispered to each other about the weighty votes they just cast. Later, Collins delivered a speech formalizing her support for Kavanaugh. About 20 Republicans and a half dozen Democrats were on hand. As she finished, her GOP colleagues stood and cheered. In the evening, Murkowski arrived to a nearly empty chamber to deliver her own address. A few staff lingered on the outer edge of the floor and just two reporters were in the press gallery above. For 26 minutes she explained how she arrived at her vote. When Murkowski finished, no one applauded. - - - The Washington Post's Rhonda Colvin contributed to this report. The Kavanaugh court will be the one conservatives have worked for decades to construct, experts say, with velocity the only question about the Supreme Court's advance to the right. Expect re-energized efforts from social and religious conservatives to get their issues - gun control challenges, religious objections to gay rights - before a court where like-minded justices will make up the majority. On the other hand, the proliferation of lawsuits from blue-state officials objecting to President Donald Trump's efforts to loosen environmental standards and impose tougher sanctions on immigration could fizzle. Gone will be what one law professor called the "mushy middles" of Supreme Courts past, when justices such as Lewis Powell, Sandra Day O'Connor and Anthony Kennedy held the key votes and sometimes abandoned their usual conservative colleagues to side with the left. The median justice now is much more likely to be conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, who in his 13 years on the court has been on the losing side of 5-to-4 votes on environmental protection, abortion restrictions, affirmative action and same-sex marriage, to name just a few. "We're headed for a whole new world," said Irv Gornstein, executive director of the Georgetown Law Center's Supreme Court Institute. "And the only questions, I think, are: How far are we going to go and how fast are we going to get there?" Paul Clement, solicitor general under President George W. Bush and someone who often argues conservative causes before the court, said the change will require a new way of thinking about the Supreme Court. "For years, the question was who's the swing justice, and I'm not sure there will be one moving forward," Clement said at the same Georgetown Law preview of the term. It is more accurate to think of Roberts as a "governor switch," Clement said, determining "whether the court moves quickly or slowly." The court's liberals already have expressed alarm. At a forum Friday at their alma mater Princeton, Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan worried about not only how the partisan battle over Kavanaugh might affect the court's reputation, but also about how the court might change. "I think it's been an extremely important thing for the court that in the last really 30 years, starting with Justice O'Connor and continuing with Justice Kennedy, there has been a person who people found the center, who people couldn't predict in that sort of way," Kagan said. "And that's enabled the court to look as though it was not owned by one side or another, and was indeed impartial and neutral and fair. It's not so clear, I think, going forward, that that sort of middle position - it's not so clear whether we'll have it." Of course, it was only two years ago that it seemed another side might own the court. After Justice Antonin Scalia's death, President Barack Obama's nomination of Judge Merrick Garland would have given liberals a majority on the court. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., refused to let the nomination move forward, in hopes that a Republican president would fill the opening. As a result, Roberts will play a unique role; not only is he likely to be the median justice, as the court's chief he decides which justice writes the opinion when he is in the majority. John Elwood, a Washington lawyer who practices before the court, predicted that Roberts might try to bring Kagan on board for some decisions - he has been successful in the past, when the decisions have been narrow - to minimize the number of 5-to-4 splits. It has been clear in the past that Roberts has been reluctant to be viewed as overturning the court's precedents, the doctrine know as stare decisis. The key issue, said Washington lawyer Kannon Shanmugam, another Supreme Court regular, is "how is the new court - because the court is always a new court when it has a new member - going to approach the subject of stare decisis and the extent the new justice has diverging views from Justice Kennedy. . . . I think there are good reasons to believe it will be gradual." Gornstein agreed. "There is a risk. If we see one 5-4 decision after another, with Democrats on the four and Republicans-appointed on the five, the country at large will no longer view the Supreme Court in the same way it does now," he said. He said that Roberts has "mentioned this on more than one occasion. This is an outcome he fears more than almost any other" But the difference between fast and gradual, said Donald Verrilli, solicitor general under Obama, "is between one and five years." Roberts' pattern, Verrilli said, is to raise questions about an issue in one decision, and then to act decisively when the next one comes along. That is how the court's conservatives removed a key portion of the Voting Rights Act, for instance, and reversed the court's precedent relating to public employee union dues. And the direction of the court is not solely up to Roberts. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Kavanaugh are all thought to be to the chief justice's right, and it takes only four justices to accept a case. They might be willing to take on an issue even without Roberts' support, figuring that the chief justice would vote their way. Thomas and Gorsuch, Trump's other nominee to the court, in particular have shown that they are willing to reverse the court's precedents. Orin Kerr, a law professor at the University of Southern California who frequently writes about the court, predicts that the four will be presented with many opportunities. "This will unleash a lot of test cases," Kerr wrote in a series of tweets. "Kavanaugh's confirmation will mean that, for the first time in most of our lifetimes, there is a clear majority of conservative Justices. No mushy middles of Powell, O'Connor, Kennedy, but rather five solid conservatives." The most obvious places to look for change are the areas where Kavanaugh seems to differ from Kennedy, his former boss and mentor. Gun control might be one area. Since the court recognized a Second Amendment right for people to own handguns for protection in their homes, gun advocates have been stymied in their efforts to get the Supreme Court to accept challenges to state and local bans on military-style rifles or other restrictions, such as on the right to carry weapons. Speculation is that the court was unsure of Kennedy's position, and that there was no reason to accept the case with the outcome in doubt. Abortion, affirmative action, executive power, the death penalty and religious rights are all areas where Kavanaugh is thought to be to the right of Kennedy. Moreover, Clement said the new court might be a less "tantalizing" prospect for lawsuits from Democratic attorneys general challenging Trump administration initiatives. Even last term, with Kennedy on the court, that opportunity dimmed. The challenges to Trump's travel bans, for instance, were upheld throughout lower courts. But the Supreme Court ruled on a 5-to-4 vote that the president did not exceed his authority. It might be more likely that red states force the court's hand. On abortion, for instance, a number of states have passed restrictions that would seem to clearly violate the court's precedents in Planned Parenthood v. Casey and the underlying right to abortion identified in Roe v. Wade. Court challenges to those laws might get the issue to the Supreme Court faster than Roberts - or Kavanaugh, for that matter - might want. And despite the assurances Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she received from Kavanaugh about precedent, Verrilli said he thinks the conservatives would overturn Roe. "My expectation would be yes," he said. "These are principled people" who thought the issue wrongly decided. - - - Ezra Austin in Princeton, New Jersey, contributed to this report. The depression making its way into the Gulf has been upgraded to a tropical storm, according to the National Hurricane Center. Now named Tropical Storm Michael, the system moving up from the Caribbean is currently expected to hit western portions of Cuba later tonight - but there's no indications it's headed for Texas. Even with intestines spilling out of her, Alexis Gutierrez was surprised to find out she died Saturday. Rescuers slipped red tape over the 14-year-olds wrist when they first came across her, marking the Brazopsort High School freshman in desperate need of medical care. But after volunteers lifted her onto a bench and carried her out of the Creepy Hollow Haunted House near Highway 288 in Rosharon, they wrapped Gutierrezs arm in black, a signal that she died. I thought I was going to make it, she said as she sipped water and gazed at the fake guts taped to her stomach. Now Playing: Alvin High School students are shown with actor victims during a disaster drill at Creepy Hollow Haunted House Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018, in Rosharon. The drill will be the final test for students in FEMA's Community Emergency Response Team Program, which allows those who earn the certification to help first responders during natural disasters and other mass casualty events. Video: Melissa Phillip / Houston Chronicle Gutierrez was among 40 volunteers who helped Alvin High School students and a handful of adults take their final exam for the Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT, certification. The distinction, which is offered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, allows teens and others to help first responders in the wake of all-too-common natural disasters and mass casualty incidents. The classes are free for those who sign up, paid for by Brazoria County. While high schools across greater Houston offer training programs providing basic medical aid, few outside of Alvin ISD certify students as young as 14 in disaster recovery. Marguerite Bagwell, a health science teacher at Alvin High who helped create the program in 2008, said the class that graduated from the decade-old program Saturday is the largest yet, with nearly 50 participants. The interest is not surprising, considering the amount of devastation teens in Brazoria County have seen during the past 12 months. Much of the area spent late August and early September underwater in 2017, as emergency workers and strangers rescued those stranded by Hurricane Harvey's floodwaters and the swollen Brazos River. Eight months later, 10 of their peers were shot and killed at Santa Fe High School, just minutes south along Highway 6. In situations like those, trained volunteers can mean the difference between life and death, said Brazoria County Emergency Management Coordinator Steve Rosa. He said trained helpers ended up operating all of the countys shelters during Hurricane Harvey when the Red Cross was too overwhelmed. We cant rely on somebody riding up on a white horse to save us, because theres just not enough of those, Rosa said. With all the disasters and everything going on in the United States, all the resources are limited. Rosa said people are often eager to help out after natural disasters or other tragedies, but without the appropriate training or skills, they can often get in the way and complicate rescue efforts. Stephanie Hernandez said she was on the verge a nervous breakdown as she and her family evacuated her home, their yard swallowed by floodwaters during Harvey. The ordeal made her realize how important it would be to know how to help when medical or law enforcement professionals are overwhelmed or couldnt access those in need. On Saturday, she held her hand on another students shoulder as they plodded through the maze-like grounds of Creepy Hollow. Hernandez took notes of all the victims they came across, jotting down their injuries, noting any locked doors they came across and writing reminders of places to return to and check. As the group of three rounded each corner, they would call out to unseen patients, asking them to come toward the sound of their voices if they could walk. Some were in bad shape bones jutted out of one young womans leg, and another womans face was nearly singed off in a gas fire. Others were relatively unscathed with small lacerations and bruises on their arms. Some victims wailed and writhed in agony, while still more called out for their mothers or loved ones who were missing. The teens evacuated everyone they could from the main disaster area, lining them up near the road in order of injury severity. Bagwell said there were some slip-ups. The lead organizer forgot to call an ambulance in all the confusion. Some rescuers tried to make folks walk with grievous leg injuries. Others jumped into the chaos before properly assessing the situation and waiting for the rest of their rescue groups. Some victims, like Gutierrez, died awaiting medical care. But there were also many victories. The teens were able to craft makeshift stretchers out of benches and wagons. They aced treating the shock victims and were able to keep panicked patients reasonably calm. Hernandez was able to stay calm herself. She said putting her new skills to use made her realize how much she had learned in the eight-week course. I thought it was just going in and putting bandages on people, Hernandez said. I didnt know how much there was to it, but now that I do, I think I could help out if I needed to. shelby.webb@chron.com twitter.com/shelbywebb One in 5 new homes permitted in Houston in the year after Hurricane Harvey is in a flood plain some on prairie developed for the first time after the storm even as new rainfall data showed existing flood maps understate the risk posed by strengthening storms. The city Planning Commission also approved 260 plats in Houstons flood plains during the same period, signing off on developers requests to redraw property lines to create hundreds more parcels awaiting development in flood-prone areas, a Houston Chronicle analysis found. About 615 of the home construction permits were issued in the 100-year flood plain, the area deemed to have a 1 percent chance of being inundated in any given year, city data show. Another 600 were approved in the 500-year flood plain, the area deemed to have an annual 0.2 percent chance of inundation, according to the Chronicle analysis. HARVEY'S FLOODS: Most homes damaged by Harvey were outside flood plain, data show Many of these permits were issued to homeowners razing and elevating their flooded homes; more than 300 of the homes were approved on lots for which a demolition permit was issued after the storm. Others were issued to builders, many of whom tore down existing bungalows and replaced them with clumps of townhomes, packing more families into the flood plain. Still others were issued to developers building brand new subdivisions in areas that previously were open fields. In many cases, the homes complied with new city regulations designed to better protect life and property only when builders did so voluntarily. Thats because the rules the City Council approved in April which extended regulations from the 100-year flood plain to the broader 500-year flood plain and required new homes built in those areas to sit higher off the ground didnt take effect until Sept. 1, more than a year after Harvey came ashore. Residents in southern Timbergrove, dozens of whom flooded during Harvey, have rallied against one new development in the 100-year flood plain at the edge of their neighborhood near 11th Street at T.C. Jester, along White Oak Bayou. Lovett Homes, which is owned by prolific local developer Frank Liu, has planned a 77-townhome community called Stanley Park along a creek that neighbors said was overwhelmed during Harvey. We always knew that land had been platted for development. I think the outrage was all of this development is pushing to start not even a year after Harvey, said Andrew Schaefer, whose home borders the site. You have this neighborhood devastated and youre just going to come put more townhomes in the immediately affected area. And theyre going to get away with it. The city just lets it happen over and over again. Residents website, yard signs and pressuring of local officials have worked, to a point the Harris County Flood Control District in August told Liu he must build a detention basin on the site, triggering a new round of permitting. As a result, Liu, who declined to comment, must now re-engineer aspects of the development but may still build dozens of townhomes on the site as long as he satisfies all city and county regulations. The same is true for the scores of townhomes Liu and other builders are adding in the flood plain a few miles upstream along White Oak Bayou in Shady Acres, and for a 900-home subdivision that MetroNational and Meritage Homes are developing along Brickhouse Gully. TRANSFORMING HOUSTON: In Houston's flooded neighborhoods, real estate investors see an opportunity When the City Council unanimously approved last spring the developers plan to build that west Houston neighborhood a few miles upstream of areas where houses have been bought out after repeated flooding, many citizens reacted with confusion or outrage. Council members defended the vote by saying that rejecting the measure would only have blocked the developers from their preferred method of financing the project, not from building the subdivision. Lost amid the poor optics of the vote, however, was that the council had, just three weeks earlier, tightened the citys flood plain development rules by the tally of 9-7, an extreme rarity for a council that sees few close votes. Jon Shapley, Staff photographer / Staff photographer Built on the bayous The new rules set more stringent standards for building in flood plains, but do not ban development there that idea was never considered. Most of Houston, after all, was already built by the time the first flood plain maps were published in the 1980s. Today, there are roughly 162,000 buildings in the 236 square miles of mapped flood plains that cover the Bayou City. Mayor Sylvester Turner said the way forward is to build homes higher and improve the regions drainage infrastructure, such as by adding more stormwater detention basins. Houston cannot and should not abandon a third of the city to avoid flooding any more than San Francisco should abandon numerous established neighborhoods that could be affected by earthquakes, Turner said. Houston was founded on a system of bayous and the huge majority of existing development took place before flood plain maps existed. Now the maps are being redone, for good reason, meaning the lines will move while residences will not. Still, some civic leaders have called for the region to begin charting a path toward abandoning its flood plains, perhaps by pouring billions of dollars into buying out tens of thousands of at-risk homes. Among them is Jim Blackburn, of Rice Universitys Severe Storm Prediction Education and Evacuation from Disasters Center. Blackburn said what most concerns him is that local officials seem no closer to a long-term plan to manage Houstons flood risk. Setting aside sufficient funds to do widespread buyouts when the next flood hits would help empty the flood plains, he said, by giving flooded homeowners an option other than perpetuating the cycle of rebuilding only to flood again. No one is talking about flood plain development being dangerous that its unsafe, its unwise, Blackburn said. We basically talk about it on the one hand like its red tape to be avoided and at worst its an elevation to be met, and its more than that. And what you hear from the city is theres a minimum requirement and you have to meet it. Thats not leadership on this issue. Now Im in the house that will flood again Julie Moore knows it sounds crazy: She and her husband spotted the house in Timbergrove when it hit the market before Hurricane Harvey, then watched as it flooded, was repaired at ground level, and went back on the market again. She knows Houston floods her father was the guy who used his boat to rescue flooded neighbors during storms when she was a kid. She knows her new home is nestled between White Oak Bayou and a small tributary, deep in the flood plain. But Moore is due with her first child in November, their old house in the Heights was tiny, and her husband loved the home. They bought it and are still unpacking boxes. Her parents plan to rebuild the gutted house next door with a second story, providing a refuge when the rains come. The unfamiliar thing for me now is that its my reality, because it never was we were always the house in the front of the neighborhood that never floods and now Im in the house that will flood again, Moore said. I imagine its going to be devastating, and Im probably going to be attached to all of our things because I have a baby. Like, Oh she crawled right there for the first time, and we have to rip up all the floors. Often overlooked in the debate over where and how to build in flood plains is that developers would go broke if no one bought the homes they built. Houston real estate agent Alex McCauley was shocked when a house she listed on the west side repaired after being inundated by the dam release in the aftermath of Harvey got six offers within 24 hours, all over the asking price. The year since the storm has taught her that builders and homebuyers alike see opportunity in devastation. Some of my clients tell me, Dont show me anything that flooded, but the majority, if they see something thats pretty, they dont care, she said. I have some people who are looking in the 100-year flood plain, homes that got 6 feet of water, and theyre like, I dont care, my insurance will cover it and Im getting a great deal on this house. It makes me really nervous. DEVELOPING STORM: Build, flood, rebuild: flood insurance's expensive cycle Jake Cover takes a practical view of the risk he faces in the home he bought in March in an Independence Heights flood plain. Cover was told his block didnt flood during Harvey, he bought flood insurance, and his home is raised on a thick foundation. Hes not concerned that city rules would require the home to sit higher if it were built today many houses in flood plains were spared and others were not, he said. With Harvey on his mind, however, Cover did push the builder to add drains to the backyard and improve his front culvert along the street before he moved in. Im just comfortable with the risk involved, he said. My parents house flooded and, having flood insurance, it hasnt set them back very far. It wasnt something that worried me very much. Jon Shapley, Staff photographer / Staff photographer Shifting views among builders Yet there are concerns that not all buyers understand the risk they are taking on. In Shady Acres, much of which is in the flood plain near the confluence of White Oak Bayou and Turkey Creek, clumps of townhomes are squeezed onto parcels between vacant lots and the original homes, nearly all of them sporting for sale signs. Matt Zeve, director of operations for the county Flood Control District, says his staff hears regularly from buyers of new Shady Acres townhomes upset that their garages have repeatedly flooded, ruining their cars and possessions. Even the new city regulations apply only to living quarters, he noted, meaning garages need not be elevated. FLOOD GAMES: Manipulation of flood insurance leads to repeat disasters If developers and their customers are willing to live in homes that look different than how homes typically look in Houston-Harris County, and take the risk of not being able to leave their homes and possibly have their vehicles damaged when theres a major flood event, then thats OK to have development in the flood plain, Zeve said. But a lot of people are uncomfortable with that situation. I wouldnt want to live that way. Greater Houston Builders Association past president Mike Dishberger has always been reticent to build in flood plains, but he said there is no practical way to prevent development in flood zones through regulation without undermining established neighborhoods. Dishberger, who owns Sandcastle Homes, opposed the citys new regulations, which he felt were unjustified and too costly. The last year of development aside, however, he said those regulations likely will limit future development in flood plains once all Harvey-related work is done. Youll see a rash of rebuilding happening for another year but as far as new construction I think youre going to start seeing fewer and fewer, he said. Builders arent going to be buying that kind of property just because of the rules and the cost of building the homes higher. Theres a lot of land in Houston. Theres no need to build in the 100-year flood plain that much. Homebuilder Johnny Hollins is among the busiest builders in Independence Heights, much of which is in the 100-year flood plain. Harvey has shifted his thinking, however. Hollins said all seven homes he has pending in the area will now meet the citys new height standard, though they were approved before the new rules took effect. I dont really want to build in the 100-year anymore theres too much that goes with it, said Hollins, of J.G. Hollins Builders. Its the concern about flood risk, and it slows us down on the regulatory side. I want to live my life Marcel Coley told his real estate agent he didnt want to consider homes in flood zones, but in April he bought a brand new home in Skyview Forest, a subdivision built on undeveloped land that partially sits in a 500-year flood plain south of Sims Bayou in south Houston. Even though the bayou runs about 800 feet beyond his back fence, Coley said he did not know he had purchased in a flood zone. He wasnt required to buy flood insurance, which typically is required only for homes in the riskier 100-year flood plain. NEVER AGAIN: 'Paradigm shift' on flooding emerging in Houston a year after Harvey Coleys home sits a bit above the street, its slab foundation laid on a pad of extra dirt. Neighbors say that was enough during Harvey, and that the floodwaters were mostly contained in the streets. Coleys house would sit higher off the ground, likely on a pier-and-beam foundation, if it had been built only a few months later. Still, he feels good about his choice. The area is developing quickly, and he expects his home value will rise. If its going to flood its going to flood, you just have to take precautions when the weather says something may potentially happen, he said. I dont want to live scared of that. I want to live my life. mike.morris@chron.com matt.dempsey@chron.com Most parishioners at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral havent stepped foot inside their church for more than 18 months. Instead, theyve spent Sunday mornings at the gymnasium next door as the historic building was rebuilt. Church members and Houstonians of all faiths were welcomed back inside the completed cathedral this weekend as part of the Original Greek Festival, which Annunciation has hosted every year since 1968. Its doors officially opened Sept. 30, and the festival served as an informal introduction to the community. Change is hard, but everyone has been so pleased with the way it turned out, said Dana Kantalis, a board member on the festival committee. The more things changed, the more they stayed a little bit of the same. Nearly the entire building was torn down and rebuilt to hold twice as many parishioners, but iconography, stained glass, chandeliers and other precious elements of the church were preserved and restored. Kantalis said many of the churchs oldest members said it still feels like home. The stairs leading to the balcony were a little creaky, Kantalis said, but the main reason parishioners voted for the restoration was the congregations growth. About 1,000 people called themselves members, but the old cathedral, built in 1950, could only hold about 475. Now, the cathedral is twice as large and can hold more than 900 people. For any normal Sunday, it got to be kind of crowded. Then you had a major church event, like Easter, for example, or Christmas, said Paul Voinis, 81, a lifelong member of Annunciation. He also served on the committee that ran the church expansion. Wed have to accommodate people by closed circuit TV, or we moved to the gymnasium so we could accommodate a crowd. It finally reached a point where there was a can-do attitude: Lets do it. Growth mandates expansion Annunciations expansion comes at a time when the churchs members are reaching into the fourth generation. A group of Greek immigrants founded Annunciation in 1917, meeting in a small wooden building downtown, across from where City Hall now sits. Voinis father, Nick Voinis, was one of those original members. He emigrated from Patmos, a Greek island, to the United States via Ellis Island in 1911 and moved to Houston when he was 15 years old. At that time, the membership was all immigrants, Voinis said. They came from some of the same places in Greece like Patmos, for example, had a seemingly large number that immigrated to Houston. They settled like immigrants usually do, among their friends, to meet the challenge of the new land. Many of Houstons Greek immigrants settled near Houston Avenue and Alamo Street in the Sixth Ward, he said. After a few decades downtown, much of the congregation had moved west, and they voted to move the church with them to its current location at 3511 Yoakum. The festival has history, too its first official year of introducing Greek food, dance and religion to others in Houston was 1968. The previous year, 1967, was our 50th anniversary, and we had an affair at the church, a celebration, Voinis said. One night was called Greek Night, and we had dancing and food. And we decided to make that the festival. The Greek culture in the church so strong when Annunciation was founded has diluted somewhat over the years as the founding families grandchildren and great-grandchildren move away, adopt other faiths or fail to learn the Greek language. Paul Voinis himself speaks Greek, and though nearly all of his three children and nine grandchildren are Annunciation members, none of them speak the language. When Voinis daughter, Stephanie Alvarez, was a kid, the services were almost entirely in Greek. Today, its the opposite: mostly English. Her husband, Rafael Alvarez, converted to Greek Orthodox Christianity when they married, one of the main ways the church has grown over the years, Paul Voinis said. Alvarez grew up mostly going to Catholic churches in Mexico. I married a Greek, and people around here say it was the best day of my life! Alvarez said. Family, fun and traditions Unlike the congregation, not much about the festival has changed in its five decades. Church volunteers make all the food, which comes from traditional Greek recipes, and start preparing the feast as early as June. The recipes have never changed. Some festival chairmen have tried to sneak in their families variations on the dishes, but they never succeeded, Voinis said. And the dancing has been a mainstay. Voinis first wife, Georgia Voinis, choreographed much of the childrens and adult routines over a 30-year run. She passed away in 2003, but todays dancers, which include most of the Voinis grandchildren, still perform many of her moves. Its just a family thing, and its a lot of fun, said Melanie Voinis, 18. You learn these dances, and its really fun to perform onstage. Its part of our culture. The Greek fest is the main way we learn about our Greek culture. Like many of the church congregation, Melanie Voinis started dancing in second grade and continued until this year, when she started college at Texas A&M University and couldnt attend the rehearsals in Houston. At the daytime shows, kids ranging from 2nd to 10th grade dance in traditional clothing in front of hundreds of attendees: often their parents and grandparents alongside other festival-goers. At night, older high schoolers and adults perform. Hailey Economides, 11, has been dancing at the Greek Festival for four years. Her two brothers ages 9 and 23 also dance. This year, she performed the pentozali, a bouncy number in which the dancers hold each others shoulders and hop on one foot. My parents told me the first year, You could be a leader to the other little kids who dont want to dance or cant dance yet, Hailey said. Some of the third- and fourth-generation church members, including Hailey, said they absorb a lot of their familys culture from coming to the festival every year. We get to see all the food and the dances the adult dances are somewhat different than the kid dances, she said. We get to see the costumes, the music, and honestly, we get to see how Greek people are. Theyre fun people. Nia Botti, 16, who has been dancing almost a decade, performed the zorba this year. Its so much fun, Nia said. This is my last year in the day show, and next year Ill be in the night show. Honestly, I dont want to quit. I dont know any other girls who want to quit either. Its enjoyable learning all the dances and being with the same people every year. Her mother, Maria Botti, danced at the Greek festival when she was a kid, too. In the 70s, Botti appeared in a photo in the Houston Chronicle dancing at the festival as a 3-year-old. I kind of forced Nia, Botti said. She was like, I dont want to do it! And now I just cant quit, Nia responded. This years festival concludes from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $5 for those older than 12. emilyrburleson@gmail.com @emilyrburleson More than 15,000 runners and walkers painted Houston pink Saturday as the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure took over Allen Parkway from downtown to Kirby Drive. The event, now in its 28th year, raises awareness of breast cancer prevention and treatment and research funds. But this year, said Komen Houston Board President Betsy Kamin, the month of October is about more than pink. Fighting breast cancer and saving lives takes more than just a pretty color, Kamin said. It takes funding, cutting-edge research, education about early detection, speaking out to our elected leaders, (and providing support). The goal of the race, and Komen as a whole, is to slash the 40,000 breast cancer deaths in the United States by half by 2026. (Komen) helps survivors know theyre not alone and that people support them, said Ginny Airklin, Komen Houstons senior director of community partnerships. Until theres a cure, were going to keep doing this. Since its creation in 1990, Komen Houston has funded more than $36 million in local community programs and research, according to a news release. On Sept. 25, the Foundation announced a $26 million series of 62 research projects focused on fighting drug resistance, metastasis and health disparities 47 of which will test new treatments and immunotherapies. More than $3 million of the grants will go to Texas-based institutions and the Texas Medical Center. This year, 11 Houston organizations including The Rose, MD Anderson Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine are set to benefit from the more than $787,000 as of race day, not including day-of registration or other donations. For former Komen Houston board member Molly Bobrow, the fight was personal. Bobrow, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997 and had a mastectomy eight years later she developed a new primary cancer in her other breast. Shortly after her first diagnosis, she became involved with Komen Houston and Race for the Cure. I had this big pink ribbon hit me in the face and I realized this was going to be a big part of my life, Bobrow said. In 2012, Bobrow became a board member of Komen Houston, in part, she said, to reassure other survivors and help women going through their first bout of breast cancer treatments. Theres nothing like the bond you share with someone thats in treatment, Bobrow said. I had the reassurance of knowing what I was in for. mrincon@chron.com DALLAS Decades of additional weather data have led federal officials to reconsider rainfall totals in Texas that define 100-year weather events and caution that extreme rainstorms will strike the state more frequently. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday released a study finding that in the Houston area, for instance, 100-year estimates increased from 13 inches to 18 inches for a 24-hour period. Rainfall previously classified as 100-year events are now more frequent 25-year events. A 100-year storm is one that, on average, occurs every 100 years, or has a 1 percent chance of happening in any given year. In the Austin region, 100-year rainfall amounts for 24 hours increased as much as 3 inches up to 13 inches. The 3-inch increase was the same for the area just north of Corpus Christi, a portion of West Texas that includes the border county of Val Verde, and elsewhere. Current standards used for infrastructure design and flood plain regulations will possibly be revised based on the new values, said Mark Glaudemans with NOAAs Office of Water Prediction. Officials in locations that have seen significant increases are already assessing the potential impacts of adopting the new estimates. Earlier rainfall estimates provided by NOAA were based on data that in some cases are more than 50 years old. In a January report, the National Hurricane Center determined that the Houston metro area last year experienced a flood brought by Hurricane Harvey that was a greater than a once-in-1,000 year event, the highest level thats calculated. Until Harvey, the record for rainfall from a hurricane or tropical storm in the Lower 48 states was 48 inches in 1978, and 52 inches in Hawaii in 1950. With Harvey, seven places beat out the 52-inch record and 18 places beat the 48-inch mark. The top two Nederland and Groves both were more than 60.5 inches. The NOAA findings released Thursday can have wide-ranging implications. NOAA rainfall values guide state and federal regulations that then dictate how infrastructure design and development is done. They also determine flood risks and are used in the development of floodplains. Harris County commissioners on Tuesday earmarked $14.5 million for updated flood plain maps in the wake of Harvey. The maps rely on rainfall data to help Houston-area regulators determine where homes can be built, insurance costs and locations for flood-control projects. It wasnt clear Thursday how the NOAA report may affect the revision of those maps. A spokeswoman for the Harris County Flood Control District did not return a message seeking comment. The other day, a woman confessed to me that shes a Republican. Republicans may bristle at the verb, but its used advisedly. The lady admitted her party affiliation the way you would some personal failing. I dont tell a lot of people, she said, but In fairness, her reticence might have been in part because we met in a blue state. But she also made clear her disenchantment with the GOP on its own merits or lack thereof. And who can blame her? In genuflecting before a rabid rabble of vulgarians, hyper-nationalists and flat-out bigots the base her party has embraced stealing Supreme Court seats, alternative facts, alienating allies, kissing up to enemies, good people on both sides, tax breaks for billionaires and Donald Trump. It has become a moral train wreck. Shes hardly the only Republican who feels estranged. Another woman told me, The Republican Party has clearly lost its way. Actions speak louder than words in politics. You cannot campaign and say youre a fiscal conservative when you allow the debt to increase to the degree that it has or to provide the types of giveaways in the tax bill that the Republicans have given away. This person was not simply a Republican voter, but a former elected official, Claudine Schneider, a Rhode Island congresswoman who left office in 1991. I am astounded with the lack of backbone, she told me by telephone. My assessment is, the Republicans keep hearing how popular Donald Trump is and I think the House and Senate members are just inclined to go along to get along. Its all about holding on to power. Its essentially, Ill do whatever it takes to get re-elected. So Schneider has assembled a group of like-minded former GOP officials, Republicans for Integrity, to hold the party to account. Though we are lifelong Republicans, she wrote in a Miami Herald op-ed, we are urging you to vote only for candidates who will restore the kind of integrity and constitutional accountability that our nations forefathers intended. Im not going to be one thats going to argue that we should defeat all Republicans, RFI member and former Arizona Rep. Jim Kolbe told me. But I do believe Republicans need to stand up for principles and for integrity and they need to stand up to a president when hes not following those principles. And doesnt the groups name speak volumes? Like Jews for Jesus or Blacks for Trump, its an implicit acknowledgment that what it describes is a departure from the norm. In Republicans for Integrity, then, we have a group of Republicans conceding that integrity has become rather rare in the GOP. Thats something the party has yet to face. One recalls Sen. Lindsey Graham, in the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court confirmation hearing, yelling at his Democratic enemies another word used advisedly about their supposed willingness to do anything to achieve their goals. Boy, yall want power, he sneered. I hope you never get it! It was a moment of sheer moral disconnect that brought to mind a verse from Matthew: Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brothers eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own? Republicans should heed that injunction. Especially given that it comes not just from leftists, libtards and Demwits, but from inside their own tent. Party stalwarts such as George Will, Jeff Flake and Bill Kristol have all complained about the stench of rotting elephant. Now Republicans for Integrity is a thing. I dont tell a lot of people the woman said. And it was sobering. Im a Republican should not be something you confess. Pitts is a columnist for The Miami Herald. Readers may contact at pitts@miamiherald.com. WASHINGTON - By July of 2019, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., aims to see the House of Representatives pass landmark legislation shielding consumers from the onslaught of data breaches and the anxiety and confusion over the misuse of their personal information on the web. To nudge such legislation along, Khanna recently unveiled a list of 10 principles amounting to a draft Internet Bill of Rights that he hopes will inform sweeping data privacy laws to protect American citizens in the digital age. "There's great concern that Americans have about the protection of their privacy online and about their security online," Khanna told The Washington Post in an interview Friday. "They are looking to the United States Congress to help put together well crafted regulation to protect them in the cyber world." LAWSUIT: Internet providers are joining Trump's DOJ in suing California over net neutrality This list contains principles that many lawmakers, consumer advocates and technologists have long clamored for. The Internet Bill of Rights calls for network neutrality, consumer choice for Internet service providers, greater transparency into data collection practices by Web companies, opt-in consent for data collection, and timely notification if a company holding personal data suffers a hack. Khanna said he consulted with distinguished experts, among others, to draft the principles, notably Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the World Wide Web, and Obama administration technology officials Nicole Wong and Todd Park. The New York Times first reported on the Internet Bill of Rights. Previous congressional efforts to pass data protection laws have failed to advance, even in the wake of record-breaking data breaches that attracted widespread public condemnation, such as the massive Equifax breach disclosed last year, and Facebook's Cambridge Analytica scandal that broke in March. But both Democratic and Republican officials have suggested that the momentum has shifted. "The question is no longer whether we need a national law to protect consumers' privacy," Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., said in an op-ed last month. "The question is what shape that law should take." LIFE ONLINE: Poll: Young Americans say online bullying a problem New data privacy rules coming out of Europe and state legislatures are pushing the tech industry to the negotiating table. The recent passage of California's robust privacy law has pressured tech companies consider federal privacy rules, as the prospect rises of other states passing similar restrictions on data-harvesting practices. The European Union's General Data Protection Regulation, which went into effect in May, has also swayed industry players to work on new uniform rules, with tech giants such as Google, Facebook and Apple updating their data collection policies to comply with the EU. "Expanding access to a safe and secure Internet and protecting consumers remains a top priority for House Democrats," Taylor Griffin, a spokeswoman for Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a statement to The Post. Khanna said Pelosi asked him to began drafting the Bill of Rights six months ago, but the work to turn the principles into law will fall under the jurisdiction of the House Energy and Committee, in the next Congress, he added. Khanna acknowledged that the list is a work in progress but he views action from Capitol Hill as the only way forward. "I'm open to revisions and constructive criticism," he said. "What I think is inexcusable is for Congress not to act." MIDTERMS: States with weakest election security named The draft bill of rights states: You should have the right: 1. to have access to and knowledge of all collection and uses of personal data by companies; 2. to opt-in consent to the collection of personal data by any party and to the sharing of personal data with a third party; 3. where context appropriate and with a fair process, to obtain, correct or delete personal data controlled by any company and to have those requests honored by third parties; 4. to have personal data secured and to be notified in a timely manner when a security breach or unauthorized access of personal data is discovered; 5. to move all personal data from one network to the next; 6. to access and use the internet without internet service providers blocking, throttling, engaging in paid prioritization or otherwise unfairly favoring content, applications, services or devices; 7. to internet service without the collection of data that is unnecessary for providing the requested service absent opt-in consent; 8. to have access to multiple viable, affordable internet platforms, services and providers with clear and transparent pricing; 9. not to be unfairly discriminated against or exploited based on your personal data; and 10. to have an entity that collects your personal data have reasonable business practices and accountability to protect your privacy. Get more tasty tech news at TechBurger. And follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Subscribe to the Chronicle for regular access to TechBurger stories and to be able to comment. Checkout No resources available in your cart Turkey puts 11 radar stations to monitor activity in the Aegean by Philip Chrysopoulos October 04,2018 | Source: Greek Reporter Turkey is establishing 11 radar stations across its coastline in order to monitor all activity in the Aegean with the aim to curb illegal activities, Hurriyet Daily News says. Officially, the goal is to stop illegal activity in the Aegean, mainly migrant smuggling and illegal fishing. The first phase of the project covers an area from the shores of Marmara Sea to Datca, across from the Greek island of Symi. A total of 11 observation stations have already been set up on the coastline of Turkey and the first tests are now being carried out to see if the systems are working properly. Seven government authorities will be cooperating in order to act when illegal activities are detected, from migrant trafficking to smuggling goods. The data gathered by the observation stations will be analyzed by various algorithms automatically and in the event of an anomaly, such as boats suspected of trafficking or sea vessels moving slower than usual, the control center operators will command the cameras to zoom in to that area and send the images to the base in Ankara. From there, the data will be transmitted to the port authorities, naval forces, transport agencies, environment agencies, the agriculture and commerce ministries, and if the competent authorities confirm that there is illegal activity, then the coast guard will rush to the location to act. 2016 - GreekReporter.com Theme(s): Fishing Craft, Gear and Fishing Methods. Russia hosts International Year of Salmon celebration, with conservation of species top-of-mind by Ivan Stupachenko October 05,2018 | Source: SeafoodSource The International Year of Salmon (IYS) 2019 has officially started after the inaugurating ceremony held at the II Global Fishery Forum on 15 September in St. Petersburg, Russia. Initiated by the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC) and by the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO), and supported by several other regional organizations, the aim of the IYS is to raise awareness of what humans can do to better ensure salmon and their varied habitats are conserved and restored against the backdrop of increasing environmental variability, according to a statement on the NPAFCs website. The parties at the IYS ceremony committed to a set a series of measures targeted at conservation and restoration of salmon stocks globally, with a special emphasis on Russia. Those measures included conducting research-focused scientific expeditions, upping the fight against illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing, encouraging information exchange between salmon-fishing countries, and public education regarding salmon. Some of these activities have already started and the program will last into 2022. Due to its geography and size, Russia possesses the most varied biological and genetic diversity of salmon on the planet, Ilya Shestakov, the head of the Russias Federal Agency for Fisheries, said at the ceremony. Shestakov spoke along with NASCO President Johannes Hansen, NPAFC President Suam Kim, and University of Vancouver Professor Richard Beamish, the initiator of the IYS. Shestakov cited anthropogenic factors such as climate change, IUU, and the pollution of the marine environment, as the leading threats facing the worlds salmon populations in future years. In Russia, which experienced a record catch during its 2018 salmon season, science has shown that salmon have been migrating north due to warmer sea temperatures caused by climate change, Shestakov said. He added that the global fishing industry requires longer-term catch and stock forecasts than are currently available. According to NPAFC, the global annual catch of Pacific salmon is nearly one million metric tons (MT) up significantly from the 1950-1970s, when it amounted to an average 400,000 MT. However, the global catch of anadromous salmon fell to 1,200 MT against 12,000 MT in the 1970s. 2018 Diversified Communications Theme(s): Fisheries Resources. Imperial Valley News Center Chinese Microchip Story underscores importance of supply chain security Washington, DC - Thursday morning Bloomberg released a report that detailed how Chinese spies had been inserting microchips no bigger than the size of rice on to SuperMicro motherboards. At least 30 companies and organizations that use those motherboards were affected. In many ways this epic failure in supply chain security feels like something out of a spy movie. Suffice it to say this is a big deal. There are myriad questions this incident raises: How will the US government view this provocation? What and how much data was compromised? Should other companies be worried about the potential for sabotage if they outsource any part of they supply chain to China? And while I could give you my opinion on any one of those, Id be a little out of my depth so instead Im going to focus on one takeaway that I do know about: supply chain security has never been more important. So, lets do a quick rundown of the Chinese Spy Chip Scandal and then talk a little bit about supply chain security. What happened with China and the tiny microchips? Yesterday Bloomberg dropped a major report on how Chinese spies were planting tiny microchips on the motherboards of servers made in SuperMicros Chinese production facility. The chips had been inserted during the manufacturing process, two officials say, by operatives from a unit of the Peoples Liberation Army. In Supermicro, Chinas 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. As Bloomberg explains, there are generally two methods that intelligence agencies can use to alter the physical hardware of a device. The one favored by the US, which we know thanks to Edward Snowden, is called interdiction. Its also a form of supply chain attack, but it focuses more on the logistics, intercepting the hardware at some point en route to one destination or another so that it can modify it and then let it continue along its way. China doesnt have to do that, owing to the fact that so many of the devices they would potentially want to modify are manufactured within its borders: 75% of the worlds mobile devices and 90% of its computers. This kind of supply chain attack is called a seeding attack, and up until this point it seemed like more of a hypothetical than something that could be done with any practicality. Obviously, Bloombergs report would indicate that line of thinking was wrong. This came to light because Amazon was considering the acquisition of a company called Elemental that sold video compression services. The motherboards that Elemental servers used were made by a San Diego-based company called SuperMicro, that had its production facility in China where the seeding attack took place. 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. Already today, Apple and Facebook have admitted that they were targeted, though Apple did initially issue a denial. And Im sure over the coming days and weeks this story is going to continue to develop. Heres a visualization of how the hack worked, as provided by Bloomberg Visualization by Bloomberg What does this say about supply chain security? Lets start with what our working definition for supply chain security is going to be. What occurs with actual hardware modification is exceedingly rare and kind of the nuclear level disaster of supply chain attacks. What we tend to refer to (at The SSL Store) with regard to supply chain security is more along the lines of cybersecurity. But before we get into that, the biggest takeaway from this should be how one mistake, anywhere on your supply line, can be catastrophic. Weve written about it plenty of times here because we spent so much time covering GDPR compliance, but having the best cybersecurity implementations in the world can be rendered entirely moot if one of your partners drops the ball. Thats why the GDPR requires data processing agreements and companies are supposed to audit their partners security. But Id also be remiss if I didnt point out that no amount of planning could have probably anticipated state-sponsored sabotage. Despite that, this is still a good time to go over some supply chain cybersecurity best practices. So here goes: Supply Chain Security Best Practices According to the US National Institute for Standard and Technology, you should construct your supply chain cybersecurity plan around three principles: Assume you will be breached. Start from the premise that a breach is inevitable. Understand cybersecurity isnt just a technology problem, its a people and processes problem, too. Dont divorce physical security from cybersecuritysecurity is security. Now, before you can start getting into specific security implementations youre going to need to perform a risk assessment. Were not going to go too in-depth on that topic today (if you want to take a deep-dive I suggest you read the article), but the general idea is that you need to start by categorizing the types of risk youll face and their severity. And then start to look at strategies that will mitigate attacks and minimize risks. Some of the concerns youll have from a supply chain standpoint will be third-party vendors or service providers with physical or virtual access to your company. Or security issues or lack of security from your partners. Or potentially purchasing hardware or software that is already compromised. And then there are software vulnerabilities in supply chain management or supply lines and even concerns about third-party data storage and data aggregators. Ok, so lets get into some actual examples of Supply Chain Cybersecurity Best Practices: Imperial Valley News Center Foreign National Pleads Guilty to Downloading Child Pornography from the Dark Web in Exchange for Cryptocurrency Arlington, Virginia - A Saudi Arabian national living in Arlington, Virginia pleaded guilty today to downloading child pornography through the dark web. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger of the Eastern District of Virginia, and Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Lechleitner of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)s Washington, D.C. made the announcement. Ammar Atef Alahdali, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography before U.S. District Judge Liam OGrady of the Eastern District of Virginia. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 18. According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea, Alahdali paid cryptocurrency to become a member of a website dedicated to the advertisement and distribution of child pornography. This website operated over the dark webi.e., it could only be accessed through special software that masks the users real internet protocol address. In 2017, he used this website to download more than 20 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including at least one video depicting sadistic sexual conduct. HSI investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Kyle P. Reynolds and William G. Clayman of the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Fong of the Eastern District of Virginia. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. Imperial Valley News Center Leading Electrolytic Capacitor Manufacturer Ordered to Pay $60 Million Criminal Fine for Price Fixing San Francisco, California - Nippon Chemi-Con was sentenced to pay a $60 million criminal fine for its role in a conspiracy to fix prices for electrolytic capacitors sold to customers in the United States and elsewhere, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday. The $60 million fine is the largest fine imposed in the Justice Departments investigation into collusion in the capacitors industry. In addition to the $60 million criminal fine, Nippon Chemi-Con was also sentenced to a five-year term of probation during which the company must implement an effective compliance program and submit annual written reports on its compliance efforts. "Todays sentence affirms the Antitrust Divisions commitment to holding companies, whether foreign or domestic, accountable for conspiring to cheat American consumers, said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Department of Justices Antitrust Division. In addition to the significant fine, the five-year probation period promotes deterrence and will help to protect the public. In May 2018, Nippon Chemi-Con pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to suppress and eliminate competition for electrolytic capacitors from at least as early as November 2001 to January 2014. Nippon Chemi-Con was charged by indictment filed in October 2017 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The indictment charged Nippon Chemi-Con with carrying out the conspiracy by agreeing with co-conspirators to fix prices of electrolytic capacitors during meetings and other communications. Capacitors were then sold in accordance with these agreements. As part of the conspiracy, Nippon Chemi-Con and its co-conspirators took steps to conceal the conspiracy, including the use of code names and providing misleading justifications for prices and bids submitted to customers in order to cover up their collusive conduct. In total, eight companies and ten individuals have been charged for their participation in this conspiracy. All eight companies have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced to criminal fines collectively totaling over $150 million. Of the ten individuals charged, two have pleaded guilty, and eight remain under indictment, including four Nippon Chemi-Con executives: Takuro Isawa, Takeshi Matsuzaka, Yasutoshi Ohno, and Kaname Takahashi. Electrolytic capacitors store and regulate electrical current in a variety of electronic products, including computers, televisions, car engine and airbag systems, home appliances, and office equipment. This case results from ongoing federal antitrust investigations being conducted by the Antitrust Divisions San Francisco Office and the FBIs San Francisco Field Office into price fixing, bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the capacitor industry. Imperial Valley News Center Wisconsin Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison for Producing Child Pornography Involving Infant and Toddler Washington, DC - A Marshfield, Wisconsin man was sentenced Thursday to 50 years in prison for producing child pornography involving an infant and toddler during the summer of 2017. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Scott C. Blader for the Western District of Wisconsin and Special Agent in Charge R. Justin Tolomeo of the FBIs Milwaukee Field Office, made the announcement. Mark E. Bartz, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin. Bartz pleaded guilty on July 3, to two counts of producing child pornography. In addition to his prison sentence, he was sentenced to 25 years of supervised release. According to court documents, Bartz produced child pornography involving a toddler and infant, including visual depictions of himself engaging in sexually explicit conduct with the infant. Bartz was also the administrator of online chat groups devoted to the trading of child pornography and posted the sexually explicit images he produced to those groups. He also engaged in sexually explicit conduct with other minors over the course of decades. FBI Milwaukee investigated the case with substantial assistance from the FBIs Violent Crimes Against Children (VCAC) Section. Trial Attorney Jessica L. Urban of the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman of the Western District of Wisconsin prosecuted the case. This investigation was a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. Imperial Valley News Center Federal Court Orders Tax Scheme Promoters to Disgorge $50 Million in Gains From Fraudulent Solar Energy Tax Scheme Salt Lake City, Utah - A federal court in Salt Lake City, Utah, ordered R. Gregory Shepard and Neldon Johnson and Utah companies RaPower-3 LLC, and International Automated Systems, Inc., to disgorge over $50 million in gross receipts from facilitating and promoting an abusive tax scheme involving false tax deductions and solar energy credits. The court also barred defendants from promoting and marketing the scheme and ordered them to take steps to ensure that the public is not further harmed by their actions. We are gratified by the courts decision, which mitigates the harm to the United States Treasury caused by defendants unlawful tax scheme, said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Departments Tax Division. As the courts decision recognizes, a business model that is based on false and fraudulent conduct cannot be allowed to retain its income. Based upon evidence the government submitted to the court during a 12-day bench trial, the court found that the defendants engaged in a massive fraud. The court stated that the defendants each knew, or had reason to know, that their statements about the tax benefits purportedly related to buying solar lenses were false or fraudulent. The court stated that [b]ecause of the manner in which Defendants promoted the scheme, the court concludes that $50,025,480 in gross receipts from the solar energy scheme came from money that rightfully belonged to the U.S. Treasury. The court found that the defendants obstructed discovery about their gross receipts and other topics involving their finances. The court stated that the United States showed a reasonable approximation of the total gross receipts from lens sales. In addition, the court held that defendants would not be allowed any credit of operating expenses because such credits are not consistent with principles of equitable disgorgement. According to the opinion, defendant Neldon Johnson claimed to have invented purported solar energy technology involving solar thermal lenses placed in arrays on towers. The court found that to make money from this purported solar energy technology, Johnson decided to sell a component of the purported technology: the solar lenses. Under the proper circumstances, the Internal Revenue Code allows a taxpayer engaged in a trade or business certain tax deductions for expenses the taxpayer incurs while generating income. Likewise, if all of the requirements are met, the tax law allows an energy credit for certain energy property. However, in this case, the court concluded that the defendants knew, or had reason to know, that their customers were not in a trade or business of leasing out solar lenses and, therefore, that their customers were not allowed the depreciation deduction or solar energy tax credit. The opinion also concluded that the defendants made gross valuation overstatements when they sold lenses to customers. The court found that the defendants sold each lens for a total purported price of $3,500. The court stated that the evidence showed that the raw cost of each supposed lens was very low and found that [d]efendants technology does not work, and is not likely to work to produce commercially viable electricity or solar process heat. Therefore, each lens is just one component of an inoperable system. It is not a piece of sophisticated technology such that premium pricing is appropriate for it. The court also barred defendants from promoting and marketing the scheme. The court stated that the defendants sold lenses using a multi-level marketing approach, and encouraged distributors to bring still more people in to the multi-level marketing system and build an extensive downline. The court concluded that, in this case, [t]he toxic combination of multi-level marketing and misleading information creates an urgent need [for] an injunction. The injunction requires, among other things, that the defendants stop making statements that a person who buys a lens is in a trade or business with respect to that lens; may lawfully claim a depreciation deduction or any other business expense deduction related to a solar lens; and may lawfully claim a solar energy credit related to a lens. Further, the court ordered that the defendants disclose, in their marketing materials for lenses that the court has determined that the solar energy technology of RaPower-3 in place from 2005 to 2018 is without scientific validation or substance and ineligible for tax credits or depreciation by individual purchasers of lenses. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman thanked Trial Attorneys Erin Healy Gallagher, Erin R. Hines, and Christopher R. Moran who litigated the case. He also thanked the many IRS attorneys and agents who participated in the investigation. Texas Patient Recruiter Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for $3.6 Million Home Health Care Fraud Scheme Washington, DC - A Houston, Texas-area patient recruiter was sentenced to 108 months in prison Thursday for her role in a $3.6 million Medicare fraud scheme involving fraudulent claims for home health services. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick of the Southern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBIs Houston Field Office, Special Agent in Charge C.J. Porter of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector Generals (HHS-OIG) Dallas Region and the Texas Attorney Generals Medicaid Fraud Unit (MFCU) made the announcement. Mercy O. Ainabe, 52, of Houston, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sim Lake of the Southern District of Texas, who presided over the trial. After a three-day trial in May 2018, Ainabe was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, five counts of health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to pay health care kickbacks. According to evidence presented at trial, Ainabe, a long-time patient recruiter in the Houston area, controlled a substantial population of Medicare patients whose personal information she sold to home health care companies in exchange for kickbacks. The evidence at trial showed that Ainabe and her co-conspirators used a home health care company called Texas Tender Care to submit claims to Medicare for home health services that were not medically necessary and/or were not provided. Ainabe paid beneficiaries, doctors, physical therapy companies and others for the paperwork, Medicare beneficiary information and services needed to facilitate the fraud. To cover up the fraud, Ainabe tried to make it look as though she was being paid an hourly wage as a legitimate marketing representative, the evidence showed. The case was investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG and MFCU, and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Texas. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Drew Pennebaker and Elizabeth Young of the Fraud Section. The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. The Criminal Divisions Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in 12 cities across the country, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion. Governor Brown on U.S. Senate's Confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. issued the following statement today on the U.S. Senate's confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court: This controversial and partisan choice further deepens the divisions in America and profoundly undermines democratic governance. A real tragedy. Honduran Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Conspiring to Launder Over $1 Million in Bribes and Misappropriations New Orleans, Louisiana - A Honduran man was sentenced in federal court Wednesday to 46 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to launder into the United States more than $1.3 million in foreign bribe payments and public funds from the Republic of Honduras, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division and Deputy Director and Acting Director Ronald D. Vitiello of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced. On June 27, Carlos Zelaya, 47, a citizen of Honduras who was residing in the New Orleans area, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering before U.S. District Judge Martin L.C. Feldman of the Eastern District of Louisiana, who imposed todays sentence and ordered Zelaya to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. The defendant consented to the forfeiture of his interest in over one million dollars in real estate obtained through the scheme as part of his plea. According to admissions made as part of the plea agreement, Carlos Zelaya conspired with his brother, the former Executive Director of the Honduran Institute of Social Security, and others to launder over $1.3 million in bribe payments. These bribes were paid by two Honduran businessmen for the benefit of the Executive Director. The funds were then laundered into the New Orleans area through international wire transfers and used to purchase real estate, including a commercial property. Carlos Zelaya collected and spent the rental income derived from the properties, even after a federal judge ordered him to preserve the funds pending resolution of a federal civil forfeiture suit. During the course of the civil case, he also made false statements to the U.S. government in written discovery responses and to a federal judge in the Eastern District of Louisiana while testifying under oath. As part of the conspiracy, Carlos Zelaya also used his brothers high-ranking official position to profit from lucrative Honduran government contracts and then laundered the misappropriated funds into the New Orleans area. The investigation was conducted by ICE Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans and Miami. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Stephen A. Gibbons, Marybeth Grunstra, and Michael B. Redmann of the Criminal Divisions Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section with assistance from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Valuable assistance was provided by the Justice Departments Office of International Affairs. This case was brought under the Department of Justices Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative by a team of prosecutors in the Criminal Divisions Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section. These prosecutors partner with federal law enforcement agencies to prosecute those who engage in and facilitate foreign official corruption which has effects on the U.S. financial system, to forfeit assets purchased with the proceeds of that corruption, and, where appropriate, to repatriate the recovered funds for the benefit of the people of the country harmed by such abuse of public office. Massachusetts Man Sentenced to More than 17 Years in Prison for Cyberstalking Former Housemate and Others Boston, Massachusetts - A Massachusetts man was sentenced Wednesday to 210 months in prison for conducting an extensive cyberstalking campaign against his former housemate, her family members, co-workers, friends, and others, including hacking into her online accounts, posting fraudulent sexual solicitations in their names, sending unsolicited images of child pornography, and making over 120 hoax bomb threats. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling for the District of Massachusetts, Special Agent in Charge Harold H. Shaw of the FBI Boston Field Office and Waltham Police Chief Keith MacPherson made the announcement today. Ryan S. Lin, 25, formerly of Newton, Massachusetts, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William G. Young of the District of Massachusetts, who also ordered him to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Lin pleaded guilty in April 2018 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. Lin was arrested in October 2017 and has been held in custody since. As part of Lins plea agreement, Lin agreed to be sentenced to a minimum of seven years and a maximum of 17 years in prison. According to admissions made in connection with his plea and evidence presented at sentencing, from about May 2016 through Oct. 5, 2017, Lin engaged in an extensive cyberstalking campaign against a 25-year-old female victim. Lin, the victims former housemate, hacked into the victims online accounts and devices and stole the victims private photographs, personally identifiable information, and private diary entries, which contained highly sensitive details about her medical, psychological and sexual history, and distributed the victims material to hundreds of people associated with her. Lin also created and posted fraudulent online profiles in the victims name and solicited rape fantasies, including gang bang and other sexual activities, which in turn caused men to show up at the victims home. Lin engaged in a number of other activities targeting the female victim, including relentless anonymous text messaging and additional hoaxes, from shortly after he met her until October 2017. In addition to his former housemate, Lin engaged in cyberstalking activity aimed at six additional individuals. Some were associated with the former housemate, and others were entirely unrelated. The additional victims include two female victims who were also Lins housemates in Newton at the time of his arrest. On multiple occasions, Lin sent sexually explicit images of prepubescent children on an unsolicited basis to the primary victims mother, the victims co-worker and housemate, a friend of the victim who resided in New Jersey, and two of Lins former classmates in New York. In addition to the cyberstalking activity, Lin falsely and repeatedly reported to law enforcement that there were bombs at the primary victims Waltham, Massachusetts residence. Lin also created a false social media profile in the name of the primary victims 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 expanded beyond Waltham and became part of an extensive and prolonged pattern of threats to local schools, private homes, businesses, and other institutions in the broader community. Ultimately, Lin pleaded guilty to having made over 100 bomb threats, including 24 in a single day. The investigation was conducted by the FBIs Boston Field Office and the Waltham Police Department. The Middlesex County District Attorneys Office and Watertown, Newton and Wellesley Police Departments assisted in the investigation. Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Criminal Divisions Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Harman Burkart, Chief of Lellings Cybercrime Unit, prosecuted the case. Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Biodiesel Tax Conspiracy Scranton, Pennsylvania - A Harrisburg, Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to one count of conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Departments Tax Division, Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood of the Justice Departments Environmental and Natural Resources Division, EPA Criminal Investigation Division Director Jessica Taylor, and U.S. Attorney David J. Freed for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. According to documents and information provided to the court, David Tielle served as Director Business Development at Keystone Biofuels Inc. (Keystone), located in Shiremanstown, Pennsylvania, and later in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. Keystone purported to be a producer and seller of biodiesel, a type of renewable fuel. Between 2009 and 2012, Tielle participated in a conspiracy to fraudulently claim tax refunds based on the Biodiesel Mixture Tax Credit a federal excise tax credit for persons or businesses who mix biodiesel with petroleum and use or sell the mixture as a fuel. Fraud committed against the United States Government, making all of us victims, is always disappointing, said U.S. Attorney David J. Freed. It is particularly so when the fraud is connected to a program with the laudable aim of encouraging renewable fuel production. The defendant in this case nefariously turned a program meant to benefit our community into a scheme to enrich himself and his partners, at our expense. I commend the tireless work of all of our partners in this case, especially the investigators with IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation. A strong enforcement program is essential to maintaining the integrity of the renewable fuel program, said EPA Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Lynn. Yesterday's guilty plea should send a clear message that EPA and our law enforcement partners are committed to vigorously pursuing these criminal cases. As part of the conspiracy, Tielle caused inflated fuel amounts to be reported to the IRS in order to fraudulently claim tax refunds on fuel Keystone was not producing. To account for the inflated fuel amounts, Tielle created false books and records and engaged in a series of sham financial transactions intended to mirror the false books and records. Tielle also caused Keystone to fraudulently claim tax refunds on fuel that did not meet the quality standards needed to qualify for the Biodiesel Mixture Tax Credit and on fuel Keystone had not mixed with petroleum. The total loss resulting from Tielles conduct is approximately $4,149,983.41. Tielle faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. The case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the EPA Criminal Investigation Division. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey MacArthur, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lastra, Trial Attorneys Mark Kotila and Kimberly Ang of the Justice Departments Tax Division and Senior Litigation Counsel Howard P. Stewart of the Justice Departments Environmental and Natural Resources Division. It's been a rough time lately for bad passenger behavior. And if other stories recently haven't prompted rank and file airline passengers to demand that something more effective be done, perhaps this story will spur action. Early Saturday morning, an American passenger aboard a KLM flight from Abu Dhabi to Amsterdam reportedly "started screaming and hitting wildly around him," according to a member of the cabin crew, to the point that the Royal Netherlands Air Force sent a pair of F-16 fighter jets armed with air-to-air missiles to intercept the plane. The story first broke in the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf over the weekend, and it's been separately reported by AFP as well. Cabin crew said the overnight flight wasn't crowded, and that the American passenger did not appear to be intoxicated, but that he first attracted attention when he began walking around the cabin while most other passenger were asleep. Flight attendants asked him to sit down, but he became "aggressive" and reacted "very threateningly from one moment to the next," a flight attendant said. Punches were apparently thrown, and several other passengers were "lightly wounded" during the fracas, according to Dutch authorities, including two who "were given black eyes." Military police arrested the American passenger once the plane landed at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. "A 29-year-old American man became aggressive after being asked by a purser to return to his seat," Joanna Helmonds, a police spokesperson, said afterward. "A scuffle broke out and the cabin crew, together with other passengers managed to restrain the man." The Dutch police didn't name the passenger, and said he "came across as disoriented," and was being held in a Dutch psychiatric institution for observation. Of course, there's a happy ending to the story in that the plane landed safely in Amsterdam--on time, no less. Still, it's easy to imagine how a simple miscommunication or human error could have led to a much more tragic situation. And it comes after we've reported story after story about disruptive passengers on domestic flights who allegedly got drunk, became aggressive, and caused their flights to be diverted: So what's the solution? Obviously, problem drinking is a big part of many of these situations. And the new FAA law that President Trump just signed does contain tougher penalties for interfering with flight crew on U.S. flights. But flight attendants are in a tough position: they're first line safety officers, but they're also there for passenger comfort. Yes, they serve drinks on most flights, but it's asking a lot for them also to act as bouncers, or cops. Personally, I'm old enough to remember what flying was like for a year or two after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks--when, at least in my personal experience, passengers were more likely to keep an eye on each other, and when it seemed like peer pressure likely stopped some people from acting aggressively on airplanes. That sad day will always influence countries' policies on air travel. In other words, you can't blame the Dutch for a second for scrambling F-16s in a situation like this. Last month, Volkswagen announced it's ending production of the third (and final) version of the Volkswagen Beetle, a car that traces its lineage back to pre-World War II Germany. This month, the most pristine, original, version of the car you'll ever imagine is on sale on the online car auction site, Hemmings. It's a 1964 Volkswagen Beetle, with only 22 miles on the odometer--kept in storage ever since it was driven off the lot 54 years ago. The asking price? A cool, $1 million. Here's the story of the million dollar Beetle--plus why this car is such an icon and worth a few minutes of your time. 'The most important and iconic car of all time' In 1964, an auto mechanic named Rudy Zvarich, who loved his 1957 Beetle, bought newer edition to use as a backup. Why? He'd learned about design changes that were coming for 1965, and he didn't like them. But, he never needed the backup. He apparently became something of a collector as life went on, and his pride in having bought a car for $1.756.90 and never driven it except home from the dealer, was enough for him to keep it in storage indefinitely. Zvarich died in 2016. His nephew inherited the Beetle, and put it up for auction. My guess is he'll probably get the big asking price from some wealthy collector. Because there's a reason why the Beetle was called "the most important and iconic car of all time," by a car enthusiast publisher. Actually three reasons. The design If you're a fan of incredibly design, you need to study the Beetle. It was the iPhone of its time, a sleek, small, strange, rounded, simple-looking machine that was as different-looking from the competition as you can imagine. And that doesn't even include the somewhat risky ad campaigns, which are iconic today. Like the "Think small" magazine ad that showed a tiny photo of the car, or the "Lemon" ad that featured the car full-sized, and talked about what VW would do if one of its cars turned out to be defective. The expansion In the 1950s, the idea of buying a foreign car in the United States was radical. The Beetle changed all that. By 1955, there were 35,000 VWs in the United States. In 1960, Volkswagen had imported 300,000. By comparison, the Honda CR-V sold 400,000 in the United States in 2016. And our population now is about 70 percent bigger than it was in the early 1960s. By 1992, VW produced more than 21 million Beetles worldwide. Massive numbers, for a tiny car. The longevity Even if you were to pick up a rusted old 1970s Beetle, you've got a piece of history now. Volkswagen stopped selling the original version in 1979 in the United States, although it kept going through 2003 in Mexico. They rolled through two revival editions, but the latter of the two will end production in 2019. "The [original] Beetle was a legend," author David Kiley told The Wall Street Journal. "But the tepid response to this latest Beetle is proof that even Baby Boomers have moved on. This is a story about a very nice thing that United Airlines is doing for a small group of passengers. But it's a very nice thing nonetheless. If you're traveling to or from California, and you're a surfer, you're really going to like this. Starting this week, United said it's now waiving the extra fee to bring a surfboard on board its airplanes, as long as you're traveling either to or from California. You do still need to pay the regular checked baggage fee. But that's kind of hard to complain about, even if United was one of the airlines that recently upped its first checked bag fee to $30. As California's global airline, we knew what we had to do when surfing was named the state sport: waive the service fees for surfboards, on all flights, to or from California. #Stoked -- United Airlines (@united) October 4, 2018 The change, United says, is in honor of California naming surfing its state sport. So if you bring a surfboard, wakeboard, or paddleboard on a flight to or from the Golden State, the much-reduced charge applies. They're also making a $50,000 donation to Sustainable Surf, which is a California nonprofit trying to solve the ocean health crisis, in party by "using surfing as a force for good." "California made it official: surfing is our state sport. We want to make it easier for customers to surf our beautiful beaches, whether they're visiting or call the Golden State home," said Janet Lamkin, United's president for California said in a press release. "This partnership continues our commitment to the environment by supporting an organization like Sustainable Surf, which helps keep our beaches beautiful." As Darren Murph (no relation to me, as far as I know) writes at The Points Guy, this move comes as United is defending its California operations against an influx from Alaska Airlines. But that only shows why this is a win-win situation all around for the airline and its passengers. If a business can come up with a way to offer something else to customers at little or no cost (United is giving up some baggage fees here, but it's likely a drop in the bucket), it's often a good idea, especially in a market as competitive as commercial airlines. To paraphrase a famous quote: Passengers might not remember what your policies are, or what you say, but they will always remember how you made them feel. Absurdly Driven looks at the world of business with a skeptical eye and a firmly rooted tongue in cheek. Twitter is a useful tool for getting companies to pay attention. You expect drama there, partly because you can find it so easily. And so it was last week that Ryan Austin Dean posted a dramatic tweet that concerned his 3-year-old son River and a trip on American Airlines. It read: Our 3-year-old's appendix ruptured, yet @AmericanAir will not even rescind $400 in change fees for our rescheduled trip because his appendix didn't rupture 'the day of the flight.' Which was followed by: Honestly, this is why airlines are becoming so hated. Honestly, when you saw the picture of his son in hospital, which was part of the tweet, you'd surely have experienced sympathy. Our 3-year-old's appendix ruptured, yet @AmericanAir will not even rescind $400 in change fees for our rescheduled trip because his appendix didn't rupture "the day of the flight." Honestly, this is why airlines are becoming so hated. pic.twitter.com/3SccDvjvXg -- Ryan Austin Dean (@RyanAustinDean) October 2, 2018 How could any reasonable airline employee object to waiving change fees in such circumstances? Then again, we're talking about American Airlines here. Its CEO has a deep and abiding commitment to change fees being a vital element in its lifeblood. He claims that if the airline was prevented from charging them, American wouldn't offer changeable tickets at all. In Dean's case, many might easily imagine -- however unfairly -- that the airline wouldn't have been effusive in its sympathy. Dean certainly didn't feel the airline's warmth. He followed his dramatic tweet with another, this time offering an exchange between himself and American that was less than complimentary. It read: Just in case you guys were wondering if @AmericanAir had even a semblance of a heart, the answer is no. The tweet appeared to show a standard written answer that did, indeed, appear to lack both heart and a clear understanding. Just in case you guys were wondering if @AmericanAir had even a semblance of a heart, the answer is no. pic.twitter.com/MNkmAWPvH3 -- Ryan Austin Dean (@RyanAustinDean) October 3, 2018 So I asked American for its perspective on this incident. A spokesman told me that, contrary to some reports, one tweet doesn't express all the direct messages that followed between American and Dean. He said: We did not have the full understanding, and that is when the passenger explained the details via direct messages and we waived those change fees. The airline insists it was all solved via these Direct Messages in 60 minutes. Dean insisted otherwise to me: That's a lie on their part. I spoke to them on the phone in a hospital family room and fully explained that my toddler had emergency surgery. They said they wouldn't do anything because the medical emergency wasn't the day of the flight. Yes, but American says it was all solved by Direct Messages. Dean told me that the initial messaging happened by phone and on other social media. He said: They're also ignoring that the initial interactions were on Facebook. They declined those requests after two hours. The conversation did then go to Twitter Direct Message. However, Dean says: I fully broke down the situation. They again refused to do anything until my messages got more traction online. Ah, so it was the unruly power of Twitter that got someone at American to see the potential PR disaster looming? Having seen some of those Direct Messages, it's clear that Dean told American's customer service that he wasn't mad at them personally, but at the the airline's policies. Something, though, clearly went wrong in the initial interactions between Dean and American Airlines customer service. Even when the change fees were finally waived, Dean wasn't assuaged. His next tweet read: Thanks for the help, folks. American Airlines suddenly decided to make a 'one time exception.' The apogee of generosity on the airline's part, some might feel. In the end, the real disappointment perhaps isn't that American may not have initially wanted to waive the change fees. It's that change fees exist in the first place. Other airlines, such as Southwest, seem to do without them just fine. When you charge $200 for a couple of characters typed on a keyboard, you're not likely to ever garner sympathy. That's something American and other airlines seem to find so hard to understand. Melania Trump has responded to the criticism that she received when she was pictured wearing a pith helmet in Africa. The first ladys decision to wear the hat led some to accuse her of having an outdated understanding of Africa, due to the association between the headwear and colonial rule in the continent. When questioned about the controversy in Egypt as part of her first international solo tour since her husband was sworn into office as president, Ms Trump expressed her wish for people to stop focusing on her clothes. You know what, we just completed an amazing trip, we went to Ghana, we went to Malawi, we went to Kenya, here we are in Egypt, she said. I want to talk about my trip and not what I wear. Thats very important what I do, what were doing with USAID and what I do with my initiatives. I wish people would focus on what I do, not what I wear. The pith helmet was frequently worn by military personnel from countries including Britain, France, Spain and Italy while commanding colonial armies, which is why many people found Ms Trumps choice to wear it in Africa highly contentious. While Ms Trump has stated that shed prefer for people to focus more on her actions than her sartorial choices, some people have explained why she needs to be taking greater responsibility when she wears clothes that cause controversy. .@FLOTUS we dont want to talk about your fashion choices either. Wed rather talk about the message you send with your fashion choices, one person tweeted. The pith helmet in Africa was a terrible look, and the I Really Dont Care jacket at the border was pretty awful. Colonialism is your thing? For a woman that knows fashion, she knows fashion speaks and sends messages, political or otherwise, another person commented. Own your responsibility in your wardrobe choices. Earlier this year, the first lady came under fire for wearing a jacket adorned with the slogan I Really Dont Care, Do U? while visiting children at the US-Mexico border whod been separated from their parents. A new laser technology which can identify unknown white powders has been developed by scientists. Substances which have not been identified can create problems for crime scene investigators. Touching them could be dangerous or compromise the evidence, while sending samples to a laboratory to be worked out could take too long. Recommended How hair could be vital to the future of forensic testing Now, scientists at Heriot-Watt University have proved that white powders have a unique "fingerprint" which allows them to be identified instantly, using portable laser technology. Professor Derryck Reid said: "The instant, accurate identification of white powders could be useful in a range of scenarios, such as detecting counterfeit pharmaceuticals, conducting foodstuff analysis or identifying hazardous material like explosive residue. "We made use of the concept that white powders have a colour fingerprint that can be seen using a process known as spectrometry. "The powders have different chemical bonds and this affects how they absorb light. "By analysing the contrast between the infrared light we beam at the powders, compared to what colours come back, we can identify individual chemicals and compounds. 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 "This has an obvious application for narcotics detection. The team at the university were able to identify 11 white powder samples using their infrared laser system. No samples or disturbance of the powders were required and they could be identified from up to 1m away. PA Theresa May scored better than either Boris Johnson or Sajid Javid against Jeremy Corbyn as to who would make the best prime minister, a new poll has revealed. The exclusive BMG Research survey for The Independent showed Ms May as the only Conservative leader of the three tested who is preferred by the public to Labours Mr Corbyn. The survey did show however, that Mr Johnson was still named by the highest number of people when asked who should take over the Tory leadership if the prime minister were to step down. Overall the poll carried out in the middle of the Conservative conference, just ahead of Theresa Mays speech, showed both parties all but deadlocked in terms of voting intention, with Labour on 39 per cent and the Tories on 38 per cent once dont knows were discounted. Pollsters asked a weighted sample of more than 1,500 people who they would prefer as prime minister in three different contests May versus Corbyn, Johnson versus Corbyn and Javid versus Corbyn. In the first, 34 per cent of people said they would prefer to see Ms May as prime minister compared to 28 per cent for Mr Corbyn, with 40 per cent of people saying they would be satisfied with the choice presented, compared to 32 per cent who said they would not. In the second contest, just 27 per cent said they would prefer Mr Johnson as prime minister to the Labour leaders 31 per cent, but now only 35 per cent of people were satisfied with the choice, compared to 41 per cent who were not. In the final pairing, 22 per cent of people said they would prefer home secretary Mr Javid as prime minister compared to 27 per cent for Mr Corbyn, with only 29 per cent of people satisfied with the choice compared to 40 per cent dissatisfied. 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 The data follows other polls giving similar backing to Ms May, as she faces potential challenges to her leadership from the likes of Mr Johnson and others in the party who are unhappy with her Brexit strategy. If Ms May were to step down however, 18 per cent said Mr Johnson would make the best prime minister compared to nine per cent for his nearest rival, Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson who has ruled herself out of a tilt at the leadership any time soon and six per cent for Mr Javid, chancellor Philip Hammond and backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg. When it came to voting intention the two big parties were deadlocked on 30 per cent, with the Liberal Democrats on eight per cent and Ukip and the Greens on three per cent, with 22 per cent being unsure or not saying. Once people were pushed for an answer and dont knows discounted, the poll showed Labour on 39 per cent, the Conservatives on 38 per cent, the Lib Dems on 10 per cent and Ukip and the Greens on four per cent. Women who led the charge in protesting against Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court have vowed to continue fighting in the wake of his historic confirmation, warning Republicans they could suffer a backlash in the midterm elections. The judge nominated by Donald Trump, who scraped through in a 50-48 vote on Saturday, left a nation polarised after Christine Blasey Ford accused him of a sexual assault while the two were in high school. Some analysts have said the controversial nomination of Mr Kavanaugh who is now the least popular Supreme Court justice in modern history could ultimately see Republicans lose seats in vulnerable districts during the upcoming midterm elections. Recommended Trump gloats over Kavanaugh then rambles about fighting Biden Womens groups and progressive policy organisations which organised massive demonstrations during the confirmation process said they would once again mobilise efforts ahead of the midterms. This confirmation is a deeply painful one, not just because of the radical impact it may have on Supreme Court jurisprudence, but because of the message it sends to survivors of sexual violence: that their stories carry little weight with our government, Anna Galland, executive director of MoveOn, a grassroots progressive public policy advocacy group, said in a statement sent to The Independent. If we organise, mobilise, and vote, we will win. We must all commit to action in coming weeks to take back control of our government from right-wing extremists." In other ways, the backlash against Mr Kavanaughs confirmation was evident in real time. A fund for Republican senator Susan Collins potential challenger in her 2020 senatorial re-election campaign raised over $2m during her 45-minute speech on why she had decided to vote in favour of Mr Kavanaugh. By Sunday, that fund had surpassed $3m. Susan Collins will never be mistaken for a moderate again, said Heidi Hess, co-director of the social change network CREDO Action, whose members placed tens of thousands of phone calls to key senate offices during the confirmation process. Speaking to sexual assault survivors and the activists who protested against Mr Kavanaugh, she added: Someday soon, thanks to their persistence and grassroots organising, they'll get the responsive, respectful and progressive government they deserve." Scores of demonstrators were detained on Capitol Hill, including the high-profile arrests of actress Amy Schumer and model Emily Ratajowski, who wrote on Twitter after her release: 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. US president Donald Trump attacks Democrats after Kavanaugh sworn in However, not all of the response to the appointment was negative many people also expressed unwavering support for the federal circuit judge, who declared himself an independent, impartial judge in a Wall Street Journal op-ed after his fiery testimony. The dramatic confirmation process appeared to provide a boost in support for Republicans on the general ballot according to a recent NPR and PBS news poll. Democrats had a mere 2 per cent edge over Republicans during the confirmation, whereas that same poll gave the minority party a 10-point lead in July. 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 For now, it remains to be seen how Mr Kavanaughs confirmation to the nations highest court may impact on the upcoming elections. Shaunna Thomas, co-founder of the womens group UltraViolet Action, put it simply: This doesnt end [on Saturday], she said. It ends in November. The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has revealed he held a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his trip to Pyongyang. The trip was intended to advance stalled talks around the dismantling of North Koreas nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programme. It is also to help set up a second summit between President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader. Shortly after arriving in North Korea following the visit, Mr Pompeo posted a photo on Twitter of himself walking along with Mr Kim, saying: Had a good trip to #Pyongyang to meet with Chairman Kim. We continue to make progress on agreements made at Singapore Summit. Thanks for hosting me and my team @StateDept. The secretary of state began a three-day tour of east Asia on Saturday when he met Shinzo Abe, the Japanese prime minister, in Tokyo. North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Show all 18 1 /18 North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Participants wave flowers AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (R) waves with China's Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Li Zhanshu (L) from a balcony AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Airplanes forming the number 70 fly in formation and fire flares AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean performers dance EPA North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean military officers applaud near portraits of late North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean tanks roll past AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers take part AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers march AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Participants march during a mass rally on Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary A girl reacts during a parade AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, reacts as he chats with China's third highest ranking official, Li Zhanshu AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary People carry flags in front of statues of North Korea founder Kim Il Sung (L) and late leader Kim Jong Il Reuters North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Performers take part in a concert at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean artillery roll past AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Students perform Reuters North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Soldiers march during a military parade Reuters North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Participants wave flowers AFP/Getty This is Mr Pompeos fourth trip to North Korea and his second meeting with Kim Jong-un and it would have happened sooner but was cancelled on the presidents orders over a lack of progress in denuclearisation talks. However the president has talked up his administrations success in bringing North Korea into the diplomatic fold. Mr Trump told the UN last month: We have already seen a number of encouraging measures that few could have imagined a short time ago. Just 12 months ago the president was calling the rogue state leader little rocket man and suggesting the US would have no choice but to completely destroy North Korea. In a sign of the remarkable change in rhetoric in the past year, Mr Abe suggested he could follow the US chiefs lead in meeting with Mr Kim to break the shell of distrust. President Donald Trump predicted that Senator Lisa Murkowski will never recover politically for her vote against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh as he celebrated his nominee's ascension following an extraordinarily brutal confirmation process. In a brief telephone interview with the Washington Post on Saturday, President Trump said voters in Alaska will never forgive Ms Murkowski for voting against confirming Mr Kavanaugh, and he forecast her defeat in a Republican primary should she run for re-election in 2022. I think she will never recover from this, Mr Trump said. I think the people from Alaska will never forgive her for what she did. Recommended Four Senators are still undecided about Brett Kavanaugh President Trump said the one-week delay in voting on Mr Kavanaugh to allow for an FBI background investigation into sexual assault allegations turned out to be a great thing, a blessing in disguise. He singled out Senator Susan Collins, for praise and commended her for her decisive yea vote for Mr Kavanaugh. I think what Susan Collins did for herself was incredibly positive, Mr Trump said. It showed her to be an honourable, incredible woman. I think she's got a level of respect that's unbelievable. I really mean it. President Trump dismissed chatter on the left about a robust Democratic challenge to Ms Collins when she is up for re-election in 2020. I think Collins is so popular right now for what she did, the president said. 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 Mr Trump called the Washington Post from the White House residence on Saturday afternoon, shortly before the Senate held its final vote and before he jetted to Kansas for an evening campaign rally, where he was looking to take a victory lap. Ms Murkowski voted no Friday on a procedural vote to advance Mr Kavanaugh's nomination and opposed his confirmation on Saturday. But she then asked to withdraw her no vote as a courtesy to Senator Steve Daines, who missed the vote because of his daughter's wedding. The practice, called a pair between senators, is so that the vote margin would be the same had Mr Daines, who planned to vote for Kavanaugh's confirmation, been there. Trump spoke at length in the interview about Ms Murkowski's opposition to Mr Kavanaugh and predicted dire political fallout for her in Alaska. She doesn't run for four years, he said. She's lucky. Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin tweeted at the senator on Friday: Hey @LisaMurkowski - I can see 2022 from my house... Asked whether Ms Palin might mount a credible GOP primary challenge, Trump said, I don't know anything about that. It's four years. That's a long time. But they will not forget. They will never forget. What she did was unacceptable. Really unacceptable. Ms Murkowski has lost a Republican primary before, in 2010 to tea party challenger Joe Miller, but ultimately won re-election in the general election by waging a spirited write-in campaign. In the interview, President Trump went on to boast about his own political standing in Alaska, where he defeated Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton 51 per cent to 37 per cent. I won Alaska by many points - I don't know what, but a lot. Sixteen. A lot, Mr Trump said. The president went on to tell the Post, You can also say that this is the president that gave Alaska ANWR, which is the biggest oil deal in the world. OK? You know, it's like the biggest in the world. That Ronald Reagan could not get through, that no president could get through. Mr Trump continued, referencing his predecessors in office: For almost 50 years they've been trying to get it. Reagan couldn't get it. Nobody could get it. Bush couldn't get it. Clinton tried. I wouldn't say Obama, it's not his deal. I can't imagine he tried. But nobody could get it through, including Ronald Reagan. They worked endlessly and I got it done. Many environmentalists and scientists long have sought to block energy exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but the Trump administration has moved forward to conduct lease sales for portions of it after Republicans in Congress last December passed tax legislation that included a provision to open an area for oil and gas drilling. Washington Post A Christian woman sentenced to death in Pakistan for insulting the Prophet Muhammad will have her final appeal heard by the Supreme Court on Monday, her lawyer has said. Asia Bibi has spent nine years in prison after being accused of contravening the countrys strict blasphemy laws following a dispute in June 2009. The case has drawn international attention to Pakistans treatment of its religious minorities and Ms Bibi's supporters, including Pope Benedict XVI, who called for the charges to be dismissed, saying she is being persecuted for her faith. Ms Bibi has already received one stay of execution from the Supreme Court, in 2015, after lower courts rejected the appeals. If her appeal fails the mother of five, from the rural village of Ittan Wali, Punjab, will become the first woman to be executed for blasphemy in Pakistan. The international community has condemned blasphemy laws in Pakistan and elsewhere for being regularly invoked against religious minorities to settle local squabbles. Recommended What the Quran actually says about blasphemy In Ms Bibis case she was working in the fields alongside several Muslim women who refused to drink from the same water supply as an unclean Christian. Several days later a local imam, who was not present during the argument, claimed she had defamed the prophet. Despite her insistence that she was being persecuted for her faith, Ms Bibi was sentenced to death the following year. World's most popular religions Show all 7 1 /7 World's most popular religions World's most popular religions Christians Source: Pewforum Getty Images World's most popular religions Muslims Source: Pewforum World's most popular religions Hindus Source: Pewforum World's most popular religions Buddhists Source: Pewforum World's most popular religions Folk Religions Source: Pewforum Getty Images World's most popular religions Other religions Source: Pewforum World's most popular religions Jews Source: Pewforum Getty The governor of the Punjab at the time, Salmaan Taseer, was murdered by his bodyguard, Mumtaz Qadri, in January 2011 after he attempted to get clemency for Ms Bibi. The bodyguard, who was executed in 2016, was showered by rose petals by supporters when he was taken to the courthouse to face charges in the days following the assassination. In August, a Buddhist woman in Indonesia was jailed for insulting Islam after she complained a mosque was playing the call to prayer too loudly. The Republic of Ireland has committed to a referendum on its blasphemy laws which in 2017 saw comedian Stephen Fry investigated by police. The Indonesian government is considering turning areas devastated by the earthquake and tsunami into mass graves, as the death toll rises to 1,649. Security minister Wiranto said victims' families are being consulted about the possibility of halting the search for bodies in the city of Palu even though at least 265 people remain missing. Describing the dead as "martyrs", he said rescue efforts are being hampered because it is not safe to operate heavy equipment in the neighbourhoods of Balaroa and Petobo. The 7.5-magnitude earthquake on 28 September liquefied the soft soil, swallowing up homes and potentially burying hundreds of victims. President Joko Widodo has previously said all of the victims must be found but rescuers have estimated it may take four to five months. Recommended Body of mother clutching baby found as Indonesia earthquake toll rises It came as Buckingham Palace confirmed the Queen has made her own "private donation" to the fundraising appeal launched by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC). Meanwhile international aid crews continued to arrived in Palu to help local search teams. In the crumpled neighbourhood of Balaroa, body bags were laid out in a row and mourners placed long pieces of white cloth, to represent a Muslim burial rite, inside. Among them was 39-year-old Rudy Rahman, who said the bodies of his 18 and 16-year-old sons had been found. His youngest son remains missing. "They were found in front of my brother's house opposite the mosque," Mr Rahman said. "They found them holding each other. These two brothers were hugging each other." Many children were in the mosque at the time of the quake for Koran recitation. An assistant to the imam had said none survived. In the village of Pewunu, excited children shouted "Red Cross! Red Cross!" as one of the aid group's medical teams set up a makeshift clinic in a field. Volunteers laid out a big white tarpaulin on a stage in front of the village office, set a green desk on it and interviewed people about their needs as dozens milled around. One villager said they survived by ransacking shops. Doctors performed medical checks on elderly residents who emerged from tents and climbed the stage's stairs with canes or others supporting them. People living in the camp said they had clean water and noodles but not much else. "There were supplies, but these were looted. All along the roads toward here, they were looted by outsiders," said Bahamid Fawzi. "All this while in this crisis, we don't have water, we don't have food," he said. "After that, we started ransacking the stores and the shops. Not because we're thieves, but because we really needed it. There's no water, no food - like it or not, we had to do it." 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 Arnaud Allibert, from the Pompiers Humanitaires Francais rescue organisation, said it could take four to five months to find all the bodies. "If we see body parts sticking out, we're going to dig to get the body out ... It's a long-term job, but after that, they'll come with the heavy machinery," he told Reuters. "The excavators can't take huge amounts of soil because there are bodies underneath, you have to scrape the earth carefully." The United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs said more than 38 million is required to deliver "immediate, life-saving" aid. UK international development secretary Penny Mordaunt has pledged 3m in aid to support immediate relief efforts on the ground. 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 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, Reuters and Associated Press At least 17 firefighters and a member of the public have been injured by a wildfire in a national park in Portugal. About 300 people were moved from a campsite while another 47 were removed from their homes in the wooded area as a precaution. Planes have been dumping water the blaze, which has caused plumes of smoke to rise from the densely wooded hills 25 miles west of the capital, Lisbon, amid unusually hot weather for October. The six aerial units are supporting around 700 firefighters on the ground, backed by 225 vehicles. 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 Andre Fernandes of Portugals civil protection agency said the workers were combating the fire on two fronts, and their efforts were being helped by a drop in the winds that had fanned the flames during the night. The first hours of the fire were very, very difficult, he said. Wildfires blacken swathes of forest every year in Portugal. Last year they killed more than 100 people in what was by far the countrys deadliest summer fire season on record. That was a wake-up call for authorities, and this year the government has put in place measures to reduce fire deaths, such as using goats to munch flammable undergrowth along key roads. Two days of voting got under way in Romania on Saturday in a referendum which would effectively enshrine a ban on gay marriage in the countrys constitution. Romanians will go to the polls on Saturday and Sunday to vote on the changes which will remove references to a union between spouses and redefine marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The referendum was sparked by conservative group Coalition for Family, which submitted a petition with three million signatures calling for the amendment, and it is backed by the influential Russian Orthodox Church. Homosexuality was only decriminalised in Romania in 2001 and the countrys laws already prohibit same-sex marriages, but the changes would make attempts to legalise it virtually impossible. Opponents say the new language is simply meant to make LGBT+ people feel like second class citizens and will stoke homophobia in the country. Human rights groups are encouraging citizens to boycott the ballot, which needs a 30 per cent voter turnout to be valid. 10 best pictures from Dublin Pride Show all 10 1 /10 10 best pictures from Dublin Pride 10 best pictures from Dublin Pride A member of the Irish defence forces takes part in the Pride PA 10 best pictures from Dublin Pride People during the Pride Parade in Dublin PA 10 best pictures from Dublin Pride People take part in the Pride Parade in Dublin PA 10 best pictures from Dublin Pride Minister for Health Simon Harris takes part in the Pride Parade in Dublin PA 10 best pictures from Dublin Pride People during the Pride Parade in Dublin PA 10 best pictures from Dublin Pride People during the Pride Parade in Dublin PA 10 best pictures from Dublin Pride People gather for the start of the Pride Parade in Dublin PA 10 best pictures from Dublin Pride People during the Pride Parade in Dublin PA 10 best pictures from Dublin Pride Members of the Irish defence forces wait backstage before performing at the Pride Parade in Dublin PA 10 best pictures from Dublin Pride The Pride Parade in Dublin PA But a poll released on Friday by the Centre for Urban and Regional Sociology (CURS) estimated 34 per cent of registered voters would participate, with 90 per cent expected to support the change. The Coalition for Family said it was acting over concerns about non-traditional family arrangements being taught in schools. It has run homophobic adverts intended to stoke support for the change, and political and religious leaders have added to the misinformation. Some Coalition campaign posters urged people to vote Yes to defend family values or run the risk of gay couples stealing or adopting their children. A separate advert said a No vote would enable a man to marry a tree. Many fear that what has happened in other countries, such as legalising marriage between a man and an animal, could happen here, the leader of the ruling Social Democrat Party (PSD), Liviu Dragnea, told television station Romania TV. Anti-fraud monitoring was relaxed days before voting began and powers to challenge the result have also been curtailed, creating widespread suspicion about the final outcome. Independent think tank Expert Forum (EFOR) told Reuters: There are ... no efficient, applicable mechanisms to verify fraud for this referendum. In the village of Plopeni Sat in the north of Bucharest, local resident, Elena Moldoveanu said her religious beliefs will lead her to approve amending the constitution, because this is how it should be, and this is how God made us. But others, like Marcel Badea, an electrician who lives in a southern Romanian village on the River Danube, said hed boycott the vote. I am (already) a husband, a father and grandfather. I have nothing to vote for, he said. I dont need this referendum. Even if I vote no, I will help the referendum get the turnout it needs. Additional reporting by agencies The pound jumped on Friday after briefings from Brussels that officials thought a Brexit deal was very close. On Saturday morning Jean-Claude Juncker said the chance of a deal had increased. It is hard to tell if this is true or not. It could just be a tactic, to try to raise the tempo and to put the blame on the British if a deal cannot be done. The best way of trying to work it out may be to look at each sides sticking points and judge which ones could come unstuck. My view is that the two things Theresa May would not concede are Northern Ireland being carved out of the UK, and the continued free movement of people. Everything else is negotiable. The question, therefore, is whether the EU would allow the whole of the UK to have frictionless access to the single market without free movement. Put like that, it doesnt sound possible. Free movement of people is one of the indivisible four freedoms of the single market. But what if May made concessions? Britain could pay an annual fee; we could agree, voluntarily, to abide by EU regulations, which May calls the common rulebook and which Jacob Rees-Mogg calls vassal state status; and the UK could in effect be in a customs union with the EU. That seems to be the only deal that could be done. Anything else requires a hard border in Ireland, which the EU cannot accept even though failure to agree a deal would mean the hardest possible border. We have arrived, then, at the fork in the road. In the next 10 days before the October EU summit, or in the next three months before the real deadline in mid-January, there will either be a withdrawal agreement or not. In the event of a deal, May would be in a strong position. The hard Brexiteers would condemn the betrayal. They may even launch a challenge to her leadership. But she has the majority of her MPs behind her. It was notable at the Tory conference in Birmingham this week that she also has more support from the loyalist centre of the party than the caricature of the Eurosceptic grassroots suggests. At this point Labours bluster about voting against the deal would be exposed. If a deal were struck, I dont think there would be enough Tory MPs to back a postponement of Brexit and a new referendum. My guess is that Labour MPs would then split three ways: voting for the deal, against it and abstaining. There would probably be enough Labour MPs to get the deal through they would not want to be responsible for a no-deal Brexit, which would by then be the only alternative. Nobody would like the outcome much, but we would leave the EU in March and little would change straight away. The grumbling about Mays leadership would continue, as ineffectively as before. Where things get interesting and not in a good way for the country is if there is no withdrawal agreement. Despite this weeks expressions of optimism, the gap between the two sides is wide enough to suggest this must still be possible. Forecasters ought to quantify their predictions, so I would say it is a 25 per cent chance. This was the subject of the most interesting part of Theresa Mays conference speech: Britain isnt afraid to leave with no deal if we have to. But we need to be honest about it. Leaving without a deal introducing tariffs and costly checks at the border would be a bad outcome for the UK and the EU. It would be tough at first, but the resilience and ingenuity of the British people would see us through. When the prime minister is relying on the resilience and ingenuity of the British people to get the country through the failure of her policy, we are at a strange point in our history. Would that not be the end of her? Probably not. I think the significance of her conference speech is that she intends to see Brexit through regardless. Indeed, I believe those who say she intends to make amends for her dreadful campaign at the last election by fighting and winning the next one. Her party may not let her but she intends to try to go on and on. And the other significant development in Birmingham this week was the failure of any of her would-be successors to make their case irresistible. Brexit casualties Show all 10 1 /10 Brexit casualties Brexit casualties Andrea Jenkyns - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary at the ministry for housing, communities and local government role May 2018 - The Morley and Outwood MP said: We want to see a new relationship with Europe, with a new model not enjoyed by other countries nothing that leaves us half-in, half-out. And in order to achieve this, we need to leave the customs union. Ms Jenkyns also said she wished to dedicate more of her time to Parliaments influential Exiting the European Union select committee, after a series of unbalanced reports produced by MPs PA Brexit casualties David Davis - Resigned from Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union role July 2018 - quit following a major row with May over her plans for post-Brexit relations with the EU. Davis resignation letter said: As you know there have been a significant number of occasions in the last year or so on which I have disagreed with the Number 10 policy line, ranging from accepting the [European] Commissions sequencing of negotiations, through to the language on Northern Ireland in the December Joint Report. At each stage I have accepted collective responsibility because it is part of my task to find workable compromises, and because I considered it was still possible to deliver on the mandate of the referendum, and on our manifesto commitment to leave the Customs Union and the Single Market. I am afraid that I think the current trend of policy and tactics is making that look less and less likely. He went on to argue that the general direction of Ms Mays policies would leave the UK in at best a weak negotiating position, and possibly an inescapable one. AFP/Getty Brexit casualties Steve Baker - Resigned from Minister at the Department for Exiting the European Union role July 2018 - Mr Baker, a key Tory figure in the Leave campaign, was David Daviss main lieutenant at Dexeu, and was hailed as courageous and principled by other Brexiteer Tories as he also left. Reuters Brexit casualties Boris Johnson - Resigned from Foreign Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. In his resignation letter to the prime minister, Mr Johnson said: "On Friday, I acknowledged that my side of the argument were too few to prevail and congratulated you on at least reaching a Cabinet decision on the way forward. "As I said then, the government now has a song to sing. "The trouble is that I have practised the words over the weekend and find that they stick in the throat." Reuters Brexit casualties Conor Burns - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary to Foreign Secretary role July 2018 - A Brexit supporter who worked alongside Boris Johnson stated in his resignation letter: I've decided it's time to have greater freedom. I want to see the referendum result respected. And there are other areas of policy I want to speak more openly on. Rex Brexit casualties Chris Green - Resigned from Department for Transport role July 2018 - The Bolton West MP said: "Parliament overwhelmingly decided to give the decision of whether to leave or remain in the European Union to the British people and they made an unambiguous decision that we ought to leave. "I have always understood the idea in 'Brexit means Brexit' is that the final deal should be clear to me and my constituents - that we have, in no uncertain terms, left the European Union. Twitter Ads info and privacy "The direction the negotiations had been taking have suggested that we would not really leave the EU and the conclusion and statements following the Chequers summit confirmed my fears. "I recognise that delivering Brexit is challenging, however I had hoped at tonight's meeting that there would be some certainty that my fears were unfounded but, instead, they have been confirmed. "I have been grateful for the opportunity to serve as Parliamentary Private Secretary and it is with regret that I offer my resignation with immediate effect." PA Brexit casualties Maria Caulfield - Resigned from Conservative Party vice-chair for women role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. Lewes MP warned that the direction of travel did not fully embrace the opportunities that Brexit can provide. Ms Caulfield said in her letter to the PM: The policy may assuage vested interests, but the voters will find out and their representatives will be found out. This policy will be bad for our country and bad for the party. The direct consequences of that will be prime minister Corbyn. PA Brexit casualties Ben Bradley - Resigned from Conservative Party vice-chair for young people role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. The Mansfield MP said: I admit that I voted to Remain in that ballot. What has swayed me over the last two years to fully back the Brexit vision is the immense opportunities that are available from global trade, and for the ability for Britain to be an outward looking nation in control of our own destiny once again. I fear that this agreement at Chequers damages those opportunities; that being tied to EU regulations, and the EU tying our hands when seeking to make new trade agreements, will be the worst of all worlds if we do not deliver Brexit in spirit as well as in name, then we are handing Jeremy Corbyn the keys to No10. PA Brexit casualties Robert Courts - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. MP Mr Courts said: I have taken a very difficult decision to resign my position as [parliamentary private secretary] to express discontent with the Chequers [plans] in votes tomorrow. I had to think who I wanted to see in the mirror for the rest of my life. I cannot tell the people of Woxon that I support the proposals in their current form. Getty Brexit casualties Scott Mann - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. "I fear elements of the Brexit white paper will inevitably put me in direct conflict with the views expressed by a large section of my constituents. I am not prepared to compromise their wishes to deliver a watered-down Brexit. "The residents of North Cornwall made it very clear that they wish to have control over our fishery, our agricultural policy, our money, our laws and our borders. I will evaluate those principles against the Brexit white paper and ensure that I vote in line with their wishes." Rex But would a failure to strike a deal mean the House of Commons voting to postpone Brexit and continue negotiations, or hold another referendum? Again, I doubt it. The prospect of leaving the EU without a deal would maximise support among MPs for extending the Brexit deadline, but it is hard to see how that could happen. It would require legislation to be passed, which is difficult if the government is opposed. We would end up precisely where Dominic Grieve, the rebellious Tory lawyer, feared we would when he tried to amend the EU Withdrawal Bill in July. He wanted a binding mechanism by which a majority in the Commons could dictate to the government what should happen next. But he was persuaded to back down, and to trust the prime minister. I suspect that, even if there is no deal, we will leave the EU and Theresa May will still be prime minister. I was in trouble again this week. I was admonished for tweeting that all the young people at my partys annual conference in Birmingham look and sound like mini-Moggs. I was wrong. A few of them were women and yes, I met enough young Remain-voting Tories to give me hope that my party is not entirely lost to the right-wing hard Brexiteers. The Conservative Party is specialising in warm words, as the prime ministers conference speech eloquently and powerfully proved. Meanwhile in the fringes of conference and among the more sensible members like Putney MP Justine Greening, theres a strong recognition that the Tory party has a lot more to do to win the young vote given that a recent YouGov poll revealed a whopping 78 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds would vote Remain. With my party now the party of Brexit its difficult to see how the Conservatives can make progress with young voters given the importance they attach to the most important decision our country has taken in decades. And who can blame them they are free of nostalgia for a Britain that never existed, open-minded in their view of immigration, reasonably well-informed as to the benefits of free trade with the worlds largest free trade area and understand the benefits of being able freely to live, work and study in 27 countries on their doorstep. Removing blocks to building more affordable homes and the Help to Buy scheme alone wont cut through the growing antagonism of young voters towards my party. To see off Corbyns Labour we need to start the debate as to how and why a market economy is the way to deliver prosperity, social mobility, fully funded public services and the means to address their concerns about the environment and social justice. Theresa May lambastes a 'people's vote', saying people already had their Brexit vote in 2016 Its thriving, responsibly regulated business that does the research and development to provide the tools as well as the means to a better country. Through argument and example we must show that Corbyns hard left socialism will destroy business the engine at the heart of our economy. Instead we say we back business while continuing to ignore their pleas for the softest Brexit, and positively recruiting and embracing the ideologically driven whose hard Brexit would indeed f**k business. The irony will not be lost on most voters. Last weekend I was in my home city of Nottingham spending four happy hours in the autumn sun talking to shoppers about Brexit. I met Keith who told me he voted Leave but now wants a Peoples Vote because hes changed his mind on Brexit. Hed been won over by the views of his student grandsons. Im detecting a softening of that older Leave vote as they turn their attention to the growing concerns about the economic prospects of their children and grandchildren. We know that the older you were the more likely you were to vote in the 2016 referendum and the more likely to vote Leave. Conversely younger people tended not to vote but those that did overwhelmingly voted Remain. At 61 pretty much anyone under 45 is young in my terms so my 27- and 28-year-old daughters are well within the definition. After the EU referendum my youngest told me: I feel like older people have robbed me of my future, and she was far from alone in believing what I fear is the truth. We have less than six months to continue to shift public opinion to win a Peoples Vote and save our country from making the most damaging decision in recent history. If we fail and leave next March, I take some comfort in this. It will be my daughters generation who will take us back in to the EU. The tragedy is we will never have it as good as we have it now. And if we allow both main parties to head off to the extremes we will have delivered the double blow of Brexit and a hard-left Labour government. Anna Soubry is the Conservative MP for Broxtow in Nottinghamshire For more than two years the argument has raged over what the British people meant by voting to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum. One thing that ought to be clear by now is that only a small minority intended the country to turn its back as a trading partner on the other 27 members. Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leaders of the full-fat Brexit tendency in the Conservative Party, would be happy to leave and be treated just like any other non-EU country. For them, the costs of border checks would be a price well worth paying. But they know that such wilful economic damage would not be popular. That was why Mr Johnson, in what could have been his last hurrah as a potential leader of his party, spoke in Birmingham this week of a Super-Canada plan that sounded as if it would keep Britain closer to the EU than it really would. A BMG Research poll for The Independent confirms that most of the British people do not share Mr Johnsons vision. Offered a range of options, only 14 per cent support leaving the EU without a deal and trading on minimum World Trade Organisation terms. By contrast 61 per cent supported options that would give Britain frictionless access to the EU single market, including remaining as an EU member. Importantly, this figure has increased in recent months. It would seem, therefore, that the prime ministers attempt to negotiate a special deal that would, in effect, keep Britain in crucial parts of the single market, is a better reflection of the will of the people than anything Mr Johnson and Mr Rees-Mogg have to offer. Our poll is further evidence that, even if the British people want to come out of the EUs political structures, they are keen to maintain the closest economic relationship possible. Indeed, there is plenty of evidence from other opinion polls that the single market is more important to more people than controlling immigration. There is no reason why our 52-48 per cent vote to leave could not have been interpreted, as Norways 52-48 per cent vote not to join in 1994 was, as a vote for being part of the single market but outside the EU. For that reason, we welcome the suggestion from Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission president, on Saturday that there has been progress towards a deal in the past few days. Pretty much any deal would be better than a no-deal Brexit. In the end, however, the best way to be sure that the deal on offer is what the British people voted for in 2016 would be to ask them in a new referendum on the terms, once they have been agreed, with remaining in the EU one of the options. If Mr Junckers optimism proves unfounded and no withdrawal agreement is possible, the case for a Final Say referendum on the choice between a no-deal Brexit and staying in the EU becomes even stronger. Its a tale of two autocracies. Last week we laughed at the apparent primitiveness of the Russian intelligence services and simultaneously trembled at the sophistication of their Chinese counterparts. Bloomberg Businessweek magazine reported that Chinas military has managed to implant a microchip no bigger than a grain of rice in US computer mother boards, as they were being assembled in China, effectively giving Beijing a secret back door into giant American firms including Amazon and Apple. It was seen as a jaw-dropping technical feat. Like witnessing a unicorn jumping over a rainbow, one hardware expert commented. In cyberspace, on the front line of the new Cold War, things appear to be hotting up. I say appear because a tablespoon of scepticism wants adding to the pot when the security services of a country as hooked on grandstanding from a position of weakness as this one leak stories designed to scare the enemy. Nonetheless, todays Sunday Times splashes with the exhilarating news that the UK has war gamed a cyberattack on Moscow with the capacity to put the lights out in the Kremlin. How petrified Vladimir Putin will be is hard to quantify. He might summon the smelling salts, and then dispatch his best GRU guys (not the chumps caught in the act in Salisbury, possibly, or the Netherlands) to the basement to check out the diesel generator. Theresa May: Russia 'flagrantly' violating international norms Then again, he might chucklingly dismiss this as a typically empty threat from a nation that may remind him of his own in one respect at least. Watching Russia and Britain trash-talking each other is like being at the press conference before a bout between two geriatric heavyweights once mighty, but paunchy and arthritic now poised to fight for a tragically meaningless belt. This rumbling Anglo-Russian bust up feels like a heritage clash; a pantomime pastiche of past glories on the geopolitical undercard before the main event to come between the real contenders, the US and China, for the undisputed crown. No one ever claimed losing an empire, with all the phantom limb agony and crushing sense of irrelevance, was easy. Britain has had 70 years to work on it, and here we are pitiably trying to reenact that defiant little island standing alone in 1940 scenario with Brexit. And almost 30 years after the disintegration of the USSR, here is Russia with an economy barely half the size of Britains, staring into a bleaker future with the value of her oil and gas reserves coming under relentless pressure from the rise of renewables. Small wonder if she is raging against the dying of the light (if not the Kremlin lights) with a range of guerilla warfare tactics of which cyberwarfare has the most effective cost-to-chaos ratio. But finally, hurrah, after all the years of appeasement typified by Theresa Mays efforts as home secretary to shut down the enquiry into Alexander Litvinenkos radioactive demise, Britain is ready to retaliate (or at least to pretend to be willing) by using the same methods as the enemy. Living the American dream. But all the time spying for Russia Show all 3 1 /3 Living the American dream. But all the time spying for Russia Living the American dream. But all the time spying for Russia 403896.bin REX FEATURES Living the American dream. But all the time spying for Russia 403897.bin GETTY IMAGES Living the American dream. But all the time spying for Russia 403898.bin AFP This has a nostalgic ring from the old Cold War. As Control puts it in John Le Carres masterwork The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, although the West will never be the aggressor our methods and those of the opposition have become much the same. I mean you can't be less ruthless than the opposition simply because your government's policy is benevolent, can you now? Well, no, although we could argue about the benevolence of foreign policy since the Berlin Wall came down. Some detect the faint whiff of chutzpah when those who claimed to equate invading Iraq with a touching display of humanitarian concern lecture Russia about its Crimean incursion and all the mischief-making in Syria. Some also wonder whether inflaming timeless Russian paranoia about the integrity of its borders by inviting its neighbours to join Nato was an inspired idea. But whatever the strategic competence, regardless of morality, do we have the technical ability to be as ruthless as the opposition? And even if so, is there any real political will to use it at a time when the American president with whom a trade deal may urgently need striking doesnt seem wildly keen to pick fights with the Kremlin? Any suspicion that the big talk about a cyberattack on Moscow may be laughable posturing is deepened by simultaneous news about more conventional war-gaming. In the deserts of Oman this weekend, 5,500 British troops fought mock battles with pretend Russian tanks. This cut price 100m exercise also involved six Royal Navy ships (not the new aircraft carrier on which the American F-35s seem unable to land, but hey, lets not fixate on the trivia) and eight Typhoon fighter jets. I must say, it sounds tremendous. Half a dozen ships and eight warplanes. You could defeat Costa Rica with that. But then Costa Rica has no military. The notion of Britain, with an army so shrunken since the humiliations in Basra and Helmand that its offering cash bribes to soldiers sacked for failing drug tests to reenlist, being a match for Russia is preposterous. Not as preposterous as the notion that two nuclear powers will ever fight a conventional war. But more than ridiculous enough, thanking you, for most tastes. At some point, you hope against hope, the idiocy of play-acting at great power status to an audience with bulls**t-detecting antennae as acute as Putins would penetrate the skulls of even as wilfully obtuse a government as this one. The same goes for this threat of cyberattack. Even if one were possible, it would be politically unthinkable to ratchet up the tension to the cyber equivalent of Defcon 2 (Cuban missile crisis level) without the support of the only Western nation with the wealth and technical sophistication to wage cyberwar. So long as Trump is in the White House and any kompromat that may or may not exist is in the Kremlin safe, there is more chance of Theresa May partnering Anton du Beke to victory on Strictly with her Peter Crouch-does-Abba tribute act. As for the Russian ability to launch a cyberattack on Britain which, the Sunday Times insists, would cause power blackouts, bring chaos to the roads and paralyse the NHS, shed probably be doing us a favour if she did. How the hell else are we supposed effectively to war game a no-deal Brexit? Monsanto's defence of its Roundup weed killer may take a hit after an academic journal said the company didn't fully disclose its involvement in published research finding the herbicide safe. A correction issued by a journal that analyses health risks of chemicals, may bolster allegations that Monsanto, now part of Bayer AG, ghost-wrote safety reviews as lawyers try to convince juries that Roundup causes cancer. Monsanto has defended the independence of the 2016 review, and the journal - Critical Reviews in Toxicology - isn't changing the papers' scientific findings. But the journal's publisher stated last week that it is issuing an "expression of concern" linked to the articles because the authors "have been unable to provide an adequate explanation to why the required level of transparency was not met on first submission". Allegations that Monsanto ghost wrote scientific literature to rebut claims that a key chemical in Roundup causes cancer, and emails supporting them, were featured at the first trial over the herbicide, which resulted in a $289m (253m) verdict against the company last August. A San Francisco jury made the award to a former school groundsman who claimed that Roundup contributed to his terminal cancer. A Monsanto spokesman stated that the journal articles in question are "a small part of an extensive body of research" showing glyphosate-based herbicides are safe. The company's influence on the articles was "non-substantive, and "the scientific conclusions are those of the authors and the authors alone". Bayer faces litigation by more than 9,500 plaintiffs in the US, mostly farmers, who blame exposure to glyphosate for non- Hodgkin lymphoma. The next trial may be sometime between December and February. (Bloomberg) It was record imports of Irish butter this summer into the US that helped drive the level of butter imports to record levels. Figures show that July imports of butter into the US were at an all-time high - exceeding the previous record set in May 2004. The figures from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) show that total US butter imports - driven by high imports of butter sourced from Ireland - reached record levels in July, supplanting a record set in May 2004. Total US butter imports for July were 7.5m pounds, with 5.8m pounds (about 77pc) coming from Ireland. Irish butter contains at least 82pc butterfat (compared with at least 80pc for most US butter), according to the USDA and is sourced from cows that are mainly grass fed, and is usually sold at a premium. It goes on to say that the recent rise in butter imports from Ireland can be partly attributed to the success of this marketing strategy and Irish butters popularity with many well known professional bakers and chefs. However, the rise in imports has not been plain sailing for Irish exporters. Kerrygold, Ireland's leading butter brand, is facing a potential law suit over its 'grass-fed' claims. Californian Dyami Myers-Taylor has lodged an action claiming that Kerrygold makes false and misleading claims about its butter. He says, in papers filed, that he is bringing the action on behalf of himself and all similarly situated persons who were misled into purchasing Kerrygold Products due to false and misleading advertising. Further, Wisconsin shopkeepers faced jail if they stocked Irish butter after a law dating from 1970 saw Irish butter off the shelves temporarily. Brown Thomas and Arnotts, both owned by the Weston family's Selfridges Group, have invested tens of millions of euro in their stores over the past few years. In a highly competitive retail market, where online rivals and cheap, fast fashion are piling on the pressure, these landmark Dublin department stores have been focused on making their shops a "destination" - offering new cutting-edge labels, on-trend restaurants and 'experiences' such as beauty treatments and even upmarket piercing services. Next on the agenda is a digital overhaul to complement the upgraded stores. "Between now and 2022 we will be investing 25m in our digital platforms, across both businesses," said Brown Thomas managing director Stephen Sealey. It is a very appealing and lucrative area for retailers which get it right. "Online has grown every year for Brown Thomas. To say double-digit growth underestimates it - substantial double-digit growth." Expand Close Sister store Brown Thomas / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sister store Brown Thomas While digital sales are growing in importance, Sealey and Donald McDonald, managing director of Arnotts, were at pains to point out that bricks-and-mortar stores are at the centre of the business. "I don't want to give the impression that we see all our business going online. This digital investment is about experience in stores as well," added Sealey. For example, a Brown Thomas innovation called 'endless aisle' will make it easier for regional stores to order products only stocked in Dublin. But adapting to a fast-changing environment is key to success and so capturing the online opportunity is an imperative. "A very good online enhances your physical retail," said McDonald. Both shops are about to file accounts for the year up to February 2018. Sealey said Brown Thomas's online sales were strong, while the Dublin shops have been performing well. The key drivers of growth are luxury accessories and menswear. The group's top Irish customers continue to buy luxury items, but the very high spending levels seen at the height of the boom have not returned. "Our average transaction value is up but it is not shooting up. I don't think we've ever got back to those days of 2006 and I'd ever want to," said Sealey. "I can still remember people almost coming to blows over the last Chloe handbag. I think now it's a more considered purchase." McDonald said that the Arnotts store, which has a different product offering and positioning to Brown Thomas, has almost finished its in-store upgrade. An 11pc increase in sales recorded in the year to February 2018 was down in part to the investment. "We're starting to see some return on that. We have introduced new brands like Mac and Charlotte Tilbury in beauty, Jo Malone, and all of those made a significant contribution." He said Arnotts would continue to have a very different offering from Brown Thomas. "Our brand makes us very aspirational and we are always looking for new brands, but our intention is to stay very true to what the Arnotts brand is and be consistent with its customers." The business has turned around financially, delivering an operating profit of 272,000, compared with a loss of 523,000 in 2017. However, McDonald will now be focused on growing margins. "It's a journey and we've made a significant move this year. The big call out is that we are in operating profit, compared to where we were. And with out continued investment in the store we would like to see that grow and grow." He said that despite the impact of the storms, the business was doing well this financial year, and was up on the previous 12 months. "It may not be the dizzy heights of the 11pc we had last year, but we will see growth and will continue to evolve and move with the customer." He also said the home department - a big focus for Arnotts - has huge potential. Both shops are now preparing on the key shopping season of Christmas. Staff were told on Friday that Sealey will retire from Brown Thomas next May, although he will continue to be involved in the group, and McDonald will become managing director of both Arnotts and the Brown Thomas Group. Sealey, who has been with Brown Thomas for 20 years, said he and McDonald had worked closely together on the Arnotts project. "We have accomplished most of the heavy lifting," he said, "so the timing seems right to me." He will work with the business in an advisory capacity through all of 2019. McDonald said he was looking forward to the new role: "The excitement is about building on the achievements Stephen has made here at Brown Thomas and continuing on the good work at Arnotts. And we are very committed to the two separate propositions of Arnotts and Brown Thomas." Paul Kelly, managing director of Selfridges Group, thanked Sealey for his work as over the past 10 years as Brown Thomas managing director. "His passion and energy contributed hugely to ensuring that Brown Thomas is well positioned for its continued success into the future." Kelly said the results for Brown Thomas and Arnotts showed they had delivered an "excellent performance". "We have continued our ambitious programme of capital expenditure across all channels and stores," he added. Bank of America Merrill Lynch is expecting to receive Central Bank clearance for its new European base in Dublin by the end of the year. In the summer, the bank announced it was merging its UK and Irish operations ahead of Brexit. Anne Finucane, vice chairman of Bank of America, told the Sunday Independent: "We made a decision early on that we would seek to fully implement a cross-border merger whether it was a hard or soft Brexit because its very hard to be in the reactive mode, we felt we needed to be proactive. "We've had a 50-year relationship with Ireland, excellent workforce, good relationship so we made a decision to head-quarter our bank in Ireland, pending regulatory approval. We are hopeful we have that by early December and be fully operating." Finucane will be in Dublin this week as Vital Voices, an organisation which supports women leaders, and Bank of America host a Global Ambassadors Programme in the city. She said that access to capital was essential for female entrepreneurs. "We want to see more women come forward with a startup, have an absolutely solid business plan and some angel investors but to do that you need to know what a business plan needs to look like, what sells, where one might access capital. But I would say in the States we are beginning to see some of that, that I might not have seen even five years ago." However, she said more progress was needed. "We need to accelerate at quite a pace, at multiples of the current pace to get women into positions of power." This the 18th Vital Voices/Bank of America programme in six years and this week's event will provide mentoring to women entrepreneurs from around the world. Speakers include author and TV personality Martha Stewart; former chief commissioner for Human Rights in Northern Ireland, Monica McWilliams; designer Louise Kennedy; and Cherie Blair CBE QC. Don't expect a big business budget on Tuesday. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe is facing considerable pressures on spending and tax cuts. He will have to finance a chunk of what he does through tax increases - and business won't be in a good position to benefit. It is hard to make a strong case for business escaping tax increases or even getting tax breaks when the economy is growing at such a pace. The emphasis will be on housing, income tax band tweaks and financing anything else from new taxation measures. First in the line of fire will probably be the special 9pc Vat rate for the hospitality sector. He has some scope to tinker with elements of this to protect smaller restaurants, etc, but by and large it is going one way - and that is up. The minister has around 800m of new tax cuts and spending increases to play around with it, but anything above that will have to be funded through new revenue-raising measures. He is likely to suddenly embrace the importance of tackling climate change by hiking up carbon taxes. This will hit households with higher fuel and heating bills, but also could prove costly for businesses using gas or paying for higher transport costs. A move to equalise diesel with petrol would also hit businesses as well as motorists driving diesel cars. Business owners might eye the possibility of a reduction in Capital Gains Tax, but it is hard to see how Donohoe will go down that road, given the overall message he will want to give. He will want to say something like: "Things are going great - but we need to protect the squeezed middle, fix housing and not erode the tax base as we head into possibly choppy waters ahead". Another big hope for entrepreneurs is the CGT Entrepreneur Relief where those selling shares in a company they founded pay a lower rate of CGT up to a lifetime limit of 1m. The equivalent figure for the UK is 15m. A shift here would encourage more people to set up businesses in Ireland but the cost of a 15m limit would be around 56m in a full year. I wouldn't bet on it happening. The commitment given by former minister for finance Michael Noonan to equalise the tax credit for the self-employed remains unfinished business. When he started it was zero, while PAYE workers had a tax credit of 1,650 per year. The Programme for Partnership Government states "we will increase the Earned Income Tax Credit from 550 to 1,650 for the self-employed, to match the PAYE credit, by 2018". There is still a gap with the self-employed credit running at 1,150. Brexit is still coming and many in business will expect some suite of measures to protect business likely to be most affected. It will be impossible for Donohoe to ignore this so expect a series of very specific, tightly controlled, not open-ended, measures to 'Brexit-proof' business, that won't actually cost too much. The British are not actually leaving for at least another two and a half years and that could be more like a decade if things go a certain way politically. Who knows, they may even have another referendum and decide to remain. So, Donohoe might feel it is best to announce some minor inexpensive measures rather than commit to Brexit business supports that could prove costly for something that mightn't happen for a while yet. Expectations around housing measures, which would be good for the construction sector may be overdone. As things stand greater construction activity is already creating an extra 8,000 jobs in the sector every six months. The Government's problem isn't with money - the problem is with delays in the system. It needs some new policy measures rather than just throwing more money at the problem. The economy continues to grow at the fastest pace in the EU, despite storm clouds further out on the horizon. Business will be seen as doing alright and won't get much. Naughten chats with the only horse left in the broadband race Communications Minister Denis Naughten got himself into a bit of flap by attending a dinner in New York hosted by the only remaining bidder for the National Broadband Scheme. Naughten had a conversation with David McCourt of Granahan McCourt at the dinner. He says that only two things came up. Naughten wanted McCourt's consortium to provide answers to departmental questions about the bid in a timely way. And McCourt informed the minister that the make-up of the consortium might be changing. The minister didn't repeat what he said to McCourt in response to that, but instead says he heard about the new make-up of the consortium when he read it in a newspaper. The whole broadband scheme process has entered unusual territory given there is only one bidder left. Normally a minister shouldn't have contact with one bidder in a competitive tender because it could confer an advantage on that bidder over others. But in this case, there is only one bidder. Nevertheless, Naughten should not have left himself open to the criticism of attending a dinner hosted by the only remaining bidder when hundreds of millions of euro in State subsidies are at stake. You would also imagine that when the bidder informed the minister that the make-up of the consortium was about to change, the minister would ask, who was coming in and who was going out. Yet, that doesn't seem to have happened based on Naughten's comments to the media last Thursday. There are 8,000 other restaurants in New York City. Naughten may now wish he had dined instead in one of them. Gold mine firm Orion places big bet on a return of Stormont A gold discovery in the Sperrin Mountains of Co Tyrone, described as "one of the best gold projects on the planet" continues to be bogged down in delays. When originally discovered in the 1980s, it owners couldn't get an explosives licence to extract the gold because of the Troubles. Now decades later, it has emerged as an enormous gold find with an estimated 3.1 million ounces of gold worth around $3bn in the mountains outside Gortin. The latest owners of the rights, Dalradian Resources, submitted a 10,000-page planning application to develop the mine back in 2017. The submission met with firm resistance from some residents and environmentalists. The cause of much concern isn't so much the mine itself but the plans for a new cyanide plant to accompany it. The ore in the area is relatively low grade, so it needs to be mixed with cyanide to extract the gold. Dalradian has insisted it is totally safe. Another proposed gold mine around 20 miles away in Slieve Gallion in Co Derry is also attracting a campaign of protest. One of those to lend his voice of protest is Declan Donnelly, of Ant and Dec TV fame, who has relatives in the area. During the summer, Dalradian was bought out by its biggest shareholder, Canadian private equity group, Orion Mine Finance, in a deal that valued the company at around 350m. This week the relevant government department in the North said no decision can be made on planning until there is a government minister in Stormont. Orion has placed a very big bet on getting planning permission. Never mind securing planning, Stormont might not even return any time soon. The Irish-American businessman David McCourt, who is the lead figure in the sole remaining bidder for the 1bn National Broadband Plan project, is to sell his shares in the consortium telecoms firm Enet. The move is being done, he says, to "focus energy entirely" on the State-backed rural broadband rollout scheme through his company Granahan McCourt. McCourt has also dismissed the controversy over meeting Communications Minister Denis Naughten, saying that as a major telecoms investor in Ireland over the years, he would have been "p****d off" if Naughten had declined to meet him. And he described as "totally misleading" claims by critics of the National Broadband Plan procurement process that the businessman Denis O'Brien is now "part of the consortium". McCourt's Enet shares are set to be sold to the Irish Infrastructure Fund, an investment vehicle that is backed by the state's Ireland Strategic Investment Fund. McCourt said that the move does not signal any retreat from the National Broadband Plan for him or for Enet. "I want to focus all my time on national broadband," he said. "It doesn't make much sense to be a minority shareholder in Enet. It has no consequences for Enets participation in the National Broadband Plan (NBP), which is designed around the metropolitan area networks that Enet manages. McCourt said that the reason he invited Naughten and his officials to the July dinner in New York was to reassure them that a series of concerns that had arisen regarding the bid tender had been resolved. The dinner was prompted by me, he said. The ministers department had brought up some concerns and wanted them resolved, saying that if they werent we were at risk. All I wanted to do was to make sure they knew that those issues were being resolved. If I couldnt have got hold of the minister I would have called the Taoiseach to say that I understand the seriousness. It was important. According to minutes of the conversation between Naughtens party and McCourt released by the Government, department officials were pressing for a permanent, Irish-based, leadership position within the consortium, a need for streamlined decision-making processes and the need for any changes within the consortium to be avoided or, if necessary, to be kept to a minimum. The officials also pressed for the need for the necessary financing to be in place by August 15. All of these issues, McCourt said, have been met. Details of the financing behind the consortium bid are still unclear, but the Sunday Independent understands that they will involve McCourts long-time business associate, Berkshire Hathaway board member Walter Scott. I think its wrong to make something out of it politically when I was doing my job, as was the minister, said McCourt. I wanted them to know I was taking matters seriously. I would also have been a bit p****d off if the minister refused to meet someone spending 100m in telecoms in Ireland. McCourt also sought to downplay the involvement of businessman Denis OBrien in the NBP process. OBriens infrastructure engineering firm, Actavo, is to be a key contractor to the rollout bid. Actavo, formerly known as Siteserv, became caught up in the water charges controversy having been contracted by Irish Water to install water meters. McCourt said that he had absolutely not spoken to OBrien about the rural broadband contract or consulted with him about the bid. Im telling you now that Denis OBrien is not part of the consortium, he said. Its very misleading for people who want to score points to suggest he is. He owns one of about 40 sub-contractors were using, yes. But thats like owning the company that looks after the windows or the doors. There are only two telecoms infrastructure firms in Ireland with the capacity and ability to build out a network of this scale and were using both of them, as well as a third infrastructure company were bringing in from the UK. Weve had an incredibly rigorous tendering process. It has nothing to do with Denis OBrien. The NBP aims to provide high-speed broadband to 540,000 rural homes and businesses More than 450 Irish businesses have signed up to Smartbox, an online experience-gifting giant, ahead of its Irish launch this month. The Irish-headquartered company, which originated in France, employs more than 600 people at its offices on Talbot Street in Dublin city. Smartbox offers customers experiences that can be given as a gift to another person. A customer can buy a restaurant 'box' worth 80 that will allow the receiver access to any of the restaurants signed up to the service. It differs from the discounted models used by the likes of Groupon, with all products such as meals, getaways, and extreme activities such as sky diving costing full price. Smartbox has more than 18,000 points of sale across Europe, but it will only have 11 in Ireland when it launches. The company has agreed a deal with Debenhams to sell across its Irish branches. Speaking to the Sunday Independent, chief executive John Perkins said the boxes were gift that "couldn't fail". "There's a societal change that is happening where it used to be 'I am what I own', now it's 'I am what I do'," he said. "More and more people are becoming less materialistic. "It's not the person that has the biggest pile of toys that wins, it's the person that's done the most and seen the most that wins." He said that cash was the number one gift that people ask for but that it was a "terrible thing to offer". Perkins, who previously spent eight years as a senior director at Apple in Europe, said the company aimed to have more than 800 businesses across Ireland on board before the end of 2019. Clients do not pay anything up front to use the service but must pay a double-digit commission fee once a box is redeemed. Perkins declined the disclose the size of the commission but said in most cases the fee was covered by customers that spent beyond the value of their voucher. "We're the middle men between all these entrepreneurs and the consumers," Perkins said. "We're a marketing platform for all these establishments. Most of these establishments can't pay for advertising, they can't pay for TV, they can't pay for radio." He also said that revenue was expected to grow to between 20m and 30m in Ireland alone over the next five years. The Smartbox chief, whose mother was born and raised in Dublin, has predicted that sales in Ireland will reach 300,000 units by 2023. Europe-wide, Smartbox turned over more than 500m in revenue last year. Around 6.5m boxes are sold each year. Perkins previously spent time heading up Play.com, a UK-based competitor to Amazon. He said that he has used his experience from both Apple and competing with the "800-pound gorilla" Amazon to grow Smartbox since he joined five years ago. Enterprise Ireland has long worked with, and supported, companies that are trying to stay ahead of the competition. (Stock image) the need to be competitive has never been more urgent for Irish companies with ambitions to grow through international export. At Enterprise Ireland, we see that a sustained focus on operational excellence - improving the processes and systems by which products and services are delivered - helps firms stay ahead of competition. This summer, we introduced a new Operational Excellence Offer that supports internationally trading Irish companies to develop or transform their wider business. Enterprise Ireland has long worked with, and supported, companies that are trying to stay ahead of the competition. That support takes many forms, from mentorship and strategic guidance to a range of funding mechanisms that enable eligible companies to access financial support to go to the next level. While we already deliver a range of funds aimed at companies that need new equipment, systems or staff training, we haven't had a single offer that combines all of those needs - until now. The new Operational Excellence Offer builds on Enterprise Ireland's highly-successful Lean transformation programme, but with a wider focus. Our objective is to incentivise companies to invest in a 'whole of business' transformation project that could include new systems, new processes, as well as investment in related staff training. We see Lean principles as an ideal starting point, but want to move beyond the perception that it is only relevant to manufacturing industries. In fact, we see successful applications of Lean thinking in many services businesses and in all sectors of the Irish economy. This new offer is inspired by the competitive edge we have seen companies achieve by focusing on their operational excellence journey. Founded 18 years ago, Critical Healthcare supplies Ireland's emergency medical sector. When the recession made it difficult to compete on price alone, the company realised it was time for a rethink. "Back in 2012, we were only supplying products to our customers and felt that we needed to move beyond that," said Anne Cusack, managing director. "We needed to find a way to add value to our customer offering, which would not only assist with their procurement processes, but also enable us to become part of their procurement solution." Critical Healthcare researched a new offering to add value while simultaneously embedding them into their clients' procurement solutions. Enterprise Ireland awarded the company a Business Innovation Grant to help implement a major operational transformation. The system went live in 2017 and has already seen the company compete for - and win - international contracts. Dundalk-based Bellurgan used support from Enterprise Ireland to invest in new technology and training designed to accelerate its production of component solutions for the engineering sector. And experiential tech business vStream worked with us to develop a new operational strategy based on maximising efficiency. These companies showed they were ready to progress, that they had the financial ability to take on the project, and the vision and determination to see it delivered. The companies we work with strive for operational excellence. But our offer is designed to facilitate significant transformation and that, in itself, represents a big commitment. Companies that commit to transformation on that scale deserves the best support they can get. That's where we come in. We are in the business of helping Irish companies to innovate, diversify and compete in a very tough global marketplace. This new funding is another way for us to do that. Through an integrated application process, the offer allows eligible companies to access financial support for business or operational change projects. The ultimate goal is to incentivise and support the key elements of a larger transformation project, leading to significantly increased competitiveness, which supports the whole economy. Ruairi O hAilin is a senior technologist at Enterprise Ireland. More and more of us use mobile phone apps to manage our money. Although the traditional pen-and-paper approach still has its advantages, apps help cut down on paper clutter - and can be a much handier way of getting a quick snapshot of your finances. Apps can also take the hassle out of managing your money and make you quickly realise where you're making mistakes with your finances. "Money management apps is an area which I believe it is about to explode," said Dermot Daly, one of Ireland's most successful app developers and chief executive of Tapadoo, a Dublin-based app development company. "There's a number of new 'challenger banks' which are not focused on bricks-and-mortar - but rather an online, and increasingly app-based, presence. These banks are focusing on user experience and are offering new services such as money management." Here are five of some of the best money management apps out there. Splitwise Splitwise helps you keep track of shared expenses and bills. It's particularly handy for housemates and friends who need to divvy up expenses between them. Those expenses could be anything from rent to energy or grocery bills - to the tab run up by a group of friends in a restaurant. The app keeps a record of who has paid their share of a bill - and who has not. Robyn Hamilton, content marketing specialist with the personal finance website, Bonkers.ie, uses Splitwise. "I'm in a house share, so this app is great for myself and my three housemates," said Hamilton. "We're able to keep track of all our bills - and there have been very little arguments over bills since I started using this app. You can also set up separate groups within the app. This is handy for me because I'm also living with my boyfriend - and by setting up a separate group for me and my boyfriend, I can track bills just between the two of us - as opposed to between the whole house." Splitwise is a free app, though there is a subscription-based version called Splitwise Pro, which has some additional features, such as receipt scanning and increased cloud storage. Bullet The Bullet app is a good way to store and keep track of your receipts - without having to keep those receipts in your wallet or in shoeboxes around your home. This app, which is suitable for freelancers and small businesses, is available through Bullet HQ's free online accounting software product (also known as Bullet). This app is recommended by Damien Mulley, communications consultant with Mulley Communications and a well-known computer expert. "The app is very handy because it allows me to scan and log receipts directly into the system," said Mulley. Bullet allows you to photograph receipts and keep them electronically in one place. As well as cutting down on the clutter of paper receipts, Bullet is an easy way to record the expenses which you can claim off your tax bill. "It is one of the few apps which has the Irish taxation and accounting rules built into simple workflows - automating Irish tax returns," said Peter Connor, co-founder of Bullet. Bullet is free - though there is a charge for optional add-on apps. Revolut Revolut is an app-based banking alternative which you can open a current account and get a debit card through, and send money transfers to bank accounts in over 130 countries. You can also hold and exchange up to 24 currencies and set up recurring payments through the app so that bills are paid on time. Revolut says it saves its customers on bank and currency conversion charges. The standard Revolut current account is free; the more advanced accounts (Premium and Metal) have monthly fees. "Premium and Metal users can also get free disposable virtual cards to increase their card security," said a spokesman for Revolut. "Each time they make an online payment with a disposable virtual card, our systems will instantly detect the transaction and automatically destroy those card details, generating new ones which will appear directly in the app. This adds an extra layer of security and protects customers against online card fraud, especially if they are making multiple online payments on a regular basis." You can make ATM withdrawals of up to 200 a month from the standard current account without incurring any ATM fees - anything over that amount attracts a fee equivalent to 2pc of the amount withdrawn. Although the physical debit card is free, you must pay a delivery charge of 6 to get it - or more if you want the card to be delivered earlier than nine working days. The Revolut app works on most Apple Watches, iPhones, iPads and Android phones (depending on how old your device is). Be aware that Revolut is not a bank and does not yet have a banking licence. Any money you hold in a Revolut account is therefore not covered by the Irish deposit guarantee scheme - which protects depositors and current account holders in the event that a bank, building society or credit union (which is authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland) becomes insolvent and is unable to repay deposits. Similar deposit guarantee schemes are available with authorised banks across the EU. Revolut, however, is regulated by the British regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and as a result, must follow all of the rules set down by the FCA. Revolut client funds are held in a segregated account in Lloyds or Barclays. The Revolut website states that "in the event of the insolvency of Revolut, you will be able to claim your funds from this segregated account and your claim will be paid above all other creditors". Revolut is applying for a European banking licence in Lithuania, which it aims to passport elsewhere in Europe, according to a spokesman, who added: "This will allow us to offer direct debits, overdrafts, interest on deposits and personal loans to our customers. We'll be applying for a UK licence too in the event of passporting issues - and London will always remain our headquarters." You Need a Budget The You Need a Budget app is good for those who need to budget better, get on top of their debt, or to save up for a big-ticket item or major event. It should also help you become more aware of what you're spending your money on - and more disciplined with your spending as a result. The app allows you to even out the expenses which crop up over the year - including monthly bills and irregular bills (such as children's birthday parties, annual car insurance premiums and so on). The You Need a Budget (YNAB) app is free for the first 34 days - but there is an annual subscription after that. "I've heard great things about YNAB," said Daly. Home Budget The Home Budget with Sync app is similar to Splitwise - but aimed at families, rather than housemates sharing a home. It helps families to track their expenses, income and bills due. It also allows a family to calculate its disposable income - and to set budgets for various items of family expenditure, such as electricity, groceries and so on. Its Family Sync feature allows a group of devices within a family to exchange expense and income information, and work together within a single budget. This app is not free. 5 other good apps Marketwatch This is a handy app for investors who want to stay on top of the latest stock market news and to get real-time data on stocks, commodities, and currencies. It allows you to track your stock picks and see stories related to those stocks so that you can stay up-to-date on your investments. It also has detailed stock quote pages with key trading information. Pricespy Shopping around can save you hundreds, even thousands but many of us simply dont have the time to do so. The Pricespy app does your shopping around for you allowing you to find out the best price for particular goods in nearby shops. It covers items such as white goods, mobile phones, TVs, toys, cookers, and cameras. It includes items sold in various main street shops such as Smyths and Powercity and online-only shops such as Amazon. The price of products featured on this site is regularly updated. The information (about price, pictures, product properties, availability and delivery times) comes from the shops themselves, states the Pricespy website. Therefore, even if we do our very best, errors may occur. For this reason, when using Pricespy it is always best to check a shops own price and description of the product before deciding to buy something. Expensify This app, which is suitable for small businesses and the self-employed, is a handy way to keep track of your expenses. It allows you to record, report and submit expenses and to track mileage. Transferwise This app allows you to transfer money abroad. Transferwise says that it is up to eight times cheaper to transfer money through its app than it is through the banks. Transferwise is authorised by the British regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority. AIB Mobile Banking AIB recently updated its mobile banking app, which allows new customers to open a current account with the bank from the comfort of their home. A passport is needed to verify a customers identity when opening an account and this will be done through a live video call with an AIB agent. You can easily check your account balance with this app and set up alerts to notify you when your balance falls to a certain level. The app also has a MySpending feature to allow you to analyse spending and income across various categories. You can use Apple Pay with this app. Most of the other banks have mobile apps too. With KBCs banking app, you take a selfie to prove your identity when opening a current account with the bank and you must also take a photo of either your driving licence or passport. TIPS BEFORE DOWNLOADING APPS Avoid downloading too many apps onto your mobile phone, as they can use a lot of space and slow it down. Remember, many apps have desktop versions, so if you run out of space on your phone, use the app on your desktop or iPad instead. Only download apps which are easy to set up and to use. Avoid using apps which are too complicated or which target you with a lot of ads. Production At Pernod-Ricard SA's Jameson Irish Whiskey Plant...Bottles of Jameson whiskey, produced by Irish Distillers, are seen as they pass along the production line at the Pernod-Ricard SA bottling plant in Dublin, Ireland, on Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. Pernod-Ricard SA sold $2.5 billion of debt, its second sale in three months, as the maker of Chivas Regal whisky takes advantage of the investment-grade ratings gained last year from the two biggest credit graders. Photograph: Aidan Crawley ...I There has been an explosion of gin and whiskey brands in recent years. Ten years ago there were only three distilleries for Irish whiskey. Now there are 20, according to the Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland, though that's still small when compared to the scotch industry. Every month seems to bring another 'new' gin to the market. Notwithstanding this growth in Ireland, there has been significant consolidation in the spirits industry globally, and yet it still remains relatively fragmented. The French company Pernod Ricard has been built up through four large-scale acquisitions over the past 30 years: Irish Distillers in 1988 (its first international acquisition), Seagram Spirits & Wine in 2001, Allied Domecq in 2005 and Vin & Sprit in 2008. Pernod now boasts the most comprehensive portfolio of brands in the industry with well-known names such as Jameson, Absolut, Martell, Chivas, Beefeater, Havana Club, and Malibu. The company also owns wine brands such as Campo Viejo, Jacob's Creek, and Brancott Estate. In recent times, the company has seen its whiskey brands driving sales in the United States, while over in Europe, the driver has been gin. The whiskey category has been growing rapidly over the last few years, particularly in the US, and for Pernod, the Jameson brand family continues to grow by double digits. Jameson is now the highest volume spirit sold by Pernod in US, according to management. While the growing consumer appetite for Irish whiskey has seen the company launch several new product variations under the Jameson label, it has also increased the demand for the company's other whiskey brands: Powers and Midleton. China and India were a roaring success for Pernod over the last year, and management expectations are for another strong year ahead. Recent financial results from the company showed that both these countries combined currently account for about 19pc of company sales and are growing at double-digit rates. For different reasons, the penetration of international spirits in China and India remains low but should continue to expand in the future. The Indian market is quite different from others, as the government charges 150pc import duty on spirits. Pernod produces whiskey locally in India as well as selling its international brands to satisfy the growing demand in the country. China in 2017 saw the international spirits category grow by 10pc, but the segment still remains a tiny part of the overall spirits market. China is growing richer all the time, and the demographics are very favourable for spirits consumption, as a growing middle and affluent classes should continue to boost demand for premium products. The evidence of premiumisation (consumers trading up to higher-quality or higher-priced drinks) is very clear, as both mainstream local beer and spirits consumption has been in decline in recent years, while the premium categories continue to grow. Another factor likely to drive growth for the company is that Pernod Ricard is the only wines and spirits company in China which has an exclusive joint business platform with Chinese internet giant Tencent. With the future growth prospects for Pernod Ricard looking good, this is one investment tipple which could take your fancy. Query: My husband and I worked in Britain in the past and each of us have a frozen defined benefit (DB) pension over there as a result. My husband built up 25 years of service in Britain while I built up 20. We both work in Ireland now and both have defined contribution schemes through our work. With Brexit fast approaching, we're unsure what to do with our British DB pensions. Should we transfer the frozen DB pensions to Ireland - and if so, into what? Geraldine, Co Dublin With Brexit around the corner, now is a good time to review these British pensions. Many people choose to transfer their pensions from Britain to Ireland as it may be more convenient and easier to administer a pension here. Whether or not it is wise for you both to bring your pensions home will depend on the source of that pension. You don't say if either pension is a private pension or a public pension. Most private sector pensions will allow an overseas transfer from Britain (including to Ireland) but since April 2015, most public sector schemes will not. You should ask your British pension provider if you have the option to transfer your pension overseas. If you are allowed to bring a pension home to Ireland, you will first have to request an overseas transfer value (which will be in sterling). If you decide to proceed to transfer your pensions to Ireland, you would have to put them into a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS) - which is a pension that can accept pensions from Britain without triggering a British tax charge. If your British pension scheme has a value in excess of 30,000 (which is likely given your service of 20 and 25 years respectively), you will also be required to take advice from an adviser regulated by the British financial regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority. You also say that the British pensions are both defined benefit (DB) pensions. This means that you will get a guaranteed pension income based on your salary and service - and subject to the solvency of the British pension scheme. You will have to weigh up the guarantees a DB pension provides as you will only be able to transfer these DB pensions to the equivalent of a defined contribution (DC) scheme here in Ireland. Therefore you may have to consider investment risk as you would be losing the guarantees of a DB pension - though bear in mind, these guarantees are only based on the solvency of your British pension scheme. There are other pros and cons to consider. For example, many of the pension differences between Britain and Ireland have been harmonised - but there are still areas where one jurisdiction may be more beneficial than the other. You may be entitled to a higher tax-free lump sum by transferring a pension to Ireland. The maximum tax-free lump sum from all pensions in Ireland is 200,000 per person and this limit includes the potential tax-free lump sum from your existing Irish DC pensions. If the potential tax-free lump sum on retirement from your British fund that is transferred to Ireland brings you over this 200,000 maximum, then the part of the lump sum in excess will be taxed in Ireland - whereas it could be paid to you tax-free in Britain. If you transfer your pension to Ireland, you may be able to retire with the proceeds of that pension earlier than the normal retirement age of the British pension - subject to a minimum retirement age of 55. (Most DB schemes have a normal retirement age, usually from age 60 or later. The only way to move a DB scheme to Ireland is through a QROPS but this means the DB scheme becomes a DC scheme using the transfer value from the DB. If you have left employment in a company DC scheme in Ireland, you can normally access the pension from the age of 50 through early retirement. However, British transfer rules only allow access from the age of 55.) If you transfer your pension to Ireland, your transfer value is tested against the British lifetime allowance of 1m. If your pension fund is higher than this, there may be an immediate exposure to British tax and this would be deducted before the transfer is made. If you keep your pension in Britain, a paid-up DB pension will only provide a pension for a dependent in the event of premature death - so there is no death benefit entitlement. If you move it to Ireland, the transfer value or value of the pension on date of death is payable to your estate and your pension won't be liable to British inheritance tax. If you have been resident in Britain in the current tax year or any of the previous 10 British tax years, you may be liable to British tax on your transfer payment to Ireland. If you withdraw from your QROPS within the first five years of the transfer, the transfer will be subject to British tax rules. Cashing in pension early Query: I have a defined contribution (DC) pension of about 30,000 built up over the last six years. I'm 40 and need to pay off some debts. Can I cash my pension in now? John, Gorey, Co Wexford You can normally access the benefits of an occupational pension scheme between the age of 60 and 70. Most pension schemes will allow members to retire early - generally from the age of 50 onwards and 40 is some time away. When you do access your benefits, you will be given a number of options. One is to take a portion of your pension fund as a tax-free lump sum (commonly 25pc of the value of the pension fund) and you can draw down the balance as income which is subject to tax under the Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) system so the process is the same as that applied when you were being paid your salary. In the meantime, you will continue to benefit from tax relief on your contributions and tax-free growth on your 30,000 fund. Benefit of pension tax relief Query: I am in my early thirties and have not yet opened a pension. I'm a higher-rate taxpayer. A friend has advised me to open a pension and emphasised the tax benefits of doing so. As far as I can see, I'd get income tax relief of 40pc on my pension contributions. However, am I right to say that pension tax relief doesn't extend to the Universal Social Charge (USC) and PRSI? Also, is there really a benefit to pension tax relief in the long run given that I will be taxed on my pension anyway when I draw it down in my retirement? Imelda, Co Roscommon You are correct that you would receive tax relief at your marginal rate. Whilst you do not get tax relief on USC or PRSI, there are numerous other benefits of starting a pension. The first is that your pension savings grow tax-free. Non-pension savings invested in a similar asset could be subject to 41pc exit tax; 33pc Capital Gains Tax, or income tax - so your pensions savings would grow at a faster rate. Furthermore, the effects of compound interest would also be greater as interest is being added to your non-taxed savings each year. At retirement, you could get back up to 25pc of your accumulated pension savings as a tax-free lump sum and the balance can be used to provide a pension income. On your last question, in many cases, pensioners find that when they draw down their pension in retirement, their pension is much smaller than their salary - and therefore it may be taxed at a lower rate than the tax relief they obtained. Stay in touch: Vodafone offer a plan that will allow you to use messenger services on your phone in Japan or other non-EU countries Question: My husband surprised me with an anniversary present of a trip to Japan next month. We're only going for a week but I need to stay in touch with family during that period and I'm worried that it will cost me a fortune. Is there any clever way of avoiding exorbitant costs? Also, is there any fancy plug adaptor I need to bring? I have or a worldwide adaptor from a previous trip abroad - will that suffice? Answer You have a couple of options. Some Irish mobile operators will let you use your phone abroad to a reasonable degree for a daily fee. For example, Vodafone does this, letting you use 0.2 gigabytes of data and voice calls and texts in Japan (and other non-EU countries) for 5 per day if you opt into its 'Red Roaming' service. Whether 0.2GB per day is enough for you will depend on your normal phone habits. For example, if it's just WhatsApp messages, Facebook Messenger or SMS text messages, you'll probably be fine. However, if you like to use Facebook a bit, you'll need to be careful. Most people's Facebook news feeds are now full of auto-playing videos, which can use up a lot of data. You need to be similarly careful if you're sending or receiving short video clips over messaging services as these can use a lot of data also. And do remember that you need to opt in to this service - if you have just landed in Japan and use your Vodafone smartphone, you'll be crucified on roaming charges. However, this is still a good option to have. And seeing as you'll only be there for seven days, it's somewhat affordable at 35. But if you're with either Three or Eir, you'll have to consider another option because neither operator offers an affordable way to use your phone in Japan unless you're on a specialist business plan. For example, for that 0.2GB per day I referenced with Vodafone's roaming offer, Three would charge you a daily rate of 1,000 (yes, you read that right) if you used all of it, while Eir is even worse, charging almost 1,700 per day (or 8.46 per megabyte). It's possibly different if you're on a business tariff with either operator, but from the sounds of your query, this isn't your situation. And to be clear - both operators would give you a text messaging warning as to your data usage as it escalated (after about two minutes). If either of those services - or one of the operators using Three's network, such as Tesco Mobile or Virgin Mobile - is your network, you'll need to get a local sim card. This isn't that difficult to do but often takes some advance planning. When I travelled to Japan, I ordered a local sim card when I was booking a weekly rail pass for Japan's bullet trains. It cost me 17 and offered unlimited data for eight days. For me, this was a great deal as I use messaging and social media services a lot on my smartphone. It also included the ability to make FaceTime voice calls between iPhones. However, it came with one limitation - it was data only. In other words, you couldn't make traditional network calls or send (or receive) traditional SMS texts using it. For me, that wasn't a problem as if anyone wanted to contact me, they'd likely send me a WhatsApp message, email or direct message on one of the social networks (like Messenger on Facebook or a direct message on Twitter). However, this may not suit everyone. If you also need to be able to receive phone calls, you can get a tourist SIM card when you arrive at the airport. These typically cost between 20 and 30 for a week. However, even here, I'd caution on using them for voice calls. Most people now have access to voice calls using online messaging systems like FaceTime (between iPhones), WhatsApp calls or Skype. And many of us now use WhatsApp as a text messaging service. So unless you're dealing with someone very elderly who may not be capable of using a system like WhatsApp, you and your family members back in Ireland are much better off financially staying away from the traditional network calls and using the free online calling and texting services instead. Of course, it also goes without saying that you should take advantage of Wi-Fi when you're there. If you're staying in a hotel, this is usually free. If you're staying in an Airbnb, it's common for the host to leave a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot that you can bring about with you. You can use this to connect to 4G mobile Wi-Fi, which effectively gives you access to all the data you need on your phone. As for the plugs, yes your worldwide adaptor should work fine, as long as it includes a two-prong plug-in bit. I found that I could use my two-pronged US plug adaptors there without any problem. These are easy and cheap to get at electronics stores or at Dublin Airport. Although Japan uses a different voltage system to Ireland (or the US), I recharged phones, tablets and cameras without any problem. Recommendation: Vodafone Red Roaming (5 per day for 0.2GB, available from Vodafone) Email your questions to caomahony@independent.ie Tech Two GoPro Hero 7 Black 429 from Harvey Norman Expand Close GoPro Hero 7 Black / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp GoPro Hero 7 Black GoPro action cameras have been in retreat recently, despite having opened up a whole new way of recording holidays and sports. The new Hero 7 model adds what it calls "hypersmooth" stabilisation to take all the jitter out of your shaky-hand videos. It's drop-proof, waterproof and can be activated using voice control. OnePlus 6 519 from OnePlus.com Expand Close OnePlus 6 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp OnePlus 6 OnePlus phones have always been close to the best alternatives to the flagship smartphones that are heavily marketed to us. The new OnePlus 6 is no exception. With a gorgeous 6.3-inch screen, the device has a whopping 256GB of storage and 6GB of Ram. It also retains a 3.5mm headphone jack. So determined was Michael O'Leary not to recognise trade unions at his airline that he found himself in the baggage hall at Dublin Airport loading bags. It was February 1998 and a group of Ryanair baggage handlers had halted work in their bid to have their union recognised by the company. Nearby, a young Willie Walsh was still months away from taking his first management job as boss of Aer Lingus's Spanish subsidiary, Futura. Walsh was still flying Aer Lingus aircraft in and out of Dublin Airport so therefore had a front-row seat to watch the Ryanair baggage handler strike unfold in a then all too predictable way for the national airline. Aer Lingus, then in a permanent state of warfare with its unions, ground to a halt, while Ryanair, cajoled by an uncompromising O'Leary, kept on flying right through its own strike. The following month Ryanair lodged a massive $2bn order with Boeing for 45 737-800s which would become the backbone of its conquest of Europe. Aer Lingus in the meantime was heading for years of chaos. But Walsh had learned a valuable lesson. Now, 20 years later the two aviation executives find the tables turned with regard to their relationships with trade unions. Walsh may face industrial relations challenges at IAG, but new correspondence obtained by this newspaper shows the extent to which Aer Lingus - one of IAG's subsidiary carriers - has a very different relationship with its unions, one in which it refuses to be dictated to. For O'Leary - on the other hand - hell has finally frozen over and he is in it. Ryanair is now feeling the full impact of his decision to finally recognise trade unions. Last week the airline's share price was pummelled when it issued a profit warning, citing higher costs and weaker fares due to recent strikes. It must be noted that a profit warning for Ryanair means it has merely lowered its guidance for profits for the full year to a new range of 1.1bn to 1.2bn. The announcement the following day that September traffic had risen 6pc only added to the feeling that one airline executive's crisis is another executive's bonanza. Barclays research published last week said that the share price reaction "reminds us that we are in uncharted territory for the group". Risks of more strikes remain, Barclays warned, although it concluded that "the model has been softened, not broken" and that Ryanair's cost base and productivity will ensure it remains "a structural winner". Nevertheless, aviation and industrial relations experts the Sunday Independent spoke to believe that Ryanair's response to staff unrest has been far from sure footed and that this does present some challenges to the model into the future. "Ryanair adopted something that was already going out of date," said one long time close observer of both companies. "In 1998, as a young man, O'Leary saw off the unions. It's an argument that is now 20 years old, but back then he appeared to end it forever at the company." But now O'Leary seems to be adopting the Aer Lingus model and Aer Lingus appears quietly to be adopting the Ryanair "our way or the highway" model, said the source. "So O'Leary makes this huge leap and does what nobody expected he would ever do and recognises the unions and what do they do?" says one aviation expert. "They kick him in the proverbials. They go on strike or threaten to go on strike all over the place. What was the point in recognising them so? Meanwhile at Aer Lingus there are no strikes, but there is plenty of tough talking behind the scenes." How the tables have turned. Ryanair is facing potential disruption and possible strikes right across the continent over seemingly innocuous issues. But at Aer Lingus, since IAG took over, management has taken a low key but very firm approach to its trade unions. Indeed, correspondence last week from the airline to Siptu, seen by this newspaper, comes with the type of uncompromising tone that O'Leary in his heyday would have been proud of. The letter from Sean Murphy, Aer Lingus director of employee relations and change, was written in response to a trade union decision not to attend a previously agreed meeting with Aer Lingus' chief operating officer, Mike Rutter. "It is absolutely astonishing that yet again elected representatives have chosen not to make themselves available to meet with the senior management team of the company they work for, who pays their salaries and provides them with the facilities to conduct the business of a staff representative," wrote Murphy. "Given that staff representatives have refused again to meet senior management, we will deem their non-attendance as confirmation that they do not wish to continue representing colleagues. "Therefore we would ask that Siptu and the representatives reflect on their position over the weekend. If the position remains the same, with effect from close of business Monday, we will withdraw the facilities provided to the representatives until such time as they commit to professionally discharging their responsibilities as representatives, or are replaced." The letter was the latest in a series of communications by the airline with Siptu prompted by a row over the reorganisation of the red cap function - red caps coordinate and handle individual flights on the airport ramp - at Dublin Airport. Last week this newspaper reported that Aer Lingus had claimed new hand-held devices designed to streamline its operations on the ramp had been interfered with as a row over redundancies erupted. Aer Lingus is in a no-nonsense mood when it comes to industrial relations. Contacted by this newspaper for comment on the red cap row, the airline was not for backing down. It said that it had created over 1,000 jobs in recent times with hundreds more to come over the next 18 months and had been in discussions with Siptu since 2016 about modernising work practices. It insisted the changes would not mean any redundancies or outsourcing and that it was "simply a question of moving with the times and introducing industry-standard work-practices at Dublin. We are currently operating outmoded working practices 'below wing' [various ramp operations] and this makes our model very uncompetitive when compared across the industry." The airline, said the statement, already has in place the collective agreements with its staff and "commitments from the union leadership" to enable it deliver the required efficiencies. "Aer Lingus is the only airline/service provider using the older working model, the whole industry has moved on. It is reasonable that people will continue on-the-job learning in an industry such as aviation where new work practices are developed and implemented so that airlines can continue to offer competitive fares." Close observers at Dublin Airport expect only one winner from the row: Aer Lingus management. That has been the pattern ever since Walsh and IAG took over. Mike Rutter was sent to Dublin to help implement these changes. The tough-talking Newcastle native had previously led an overhaul of Flybe's operation that a young O'Leary would have been proud of. Rutter has brought the same approach at Aer Lingus and its unions have barely whimpered, despite the constant change that has been under way since the takeover. Taking on and beating the unions has become a hallmark of the Willie Walsh era at IAG. In Spain it was predicted that the trade unions there would make the Dubliner's life a misery. He told them Iberia would "restructure or die". They restructured. At British Airways he has won virtually every battle yet with the unions, famously drafting in a fleet of Qatar Airways planes to keep BA flying during last year's cabin crew strike. Analysts point out that when it comes to industrial relations, Walsh perhaps has it easier than O'Leary because of the structure of IAG, with subsidiary airlines based mainly in just three countries. Also, industrial relations in IAG is run individually by each airline in the group, dispersing the whole process and insulating Walsh. "There's no grandstanding or caricaturing because a lot of the managers involved are anonymous and nobody outside of their own organisation knows who they are," said one industrial relations expert. "That keeps Willie Walsh well away from it and he doesn't find himself at the pointy end of various campaigns or issues. Whereas in the Ryanair situation you have a scattering of unions all across Europe who are all trying to train their guns collectively on one management team and one CEO. That's a different, particularly challenging, dynamic for the Ryanair guys." For Ryanair, the transition from a non-unionised to a unionised set of relationships was always going to be very difficult, and will continue to be, into 2019, he said: "But it will have to get to a point where it is normalised and things are done in a more rational way and Ryanair needs to plot its way through that." Former Aer Lingus chairman and aviation entrepreneur Colm Barrington believes that the advent of trade unionism in Ryanair - particularly among pilots and cabin crew - was inevitable. "During my time in Aer Lingus we worked with the unions as best we could. You had to work with them rather than fight them. The airline was losing money and we worked with them not to reduce pay as such but to try and get rid of some of the inflexibilities that had built up over the years. I think that message got through and people realised that they had to work together positively rather than negatively and it worked quite well in Aer Lingus." At pre-IAG Aer Lingus Barrington saw just how powerful a competitor Ryanair was and believes that despite its union issues it remains extremely strong and very efficient. "Ok, their cost of operation is going to go up but Ryanair still has by far the lowest cost of almost any airline, certainly in Europe. So I think they can take a higher labour cost and still be very flexible. The big cost for them is the cancellations and the disruption to their operations while this thing is getting sorted out. "I would have thought that their best bet is to sort it out as quickly as possible and to get on with life and not fight everything. But that is not necessarily in their gene pool." Barrington believes that a bigger issue than growing labour costs for Ryanair could be the inflexibility that trade union recognition may introduce into a business model that has always been built on the ability to react quickly to events. "Certainly that could damage it and that's why I think they should get on with working things out in as flexible a way as possible, even if they have to pay a bit more. But the great thing about Ryanair is that their operation is big enough that flexibility is built in." Another close industry observer agrees but says Ryanair is now going through what Aer Lingus went through 20 years ago. He is bullish about Ryanair's prospects to ride out the storm but believes O'Leary and his management team have already shown a serious lack of understanding of how to deal with trade unions in how they handled the trade union recognition issue. "Instead of making an announcement around it they probably should have engaged initially around the prospect of recognising unions and extracted a price for it. Part of that price could have been industrial peace. Instead, what they have now is the reverse." Another aviation source with knowledge of Ryanair's internal structures agrees that union recognition was given away too cheaply. "At the time they felt under enormous pressure and they didn't want to blow up their Christmas bookings so they decided to go for it. But there is an argument to be made about the consequences of that decision being far more profound than maybe they accepted at the time. "It's fine to accept recognition of unions, but you have to embrace what that actually means and that can be very uncomfortable. There are things from the past they can no longer do or say if they don't want to aggravate an already sensitive situation," said the industry analyst. But there is a wider backdrop to what is going on at Ryanair, IAG and every other airline across Europe. Ryanair's share price has fallen 30pc since June and many analysts have linked that directly to its ongoing industrial relations issues. But the aviation analyst points out that both EasyJet and Wizz Air are also down over 30pc in the same period. "The reason they are all down is simply because oil is at $85 and there is too much capacity in the marketplace. Every time in history when you have had high oil prices and too much capacity, airline share prices get cleaved. That is what is going on here. The union issues in Ryanair are difficult and they are not helping the share price but they are not the full answer to why it has gone down so much." In the past, Ryanair has reacted to a crisis in the airline industry to use its position as the lowest cost carrier in the market to take fares down as low as they possibly can to make sure it keeps its load factors up. Unlike most other airlines it can continue to be profitable at very low fares. "I think they [Ryanair] are going to cut loose now and flame grill the market with low fares," said the analyst. "Forward bookings have been undermined by the labour issues but they are going to dog their way through this. Unions or groups of employees who think Ryanair is not willing to pull aircraft out of bases where there is trouble are being very naive. That's the way Ryanair works." Of course, if that happens, Willie Walsh - and every other airline executive - may also find that a wounded beast has the sharpest bite. IAG AND RYANAIR Ryanair Chief executive: Michael OLeary Market capitalisation: 13.4bn Employees: 14,500 September 2018 passenger numbers: 13.1 million (up 11pc) Turnover: 7.2bn Profit (ebitda): 2.2bn Return on invested capital: 16.6pc IAG Chief executive: Willie Walsh Market capitalisation: 13.9bn (15.8bn) Employees: 63,422 September 2018 passenger numbers: 10.6 million (up 7.1pc) Turnover: 23.2bn (26.3bn) Profit (ebitda): 4.4bn (4.9bn) Return on invested capital: 14.8pc It says a lot about our often contradictory Irish nature that perhaps the most successful, and certainly most influential, businessman in the history of this State is also one of the most controversial and divisive. You could throw a rock on O'Connell Street at rush hour and there's a good chance you'd hit someone who has their own private horror story about flying with Michael O'Leary's infamous yet massively popular airline. As chief executive of Ryanair for the last 25 years, O'Leary has arguably done more to enhance the freedom of movement within Europe than anything else, other, perhaps, than the actual fall of the Iron Curtain. That success hasn't come easy, and along the way the increasingly brash and brazen O'Leary seemed to take immense delight in enraging sniffy commentators and other airline establishment figures who had traditionally viewed the low-frills operation with a disdain that bordered on contempt. In Michael O'Leary: Turbulent Times for the Man Who Made Ryanair, broadcaster and journalist Matt Cooper has written a frequently enlightening unauthorised biography, and it should come as little surprise that O'Leary has greeted the release with something approaching fury. Central to O'Leary's displeasure is Cooper's claim that the Ryanair chief met Willie Walsh to discuss the possibility of Walsh, currently chief of International Airlines Group and former boss of British Airways and Aer Lingus, replacing him when he eventually steps down. It's a bold but hardly unreasonable claim to make and despite the fact that the book is, as you would expect, scrupulously sourced, the airline boss was quick to release a statement condemning and refuting the claim. Of course, it's always difficult to determine what goes on behind the scenes of any large corporation, but O'Leary has insisted that he only met Walsh "to advance the Airlines for Europe agenda. I have long been an admirer of Willie Walsh, but have frequently explained that when I eventually step down from Ryanair, I expect the board will make a decision on my replacement." Cooper, in his own reply, has stressed that "the book is an unauthorised biography and is neither a PR job for Ryanair, nor is it hostile to Ryanair or Michael O'Leary". He's certainly accurate in his assertion that the book is not a PR job but the average reader will raise an eyebrow at his claim it's not hostile. The shine on Ryanair's halo of punctuality and ruthless efficiency took a dent in September last year, when 700,000 bookings across Europe were cancelled, and while they continue to increase passenger numbers year on year, it feels like there is a growing sense of unrest amongst both the pilots and cabin crew, and even the customers. Video of the Day As you would expect from someone who cut his teeth in the often impenetrable world of business journalism, Cooper is comfortable with share prices and high finance, and his apparent insight into boardroom-level decisions is something that obviously irks O'Leary, who went on the attack this week, accusing Cooper of, rather inevitably, "fake news". That he should use such a Trump-esque phrase will come as no surprise to anyone who has been following the man's wildly controversial career - which, let's be honest, is most Irish people. But while the intrigue over who will replace him, and when they will do it, is undeniably interesting, this book is actually much more entertaining when read as a charge sheet of O'Leary's crimes against standard behaviour. While Cooper opts for a disapproving tone throughout, interspersed with grudging but genuine admiration for his achievements, the often overlooked fact is that O'Leary's undeniably bold strategy of treat 'em mean and keep 'em keen is frequently extremely funny - assuming you're not the customer on the receiving end of his withering disdain, that is. Few bosses in this current climate, for example, would respond to an irate customer's complaint about a 60 surcharge for not printing a boarding pass with a dismissive: "We think Mrs McLeod should pay 60 for being so stupid... She wasn't able to print her boarding card because, as you know, there are no internet cafes in Alicante... She wrote to me looking for compensation... thank you Mrs McLeod, but it was your fuck up." Such examples of his Basil Fawltyish approach to customer relations are legion, and in truth most of them are products of O'Leary's keenly developed sense of mischief, such as suggesting his planes start showing porn, saying: "I'd be the biggest customer." Similarly, when he joked that they could remove seats from the back of the planes and install subway-style hand rails, it was immediately pointed out, not unreasonably, that such people would likely die in the event of a crash, he replied, with equal logic: "Well, the people sitting down will probably die as well." The billionaire has recently tried to reinvent both himself and his airline as a 'nicer, kinder' operation, and as Cooper points out, younger passengers now want a better service. But do they really? He may be a hard man to work for - his inner circle of advisers were known as "the Z team" because he doesn't want them getting notions - and he may be a hard man to fly with. But as long as he keeps prices down, millions of customers will continue to grumble while also booking tickets. It could be argued that O'Leary made a misstep by condemning the book so forcefully before he read it, but he better resign himself to receiving numerous copies as mischievous Christmas gifts. An animal charity has called for more action and accountability after a young foal was left to die in a stable. The 11-month-old foal was found in Limerick City in a small stable, the ground of which was covered in the animals waste, with no food or water. Expand Close The horse was found in "severe distress" Photo: Limerick Animal Welfare / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The horse was found in "severe distress" Photo: Limerick Animal Welfare Marie OConnor from the Limerick Animal Welfare group said the horse is still in bad shape and would not have survived the night if they hadnt found her. We regularly go out and help horses. It wouldnt have survived any more hours even. It was down and they struggled to get it up, she said. Limerick Animal Welfare said the incident was "another horrific case of cruelty and neglect". We contacted our vet immediately as we could see she was also suffering from hypothermia. On arrival, the vet administered adrenalin injections and pain meds. She was moved to a dry area and covered. Hot water bottles were used to increase her body temperature. We had to wait to give her little frozen, exhausted body, time to recover enough before trying to get her into the horsebox," the animal charity said in a statement. The foal was transported to an equine clinic where she was treated for an infection, as well as hypothermia. This 11-month-old mare was not microchipped, Limerick Animal Welfare said. None of the abandoned and abused ponies are ever microchipped. We must continue to petition the Department of Agriculture to enforce the EU Directive that all equines must be identified with microchip. At present there is no accountability and the neglect and abuse of horses continues daily. This winter will be very difficult for neglected horses as there will be a shortage of fodder and the fields are in a terrible condition already due to the long summer drought. The regularity of the problem of horse neglect means that the sanctuary is full to capacity. They have appealed to the public that if anybody is in a position to foster a horse, or small pony or foal, please contact the Sanctuary at 063 91110 or 087 6371044 or by email. Gardai pictured this morning at the scene of the fatal shooting in Ballymun Picture Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin. A man who was shot in the head by gangland killers on his front doorstep in north Dublin on Friday night had been warned by gardai of a possible threat to his life. Father-of-two Robert Sheridan (45) had been threatened in the past and last month shots were fired through the window of his home, according to informed sources. Expand Close INVESTIGATION: Gardai at the scene in Poppintree. Picture: Frank McGrath / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp INVESTIGATION: Gardai at the scene in Poppintree. Picture: Frank McGrath At 11.15pm on Friday, two gunmen brazenly called at at Mr Sheridan's house in Poppintree Crescent in Ballymun and shot him at point-blank range in the head when he opened the door. The gunmen fled on foot through a nearby park, leaving their victim seriously injured. Although emergency services arrived promptly, paramedics were unable to save the man who died at the scene. Mr Sheridan's body was removed to the City Morgue yesterday while Garda forensic experts continued to examine the crime scene. Gardai suspect that the murder on Friday night could be linked to a local crime dispute, rather than the ongoing feud involving a dominant Ballymun crime gang, who were behind a series of tit-for-tat shootings that led to the double murder of an innocent man and woman last year. Expand Close The scene this morning at Popintree Crescent / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The scene this morning at Popintree Crescent Superintendent Brian Daly appealed for witnesses to Friday night's attack, particularly anyone who may have seen the two gunmen as they left the area on foot. "It's understood two armed men involved in the incident left the scene on foot and entered Poppintree Park before exiting on to Willow Park road. We are appealing to anyone who was in the area between 10pm and 12 midnight to contact us here at the incident room at Ballymun garda station," he said. The murder has shocked the local community and led to calls for greater policing in the area. Noel Rock, a Fine Gael TD for Dublin North West, which includes Ballymun, called for more police on the streets. He said: "Once again, the community in Ballymun has woken up to news of a shooting. This is becoming all too frequent an occurrence. Unfortunately, on this occasion, it has resulted in a fatality. It's quite clear we need an increased police presence in this area." He added that he has "met with everybody possible" to "hammer home" the case for more resources. He urged anyone with information to contact Ballymun garda station at 01-6664400. Plans for the new 300m national maternity hospital are in jeopardy, it emerged yesterday. The delay in giving the go-ahead for work to start at the site - the campus of St Vincent's Hospital in Dublin - is now a matter of grave concern, warned hospital deputy chairman Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns. Approval for the works was taken over from the HSE by the Department of Health and is currently with Health Minister Simon Harris, he said. But the green light should have been given six months ago, he told the annual meeting of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) yesterday. Work on the pharmacy and car park must be started by the end of the year to comply with EU law on European energy requirements for new buildings. "If this does not happen it will fold and we will be back to square one," he said. The deadline for the go-ahead was October 1 and it has not happened, causing "grave concern", Mr Justice Kearns added. It would be an absolute tragedy if the project was delayed and the viability put at risk, he stressed. Work needs to begin before the end of the year, otherwise the whole design will need to be redrawn. He said the delay in approval dated back to the time the minister decided to refer the case of the late Malak Thawley, who died in Holles Street undergoing surgery for ectopic pregnancy, to the Health Information and Quality Authority for inquiry. A High Court challenge taken by the hospital to the grounds for inquiry found the referral was unreasonable. "We were completely vindicated and we are at a complete loss to understand the delay," said Mr Justice Kearns. He added that officials from the Department of Health had stopped coming to planning meetings on the new hospital after the legal proceedings were lodged earlier this year and they had not yet returned. He suggested there was a view that the department had an "animus" towards the hospital for taking the case. And he appealed to the minister to grant approval for it to go ahead in light of the suggestion that the health service will get substantial funding in the Budget. The current National Maternity Hospital building in Holles Street is out of date and unfit for purpose. A spokeswoman for Mr Harris said work was ongoing on issues of governance and protections for the State investment and he would update the Government shortly. Meanwhile, it has also emerged that the first satellite centre of the new national children's hospital - located in Connolly Hospital in the constituency of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar - may also not be able to open as scheduled next June because of a lack of consultants. The centre, which includes an urgent-care unit and outpatients' section, is part of the national children's hospital, to be located in St James's Hospital, which is currently under construction and due to be ready in 2022. Secretary general of the IHCA Martin Varley said there were already problems in recruiting enough paediatric consultants for jobs which had been advertised for the centre. He linked the difficulties to the failure to address pay gaps which will mean newly recruited consultants still earn 30pc less than longer-serving colleagues, even when catch-up measures announced recently are implemented. Meanwhile, IHCA president Dr Donal O'Hanlon warned that patients were at risk of going blind because of dangerous delays in access to eye surgery. Dr O'Hanlon revealed that 6,000 patients are now waiting to see an eye specialist in Cork, with potentially serious consequences for their sight. A DISTRAUGHT friend of a woman who has been missing since May said that she fears her pal has been murdered. Lithuanian woman Giedre Raguckaite (29) was last seen in Dundalk on May 26 and her childhood friend Gedvile Hibner has said she considers her friend murdered. After information came to light that Ms Raguckaite was allegedly last seen in an unconscious state with two men, Ms Hibner has appealed to gardai to shift the investigation from that of a missing person to a murder probe. I no longer consider her missing, she told the Sunday World. Expand Close Giedre Raguckaite was last seen in Co Meath but has not made contact with anyone since. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Giedre Raguckaite was last seen in Co Meath but has not made contact with anyone since. I consider her murdered and I would like the investigation upgraded now as a matter of absolute urgency. I am worried about Geidre. According to reports in the paper, the men carried the severely intoxicated Ms Raguckaite into her house where they said she needed to sleep it off. The pair are then said to have bathed her and splashed her with iced water in an attempt to sober her up. Both men, one of whom is in custody for unrelated charges, left with Ms Raguckaite the following morning in a Toyota Landcruiser jeep, she has not been seen since that time. While one of the men, both already identified by the gardai, is yet to be located, the man is custody has been questioned about his whereabouts on the night of May 29, but refused to comment. While the gardai are still treating the case as a missing person investigation, the Sunday World reported that they have interviewed several witnesses regarding the days building up to Ms Raguckaite's disappearance. Ms Raguckaite formerly lived in the UK and it was previously reported that she had planned on travelling back but left her passport and ID with her landlord as a deposit and has not since returned for them. The last official sighting of Ms Raguckaite was on May 26 at Hoeys lane in Dundalk, however she was in contact with her father on May 29. A public appeal for information was launched in August after the woman ceased to upkeep her regular contact with her family and activity on social media. The womans friend, Ms Hibner, said that while in Ireland Ms Raguckaite was dependent on someone else financially. She claimed that the evidence is too sinister to rule out that Ms Raguckaite may have been murdered. When she moved to Ireland, she tried to get work in a clothing business, but she was certainly getting financial help from someone as she wasnt living on fresh air for two months, Ms Hibner told the Sunday World. She alleged: She was clearly drugged and wasnt able to act normally or help herself. Whatever happened to her has to be discovered. My friend is a young woman with her whole life ahead of her and now she is gone. I really believe that the gardai should not be investigating a missing person but a murdered person and I hope they do the right thing and make this investigation more important. Gardai have issued an official appeal for information about her disappearance. "Giedre is a Lithuanian national and was last seen on Hoey's Lane, Dundalk on May 26 at approximately 6pm. She is described as 5feet 5inches in height, slight build, blond hair with green eyes," a Garda spokesman said. Anyone who has seen Giedre or may have any information is asked to contact the Gardai in Dundalk Garda station on 042 9388400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station. PEOPLE have been urged not to post details online about a man who is accused of sexually assaulting a newborn baby amid fears it could jeopardise an investigation into the "horrifying case." The two-week-old infant, from Annalong, Co Down, remains in intensive care in the Royal Victoria Hospital for Sick Children in Belfast following the alleged incident. The 25-year-old man was charged with rape and grievous bodily harm with intent in connection with the alleged attack on September 29 and appeared at Armagh Magistrates Court on Tuesday. The accused will appear at Newry Magistrates' Court via videolink on Wednesday. A barrage of abuse has been posted on social media, including alleged threats to the mans life. The PSNI has said that this could prevent a fair trial in the future. Craigavon PSNI said on Facebook: Folks there is understandable anger and considerable distress at the emergence of details of a horrific incident involving a 2 week old baby, the statement began. It wasn't our patch, but I'm posting this in the hope that some take heed. In the last few years a murder trial in the UK was dismissed due to comments made on social media. One of the tests for whether a trial goes ahead is whether there is a right to a fair trial. If this continues, it will be impossible to select any jury who don't have prior knowledge of, or are tainted by opinion of others on social media. If that is the case, a judge could well kick it out. That is how fragile this is, and is why 'name and shame' does not exist. It is why we have so many processes around Op Relentless too before we release names. Some of the messages of abuse claimed that regardless of the potential sentence handed down, the punishment will not be enough. The PSNI has reminded the public that that is not something for them to decide and urged them to have faith in the judicial system. Many will say that 'justice' will not be served in court, they said. Unless the baby is yours, you don't have the right to decide that. Aside from anything else, there is a clear court ordered restriction in place. If you breach that you could be committing an offence. If this collapses down the line due to something you've done in anger now, you better believe you'll be looked at. If you've shared the details of the suspect, delete it. If you know any of the main people who have posted the details, point this out to them. It is not their decision to make. It is not their trial to endanger. Our officers kept their cool dealing with this horrifying case, from first attendance, dealing with the victim, suspect, arresting, interviewing and charging him. If they can do that, the least we can ask of the public is to allow justice to take its course. Temperatures are set to reach up to 21C this week but it's not all good as a weather warning is in place for some parts of the country. Met Eireann has said that we're going to enjoy absolute max temperatures for October this week. In typical Irish fashion though we're in for a mixed bag weather-wise so don't leave your rainjacket at home. A forecaster said: "Very mild conditions persisting this week, in mostly brisk southerly winds, with frost free conditions. "Heavy rain, mainly affecting the northwest to begin, locally warm midweek, before turning very unsettled everywhere later this week." A Status Yellow rainfall warning has been put in place for Donegal, Mayo and Sligo and is valid from 6pm on Monday for 24 hours. "A slow moving band of rain is expected to bring heavy and persistent rain over the period with rainfall amounts of 25-50mm expected. "There is potential for higher amounts in mountainous regions. Spot flooding possible," Met Eireann advised on their website. Tomorrow is set to be mild and mostly dry, except for Connacht and west Ulster, where heavy and persistent rain is expected. Tuesday will be mild and humid, the rain is set to stay away from Leinster and much of Munster but heavy showers are expected across the far west and northwest, these will continue into the night and could lead to spot flooding. On Wednesday temperatures are expected to reach up to 21C. Enjoy the sunny weather while you can though because the weather is set to deteriorate from Thursday when heavy rainfall will push in from the Atlantic. Across the channel, the UK is set for highs of up to 25C as warm air from the Canaries looks to set a seven year record temperatures there. Gary McMahon (right) on the Ilen on its first sailing in Irish waters for almost a century Photo: Dermot Lynch She was born in a little boatyard in West Cork, served a hard-working life in the Southern Ocean and was almost lost to the deep, before returning home to be reborn as a living jewel of Irish maritime history. The beautiful sailing ketch Ilen has just made her first voyage in Irish waters in almost 100 years, coasting from Baltimore in West Cork to Limerick, where she will be berthed on the city centre quays and on view to the public. The ocean-going sailboat was designed and skippered by one of the most romantic and enigmatic figures from the turbulent years of Ireland's struggle for independence, a Limerick-born son of the gentry and adventurer who ran German guns for the Irish Volunteers in 1914, became a bestselling author and circumnavigated the globe under the tricolour. Edward Conor Marshall O'Brien was the first skipper to take a small boat around the world via the three great southern capes, writing the maritime classic Across Three Oceans after returning to his home port of Foynes, Co Limerick in 1925. Conor O'Brien later married the American artist Katherine Clausen and their colourful, wandering life included several years in an artists' colony on the island of Ibiza. Expand Close Gary McMahon (right) on the Ilen on its first sailing in Irish waters for almost a century Photo: Dermot Lynch / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Gary McMahon (right) on the Ilen on its first sailing in Irish waters for almost a century Photo: Dermot Lynch An architect by profession, O'Brien never really settled on land and, instead, chose a nomadic life at sea. And despite his strong Irish nationalist beliefs, O'Brien enlisted in the Admiralty Ferry service at the outbreak of WWII - aged 60 - to skipper American-built ships across the U-Boat infested North Atlantic for the British navy. The intrepid sailor designed and built three sail boats. And now an epic rescue and restoration project, which started when Limerick sailor Gary McMahon and his team located the 52ft wooden ketch Ilen in the Falkland Islands, has been completed with the boat sailing in Irish waters last weekend. "She made a fantastic voyage, she performed really well, we took advantage of the fine weather and did a single hop from Baltimore to the Shannon Estuary in 17 hours," says Gary. "She surprised us all with her speed and capabilities, she absolutely charged up. There was a certain amount of relief and it's been a great adventure. But this is only the start of it for her". The Ilen was built in Baltimore, West Cork and named after the River Ilen which flows through Skibbereen. Much of the work on her restoration and fit-out has been carried out by master shipwright Liam Hegarty at his yard at Oldcourt, near Skibbereen. "Ilen is pronounced like Eileen, in Gaelic it means reflection of moonlight on the water, so it's fitting," adds Gary. Limerick connections abound. The planking that forms part of the decking is teak salvaged from the stands of the old Markets Field GAA ground in the Treaty City. A special community workshop was built in Limerick for her reconstruction. Gary first became aware of the life and voyages of his fellow Limerick-man Conor O'Brien in his teens, after reading his classic account of sailing a small boat around the world, an epic voyage through the most dangerous seas on the planet. That voyage was in the Saoirse, thought to be the first vessel to go deep-water sailing under the Irish tricolour and named for the newly independent nation. It was when he called to the remote Falkand Islands, and his sturdy vessel was admired by the locals, that the story of the Ilen would start. O'Brien was asked to build a sister vessel which would become a service boat for the Falklands Islands Trading Company, to transport everything from food and livestock to doctors, teachers and schoolchildren for the scattered communities around the then roadless archipelago. "We started looking for her in 1996," says Gary. "I found her in the Falklands, went out there and struck a deal with the owner. We found a ship that could take her and transported her back to Dublin." That 12,000-mile trip from the Southern Ocean was only the beginning of more than two decades of work, with the building of a special boat-shed and workshop in Limerick (with another in West Cork) and the setting up of the Ilen Project, which would bring enthusiasts, volunteers and craftsmen from all over Ireland (and the rest of the world) to help rebuild the Ilen from the keel up. "I wouldn't do it now, I was in my twenties when I found her and my worldview was a lot different in those days," says Gary. "When I found her, there was definitely a short intake of breath. She was at the end of her life. A wooden boat that's been worked hard and is over 70 years old, it's really gone beyond its natural time." The rebuilding process has been an epic journey. Even when the Ilen was built, she was a boat out of time, based on the classic working sailboats of the northern Atlantic which had already begun to disappear in the age of steam and then diesel. Over the past 20 years, Gary and his team have sourced materials from all over the world, including wood from carefully selected trees in the Bavarian forests which were cut down, shaped and seasoned to very specific tolerances. If you ask Gary to explain the motivation, he'll tell you about the aesthetic appeal and romance of an old wooden boat, the history and heritage it represents, the skills and crafts that they have resurrected. But he admits that rescuing an old wooden boat and transporting it 12,000 miles to begin a 20-year restoration is a quixotic passion: "It's an acquired taste, I wouldn't recommend it. "But these kinds of boats would once have been very common on the west coast of Ireland and beyond. Now the Ilen is the only one we have left. She is the only one of her kind still sailing." The team at the Ilen boatbuilding project in Limerick, which has included volunteers from as far away as America and Germany, all share a passion for old things. "We set up a community project, we opened up the rebuilding of the Ilen to everybody who was interested in lending a hand." The funding has come from donors big and small and from the resources of the core team. It's an expensive project in cash terms, but the countless hours of craft, dedication and pure sweat are what have really brought the two-decades' long quest to the point where the Ilen has just made her maiden voyage. Gary, who works as a graphic designer and web-designer when he's not rescuing old boats, says the Ilen will now have the docks of Limerick as her home port. The old wooden ketch is closer in time to the 17th-century trading vessels that plied the north Atlantic than to the sleek carbon-fibre and epoxy hulled yachts of today. She is sailing again, with (as Gary says) "just compass and chart to guide her", in the waters around our west coast. But the Ilen is not the end for Gary McMahon and his team. They are already deeply involved in another, even more ambitious project. The little community boatyard is on its way to building a small fleet of historic Irish sailboats. A brushless fox (ever see one?), plaintive curlew cries and snipe flitting over wet bottom-fields were unexpected autumnal visitations. The curlews, after gloomy news of a numbers crash and virtual disappearance from traditional sites, turned up near Castlebellingham, Co Louth, where an observant reader (PG, Meath) spotted a small group. To see, and hear, one of these birds of estuaries and mudflats is encouraging. These particular ones may have been Scotland migrants preparing to return. Curlew cries are a nostalgic reminder of what once were common evening sounds along seaboards as 'curi-li' and the sound of a tolling bell fell together over homeward tracks along long empty strands. The snipe in West Cork had not been seen since winter-into-spring's tough weather when birds hammered vainly at hard ground and entered cattle sheds to search for food; one was found in a parked car! The fox - sans tail - that I encountered was a healthy adolescent which crossed my path at a gateway to a house before turning to look, in a thoughtful way, as if an opportunity to enter might present itself. What had happened to the tail? Had there been a territorial snapping fight with siblings? Could it have been caught in a trap? I once had a kitten which had its tail development arrested by a banging door. Over time, it dropped off, leaving a 'Manxified' moggy. But this fox didn't even have a stub. The programme of vaccination of trapped badgers in selected areas here continues as an important part of the anti-bovine tuberculosis campaign of the Department of Agriculture. Last week, however, Irish cattle were being blamed for an outbreak of the disease in Cumbria in the north of England. Cattle imported to England from Northern Ireland were reported to have been responsible - and so, yet another round of culling has begun over there. This seemingly endless saga, costing millions, has resulted in the deaths of thousands of heads of cattle and badgers. Dominic Dyer, of the UK's Badger Trust, supports vaccination as the best response. Movement of cattle with undiscovered infections spreads the disease; they transfer it to wild animals so that TB is embedded in multiple species, he says. The UK's National Farmers' Union says culling will stop the spread of a disease "ruining farmers' lives". How does infection occur? The Zoological Society (UK) fitted trackers to badgers and cattle on 20 farms which revealed that the animals seldom met. This suggested that the disease was not passed by direct contact but through contaminated pasture and waste. The bacteria can survive in slurry and soil for months. Vaccinating badgers is a scientific advance in this ongoing dilemma of the countryside. But after badgers are sorted, what then about "multiple species"? Will deer, foxes, rodents and every wild creature have to be eventually earmarked for shooting and trapping - and vaccination? Constant vigilance of cattle movements is the one sure method of curtailing and stamping out this scourge. George Finlay milking his East Friesland sheep in the family farm near the Glen of Imaal in Co Wicklow. Photo: Frank McGrath Family business: George Finlay pictured with finacee Hannah Sheerin (left) and sister and chef Amanda Finlay with some of the their Ballyhubbock ice cream. Photo: Frank McGrath It's a crisp morning in the Glen of Imaal in west Wicklow, just an hour's drive from Dublin city centre, yet as rural as it gets. The area is, of course, known for its army camp - somewhere that the defence forces practise manoeuvres - as well as the breed of handsome, loyal and spirited terrier that is named after it. It's also the location of Ballyhubbock Farm, where a new and innovative artisan food business making sheep's milk ice-cream has recently been set up. Ballyhubbock is already the base of an award-winning bakery run by Olive Finlay - this morning she's making lemon drizzle cakes with duck eggs for a lighter crumb and texture - in a production facility adjacent to the farm house. It's a lovely thing to behold, a true one-woman operation that's efficient, methodical and careful - it makes me want to seek out her cakes at the first opportunity. Meanwhile, on the other side of the quiet country road, with views out over the valley with Lugnaquilla looming in the distance, is a milking parlour. Expand Close Ballyhubbock Ice Cream. Photo: Frank McGrath / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ballyhubbock Ice Cream. Photo: Frank McGrath Once this was used for dairy cattle, and then as a lambing unit, but it's been adapted and re-purposed for milking sheep, with the milk used to make artisan ice-cream in small batches. George Finlay, son of Olive, the farmer behind the venture, and his fiancee, Hanna Sheerin, believe it to be the first of its kind in Ireland. "My father - also George - has always had sheep and suckler cattle on the farm," says George, who was 'sheep student of the year' at Kildalton Agricultural College in Piltown, Co Kilkenny where he studied. "But even with 400 commercial sheep - for meat - the economics don't make sense. We wanted to develop something to which we could add value, so we started milking a flock of 30 milking ewes back in the spring. I always wanted to milk sheep, to do something a bit different." "I gave him a bit of a nudge," says Hanna, who works as a research officer with Teagasc. Although she doesn't come from a farming background, her dad, Jim, is a vet and she is from the local area. "We watch a lot of farming programmes and we got the idea from one of those. We milked a commercial ewe and started experimenting with making ice-cream ourselves before we made the leap and invested in the flock and equipment." The 'girls' (as Hanna and George refer to them) seem happy enough trotting in to be milked, lining up obediently in their allotted spaces to eat a few nuts while the milking apparatus - a cluster - is attached. The milk starts to flow and, when it ebbs, to encourage a second let-down of milk, George gives each ewe a 'puck' - a tug on their teats intended to imitate the suckle of a lamb - and more milk flows. Before and after each milking, each ewe's 'spins' (teats) are wiped with antiseptic lotion to prevent fly strike and mastitis. "The quality of the milk is our number one priority," says George. Expand Close George Finlay milking his East Friesland sheep in the family farm near the Glen of Imaal in Co Wicklow. Photo: Frank McGrath / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp George Finlay milking his East Friesland sheep in the family farm near the Glen of Imaal in Co Wicklow. Photo: Frank McGrath Currently he is milking 20 ewes each day, and between them they generate in the region of 24 litres of milk - far less than the quantity generated by cows. "The East Friesland breed is best for milking," says George, "and the milk has double the amount of protein and is higher in vitamins, minerals and fat than cow's milk." "Unlike cow's milk," says Hanna, "the sheep's milk is naturally homogenised, which means that the fat droplets are evenly dispersed and the milk does not separate in the same way as cow's milk. It makes for a really creamy consistency that's ideal for ice-cream." "We do not use antibiotics, so even though we are not certified organic we operate as if we are," says George. "Aside from the few nuts that the sheep get in the parlour, everything that they eat is pasture and we don't use sprays or fertiliser on the land." The ewes are milked twice a day and the milk passes directly into a bulk tank housed in the outbuilding adjacent to the milking parlour. Happily for George and Hanna, George's sister, Amanda Finlay, is a trained chef and she has come on board the fledgling business on the culinary side. Amanda worked in the US and France (at the highly regarded Le Chat Botte near La Rochelle) as well as at Dunloe Castle and for high-end catering operation, Baxter Storey, at Gonzaga College, before committing to the new family business. "First we pasteurise the milk and then we make a basic custard with Ballon free-range eggs and a little sugar," says Amanda. "Sheep's milk is naturally sweet so you need to add less sugar than you would to cow's milk. The custard goes into the ice-cream machine for about 40/45 minutes and you have ice-cream: our basic flavour is made of just milk, sugar and eggs." The flavour is rich and delicious, with none of the sour taste that one might expect. Currently there are five flavours - plain, vanilla, chocolate ganache, lemon curd and raspberry crumble - with all the flavourings made fresh from scratch in-house by Amanda. (I also tasted the chocolate ganache flavour, and it's excellent too.) George's favourite is the raspberry crumble, and Amanda's is the lemon curd. Hanna can't make up her mind - "Do I have to pick just one?" The ice-cream is currently available at The Green Barn at Burtown House and in Donnybrook Fair, with further outlets expected to be added in the coming weeks. The ice-cream will be of interest to those who do not eat conventional dairy products because of intolerance or allergy, who may find that ice-cream made from sheep's milk is easier to digest. George stopped milking the sheep last month to allow them to dry off, and reckons that he will get about five years' milking out of each sheep before they are fattened and go into the food chain as meat. Currently, George is sourcing all his sheep within Ireland, mainly from Co Clare, but says that because the gene pool is relatively limited he expects to have to venture further afield - to Germany and the Netherlands - to get more stock in the future. He hopes eventually to expand the flock to between 200/300 milking ewes and is in the process of reclaiming land on the farm to provide more pasture for a larger herd. "Making sheep's cheese will be the next step," says George, "but we decided on ice-cream as the first venture as it's a simpler product and requires less investment. The know-how required for cheese-making means that will take a little longer but it's definitely something we plan to go into." Ireland has a great tradition of wonderful artisan food products developing out of the need for farm diversification - just think of Gubbeen bacon, charcuterie and cheese, and Glenilen Farm yoghurts, cream and cheesecakes. Ballyhubbock Farm ice-cream follows in those footsteps. It's heartening to see a new generation demonstrating that an entrepreneurial and innovative spirit is alive and well in the Irish farming community. facebook.com/ballyhubbock Premium Colm McCarthy Opinion UK is not alone in its Covid failures New cases, hospitalisations and deaths from the virus have all risen somewhat in the UK over the last week. Given the rapid roll-out of vaccination, the best in Europe, this should not have been happening. The reason seems to be the so-called Indian variant, more infectious and more widespread in Britain, and some experts are worried the government may be forced to pause, or even reverse, the lifting of restrictions. Premium Eoghan Harris Opinion Misery media fails to give due credit to the Taoiseach Taoiseach Micheal Martin must drive his advisers mad. Unlike Leo Varadkar or Donald Trump, he never bigs up success stories such as the effect of Level 3 Plus on Covid or his visionary Shared Island project. Last Friday, Tony Holohan and RTE cheerleaders seemed to imply Level 5 was responsible for the improved Covid situation. Not so. People walk along a damaged area which was hit by liquefaction in Petobo village following the earthquake on October 5, 2018 in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Photo: Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images The bodies of a mother and her six-week-old baby were among the latest to be discovered yesterday under a sea of mud in Indonesia, one week after a major earthquake and tsunami wreaked devastation on the islands. Husnul Hidayat was found clutching her daughter, Aisah, to her chest after her home in the Petobo neighbourhood of Sulawesi island was completely wiped out. Her brother, Ichsan Hidayat, said his sister and niece "deserved better". He said: "I prayed that they are in a better place." As the death toll rose to 1,649 more than a week after the major earthquake hit, rescuers workers were focusing yesterday on what looks sure to be a long, difficult search for bodies, many buried in morasses of debris and mud. No one knows how many people were dragged to their deaths when the quake triggered soil liquefaction, a phenomenon that turns the ground into a quagmire. Communities in the south of Palu were particularly hard hit - 1,700 homes in one neighbourhood alone were swallowed up. Many hundreds of people are now entombed in slowly drying mud churned with heaps of debris and vehicles. In the Balaroa neighbourhood of Palu, rescuers found 34 bodies yesterday, and laid them out in a row of blue and orange bags - among them 10-year-old Dede Aulianisa. Her parents recognised her from the clothes she was wearing when the quake struck. "I'm certain it's her. She was wearing the exact scout uniform, with a sweater with the words 'Geng 97'," said her father, Anwar, who like many Indonesian goes by only one name. "When the land split, she happened to be on the side that collapsed," he said. "She was such a happy child. Very intelligent. Her teachers loved her and she had many friends," he sighed. Hasnah, 44, also a resident of Petobo, has trouble remembering all the relatives she is trying to find in the expanse of mud and debris. "More than half of my family are gone," Hasnah said, sobbing. "I can't even count how many. Two of my children are gone, my cousins, my sister, my brother-in-law and their children. All gone." Homes were torn apart, shunted hundreds of metres and sucked into the ground which liquefied when the 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck. Some 70,000 people have been left homeless. "The earth was like a blender, blending everything in its way," said Hasnah. She said she has enough food and water - but she's furious that a search and rescue operation in her area only began on Thursday. "They said they would come with the heavy machines but they didn't," she said. "They lied." Tired of waiting for help, villagers themselves have been searching, Hasnah said. "We've marked the possible bodies with sticks. You can see a foot sticking out, but there's no one here to dig them out." Doctors have been flocking to help from other parts of Indonesia. One local hospital in Budi Agung has 134 beds with about 20 more set up in a tent outside - all are full. A hospital ship is also due to arrive. Doctors said many patients have been at high risk of infection because they were buried in mud. With the death toll predicted to rise, the UN is seeking $50.5m (44m) for "immediate relief" to help 191,000 survivors. Government and international aid has now started to slowly filter through. The recovery effort from the twin disasters of earthquake and tsunami is expected to take two years, the country's vice-president warned yesterday. Jusuf Kalla said that the relief efforts would begin with a two-month emergency response phase when everyone who lost their house would get temporary shelter. Reuters Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) - Sat, October 6, 2018 20:07 1135 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308776525b7 1 Art & Culture batik,#batik,village,#village,Yogyakarta,#Yogyakarta,Communications-and-Information-Ministry,batik-village Free The Communications and Information Ministry has introduced what it calls a cyber-batik village in an effort to fuse age-old tradition with modern technology. Kampung Batik Manding Siberkreasi is located in the Wonosari district of Yogyakarta, and anyone who cannot visit right now may follow it on Instagram. Kompas.com reported that in the village, digital technology is used to design and spread information about batik. However, despite using technology, the village still relies on human skills to create the traditional fabrics. Read also: Mattel Indonesia launches Barbie Batik Kirana for younger generation Introducing the project, the ministrys information applications director general, Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, said on Tuesday that art was a unique thing in the digital era, and people were looking for art pieces like batik. Meanwhile, Kampung Batik Manding Siberkreasi head Guntur Susilo said 15 houses in the village offered batik. They were managed by cooperatives and would receive profits at the end of the year. We have [established] cooperatives to avoid unhealthy competition, explained Guntur. FX Endro Tri Guntoro, one of the administrators of Kampung Batik Manding Siberkreasi, added that the village also welcomed other areas that wanted to collaborate in promoting batik. (jes/wng) China has defended its decision to refuse to renew the work visa of a Financial Times editor in Hong Kong, in a case has drawn concern over free speech in the Chinese territory. The central government firmly supports the local governments rejection of Asia editor Victor Mallets visa renewal application, according to a statement from the foreign ministrys office in Hong Kong. No foreign country has any right to interfere, the office said, in a response to expressions of concern from the UKs Foreign Office and the US Consulate in the territory. Expand Close Mr Mallet shakes hands with Andy Chan, founder of the Hong Kong National Party (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mr Mallet shakes hands with Andy Chan, founder of the Hong Kong National Party (AP) Mr Mallet is vice president of Hong Kongs Foreign Correspondents Club, which drew criticism from the authorities for hosting a talk by the leader of a now-banned pro-Hong Kong independence party. Hong Kong was promised semi-autonomy for 50 years as part of its 1997 handover from British rule, allowing it to retain its limited democracy and rights to assembly and free speech which are denied on the Chinese mainland. Rights groups have called the visa rejection the latest sign of Beijings expanding restrictions on the territory, including legal cases brought against pro-democracy legislators and organisers of large-scale anti-government protests in 2014. Expand Close A protest took place in Hong Kong against the decision (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A protest took place in Hong Kong against the decision (AP) The UKs Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) asked for an urgent explanation as to why Mr Mallets visa renewal application was rejected. Hong Kongs high degree of autonomy and its press freedoms are central to its way of life, and must be fully respected, the FCO said in a statement. The US consulate said the rejection was deeply troubling, especially since it reflected problems faced by international journalists in mainland China whose visas can be held up or refused because of political considerations. The Financial Times said in a statement that it was given no reason why Mr Mallets application was rejected. It said: This is the first time we have encountered this situation in Hong Kong. A friend of a Saudi journalist who went missing in Istanbul said officials told him to make your funeral preparations as he claimed the Washington Post contributor was killed at the Saudi consulate. Turan Kislakci, a friend of Jamal Khashoggi and the head of the Turkish-Arab Media Association, said officials also told him they have evidence he was killed in a barbaric way and dismembered. Saudi officials have denied the allegations that Mr Khashoggi was killed as baseless. Expand Close The Saudi Arabia flag flies over the consulate in Istanbul (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Saudi Arabia flag flies over the consulate in Istanbul (AP) One Turkish official said authorities believe Mr Khashoggi was killed at the Saudi consulate, while another said it was a high possibility. Mr Khashoggi disappeared on Tuesday. The growing dispute over his fate threatens relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkey, and raises new questions about the kingdom and the actions of its assertive Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who had faced criticism in Mr Khashoggis columns. Mr Kislakci said he believes Turkish officials will soon announce the findings of their investigation. He said: What was explained to us is this: He was killed, make your funeral preparations. Expand Close Protesters hold pictures of missing Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Protesters hold pictures of missing Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi (AP) We called a few other places, these are lower officials, but they said: We have evidence he was killed in a barbaric way, we will announce it tomorrow or the day after.' Mr Kislakci also alleged, based on conversations with officials, that Mr Khashoggi was made to faint, before being dismembered. A Turkish official said an initial assessment by police concluded Mr Khashoggi had been killed at the consulate. On Sunday, another official said there was a high probability that Mr Khashoggi was killed in the consulate and his body was taken away. The Washington Posts editorial page editor Fred Hiatt said: If the reports of Jamals murder are true, it is a monstrous and unfathomable act. Jamal was or, as we hope, is a committed, courageous journalist. He writes out of a sense of love for his country and deep faith in human dignity and freedom. Young investor: Rees-Mogg was reading the FT from the age of eight In Leinster House, it is considered a good idea to conceal any hint of a silver spoon in the mouth. Rees-Mogg, by contrast, flaunts his other-worldly privilege The floppy-haired hero of the Brexiteers, Jacob Rees-Mogg, once took exception to a story doing the rounds that he went canvassing for votes in a Bentley with his nanny during an election. He was quite indignant. The MP insisted that the car in which he tried to win support from the electorate of East Fife in Scotland was not a Bentley. It was in fact his dear mothers Mercedes on this occasion, he had decided to leave the Bentley at home. The account of the role of his nanny in his rise to political stardom was of course entirely accurate. Expand Close Young investor: Rees-Mogg was reading the FT from the age of eight / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Young investor: Rees-Mogg was reading the FT from the age of eight As he has remarked himself, the 49-year-old does not believe in the nanny state but he does value, and indeed cherish, the services of a good nanny. In letters to his own nanny Veronica Crook when he was away at school , young Jacob liked to refer to her as My darling Old Woom. Rees-Mogg, now the MP for North East Somerset and nicknamed the Honourable Member for the Eighteenth Century, is quite unlike any politician that one would ever encounter on a saunter through Leinster House. Some of our own breed may have privileged upbringings, but they tend to go out of their way to downplay the fact. It is considered a good idea to conceal any hint of a silver spoon in the mouth. Rees-Mogg, by contrast, flaunts his other-worldly privilege at every opportunity his plummy tones, his Eton education, and his stately pile in the rolling hills of Somerset and uses it as his unique selling point. Expand Close Jacob Rees-Mogg speaking this week at a Leave Means Leave event / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jacob Rees-Mogg speaking this week at a Leave Means Leave event As one observer remarked this week, his cooing Tory fan base love the costume drama drawl the Edwardian purr redolent of a dowagers pince-nez, a mahogany chaise longue or a jolly game of croquet on the front lawn with a glass of Pimms. Its all perfectly spiffing until one realises that this is a man who could play a role in the future of our country through Brexit. Rees-Mogg is a leading actor in the unfolding drama. He is among the bookies favourites to be the next Tory prime minister. This week at the Conservative Party conferences, he was mobbed by admirers a startling phenomenon known as Moggmania and proudly told a rapt audience: I have been very fortunate to grow up in a happy family with two parents who remained married to each other with a famous nanny looking after me. Yes, its that nanny again. Having brought him up, the same woman now looks after his own six children, including the youngest, Sixtus Dominic Boniface. Until the Brexit vote of two years ago, Rees-Mogg could be casually dismissed as a cartoonish upper-class twit, laden with affectations that seem to be lifted straight from the novels of PG Wodehouse. But now the Moggster is an influential figure in the Conservative Party, as the leading standard bearer alongside Boris Johnson of the cause of a hard brexit or a clean brexit as he prefers to call it, perhaps to avoid the connotations of a thump on the head. He is chairman of the European Research Group (ERG), a eurosceptic group in the Tory Party that is pressing Theresa May hard for an arrangement modelled on the EUs trading relationship with Canada. It is all perfectly simple, they assure us: popping over to Newry from Dundalk will be as straightforward as a weekend jaunt to Vancouver. Rees-Mogg and his chums want a free-trade relationship between the UK and the EU, but they want no truck with the EU Customs Union and the Single Market that brought Britain prosperity, but too many foreigners into the bargain. They insist that some kind of wizard new technology, and inspections away from the actual frontier, would prevent any requirement for border posts between North and South. Not that they have thought about it all that much. The Moggites are hazy on the detail about how this new technology that is supposed to save us from border posts will work. The Rees-Mogg approach is inevitably seen by critics most notably those who actually have to live in the areas affected as a guarantee of a hard border. The ERGs plan is seen as so wildly impractical that it will never be implemented, but Rees-Mogg and his pals can still put a spanner in the works and prevent a workable solution to the Brexit conundrum by trying to block any kind of compromise in parliament. Like many of his Brexiteer comrades, he conjures up the notion of the Irish border as an insignificant boundary with little traffic, other than a few trailers of cattle, and maybe the odd keg of beer. Rees-Mogg did not feel it was necessary to visit the border to see for himself what it was like, until he was brought along by Sky News in the summer. He has told his fawning audience of Tory fans: I dont care if a few hundredweight of beef is smuggled across the Irish border. It will make no odds to the British economy. We have no obligation to put any border up. Full stop. Challenge the EU to do it. I just dont believe that they will, and I dont believe that the Irish will agree to them doing it. But then over the summer, a video emerged from the Brexit referendum campaign of Rees-Mogg painting a somewhat contradictory picture of the border. It brought to mind images of army watchtowers, barbed wire and rifles pointed rather rudely into car windows. In the short video, Rees-Mogg declared: Ireland would not be a free-for-all. It would be perfectly possible to continue with historic arrangements to make sure there wasnt a great loophole in the way people could get into the UK. He also said: There would be our ability, as we had during the Troubles, to have people inspected. Its not a border that everyone has to go through every day, but, of course, for security reasons during the Troubles, we kept a very close eye on the border to try and stop gun-running and things like that. That type of Brexit would not be all that jolly at all and even the stuffed shirts and blowhards in the diehard DUP have baulked at Rees-Moggs suggestions of army checkpoints and security inspections. None of this would have dented the old Etonians popularity at the Tory conference this week, where the border issue was seen as little more than an awkward pimple on the backside of a gin-soaked sergeant-major. The Irish border is portrayed in these quarters as an irritant, blocking the glorious path to the sunny uplands of Brexit, where Britain restores its imperial might by re-engaging with its former colonies and keeps those pesky immigrants out, once and for all. Rees-Mogg has become the darling of the Conservative grassroots, a man who peppers his conversations with Latin phrases, and likens Brexit to glorious English victories on the battlefield Agincourt, Trafalgar and Crecy. Despite his initial reluctance to visit our troublesome border, Rees-Mogg told the Tories this week: We are the Conservative and Unionist party, no Conservative would do anything to harm the union and that crucially includes Northern Ireland. Its as much a part of my country as Somerset Before Britain ever decided to quit the EU, he declared the plans of Brussels eurocrats to be the work of the devil. And in a characteristic flourish, he used the longest word ever recorded in the British Houses of Parliament when lambasting the EU judiciary: Let me indulge in the floccinaucinihilipilification of EU judges. He later defined the word as the action or habit of estimating as worthless. And he regularly makes lists of notable quotes with gems such as: The right to bear arms is in our own Bill of Rights, where there is the right to bear arms because of the need to maintain a Protestant militia which fortunately has gone out of fashion in more modern times, and: How are we going to revive this economy if we do not encourage the small business man, and the tall business man, too? Rees-Mogg may carefully cultivate the fogeyish image, but he also seems remarkably attuned to the needs of the social media generation as he builds up his reactionary fan base. His first words on Twitter were inevitably in Latin: Tempora mutantur, et nos mutamur in illis (The times change, and we change with them). An Instagram account chronicles his life with his wife, Helena De Chair, a scion of one of the wealthiest families in Britain, and his six children. In one of Rees-Moggs Instagram photos, there is a picture of a mug bearing the legend: Keep Calm and wear your double-breasted pyjamas. Born into the upper classes as the son of William Rees-Mogg, editor of The Times, Jacob seemed destined to attract attention from day one, and the persona seemed to be moulded from an early age. A woman sent to interview him from the upper-crust Tatler magazine when he was just 16 noted that he wore a dark suit, dark tie, white shirt, and black brogues: He speaks sonorously and in paragraphs, nodding away like a Latin master. He was already reading the Financial Times at the age of eight, and used a 50 inheritance from a dear departed uncle to invest in the stock market. By the age of 11, he had already made decent profits from his investments, and turned up at shareholders meetings to give speeches. Rees-Mogg never really got into trouble much at school, but he once recalled how he had been sent out of class twice: the first time for wearing a large Tory rosette on his lapel; and a second time after arguing with a teacher about the infallibility of the Pope. Rees-Mogg is a devout Catholic who is opposed to abortion. When he is not regaling listeners about the evils of Brussels eurocrats and all their works, Rees-Mogg busies himself making money. Before he became an MP, he set up an investment company, Somerset Capital Management, with two others, and last year reportedly earned over 200,000 as a co-partner. The firm raised some eyebrows when it was reported that two of its funds were based in Ireland. The business, which invests millions in emerging markets, issued a stark warning over Brexit earlier this year, suggesting there would be considerable uncertainty as Britain leaves the EU. In a statement, the company said: Our decision to choose Ireland as a domicile had absolutely nothing to do with Brexit. Earlier this year, he rejected press speculation he is planning to challenge Theresa May for the Conservative party leadership. I dont wish to be prime minister, he told the BBC, before going on to say that his only ambition was to make Brexit happen. Some political observers will take this declaration with a pinch of salt, pointing out that from an early age he has seen himself as a man destined for the top. In the age of Brexit and Trump, when the implausible can become reality, it would be foolish to rule him out. Activists protest on the steps and plaza of the US supreme court (AP) Protesters against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh gather in the atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) US president Donald Trump has celebrated the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the highest court in America. At a rally in Kansas, Mr Trump condemned Democrats for what he called a "shameless campaign of political and personal destruction" against his nominee for the US supreme court. To the cheers of supporters at the Kansas Expocentre in Topeka, Mr Trump declared it a "historic night" not long after he signed the paperwork to make Mr Kavanaugh's status official. Read More He said: "I stand before you today on the heels of a tremendous victory for our nation." Mr Trump thanked Republican senators for refusing to back down "in the face of the Democrats' shameless campaign of political and personal destruction". Mr Kavanaugh was sworn in as a justice on Saturday evening in Washington after an extraordinarily fraught nomination that sparked angry protests, knife-edge votes and a national reckoning about sexual assault allegations and who should be believed. Expand Close People march to demand that the Senate reject Brett Kavanaughs nomination (Jennifer Lett/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp People march to demand that the Senate reject Brett Kavanaughs nomination (Jennifer Lett/AP) Mr Kavanaugh staunchly denied the allegations, but nearly all Democrats in the US senate voted against his confirmation. The final vote took place on Saturday afternoon as the president was flying to Kansas aboard Air Force One. He invited travelling reporters to his private office to watch the climactic roll call, which was interrupted several times by protesters in the senate galleries before Capitol police removed them. When the vote was confirmed, Mr Trump delivered a double thumbs-up from his desk while several aides applauded. Expand Close Activists protest on the steps and plaza of the US supreme court (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Activists protest on the steps and plaza of the US supreme court (AP) "Very, very good," Mr Trump said. "Very happy about it. Great decision. I very much appreciate those 50 great votes and I think he's (Mr Kavanaugh) going to go down as a totally brilliant supreme court justice for many years." Mr Trump had insisted Mr Kavanaugh would not be tainted by the sexual assault allegations from Christine Blasey Ford and others that nearly derailed his nomination. Mr Trump said he was "100%" certain Mr Kavanaugh was innocent. "I have no doubt," Mr Trump said, telling reporters that he had chosen Mr Kavanaugh, in part, because "there's nobody with a squeaky-clean past like Brett Kavanaugh". Expand Close Protesters against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh gather in the atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Protesters against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh gather in the atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) He said the FBI had carried out seven background investigations and argued that, had there been an issue, it would have surfaced sooner. Read More "If there was even a scintilla of something wrong - he was a very big judge for many years on what they call the second highest court - that would have come out loud and clear," he said. Throughout the day, Mr Trump also kept his focus on the opposition, saying Mr Kavanaugh had withstood a "horrible, horrible attack" that "nobody should have to go through". He told supporters in Topeka that "radical Democrats" have become "an angry, left-wing mob" and "too dangerous and too extreme to govern". He urged Kansas voters to send Republicans to US congress. "You don't hand matches to an arsonist and you don't give power to an angry left-wing mob. And that's what they've become," he said. Mr Kavanaugh's nomination sparked protests across the Capitol. When the vote was over, hundreds of protesters massed on the steps of the supreme court, chanting: "We believe survivors." Asked by reporters aboard Air Force One what message he had for women across the country who feel the nomination sends a message that their allegations of sexual assault are not believed, Mr Trump disagreed with the premise, saying women "were outraged at what happened to Brett Kavanaugh" and "were in many ways stronger than the men in his favour". He added: "We have a lot of women that are extremely happy - a tremendous number - because they're thinking of their sons, they're thinking of their husbands and their brothers and their uncles and others, and women are, I think, extremely happy." Pointing to television footage of protesters outside the Capitol, he said their numbers paled in comparison to the thousands of supporters awaiting him in Kansas. He tweeted: "The crowd in front of the US Supreme Court is tiny, looks like about 200 people (& most are onlookers) - that wouldn't even fill the first couple of rows of our Kansas Rally, or any of our Rallies for that matter!" Mr Trump also revealed that he believed a widely criticised rally speech in which he mocked Ms Ford's senate testimony had been a turning point for the nomination, changing the momentum in his favour. "I think that the Mississippi speech had great impact," he said, calling it "a very important thing". 'Next year Mr Trudeau faces a tough battle for re-election, with his disapproval rating at 49.1pc, according to CBC's poll tracker.' Photo: Reuters The provincial district of Gatineau in Quebec, just across the river from Ottawa, has for decades been a stronghold of Justin Trudeau's sister party. But last Monday a little-known upstart populist movement made an election gain that has thrown a grenade into the Canadian political system. The Coalition Avenir Quebec (coalition for the future of Quebec, CAQ) swept up the seat as it was elected ruling party of Quebec, jolting the liberal established order that has existed in the Canadian province for nearly half a century, and prompting soul-searching among dejected rivals. The election marked the first time a populist party has come to power in North America, with immigration pushed to the fore in Quebec. "With CAQ, people have a new option," said Alexis Goudreau, 29 a former assistant to a separatist Bloc Quebecois MP, who was part of a group that formed the CAQ seven years ago. His party's leader, Francois Legault, a 61-year-old accountant and former airline executive, will be sworn in as the premier of Quebec in the next few weeks. Both the leaders of the ruling Quebec Liberal Party - a sister party to prime minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party - and the opposition Parti Quebecois (PQ) resigned last week, with the separatist PQ gaining so few votes it is no longer eligible to be officially recognised as a party. Mr Legault was elected on a platform to reduce immigration and distance himself from the liberalism of Mr Trudeau in the capital Ottawa. He has promised to cut immigrants by 10,000 a year, reducing it to 40,000 people. Those who come must pass a "Quebec values test", and speak French within three years - otherwise their residency will be revoked. A new "secularism charter" will ban public employees wearing religious symbols such as hijabs, crucifixes and skull caps. It is a sharp rebuke to the policies of the prime minister, who, despite his accolades abroad, has found the gloss has worn off at home. The discontent spilled out into the open in June, with the election in Ontario - Canada's most populous province - of Doug Ford, a right-wing populist. Next year Mr Trudeau faces a tough battle for re-election, with his disapproval rating at 49.1pc, according to CBC's poll tracker. His rival, Conservative Andrew Scheer, has a disapproval rating of 29.3pc. The Quebec election marks the first time the issue of independence was effectively off the table - none of the parties had pledged to provide a third vote on separating from the rest of Canada. That freed up Quebecois to focus on other issues - such as the "fear" people have regarding an influx of illegal border-crossings, particularly Haitians coming into Quebec from the US. A friend of a Washington Post journalist who went missing in Istanbul has said that Turkish officials told him to make funeral preparations because the reporter was killed at the Saudi consulate. Another official separately told the AP that authorities believe Jamal Khashoggi was murdered at the consulate while another said it was a high probability. Saudi officials have denied the allegations, calling them baseless. Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said God willing, we will not be faced with the situation we do not desire when asked by journalists about Mr Khashoggi. The growing dispute over his fate threatens relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkey and raises new questions about the kingdom and the actions of its assertive Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whom Mr Khashoggi wrote critically about in his columns. Turan Kislakci, a friend of Mr Khashoggi and the head of the Turkish-Arab Media Association, spoke to the AP on Sunday outside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. He said he believes Turkish officials soon will announce the findings of their investigation. Expand Close Turkish police barriers block the road leading to the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul (Emrah Gurel/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Turkish police barriers block the road leading to the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul (Emrah Gurel/AP) What was explained to us is this: He was killed, make your funeral preparations, Mr Kislakci said. We called a few other places, these are lower officials, but they said: We have evidence he was killed in a barbaric way, we will announce it tomorrow or the day after.' Mr Kislakci also alleged, based on conversations with officials he did not name, that Mr Khashoggi was made to faint then was dismembered. A Turkish official told the AP that an initial assessment by police concluded Mr Khashoggi had been killed at the consulate. On Sunday, another official assessed it as high probability that Mr Khashoggi was killed in the consulate and his body was taken away. The Post reported on the polices theory late on Saturday, citing two anonymous sources. If the reports of Jamals murder are true, it is a monstrous and unfathomable act, the Posts editorial page editor Fred Hiatt said. Jamal was or, as we hope, is a committed, courageous journalist. He writes out of a sense of love for his country and deep faith in human dignity and freedom. The state-run Saudi Press Agency carried a statement from the Istanbul consulate that strongly denounced these baseless allegations. It said Saudi Arabia sent a team of investigators to help look into the case. Mr Khashoggi, 59, went missing while on a visit to the consulate in Istanbul for paperwork to marry his Turkish fiancee. Expand Close Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said authorities are investigating (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said authorities are investigating (AP) The consulate insists the writer left its premises, contradicting Turkish officials. He had been living since last year in the US in a self-imposed exile, in part due to the rise of Prince Mohammed, the son of King Salman. As a contributor to the Post, Mr Khashoggi has written extensively about Saudi Arabia, including criticising 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. All those issues have been viewed as being pushed by Prince Mohammed, who similarly has led round-ups of activists, businessmen and others in the kingdom. On Sunday, Mr Erdogan did not directly repeat the investigators fears about Mr Khashoggi being dead when talking to reporters following a meeting of his Justice and Development Party in Ankara. Everything is being inspected, especially entries and exits out of Istanbul, the airport, he said. Right now we are waiting persistently to see what the prosecutor will decide, what it will announce as a result of these pursuits. Mr Erdogan promised to follow up personally on the case of Mr Khashoggi, whom he referred to as a journalist and a friend. Its very, very sad for us that this happened in our country, the Turkish president said. The story of the brave 2016 surgical strike conducted by India to avenge the Uri terror attack by Pakistan that killed 19 Jawans is all set to be adapted on the big screen. Titled Uri, the movie stars Vicky Kaushal who plays the lead commander-in-chief, Paresh Rawal and Yami Gautam in prominent roles. Also Read: This Teaser Of Vicky Kaushal's 'Uri' Is A Tribute To The 19 Martyred Soldiers Of 2016 Attacks Actor Vicky Kaushal, who is gearing up for the release of his forthcoming film Uri has said that it is the most physically demanding film for him until now. Vicky was interacting with the media at Elle Beauty Awards 2018 where he won the Breakthrough Star Award on Saturday here. The teaser of Uri received an overwhelming response from the audience. When about his experience of working in Uri, Vicky said, "It was really nice experience to work in the film. screen grab/youtube In a short span of my of career, 'Uri' has been the most physically demanding film for me and I am very excited because after the teaser, the trailer of the film will also release. I am very excited to know audience reaction to the film." Vicky will be seen playing the role of an Indian commando who is involved in the 2016 surgical strike. Regarding his role, the actor said, "When you play the role of a commando onscreen, you feel that they are the real heroes. In our effort to portraying their character, we get exhausted but they are living their lives like that on a daily basis so hats off to them and it's not easy what they are doing." screen grab/youtube Reacting on the Tanushree Dutta and Nana Patekar controversy, Vicky said, "I think any kind of disrespect or harassment at workplace or anywhere is not a correct thing to do. If someone comes out in the open to share his or her ordeal then the least we can do is to listen to what they are saying and to respect them because it is not easy to express such kind of issue in front of the world. It is also important to listen to both the accuser and the accused. When such kind of serious cases occur, then it has to be investigated in proper manner." Based on the surgical strikes of 2016 carried by the Indian Armed Forces, Uri traces the significant event. screen grab/youtube It stars Vicky Kaushal, Yami Gautam, Kirti Kulhari and Paresh Rawal in lead roles. Produced by RSVP movies and directed by Aditya Dhar, Uri will hit the theatres on January 11, 2019. Can you imagine Sacred Games without curses? Well, that might soon come true. After a petition was filed by Divya Gontia for setting up of a pre-screening committee to regulate shows and movies. The Bombay High Court Friday issued notices to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting over a plea seeking regulation of the content of 'web series' or other programs which are broadcast directly through the internet. A division bench of Justices Bhushan Dharmadhikari and M G Biradkar issued notices to the I&B Ministry, Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Ministry of Law and Justice, Ministry of Home Affairs and also the Nagpur police commissioner, seeking replies by October 31. Divya Ganeshprasad Gontia has filed the public interest litigation (PIL). screen grab/youtube Advocate Shyam Dewani, the petitioner's lawyer, said, "We cited before the court various examples of uncontrolled vulgarity, obscenity in such shows and sought a direction to concerned authorities to take appropriate action against all such web service providers." Broadcasting nudity or vulgar scenes is a cognisable offence under IPC, Cinematograph Act, Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act 1986 and the Information Technology Act, 2000, he said. screen grab/youtube The I & B Ministry should set up a pre-screening committee for web shows, films or other programs which are released directly on online platforms, the petition has demanded. Here's how people on social media are reacting to this: Censorship on web series, now government will decide what we need to watch? We know whats suitable for us. We are spending our money to watch something not the govt. So stop such rubbish and give us freedom to watch!#CensorshipDebate Sahdev (@Sahdev29696303) October 7, 2018 Decentralisation: No permission is needed from a central authority to post anything on the web, there is no central controlling node, and so no single point of failure and no kill switch! This also implies freedom from indiscriminate censorship and surveillance. Lavender (@lav9_) October 7, 2018 I welcoming the censorship on web series. Just certify. And don't cut. #censorshipdebate Also Known As (@arunbajee) October 7, 2018 HC wants regulation over online web series too. Keep your fucking censorship to films & tv. No One (@Thisweirdlyf) October 6, 2018 Hima Das is now a quite known athlete from a small village in Assam. After making India proud on numerous occasions, she now wants her village-Kandhulimari in central Assam to rise from unknown. I want to develop my village. For that whatever needs to be done, I will do. Thats why I had led the campaign. Even now I am part of a newly-formed Brothers Club, in which my cousins and my friends are involved. It works for the betterment of the village, Hima said in an interview at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit on Saturday. afp They are doing their job, I will do mine. They discuss with me before taking any step. I was also involved in the students union. We would roam around and go together whenever there was any problem. There I had named the group Mon jai (I feel like, in Assamese). It is my favourite tagline from a song and I use it in almost all social media posts. After winning at the global event, Hima earned her a name Dhing Express which refers to the town nearest to her village. However, Hima believes she is the same girl from Kandhulimari. I dont think I have made Dhing popular. It is already popular with the people living there because it is their home. I am just satisfied I have been able to make them happy. It has been forty years since the family of Mingleshwar Sequeira started crafting the idols of goddesses during and before Navratri. Mingleshwar is the third generation of artisans and believes art has no religion. My grandfather used to make Gauri idols and idols of goddesses Durga and Lakshmi for years. After him, the art was passed on to my father and later to us. I and my brother Benzoni were born and brought up in the Marathi hamlet of Giriz in Vasai and we are well-versed with the Hindu religion, Mingleshwar told The Indian Express. The workshop where these wooden idols are made is in Vasai. Indian Express Since making idols with fabric and wood takes a lot of finesse and time, the brother takes only limited orders. Recently, the brothers were in news for affixing eyes made of glass to idols. Unlike idols that have eyes painted by artists, the brothers have been importing artificial eye sets from doll makers in Germany. A glass eye gives a three-dimensional feeling as one looks at the goddess. Such eyes are tailor-made for dolls in Germany and we try to get these for our goddesses. It gives a better feeling, Mingleshwar said. The making of an idol costs around Rs 4.5 lakh and they charge an additional Rs 1500 for idols with glass eyes. For a tall statue of the goddess, the minimum cost is around Rs 4.35 lakh. Small idols are sold at Rs 1 lakh. Our idols are sold to customers based in Scotland, Australia, Europe and Florida, he said. Gauri idols are most popular and mandals at Thane and Umbermali buy idols from Sequeiras. representational pic, BCCL We sell at least five Gauri idols every year during Ganeshotsav. We also design temples, statues and doors when the festive season is not on. My son, who is learning fine arts, plans to take this up as a career, he added. Make In India seems to have kicked off pretty well among the youth. A 20-year-old engineering student of a Punjab college has developed an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) which has attracted potential interest from the Indian Air Force team. Ankit Singh, a final-year student of B.Tech (Mechanical) of Chandigarh Group of Colleges in Mohali submitted his proposal with the help of the Defence Investor cell, the Indian Express reported. The design of the proposed UAV remains a closely guarded secret, Singh submitted his design under Make-II category of Make In India project. Reportedly, no government funding is given for prototype development under the Make-II category of the Make in India project. Defence Investor Cell (DIC) helps young engineering student Ankit Singh from Chandigarh Group of Colleges, submit his suo-moto UAV proposal to the Indian Air Force under Make II category. pic.twitter.com/wJtvGaIW1z Defence Production India (@DefProdnIndia) October 2, 2018 Singh, a resident of Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh is being helped by a team of teachers and inter-disciplinary students. Ankit who revealed that he couldnt disclose the intrinsic details was, however, ecstatic that his project got recognition from the Ministry Of Defence. Scanty research in the UAV sector became the driving force for Ankit who had been laying the foundation of the aerial vehicle since the first year of his college. The 20-year-old had been very careful about the minutiae of the UAV as the component design and development was done keeping in mind an India-specific mid-range vehicle which could not only do surveillance but could also be weaponized. Photo: Ankit Singh/The Indian Express Ankit told the Indian Express that the DRDO has given good reviews about the unmanned vehicle and the Army has even suggested some amendments in order to improve the product. I would be thrilled and would not mind at all if the DRDO would like to look at the design and improve it, he further added. Amresh Kumar, an assistant professor at the college mentored the students project. Due to Ankits exhaustive research on the subject, the college authorities believed that the development needed more attention. Photo: Representational/ Dailymail.co.uk Although, Ankit is managing from his own fundings at the moment because he belongs to a private college unlike IIT institutions which get financial assistance, he stated that they have now received certain suggestions from defence officials regarding artificial intelligence component of the UAV and the integration of the vehicle with the internal communication network of the Army or IAF. The team now aims to develop a flying prototype in a three month time period. After a 14-month-old baby was raped in a village near Himmatnagar town of Sabarkantha district on September 28, near Ahmedabad, non-Gujaratis especially migrant workers from states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar are running back to their native place. The exodus came after it was revealed that a labourer hailing from Bihar, Ravindra Sahu who also worked at a local ceramic factory was the accused in this case. The toddler who belonged to the Thakor community enraged the community members and they are attacking non-gujaratis in a bid to avenge the torture faced by the infant. Photo: Javed Raja/ The Indian Express The attacks started after hate messages against non-gujaratis started surfacing on social media platforms. Hundreds of migrants accepted that while they had witnessed even the Hindu-Muslim riots of 2002, they had never experienced such a large magnitude of fear among themselves. Many of these workers who had been living in Gujarat for decades were seen rushing into buses for a 24-30 hour long bus ride as they feared for their lives. One of the labourers before boarding a bus to his hometown in Madhya Pradesh told PTI, "We were attacked by Thakor Sena members last night at Kalol town of Gandhinagar. This is an injustice to us. That is why we are going back to our native places as we feel unsafe here." Director General of Police Shivanand Jha said such attacks have taken place in Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Sabarkantha, Patan and Ahmedabad districts in the last one week and 170 people have been arrested in connection with the incidents. Photo: Twitter/ The Indian Express On a usual day, hardly any buses leave for long-distance routes. However, due to panic and fear of rape backlash, around 20 buses with 80 passengers stuffed into each one of them were ready to leave the state on Saturday, the Indian Express reported. Pintoo Singh of Satyam Tomar Travels, an agency that has been operating private buses on these routes told media, A bus would leave for UP, Bihar, or MP once in two days, with perhaps 25 passengers. But now, I am having to accommodate 80 or 90 people in each bus. And 20 such buses are leaving every day. On the other hand, Congress MLA Alpesh Thakor, who heads the Kshatriya Thakor Sena appealed to his members who are involved in alleged attacks to maintain communal harmony, further adding that non-gujaratis were also their brothers. Photo: Javed Raja/ The Indian Express 18 FIRs had been lodged so far in different districts of Gujarat though Jha has asserted that the police will not tolerate such activities at any cost. We have instructed local police to increase vigil at factories and (housing) societies having a good number of non-Gujaratis. We are also keeping a watch on social media messages. he was quoted as saying by PTI. A 27-year-old Manju Singh who earns a living by doing paint jobs in Gandhinagar narrated her ordeal while talking to IE. Singhs bike was stopped by a group of seven men on Thursday evening who asked him where he was from. His intuition led him to lie to the men, saying that he was from Rajasthan. They kept insisting Singh to tell the name of his district. When he mumbled something and they were convinced he was not from M.P, U.P or Bihar only then he was allowed to leave. Migrants from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh leave for their villages from Ahmedabad after the alleged rape of a 14-month-old girl triggered revenge attacks against "non-Gujaratis". (Source: Express video by Javed Raja)https://t.co/yAW7MgEESa pic.twitter.com/SPsSSCT3Hj The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) October 7, 2018 Meanwhile, just after Manju had left, the group had burnt a vehicle on the very same spot. A 200-strong mob, allegedly led by Thakor Sena members, stormed a factory near Vadnagar town of Mehsana district on October 2 and thrashed two employees. Following the incident, 20 people were arrested on charges of rioting, an official of Mehsana Police had said. Almost 100 people were booked under section 153(a), which deals with punishment for promoting enmity between groups on the basis of religion, race or language for the Borisana incident, the police said. The baby was discharged on Saturday and was reported to be out of danger and in a stable condition. Both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress have been appealing to the members to ensure that peace and harmony prevail in the state and that the incident shouldnt be given any political or caste-based colouring. Rohingya refugees seem to have no respite in any part of the world. In August this year, the United Nations condemned the Myanmar military in an elaborate report for carrying out a genocide or ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims via a Rakhine operation. A month later, the Supreme Court of India on Thursday refused to interfere with the governments decision of deporting seven Rohingya families to Myanmar. A senior Assam official had told BBC that the deported Rohingyas were identified by the Myanmarese government. However, the deportation has drawn the United Nations ire and now thousands of Rohingyas living in India are scared that they will be forced to move out as well. Photo: ANI Mohammad Farooq, a Rohingya refugee told news agency ANI that he has been living in India since 2012. He said that nobody leaves their own country out of greed, insinuating that the seven Rohingya families that have been deported to Myanmar will soon be killed. "Our records are there with the authorities and the UN. Police brought us a form to fill but it was in Burmese language and we refused to fill it. The seven people who have been deported won't be alive for long. They will be killed." Photo: AFP Another refugee, Haroon told the news agency that he had been living here since 2005 and that the government had done little for their welfare apart from providing them with a long-term visa. However, the government has stopped renewing the visa since 2017. He requested the government that there is still no peace in Myanmar and houses are being burnt to ashes. No matter how long we live there, we will not get a citizenship until the government makes such a provision. Around 7,00,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar to escape the violence and torture in the past year, the BBC reported. Two days ago, Bloomberg Businessweek published an investigative piece surrounding an alleged hack operation carried out by Chinese operatives. They claim Apple, Amazon, and US government contractors were the targets. The victims however deny it. Image courtesy: Bloomberg Businessweek According to the report, Chinese spies had years ago infiltrated the production line of Supermicro, which manufactures server motherboards used by Apple, and Amazon Web Services, among others. At some point in production, operatives from the Peoples Liberation Army (Chinas military) supposedly placed tiny microchips on the motherboards, about the size of a grain of rice. These chips were equipped with processing ability, power, and connectivity, according to the piece, meaning they could spy on the activities of the companies targeted without having to crack through their software-based cybersecurity measures. Bloomberg alleges the operation wasnt after user data but trade secrets, and US authorities have been investigating it for years, since Apple found the chips in 2015. However, it turns out now that all the companies involved in the investigation are denying the claims, Apple in fact offering the most vehement defense. The iPhone maker not only sent a lengthy statement to Bloomberg, but also republished it on its own site as a blog post. Reuters The October 8, 2018 issue of Bloomberg Businessweek incorrectly reports that Apple found malicious chips in servers on its network in 2015, it reads. As Apple has repeatedly explained to Bloomberg reporters and editors over the past 12 months, there is no truth to these claims. The company isnt content with the simple denial either, theyve gone out of their way to make it clear how wrong the story is. Apple says its discussed the report numerous times across multiple teams and organisations, but no one at Apple has ever heard of this investigation. They seem to imply Bloomberg Businessweeks story is fabricated, as the publication wont give them any information with which to track down the investigation or its findings. No one from Apple ever reached out to the FBI about anything like this, and we have never heard from the FBI about an investigation of this kind much less tried to restrict it, the post continues to say. Finally, in response to questions we have received from other news organizations since Businessweek published its story, we are not under any kind of gag order or other confidentiality obligations. Representational image As far as denials go, its a pretty strongly worded on. Obviously one of the parties here is lying through its teeth, or at least gravely misinformed. On the other hand, Bloomberg isnt backing down either. The publication has put out a statement saying, Bloomberg Businessweeks investigation is the result of more than a year of reporting, during which we conducted more than 100 interviews. Seventeen individual sources, including government officials and insiders at the companies, confirmed the manipulation of hardware and other elements of the attacks. We also published three companies full statements, as well as a statement from Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We stand by our story and are confident in our reporting and sources. If you're interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here. Submit We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Starbucks Corp. (SBUX) has rapidly grown into the world's dominant coffee shop-themed chain over five decades by roasting, marketing, and selling specialty coffee and an ever-expanding assortment of other beverages, food, and branded products. These products were sold through more than 32,900 stores in 83 markets around the world as of December 27, 2020. Beverages are the biggest revenue generator by product type. The Americas segment accounts for the vast majority of revenue for the Seattle-headquartered company. Starbucks' primary competitors for sales of coffee beverages are other specialty coffee shops. While Starbucks dominates the U.S. market, it faces increasingly tough competition in international markets, including from U.K.-based Costa Coffee, a subsidiary of Coca-Cola Co. (KO); and China-based Luckin Coffee Inc. (LKNCY). Key Takeaways Starbucks sells beverages, food, and other items in 83 global markets. The company gets the vast majority of sales from beverages and from its Americas segment, comprised of the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. Starbucks is focusing on international expansion and new products for future growth. Nearly all of Starbucks' stores have reopened after being closed for reasons related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Starbucks is undergoing a major restructuring, including leadership changes and expected store closures. Starbucks' Financials Starbucks, like many restaurants and retailers, has been severely affected by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year. The coffee chain posted net earnings of $622.2 million for Q1 of its 2021 fiscal year (FY), the three-month period that ended December 27, 2020. Net earnings were down 29.7% compared to the year-ago quarter. Total operating income for the quarter was $913.5 million. Net revenue in Q1 FY 2021 was $6.7 billion, down 4.9% from the same quarter a year ago. Broken down into product type, beverages sold within the company's operated stores were responsible for 63% of total revenue, while food sold in the company's stores comprised 17% of the total. Packaged and single-serve coffees and teas, serveware, royalty and licensing revenues, and other items comprised 20% of total revenue. Starbucks said that its fiscal first quarter reflects continued recovery from the effects of the pandemic. The company also indicated that nearly all of its company-operated and licensed stores have re-opened after being closed for reasons related to the pandemic. However, many stores were operating at less than full capacity during the quarter. Starbucks' Business Segments Starbucks operates through three main business segments and breaks them down into revenue and operating income: Americas, International, and Channel Development. The company also provides data on non-reportable operating segments in a "Corporate and Other" category, which includes unallocated expenses. Corporate and Other posted an operating loss of $355.6 million despite net revenue of $20.5 million in Q1 FY 2021. These figures, as well as any negative amounts, were not used in the calculation of the segment percentage shares below nor in the pie charts above. Americas Starbucks' Americas segment comprises company-owned and licensed stores in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. The segment accounts for about 70% of the company's total segment revenue. It posted net revenue of $4.7 billion in Q1 FY 2021, falling 6.1% compared to the year-ago quarter. The segment reported operating income of $813.5 million, a 26.0% drop from the previous year. The Americas comprise about 64% of total segment operating income. International Starbucks' International segment includes company-owned and licensed store revenue and operating income in China, Japan, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. It comprises nearly 25% of total segment revenue. The segment posted $1.7 billion in net revenue in Q1 FY 2021, a 5.3% increase compared to the year-ago quarter. The International segment posted operating income of $274.8 million, down 0.4% from the same quarter a year ago. It accounts for about 22% of total operating income across all segments. Channel Development Starbucks' Channel Development segment includes branded roasted whole bean and ground coffees, including Seattle's Best Coffee; Starbucks- and Teavana-branded single-serve products; ready-to-drink beverages such as Frappuccino, Doubleshot, Refreshers, and Teavana iced tea; and other branded products sold worldwide outside of company-operated and licensed stores. The Channel Development segment comprises less than 6% of total segment revenue. Net revenue for the segment was $371.4 million, down 24.9% compared to the year-ago quarter. Operating income rose 3.0% to $180.8 million, comprising about 14% of total segment operating income. Starbucks' Recent Developments In its Q1 FY 2021 earnings press release, issued on January 26, 2021, Starbucks noted in a footnote that Chief Operating Officer (COO) Roz Brewer was leaving the company at the end of February to accept a position as chief executive officer (CEO) for another publicly traded company. Her chief operating responsibilities are being distributed to other members of Starbucks' existing leadership team. On January 7, 2021, Starbucks announced that Patrick Grismer would be retiring from his position as executive vice president and chief financial officer (CFO), effective February 1, 2021. Rachel Ruggeri, senior vice president of Finance, Americas, was appointed to succeed Grismer. Starbucks noted in its Q1 FY 2021 filings that it had announced during its previous fiscal year that it was implementing a restructuring plan to optimize its North America store portfolio. As part of that restructuring plan, the coffee chain expects to close approximately 800 stores in the U.S. and Canada. How Starbucks Reports Diversity & Inclusiveness As part of our effort to improve the awareness of the importance of diversity in companies, we offer investors a glimpse into the transparency of Starbucks and its commitment to diversity, inclusiveness, and social responsibility. We examined the data Starbucks releases to show you how it reports the diversity of its board and workforce to help readers make educated purchasing and investing decisions. Below is a table of potential diversity measurements. It shows whether Starbucks discloses its data about the diversity of its board of directors, C-Suite, general management, and employees overall, as is marked with a . It also shows whether Starbucks breaks down those reports to reveal the diversity of itself by race, gender, ability, veteran status, and LGBTQ+ identity. How much you will pay in taxes when you withdraw money from an individual retirement account (IRA) depends on the type of IRA, your age, and even the purpose of the withdrawal. Sometimes the answer is zeroyou owe no taxes. In other cases, you owe income tax on the money you withdraw. You can even owe an additional penalty if you withdraw funds before age 59. On the other hand, after a certain age, you may be required to withdraw some money every year and pay taxes on it. There are multiple IRA options and many places to open these accounts, but the Roth IRA and the traditional IRA are by far the most widely held types. The withdrawal rules for other types of IRAs are similar to the traditional IRA, with some minor unique differences. These include the SEP IRA, Simple IRA, and SARSEP IRA. Each has different rules about who can open one. But before getting into the details, you should know that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) refers to a withdrawal from an IRA as a "distribution." Key Takeaways Only Roth IRAs offer tax-free withdrawals. The income tax was paid when the money was deposited. If you withdraw money before age 59, you will have to pay income tax and even a 10% penalty unless you qualify for an exception or are withdrawing Roth contributions (but not Roth earnings). At age 72, you are required to withdraw money from every type of IRA but a Rothwhether you need it or notand pay income taxes on it. Tax-Free Withdrawals: Roth IRAs Only When you invest in a Roth IRA, you deposit your money after it has already been taxed. When you withdraw the money, presumably after retiring, you pay no tax on the money you withdraw or on any of the gains your investments earned. That's a significant benefit. To take advantage of this tax-free withdrawal, the money must have been deposited in the IRA and held for at least five years and you must be at least 59 years old. If you need the money before that time, you can take out your contributions with no tax penalty. It's your money and you already paid the tax on it. However, you can't touch any of the investment gains. Keep a careful log of any money withdrawn prior to age 59 and tell the trustee to tap into only your contributions if you're withdrawing funds early. If you do not do this, you could be charged the same early withdrawal penalties charged for taking money out of a traditional IRA. If you accidentally withdraw investment earnings rather than just your contributions from a Roth IRA before you are 59, you can also owe a 10% penalty. It is crucial to keep careful records. "For a retired investor who has a 401(k), a little-known technique can allow for a no-strings-attached withdrawal of a Roth IRA at age 55 without the 10% penalty," says James B. Twining, founder and CEO of Financial Plan Inc. in Bellingham, Wash. "The Roth IRA is 'reverse rolled' into the 401(k) and then withdrawn under the age 55 exception." Knowing you can withdraw money penalty-free might give you the confidence to invest more in a Roth than you'd otherwise feel comfortable doing. If you really want to have enough for retirement, it is, of course, better to avoid withdrawing money early so that it can continue to grow in your account tax-free. Taxes on Traditional IRA Withdrawals Money deposited in a traditional IRA is taxed differently from money in a Roth. You contribute pretax income. Each dollar you deposit reduces your taxable income by that amount in that year. When you withdraw the money, both the initial investment and the gains it earned are taxed at your income tax rate in the year you withdraw it. However, if you withdraw money before you reach age 59, you will be assessed a 10% penalty in addition to the regular income tax based on your tax bracket. There are some exceptions to this penalty (see below). Avoiding the Early Withdrawal Penalty There are some hardship exceptions to penalty charges for withdrawing money from a traditional IRA or the investment-earnings portion of a Roth IRA before you reach age 59. Common exceptions for you or your heirs include: Qualified education expenses Qualified first-time home purchase Disability of the IRA owner Death of the IRA owner An Internal Revenue Service levy on the plan Unreimbursed medical expenses A call to duty of a military reservist IRS exceptions are a little different for IRAs and 401(k) plans; they even vary a little for different types of IRAs. You also escape the tax penalty if you make an IRA deposit and change your mind by the extended due date of that year's tax return. You can withdraw the money without owing the penalty. Of course, that cash will then be added to the year's taxable income. The other time you risk a tax penalty for early withdrawal is when you roll over the money from one IRA into another qualified IRA. The safest way to accomplish this is to work with your IRA trustee to arrange a trustee-to-trustee transfer, also called a direct transfer. If you make a mistake trying to roll over the money without the help of a trustee, you could end up owing taxes. "Most plans allow you to put the name, address, and account number of the receiving institution on their rollover forms. That way, you never have to touch the money or run the risk of paying taxes on an accidental early distribution," says Kristi Sullivan, certified financial planner of Sullivan Financial Planning LLC in Denver, Colo. "In terms of IRA rollovers, you can only do one per year where you physically remove money from an IRA, receive the proceeds, and then within 60 days place the money into another IRA. If you do a second, it is fully taxable," says Morris Armstrong, a registered investment advisor with Armstrong Financial Strategies in Cheshire, Conn. You should not mix Roth IRA funds with the other types of IRAs. If you do, the Roth IRA funds will become taxable. Some states also levy early withdrawal penalties. When You Owe Income Tax on a Withdrawal Once you reach age 59, you can withdraw money without a 10% penalty from any type of IRA. If it is a Roth IRA and you've had a Roth for five years or more, you won't owe any income tax on the withdrawal. If it's not, you will. Money deposited in a traditional IRA is treated differently from money in a Roth. If it's a traditional IRA, SEP IRA, Simple IRA, or SARSEP IRA, you will owe taxes at your current tax rate on the amount you withdraw. For example, if you are in the 22% tax bracket, your withdrawal will be taxed at 22%. You won't owe any income tax as long as you leave your money in a traditional IRA until you reach another key age milestone. Once you reach age 72, you will be required to take a distribution from a traditional IRA. (The age was set at 70 until the passage of the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act in December 2019). The IRS has specific rules about how much you must withdraw each year, the required minimum distribution (RMD). If you fail to withdraw the required amount, you could be charged a hefty 50% tax on the amount not distributed as required. There are no RMD requirements for your Roth IRA, but if money remains after your death, your beneficiaries may have to pay taxes. There are several different ways your beneficiaries can withdraw the funds, and they should seek advice from a financial advisor or the Roth trustee. The Bottom Line The money you deposit in an IRA should be money you plan to set aside for retirement, but sometimes unexpected circumstances get in the way. If you are considering withdrawing money prior to retirement, learn the rules regarding a penalty and try to avoid that extra 10% payment to the IRS. If you think you may need emergency funds before retirement, consider putting at least some of your money in a Roth IRA so that it will be accessible without penalty if needed. Investopedia and our third-party partners use cookies and process personal data like unique identifiers based on your consent to store and/or access information on a device, display personalized ads and for content measurement, audience insight, and product development. To change or withdraw your consent choices for Investopedia.com, including your right to object where legitimate interest is used, click below. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. List of Partners (vendors) As a small business owner, you are completely responsible for your own retirement planning. If you have employees, you may feel responsible for helping them plan for a successful retirement. The considerations and retirement savings plans that work you, as a small business owner, should be paramount when planning for both your own retirement and that of your employees. Choose a Traditional Retirement Strategy There are some traditional options other than using your small business to fund your retirement, such as IRAs and 401(k)s, that function as additional sources of retirement income other than liquidating your small business. Establish a SIMPLE IRA: The savings incentive match plan for employees, or SIMPLE IRA, is one retirement plan available to small businesses. In 2020, employees can defer up to $13,500 of their salary, pretax, and those who are 50 or older can defer up to $16,500 by taking advantage of a $3,000 catch-up contribution. However, employees who participate in other employer-sponsored plans can contribute no more than $19,500 in all employer-sponsored plans combined. Employers can match employee contributions to a SIMPLE IRA up to 3% of the employees compensation. Conversely, employers can contribute 2% of each eligible employees compensation of up to $285,000 in 2020. Employer contributions are tax-deductible. 1:16 Small Business Owners on Retirement: Remington, IN Set up a SEP IRA: A simplified employee pension (SEP) is another type of individual retirement account (IRA) to which small business owners and their employees can contribute. In 2020, it lets employees make pretax contributions of up to 25% of income or $57,000, whichever is less. Like a SIMPLE plan, a SEP lets small business owners make tax-deductible contributions on behalf of eligible employees, and employees wont pay taxes on the amounts an employer contributes on their behalf until they take distributions from the plan when they retire. Almost any small business can establish a SEP. It doesn't matter how few employees you have or whether your business is structured as a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation or nonprofit. Each year, you can decide how much to contribute on behalf of your employees, so you arent locked into making a contribution if your business has a bad year. Owners of the business are also considered employees and can make employee contributions to their own accounts. Overall, the SEP plan is a better option for many small businesses because it allows for larger contributions and greater flexibility. (See More: Business Owners: How To Set Up An SEP IRA) IRAs and Solo 401(k)s: If youre in a competitive field and want to attract the best talent, you might need to offer a retirement plan, such as the two described above. However, employers are not required to offer retirement benefits to their employees. If you don't, one way you can save for your own retirement without involving your employees is through a Roth or traditional IRA, which anyone with employment income can contribute to. You can also contribute to an IRA on your spouses behalf. Roth IRAs let you contribute after-tax dollars and take tax-free distributions in retirement; traditional IRAs let you contribute pretax dollars, but youll pay tax on the distributions. The most you can contribute to an IRA in 2020 is $6,000 ($7,000 if youre 50 or older). Finally, if your small business has no eligible employees other than your spouse, you can contribute to a Solo 401(k) read 401(k) Plans For The Small Business Owner. Develop an Exit Strategy for Your Business It might seem strange that developing a business exit strategy should be one of your first considerations when planning for retirement. But consider this: the small business you spend your life building might become your largest asset. If you want it to fund your retirement and to stop working youll need to liquidate your investment. To prepare to sell your small business one day, it needs to be able to operate without you. Its never too early to start thinking about how to accomplish that goal and about how to find the best buyer for your small business. Market conditions will affect your ability to sell your business. You might want to build flexibility into your retirement plan so you can sell your stake during a strong market or work longer if a recession hits. You definitely want to avoid a distress sale: One problem youll encounter if you wait until the last minute to exit your business is that your impending retirement will create the impression of a distress sale among potential buyers and you wont be able to sell your company at a premium. The Bottom Line More than a third of small business owners surveyed in 2014 said they didnt want to retire, a quarter said they dont plan to retire, more than a third said they plan to divide their retirement time between work and leisure, and more than half said they would find it hard to completely retire. Even if youre among the many small business owners who plan to keep working, establishing a retirement plan for your small business is a good idea because it gives you options and having options means youll feel more satisfied with whatever path you choose. What Is the Halloween Strategy? The Halloween strategy, Halloween effect, or Halloween indicator, is a market-timing strategy based on the hypothesis that stocks perform better between Oct. 31 (Halloween) and May 1 than they do between the beginning of May through the end of October. The strategy posits that it is prudent to buy stocks in November, hold them through the winter months, then sell in April, while investing in other asset classes from May through October. Some who subscribe to this tactic say not to invest at all during the summer months. The idea that investors can time the market in this way is contrary to the buy-and-hold strategy, in which an investor may ride out down months, and invest for the longer term. The superior results seem to contradict the premise of the Efficient Markets Hypothesis and that stocks behave in a completely random manner. Key Takeaways The Halloween strategy suggests that investors should be fully invested in stocks from November through April, and out of stocks from May through October. Variations of this strategy and its accompanying axioms have been around for over a century. There is evidence that this strategy does perform well over several years, but no one has offered a satisfactory explanation for why it works. The Halloween indicator is fascinating for the reason that it is an empirical anomaly as well as a mystery. Understanding the Halloween Strategy The Halloween strategy is closely related to the oft-repeated advice to sell in May and go away. It is worth noting that some variation of this strategy has actually been around for quite a long time. The axiom so often coined in financial media was also repeated over the last two centuries, and its longer version was some variation of these words: Sell in May, go away, come again St. Leger's day. Many believe that the notion of abandoning stocks in May of each year has its origins in the United Kingdom, where the privileged class would leave London and head to their country estates for the summer, largely ignoring their investment portfolios, only to return in September. Those who subscribe to this notion would likely expect that it is common for salesmen, traders, brokers, equity analysts, and others in the investment community to leave their metropolitan financial centers in summer in favor of oases like the Hamptons in New York, Nantucket in Massachusetts, and their equivalents elsewhere. However, Sven Bouman and Ben Jacobsen published a paper in the American Economic Review that specifically studied the performance of stocks during the period from November to April and dubbed this the Halloween Indicator. In their observation, an investor who would use the Halloween strategy to be fully invested for one six-month period and be out of the market for the other six months of the year would theoretically reap the best part of an annual return, but with just half the exposure of someone who invests in stocks year-round. Performance of the Strategy The Halloween strategy does have evidence worthy of consideration. Historical stock returns suggest that the premise of the Halloween strategy has been mostly true throughout the last half-centurythat the months between November and April actually have provided investors with stronger capital gains than have the other months of the year. Results also show that a strategy of selling in May is successful in beating the market more than 80% of the time when employed over a five-year horizon, and more than 90% successful in beating the market when used with a 10-year time frame. The graph below displays the Halloween effect for U.S. stocks for the comparable periods 19702017 and 19912017. It indicates that the return on the Standard & Poors 500 Index is much higher from November through April than it is between May and October. What Causes the Halloween Effect? No one has been able to conclusively identify a reason for this seasonal anomaly. While many market watchers believe that investment professionals summer vacations do have an impact on market liquidityor that investors aversion to risk during the summer months is at least partly responsible for the difference in seasonal returnsthese notions assume that increased participation means increased gains. But market crashes and similar investing disasters are attended by the highest levels in volume and participation, so the assumption of increased participation may have some correlation with gains, but it is not likely to cause the gains. Electronic trading allows investors all over the world to participateas easily from the beach as from the boardroomso proximity to trading resources is not likely to be an explanation either. There is no dearth of theories to support whatever one wants to believe about the Halloween strategy. For as many different opinions as there are about the Halloween effect, there is an equal number of theories to support those opinions. The Halloween strategy is fascinating for the very reason that it is both an empirical anomaly and a mystery. Jenny Higgins teaches circus skills to women and girls in Gaza, writes Ellie OByrne On July 14 last, Israeli forces unleashed their heaviest aerial bombardment on Gaza in four years, hitting more than 40 locations in one day as Hamas fired rockets into Israeli border towns. A boy stands by the rubble of the Al Mishal Culture Centre, destroyed by Israeli bombs. Irish circus performer and NGO worker Jenny Higgins found herself trapped in an apartment with several of her trainees as missiles destroyed a tower block just 200 metres from the UN building where they were sheltering. We were surprised the windows didnt blow out in the apartment we were in, Higgins recalls. It was very scary, but I do training for my NGO work and I had been in air strikes before, so I just went into organisation mode. She was visiting the project she founded, Gaza Women and Girls Yoga and Circus Hub, at the time. The hub uses social circus arts in a safe, women-only space, to reduce stress, heal trauma and allow women to develop physical skills and fitness. Just weeks later, Al Mishal Culture Centre, one of Gazas largest training and performance spaces, was reduced to rubble by Israeli bombs. Higgins had staged a circus performance at the centre in 2017. She says its loss has left a devastating hole in Palestinian cultural life, not only in the loss of space to rehearse, perform and hold events, but the loss of equipment too, with theatre and dance companies losing costumes, computers and filming equipment. Originally from Dublin, Higgins became involved in circus at Cork Circus Factory while she was studying in UCC for her MA in Human Rights. Aileen Ferris and Macha Shewolf of Cork Circus Factory, hosts of a fundraiser for some of the people affected by the centres destruction. Developing her own circus skills as an aerialist was empowering and transformative, she says: Ive gotten very fit and its given me an understanding of my own body and what its able to do, but its also given me my circle of friends and my community. On an earlier visit to Gaza with a circus project, Higgins noticed there werent the same opportunities for girls and women as for men. There are traditional, restrictive views of womens lives as centred around the home, theres living with the threat of air strikes, but theres also a high rate of gender-based violence in a pressure-cooker environment where unemployment and poverty is rife. The boys can do acrobatics on the beach or do parkour. Higgins says. There are guys doing street workout, there are guys rollerblading and skateboarding, but its always in public space. To be resilient and live in a context like Gaza, you need a way to let go and forget. Social circus is about having fun and laughing, and thats a really proven method to help people with trauma. Following a successful pilot project from January to July, Higgins now has 20 yoga teachers and 15 circus teachers trained to teach girls and women. With space a precious commodity in Gaza, theyre planning to build onto the roof of a building that houses AISHA, (the Association for Woman and Child Protection) to provide a safe space for their circus trainees. Having faced difficulties in finding space for her own project, Higgins says she feels for the arts, theatre and dance groups whose practice is in disarray following the Al Mishal bombing. Palestinians are particularly resilient, and the message has been that something will be rebuilt, she says. That might really difficult: maybe finding another space to become an arts hub might be more feasible. Aileen Ferris is, like Higgins, a Dublin aerialist. Shes been teaching circus in Cork Circus Factory since she moved to Cork six months ago. She hasnt been to Gaza, but she visited the West Bank in the Occupied Territories last Easter, arriving on the first day of the notorious round of violence that coincided with Ivanka Trumps opening of the new US embassy in Jerusalem. Shes hosting a Circus Cabaret night in Cork Circus Factory to raise funds for the groups affected by Al Mishals bombing. Clowns, jugglers, spoken word poets, and aerialists will contribute to the evening. The proceeds will help to purchase replacements for the equipment lost in Al Mishals bombing. Arts, circus and theatre might seem like non-essential humanitarian relief against a backdrop where basics for survival are in short supply, but Ferris says the loss of the Al Mishal centre has struck a chord amongst the Irish circus community. The arts in general is very important, because people are living a very, very dark existence in Gaza, Ferris says. Theres very little hope and life is so hard: theatre and circus bring a little bit of light into that. Cork Circus for Gaza Cabaret Fundraiser Evening is on Saturday the 20th of October at 7pm at the Circus Factory, Centre Park Road, Cork Cork actress Sarah Greene put a lot into her role in the Roddy Doyle-penned film about a family caught up in the housing crisis, writes Esther McCarthy In a career peppered with fine performances, Rosie may prove to be Cork actress Sarah Greenes most powerful yet. The first film scripted by Roddy Doyle in almost two decades is a timely and rousing drama about a young family caught up in Irelands housing crisis. But like the great social realism films of the Dardenne Brothers or Ken Loach, there is love and compassion within the hardship. Directed by Paddy Breathnach (Viva, I Went Down) over a couple of days in contemporary Dublin, Rosie centres around a decent young working-class familys attempts to find a room for the night, having recently had to leave the house theyd been renting. Greene is terrific as the title character, a mother trying to shield her kids from their new reality as much as she can as she and her husband (Moe Dunford) struggle to find accommodation. Some of the films scenes show Rosie on the phone, having the same conversation over and over, as she works through a list of hotels. It is very repetitive for these families, you know, its the same day. Its the same situation every day ringing around, trying to find temporary accommodation, telling your story to a different person every day and trying to grasp on to any hope whatsoever, she says. Its just awful what people are going through today. I think Roddy did a great thing by writing this story. TIMELY ISSUE The film really couldnt be more timely says Greene, adding that the day she first saw the finished movie, a mother shared a photo of her kids sleeping in a garda station in a post that went viral. During filming, she said, it was little things that struck home like being unable to wash your clothes or the fear of becoming a burden to loved ones. There was a story Paddy told us about a woman he spoke to who had three young kids and theyre in a fast food restaurant and shed nowhere to go, says Greene. One of the kids wanted to go to the bathroom and it was a problem. What do I do? Do I leave my small children, do I take one? Do I bring them all to the bathroom and run the risk of somebody throwing out the food that weve spent 12 quid on? I dont have another 12 quid to buy another dinner. Breathnachs film brings audiences right into the car and the hotel rooms where the family lives, giving a real sense of the lack of space. That was a deliberate choice and a genius choice by Paddy, says Greene. He never wanted the audience be on the outside looking in at this family. He wanted the camera to be in the car watching from within so so it gives that really claustrophobic feel to it. You just feel so scared for this family. Rosie caps a busy and successful period for the increasingly in-demand Cork actress, who has starred in three major Irish productions this year (including Dublin Oldschool and Black 47). A number of people supported and inspired the young Glanmire girl to pursue an acting career, which she dreamed of ever since she was little. I saw a pantomime with my parents years ago in the Opera House and I just wanted to be on the stage. My parents put me into CADA (the well-known performing arts school) and I went to Catherine Mahon-Buckley. We started off in her front room in her house way before she had the studios and then we were in Thompson House on MacCurtain Street and then into the bigger studios on the quays. Catherine Mahon-Buckley is how I started and I stayed with her until I was 19. Thats where I found my love for theatre. We did musicals and pantos, it was an amazing place to go to as a kid. Then entering into the business I got to work with the late Anita Reeves and Hilda Fay on a show called Little Gem by Elaine Murphy and that was a huge learning curve for me. Anita was a hero for me. She taught me lots about life and about acting. NOBLE CAUSE Sarah Greene has starred in three Irish features this year, including Rosie. Picture: Ben Gabbe/Getty Images Its been an incredibly busy time for the actress, who first won public attention for her role in Noble, before getting a Tony Award nomination for her performance in Martin McDonaghs The Cripple Of Inishmaan on Broadway. She recently returned to Cork for a long break with parents Steve and Claire, catching up with family and friends. Id worked for two years straight. So I was pretty exhausted by the time Rosie came around, which was perfect for the job I think. Rosies tired and I was tired, she says. I took a break after that because I was just a bit burnt out and emotionally the film just took a lot out of me. So I spent some time down in Cork and in Kerry with them. We go to a place in Glenbeigh, called Rossbeigh Beach. I spent a week down there it was during the heat wave so it was really nice. They come and visit in London quite a bit, which is lovely. They love coming to opening nights, its their favourite thing! Looking around to see who else is there! she laughs. Its her fourth time working with fellow actor and good friend Moe Dunford, who recalls her encouragement when she had completed acting at the Gaiety School, a course he had just begun. I was in first year and she had gone maybe two, three years, says Dunford. I still remember the conversation. I always felt she was rooting for me and rooting for acting friends of ours and I felt that in Vikings. I remember one day I was scared shitless because Id just done my first day on a horse. I came back to the dressing room. And Sarah says: Well done, we have a good chance of coming back next season. Its just been an honour to share any amount of screen time with her. I think shes just incredible. Its been a very successful run for the Corkwoman, but Greene is not the type to take it for granted. Ive been very lucky in the last couple of years. But before I had this long run of work, I was out of work for five months and I actually had to kind of make a choice not to get down, to get out of the house to meet my friends. I think this job can sometimes become part of your identity and when you dont have any work, like in any job, when thats taken away from you, you lose confidence and you feel like youve nothing to give and thats kind of how I felt. So its just about changing my attitude towards the job and it is after all just a job, and its about having a healthy relationship with it. Rosie opens in cinemas on Friday It has taken just three days for the Bloomberg claims about China spying on US firms through the implant of chips on server mainboards sold by the US firm, Supermicro, to lose most of their sheen. In its story, Bloomberg claimed security testing by Amazon in 2015 had revealed the existence of tiny chips that were not part of the original mainboard design and that this led to an extensive investigation by US Government agencies which found servers built using these boards in data centres belonging to the Department of Defence, on warships, and for processing data being handled by CIA drones. The agency said that major banks were also using servers made by Supermicro and that the government investigation led to several companies getting rid of the Supermicro equipment. Detailed denials by Amazon and Apple, two of the companies said to have been victims, were partly responsible, as were statements from the UK National Cyber Security Centre and the US Department of Homeland Security. A former Apple executive has also added to the doubts around the story. Some people who tried to benefit from the claims, which were made by reporters Jordan Robertson and Michael Riley, ended up with egg on their faces. Few, if any, "experts" considered the political implications of the Bloomberg claims and their timing. Of course, China was being put in the spotlight and many Western "experts" tend to have a somewhat blinkered view when it comes to this country. More on this later. British security consultant Kevin Beaumont, who was among the early sceptics, pointed out in a tweet that Robertson and Riley had put out a story some years ago, claiming that the US Government had prior knowledge of the Heartbleed bug, a serious vulnerability in OpenSSL, before it was announced. Worth noting same Bloomberg reporters put out a story a few years citing multiple sources that the US knew about Heartbleed. That story was flat out wrong. Bloomberg didnt follow it up or comment. https://t.co/smdoHUs8kR Kevin Beaumont (@GossiTheDog) October 5, 2018 He said, when the story was denied, Bloomberg did not issue any follow-up. Other security researchers pointed out that Bloomberg had claimed three years ago that a pipeline explosion in Turkey was an early case of "cyber war", a somewhat dubious claim. Cris "SpaceRogue" Thomas, a former member of the L0pht Heavy Industries hacking collective and now a researcher with Tenable Network Security, wrote, that while the explosion could be what the reporters in question claimed it to be, "without additional facts from someone other than an unnamed source familiar with the incident who asked not to be identified I will have my doubts. Until those facts are presented Ill go back to reading my Microsoft Patch Tuesday reports". [Thomas runs a project known as Cybersquirrel1, which he initiated in 2013, to debunk claims of cyber war coming from various sources.] One of those who tried to capitalise on the claims made by Robertson and Riley and ended up having to retract his own claims, was Patrick Gray, an Australian who produces a weekly marketing podcast on security. Gray appears to have been so excited by the Bloomberg claims that he put out a special issue of his podcast, which included the claim that one of his "sources" had found just such chips on a SuperMicro mainboard and had even showed him pictures that were said to be from a teardown of such a board. "These photos showed an unlabelled integrated circuit the source said was likely a hardware back door. Further, the source said there were other problems with the SuperMicro gear, including vulnerable firmware and security functions that just didnt work properly," Gray claimed. But this so-called source, whom Gray said he had known for about 15 years, then changed his/her tune and said the photos were from different equipment. While retracting his claims, Gray did not mention if there were other such sensational bits of information he had been fed by the same source over the years and used in his podcasts. US plans to retaliate by implanting tiny chips in all hardware sent to China according to 17 unnamed sources. pic.twitter.com/ovqChUm6EI Brian Bartholomew (@Mao_Ware) October 6, 2018 Gray is not the first self-styled security expert to trip over something like this, in the rush to be first to propagate misinformation without proper checks. Last year, Brian Krebs, a former employee of the Washington Post, quietly took down a story in which he used material from a Washington-based security firm known as InGuardians, claiming that a man of Russian origin was behind the leak of NSA exploits to a group known as the Shadow Brokers. Krebs did not offer any explanation for removing the story. When iTWire quizzed him as to the reasons for his taking down the article, he did not provide a reply, indulging instead in personal slurs. Krebs' agenda in writing up the InGuardians "research" was questioned by well-known security blogger Marcy Wheeler. And, finally, to the politics around the Bloomberg claims. Last year, when the US Government was hyping up the alleged Russian involvement in the 2016 presidential elections, three big newspapers The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post tied the Russian security firm, Kaspersky Lab, to the Brokers. The claims were taken at face value even though there were numerous questions around them and provided sufficient impetus for the US to push Kaspersky out of doing business with the public sector. The Bloomberg claims come in the midst of a bid by the Trump administration to launch a trade war with China. Claims of sabotage in the supply chain would help to drive that narrative and provide a basis for government to act. I have yet to see any Western commentator raise this angle of the story. So how did the Chinese contractor who supplied the alleged doctored mainboards ensure that they ended up at any particular company? Are we to believe that thousands of these servers were contacting a command-and-control server and all this activity went unnoticed by the NSA for so many years? There are numerous other holes in the Bloomberg story. But let me leave it there and urge those who try to capitalise on such stories to adopt at least 10% of Beaumont's scepticism. The man would have made a fine journalist. Today Sunny skies. High around 90F. Winds light and variable. Tonight Mainly clear early, then a few clouds later on. Low 56F. Winds light and variable. Tomorrow Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 86F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option. The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now. Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market. In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender. India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex. Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted. But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted? Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner. If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems. I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now. I want more variation in masturbation I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own. If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end. What is sex toys for Indian? Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation. It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms. They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable. Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner. The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner. It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past. In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping. Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order. In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing. Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome. Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own. But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance. More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around. Sextoy situation in India Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years. In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India. Mumbai Kolkata Bangalore Delhi Chennai Hyderabad These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India. In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well. If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too. If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it. What are Sextoys for beginner? Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms. Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy. I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion. I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy. If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma. Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it. Advantages of using sextoy for Indians There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways. Can have stimulating sex Can develop new sexual zones If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern. However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways. You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation. Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever. There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure. This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it. When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems. It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms). For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles [Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou... Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India. Sextoy for beginner men in India So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners. For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men! The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men Masturbator Cock rings Love Doll Sex Lubricants Toys for the prostate Lets check each one in detail. Masturbator The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products. It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands. Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands. They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.) Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much. Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! ! Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa SEXToys India PR (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018 Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood. If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ... [For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien... Cock Ring A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis. It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow. It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber. In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection. Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction. It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it. Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time. Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function. Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy. You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect. [Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat... Love Doll Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex. There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women. Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price. The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true. You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste. There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice. You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls. If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to... Sex lubricants Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules. It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution. Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse. There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent. Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent. If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here. What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many... Toys for the Prostate Another sextoy for men is prostate toys. The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line. Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men. Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men. What is the prostate? The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm. You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus. By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms. Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.) The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation. Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure. sextoy for beinner women in India The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy. The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy. Vibrator. Dildo Electric Masserger Lets check out what each one is in detail. If you want to check out womens toys, click here. [BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm... Vibrators A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator. Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy. It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy. Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women. For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators. Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex. Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself. This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual. Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men. When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons. Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most... Dildo A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis. It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass. A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it. They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well. It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device. A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo. Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands. For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis. This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one. To learn more about dildo, please click here. What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th... Electric Masserger A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores. It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low. Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels. Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation. It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure. For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm. It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out. If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager? To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here. What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th... How to choose a sextoy for Indian Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one. Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points: Does the size fit you (the partner)? Does the size fit you (your partner)? Is the environment able to produce sound without problems? Price range First of all, the choice of size is quite important. Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women. For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage. Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems. Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise. If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level. Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it. Finally, there is the price range. The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest. Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy. Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy? I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance. For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics. If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out. How to buy sextoys in India The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping. For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below. Sextoy is one of them. Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping. SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India. They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry. Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card. To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy. ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal. Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on. Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture. Cautions for Indians using sextoy When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind Keep sex toys clean Watch out for electrical leakage Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone. Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there. It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case. In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness. Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful. If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it. You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly. Summary What did you think? In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India. The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future. As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values. However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health. If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try? Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women. I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it. Inside a stifling bamboo shanty, eight-year-old Saleema Khanam throws a bright yellow shawl over her head and steps out into the enormous Bangladesh refugee camp tightly clutching her treasured Koran. She is the only girl in her local madrassa or Islamic seminary catering to Rohingya children driven from Buddhist-majority Myanmar by a wave of genocidal violence. Since formal schooling which suggests a permanent presence is not allowed in the camps, for many children the madrassas are the only places to learn. It is just a short distance from Saleemas familys shack to the school, one of thousands to spring up in the worlds largest refugee camp since a massive influx of Rohingya Muslims last year. She steps carefully through the crowded alleyways in Kutupalong with her blue-bound Koran held tight to her chest, removes her shoes and enters the dimly-lit classroom. Inside, more than a dozen young boys with white prayer caps rock back and forth, reciting passages from the Islamic holy book. She takes her position in the front, flanked by two brothers, and opens the book. I come here to learn the Koran. My mother wants me and my brothers to learn, to become a better person, the young student told AFP. The Rohingya are a deeply conservative Muslim minority from western Myanmar, where decades of state-sanctioned oppression and violent persecution has forced them out in droves. An army purge that began in August 2017 has forced more than 700,000 Rohingya over the border into Bangladesh most of them children. New generation Islamic schools and houses of worship were torched in the crackdown by Myanmar troops and Buddhist gangs that UN fact-finders said amounted to crimes against humanity and genocide against the Rohingya. By targeting our madrassas and mosques, they tried erase our culture and religion from Rakhine, said Rohingya activist Rafique bin Habib, referring to Myanmars westernmost state where the minority dwelled. But many of our top madrassa teachers survived and fled to Bangladesh, where they have set up schools in the camps so that our new generation can be deeply rooted in our culture and religion. Bangladesh, which hosts one million of the displaced Muslims in camps near the border, is determined the Rohingya will be returned to Myanmar. Some of the madrassas are attached to prominent mosques and large enough for 400 students. Others, like Saleemas, cannot fit many more than a dozen children. Classes are taught not just in the Rohingya language but also in Bengali, Arabic, Urdu and English. These madrassas play an essential role in the survival of the Rohingya language, said bin Habib. As the call to prayer sounds across the camps, the boys in Saleemas class file out to the local mosque to perform their ablutions before the Friday sermon. Saleema, the lone girl, stays behind. She finds a quiet spot at the back of the classroom, faces Mecca and, holding her palms to the sky, places her forehead to the ground in solemn prayer, alone. By Trend On October 7, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev made a phone call to President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. President Aliyev congratulated President Putin on his birthday, and wished him the best of health and new success in his presidential activities for the prosperity of the people of Russia. President Putin thanked President Aliyev for his attention and congratulations. The presidents stressed the successful development of the friendly relations between Azerbaijan and Russia based on strategic partnership, and expressed their confidence that cooperation will continue to expand and strengthen. 164 Shares Share As a patient who has had extensive dealings with five prestigious Manhattan medical institutions, I have taken the liberty of writing this letter from the perspective of one who has spent many long and arduous years in the underbelly of our deeply troubled health care system, and one who has seen firsthand how the doctor-patient relationship has steadily eroded over time. This relationship, so foundational to the practice of medicine, is in crisis. While doing your undergraduate degree, it is important not to spend all your time shadowing, taking science classes, and preparing for the MCAT. Study literature, history, and the arts. In the absence of a humanities education, people are transformed into automatons and desensitized to the suffering of others. With the dramatic rise of specialization, the importance of the humanities only increases. The first question every doctor should ask when walking into an examination room is How are you? not How is your gallbladder, retina, or liver? but How are you? In this way, you are acknowledging that the patient is a unique individual and not merely a malfunctioning organism. Ive been fortunate to work with some of the top specialists in New York City. The problem is that while an otolaryngologist was an expert in a tumor I had in my neck, a surgeon was an expert on the state of my liver, and my gastroenterologists have varying ideas regarding what may or may not be going on in my stomach, most of these physicians know nothing about me as a person. How will a good rapport be established, if a physician only talks with a patient about a highly specialized thing, scarcely even acknowledges their other medical problems and is in and out of the room in minutes? A line from the Hippocratic Oath reads: I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy and understanding may outweigh the surgeons knife or the chemists drug. If a patient complains about the compassionless care they received from another department or institution, listen. Listen to what your patients say about that which may appear on the surface to be of a non-medical nature. They are connected. Another passage from the Hippocratic Oath reads: I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. Some patients may not want you to observe their doctors visits. Do not take this as a personal affront. One day you too will wish to meet with a physician in private. They are not trying to sabotage your medical training. They may simply not want to be examined with someone else in the room, or they may have a delicate matter that they wish to discuss with their doctor in private. There has always been an innate power imbalance in favor of the physician. The presence of unwanted observers during an office visit magnifies this power imbalance a hundredfold. The patients need for privacy, confidentiality, and dignity must be protected at all times. If you fail to respect the emotional well-being of your patients as a medical student and resident, what kind of amoral villain will you become when you are an attending? Do not dissemble. Speak respectfully to your patients, for one day you will also be a patient. If a patient has a needle biopsy done on a mass, and the pathology indicates that it is benign pending resection, do not tell the patient that the mass is unequivocally benign. Failure to disclose common long-term chemotherapy side-effects or long-term side-effects from other powerful drugs is likewise immoral and indicative of an egregious violation of patient trust. Some would argue that if a patient were educated in regard to these side effects, they might choose to opt out of treatment altogether. This is nothing more than a base and cowardly attempt at rationalizing the absence of informed consent. Speak in the language of the layperson, but do not patronize. Never leave an examination room without asking the patient if they have any more questions. Always be mindful of the emotional, psychological and physical vulnerability of the patient. Take a deep breath. Let time decelerate and be unbound. If an attending instructs you to do something that is irrefutably unethical such as perform a practice pelvic exam on an anesthetized patient defend your sacred oath to do no harm. Do not obey. Organize. A line from the Hippocratic Oath reads: I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the persons family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems if I am to care adequately for the sick. Implementing a single-payer national health care system that puts human needs first while removing the profit motive, is the only answer to our disastrous and reeling health care system. Do we really want to live in a country where health insurance is tied to ones job, and where do no harm is increasingly applied to a privileged few? The for-profit multi-tier health care system is a pox on our society and diminishes us all. It has deprived millions of adequate care, while ruthlessly exploiting doctors and stripping them of their autonomy. This is a system that continues to bankrupt patients while driving physicians to such depths of despair, that some see no alternative but to take their own lives. It is in the interest of both the doctor and the patient to fight side by side for single payer. While you may be tested by pernicious and malevolent forces, never relinquish your humanity, compassion, and sense of empathy, for without these things a doctor is but a burned-out husk and a soulless lifeless shell. And with these words now imparted, I wish you godspeed in your journey. David Penner is a writer. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Key stakeholders from across the European beef industry will gather in Kilkenny on 10th October to launch the European Roundtable for Beef Sustainability (ERBS). The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) will be a four-day conference co-sponsored by Dawn Meats and hosted by Bord Bia. It is expected to bring delegates from Australia, New Zealand, South America, Canada, the United States and South Africa to Kilkenny. The ERBS will be made up of multiple stakeholders demonstrating the important role the beef sector plays in the food chain, and will focus on improvements in sustainability across all aspects of the European beef value chain, from farm to fork. Dawn Meats has worked with its partners in the SAI Platforms Beef Working Group over the last two years, chairing the technical work of the group and developing the principles and practices for beef sustainability to bring the ERBS into being. The conference will focus on four key priority areas: greenhouse gas emissions, animal health and welfare, animal medicines and farm management. These priority areas were identified through engagement with more than 150 stakeholders across Europe and will be reviewed regularly to ensure they remain relevant and are being adequately addressed. SAI Platforms Beef Working Group Lead, Patricia Garcia-Diaz commented that she hopes the conference in Kilkenny will be a "catalyst for change" in the industry. Dawn Meats Group Agriculture Manager Sarah Haire echoed this sentiment, saying; We are delighted to launch the European Roundtable for Beef Sustainability and have been actively engaged with member organisations across Europe over the last 24 months in agreeing common sustainability priorities. Together we can make a difference. Stuff reported: The NZ First MP behind a values bill which could expel migrants was once judged unfit to run pubs because of his criminal record. Clayton Mitchell wants new migrants to sign up to a cultural code of conduct that includes a commitment not to campaign against the legality of alcohol. Mitchell is a former publican but his licence to run a bar was cancelled after a series of incidents. They included a suspended prison sentence for assault which a judge called an act of serious violence and a dangerous driving conviction. An assault which involves serious violence is not a good thing. Two years later, Mitchell won back his certificate supported by a reference from former police officer Brad Shipton, who was subsequently disgraced over a rape conviction. Brad Shipton as a character reference yeah, nah. The second term MP initially didnt want to be interviewed by Stuff. Is this one of your dirty little stories? You better get your facts right, because I tell you what, you better get your facts right or youll get yourself in a hell of a lot of trouble, he said. This is not the recommended response for MPs, when media ask them about their background. In a subsequent response to emailed questions, however, he acknowledged: * A conviction of assault with intent to injure in what a judge described as an act of serious violence on your part. * A conviction for dangerous driving. * A conviction for a lock-in at one of his bars allowing customers to drink outside of the licensed hours. A pattern? Mitchell, 46, didnt attend the 1998 hearing that saw his general managers certificate cancelled by the the Liquor Licensing Authority. He was in Australia and his absence was heavily criticised by the authority. Hed been running Straight Shooters bar, on Taurangas Wharf Street. Local police unhappy after a string of late-night incidents asked the authority to cancel his general managers certificate on the grounds: That the conduct of the manager is such as to show that he is not a suitable person to hold the certificate. The bar sounded rather interesting. A previous story reported: Before entering politics, Mitchell made local headlines in December 2009 when his Hamilton bar, the Bahama Hut, was forced to close for a week because of two promotions Funtastic Fridays and Super Saturdays that gave punters unlimited drinks for a six-hour period for as little as $39. There was also some controversy over leprechaun-curling competitions at another of his pubs, the Mount Mellick, where a vegetable oil-covered dwarf would be propelled along a 6m polythene sheet. Very insensitive of him to label a dwarf a leprechaun. Theyre very different species. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn More Reddit Pinterest Print Tumblr Saudi Arabia will not impose any new taxes until 2030 and the unemployment rate in the kingdom will begin to decline from 2019, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz has said. In an interview with Bloomberg, he said the kingdom is moving in the right direction, and a major deal will be announced in two weeks. The Crown Prince also affirmed that the kingdom is able to protect its interests and it buy weapons from the US and does not take them for free, said a Saudi Press Agency report quoting the Bloomberg report. He said the kingdom had 1.3 million barrels of oil a day ready in case the market needs it. He said in the interview that all the armaments the kingdom gets from the US are paid for. "So ever since the relationship started between Saudi Arabia and the United States of America, weve bought everything with money. Before two years ago, we had a strategy to shift most of our armament to other countries, but when President Trump became president, weve changed our armament strategy again for the next 10 years to put more than 60 percent with the United States of America. Thats why weve created the $400 billion in opportunities, armaments and investment opportunities, and other trade opportunities. So this is a good achievement for President Trump, for Saudi Arabia. Also included in these agreements are that part of these armaments will be manufactured in Saudi Arabia, so it will create jobs in America and Saudi Arabia, good trade, good benefits for both countries and also good economic growth. Plus, it will help our security. On oil price, he said the oil price depends on supply and demand. "What we are committed in Saudi Arabia is to make sure there is no shortage of supply. So we work with our allies in Opec and also non-Opec countries to be sure that we have a sustainable supply of oil and there is no shortage and that there is good demand, that it will not create problems for the consumers and their plans and development," said the Crown Prince. He said the US had made a request to Saudi Arabia and other Opec countries cover the likely loss of supply from Iran and that has been done. "Recently, Iran reduced their exports by 700,000 barrels a day, if Im not mistaken. And Saudi Arabia and Opec and non-Opec countries, have produced 1.5 million barrels a day more. So we export as much as two barrels for any barrel that disappeared from Iran recently. So we did our job and more. "We believe the higher price that we have in the last month, its not because of Iran. Its mostly because of things happening in Canada, and Mexico, Libya, Venezuela and other countries that moved the price a little bit higher. But Iran, definitely no. Because they reduced 700,000 barrels and weve exported more than 1.5 million barrels a day," he tolf Bloomberg. Prince Mohammed said Saudi Arabia produced around 10.7 million of oil now and had spare capacity of 1.3 million without any investment. North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Choe Sun-hui is leaving the VIP room after she arrived at Sheremetyevo International Airport, Saturday. Yonhap A senior North Korean diplomat will have talks with Russian and Chinese officials on the situation on the Korean Peninsula, following her arrival in Moscow on Saturday, Russian media reported. Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui departed for Moscow earlier in the day following a two-day visit to Beijing. Her trip comes ahead of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's fourth visit to Pyongyang on Sunday for talks about Pyongyang's denuclearization and a possible second summit between the U.S. and the North. Citing Russian embassy staff in the North, the news agency Tass said that Choe will have talks with her Russian counterpart on Monday and then trilateral talks with her Chinese and Russian counterparts the following day. Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund (PIF) has refuted media reports claiming that work has been shelved with respect to SoftBank Solar Projects and said the reports are completely inaccurate. PIF is a sovereign wealth fund owned by Saudi Arabia, founded for the purpose of investing funds on behalf of the Government of Saudi Arabia. A spokesperson for PIF said the fund continues to work with the SoftBank Vision Fund, and other parties, on a number of large-scale, multi-billion-dollar projects relating to the solar industry, which will be announced in due course. The announcement in March clearly stated that this includes solar generation projects and joint plans to develop large-scale solar panels manufacturing facilities in Saudi Arabia for solar power generation, the spokesman said. "This will be complemented by R&D and training components. These plans to develop a leading champion for the industry remain on-track and in-line with the timeline that would be anticipated for projects of this scale and ambition," the spokesman said. Alongside this, the kingdom is moving forward with the overall renewable energy strategy, through which Saudi Arabia aims to be a leading and reliable diversified supplier of renewable energy, a press statement said. In line with Vision 2030, the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources is undertaking a programme in coordination with the kingdom's stakeholders to transform the power sector, and ensure it is more competitive, efficient and sustainable, underpinned by a strong pipeline for private sector participation, it stated. TradeArabia News Service With an estimated $2.4 trillion of projects planned across the GCC, the region still offers abundant opportunities as governments seek to develop infrastructure to meet the needs of rapidly expanding populations, and to deliver economic diversification, a report said. But while the need for infrastructure has never diminished, the crash in oil prices from 2014 to 2016 has seen major changes to the market. The value of contract awards has fallen by about $180 billion a year in 2016 and 2017. This reduced level of awards is set to continue in 2018 and 2019, said Meed, a business intelligence tool for the Middle East and North Africa. Despite this, the region still offers some of the best project opportunities in the world. The need for infrastructure and economic diversification is greater than ever. And, as home to some of the worlds wealthiest countries, the financial muscle is available to meet these needs and the recovery in oil prices and economic growth in 2018 has seen the conditions for projects improving. To honour stakeholders in the projects market for their outstanding contributions to the growth of the region, leading business intelligence provider Meed has shortlisted 80 companies and individuals to qualify for its prestigious Meed Awards programme. The UAE has 60 finalists competing not just for honours in various categories, but also for a stake in some $640 billion worth of projects in the pipeline across the emirates. Among the finalists include Distance Studio International Civil Engineering Consultancy and Five Real Estate Development for Architectural Design Practice of the Year; Black & White Engineering, Linesight, Parsons, Servicexcellence and Windmills Real Estate Valuation Services for Consultant of the Year; and ASGC, BIC Contracting, China State Construction Engineering Corporation Middle East, Depa Group and Multiplex for Contractor of the Year. Dubai World Trade Centre, Five Real Estate Development, Sweid & Sweid and United Real Estate Company are competing in the Developer of the Year category; Sterling & Wilson International Solar in Specialist Contractor of the Year; Siemens in Energy Company of the Year; and Alcazar Energy as well as Sterling & Winston International Solare in the Renewables Company of the Year category. In putting the spotlight on the achievements of various stakeholders in the projects market in the GCC, we hope to highlight their invaluable inputs to the current growth and future sustainability of the region, said John Emmerson, director of events, Meed, the leading business intelligence provider in the Middle East. As financing will be a critical factor to securing and implementing new projects, finalists have also been selected for the Financial Institution of the Year category such as Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and Dubai Islamic Bank. Other significant stakeholders vying for the award include Al Tamimi & Company, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, Clyde & Co, CMS, Global Advocacy and Legal Counsel and Support Legal Limited for Law Firm of the Year; Carlease Rent a Car, Pentagon, RSA Global and Tristar Transport for Logistics/Transport Company of the Year; Ducab, Dulsco and RAK Ceramics for Manufacturer/Supplier of the Year; as well as Response Plus Medical Services and Sanofi for Healthcare Company of the Year. With any project development sustainability will be a primary consideration. Those who have shown noteworthy programmes are being considered for the Sustainability Initiative of the Year, including Consolidated Contractors Company, Dulsco, Ecocoast, Multiplex9 and Siemens. As technology and innovation will play a big part in project execution, Meed has shortlisted finalists in these two important categories. They are du, Ecocoast, Masdar, Sanofi, Support Legal Limited and Tristar Transport for Business Innovation of the Year; while Siemens and XL Technologies are vying for honours as Technology Company of the Year. Anyone seeking to do business in the region must be both flexible and patient. The biggest projects will take time to come to the market, and contract awards may never recover to pre-2016 levels. A new approach to project delivery is required. Governments want greater economic sustainability and are seeking innovation improve efficiency and reduce the need for capacity expansions. Private developers are expected to take a larger share of the capital burden through public private partnerships (PPP), as well as through the privatisation of state utilities. And future projects are expected to deliver more in-country value in terms of job and supply chain opportunities for local companies, said Richard Thompson, editorial director, Meed. - TradeArabia News Service Saturday morning, a crowd gathered outside the Boney Courthouse to send a message. "Sexual assault and violence are not acceptable in Alaska anymore," Elizabeth Williams, one of the event organizers, said over a loudspeaker. Williams said she became outraged after Superior Court Judge Michael Corey dismissed Justin Schneider's case of kidnapping and first-degree harassment. Schneider was sentenced to two years imprisonment with one year suspended, but will receive no jail time. However, Jon Skidmore of the Alaska Dept. of Law, said in an interview last week that two of the people with the most say in this case did what they could according to the law. "We had convicted of the highest offense possible, which is assault in the second degree," Skidmore said, "and the sentencing range was zero to two years." Williams said the decision is still a for Schneider. Meanwhile, Alaska Attorney General Jahna Lindemuth also said little could be done given the way the laws are set up. "Masturbating on somebody is not a sex crime," Lindemuth said in an . "(But) it needs to be treated as a sex crime with the higher sentencing penalties, two to 12 years, and the required sex offender treatment. "We're going to change the definition of sexual contact to include unwanted contact with semen," she said. During the rally Saturday, many Alaskans stepped forward to share their personal stories of sexual assault and rape. Ada Coyle was in the crowd holding a sign that read: "Standing against rape and violence for indigenous women." "It's as common as breathing," Coyle said. "It happens. I grew up on a small village on Kodiak Island and seeing the abuse of sexual abuse of rape." Coyle said she is supporting other women so sexual abuse and assault ends in their family at their generation. The Northern Emirates of Sharjah and Ajman provide a great alternative to affordable living in the UAE, particularly for those who are working in Dubai and are open to the commute, says a dubizzle Property report. Dubizzle is a leading property platform in the UAE and provides average rental and sale prices for family-friendly neighbourhoods in Sharjah and Ajman. With over 130,000 listings at any given time, dubizzle Property regularly shares industry reports to empower residents to make well-informed decisions. SHARJAH Sharjah is well known as the go-to emirate for those looking for affordable living in the UAE, with many residents working in neighbouring emirate, Dubai. Well equipped with schools and family-friendly facilities, the emirate poses an attractive option for both property rental and investment. When looking at rentals for small families or newlyweds, the most affordable community for one-bedroom apartments is Al Qasimiah, with an average of Dh24,000. Al Khan and Al Taawun come in second with an average of Dh30,000, followed by Al Buhaira at Dh32,500 and Al Qasba at Dh35,000, it said. The average rental for two-bedroom apartments in Al Qasimiah also provide the most affordable option at Dh30,000. This is followed by Al Khan averaging at Dh36,000, Al Majaz and Al Taawun at Dh40,000, and Al Buhaira at Dh46,000. Families looking for more space can consider three-bedroom apartments, with average rentals at Dh45,000 in Al Qasimiah, Dh50,000 in Al Khan, Dh52,000 in Al Taawun, Dh55,000 in Al Qasba and Dh77,000 in Al Buhaira. Four-bedroom apartments average at Dh80,000 in Al Taawun and Al Majaz at Dh81,000. For those looking to invest in an apartment, the average prices for two-bedroom apartments start at Dh550,000 in Al Majaz, Dh570,000 in Al Qasba and Dh773,000 in Al Khan. Three-bedroom apartments for sale in Al Khan average at Dh1,125,000. AJMAN Ajman, similar to Sharjah, provides a more affordable cost of living for residents compared to neighbouring emirates. Boasting a rich cultural scene, the emirate has a variety of facilities for families, including schools and recreational activities. The average rental for one-bedroom apartments in Ajman starts at Dh21,000 in Al Jurf, Dh22,500 in Al Nuaimia and Dh25,000 in Al Rashidiya. Two-bedroom apartments start at Dh25,000 in Al Helio, followed by Dh27,000 in Al Jurf, Dh30,000 in Al Nuaimia and Dh34,000 in Al Rashidiya. For those looking for a larger family home to rent in the emirate, Al Rashidiya offers the most affordable three-bedroom apartment option with average rentals starting at Dh40,000 followed by Al Nuaimia at Dh45,000. Investment options in Ajman start at Dh220,000 for 1BR apartments in Al Jurf, Dh275,000 in Al Nuaimia and Dh300,000 in Al Rashidiya. Two-bedroom apartments average at Dh270,000 in Al Jurf and Dh350,000 in Al Rashidiya. Two-bedroom villas for rent in Ajman Uptown average at Dh30,000, with three-bedroom villas averaging at Dh35,000 and four bedrooms at Dh43,000. Al Mowaihat three-bedroom villas average at Dh55,000, with four-bedroom at Dh65,000 and five bedrooms at Dh75,000, the report said. Five-bedroom villas in Al Helio are available at an average price of Dh1,200,000, and Al Mowaihat at Dh1,500,000. Our report aims to provide a transparent view of the market and support residents to make well-informed decisions when it comes to finding the right property for them and their families within budget, commented Samer Abdin, general manager at dubizzle Property. - TradeArabia News Service Mumbai, October 6: A fire was reported late on Saturday in Maharashtra's Thane, located next to the state capital Mumbai. The intensity of the fire was low, local media reports said, adding that 6 people have sustained minor injuries. The victims have been rushed to the nearby hospital. The blaze broke out near Sanskar Classes, located in Thane West, news agency ANI reported. The institute is opposite to the Yes Bank branch in Indira Nagar. Mumbai: Fire Erupts at Andheri Easts Madhu Industrial Estate. The cause of the fire is reported to be the explosion of a CNG gas cylinder. More details were awaited by the time this report was published. Maharashtra: Fire breaks out near Sanskar Classes opposite Yes Bank, Indira Nagar, Thane(W) after a CNG gas cylinder exploded. 6 persons injured, taken to a nearby hospital. ANI (@ANI) October 6, 2018 The incident comes a week after a major fire was reported in Mumbra region of Thane district. On September 28, a blaze had erupted in Acchar Gali, near Sagar Hotel of Mumbra. 3-5 godowns were gutted in the blaze, whereas, over a dozen people had a narrow escape as they were rescued in time. Thane and Mumbai have been the two fire-prone regions of Maharashtra, particularly due to the exponential growth in the population, combined with the unplanned development. According to the data shared by the Mumbai Fire Brigade, a total of 4,592 entities, including commercial and residential, were red-flagged for flouting the fire safety norms between 2010-2016. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 06, 2018 10:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). New Delhi, October 7: Amid fears of US sanctions over the S-400 deal with Russia, Army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat Sunday asserted that India follows an independent policy and was also keen on getting the Kamov helicopters and other weapon systems from Moscow. India and Russia on Friday signed a multi-billion-dollar deal to procure the S-400 Triumf air defence system, which could attract sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). The act is primarily aimed at countering Russia, Iran and North Korea. India and Russia concluded the deal notwithstanding the US warning that it would be a "focus area" for it to implement punitive sanctions against a nation undertaking "significant" business deals with the Russians. Gen. Rawat, who returned Saturday night after a six-day visit to Russia, held talks with military officials of that country to enhance bilateral cooperation. Not Easy For India To Get US Sanctions Waiver For S-400 Missiles: Experts. He said the Russians were very keen on associating with the Indian Army and defence forces. Because they do understand that we are a strong Army, capable of standing up for what is right for us, based on our strategic thought process, he said. The Army chief was speaking at the Gen. K V Krishna Rao Memorial lecture here. On his Russian visit, Gen. Rawat recalled a question posed to him by a Russian naval officer that India seemed to be looking westwards at America, which has put sanctions on Russia, and that Washington has also threatened to impose restrictions on New Delhi for dealing with Moscow. To this, Rawat responded saying, "Yes, we do appreciate that there could be sanctions on us, but we follow an independent policy. Rawat also sought to assuage Russian concerns over India's growing ties with the US. You (Russia) can be rest assured (that) while we may be associating with America in getting some technology, but we follow an independent policy. S-400 'Triumf' Missile Deal With Russia in Final Stage, Says Nirmala Sitharaman. I told them while we are talking sanctions and you are questioning on sanctions, President Vladimir Putin and Mr. Narendra Modi, at this juncture, are signing the treaty on purchase of S-400 weapon system inspite of the fact that we may face challenges from America in the future, the Army chief said. Rawat said India was looking forward to procuring Kamov helicopters and other weapon systems and technology from Russia. He said New Delhi was looking to get space based systems and technologies from Moscow to enhance its space capabilities. India, Russia to Sign Deal For S400 Missile System on Vladimir Putin's Visit to New Delhi. There is no end in sight to the manner in which we can cooperate with your country. I think the way forward is to see what is best for the nation, strategically important for us, he had said. Riyadh, October 7: Saudi Arabia on Sunday denied reports that Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who went missing earlier this week, was killed at the country's consulate in Istanbul, as reported by several international media. A statement released by the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) cited a diplomatic officer who categorically denied "these baseless allegations, and expressed his doubt that they came from Turkish officials that are informed of the investigation or are authorized to comment on the issue", reports Efe news. The official quoted by SPA underlined that Saudi Arabia was responsible for the safety and well-being of all its citizens, wherever they may be, and that its authorities "are diligently following up on this matter to uncover the complete facts". Supporters of Missing Saudi Journalist Rally for His 'release'. The statement came out after reports published on Saturday night by various international media, citing Turkish officials, alleged that Khashoggi was killed at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul. According to two sources quoted by The Washington Post, for which Khashoggi worked, the journalist died earlier this week at the hands of a Saudi assassination squad. Turkish news agency Anadolu also reported that the Turkish authorities were investigating the role played by the 15-member special team of Saudi Arabian citizens into Khashoggi's disappearance. Khashoggi, former general manager of the Al Arab Media Group and columnist for the Washington Post, disappeared on October 2 after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, where he has been living in exile since 2017. Washington Post: Turkish Officials Say Saudi Writer Killed. The Saudi consulate subsequently issued a statement saying that the journalist had left its premises on October 2, although the Turkish government, which summoned the Saudi ambassador in Ankara demanding explanations on the whereabouts of Khashoggi, said he remained inside the consular precinct. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 07, 2018 01:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Tokyo, October 7: The United States and Japan on Saturday agreed to jointly work on the successful dismantling of North Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles programme. This came after US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, who is on a two-day visit to Japan, met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to discuss North Korea's denuclearisation and the abduction of Japanese citizens by Pyongyang during the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, CNN reported. Pompeo told the Japanese Prime Minister that he would raise the two issues during his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang on Sunday. He further said he wished for "a fully coordinated, unified view of how to proceed if we are going to be successful in denuclearising North Korea." Trump, Abe Say 'imperative' to Dismantle North Korean Weapons. Abe, meanwhile, said that he "highly valued" the fact that Pompeo came to Japan ahead of his scheduled and most anticipated visit to North Korea. "I would like to have thorough coordination with you on our respective policies towards North Korea," he remarked. After Pompeo makes a brief stopover at Pyongyang on Sunday, where he is expected to lay the groundwork for a possible second meeting between Kim and US President Donald Trump, the US Secretary of State will proceed to Seoul on the same day, before visiting Beijing on Monday (October 8). Abe had earlier requested Trump to take up the issue of Japanese citizens' kidnappings by North Korea during his meeting with Kim in June. Last month, the Japanese Prime Minister had expressed interest in meeting Kim in a bid to reset the stalled bilateral ties between Japan and North Korea. According to a 2014 report by the United Nations Human Rights Council, hundreds of Japanese, South Koreans and other foreign nationals were kidnapped by North Korea after the Korean War concluded in 1953. Dismantling North Korean Nuclear Site is Good News: Pompeo. Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) has officially inaugurated a new smart building that is inspired by the national vision to position the UAE as an artificial intelligence hub. The building was opened by Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, deputy chairman of police and general security in Dubai and chairman of board of governors (BOG) of HBMSU. The building is a one-of-a-kind achievement for an educational and academic institution that reflects HBMSUs commitment to keep pace with the strategic guidelines of the Government of Dubai, especially in its move to transform the emirate into a smart city of the future, a statement said. The smart building is a unique, flexible, adaptable and capable of keeping abreast of future innovations as it operates under a smart system, the latest and first of its kind in the world. The building is supported by interactive features that provide a unique experience for the academic community based on a sophisticated smart system to enhance operational efficiency and control of lighting, energy and air-conditioning with best practices of sustainability and innovation, in line with the UAE's efforts to reach the ranks of developed countries by 2021. The new Smart Campus application connects four smart systems to each other with the latest technology of artificial intelligence such as power and efficiency control, Signify smart lighting system, smart cooling system and smart building management system. Each of the four systems works individually to gather information and data in an automated way, and to deliver it to the smart application, which in turn processes and analyses the data received and responds using artificial intelligence techniques. This provides a more accurate approach to smart decisions, whether predictive or adaptive, in a powerful push for smart transformation. The most important feature of the smart building is the simplification and facilitation of the academic life of the learners and members of the administrative and academic entities through a smart application. This application allows users to interact with the facilities of the building and access information directly, with the possibility of personal control of the ideal brightness of light and temperature within the academic offices and meeting rooms with the click of a button, as well as the benefits of personal guidance on directions, meeting rooms and classrooms with light. The building has sustainable benefits and several operational and economic advantages. It improves energy savings and reduces operational costs, while achieving the highest standards of sustainability and innovation, in line with the university's direction to employ the latest technological innovations to achieve a higher level of smart operations while maintaining environmental sustainability. The opening ceremony was held in the presence of Mattar Al Tayer, director general and chairman of the board of executive directors, Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) and vice president of the board of governors, HBMSU, along other members of board of governors and distinguished personalities and partners. The new building is a pioneering step in supporting HBMSUs approach towards positive educational, social and economic change at the local and international levels, based on an ambitious vision to leverage the potential of innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) as the driving force of development. The highlight of the success of the smart building is the university's commitment to partnering with leading global innovators in the field of smart buildings, including Signify (formally known as Philips Lightning), Siemens, Smart Citti and Trane, based on the university's core values of Together We Grow, complementing HBMSUs belief in the importance of cooperation for shared success and creative initiatives. Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim pointed out that the launch of the smart building is an important step forward in changing the face of education and moving closer to the future set out by the wise leadership of the UAE, accompanied by the help coming from tomorrows next generation of builders, further moving forward with the countrys thrust towards excellence and leadership. - TradeArabia News Service When Robert van Thiel, the beverage director at Molinari's in Bethlehem, asks his wife what aromas she notices in a particular wine, she'll often jokingly reply, "I smell fermented grapes." Northampton Community College is hoping its students will be able to offer a more complex response. In the new class Fundamentals of Beer, Wine and Spirits, students dive deep into the beverage world to learn the history, proper service and -- for students of age -- taste of adult drinks. "When I came through the program, it was a missing piece," said van Thiel, an NCC grad who led a recent meeting of the class about Italian wines. Rebecca Heid, the class's professor, said that the booming adult beverage world means new opportunities for the school's hospitality students, whether it's with craft breweries, local wineries, new distilleries or their own entrepreneurship. "We're hoping this is just the beginning," Heid said. David Schweiger, NCC's director of hospitality management, said in a statement that in the future the college would like to offer an entire associate's program or diploma based on beverage management. The brand new course is already required for those studying restaurant management. Van Thiel's lecture on Italian wines walked students through the complicated classification system, translating opaque terms they'll encounter on bottles. One phrase might signify a wine meeting certain standards, while another might be a meaningless marketing term. "It's all about who's making the wine, where they're making it and the pedigree," he said. He went over the flavors you might notice in popular varietals -- leather, tart red fruits and tobacco in Sangiovese, for example. The eight students perked up and started furiously taking notes when he discussed of the best foods to pair with different wines. Students were ready with questions: "Can you tell if wine is bad without opening the bottle?" (No.) "How long does it take before opened wine spoils?" (About one to three days without some preservation system.) "What kind of oak barrels are used to age wine?" (It depends.) "A lot of what I know is because I stuck my head in a book," van Thiel told the students. "When I look at wine, I see a time capsule." The conversation at times diverged from wine, like when van Thiel described the "bartender's choice" cocktails at Molinari's, where customers check off their preferred flavors and spirits and he comes up with something for their taste. "I've made cocktails inspired by lotions my wife has come home with," van Thiel said. It wasn't all talk, however. At the end of the class, van Thiel poured wine for students to analyze. For those under 21, that meant sight and smell only, but the older crowd could sip. Students joked about the wine's "legs" -- the streaks left on the glass -- and gasped in disgust when van Thiel poured a spoiled wine, muddy brown and full of sediment. "There's, like, dirt in it," one student said. In a previous class, students had taken blind-folded taste tests of non-alcoholic beverages like juice, milk and soda to get them used to recognizing different flavors. "It makes you think of what's familiar to you when you're smelling wine," said Gianna Antignani, who is 19 and studying restaurant management. They've also gotten hands-on experience during field trips to places like local wineries. "Everyone has a different palate," James Tazzetto, 18, said. "The professor will yell at us if we smell a wine and complain about it." The hope is that the students will be able to take what they learn in class to better serve customers, who often don't know what they're looking for when it comes to wine and other beverages. "That's the confusing part of wine service," van Thiel said. "Getting the information from people that they don't know how to give." Andrew Doerfler may be reached at adoerfler@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @adoerfler or on Facebook. Had he employed a tight quiz-show script, Alex Trebek might have broken the mold of political debate and given jaded Pennsylvania voters something to think about. He might even have lined up a smattering of write-in votes on Election Day. Instead, the popular host of "Jeopardy!" -- who moderated the lone debate between Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and Republican challenger Scott Wagner on Monday night -- deflated what is already a limp game ball of a gubernatorial election. In case you missed it, and most Pennsylvanians did, Trebek hosted a 45-minute get-together in Hershey, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It aired only on the Pennsylvania Cable Network. Give Trebek credit for trying to engage a "conversation" with the candidates, but it backfired. For someone who knows how to get out of the way and let the contestants contest, Trebek hogged the mike and bored us with his opinions. He soaked up 40 percent of the air time with his commentary and long, scene-setting questions. He joked that the Catholic Church is the only entity with approval ratings lower than the Pennsylvania Legislature. When some audience members reacted with boos, Trebek felt the need to explain how he was raised a Catholic in Canada, and was as "ticked off" as anyone about the predatory actions of priests and subsequent coverups. Eventually, the debate meandered into a modicum of issues -- redistricting, the state's regulatory climate, education funding, a severance tax on natural gas drilling, the death penalty. Wagner and Wolf briefly stated their positions and got in a few jabs, but didn't explore the categories in any depth. The moderator did little to pry them out of sound-bite mode. Though it wasn't his intent, Trebek was a distraction from the seriousness of Pennsylvania's problems and entrenched politics. Viewers would have gotten a better civics lesson by watching a few episodes of "Jeopardy!" At least the trivia there is fact-checked. Worse, the debate played into the hands of the Wolf, who is enjoying a double-digit lead over Wagner and committed to just one debate. Wagner repeated his proposal for three debates after Monday's lackluster event, and he has a point -- unless the candidates are given some elbow room to go after each other in a debate, viewers don't get much out of it. Gubernatorial debates serve as tests of leadership capability. Having to think on one's feet and demonstrate a grasp of the issues is a time-honored ritual. Afterward, the performances are dissected by the campaigns, reporters, pundits, pollsters. Props to Trebek for trying to make politics more interesting and appealing, but Pennsylvania would be better served by an old-time, nose-to-nose debate. Wolf now has the luxury of cruising until Nov. 6. He should muster up the courage for a daily double. There's still time for another debate. Get a few news people to pose the questions. Invite the Libertarian, too. Take a chance on boring us to death with the issues. I understand how keen some communities are to have CCTV in their areas. I know some groups feel that a local scheme would make their area safer, more secure, and less vulnerable. And I know that some people think the Department of Justice and Equality is the block to this happening. But that is not the case. As Minister, I want to clear up some of the confusion which seems to have taken hold about the issue, and appeal to those who are entitled to get community CCTV schemes up and running to take on that responsibility and to avail of the assistance and funding available to do so. The most important fact to be clear on is that community CCTV schemes are governed by law. They have been since 2006 and the law in question requires that any proposed community CCTV scheme must: - be approved by the local Joint Policing Committee, - have the authorisation of the Garda Commissioner; and - have the prior support of the relevant local authority, which must also act as data controller. This has been the law since 2006 and it remains the law today. And what that law means, is that whether a community CCTV scheme is privately funded, part Pobal funded (as many have been over the last decade) or seeking funding from my Department, the same rules apply the Joint Policing Committee must approve the proposed scheme, the Garda Commissioner must authorise it and the local authority must both give support and also agree to act as data controller. The data controller is the person who is responsible for the safekeeping and appropriate use of personal information, including the footage from any CCTV scheme. They must make the necessary arrangements to ensure e.g. that any such footage is secure; that it is either viewed only by cleared and authorised people; or indeed held securely to be made available to the authorities when necessary and in accordance with law. It is this issue of data controller which appears to be causing the trouble for some groups hoping to set up CCTV schemes. Claims are being made that this is not a proper role for local authorities and that hardly any local authorities are actually taking it on. Indeed this very paper reported an assertion last week that only six local authorities are acting as data controller for CCTV schemes. Can I say here and now that that is not true. The truth is that the vast majority of local authorities are already doing so. Indeed just last week, 27 out of the 31 local authorities nationwide confirmed to my Department and the CCMA that they act as data controller for these types of CCTV schemes. I am told that the only local authorities who dont yet appear to be doing so are Carlow, Cork City, Kilkenny and Laois. So why are some people saying only six local authorities are acting as data controller for CCTV when 27 actually are? Well I think two things are being confused here funding of CCTV; and legal governance of CCTV. It is true that the funding for community CCTV schemes has changed. Funding used be available through Pobal, whereas now there is a funding scheme administered directly by my Department. Perhaps people believe, mistakenly, that only the counties signed up under the new scheme are accepting responsibility as data controller. But as I said before, local authorities were also required to be the data controller for community CCTV under the Pobal funding scheme. So in fact that has not changed. The second point which may be causing confusion is GDPR. It could be that the advent of GDPR has made everyone more aware and perhaps a little more nervous about data protection and the risks of getting it wrong. And thats understandable. GDPR means anyone in possession of personal data needs to be even more mindful of things like data security, privacy and the rights of individuals. But data protection law and privacy rights existed before now too. And GDPR is certainly not a reason for anyone to portray the requirement for local authorities to act as data controller for community CCTV schemes as something new. It is not new. There may be some different considerations now under GDPR, but local authorities are in any event already familiar with the requirements of GDPR which apply all throughout their ordinary work. There is also guidance and assistance available them and their data protection officers, to help with this task. One other claim I want to address is that all CCTV is a job for the Gardai. There is no doubt but that the help, support and co-operation of An Garda Siochana is required by any community group who would like to install a CCTV scheme. And appropriate access by Gardai to community CCTV schemes is an important part of the existing law governing these schemes. But community CCTV schemes are not interchangeable with Garda CCTV schemes. Garda CCTV schemes are prioritised and situated where Garda management believe they are most needed - and that is not necessarily going to be in your or my small town or village. The Commissioner as head of An Garda Siochana is independent. No minister, no politician and no community can direct the Gardai to place CCTV anywhere. But what a community can do, provided their local authority is prepared to assume responsibility as data controller, is consult with the local Joint Policing Committee, get permission from the Garda Siochana and set up their own CCTV scheme to which Gardai have appropriate access. This structure empowers local communities to arrange for community CCTV in their locality, should they so wish. It is what my Department has put a grant scheme in place to help happen. Because the reality is that all of us, communities, local authorities, my Department and me as Minister, have the very same objective safer and more secure communities. Local authorities are free to decide whether or not to agree to take part in community CCTV. My Department is already working with the local authorities nationwide, through the LGMA and CCMA, to address any queries that arise. And I would hope that the small number of local authorities who are not yet acting as data controller will be able to do so in the future, so that every interested community can have their CCTV scheme approved. I will ensure that every assistance is provided by my Department to help local groups do exactly that. [Note: groups seeking to establish a community CCTV scheme in their locality can find further information on funding at the website of the Department of Justice and Equality, http://www.justice.ie Guidance is also available through a dedicated email address communitycctv@justice.ie ] On Saturday, September 8 last, I was fortunate enough to marry the love of my life, Aida, a resilient and beautiful woman I have known for twenty years or so. It was a great day and the rain stayed off in Celbridge as family and friends a number of these from Aidas native country, the Philippines celebrated at St Patricks Church and Celbridge Manor, aided by much welcomed music from Des Hopkins and his musicians. It was kisses of joy for Aida and I that day. A week later, on Saturday, September 15 in Irish time, Larry Tolentino, Aidas closest brother, died suddenly and unexpectedly due to a massive stroke, experienced when sitting down with friends. It was then hugs and tears for Aida and I. The much-loved Larry did not attend our wedding, despite our best efforts to get him here from the Philippines. Aida and Larry, who did not look his 61 years, and who shared a birthday with me, were close. I had agreed to act as his sponsor for his travel visa to Ireland for the wedding. Larry had qualified as an engineer at university in Manila many moons ago. But he never practiced, instead becoming a top-rated hairdresser, running his own business near the Tolentino family home in Santa Rita, Pampanga. He was incredibly popular, so much so that a friend flew back the three hour flight from Guam for his funeral. Larry was generous, to a fault, as Aida said in her address at his funeral, funding college education for many out of his own pocket, among other things so much so that some of this brothers and sisters sometimes helped him out. He was also gay and helped the incumbent mayor and the Vice Governor of Pampanga (population 2.19m people) as an organiser for the gay community, the Rosas. He applied for his Irish visitors visa but was turned down for a variety of reasons. I was annoyed but accepted his application was not up to scratch Larry was generous and loveable and somewhat chaotic at times and it was feared by the Irish embassing that he would not return back home. There was not a chance of that. He came here over 20 years ago and had no problem getting work with top hairdressers here. They could not persuade him to stay and unlike most immigrants, he went home. What I dont get is that people are let in here on student visas and disappear into the back of, oftentimes, food takeaways, working without job permits, and exploitable. As the host sponsor for Larrys application, I had to send payslips, bank and credit card statements, and proof of ability to house Larry without his having recourse to any social welfare from the Irish Government. Could they not have let him in for a month for our wedding, and fined me if he was not on the designated plane home ? The technology is there. They didnt. Larry was upset as we were but appeared to get over it. Following our wedding, we took our Filipino visitors, 14 of them, to Doolin for a few days. They had been on a tour of mostly European cities before coming to Ireland. The last couple, Aidas long time friend, Susan, and her husband, Rollie, were with us on Saturday, 15th, visiting Trim and Maynooth Castles and the K Club Rollie wanted to see the Ryder Cup venue when we got the first call about the stroke. Hours later, Larry was, unbelievably, gone from us. Perhaps was it better that he did not make it to Ireland, we wondered. The next day, Susan and Aida, booked us, online, on an Etihad Airways for the flight back to Manila on Tuesday a two-legged affair with around 15 hours flying time via Abu Dhabi. Susan and Rollie headed home on the Monday and met us off the plane at Manila on Wednesday. Larry had arrived back home from hospital to lie at home for seven days of mourning, a Filipino tradition, and a tiring one for those unused to it. Visitors, who usually give a donation, are fed for the seven days. In this case, the narrow street outside the house was blocked off, on foot of a permit from the local authorities. A tent, to keep the sun off, was erected and card games and mahjong continued with small sums of money (pesos) involved throughout the week. Neighbours cooked away and cooked and cooked. That reminds me I must bring some chocolate for four of them on my next visit. On Saturday, the time came to say goodbye to Larry. Hundreds had dropped into the Tolentino home, many in disbelief at the larger-than-life Larrys passing. Stories flowed of those he had helped. It was tough on Aida as the oldest surviving sibling talking to everyone. I was hoarse myself. Three nights of little enough sleep, punctuated by a break at the Bliss Hotel in San Fernando, in our air conditioned room provided by its owners, Willie and Helen, friends who had come to our wedding, was our lot. Because of the heat, mass was set for 8.30am and Larry headed off in the horse drawn carriage for the beautiful church of Santa Rita and later to be laid to rest with his mother and father, and late younger sisters, Hazel and Gloria, among others. It was a marvellous send off for an outstanding individual. Twenty-five years on, Pat McCabe's Frank Pig Says Hello returns this autumn to the Riverbank Arts Centre on October 11, in a new touring production that brilliantly captures the legendary original and brings one of the great classics of modern Irish theatre to a new generation of audiences. The play tells the desperately funny and tragic story of the life of Francie Brady growing up in a small Irish town in the 1960s and his descent towards a brutal act that shocks his community. The original production coincided with McCabe's Booker-winning novel of the same story entitled The Butcher Boy. The play distils Francie's infamous narrative into a riveting evening of pure, outstanding theatre. Featuring a mesmerising performance by two actors, Darragh Byrne and John Ruddy, Frank Pig is regarded as the most vivid, hilarious and heartbreaking evocation ever seen on a stage of an Irish childhood gone wrong. Pat McCabe and Joe OByrne collaborated on the original Frank Pig Says Hello production for the 1992 Dublin Theatre Festival where it won Best Production. The show was recently recreated for the 2017 Dublin Theatre Festival winning high praise for exceptional young actor Darragh Byrne and the multi-talented actor, trumpet player and cartoonist John Ruddy, known for his Youtube video animations which have had millions of hits worldwide. The show starts at 8pm and tickets at 16 / 14 can be booked at 045 448327 or www.riverbank.ie. Department of Education officials have recently visited Hewetson school near Clane in connection with a planned new building project. Read also: Three Kildare companies make it through to Google Adopt A Startup programme Last week, Kildare North Labour general election candidate, Emmet Stagg, said he was in further contact with the Minister for Education in relation to progressing the building project for Hewetson National School, Millicent, Clane. This was, following the Ministers indication previously that Department of Education officials would visit the school to access accommodation needs. The Minister confirmed to him that that a new school was included in the Departments six year Construction Programme which runs from 2016 to 2021 and that in the context of progressing the building project, the Department had recently undertaken a technical site visit to the school. The outcome of the site visit will be considered and this will determine how the accommodation needs of the school will be met. Welcoming the visit by Departmental staff, Mr. Stagg said that it was important that the new school for Hewetson NS was advanced through architectural planning. But he also said it was important that the Department determined at an early date the accommodation needs of the school following their site visit. In March last, Mr Stagg told the Leader that Department of Education officials will be going on a technical visit to the site but there was no timeline given then. Mr Stagg said then a new school was required. With the end of 2018 in sight, the 2021 timeline is not far off. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider subscribing to our ePaper and/or free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Dubai Health Authority (DHA) will launch a Dubai Healthcare Professionals Registry by the end of this year. The announcement was made at the 13th International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities (IAMRA), which is taking place in Dubai under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance and President of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). The conference is taking place for the first time in the Middle East. The main theme of the conference is empowering regulation with innovation and evidence. The four sub-themes are: Safe Practice and Quality, Innovative Regulation Models, Medical Work Force and Medical Education. Humaid Al Qutami, director general of the DHA thanked Sheikh Hamdan for his patronage and for supporting the conference. Al Qutami said: Regulation plays a pivotal role in the health care industry. Health care regulations and standards are necessary to provide safe and high-quality health care to every individual who accesses the system. The DHA is continuously developing as well as updating its regulatory systems to provide healthcare professionals and facilities with convenient licensing processes. Dr Marwan Al Mulla, CEO of Health Regulation Sector, highlighted that the Dubai Healthcare Professionals Registry will provide healthcare facilities and investors with detailed information about medical professionals in the emirate. The registry will include details about all medical professionals including doctors, nurses, paramedics, radiologists etc. Dubai has seen a robust growth in the number of medical professionals over the years. In 2009, there were 14,677 medical professionals in the emirate, as of October 2018; there are approximately 38,000 medical professionals in Dubai. Dr Al Mulla said the registry has many benefits especially for professionals who no longer need to reapply if they leave the Emirate and work abroad. Dr Al Mulla elaborated: Previously, if a health professional left the emirate to work abroad, his licence would be cancelled. If he came back to Dubai, he would have to reapply and would need to undertake all the processes required for a new licence. With the introduction of this system, such health professionals will be under the inactive status and if they decide to come back to work in the emirate they will undergo regulatory checks that fall under the renewal category as opposed to the new licence category. Dr Al Mulla added that the registry will ensure a faster process and will further improve retention of healthcare professionals. He added that professionals, who leave Dubai and do not continue their work, will not fall under this category. This applies only to those professionals who either continue their medical education or medical practice abroad. Dr Al Mulla said that DHA will also rate all healthcare facilities including public and private hospitals and day-care health centres in Dubai in accordance with the Dubai Health Facilities Performance Framework (DHFPF). The framework, known as Qeyas, will be finalised and implemented at the beginning of next year and has five pillars which include patient safety, clinical quality, patient happiness, financial and operational indicators. Following the implementation of this system, DHA will be able to: Improve quality across the health system in Dubai; Provide consumers with information to help empower them to make better choices about healthcare providers; Provide medical tourists with trustworthy, independently validated information about Dubais healthcare quality; Develop a long-term reimbursement strategy based on evidence of care provided. - TradeArabia News Service THE UNIVERSITY of Limerick says it remains committed to providing an adequate provision of on-campus psychiatric services, amid reports that it is currently the only Irish university without an on-campus psychiatrist. Concerns have been raised this week over the failure to re-appoint a consultant psychiatrist at UL. The consultant is understood to have been working with the university for five years. Most of the time you do not need a consultant psychiatrist as a student, Dr Niall Cahill, a GP in Limerick city, said. But when you need one, you need one. I am disappointed and upset because the people here who will lose out are the students. Dr Cahill, the medical director of the Student Health Centre at UL from 2000 to 2015, has written to Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell OConnor, Education Minister Richard Bruton and Higher Education Authority (HEA) chief executive Graham Love, to highlight his concerns over the current services. Dr Cahills exit from UL was included in the Thorn report, a wide investigation into the controversies surrounding governance structures and HR at the university. The University of Limerick is now the only university in the State which does not have the presence of such an essential support service with a visiting consultant psychiatrist, he wrote. It is surely entirely unnecessary for me to point out the necessity and value of such a consultant-led service as students and society attempts to grapple with what I believe to be an epidemic of mental health issues and to which our young people at university are particularly susceptible, he wrote. During his time with the Student Health Centre, psychiatric medical assistance was needed on several occasions, he added. If you dont have the structures to do this, what are you supposed to do? Something catastrophic could happen. One UL student, who asked not to be named, said she was incredibly worried about the current lack of psychiatry services. What are students going to do? That little bit of service that they had with the psychiatrist is gone. Why is UL going backwards? It should be progressing, not regressing. On Tuesday evening, UL President Dr Des Fitzgerald told the Student Council that UL is committed to rehiring, with the public procurement process for the position due to begin shortly. In a statement, a UL spokesperson said: UL remains fully committed to ensuring an adequate provision of on-campus psychiatry services as part of the wider range of support services to its student community. THE MAYOR of Limerick City and County has praised President Michael D Higgins for being a tireless advocate for social justice your entire political life. Cllr James Collins complemented the presidential candidate during his visit to Thomond Park, where he delivered a keynote address on a three-year strategy in boosting migrants places in local society. Speaking after President Higgins 30-minute address, Mayor Collins wished the candidate the best of luck in the campaign leading up to the October 26 election. President Higgins, who is a patron of Doras Luimni migrants rights organisation, said the Belonging to Limerick strategy is a strong statement that will enable migrants to become full participants in the life of Limerick. The Limerick-born president said that the city and county has become a home for migrants, a home for their hopes and aspirations. He said Limerick, in particular, had a long history of emigration. He referenced the flight of the Wild Geese in 1691, when 10,000 soldiers and their families left Limerick foo France. He also noted the mass exodus of Limerick and Irish people during the deadly famine in the mid-19th century, and recent generations of emigration. Doras Luimni CEO, Leonie Kerins said the launch was a resounding success. The overwhelming support we have received goes to show this citys commitment to a sustainable integration structure that holds all cultures, languages, traditions and people in high regard. We want this citys residents, regardless of their backgrounds, to truly belong to Limerick, and I believe that Fridays launch was a positive step toward achieving this goal. Eugene Quinn, chairperson of the Limerick Integration Working Group, said after the event: Irrespective of colour, creed or culture we share more in common than that which divides us. Diversity is good, it enriches us, challenges us and teaches us new ways of being and doing. This is why migrant integration strategies like Belonging to Limerick are so important. A LIMERICK company was fined 2,000 at Kilmallock court because an ESB meter was tampered with. Titan Sports, of Eastlink Business Park, Ballysimon pleaded guilty to the offence. Aidan Judge, State solicitor, prosecuted the case on behalf of the ESB. The ESB detected that the meter in their place of business was not recording properly the amount of electricity being used. They calculated 1,323.22 worth of electricity was not paid for. When confronted, the company paid the arrears immediately. The maximum fine is 5,000 which can be mitigated in full, said Mr Judge, who stressed the dangers of interfering with ESB meters. Con Barry, solicitor, represented Titan Sports, which supplies clothing and medals to clubs and events. They apologise to the court and the ESB. The company was set up in 2010 and is fully compliant with Revenue. Their backs were up against the wall for a period and a person jumped at an opportunity to keep it going. Thankfully the company is in a much better place now. They hope to put it behind them and go forward, said Mr Barry. The solicitor said it was a desperately dangerous thing to do. Thankfully nobody was hurt. They are fully aware of the stupidity of the act, said Mr Barry. WEST Limerick villages such as Templeglantine, Tournafulla and Mountcollins cannot expand and develop because of inadequate sewerage treatment facilities, Fine Gaels Cllr Liam Galvin has argued. But, according to the Abbeyfeale councillor, it is not just private housing that is being stymied. Limerick City and County Council owns land in all these villages but this land cant be built on because of a lack of sewerage treatment facilities. According to figures released last month to Cllr Galvin, there is overload in Tournafullas sewerage treatment plant where the capacity is for a population of 85 only. Capacity in Templeglantine is for a population of 112 with a population of 67, Cllr Galvin was told and there is spare capacity, to accommodate an additional population of 153 in Mountcollins. Athea is currently having its treatment plant upgraded to cater for 600 people and ultimately for 900. According to the councils figures, Abbeyfeale is almost at full capacity. Planning applications for four new houses in Tournafulla will have to be withdrawn because the developer cant get into the sewerage system, Cllr Galvin said. That is how serious it is. He also claimed that planning permission for the nursing home was refused because of a lack of capacity. But Cllr Galvin queried the Mountcollins figure, saying: Five years ago, we were told Mountcollins was overloaded and we couldnt get a house built out there, he said. I dont recall any works being done in Mountcollins since. He also argued that Templeglantine was actually at capacity. He pointed out that the council has land in all these villages: 0.9 hectares in Tournafulla; 1.49 hectares in Mountcollins and 1.3 hectares in Templeglantine. There are 91 people on the housing waiting list for Abbeyfeale but 27 of these come from Tournafulla, Mountcollins and Templeglantine, he pointed out. They are looking for houses we cant build. We havent got houses in the towns and we cant provide houses in the villages. Lending his voice to Cllr Galvins argument, Cllr John Sheahan said that money wasnt the issue when it came to housing. But why cant we get money for Tournafulla, Mountcollins and Athea? he asked. And he argued that the housing section provide the money to upgrade the sewerage systems. It is a win-win for everyone, he argued, and a case of joined-up thinking. A workshop on housing and a meeting with Irish Water were being organised, councillors were told. A GOVERNMENT senator has blamed council management for not moving fast enough in transforming the proposed Project Opera site in the heart of Limerick city. Fine Gael senator Maria Byrne made the remarks at the launch of her general election campaign at Bobby Byrnes pub last week. Former Minister for Finance Michael Noonan launched her candidacy on Thursday night, after she was selected to run in the next general election in December 2017. During a 16-minute speech, addressing more than 100 supporters, Sen Byrne commented on Limericks economic comeback since the financial crash of 2008. Limerick has gone through an awful lot of change, especially in the last 10 years but we have a lot more change to go. I know when Michael [Noonan] was Minister for Finance, he gave money for the purchase of the Opera site, below at the bottom of Patrick Street. Sen Byrne added: While, you know, its not the councillors fault, I do blame management that they havent moved fast enough in terms of changing around the unit. It is something that we need to do, it is very much part of the regeneration of the area. Project Opera is a 180m development that aims to bring upwards of 3,000 people to work in the city centre. In a recent Limerick Leader report, some 60% of the site will provide for office accommodation/innovation/ education space, with 15% set aside for residential, comprising upwards of 100 units between residential and an aparthotel. In late August, University of Limerick and Limerick Twenty Thirty, which is overseeing the projects delivery, held high-level discussions with a view to the college having a significant presence in the city centre. A spokesperson for the University of Limerick confirmed it is continuing to explore ways to develop a presence in the city centre area. Speaking to The Leader last week, Sen Byrne said that, following Limericks economic success in recent years, we cannot afford to go back to where we were 10 years ago, certainly. She said that since being elected to the Seanad, she has gained a great insight into the wishes of people. Issues presented to her at her constituency office on Henry Street include housing, medical cards, education grants, overcrowding, and microlocal issues, such as potholes and street lights. You also have to be a good listener. And no matter how small somebodys problem is, it means something to them. Deputy Noonan said: I would like that Maria would be in the Dail, to continue the work for Limerick that I had started. We need someone of confidence and vitality to continue to drive the agenda forward, and I think Maria is the person to do that. So, you have my full support Maria. I couldnt think of a better or nicer person to succeed me in the Dail, and I know everyone here tonight has the same view. FIVE dead calves and two cows were found by Department of Agriculture veterinary inspectors on a County Limerick farm, Kilmallock Court heard. Timothy Gleeson, of Buffanoka, Cappamore said the calves were not his and there was a delay in the knackery collecting the dead cows. Elizabeth Clayton, Limerick veterinary inspector, said she and a number of officers visited an outside farm of Mr Gleesons on April 26, 2017. There were five dead calves in a horsebox. Three calves had no ear tags, two had ear tags, said Ms Clayton. Two dead cows were also discovered, one lying in a ditch. Answering questions from Eoin Lawlor, barrister representing the Department of Agriculture, Ms Clayton said the feed was inadequate in quantity and quality for the other cattle present. All the carcasses were removed when the lands were inspected the next day. Ms Clayton said Mr Gleeson was interviewed and he maintained the five dead calves were not his. He said he rang the knackery immediately [to collect the carcasses] after they died. He said he rang them seven times on a Saturday and was told he would be out on Monday, said Ms Clayton. Another inspection took place on July 20, 2017. The court heard Mr Gleeson was loading eight cows to be taken for slaughter. Ms Clayton examined the animals. Two were severely lame due to overgrown hooves and were unfit for transport. Ms Clayton told Mr Gleeson to release them into a field and get veterinary attention. It later transpired that Mr Gleeson did transport the animals to a slaughter house. When questioned by Ms Clayton why he did this despite being told they were unfit to travel, Mr Gleeson replied: I didnt receive a restriction notice. Mr Gleeson pleaded guilty to two counts of transporting animals in a way likely to cause injury or undue suffering, and one count of inadequate quantity and quality of feed for the cattle present. Brian McInerney, barrister instructed by Con Barry, solicitor, on behalf of Mr Gleeson said it isnt the normal type of farming. Mr Gleeson purchases cull cows - end of use Friesian dairy cows. If they go lame it affects yield. He brings them to his farm and moves them onto a factory to be killed, said Mr McInerney, who described it as filling a gap in the agricultural trade. The barrister said the delay in the carcasses being taken to the knackery was due to a truck breaking down. This was accepted by the State. Mr McInerney said there were no charges in relation to the carcasses. Regarding transporting the animals, Mr McInerney said the hauliers are licensed and can refuse to bring animals on welfare grounds. The animals were transported to a meat factory staffed by Department of Agriculture officials who can prevent animals entering the human food chain. With the benefit of hindsight he should not have transported them but they could have been rejected by the authorities and the hauliers, said Mr McInerney, who added that the cows werent on Mr Gleesons farms for weeks. Judge Marian OLeary said any person who has possession of cows for any length of time should look after them. Mr McInerney said his client has pleaded guilty to three considerably reduced charges and and an extreme penalty was not warranted and not just.Mr Gleeson was fined 1,000 each on the transportation counts and 750 for inadequate feed. THERES a lot of people I know in Limerick who, to be honest, are a bit nonplussed about the prospect of getting to elect their own mayor directly. In other words, they couldnt care less. But then there are others who cant wait for a greater say in the selection of their commander -in-chief, and from what I hear on the streets, theres a sizeable proportion of the citizenry too who believe that there are already too many chiefs and not enough Indians round the place. So bring it on then the plebiscite, I mean. But what they all want to know is this: what effect is a directly elected mayoralty going to have on their rates and property taxes? And I, being a citizen of no mean city whatsoever and therefore unlikely ever to get a chance to elect my own mayor, want to know how much the new mayor will cost me too. Because, judging by how much it costs to keep the President in style, the fear I have is that Limerick and every other city with a directly elected Mayor will not be able to afford the luxury and well all have to chip in to keep up appearances and provide a plentiful supply of ceremonial robes. I suppose you could get a mayor at a discount, but surely to God thats not what a city and county with Limericks proud heritage would want. But all that aside, I do believe that it is about time that the election of a mayor was removed from the snake pit of party politics and returned to the people - if thats the way they want it, and Im not even sure of that. But returned is hardly the right word, is it? The first mayors of Limerick back in the 12th century were selected by the freemen of the city and, as far as I know, there wasnt a freewoman among them, not to talk of a universal franchise. Some historians, however, are now arguing that those first Mayors of Limerick and their freemen electorate were phonies anyway because the city, it seems, was electing mayors and creating freemen long before it had got a proper royal charter, as distinct from a royal blessing. As a result, we cant really say for sure who the first official Mayor of Limerick was! People, however, like to be able to touch their democracy and feel it, and the annual intrigue fest in the council to decide who would wear the chain for the coming year, while very entertaining, was outside the reach of most people. I remember once reporting on a mayoral contest that yielded an unexpected outcome because a party pact had, at the last minute, lost an essential component. A spectator I met afterwards was beside himself with rage. I voted for him when he was running for the council, but I didnt expect to see him ending up as Mayor, he fumed, referring to the newly crowned first citizen. Democracy thwarted, you might say, but I put it down to nothing more sinister than good old fashioned begrudgery which never allowed anyone to lose the run of himself, or herself, as the case might have been. As of now we dont know what powers will be invested in the directly elected Mayor that is presuming were going to vote for one and that it wont be just a cosmetic exercise. What kind of a salary are we going to pay him or her and what impact, if any, are they going to have on how our lives are run? How long will they serve. Not for seven years, one would hope, but the present one year term is too short a time for people to even get to know their Mayor. What are the implications for the city and county managers who ruled the roost since 1934? Will those high-powered and highly paid executives be redundant henceforth in cities like Limerick, Dublin, Galway and Waterford, because one thing for sure you cant have two executives running the same city? It would be worse - pardon my political incorrectness - than having two women in the one kitchen. The worst case scenario might be that wed elect a Mayor ourselves as a figure head and the manager would continue to lead him by the official chain, which in turn is attached firmly to the leg of the Ministers table. Self-defeating you might say, but at least it would prevent any possibility of an abuse of power and give us, the people, the illusion of power that I suspect might be enough to keep us happy. However, at best, this proposal may very well prove an important step in modernising the ramshackle and outmoded machinery of Local Government in this country which we have been tinkering with for too long. But in fairness, surely it should be matched by a similar democratic progression in smaller cities and towns and in the rest of rural Ireland. I wont have a say, unfortunately, but Im all for a directly elected Mayor of Limerick so long as he or she doesnt decide its time to right ancient wrongs and take back the rest of Thomond and whatever it was that Brian Boru wrested from the Vikings. Any threat of territorial expansion by a newly empowered Mayor and its all-out war, Im afraid. Here are the steps. 1. Register as a voter if not done already. A Google search will reveal how to register electronically with your state. Typically, registration closes one month before the election. 2. Download a request for an absentee ballot. Again, Google is your friend. The signature of the voter is required on the request. So make sure your college student child makes the request, fill it out, and mail it in to the address specified on the form. 3. Your State will send an absentee ballot to your childs address. Fill out the ballot. Last but not the least, send it in. Note: you may need to instruct your college student child how to acquire postage stamps; and explain the concept of mail. CONGRATULATIONS in advance. Greek shipowner and chairman of Intertanko, Nikolas Tsakos, will be presenting the keynote speech at the upcoming TMS Tanker Conference to be held in Dubai, UAE. The event will take place on October 15, at Atlantis, the Palm. Tsakos has been chairman of this important organisation which now has more than 200 members, who between them own more than 4000 tankers totalling 353 million dwt, since 2014, said a statement from Intertanko. Over the course of his chairmanship, Intertanko has become a more commercially focused organisation, has expanded its representation within the gas carrier sector and has also stepped up its lobbying on key issues affecting the tanker shipping business. This includes the impending introduction of the sulphur emissions cap in 2020 and the introduction of ballast water treatment systems. Tsakos will use his keynote speech at the TMS Tanker Conference to set out some hard-hitting messages on the regulatory challenges facing the market and also how Intertanko has become a more relevant organisation that is better positioned to ensure the voices of tanker owners and operators are heard. Tsakos recently opened an important new maritime educational venture through the Maria Tsakos Foundation on Chios Island in Greece. The Tsakos Enhanced Education Nautical School is the first specialist private school for 14-17 year olds in Greece and aims to encourage young people to consider the maritime professions, helping reverse a decline in the number of Greek seafarers. The new school opened in September this year and already has over 20 students on the roll. Other keynote speakers at the conference are Sheikh Talal Al Khaled Al Sabah, chief executive of KOTC; and Abdullah Bin Damithan, chief commercial officer, DP World. Session 1 which follows the keynote speakers features Captain Abdulkareem Al Masabi, chief executive, Adnoc Logistics & Services; Captain Anoop Kumar Sharma, chairman and managing director, The Shipping Corporation of India Limited; Tarik Al Junaidi, chief executive, Oman Shipping Company; Khamis Juma Buamim, managing director and group chief executive, Gulf Navigation Holding; and Chris Peters, chief executive, Emirates Ship Investment Company, it stated. TradeArabia News Service Huawei, a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices, will host its third annual Innovation Day under the theme Innovate for a Digital Middle East. The event will take place on the second day of Gitex 2018 (October 15) at the Sheikh Maktoum Hall, Dubai World Trade Centre. Huawei Middle East Innovation Day will highlight how emerging technologies in 5G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Smart Cities are driving economic growth and reshaping the Middle East, said a statement from the company. Innovation Day will start with the 5G Ecosystem Conference held under the theme 5G is Now, Sailing to New eMBB Horizons, it said. The conference will gather operators, regulatory agencies, vertical industry leaders and broader ecosystem advocates to discuss the 5G industry from the perspectives of business, technology, and policy. The aim of the event is to bring together industry leaders from different sectors and demonstrate how 5G will enable the transformation of vertical industries and promote regional economic development, it added. Industry leaders and luminaries will gather for a discussion and experience-sharing on how AI is enabling digital transformation and reshaping the world we live in. Under the theme Activate Intelligence, Huawei will use the event as an occasion to be regional first to launch full stack all scenarios AI solutions, besides of AI core technology from chipset, algorithm, platform and hardware, and display top AI commercial cases in sectors ranging from smart city, safe city, digital energy, smart transportation, digital finance, cloud and IoT security, and more. Guests will also be given the opportunity to experience live cloud and product demos that make use of brand-new AI technologies. Charles Yang, president of Huawei Middle East, said: Innovation Day is an opportunity for leaders in ICT, government, and industry to gather and discuss the best path forward to building a digital Middle East. At our company, we understand that emerging technologies from 5G to AI have the potential to help GCC governments reach their long-term development strategies to become diversified, knowledge-based economies through digital transformation, he said. We want to empower our partners and customers here in the Middle East to make the most of these new opportunities and forge ahead on the path to an intelligent world. We hope our guests will leave Innovation Day with a deeper understanding of how to harness ICT to drive forward development and economic growth, both within their organizations and in the Middle East as a whole, he added. The event will act as a platform for senior government officials to participate in keynote speeches and panel discussions, sharing their opinions on the future. The annual conference will also include MoU signings with government and ecosystem partners for 5G and AI innovation, and the unveiling of a new research paper conducted in partnership with Analysys Mason. Titled Unlocking Digital Opportunities with 5G, the White Paper makes public never-before-seen data and statistical analysis on the benefits of 5G for the GCC region, it said. Driven by customer-centric innovation and open partnerships, Huawei has established an ecosystem based broad portfolio ICT solutions portfolio that gives customers competitive advantages. Huawei is committed to bring its global expertise and latest innovations to Middle East region and creating maximum value for governments, telecom operators, enterprises and consumers, it stated. TradeArabia News Service Christopher Columbus was a narcissist. He believed he was personally chosen by God for a mission that no one else could achieve. After 1493, he signed his name "xpo ferens" "the Christbearer." His stated goal was to accumulate enough wealth to recapture Jerusalem. His arrogance led to his downfall, that of millions of Native Americans and eventually fostered his resurrection as the most enduring icon of the Americas. Columbus in chains In 1496, Columbus was the governor of a colony based at Santo Domingo, in what is now the modern Dominican Republic a job he hated. He could not convince the other "colonists," especially those with noble titles, to follow his leadership. They were not colonists in the traditional sense of the word. They had gone to the Indies to get rich quick. Because Columbus was unable to temper their lust, the Crown viewed him as an incompetent administrator. The colony was largely a social and economic failure. The wealth that Columbus promised the Spanish monarchs failed to materialize, and he made continuous requests for additional financial support, which the monarchs reluctantly provided. Inspiracion de Cristobal Colon by Jose Maria Obregon. (Image credit: Museo Nacional de Arte, CC BY-SA) By 1500, conditions in Hispaniola were so dire that the Crown sent Francisco de Bobadilla to investigate. Bobadilla's first sight, at the mouth of the Ozama River, was four Spanish "mutineers" hanging from gallows. Under authority from the king, Bobadilla arrested Columbus and his brothers for malfeasance and sent them to Spain in chains. Columbus waited seven months for an audience at the court. He refused to have his chains removed until the meeting, and even asked in his will to be buried with the chains. Although the Spanish rulers wanted Columbus to disappear, he was allowed one final voyage from 1502 to 1504. He died in 1506, and went virtually unmentioned by historians until he was resurrected as a symbol of the United States. Inventing Columbus In the mid-18th century, scholars brought to light long-forgotten documents about Columbus and the early history of the New World. One of the most important was Bartolome de las Casas' three-volume "Historia de las Indias." This book was suppressed in Spain because it documented Spain's harsh treatment of the native peoples. His depiction of Spanish mistreatment of the Indians provided the foundation for the "Black Legend." His account "blackened" Spanish character by depicting it as repressive, brutal, intolerant and intellectually and artistically backward. Whatever Spain's motives, the conquest of the Americas destroyed native cultures and ushered in centuries of African enslavement. Another was the personal journal of Christopher Columbus from his first voyage, published in 1880. The journal captured the attention of Gustavus Fox, Abraham Lincoln's assistant secretary of the Navy, who made the first attempt to reconstruct the route of Columbus's first voyage. Renewed scholarly interest in Columbus coincided with political motives to deny Spain any remaining claims in the Americas. Spain's American colonies declared independence, one by one, from the beginning of the 19th century. Simon Bolivar, and other Creole revolutionary leaders, embraced a classical philosophy that highlighted their Roman ancestry to a degree that "Spanish America" was converted to Latin America. The final assault came with the U.S. invasion of Cuba and the six-month Spanish-American War in 1898. Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory, and this year marks the 100th anniversary of the purchase of the U.S. Virgin Islands from Denmark. Columbus likely would have slipped back into obscurity if not for American hubris. The Columbian Exposition In 1889, France put on what reviewers described as the most spectacular World's Fair possible. Held on the Champs de Mars in Paris, its crowning achievement was the Eiffel Tower. After Paris, the United States set out to prove to the world it was the equal of Europe by staging its own World's Fair. No one has claimed credit for the theme of the Exposition, but the stage was set when American writer and author of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," Washington Irving, attempted to revive his flagging career by writing the first biography of Christopher Columbus in English, published in 1828. His embellishments created the great hero whose legend the fair celebrated: "He was one of those men of strong natural genius, who appear to form themselves; who, from having to contend at their very outset with privations and impediments, acquire an intrepidity in braving and a facility in vanquishing difficulties." The Columbian Exposition and World's Fair was timed to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Columbus's arrival in the New World. President Benjamin Harrison presided over opening ceremonies on Oct. 12, 1892. That same day, the Pledge of Allegiance was introduced in American schools. Chicago created the "White City" a collection of nine "palaces" designed by America's greatest architects, conceived and constructed in only 26 months. Outside the White City was the grittier Midway, which is now a common feature of carnivals and fairs. The fair gave visitors their first taste of carbonated soda, Cracker Jacks and Juicy Fruit chewing gum. An enormous 264-foot-tall Ferris wheel transported 36 cars each carrying up to 60 people on a 20-minute ride. More than 28 million tickets were sold during the six months the Columbian Exposition was open. Columbus was the darling of 19th-century mass media. Seventy-one portraits of Columbus, all posthumous, hung in a Grand Gallery. Following Irving's descriptions, Columbus became the embodiment of the American Dream. The son of simple wool weavers and someone who had a great dream challenged the greatest scholars of his day, and boldly went where no man had gone before. Better yet, he was Italian. America could deny that Spain had any part in the discovery of the New World. President Harrison declared a national holiday to coincide with opening of the Columbian Exposition Columbus Day. It was officially recognized by Congress in 1937. In 1992, as the United States prepared for the 500th anniversary of Columbus's arrival in the Americas, the pendulum swung again. The devastating impact of his "discovery" on native peoples throughout the Americas led protesters to decry Columbus as a "terrorist." Columbus the man died more than 500 years ago. Columbus the legend is still being dismantled. His story illustrates the blurred borders between myth and history how an architect of destruction was turned into a national symbol. William Francis Keegan, Curator of Caribbean Archaeology, University of Florida This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Follow all of the Expert Voices issues and debates and become part of the discussion on Facebook, Twitter and Google +. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Vidal Rodriguez, a Laredo City Council member serving a probationary sentence after being convicted of a misdemeanor charge last year, appeared in court recently to request an early termination of his case. Hugo Martinez, Webb County Court at Law I judge, granted the request. He signed an order in mid-September to terminate deferred adjudication and probation. READ MORE: Laredo Councilman Vidal Rodriguez found guilty of disclosing criminal history of former opponent Rodriguez, who allegedly accessed and disclosed a political opponent's confidential juvenile records in 2016, was sentenced to one-year probation last October. "I fought for Mr. Rodriguez's early termination because my client has been on probation for close to a year already," the councilman's attorney, Nathan Chu, said. "(Rodriguez) was using it as a test to see if they were really going to challenge him to see if it was a political motivation versus a regular person." A regular person would not be treated the way Rodriguez has been treated, Chu said. "I was looking forward to the decision based on the court being unbiased," Rodriguez said. "They shouldn't really look at who the people are, but since my case was politically motivated on all angles, the judge was fair. He treated me like any other citizen so that's what one can expect out of the courts." Albrecht Riepen, Webb County assistant district attorney, opposed the early termination of probation. He said Rodriguez had shown no remorse and that because he is a City Council member, he should be held to a higher standard. "You saw that from the arguments (the DA) made that there was nothing of substance in the argument," Chu said. READ MORE: Elderly Laredo man, 69, arrested for assaulting two officers Chu filed the motion for early termination of deferred adjudication in July, arguing that "the court has not proceeded to an adjudication of guilt and Vidal Rodriguez has satisfactorily completed the community supervision to date." The motion also stated that it was in the best interest of society and Rodriguez to discharge and "(dismiss) the charge of unauthorized use and/or disclosure of information." "If I'm not mistaken, I completed my assignment within two to three months," Rodriguez said. "I kept through the process, kept visiting and doing what's right." Rodriguez's plea bargain stipulated he pay court costs, complete 50 hours of community service, take a government ethics class and make a $500 donation. He was arrested in March 2016 by the Webb County Sheriff's Office after Annette Ugalde-Bonugli filed a complaint alleging Rodriguez obtained and disseminated her juvenile criminal record while he was court coordinator at the Precinct 2, Place 2 justice of the peace office. At the time, the two were running for a seat on City Council. Rodriguez allegedly sent a screenshot of the juvenile record to a woman who then posted it on Facebook. Rodriguez was charged with two counts of unauthorized use and/or disclosure of computerized criminal information. PHOTOS: Local indie wrestlers take to the ring as LWA hosts 'Hasta La Victoria Siempre' He pleaded no contest to both counts in August 2017 and requested deferred adjudication. Two months later, Judge Martinez found Rodriguez guilty of disclosing the juvenile record and sentenced him to probation. He received deferred adjudication for accessing the record. Deferred adjudication is a form of probation that leaves Rodriguez without a conviction on his record for successfully completing the requirements set out by the court. Sao Paulo Leaders of Latin America's largest economy are stifling concerns to support the leading candidate Jair Bolsonaro, a retired army captain who repeatedly said he doesn't understand the economy. For many Brazilians, the Sunday vote has provoked fears due to Bolsonaro's penchant for nostalgia over Brazil's 1964-1985 dictatorship and his stream of derogatory comments about women, blacks, indigenous peoples and gays. Industry titans worry about his pro-big-government remarks and voting record. The decision by the business community to hold its nose is driven by Bolsonaro's decision to name an esteemed banker to head his economic team to fear of the leftist Workers' Party. The markets' darling, former Sao Paulo Gov. Geraldo Alckmin, largely faded in recent weeks despite party support and more free air time than other candidates. Bolsonaro leads 13 candidate, followed by Workers' Party candidate Fernando Haddad, a likely rival in an Oct. 28 runoff. "For the markets, Bolsonaro is not a dream candidate, but represents less risk than Haddad," said Ibnec University finance professor Gilberto Braga in Rio. Some are skeptical Bolsonaro represents less risk for Brazil. He vowed to fill his cabinet with current and former generals. In 27 years in Congress, Bolsonaro, who represents Rio de Janeiro, accomplished little: Only two of his bills were made into laws. Paris Interpol said Saturday it has made a formal request to China for information about the agency's missing president, a senior Chinese security official who seemingly vanished while on a trip home. The Lyon-based international police agency said it used law enforcement channels to submit its request to China about the status of Meng Hongwei. Its statement said the agency "looks forward to an official response from China's authorities to address concerns over the president's well-being," China, in the midst of a weeklong holiday, has yet to comment on the 64-year-old security official's disappearance. Calls and faxed questions to the foreign and public security ministries went unanswered. Meng's wife says she hasn't heard from him since he left the French city of Lyon at the end of September. France has launched its own investigation. French authorities say he boarded a plane and arrived in China but his subsequent whereabouts are unknown. In addition to his Interpol post, Meng is also a vice minister for public security in China. Previously, Interpol had said that reports about Meng's disappearance were "a matter for the relevant authorities in both France and China." The South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong newspaper, has suggested that Meng may have been the latest target of an ongoing campaign against corruption in China. His duties in China would have put him in close proximity to former leaders, some who fell afoul of President Xi Jinping's sweeping anti-corruption campaign. Meng likely dealt extensively with former security chief Zhou Yongkang, who is now serving a life sentence for corruption. The Hong Kong newspaper said Meng was "taken away" for questioning upon landing in China last week by what it said were "discipline authorities." The term usually describes investigators in the ruling Communist Party who probe graft and political disloyalty. But the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the party's secretive internal investigation agency, had no announcements on its website about Meng and couldn't be reached for comment. Meng is the first person from China to serve as Interpol's president, a post that is largely symbolic but powerful in status. Because Interpol's secretary general is responsible for the day-to-day running of the agency's operations, Meng's absence may have little operational effect. The organization links up police officials from its 192 member states, who can use Interpol to disseminate their search for a fugitive or a missing person. Only at the behest of a country does the information go public via a "red notice," the closest thing to an international arrest warrant. "Yellow notices" are issued for missing persons. Meng has held various positions within China's security establishment, including as a vice minister of public security since 2004. His appointment as Interpol president in 2016 alarmed some human rights organizations, fearful it would embolden China to strike out at dissidents and refugees abroad. His term as Interpol president runs until 2020. WASHINGTON Judge Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court on Saturday by one of the slimmest margins in U.S. history, locking in a solid conservative majority on the court and capping a rancorous battle that began as a debate over judicial ideology and concluded with a reckoning over sexual misconduct. As a chorus of women in the Senates public galleries repeatedly interrupted the proceedings with cries of Shame, somber-looking senators voted 50-48 almost entirely along party lines to elevate Kavanaugh. He was promptly sworn in by both Chief Justice John Roberts and retired Justice Anthony Kennedy the courts longtime swing vote, whom he will replace in a private ceremony. For Trump and Senate Republican leaders, who have made stocking the federal judiciary with conservative judges a signature issue, the Senate vote was a validation of a hard-edge strategy to stick with Kavanaugh, even after his nomination was gravely imperiled by allegations by Christine Blasey Ford that he had tried to rape her when they were teenagers. The president was exultant. Hes going to go down as a totally brilliant Supreme Court justice for many years, he told reporters, whom he had invited to join him in watching the vote on television aboard Air Force One. Trump derided the sizable protests against Kavanaugh on the steps of the Supreme Court and the Capitol as phony stuff and said it was wrong to imply that women were upset at his confirmation. Women, I feel, were in many ways stronger than the men in this fight, the president said. Women were outraged at what happened to Brett Kavanaugh. Outraged. The Kavanaugh confirmation, playing out against the backdrop of a midterm election where control of Congress is at stake, gave Republicans what they believe is momentum to ensure they keep their Senate majority. Republicans are painting Democrats and their activist allies as angry mobs; Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, delivered a speech Saturday assailing what he called mob rule, while Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters that the virtual mob that has assaulted us in this process has turned our base on fire. The bitter nomination fight, coming in the midst of the #MeToo movement, also unfolded at the volatile intersection of gender and politics. It energized survivors of sexual assault, hundreds of whom descended on Capitol Hill to confront Republican senators. But it also left many feeling dispirited, as though their elected representatives have not heard their voices. And, in the end, it challenged Americans faith in the Supreme Court as an institution that is above politics. Washington had not seen such a brutal nomination fight Cornyn called it a cruel and reckless and indecent episode since 1991, when law professor Anita Hill accused then-Judge Clarence Thomas of sexually harassing her. Senators of both parties wondered aloud how the chamber, and the nation, would heal. The road that led us here has been bitter, angry and partisan steeped in hypocrisy and hyperbole and resentment and outrage, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the minority leader, said on the Senate floor, minutes before the vote, adding, When the history of the Senate is written, this chapter will be a flashing red warning light of what to avoid. Saturdays vote reflected that fury, with Capitol Police dragging screaming demonstrators out of the gallery as Vice President Mike Pence, presiding in his role as president of the Senate, calmy tried to restore order. This is a stain on American history, one woman cried, as the vote wrapped up. Do you understand? The final result was expected; all senators had announced their intentions by Friday. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., was the lone Democrat to support Kavanaugh. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska the lone Republican to break with her party was recorded as present instead of no as part of an agreement with a colleague, Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., who was attending his daughters wedding and would have voted yes. By voting present, Murkowski spared Kavanaugh the indignity of being confirmed by a single vote. The last time a justice was confirmed by that margin was in 1881, when Stanley Matthews was confirmed 24-23. Thomas was confirmed by a four-vote margin. Kavanaughs confirmation fulfills a long-held dream of conservatives, who have waged a decadeslong campaign to remake the high court. In replacing Kennedy, a moderate conservative for whom he once served as a clerk, he will give the court a reliably conservative bloc. At 53, he is young enough to serve for decades, shaping U.S. jurisprudence for a generation, if not more. McConnell was unequivocal about what Republicans had accomplished. It is the most important contribution we have made to the country that will last the longest, McConnell said in an interview, ticking through two Supreme Court justices and 26 federal appeals court judges confirmed in the past two years. From the moment Trump nominated Kavanaugh in July, Democrats made defeating his nomination their singular mission. Schumer vowed he would oppose Kavanaugh with everything Ive got. Democrats raised questions about his partisan past he worked on the investigation that led to President Bill Clintons impeachment and for the George W. Bush White House and his judicial philosophy. They warned that he would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that established a constitutional right to abortion, and raised questions about his expansive view of executive power, which they regarded as troublesome given that Trump is the subject of investigations into his conduct. They also questioned his truthfulness about his role in several partisan episodes. But until Blasey went public, Kavanaughs confirmation seemed assured. Her account first in an article in The Washington Post and later in riveting testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee unleashed a cascade of other allegations and prompted a last-minute FBI inquiry into the judges conduct. Kavanaugh vigorously denied the allegations in his own angry and emotional testimony before the Judiciary Committee. On Saturday, one of his accusers, Deborah Ramirez, who has said Kavanaugh thrust his genitals in her face during a drunken dormitory party at Yale, issued a statement deploring what was about to happen. Thirty-five years ago, the other students in the room chose to laugh and look the other way as sexual violence was perpetrated on me by Brett Kavanaugh, she wrote. As I watch many of the senators speak and vote on the floor of the Senate I feel like Im right back at Yale where half the room is laughing and looking the other way. Only this time, instead of drunk college kids, it is U.S. senators who are deliberately ignoring his behavior. This is how victims are isolated and silenced. As it did for the past week, the Senate debate Saturday turned as much on Kavanaughs own conduct during his Senate testimony as it did on questions of the law. Democrats deplored his fiery rhetoric he called Blaseys allegations a calculated and orchestrated political hit and directed barbed comments at his Democratic questioners as the language of someone who was unfit for the nations highest court. I had concerns at the very beginning of this process, and I fear it more than ever at the end of the process, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said on the Senate floor. Any remaining hope that Judge Kavanaugh could be trusted to be an impartial justice or perceived to be an impartial justice was shattered by his opening statement at his last hearing. Republicans cast him as a man unjustly accused, who was trying to defend himself. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said those who would question Kavanaughs demeanor certainly didnt see the same thing I saw, which is someone who was seeking sincerely to defend his own record of public service, his own private conduct against great adversity, in circumstances in which he and his family have been dragged through the mud by no choice of their own. While the brawl over Kavanaughs confirmation may be over, people on both sides of the debate agree that it will have lasting ramifications on the Senate, the country and the court. Even some of the judges future colleagues sounded unsettled. On Friday, on the eve of the vote, two of them Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor expressed concern that the partisan rancor over his nomination would damage the high courts reputation. Part of the courts strength and part of the courts legitimacy depends on people not seeing the court in the way that people see the rest of the governing structures of this country now, Kagan said in an appearance at Princeton University. In other words, people thinking of the court as not politically divided in the same way, as not an extension of politics, but instead somehow above the fray, even if not always in every case. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. WASHINGTON - Protests against the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh on Saturday led to 171 arrests at the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court, authorities said Sunday. U.S. Capitol Police said 164 people were arrested for "crowding, obstructing, or incommoding." They were processed off site and released. Tokyo America's top diplomat said Saturday the U.S. will coordinate with allies Japan and South Korea on efforts to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on the eve of the American's fourth visit to North Korea. Pompeo was looking to arrange a second summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and chart a path toward denuclearization. Japan has been wary of Trump's initiative, fearing it could affect its long-standing security relationship with the U.S. Pompeo said it was important to hear from the Japanese leader "so we have a fully coordinated and unified view." Pompeo also pledged that during his meeting with Kim on Sunday, he would raise the cases of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea. Pompeo later planned stops in South Korea and China to review the negotiations. "It is important for us to hear from you as I travel to Pyongyang to make sure that we are fully in sync with respect to missile programs, (chemical and biological weapons) programs," Pompeo told Abe. "We will bring up the issue of the abductees as well and then we will share with you how we hope to proceed when we are in Pyongyang tomorrow." Trump is pressing to meet with Kim for a second time after their June summit in Singapore produced a vague agreement on denuclearization with few, if any, specifics. Despite the historic meeting, the two sides are deadlocked over how to achieve that goal. Trump canceled Pompeo's initial planned return to North Korea last month. In contrast with South Korea, where President Moon Jae-in has been at the forefront of encouraging Trump's rapprochement with the North, Japan has been decidedly cautious, insisting its interests and concerns be addressed. Abe did not speak of differences but highlighted the importance of demonstrating to the world that the U.S.-Japan alliance is "more robust than ever" and stressing the importance of "thorough coordination" with Washington on all aspects of North Korea policy. Pompeo has repeatedly refused to discuss details of negotiations, including a U.S. position on North Korea's demand for a declared end to the Korean War and a proposal from Seoul for such a declaration to be accompanied by a shutdown of the North's main known nuclear facility. The U.S. and Japan have pushed for the North to compile and turn over a detailed list of its nuclear sites to be dismantled as a next step in the process; the North has rejected that. Japan's foreign minister, Taro Kano, said the accounting continues to be a priority for his country. "Disclosing all nuclear inventories is the first step toward denuclearization," he told reporters after Pompeo wrapped up his meeting in Tokyo. Kono also said he and Pompeo didn't go into details of a possible war-end declaration because it's premature while there is virtually no progress in denuclearization. "We are not even talking about whether to do it or not," he said. "It's not an issue that we are even considering." Many believe such a declaration could reinforce North Korea's demands for the U.S. to withdraw its forces from South Korea and Japan. While traveling to Asia, Pompeo said his mission was to "make sure that we understand what each side is truly trying to achieve ... and how we can deliver against the commitments that were made" in Singapore. He said they would develop options, if not finalize, the location and timing of a second Trump-Kim summit. He has also distanced himself from an earlier stated goal of achieving North Korea's nuclear weapons abandonment by the end of Trump's term in January 2021. Since the effort got underway with a secret visit to the North by then-CIA chief Pompeo in April, there has been only limited progress. The Opec Fund for International Development (OFID) is financing energy projects worth $1.6 billion in Arab countries, said Suleiman Al-Herbish, director-general of OFID. He said that support to development operations in the energy sector lies at the heart of OFIDs strategic plan to 2025, a Wam news agency report said. In a statement issued from OFIDs premises in Vienna, Al-Herbish said OFIDs commitment to support sustainable development plans in Arab countries, particularly energy projects, and outlined various operation supported by OFID in the region. The fund is currently financing 14 traditional and 15 renewable energy projects in a number of Arab countries. He also stressed that energy poverty remains a challenge that can only be overcome through strategic partnerships, noting that OFID has built strong and diverse partnership networks to expand geographic coverage and operational activities. Al-Herbish noted that energy is the engine of economic growth and social progress and noted that the priority given by OFID to eradicating energy poverty in developing countries was inspired by OFID member countries themselves. That priority, he said, stems from the Riyadh Declaration issued at the conclusion of the 3rd Opec Summit in November 2007 which established the eradication of energy poverty as an objective. "Our Ministerial Council has approved the allocation of a renewed $1 billion to this end," Al-Herbish concluded. EDWARDSVILLE - Project Restore, an Edwardsville-based nonprofit, continues its mission to address education, clean water and medical care issues in developing countries. It currently is in the process of building a computer lab for students at the Nabitalo Senior Secondary School in Uganda that serves more than 700 teenagers, many of whom were orphaned in the Sudanese Civil War. Catherine Keck, Executive Director of Project Restore, explained that the computer lab was just another step in helping this school. We started working with this school about three years ago, she said. Within that three years, we connected electricity to the whole school, we connected running water, and we painted and rehabbed the main school buildings. We have sponsored students there as well. We only will stay five years because we dont want any direct or indirect dependency on that. She further noted that the school is accountable for the sustainability of everything that Project Restore tries to establish. We wont come back and build another computer lab. Its their ownership its their piece in this that they have to keep it going, Keck stressed. Project Restore began the computer lab project last year. They had a building so our first step was to completely refurbish the building. It had crumbling walls, no windows, no doors, and no electricity, but it was a building that we could fix up and make a computer lab out of it for this school, Keck explained. The arduous process began to repair the walls, wire the building for electricity, install windows and secure the doors and windows. We even put a bar gate on the door too just to make sure it was really secure because theft is so prevalent around there, Keck said. So that was our first step, and we completed that last year. The next step, obtaining computers, actually came from a local source SIUE which is donating 50 laptops to Project Restore. The laptops will be scrubbed clean, Keck said. We will have to get the operating system, software and all of that. Then were going to get security devices that attach to the laptops that then attach to the desks, and then we will get a big metal locking cabinet so that they can lock the laptops up in there too. But during the day, the laptops will be secured to the desks so that they dont just happen to walk away. In addition to the donated laptops, Project Restore has also received a donation of old dictionaries from the Edwardsville District 7 Schools. We have delivered about a total of about 125 dictionaries. Those were split between the secondary school and the primary school, Keck pointed out. They were incredibly thrilled to get them. You would had thought I gave them $100. They were thrilled. They said, These are so expensive here, and we cant get these here At one time I had my whole spare room closet full of dictionaries, Keck added. As we take teams (to Uganda), we take them in our spare luggage. You cant take a lot because they are heavy, but it gives the dictionaries second life too. Keck emphasized that completing the computer lab is especially important for these students. The government requires computer classes and computer training, but gives absolutely no funding for computer labs so 90 percent of the schools teach computers from a book. These kids dont have any practical application so building a computer lab will give these kids such a tremendous opportunity to get the training for this digital age so that they can go out and get a better job than if they didnt have a computer lab. Funding for the laptop software and security will come from Project Restores annual Howl-O-Ween Dog Costume Parade that takes place Oct. 20 at Joe Glik Park in Edwardsville. This popular event provides community members with an opportunity to show off their four-legged, furry pets in their Halloween best. Our goal is 100 dogs registered, Keck noted. If we hit that, we should raise enough to buy operating software and the Microsoft Office Suite for all 50 computers as well as the security devices. Thats our goal. Theres still time to pre-register for the event online at www.project-restore.org or Venmo at Project-Restore for a discount of $15 per dog. The day of the event on Oct. 20, the fee is $20 per dog, and registrations will be taken that morning. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. with the parade beginning at 12:30 p.m. Cash prizes will be awarded for the best pooch costume based on originality, creativity, behavior and theme. Its free to watch the parade but lawn chairs are encouraged. Dogs must remain leashed, have current rabies and vaccination tags, and wear I.D. tags at all times. No puppies under 4 months old are allowed. To learn more about Project Restore or its annual Howl-O-Ween Parade, visit the Project Restore Facebook page or www.project-restore.org. Lizzie Pannill Fletcher - Democratic Party: ENDORSEMENTS: The Houston Chronicle editorial board recommends... ALSO: Why do the candidate endorsements have star ratings? Houstonians can take it as a point of pride that the 7th Congressional District once was represented by none other than former Congressman George H.W. Bush. This year, voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots for a candidate who reflects the values once embodied by that long-ago politician someone who understands the district, is pro-business and represents the moderate wing of their party. That someone is Lizzie Pannill Fletcher. Rarely do we meet a first-time candidate so well prepared, so knowledgeable about the job, so right for the district. Fletcher, 43, has run an impressive campaign and garnered national attention for turning a solidly red district into a swing seat, and she did it by extolling the virtues of hard work, advocacy and cooperation. Fletcher clearly understands the heart of this wealthy, educated district which includes West University, the Galleria area, Meyerland, the Energy Corridor and parts of the Jersey Village and Cypress area. As an attorney she represented clients across the political spectrum and blazed a trail that shattered a glass ceiling as the first woman to make partner at the elite AZA law firm. At a time when plenty of Democrats and Republicans sprint for the partisan hinterlands, Fletcher has reclaimed the center. She opposes single-payer health care and backs offshore drilling. Her immigration policy models the bipartisan 2013 comprehensive bill that passed the Senate but didnt get a vote in the House. More than longtime Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. John Culberson, or even her opponents from the heated Democratic primary, Fletcher understands this diverse, changing district and has demonstrated a passion for putting its residents ahead of rank partisanship. No doubt, Culberson did his job after Hurricane Harvey. He used his position on the House Appropriations Committee to help transform an insultingly sparse White House recovery bill into an adequate funding package. As we said at the time, we dont want to imagine what would have happened after Harvey without Culberson in Congress. But Culbersons tenure in Washington didnt begin when the rain started to fall, nor did his responsibilities end after the floodwaters receded. Culberson was first elected to public office in 1986 and has rarely faced a serious challenger outside a Republican primary. It shows. His career has been spent promoting his own pet projects rather than serving the local needs of his home district. Thats why it took the greatest natural disaster in Houston history to compel him to act with necessary passion. Its not that Culberson doesnt care about water. He does. But most of the time, he seems to care a bit more about the water on Europa, an icy moon orbiting Jupiter, than he does the water in the Addicks and Barker dams. Or in our bayous. Or in our homes. Culberson has expended untold political capital trying to force NASA to send probes to Europa in search of alien life. Thats an admirable scientific mission, even if some planetary researchers think the limited resources could be better spent. Here on Earth, Houstonians can rest assured that Fletcher will prioritize human life over the extraterrestrial. That includes life-saving flooding policies that emphasize prevention over costly recovery. It also includes policies on guns and immigration fitting for the constituents of this district. By a margin of 60 percent to 35 percent, likely voters in the 7th support a federal ban on the sale of assault-style guns and high-capacity magazines, according to polling by The New York Times. By 55 percent to 39 percent, the district opposes an immigration bill that would cut down on legal immigration and fund a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Not only does Culberson fail to reflect these preferences in Washington, he doesnt even try to craft consensus. On immigration, Culberson has long supported a zero-tolerance deportation plan the sort of policy that inevitably splits mothers and kids. When he met with the editorial board, we tried to tease out some situation where Culberson might support discretion allowing local law enforcement agencies to prioritize the truly dangerous. Instead, Culberson argued that each immigrant undocumented parents with citizen children, Dreamer schoolteachers, Harvey heroes without proper papers should be rounded up by federal immigration if convicted of any crime, no matter how minor. Local police chiefs and others who dont comply should have their funding cut off. No surprise that Culberson was one of the few Congress members reported to have a friendly relationship with former White House Chief Strategist and alt-right leader Steve Bannon. Houstonians deserve a representative who considers health care and education more important than blood and soil. On firearms, Culberson is unwilling to consider reasonable regulations to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill. During their meeting with the editorial board, Fletcher said she believed that federal agencies like the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs should share information with the gun background check list to ensure that people deemed mentally incapable cannot purchase deadly weapons. Two times in the past three years I have woken up to hear theres a gunman in our congressional district who had mental illness issues randomly shooting people, Fletcher said. Culberson grew visibly agitated at the idea and argued that the only circumstance when someone should be prohibited from buying a gun is by a judicial order. When it comes to health care, only Fletcher has an articulable vision for bringing costs under control. She wants a public option to create a baseline safety net for all Americans and to allow the federal government to negotiate drug prices to bring down the cost of pharmaceuticals. Culberson, on the other hand, still doesnt have much beyond repealing Obamacare. Today, Texas 7th Congressional District is represented by a lifelong politician. That means seniority on key committees. It also means stagnancy, stubbornness and stilted policies. Houston is changing. Voters need a representative who can keep up. We thank Culberson for his service in the weeks after Harvey, but now it is time for someone new Lizzie Pannill Fletcher. The global air transport sector supports 65.5 million jobs and $2.7 trillion in global economic activity, according to new research released today by the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG). The report, Aviation: Benefits Beyond Borders, explores the fundamental role civil aviation plays for todays society and addresses the economic, social and environmental impacts of this global industry. Launching the report at the ATAG Global Sustainable Aviation Summit in Geneva, ATAGs executive director, Michael Gill, said: "Lets take a step back and think about how advances in air transport have changed the way people and businesses connect with each other - the reach we have today is extraordinary. More people in more parts of the world than ever before are taking advantage of safe, fast and efficient travel." About 57 per cent of the world's tourists travel to their destinations by air. Airfares today are around 90 per cent lower than the same journey would have cost in 1950 this has enabled access to air travel by greater sections of the population. "Moreover, there are over 10 million women and men working within the industry to make sure 120,000 flights and 12 million passengers a day are guided safely through their journeys. The wider supply chain, flow-on impacts and jobs in tourism made possible by air transport show that at least 65.5 million jobs and 3.6 per cent of global economic activity are supported by our industry." The report also looks at two future scenarios for growth in air traffic and related jobs and economic benefits. With an open, free-trade approach, the growth in air transport will support some 97.8 million jobs and $5.7 trillion in economic activity in 2036. However, if governments create a more fragmented world with isolationism and protectionist policies, over 12 million fewer jobs and $1.2 trillion less in economic activity would be supported by air transport. "By working with one another, learning from each others cultures and trading openly, we not only create a stronger economic outlook, but we also continue the conditions for peaceful interaction across the globe. Aviation is the key driver for this positive connectivity." Speaking about the release of the new report, the director general of Airports Council International, Angela Gittens, said: "Airports are crucial links in the air transport value chain that drive economic and social benefits for the local, regional, and national communities they serve. Airports act as catalysts for employment, innovation, and improved global connectivity and trade. In responding to the growing global demand for air services, airports in partnership with the wider aviation community are also taking a lead role in minimising and mitigating the environmental effects of aviation and pursuing sustainable development." Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation director general, Jeff Poole, said: "The provision of efficient, safe and cost-effective air traffic management is a key enabler to the benefits of aviation. Canso and its members are achieving this through new technologies (e.g. spaced-based surveillance, digitisation) and new procedures (e.g. air traffic flow management). However, states need to play their part by enabling harmonised airspace and investments in ATM infrastructure". Alexandre de Juniac, director general and CEO of the International Air Transport Association (Iata), said: "Airlines empower peoples lives and turbo-charge the global economy through a worldwide network that safely carries more than 4 billion passengers and 62 million tonnes of freight each year. In challenging political, economic and environmental times, the ability of aviation the business of freedom to sustainably connect cultures and spread prosperity beyond borders has never been more important." The director general of the International Business Aviation Council, Kurt Edwards, added: "All sectors of aviation contribute to the industry's benefits globally. The business aviation sector employs almost 1.5 million people around the world, contributes hundreds of billions of dollars to the global economy, and provides connections to and economic activity in remote regions and underserved locations. Business aviation allows businesses to thrive in small or medium-sized towns and to stay connected to the rest of the world. Often, business aircraft operations at a remote airstrip serve as the catalyst for economic development in small communities". - TradeArabia News Service Once again, its autumn weather after a summer of rare heat and high temperatures. We returned to Ireland on Monday, September 24 and found the chill had become sharp, and very crisp. An Irish autumn. The heart is warmed in Ireland at this time of year, and enjoying our temperate climate, although that too seems destined to change. Ireland has undergone incredible change in the past few decades. Some wonderful things have taken place, and many good changes have occurred. But alongside there are many where our sense of common sense has wilted enormously. Socially, were all operating at times in a vacuum of indecision. We hesitate when talking to any child. Fearful of even shaking hands or giving them a little money to spend, lest it would be interpreted as some sort of grooming. A man touching a lady is almost verboten and when it does happen, involuntarily, awkwardness is the end result, at least for a few seconds. Thankfully we havent entirely lost the sense of reason, so rarely does the act spark a response. But nonetheless, its surely taking political correctness too far when at normal everyday events people are reluctant to express themselves in a genuinely friendly, ordinary, fashion. I watched a nice, natural, act take place recently, when a good friend happened to put his arm around some lady in the friendliest and most sincere way, and she responded in like fashion. A normal interaction, on a normal night, in a normal place, being expressed by two genuinely sincere people. Both of whom, Id suggest, were positively moved by the exchange. Ireland is gripped by the great need to observe political correctness, but its hardly politically correct to stop shaking a childs hand who is in the care of parents, or to stop touching any person, of any sex, for fear of being accused of some leaning or other. What if a man hugs another, is that prone to being examined? Or if a girl hugs another girl, will that start the rumour mill rolling? Perish the thought that anyone would dare kiss anyone because that is likely to almost result in cries of assault! I think its very much time we considered our natural inclinations, and time to return to some level of interpersonal relationships that are part of what we are. Its all gone much too far. A little balance wouldnt go astray. A pair of multi-million dollar business expansions will bring dozens of new jobs to Sterling Heights, according to state and city officials. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation has approved a $950,000 performance-based grant for AGS Automotive Systems, which is investing $5 million in an expansion to its facilities and expected to add up to 100 new jobs. AGS Automotive Systems officials could not be reached late last week, but city officials anticipate the expansion the addition of machinery and equipment in the companys current footprint will take place primarily in 2019. I know they are anxious to get going, said City Manager Mark Vanderpool. Toronto-based AGS Automotive operates a 175,000-square-foot stamping, injection molding and manufacturing facility on Sterling Drive South, near 15 Mile and Mound roads, and another 360,000-square-foot facility on 18 1/2 Mile Road, according to the companys website. The firm is a supplier to General Motors, Chrysler Group LLC and several tier-one automotive suppliers, and has eight facilities in Canada and the United States. According to an MEDC memo, AGS Automotive needs to expand its capacity for a Fiat Chrsyler Automobiles (FCA) Jeep program that has been growing. The company had been considering investing at either the Sterling Heights location or its Cambridge, Ontario plant. The Canadian plant has open capacity and lower wage rates, compared to its counterpart in Sterling Heights. Incentive assistance in the former of the $950,000 grant will help offset the incremental costs associated with purchasing new equipment and machinery, David Kurtycz, businesses development project manager for MEDC, said in a memo. Kurtycz said the grant will assist AGS Automotive with its continued growth in Michigan and the higher cost of doing business in the United States. AGS Automotive has been in the automotive parts industry for more than 70 years, state records show. It formerly was known as A.G. Simpson Comp. until a restructuring in 2002, when it was acquired by J2 Management Cop. and then began operating as AGS Automotive Systems. The company has received performance based grants from the state in the past, in 2012 and 2017, for expansion projects that created 140 new jobs. The grants stipulate the company must hired additional employees or face having to repay the money. State officials say AGS Automotive has achieved its hiring milestones. Since the project involves the purchase of new equipment, a tax abatement is not a useful tool. Therefore, the city is prepared to help with talent attraction in support of the project. We are pleased that AGS continues to invest in our great community, Mayor Michael Taylor said in a news release. The continued financial investment reinforces that Sterling Heights is the most desired place to do business for advanced manufacturing. State Rep. Diana Farrington agreed. This grant will ensure new jobs are created and residents of Macomb County will have more career opportunities, said the Utica Republican. For information on the hiring process, visit agsautomotive.com/employment.cfm Meanwhile, Chardam Gear Company which builds gears and assemblies for the aerospace industry plans to invest more than $9 million in an expansion over the next year. Chardam has purchased property near their current site on Mound Road near 18 Mile for $1.5 million to construct a 15,500-square-foot building for manufacturing space. The company plans to spend $7.5 million in new equipment for its customers, which include aerospace, defense and the space industry. According to Vice President Kay Becker, the move may result in 20 new staff openings to its current roster of about 130 over the next two years. A 20-year-old man will face charges in court Tuesday after authorities said he sexually assaulted and choked a woman in Brookline Saturday morning. NBC10 reports a woman was sexually assaulted Saturday around 2:30 a.m. after she was grabbed by a man while walking home from a friend's house. The woman was walking on Commonwealth Avenue then grabbed on Thorndike Street, police say. The television station reports the man began to talk to the woman but she declined to have a conversation with him. CBS Boston reports the man grabbed the woman's keys and cell phone and started to walk away. The suspect, identified later as 20-year-old Mainor Edgardo Suazo Martinez, is accused of then grabbing the woman and forcing her into an alley. He allegedly sexually assaulted the woman and choked her, according to CBS Boston. Martinez faces kidnapping, assault with intent to rape and larceny charges in court. National carrier SriLankan Airlines has been named the "World's Most Punctual Airline" by global flight data analysis company Flightstats, a statement released by the airline said. SriLankan Airlines was selected under the key categories of "Global Airlines" and "Major Airlines", the data by Flightstats showed According to an analysis by Flightstats, 91.37 per cent of SriLankan Airlines flights were recorded as being on time in September. Flightstats analysed data of 41 carriers in the category of Global Airlines across every continent - Europe, North America, Asia, the Middle East, and South America including most of the worlds largest and most prestigious airlines. In the Global Airlines category, SriLankans punctuality was far ahead of the US-based carrier Delta Airlines, that was in second place with 86.74 per cent flights on time, while third place went to the Japanese airline ANA with 86.61 per cent on time. In the Major Airlines category, SriLankan was easily ahead of Indias IndiGo, that was in second place with 86.92 per cent of flights being on time, and ANA which was third. SriLankans exceptional performance came on the heels of the airline having launched its dynamic new Ready to Fly! programme at the beginning of September, to enhance its world-renowned customer service by providing increased punctuality levels of its flights around the world, the statement said. "SriLankans consistently high level of on-time performance is the result of a structured process that monitors and coordinates the performance of all departments and individual staff members responsible for various aspects of its operations, the airline said. "The degree of attention given for punctuality monitoring is infallibly high with zero tolerance for slips in the process," it added. - TradeArabia News Service Police are investigating four killings in three days in Boston, the latest coming Sunday morning in Mattapan. Boston police were called to the area of 18 Mildred Ave. in Mattapan around 2:30 a.m. Sunday for a report of a person shot. Officers found a man in his early 40s suffering from gunshot wounds. The victim was taken to local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The Mattapan shooting came within hours of a fatal shooting Saturday night, around 11:35 p.m., in Dorchester. Officers on patrol in the area of 528 Washington Street in Dorchester responded to a report of gunshots. A man in his early 60s was found with gunshot wounds. He died at a local hospital. "Officers initiated an investigation and determined that a male suspect had approached the victim, who was working at the gas station at the time and shot him during what appears to have been an attempted robbery," according to police. Authorities found the suspect in the shooting minutes later. He was identified as Kevin Williams, 21, of Dorchester. Williams was immediately arrested on assault with intent to murder, attempted robbery and a firearms charge. Additional charges are expected to be sought in connection with the killing. The Saturday fatal shooting was the second in Dorchester over the weekend. Officers were called to Alexander and Bird streets in Dorchester Friday around 6:48 p.m. after receiving reports of a person shot. Police located one man, who had a gunshot wound. The victim was taken to a local hospital. "While on scene, officers were directed to the area of 11 Emrose Terrace in Dorchester where a second male victim, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound, was located," police said. "The male, believed to be in his 20s, was pronounced deceased at the scene." A man in his 20s was also shot and killed on Massachusetts Avenue in Roxbury Friday morning. Officers headed to Massachusetts Avenue around 3:32 a.m. and found the victim, who had been shot. He died at a local hospital. All four killings remain under investigation. Boston Police Department ask is anyone with information to contact Boston Police Homicide Detectives at (617) 343-4470. ANDOVER - An 81-year-old man was seriously injured after a tree he was cutting down landed on him. The man had fallen face down and the tree pinned his arm and leg to the ground, Fire Chief Michael Mansfield said. When firefighters responded they found the victim conscious and speaking. Firefighters cut the man free from the tree and called for a helicopter to fly him to a Boston hospital for immediate care, Mansfield said. The victim went into cardiac arrest in the ambulance and medics were diverted to Lawrence General Hospital where he was revived. Medical personnel are working to stabilize him and he will then be flown to Boston, he said. The incident is under investigation, he said. CHICOPEE - Something didn't smell right in one Memorial Drive store recently. Police are now searching for a man accused of stuffing high-priced perfumes and colognes in his jacket and walking out of the store without paying, said Michael Wilk, police public information officer. The theft occurred on Sept. 18 at the Marshalls, 591 Memorial Drive, he said. The suspect was caught on video camera as he walked out of the door without paying. Anyone who can identify the man is asked to call the detectives at (413)594-1740, and reference case 4422, Wilk said. HOLYOKE -- As a volunteer parent advocate for 20 years, Jackie Yos said she has seen a lot of injustices in the Holyoke Public Schools -- from students being placed in special needs classes because of language barriers to parents feeling misunderstood by teachers and school administrators. Yos voiced her concerns Wednesday night during a meeting at Morgan Elementary School, where Jeffrey Riley, Massachusetts commissioner of elementary and secondary education, participated in a town hall meeting as part of a listening tour across the state. The meeting focused on the state of Latino education. "I have come to many of these meetings and it's always the same people saying the same thing. I believe the system has failed us," Yos said. "We need more bilingual teachers who are willing to work with our kids and our parents who do want to be involved but oftentimes don't know the language or are not made to feel comfortable going to their child's school." Stephen K. Zrike, state-appointed receiver in charge of managing the city's public schools, said the district has made a lot of strides in the past five years, but Latino students are still struggling. Of the 5,300 students in the district, 80 percent identify as Latino. Almost 45 percent of students speak a first language that is not English and 22 percent of students are identified as English language learners, Zrike said. After Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico last year, over 220 students registered in the schools with 150 remaining in the district. "We are the poorest district in the commonwealth and have the highest percent of homelessness in the state at 10 percent," he said. "We have worked hard to better serve our Latino students and we have seen important albeit incomplete progress." In the past five years, the graduation rate for Latinos has increased by nearly 20 percentage points from 47.5 percent to 66 percent, the annual dropout rate has fallen from 11.2 percent to 6.7 percent and 220 high school students -- a majority of whom are Latino -- are taking college courses at Holyoke Community College, Westfield State University and the University of Massachusetts. "This is far from good enough and there is tremendous work ahead of us to close the opportunity gap for Latino students in Holyoke," Zrike said. Holyoke City Councilor Gladys Lebron-Martinez asked administrators what they plan to do to establish stability in the district and parent engagement. "Parents do want change, but in less than 10 years we have had superintendents coming and going, and every time we start something new it is disrupted and we are not moving forward," she said. "It's a serious situation because parents have become disenfranchised and they don't believe in what the city is doing." Riley said he has a lot of experience working in urban environments like Holyoke. "Although I am the education commissioner now, I spent more than 25 years working primarily in urban areas like Lawrence and the Boston Public Schools, where my kids go," he said. "At the end of the day, what we are trying to get is fairness and for all our kids to maximize their abilities and talents. "Right now in Massachusetts, we are number one in the county on various metrics and test scores, but if you look closer at the data we are only number one for some, not for all," Riley said. He said students who are English language learners, are living in homelessness or have special needs are not achieving at the same level as students in the suburbs. "Our job is to figure out how all of your children can get what they need," he said. Riley said it's time to get back to basics. "We have done 25 years of education reform where we have spent a lot of time on systems and structures, on accountability and MCAS, and what I think we need to do is get back to what matters most, which is celebrating and supporting our teachers," the commissioner said. "They are the most important people that we have that can help our children, and we have to get back to focusing on that." Amanda Fernandez, CEO of Latinos for Education, the organization that coordinated the listening tour, said more communities have requested listening sessions. "This town hall was about addressing those challenges and ensuring Latino leaders are at the forefront of creating an equitable education for our students," said. Riley committed to coming back to Holyoke to meet with parents during the school year. A Massachusetts man is accused of going on a mini-crime spree over the span of a few hours Sunday after he allegedly robbed a gas station with a gun and tried to steal a car at knifepoint. The crimes began around 2 a.m. Sunday when the suspect, identified by police as 27-year-old Alfredo Rosa of Avon, robbed a gas station in Stoughton around 2 a.m. A few hours later, around 5:50 a.m., the Mansfield Police Department received a 911 call about a robbery at the Mobile gas station on Chauncy Street. "The clerk reported that he had just been robbed by a masked man brandishing a handgun," police said. "It was then reported that the man fled in a dark-colored vehicle." Officers saw the suspect's car as they headed to the robbery scene and tried to pull over the vehicle to no avail. Eventually, Rosa dumped his car and ran into the woods near I-495 south in Foxborough. Police from Mansfield, Foxborough and Massachusetts State Police troopers surrounded the area. A State police dog began to track Rosa in the woods. As police searched for Rosa, Foxborough received a call from a resident reporting an attempted carjacking. "The suspect produced a knife demanding the resident's vehicle but fled prior to any further altercation," police said. Foxborough police officers and State police troopers captured Rosa in the woods near the highway at gunpoint after receiving the 911 call. Rosa faces several charges in connection to the robberies including, armed robbery while masked, uttering threats to kill, unlawful possession of a firearm and motor vehicle charges. The Massachusetts State Police are refusing to release the recording of a 911 call placed in connection with a quadruple homicide in West Brookfield earlier this year, despite being ordered by the Secretary of State's office to do so. The state ordered the department to turn over the record to MassLive after determining that State Police had not met the agency's burden of explaining why the call should remain out of public view. Following an appeal process that has stretched for five months, the State Police did not turn over the record in the time allotted by public records law. After the deadline passed, a message from MassLive about the status of obtaining the 911 call was also ignored. The request pertains to a March 1 incident in which Sara Bermudez and her three children, 8-year-old Madison, 6-year-old James and 2-year-old Michael, were found dead in their home at 10 Old Warren Road in West Brookfield. A family member dialed 911 to alert police to the discovery of the grisly crime scene. MassLive filed a public record request seeking to obtain a recording or a transcript of the 911 call. The request was first sent to the office of Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr., the agency investigating the homicides, as well as to West Brookfield police. Neither department could fulfill the request because West Brookfield emergency calls are dispatched out of the regional center at the State Police academy. MassLive on March 7 forwarded the request to the State Police, who refused to release the record. Over the next several months, MassLive filed a series of appeals. With each appeal, the Secretary of State's office ordered State Police to better explain why the department refused to release the 911 call. The release of 911 calls to the public or press is not unusual. State Police continuously argued that the record was an investigatory material and that its release would have a negative impact on effective law enforcement. The department also contested that releasing the identity of the 911 caller would impede potential witnesses from reporting future crimes. The identity of the 911 caller has since become public. Ultimately, the Secretary of State's office determined on Aug. 22 that the State Police did not meet its burden of proof to support that argument. Massachusetts Public Records Law "Exemption F," which State Police cited with each appeal response, states that "investigatory materials necessarily compiled out of the public view by law enforcement or other investigatory officials the disclosure of which materials would probably so prejudice the possibility of effective law enforcement that such disclosure would not be in the public interest." The law also states that "[Exemption F] does not, however, create a blanket exemption for all records that investigative officials create or maintain." Public records law presumes that records created or maintained by state agencies are public with limited exemptions. Agencies are required only to provide records that already exist and are not required to create new documents to answer questions. Supervisor of Records Rebecca S. Murray indicated in several responses that while the State Police indicated the record was being withheld as a part of the ongoing homicide investigation, State Police did not fully explain why the exemption applied to the entire 911 call. An arrest was not made in the case until early September, after State Police were ordered to hand over the record. The Worcester District Attorney's office -- the agency leading the homicide investigation -- supported the decision to withhold the record. "Although, the Department indicates that the record is being withheld 'for the purpose of encouraging full participation by voluntary witnesses so that they will speak openly to law enforcement' and 'for the purpose of safeguarding the unsolved homicide investigation,' which it indicates is ongoing, the Department's response does not provide supporting information concerning how disclosure would compromise investigative efforts as required by Exemption (f)," Murray wrote in a July 2 response. Murray added: "The Department is reminded that any non-exempt, segregable portion of a public record is subject to mandatory disclosure." State Police still denied releasing the record, even with redactions. After each response from the Secretary of State's office, State Police took longer to respond than the 10 business days allotted by law. In one instance, the department took 20 days to respond. Additionally, the Secretary of State's office in its responses indicated in two responses that it too was unable to reach State Police to discuss the matter. "I understand a member of the Public Records Division staff contacted your office about this matter, but was unable to reach you prior to the issuance of this determination," wrote Murray in April and May responses to appeals. On July 26, State Police Staff Counsel Jenniffer P. Migliaccio issued a one-sentence response to Murray, which said that after "careful consideration" the department disagreed with her ruling and that it would not produce the record, pointing to the reasoning stated in previous responses. MassLive appealed again. In late August, the Secretary of State's office ordered State Police to provide MassLive with the record. "Given that the Department has not met its burden to explain how an exemption applies to the requested records, the requested records may not be withheld," wrote Murray in the Aug. 22 response. "Accordingly, the Department is ordered to review the records, redact where necessary, and provide [MassLive] with responsive records, provided in a manner consistent with this order, the Public Records Law and its Regulations within ten business days." The 10 business days came and went with no response from State Police. MassLive has continued to follow up with State Police in the weeks since, asking for the record. One of those requests was met with silence. In an email Tuesday, Migliaccio wrote that the department respectfully disagreed with the Secretary of State's decision and would not release the record. "A major flaw in our public records law is the lack of enforcement. The supervisor can issue an order demanding information be released, but ultimately that order can be ignored," said Justin Silverman, the executive director of the New England First Amendment Coalition, a group that fights for government transparency and public records access throughout the region. "This is a real disservice to citizens who must then go to court to get information they are entitled to under the law. Listening to 911 recordings allows the public to better understand how its law enforcement operates. Unfortunately, the state police are notoriously secretive and there's no easy way to force them to be more transparent." In 2015, Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc., a grassroots nonprofit organization, named the Massachusetts State Police as the winner of its third-annual Golden Padlock Award, which recognizes the most secretive U.S. agency or individual. Gov. Charlie Baker said Wednesday during an meeting with editors from MassLive and The Republican that he would look into the State Police's refusal to comply with the public records request and subsequent appeals by MassLive. "The important issue with respect to transparency when it comes to some of this stuff is to protect private citizens, not so much the public entity. And without knowing anything about what the rationale for this particular one is, I need to do a little homework," Baker said. "But as general rule on some of this stuff associated with law enforcement, there are private citizen issues involved in why some of that stuff doesn't get made public and I appreciate and understand that part of it. I don't think we're supposed to be getting in the way of providing transparency as it relates to what we're doing as agencies." Following the editorial board meeting, a member of his staff released a short statement Friday. "Governor Baker was pleased to sign legislation updating the Commonwealth's public record laws to improve access to executive branch records in 2016," wrote Sarah Finlaw, Baker's deputy communications director. "The State Police and the District Attorney's office have jointly determined that the 9-1-1 recording in question should not be released due to an ongoing criminal investigation." Finlaw's statement did not address the order from the Secretary of State's office on Aug. 22 calling on the State Police to release the 911 call. MassLive has successfully obtained recordings of 911 calls placed in connection to homicide investigations before. Last year, MassLive received 911 calls made in connection with a September 2017 Groton quadruple homicide after filing a public records request with the Middlesex District Attorney's office. The district attorney's office released the 911 calls to MassLive. That case was slightly different, as Orion Krause had already been arrested and charged with murder in connection to the four killings. As MassLive filed appeals for the West Brookfield 911 call, investigators had yet to arrest anyone for the killings. But in early September, a suspect was charged with four counts of murder, just as the deadline for State Police to hand over the 911 recording -- as ordered by the Secretary of State's office -- approached. Mathew Locke, the cousin of the Sara Bermudez's husband Moses Bermudez, was charged with four counts of murder on Sept. 5. A not-guilty plea was entered on his behalf at his arraignment in East Brookfield District Court. Locke had previously been charged with lying to police in connection with the investigation. Despite an arrest in the case, State Police still did not release the record. "Even though a suspect has been charged, the criminal prosecution is ongoing, and release of the 911 call - or any item or information with potential evidentiary value - could jeopardize the integrity of the investigation and prosecution," State Police spokesman David Procopio wrote in an email Tuesday. "Furthermore, the release of potentially evidentiary material in a post-arraignment extrajudicial setting is a violation of the code of judicial conduct (by which prosecutors, and by extension police agencies, are bound). Thus, for tactical reasons, as well as the rules governing public release of certain information outside of the judicial process, we are continuing to deny any media requests for a copy or transcript of the call." In its denials to release the record, State Police consistently argued that the release of the 911 caller's identity could deter potential witnesses and citizens from providing information to police in future investigations. MassLive asked State Police to redact the 911 caller's name to protect the caller's identity. However, in the time since, the 911 caller's identity has become public. Court documents detailing the arrest of Locke in connection with the killings state that Carlos Bermudez placed the call at 3:44 p.m. "Carlos Bermudez reported that he had located a female and three children deceased in the residence," a statement of facts on file in West Brookfield District Court read. Other 911 calls that have previously been released by authorities include the case of Jeffrey Yao, who allegedly carried out a fatal stabbing inside the Winchester Public Library in February. The Middlesex District Attorney's office widely distributed the 911 call recordings to members of the press in March. If State Police do not turn over the record as ordered, MassLive, as well as the Secretary of State's office, could refer the matter to state Attorney General Maura Healey's office. BOSTON -- Red Sox first baseman Mitch Moreland was removed from Game 2 of the ALDS Saturday night with right hamstring tightness, manager Alex Cora said. "He's down there in the treatment room," Cora said. "Tomorrow he'll go to Yankee Stadium, and get treatment and let's see if he's available for Monday." Cora said it's unlikely the Sox will remove Moreland from the ALDS roster, but that Sunday will determine their course of action with him. With righty Luis Severino likely starting Game 3 for New York, Moreland would likely get the start, if healthy. "I'm hoping so," Moreland said, asked if he thought he would play Monday. "Hopefully we caught it early enough. We'll see how it feels tomorrow." Cora thought exercising caution with Moreland was necessary considering his history of injuries. "We have to take care of him before it gets something worse," Cora said. "You know Mitch, he never wants to come out. He'll go out (to New York) and then he'll sprint somewhere and he probably could be worse." 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. by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, October 5, 2018 U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has called on Google to end development of its mobile app search project that would adhere to Chinas censorship requests to operate in the country and provide the ability to track someones internet searches. In a speech Thursday at the Republican National Lawyers Association, Pence ran through a long list of frustrations and grievances with Beijing and called on companies to reconsider their business practices. He pointed to the alleged theft of U.S. technology by China, which has been going on for years, at least since manufacturing moved into the country in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He said business leaders must think twice before entering the Chinese market "if it means turning over their intellectual property or abetting Beijings oppression." advertisement advertisement Google has been working on a project it calls Dragonfly," a mobile search engine that would adhere to Chinas strict censorship. The Wall Street Journal notes that this speech was the first public condemnation from the White House. Early on it was reported that the censorship will apply to Google image search, automatic spell check and suggested search features, among others. A new study used a model of seasonal affective disorder to find out why some people dont develop depression despite being genetically predisposed to it. The findings also shed light on potential new treatments for seasonal depression. Share on Pinterest Seasonal depression affects about 5 percent of the U.S. The National Institute of Mental Health estimate that over 16 million people in the United States, or 6.7 percent of the population, will have had more than one episode of major depression during the past year. A further 5 percent live with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), or seasonal depression. The symptoms of SAD are so similiar to those of depression that it can sometimes be hard to distinguish between the two. SAD, also known as winter blues, typically affects women. In fact, 4 in 5 people with the condition are women, and the reasons for this predisposition are likely to be genetic . However, while some people are genetically prone to the condition, they resist the environmental factors that might trigger it. So, new research set out to examine the neurobiology of SAD in an attempt to understand what it actually is that makes some people more resilient to developing depression. The new study was led by Dr. Brenda McMahon, of Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark, and the findings were published in the journal European Neuropsychopharmacology. October is going to be one of the most happening months for mobile enthusiasts because we're expecting many new top-tier phones to launch. A couple of years back, March used to be filled to the brim with launches at MWC Barcelona and all the big names tried to take down one another. Samsung's S-series has established itself as a leader and all OEMs are now focusing on improving their product and launching it at the end of the year. This way, they have an edge in analysing the market trend as well as the following holiday season helps in boosting sales. This year, the hype has been more about price sensitive phones like the POCO F1, Mi A2, Vivo X21, and the Nokia 7 Plus. Now, we are looking forward to seeing the flagship phones from makers like Google, OnePlus, LG, Nokia, and Razer. 1. Google Pixel 3: Since you guys keep asking... pic.twitter.com/DpRqzsyRem Evan Blass (@evleaks) September 21, 2018 There aren't too many secrets left to share about Google's upcoming Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL phones. Both devices have been leaked left and right, so we know the smaller Pixel 3 will have a notch-less screen, while the larger Pixel 3 XL will have a notch on top. The Pixel 3 is expected to have a single rear camera, while the front has a dual camera setup. The Pixel 3 XL will also have a similar setup and the duo will be powered by a Snapdragon 845 SoC, 4GB RAM, and 128GB storage. Google has started teasing or trolling, depends on your perspective, and things will go official on October 9. 2. OnePlus 6T: OnLeaks Continuing the same launch timeline, OnePlus has confirmed it will be launching the 6T by the third week of October. While the 'T' series phones from the company are supposed to have minor upgrades over the May flagship, rumours, and reports suggest OnePlus has some interesting new things coming up. This includes a much smaller water droplet style notch on the top, an in-display fingerprint scanner, and maybe, a triple camera setup on the back. These additions are sure to offend quite a lot of OnePlus 6 buyers, not just because a new and better flagship has been launched within 6 months, but because they are also removing the 3.5mm headphone jack. Yes, OnePlus intends to go the Apple way. 3. The Mystery 4X Samsung: Samsung Honestly, this is the phone I'm personally most excited about. The core reason being, Samsung has managed to keep the lid on, and everything we've heard about it so far is extremely unreliable. This is how phone launches are actually supposed to be, exciting, not leaked multiple times again and again. As far as the details are concerned, we are guessing it'll have a 4-camera setup on the rear. A much bigger guess can be a foldable phone, but that's a very big if. Samsung will be making everything official on October 11. 4. Razer Phone 2: Razer Phone 2 Razer too has scheduled a launch, nicely fitting between Google and Samsung. We know the new phone will be focused on gaming, (obviously!) and will also have a dual camera setup on the rear. Leaked renders of the phone suggest it will have sharp edges and slim bezels too. The Razer logo on the back will be glowing, and the phone will have a 6-inch AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz. We are also pretty sure the phone will be powered by a Snapdragon 845 SoC and will be backed by a 4500mAh battery. The phone will be launched on October 10. 5. Huawei Mate 20: Twitter/@rquandt The Mate series is typically the larger version of Huawei's flagship smartphone ranges, and this year's Mate 20 will feature the new Kirin 980 platform and make its debut on 16 October at an event in London. The Mate 20 series will continue with the premium design found on the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro, though it is likely to adopt waterproofing and the notch design of the P20 and P20 Pro. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Kotzias, will be travelling to Barcelona on Monday, 8 October to participate in the 3rd Ministerial Meeting of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Regional Forum. This years Meeting coincides with celebrations marking the tenth anniversary of the creation of the Union. Discussion will focus on addressing common challenges faced by Mediterranean countries, as well as on strengthening the dialogue aiming towards joint development of the region, with a positive environmental impact and a people-oriented nature. 28 EU Member States are due to participate in this years Meeting, along with 15 Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries. On the margins of the proceedings of the Meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs will hold a number of bilateral meetings with his counterparts. When the Senate confirmed Judge Brett Kavanaugh earlier in the weekend in spite of the sexual assault accusations against him, thousands across the country spoke out, both in favor and against the confirmation. Among them, Washington's officials took to Twitter and press releases to share their opinions on the nomination. Read their statements below: Sen. Patty Murray: With this vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh, Senate Republicans have once again failed women and survivors, abdicated the Senate's constitutional advice and consent role, and undermined the public's confidence in our nation's Supreme Court. I am disappointed, frustrated, and angry todaybut I'm more motivated than ever to get up tomorrow and keep fighting for the families I represent in Washington state and for the kind of country I know we can be. Twenty-seven years ago I watched the Anita Hill hearings with my daughter and got so mad at the way she was treated that I decided to run for the Senate, ignored everyone who told me I had no shot, and won. I had hoped we could have made more progress in the years since, but I am very confident that there are some women and girls watching the Senate these past two weeks who feel the way I did back then, who will channel that anger, and who will be joining me in Congress in the years ahead. Sen. Maria Cantwell: For generations, the United States Supreme Court has been an institution that affirmed the rights of Americans and moved our country forward, especially when we needed it most. I do not believe that Judge Kavanaugh would protect our hard-won rights and I'm concerned that he does not have a judicial philosophy that is in the mainstream views of America. ... It is a very sad day. President Trump promised to put a Justice on the court who would take away rights generations of Americans fought to secure. Now that Justice is on the bench. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers: With decades of experience as a public servant and jurist, I am confident that Justice Brett Kavanaugh will faithfully uphold the Constitution that we cherish as citizens of this great country, which is why I support the Senate's action to confirm him to the U.S. Supreme Court. However, now that we've reached the end of this dysfunctional and divisive confirmation process, I remain burdened by the political games that were played. We must find ways to heal and to come together as Americans. Many will want to continue to talk about the 'winners and losers' of this confirmation process I believe that 'us versus them' mentality will only further divide us, and I'm calling for that to end. RELATED: 'I believe': Christine Blasey Ford supporters gather in Seattle for mid-hearing rally Rep. Pramila Jayapal: Eleanor Roosevelt once said, 'We go ahead together or we go down together.' Today, it is clear the party of Donald Trump wants us to go down together, ramming through a Supreme Court nominee at the expense of the legitimacy of our highest court and public trust. They could have chosen another nominee. They could have let a full investigation find out all the facts. Instead, for the first time in our modern history, the Senate has confirmed an individual whose relevant documents were not released to the public and who has, at best, misled the Senate about his involvement in critical issues such as warrantless surveillance and past judicial confirmations. Worse still, this nominee has a giant asterisk next to his name around the multiple sexual assault allegations against him. In the end, his overt partisanship, belligerence and disrespect during his last hearings were shocking and made it clear that he is simply not fit to serve as a Supreme Court Justice. His confirmation, opposed by a plurality of the American people, undermines the reputation, credibility and, ultimately, the success of the highest court of this land. In the past week, at the White House's apparent direction, FBI investigators did not even speak to Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. I was moved to tears by her deeply credible and brave testimony. Her courage will continue to be an inspiration to survivors across the country. Judge Kavanaugh's confirmation today is, simply, a slap in the face to all the women across our country who simply have not been believed for so long. Today, to those survivors of sexual assault who are weeping and despondent, I send courage and strength. Do not lose hope. Your experiences are real, your pain and stories are part of the tapestry of injustice that only calls us even more strongly to work together for justice and rise uptogether. As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, I will do everything in my power to ensure full oversight and accountabilityno matter what the US Senate does today. We will never be deterred in the fight for justice that we can all believe in. Gov. Jay Inslee: Today's vote creates the most right-wing, partisan Supreme Court that America has seen in generations. It's a sad day for our judiciary branch when we put a committed Republican political operative on the highest court in the land. Under a new Kavanaugh court, the fight will take place in the states. Today's confirmation increases the stakes for governors' elections, making it even more important that we elect leaders at the state level who will stand up to protect our rights. On issues from women's health to the environment, from gerrymandering to LGBTQ equality, Democratic governors across the country can, and will, fight back against President Trump's attempts to roll back progress. RELATED: After Christine Blasey Ford's testimony calls to KC Sexual Assault Center increased 140 percent State officials have already been leading the way in fighting back against the Trump agenda. In 31 days, we have the opportunity to grow the ranks of Democratic governors and protect the residents of more states from the threat posed by this reckless President and his judicial overreach. It's clear that we can no longer count on our federal checks and balances to protect us, making it even more important that we elect Democratic governors who will. Today, the Senate votes, but on November 6th, we get to vote. I'm ready to vote, and millions of folks across American disgusted with the chaos coming out of Washington are ready to vote, too. Rep. Dan Newhouse: I congratulate Judge Kavanaugh on his bipartisan confirmation by the U.S. Senate as the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. I have no doubt that Justice Kavanaugh will faithfully and impartially consider decisions that come before our highest court for many years to come, and he will respect the limited role of government as defined in the Constitution. 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. Francis Ford Coppola's "Tucker: The Man and His Dream" was released in 1988 and it's just been released on Blu-ray and Digital 4K Ultra HD for the movie's 30th anniversary. It's based on the real-life story of inventor Preston Tucker, best known as the inventor of the Tucker gun turret, a device originally designed for an 100 mph armored combat car that the military rejected as too fast for the battlefield. A model of the Tucker Turret from the movie "Tucker: The Man and His Dream" (Lionsgate) He launched the Tucker Sedan automobile after the war and its radical design met resistance from other car manufacturers. He included a padded dashboard, safety glass in the windshields, seat belts and disc brakes, features considered outlandish in 1948 but have all become standard in modern automobiles "Tucker: The Man and His Dream" is, on the surface, a cheery Hollywood movie about a dreamer who struggles against narrow-minded business interests. Jeff Bridges gives one of his best performances and Christian Slater plays his son in one of his earliest movie roles. Tucker gets sued for securities fraud by the SEC (just like Elon Musk!) and the courtroom trial is the big showdown in the movie. There's another layer to this movie that makes it all more interesting. Francis Coppola's father was one of the investors in the Tucker corporation and he grew up loving the automobile, of which only 50 were ever built. He directed this film on the heels of the collapse of his self-contained San Francisco American Zoetrope. Here's the thing: Coppola was using radical new technology designed to increase the speed and lower the cost of traditional filmmaking. Both the studios and the craft unions were incredibly resistant to his ideas and fought the Zoetrope way. Guess what? Everything that Francis was trying to do is now standard operating procedure in the movie business. Technology may have advanced past what he was doing in 1980 but every single technique he was trying to introduce became the basis for the ways we make movies today. Both Coppola and this movie's producer George Lucas collected Tucker sedans and the minor success of the film introduced a new generation of collectors to one of the great American cars. Tucker may have never found success for his ideas, but he was right. Coppola was right about filmmaking. And this movie is a tribute to them both. How to use the mindat.org media viewer Click/touch this help panel to close it. Welcome to the mindat.org media viewer. Here is a quick guide to some of the options available to you. Different controls are available depending on the type of media being shown (photo, video, animation, 3d image) Controls - all media types Zoom in and out of media using your mousewheel or with a two-finger 'resize' action on a touch device. Use the mouse or your finger to drag the image or the view area of the image around the screen. < and > at the left and right hand side of the screen move forwards and backwards for the other images associated with the media you selected. Usually this is used for previous/next photo in a gallery, in an article or in search results. Keyboard shortcuts: use shift + the left and right arrow keys. < and > in the bottom center are used for switching between the photos of the same specimen. Keyboard shortcuts: use the left and right arrow keys. > in the bottom center, raises the information box giving details and further options for the media, < at the top of this box then hides it. Keyboard shortcuts: use the up and down arrow keys. ? opens this help window. Keyboard shortcuts: use the H key or the ? key. Other keyboard shortcuts: 1 Fit image to screen 2 Fill screen with image 5 Display at full resolution < Make background darker > Make background lighter space Hide/dim titles and buttons Scalebar If the field of view (FOV) is specified for the photo, the scalebar appears in the left bottom corner of the viewer. The scalebar is draggable and resizeable. Drag the right edge to resize it. Double click will reset the scalebar to it's default size and position. If the scalebar is in default position, double click will make it circular. Controls - Video Video files have a standard set of video controls: - Reset to start, - Skip back, - Play, - Pause, - Skip forwards. Keyboard shortcuts: You can stop/start video play with the P key. Controls - Animation (Spin Rotation) Animation (usually 360 degree spin rotations) have their own controls: - enable spin mode. Note that while images are loading this option will not be available but will be automatically activated when the animation has loaded. Once active you can spin the image/change the animation by moving your mouse or finger on the image left/right or by pressing the [ or ] keys. The button switches to move mode so that you can use your mouse/fingers to move the image around the screen as with other media types. The button, or the P key will start playing the animation directly, you can interrupt this by using the mouse or finger on the image to regain manual movement control. Controls - 3D Stereoscopic images If a stereoscopic 3D image is opened in the viewer, the 3D button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "3D settings" menu. The 3D images can be viewed in several ways: - without any special equipment using cross-eyed or parallel-eyed method - with stereoscope - with anaglyph glasses. - on a suitable 3D TV or monitor (passive 3D system) For details about 3D refer to: Mindat manuals: Mindat Media Viewer: 3D To enable/disable 3D stereo display of a compatible stereo pair image press the 3 key. If the left/right images are reversed on your display (this often happens in full-screen mode) press the 4 key to reverse them. Controls - photo comparison mode If a photo with activated comparison mode is opened in the viewer, the button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "Comparison mode settings" menu. Several layouts are supported: slider and side by-side comparison with up to 6 photos shown synchronously on the screen. On each of the compared photos a view selector is placed, e.g.: Longwave UV . It shows the name of currently selected view and allows to select a view for each placeholder. Summary of all keyboard shortcuts Fashion and beauty magazines have been considered the bible of style for decades, but now vloggers and bloggers are the new sheriffs in town. Magazines like Vogue adhere to journalistic standards when they talk about brands and designers unlike bloggers who may be getting paid unbeknownst to you for posts and promotions. But high fashion mags lack in diversity and bloggers are known to serve marginalized groups. Who do you trust for style and beauty advice? PERSPECTIVES Working at a fashion magazine is a real job that requires credentials. Writers and editors typically hold degrees and portfolios, and they are held to journalistic standards. Which means they don't frivolously promote a brand or the designer, unlike fashion bloggers who can promote whatever they please. Fashion mags have also diversified themselves since their inception. Once criticized for only depicting unrealistic standards of beauty, they are now praised for examining political and social issues, and carving out their own voices. According to The Atlantic: When taking advice from your favorite fashion blogger, you should be aware of their motives. Some bloggers are simply promoting an item because they were paid and unlike magazines, they aren't obligated to inform their readers or viewers the post is paid. Fashion bloggers fill the gap fashion mags miss. Anyone with a camera can become a fashion blogger. It opens up the door for women and men of all shapes, sizes and colors to express their styles and inspire those who fashion mags neglect. Supermodel Naomi Campbell even spoke out about the lack of diversity at fashion giant Vogue. Vogue recently named Edward Enninful as the first black editor-in-chief of British Vogue. While this is a milestone for the brand, Campbell still criticized the lack of diversity with the rest of the staff. According to The Guardian, the model spoke on the issue in a social media post: The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, we'd love to hear what you have to say. ANN ARBOR, MI - Luis Gonzales empathizes with University of Michigan students who perceive the voting process as an inconvenience. After all, he used to be one of them. After a stint serving in the military, though, Gonzales says he better recognizes the importance of taking part in his civic duty. "Having been in the service, I've seen a lot of countries that don't have the right or the ability to voice who they want to speak on their behalf," said Gonzales, 29, who spent a few minutes taking time to register as a voter in Ann Arbor inside the Ford School of Public Policy. "You come back to America and you realize this is a privilege that we have. People take it for granted." Gonzales was able to change his voter registration address from his hometown of Holland, Mich., in a matter of minutes thanks to a kiosk inside the Ford School for The Big Ten Voting Challenge. The initiative aims to increase the number of eligible student voters across the country and encourage participation at the polls for all elections. UM is one of 14 Big Ten institutions participating in the challenge, attempting to bring midterm election voting participation rates up. During the 2014 midterm election, just 14 percent of UM students who were eligible voted, compared to 44.7 percent during the 2016 election. The voting challenge, which pits Big Ten universities against each other in friendly competition, is just one of the numerous efforts on campus to get more students eligible to vote prior to the Oct. 9 voter registration deadline. UM President Mark Schlissel announced the university was participating in the challenge last September. Following the 2018 election, trophies will go to two universities - the one with the highest eligible voter turnout and the one with the most improved turnout. UM also has streamlined the registration process for students with its Ginsberg Center partnering with TurboVote. The online program allows students to sign up to receive election reminders, get registered to vote and apply for their absentee ballot. Ginsberg Center Director Dave Waterhouse said the center did a scan of the campus prior to the 2016 presidential election and noticed there was no group providing a leadership role to help organize students to vote and educate them on the issues. "We've stepped into that space of helping students understand the issues and understand how certain offices might impact them as students," Waterhouse said. Students at UM face some unique challenges other voters in Michigan don't, Waterhouse said, including the state's law that you need to either register in-person or vote in-person the first time you vote. Other students need to determine whether they should register to vote on campus with a short-term address or keep the address from their hometown, if they feel the need to vote on issues that impact them back home. For students who aren't yet registered to vote, Waterhouse said the Secretary of State's Mobile Office will be on campus Monday, Oct. 8, inside the Michigan League. Students also have played a part in ramping up those efforts during this election cycle, including the Turn Up Turnout student group. Started by UM professor Edie Goldenberg, the nonpartisan group's goal is to increase voter registration and turnout among 18- to 24-year-olds by helping fill out voter registration forms, helping acquire absentee ballots and involving graduate students in the process as volunteers. Turn Up Turnout volunteer and Ph.D. candidate Logan Woods said students at UM face somewhat unique challenges as election time approaches, with many participating in their first election. "One of the hurdles is it's a mobile population, so they move around a lot and their addresses change frequently," he said. "They constantly need to update their information. Another hurdle is requesting absentee ballots and making sure that ballot requests and registrations are done on time, because states have such different deadlines and requirements." First-year master's student Meghan Linder had previously registered to vote in the 2016 election as a resident of Chicago. When she moved to Ann Arbor to attend school, she didn't think she would be eligible to vote in the state without a Michigan driver's license. Being able to register locally, as Linder did Thursday, has given her a great sense of purpose as the Nov. 6 election approaches. "I think it's very different voting in Michigan - which is a swing state - versus Illinois, where every single election, whether I voted or not, I knew exactly how it would go," Linder said. "I really wanted to vote somewhere I knew my vote would actually count. With the political climate we have now, I think everyone getting out to vote is more important now than it ever has been with the country being so divided." Linder believes students are viewing politics differently following a contentious 2016 election cycle, while current events like the hearing for prospective Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh have galvanized potential voters leading up to Nov. 6. Making the process of getting registered more visible and accessible, she said, can only help students get more involved in doing their civic duty. "It's very easy to say: 'Oh, this doesn't affect me, I'm in college, it's a bubble,'" she said. "I think a large portion of it is just accessibility," Linder said, referring to the challenges students face. "I'm new here to Michigan in general. I don't know where my polling place is. Being out of state, I didn't think I could even vote in Michigan." From the governor's race to Proposal 2 to the vote to legalize recreational marijuana, there is a lot at stake during this year's midterm, UM graduate student Taylor Lascko said, making this election cycle particularly intriguing. Lascko, a native of Muskegon who earned her undergrad degree from Michigan State, took a few minutes Thursday to change her address to vote in Ann Arbor. Admittedly, Lascko said it can be difficult for students like her to participate in the voting process when they already have "tunnel vision" once a new academic year starts. The vote to legalize recreational marijuana in Michigan, she said, might create increased interest on the Ann Arbor campus. "I know that's something a lot of people are interested in participating in that vote for," she said. "Especially on a college campus, whether you're for or against it, it's an issue people feel really strongly about. That's something that might encourage more people to get out there." BAY CITY, MI -- The owners of a popular Italian restaurant in Bay City are looking to pass on their aprons to a buyer who will continue with the restaurant's legacy or cook up their own. Nino's Family Restaurant offers Italian dishes, wines and customer service to make you feel like you're a part of the family, said co-owner Liliana Hintz. The business, 1705 Columbus Ave., opened Wednesday, Oct. 3, after its usual summer hiatus. Hintz and her husband, Ron Hintz, bought the restaurant in 1981 and have worked diligently to craft a menu for the eatery. After putting in decades of hard work, the couple is ready sell their business and retire. The business is listed for sale through Century 21 for $500,000. The 4,055-square-foot building comes with a full kitchen, two patios, a two-bedroom apartment and a two-bedroom bungalow home. The restaurant can seat 200 people. The business was highlighted last year when it was voted one of the 10 best Italian restaurants in Michigan by MLive's Michigan's Best search. "We bought the place from my uncle, but it used to be a lot different than it is now," said Liliana Hintz. "It used to be just this one room, and there was just mostly pizza and sandwiches and no alcohol." Hintz said she and her husband are willing to stay and work with the new owners to give them a crash course on how to run the business. Hintz, a native of Palermo, Sicily, traveled to Bay City in her 20s to work for her uncle. Hintz said while working there she met her husband who was then a sergeant with the Bay City Police Department. Nino's had humble beginnings, and had a difficult time trying to stay afloat as "the economy went down," Hintz said. "We had a different clientele, different hours and times were tough. In 1981, the economy started going down," said Liliana Hintz. "Bay City went from 55,000 population and now we're down to 33,000. Chevrolet laid off over 300 families here locally. It was harder to pay the bills." Customers shuffled in as Hintz reminisced how much the family went through to make the business successful. The long hours worked for a while as they served lunch and bar-goers, but operating for long hours was only a temporary fix. "I started making new dishes and passing it out to the customers and at first they were hesitant. Eggplant back then in 1981 was not going well, neither was artichoke hearts," said Hintz. The eggplant parmesan and carbonara are two of the most popular dishes today. The most expensive dish on the menu is the veal for about $20. As the restaurant's customer base grew, so did the restaurant. In 1988, business was booming and a line of hungry customers would wrap around the building waiting to get a seat inside the uniquely decorated eatery. To accommodate the growing customer base, an addition called the "Cork Room" was built on. Framed corks decorate the walls of rectangular space. Empty bottles of Chianti, a dry wine imported from Italy, sit at each table masked with several layers of colorful melted wax. And empty bottles of the wine hang on the walls and borders of the ceiling, marked by customers celebrating special occasions like marriage proposals. Hintz said wine wasn't always this popular. In fact, the distributor tried to convince her to take it off the menu, because it didn't sell well. "Nobody knew what Chianti was. In one year, we didn't sell two bottles. The wine company tried to talk me into taking it off the menu. I said 'no.' This is our number one seller in Italy," Hintz said. The abstract centerpiece became a conversation starter and bottles of the wine started to sell. Hintz said the couple's biggest motivation to retire is for family. Hintz's 80-year-old mother lives in Italy and her children reside in Florida. "If it wasn't for the customers, we wouldn't be here," Hintz said. "Obviously, It's not just about us. It's for the customers." The business is open 4 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and 4 p.m. - 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. To see the full listing, visit here. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- "Children who start ahead stay ahead." That's the abbreviated pitch for the early childhood millage Kent County voters will decide on Nov. 6. The "Ready by Five Early Childhood Proposal" asks voters to approve a six-year millage of 0.25 that would raise about $5.7 million each year for the purpose of "providing planning, evaluating, and providing early childhood development services to persons up to age 5 and their parents," the ballot question reads. The millage would cost a homeowner with a $150,000 house about $18.75 per year. It would capture roughly $32 million over the whole six-year period from 2019 through 2024. The proposal was spearheaded by non-profit First Steps Kent. It was OK'd for the ballot in June by Kent County commissioners with a vote of 13 in favor and five opposed. When First Steps brought the proposal to county officials, the group sought a 0.5-mill levy. A subcommittee later trimmed it to a 0.25-mill levy, but some commissioners argued it should be higher. Stan Ponstein was one of five commissioners who voted no to placing the measure on the ballot. He said taxpayers are paying enough already. The solution to education isn't putting more money into it, it's prioritizing where that money goes, he said. "What we're doing is not working," Ponstein said. "Throwing more money at it is not going to improve the outcomes that we desire." If approved, the funds would be managed and overseen by an independent nonprofit. An "independent allocation council" would distribute the funding, according to First Steps. The proposal seeks to ensure that every child in the county under age 5 has access to "community-based programs, such as in-home support, visiting nurses, developmental screenings for all children, early learning and programs that support parents, not replace them," the proposal website reads. Some of the issues proposed to screen for are autism, speech or hearing impairments and learning disabilities. According to a study by First Steps, nearly half of all Kent County children under five eligible for health and school readiness programs are not able to receive them, due to lack of space. The study points to a lack of funding as the reason. "Investing in early childhood programs saves money and returns better outcomes for health, education and employment in the long run, which is why it's in our community's best interest to invest in Kent County's youngest children," Lew Chamberlin, co-chair of the First Steps Commission, said in a statement. "By passing the Ready by Five Early Childhood Proposal, we can ensure every child in Kent County has access to the resources they need to be healthy and ready to succeed." First Steps first floated the millage is 2016 but later scrapped it, pledging to gather more grassroots support and return in 2018. According to First Steps, no other county in Michigan has a dedicated property millage to support early childhood services. BARRY COUNTY, MI - A 59-year-old woman died Sunday morning after a mini-van she was traveling in hit a tree and rolled over, according to the Barry County Sheriff's Office. The woman's name and hometown have not been released by the sheriff's office. The incident remains under investigation. Deputies were dispatched at around 3:52 a.m. Sunday to East Cloverdale and Guy roads in Maple Grove Township on a report of a single vehicle crash, according to a news release issued by the sheriff's office. Investigators said they believe that a 2003 Chevrolet Venture mini-van driven by a 25-year-old man was traveling east on Cloverdale when the vehicle left the roadway, struck and tree and rolled over, the release reads. The 59-year-old woman was a passenger in the vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The 25-year-old male driver was injured and taken to an area hospital for treatment. The sheriff's office did not disclose the nature of his injuries. Barry County Sheriff's Deputies were assisted by the Michigan State Police, the Nashville Police Department, Nashville and Mercy EMS, Nashville Fire Department, and Barry County Central Dispatch. NORTON SHORES, MI - A growing warehouse automation manufacturer will invest about $2.5 million in a briefly vacant industrial building in Norton Shores. TGW Systems will move its Norton Shores operations, currently on Grand Haven Road, to 1300 E. Mt. Garfield Road in Norton Shores. The move will begin this month, said Alex Ruch, TGW director of human resources. The 170,000-square-foot facility was occupied by Wacker Neuson. The company closed the plant in July and moved out of the state, according to a previous news release. Austria-based TGW recently purchased the plant and will immediately begin a 20,000-square-foot office expansion to accommodate its engineers and support staff, according to a tax abatement application filed with the city of Norton Shores. TGW was attracted the building because it can be expanded to three-times its current size, Ruch said. The company has been in the area for 37 years and has 260 employees, according to the application. It does not expect to add employees because of the expansion. On Tuesday, Oct. 2, the Norton Shores City Council approved a 12-year, 50 percent tax abatement related to the $2.5 million project, said City Manager Mark Meyers. Even with the abatement, the city initially will receive $6,888 in additional taxes, according to city documents. In the first year, TGW is expected to pay $40,224 in new property taxes to all jurisdictions. The investment includes $169,815 in land improvements and $2,346,424 in building improvements, according to the application. "It will help offset the cost of the move and the development cost to manufacture equipment that previously has been imported from Austria," the application says of the abatement. The company expects to add another 100,000-square-foot manufacturing expansion in the next five years "if the market for warehouse automation remains strong," according to the application. The city council also approved a tax abatement transfer for TGW, Meyers said. Wacker Neuson was granted a 12-year, 50 percent abatement 10 years ago when it invested $7.1 million in the property. The remaining two years of the abatement - about a $14,231 discount on city property taxes annually - will be applied to TGW. Transferring tax abatements to new owners is common, Meyers said. "It still serves as an incentive to remain in the community," he said. "They outgrew their space and could have chosen to relocate elsewhere out of the county or out of the state. This provides an incentive to remain. There's certainly value there." As of January, TGW had about 385 employees in West Michigan between plants in Norton Shores and Grand Rapids. The acquisition of the new building doubles the size of the company's U.S. manufacturing footprint, according to a previous news release. TGW has a lease on the Grand Haven Road building through 2020 and hopes to rent it out starting in spring 2019, Ruch said. Punjab National Bank | PNB, the second largest of the 17 public sector banks, has written off Rs 44,565.59 crore as technical write-offs in a four-year period starting FY17. As against these write-offs, the bank managed to recover just Rs 12,027.97 crore, data obtained by Velankar under the Right to Information (RTI) Act revealed. (Image: PTI) live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Ruling out possibility of inorganic expansion, Punjab National Bank (PNB) Managing Director Sunil Mehta said the bank is currently focussed on internal consolidation and making it financially healthy. With Rs 14,000 crore Nirav Modi episode getting out of scene, the bank is focussing on growth and recovery of bad loans, he told PTI in an interview. The bank has registered credit growth more than the industry average, and appreciating the pace of recovery, the government has decided to provide Rs 5,431 crore capital support. "You are fully aware that Financial Services Secretary has said that they are giving this capital (Rs 5,431 crore) for growth. PNB is the second largest public sector bank and we are poised for the growth," he said. Asked if the PNB is going to acquire some other public sector banks, Mehta said "there is nothing on the cards from our side". On a question that if some amalgamation proposal comes to the bank, he said, "it would depend upon different circumstances. Right now we are focussed on internal consolidation and we are not aspiring for any inorganic expansion". Last month, the government announced the merger of Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank to create the country's second-largest public sector bank by assets and branches. Following this, the respective boards of these banks accorded in-principle approval for amalgamation. Post-merger, the asset size of the new entity would be over Rs 14.5 lakh crore. The combined business of the amalgamated entities will make it the country's second-largest public sector bank. While announcing the merger, Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Kumar had said the merged entity will have better financial strength. Dena Bank's net NPA ratio will be at 5.71 per cent, significantly better than public sector banks' average of 12.13 per cent, Kumar had said, adding that the provision coverage ratio would be at 67.5 per cent against the average 63.7 per cent. The cost to income ratio of the combined entity will come down to 48.94 per cent, compared with the average 53.92 per cent. The amalgamation of the three banks will be through share swap, which will be a part of the scheme of merger. The logo of Foxconn, the trading name After a gap of two years, Taiwanese electronics contract manufacturing company Foxconn has reinitiated talks with the Odisha government to set up a mobile manufacturing unit in the state. As per a Business Standard report, top company executives at the electronics giant recently held discussions with Odisha Principal Secretary (industries) Sanjeev Chopra. The company, which is known for assembling iPhones, is yet to specify its proposed manufacturing plan and the capital it wants to invest in the project. The Odisha government on the other hand, is looking for potential companies that would set up manufacturing units for mobile devices and other gadgets in the state. Talks about the project initially started in June 2016, when the company had identified a coastal site in Odisha to manufacture cellular handsets. However, the plan is believed to have not materialised. The government is reportedly looking to take matters forward after meeting with the company's top executives. It could also send a delegation to Foxconns Chennai unit. The delegation will visit and study the ecosystem of the facility. On the basis of which, it would make an assessment of the best incentives that can be offered to the company for setting up a plant in the state. Foxconn had in 2015 announced an investment of $5 billion to set up a manufacturing unit to produce mobile phones and allied components in Odisha. The proposal was expected to help create 50,000 jobs by 2020. At present, Foxconn India manufactures televisions as well as Xiaomi and Nokia-branded mobile devices at its plants in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Exchange traded fund / Sell usd frsrallphlaurenspoloshirtssale.info For example, the OIH is an oil ETF that follows the OSX oil Index.Exchange-Traded Fund A security that represents all the stocks on a given exchange. The Centre is planning to move its disinvestment programme overseas with an exchange traded fund (ETF), according to a report by The Times of India. The plan will help the government meet its FY19s divestment target of Rs 80,000 crore. An exchange traded fund is similar to a mutual fund, which comprises of a bundle of shares or bonds. The report suggests that the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) has already started exploring markets even as the plan may require regulatory tweaks. Details are yet to be worked out but we are exploring the option along with an ETF for central public sector enterprises, sources told the newspaper. The ongoing volatility in the domestic equity markets has forced the government to postpone its planned stake sales and some of the initial public offerings (IPOs). The government has to reduce its stake in several listed companies to 75 percent to comply with Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) norms. It is also expected to go slow on its proposed stake sale in Axis Bank. The Centre was planning to raise Rs 7,000 crore by selling 4 percent of its stake in Axis Bank by early November. Answer: Inox live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Multiplex operator Inox Leisure will continue to add 50 to 60 screens every year and scout for inorganic growth opportunity in the segment as part of its growth journey, said a top company official. Besides, the company is also looking to complete a pipeline of around 800 screens in next couple of years, which it has signed across the country. "We are growing at very fast pace... We are opening 50 to 60 screens every year and apart from that we already have more than 800 screens already signed with us. In the next couple of year, we would be able to open these 800 screens. We have a very robust pipeline," Inox Leisure CEO Alok Tandon told PTI. Inox Leisure presently operates 529 screens in 66 cities. The company, which has so far acquired brands as Calcutta Cinema Private (CCPL) (2006), Fame India (2010) and Satyam (2014), is open for more such inorganic growth opportunities in coming future for expansion in regional markets. "We are quite open for any opportunities (inorganic growth) which comes in our way," Tandon said, adding "We were the first in the industry to start merger and acquisition in the cinema exhibition industry here.... we have already done three acquisitions till now". Inox Leisure had a revenue of Rs 1,348.12 crore in FY 2017-18. Like other multiplex chains, the Gujarat-based movie exhibition company is also witnessing an increase in contribution from the food & beverages segment in its revenue and expects this trend to continue. "Our Q1/FY 2018-19 F&B was about 26 percent. If we compare quarter to quarter, Q1FY18 and Q1FY19, it was 22.8 percent in Q1FY18. Also in Rupee term, average spend per head on food has gone up," he said. According to him, average spend per head on food in Q1 FY19 was at Rs 76 as compared to Rs 65 in Q1 FY18. On being asked as whether Inox has any plans to foray into foreign territories, Tandon said that Inox would concentrate on the Indian market, which is an under-screen market. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Non-banking finance company Aavas Financiers is set to debut on the bourses on October 8. The retail, affordable housing finance company, primarily serves low and middle income self-employed customers in semi-urban and rural areas in India. The final issue price has been fixed at the higher end of the price band at Rs 821 per share. The Rs 1,734-crore public issue managed to garner 97 percent subscription during September 25-27. Though anchor investors pumped in Rs 520 crore, the issue (excluding the anchor investors' portion) failed to get fully subscribed. Market experts told Moneycontrol that despite the company's strong financials and its business model differing from other NBFCs, the real reason behind the tepid response was: 1) Wrong timing, given the weak market sentiment; and 2) Fears emanating the IL&FS crisis which weighed on NBFC stocks, including housing finance companies. As a result, they expect the listing to be at sharp discount to its final issue price. "Looking at the current market scenario and deteriorating valuations of listed HFCs, Aavas Financiers may list at a discount of 15-20 percent lower," Prashanth Tapse, AVP Research at Mehta Equities, said. "We expect the stock to trade below its issue price in the short term till the market settles." Astha Jain, Senior Research Analyst at Hem Securities, pegs the discount a tad lower at 10 percent from its issue price. Aavas Financiers was demanding a FY18 price-to-book (P/B) multiple of four times compared to sub-three times that of its listed, larger peers. Its FY18 price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple stood at 69 times as against 20-40 times for its peers. Tapse said the issue was aggressively priced given the intense competition, regional concentration of its loan portfolio and choppy stock market condition. Tapse and Jain both advise investors to exit on the listing day itself, even if it lists below Rs 800 per share, as it looks overvalued at the current juncture. Raju Barnawal, Research Analyst at Arihant Capital Markets, recommends selling on listing. He feels the best time to enter the counter is at 2-3.5 times book.Experts feel valuations will get comfortable when it starts trading around Rs 600 levels. "Those who want to enter the stock can enter if it is available around Rs 550-600 levels after listing," Jain said. Tapse feels better and lower valuations would be available around Rs 650 levels. Barnawal feels the company looks attractive for the longer term. "It has seen 78 percent compounded annual loan growth over the last four years, best assets quality among its peers and a cost effective asset liability management. Yuvraj Choudhary, Analyst - Institutional Equities at Anand Rathi Share & Stock Brokers, said Aavas Financiers large dependence on bank borrowing and non-convertible debentures in the current tight liquidity, high interest and low risk appetite scenario may result in rapid liability build-up and thereby cooling down of loan growth. This would impact earning and book value growth of the company and thereby make the stock look more expensive on forward multiple basis than what most investors envisaged a month back." live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Footwear maker Relaxo is eyeing about 25 percent growth in turnover to Rs 2,500 crore this fiscal as it expands its retail network and introduces new products to tap the country's youth population. The company also plans to open 50 standalone outlets in the current fiscal, taking total count to over 350 stores. "Relaxo has been growing at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20 percent in the last five years. We are targeting turnover of Rs 2,500 crore in this financial year. We are increasing our retail distribution network ...we plan to add to 50 stores this year," Relaxo Assistant Vice President-Marketing Rajeev Bhatia told PTI. The company had reported 18 percent growth in turnover to Rs 2,000 crore in the previous fiscal. The company, which had been expanding its retail network through company-owned stores, has adopted a franchise route for store expansion. Going forward, new outlets will be a mix of company-owned and franchised stores, he added. The Delhi-based firm, which had gone in for new brand identity by changing its logo, said this change has helped it connect with youth customers. Bhatia said the company has reworked its offerings by introducing brands and products targeting the younger population. Presently, Relaxo's key brands include Relaxo, Sparx, Flite, Bahamas and School Mate, in which Sparx and Bahamas are youth-oriented brands. The company has 9 manufacturing units and has a presence in 30 countries and accounts for 5 percent of its total turnover. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah on October 6 said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has given Rs 2,11,000 crore to farmers since 2014 and it was working with a resolve to double farmers' income. He was addressing a gathering in Jaora, which despite being in Ratlam district, is close to Mandsaur town where six farmers were killed in police firing in June last year. "In his address after forming the government in 2014, the prime minister had said that the poor and farmers are close to his heart. With this theme in mind, his government has done many works for them. It has also constituted a chief ministers committee for the purpose and Madhya Pradesh chief minister is its chairman," Shah said while addressing a farmers meet here. Shah said, "The Modi government has allocated Rs 2,11,000 crore for farmers' welfare during 2014- 2019 (including the 2018-19 Budget)." Taking a jibe at Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for raising farmers' issues, Shah asked, "What did the UPA government do when it was in power?" After the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power, maximum agriculture production has taken place, Shah said, adding that now it was not middlemen who were purchasing farm produce. Shah claimed that the Modi government had doubled the minimum support price (MSP) of Rabi and Kharif crops in the country. Praising MP CM Chouhan, Shah said the latter is the son of a farmer and therefore knew their pain and listens to their problems. "Those who have never touched soil are talking about farmers," he said, in an apparent swipe at Gandhi. Shah also said that all round development took place, including laying of a strong road network and improvement in financial condition of farmers, in MP under Chouhan. Chouhan, while addressing the gathering, said the government had put Rs 32,701 crore into the account of farmers to mitigate their problems. Earlier, police arrested activists, allegedly of Karni Sena and Mahavir Sena, for protesting against amendments in SC/ST Act as well as reservations. Similar arrests were also made in Ujjain and Indore during Shah's visit. Congress The Congress will have to be "most accommodating" and give respect and support to the smaller parties for a "true rainbow coalition" to emerge, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) vice-president Jayant Chaudhary said October 7. He, however, expressed confidence that a series of state-specific alliances, where like-minded parties would come together on an anti-BJP platform, was likely for the 2019 general election. "Farm distress will be a key issue in our campaign," Chaudhary told PTI in an interview. RLD candidate Tabassum Hasan, who was supported by the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress, had triumphed over her Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rival in the Kairana bypoll earlier this year and the Ajit Singh-led party has been advocating a "grand alliance" in Uttar Pradesh to take on the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Chaudhary, the son of RLD president Ajit Singh and the grandson of former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, said both he and his father will contest the 2019 election. However, he added that the constituencies would be announced later. On the BSP's decision to go alone in the Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Assembly polls, he said BSP chief Mayawati had communicated her party's decision with regard to the state polls through a statement. Asked if the Congress would have to be more accommodating to give enough space to the regional parties, Chaudhary said, "The Congress is the largest opposition party in Parliament today. Definitely, it will have to be most accommodating and give respect and support to the smaller parties for a true rainbow coalition to emerge. "But also, to increase the size of the pie, I think all the partners will need to not stress on individual sizes as much." Talking about the farmers' march to Delhi last week, the RLD leader said the demands raised during the "yatra" received a huge support, especially on issues such as the rising costs of agriculture, debt relief and remunerative farm prices. "In the past, there have been many social agitations in Delhi with a large number of people extending support. However, never have we seen a government so fearful of opposing voices, dissent and a people's agitation," he said. Chaudhary also alleged that the BJP government was "adamant" not to allow the farmers to enter the national capital. This only showed the arrogance of the rulers, he said. "I am confident that the attempt at stifling dissent by employing the state machinery, whether in terms of police lathis or other means, will be punished by the voters," the 39-year-old RLD leader said. Talking about the issues his party will raise in the run-up to the 2019 polls, Chaudhary pointed out that the RLD had launched an innovative social media campaign, where it was asking the youth of Uttar Pradesh to take selfies with potholes, tag the party and participate in the "SelfieWithGaddha" campaign. He said the party's youth unit had recently organised three big events in Agra, Meerut and Saharanpur to highlight the disenchantment of the youth with the BJP government over its track record of job creation. "The sugarcane issue is unfortunately far from being resolved. The farmers are not even getting the MSP for other crops. The rising diesel, electricity tariffs and fertiliser prices have further added to their distress," Chaudhary said. He accused the BJP government of having "failed" to tackle crime and corruption, while claiming that the "mishandling" of the economy was now hurting the middle class as well as small traders. New Delhi: Union Minister for Textiles and Information & Broadcasting Smriti Irani speaks during the release of an online edition of a book during an event in New Delhi on Tuesday. PTI Photo by Shahbaz Khan(PTI2_27_2018_000055B) Union minister Smriti Irani on Sunday accused Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of depriving the people of the state from the benefits of central schemes such as Ayushman Bharat, "on political consideration". About the fuel price issue, she said even as the NDA government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has slashed fuel prices by Rs 2.50 per litre, Patnaik was not ready to reduce state tax for giving relief to the people. Addressing a BJP state executive meeting here, the Union textiles minister said, "Naveen Patnaik has deprived the people of Odisha from the benefits of Ayushman Bharat scheme on political consideration." Justifying her allegation, Irani told reporters that Patnaik "rejected" the Ayushman Bharat scheme despite the fact that over 60 per cent of Odisha's women and children suffer from anaemia and the state ranks number one in birth of stunted children. Despite of the health scenario in the state, Naveen Patnaik preferred to reject the Ayushman Bharat scheme, Irani said, adding, "The poor people are now raising question why they should not avail the benefits of the central scheme." Claiming that atrocities against women has been increasing in the state by the day, she said, "The BJD government has failed to maintain law and order in the state and provide protection to women and girls." On the BJP's agenda of securing more than 120 of the total 147 seats in the Odisha Assembly, Irani said, "The BJP's Mission 120 plus is not just about securing power in the state, it also aims to raise public awareness on issues of women atrocities, unemployment, corruption." The Union textiles minister said some BJP workers, during the state executive meeting, drew her attention to a proposal to revive the Odisha Textile Mills (OTM). "Yes, the OTM can be revived, but the state government should take initiative towards this direction. The Centre will certainly extend a helping hand," she said, adding that 50 per cent of the workers in Tirupur textile cluster in Tamil Nadu hailed from Odisha. "If Odisha women and girls can make Tirupur Textile cluster successful, why cannot they do it in their state?" Irani asked. Reacting to Irani's allegation, the spokesman of the ruling BJD, Sasmit Patra, said "The BJP is afraid of Odisha government's Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana. The BSKY offers better facilities than the Ayushman Bharat scheme." About Iran's claim about rise in the atrocities against women in Odisha, the BJD spokesman said, "The Union minister should first say how safe women are in BJP-ruled states." On fuel price issue, Patra said, "The BJP government announced reduction of fuel price by Rs 2.50 per litre keeping in view the elections in five states. They (BJP) are not worried about the people. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin soon to discuss security coordination over Syria, amid friction with Moscow over Israel's air operations. Netanyahu made the announcement at a cabinet meeting, without citing a specific date for the talks with Putin. Russia said on Tuesday it had upgraded Syria's air defences with the S-300 missile system, 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. Israeli officials have said the new system could be defeated by Israel's stealth fighters and possibly destroyed on the ground, and they have pledged to press on with efforts to prevent military entrenchment by arch-enemy Iran in Syria. But since the Russian plane was shot down, there have been no reports of Israeli air strikes in Syria. The apparent pause has raised speculation in the Israeli media that Israel was either holding back at Russia's request or paused the attacks over concern they would fuel tensions with Moscow - the Damascus government's main military backer. Netanyahu said he had spoken by telephone with Putin "and we agreed to meet soon to continue the important security coordination between our armed forces". "Israel will constantly act to prevent Iran from entrenching itself militarily in Syria and transferring deadly weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon," he said, referring to the Lebanese Shi'ite Muslim group allied with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. 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 All-Russian festival NAUKA0+ will begin next week. Its goal is to popularize science among children and adults, increase interest in innovations and discoveries of world and national science, as well as increase interest in scientific knowledge about structure of the world and society. Various events will be held in more than 80 regions of Russia. Central regional hosts in 2018 are Belgorod (September 21-22), Murmansk (November 9-10), Krasnoyarsk (December 7-8) and, of course, Moscow (September 12-14). In Moscow, in addition to traditional sites of the festival - Expo Center and the Moscow State University - the festival will be held in new central areas - the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Digital Business Center. For the first time, the festival will be held at open sky venues - the Zaryadye Park and the Nikitsky Boulevard. It's expected that the number of visitors in Moscow will reach 860 thousand people, and total number of participants in the NAUKA 0+ Festival throughout Russia will reach over 2,500,000 people. According to rector of the Moscow State University, president of the Russian Rectors Union, Viktor Sadovnichy, "scientists always try to meet with people to tell them about their discoveries, stories about science, in order to popularize science." He noted that science festivals have a long history: Goals that were set then didnt change even now. People understood long time ago that education and science are driving forces behind development of our society. Even when scientists just traveled from one city to another, those were prototypes of first universities. Science and discoveries were always interesting for society." The first in Russia Festival of Science was held at the Moscow State University in 2006 just at the initiative of Viktor Sadovnichy. Over three days, the event was attended by over 20,000 people. Success of the first Russian Festival of Science, as well as popularity of similar festivals in other countries, demonstrated the need for annual organization of such events. In 2006, there was a press conference for Western European journalists, who write about science. Foreign correspondents asked me why are there no science festivals in Russia. I said that we'll going to create one. But the Academy of Sciences said that they are unnecessary. Despite that, the first festival that the Moscow State University hosted was attended by 20 thousand people. I immediately felt that this project has a bright future. Then this festival was no longer dependent on desire of one person," he said. "Now format of this festival allows us to tell about achievements of modern science to different audiences and discuss complex topics. This year, the topic is MEGASCIENCE. NAUKA0+ will demonstrate achievements of world science, the role of Russia in international scientific arena and its prospects in development of megaprojects. We invited major foreign scientists from the UK, Italy, Germany, Norway, Poland. Nobel Prize winner Kip Thorn, who was at the origins of the LIGO gravity-wave collaboration, will give a lecture at the Moscow State University. Nine lectures will be held in the library of our university, around 400 lectures and events will be held in the Shuvalov building of the Moscow State University. Outstanding scientists in various fields - genetics, physiology, physicis, and many more - will give lectures. I really want to attend each lecture," Sadovnichy said. The 9th International Puppet Theater Festival - Obraztsovfest - opened in Moscow yesterday. Best collectives of the CIS countries will show their performances on stage of the Obraztsov Puppet Theater. "We are working in a field that allows us to show most important things in the life of every person. This year we decided to hold festival of puppet theaters of the CIS countries. Feedback was great, we saw desire, we saw many applications to participate in this. We all came from the same country, today we all live in a single cultural space. It's very interesting to see how theaters are evolving. We're going to see all of this during our festival," director of the State Academic Puppet Theater named after Obraztsov, Irina Korchevnikova, said. "It's great that festivals like that exist, because for us, puppeteers, it's very improtant to meet. There are millions of drama theaters, there are few of us. Thank god we all know each other. Seeing each other again, hearing each other again, seeing each others works it's very important for me as some who works in this field, director of the Obraztsov Puppet Theater, Boris Konstantinov, said. I already saw some performances of theaters presented at the festival. I think they will be received very well by the audience. All performances are worthy of showing, and refined Moscow public we show its appreciation, head of the Business and Cultural Department of the Belarus Embassy in Russia, Vasily Chernik, noted. "In September of 2014, we were the first of theaters to open despite what was happening. During these years, there were many trials, but we received a great help from other puppet theaters. This humanitarian supported that we received from Irina Leonidovna and her team really helped us. Without this support, we just wouldn't be able to work," head of literary and drama department of the Donetsk Republican Academic Puppet Theater, Svetlana Kuraleh, said. "On December 12, Kyrgyzstan and many friendly countries will celebrate Chinghiz Aitmatov's 90th anniversary. Since December of last year, we and Russian partners have been holding all kinds of events, round tables, meetings, conferences. It's especially pleasant for us that performance based on Chinghiz Aitmatov's work will close the festival," Bubuira Abdyzhaparova, counselor of the Kyrgyz embassy in Moscow, said. I have been writing this column for almost two years. The fact you are reading my words today is humbling. Writing to you is a privilege and I am more grateful than you can know. Thank you. I am not a political pundit. I dont give my opinions or endorse candidates. The news is filled with those dedicated to telling you how you should think. I have more respect for you. I believe in the intelligence of the American voter. I am however, going to sadly comment on the conduct of our elected officials in our U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and share that I think we as citizens must rise above the fray and demand better from those who claim they represent us. Let me begin by reminding those in the House and Senate that We the People elected you. You were not elected by a political party to support their agenda regardless of our wishes. We elected you to represent us! Last week, on live television, we witnessed dishonesty from both sides. We watched political grandstanding of the worst sorts. We watched as Senators used the lives of two people to further their political ambitions. We witnessed a woman who felt it was her civic duty to tell her story but specifically did not want to be identified. Then, the party she trusted, purposely leaked her information to the press, destroying her life forever, and did so for their partys political gain. Shame on them. On the other side, we watched a party who is hell-bent on ramming through a nominee as quickly as possible, even though an additional FBI probe into these allegations was warranted and needed. Shame also on them. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed. Mrs. Ford tells a credible and heart wrenching story. She is believable. Judge Kavanaugh has an exemplary record of flawless public service for almost three decades. He shares a compelling defense. He is believable. What is not believable nor acceptable for me is the behavior of our elected officials. Most on both sides have acted admirably, while others have deceived us and used this very sad but important moment in American history to try and move their agenda and political ambitions forward. They destroyed the lives of two families. Those families deserved better. We deserve better representation. We the People are the only solution. We must rise above loyalty to party and renew our loyalty to country. Ruining the lives of two people is unacceptable and must not be tolerated by those they allegedly represent. Using these hearings to showboat is not representing the people of your State. Please walking out of a hearing in a way that maximizes your dramatic exposure is not what we elected you to do. Have your Spartacus moment elsewhere and please stick to doing the business we elected you to do. We deserve better. Again, most of our elected officials on both sides performed professionally and admirably. A few did not and its those few adults acting like spoiled children that garner the attention. Remember those few at the ballot box. Where is the positive here? The positive is us. We must, and I believe will, rise above it all and demand our politicians do their job. We have a constitution and a system that has served us well for almost 250 years. We have a nominee. He deserves a fair and rational hearing followed by an up and down vote. Vote him in or vote him out. That is what we do. Most importantly that is who we are. We must demand performance from our elected officials, but do not let their unprofessional behavior influence us to follow suit. Love your neighbor, regardless of their views. Debate if you choose but do so with respect for those who disagree. Always remember that Plato warned us to Never give power to those who seek it! Last week, we witnessed a few who seek power regardless of the costs. I do believe in American exceptionalism. Not because we are smarter than others, but because we have the better system. I stand upon our Constitution because it does not lean left or right. Our Constitution is unwaveringly unbiased. At moments like these, we must rely on this sacred document to bind us together regardless of political views or agenda or we risk being torn apart. I trust the will of the people. I trust in my ability to think for myself. I trust my fellow citizens I trust you. I may disagree, but I will always honor the certified results of our elections. The day after an election, Ill also remember that the results are not permanent and there are more elections to come. We must lean on our founding documents and not allow a few self-serving politicians on both sides to destroy who we are. Be optimistic. We deserve better. We are better. Gary W. Moore is a columnist, speaker and author of three books. Japan and Egypt agreed Friday to work to bring stability to the Middle East, where civil war continues in Syria and tension has risen with the opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. As the Mainichi writes in an article "Japan, Egypt to work to bring stability to Middle East", during a bilateral strategic dialogue in Tokyo, Foreign Minister Taro Kono and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry also discussed such other issues as denuclearization of North Korea. "We support efforts to bring peace and stability to East Asia," Shoukry said at a joint press conference in reference to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, as Cairo promotes the abolition of all weapons of mass destruction. Egypt's diplomatic clout will be enhanced when it takes over the presidency of the African Union next year. Shoukry, in Tokyo to attend a two-day ministerial meeting on African development from Saturday, also expressed Egypt's commitment to resolving the political and humanitarian crises in the Middle East. "We appreciate the role that Egypt, which is an integral player, has been playing in promoting peace in the Middle East," Kono said. Tension has spiked between Washington and the leadership of the Palestinian Authority since the United States moved its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, while a seven-year-old civil war continues to rage in Syria. The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is also set to reimpose sanctions on Iran, and has vowed to take punitive action against any foreign companies which continue to buy and sell Iranian crude oil. Kono and Shoukry also agreed to cooperate to make an international conference on African development, a Japan-led initiative, a success. The conference will be held next August in Yokohama. We are still far from where ... On Thursday, the US Justice Department announced charges against seven alleged Russian military intelligence officers accused of hacking doping agencies and other international organizations. Bloomberg has cited Britain's de facto Deputy Prime Minister David Lidington as saying that London and Berlin may slap more punitive measures on Moscow over the alleged hacking activity of Russian military intelligence. "We have to be ready to take action either on our own or preferably in concert with allies if appropriate," Lidington pointed out, Sputnik reports. He was echoed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief spokesman Steffen Seibert, who said that additional sanctions against Russia are currently under discussion between Germany and its European partners. The statement came a few days after the British Foreign Office stated that London had assessed "with high confidence" that the Russian military intelligence service was "almost certainly" responsible for a series of cyberattacks on political institutions, media outlets and infrastructure across the globe, including in Britain. The Russian Embassy in the UK, in turn, urged British authorities to immediately provide information on Moscow's alleged attempts to conduct cyberattacks against London. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he had agreed with Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold a meeting in the near future, Sputnik reports. "A short while ago, I spoke with President Putin. We agreed to meet in the near future in order to continue the security coordination between the military of the two countries. Israel will continue acting to prevent Iran from establishing military bases in Syria and transferring lethal weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon," Netanyahu said on Twitter. Frances A. Hall is incarcerated in a state prison for the murder of her trucking magnate husband, killed in a jealous rage in 2013. The consequences of Bill Hall Jr.s death reverberate more than four years later. Now, Bexar County Probate Judge Tom Rickhoff must decide whether Frances, 54, is entitled to receive her late husbands half of their community property or if it should be split between their two children, Justin, 30, and Dominique, 34. Lawyers for Justin were in Rickhoffs court Thursday asking for a ruling declaring Justin and Dominique the beneficiaries of a constructive trust, which would give each of them a half interest in their late fathers portion of the community estate. Mark Braswell, a lawyer for Justin, said a person who causes someones death should not then benefit financially from their criminal act. I dont think that she should benefit from her willful or wrongful act, Braswell told Rickhoff. The judge said he would decide the issue by the end of the day Friday. Frances opposes Justins request, and she has her daughters support even though Dominique stands to benefit if Rickhoff grants the request. Attorney Keith Miller, who represents Frances, said his client was not convicted of intentionally murdering her husband, a necessary requirement for imposing a constructive trust. Frances Hall was acting under the influence of sudden passion without the mental ability for cool reflection about what she was doing, Miller said in court. Bill Hall Jr. died on Oct. 10, 2013, after Frances knocked the motorcycle he was riding off South Loop 1604 with her Cadillac Escalade. Prosecutors said she wanted to kill her husbands longtime lover Bonnie Contreras who was driving an SUV on the same stretch of highway that day for ruining their marriage, but ended up killing her husband instead. Bill Hall Jr. was 50. A Bexar County District Court jury in September 2016 handed the lightest possible sentence to Frances Hall, agreeing with her lawyers that she acted out of sudden passion that fateful day. She is serving a two-year sentence at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's Dr. Lane Murray Unit in Gatesville, about 40 miles west of Waco. Her projected release date is Sept. 7. Justin initially agreed with his sister Dominique that their fathers death was accidental and that their mother should be entitled to all of the benefits of Bills half of the community estate. Braswell said at the time Justin made that declaration he was not receiving the advice of independent legal counsel. Braswell said Justin was represented by attorney Edward Lavin, who also was representing Frances, Dominique and the estate. Lavin had a conflict of interest that Justin was never asked to waive, Braswell said. Frances Hall and Justin Hall are each suing Lavin for legal malpractice. More than three years ago, Rickhoff awarded proceeds from multiple life insurance policies on Bills life to Frances after Justin relinquished any rights to the money. Before the attorneys even presented any arguments, Rickhoff entered the courtroom and told them, I wouldnt have given her the money in the first place if the kids hadnt signed off on it. This whole family is in a row boat, Rickhoff later said. Ones rowing to the left. Ones rowing forward. Ones rowing backward, and thats where this family is going. They should all be rowing in the same direction for a while. Bill and Frances community estate was valued at $15.5 million in a 2014 court filing in the probate case. The bulk of the estate was the trucking businesses, worth a combined $13.2 million. At one time, the businesses had a fleet of more than 100 trucks. Bills share, which was more than $7.5 million, has dissipated by about $6 million, Braswell said after the hearing, citing a valuation presented to the court earlier this year. Justin has accused his sister, the estates independent administrator, of running the businesses into the ground and improperly transferring trucks, trailers and equipment belonging to Bill Hall Jr. Trucking to her own trucking businesses and another operated by her boyfriend. Two of Bill Hall Jr.s trucking companies filed for bankruptcy, one in November and the other in January. I just want whats rightfully mine, Justin said after the hearing, adding he isnt seeking a portion of his mothers house. In March, Rickhoff had the Halls enter into a family settlement agreement for the preservation of the estate, which Braswell said prevents the transfer of any assets belonging to the estate. The judge also appointed a forensic accountant to track estate assets, but she has not yet reported her findings. In bankruptcy court in San Antonio this month, the U.S. Trustee, part of the Justice Department, filed papers seeking to toss the bankruptcy of Bill Hall Jr. Trucking GP LLC because the company has been in Chapter 11 since Jan. 25 and has yet to file a reorganization plan. The company, which had a previous bankruptcy case dismissed, also failed to file a monthly operating report that was due Nov. 20. The company hasnt responded to the U.S. Trustees motion. Bill Hall Jr. Trucking Ltd. filed for Chapter 11 reorganization in November 2016. The case was converted to a Chapter 7 liquidation in March. Nothing has been filed in the case since August. Patrick Danner is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | pdanner@express-news.net | @AlamoPD 3 1 of 3 21 Pro Video Show More Show Less 2 of 3 21 Pro Video Show More Show Less 3 of 3 San Antonio police say a drunk driver crashed into a police cruiser as an officer was working the scene of a traffic accident Sunday morning. The officer was not in the vehicle when a driver slammed into his patrol unit about 1:25 a.m. at Loop 410 and San Pedro Ave., according to police. 21 Pro Video A man is facing multiple charges after a wreck Saturday evening killed an 11-year-old boy and injured three others according to San Antonio police. Police say a gray 2006 Mitsubishi Galant was traveling north on the 4400 block of N.E. Loop 410 about 5:25 p.m. in the left lane when the vehicle drove off the roadway and down an embankment, according to a report. The vehicle then struck a retaining wall of the access road of the northbound lanes of Interstate 35. My children probably wont vote this November unless I make them go with me to the polls. Their reasons? Theyll say they dont think there is anyone worth voting for and that all politicians are the same, anyway. Or theyll say they dont know enough about the issues and dont have time to find out about them. Does this sound familiar? Millennials (18- to 29-year-olds), according to the U.S. Census, represent 31 percent of the total population but have the lowest voter turnout of any age group. They represented just 13 percent of voters who went to the polls in the 2014 midterm election. But its not just the young who are failing to show up at the polls. According to the San Antonio League of Women Voters, in the last midterm election in Bexar County, just 12 percent of registered voters cast a ballot. Just 12 percent. Its truly shocking and deeply disappointing that such a large percentage of our population does not vote. Why do so few people vote? Arent there important issues to be settled, nationally as well as locally, issues such as Social Security benefits, Medicare, the cost of prescription drugs, broken sidewalks and potholes? What about college debt, finding a job, gun violence, stagnating wages and climate change? Have we lost faith in our elected officials ability to resolve these issues? Have we lost faith in our democratic process? It doesnt matter if we dont absolutely love the candidates. Someone is going to get elected. Democracy gives us a choice. No one ever said it was the perfect choice. And its just as important to decide whom we dont want as to decide whom we do want. Are you one of those people who think voting is a complete waste of time while complaining about how the government is a total failure and nothing you can say or do will matter? Well, you are right. Nothing will get done to make things better if you dont care. And if you dont care, why should the politicians care? Their attitude reflects your attitude. If you dont give a damn, why should they? Its a lot easier, of course, to do nothing and then complain. But our inaction, our apathy, our failure to vote, to speak up and speak out gives politicians and elected officials the permission, the excuse, the power to do nothing. We dont like whats going on in Washington. We think Congress is doing a terrible job. We feel both parties are at fault. Well, not voting isnt going to make it better. It doesnt make anything better. And voting is the only chance we have of changing the way things are. During the 17 years that I lived outside the United States, I had limited access in exercising my right to vote as an American citizen in U.S. elections. So, when I returned, I vowed that I would vote in every election I could. And I have. I do it proudly and joyfully. I thank the election judges for doing their job, and I relish the chance to listen to the ballot in audio and privately make my selection. How incredible it is to have this special opportunity, this power, to express my opinion, to make my decision about whom I want to represent me in Congress, the Texas Legislature, my local school board and City Council. Its awesome to have this power, and Im never giving it up. And thats how I see it. Larry Johnson is an author and international motivational speaker. You may contact him via email at larjo1@prodigy.net or visit his website at www.mexicobytouch.com. The day we learned about Helen Keller, I was the only deaf student in my public elementary school in Schertz. I had classmates who confused the words deaf and dead, and found it hilarious to chase me on the playground screaming, DEAD! They were not entirely wrong. Having a disability and no role model for living with it can make you feel dead to the world. After that days lesson, my classmates saw that a deaf and blind person could achieve great things, and it seemed like they were also able to see me in a new light. They began to engage with me instead of ignoring me. In my hierarchy of role models, Helen Keller trumps George Washington. He was a tremendous general and nation-builder, but she created a world from nothing and did this long before the Americans with Disabilities Act would have empowered her. She stood firm in her convictions. She reminds me of a lot of the earliest Texans, actually. The State Board of Education currently requires 40 minutes of education about Keller. Those 40 minutes changed my life. However, the board is planning to remove Keller from the statewide curriculum in November because she does not best represent the concept of citizenship. While self-sacrifice is generally regarded as the pinnacle of citizenship, that path is not available to all children. It was not available to me. I live in a world that rejects people like me for military service. I literally cannot achieve that peak of citizenship. We must teach our children that they can make profound contributions in other ways. Keller is an exemplar of another kind of citizen. Her impact has been felt for generations, and that is precisely the kind of role model we need in our schools. I only care because I love Texas public schools. I spent 12 years as a deaf special education student in them and graduated near the top of my class of more than 400. Texas schools led me to Southwestern University in Georgetown, and then to Harvard Law School. My parents recently retired from distinguished careers as public school administrators. My daughter is in the second grade at a Texas public school. I am who I am because of Texas public schools. Helen Keller is a symbol of our ability to triumph over adversity, something Texans know well. We grow up learning about the battles of the Alamo, Goliad and San Jacinto. Keller was not a Texan (neither were Davy Crockett nor Jim Bowie, yet we still claim them), but she embodies the characteristics we seek in our heroes, the qualities we want all of our children to have: grit and hope. Like my classmates in elementary school, todays students need examples of good citizens who thrive in challenging conditions. It is far from enough, but highlighting Keller is one way to do this. She was extraordinary, and there are many others like her. We should be talking about them too. More than 11 percent of Texans have a disability this is no small number. Studying Kellers life provides students with a model for understanding. Understanding leads to inclusion. Our students get 40 minutes of instruction about a single disabled person who triumphed over incredible odds. This is not enough. Rather than removing Keller from instruction, we should include more people with disabilities. Perhaps we could start with Gov. Greg Abbott. Helen Keller broke through barriers and established a blueprint for so many. She made the world a kinder, more accessible place for every disabled person. Leave her in the curriculum. Feature others with disabilities. Talk about how they, too, shape the world. The State Board of Education must reconsider removing Helen Keller from the state curriculum in November. Instead, they should consider expanding the curriculum to include even more icons like her. Elizabeth Knox is deaf, was born and raised in San Antonio, got her law degree from Harvard and now lives in Dallas, where she practices law and consults on accessibility and inclusion. When Houston native Evelyn Valdez-Ward lost her family home to Hurricane Harvey last year, it wasnt the first setback she had encountered on her journey to becoming a climate scientist. As an undocumented Ph.D. student from Texas now studying at the University of California, Irvine, Evelyn knows all too well the barriers that might keep her from sharing her scientific gifts. If DACA expires, she will not be able to complete her Ph.D. in ecology. Christopher Ponce grew up in Austin, a few hours away from Evelyn, and shares her passion for science. When President Donald Trump rescinded DACA last fall, Christopher was forced to adapt and find a new way to secure his place in medical school to become a pediatric oncologist. Evelyn and Christopher are both members of SACNAS, a nonprofit organization established to achieve true diversity in the STEM fields science, technology, engineering and mathematics. For SACNAS the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science true diversity means ensuring that our nations demographics are reflected through the domestic STEM workforce so the U.S. can remain globally competitive. When the SACNAS board of directors chose Texas as the site of our 2018 National Diversity in STEM Conference five years ago, there was no foreshadowing that anti-immigrant legislation in the state with the countrys second-largest Hispanic population in the nation would pass. When SB 4 (anti-sanctuary cities) legislation was unveiled last year, alongside the presidents movement to end DACA, the safety and well-being of our DACAmented members both in Texas and throughout the country was our immediate concern. However, as an organization representing a sizable number of undocumented STEM students and professionals, we also knew silence, which reinforces the status quo, was not an option. It was our responsibility to stand up and speak out in the same way our founders did when they came together 45 years ago to declare the need for representation of all communities in the STEM fields. We simply would not turn our backs on the SACNAS members and conference attendees in Texas when it mattered the most. We recommit ourselves to the fight for the inclusion of DACA recipients and all underrepresented minorities within the STEM fields, including members of the LGBTQ community impacted by HB 3859 (the sincerely held religious beliefs law that sanctions discrimination against LGBTQ families seeking to adopt), while offering them a safe environment to network and learn. Just as the SACNAS founders understood the importance of showing up at a critical time in our history, we do the same as we head to San Antonio to celebrate our 45th anniversary and annual National Diversity in STEM Conference, which is Thursday through Saturday. Today, SACNAS has grown from 17 founders to nearly 6,000 paid members underrepresented minority scientists and their allies at hundreds of universities, federal agencies and corporations across the United States and Puerto Rico, with 115 student and professional chapters. The rallying cry for STEM diversity includes students and scientists who are an integral part of American society. Our undocumented youth feel every bit as American as their U.S.-born peers, and only lack the opportunity to share their talent. But what lurks beneath their potential is the uncertainty of not knowing if and when their academic and professional dreams will come to an abrupt halt. And the question we should be asking is, what talent, creativity and innovative ideas will we be losing? While the judicial stay on the DACA cancellation is a relief particularly for Evelyn, Christopher and all our members with DACA status our only recourse is to continue showing up, standing up and speaking up on behalf of the underrepresented minority scientists we proudly represent, calling for comprehensive immigration that will protect our future STEM workforce and their families. Its the only response befitting the legacy our founding members and elders gifted us. Our presence in San Antonio isnt the first stand weve taken, and it certainly wont be our last. Dr. Lino Gonzalez is a senior scientist at a major biotechnology company and president of SACNAS Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science. Bexar County Commissioner Paul Elizondo has spent decades in public office, and he has earned another term on Commissioners Court. Elizondo, 83, emerged from a bruising primary challenge and faces Republican Theresa Connolly in the general election. Connolly is a defense attorney who represents the indigent and is a person who espouses ideals about service to others. If elected, she said she would use her platform as a county commissioner to raise awareness about juvenile justice issues. Specifically, she believes school districts are referring too many students to juvenile courts rather than addressing issues in-house. This is an important issue, but it is not really a function of county government. This is an issue better addressed by school boards. Elizondo is unmatched in his experience and expertise. He has served on the court since the 1980s and has been a key player in every major issue facing the county. Hes also a former Marine, former teacher, band director and music supervisor in the Edgewood and San Antonio independent school districts. He served in the Texas House from 1979 to 1982. Elizondo has said this will be his last term. If re-elected, he would like to use it to complete University Health Systems Women & Childrens Inpatient Tower at the South Texas Medical Center, and he would like also finish improvements to the San Pedro Creek downtown. The former is crucial to mother and baby care. The latter is a linchpin to downtowns revitalization. We also believe Elizondo could make the difference in meaningful criminal justice reform and improved funding for transit. After decades, Elizondos name is synonymous with San Antonio politics. It wont be that way forever, but it should be for one more term. Once again, Elizondo for Precinct 2. Democrat Trey Martinez Fischer represented Texas House District 116 well for 16 years. He then made an unsuccessful run for the state Senate. Hes now running to regain his former seat. His opponent, Republican Fernando Padron a former county employee who now has his own business says he is running because the district was not adequately represented by Martinez Fischer and he is too combative to be effective. We dont see it that way, and the residents who repeatedly voted to return Martinez Fischer to the Texas House didnt either. We recommend Martinez Fischer because he was effective in his opposition to ill-conceived, harmful legislation when he was in office and because those skills still will be badly needed in the House. Thats because, with Speaker Joe Straus and his bottlenecking of bad legislation gone, the House will need all the help it can get to block such bills. Martinez Fischer, well-versed in parliamentary procedure, has been adept at this. Though public school financing and other weighty matters should top the agenda of everyone in the Legislature, we suspect legislation such as the bathroom bill will again sap the focus of lawmakers. Martinez Fischer also seems to have a better grasp of key issues than Padron. Padron said he would have voted for SB 4, the bill approved last session that penalizes so-called sanctuary cities that, in reality, dont much exist. What will exist is growing distrust of law enforcement by the immigrant community, which will fear any encounter with police will result in their profiling and perhaps deportation. Martinez Fischer stopped an earlier version of the bill. Padron said a shifting of Department of Public Safety resources to the border to help make the area more secure is necessary, essentially because of lawlessness there. But statistics dont back up that assertion. Martinez Fischer says this is not money well-spent it might have been spent, for instance, on education. On financing public education, Padron says only more money for schools for good performance. Martinez Fischer recognizes the general state of underfunding and that property tax bills have gone up because the states percentage of school funding has diminished in proportion to student growth. Martinez Fischer can once again be an asset for good governance in Austin. Voters should return him there. Regarding Republicans signal satisfaction with FBI report (Nation/World, Friday): We are currently writing an ugly chapter in our national saga. Without regard to whether Judge Brett Kavanaugh is seated on the Supreme Court, his nomination and the pushback against it will leave lasting scars on our political and judicial systems. If left unresolved the allegations brought against Kavanaugh will cause irreparable harm to the nation. As it stands now we have his truth, Christine Blasey Fords truth but not the truth. Both sides have highly vocal supporters vociferously defending what they perceive to be the facts but lacking evidence to support their positions. If our traditional approach to jurisprudence is to be regained and maintained, this conundrum must be solved. However, it will not be unraveled by the legislative branch of the government nor in the court of public opinion. Our only hope for reaching the truth lies in the judicial system. Each person who has submitted sworn affidavits or testimony in the Kavanaugh controversy must be brought before a grand jury and have their statements properly vetted. A seated Justice Kavanaugh, if found to be in the wrong, could be impeached and then brought up on criminal charges. If others are found to be guilty of perjury or other offenses they would face whatever consequences the law dictates. Someone is not being truthful and their lies are tearing this nation apart. This controversy cannot be allowed to continue. The dangers to our country are too real and too grave for this to be swept under the rug. Rick Fontes, Waller Impose limits There should be at least one stipulation attached to the appointment of Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Given his formal, injudicious revenge on behalf of the Clintons attack on Senate Democrats in his prepared statement before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Kavanaugh must swear to recuse himself from any and all cases that relate in any way to Hillary or Bill Clinton or to anyone formally registered as a Democrat. Bart Busker, Houston Ironic parallels Regarding Third person accuses priest of assault (City/State, Friday): Based on the arguments being employed to discredit the sexual misconduct allegations levied against Judge Brett Kavanaugh, shouldnt we also steadfastly refuse to believe any and all allegations made against alleged predatory priests. Many of the alleged sexual abuse victims have waited years, if not decades, before coming forward to tell their stories, exactly as Christine Blasey Ford did. And when a priest denies the allegations, exactly the same as Kavanaughs denial, guilt or innocence boils down to a he said, she said situation. Also, according to President Trumps argument about the harm these accusations do to men accused of sexual misconduct, doesnt the priest have his life and career ruined by the mere mention of an allegation? Fear of someday being accused of sexual abuse may deter men from entering the priesthood. There appears to be a double standard when victims of sexual abuse at the hands of predatory priests are believed but Ford is not. Michael Swanson, Houston Compelling only I am tired of talking heads on TV, including many Republicans, referring to Christine Blasey Fords testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee as credible. The definition of credible is offering reasonable grounds for being believed. As we know from the recently released FBI supplemental investigation report, there are no such grounds. Fords testimony may be compelling, but it is not credible. Jon Elmendorf, Houston THE Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has vowed to go ahead with a demonstration against Finance Minister Mthuli Ncubes 2-cents-per-dollar tax after, dismissing a review announced Friday as meaningless. Prof Ncube sparked widespread outrage after imposing a two percent tax on electronic money transfers in a bid to raise money for the cash-strapped government. Giving in to the criticism, the minister reviewed the tax on Friday, capping it at $10,000 while transactions below $10 would be exempt. The 2 cents per dollar tax will apply will apply on transactions of $10 and above only, the minister said. Transactions below $10 will be exempt from this tax. There is a cap of $10,000 on the amount to be paid. This implies that transactions above $500,000 will attract a flat tax of $10,000. However, speaking to NewZimbabwe Saturday morning, ZCTU president Peter Mutasa said that the labour federation had resolved to go ahead with their demonstration which is slated for this Thursday. Nothing has changed, but nothing turns on the purported changes and clarifications, said Mutasa. In fact, the changes simply show that the minister was attempting to placate the rich and ignore the poor. He still wants to charge the additional taxes on school fees transfers in addition to Pay as You Earn tax and the gazetted minimum of $10 is a big joke considering the current price increases. Mutasa said, in any case, the business community will just pass down the extra costs to the ordinary consumers by adjusting. in addition, the tax will cause some companies that are already facing viability challenges to fold, thereby frustrating attempts to revive exports and the easiest way such businesses immediately respond to the developments is through job cuts. The ZCTU boss warned that demonstrations will continue until the government scraps the tax measure. A responsible government gives an ear to its people through consultation before embarrassing itself as witnessed by the minister who initiates a policy and amends it in less than a week, said Mutasa. Besides, the constitution prescribes participatory democracy which has been lacking since independence and, contrary to the New Dispensations promises, Zimbabweans today find themselves in same top-down approach typical of the Mugabe era. Legal watchdog, Veritas, has also hinted that the tax directive could be illegal since it was implemented before a notice was issued in the Government Gazette as required under the countrys Finance Act. NewZimbabwe Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News The chief executive of the French governments development agency, Mr Remy Rioux, says Paris is enhancing ties with Harare, and President Emmerson Mnangagwa is welcome to send a delegation to his country to further deepen relations. Mr Rioux said this yesterday after meeting President Mnangagwa at the Zimbabwean Head of State and Governments Munhumutapa Offices in Harare. The AFD is a public bank that implements French government policy on assistance to developing countries. On Friday, the head of Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD) signed a $570 000 grant for techinical co-operation with Zimbabwe, paving the way for unlocking of more funding. AFD opened shop in Harare in 1993 but bailed out in 2002; and now Mr Rioux has revived the local presence and lent his weight to President Mnangagwas economic, political and social reform agenda. With Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube leaving for Bali, Indonesia this weekend to engage international creditors at the annual World Bank and IMF meetings (October 12- October 14), Mr Riouxs visit was timely as France is a major international lender and a key member of the Paris Club body that co-ordinates solutions to difficulties faced by debtor countries. Mr Rioux himself is past-president of the Paris Club, and on Friday he held talks with Prof Ncube on strategies to address Zimbabwes debt and arrears. In a post on his Facebook account last night, President Mnangagwa said: It was a pleasure today to welcome Remy Rioux, Chief Executive of the French Development Agency, who is visiting Zimbabwe on behalf of the French Government. He emphasised the ongoing commitment of France to the people of Zimbabwe; from agriculture, climate and biodiversity to business. We look forward to receiving private sector business delegations from France in the coming months, as well as high level political meetings in the next year. Addressing journalists after meeting President Mnangagwa yesterday, Mr Rioux said: I am the first head of an international development agency to visit Harare under the New Dispensation and after the elections, and I had the honour and the privilege to have a meeting with His Excellency, President Mnangagwa. We discussed the relationship between France and Zimbabwe. France never stopped being active in Zimbabwe in providing investments in the country and I told the President that we certainly have the intention to increase. Yesterday (Friday) we signed with Minister Ncube a grant for capacity-building and project preparation for half-a-million euro ($570 000). Mr Rioux said a delegation from Medef, an organisation of leading French businesspeople, would be in Harare early next month to explore investment opportunities. Further, he said France had extended an invitation for a Zimbabwean Government delegation to visit Paris in the first-half of 2019 to strengthen bilateral ties. The French businesspeople will come early November in the country to start again and we will have a high-level political dialogue soon in the beginning of next year between our two countries, he said. Mr Rioux said AFD was encouraged by President Mnangagwas economic reforms and his engagement and re-engagement of the international community. We also discussed the situation of the country, the very strong ongoing reform and the way to create as much trust as possible with all partners to speed up the recovery and for the country to be fully back in the international community. Its my feeling that Zimbabwe is heading in the right direction, he said. Asked of the possibility of Zimbabwe accessing more funding from AFD, Mr Rioux said the idea is to prepare new commitments for higher volumes as soon as, of course, the debt situation is eased. We will start with grants and then hopefully support the private sector, the financial sector, SMEs, guarantees and do more in the coming months and years, he added. On Friday, Mr Rioux told The Sunday Mail that his visit was an expression of French willingness to build a very, very strong co-operation. He said AFD implemented President Emmanuel Macrons vision. AFD is a large institution. We are active in more than 100 countries, we implement the vision of President Macron for international co-operation I really see my visit here as a political signal from France. We will never let Zimbabwe down in terms of investment. We certainly have the intention to be a partner and increase our intervention in the country and support the policy set by President Mnangagwa and Minister Ncube. Prof Ncube said added: This is wonderful gesture to the people of Zimbabwe. This is a grant of $570 000 that we have signed off and it is really aimed at capacity-building in Zimbabwe. This falls right in the path of the re-engagement agenda. France is a very important partner in our re-engagement efforts. It is the centre of many things in Europe, so this is really a part of the re-engament process. France is also a creditor nation to us, it is also part of the Paris Club with other partners, it is a shareholder in the African Development Bank and it is a shareholder in the World Bank. He said good use of the grant would unlock further funding. This is very positive and it is a smart way to use grants to leverage investment. It is not a debt. There is no risk in the first place. This grant will leverage investment for the future. That is exactly how you want to use aid so that you can use it to leverage for investment in the future. We are in a position where we cannot contract more debt because we are in debt already, but this is a way of planning for the future. He said sectors that could benefit from the grant included parastatals, local authorities and climate change intervention. France is a leading member of the European Union, an international organisation that President Mnangagwa has set about mending ties with following nearly two decades of acrimony under Mr Robert Mugabes regime. To that end, his charm offensive has already seen Germany reopening lines of credit, while Belgiums Prime Minister Charles Michel has expressed readiness to work with President Mnangagwas administration. Re-engagement with Britain has advanced and London is likely to support Zimbabwes debt and arrears plan at the Bali meetings; while Government is also in talks with the United States to normalise relations. On the part of another economic and political power, China, President Mnangagwa has restored trust after his predecessors regime ignored huge debts to the that country. SundayMail Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Basic commodities have started disappearing from Zimbabwean shops shelves, forcing people to hoard products as panic and a buying frenzy sets in. From beer, bread, cooking oil and other essentials, the fear of a return to the empty shelves of 2008/09 is forcing shoppers to prepare for what might be a looming disaster. Pharmacies have already run out of medication for diabetic patients, high blood pressure patients. Retailers have confirmed they are already grappling with a panicky market. There is panic in the market and unnecessarily so. We are actually urging the public not to buy more than what is necessary for their consumption because there is really no need, Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers Association president Denford Mutashu said. The issue of production remains the key focus and even if people panic and horde, we should, in a normal situation, be able to replenish stocks. He said Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga was fronting discussions between retailers and manufacturers. We are in constant discussions with suppliers and this initiative is being spearheaded by Vice-President Chiwenga. Our wish is to make sure the productive sector gets the necessary support from government, Mutashu said. But we are also urging the Ministry of Industry to be on the look-out for key commodities and where there are gaps, to make sure these are plugged using imports. It is not something we would want, but it should be a short-term measure to deal with the situation we have now. However, reports suggest that Chiwenga had taken ill on Monday. Mutashu added: As things stand, we have challenges with flour availability and in the past two days, bread supplies have dwindled, causing shortages in the market. Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries president Sifelani Jabangwe said uncertainty around governments stabilisation policy was behind the panic. There is uncertainty regarding what policies will be announced and how these will affect the business environment, he said. Manufacturers are unsure of how to price their products and there has also been lower allocation of foreign currency to industry. But the biggest problem is uncertainty. Economist Prosper Chitambara said the black market premium on foreign currency was fuelling the mayhem in the market and was being exacerbated by the general lack of confidence. There are a lot of uncertainties, a lack of confidence as well as trust, which is negatively affecting macro-economic fundamentals, he said. We have seen a ballooning of the black market rates in the past few days and those rates now hovering around 120% (US to transfer), making it more difficult for manufacturers to access hard currency for critical inputs. Chitambara said government needed to stop creating money and curb run-away recurrent expenditure. African News Agency/ANA Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News A young Nigerian lady has taken to the Twitter platform to reveal how the popular platform changed her life for the better through some Good Samaritans who reached out to her during tough times. It is no news that social media has revolutionized the way people communicate and socialize on the internet. From playing matchmaking roles to connecting business-minded people, the positive impacts of social media is never-ending. Adding to that list is the fact that social media has also helped people get out of depression. A Nigerian lady identified as Emem Uwah, has taken to the Twitter platform to reveal how the micro-blogging app changed her life for the better. According to the series of tweets, she stated that through the app, she got a job, a decent apartment, she also got her hospital bills settled and getting all of these sorted out helped her get out of depression. READ ALSO: World's biggest plane flown by Captain Quainoo finally lands in Accra She wrote: "Twitter gives me joy, On this app, someone helped me with my rent. On this app, someone helped me look for a house in Ibadan. On this app, Someone helped me move from Oyo Town to IbadanOn this app, someone encouraged me to hold and stay strong that everything was going to be ok On this app, someone kept sending job opportunity links to me. On this app, someone paid for ulcer dr*gs. And the one that has really made me happy this month, which I'm so glad to let y'all know is... Someone on this app referred me to a friend who employed me PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News on Legit.ng News App Dear Twerps, finally I have a place to stay in IBADAN. I now go out every morning, telling my neighbors I'm off to work. Depression is gone. I am Happy. October is just a start of something New. I now trust in the Magic of New Beginnings. I haven't even met most of these people that helped me. Twitter ain't so bad as people portray it. I just want to thank these people who looked out for me, especially the ones I'm yet to meet. God bless y'all For helping me get my life together. I know the start is always rough, but y'all have taught me to take it ONE STEP AT A TIME. No more su*cidal thoughts. I never knew Adulthood could be stressful, but y'all have taught me how to be strong. The start may not look so good but I still have that strong feeling that I'm still gonna get my dream job through someone on this app. Twitter saved my life. They are so many wonderful people on this app and I'm glad I didn't come across the bad ones" See her post below: While Emem found her life changing through people who helped her without asking for anything in return, this Nigerian couple found love on the platform and are set to wed. Niji and her boo, Weng hit it off after he slid into her DM. It's been 3 years and the two are as happy as ever, as they plan to tie the knot soon. Get the hottest gist on Africa Love Aid Project Fame Winner Olawale Ojo - Why I Became a Cab Driver | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - Dr Okey Ikechukwu, the spokesman of the Tambuwal Presidential Campaign Organization, has said that Nigeria's best chance of 21st Century leadership is Governor Aminu Tambuwal - The Sokoto state governor is one of the presidential aspirants contesting to be the flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the ongoing National Convention - Ikechukwu affirmed that Tambuwal has better credentials than other aspirants in the PDP as well as President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC The spokesman of the Tambuwal Presidential Campaign Organization, Dr Okey Ikechukwu, has said that Nigeria's best chance of a president that can unite Nigeria, restore a sense of community and give the nation 21st Century leadership is Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, a presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He made this remark during an interactive session with journalists at the PDP National Convention on Saturday, October 6. He said: "Tambuwal has better credentials than other aspirants in the PDP as well as President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress, APC. READ ALSO: PDP convention: Physically challenged delegate waits for his turn during accreditation "First, he has learnt the ropes over the years, at the highest levels of national leadership and also as a professional. Second, he is very well known as a master of consensus and political bridge builder, which makes him the type of person we need now. Third, he has no issues with the law. Fourth, he is the only candidate in this contest who takes pains to be in mentioning specific, practical and implementable policy ideas, actions and proposals with which he intends to tackle our national problems once elected. Asked to explain Tambuwal's views on restructuring, he said Tambuwal looks at restructuring from the angle of realistic devolution of powers, debugging the essentially unitary provisions of the constitution and ensuring that the federating units do not feel diminished in their interface with the central government. "Restructuring does not, and cannot, mean balkanizing and re-dividing the lands and rivers of Nigeria. Tambuwal has explained that we should do away with the pillars of inequity in our existing constitution and debug them for a better union." This will include moving things like power supply, railways and so many other things from the Exclusive Legislative List to the concurrent lists. It will include allowing the Federation units to choose who should represent them in institutions like the Federal Character commission, Boundary Commission, etc. Tambuwal believes that such institutions should be populated by persons chosen by their respective states and screened by their respective State Houses of Assembly, before they are sent to Abuja. The communication expert said that Nigeria has never been this polarized at any other time in its history. We need a leader who has the ability, understanding and willingness to unify Nigeria at the level of values and bring back the peace and genuine community life that has been destroyed, he said. Ikechukwu said that Tambuwal has the credentials for 21st leadership and the network of loyalty around him will come into full play in the coming days and months. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app Legit.ng had previously reported that PDP's National Convention started on Saturday, October 6 and is expected to end tomorrow, Sunday, October 7. The opposition party's bigwigs and delegates are in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital for the make or mar convention and presidential primary where they will elect the presidential candidate that will be slugging it out with President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019. The party said it has put in place strategies to ensure that the presidential primary is transparent. Why President Buhari May Not Defeat PDP In 2019- Agbor Residents Speak| Legit.ng TV: Source: Legit Newspaper President Muhammadu Buhari, said on Saturday, October 6, that the federal government remained committed to getting back all Nigerians abducted by terrorists. Buhari reportedly made the commitment during the Passing Out Parade (POP) of 365 cadets of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the president, who was the reviewing officer, was represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. We are committed to ensuring the release of all the women and men held in captivity. READ ALSO: Live updates of PDP national convention holding in Port Harcourt Few days ago, Mr President spoke personally to the anguished mother of Leah Sharibu; Christian girl who is the only one left as part of the Dapchi girls still in Boko Haram captivity. Mr President assured her mother that she would be returned home safe. And that commitment Mr President has made, is not just to her mother, but to also all the girls and young men who are still in Boko Haram captivity. Today, all over the north east, our people are been provided with a chance to begin the urgent task of rebuilding their lives and livelihood, he said. Buhari said that the federal government is working with states and international community, NGOs and civil society organizations to help achieve this. He commended the resilience of the Armed Forces and the giant strides recorded so far in the fight against insurgency. The ongoing military stabilization operation in the north east will continue until full normalcy is restored, he added. Buhari further said: Today residents of northeast are able to celebrate their religious festivals without the blanket of fear that once kept them permanently indoors. Schools, markets and roads are been reopened daily, farmers are returning to their farms of which they are forced to flee. According to him, in the last two years more than a million displaced persons have been reunited with their loved ones. Over a hundred of our kidnapped girls from Chibok have regained their freedom after two years in captivity, while the plight of the Dapchi girls was promptly dealt with. This is in addition of captives who have been rescued through special military operations. We are not yet out of the woods of course but the progress we have seen embolden us to continue the fight. The president reassured the Armed Forces that the government would look into their welfare, especially those deployed to conflict areas. He however warned that the administration would not condone any form of criminality, adding that those who take the law into their hands, bear illegal arms and seek to profit from insecurity would be decisively dealt with. That remains our promise to people of this nation who elected us into power. The peace and stability of our dear country will continue to be of utmost priority. Todays graduating cadets will be taking their place in the military that is on the rise, tested and determined to take its place among the powerful military in the world. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app A successful completion of a rigorous and demanding course no doubt imbues you, the graduating cadets, with sense of accomplishments. You must maintain that spirit of accomplishment. As you prepare to face the task ahead of you, we all have very high expectations of you, that you and your senior colleagues will greatly contribute your quota to the sustenance of our national security and protection of national integrity of Nigeria, the Commander-in-Chief said. Legit.ng earlier reported that the Nigerian Army recently inflicted heavy casualty on Boko Haram insurgents when they attacked Garshigar community of Mobar local government area of Borno state on Wednesday, September 26. Brigadier General Texas Chukwu, Army director of public relations, disclosed this in a statement released on Thursday, September 27, in Maiduguri. The Next President of Nigeria. Who Will Win the 2019 Elections? | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng President Muhammadu Buhari has thanked members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) particularly its chieftains after emerging as candidate of the party to represent it in the 2019 presidential elections. In a statement by Femi Adesina on Sunday, October 7, the president highlighted some of the achievements of his administration. He noted that things were going downhill when the Peoples Democratic Party was in power but expressed delight that his administration was able to turn things around. READ ALSO: Vote counting ongoing as PDP holds national convention in Port Harcourt (Live updates) Read the statement below: I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the Chairman and members of the Convention Committee for planning and conducting this convention. The same appreciation goes to the chairmen of National and State Executive Committees of our party. Thank you very much for doing a difficult job well. President Buhari at APC convention. Credit: Facebook, Femi Adesina Source: Facebook I would like to pay tribute to Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande the first chairman of our great Party and to Chief John Oyegun who led the party until this year and all the APC Governors. The result of the presidential primaries of the All Progressives Congress this time is different because I am the only candidate. I thank all other eligible candidates who deferred to me in the interest of our party unity and over-all national stability. Fellow party members, it is with a deep sense of humility that I stand before you today to accept the nomination of our party, the All Progressives Congress to be its candidate and flag-bearer in the 2019 presidential elections. As I stand today before you, there is no honour greater than the confidence given to me by all of you when you affirmed my nomination. I thank you for your support. I thank you for your guidance. I thank you for staying committed to the CHANGE agenda. I accept this honour as a tribute and mark of confidence to carry the responsibility as we all join hands to continue the good work of the APC government to 2023 and beyond. Babatunde Fashola, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and jide Sanwo-Olu at APC convention. Credit: Facebook, Femi Adesina Source: Facebook We are very proud of our record from 2015 to date: We have arrested and checked the slide to anarchy on the security and economic fronts. Boko Haram is reduced to dastardly attacks on soft targets. Normalcy has returned to much of North East and neighbouring North West states. Our currency has stabilised. Our reserves are now $44 billion, a lot higher than we had in 2015. Power generation capacity has reached 8,000 megawatts against less than 4,600 when we came into office. As we invest in new power generation infrastructure we are strenuously working to address the legacy deficiencies and challenges of transmission and distribution networks across the country. We are executing Independent Power Projects in 9 Federal Universities to deliver uninterrupted power supply and we intend to expand to a total of 37 Universities We have revived most of our capacity to produce fertilisers locally. The Government through its Anchor Borrowers Programme and other incentives has empowered more than 2 million farmers to go back to the land. We now produce 80% of our rice requirements. Many farmers who nearly lost hope are now millionaires. We have introduced primary school feeding programmes to encourage attendance and enrolment. We also have introduced the conditional cash transfer to help small and medium businesses, the men, the women and young people who drive our economy. We have repaired and are repairing major arterial roads and starting major railway projects with the aim of linking the 36 states with efficient road and rail transportation systems. We are attacking corruption head-on. With international support we are recovering Nigerian stolen assets and applying them to infrastructural developments. Today the corrupt are facing the wrath of law and leakages have been generally blocked. Mr. Chairman, Your Excellencies, Members of the APC. We can be proud of our achievements. CHANGE has come. Ladies and Gentlemen, fellow Nigerians, think how much PDP Governments earned between 1999 to 2015. Think what they did with it. Infrastructure down! Security down! 18 local governments of Nigeria under control of a hostile army of insurgents, Reserves depleted! Bankruptcy around the corner. What did they do with your money? Internationally, Nigeria is now respected. My inter-action with foreign heads of state and government has been very encouraging. The international community is very supportive of our efforts to put our country in order. Ladies and gentlemen, Members of APC. I thank you deeply for your support and confidence in me. I will not let you or the people of Nigeria down. On to victory in 2019! Long live APC! Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria! PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app Legit.ng had reported that President Muhammadu Buhari accepted nomination to contest for a second term in the 2010 presidential election. The over 7000 delegates had converged in Abuja to ratified the results of the presidential primaries held across the country. President polled a total vote of of 14, 842,072 votes to emerged the winner of the presidential primaries. Legit.ng had earlier reported that security is tight in and around the Eagle Square, Abuja, venue of the national convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) where delegates are expected to ratify Muhammadu Buhari's return ticket Election 2019: President Buhari Proves He is Fit to Run in 2019 | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - Earlier on, a Zambian pastor received major backlash after an indecent video of him surfaced on the internet - According to reports, the video hit the internet after he sent it to a married woman - He has however, come out to apologize to the bishop of the church and the couple for his behaviour Identified as Elder Charles Kalombo, a pastor of Bread of Life Church, Chingola Branch, Zambia has been receiving heat after he was caught sending indecent videos of himself to a married woman. According to the reports, the latest video shows him enticing the woman and boasting of his bedroom prowess to a married woman identified as Bana Mary. Well, the husband discovered the video of the pastor and distributed it online. The pastor in question has come out to apologize church overseer, Bishop Joe Imakando, the couple and the nation for sending the video to the married woman. Kalombo said he considered himself an embarrassment to the church, stating the video was meant for his wife. READ ALSO: Photos from the white wedding ceremony of Sharon Oyakhilome and Philip Frimpong He claimed the video was meant for his wife and was mistakenly sent to the woman Source: UGC In his words: "I am very sorry for sending those n*de pics to a married woman it was just a mistake. The Bible says knock and the door shall be opened, seek and you be given and today I stand before you seeking for your forgiveness. I know I am a disgrace to Bishop Joe Imakando but please forgive me READ ALSO: 54-year-old Kemi Olunloyo claims PDP politicians camped UNIPORT girls in hotel Blaming his actions on the devil, he claimed it was not his intentions to send the video to the woman and went on to beg the husband not to punish or divorce her since she was innocent in all of this. She doesnt know anything and it was not her fault but my mistake as I wanted to send them to my wife but mistakenly went to your wife The pictures and video of Kalombo went viral on social media after the husband found them in her wifes smart phone and distributed them. PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News on Legit.ng News App Get the hottest gist on Africa Love Aid Source: Legit - Aisha Buhari condemned what she described as impunity in the APC primary election - The first lady said some aspirants' names were removed on Election Day - She said this should not be happening under the watch of Adams Oshiomhole The first lady, Aisha Buhari, has expressed disappointment over some of the conducts that occoured during the primary election in some states by the All Progressives Congress (APC). In a statement on Sunday, October 7, the first lady noted that some aspirants who had purchased forms on the platform of the party found out that their names were omitted on the day of election. Aisha said it was more saddening that is happening under the watch of Adams Oshiomhole. READ ALSO: Vote counting ongoing as PDP holds national convention in Port Harcourt (Live updates) Read the statement below: It is disheartening to note that some aspirants used their hard earned money to purchase nomination forms, got screened, cleared and campaigned vigorously yet found their names omitted on Election Day, these forms were bought at exorbitant prices. Many others contested and yet had their result delayed. Fully knowing that AUTOMATIC tickets have been given to other people. All Progressives Congress being a party whose cardinal principle is change and headed by a comrade/ activist whose main concern is for the common man, yet, such impunity could take place under its watch. Given this development one will not hesitate than DISSOCIATE from such unfairness, be neutral and speak for the voiceless. It is important for the populace to rise against impunity and for voters to demand from aspirants to be committed to the provision of basic amenities such as: 1. Potable drinking water 2. Basic health care ( Primary Health Care centers) 3. Education within conducive & appropriate learning environments. Let us vote wisely !!!! LONG LIVE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA!!!!!! There is speculation that the first lady's reaction is over the outcome of the APC Adamawa primary election where he brother lost out to incumbent governor Mohammed Bindow. Mahmoud Ahmed who is the brother to Aisha Buhari participated in the election and it was alleged that the exercise was marred by controversy. Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that the younger brother to Aisha Buhari, Halilu Mahmud, spoke about the forthcoming of direct primary of the APC in Adamawa state. PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet! Mahmud who is contesting alongside former EFCC boss, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, said his party members will agree on whom to pick between Ribadu and him at the direct primary. The first lady's brother who made this known in Yola, stressed the need for the two aspirants to form a formidable alliance to defeat the incumbent governor at the primaries. He noted that one of them will step down for the other in the interest of the people of the state, saying Adamawa people deserve an inclusive and people oriented government. PDP's magnificent 7 for 2019 - on Legit.ng TV: Source: Legit.ng News - Nigerian actor Ik Ogbonna has called out rich men who give young girls money - The actor advised the women to invest in businesses and good ideas - He stated that instead of exchanging money for pleasure they can help create jobs Talented Nigerian actor Ikechukwu Ogbonna is shaking tables filled with lots of rich men standing on it. The actor called on rich Nigerian men to help the economy rather than use their money to spoil young ladies. In a chat with Vanguard, the actor noted that there are rich men who dole out money to young ladies everyday in exchange for intercourse. He advised the men to use their money to create jobs rather than give it to girls. According to him, these men have the ability to invest in good businesses and great ideas that would make them more money in the long run. READ ALSO: Actress Omotola honoured by the United Nations as one of the most influential people from Africa He said: To all the millionaires and billionaires out there, lets try and create millionaires. You dont wait for the government to do that, thats not their job; the government is supposed to try and make things easier for us to live. There are so many rich men that give girls 10,000 dollars, 15,000 dollars every day after having s*x with them. How about every month you bring out N10 million, look for someone that has initiative and a good business plan and invest in his life? You dont need to dash him the money but let him pay you back in a years time. If 100 billionaires can come out today and do this every month to make a millionaire, in that way you are creating labour and making jobs for people and making their lives easier. Let all those rich men out there feed into this little wisdom and try and work with it. PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News on Legit.ng News The talented actor also advised young girls not to give their bodies to rich men in exchange for money. Ogbonna explained that true fulfillment is when young ladies look back at their lives with the feeling that they achieved success through hard-work. PAY ATTENTION: Get your daily relationship tips and advice on Africa Love Aid group He said: I feel its high time we tackled some certain things if we really love our people and want ourselves to grow. You must not sell your body to become someone in life; that way, youre not fulfilled but when you become someone in life and then you look back and you can tell yourself that you did not sell your body to become who you are, you have this inner fulfillment in you that no one can give you." Top 4 Most Influential Nigerians in the World: Nigerians in Top Positions | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit Nigeria Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar has won the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election to emerge as its presidential candidate for the 2019 presidential election. In the election conducted on Saturday, October 6 at the partys convention which took place in Port Harcourt, the former vice president defeated 11 other political bigwigs in the party. READ ALSO: Change has come - Read Buharis full speech after accepting nomination as APC presidential candidate He is expected to provide stiff competition to President Muhammadu Buhari who emerged as the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate. Governor Dave Umahi read out the votes of 9 aspirants before Governor Ifeanyi Okowa read out the rest of the results. Senator Bukola Saraki came third with 317 votes while Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto polled 693 votes. Below is the breakdown of the result and number of votes scored by each candidate in the PDP primary election: Jonah Jang: 19 Datti Baba-Ahmed: 05 David Mark: 35 Kabiru Tanimu Turaki: 65 Sule Lamido: 96 Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa: 48 Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo: 111 Ahmed Makarf: 74 Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso: 158 Bukola Saraki: 317 Aminu Tambuwal: 693 Atiku Abubakar: 1532 Void votes: 68 You can read Legit.ng's comprehensive live update of the voting here Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has thanked members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) particularly its chieftains after emerging as candidate of the party to represent it in the 2019 presidential elections. In a statement by Femi Adesina on Sunday, October 7, the president highlighted some of the achievements of his administration. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app He noted that things were going downhill when the Peoples Democratic Party was in power but expressed delight that his administration was able to turn things around. Legit.ng had reported that President Muhammadu Buhari accepted nomination to contest for a second term in the 2010 presidential election. The over 7000 delegates had converged in Abuja to ratified the results of the presidential primaries held across the country. President polled a total vote of of 14, 842,072 votes to emerged the winner of the presidential primaries. Legit.ng had earlier reported that security is tight in and around the Eagle Square, Abuja, venue of the national convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) where delegates are expected to ratify Muhammadu Buhari's return ticket Election 2019: President Buhari Proves He is Fit to Run in 2019 | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - Some people have been hospitalised after a reported stampeded at the venue of the PDP convention in Port Harcourt - The health cases arose from the rush at the entry/exit point of the convention arena - It was also gathered that some hoodlums unwittingly made things difficult for the genuine delegates to gain entry into the venue and this led to rush every now and then Five persons have been rushed to Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium clinic due to rush for entry into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) convention venue, the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the health cases arose from the rush at the entry/exit point of the convention arena. The security personnel had a Herculean task preventing hoodlums from taking advantage of the over crowdedness at venue, to enter into the arena. READ ALSO: Live updates: Vote counting begins as Atiku, Saraki, Kwankwaso, Tambuwal, others battle to replace Buhari as PDP holds national convention The hoodlums unwittingly made things difficult for the genuine delegates to gain entry into the venue and this led to rush every now and then. Reacting, Dr Malcolm Brisibe, SA to Governor Siriake Dickson on Public Health and State Emergency who is at the venue with his medical team, said that out of the cases, some were treated at the clinic and discharged. Brisibe said that the serious ones with complications were referred to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) for further medical attention. Brisibe, who declined mentioning how many patients were referred to UPTH,said that his primary function was to take care of Bayelsa delegates. READ ALSO: Acceptance speech of President Buhari as he gets nomination as sole candidate for APC (Full Speech) I came here (convention) to take care of the Bayelsa delegates but when the health challenges escalates, I opted to assist in the medical sub-committees work at the convention. Definitely in a gathering like this, there is bound to be casualties because of the presence of people with different health challenges But our primary function is to take care of the any health issue of delegates from Bayelsa, he said. NAN reports that many ambulances were positioned at strategic points at the venue of the convention in case of emergency. Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Osun state governor Rauf Aregbesola has questioned the mental state of some leaders of the PDP who protested at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission over the conduct of the state governorship election. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app Aregbesola on Friday, October 5, described them as mentally unstable, when talking with journalists shortly after he and the Osun governor-elect, Gboyega Oyetola, held a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa, Abuja. The governors comments was in response to protests by some PDP leaders demanding that INEC declare their candidate in the Osun governorship election, Senator Ademola Adeleke, the winner of the poll. Osun Election 2018: PDP supporters celebrating early lead | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit Legit.ng earlier reported that Ghanaian actor Chris Attoh had tied the knot with an unknown American-based lady in a private ceremony. The newly married couple said their vows on Saturday, October 6. It was gathered that Chris Stroh tied the knot with a lady identified as Betty Jennifer. The couple who are based in the United States, arrived in Ghana, last week for a movie premiere and also for their wedding. The news of their union comes a year and a month after his marriage with actress Damilola Adegbite ended. Attoh, the excited husband, took to social media to release new photos of himself and his new wife. The couple looked made for each other in their loved up photos. READ ALSO: Nollywood celebrities slay in their best at Abimbola Ogunnowo and Okiki Afolayan's wedding He also tool the opportunity to gush about his new wife and to thank God for blessing him. Attoh wrote: I want to thank God for his love and for hearing my prayers, indeed when the sun appears, all things are suddenly seen with clarity!!! Thank you Jesus, thank you lord!!! PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News on Legit.ng News PAY ATTENTION: Get your daily relationship tips and advice on Africa Love Aid group Reports circulating social media speculate that the actor and filmmakers new wife, Betty Jennifer, is a native of Ghana, despite being based in the United States. It is possible to find love again just like Chris Attoh did. Top-4 Nigerian Celebrities and Politician Weddings | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng American rapper, Kanye West appears to have deleted his Twitter social media accounts as his presence on Instagram and Twitter seems to have vanished. The controversial rapper seems who over the past few months, have caused media outrage through his unconventional opinions and his glaring support for President Donald Trump. It comes as no surprise however as this isn't the first time West has deleted his social media accounts without warning. He stayed off of Twitter for nearly a year, making his return this past April, and recently went back to Instagram as well. A while back, he took to the Twitter platform to speak on the negative effects social media has on people. According to him, people should be able to participate in social media without having to show how many followers or likes they have. READ ALSO: Photos from the white wedding ceremony of Sharon Oyakhilome and Philip Frimpong Kanye West deletes his Twitter and Instagram accounts again Source: UGC Well, recent reports shows that the rapper and father of two has deleted both his Instagram and Twitter accounts. West was expected to drop new album Yandhi last weekend, but it has not yet been released. He revealed in a recent interview with TMZ, he spoke about his plans to go to Africa to record more new music. PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News on Legit.ng News App Get the hottest gist on Top 3 Celebrities: Who Is The Humblest One Don Jazzy Tuface Idibia or Genevieve Nnaji? | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - An ex-miniter of information has deied at te age of 58 - John Odey died of cancer-related illness, reports said - He died in Dubai, United Arab Emirates A former Minister of Information, John Odey, is dead. Odey died at the age of 58. Announcing his death on Sunday, October 7, the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, called a for a one-minute silence at the party's convention in Port Harcourt. Although details of his death is still very sketch, Odey was also a minister of environment in Nigeria. READ ALSO: BREAKING: Nigerians react to Atiku's victory as PDP's presidential candidate Leadership in its report however, reported that Odey died in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, where he was undergoing treatment for cancer-related illness. Odey was appointed Nigerian minister of information and communications in July 2007, and became minister for environment in December 2008 after President Umaru YarAdua reshuffled his cabinet. He graduated with a B.Sc. in banking and finance from the University of Calabar in 1986. He has been active within the media, with positions such as general manager for South-South Communication and chairman of News Agency of Nigeria. He was appointed the national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2004. READ ALSO: Breaking: Atiku defeats Tambuwal, Saraki to win PDP primary election He also served as minister of information and communications and then as minister for the environment in the cabinet of Umaru YarAdua. In March 2010, he handed over to the permanent secretary for the ministry of environment after Vice President Goodluck Jonathan dissolved his cabinet. Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Randie Chima, an aide to Anambra state governor Willie Obiano, has been found dead in his room in the state capital Awka. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app The late Senior Special Assistant to Governor Obiano was discovered dead in his own room on the Nwakpodulu Avenue after being last seen on Friday, August 10 evening hale and hearty. The report quoted an unnamed source as saying: Im surprised to hear this story. That Randie is dead? We were together on Friday. He was hale and hearty. A good man is gone. Randie exercised almost regularly at Ekwueme Square. Do churches need armed security guards? - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit Newspaper A Twitter user has taken to the social media platform to narrate a story of how her neighbour's daughter escaped being killed by ritualists after she was kidnapped by a man she went to visit in Abuja. The presence of juju and fetish practices that involve taking human lives in Nigeria is just as real as the presence of oxygen. A Twitter user has left many people in shock after narrating a ratheer chilling story of how her neighbour's daughter escaped being killed. According to the post, the girl in question who is a university undergraduate left school to visit a friend in Abuja. It turned out the friend had other intentions as she was kidnapped by the man and taken to a native doctor in Ijebu for rituals. She however came back alive after the native doctor rejected her saying she had already being used. She wrote: "My Neigbours daughter that was kidnapped on the 28th of Sept just returned home this morning crying. She was kidnapped to be used for Rituals but the Native Doctor said a superior power from ijebu already used her soul for Rituals and she cant be used again,cos shes USELESS READ ALSO: Photos from the white wedding ceremony of Sharon Oyakhilome and Philip Frimpong According to her; she traveled to Abuja to meet a friend she has known for sometime. On getting there the man was richer than she expected but she suspected something was wrong cos he cant be so rich from selling only perfume oils. They spent the night together and she was only getting credit alerts but he didnt want to have s*x with her cos he was saving her for Rituals. The 3rd day came he told her he will be travelling that she can stay in the hotel till anytime she wants to travel home. According to her; that night by 2am someone came to wake her up, she said she cant remember who, but she followed the person,only to see herself in a shrine and the only person she could recognize was her friend. (The guy she went to see in Abuja) and there were other girls too. So she was furious,trying to ask the people how she got there but nobody was answering her. She said she watch them doing their enchantment and she also saw other girls were coming in, ( probably runs Girls ) and they were all together,the ones they took out never came back READ ALSO: 54-year-old Kemi Olunloyo claims PDP politicians camped UNIPORT girls in hotel Then someone came to where they were and asked her to follow him she followed him again, on getting to the shrine they told her so sit inside a calabash, she did but nothing happened. Then the Native Doctor tied a leaf around her neck and Screamed!!! Saying they brought a corpse. He then called her friend (the guy she went to see in Abuja) in anger the Native Doctor slapped him and asked him if hes not serious with performing the rituals and that he has 48hrs to provide someone or hell run mad. That she (my neighbours daughter) has been used previously She has been used previously and that shes not worth anything, and anyone who comes incontact with her s*xually also carries the same curse, and thats how itll be till till eternity.He then called some people to throw her away. They came and carried her away. According to her, They dropped her in the middle of the road, with the intention that a trailer or truck will drive by and crush her to death.But luckily for her the driver saw her in the middle of the road naked n stopped.He took off his shirt nd covered her, moved her from the road n drove off PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News on Legit.ng News App According to her she was just by the road seeing people passing by but she couldnt say a word, they probably thought she was MAD. So a relative from same village who knows her father saw her there and called her dad, that he saw her daughter sitting by the road looking Mad. And the Dad was shocked cos theyve been trying to reach her on phone and her room mates in school dont know her whereabout. They found her somewhere in ogun state and she came home this morning. Her parents are making preparations to take her back to ijebu to trace where and who used her for Rituals. Imagine having a beautiful face and nothing good is coming your way cos nobody is seeing you, someone made you a walking corpse cos youre desperately in love with money." Get the hottest gist on Africa Love Aid Nigeria News Today: James Brown - I am not GAY; Police Arrested Me Despite My HIV Status Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - Presidential candidate of the PDP in the coming general elections has credited former president Obasanjo his his victory - He said without Obasanjo picking him in 1999, he could never have become the PDP presidential candidate today - Obasanjo had vowed never to support Atiku Few minutes after his emergence as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former vice president Atiku Abubakar has praised former president Olusegun Obasanjo. Atiku, while delivering his acceptance speech after he was officially declared winner of the primary with 1,532 votes to Aminu Tambuwal's 693, Atiku thanked former President Olusegun Obasanjo for picking him as his vice president in 1999. He said without Obasanjo picking him in 1999, he could never have become the PDP presidential candidate today. Credit: Sodiq Adelakun Source: UGC READ ALSO: Nigerians react to Atiku's victory as PDP's presidential candidate He noted that without Obasanjo picking him then, he could never have become the PDP presidential candidate today. Recall that some months ago, Obasanjo had said: How can I be on the same side with Atiku? To do what? If I support Atiku for anything, God will not forgive me. If I do not know, yes. But once I know, Atiku can never enjoy my support. I do not have personal grudges with anyone. If you do not do well for Nigeria, you do not do well for all of us. It is not a question of working with or not working with an individual, he said. If you are working for the good of Nigeria, I am working with you. If you are not working for the good of Nigeria it does not matter who you are I am not working with you. However, Atiku said on Sunday while accepting to be PDP candidate said: "Finally, on a personal note, I wouldn't have been standing where I am today if my former boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo, had not made me his vice president. "Under his tutelage, I learnt quite a lot, and I believe the experience I have got is going to impact on how I eventually govern this country. I wish to pay my personal tribute to him." Abubakar, who scored 1,532 votes to defeat 11 other PDP heavy weights, said that his victory was a landmark in the history of the party. The party, he said, had never conducted a much better primary since the enthronement of democracy in 1999. WE have witnessed the most critical and transparent primary in the history of the party," he said. PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet! Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Uche Secondus said that in the just concluded presidential primary of the PDP, there was no victor and no vanquished. Giving a speech after the declaration of Atiku Abubakar as the winner of the polls, Secondus said that all the aspirants in the election won the election. Nigeria Latest News: 2019 Presidency - 'Why Nigerians Must Vote For Atiku' | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - All Progressives Congress(APC) has insisted that Sen. Shehu Sani remained its only senatorial candidate from Kaduna central - Yekini Nabena, acting national publicity secretary of the party, gave the clarification - He said Sani was the only senatorial candidate from the zone that was duly recognised by the national body The national body of the All Progressives Congress(APC) has said that Sen. Shehu Sani remained its only senatorial candidate from Kaduna central. The acting national publicity secretary of the party, Mr Yekini Nabena, gave the clarification in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Abuja on Sunday,October 7. READ ALSO: Nigerians react to Atiku's victory as PDP's presidential candidate He said Sani was the only senatorial candidate from the zone that was duly recognised by the national body. Sen. Shehu Sani had distanced himself from the primary election held in the state on Saturday, October 6, where he was said to have lost to special adviser to Governor Nasir El-rufai on political affairs, Malam Uba Sani. The returning Officer of the primary held at Murtala Muhammef Square, Kaduna, Prof. Eddie Floyd-Igbo, declared Uba Sani, a special adviser to Gov. Nasiru El-Rufai, as the winner with 2,088 votes, while Shehu Sani garnered only 15 votes. Another rival, Usman Ibrahim-Sardauna, was said to have secured only 129 votes. Nabena, however, reiterated that, as far as Kaduna Central Zone 2 is concerned, the only candidate is Sen. Shehu Sani. Yes election took place in that zone because of the House of Representatives and the State House of Assembly but for the senatorial position the only candidate is Sen. Shehu Sani. The governor cannot dictate to the party. The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the APC headquarters had announced Sen. Shehu Sani as its only candidate cleared to contest the Kaduna Central senatorial seat in 2019 elections. Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state said that the fate of Senator Shehu Sani, (APC-Kaduna Central) lies in hands of the party delegates in the state and not in his hand as the governor. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app El-Rufai, who spoke with State House correspondents shortly after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, October 5, in the Presidential Villa, said that the president was a democrat, who would not support imposition. Nigeria News: Will Senators, Lawmakers Defection from APC Change Power in 2019? - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng News The just elected presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, on Sunday, October 7, received series of congratulatory messages. The messages were mainly from Nigerians, his co-aspirants and some other political bigwigs of the PDP. Among those who congratulated Atiku included the Senate president, Bukola Saraki, the governor of Gombe state and also an aspirant for the presidential ticket under the platform of the PDP, Ibrahim Dankwambo. READ ALSO: BREAKING: Nigerians react to Atiku's victory as PDP's presidential candidate Saraki in his congratulatory message to Atiku said: "I congratulate our Presidential Candidate, Your Excellency, Alhaji @atiku Abubakar, for your victory. You have stayed on course over the years and truly, you deserve this victory. #PDPPresidentialPrimaries." Atiku Abubakar, with other PDP bigwigs at convention Source: Facebook We always knew from Day 1 that only one candidate would emerge. On behalf of all the aspirants, I want to assure Alhaji @atiku Abubakar that we will work with you to ensure that come 2019, you emerge as Nigerias next President. #PDPPresidentialPrimaries. Today is a great day for our party, @OfficialPDPNig, because it has shown what men and women of our party can do. Today has shown that the interest of our party and the Nigerian people is more important than our individual interests. The PDP presidential candidate and Governor Nyesom Wike Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Breaking: Atiku defeats Tambuwal, Saraki to win PDP primary election Thank you everyone for supporting our vision to #GrowNigeria," Saraki added. Others are: the chairman of the PDP national convention, Ifeanyi Okowa, governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state and many others. Atiku while delivering his victory speech at the PDP national convention venue Source: Facebook Okowa said: "Congratulations Your Excellency Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) as you emerged the @OfficialPDPNig presidential flag bearer at the #PDPpresidentialPrimaries in PH today. This is a win for PDP and we will all work together as we advance to more wins in 2019." PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Atiku won the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election to emerge as its presidential candidate for the 2019 presidential election. In the election conducted on Saturday, October 6 at the partys convention which took place in Port Harcourt, the former vice president defeated 11 other political bigwigs in the party. He is expected to provide stiff competition to President Muhammadu Buhari who emerged as the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate. 2019 Presidency: Nigerians reveal why they prefer Atiku to President Buhari - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - Nigeria police have renewed its invitation to Melaye, Ben Murray-Bruce - Police said the invitation superseded an earlier one sent to them over their conduct in connection with a protest last week Friday in Abuja - The police also said they want the two senators explain their role on the day unruly and violent protesters attacked police men Senators Dino Melaye and Ben Murray-Bruce are to report to the commissioner of police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, Garki, Abuja by 1000hrs on Monday, October 8, the police high command said today, Sunday, October 7. The invitation superseded an earlier one sent to them over their conduct in connection with a protest last week in Abuja. READ ALSO: Nigerians react to Atiku's victory as PDP's presidential candidate The police said they want the two senators explain their role on the day unruly and violent protesters attacked police men on duty in front of the Force Headquarters . They are no longer expected to report at the office of the IGP Monitoring Unit as earlier stated in a Press Release issued by the Police Headquarters on 5th October. The Police spokesman Jimoh Moshood said today that the two senators have a case to answer following preliminary investigation carried out so far by the police into the incident. Moshood said the probe revealed that Senator Dino Melaye and Senator Ben Murray-Bruce were captured on camera for their active involvement in the disturbance of public peace and public safety, unlawful blockade of Shehu Shagari Way. He said the blockade lasted several hours and prevented motorists, road users and other members of the public from having access and passage on the highway thereby disturbing public peace and public safety and causing innocent people to scamper for safety. He also they have to explain the violent attack on Policemen posted to ensure security of the Force Headquarters, the pushing and hitting of the Policemen to forcefully enter the Force Headquarters to cause damage to Police equipment and Government properties. Consequently, Senator Dino Melaye and Senator Ben Murray-Bruce are to report to the commissioner of police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) command, Garki, Abuja by 1000hrs on Monday, October 8, 2018 for investigation and not the IGP Monitoring Unit as earlier stated in the Press Release from the Force Headquarters on 5th October, 2018." Moshood said further investigation is ongoing to determine the level of involvement and culpability of other individuals and personalities who were seen at the scene of the crime on the date of the incident. According to Moshood, invitation letters have been sent to both Melaye and Ben Murray-Bruce for them to report to the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, Garki, Abuja. The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police command has the statutory jurisdiction to investigate the matter, he said. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app Legit.ng had reported that the Nigerian Police Force on Friday, October 5, accused Senators Dino Melaye and Ben Murray-Bruce and Senate President Bukola Saraki of leading a violent protest, attacking police officers and disturbing public peace. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app The police also accused the senators of pushing and hitting the policemen to forcefully enter the Force Headquarters to cause damage to police equipment and government properties. Nigeria News Today: Ibrahim Babangida on Saraki's Nigeria Election 2019 Presidency Bid | Legit.ng TV. Source: Legit - 200,000 candidates have been offered admission into tertiary institutions, for the 2018/2019 academic session - Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said that the admission took effect after the boards policy meeting in June in Gbongan, Osun - JAMB also urged candidates to go on their site and check their admission status The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), said about 200,000 candidates have been offered admission into tertiary institutions, for the 2018/2019 academic session. The head, media and information of the JAMB, Dr Fabian Benjamin, who disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos, said that the admission took effect after the boards policy meeting in June in Gbongan, Osun. READ ALSO: Nigerians react to Atiku's victory as PDP's presidential candidate According to him, the exercise is done through the Central Admission Process (CAP), an automated process to eliminate all human interferences. We have so far offered no fewer than 200,000 first choice admissions to candidates. To this effect therefore, we are urging candidates to go to our site and check their admission status and those who have been offered such admission should quickly indicate by accepting and printing such offer, as failure to do so will automatically mean the candidate is no longer interested. And therefore, the board may see all such offers as rejected and would have no option than to mop them up and give it to other interested candidates. Candidates are to accept or reject all offers not later than Oct.16 as that is when all offers of admissions of first choice will close. After that, we will commence admission exercise for the second choice of candidates, Benjamin said. He added that the admission process has been made easy as it is clear on the boards official website, all what the candidates need to know about their admission status and process. NAN reports that over 1.6 million candidates wrote JAMB-organised 2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Nigeria Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that no fewer than 10,000 candidates seeking admission to the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo state participated in the Post Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination for the 2018/2019 academic session. The vice chancellor of the University, Professor Igbekele Ajibefun, disclosed this while speaking with journalists on the campus of the institution. Applicants lament bitterly over JAMB registration hassles - on Legit.ng TV: Source: Legit.ng Jerri-Lynn here: In this Real News Network interview, Jayati Ghosh, professor of economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, discusses a recent UNDP report showing that poverty in India has halved in the last 10 years, and the newly unveiled healthcare plan for the bottom 40% of the population, nicknamed Modicare. Ghosh calls Modicare a scam that is going to benefit private healthcare companies by providing healthcare insurance, based on the US model instead of expanding a public health system which could actually provide [health care] much more cheaply, much more equitably and much more efficiently. GREG WILPERT: Its The Real News Network and Im Greg Wilpert, coming to you from Baltimore. The United Nations Development Program, the UNDP, published a report recently showing that according to its multi-dimensional definition of poverty, poverty in India has halved in the past ten years. This comes on the heels of another report earlier this year which found that India stopped being the country with the largest population living below the poverty line in the world with, Nigeria taking first place in 2018. Then last week, Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a new national healthcare plan. The plan is said to offer free health care to the bottom 40 percent of the population of India, about 100 million families. Here is how he announced the new program. NARENDRA MODI: The number of people who will benefit from Ayushmaan Bharat scheme is more than the combined population of the whole United States, the whole of Canada and the whole of Mexico too. More than all three of these countries, and more than even more countries. GREG WILPERT: The new health care plan is being nicknamed Modicare and is expected to cost 1.6 billion dollars per year. Joining me now to analyze Indias poverty and the new healthcare plan is Professor Jayati Ghosh. Shes professor of economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. Thanks for joining us today, Prof Ghosh. JAYATI GHOSH: Its a pleasure. GREG WILPERT: So first of all, to understand what the UNDP really analyzed, what does UNDP mean with multi-dimensional poverty and why is this a better measurement than the more common international poverty line? JAYATI GHOSH: Well, the international poverty line basically looks at incomes and it assesses whether you have an income that would allow you to meet certain basic necessities. Every country has their own poverty line. Its not as if theres one that is a standard across the world. But usually, its only based on income. And many people have argued that this actually leaves out a whole lot of the other important dimensions, such as health, education, schooling, nutrition, habitation, where you live, all kinds of things like that. So the Multidimensional Poverty Index, which was developed in fact in Oxford, is supposed to bring in all of those things; access to sanitation, access to water, access to food, access to healthcare, access to basic nutrition, all of these angles. So definitely, yes, its a better measure. The difficulty is that it will rely on different datasets. And so you wont always get necessarily a consistent time series, because youre using time series from different variables and different statistical systems that are collecting them. So you may not get a sort of consistent result. The bigger problem is that we dont really have too much of this data after 2011, 12. So I really dont know how the UNDP has managed to give us information for the last ten years. It would be remarkable if they managed to do this, because nobody in India knows. GREG WILPERT: Well lets turn to the question of what is poverty doing. I mean, is it going up or down? I mean, according to the UNDP, it has been declining. And if thats the case, first of all, I want to know if you would agree with that assessment. And then, if it has declined recently, what government policies have contributed to the reduction of poverty in India? JAYATI GHOSH: Well to be completely honest, nobody knows whether its declined or not. It may well have declined, because after all, the Indian economy has been growing at seven to eight percent, and it would be remarkable if there had been no decline in poverty over this period. But all of our survey data that would allow us to even get a multidimensional poverty index, the last such survey was conducted in 2011, 12. So we really do not have good data after that. Everything has been based on guesstimates. So maybe the UNDP has a better system of guessing, we dont know. But all I can say is that there are no hard data that would allow us to say definitively that its gone down by this much. GREG WILPERT: And what would you say are some of the main problem areas in terms of poverty in India at the moment? JAYATI GHOSH: The biggest area is clearly nutrition. It has been a very important issue in India. We still have very poor nutrition indicators, especially nutrition outcome indicators, which we do have data for more recently. Many of our states are down there with the worst of sub-Saharan African countries in terms of inadequate body mass index, anemia and a bunch of other things. But also, there is a range of other areas of multi-dimensional poverty; access to clean drinking water, access to I already mentioned food, but access to healthcare, access to decent education for everybody and so on and so forth. So we are still way behind other economies at our similar level of per capita income in terms of providing these very basic goods and services. I would say that, yes, there must have been some improvement in terms of poverty reduction, but its nowhere near fast enough and were still nowhere near where we should be even at this level of development. GREG WILPERT: Can you talk also about the relationship between what you mentioned, the nutritional problems, but also you said that apparently theres a agricultural crisis in India still going on and how that impacts poverty, how it relates to poverty. JAYATI GHOSH: Well in fact, there is at the moment a significant agrarian crisis and we have seen this erupt in a series of farmers protests and agitations over the last two years. Just yesterday, tens of thousands of farmers marched to Delhi, a ten-day march from various parts of North India, to demand certain things. And they were stopped at the border, there was tear gas and water cannons and the lathi charge, which is basically beating with batons. Several, especially elderly, farmers injured, a big crisis in terms of that. Last month there was a march of 150,000 workers and peasants from all over the country. Last year there was an enormous march in October, down the state of Maharashtra up to the city of Mumbai, of more than 300,000 farmers demanding land rights, demanding basic conditions. Theres a real agrarian crisis because the prices of inputs have gone up much faster than the price of output, which is very volatile and very affected by global prices. The farmers are still having to access very expensive credit, which makes it almost impossible to run a profit. They still have to deal with worsening land productivity and a number of other concerns, and theres been a lot of withdrawal of state protection because of public expenditure in agriculture falling. Now this really made farming unviable. And this has expressed itself in farmers taking out loans that they cannot repay. In the last few years weve seen that this led to desperation that generated and farmers suicides and terrible things like that. But now, finally, farmers are beginning to protest. Theyre beginning to come together, mobilize and protest. And this has become, I would say, a huge political issue as a run-up to general elections. But that is combined with the other huge macroeconomic problem in India, which is that there just isnt enough employment generation. Weve been growing at six to seven percent over the last ten years, and yet we dont have any increase in formal employment, which is amazing. Its ridiculous. Its unheard of, actually. So huge numbers of our workers, about 85 percent of them, work for the informal sector. And even in the organized sector, more than half the workers are informal. That is to say, they dont have proper contracts, they dont have any labor rights, they dont have decent working conditions, they dont get the minimum wage. So were not generating enough jobs, which is both remarkable and disturbing for an economy thats supposed to be growing so fast. And so even if a lot of these people are not below the poverty line, which I have to tell you in India is a very, very low bar, to be below the poverty line basically means youre starving, youre destitute. A lot of these people are not absolutely destitute, but they are certainly poor by any standard globally, including in the rest of Asia. And we dont seem to be able to provide enough productive employment. Drunk birds are wreaking havoc in Minnesota Popular Science Consider the Wombat LRB Trash Geyser Spews Garbage In Yellowstone National Park Motherboard (Carolinian). Hoisted from comments. Female Nobel prize winner deemed not important enough for Wikipedia entry Guardian (Dr. Kevin) Tokyos legendary Tsukiji fish market closes FT How capitalism ruined our relationship with bacteria The Conversation Comfort women controversy crosses Pacific to California Asia Times (The Rev Kev) Burn, Baby, Burn Waste Watch Scientists Raise Alarm Over U.S. Bio-Weapon Programs Moon of Alabama (Chuck L) North Carolina Farmers Learned Nothing From Previous Hurricanes as Over 4 Million Animals Drown During Florence Counterpunch Big Brother IS Watching You Watch Why Germans will be left behind in Artificial Intelligence Handelsblatt. Seems ordinary Germans have sensible attitudes and habits: They pay with cash, fear self-driving cars, and think data sharing (even when anonymized) is one step away from Stasi methods. India Indonesia New Cold War Tusk makes scathing attack on Russian influence Politico Brexit Syraqistan Imperial Collapse Watch China? Class Warfare Kill Me Now Kavanaugh Trump Transition Ralph Nader: Advertising Is Destroying the Internet Truthdig Antidote du Jour (via): See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. The NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will travel to Zagreb on Monday, 8 October 2018. During the visit, Mr. Stoltenberg will have meetings with the President of Croatia, H.E. Mrs. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, the Prime Minister, H.E. Mr. Andrej Plenkovic and the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, H.E. Mr. Damir Krsticevic. Media Advisory 8 October 2018 (local time) 16:10 Secretary General joint press point with the Prime Minister 18:35 Secretary General joint press statement with the President of the Republic The press point and the press statement will be streamed live on the NATO website. Still and video images of the meetings will be available on the NATO website after the event. Professional-quality videos and b-roll are available for download from www.natomultimedia.tv. Please register for access. Contact: content@natomultimedia.tv Follow us on Twitter (@NATOPress and @jensstoltenberg). NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg inaugurated the civil emergency exercise Srbija 2018 on Monday (8 October) together with the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic. This is the biggest exercise organised by NATO's Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre, and the first to be hosted by Serbia. It will include around 2,000 personnel from almost 40 countries. Srbija 2018 is not a military exercise, but a platform for civilian first responders and the military, from Allied and partner countries, to learn from each other how they can save lives. The Secretary General thanked Serbia for hosting the exercise, noting that it is a great example of how Serbias partnership with NATO can bring concrete benefits, to Serbia, to NATO, and to the whole region. He added that the exercise is an opportunity to test new relief tools, such as artificial intelligence and a next-generation Incident Command System. The lessons we learn this week will help us to save more lives in the years to come, said Mr. Stoltenberg. The Secretary General underlined that NATO has one overriding objective across the Western Balkans region: to help build peace and stability, which are the foundations of prosperity. He noted that NATO Allies are the biggest investors in the region, helping to bring jobs and economic growth. Mr. Stoltenberg stressed that NATO fully respects Serbias neutrality, and explained the concrete benefits of the partnership between NATO and Serbia. The Alliance has worked with Serbia to dispose of tons of dangerous surplus munitions, and helped Serbian forces contribute to international peacekeeping missions. On Monday, the Secretary General also joined President Vucic at the event "Leadership for a Secure Region", at the invitation of the Belgrade Security Forum. He highlighted the strong partnership between Serbia and NATO, and praised President Vucics leadership on reforms. Mr. Stoltenberg also welcomed progress in the Western Balkans to build stability, security and economic growth. He added that more regional trade creates greater trust and will diminish nationalistic rhetoric. Mr. Stoltenberg started his visit by meeting with students and lecturers at the Department for Scandinavian Languages and Literature at the Faculty of Philology of the University of Belgrade. He also met with Prime Minister Ana Brnabic. By Terrence Newton The global rollout of 5G is well underway, and we soon may see new small cell towers near all schools, on every residential street, dispersed throughout the natural environment, and pretty much everywhere. But the safety of this technology is in serious question, and there is a raging battle to stop the taxpayer funded implementation of 5G. The new cell network uses high-band radio frequency millimeter waves to deliver high bandwidth data to any device within line of sight. Todays cellular and Wi-Fi networks rely on microwaves a type of electromagnetic radiation utilizing frequencies up to 6 gigahertz (GHz) in order to wirelessly transmit voice or data. However, 5G applications will require unlocking of new spectrum bands in higher frequency ranges above 6 GHz to 100 GHz and beyond, utilizing submillimeter and millimeter waves to allow ultra-high rates of data to be transmitted in the same amount of time as compared with previous deployments of microwave radiation. [Source] One of the ways 5G will enable this is by tapping into new, unused bands at the top of the radio spectrum. These high bands are known as millimeter waves (mmwaves), and have been recently been opened up by regulators for licensing. Theyve largely been untouched by the public, since the equipment required to use them effectively has typically been expensive and inaccessible. [Source] Among the many potential problems with exposure to 5G radio waves are issues with the skin, which is interesting when you consider that this technology is already being used in the military for crowd control purposes. This kind of technology, which is in many of our homes, actually interacts with human skin and eyes. The shocking finding was made public via Israeli research studies that were presented at an international conference on the subject last year. Below you can find a lecture from Dr. Ben-Ishai of the Department of Physics at Hebrew University. He goes through how human sweat ducts act like a number of helical antennas when exposed to these wavelengths that are put out by the devices that employ 5G technology. [Source] The U.S. military developed a non-lethal crowd control weapon system called the Active Denial System (ADS). It uses radio frequency millimeter waves in the 95GHz range to penetrate the top 1/64 of an inch layer of skin on the targeted individual, instantly producing an intolerable heating sensation that causes them to flee. This video demonstrates: This technology is becoming ubiquitous in top world militaries, demonstrating how genuinely effective this radio frequency energy can be at causing harm to humans and anything else. U.S., Russian, and Chinese defense agencieshave been active in developing weapons that rely on the capability of this electromagnetic technology to create burning sensations on the skin, for crowd control. The waves are Millimetre waves, also used by the U.S. Army in crowd dispersal guns called Active Denial Systems. [Source] Final Thoughts The fight over 5G is heating up at the community level, and awareness of this important issue is spreading fast. For more background on 5G, watch this video from Take Back Your Power, featuring Tom Wheeler, Former FCC Chairman and corporate lobbyist, who delivers a rather intimidating and presumptuous speech praising this new technology. The fight over 5G is heating up at the community level, though, and now is the time to speak out against it. Read more articles from Terence Newton. Terence Newton is a staff writer for WakingTimes.com, interested primarily with issues related to science, the human mind, and human consciousness. This article (5G Network Uses Same EMF Waves as Pentagon Crowd Control System) was originally created and published by Waking Times and is published here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Terence Newton and WakingTimes.com. It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution, author bio, and this copyright statement. Calif. Governor Jerry Brown called Judge Brett Kavanaughs confirmation to the Supreme Court Saturday afternoon a real tragedy. Just minutes after Kavanaugh was confirmed, Brown wrote on Twitter, This controversial and partisan choice further deepens the divisions in America and profoundly undermines democratic governance. A real tragedy. This controversial and partisan choice further deepens the divisions in America and profoundly undermines democratic governance. A real tragedy. Jerry Brown (@JerryBrownGov) October 6, 2018 Kavanaugh was confirmed 50-48 mostly along partisan lines. Democratic Senator Joe Manchin from West Virginia voted in favor of Kavanaugh and Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted against him. Kavanagh has been accused of sexual harassment or misconduct by three women on the record, a subject which has put a cloud over his nomination for the last two weeks and prompted a last-minute FBI investigation last week. In a Tweet, President Trump wrote in part, I applaud and congratulate the U.S. Senate for confirming our GREAT NOMINEE, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, to the United States Supreme Court. Kavanaugh's nomination was one of the narrowest ever for a Supreme Court nominee. Approximately 100 people turned out for a protest rally Saturday afternoon at Lake Merritt in downtown Oakland following the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh as the newest justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Protesters marched around the lake this afternoon carrying signs and chanting before walking to Frank Ogawa Plaza several blocks from the lake to hear several speakers as evening approached. Oakland police said the gathering had broken up before 8 p.m., and that the gathering was peaceful. No arrests were made. Kavanaugh, the subject of an unusually contentious confirmation hearing on Sept. 27, was sworn in today as the newest Supreme Court justice. That came a few hours after the U.S. Senate voted 50-48 to confirm him. Thousands of people took part in protests today in Washington D.C.; some protesters disrupted the Senate vote itself. Rami Malek has somehow captured what he called "spontaneous beauty" that is Queen's frontman Freddie Mercury, and he brought the iconic rock star's spirit to life again Friday night in San Francisco at a special screening of "Bohemian Rhapsody." What better place to screen the upcoming biopic of Mercury than at The Castro Theater in the Castro District, one of the most iconic and historically significant LGBTQ neighborhoods in the United States. "The iconic look that Freddie has, this is where its from. Its very important for us to be here, to play in front of the audience here. It means a lot to us, how people respond to the film here," said actor Gwilym Lee who portrays Queen's lead guitarist Brian May. The evening kicked off with a performance from The Killer Queens, the only all-female Queen tribute band in the world based right in San Francisco. Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area Vocalist Nina Noir has her own broken microphone stand to emulate the iconic Mercury look, and she has the voice to match. The band went through the greatest Queen hits, Noir at one point adorned a red crown on her head and a bright red cape as she performed "We Are The Champions", ending with "Under Pressure" also as a tribute to late David Bowie. Following the performance, the audience got to meet Malek, Lee and Joe Mazzello who portrays Queen bassist John Deacon. Speaking on his process in becoming Mercury, Malek said that when he found out he was going to be a part of the film, there was no time to question it too much. "I realize that Freddie was just spontaneous beauty. There was nothing rehearsed about the guy. He got up there and he made a show in the moment, that every night hoped to be the greatest show of his life," he said. Actor Gwilym Lee attends a special screening for Queens Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody at the Castro Theater on Friday, Oct. 5, 2018. The film follows Mercury's journey from when he worked at London's Heathrow Airport, to when he joined what used to be May and drummer Roger Taylor's band Smile in 1970, to his solo career and to Queen's unforgettable Live Aid performance in 1985. Mercury was a private person and fans didn't get to see much of what he's like behind closed doors. The film offers that small window into the relationships he had with his family (who were refugees from what was Sultanate of Zanzibar and now Tanzania), with the "love of his life" Mary Austin, and his partner, Jim Hutton, who took care of him until he died in 1991 from complications resulting from AIDS. Malek says people often asked what the greatest piece of advice the remaining members of Queen gave him for the role and he said something that entirely summed up why Mercury is loved deeply by people all over the world: "Its not necessarily anything they told me about Freddie, its about how they talk about him. You just see it in their eyes. You see something in their demeanor entirely changes." "There is something that is so uniquely special to this man that he could give you what he did on stage and the life he lived at home - be this shy, very vulnerable, this loving person who is very generous behind closed doors and obviously had inner strife and conflict going on, but it enlightened me as to why he was so bold on stage, why he was so captivating. Because theres something just burning inside of him, all these things and in one place he could really share it was out there with hundreds of thousands," Malek continued. Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area After the screening, Renee Rogoff, who was among Queen fans in the audience, left The Castro Theater speechless and overwhelmed with tears. "I remember what it was like to grow up in a time when it wasnt OK to be gay, when if it was you who had a disease, no one would touch you. Im not gay but I spend a lot of my life fighting for gay rights, and the fact that somebody can live that way and be that amazing and touch so many lives and find a way to be accepted and tell his message during a time when nobody like that was allowed to, and for us to honor it now, in the country that were living in - its really special," Rogoff reacted. Others who talked outside theater said that they quickly forgot that Malek wasn't Mercury, that Malek disappeared into one of the greatest performers in history. And as Mazzello said in closing, Queen's music is for everyone and it's an escape. "Its if youre having a bad day or somethings going on at work or youre sick or whatever it is, you just get to come here in the movie theater and have a little joy for a little while," and the film served its purpose in that sense. "The Bohemian Rhapsody" officially premieres in theaters on Nov. 2. Santa Rosa residents gathered at a church Saturday to raise money to help build homes for people who lost them to the devastating Tubbs Fire last year. Monday will mark exactly one year since the tragedy and as a red flag warning is underway, fire officials are telling people to be extra careful as winds whip through the area. "October tends to be one of the months that has the largest fires in California," said Jonathan Cox from Cal Fire. Its for that reason that theyre warning people to be extra careful and while fire officials urge vigilance, at the Church of The Roses, they urged healing. "We figured this weekend, all the memories would be pretty traumatic for people so we thought music is a wonderful tool for healing in body mind and spirit," said Reverend Cindy Alloway. The event featured a choral concert organized by the churchs outgoing director of music Barbara McElroy who is leaving in part because she is one of the people who lost quite a bit in last years fire. "Were celebrating how far weve come since the fire and were trying to raise money for those that still need help," she said. The concert was one of McElroy last events in Santa Rosa and she is happy they raised more than $3,500 which will go to Habitat for Humanity to help build homes in Santa Rosa. 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. Demonstrators flocked to the nation's capital Saturday amid the Senate's highly anticipated confirmation vote on Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh, with 164 people being arrested for unlawful demonstrations. Hundreds of people gathered in front of the Capitol and Supreme Court buildings to protest Kavanaugh's confirmation. Many pumped their fists and carried signs, including ones that read "Believe Women," "Believe Her" and "No!" Some protesters could be heard yelling "November is coming" and "Vote them out!" A group of them climbed the Capitol steps, and some were led away by police. Officials confirmed that 150 people were arrested on the Rotunda Steps. The Senate voted 50-48 to confirm Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. The judge was facing public allegations of sexual misconduct in the weeks before the vote, including an accusation by Christine Blasey Ford that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a party when they were teens. Inside the Senate building, a group of protesters yelled from the galleries above the floor, interrupting Senate Majority Whip John Cornyns (R-Texas) speech. Sen Todd Young (R-Ind.) reminded those in the room that protests are against Senate rules. The shouts continued as the vote began, with people yelling from the galleries before Capitol Police removed them. Many yelled "I do not consent. One woman laid on the gallery steps and was lifted from the floor and carried out. As Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona voted yes, a male protester yelled, "You're a coward." Protesters chanted shame when West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, the only Democrat to support Kavanaugh, was voting. At one point, Sen. Lindsey Graham laughed and shook his head. One person was arrested in the galleries before the vote, and 13 were arrested after, police confirmed. Demonstrators also showed up at the Capitol to support Kavanaugh's confirmation. President Donald Trump tweeted about them Saturday. "Women for Kavanaugh, and many others who support this very good man, are gathering all over Capitol Hill in preparation for a 3-5 P.M. VOTE. It is a beautiful thing to see - and they are not paid professional protesters who are handed expensive signs. Big day for America!" he wrote. Protesters have roamed Capitol Hill corridors and grounds daily over Kavanaugh's nomination and the allegations against him, raising anxieties and underscoring the passions the nomination fight has aroused. Hundreds filled the Senate building to support Ford and shared their own stories of sexual assault. Other anti-Kavanaugh demonstrators chanted on the lawn between the Capitol and the Supreme Court and yelled "We believe survivors." Demonstrators turned out in other cities as well to call for the Senate not to confirm Kavanaugh. A group of people stood outside Sen. Marco Rubio's office in Miami, holding signs and chanting "Hey. Hey. Ho. Ho. Kavanaugh has got to go." Others gathered in Chicago and chanted "Womens rights are not for sale. We wont live the Handmaids Tale." "Were here today to say no, stop," one speaker said. "We need to stand together for women. We believe Ford. ... There is no way we can allow for the appointment of Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court Justice. People have the power to make change." Social media video showed a group gathered outside Sen Jeff Flake's (R-Ariz.) office, carrying signs and chanting "Vote for Kavanaugh" and "We love Trump." Former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock's public corruption trial is now scheduled for June in federal court in Chicago. The former Illinois congressman was once a rising Republican star and a formidable GOP fundraiser. He's now accused of using campaign money and his congressional allotment for personal expenses and the extravagant redecorating of his Capitol Hill office in the style of the TV series "Downton Abbey." The Chicago Tribune reports the Republican from Peoria will stand trial on June 10 before U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly. A federal appeals court refused to dismiss the charges in May. The trial could take a month. The case was originally assigned to a federal judge in central Illinois. But a judge there recused himself after being removed from a separate case for having improper communication with prosecutors. Former Vice President Joe Biden will appear at a rally in northwest Indiana to drum up support for Senator Joe Donnelly in his re-election campaign. According to Donnellys campaign, the former V.P. will appear at an Early Vote rally with the senator at the Hammond Civic Center on Oct. 12, and tickets will be made available on a first come, first serve basis for those interested in attending. On the senators campaign website, interested residents can sign up for the tickets, but must pick them up in person at an Indiana Democratic Party field office on Oct. 10 or 11. According to RealClearPolitics, Donnelly leads Republican challenger Mike Braun by two and a half points in a tightly contested race. A 2-year-old boy and a senior at Butler College Prep were killed in separate shootings on Saturday that also wounded eight others across the city. The toddler was shot about 10:15 p.m. when someone opened fire in the Hermosa neighborhood on the Northwest Side, according to Chicago police. The boy, identified as Julien Gonzalez, was with an 18-year-old man near the mouth of an alley in the 2200 block of North Kilbourn when the shots were fired, police and the Cook County medical examiners office said. Gonzalez, who lived in the Clearing neighborhood, was struck in the neck and rushed to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:39 p.m., authorities said. The man was shot in the left leg and taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where his condition was stabilized. Two females had been fighting in the alley between Kilbourn and Kenneth Avenue when the shots were fired in their direction, police said. Yellow police tape zigzagged across the alley early Sunday as officers secured the crime scene. [NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More The Butler student was fatally shot during a gathering about 7:35 p.m. in the Eden Green neighborhood on the Far South Side. James Garrett, 18, suffered a gunshot wound to his back when a male and female pulled out guns and opened fire during an argument in the 13200 block of South Prairie, according to authorities. He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and pronounced dead just over an hour later. Also wounded was a 48-year-old man who was shot in his body and a 20-year-old woman who suffered a gunshot wound to her arm, police said. The man was also taken to Christ and the woman was brought to University of Chicago Medical Center. Their conditions have since been stabilized. The latest nonfatal shooting happened in the Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side. At 11:36 p.m., a 38-year-old man was walking through a vacant parking lot in the 3100 block of South Michigan when someone in a white sedan fired a shot that struck him in the right hand, police said. The man was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and stabilized. About a half hour earlier, a man was shot in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side.The 36-year-old was arguing with another male about 11 p.m. in the 900 block of North Leamington when the other male opened fire, police said. He suffered two gunshot wounds to his leg and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition. Early Saturday, a man was grazed by a bullet during a drive-by attack in the West Englewood neighborhood on the South Side. The 37-year-old was walking about 4:10 a.m. in the 7200 block of South Paulina when a blue minivan pulled up and someone inside fired shots, grazing his abdomen, police said. He declined medical treatment at the scene. About an hour earlier, a 29-year-old man was wounded in a Roseland neighborhood shooting on the Far South Side. The man was at a party about 3:10 a.m. in the 300 block of West 108th Street when someone pulled out a gun and shot him in the left foot, police said. He also declined medical treatment. The first shooting of the day left a man wounded in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side. About 1:15 a.m., the 30-year-old was standing with a group of people in the 3800 block of West Gladys Avenue when shots rang out, police said. He was struck in the buttocks and leg and taken to Stroger in good condition. On Friday, 1 person died and 5 others were wounded from gun violence throughout the city. America's top diplomat left Tokyo for Pyongyang on Sunday after pledging that the U.S. will coordinate with allies Japan and South Korea on efforts to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. On the eve of his fourth visit to North Korea, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Saturday with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to try to unify the countries' positions as he looks to arrange a second summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and chart a path toward denuclearization. Japan has been wary of Trump's initiative, fearing it could affect its long-standing security relationship with the U.S. Pompeo said it was important to hear from the Japanese leader "so we have a fully coordinated and unified view." Pompeo also pledged that during his meeting with Kim on Sunday, he would raise the cases of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea. Pompeo later planned stops in South Korea and China to review the negotiations. "It is important for us to hear from you as I travel to Pyongyang to make sure that we are fully in sync with respect to missile programs, (chemical and biological weapons) programs," Pompeo told Abe. "We will bring up the issue of the abductees as well and then we will share with you how we hope to proceed when we are in Pyongyang tomorrow." Trump is pressing to meet with Kim for a second time after their June summit in Singapore produced a vague agreement on denuclearization with few, if any, specifics. Despite the historic meeting, the two sides are deadlocked over how to achieve that goal. Trump canceled Pompeo's initial planned return to North Korea last month. In contrast with South Korea, where President Moon Jae-in has been at the forefront of encouraging Trump's rapprochement with the North, Japan has been decidedly cautious, insisting its interests and concerns be addressed. Abe did not speak of differences but highlighted the importance of demonstrating to the world that the U.S.-Japan alliance is "more robust than ever" and stressing the importance of "thorough coordination" with Washington on all aspects of North Korea policy. Pompeo has repeatedly refused to discuss details of negotiations, including a U.S. position on North Korea's demand for a declared end to the Korean War and a proposal from Seoul for such a declaration to be accompanied by a shutdown of the North's main known nuclear facility. The U.S. and Japan have pushed for the North to compile and turn over a detailed list of its nuclear sites to be dismantled as a next step in the process; the North has rejected that. Japan's foreign minister, Taro Kano, said the accounting continues to be a priority for his country. "Disclosing all nuclear inventories is the first step toward denuclearization," he told reporters after Pompeo wrapped up his meeting in Tokyo. Kono also said he and Pompeo didn't go into details of a possible war-end declaration because it's premature while there is virtually no progress in denuclearization. "We are not even talking about whether to do it or not," he said. "It's not an issue that we are even considering." Many believe such a declaration could reinforce North Korea's demands for the U.S. to withdraw its forces from South Korea and Japan. While traveling to Asia, Pompeo said his mission was to "make sure that we understand what each side is truly trying to achieve ... and how we can deliver against the commitments that were made" in Singapore. He said they would develop options, if not finalize, the location and timing of a second Trump-Kim summit. He has also distanced himself from an earlier stated goal of achieving North Korea's nuclear weapons abandonment by the end of Trump's term in January 2021. Since the effort got underway with a secret visit to the North by then-CIA chief Pompeo in April, there has been only limited progress. North Korea so far has suspended nuclear and missile tests, freed three American prisoners and dismantled parts of a missile engine facility and tunnel entrances at a nuclear test site. It has not taken any steps to halt nuclear weapons or missile development. The North also has accused Washington of making "unilateral and gangster-like" demands on denuclearization and insisted that sanctions should be lifted before any progress in nuclear talks. U.S. officials have thus far said sanctions will remain in place until the North's denuclearization is fully verified. AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report. Officers with the East Central Narcotics Task Force arrested a man who is accused of selling large amounts of drugs in Manchester and South Windsor, Connecticut. Officers said they received information about a drug dealer who lives in Maine on Friday. They said 20-year-old Nicholas Simmons would frequent the towns of Manchester and South Windsor to sell large amounts of marijuana. Simmons was arrested following a lengthy ongoing investigation. The East Central Narcotics Task Force also had an arrest warrant for Simmons for various drug charges involving marijuana from a previous case. According to police, they seized over 8 pounds of marijuana, dozens of THC vape cartridges, hundreds of edibles containing THC, marijuana oils, LSD, Simmons's vehicle and an undisclosed amount of cash. Simmons is facing charges including possession of narcotics, possession with intent to sell, operating a drug factory and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond was set at $300,000 and he will appear in court in Manchester. The East Central Narcotics Task Force works with other municipal and federal law enforcement agencies to stop illegal narcotics sales and use in Manchester, South Windsor and Vernon. Anyone with information about illicit drug activity is asked to call the East Central Narcotics Task Force at (860) 645-5548. All calls will remain confidential. The feelings of protesters and supporters of Judge Brett Kavanaughs confirmation to the nations highest court centered, in Connecticut, on the swing vote of Maines Republican Senator Susan Collins. Dozens of people gathered on the steps of New Havens Superior Court following the Senate vote on Saturday boo-ed Sen. Collins, whose vote pushed Kavanaughs nomination over the top in a 50-48 margin, one of the narrowest ever for a Supreme Court nominee. As protesters observed a moment of silence, some covering their mouths with red tape, others in the state celebrated. The Family Institute of Connecticut, a socially conservative organization opposing abortion, had launched an email campaign targeting Collins vote last week. Peter Wolfgang, their Executive Director, applauded the efforts of around 300 Connecticut residents he said successfully swayed the Senator to vote yes for Kavanaugh. The pro-life community here in the state of Connecticut played a pivotal role in this, Wolfgang said. Were absolutely thrilled. A number of the protesters taking turns at the megaphone in New Haven, both men and women, identified as survivors of sexual violence. My heart is broken for Dr. Blasey Ford, who out of a heroic sense of patriotism, bravely told her story in the face of her greatest fears, said Laura Cordes, the Executive Director of the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence. Both sides are now turning their attention towards the upcoming November elections. On November 6, this battle is on. I look forward to meeting everybody on the front lines, Brittney Yancy, Connecticut ambassador to the United States of Women, said at the protest. Wolfgang said the controversy surrounding Kavanaughs confirmation process has galvanized the right. Theres a lot of outrage on the conservatives' side and youre going to be in for some surprises this election cycle, he said. Westport Police seized more than $100,000 and drugs from a vehicle early Saturday morning. An officer said he observed a suspicious vehicle parked at Torno Hardware on Post Road East around 1:30 a.m., when the business was closed. He said there was one woman and two men inside of the vehicle at the time. Another person associated with the vehicle, later identified as 30-year-old Ninifa Ruiz, emerged from behind the building. As the officer spoke with the occupants, he said he could smell a strong odor of marijuana emanating from the car. Officers said they found the female in the car to be in possession of a small amount of marijuana and she was given an infraction. Ruiz was later found to be in possession of ecstasy pills. Officers said they then deployed a K9 who indicated on the suspect vehicle. During a search of the car, police said they found $110,000 in cash inside of a backpack. None of the parties claimed the backpack or its content. Police said the people inside of the car also did not have an explanation for the amount of cash. Officers took Ruiz into custody and officers seized the ecstasy pills and money. Ruiz, of Everett, Massachusetts, is facing charges including sale of a hallucinogen and possession of a controlled substance/hallucinogen. She was released after posting $7,500 bond and is scheduled to appear in court in Norwalk on October 16. 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 told the Beaumont Enterprise. "Beaumont is just a really 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 blue jay 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." More than a dozen Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies combed Malibu Canyon for hours with the aid of three helicopters after a park worker reported talking to a man who fit the description of a rifle-toting burglar spotted in the area last Sunday. Bloodhounds were brought in Saturday to search the canyon south of the Malibu Creek State Park campgrounds, where 35-year-old Irvine resident Tristan Beaudette was shot to death in his tent June 22 while camping with his two daughters. Sheriff's Enforcement Bureau deputies used a helicopter to ferry more than a dozen crates of surveillance gear and other tactical items for a search that ended when it became too dark to safely continue, Deputy Dangelo Robinson said. Dozens of squad cars were spotted in the canyon between Calabasas and Malibu by a reporter from KBUU radio. Sheriff's deputies kept hikers out of an area along the creek, south of Piyuma. "I'm trying to preserve a crime scene, we're bringing in bloodhounds,'' a deputy said. Deputies have said the burglary suspect has not been connected to the shooting, but they are considering it a possibility. "We haven't linked it (to Beaudette's killing), but we certainly haven't ruled it out,'' Sgt. Matthew Dunn of the Malibu/Lost Hills sheriff's station said. The suspect might be a transient living in the park, Dunn said. More than a dozen hikers remained in the recreation area near old movie sets in Malibu Canyon Road at Mulholland Highway. Hikers expressed surprise when they found out a manhunt was happening and that low-flying helicopters they had seen were searching for an armed burglar. Last Sunday, a commercial structure north of the park was burglarized, and surveillance video showed a man wearing what deputies called "tactical gear'' and carrying a rifle. The armed man stole food, deputies told NBC4. The man also was suspected of burglarizing the Calabasas water treatment plant at least once and another commercial building near Mulholland Highway and Las Virgenes Road, Dunn said. On Tuesday, there was a large manhunt in the canyon for that suspect, but he was not found. Tuesday night, some residents reported hearing gunfire. Dunn said today a maintenance worker at the Tapia Park area about a mile south of the campground "encountered a person who matched the description of the armed commercial burglar.'' Dunn said the man asked the park worker for a ride out of the canyon, "because he said there were so many police in the area.'' The maintenance worker left and called deputies. By 4 p.m., three helicopters were in the area, along with dozens of deputies, working from a command post at King Gillette ranch at Mulholland Highway and Malibu Canyon Road. Authorities in Florida say a three-month-old girl has been reunited with her mother hours after she was kidnapped by her father who hasn't had any contact with her since birth. The Sanford Police Department said that baby Na'tori Mazion was returned Sunday by a person who knows her father, Tedrick Mazion. Detectives had been searching for Tedrick Mazion since they said he took his daughter from her mother's home early Sunday Detectives say the infant's mother tried to stop Mazion from taking the girl. What to Know By early Tuesday, Michael's top sustained winds had risen some to 100 mph as it headed north at 12 mph. Hurricane Michael gained new strength over warm tropical waters amid fears it would swiftly intensify into a major hurricane before striking Florida's northeast Gulf Coast, where frantic coastal dwellers are boarding up homes and seeking evacuation routes away from the dangerous storm heading their way. By early Tuesday, Michael's top sustained winds had risen some to 100 mph as it headed north at 12 mph. The storm was centered about 365 miles south of Apalachicola and 395 miles south of Panama City, Florida. Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 35 miles from the core and tropical-storm-force winds out 175 miles. Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 40 miles from the core and tropical-storm-force winds out 195 miles. Michael was lashing western Cuba on Monday with heavy rains and strong winds. Forecasters warned that Michael, now a Category 2 storm, could dump up to a foot of rain in western Cuba, potentially triggering flash floods and mudslides in mountain areas. A hurricane hunter plane that bounced into the swirling eye of Michael off the west tip of Cuba late Monday found wind speeds were rising even as forecasters warned the storm could reach major hurricane status with winds topping 111 mph by Tuesday night. Anticipated landfall is expected Wednesday on the northeast Gulf Coast, where authorities warned of a potentially devastating strike. Disaster agencies in El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua reported 13 deaths as roofs collapsed and residents were carried away by swollen rivers. Six people died in Honduras, four in Nicaragua and three in El Salvador. Authorities were also searching for a boy swept away by a river in Guatemala. Most of the rain was blamed on a low-pressure system off the Pacific coast of El Salvador. Hurricane Michael in the Caribbean could have also contributed. On the Florida Panhandle, Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan bluntly advised residents who choose to ride out the storm that first responders won't be able to reach them during or immediately after Michael smashes into the coast. "If you decide to stay in your home and a tree falls on your house or the storm surge catches you and you're now calling for help, there's no one that can respond to help you," Morgan said at a news conference. Florida Gov. Rick Scott called Michael a "monstrous hurricane" with a devastating potential from high winds, storm surge and heavy rains. He Scott declared a state of emergency for 35 Florida counties from the Panhandle to Tampa Bay, activated hundreds of Florida National Guard members and waived tolls to encourage those near the coast to evacuate inland. He also warned caregivers at north Florida hospitals and nursing homes to do all possible to assure the safety of the elderly and infirm. Following Hurricane Irma last year, 14 people died when a South Florida nursing home lost power and air conditioning. Hurricane Michael Probable Path More maps: Probabilistic storm surge, potential rainfall "If you're responsible for a patient, you're responsible for the patient. Take care of them," he said. In the small Panhandle city of Apalachicola, Mayor Van Johnson Sr. said the 2,300 residents are frantically preparing for a major hurricane strike that could be unlike any seen there in decades. Many filled sandbags and boarded up homes. Residents also lined up to buy gas and groceries even as evacuations both voluntary and mandatory were expected to pick up the pace Tuesday. "We're looking at a significant storm with significant impact, possibly greater than I've seen in my 59 years of life," Johnson said of the city, straddling the shore of Apalachicola Bay, a Gulf of Mexico inlet that reaps about 90 percent of Florida's oysters. Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for residents of barrier islands, mobile homes and low-lying coastal areas in Gulf, Wakulla and Bay counties. In a Facebook post Monday, the Wakulla County Sheriff's Office said no shelters would be open because Wakulla County shelters were rated safe only for hurricanes with top sustained winds below 111 mph. With Michael's winds projected to be even stronger than that, Wakulla County residents were urged to evacuate inland. "This storm has the potential to be a historic storm, please take heed," the sheriff's office said in the post. High winds weren't the only danger. Parts of Florida's curvy Big Bend could see up to 12 feet of storm surge, while Michael also could dump up to a foot of rain over some Panhandle communities as it moves inland, forecasters said. Neighbors in Alabama the entire state is under an emergency declaration also were bracing. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said she feared widespread power outages and other problems would follow. Forecasters also warned spinoff tornadoes would also be a threat. With the storm next entering the eastern part of the Gulf of Mexico, which has warm water and favorable atmospheric conditions, "there is a real possibility that Michael will strengthen to a major hurricane before landfall," Robbie Berg, a hurricane specialist at the Miami-based storm forecasting hub, wrote in an advisory. A large mound of sand in Tallahassee was whittled down to a small pile within hours Monday as residents filled sandbags against potential flooding. Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, Florida's Democratic nominee for governor, filled sandbags with residents and urged residents of the state capital city to finish up emergency preparations quickly. Local authorities fear power outages and major tree damage from Michael. "Today it is about life and safety," Gillum said. "There's nothing between us and this storm but warm water and I think that's what terrifies us about the potential impacts." Travel remained dangerous Saturday in southeastern North Carolina, where the governor warned of "treacherous" floodwaters more than a week after Hurricane Florence made landfall, and urged residents to stay alert for flood warnings and evacuation orders. Gov. Roy Cooper said nine of the state's river gauges are at major flood stage and four others are at moderate stage, while parts of Interstates 95 and 40 will remain underwater for another week or more. Emergency management officials said residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed will begin moving into hotel rooms next week. "Hurricane Florence has deeply wounded our state, wounds that will not fade soon as the flood waters finally recede," Cooper said. South Carolina also has ordered more evacuations as rivers continue to rise in the aftermath of a storm that has claimed at least 43 lives since slamming into the coast more than a week ago. The small farming community of Nichols, South Carolina, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) from the coast, was completely inundated by water, Mayor Lawson Batter said Saturday. He called the situation "worse than Matthew," the 2016 hurricane that destroyed almost 90 percent of the town's 261 homes. Battle said flooding from Florence has wiped out the 150 or so homes rebuilt afterward. "It's just a mess," said Battle, who was awaiting a visit from Gov. Henry McMaster. "We will try everything we can to come back ... but we need to have federal and state help." Benetta White and David Lloyd were among 100 people rescued with helicopters, boats and high-wheeled military vehicles during a six-hour operation in southeastern North Carolina's Bladen County that lasted into Friday morning their second evacuation in a week. White and Lloyd, who live in the North Carolina town of Kelly, were given little time Thursday night to evacuate when the Cape Fear River came rushing onto their property. By the time they loaded their van, they had to slog through waist-high, foul-smelling water to get to a neighbor's pickup. From there, they went to the town's fire department and were taken by an Army truck to a shelter at a Bladen County high school. "We had to evacuate again, all over again, and got trapped in a bunch of water and almost lost our lives," said White. In Wilmington, where Hurricane Florence made landfall and which had been cut off by floodwaters, officials said they'd identified three safe routes into town. They encouraged people to avoid travel in areas where the risk of flooding remains. North Carolina Emergency Management Director Michael Sprayberry said Saturday that eastern counties continue to see major flooding, including areas along the Black, Lumber, Neuse and Cape Fear rivers. The Cape Fear river is expected to crest Sunday and remain at flood stage through early next week. He said residents who register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency can begin moving into hotels Monday. The program initially will be open to residents in nine counties, then will be expanded. A FEMA coordinator said about 69,000 people from North Carolina already have registered for assistance. North Carolina environmental officials said they're closely monitoring two sites where Florence's floodwaters have inundated coal ash sites . The state is using drones to get photos and video of a dam breach at the L.V. Sutton Power Station in Wilmington, where gray muck has been seen flowing into the Cape Fear River, and at the H.F. Lee Power Plant near Goldsboro, said Michael Regan, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. He said Saturday that the video and photos show sand and "potential coal ash" leaving the Sutton site, and the DEQ will put people on the ground when it is safe. He said that DEQ staff has seen that coal ash left the basin and entered flood waters at the H.F. Lee plant, and is trying to determine "how much of that, if any" has entered into the Neuse River. In Conway, South Carolina, water from the Waccamaw river began flowing into a Santee Cooper ash pond. The company said in a statement that the overtopping occurred Saturday morning, but no significant environmental impact was expected because nearly all of the ash had been excavated from the pond. The National Weather Service confirmed Saturday that 10 tornadoes spawned by Hurricane Florence touched down Monday in Virginia, the strongest of which leveled a flooring company in Chesterfied and killed one worker. An economic research firm estimated that Hurricane Florence has caused around $44 billion in damage and lost output, which would make it one of the top 10 costliest U.S. hurricanes. The top disaster, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, cost $192.2 billion in today's dollars, while last year's Hurricane Harvey cost $133.5 billion Moody's Analytics estimates Florence has caused $40 billion in damage and $4 billion in lost economic output, though the company stressed that the estimate is preliminary and could go higher or lower. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has estimated damage from the flood in his state at $1.2 billion. He asked congressional leaders to hurry federal aid. Also contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Jeffrey Collins, Dee-Ann Durbin, Chevel Johnson, Meg Kinnard, Denise Lavoie, Jay Reeves, Michael Biesecker and Tammy Webber. What to Know The father of two toddlers who were found seriously hurt in their Queens home last week, one of whom died, committed suicide, sources said Mohammad Reza Torabi died after jumping from a Midtown hotel, police sources said Police had been interested in questioning Torabi about the incident prior to his death, the sources said The father of twin toddlers who were found seriously hurt in their Queens home last week one of whom later died jumped to his death from a Midtown hotel, police sources said. Mohammad Reza Torabi, the father of the 1-year-old twins, was found dead Saturday after jumping from the Renaissance New York Hotel 57 on East 57th Street, according to police sources. Police had been interested in questioning Torabi prior to his death, the sources said. The twins, Elaina and Kian, were found with severe body trauma inside their home in Auburndale on Oct. 3, police said. They were taken to nearby hospitals, where Elaina died soon after. Kian was still in the pediatric ICU with serious injuries as of Friday evening. Their mother, Tina Torabi, was arraigned Friday on assault, reckless endangerment and child endangerment charges in connection with Elainas death and Kians injuries. Police previously said Mohammad Reza Torabi didnt live at the home, and only visited their occasionally. Law enforcement sources said that Elaina had a puncture wound to the back of her head and a laceration to her stomach, as well as cigarette burns, when she was found inside the home. Kian had several cracked ribs, a fractured pelvis, contusions on his lungs, a healing bite mark and other injuries, according to the District Attorneys office. Tina Torabis three other daughters were inside the home when the toddlers were found seriously hurt but were not injured. They were taken into custody by ACS. Her defense attorney maintained she was a victim of domestic violence but didnt elaborate. 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. What to Know A hip-hop artist and promoter was fatally shot outside the bar he works at in Queens, police and the man's family said The man, who goes by the name "Hollywood," had just stepped out the front door of Tavern Bar & Lounge when he was shot, his sister said His sister told NBC 4 New York her brother was a father of two. She believes he was targeted by the shooter A hip-hop artist and promoter was shot to death outside the bar he works at in Queens, police and the man's family said. Frank Snyder -- better known as "Hollywood Play" -- was shot and killed at the Taven Bar & Lounge in Woodhaven about 3:15 a.m. on Sunday, according to police and his sister Sajah Reynolds. The 35-year-old Brooklynite had just stepped outside the Jamaica Avenue bar when bullets started flying; authorities say he was hit in the neck and leg. Snyder was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the NYPD said. Reynolds, who was at the bar at the time, told News 4 her brother is a father of two, with two babies on the way. She believes the shooting was a drive-by and that her brother was targeted, but said she didn't know who would kill him, or what their motive was. "I feel like they had to wait 'til the right moment to get him," Reynolds said. "I just don't understand, like why him? Why come after him?" No one has been arrested in connection with the shooting, and an investigation is ongoing, police said. Brazilians showed their disgust with corruption and rising crime in the first round of presidential voting, nearly giving an outright victory to a brash-speaking former army captain who has promised to restore "traditional values," jail crooked politicians and give police a freer hand to shoot drug traffickers. But with far-right congressman Jair Bolsonaro getting 46 percent of the vote Sunday, short of the 50-plus percent he needed, voters also signaled they were not quite ready to make a final decision. On Oct. 28, Bolsonaro will face second-place finisher Fernando Haddad in a runoff vote. Haddad, the Workers' Party standard-bearer who was appointed by jailed ex-President Luiz Inacio da Silva, got 29 percent in the first round, and polls have predicted a close race in the runoff. Bolsonaro was expected to come out in front on Sunday, but he far outperformed predictions, blazing past competitors with more financing, the institutional backing of traditional parties and much more free airtime on television. The candidate from the tiny Social and Liberal Party made savvy use of Twitter and Facebook to spread his message that only he could end the corruption, crime and economic malaise that has seized Brazil in recent years and bring back the good old days and traditional values. "This is a victory for honest people who want the best for Brazil," said Bianca Santos, a 40-year-old psychologist who gathered outside a hotel where Bolsonaro was watching the returns. "I believe he is the only one with a serious plan to end crime." For voters, Bolsonaro and Haddad represent starkly different visions for the future. Bolsonaro has promised to slash spending, privatize as much as possible in a country long heavy on state control and be a check on social movements that have gained much ground in recent years. Meanwhile, true to the Workers' Party's leftist roots, Haddad has promised to fight long-standing inequalities, scrap a major labor reform passed last year and invest more in education. Where Brazil's next leader takes the economy, the largest in Latin America, will have a large impact on surrounding countries that are trading partners with Brazil. The next leader will also have an influence on Venezuela, both diplomatically and practically, as thousands of Venezuelans have crossed Brazil's northern border. Bolsonaro has promised a harder line on Venezuela and other leftist regimes and closer ties with the United States. It's not clear what Bolsonaro would do to further isolate Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, but he once suggested creating camps for the Venezuelans who have fled the country's economic collapse. But much of his campaign focused on domestic issues. Bolsonaro has painted a nation in collapse, where drug traffickers and politicians steal with equal impunity, and moral rot has set in. He has advocated loosening gun ownership laws so individuals can fight off criminals, encouraging police to shoot more crooks and restoring "traditional" Brazilian values though some take issue with his definition of those values in light of his approving allusions to the country's 1964-1985 dictatorship and his derisive comments about women, blacks and gay people. Haddad, a former education minister, has also spent much time arguing that da Silva, his mentor, was unfairly jailed a strategy aimed at attracting voters who still feel strong affection for da Silva despite a corruption conviction. Workers' Party stalwarts are still fuming about the 2016 impeachment and removal of office of President Dilma Rousseff, da Silva's predecessor. Matthew Taylor, an associate professor of Latin American politics at American University, said that in the weeks before the runoff vote Bolsonaro will likely hit Haddad hard on the theme of corruption within the Workers' Party and da Silva, who Brazilians simply call Lula. "Haddad has a huge albatross around his neck because of the corruption and all the rhetoric about the impeachment and Lula," said Taylor. "Bolsonaro will hit back on that." Indeed, Bolsonaro already showed his ability to tap deep anger in Brazil with the traditional political class and "throw the bums out" rage after a massive corruption investigation revealed staggering levels of graft. Still, he alienated nearly as many people as he attracted with his offensive comments. And polling shows Bolsonaro will face a tight race with Haddad in the second round before Sunday's first round, polls showed a statistical dead heat in a potential second round. Many voters, already disillusioned with their democracy, said they felt trapped by the choice between the two front-runners, a sentiment likely to deepen in the weeks to come. "I didn't like any of the candidates and I felt obliged to choose the lesser of two evils," said Frederico Vasconcellos, a 68-year-old retired metalworker. The Workers' Party "managed to ruin the country with corruption and theft. ... So I decided to vote for Bolsonaro, who is the only one who can block the return of the Workers' Party." Though they come from opposite sides of the political spectrum, both Bolsonaro and Haddad ran campaigns based on nostalgia for a better time. Bolsonaro frequently evoked the country's military dictatorship amid promises of a return to traditional values and safer, simpler times. "The country is on the brink of chaos," Bolsonaro said in a Facebook live after a second round was announced. "We can't let the left advance even one more step." For his part, Haddad called on "democrats" to unite around his candidacy. In a broadside against Bolsonaro, who frequently talks about liberalizing gun laws, Haddad said: "We don't carry guns. We carry the force of arguments to defend Brazil and its people." California Gov. Jerry Brown said Friday that the state plans to launch its "own damn satellite" into orbit to battle climate change. The man the late Chicago columnist Mike Royko famously dubbed "Gov. Moonbeam" made the announcement at the conclusion of a two-day climate summit he organized in San Francisco. Brown said state officials will work with the San Francisco-based company Planet Labs to develop a satellite to track climate-change causing pollutants. Brown said the earth-imaging company has launched 150 satellites. "With science still under attack and the climate threat growing, we're launching our own damn satellite," he said. The Democrat, who is leaving office at the end of the year, didn't announce a launch date or divulge a cost estimate. Brown's office said government scientists and staff will work on the project, but that no state money will be spent directly developing the satellite. Private donations are being made by San Francisco investment banker Richard Lawrence and his wife Dee Lawrence along with the Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust. Brown foreshadowed the announcement in a December 2016 speech to the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco a month after Trump's election. The then-president elect had threatened to scrap NASA's climate change funding. "If Trump turns off the satellites, California will launch its own damn satellite," Brown said at the time to cheers and applause from the geophysicists. "We're going to collect that data." He also reminded them that he had floated a similar proposal during his first term as governor in the 1970s. The Chicago Sun-Times columnist gave Brown the Moonbeam moniker in 1976. Royko said that Brown appeared to be attracting "the moonbeam vote." The name stuck for decades, even after Royko, who died in 1997, apologized and tried to retract it. Brown used to dislike the name but more recently has embraced it. Before Brown's announcement, two prominent Democrats and a Republican mayor criticized Trump for his decision to withdraw the United States from the landmark Paris climate accord. "While Donald Trump may have pulled out of the climate agreement, the American people have not," former Secretary of State John Kerry said opening the second day of the Global Climate Action Summit. Kerry, also a Democrat, called Trump's decision "the single greatest act of irresponsibility of any president of the United States at any time." Trump announced in June 2017 the United States' intention to pull out of the international agreement, which Kerry signed while serving as President Barack Obama's secretary of state. The 195 countries that signed the treaty agreed to commit resources to combatting climate change Trump said the agreement was unfair to the United States and would hurt the economy. Kerry's criticism of Trump came a day after the president blasted Kerry on Twitter for meeting with high-level members of the Iranian government. Former Vice President Al Gore followed Kerry to the stage and got a rousing ovation when he said a new president can rejoin the Paris Agreement. Gore, a Democrat, also criticized Trump's recent denial that 3,000 people died in Puerto Rico in 2017 because of Hurricane Maria. Gore said it's difficult to deny that climate change is causing more severe weather but that "It's a little harder to deny the 3000 deaths from the hurricane in Puerto Rico." James Brainard, Republican mayor of Carmel, Indiana, listed a number of Republican presidents and their environmental accomplishments, including President Nixon's creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. He said he was disappointed Trump pulled out of the Paris Agreement. "The president likes to talk about what a great country we are," Brainard said. "Great countries honor their international agreements. Great countries show leadership to the rest of the world on critical issues. Great countries listen to their scientists and great countries strive to leave the world better than they found it." Two people were arrested and charged Tuesday with operating an illegal marijuana delivery service in the city of San Diego, police said. Fardin Esmaeili, 28, was arrested along with his employee around 8 a.m. at a residence in the 9600 block Saskatchewan Avenue, San Diego police Lt. Matt Novak said. The home was illegally being used a marijuana delivery service called Leaf Life, he said. A search of the home found a stash 50 pounds of high-grade marijuana, edibles, concentrated cannabis and $3,500 cash. Police also confiscated business documents and records, Novak said. Esmaeili was booked into jail while his employee was cited and released. Both were charged with operating a business without a license and sales of marijuana. Additionally, Esmaeili was also charged with child endangerment because he has two young children living with him and exposed to marijuana products, Novak said. The San Diego Police Department and the City Attorneys Office will continue to crack down on all illegal marijuana businesses, including delivery services, in city limits, he said. All persons operating and working for any of these illegal marijuana businesses will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, Novak said. A Maryland man hit a child with autism in the head at a school in D.C., police say. Michael Dunn, 52, was arrested and charged with second-degree child cruelty on Friday. A school resource officer at the Whittier Education Campus in Northwest told police he saw Dunn strike the child's head, causing their head to hit a computer. Right after the blow, the child vomited, according to a police report. The school told the child's parent about the incident and they took the victim to the emergency room at Children's National Medical Center for treatment. Dunn is from Hyattsville, Maryland. A man is facing several charges after allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in Brookline, Massachusetts. According to Brookline police, they responded to the area of Thorndike Street at about 2:55 a.m. Saturday morning. A female victim reported she had been sexually assaulted at about 2:30 a.m. as she walked home from a friend's house on Commonwealth Avenue. She said an unknown man approached her in the area of 1202 Commonwealth Avenue and started to make conversation. She declined to engage in conversation, police said. The victim said the suspect then took her phone and keys. She then continued to walk towards her home and was grabbed and pulled into an alley near Thorndike Street, police said. The suspect then allegedly sexually assaulted and choked the woman. She was able to escape and get to a safe place, police said. According to police, the information that the woman and her friends told them led to the arrest of 20-year-old Mainor Edgardo Suazo-Martinez. Police say they located him in the area of Brighton Avenue and Harvard Street at about 3:19 a.m. Saturday. Suazo-Martinez is charged with assault with intent to rape, strangulation and kidnapping. According to police, he also has a warrant in Boston for statutory aggravated rape of a child. Suazo-Martinez is being held on $100,000 bail and is due in Brookline Court on Tuesday. It is unclear if he has an attorney. A body that was found in a Maine community has been identified by authorities as Kristin Westra, an elementary school teacher who had been missing for several days. According to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the body was identified as the North Yarmouth teacher's. The Medical Examiner determined her death was by suicide. Law enforcement officers converged on a home on Gray Road in North Yarmouth Friday morning where the body was found, a scene that's about a half a mile from Kristin Westra's home on Lufkin Road, where she was last seen on Sept. 30. Although a body was found, the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department did not identify the remains until Sunday. Westra's family told necn the 47-year-old woman disappeared without her phone, keys, car or wallet. Her family also said she had been suffering from anxiety and was having trouble sleeping before she went missing. "I'm thinking she snapped, had a break, and left," Westra's brother, Eric Rohrback, said. "Doing this to her family means she was not in the right mind when she left." Police said earlier on Friday that Westra's husband, Jay Westra, is cooperating with the ongoing investigation. If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. THE secret to a long and happy marriage is give and take, according to one Newbury couple who are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary today. Don Humphries, 84, and his wife, Ivy, 85, married in 1958 and six decades later say they couldnt be happier. Mrs Humphries said: The secret is give and take. Everyone has little quarrels, but we always make up. Mr Humphries added: Weve had our ups and downs, who doesnt, but weve survived it. Its all about give and take. Mr Humphries met his future wife in 1956 at the Five Bells pub in Wickham. He was born and raised in Newbury, but Mrs Humphries was visiting relatives as she lived at Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. I didnt realise she was from Clacton, Mr Humphries said. She was eating a packet of crisps when I first saw her. Mrs Humphries said: I had an aunt and uncle in Wickham. Don used to come to Clacton one weekend and I would come to Wickham the next. He then said one day, instead of keep going backwards and forwards, why dont we get married? They married in 1958, in St James Church, Clacton-on-Sea, and had their honeymoon in London where they saw Norman Wisdom in a West End show. They then returned to Newbury, where they have lived ever since in Oakley Road, and have two sons, Mark and Derek, six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. To celebrate their diamond wedding, their daughter-in-law Alison, son Mark and two of their grandsons and their girlfriends will take Mr and Mrs Humphries to The Swan, London Road, for a meal. BRIDGEWATER Demolition of the historic Grange is stalled as the state looks into whether its feasible to restore the 1850s-era building instead of replacing it with a new structure. In 2016, the Board of Selectmen presented a plan to demolish the building, which was condemned a few years ago, and build a new structure. A group of residents discovered, though, that it was in a historic district and on the National Register of Historic Places. This finding prompted the state to examine whether the Grange could be replaced. Were hopeful that we can find a solution that saves a building, said Todd Levine, a historian with the state Historic Preservation Office. Last month, the Attorney Generals Office filed an injunction against the demolition while more information can be collected at the request of the Historic Preservation Council a group of history experts under the State Historic Preservation Office. A structural engineer is assessing the property in the coming weeks to determine the condition of the building and costs associated with restoring it. If the costs are too high, the state will most likely OK the removal but if the state thinks renovation is possible, the demolition wont get the green light. If the state doesnt approve the demolition, the town will have to decide if it wants to renovate or build a new community space somewhere else, most likely by the senior center where there is room, parking and a septic connection. Bridgewater First Selectman Curtis Reed said he would prefer to demolish the building and replace it with a new structure that has historical elements. Id like to build a building that can be there for 150 years, Reed said. In disrepair The building was erected as a one-room schoolhouse in 1854. A second floor was added in 1900. Reed said that addition is causing a bulk of the problems because the supports werent designed to hold another floor. There is also asbestos and termite damage. The building is in terrible condition, whichever way you slice it, Reed said. The buildings condition has also prompted the towns insurance provider to reduce its coverage and require the town to put up a chain link fence and warning signs around the building to keep people out. Jean Bandler, a member of the Grange who supports the restoration, acknowledged the organization needed help with the maintenance, which is one of the reasons the building was sold to the town for $1 back in 1999. She said they thought the town would take over the upkeep, but not much has been done. I dont think anyone wants a luxurious building that wouldnt be in keeping with the nature of the Grange but we want a renovated, functioning building, she said. Granges were started as farmers unions to fight against monopolies that were increasing the costs of shipping and storing their crops. They were also social gathering places for the local farmers, a tradition that survives today, Bandler said. The Bridgewater Grange formed in 1900 and still has about 50 members. It certainly has a lasting and long tradition in Bridgewater, Brandler said. Historic downtown David Sposato, a resident who supports the renovation, said the historic buildings in Bridgewater are an important characteristic of the town and need to be preserved. Bridgewater is a community that puts value on the historic nature of the buildings around the town green, he said. Every building you see on the green is very much a period building and I love to see that. Bandler said the planning and zoning commission worked to protect that historic character when she served on it years ago. She described the Grange as a simple New England building. Its not anything fancy at all, but its very emblematic of that style, she said. To me, it really fits in beautifully with the Main Street area in Bridgewater. But Reed said this is one of 61 historical buildings in the district, and not as historically significant as the other structures. Greek revival doorways on either end is not, in my mind, historically significant but Im not the judge on that, Reed said. Im trying to keep the towns financial interests. Renovation or new The town received three bids to renovate the building, with the average bid at $1.6 million. The Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation and the state Office of Historic Preservation said they have grants available to help offset the costs, though Levine said the amount hasnt been determined. Bandler said residents will be more open to renovation with the help of the grants. Reed said they would not be eligible for grants if they build a new building, which is expected to cost $900,000, but said the town is fiscally strong and able to afford it. He said the grants should be used for other historic preservation projects. A renovation will also have a higher labor cost, based on a law that requires a municipality to pay premium on labor when the project costs more than $100,000. For a new construction project that threshold increases to $1 million. Reed questions how much of the original building will remain, even with the renovation. The windows, supports and roof will all have to be replaced, as well as new electrical, heating and plumbing systems installed. The exterior is painted with lead-based paint and so the siding will have to be removed, encapsulated and put back on. By the time youre done, 90 percent of the building is brand new, he said. The new building would be one story with a basement and a kitchen out back. If the building is renovated as is, the kitchen, storage and bathrooms would have to go on the first floor with the meeting space upstairs. This would require an elevator, which would increase the price, Reed said. Another factor is the oil contamination under the corner of the building, which Reed said is harder to remediate if the building is still there because the structure has to be jacked up. Theres also a risk of the work weakening the soil the Grange sits on. Reed has suggested the residents form a nonprofit to collect the grants and raise the remaining costs to preserve the building. Both Bandler and Sposato said theyve considered doing that but want to do it with the town. We want to work with the town as best as possible, he said. The New Milford Senior Center will offer the Aging Mastery Program for residents age 55 and older Tuesdays from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Oct. 15 through Dec. 18. The wellness program was developed by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and is coordinated in Connecticut by Connecticut Community Care and sponsored in part by the Connecticut Community Foundation. $7 Million Joint Venture Agreement Between Australian Potash Limited and St Barbara Limited Gold Joint Venture with St Barbara Perth, Oct 8, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Australian Potash Limited ( ASX:APC ) (APC) is pleased to advise that it has entered into an Earn-In & Joint Venture Agreement with Australian mid-tier gold producer, St Barbara Limited (SBM) at the Lake Wells Gold Project.Highlights:- Australian Potash Limited ( ASX:APC ) and St Barbara Limited ( ASX:SBM ) have entered into an Earn in & Joint Venture Agreement covering tenure at the Lake Wells Gold Project- SBM will pay APC $1.25M cash consideration for entering into the Agreement and a minimum exploration expenditure of $1.75M in the first year- After the first year SBM can elect to earn a 70% interest in the tenements by spending a further $3.5M for exploration and reimbursing APC up to $0.5M in prior exploration costs (aggregate expenditure $7M)- APC to be free-carried at 30% until the completion of a Bankable Feasibility Study- APC to retain all rights to Potash on the tenementsUnder the terms agreed, covering the tenements identified in Figure 1 (see link below), SBM will pay APC A$1.25M cash consideration for entering the Agreement, and a minimum exploration spend of $1.75M during the initial 12 month Earn-In period.After the first year Earn-In period, SBM can elect to earn a 70% interest in the tenements by spending a further $3.5M over a 24 month Joint Venture period on exploration, and reimburse APC up to $0.5M in costs previously spent on exploration at Lake Wells.APC will retain 100% of all potash mineral rights.APC's 30% interest will be free-carried to the completion of a Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS), following which industry standard contribution and dilution clauses apply.Managing Director Matt Shackleton commented: "The strategic intent of the board of APC is to focus on the completion of the Definitive Feasibility Study into the development of the Lake Wells SOP Project. At the same time, however we have always been very aware of the inherent value of the Lake Wells Gold Project."We are looking forward to building our relationship with the St Barbara team. I am confident that we now have the right people, right companies and right project area in place to generate some significant success at what is one of the state's very prospective and important mineral regions."To view figures, please visit:About Australian Potash Ltd Australian Potash Limited (ASX:APC) is an ASX-listed Sulphate of Potash (SOP) developer. The Company holds a 100% interest in the Lake Wells Potash Project located approximately 500kms northeast of Kalgoorlie, in Western Australia's Eastern Goldfields. Following the release of a Scoping Study in 2017, APC has been conducting a Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) into the development of the Lake Wells Potash Project. The Company is aiming to release the findings of the DFS in H2 2019. The Lake Wells Potash Project is a palaeochannel brine hosted sulphate of potash project. Palaeochannel bore fields supply large volumes of brine to many existing mining operations throughout Western Australia, and this technique is a well understood and proven method for extracting brine. APC will use this technically low-risk and commonly used brine extraction model to further develop a bore-field into the palaeochannel hosting the Lake Wells SOP resource. A Scoping Study on the Lake Wells Potash Project was completed and released on 23 March 2017. The Scoping Study exceeded expectations and confirmed that the Project's economic and technical aspects are all exceptionally strong, and highlights APC's potential to become a significant long-life, low capital and high margin sulphate of potash (SOP) producer. Leadiant Biosciences, Inc. today announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval to Revcovi (elapegademase-lvlr) injection in the U.S. Revcovi is a new enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for the treatment of adenosine deaminase severe combined immune deficiency (ADA-SCID) in pediatric and adult patients. "We are gratified by the FDA's timely recognition of Revcovi as an effective and safe treatment for ADA-SCID, which, in addition to being ultra-rare, is one of the most devastating genetic disorders," said Michael Minarich, Chief Executive Officer, Leadiant Biosciences, Inc. "We extend our deepest gratitude to the patients who participated in the clinical trials and their families and caregivers who supported them. We also appreciate the hard work of the investigators, clinicians, and study staff to bring this therapy to patients in need. We look forward to continuing to work together to serve the ADA-SCID community." Revcovi is a PEGylated recombinant adenosine deaminase (rADA) enzyme developed by Leadiant Biosciences to treat ADA-SCID. The product of recombinant technology, Revcovi eliminates the need to source the enzyme from animals and works by supplementing levels of an essential enzyme called adenosine deaminase (ADA). ADA-SCID is an ultra-rare, inherited genetic disorder, caused by a deficiency in the ADA enzyme that is fatal if left untreated. Patients affected by ADA-SCID have compromised immune systems that leave them unprotected from infection-producing bacteria, viruses, and fungi. ADA-SCID primarily affects infants and young children. The disease is typically diagnosed within the first few months of life. Undiagnosed babies with ADA-SCID usually die before they reach age two due to infections. SCID newborn screening in most states has allowed detection of ADA-SCID in newborns and has led to early initiation of ADA enzyme therapy and improved outcomes. "For decades, physicians, patients, and their families have relied upon enzyme replacement therapy as a life-saving treatment for adenosine deaminase severe combined immunodeficiency, a disease in which the buildup of toxic metabolites can cripple children's immune systems," said Morna Dorsey, M.D., MMSc, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. "Individuals with ADA-SCID are at an increased risk of severe and recurrent infections and often fail to thrive. By providing specific and direct replacement of the adenosine deaminase enzyme, Revcovi can reduce patients' risk of potentially serious, life-threatening infections and their debilitating complications." The approval is based on results from two multicenter, open-label clinical trials which demonstrate that Revcovi increases ADA activity, reduces concentrations of toxic metabolites that are the hallmark of ADA-SCID and improves total lymphocyte counts. "This is a great day for people living with ADA-SCID and their families as the approval of Revcovi gives them a path forward," commented John Boyle, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Immune Deficiency Foundation. "We commend Leadiant Biosciences for bringing this innovative enzyme replacement therapy to market, and for helping to advance scientific understanding of ADA-SCID." "The competence and dedication of our staff was instrumental to obtain this important achievement for the ADA-SCID community," said Dr. Marco Brughera, Chief Executive Officer, Leadiant Biosciences Corporate. "With the FDA's approval of Revcovi, we reaffirm our commitment and rare dedication to providing a reliable supply of quality, innovative therapies that serve the needs of rare disease communities." Leadiant is working with physicians, payers, and policymakers to bring Revcovi to patients who need it. The Company offers comprehensive treatment support, from educating about the disease, to navigating reimbursement, to offering patient assistance programs. The Company's post-marketing commitment includes a clinical study, which will record information about the health status of patients using Revcovi. This initiative will help Leadiant better understand and track information about Revcovi following approval as well as provide critical information about Revcovi's efficacy and safety, especially in newly diagnosed patients. Leadiant is a research-based pharmaceutical company that dedicates considerable scientific and financial resources to the research, development, and distribution of novel and effective therapies to address the needs of people living with rare diseases. The Company markets five rare disease products in North America and has been working in the enzyme replacement therapy space for more than 30 years. The Company is committed to serving the needs of patients, caregivers, and families affected by ADA-SCID. The FDA granted this application Fast Track and Priority Review. Revcovi also received Orphan Drug designation. CareMore Health announced today that a new article "Rethinking How Medicaid Patients Receive Care" has been published in Harvard Business Review. The outcomes reported in the article provide the first update on CareMore's innovative program designed to transform the delivery of care for Medicaid consumers. The findings showed that CareMore's high-touch, patient-centered care delivery program led to significant improvements in health outcomes and reductions in hospitalizations among patients in Tennessee and Iowa, which were the initial states in which the program was offered through the Company's Medicaid health plan partner Amerigroup. From May 2017 to April 2018, when compared to other Medicaid consumers in the same geography, CareMore's program demonstrated: Reduced Specialist Visits: Patients saw an approximately 25% reduction in specialist visits in Tennessee, and an approximately 15% reduction in Iowa. Patients saw an approximately 25% reduction in specialist visits in Tennessee, and an approximately 15% reduction in Iowa. Fewer Hospital Days : In most populations across Iowa and Tennessee, patients spent fewer days in the hospital - ranging from 9.5% to 21.4% fewer days. In the Aged, Blind or Disabled (ADB) Population in Iowa, there was an increase in hospital days observed as these patients are a very small and dispersed population and are without the usual CareMore extensivists teams deployed as they are in Tennessee, underscoring the valuable role that CareMore extensivists play in patient care. : In most populations across Iowa and Tennessee, patients spent fewer days in the hospital - ranging from 9.5% to 21.4% fewer days. Decrease in Emergency Room Visits : Emergency room visits decreased by greater than 20% in both Tennessee and Iowa. : Emergency room visits decreased by greater than 20% in both Tennessee and Iowa. Lower Hospital Utilization: All populations in Tennessee and Iowa saw a decrease in hospital admissions, ranging from 1% to 26% fewer admissions. "Medicaid consumers have long been underserved due to well-established social barriers that make it difficult to provide comprehensive care to this diverse population," said CareMore Health President and article author Dr. Sachin H. Jain. "Where others may have seen a challenge, at CareMore we saw an opportunity to apply our model and provide these consumers with greater access to high quality care. Our success with this program demonstrates the opportunity for healthcare providers and care delivery systems to redesign and transform care for vulnerable patient populations resulting ultimately in a better healthcare experience and better health outcomes." In 2015 CareMore applied its model of care to 20,000 Medicaid consumers in high utilization regions of Memphis, Tennessee, and Des Moines, Iowa. The program was designed using CareMore's health care delivery approach of going beyond the borders of traditional care to deliver common-sense solutions that meet the medical, physical and social health of consumers. To address the unique needs of Medicaid consumers, CareMore prioritized several strategies: hiring highly-skilled and compassionate people in all positions, incorporating behavioral and mental health offerings into consumers' health offerings, addressing the social needs outside of traditional health care in engagement with consumers and connecting hospital inpatient care to the community. Given the positive outcomes, CareMore is expanding its model to new geographies, including Washington, DC, Fort Worth, Texas and New York. "These program outcomes demonstrate that CareMore and Amerigroup continue to deliver on the promise of providing the highest quality of care for our consumers, many of whom face complex health issues and social barriers to accessing healthcare," said Tunde S. Sotunde MD, President, Amerigroup. "Implementing novel care models and clinical innovations, as we've done in Iowa and Tennessee, will help us achieve our goal of increasing access to care while making the healthcare system easier to navigate for the consumers we serve." For approximately 8 million Americans, visiting a doctor regularly is the key to managing their psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory skin condition characterized by itchy or painful red patches that can appear anywhere on the body. But for some people, seeing a specialist regularly can be a monumental challenge, especially for those who live in rural or underserved communities. A new study led by the Keck School of Medicine of USC, however, raises the possibility that one day, people with psoriasis may be able to simply go online to receive their care. Published today in JAMA Network Open, the study found that online and in-person care were equally effective at improving psoriasis symptoms. "Patients with chronic skin diseases need ongoing care, and depending on where they live, their access to dermatological care can be variable," says the study's lead author April Armstrong, MD, MPH, professor of dermatology (clinical scholar) and associate dean for clinical research at the Keck School. "Our study suggests that an online care delivery model is an effective way to bring high-quality care to patients regardless of where they live or what their work/life schedules look like." In the multicenter study, Armstrong and her colleagues followed nearly 300 patients who had been randomized to either online or in-person care and monitored their symptom improvement. Patients assigned to online care logged in to a secure, web-based connected health platform where they could communicate with their primary care provider or dermatologist, share images of their skin and receive treatment recommendations. After reviewing transmitted information, health care providers evaluated patients' progress, provided patient education and prescribed medications electronically. Patients assigned to in-person care received treatment as usual. Psoriasis severity was measured at baseline and again at three, six, nine and 12 months. Across the follow-up visits, the two groups achieved similar improvement in psoriasis severity scores. "From a patient's perspective, there are several benefits to an online care delivery model: They don't need to travel to a facility with specialty care, they can receive high-quality specialty care at home and they can communicate with their doctor at a time that's convenient for them," Armstrong says. "From a provider's perspective, the benefits include flexibility in where and when they work." While this study focused on patients with psoriasis, Armstrong believes that the online care model has other potential applications as well. "The use of teledermatology needs to be considered in other patient populations with chronic skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis. There is a critical need for children and adults with atopic dermatitis to receive high-quality specialist care for this condition through novel telehealth delivery methods," she says. MOSS POINT, Miss. -- The suspect and vehicle used in the hit-and-run killing of a Moss Point woman has been located in north Mississippi, according to Chief Brandon Ashley. On Thursday, 58-year-old Betty Lewis-Vaughans body was found in her driveway by a family member near Bellview Street just after 7 a.m. Vaughans 2003 beige Cadillac Escalade was found to be missing, however, police located the vehicle on Saturday evening in Prentiss, Miss., according to Ashley. Police have a suspect in custody and both the suspect and the vehicle have been returned to Moss Point for further investigation. No additional details are available at this time. This story will be updated as more information becomes available. The Amazing Spider-Man: Ultimate Edition review Months after the film left theaters, the Amazing Spider-Man game makes its way to the Wii U. Is it any better after all that extra time... Chris Claremont on why X-Men is "heartbreakingly more relevant than ever" Chris Claremont ways in on X-Men's past, present, and future Brief History of Assyrians Peter BetBasoo Revised on November 1, 2013 Geography Assyria is located in north Mesopotamia and spans four countries: In Syria it extends west to the Euphrates river; in Turkey it extends north to Harran, Edessa, Diyarbakir, and Lake Van; in Iran it extends east to Lake Urmi, and in Iraq it extends to about 100 miles south of Kirkuk. This is the Assyrian heartland, from which so much of the ancient Near East came to be controlled. Two great rivers run through Assyria, the Tigris and the Euhprates, and many lesser ones, the most important of which being the Upper Zab and Lower Zab, both tributaries to the Tigris. Strategically surrounding the Tigris and the two Zabs are the Assyrian cities of Nineveh, Ashur, Arbel, Nimrod and Arrapkha. To the north and east of Assyria lie the Taurus and Zagros mountains. To the west and south lies a great, low limestone plateau. At the southern end of Assyria the gravel plains give way to alluvium deposited by the Tigris, and farther south there is insufficient rainfall for agriculture without irrigation. These two features create a geogrpahical boundary between Assyria and the neighboring land to the south. To the south of Baghdad lies Babylon. There is a stark geographical distinction between Babylonia and Assyria. To quote Saggs, A journey in spring from Baghdad, the capital of modern Iraq and within the Area of Ancient Babylonia, to Mosul [Nineveh], which is near several old Assyrian capitals, takes the traveller into what is manifestly a different country. In the region of Baghdad and southwards the predominant vegetation is palm trees. . .The terrain is flat to the horizon, and for most of the year its sun-parched earth is arid and dead wherever irrigation ditches do not reach. Approaching Mosul [Nineveh] the traveller finds a striking change. The flat terrrain gives way to undulating plains, in spring green with pasturage or cereal crop and gay and scented with flowers and clover. The rolling plains are cut with wadis, aflow after spring rains, with higher ranges of hills on the horizon. The traveller has reached Assyria. [Might that was Assyria, page 5] The Assyrian land is rich and fertile, with growing fields found in every region. Two large areas comprise the Assyrian breadbasket: the Arbel plain and the Nineveh plain. To this day these areas remain critical crop producers. This is from where Assyria derived her strength, as it could feed a large population of professionals and craftsmen, which allowed it to expand and advance the art of civilization. Racial Type Assyrians are a Semitic peoples indigenous to Mesopotamia. They are Mediterranean Caucasoids, and are ethnically distinct from Arabs and Jews. Language Assyrians have used two languages throughout their history: ancient Assyrian (Akkadian), and Modern Assyrian (neo-syriac). Akkadian was written with the cuneiform writing system, on clay tablets, and was in use from the beginning to about 750 B.C.. By 750 B.C., a new way of writing, on parchment, leather, or papyrus, was developed, and the people who brought this method of writing with them, the Arameans, would eventually see their language, Aramaic, supplant Ancient Assyrian because of the technological breakthrough in writing. Aramaic was made the second official language of the Assyrian empire in 752 B.C. Although Assyrians switched to Aramaic, it was not wholesale transplantation. The brand of Aramaic that Assyrians spoke was, and is, heavily infused with Akkadian words, so much so that scholars refer to it as Assyrian Aramaic. Religion Assyrians have practiced two religions throughout their history: Ashurism and Christianity. Ashurism was, of course, the first religion of the Assyrians. The very word Assyrian, in its Latin form, derives from the name of Ashur, the Assyrian god. Assyrians continued to practice Ashurism until 256 A.D, although by that time, most Assyrians had accepted Christianity. Indeed, Assyrians were the first nation to accept Christianity, and the Assyrian Church was founded in 33 A.D. by Thomas, Bortholemew and Thaddeus. History of Assyrians It is convenient to divide Assyrian history into six periods: Emergence: Beginnings To 2400 B.C. First Golden Age: 2400 B.C. to 612 B.C. First Dark Age: 612 B.C. to 33 A.D. Second Golden Age: 33 A.D. to 1300 A.D. Second Dark Age: 1300 A.D. to 1918 A.D. Diaspora: 1918 A.D. To The Present Emergence: Beginnings To 2400 B.C. In 1932, Sir Max Mallowan, the eminent British archaeologist, dug a deep sounding which reached virgin soil ninety feet below the top of the mound of Nineveh; this gave a pottery sequence back to prehistoric times and showed that the site was already inhabited by 5000 B.C.. Very soon after that, the two other great Assyrian cities were settled, Ashur and Arbel, although an exact date has yet to be determined. Arbel is the oldest extant city, and remains largely unexcavated, its archaeological treasures waiting to be discovered. The same holds for Ashur. It is clear that by 2500 B.C., these three cities were well established and were thriving metropoli. This period of history saw the development of the fundamentals of our civilization: animal domestication, agriculture, pottery, controllable fire (kilns), smelting, to name but a few. As regards Assyrians, because of it rich corn fields, Arbel was one of the very earliest permanent agricultural settlements. Between 4500 and 2400 B.C., complex societies appear in the form of cities, with craft specialization and writing. These features were associated with the Sumerians, but they quickly spread to other parts of Mesopotamia, including Assyria. In Assyria, settlements had become large and guarded by fortifications walls, which implies the risk of attack from outside, and hence the need for defense and warfare. First Golden Age: 2400 B.C. to 612 B.C. We enter into an extremely fruitful period in Assyrian History. This period would see 1800 years of Assyrian hegemony over Mesopotamia, beginning with Sargon of Akkad in 2371 B.C. and ending with the tragic fall of Nineveh in 612 B.C. Sargon of Akkad established his kingdom in 2371 B.C., becoming the first king to assert control outside of his city-state. His model would be followed by all succeeding empires, down to our times. From his base at Akkad, south of Baghdad, Sargon would come to control territories stretching north to Ashur and west to the Mediterranean. Shamshi-Adad I would establish his kingdom in 1813 B.C. Shamshi-Adad forever united the three cities of Ashur, Nineveh and Arbel into one cohesive unit, and brought Arrapkha firmly into the Assyrian sphere, so that henceforth these four cities, and Nimrod, would constitute the very core of Assyria. Under Shamshi-Adad I, the long established Assyrian merchant colonies of Cappadocia saw renewed activity. Shamshi-Adad accomplished this through his administrative efficiency and political skill. In 1472 B.C. or there about, a Mittanian king annexed Assyria, and this lasted for about 70 years. Mittanian control was decisively thrown off by about 1365 B.C. by Ashuruballit, who laid the foundation of the first Assyrian empire. Invaders from the Taurus mountains, north of Assyria, posed a significant threat to Assyria, and occupied Arik-den-ili for a number of years, but were successfully repelled, paving the way for Adad-narari (1307 B.C.) to establish the first Assyrian empire, which lasted until approximately 1248 B.C. A new power from south-west Iran, the Elamites, would assert control over Babylon for 30 years. This affected Assyria slightly. The death of Ashurdan in 1135 B.C. brough instability as his two sons vyed for the crown. Their terms only lasted one year, and Ashur-resh-ishi I ascended to the thrown in 1133 B.C. The Middle Assyrian empire began in 1307 B.C. with Tiglath-Pileser, who greatly expanded Assyrian territory. It is also during his reign that a significant development occurs, that of the Aramean migrations into Assyria. This would have a profound impact on Assyria and Assyrians, as we shall see. Tiglath-Pileser states "I crossed the Euphrates twenty eight times...in pursuit of the Arameans." This would ultimately prove unsuccessful. Tiglath-Pileser was not only a military man, but also a sportsman. Upon reaching the Mediterranean, he took the time, he tells us, to go dolphin hunting. He also established several zoos in Assyria, as he had a fascination with foreign animals. The Aramean problem persisted during the reign of Tiglath-Pileser's successor and son, Ashur-bel-kala 1074-1057), who tells us that the Arameans were penetrating deep into Assyrian territory, including Tur Abdin, Harran and Khabur. For the next century Assyria declined, the Aramean disruptions being the principal cause. It was not until 934 B.C., by which time the Arameans had settled into stable kingdoms in Mesopotamia, that Assyria would reemerge. Ashur-dan II would concentrate on rebuilding Assyria within its natural borders, from Tur Abdin to the foothills beyond Arbel. He built government offices in all provinces, and as an economic boost, provided ploughs throughout the land, which yielded record grain production. He was followed by four able kings, who used the foundation which he had laid to make Assyria the major world power of its time. The four Kings that followed Ashur-dan II were Adad-nerari II (his son), Tukulti-Ninurta II, Ashur-nasir-pal II, and Shalmaneser III. Adad-nerari would provide the final solution to the Aramean problem. He defeated the paramount Aramean chief at Nisibin and, marching up and down the Khabur, he obtained formal submissions from a series of Aramean controlled cities. Ashur-nasir-pal II would bring under Assyrian control the area from south Lebanon to the Zagros mountains, with loose control over the Taurus region. Diyarbekr was under direct Assyrian control. Skipping ahead to Shamshi-Adad V, and I mention him because his wife was none other than Sammurammat, or Shamiram, whom so many Assyrian woman are named after today. There is a stele about her, it says: Stele of Sammurammat Queen of Shamshi-Adad King of all, king of Ashur mother of Adad-nerari King of all, king of Ashur Daughter-in-law [kalta] of Shalmaneser King of the four regions We come now to the beginning of greatest expansion of the Assyian empire with Tiglath-Pileser III (745-727); through a series of able kings, Sargon II, Sennacherib, Esarhaddon, Ashurbnaipal, Assyria would extend its rule over a vast area, from Egypt up to cyprus to the west, through Anatolia, to the Caspian in the east. The Assyrian empires, particularly the third one, had a profound and lasting impact on the Near East. Before Assyrian hegemony would come to an end, the Assyrians would bring the highest civilization to the then known world. From the Caspian to Cyprus, from Anatolia to Egypt, Assyrian imperial expansion would bring into the Assyrian sphere nomadic and barbaric communities, and would bestow the gift of civilization upon them. And though today we are far removed from that time, some of our most basic and fundamental devices of daily survival, to which we have become so accustomed that we cannot conceive of life without them, originated in Assyria. One cannot imagine leaving his home without locking the door; it is in Assyria where locks and keys were first used. One cannot survive in this world without knowing the time; it is in Assyria that the sexagesimal system of keeping time was developed. One cannot imagine driving without paved roads; it is in Assyria where paved roads were first used. And the list goes on, including the first postal system, the first use of iron, the first magnifying glasses, the first libraries, the first plumbing and flush toilets, the first electric batteries, the first guitars, the first aqueducts, the first arch, and on and on. But it is not only things that originated in Assyria, it is also ideas, ideas that would shape the world to come. It is the idea, for example, of imperial administration, of dividing the land into territories administered by local governors who report to the central authority, the King of Assyria. This fundamental model of administration has survived to this day, as can be seen in America's federal-state system. It is in Assyria where the mythological foundation of the old and new testament is found. It is here that the story of the flood originates, 2000 years before the old testament is written. It is here that the first epic is written, the Epic of Gilgamesh, with its universal and timeless theme of the struggle and purpose of humanity. It is here that civilization itself is developed and handed down to future generations. It is here where the first steps in the cultural unification of the Middle East are taken by bringing under Assyrian rule the diverse groups in the area, from Iran to Egypt, breaking down ethnic and national barriers and preparing the way for the cultural unification which facilitated the subsequent spread of Hellenism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. First Dark Age: 612 B.C. to 33 A.D. The Assyrian empire collapsed in 612 B.C. The Assyrian people survived the loss of their state, and they remained mostly inconspicuous for the next 600 years. The Persians mention employing Assyrians as troops, and there is the failed attempt at reestablishing an Assyrian Kingdom in 350 B.C.; the Persians squelched this attempt and castrated 400 Assyrian leaders as punishment. Second Golden Age: 33 A.D. to 1300 A.D. Assyrians continued living in their homeland throughout this dark age, until that momentous moment in human history, when the Lord Son of God gave himself for the salvation of mankind. Very soon after the crucifixion, the bulk of the Assyrian population converted to Christianity, although there remained to be Ashurites, until 256 A.D. It was the Apostle Thomas, with Thaddeus and Bartholomew who came to the Assyrian city of Edessa and founded the Assyrian Church of the East, the first and oldest church in the world. Armed with the word of God, and after 600 years of dormancy, the Assyrians once again set out to build an empire, not a military empire, but a religious empire founded on divine revelation and Christian brotherhood. So successful was the Assyrian missionary enterprise, by the end of the twelfth century the Assyrian Church was larger than the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches combined, and it spanned the Asian continent, from Syria to Mongolia, Korea, China, Japan and the Philippines. When Marco Polo visited China in the thirteenth century, he was astonished to find Assyrian priests in the Chinese royal court, and tens of thousands of Chinese Christians. The Assyrian missionaries had reached China in the sixth century. With only the bible, a cross, and a loaf of bread in hand, these messengers had walked thousands of miles along the old silk road to deliver the word of God. So successful were the missionaries, when Genghis Khan swept through Asia, he brought with him an army over half of which belonged to the Assyrian Church of the East. So successful were the missionaries, the first Mongolian system of writing used the Assyrian alphabet. Armed with the word of God, Assyrians once again transformed the face of the Middle East. In the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries they began a systematic translation of the Greek body of knowledge into Assyrian. At first they concentrated on the religious works but then quickly moved to science, philosophy and medicine. Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Galen, and many others were translated into Assyrian, and from Assyrian into Arabic. It is these Arabic translations which the Moors brought with them into Spain, and which the Spaniards translated into Latin and spread throughout Europe, thus igniting the European renaissance. By the sixth century A.D., Assyrians had begun exporting back to Byzantia their own works on science, philosophy and medicine. In the field of medicine, the Bakhteesho Assyrian family produced nine generations of physicians, and founded the great medical school at Gundeshapur. Also in the area of medicine, Hunayn ibn-Ishaq*s textbook on ophthalmology, written in 950 A.D., remained the authoritative source on the subject until 1800 A.D. In the area of philosophy, the Assyrian philosopher Job of Edessa developed a physical theory of the universe, in the Assyrian language, that rivaled Aristotle*s theory, and that sought to replace matter with forces. One of the greatest Assyrian achievements of the fourth century was the founding of the first university in the world. The School of Nisibis had three departments: theology, philosophy and medicine, and became a magnet and center of intellectual development in the Middle East. The statutes of the School of Nisibis, which have been preserved, later became the model upon which the first Italian university was based. When Arabs and Islam swept through the Middle East in 630 A.D., they encountered 600 years of Assyrian Christian civilization, with a rich heritage, a highly developed culture, and advanced learning institutions. It is this civilization which became the foundation of the Arab civilization. But this great Assyrian Christian civilization would come to an end in 1300 A.D. The tax which the Arabs levied on Christians, simply for just being Christian, forced many Assyrians to convert to Islam to avoid the tax; this inexorably drained the community, so that by the time Timurlane the Mongol delivered the final blow in 1300 A.D., by violently destroying most cities in the Middle East, the Assyrian Christian community had dwindled to its core in Assyria, and henceforth the Assyrian Church of the East would not regain its former glory, and the Assyrian language, which had been the lingua franca of the Middle East until 900 A.D., was completely supplanted by Arabic (except amongst the Assyrians). This, from 1300 A.D. until World War One, became the second Assyrian dark age. Second Dark Age: 1300 A.D. to 1918 A.D. The Assyrian missionary enterprise, which had been so successful throughout the Asian continent, came to an abrupt end with the coming of Timurlane the Mongol. The indiscriminate destruction leveled by Timurlane against the civilizations he encountered put to a permanent end the Assyrian missionary enterprise. A large segment of the Assyrian population escaped the ravages of Timurlane by fleeing into the Hakkary mountains (present day eastern Turkey); the remaining Assyrians continued to live in their homelands (presently North Iraq and Syria), and Urmi. The four Assyrian communities, over time, begin defining themselves in terms of their church affiliation. The western Assyrians, all of whom belonging to the Syriac Orthodox Church, began identifying themselves as "Jacobites". The remaining communities belonged to the Assyrian Church of the East. After the division of the Church of the East in 1550 A.D., the Chaldean Church of Babylon, a Roman Catholic Uniate, was created, and members of this church began to call themselves Chaldean. By the end of the nineteenth century, these three communities no longer saw themselves as one and the same. Diaspora: 1918 A.D. To The Present In this century, Assyrians have suffered massive genocide, have lost control of their ancestral lands, and are in a struggle for survival. The Assyrian nation today stands at a crossroad. One third of is in a diaspora, while the remaining two-thirds lives perilously in its native lands. These are some of the dangers facing the Assyrians: Denominationalism and fragmentation Islamic fundamentalism Arabization Cultural immersion and absorption into Arab societies Mass emigration to the West, and absorption into Western societies Population For over 6600 years Assyrians lived in their ancestral homeland, but beginning with the Turkish genocide of Assyrians in World War One, which began on April 24, 1915 and claimed 750,000 Assyrian lives (75%) by 1918, Assyrians began moving to the West. Today there are more Assyrians living in the West than in their ancestral homeland, and this exodus has accelerated sharply in the 21st century. World Assyrian Population Country Population click on a column name to sort Fake News Alert! MDH owner Mahashay Dharam Pal Gulati death news is a hoax New Delhi : News on death of owner of famous spices brand MDH Mahashay Dharam Pal Gulati turns out to be a hoax after his family member confirmed that he is healthy and alive. Early on Sunday morning, news reports claiming his death surfaced on the internet. However, later in the day, his family member shared a video of 99-year-old CEO to assure that he is fine. Post partition of India, Mahashay Dharampal Gulati, the son of companys founder Mahashay Chunni Lal Gulati, moved to Delhi and set up MDH Masala factory in a plot in Kirti Nagar. Initially, he started a spice shop in a shack. Later, he opened the same at Ajmal Khan Road in Karol Bagh area. As per reports, he is the highest paid FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) CEO in India in the year 2017. Mahashay Dharampal Gulati was born and raised in Sialkot, Pakistan. He dropped out of school when he was in fifth class to assist his father at the shop. During partition, he moved to Delhi along with his family. MDH today offers a range of 62 products and exports spices to several countries across the world including Switzerland, Japan, the US, and Canada. Sorry! This content is not available in your region -- Those were the words of Djevdet Bey, the governor of Van Province in Ottoman Turkey, who on April 24, 1915 lead 20,000 Turkish soldiers and 10,000 Kurdish irregulars in the opening act of the genocide of Assyrians, Armenians and Greeks. Between 1915 and 1918 750,000 Assyrians (75%), 1,000,000 Greeks and 1,500,000 Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks and Kurds in a genocide that aimed at and nearly succeeded in destroying the Christian communities in the Ottoman Empire. Articles Genocide Memorials Genocide Recognition Videos Your browser does not support the video tag. The Untold Holocaust: the Story of the Assyrian Genocide Your browser does not support the video tag. The Cry Unheard: the Assyrian Genocide Your browser does not support the video tag. Turkey in 100 Seconds Your browser does not support the video tag. Interview with genocide survivor Gawriye Dbe Masoud Your browser does not support the video tag. Interview with genocide survivor Abdalla Goke Your browser does not support the video tag. Interview with genocide survivor Cammo Yusef Hanna Your browser does not support the video tag. Interview with genocide survivor Cammo Yusef Hanna (in Assyrian) Art and Pictures Pictures of Genocide Centennial Rallies Throughout the World Timeline of ISIS in Iraq The Arabic letter "n" (inside red circle), signifying "Nasrani" (Christian), on an Assyrian home in Mosul. (AINA) -- The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) captured the city of Mosul, Iraq on June 10. Almost immediately thereafter it began to drive Assyrians out of Mosul and destroy Christian and non-Sunni institutions. There are no Assyrians/Christians remaining in Mosul, all have fled to the north, to Alqosh, Dohuk and other Assyrian villages. All Christian institutions in Mosul (churches, monasteries and cemeteries), numbering 45, have been destroyed, occupied, converted to mosques, converted to ISIS headquarters or shuttered (story). All non-Sunni Muslim groups in Mosul -- Shabaks, Yazidis and Turkmen -- have been targeted by ISIS. Most have fled. Water and electricity to the Nineveh Plain have been cut off by ISIS. Mosul is now governed under Sharia law. 200,000 Assyrian have fled from Baghdede (Qaraqosh), Bartella, Karamles and dozens of Assyrian villages and towns in the Nineveh Plain north of Mosul. 150,000 Yazidis have fled from Sinjar and Zumar. 40,000 trapped on Shingal mountain. Thousands have died from exposure. Thousands have been killed by ISIS. See also: Incipient Genocide: The Ethnic Cleansing of the Assyrians of Iraq See also: Church Bombings in Iraq Since 2004 See also: Attacks on Assyrians in Dora, Baghdad The following is a summary of the events that have unfolded in North Iraq. New Delhi: At least 36 girls of a residential school in Biharas Supaul district were allegedly assaulted after they resisted the attempts of some local boys to sexually harass them, the police said. The Darbhanga zonal Inspector General told news agency ANI that the girls used to go to a playground nearby where some boys would write obscene words on walls. The girls would rub them off. This happened for 2-4 days. The girls, aged between 10 and 14 years and are studying in Classes 6 to 9, of Kasturba Gandhi Girls Residential School, Triveniganj in Supaul district were admitted to a local hospital following the incident on Saturday. On Sunday, the police arrested four youths in connection with the attack. Supaul district magistrate (DM), Baidynath Yadav said more arrests would be made soon. aYesterday, they asked a boy to stop doing that. After that the boy, his mother and some other women beat them up. At least 14 children are still being treated at a hospital. The accused have been identified and an FIR has been registered,a The Darbhanga zonal IG said. Girls used go to a playground nearby, some boys used to write obscene words on walls.Girls used to rub it off.This was happening since 2-4 days: Darbhanga zonal IG on at least 30 schoolgirls of a govt school in Supaul thrashed by miscreants for allegedly resisting sexual advances pic.twitter.com/M0wYhUV7VZ a ANI (@ANI) October 7, 2018 Reports suggest some of the miscreants were armed with batons and they also beat up some teachers of the school when they tried to intervene and save the girls. One of the girls, beaten up by the miscreants, said: aThe boys often used to write obscene words on the walls. We stopped them from doing that and they thrashed us. There were some women with them who beat us up too and manhandled our teachers.a The incident triggered protests from several social organisations and also raised a question mark on the security at the government school, reported Hindustan Times. Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav condemned the government in strongest terms. In a series of tweets, Tejashwi Yadav said Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has "totally surrendered himself in the hands of goons & Deputy CM is begging mercy to hardened criminals". For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF), which is celebrating 86th Air Force Day on October 8, has got a big morale boost after the latest upgrade in MiG-29 fighter aircraft. MiG-29 a Russian origin aircraft hailed as Indian Air Forces beast, has recently been upgraded, making it more lethal and ferocious. The upgraded version of MiG-29 will boost the strength of Air Force, which is battling the shortage of fighter aircraft. Also Read | Rafale will be game changer for IAF: Air Marshal Nambiar The upgraded aircraft is now capable of mid-air refuelling and compatible with latest missiles. It can now launch multi-dimensional attacks too, PTI quoted Flight Lieutenant Karan Kohli, who is deployed at Adampur Air Force Station, as saying. The aircraft has a great legacy. It was MiG-29 that played a very crucial role in the 1999 Kargil War as the Indian Air Force stamped its supremacy over the Pakistani forces. "With the upgrade, as compared to previous 'legacy version' of the MiG-29 bought under the emergency clause in the early 1980s, the fighter jets are capable to give a befitting response," PTI quoted an official, requesting anonymity, when asked about any possible two-front war with China and Pakistan. On September 12, Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa had said the force was reeling under a severe shortage of fighter aircraft. The IAF chief had said the force currently has 31 squadrons of fighter jets against the sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons. "Even when we do have 42 squadrons, we will be below the combined numbers of two of our regional adversaries (China and Pakistan)," he had said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Two days after India and Russia inked the S-400 missile deal, despite the US sanctions warnings, Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Sunday said New Delhi follows an independent policy and was also keen on getting the Kamov helicopters and other weapon systems from Moscow. India and Russia on October 5 signed a multi-billion-dollar agreement to procure the S-400 Triumf air defence system, which could attract sanctions under the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).Russians are very keen on associating with the Indian Army because we are very capable. We are capable of standing for what is right for us, General Rawat said at the inaugural General K V Krishna Rao Memorial Lecture at Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi. When Russians asked about the American sanctions, my reply was, Yes, we do appreciate that there could be sanctions on us, but we follow an independent policy. You can be rest assured. While we may be associating with America in getting some technology, but we follow an independent policy, he said. He said New Delhi was looking to get space-based systems and technologies from Moscow to enhance its space capabilities.There is no end in sight to the manner in which we can cooperate with your country. I think the way forward is to see what is best for the nation, strategically important for us, he had said. The S-400 Triumf air defence system can engage up to 36 targets at a time and simultaneously launch 72 missiles. The long and medium range air defense missile system, which Air Force Chief BS Dhanoa said will provide a much needed "booster" to the Air Force, is designed to destroy air attacks, including stealth aircraft and any other aerial targets. The delivery of the missile systems, tipped to be over USD 5 billion, will start 24 months from the signing of the contract. Acquiring the missile system will help repulse the air attacks by India's adversaries, especially Pakistan and China. The signing of the deal assumes significance as China, too, has signed a deal with Russia to procure the same missile system. (With PTI inputs) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Scores of migrant workers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are leaving Gujarat after the arrest of a Bihar man for allegedly raping a 14-month-old girl in the Sabarkantha district last week. Following the incident, several migrants have been getting threats, while many have been targeted. The police have so far arrested 342 people from various parts of Gujarat. "Six districts have mainly been affected (by the violence), with Mehsana and Sabarkantha being the worst hit. In these districts, 42 cases have been lodged and so far we have arrested 342 accused. More arrests will be made as names of the accused come up during investigation," Director General of Police Shivanand Jha told reporters. Also Read | Kangana Ranaut on Vikas Bahl controversy: He used to bury his face in my neck and smell my hair He said 17 companies of State Reserve Police (SRP) have been deployed in the affected areas. "Security of areas inhabited by non-Gujaratis and the factories where they work has been increased. Police have also increased patrolling in these areas," he added. Two cases have been lodged for spreading rumours on social media which led to violence, the DGP said. They come to our houses and ask us to leave, Devendra Rathod, a resident of Ahmedanbads Chandlodiya area, told Hindustan Times. Shyamsinh Thakur, president of Uttar Bharatiya Vikas Parishad, said: We have received reports that in many parts of Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Sabarkantha and Aravali districts migrants have been asked to leave by October 8. We have asked them to contact the local police. We have never before experienced such threats in Gujarat. We fear that if this escalates, it may sow the seeds of regional divide, added Thakur. Also Read | Aayush Sharma pulling on Arpita Khans cheek in public leaves her furious; Watch video inside The girl, who was raped, belongs to Thakor community. Congress MLA and OBC leader Alpesh Thakor has decided to sit on an indefinite fast from October 8 demanding justice and compensation for the victim. The state government has already announced a compensation of Rs 3 lakh to the girls family. Thakor is demanding that the amount be raised to Rs 5 lakh, the HT report added. On October 3, a mob allegedly comprising members of the Thakor community engaged in vandalism in Chandlodia area of Ahmedabad, demanding people from north India to leave the city, said the police.Hindi-speaking migrants who have been living in Gujarat for years are fleeing the state fearing violence. In some cases, landlords have asked them to leave as well, The Indian Express reported. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) president Om Prakash Chautala, who is out on a two-week parole, on Sunday said his party will bring the opposition parties together to make BSP chief Mayawati the next prime minister after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. we will work towards uniting the Opposition so that Mayawati becomes the next prime minister, said the former Haryana chief minister, who was addressing a rally in Gohana to mark the 105th birth anniversary of senior INLD leader and his father Devi Lal.Om Prakash Chautala is serving a 10-year jail term in a teachers recruitment scam. Today, he (Lal) is not among us but we have to follow his ideals and work towards realising his dreams, he said, adding that Lal had a dream that the countrymen should have enough food, shelter, good education and access to affordable health. Also Read | 'Threatened' migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar leaving Gujarat after protests over rape Also present on the occasion, Abhay Singh Chautala, son of Om Prakash Chautala, urged the people to help the INLD-BSP alliance to come to power in Haryana with an overwhelming majority in next years assembly elections. Repeat 1987 (when the INLD swept the state polls) by strengthening the hands of the INLD-BSP combine so that (Om Prakash) Chautala once again becomes the chief minister, he said. Abhay Singh Chautala said INLD-BSP alliance will waive the loans of farmers and weaker sections if they come to power. Former Gujarat chief minister Shankarsinh Vaghela also addressed the rally. Vaghela attacked the Centre over high fuel prices and said the cut of Rs 2.50 per litre in the petrol and diesel prices was not sufficient. (With PTI inputs) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Shillong: Calling the Rafale fighter jets a game changer for the Indian Air Force, Eastern Air Command Air Marshal R Nambiar, on Saturday said that all Air Force units in the region, except for some in West Bengal, will get the modern platforms, including the Rafale, the Chinook and the Apache attack helicopters. Read More | 'He'd bury his face in my neck and breathe in the smell of my hair,' reveals Kangana Ranaut on Vikas Bahl controversy Nambiar was speaking to media persons in Shillong where the IAF Eastern Air Command kicked off a two-day air-fest to celebrate the 86th Air Force Day. Asserting that it is capability enhancement for India, the air marshal said, "The Rafale is an excellent aircraft. I had the opportunity to fly it in France two weeks ago. Let me assure you that this is a very good platform, highly capable and a game changer. Its presence in this area would give us a lot of deterrence," he said. "It provides us with a huge modicum of capability which never existed in this part of the world," he added. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: After the Central government deported seven Rohingya refugees to Myanmar from Assam on Friday, the Rohingyas staying at Delhis Kalindi Kunj camp on Saturday said that they dont want to return to Myanmar fearing for their lives and that they will not rehabilitate until peace is restored in their homeland. Mohammad Farooq, a refugee as quoted by news agency ANI said, I have been living here since 2012. I only request the government to let us live here. We have faced a lot of hardships in our country. We did not leave our country out of greed, no one really wants to leave their own nation. He also feared that the refugees who have been deported will all soon be killed. Delhi: Rohingya refugees staying at Kalindi Kunj camp don't want to return to Myanmar fearing for their lives. A refugee says "We just request Indian govt to let us stay here until there is peace in our country. Seven Rohingyas who were deported will be killed very soon." (6.10) pic.twitter.com/XfX1EJwPsN ANI (@ANI) October 7, 2018 Farooq also said, Our records are there with the authorities and the UN. Police brought us a form to fill but it was in Burmese language and we refused to fill it. The seven people who have been deported wont be alive for long. They will be killed. Read More | Victory for Trump as Brett Kavanaugh sworn in as US Supreme Court Justice On Thursday, the Supreme Court 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. 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. Also Read | Google CEO Sundar Pichai secretly met Pentagon leaders over AI project: Report As many as 650,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Rakhine in August 2017 after Myanmars army launched a massive crackdown in its northern state, retaliating the attacks by insurgents, Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army on the countrys police posts and a military base. A large number of Rohingya refugees, since then, have taken shelter in India and Bangladesh, and are staying in refugee camps, often raising security concerns. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who was facing a strong opposition by Democrats over sexual harassment charges, was confirmed to the US Supreme Court on Saturday. Kavanaugh won the confirmation vote in the US Senate by the slimmest margins in the American history. The senators went along the party lines and voted 50 to 48 to elevate Kavanaugh to the nine-member bench of the Supreme Court. The elevation of the 53-year-old judge, even with a very close margin, was seen as a major political victory for President Donald Trump ahead of the crucial mid-term elections. I applaud and congratulate the U.S. Senate for confirming our great nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, to the United States Supreme Court, Trump wrote on Twitter. Also Read | Canadian man finds million-dollar lottery ticket in old coat Soon after the confirmation, Kavanaugh was sworn in by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and the retired Justice Anthony M. Kennedy in a closed doors ceremony. The White House applauds the Senate for confirming President Trumps nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Later today, the President will sign his commission of appointment and he will be officially sworn in, PTI quoted White House spokesperson Raj Shah as saying. I think hes going to make us all very proud. I also feel very strongly that, in the end, the process, it was really unattractive, but the extra week was something that I think was really good, Trump said in a series of tweets, terming him "an extraordinary person" and "a great talent". The Opposition, however, didnt see this the Trump way as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described Kavanaughs elevation to the US Supreme Court the saddest moment. Also Read | Google CEO Sundar Pichai secretly met Pentagon leaders over AI project: Report From start to finish, President Trumps nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court has been one of the saddest moments in the history of the Senate, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said. (With agency inputs) For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. NEW CANAAN The need to have police dogs conduct searches of Fairfield County schools is something many districts have embraced. Not so in New Canaan. Monroe Public Schools approved its dog search policy in April 2015 but limited in its scope to Masuk High School, which has 1,020 students this year compared to 1,294 in New Canaan High School. Since the policys implementation, there has been only one canine search conducted at Masuk in late 2017, according to Assistant Superintendent Joe Kobza. There were four dogs in the school and two dogs outside in the parking lot, said Kobza, who was principal of Masuk High School at the time of the search. If there was a hit (if a dog found something), the location would be cross-referenced with another dog to make sure it wasnt a false positive. Monroe Superintendent of Schools Jack Zamary confirmed at least one student had been caught with illicit substances sniffed by the canines during that search. Zamary, who is in his first year as superintendent, affirmed searches are worthwhile and could be conducted again in the future. Its not a tool we want to use by itself. We use it to support our students. We have educational and proactive components that begin in the earliest years in the district, Zamary said. A search is really a reactive tool, not the most desirable, but if theres a way of finding substances, its one that we need to use. New Canaan schools have floated the idea of having canine units in town, but a formal process towards approving said policy only began this summer. The New Canaan Board of Education reviewed a draft policy in mid-July, but a month later board members argued they needed more time to consider its impact. In an update Tuesday, Superintendent of School Bryan Luizzi said the item would not be in the agenda for upcoming school board meetings in the near future as the Governance Committee is reviewing the policy, a process that would take some time. Other Fairfield County districts with active policies West of New Canaan, Greenwich public schools have had a canine search policy for the past nine years in the high school only, but a June 14 revision this year made it applicable to all schools in the district. We are currently in the process of converting our Greenwich Public Schools policies to the CABE (Connecticut Association of Boards of Education) model, Linda Valentine, assistant to the interim superintendent, wrote in an email. The CABE template provides a sample that is available to school districts who want to consider developing and adopting a policy pertaining to the use of drug-sniffing dogs, Vincent Mustaro, a senior staff associate for policy services at CABE, said. Just this year, Norwalk implemented their own drug-sniffing dog policies that apply to the public middle and high schools. According to Frank Constanzo, chief of school operations at Norwalk schools, searches would be random and unannounced. The three school districts give different members the authority to call for a search. In Monroe, that falls to the superintendent; in Greenwich, the board must permit the administration; and in Norwalk, the chief of school operations and the Norwalk Police Department have that authority. In Stamford, the third-largest city in the state, public schools dont have a policy that addresses canine searches. At this point we do not feel circumstances warrant similar protocol, said Sharon Beadle, the Stamford schools director of communication. Community outreach in town This initiative in New Canaan comes in the wake of other efforts to address the use of illegal substances in town. Earlier this summer, Chief of Police Leon Krolikowski and First Selectman Kevin Moynihan announced the website, DrugFreeNC, as a tool to help inform residents in the community about drug recovery and support. When asked about how the police would cooperate with schools if a canine search policy were passed, Krolikowski said the department would use their dog, a German shepherd named Apollo, or additional dogs from other towns. If drugs are found, we would open an investigation to determine the best course of action, which might involve some combination of treatment, referral or criminal prosecution, Krolikowski said. Krolikowski noted if the policy does not garner board of education approval, he would remain invested to see how they could address the issue of illicit substance use. These cycles of addiction that, at times, lead to death start in our schools, Krolikowski said. Given the local and nationwide opioid epidemic, our community needs to use every tool available. humberto.juarez@hearstmediact.com NEW HAVEN The city will commemorate the centennial of World War Is end with a re-dedication of the monument on the New Haven Green. The complete program will be the same as the one used in 1929 when 51,000 people attended the monuments first dedication, Bill MacMullen, a city employee and ceremony coordinator, said in an email. The ceremony, scheduled for 1 p.m. Oct 14 on the New Haven Green, will feature city officials, dignitaries, noted historians and a re-enactment camp to provide a living history of WWI. New Haven embraced the war with patriotism, professionalism, and optimism, MacMullen said in the email. When we Re-dedicate the monument on the New Haven Green, we celebrate New Havens coming of age as an important component of the war effort, he said, also in the email. Not only do we honor those who had lost their lives in the war, we also honor those who served, and survived. They went on to build lives, businesses and careers that put New Haven in a special category. The monument lists 200 men from New Haven who died in the war and each name will be read aloud during the ceremony. Guest speakers will include Mayor Toni N. Harp; U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; Michael Neiberg of the U.S. Army War College; Paul Kennedy of the Yale University History Department; and Thomas Duffy, symphony director at Yale University. Duffy will conduct the Yale University Concert Band in performing the national anthem and period music. The First World War thrust our nation into the world stage, created political situations and policies that are with us to this day, MacMullen said. These include womens right to vote, the turmoil in the Middle East, American civil rights, the United Nations and certain country alliances, he said. WWI was the first international conflict to touch the lives of U.S. immigrants, who in the two decades preceding the war, immigrated from Italy, Russia, the Balkans and Germany. The citys embraced the patriotism that allowed them to live up to the name: American, MacMullen said. Since New Haven then had many arms manufacturers, it was a supply center for the war before the U.S. even became involved, with 34 percent of war materials made for the allied nations coming from New Haven County, MacMullen said. Additionally, the Green also hosted many war bond rallies during the conflict. Yale University students also enlisted, forming the officer corps through its Navy and Army ROTC programs and local social clubs, such as the newly formed Boy Scouts, ran errands helping with food drives and other things. The African American community volunteered to serve in the Army. Government policy dictated a segregated Army, however, the American Expeditionary Forces commander, John Black Jack Pershing, made sure they saw combat attached with units of the French army, (no segregation), and they were the highest decorated units of the American Army in the war. The American Library Association was behind the war effort and sought and collected books and newspaper compendiums for the soldiers. Library tents were a part of that effort, (there will be a library tent included on the Green for re-enactor soldiers that weekend), and the New Haven Free Public Library and New Haven Museum will be helping in that capacity. It is interesting that many people go by and sit by the monument on the Green, never realizing it is in commemoration of what was called the World War, the Great War, or the War to End All Wars MacMullen said. People in 1929 truly believed it was the war to end all wars because it was so terrible, MacMullen said, which is why it may have been the only monument ever allowed on the Green. It is hard to get people to understand the significance of any war, MacMullen said, especially one 100 years old with no living veterans to remind people of their sacrifice and overshadowed by a second war twenty years later. People attending the re-dedication can learn more about the war from featured speakers during the ceremony. Period vehicles, including a 1918 FN Renault tank, will be displayed on the Green along with an exhibit of soldiers and sailors by the New Haven Free Public Library and New Haven Museum. The Knights of Columbus Museum, at 1 State St., which is free and open to all, has the exhibit, World War I: Beyond the Front Lines open until Dec. 30. mdignan@hearstmediact.com Ranking Democrat Dianne Feinstein's "Frankenstein" laboratory on the Senate Judiciary Committee took a couple of months to do it, but it became the horror story of national television on Judge Brett Kavavaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court. My prayer is that the people do not come to the streets with torches, axes and spears. The Democrat character assassination by Feinstein her fellow hatchet wielders was not only an insult to the nominee, but to accuser Christine Blasey Ford as well. Feinstein sat on Ford's letter alleging sexual assault, and failed to question the nominee about the claims at his initial hearing. Because the buck stops at her desk, Feinstein must take responsibility for exposing a letter that Ford asked not to be made public. I pray that the Democrats of this nation and Feinstein's home state, California, see the monster that she and her compatriots created. She'd better pray for the prayers of Judge Kavanaugh's daughters. On Sept. 28, the Times' print opinion page carried both an editorial and a guest column that found fault with how the Senate's Republican majority dealt with Ford and Kavanaugh, What the writers do not realize is that the opposition to Kavanaugh is just unbounded hatred of President Donald Trump, who nominated the judge. The Senate Democrats' speeches to inveigle an additional FBI probe of Kavanaugh's behavior in high school and college were an obvious delaying tactic. There was no need to go over a path that was already worn with tire ruts from prior background checks for his judicial appointments. Gerald Keer, Turnersville Give N.J. a better U.S. senator Little has been said about Bob Hugin, the Republican Nov. 6 challenger for Democrat incumbent Sen. Robert Menendez's U.S. Senate seat. Hugin served in the U.S Marines on active duty and as a reserve officer for 14 years. He is the retired CEO of Celgene, a for-profit pharmaceutical company which has invested $20 billion on research and development of drugs, including those that doubled the survival rate for patients with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer. His election to the Senate would be an asset to New Jersey veterans and could help create a comeback for New Jersey's pharmaceutical industry. Hugin has monumental plans to energize business here, and knows how to create a good business climate in New Jersey. Vote for Hugin instead of Menendez, a 30-year career politician who has not delivered for the citizens of New Jersey, and was "severely admonished" by his Senate peers on ethical issues. Menendez offers no plan for New Jersey, except to accuse Bob Hugin of being a Trump supporter. Well, at least President Donald Trump has delivered on jobs, renegotiated trade agreements and other promises. Let's elect Bob Hugin, a proven leader. Luis M. Perez, Glassboro Send a letter to the editor of South Jersey Times at sjletters@njadvancemedia.com Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. October is Polish-American Heritage Month and as such, the Polish-American contingent of Jersey City is preparing to celebrate Polish heritage and culture this Sunday, Oct. 7, in the 81st Pulaski Day Parade down Fifth Avenue New York City. We are reminded that this year marks 100 years of freedom for our ancestral homeland. Poland became a kingdom as early as 1025 and continued in prosperity through the years. From the Golden Age of Poland to its evolving democratic political system, Poland became one of the first countries in Europe to protect the rights of minorities. Unfortunately, due to invasions and territorial partitions, Poland was weakened. In 1795, Poland ceased to exist, but the spirit of it people was not lost. Despite denationalizing efforts of conquering territories, the grassroots efforts of its people to rise up and gain back an independent state continued throughout the late 1800s. It wasn't until 2 million Polish soldiers joined the allied fight in World War I, that Poland was able to gain back its independence on Nov. 11, 1918, with the signing of the Armistice. While here in the United States, we reserve Nov. 11 in honor of Veterans Day, in Poland, Independence Day is celebrated. When reflecting on this history, it seems that once again, the history of the United States and the history of Poland and its soldiers find themselves connected. This brings to mind a Polish-American hero, Gen. Casimir Pulaski, who so bravely fought for freedom in the American Revolution, spending the winter at Valley Forge and commanding the allied French and American cavalry. In honor of him and in honor of all the Polish patriots here in the United States or in Poland who so bravely and courageously never gave up hope, we keep in mind that freedom is always worth fighting for. As Gen. Pulaski once wrote to Gen. Washington: "I came here, where freedom is being defended, to serve it, and to live or die for it." I invite all those who want to partake in the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Poland's freedom, our history, and our culture, to please join us as we parade down Fifth Avenue in New York City this Sunday, Oct. 7. Parade kick-off is at 12 p.m. from East 36th Street between Fifth and Madison avenues. Buses will leave Jersey City at 10 a.m. from St. Anthony's Church, Downtown Jersey City. Stefania Miklas-McCall, 2018 Marshal of Jersey City Polish-American Contingent, Jersey City General Pulaski Memorial Parade Committee Editor's note: An earlier version of this story reported that the limousine was carrying a wedding party. New reports dispute that claim, and the story has been updated with new information. A crash involving a limousine at a popular upstate New York tourist spot has killed 20 people, according to media reports. Local officials told the Times Union of Albany that a limo speeding down a hill hit bystanders Saturday around 1:55 p.m. in Schoharie, about 170 miles north of New York City. State police confirmed Sunday that the death toll was 20 and said the crash involved two vehicles. The crash is the deadliest transportation accident in the United States since 2009, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. In a press conference on Sunday afternoon, officials said that 18 of the victims were in the limo, and the other two were pedestrians. The limo, a 2001 Ford Excursion limousine, was traveling on state route 30 when it ran through an intersection with state route 30A and struck an unoccupied vehicle in a parking lot. The Associated Press reports that the limo was on its way to a birthday party, and that a newlywed couple was on board. Authorities on Sunday didn't release names of victims or other details. The NTSB is investigating. On scene in Schoharie, scene of deadly limo accident which killed 20. You can see the muddy tracks of the vehicle and the impact spot in the woods beyond.... pic.twitter.com/z9MhdPUWgk Jesse McKinley (@jessemckinley) October 7, 2018 The crash occurred at the Apple Barrel Country Store, a popular stop for tourists on fall foliage trips. Jessica Kirby, the manager of the Apple Barrel Country Store, told The New York Times that multiple customers in the parking lot were killed when they were hit by the limo. "All fatal," she said in a phone interview with the newspaper. "That limo was coming down that hill probably over 60 mph." Kirby also told the Times that this weekend is typically the busiest of the year for the store, and that most of her customers that day had come from New Jersey, New York City or Albany. In a Facebook post on Saturday, the Apple Barrel Country Store thanked emergency responders for their actions in the aftermath of the "horrific" accident. On Sunday, the store posted that it was open "and could use your hugs." As you may be aware, there was a horrific accident in front of our business today. First, we want to thank all of the... Posted by Apple Barrel Country Store + Cafe on Saturday, October 6, 2018 Witnesses on Saturday described chaos, with a massive turnout of ambulances and other responders. "I heard some screaming. It looked serious because people were running back and forth," Bridey Finegan of Schoharie told WNYT NewsChannel 13. State Police set up a special hotline for the families of people who fear a loved one died in the crash, according to the Times Union. Family members are encouraged to call the State Police at 1-877-672-4911. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Michael Sol Warren may be reached at mwarren@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MSolDub. Find NJ.com on Facebook. I have a Robert Mueller t-shirt at home, and I wear it when the horror of Donald Trump's presidency threatens to grind me down. It cheers me up to think Mueller will present evidence that justifies Trump's impeachment. But I'm wondering this week whether it really should. Because for Mueller's work to have bite, Congress will have to act on it. A Justice Department rule forbids prosecutors to indict a sitting president, and Mueller is almost certain to respect it. So, it's up to Congress. Which brings me to last week's New York Times investigation of Trump's personal finances. A team of crack reporters worked on it for 18 months, presenting compelling evidence that Trump built his empire with his father's money, cheated on his taxes over and over, and even tried to trick his ailing father in the end by grabbing what was left of the old man's money. "To some of Trump's supporters, it doesn't matter, because he's above the law," says Rep. Bill Pascrell, a Democrat from Paterson. "This is serious business." If this is a dry run showing how Republicans will respond to Mueller's report, then we are in trouble. I was a kid when Republicans voted to impeach Richard Nixon, but I remember being inspired to see them draw the line on their own president. It was a triumph for the rule of law over partisanship. But would Republicans do that today? Pascrell has a test for them. He has been leading the effort to force the release of Trump's tax returns, and after reading the Times investigation, he said it's time for a fresh push. If the Times reporters dug up such compelling evidence of tax cheating on their own, imagine what the actual returns would reveal. "Let's not prejudice it," Pascrell says. "Let's get those tax returns, and we'll see for sure." What help has he gotten over the last two years from Republicans? Add it all up, and it comes to exactly ... zero. I surveyed the New Jersey Republicans in competitive races for Congress this year, and found that each of them failed this test, with some nuance. Rep. Tom MacArthur, R-3rd, is Trump's most loyal supporter in the delegation, the only one who voted for the tax plan and the Obamacare repeal. So, it came as no surprise to hear that he's standing by his man. "He said early on that Trump should voluntarily release his tax returns, but he does not support compelling him," says Chris Russell, a spokesman. "If voters think it's disqualifying not to release them they can say so at the polls to Trump in 2020." Here's another idea: They could say so next month by voting for MacArthur's Democratic opponent, Andy Kim, who served as an advisor to Gen. David Petraeus in Afghanistan. Rep. Leonard Lance, R-7th, is caught in another hopeless straddle, which is where he lives in the Trump era. He doesn't want Congress to force the release of the returns, but he says that if states require it as a condition for getting on their ballots, he would support that. He voted against a Pascrell resolution intended to force the release, but says it was for technical reasons only. He says he doesn't believe Congress should investigate the claims of tax cheating in the Times story but might flip on that if the IRS and state tax authorities do not investigate themselves. Got all that? Bottom line is he's with Trump. Assemblyman Jay Webber, the Republican challenging Mikie Sherrill in the 11th district, refused to discuss the issue. He's been mad ever since a Star-Ledger editorial accused him of lying when he claimed that Sherrill wanted to eliminate ICE, the immigration enforcement agency. He made that up entirely, and he stuck with it after we presented proof that he was wrong. So, what should we have called it? Finally, Bob Hugin, the former pharma executive challenging Sen. Robert Menendez. Like the others, he says Trump should release the returns but won't force him. Folks, let's face it: Urging Trump to do the right thing sounds nice, but it's meaningless. It's like urging fish to fly. Hugin was a Trump delegate at the 2016 convention, and donated more than $200,000 to the cause, along with $500,000 more to political action committees controlled by Republican leaders. If you think he is going to turn on Trump, ever, then you need to check your meds. The most revolting chapter in the Times investigation, to me, was Trump's attempt to change his father's will in 1990, when his father was suffering some dementia. Trump made changes that gave him greater access to his father's money, and presented the revised will to sign without first consulting his father, Fred, or his siblings. His dad had enough left to refuse. According to depositions given years later in a family dispute, Fred Trump feared the changes would put his life's work at risk, and that his son would use the money as collateral to save his own failing businesses. Ick. So, I'll be wearing the t-shirt this weekend. It's my therapy. And until Election Day, that will have to suffice. More: Tom Moran columns Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com or call (973) 836-4909. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Earlier this year, some 700 members of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious stood on the steps of the Old Courthouse in St. Louis as a public witness against racism. At the World Meeting of Families in Dublin in August, CBS News correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti interviewed Sister Liz Murphy, secretary general of the Association of Leaders of Missionaries and Religious of Ireland, sitting next to Chicago's Cardinal Blase Cupich. Cupich said his archdiocese is committed to transparency, letting people know about accusations of sexual misconduct against priests. "I think there's much more needed than just naming individuals, with respect, Cardinal," Murphy countered, speaking of the church as a whole. "It is a very male, masculine, institutional, top-down, dictatorial body. Who wouldn't want, as a woman, to see that collapse?" I almost fell off my chair at her brutal honesty, offered in the sweetest of Irish accents. This same sentiment was said more diplomatically by Sister of St. Joseph Catherine Nerney in her new book, "The Compassion Connection." "I have been frustrated and saddened greatly by my sense of a gaping disconnect between the official church's life and teaching and the real concerns and needs of people I meet and care about," Nerney writes. Many of the church's fault lines have been exposed recently by the latest round of clerical sexual abuse revelations. First, former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who was the Archbishop of Newark, was accused of abusing two youth, seminarians and priests with impunity. Then the Pennsylvania attorney general released a damning report with information from six Catholic dioceses alleging more than 1,000 incidents of sexual abuse by 300 clergy. Even Pope Francis has pointed the finger at a clerical culture or what some call "an old boys club." Much discussion has focused on the failure of the church to truly embrace the "People of God" envisioned by the Second Vatican Council -- and also the lack of women in real leadership positions in the church. Women religious -- sisters or nuns -- have been the most faithful to realizing the reforms of Vatican II in their orders and communities. Yet, they have been attacked by U.S. bishops who had instigated a Vatican investigation into their communities and their leadership group known as the Leadership Conference of Women Religious in 2012. For several years, bishops were given oversight of this group. But the sisters refused to withdraw or object and worked diligently with them and the Vatican to show how disputes can be resolved. In an excellent book recounting their resolution of the struggle, "However Long the Night," Sister Annmarie Sanders wrote: "Entering into a commitment to regular and consistent dialogue about core matters that can divide us can be arduous, demanding work ... that is transformative." Joseph Cardinal Tobin, at the time an archbishop in the Vatican office overseeing the investigation, objected and was exiled by then-Pope Benedict to Indianapolis. Pope Francis ended the investigation; Tobin's stands for the women religious helped bring closure. There is a need to bring more women into Vatican and church leadership. Mary Katherine Tillman wrote "Unheard Of" in the summer issue of Notre Dame Magazine, repeating the suggestion made by a Swedish cardinal that the pope needs "a College of Women to parallel the Council of Cardinal Advisers to the pope." Since feminist theology came into its own in the 1980s, much has been written about women's leadership in early Christianity. And none has been more revealing than Sister Christine Schenk's "Crispina and Her Sisters." She uses burial tombstones that reveal how women served as priests, deacons and even bishops in early Christianity. "Most people have never heard of Bitalia, Veneranda, Crispina, Petronella, Marcia Romania Celsa, Sofia the Deacon, and many other early women, even though their catacomb and tomb art suggest their authority was influential," Schenk writes. Women's leadership disappeared around the 12th century. Alienating women has severe repercussions for the next generations of Christianity and Catholicism in particular. The insights and experience of women are needed to help the church get through this third wave of crises of sexual abuse. EDITOR'S NOTE: The Rev. Alexander Santora is the pastor of Our Lady of Grace and St. Joseph, 400 Willow Ave., Hoboken, 07030, FAX: 201-659-5833; Email: padrealex@yahoo.com; Twitter: @padrehoboken. Details ... "Crispina and Her Sisters: Women and Authority in Early Christianity," by Christine Schenk, C.S.J.; Fortress Press, 2017; $29. "However Long the Night: Making Meaning in a Time of Crisis," by Annmarie Sanders, I.H.M. (ed); LCWR, 2018; $14.99. "The Compassion Connection," by Catherine T. Nerney, S.S.J.; Orbis Books, 2018; $25. DES MOINES -- Four standing ovations later, Cory Booker walked off the stage with an "Amen!" If forlorn Iowa Democrats weren't quite mouthing the words "President Booker," they certainly seemed open to the idea by the end of a rousing 45-minute speech on Saturday night at the Iowa Democratic Party's annual gala. Just hours earlier, Booker had walked off the U.S. Senate floor from a failed Democratic effort (50-48) to block the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court and onto a private jet, which whisked him off to the Hy Vee Hall in Des Moines. "You are never defined in life by what happens to you," Booker had told the crowd of 1,200 somewhat shell-shocked souls. "You're defined by how you respond." U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., speaks during the Iowa Democratic Party's annual Fall Gala, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) Democrats here have had a lot of bad happen to them in the last four years, and not just the Kavanaugh confirmation: Two years ago, they lost both chambers of their statehouse and, two years before that, the governorship, thanks in some part to Gov. Chris Christie's efforts. They also saw Hillary Clinton lose the state to Donald Trump by almost 9 points. The mood wasn't quite funereal, but as the night began there were more grimaces than smiles at the event that simultaneously raises funds for candidates of statewide office and serves as an ersatz debutante's ball for 2020 presidential contenders. But anyone who's been to Newark will tell you Cory Booker gives great hugs, and Iowa's demoralized Democrats got a big ol' squeeze from him Saturday night. "I decided to change what I was going to share with you, once I decided I knew what the outcome was going to be," said Booker, referring to the 50-48 Senate floor vote confirming a judge accused of attempted sexual assault to the highest court in the land. "I got to where I am today because of millions of acts of personal citizenship," said Booker, and then offered up the story of his beginnings in politics. But instead of starting with his move to Newark after college, he told of his African-American grandmother's arrival in the integrated coal-mining town of Buxton, Iowa, to live among Slovaks and Swedes, and closed with his parents successful fight to gain access to the mostly white town of Harrington Park in Bergen County. "We are all descendants of Buxton," said Booker, to raucous cheers. His point, he said, was that some of the worst periods in American history were responsible for inspiring some of its best moments. Booker related how watching the brutal attack by Alabama state troopers on a Martin Luther King-led march on national television inspired a lawyer volunteer to as a fair housing activist and help integrate Booker's own family into Harrington Park. "He could not believe that this was his country," he said. The inability of Democrats to prevent Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court should not pigeonhole the party into only playing defense, Booker urged. Iowa is fielding numerous women candidates for statewide office, including Deidre DeJear, the first African-American woman to be on the ballot for secretary of state, and Abbie Finkenauer, who at 28 would be the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. "We're not defined by a President who does not believe women," said Booker, "We're gonna be defined when this state not only says that we believe women, but that we elect women!" The crowd was on its feet again, and not for the last time. By the night's end, many Democrats who said they entered the gala skeptical said they emerged convinced about Booker's potential. Jeff Link, who managed Sen. Tom Harkin's 1996 reelection campaign and was his chief of staff from 1997 to 1999, called the speech "historic" for the Iowa gala. Scott Thompson, a 56 year old volunteer with the Iowa Democratic Party who works as an economist for the state of Iowa, agreed Booker had emerged a serious 2020 presidential contender. "He got my attention tonight. I wanted to see the personal side to Booker and I got it," said Thomspon, "I've already decided I can't support any white guy older than me." Claude Brodesser-Akner may be reached at cbrodesser@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ClaudeBrodesser. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. BOSTON -- Plausible deniability. That was what Red Sox manager Alex Cora used when asked about Yankees star Aaron Judge's hardcore troll move. Cora spoke at a press conference at Yankee Stadium on Sunday Judge blasted Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York," from a boombox while leaving the visitors' clubhouse at Fenway Park following the Yankees' 6-2 win over Boston in Game 2 of the American League Division Series on Saturday night. The classic song blares from Yankee Stadium speakers after every game. What did Cora think about it? Not much. Or so he said. "I heard about it," Cora said when asked if he had seen the video that had circulated on social media. Cora said he wasn't sure if Judge was digging at his team. "I don't know," he said. "You've got to ask him if it was something for us, but I doubt it. He's a guy that, when he hits the ball out of the ballpark, he sits down and runs. That's probably just something they do when they win. Probably they did it somewhere else too." Judge homered in each of the first two games of the series. On Saturday, he crushed a first-inning solo blast to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. On Friday, he ripped a solo shot of closer Craig Kimbrel to bring the Yankees within one run of their eventual loss. Judge said he couldn't wait to get back home after Saturday's game. "We know our fans are waiting for us to come back home," Judge said, "especially with this series tied, 1-1, like that and we've got two games like that, it's going to be huge. So we've got to keep going back out there and playing our game and see what happens." Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook. The Times-Picayune is marking the tricentennial of New Orleans with its ongoing 300 for 300 project, running through 2018 and highlighting 300 people who have made New Orleans New Orleans, featuring original artwork commissioned by NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune with Where Y'Art gallery. Today: puppeteer Oscar Isentrout. The icon: Oscar Isentrout. The legacy: It was Maison Blanche window-display manager Emile Alline who dreamed up the idea for Mr. Bingle, the Christmas mascot introduced by the New Orleans department store in 1948. But it was local puppeteer Oscar Isentrout who breathed life into the iconic little snowman with the ice-cream cone hat and holly-leaf wings. A former vaudevillian who at one point performed an adults-only puppet show on Bourbon Street, Isentrout was hired to provide Mr. Bingle's high-pitched voice while pulling his strings during regular marionette shows in the store's Canal Street windows. The character proved so popular that a 1949 story in The Times-Picayune said "two uniformed men were required to help get adults aside so children could see the Bingle show." For decades afterward, Isentrout would bring Mr. Bingle back every holiday season, performing for packs of enchanted children in local Maison Blanche stores and, later, on the airwaves of WDSU-TV -- and in the process spreading a bit of indelible Christmas magic to countless New Orleanians. The artist: Jeff Morgan. The quote: "The first time we performed with (Mr. Bingle) at Crippled Children's Hospital, I placed his hand on the knee of a little boy whose hands were twisted into little claws. That boy slowly straightened one of his hands and laid it down on Mr. Bingle's. That's when I knew what I'd been sent here to do." -- puppeteer Oscar Isentrout, in a 1984 interview with The Times-Picayune Explore more of Morgan's work online at WhereYart.net and in person at the Where Y'Art gallery, 1901 Royal St. He was born Edwin Harmon Oscar Isentrout in 1923, but he went by Oscar. Source: The Times-Picayune archives; staff research More on 300 for 300: A 28-year-old man was arrested Wednesday (Oct. 3) and accused of attempting to rob a business in the Milan neighborhood. The robbery failed, as the suspect dropped his gun shortly after he demanded for the money, New Orleans police said. Darryl Harris faces charges of attempted armed robbery with a firearm and one count of possession of firearm by person convicted of certain felonies, according to court documents. Police said Harris entered a business in the 1700 block of Milan Street on Aug. 17 and demanded money from the register while holding a gun. Police said Harris dropped the gun, while the person at the register was able to exit the building. According to surveillance video, the suspect got into a beige Hyundai SUV and drove down Carondolet Street and then in an unknown direction. Officers found the same car seen in the surveillance video - which police learned to have been stolen - in the 4000 block of Danneel Street on Sept. 27. Police arrested Harris after he was seen exiting the vehicle. A stolen Beretta 9mm firearm was found under the driver seat of the car. Harris matched the physical description provided by the victim of the armed robbery in the Milan area, according to police reports. Bond was set for $65,000. Algiers Fest 2018 was more than music and food. The fourth annual event hosted by the Algiers Development District, Algiers Development Corporation, and the Joint Development Committee Saturday (Oct. 6) was a day honoring and celebrating the military. "We have 1,500 men and women working at the Marine Forces Reserve on a daily basis," said Kathy Lynn Honaker, executive director for the three organizations who host the festival. "The military has been part of our history in New Orleans for over a hundred years. We wanted to give back to the community and honor our military." The family friendly free festival, held at the New Orleans Riverside at Federal City, featured live music, food trucks, information booths with lots of fun items given away and an array of children's activities. Over 25 gift certificates and goodie baskets donated by local hotels and restaurants were given out through free raffles though out the day. The live music lineup included the Marine Forces Reserve Band, Hot 8 Brass Band, Casme Barnes, Little Freddie King, Geno Delafose and French Rocking Boogie, and funk master Jon Cleary with special guest bluesman Walter Wolfman Washington. As expected, a tropical depression near the Yucatan Peninsula formed midday Sunday (Oct. 7) into Tropical Storm Michael, the thirteenth named storm of the 2018 hurricane season. The storm could threaten the Gulf Coast as a hurricane by midweek with dangerous storm surge, damaging winds and heavy rainfall. According to the 4 p.m. advisory, Michael is currently centered about 130 miles southeast of Cozumel, Mexico, and is moving slowly north-northwest with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. If another tropical storm forms, it will be named Nadine. An aircraft found Michael to be stronger than expected, but local forecasters predict Michael's center will stay to the east of New Orleans. Still, they warn of coastal flooding early in the week. Facebook users woke up Sunday (Oct. 7) to a rash of posts warning of cloned or copied accounts. But the fears are unfounded, according to the Plaquemines Parish Office of Homeland Security. "Your account isn't sending duplicate friend requests. And you didn't receive a request from the person you're forwarding it to. You're simply doing it because the message tells you to," said the office in a Facebook post Sunday. "DON'T." Facebook officials say there has been no uptick in cloned accounts, reported WSYR. The company suggested people may be spreading the message out of fear. A cloning scam takes place when someone steals a Facebook user's photo and other social information to create a second Facebook profile. They do not need the original person's password and have not hacked or compromised their account, according to a report by the Sacramento Bee. If you are still wondering if your account has been cloned, search your name on Facebook. If more than one account with your photo and details shows up, your account may have been cloned. Simply contact Facebook using the "report this profile" link on the bogus account, and it will be removed within 24 hours. Based on the testimony of a single eyewitness, a New Orleans jury voted 10-2 to convict Kia Stewart of shooting Bryant "BJ" Craig to death July 31, 2005. The two jurors who weren't convinced that Stewart was guilty were right. But Stewart, who was 17 when he was charged, spent nearly a decade locked up before the justice system acknowledged he wasn't the murderer. Criminal District Court Judge Darryl Derbigny threw out his conviction in April 2015 at the request of defense attorneys and Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro's office. After the trial, students at Tulane University Law Clinic and lawyers with the Innocence Project New Orleans found 18 witnesses who saw the crime, heard another man confess or could verify Stewart's alibi. This case is just one example of the injustices that can occur when a defendant can be convicted on a murder charge without a unanimous jury. Louisiana voters should change that. Constitutional Amendment 2 on the ballot Nov. 6 would require unanimous juries for serious felony offenses -- those where the punishment is imprisonment at hard labor. State law already requires unanimous juries in capital cases and for six-member juries in lesser felonies. If the amendment passes, it would apply to cases on or after Jan. 1, 2019. Our state is an outlier in allowing non-unanimous juries in most felonies. The federal court system and every state except Oregon require unanimous verdicts in felony cases. There's a reason they do: a commitment to justice. The unanimous jury was a basic tenet from the beginning of our nation. The Public Affairs Research Council (PAR) report on the amendment quotes President John Adams: "It is the unanimity of the jury that preserves the rights of mankind." Louisiana's Constitution initially included the requirement for unanimous juries. But that changed with the post-Reconstruction Constitution, written in 1898. The shameful intent of that convention was to take rights away from black Louisiana residents. The members of the convention didn't even try to hide it. The PAR report quotes the Official Journal of the 1898 Constitutional Convention: "Our mission was, in the first place, to establish the supremacy of the white race in this State to the extent to which it could be legally and constitutionally done." The non-unanimous jury law helped the state shift emancipated black residents from slavery into forced labor in the state's privatized convict-lease system. That is a shameful piece of Louisiana's history. New Orleans Sen. J.P. Morrell sponsored the legislation to switch to unanimous juries. "I cannot think of a bigger civil rights thing we've done in my lifetime," he said in May after the bill passed the Legislature. This vote is about civil rights. It also could help ensure that prosecutors don't overreach. PAR notes that allowing non-unanimous juries encourages prosecutors to "over-charge a defendant in order to qualify for a 12-person jury needing 10 votes, and thus perhaps an easier conviction, as opposed to a six-person jury in which unanimity is required. This distortion can make it easier to convict someone of a greater crime than a lesser one." The Council for a Better Louisiana, which supports the amendment, points out in its analysis that non-unanimous juries played a major role in Louisiana for years having the nation's highest incarceration rate. Compared with Mississippi, Louisiana has nearly twice as many people per capita serving life terms in prison, the CABL report says. Even with our state's high murder rate, that seems distorted. There is no definite count of how many people have been imprisoned in Louisiana by non-unanimous verdicts because some prosecutors don't keep a record of that. But an analysis by The New Orleans Advocate newspaper of felony trials found that 40 percent of 993 convictions over a six-year period came from a split jury. It's not possible to know what would have happened if those jurors had been required to all agree on conviction. But the Constitutional Accountability Center says, "Evidence has shown that when unanimity is required, jurors evaluate evidence more thoroughly, spend more time deliberating, and are more likely to consider all viewpoints." There is strong, bipartisan support for Amendment 2 -- from the state Republican Party and Americans for Prosperity-Louisiana to the ACLU Louisiana. CABL, which in non-partisan, argues it this way: "Clearly, in this case Louisiana is out of step with other states and the federal government. The racist origins of our current law hurt Louisiana's image, even if those who support it don't harbor any of that racial intent. It is time for Louisiana to step into the mainstream on this issue and send a message that we are leaving behind a tarnished legacy we no longer embrace." It is long past time for Louisiana to correct this unjust law. Vote "yes" for Amendment 2. A speed camera in an Ohio construction zone nabbed an astonishing 3,219 drivers in just 20 days, a Cleveland television station reports. News 5 Cleveland reported that the camera in Norton, which is southwest of Akron, captured the drivers between Sept. 10-30 and that each of the drivers had been mailed a $200 ticket. The total works out to more than 160 tickets each day in the construction zone on Interstate 76. "That was a surprising number to everybody," Norton Police Chief John Dalessandro was quoted saying. "I was shocked." The chief said he hopes the camera will make the roadways safer by making drivers slow down. One driver quoted in the story said he thinks it's a money grab. See the complete News 5 Cleveland story here. Twenty people died after a wedding limousine crashed with another vehicle in upstate New York Saturday afternoon (Oct. 6), according to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. The limousine was carrying a wedding party when it collided with another vehicle outside the Apple Barrel Country Store in Schoharie, New York just before 1 p.m. Authorities on Sunday did not release names of victims or specifics. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. The Apple Barrel, which doubles as a cafe and country store, posted on Facebook Sunday that they were open and collecting donations for local volunteer emergency services. For the second time in a fortnight, Google has had to sit by and watch as one of its brand new devices gets sold in the wild ahead of its official unveiling. While a Chromecast 3 got sold early by accident, an unscrupulous Hong Kong store is cashing in by selling the Pixel 3 XL quite deliberately early. 4 Reviews , News , CPU , GPU , Articles , Columns , Other "or" search relation. 3D Printing , 5G , Accessory , AI , Alder Lake , AMD , Android , Apple , ARM , Audio , Business , Camera , Cannon Lake , Cezanne (Zen 3) , Charts , Chinese Tech , Chromebook , Coffee Lake , Comet Lake , Console , Convertible / 2-in-1 , Cryptocurrency , Cyberlaw , Deal , Desktop , E-Mobility , Exclusive , Fail , Foldable , Gadget , Galaxy Note , Galaxy S , Gamecheck , Gaming , Geforce , Google Pixel , GPU , How To , Human 2.0 , Ice Lake , Intel Evo / Project Athena , Internet of Things (IoT) , iOS , iPad Pro , iPhone , Jasper Lake , Lakefield , Laptop , Launch , Linux / Unix , Lucienne (Zen 2) , MacBook , Mini PC , Monitor , MSI , OnePlus , Opinion , Phablet , Radeon , Renoir , Review Snippet , Rocket Lake , Rumor , Ryzen (Zen) , Science , Security , Single-Board Computer (SBC) , Smart Home , Smartphone , Smartwatch , Software , Storage , Tablet , ThinkPad , Thunderbolt , Tiger Lake , Touchscreen , Ultrabook , Virtual Reality (VR) / Augmented Reality (AR) , Wearable , Windows , Workstation , XPS , Zen 3 (Vermeer) Ticker The Google Pixel 3 XL has suffered arguably its worst leak to date. It has already leaked in multiple spy shots and has even been left in the backseat of a rideshare service. However, a Hong Kong store has taken things one step further by deliberately selling the new Pixel 3 XL three days ahead of its official launch, and at a stiff premium to boot. Naturally, the folks at Engadget couldnt help themselves with one of their locally-based writers heading down to the store to check it out. It is being sold for HK$15,880, or the equivalent of US$2,030, which is definitely a tad higher than where we expect Google to land on pricing when it is officially launched this week. It comes with a generous supply of dongles including a USB-C to 3.5mm dongle, a USB-C to USB-A dongle and also a set of USB-C earphones. The box comes with similar markings to the Pixel 2 packaging including a #teampixel hashtag. The description of the contents includes reference to its 6.3-inch OLED display and 128GB storage capacity. The version tested included just 4GB of RAM paired to its Snapdragon 845 chipset, although a 6GB variant could still be in the cards. In addition to being loaded with Android 9.0 Pie, it also features the Active Edge feature similar to the Edge Sense feature found on HTC devices. While the Google Pixel 3 XL has arguably the ugliest notch on any device we have seen so far, the good news that its OLED display is said to be much improved over the LG-sourced pOLED display seen in the Pixel 2 XL. We will find out if there is anything left for Google to reveal on October 9. The Pixel 3 XL is likely to include that most divisive of features: the notch. A new leak, containing a screen protector described as fitting the upcoming Google phone, may give an idea of its extent in real life. This leak also suggests that, otherwise, the Pixel 3 XL's front panel is not much different to that of the 2 XL. 4 Reviews , News , CPU , GPU , Articles , Columns , Other "or" search relation. 3D Printing , 5G , Accessory , AI , Alder Lake , AMD , Android , Apple , ARM , Audio , Business , Camera , Cannon Lake , Cezanne (Zen 3) , Charts , Chinese Tech , Chromebook , Coffee Lake , Comet Lake , Console , Convertible / 2-in-1 , Cryptocurrency , Cyberlaw , Deal , Desktop , E-Mobility , Exclusive , Fail , Foldable , Gadget , Galaxy Note , Galaxy S , Gamecheck , Gaming , Geforce , Google Pixel , GPU , How To , Human 2.0 , Ice Lake , Intel Evo / Project Athena , Internet of Things (IoT) , iOS , iPad Pro , iPhone , Jasper Lake , Lakefield , Laptop , Launch , Linux / Unix , Lucienne (Zen 2) , MacBook , Mini PC , Monitor , MSI , OnePlus , Opinion , Phablet , Radeon , Renoir , Review Snippet , Rocket Lake , Rumor , Ryzen (Zen) , Science , Security , Single-Board Computer (SBC) , Smart Home , Smartphone , Smartwatch , Software , Storage , Tablet , ThinkPad , Thunderbolt , Tiger Lake , Touchscreen , Ultrabook , Virtual Reality (VR) / Augmented Reality (AR) , Wearable , Windows , Workstation , XPS , Zen 3 (Vermeer) Ticker The launch of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL's successors is just days away now. Then again, a deluge of highly detailed leaks, rumors and renders may help us brace for a Google-brand device with a pronounced version of the most 2018 smartphone feature ever: the notch. Images containing a phone that may be the Pixel 3 XL often show a notch that could be said to take a disproportional, partial chunk out of the top of the display. This may be because it has to house one of a pair of front-firing speakers. Nevertheless, it is hard to find a page online with a positive perspective on the '3 XL' and its appearance. A new leak has come in the form of a YouTube video. It shows a tempered glass screen protector (TGSP) that could well conform to a display with the purported Pixel 3 XL notch. The vlogger who posted the video (Tech Rumor Report) did not mention where they got this product, although it does clearly say 'Google Pixel 3 XL Black' on a label stuck to its packaging. The protector has a border clearly showing the notch, with cutouts for the speaker, as well as for the dual selfie shooter also thought to be included in the third-generation Pixel design. The screen protector's 'notch' does admittedly give the impression of being a bit colossal in the video. However, when measured with a tape, it was shown to be about 1 inch long and about 0.3 inches in depth. The bottom bezel approximately balances it out with a similar depth. When seen alone, the 'Pixel 3 XL' display protector appears unmanageably large. However, the vlogger was nearly able to super-impose it onto the screen of a Pixel 2 XL. In any case, we will soon see how the real-life Pixel 3 XL compares with this phone in our full review. First announced at Computex, the (overclocked) Qualcomm Snapdragon 845-powered Asus ROG Phone is now finally ready to take on the North American market. This gaming handset with 8 GB of memory and up to 512 GB of internal storage space will be launched in the area during an event that is scheduled to take place in New York on October 18. 4 Reviews , News , CPU , GPU , Articles , Columns , Other "or" search relation. 3D Printing , 5G , Accessory , AI , Alder Lake , AMD , Android , Apple , ARM , Audio , Business , Camera , Cannon Lake , Cezanne (Zen 3) , Charts , Chinese Tech , Chromebook , Coffee Lake , Comet Lake , Console , Convertible / 2-in-1 , Cryptocurrency , Cyberlaw , Deal , Desktop , E-Mobility , Exclusive , Fail , Foldable , Gadget , Galaxy Note , Galaxy S , Gamecheck , Gaming , Geforce , Google Pixel , GPU , How To , Human 2.0 , Ice Lake , Intel Evo / Project Athena , Internet of Things (IoT) , iOS , iPad Pro , iPhone , Jasper Lake , Lakefield , Laptop , Launch , Linux / Unix , Lucienne (Zen 2) , MacBook , Mini PC , Monitor , MSI , OnePlus , Opinion , Phablet , Radeon , Renoir , Review Snippet , Rocket Lake , Rumor , Ryzen (Zen) , Science , Security , Single-Board Computer (SBC) , Smart Home , Smartphone , Smartwatch , Software , Storage , Tablet , ThinkPad , Thunderbolt , Tiger Lake , Touchscreen , Ultrabook , Virtual Reality (VR) / Augmented Reality (AR) , Wearable , Windows , Workstation , XPS , Zen 3 (Vermeer) Ticker No matter how awesome might be the ROG Phone, there is a problem with it: although it has been announced at Computex, North American gamers still can't get their hands on this rather unique Qualcomm Snapdragon 845-powered handset. Fortunately, Asus has just announced a special launch event that will take place on October 18. The image that ASUS North America has recently posted on Twitter does not leave any room for misunderstandings: "Coming to New York 10.18.2018" and the background of the ROG Phone should be more than enough for anyone, right? Remains to see what kind of launch event will be this one for the US or North America alone or a global one hopefully also accompanied by availability and pricing details in both cases. Other than the above, we know for sure what to expect. In addition to the overclocked top-of-the-line processor, the ROG Phone promises to hit the market with 8 GB of memory and 128 GB or 512 GB of internal storage, a fingerprint reader with a unique shape, ultrasonic shoulder triggers, a 90 Hz refresh display, a 4,000 mAh battery, two USB Type-C ports, as well as an impressive dock and a few other accessories. Roseburg, OR (97470) Today Periods of rain. High 62F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Rain showers early with clearing later at night. Low 38F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. 82D: This is exactly the sort of clue that becomes an in-joke when youre taking a decongestant; that part of my brain just isnt working. I guess that BRAND X is generic? Or its the label on a taste test to maintain the mystery? I couldnt stop picturing cattle getting an X burned into their hides, poor things. I know that has nothing to do with this entry. Todays Theme There are nine theme entries today, each containing one circled letter that is extraneous and confusing to the theme entry, but necessary to the down entry crossing through that circle. The theme entries are at 22A, 27A, 42A, 51A, 64A, 84A, 90A, 106A and 114A. Theyre totally disparate as far as meaning go, but they do have something in common beside that weird, interrupting circled square. Lets start at the top, because the first theme clue does clarify what were doing here a little bit. So 22A (which is italicized on most platforms, as are the rest of the theme clues) is Another nickname for Old Abe or the description of the circled letter? Like all of these entries, I solved this mainly on the crosses. Abraham Lincoln, Honest Abe, was also known as the Rail Splitter because of his rural upbringing post and rail fences ran hither and yon across the country in the 19th century and earlier. You probably have some old farm near you that still uses split rails that were once all hewed by hand. So here we have R (S) AIL SPLITTER that (S) in the second spot disrupting the answer, although integral to UP (S) ET at 2D. If you take the entry on its face, youd see that the S is actually splitting the word rail this will be a common trait of all of those circles-in-squares that are in the theme entries. All of the above was lost on me throughout a lot of the solve here. Each of the theme entries is a two-word phrase; I found myself filling in the second word on the crosses, and at some point it dawned on me that the first word of the phrase inevitably contained the circle, and the second part of the phrase was always a word that implied division, separation, some kind of split. The theme clues were actually quite helpful, which is not always the case. If you suspected breach as the second part of 64A, Cyberexperts worry then SECURITY BREACH was pretty apparent you just had to acknowledge that extra spot between the R and the I, that circle in the square, that took the (R) from 56D, Intrinsically or AT (R) OOT. Other split words were SPACE, CRACKER, OPENING, CUTTER, BREAK, CAVITY and DIVIDER. After a confirmation process where women all but slit their wrists, letting their stories of sexual trauma run like rivers of blood through the Capitol, the Senate still voted to confirm Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. With the exception of Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, all the women in the Republican conference caved, including Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who held out until the bitter end. These women are gender traitors, to borrow a term from the dystopian TV series The Handmaids Tale. Theyve made standing by the patriarchy a full-time job. The women who support them show up at the Capitol wearing Women for Kavanaugh T-shirts, but also probably tell their daughters to put on less revealing clothes when they go out. Theyre more sympathetic to Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, who actually shooed away a crowd of women and told them to grow up. Or Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, whose response to a woman telling him she was raped was: Im sorry. Call the cops. These are the kind of women who think that being falsely accused of rape is almost as bad as being raped. The kind of women who agree with President Trump that its a very scary time for young men in America, which he said during a news conference on Tuesday. My abuser was the top law enforcement officer in the state. I felt that he would be tipped off immediately and that he would crush me. His criticism and his efforts to control me escalated. On many occasions, he said he would have to kill me if we broke up. I found excuses to stay in my own apartment or go out of town. I opened up to a few trusted friends. One urged me to speak with a domestic violence expert, who confirmed what I, at some level, already knew: I was in an abusive relationship. Eric s behavior mapped with a pattern: entrap, isolate, demean, control, abuse. The expert and I discussed possible avenues for protecting myself an ethics complaint, a civil claim, going to the police. But my abuser was the top law enforcement officer in the state. I felt that he would be tipped off immediately and that he would crush me. With the experts guidance, I distanced myself from him. It seems like youve been avoiding me, Eric told me. Without drama, we agreed by phone to break up. Four days later, the Harvey Weinstein story broke in The New York Times. I felt a wave crash around me. The #MeToo reckoning had begun. On Oct. 10, when The New Yorker published its own Weinstein report, Eric emailed me: I think we should talk. I want to continue to support your good work. I dont think the timing was a coincidence. I kept my story to myself, but I wondered if he had done similar things to his previous girlfriends. He had told me that he used to date shark women, predators who wanted him for his stature, and that I was different. For a long time, I thought the abuse was specific to me. But reading the stories of powerful men engaging in a pattern of abuse, I began to think that maybe I had not been alone. A few weeks later, in conversation with a friend, I discovered that he had abused another woman years before me. I agonized about whether to speak out. If I wasnt his first victim, I wouldnt be his last. I spoke with a lawyer. Even then, it took me months of deliberation to decide to come forward. At the time, I was reading When Women Were Birds by Terry Tempest Williams: To withhold words is power. But to share our words with others, openly and honestly, is also power. I began to feel I had to do something. Eventually, I spoke with Jane Mayer and Ronan Farrow at The New Yorker. I anticipated that I would be perceived as an opportunist or part of a conspiracy. I anticipated that I would be blamed for not leaving sooner. And I worried about my career: If people began to think of me as a victim, would they still hire me? Three of my close friends told me to keep quiet because Erics work was so important to the progressive cause. We need him, one said. (After the article came out, they supported me, but the earlier comments stung.) The midterm elections are a month away! On Nov. 6, citizens across America will head to the polls, hoping to change their country for the better and/or to politically humiliate someone they didnt realize was alive until a year and a half ago . With the stakes of this election so high, the famously vague I Voted sticker isnt going to cut it. For 2018, we need stickers that reflect the diversity of Americas rage-fueled motivations for fulfilling their civic duty. Image We can never be defeated, he said, his voice soaring and reverberating through the convention hall. Even when were knocked down, we have to understand that we are never knocked out. It is a ritual of politicking for presidential hopefuls to swing through this early-voting state, whose reputation as a political bellwether draws an array of potential candidates or anyone who hopes to be seen as one long before any election is to take place. Eric Garcetti, the mayor of Los Angeles, spent two days here in April, talking to union carpenters, activists and firefighters. Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for Stormy Daniels and an anti-Trump crusader, stormed into the state in August to declare he might run for president in 2020. Even lesser-known politicians have descended on the state. Representative John Delaney of Maryland has campaigned in all of Iowas 99 counties. As the midterm elections approach, other possible 2020 candidates, including Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., are also fanning out across the country to campaign for midterm candidates but also to get themselves in front of voters. Senator Kamala Harris of California is in Ohio this weekend, where she is keynoting the Ohio Democratic Partys state dinner. Then there is Mr. Avenatti, who was in Ohio on Friday and in New Hampshire last weekend, lest anyone forget he might be running, too. The flood of appearances is a sign of just how crowded the field of Democratic candidates could be heading into 2020, and how aggressively they will make the case that they are better than President Trump. Energized anew by a bitter Supreme Court confirmation process, many Democrats are looking for a leader who can offer a different vision for the country, and fight back against an administration they see as reckless, toxic and hostile. Last weekend, Ms. Warren gave the strongest signal yet that she would be a candidate, saying she was taking a hard look at a 2020 run because the broken government needed to be fixed. Mr. Bookers trip to Iowa, his first since he campaigned in the state for Hillary Clinton in 2016, followed recent campaign stops in Texas, Georgia and Florida, all of which have tight races whose outcomes could shift the momentum for the Democrats. Mr. Booker, who has family in Iowa, will also be in the state on Monday for a get-out-the-vote rally. (His family is throwing him something of a family reunion on Sunday, according to an aide.) Each of you will have the chance to render your verdict on the Democrats conduct at the ballot box, Mr. Trump said. He targeted Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, as Da Nang Dick for falsehoods about his military service during the Vietnam War. And calling her Leaking Dianne Feinstein, the president laced into the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee for her fumbled denial that her staff had leaked a letter laying out the first allegation of sexual misconduct against Judge Kavanaugh. No, no, no, no, I didnt. I dont think. Wait, did we leak? Mr. Trump said, mocking Ms. Feinstein, Democrat of California, who had turned toward her aides to confirm her answer during a congressional hearing. Was that the worst body language youve ever seen? Mr. Trump did cede the spotlight for a bit to a few Republican candidates, including Kris Kobach, the partys nominee for governor, who is known for his hard-line immigration views and his unfounded claims on voter fraud. I hope he loses because I want him so badly, Mr. Trump said of Mr. Kobach, who served as vice chairman of the presidents voter fraud commission, which did not find any sign of widespread election fraud. But dont do that, he added. The presidents rally his fourth of the week, with four more to come next week was in part designed to propel conservative turnout in the midterm elections next month and to maintain what Mr. Trump described as a momentum that hasnt been seen in years. But the president also extended his vision to his own re-election, listing the Democratic opponents he told the crowd he is eager to defeat: Senators Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren, and former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. ISTANBUL Turkish investigators believe a well-known Saudi dissident was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, five people involved in the investigation, or briefed on it, said on Saturday. The critic of the Saudi government, Jamal Khashoggi, entered the consulate on Tuesday to obtain a document he needed to get married and never emerged, according to his fiancee, who had stayed outside. Waiting for him inside the consulate, according to two people with knowledge of the investigation, were Saudi agents who had recently arrived in Turkey with the intent to silence Mr. Khashoggi. It was not clear if the plan had been to bring him back to Saudi Arabia alive, and something went wrong, or if the intention was to kill him there. If confirmed, the killing could lead to an international scandal for Saudi Arabia and pose a daunting problem for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdoms 33-year-old day-to-day ruler, who has billed himself as a reformer committed to modernizing the kingdom. Dance is the art of transition. At New York City Ballet, however, its remarkable how many kinds of transition are happening simultaneously. The company and its followers must continue to assess the complex legacy of Peter Martins, who resigned as ballet-master-in-chief on Jan. 1. As the company searches for its next artistic director, the interregnum of the interim leadership team has been alarmingly prolonged. A lawsuit, filed in September, charging the company and others with serial instances of condoning the mistreatment of women, continues. And the company is dancing, dancing, dancing. Its fall season has already delivered many performances that raised the barometer and given cause for congratulations. Into this multilayered situation has arrived the fresh and vital agenda set by Teresa Reichlens speech, delivered at the fall fashion gala on Sept. 27. We will not put art before common decency or allow talent to sway our moral compass, she said, with the entire company onstage beside her. With the world changing and our beloved institution in the spotlight we continue to hold ourselves to the high moral standards that were instilled in us when we decided to become professional dancers. The auction house added: We had no prior knowledge of this event and were not in any way involved. The ever-elusive, ever-inventive Banksy has once again made a fool of the art world, and captivated millions. But has the joke itself slightly self-destructed? Banksys remotely shredded Girl With Balloon was meant to poke fun at the excesses of the auction market. Yet thanks to the huge amount of publicity generated by this ingenious prank, his prices look set to soar even higher. [ Read about the scene at Fridays auction: Weve been Banksy-ed ] It was a brilliant PR stunt, said Offer Waterman, a dealer in 20th-century British art, who attended Sothebys Friday night contemporary art auction but left before the sale of the Banksy. Its going to elevate his prices. Mr. Waterman is among those who think the Banksy sold at Sothebys has increased in value post-shredding. Its become worth more as a conceptual moment than as a work of art itself, said Mr. Waterman, who believes that Sothebys had no knowledge of the stunt. They didnt know. There was no reason for them to know. Yet Mr. Andipa, who has sold about 15 other painted versions of Banksys Girl With Balloon, said he observed several oddities about the paintings sale that made him wonder whether Sothebys had an inkling. (The dealer said that at least two of his clients had intended to bid on the painting, but he does not know if one became the buyer or underbidder.) 1. A huge Republican victory. At a cost. Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in to a lifetime appointment as a justice of the Supreme Court after being confirmed by a 50-48 vote in the Senate on Saturday. His arrival swings the court to the right for what could be a generation. Above, Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader of the Senate, after the vote. The partisan fight over his confirmation triggered #MeToo fury and rage at white male entitlement, and President Trump encouraged a sharp backlash. The battle has left the Senate and the country bruised, divided and raw, and the Supreme Court tarnished. (The court hears arguments on Tuesday.) Democratic anger may move Congress to the left in midterm elections, just four weeks away, that will determine Mr. Trumps prospects for the last two years of his term. House Democrats have already promised to investigate the accusations of sexual misconduct and perjury against Judge Kavanaugh should they retake the chamber. HONG KONG China is signaling that it is worried about its economy. Troubled by slowing growth, persistent debt problems and President Trumps trade war, the Chinese government has taken steps in recent months to shore up its economy. It has pared back a high-profile campaign to tackle debt. It has restarted big infrastructure projects, a traditional economic engine. It has even censored bad economic news. On Sunday, Beijing went one step further. The Peoples Bank of China, the central bank, pulled a financial lever that will effectively pump $175 billion into the economy. The government is aiming to help small and midsize businesses in particular, which have had trouble obtaining loans and face other rising pressures. The move signals that Chinas economy is really not doing well, Chen Shouhong, the founder of the investment information platform Gelonghui, wrote on WeChat, a popular Chinese social media service. The growing trade war with the United States has been the most visible threat. In September, the United States imposed tariffs on $200 billion in goods from China. President Trump has shown little inclination to back off and relations between the two countries have cooled, suggesting the trade war could worsen before it gets better. In the final months of President Obamas administration, the governments top consumer regulator was negotiating a large settlement with the student loan collector Navient, which it said had misled borrowers and made mistakes that added billions of dollars to their bills. But after President Trumps victory, the talks between the company and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau broke down. Two days before his inauguration, the bureau sued Navient, accusing it of systematically and illegally failing borrowers at every stage of repayment. Two states, Illinois and Washington, simultaneously filed their own suits in state courts. As the bureau has taken a softer approach toward industries, including payday lending, and had its own acting director say it too often exceeds its authority, the possibility that the Trump administration will ease up on Navient has prompted more states to join the legal fray. Five have now sued Navient, two of them within the past four months. There is growing concern among myself and state attorneys general that the federal government is not only losing interest in holding student loan servicers like Navient accountable, but that the federal government is actively looking for ways to shut down state enforcement actions against Navient and other student loan servicers, said Jim Hood, the Mississippi attorney general, who sued Navient in July. The timing of filing our lawsuit reflects that concern. David Jordan Roberts and Paul Anthony Di Donato were married Oct. 1 at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau. Angel L. Lopez, a staff member of the New York City clerks office, officiated. Mr. Roberts (left), 44, is the executive director of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation, a New York organization that provides professional development and public programs to support development of the creativity and craft. He is also a lecturer in theater management at the Yale School of Drama in New Haven. Mr. Roberts graduated from Webster University in Webster Groves, Mo., and received a masters degree in theater management from Yale. He is a son of Cheryl J. Hazel of Baltimore and Russell Roberts-Bey of Flint, Mich. Mr. Robertss mother is the director of a student support program at the Essex campus of the Community College of Baltimore County. His father retired as a housing inspector for the City of Flint. Mr. Di Donato, 58, is the president of the Proteus Fund, a social justice philanthropy organization in Amherst, Mass., that works to advance democracy, human rights and peace; he works in the foundations New York office. He is also a trustee of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania and received a law degree cum laude from Harvard. Julia Catherine Schweizer and Lockhart Steele were married Oct. 6. The Rev. Richard W. Belshaw, an Episcopal priest, performed the ceremony at St. James Church, Prouts Neck, in Scarborough, Me. Mrs. Steele, 30, is the senior strategist for brand, events and relationships at SYPartners, a consulting company in New York that helps business leaders develop diversity, inclusion and other programs. She graduated from the New School. She is the daughter of Dr. Cathryn M. Clary and Dr. Edward E. Schweizer of Princeton, N.J. Mr. Steele, 44, was the founder of Curbed Network, a collection of digital media properties, including Curbed.com, Eater.com and Racked.com, that was acquired in 2013 by Vox Media, and for which he was the editorial director until 2017. He graduated magna cum laude from Brown. He is a son of Carol K. Steele of Beverly, Mass., and the late Kilman Steele. The couple met in 2010, when she had an informational interview with him for a marketing position. She didnt get the job, but they did occasionally run into each other at social and professional events. In 2016, having heard that he was single again, she sought him out at Browns annual campus dance, and during the 20th reunion of his class. I went there sort of on a mission, she said, and we ended up making out on a porch. Karen Marie Duncan and Scott Stevenson were married Oct. 5 at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau. A staff member of the New York City Clerks Office officiated. Giuseppe Rosa, a professional celebrant, is to lead a second ceremony Oct. 9 in Ravello, Italy. Dr. Stevenson, 36, is an obstetrician-gynecologist at NYU Langone Medical Center, where she serves as associate program director of the residency program and assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology. She graduated from the University of Florida and received a medical degree from the University of South Florida. She is the daughter Janis Dee Duncan and Robert E. Duncan of Jacksonville, Fla. The brides father retired as a plastic surgeon in Jacksonville. Her mother retired as a nurse practitioner, also in Jacksonville. Mr. Stevenson, 33, is a litigation associate at the New York law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with bachelors degrees in science in economics and arts in history, both cum laude. He received a law degree summa cum laude from Stetson University. Laurie Sandell and Jonathan Mostow are to be married Oct. 7 at Carondelet House in Los Angeles. Nathan Englander, who became a Universal Life minister for the occasion, is to officiate. On Oct. 14 Rabbi Linda Portnoy Goldberg is to lead another ceremony at Housing Works Bookstore Cafe in Manhattan. Ms. Sandell, 47, has written features and cover stories for various national magazines including Glamour, where she was a staff senior writer until 2006. She is the author of two books, The Impostor's Daughter, a graphic memoir she wrote and illustrated about her father (2009), and Truth and Consequences: Life Inside the Madoff Family (2011). She graduated from the University of Wisconsin. She is a daughter of Phyllis H. Sandell and Richard A. Sandell of Scarsdale, N.Y. Until the 1980s, her father was an economics professor at Ramapo College in New Jersey. Her mother retired from Colonial Elementary School in Pelham, N.Y., where she was a first-grade teacher. The groom, 56, is a Los Angeles-based director and screenwriter whose directing credits include the feature films Breakdown (1997), U-571 (2000), Terminator 3 (2003) and Surrogates (2009). He graduated cum laude from Harvard. The urgent issue, he said, is that millions of people are dying from tobacco products already on the market. Down the street from the convention center, at the NvY Hotel, Philip Morris International was trying to reinforce that message to anyone venturing into its Science Hub, with a touch screen that told the companys story of moving into the harm-reduction business. Plates of colorful macarons were positioned at the entry. Moira Gilchrist, a vice president of Philip Morris International, said the company was trying to promote the businesss new policy of transparency to the delegates and anyone else at the meeting. Anyone who is interested in alternatives to cigarettes that can be offered to the worlds billion smokers is invited here to see the science we have, which we believe is really promising, Ms. Gilchrist said. Part of why we are here today is encouraging policymakers not to treat every single tobacco product as the same. Addressing lingering suspicions about the role of Big Tobacco, Ms. Gilchrist said: We are absolutely not asking people to believe us. Were asking people to replicate our science, to review our science and come to their own conclusions. Were not asking for forgiveness, she added. But many delegates interviewed at the convention remained wary of electronic nicotine delivery devices, and as the session wrapped up on Saturday, they approved a directive affirming that heat-not-burn products should continue to be subject to the same restrictions as other tobacco products, like cigarettes. They declined to offer an endorsement or special treatment to any alternate nicotine delivery systems. Its not a victory for vaping, said Matthew L. Myers, president of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, who took part in the long debate Thursday night. They would like to be treated differently in every respect. So the debate will continue. We believe there is room for these alternative products and believe it has to be well studied and well investigated, said Dr. Ghazi Zaatari, a delegate and medical school professor in Lebanon, who oversaw some of the conferences research. We have been fooled before. Filed away at the Metropolitan Museum of Art are documents with photographs showing the condition of the objects in the Mets collection, and not just the Van Goghs and the Vermeers. The Met has tiny objects like a 3,000-year-old seal from a Mesopotamian cylinder that is 1 inches tall and a miniature cotton tunic from South America. Soon the Met will have a condition report on another object in its collection, an object that happens to be very large more than 30 feet wide and more than 24 feet tall. But size is not the only reason the Met could not simply send this particular object to its in-house studio to be photographed, as it does with nearly everything else. This particular object is outdoors. So the Met did something it had never done for a condition report. It turned to a 21st century gadget a drone. The police had been searching for Mohammed Reza Torabi since Wednesday, when his 13-month-old daughter died and her twin brother was found with deep bruises and cracked bones, telltale signs of abuse they suffered during their short lives in Queens. The manhunt came to an abrupt end on Saturday, when the police found Mr. Torabi, 31, dead on a hotel landing in Midtown Manhattan. Investigators believe he jumped from the roof of the hotel on East 57th Street and fell 14 stories to his death, the police said. A hotel worker had spotted Mr. Torabis body from a window on the 17th floor at the top of the Renaissance New York Hotel 57 at about 1:15 p.m. on Saturday, the police said. The body was splayed on a third-floor landing, out of public view. The police said he had been dead for at least 24 hours. He left no note, according to the police. And the city medical examiner had not made an official determination of how he died on Sunday, a spokeswoman said. Among her most recent work was Over the Moon, an animated film about a girl who builds a rocket ship to search for a mythical moon goddess. It is scheduled to be released on Netflix. What Audreys work was doing was expanding the depth and complexity of the female characters, Ms. Jacobson said, adding that she gave them the opportunity to be as dimensional as white guys get to be all the time. Audrey Ann Lederer was born in San Francisco on Jan. 25, 1960, and grew up in Sausalito, Calif. Her parents, Dr. Wolfgang Lederer, a psychiatrist from Austria, and Alexandra Botwin Lederer, a psychologist from Romania, met in the United States after fleeing Europe around World War II. Growing up in an academic home, where her parents spoke French to each other, Ms. Wells developed a worldliness and a love of learning that would take her from Paris to Alaska to Hollywood. She got her undergraduate degree at the University of California, Berkeley, and initially pursued an interest in radio, working as a D.J. at a jazz station in the San Francisco area, her husband said. She also set up public radio stations in remote locations in Alaska, he said, and lived in Paris for a time. She eventually turned to film and earned a masters of fine arts from the University of California, Los Angeles. Ms. Wells taught her daughter, Tatiana, now 17, the value of both unruly joyfulness and hard work, Ms. Jacobson said. By the time I arrived in the grand, sunlit atrium of the Hart Senate Building where much of the opposition energy had been focused these past two weeks, the mood was entirely somber. Collins had just ended her nearly 45-minute statement with a vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh. The lines sung by the women outside Collinss office still rang in my mind : We shall overcome. Were on to victory. The truth shall make us free. Someday. To explain why she voted against confirming Justice Kavanaugh, Senator Heitkamp wrote movingly of her work on violence against women and the experiences she heard from survivors in North Dakota. The senator took a principled stance when the outcome was uncertain, and likely sacrificed her seat in the Senate in the process. Her counterparts across the aisle have been targeted for their votes as well. Because Senator Susan Collins of Maine voted yes, a group plans to donate three million dollars to her opponent in 2020. After Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska broke with her party to oppose Justice Kavanaugh, conservative pundits immediately called for a primary challenge to oust her from her seat. (Ask Joe Miller how that turns out.) Yet we seem to expect much less from the men in the Senate, who will walk away from this nomination unscathed. How many people demanded that Senator John Hoeven of North Dakota or Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska defend their votes? Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona and Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska won plaudits for their hand-wringing and then predictably fell in line. Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia another red-state Democrat leading comfortably in his own re-election race waited until Justice Kavanaugh had the votes and announced hed vote yes. None of them will face consequences to their reputations or careers. They are not alone. Throughout the process, men overlooked Justice Kavanaughs behavior to criticize the women who reported it. Senator Dianne Feinstein of California has been roundly vilified, both for withholding Dr. Blaseys claim in accordance with her wishes and for the fact that it eventually leaked. Without a hint of irony, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina rejected an investigation into allegations against Justice Kavanaugh but demanded a wholesale and full-scale investigation into Senator Feinsteins handling of the letter. Amy Chua, a professor at Yale Law School, became a target of social media scorn when The Guardian reported she told students that it was not an accident that Kavanaughs clerks looked like models. But that didnt really spur a close look at Justice Kavanaughs hiring practices. Instead, Ms. Chua bore the brunt of the firestorm. (It is perhaps equally telling that, of Justice Kavanaughs early supporters, Ms. Chua and Lisa Blatt, a feminist attorney, have faced enormous pressure to denounce him, with reputational consequences that their male counterparts are unlikely to face.) Matt David, head of communications at Juul, said the companys mission was to eliminate combustible cigarettes and noted that more than 50 percent of smokers who try Juul successfully switch to e-cigarettes. The company found success by making something boring into something cool. Vaping was once a dorky punch line. Juuls sleek devices deliver potent and highly addictive hits of nicotine in trendy flavors like mango and cucumber. It sharply rose in popularity among teenagers, catching many parents, schools and investors by surprise. This is like one of those fires that raked through tens of thousands of acres overnight, Mr. Burke, the investor at Makena Capital, said. In September the Food and Drug Administration called the popularity of vaping products an epidemic, and ordered Juul and other makers to prove that they could keep its devices from minors. A little over a week ago, the F.D.A. seized documents from Juuls office in a move the agency described as a surprise inspection. Mr. David said Juul had taken numerous actions to prevent and combat underage use of its product. It has changed its website and marketing to focus on smoking cessation, added a nicotine warning label and started an advertising campaign aimed at smokers. Tao Capital did not respond to a request for comment. Both Fidelity Investments and Tiger Global declined to comment. Lucy Nicotine, a nicotine gum start-up, generated investor attention in March, when it participated in Y Combinator, a start-up accelerator program, because two of its founders were well-known for their prior start-up, Soylent, a meal replacement drink. Lucy raised just under $5 million in venture funding led by Greycroft Partners and Refactor Capital. In early meetings with potential investors, the companys presentation included a slide outlining the benefits of nicotine, like energy and alertness. But the company quickly stopped promoting that aspect. Teddy Citrin, an investor at Greycroft Partners, said his firm was initially concerned about stigma and taboo of investing in a nicotine company, but was won over by the potential to help people quit smoking. What people are looking for not just employees they are looking for some clarity, said Frank Shaw, a Microsoft spokesman. Are there principles that get applied? Even if you dont agree with the decision that gets made, if you understand the thinking behind it, it helps a lot. Amazon did not respond to a request for comment. The lack of information about what tech employees are working on was recently evident at Clarifai, an artificial intelligence start-up in New York City. Last year, a small team of Clarifai engineers began working on a project inside a private room at its downtown New York office, said three people with knowledge of the matter, who spoke on the condition that they not be identified for fear of retaliation. Paper covered the windows, and employees called the room The Chamber of Secrets, in a sly reference to the second Harry Potter novel. Even the eight engineers and researchers working inside the room did not entirely realize the nature of the project, the people said. When employees asked about the project in meetings, Clarifais chief executive, Matt Zeiler, said it was a government project related to analytics or surveillance and would save lives, according to the people. After employees read documents posted to Clarifais internal systems, it became clear that the company had won a contract for Project Maven and that workers were creating something for the Defense Department, the people said. One engineer quit the project immediately after a meeting with the Defense Department where killing was discussed in frank terms, they said. A Clarifai spokesman said that at the very beginning of the project, the company sat down with those chosen for it to brief them on the nature of the work, and one employee quit the project then. Every member of Clarifais Project Maven team agreed to work on the project, and the two people who chose not to participate were assigned to different efforts across the company, the spokesman said. Its also possible that the Kavanaugh controversy is helping Republicans in Republican-leaning areas. Its consistent with the available evidence, but this could also be noise considering the small number of polls since the hearing. A highly polarized electorate hurts Democrats The possibility that the Kavanaugh nomination is helping Republicans in Republican-leaning areas is important because the fight for control of both the House and the Senate will be determined largely in Republican-leaning areas. This simple fact has always been the G.O.P.s biggest advantage. If the electorate is polarized along the lines of recent presidential elections, as it was during the Obama presidency, Republicans could hold down their losses considerably. Democrats have been considered clear favorites in the fight for House control because polls and special election results have made it seem that the electorate wouldnt be so polarized, allowing them to compete in many Republican-leaning districts. But if Democrats cant break through and actually carry the many Republican-leaning districts theyve put into play, Republicans could stay highly competitive in the fight for House control and even survive a wave election. Todays House map is so favorable to Republicans that based on recent presidential election results, even a 2006- or 2010-type wave even a rerun of the highly polarized Virginia governors and state legislative races last November would yield only around a net-27 seats for Democrats, by our estimates. Yes, that would be enough for a majority, but it would be close enough that it wouldnt take too much luck for Republicans to hold on. The 2006 election is a particularly telling example. Democrats picked up 31 seats, not much more than Democrats need now, with a set of opportunities fairly similar to what the Democrats have today. And the Democratic gain was padded by many victories against Republicans embroiled in scandal. Without those gains, the Democrats might not have picked up the number of seats that Democrats need this year. Theres another reason 2006 is a troubling example for Democrats: The Republicans avoided a total rout by winning around 20 districts by less than four points. Its not hard to imagine something like that happening again. In fact, Republicans have led in 12 Upshot/Siena polls by less than four points already. For now, Democrats arent yet favored to win in most of the Republican-held seats theyve put into play. The FiveThirtyEight election forecast, which gives the Democrats around a 75 percent chance to win the House with an average pickup of 34 seats, makes the Democrats outright favorites only in 218 districts precisely the number needed for a majority. The Democrats are favored to win so many more races than they currently lead because theres a lopsided number of Republican-tilting districts where the Democrats are highly competitive. At the moment, not much separates a Democratic landslide from a seat-by-seat, piecemeal battle for control that lasts late on election night or for days longer as mail ballots are counted in California and Washington. But there is still a national patchwork of policies and terminologies, from destroying records to sealing them to simply noting that a conviction is effectively vacated. States have imposed various waiting periods, conditions and fees. Some places have made their processes deliberately simple, while others have complicated approaches that may require legal assistance or court hearings. The proliferation of new laws, and newfound enthusiasm on the part of some prosecutors, has hardly erased all doubts about the wisdom of suppressing records. Many prosecutors, especially in rural areas, remain skeptical of any action to show mercy for a persons past, and some judges engage in measured resistance, holding hearings more to complain about an expungement law than to weigh an applications merits. You have prosecutors and judges who just think its wrong: Youve caused trouble in this county, youre a wrongdoer and you shouldnt get a blank slate, said Bernice Corley, the executive director of the Indiana Public Defender Council. But Margaret Love, the executive director of the Collateral Consequences Resource Center and a former United States pardon attorney, said that clemency and expungements are part of the criminal justice process for a reason. It ought to be something that prosecutors welcome and use to their advantage to create criminal justice success stories, to advertise criminal justice success stories, she said. The nuanced approach in Indiana, where officials hoped that expungements would improve peoples job prospects, is increasingly seen as a model. Under its so-called Second Chance law, the state has a tiered system in which the offense, and the outcome of the case, determines the waiting period and the exact relief. Indiana does not destroy records, but can limit access to them and mark them as expunged, and crime victims are permitted to express their views before any decision is made. Indiana should be the worst place in America to commit a serious crime and the best place, once youve done your time, to get a second chance, Gov. Mike Pence, now the vice president, said when he signed the records measure into law in 2013. I applaud in general a commitment to hiring a diverse group of clerks, and hope all the justices encourage applicants of color, women and those with backgrounds beyond the usual elite, said Elizabeth B. Wydra, the president of the Constitutional Accountability Center, a liberal group that opposed Justice Kavanaughs nomination. Image Elizabeth B. Wydra, the president of a liberal law group, applauded Justice Kavanaugh for hiring female clerks but said his confirmation process had left lasting damage. Credit... Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press Unfortunately, its going to take a lot more than female clerks to undo the damage to the legitimacy of the court done by this travesty of a confirmation process. Women will feel much more confident in the court when their fundamental rights are protected and their equal dignity is respected in the rulings handed down by the justices. Justice Kavanaughs supporters said he should be judged by his hiring record. Hes been promoting professional opportunities for women his entire career, said Porter Wilkinson, who served as a law clerk to Justice Kavanaugh when he was an appeals court judge and who was on his confirmation team. New justices often hire their former clerks when they start at the court, but only one of Justice Kavanaughs Supreme Court clerks, Kim Jackson, worked for him on the appeals court. The other three Shannon Grammel, Megan Lacy and Sara Nommensen worked for appeals court judges appointed by Republican presidents. Ms. Lacy had also worked for Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who helped push through Justice Kavanaughs nomination. Justice Kavanaugh said in his testimony last month that he had started to take action to address the underrepresentation of women among law clerks after reading a 2006 article in The New York Times noting that only seven of 37 Supreme Court clerks were women. A majority of my 48 law clerks over the last 12 years have been women, he told the Senate Judiciary Committee. In my time on the bench, no federal judge not a single one in the country has sent more women law clerks to clerk on the Supreme Court than I have. WASHINGTON Brett M. Kavanaugh is now an associate justice of the Supreme Court, leaving the exhausted Senate to contend with the smoldering aftermath of his vitriolic confirmation fight, one that members of both parties worry did lasting institutional damage. Accusations of unethical conduct. Personal attacks. Threats of new investigations into leaks. Vows of future retribution. Suggestions of bad faith. And hanging over the conflict was the Republican decision in 2016 to block President Barack Obamas nominee to a Supreme Court vacancy that occurred 11 months before the end of his tenure. It has not been good for the Senate, none of this, said Senator Richard C. Shelby, Republican of Alabama, who has been a member of the chamber for more than three decades. Too much estrangement on both sides. We in the Senate have to understand that we have differences. It shouldnt be personal. Confirmation fights tend to bring out the worst in the Senate, given both parties intense focus on the courts as they play an ever-greater role in sorting out legislative and societal disputes. But the institution has been struggling for years with a rise in polarization and partisanship, leading to decisions by both parties to try to break the gridlock by essentially forcing through rules changes on nominations. Justice Chase was certainly cranky and outspoken, said Joel R. Paul, a law professor who wrote a book on the court during that era. But it was clear that Justice Chases behavior did not qualify as high crimes and misdemeanors, and the Senate voted against ousting him, finding no reason for his removal from office on a constitutional basis. Justice Chase remains the only justice to stand trial on impeachment charges brought by Congress. Roger B. Taney has the president on his side President Andrew Jackson first nominated Judge Taney to the Supreme Court in 1835, a choice that was controversial because of the judges opposition to the national bank, according to Professor Pauls book Without Precedent. Judge Taneys opponents attacked him for his servility to President Jackson on the issue, and with fierce resistance from the majority Whig party, the Senate rejected him. Image Justice Roger B. Taney was confirmed to the Supreme Court after the makeup of the Senate shifted in President Andrew Jacksons favor. Credit... Library of Congress But the president had another chance to confirm his ally when the Democrats took control of the Senate that year. After Chief Justice Marshall died, President Jacksons nomination of Judge Taney sailed through, according to a 2006 journal article in The Supreme Court Review. Judge Taney was confirmed not just as a justice but as the courts chief justice. In 1857, Chief Justice Taneys confirmation proved enormously consequential when he wrote the majority opinion in Dred Scott v. Sandford. The decision held that Dred Scott, an enslaved man who had lived for a time in a free state and territory, had no standing to sue for freedom on the grounds that blacks could not be citizens of the United States. The decision also declared that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional, fanning the flames that led to the Civil War. President Nixons back-to-back rejections In 1970, President Richard Nixon nominated Judge G. Harrold Carswell, a Southern conservative, to the Supreme Court. His previous nominee, Judge Clement F. Haynsworth Jr., had recently been rejected by the Senate after concerns arose about his support for segregation and the ethics of his personal finances. Ms. Alonzo said her father and a sister migrated to the United States with help from smugglers. Her father returned to Guatemala eight years ago, after spending seven years in the United States. Her sister lives in South Carolina, she said. She would not name the smugglers. But she said the American governments plea for Guatemalans to remain at home is unlikely to be effective. The promise of a good life in the United States, she said, overrides the risk of the trip. That is the way to have a house and a car, she said. Mr. McAleenan, the Customs and Border Protection commissioner, said it was too early to judge whether the new messaging campaign in Spanish and indigenous languages had worked. We have to give it some time to see whether its effective in reaching that audience and creating that deterrence, he said. Back in Concepcion Chiquirichapa, Liset Juarez said her husband finally made it to the United States after nearly a half-dozen tries. He plans to stay three years. With the money he makes as a laborer, she said they plan to pay back their debt, and save up to open another business. Asked if she plans to join her husband in the United States, she shook her head no. I cant abandon my children, she said. I have three children I have to sustain here. PORT-AU-PRINCE An earthquake that struck off the northern coast of Haiti late Saturday killed at least 11 people and injured more than a hundred when several buildings collapsed, officials said. The magnitude-5.9 quake was centered about 12 miles west-northwest of the coastal town of Port-de-Paix, at a depth of about 7 miles, the United States Geological Survey said. The police chief for the northwest region, Jackson Hilaire, said at least seven people were killed and more than 100 injured in Port-de-Paix. KABUL, Afghanistan At least 54 people have been killed across Afghanistan in the past 24 hours, according to a tally based on interviews with officials on Sunday 17 years to the day American forces invaded the country to topple the Taliban regime. The violence was a reminder that the war has only raged deadlier with time, taking a toll on both the Afghan security forces and the civilians caught in the crossfire. On average, the conflict has taken the lives of 30 to 40 Afghan forces and at least 10 civilians a day. There are no tangible signs of momentum for peace talks with the Taliban. Among the killed were at least 35 members of Afghan security forces and 19 civilians. While most of the fatalities of the security forces came from Taliban attacks, residents and local officials said a majority of the civilian casualties in the past 24 hours had resulted from two episodes of firing by government forces in central Afghanistan and an airstrike in the countrys east that they said was carried out by the United States. American forces denied they had carried out a strike in the area. A large number of Taliban fighters were also killed in attacks that Afghan officials said they had carried out in 14 of the countrys 34 provinces. But the toll was difficult to verify; analysts estimate Taliban casualties usually number about the same as Afghan forces, if not more because of the airpower used against them. The detention of Mr. Meng, 64, is an audacious step by the party, even by the standards of the increasingly authoritarian system under the leadership of President Xi Jinping. China has sought legitimacy and a leadership role in international organizations, and Mr. Mengs appointment in November 2016 as the president of Interpol, the first Chinese head of the global policing agency, was seen by many as a significant step in that direction. His detention undermines that campaign. Mr. Mengs appointment was considered quite an achievement for China and a sign of its international presence and growing influence, said Julian Ku, a professor at Hofstra Universitys Maurice A. Deane School of Law, who has studied Chinas relationship with international law. While China may have had its eye on placing its citizens in other top posts at prominent global organizations, the fact that Meng was disappeared without any notice to Interpol will undermine this Chinese global outreach effort, Mr. Ku said. It is hard to imagine another international organization feeling comfortable placing a Chinese national in charge without feeling nervous that this might happen. The announcement of Mr. Mengs detention came hours after his wife, Grace, told reporters in Lyon, France, that before her husband had vanished on a trip to China, he had sent her a phone message with an emoji of a knife. She interpreted the knife image to mean he is in danger, she said in a brief statement to reporters on Sunday in Lyon, where the two were living and where Interpol is headquartered. SEOUL, South Korea Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that in his meeting with Kim Jong-un on Sunday, the leader of North Korea had agreed to allow inspectors into a key nuclear testing site that the North has claimed it blew up, a down payment on the countrys commitment to denuclearize the country. Mr. Pompeo, whose planned trip to the North in August was canceled by President Trump because of a lack of progress, described his few hours on the ground in Pyongyang, the capital, as a good trip. The two men discussed the upcoming second summit between Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim, refining options for the time and place of the next meeting between the two leaders, said Heather Nauert, a State Department spokeswoman. But no date or place was announced. The office of President Moon Jae-in of South Korea, who was briefed by Mr. Pompeo after his North Korea trip, said that the United States and the North had agreed to hold a new summit meeting between their leaders as early as possible. ROME The Vatican has decided to fight fire and brimstone with fire and brimstone. Six weeks after Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the former Vatican ambassador in the United States, shook the church by accusing Pope Francis of covering up sexual abuse, the Vatican broke its public silence on Sunday with a scathing public retort from a powerful prefect for the Congregation for Bishops. The prefect, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, called the accusations by dear Vigano false, far-fetched, blasphemous, incomprehensible, abhorrent and politically motivated to hurt Francis. He suggested that the archbishop would be wise to quickly repair his break with the pope. I cannot begin to understand how you let yourself be convinced of this monstrous accusation, which does not stand up, Cardinal Ouellet said in the letter, which was written in French. Archbishop Vigano did not immediately return a request for comment on Sunday. On Aug. 26, conservative Catholic outlets critical of the pope published a long letter by the archbishop accusing Francis of lifting punishments for sexual misconduct for a former American cardinal, Theodore McCarrick, that were reportedly imposed by Pope Benedict XVI. MOSCOW The Baltic state of Latvia, governed since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union by political forces inclined toward Europe and wary of Russia, on Sunday became the latest country whiplashed by rising populism with the announcement of election results that showed strong support for pro-Russia and anti-establishment parties. The results delivered a serious blow to mainstream politicians and opened the way for coalition talks that, for the first time, could lead to a government that includes Harmony Center, a Moscow-friendly party that until this year had a cooperation agreement with Russias governing party, United Russia. Not only did Harmony win nearly 20 percent of the vote, the most in the parliamentary election held Saturday, but it was followed in second place by a new anti-establishment party. The party, KPV LV Who Owns the State is led by Artuss Kaimins, a flamboyant former actor turned unruly politician whose critics in Latvia deride him as our Donald Trump. Public discontent with Latvias traditional parties has been fed in recent months by a series of scandals that have left the governor of the central bank under investigation for corruption and led to the collapse of ABLV, the countrys largest locally owned bank. The United States Treasury issued a report in February describing the bank as a sprawling, money-laundering enterprise. BUCHAREST, Romania A referendum in Romania on whether to narrow the constitutional definition of a family to a man and a woman failed spectacularly over the weekend, with just 20.4 percent of the voting population taking part. Romania is one of six European Union countries that does not allow same-sex marriage or civil unions. But its Constitution uses gender-neutral language to define family, and conservative groups, fearing that could lead to legal recognition for same-sex relationships, sought the referendum. With opposition groups boycotting the vote, the new constitutional language was expected to win the support of a majority voters. But turnout was so low that the referendum results appeared invalid, leaving the existing definition of family in place. The turnout was far below 30 percent, the threshold for a referendum to be binding, despite a decision by the government, which had largely backed the referendum, to allow two days of voting rather than one. Final results are expected to be released on Monday. If he and other Ukrainians were once torn about dividing the church, the studied silence of the religious hierarchy in Moscow while Ukrainians died in a war provoked by Russia was, for many, the last straw. The policy of the Moscow church over the past few hundred years has not been independent at all, it depends largely on the state, Mr. Gorshkov said. That has been especially true under President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, who has maneuvered diligently in recent years to revive the idea that Moscow should be the capital for all Eastern Orthodox Christians, in effect making the Russian church an extension of his efforts to restore the countrys superpower status. Mr. Putin bolstered the church both to sell Russia as a bastion of traditional values, and to paint his Kremlin as heir to the holy traditions of the czarist empire. Now, the Ukrainian church is on the verge of breaking away, threatening Mr. Putins imperial project in a direct and unintended consequence of Russias invasion of Ukraine. Say goodbye to the church of the empire, said Sergey Chapnin, a religious scholar and frequent church critic. The imperial dimension of Russias identity is extremely important, he noted. Autocephaly will be a strong blow to the imperial project, which is the only project that Russia has. The Russians, seething, are threatening to break entirely with the mother church, possibly provoking what some are calling the greatest schism in Christianity since the East-West divide in 1054. The Russian church argues that Bartholomew, who is based in Istanbul, has no right to remove the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from under the wing of the Moscow patriarchate without its consent. There were 15 of them. Most arrived in the dead of night, laid their trap and waited for the target to arrive. That target was Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent Saudi critic of his countrys government and its young crown prince. Since his killing in Istanbul, Turkish media has released a steady drip feed of evidence implicating Saudi officials. Weeks of investigation by The Times builds on that evidence and reconstructs what unfolded, hour-by-hour. Our timeline shows the ruthless efficiency of a hit team of experts that seemed specially chosen from Saudi government ministries. Some had links to the crown prince himself. After a series of shifting explanations, Saudi Arabia now denies that this brazen hit job was premeditated. But this reconstruction of the killing, and the botched cover-up, calls their story into serious question. Its Friday morning, Sept. 28. Khashoggi and his fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, are at the local marriage office in Istanbul. In order to marry, hes told that he needs Saudi paperwork and goes straight to the consulate to arrange it. They tell him to return in a week. It all seems routine, but its not. Inside theres a Saudi spy, Ahmed al-Muzaini, whos working under diplomatic cover. That very day, he flies off to Riyadh and helps concoct a plan to intercept Khashoggi when he returns to the consulate. Fast-forward to Monday night into Tuesday morning. Saudi agents converge in Istanbul aboard separate flights. Muzaini, the spy, flies back from Riyadh. A commercial flight carries a three-man team that we believe flew from Cairo. Two of the men are security officers and theyve previously traveled with the crown prince. A private jet flying from Riyadh lands around 3:30 a.m. That plane is often used by the Saudi government, and its carrying nine Saudi officials, some who played key roles in Khashoggis death. Well get to Team 3 later on, and for now focus on these men from Team 2. This is Salah al-Tubaigy, a high-ranking forensics and autopsy expert in the Saudi interior ministry. Turkish officials will later say his role was to dismember Khashoggis body. Another is Mustafa al-Madani, a 57-year-old engineer. As well see, its no accident that he looks like Khashoggi. And this is Maher Mutreb, the leader of the operation. Our investigation into his past reveals a direct link between Mutreb and the Saudi crown prince. When bin Salman toured a Houston neighborhood earlier this year, we discovered that Mutreb was with him, a glowering figure in the background. We found him again in Boston, at a U.N. meeting in New York, in Madrid and Paris, too. This global tour was all part of a charm offensive by the prince to paint himself as a moderate reformer. Back then, Mutreb was in the royal guard. Now, he would orchestrate Khashoggis killing. And his close ties to the crown prince beg the question, just how high up the Saudi chain of command did the plot to kill go? Early Tuesday morning, Khashoggi flies back from a weekend trip to London. He and the Saudis nearly cross paths at the airport. The Saudi teams check into two hotels, which give quick access to the consulate. Khashoggi heads home with his fiancee. Hed just bought an apartment for their new life together. By mid-morning, the Saudis are on the move. Mutreb leaves his hotel three hours before Khashoggi is due at the consulate. The rest of the team isnt far behind. The building is only a few minutes away on foot, and soon, theyre spotted at this entrance. Mutreb arrives first. Next, we see al-Tubaigy, the autopsy expert. And now al-Madani, the lookalike. The stage is almost set. A diplomatic car pulls out of the consulate driveway and switches places with a van, which backs in. Turkish officials say this van would eventually carry away Khashoggis remains. From above, we can see the driveway is covered, hiding any activity around the van from public view. Meanwhile, Khashoggi and his fiancee set out for the consulate, walking hand-in-hand. In their final hour together, they chat about dinner plans and new furniture for their home. At 1:13 p.m., they arrive at the consulate. Khashoggi gives her his cellphones before he enters. He walks into the consulate. Its the last time we see him. Inside, Khashoggi is brought to the consul generals office on the second floor. The hit team is waiting in a nearby room. Sources briefed on the evidence, told us Khashoggi quickly comes under attack. Hes dragged to another room and is killed within minutes. Then al-Tubaigy, the autopsy expert, dismembers his body while listening to music. Maher Mutreb makes a phone call to a superior. He says, Tell your boss, and The deed was done. Outside, the van reportedly carrying Khashoggis body pulls out of the side entrance and drives away. At the same time, the Saudis begin trying to cover their tracks. While Khashoggis fiancee waits here where she left him, two figures leave from the opposite side. One of them is wearing his clothes. Later, the Saudis would claim that this was Khashoggi. But its al-Madani, the engineer, now a body double pretending that the missing journalist left the consulate alive. Yet theres one glaring flaw: The clothes are the same, but hes wearing his own sneakers, the ones he walked in with. Meanwhile, the van thats allegedly carrying Khashoggis body makes the two-minute drive from the consulate to the Saudi consuls residence. Theres several minutes of deliberations but the van eventually pulls into the buildings driveway. Again, its hidden from public view. Its now three hours since Khashoggi was last seen. The body double hails this taxi and continues weaving a false trail through the city. He heads to a popular tourist area and then changes back into his own clothes. Later, we see him joking around in surveillance footage. Over at the airport, more Saudi officials arrive on another flight from Riyadh. They spend just five hours in Istanbul, but were not sure where they go. Now we pick up Maher Mutreb again, exiting from the consuls house. Its time for them to go. Mutreb and others check out of their hotel and move through airport security. Al-Muzaini, the spy, heads to the airport too. But as theyre leaving Istanbul, Khashoggis fiancee is still outside the consulate, pacing in circles. Shell soon raise the alarm that Khashoggi is missing and shell wait for him until midnight. The alarm spreads around the world. Nine days later, the Saudis send another team to Istanbul. They say its to investigate what happened. But among them are a toxicologist and a chemist, who also has ties to the hit team. He and Tubaigy attended a forensics graduation days before Khashoggi was killed. Turkish officials later say that this teams mission was not to investigate, but to cover up the killing. Now the Saudi story has changed, and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for several suspects in Khashoggis killing. But that doesnt include Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who many Western government officials are convinced authorized the killing. Khashoggis remains still havent been found. JERUSALEM A Palestinian man fatally shot two Israeli co-workers and injured a third in an Israeli-run factory in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, an attack that Israeli officials described as terrorism. The killings shattered the calm in an industrial park long praised by Israelis as a symbol of peaceful coexistence. Hamas, the Islamic militant group that controls Gaza, praised the attack without taking responsibility for it, calling it a heroic operation. Hamas said the shooting had been a natural response to the crimes of the Israeli occupation against the rights of our people, in all the Palestinian lands. The Islamic Jihad group in Gaza also praised the attack. The gunman, identified by the Israeli authorities only as Ashraf Naalwa, 23, a resident of the West Bank, was captured on security cameras fleeing the scene. Mr. Naalwa, an electrician, had not shown up for work in recent days and might have harbored grievances against his employers, according to other workers in the industrial park, near the settlements of Barkan and Ariel in the central West Bank. Through municipal bonds, Ghaziabad to raise money after Lucknow: Yogi Adityanath Former president APJ Abdul Kalam was Jihadi: Priest of Ghaziabad temple Thousands affected by flash flood in Bihar's East Champaran district K'taka HC grants interim relief to Twitter India MD, asks cops not to take coercive steps against him UP: Body of 7-year-old girl found on Mosque's terrace Ghaziabad oi-Vikas SV Ghaziabad, Oct 7: The dead body of a 7-year-old girl has been found on the terrace of a Mosque in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad district. The incident took place at a Mosque in Muradnagar. It appears to be a case of murder, reported news agency ANI quoting SSP Ghaziabad. Also Read | Ghaziabad: BSF constable shoots and kills colleague "Prima facie the murder took place by strangulation," the police official said. The cops have reached the spot to probe the matter. For More Ghaziabad News, Click Here Bihar By-polls: Lalu Yadav to campaign for RJD candidates on Wednesday to ensure 'visarjan' of Nitish Kumar Bihar: Over 30 schoolgirls beaten up by goons for opposing sexual advances India oi-Madhuri Adnal Patna, Oct 7: In a horrific incident, over 30 schoolgirls were beaten up by goons for resisting sexual advances. The incident took place in Supaul district in Bihar. It is learnt that the girls are students of a government school in Supaul district. The injured students have now been admitted to a primary health centre for treatment. The hospital authorities have declared that they are out of danger and in a stable condition. However, the girls are still undergoing treatment. The girls have alleged that the boys used to pass lewd comments at them. When the girls resisted their advances the boys barged into the school and attacked the girls leaving many injured. Also Read | Chennai: Actor accuses senior journalist of sexual harassment, shares ordeal on FB According to the warden of the school, during the period when the girls were playing the men, who had used obscene language, started beating up the girls who had objected to them. However, the district administration and Tiveniganj Police have examined the case and argued for legal action. Also Read | UIDAI official accused of sexual assault Former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav took to Twitter to criticise government for the unabated increase in crime against women in the state. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, October 7, 2018, 15:52 [IST] BJP, RSS behind killings of National Conference workers, says party worker India oi-Deepika S Srinagar, Oct 7: National Conference (NC) legislator and MLA Shamima Firdous accused the BJP and RSS of killing her two party workers in an attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar. "I have no hesitation to say that the BJP and the RSS killed my workers," said Firdous on Saturday. On Friday, unidentified gunmen killed two NC workers identified as Mushtaq Ahmad Wani and Nazir Ahmad killed in the attack at Karfalli Mohalla. She further said, "The killings were a well-planned conspiracy to discourage people and National Conference from partcipating in the next assembly elections. Authorities are making false claims of security arrangements." What led to the killing of the NC workers in Srinagar Firdous claimed that the gunmen came twice to the locality to shoot the party cadres. "Where was the police? Where were security checkpoints set up? What happened to the assurances of the Governor of free, fair and secure polls," she asked. "Police is not investigating the matter seriously. Have police collected the details as to which weapon was used for the killings? How do the killers look and what they were wearing? No, because police are yet to take up the investigation," she alleged. "No militant outfit has claimed responsibility for these killings. Government is equally responsible for the killing of my workers," she said. Breaking down she said that her workers have always helped the poor and the needy in the constituency. "They would go to the homes of people to enquire about their well being," she said. NC workers killed in Srinagar were once active terrorists Though the exact reason for the attack has not been known, the terrorists met with return fire from the security personnel. "Two people have been killed. They had some political background. We are ascertaining more details," Imtiaz Ismail Parray, SSP Srinagar had said. NC leader Omar Abdullah condemned the incident and expressed condolences to the families of those killed. This is not the first time that terrorists have targeted National Conference. In July, gunmen attacked a police post just outside the residence of party leader Gh Muhadin and killed two police personnel. CJI unimpressed with demand to lift ban on lawyers strike India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Oct 7: Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Saturday disagreed with a suggestion by the Bar Council of India to lift a 16-year-old ban on strikes by lawyers, wondering why there should be a strike at all. Justice Gogoi's response came after Bar Council of India Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra raised the issue of lifting the ban at a BCI event to felicitate the new CJI. The CJI's view was also shared by Justice Arun Mishra, who reminded the lawyers that their absence in court will affect people's liberty and deny many of their rights. Also Read | Quick fire staccato: Here is what happened on day 1 at CJI Gogoi's court hall Justice Gogoi, who was sworn in as the CJI on October 3, said, "I don't think it is an issue at all. Why go into the legalities. Why should there be a strike? I am sure there wont be any". Echoing his views, Justice Mishra said that the strikes of the Bar can only be supported in "exceptional cases when the democracy is in danger" or for "saving the judicial system" but otherwise "it has no right to go on strike". "Can we afford jungle raj? Can we shut the doors for common man in rule of law. How many person's liberty is affected when you are not in court that day. How many persons are bereft of their rights that day," said Justice Mishra. Demanding lifting of the ban, the BCI Chairman said that if the mouth of lawyers are shut it will destroy the very democratic setup of the country". "The legal fraternity has a great faith on the CJI. We are sure that you will restore our freedom," he said. Also Read | Bar Council wants judges to avoid post-retirement jobs Justices N V Ramana and Mohan M Shantanagoudar, both, were also present on the occasion. In a 2002 judgement, the Supreme Court had held that lawyers have no right to go on strike or give a call for boycott, not even a token strike. Justice Gogoi also expressed concern over the issue of large number of undertrials in the country. He said that the figure of undertrials in the country is very disturbing and added that a large segment of the country's young population is in jail . 67 per cent of the prison population are undertrials out of which 47 per cent are between the age of 18 and 30 , said CJI. Out of this 67 per cent, 66 per cent belong to the Scheduled Caste and 71 per cent are below Class 10 and 28 per cent are illiterates," he added. This is where legal aid comes in. A large number of lawyers are doing legal aid for very small remuneration. However, he said, that the quality of legal aid needs to be improved . Legal aid comes from a feeling of wanting to do something good. This is a feeling that can be generated by the BCI in lawyers. This is how society will grow, said Justice Gogoi. On the pendency of cases, the CJI said, "There is a feeling amongst all of us that the number of cases coming into courts are huge. It is huge because India is a huge country, but it is not." He said that in the United States, the number of new cases filed per thousand population in an year is 300, but in India it is 15. "If we are staggering at a figure of 15, where would we be if it is 150," said Justice Gogoi. He also said that in India there is one lawyer for every 1400. More lawyers are going to come. As the lawyer, population ratio has to naturally grow with inflow of cases coming. This is where the Bar council has an enormous role to play". He voiced concern over the state of legal education in the country and said that the BCI, being the regulator, has to keep in focus the quality of legal education. There are 23 National Law Schools but there are 1,500 law colleges, even some of the 23 National Law Schools are not doing so well. Barring a few colleges, say like the Government Law College in Bombay, Law Faculty in Delhi and a couple of law colleges in the state capital, the others are not doing well. This is the responsibility of the regulator, the quality of legal education in the country, said the CJI. Justice Mishra also raised concern over the issue, asking the BCI to check the law colleges mushrooming in the country. Several substandard colleges have come up, said he said. Talking on the issue of consulting the Bar on the appointment of judges, Justice Gogoi said that the "the judges do consult the Bar" and that "the Bar is always taken into reckoning", though the process is " not formalised". "I can say on an informal note that the judges do consult the Bar. It is just that the kind of inputs the judges take while recommending names, you will be glad to know that the Bar is always taken into the reckoning, perhaps we have not formalised it," Justice Gogoi said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, October 7, 2018, 8:27 [IST] Guided by ex-Pak army officials, operating in buddy pairs: Why the Poonch encounter has dragged so much India follows an independent policy, keen to get Russian helicopters: Army Chief on US sanction India oi-PTI New Delhi, Oct 7: Amid fears of US sanctions over the recent S-400 missile deal with Russia, Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat Sunday asserted that the country is keen on getting the Kamov helicopters and other weapon systems from Moscow and added that India follows an independent policy. The chief's remarks came after his return from a six-day visit to Russia, where he held talks with military officials and counterpart to enhance cooperation between the two countries. He said the Russians were very keen in associating with the Indian Army and defence forces. "Because they do understand that we are a strong Army, capable of standing up to what is right for us based on our strategic thought process," PTI quoted General Rawat as saying. India and Russia on Friday formally sealed the $5 billion S-400 air defence system deal and signed eight pacts at the annual bilateral summit in New Delhi even as the US gave a guarded response over the development. In a guarded statement, the US embassy in New Delhi said that its intent to slap sanctions against Russia was not aimed at imposing damage to the military capabilities of its "allies or partners". The Army Chief was speaking at the Gen. K V Krishna Rao Memorial lecture. On his Russian visit, Gen. Rawat recalled a question posed to him by a Russian naval officer that India seemed to be looking westwards at America, which has put sanctions on Russia, and that Washington has also threatened to impose restrictions on New Delhi for dealing with Moscow. "You (Russia) can be rest assured (that) while we may be associating with America in getting some technology, but we follow an independent policy. I told them, while we are talking sanctions and you are questioning on sanctions, President Vladimir Putin and Mr. Narendra Modi, at this juncture, are signing the treaty on purchase of S-400 weapon system inspite of the fact that we may face challenges from America in the future," the Army Chief said. Both the sides signed eight pacts in areas ranging from defence, railways nuclear energy, space and economy. A crucial MoU was signed between Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the Federal Space Agency of Russia 'ROSCOSMOS' on joint activities in the field of human spaceflight programme Gaganyaan. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, October 7, 2018, 17:49 [IST] Amit Shah to chair Southern Zonal Council at Tirupati on Sunday; Bommai to attend BJP stands for Jandhan, Aadhaar and Mobile but SP is for Jinnah, Azam and Mukhtar: Amit Shah Amit Shah to chair 29th meeting of Southern Zonal Council in Tirupati today, 26-point on agenda- Details here 'Mauni Baba' Manmohan Singh used to carry papers given by Madam on abroad trips': Amit Shah India oi-Vikas SV Bhopal, Oct 7: Taking a jibe at Manmohan Singh, BJP president Amit Shah called the former prime minister a 'Mauni Baba' who used to carry papers given by Madam, in a apparent reference to Sonia Gandhi, during his visits abroad. The Congress keeps criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign visits. Recently, Goa Congress had suggested that name of Prime Minister Modi be recorded in the Guinness World of Record. The letter to Guinness World Records authorities stated that Modi set the record of making 41 trips to 52 countries in his tenure of four years. Referring to the criticism of Prime Minister Modi for his frequent foreign tours, Shah claimed that "Mauni Baba Manmohan Singhji" had made more trips abroad. Also Read | MP: Amit Shah to inaugurate 'Maha Jansampark Abhiyan' from Indore today "When Manmohanji travelled abroad, he used to carry papers given by Madam (an apparent reference to then Congress president Sonia Gandhi), read them out and come back," Shah said. "At times, he used to read the page supposed to be read in Malaysia in Thailand and the page meant for Thailand in Malaysia," the BJP chief quipped. When Modi travels to a foreign country, thousands of people come to greet him and chant slogans, he added. Also Read | 'Welcome to Rahul Gandhi's Congress', says Amit Shah Speaking on the NRC issue during a rally at Ratlam in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, Shah said the BJP will not allow a single infiltrator to stay. Chetan Bhagat tries Gandhigiri with critics on Facebook; gets trolled again Who is Tarana Burke? the women who started the #MeToo movement a decade ago I am not a harasser. Never was, never will be: Chetan Bhagat responds to #MeToo allegations MeToo in India: Chetan Bhagat accused of sexual harassment, says sorry 'was going through a phase' India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Oct 7: Author and columnist Chetan Bhagat on Saturday landed in a major controversy as his name surfaced in the raging #MeToo debate with screenshots of a WhatsApp conversation he had with a woman surfacing on social media. This comes amid the Tanushree Dutta-Nana Patekar controversy where the actress accused Patekar of harassing her several years ago on a film set. The 44-year-old author immediately shared a long response to the allegations made against him in a Facebook post and accepted the fact that the screenshots were real. In the post, he has written that he also apologised to his wife for his behaviour. Also Read | Chetan Bhagat tries 'Gandhigiri' with critics on Facebook; gets trolled again In the screenshots that are reportedly several years old, Bhagat is trying to 'woo' the said woman, who is a journalist and the author knew her in a "professional capacity". Even since the screenshots of the conversation came out on social media, Twitter has been abuzz with both support and criticism for Bhagat, who continues to be a bestselling author. In the last few days, various well-known personalities were named and shamed on social media for their inappropriate behaviour towards women. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, October 7, 2018, 12:07 [IST] Chhath Puja 2021: No mass gatherings at seafronts in Mumbai, says civic body Security beefed up outside Mukesh Ambani's Antilia after alert from taxi driver about suspicious passengers Aryan's drugs case: Seizure not conducted by authorized officer, court says while giving bail to woman accused Mumbai: Drug addict model arrested for pushing mother in bathroom India oi-Madhuri Adnal Mumbai, Oct 7: In a shocking incident, a drug addict 23-year-old model was arrested for allegedly pushing his mother during a fight, leading to her death. The two, along with the accused's fiancee, stayed in a rented flat in Cross Gate building in Mumbai's Lokhandwala area. Oshiwara police said that Lakshya Singh was arrested Friday in connection with the death of his mother Sunita Singh (45). Also Read | Drug trafficker nabbed in Noida It is learnt that the deceased hit her head on the wash basin and collapsed, and Lakshya locked the bathroom from outside. When Lakshya opened the door in the morning, he found his mother dead. Initial investigations have revealed that mother and son were addicted to drugs, said Shailesh Pasalwad, senior inspector, Oshiwara Police Station. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, October 7, 2018, 12:22 [IST] NIA to probe into the recovery of 20 AK-47 from a well in Bihar's Munger India oi-Vikas SV New Delhi, Oct -7: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will probe into the recovery of 20 AK-47 rifles from the Munger district of Bihar. 20 AK-47 semi-automatic rifles and over 500 parts have so far been recovered from Wardha village in the Munger district. The AK-47 rifles recovered from Munger were made in the Central Ordnance Depot in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. As per reports, police suspect that the AK-47 rifles and their spare parts were meant to be delivered to Maoists and terrorists. Also Read | This sophisticated weapon is the new headache in Kashmir Over one dozen persons have so far been arrested from Bihar, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh. The SP said Mohammad Riyazur Rehman, a retired army jawan, is the kingpin of the racket. Riyazur was arrested from Bengal's New Jalpaiguri on 9th September. Munger district of Bihar is notorious for illegal manufacturing of high quality advanced arms and ammunition for last several decades. Police began search operation on Saturday, September 29 in various parts of Munger. Initially, 281 spare parts of AK-47 assault rifle were recovered from the waters of River Ganga. Also Read | Bihar: 3-year-old girl who fell in borewell in Munger rescued More recoveries were made on Tuesday, October 2. Police conducted raids at the house of one Manzar Wardha village falling under Muffassil police station of Munger. Police found additional 91 spare parts of the assault rifle from a well inside the house. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, October 7, 2018, 10:34 [IST] Kovind begins 2-day visit to Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir today, to celebrate Dussehra with jawans in Drass President Ramnath Kovind leaves on a three day visit to Tajikistan India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Oct 7: President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday embarked on a three-day visit to Tajikistan during which he will hold talks with the top leadership of the country to strengthen India's ties with the Central Asian country. During his visit from October 7-9, he will meet his Tajik counterpart Emamoli Rahmon, Speaker of Parliament Shukurjon Zuhurov, and Speaker of the Lower House (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of Parliament. Tajik Prime Minister Qohir Rasulzoda will also call on the president, the Ministry of External Affairs said Saturday. Kovind will also visit the Tajik National University where he will deliver an address on 'Countering Radicalization: Challenges in Modern Societies'. Also Read | President's assent for IMC Ordinance for tertiary healthcare even in remote areas He will address the members of the Indian diaspora in Tajikistan during his three-day visit. The president will also pay his respects to Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore by visiting their memorials in Dushanbe and will offer floral tributes. This will be the first visit of Kovind to Central Asia. (with PTI inputs) For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, October 7, 2018, 12:56 [IST] Mathura rape: Court sentences 20 years in prison for his heinous act against mentally unsound girl Rape backlash: Fearing for lives workers from UP, MP and Bihar flee Gujarat India oi-Deepika S Patna, Oct 7: Hundreds of migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have left north Gujarat after protests broke out over the rape of a 14-month-old girl allegedly by a man from Bihar. The police said protests broke out in Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Patan, Sabarkantha and Mehsana a day after the accused was arrested. "In reaction to the Himmatnagar's Gambhoi rape incident, some people are targeting those who have come to Gujarat from other states. This is totally unacceptable," state police chief Shivanand Jha told news agency ANI. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav targeted PM Modi over the attacks and wrote on Twitter, "Dear @narendramodi Ji, Is it ur so called 'Wonder world of Gujrat' you had sold to Nation in 2014? People from UP, Bihar,MP being mobbed in Gujarat. BJP/RSS has turned Gujrat into a nursery of hatred & violence against poor, dalits & minorities. Shameful!" On September 28, a 14-month-old girl was allegedly raped in a village near Himmatnagar town of Sabarkantha district, around 100 km from Ahmedabad, the police had said. The victim belongs to the Thakor community. One Ravindra Sahu, a labourer hailing from Bihar and working in a local ceramic factory, was arrested the same day for the toddler's rape. According to a PTI report, on October 3, a mob allegedly comprising Thakor community members engaged in vandalism in Chandlodia area of Ahmedabad, demanding people from North India leave the city, said the police. However, Congress leader Alpesh Thakor later clarified that they never provoked any hatred. He said, "This is unfortunate, we have never advocated violence and only talked peace. All Indians are safe in Gujarat." OneIndia News (with PTI inputs) For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, October 7, 2018, 20:33 [IST] Brett Kavanaugh Overcoming unprecedented opposition mounted by Democrats and a series of allegations of sexual assault, Judge Brett Kavanagh was earlier confirmed by the Senate on the nine-member bench of the Supreme Court. Coming ahead of the crucial November 6 mid-term elections, the conformation of Kavanaugh as Supreme Court judge, albeit with a short majority, gives a major moral and political victory to President Donald Trump and his ruling Republican party. Also Read |Trump defends Brett Kavanaugh; Says "I don't drink" Brett Kavanaugh with family Retired Associate Justice Anthony M Kennedy administered the Judicial Oath. Wife Ashley Kavanaugh held the family Bible. Justice Kavanaugh's two daughters, Liza and Margaret, and his parents attended the ceremony. Kavanaugh replaces Kennedy, who had announced his resignation early this year. The swearing in of Kavanaugh as the Supreme Court judge brought to end weeks of bitterly fought battle between the ruling Republican and the opposition Democratic parties. Also Read |Trump makes fun of Christine Blasey Ford, says all she remembers is "I had one beer" A large group of protesters walking to the office of Senator Jeff Flake in Washington Things took an ugly turn in the last few weeks, when at least three women came forward with allegations that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted them. Millions of people inside US and abroad watched live on their television sets the open hearing of Kavanaugh and his first accuser Christine Ford, a professor in California. Under tremendous political pressure, Trump ordered a last-minute FBI supplemental inquiry, the results of which reports said did not prove the allegations. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Senator Kamala Harris speaking against Kavanaugh Kavanaugh is the second Supreme Court nominee of President Donald Trump to be confirmed by the Senate. Trump who was on a November 6 mid-term election campaign trail in Kansas called Kavanaugh to congratulate him on his confirmation and swearing in. "I just congratulated him," he said, "Congratulations". It was well fought. I mean, who would have thought a thing like that could've happened -- what he's been through? Everything was uncorroborated," he told reporters in Topeka, Kansas. Also Read |Trump nominates Brett Kavanaugh to replace retiring judge Kennedy US President Donald Trump Describing Kavanaugh as an outstanding person, Trump alleged that in recent weeks he and his family suffered a lot because of the opposition Democratic lawmakers who according to him supported an uncorroborated allegation of sexual assault against him. "We're very honored that he was able to withstand this horrible, horrible attack by the Democrats. It's a horrible attack that nobody should have to go through," he said. "But the beautiful thing is, he is now in. He's going to be there for a long time. And he's just an outstanding intellect, outstanding scholar, a brilliant lawyer -- brilliant at everything he's ever done. So we're very happy. It was a great vote, a very historic vote," Trump said. Even as he was being sworn in inside the Supreme Court, scores of people protested across the street at the Capitol. Pakistan hit my mysterious viral fever: All you need to know Imran Khan vows greater share for Balochistan in game-changer CPEC International oi-Shubham Ghosh Islamabad, Oct 7: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has vowed to give Balochistan, one of his country's troubled provinces, more than what its due in the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, often considered a game-changer in the country's economic fortunes. Khan, who took as Pakistan's 22nd premier in August, made his first visit to Balochistan and he chaired a cabinet meeting in the provincial capital Quetta. The prime minister was accompanied by other top ministers of the government besides provincial leaders and other assistants. "Progress of the country is linked with development of Balochistan. The federal government will extend all possible cooperation to Balochistan to overcome its financial crisis and eliminate poverty. Balochistan would be paid more than its due share in the CPEC projects," Pakistan's The Express Tribune quoted the 65-year-old as saying. Also Read | How Pakistan fell into China's debt trap Khan also said on the occasion that he will remain in constant touch with Balochistan's Chief Minister Jam Kamal and other stakeholders to ensure that the province doesn't miss out from getting its share in the country's progress. "A comprehensive strategy would be worked out for an early progress of Balochistan in light of proposals to be submitted by the provincial government," Khan said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, October 7, 2018, 16:41 [IST] Ahead of Xi-Biden summit, China asks the US to stop supporting 'Taiwan independence' As new envoy to China, Pradeep Rawat has his hands full Interpol officer being probed on suspicion of violating law, says China International oi-PTI Beijing, Oct 7: The disciplinary organ of China's ruling Communist Party says the head of Interpol, a senior Chinese official, is under investigation on suspicion of unspecified legal violations. The party's watchdog for graft and political disloyalty said on its website late Sunday that Meng Hongwei, China's vice minister of public security, is "suspected of violating the law and is currently under the monitoring and investigation" of China's new anti-corruption body, the National Supervision Commission. Interpol president missing after trip to China" title=" Interpol president missing after trip to China" /> Interpol president missing after trip to China Interpol, which is based in Lyon, said Saturday it made a formal request to China for information about Meng. Wife of missing Interpol officer says he sent knife image as danger signal The wife of the missing president of Interpol says her husband sent her an image of a knife before he disappeared during a trip to their native China. Making her first public comments on the mystery surrounding Meng Hongwei's whereabouts, Grace Meng told reporters in Lyon, France on Sunday she thinks the knife was her husband's way of trying to tell her he was in danger. Imran Khan vows greater share for Balochistan in game-changer CPEC She says she has had no further contact with him since the message that was sent on September 25. She says four minutes before Meng shared the image, he had sent a message saying, "Wait for my call." She says she hasn't heard from him since and does not know what happened to him. Meng's wife said he had travelled back to China for work, after a visit to the Nordics. "His job is very busy," she said. "We connected every day." Meng is a senior Chinese security official as well as president of the International Criminal Police Organization. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, October 7, 2018, 23:35 [IST] Kim, Pompeo agree to 2nd US-North Korea summit 'at earliest date' International pti-PTI Seoul, Oct 7: Kim Jong Un has agreed to hold a second summit with US President Donald Trump as soon as possible, Seoul said Sunday, after Washington's top diplomat held "productive" talks on denuclearisation with the North Korean leader in Pyongyang. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Kim on Sunday morning for around two hours of talks followed by a lunch in the North's capital, before flying to Seoul on a whirlwind diplomatic visit to the region. US State Secy Mike Pompeo visits N Korea again, meets Kim Jong-un Pompeo said "he agreed with Chairman Kim to hold the second US-North Korea summit at the earliest date possible," South Korea's presidential office said in a statement, although no specific time or location has yet been agreed. Pompeo and Kim also discussed "denuclearisation steps that will be taken by North Korea and the issue of attendance by the US government," as well as "corresponding measures" to be taken by the US, the statement said. The visit was Pompeo's fourth to North Korea. Tension between US and China prompts Pompeo to visit Beijing US President Donald Trump met Kim in Singapore in June for the first-ever summit between the countries, resulting in what critics say was only a vague commitment by Kim towards denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. "We continue to make progress on agreements made at Singapore Summit. Thanks for hosting me and my team," Pompeo tweeted. Kim also praised their "nice meeting", telling Pompeo via an interpreter following the morning's talks that it was "a very nice day that promises a good future ... for both countries." Since the Singapore summit, the road towards warmer ties has been bumpy. Washington and Pyongyang have sparred over the exact terms of the vaguely-worded agreement in Singapore, with the US pushing to maintain sanctions and pressure against the North until its "final, fully verified denuclearisation". Last month the North's foreign minister told the United Nations there was "no way" his country would disarm first as long as tough US sanctions remain against his country. After a previous visit to Pyongyang in July, Pompeo had said the two foes made progress on key issues -- but within hours of his departure the North condemned "gangster-like" demands from the US, raising questions over how much the two sides really saw eye to eye. Meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un in 'not-too-distant future' Another planned trip by Pompeo to Pyongyang was scrapped after what Trump said was insufficient progress towards implementing the terms of the Singapore declaration. An official on Sunday's latest visit to Pyongyang with Pompeo said the trip was "better than the last time", but added: "It's going to be a long haul." Following his arrival in Seoul from Pyongyang on Sunday, Pompeo said at a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in that he had "a good productive conversation" with Kim, in talks which represented "another step forward". The dovish Moon, who held three summits with Kim this year and also brokered the Trump-Kim summit in Singapore, said Sunday the "whole world" was watching with keen interest the outcomes of Pompeo's trip. "I hope your trip to North Korea and the upcoming second US-North Korea summit will provide a good opportunity for achieving irreversible, decisive progress in terms of denuclearisation and the peace process on the Korean peninsula." Analysts say Washington may now consider new options as China, Russia and South Korea seek to relax sanctions. "North Korea took some steps towards denuclearisation and the US will face criticism from the international community if it continues to demand complete denuclearisation without any lifting of sanctions," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "We can't rule out the possibility that Washington... may move in the direction of partial easing of sanctions based on progress in denuclearisation," he said. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has given a hint of what a grand bargain between the two countries could look like. In an interview with the Washington Post, she said the North could agree to dismantle Yongbyon, its signature nuclear site. In exchange, the United States would declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War -- which concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty -- but North Korea would stop short of delivering an exhaustive list of its nuclear facilities, she said. After Seoul, Pompeo ends his trip Monday in China, North Korea's political and economic lifeline. The Beijing stop could be tense as it comes days after Vice President Mike Pence delivered a blistering speech accusing China of military aggression, commercial theft, rising human rights violations and electoral intervention against Trump. PTI Talks with China will not help says USA NSA on situation on Ladakh 20 members of a family removed from US flight after mask of 1 slipped under nose US rejects ICJ ruling that asked it to ease action on Iran International oi-Shubham Ghosh Washington, Oct 7: The United States this week continued with its strong stand rejecting multilateral bodies after it pulled out of an International Court of Justice (ICJ) protocol and a 1955 treaty of friendship with Iran. The US's latest moves were triggered by the ICJ's ruling on October 3 that the former must ensure that its sanctions on Iran did not affect the West Asian nation's humanitarian aid or civil aviation safety, CNBC reported. The ruling cannot be enforced. The US officials were least moved, however, with President Donald Trump's National Security Advisor (NSA) John Bolton revealing that the US would give up the "optional protocol" under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations - a 1961 international treaty that outlines diplomatic ties between nations. Also Read | Will raise Syria, Ukraine issues with Putin in upcoming summit: Trump The 1955 Treaty of Amity was signed between the US and its supported Shah regime in Tehran before the latter was overthrown in 1979. It had established friendly ties and the right to ICJ arbitration whenever disputes arose. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, October 7, 2018, 14:58 [IST] - T. S. Eliot Thoughts After Lambeth "The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us; to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the World from suicide." Shares in the companies fell more than 20 per cent to multi-year lows on Friday before recovering marginally. The Indian government on Saturday sought to assure investors that the government would not go back to regulating fuel prices, a day after oil company shares tumbled on concerns about a return to a regime that has hurt their profits in the past. New Delhi: The Indian government on Saturday sought to assure investors that the government would not go back to regulating fuel prices, a day after oil company shares tumbled on concerns about a return to a regime that has hurt their profits in the past. The government said on Thursday it was cutting petrol and diesel by 2.50 rupees per litre to help Indians struggling to pay fuel prices that had climbed on the back of a rise in global crude prices and a weakening rupee. The move was seen as a reversal of a 2014 decision to scrap regulated fuel prices - a regime that was blamed for deterring state oil marketing firms from expanding and for choking off investment in domestic oil fields by Indias biggest oil producer. "Let me categorically assure all that there is no going back on deregulation of oil prices," India's finance minister Arun Jaitley said in a Facebook post on Saturday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi freed up the price of diesel in October 2014 after a decade of regulation, saying it would encourage competition among vehicle fuel retailers and enhance efficiency in oil company services. Experts said it was one of his most far reaching reforms after previous governments failed to free the price of diesel, Indias most widely used transport fuel. Petrol prices were freed up by the former government of the Congress party in 2010. The price cut reduced the governments excise duty by 1.50 rupees per litre and cut one rupee per litre on the amount charged by state-run oil marketing firms Indian Oil Corp, Bharat Petroleum Corp and Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Shares in the companies fell more than 20 per cent to multi-year lows on Friday before recovering marginally. The actors last release Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety that crossed the 100 crore mark has been a hot favorite among producers. Director Imtiaz Ali had recently announced that he has developed a series of scripts and would like to make them under his production banner Window Seat Films LLP. Now we hear that Imtiaz has signed Kartik Aaryaan in the lead role for the film, which is touted to be his next oeuvre after the failure of his Shah Rukh KhanAnushka Sharma starrer Jab Harry Met Sejal. Kartik has just finished the shoot of Luka Chhupi and is also slated to shoot for the Hindi remake of Kirik Party/Kirrak Party (Kannada/Telugu). The final bound script of the film is taking some time in the making and the makers Dheeraj Wadhavan and Ajay Kapoor want the script of the Abhishek Jain directed film to be perfect before they lock in on the shooting dates. So, it has been delayed by a couple of months, says a source. So, Kartik is expected to feature in Imtiazs film after he wraps up the remake. The actors last release Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety that crossed the 100 crore mark has been a hot favorite among producers. But a couple of announcements for him have ended up as false starts. Hopefully, this one wont. Sanskriti Media PM Modi and Vladimir Putin saw a video of Mahatma Gandhi's favourite devotional song 'Vaishnav Jan To', rendered by a Russian artiste. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday showed Russian President Vladimir Putin a video of a rendition of Mahatma Gandhi's favourite devotional song 'Vaishnav Jan To' by a Russian artiste, a gesture that showed close friendship between the two leaders. A video of PM Modi showing the video to Putin during the lunch hosted in his honour was posted by Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar. Putin is seen watching the video with keen interest. Sharing something special! PM @narendramodi showing the rendition of 'Vaishnav Jan To' bhajan by Russian artist @SatiKazanova to President Putin during the lunch hosted in honour of the Russian leader in New Delhi. pic.twitter.com/fjoLKRKbYt Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) October 5, 2018 Raveesh Kumar also posted a video of the rendition of 'Vaishnav Jan To' by Russian artiste Sati Kazanova released as part of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary celebrations. On the occasion of visit of Russian President @KremlinRussia_E to India, we are happy to present the video of #VaishnavJanTo created to commemorate #BapuAt150 by Russian artist @SatiKazanova who shares her birthday with #MahatmaGandhi! #DruzbaDosti pic.twitter.com/VbVBR4Cj6X Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) October 5, 2018 'Vaishnav Jan To' has gone global with artistes from more than 124 countries contributing musically in paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi through the 'bhajan'. On the 149th birth anniversary of the Mahatma earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a medley version of the popular 'bhajan' by artistes from over 40 countries, during the closing ceremony of the Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Conference in New Delhi. General Bipin Rawat said India was looking forward to procuring Kamov helicopters and other weapon systems and technology from Russia. General Bipin Rawat, who returned on Saturday night after a six-day visit to Russia, held talks with military officials of that country to enhance bilateral cooperation. (Photo: File | ANI) New Delhi: Amid fears of US sanctions over the S-400 deal with Russia, Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Sunday asserted that India follows an independent policy and was also keen on getting the Kamov helicopters and other weapon systems from Moscow. India and Russia on Friday signed a multi-billion-dollar deal to procure the S-400 Triumf air defence system, which could attract sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). The act is primarily aimed at countering Russia, Iran and North Korea. India and Russia concluded the deal notwithstanding the US warning that it would be a "focus area" for it to implement punitive sanctions against a nation undertaking "significant" business deals with the Russians. Gen Rawat, who returned on Saturday night after a six-day visit to Russia, held talks with military officials of that country to enhance bilateral cooperation. He said the Russians were very keen on associating with the Indian Army and defence forces. Because they do understand that we are a strong Army, capable of standing up for what is right for us, based on our strategic thought process, he said. The Army chief was speaking at the Gen K V Krishna Rao Memorial lecture in the national capital. On his Russian visit, Gen Rawat recalled a question posed to him by a Russian naval officer that India seemed to be looking westwards at America, which has put sanctions on Russia, and that Washington has also threatened to impose restrictions on New Delhi for dealing with Moscow. To this, Rawat responded saying, "Yes, we do appreciate that there could be sanctions on us, but we follow an independent policy. Rawat also sought to assuage Russian concerns over India's growing ties with the US. You (Russia) can be rest assured (that) while we may be associating with America in getting some technology, but we follow an independent policy. I told them while we are talking sanctions and you are questioning on sanctions, President Vladimir Putin and Mr. Narendra Modi, at this juncture, are signing the treaty on the purchase of S-400 weapon system in spite of the fact that we may face challenges from America in the future, the Army chief said. Rawat said India was looking forward to procuring Kamov helicopters and other weapon systems and technology from Russia. He said New Delhi was looking to get space-based systems and technologies from Moscow to enhance its space capabilities. There is no end in sight to the manner in which we can cooperate with your country. I think the way forward is to see what is best for the nation, strategically important for us, he had said. He also differed on a portion of SC ruling on adultery, saying it may end up converting Indian family system into a Western family system. On the Supreme Court allowing women's entry into the Sabarimala shrine, Jaitley said such a ruling cannot happen on select practices as it may have many social consequences. (Photo: File) New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said he did not agree with the portion of the historic Supreme Court judgment decriminalising consensual gay sex that called sexuality a part of free speech, as he felt it raises questions on restraining any form of homosexual or bisexual activity in a school hostel, prison or army frontier. He also differed on a portion of the top court ruling on adultery, saying it may end up converting the Indian family system into a Western family system. On the Supreme Court allowing women's entry into the Sabarimala shrine, he said such a ruling cannot happen on select practices as it may have many social consequences. Speaking at the HT Leadership Summit, Jaitley said the judgment decriminalising gay sex was fine but "the problem comes when writing these historical judgements, you get carried away and want to be part of history and therefore you go a step further". He said he fairly agreed with the reasoning given by the court in the judgement that sexual activity is part of Article 21 of the Constitution that guarantees right of life and that no discrimination on the basis of sex should be there, but added that he completely disagrees with the reasoning that sexual activity is part of free speech. "Because I think that's little excessive and consequences of that may not be on decriminalisation. Free speech is entirely a different gambit, it can be restrained on the reasons of sovereignty, security, public order and so on and mind you there is a tendency of creating new fundamental rights every day. "So when you convert this into a fundamental right and say its free speech then how do you restrain any form of sexual activity, homosexual or bisexual in a school hostel, prison, army frontier," he said. Stating that this requires further debate, Jaitley said this reasoning was not necessary for deciding the case of Section 377 which decriminalised gay sex. On the Supreme Court ruling on adultery, he said some of the judges said these are matrimonial offences and personal wrongs and not public wrongs. "So, therefore, it is outside the purview of criminal law. Would that cover bigamy or polygamy also which are personal wrong? Would that cover cruelty? Would that cover dowry offences? Now this logic covering them, then it would be a wholly anti-women judgement," he said. He said he was not in dispute that the "very badly worded section" on adultery needed to be quashed but "the later view may find a reference in some western journals very favourably but it may end up converting Indian family system into Western family system where the fragility of marriage as an institution itself will increase." "Therefore you probably require to debate the second part of the observation which again was not necessary for deciding this case," said Jaitley. On the Sabarimala ruling, Jaitley said if you want to take a progressive step, then Articles 14 and 21 will apply against all religions. "It can't happen that you select a practice and apply it because that will have many many social consequences in pluralist society like India. If you start stepping into the religious practices and customs and say (Article) 14 must be tested on... personal law and (Article) 14 must be tested in Article 21, then will it apply to polygamy? Will it apply to oral divorces? Will it apply to other religions where ladies are not allowed to enter religious places? "If you have a selective practice and then you use an argument to say well we will decide this issue in some other case every time it arises. If you are being progressive and bold then it must be uniformly so and that does not seem to be happening....if you are willing to proclaim you must be willing to strike," he said. Gandhi offers prayers at the bank of river in Jabalpur. Congress president Rahul Gandhi with Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia take an oath for cleaning Narmada during Maha Aarti at the bank of river Narmada, in Jabalpur. (Photo: PTI) Bhopal: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday turned Narmada Bhakta while sounding bugle for his party in Mahakoshal region of Madhya Pradesh for the November 20 Assembly elections in the state. Mr Gandhi offered prayers at Uma Ghat, the bank of Narmada in district headquarters of Jabalpur when he was sworn along with a host of Congress leaders by a little girl to keep the mighty river, lifeline of MP and Gujarat, clean. He also performed Maha Aarti (moving lighted lamps in a particular way) at the river bank to pay obeisance to Narmada, presiding deity of Madhya Pradesh, before launching a seven-km road show in Jabalpur city. This was his third visit to MP in last one month. He had on September 20 visited Bhopal to launch party campaign in Madhya Bharat or central MP, when he was projected as Shiv Bhakt by the party. A week later, he sounded poll bugle for the party in Vindya region of MP when he was projected as Ram Bhakt by the party. He had launched the party campaign in the region after offering prayer at a Ram temple at Chitrakoot in Satna district then. Earlier in the morning, he staged a road show in district headquarters of Morena in Mahakoshal and later addressed a public meeting there. He vowed to introduce Tribal Bill in poll-bound states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan to ensure rights of adivasis on their lands and other resources in their respective areas, if Congress returned to power in these states in the November-December polls. He criticised the land acquisition policy of the Centre saying that it ensured easy transfer of farm lands to industries causing miseries to the farmers. Land acquisition policy is the biggest scam in the country, he said. He also promised to bring necessary amendments in the current crop insurance policy to benefit the farmers if Congress returned to power at the Centre. Mr Gandhi also reiterated his charge that Rafale deal was struck by the Centre to benefit an industrialist. Kyiv iGaming Affiliate Conference Coming Next Month Published October 7, 2018 by Mike P Coming up on 15 November 2018 will be the Kyiv iGaming Affiliate Conference, which is going to attract professionals from all levels of the industry. Attendees should mark 15 November 2018 in their calendars for the forthcoming Kyiv iGaming Affiliate Conference. Any iGaming professionals interested in attending should note that the conference is going to be hosted at AO Event Hall, Baseyna str., 2a, Kyiv, Ukraine. The scale of the Kyiv iGaming Affiliate Conference is one that can attract more than 180 experts from over 20 countries in the world. Meanwhile, the organiser is capable of promoting the conference among more than 400 events and over 400 companies that have previously worked with International Smile-Expo. Professional Attendees The organising company, International Smile-Expo, has arranged for iGaming professionals to attend from the Ukraine and farther afield. Some of the those professionals will be leading key discussions, while others shall be on hand to participate in the various discussions and also work on building up networking opportunities for their organisation. The professionals expected to attend are going to provide expertise across a wide-ranging variety of skill-sets, based on the roles they inhabit within iGaming. At a glance, some of the most common examples will include the likes of gambling operators, gambling managers, affiliate programmes, affiliate networks, webmasters, SEO specialist, and various others. Conference Topics The Kyiv iGaming Affiliate Conference is equipped to cover a spread of different topics related to all sorts of professionals and companies. At a glance, some of the prospective topics would be learning how to work efficiently with affiliate networks, using arbitrage principles across social media profiles, and making content that can entertain players. Going into the greater depth, the conference has also attempt to shed light on more complex topics of discussion. For example, this could entail figuring out how to climb to the top of iGaming niches, avoiding the threat of programed bots in online advertising, and building up segments in foreign markets. The incident occurred at Sonarpur's Gobindopur area and the owner of the factory has been detained. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, a police officer said adding that there was a couple of blasts from the factory which damaged a few nearby houses. (Photo: Twitter | ANI) Kolkata: At least six persons were injured when a fire broke out at a fireworks factory on Sunday in South 24 Parganas district, police said. The incident occurred at Sonarpur's Gobindopur area and the owner of the factory has been detained. Three fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames which broke out at the factory at around 12:40 pm on Sunday, they said. "This was a small factory with only a tin shed and small walls on four sides. There were some finished and unfinished firecrackers at the factory. So far, six persons were injured in the mishap. They have been sent to a nearby hospital," a fire department official said. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, a police officer said adding that there was a couple of blasts from the factory which damaged a few nearby houses. "We have detained the owner of the factory for questioning and trying to find out what was the cause of the fire," the officer said adding that the fire was brought under control. This wonderful Ireland trip was short, from Jan 11 to 19 this year, but brimming with sightseeing activities. We really just slept in the hotel. We even refused to eat in the hotel restaurants, except breakfast for the first full day, because we were so eager to get out and see the sights. Despite the cold, the rain and windy conditions, we managed to find our way to every one on our list of must-sees on our own with the husband driving on the other side of the road for the first time and getting acclimated using roundabouts. Our hearts are full of wonderful memories of our short visit of the country and are hoping we could someday go back on a much longer visit so that we could revisit these places and see other cities that we missed.Here are the highlights of this trip.My first Guinness came the first night we arrived at our hotel in Kilkenny.My first castle - Kilkenny Castle.Waterford is not only popular for glassware, but also the country's oldest city founded by the Vikings.The husband got to kiss the Blarney Stone. I didn't. I already talk too much.Bunratty Castle and Heritage Park is an interesting spot.The Cliffs of Moher are definitely a must-see.In Galway, we got to chill in a pub and listen to traditional Irish music.Learning about whiskey on a distillery tour in Kilbeggan.Walking the streets of Dublin provides the visitor with many little surprises in every corner.The Guinness Storehouse experience is a must do of course.The full Irish breakfast is heavy and filling but will supply you with enough energy to power your day of sightseeing. It was too heavy and full that we only ate it once.This plain looking meal is one of my favorites here - it's a seafood chowder. It's really really good.The churches are imposing and beautiful.While one week is definitely short and not enough, I consider myself extremely blessed and lucky to see the place that I've been dreaming of since childhood. Hope I get lucky some more to make a return visit.Thank you for hanging with me through the Ireland posts. Cuffe Parade police got the details with the help of bank account in Punjab National Bank that was being used by Sharma. The call centre in Noida procured contact details from Monster and Shine job websites where Rana and Tiwari were formerly employees. (Representational image) Mumbai: The Cuffe Parade police station busted a call centre that operated from Noida and cheated over 100 jobseekers by stating the victims had been hired by banks among other organisations. The accused would procure data of jobseekers from online portals and charge money from the victims to complete process. Apart from Mumbai, the victims span from several other states including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, official said. The accused had also issued forged appointment letters to the victims and one of the accused is a former employee of the job portal who sold data of seekers. The money would be deposited in the bank accounts of commoners who were paid Rs 4,000 commission. The police have arrested six persons from Noida who have been identified as Devrishi Sharma (24), Vikrant Giri (25), Jaydeep Shastri (29), Shashank Du-bey (28), Sonal Rana (35) and Manoj Tiwari (32). The investigators said that the police began investigation in 2017 after they received a complaint from a woman stating she was duped of over Rs 1 lakh in an alleged job racket. The accused would get money deposited in the bank accounts of other persons by giving them a commission of Rs 4,000 for using their accounts to park money. The money would be quickly withdrawn too by them. Sev-eral bank passbooks have also been seized for scrutiny, said Abhishek Trim-ukhe, deputy commissioner of police, zone I. Cuffe Parade police got the details with the help of bank account in Punjab National Bank that was being used by Sharma. The Mumbai-based victim was informed that she had received a job and was also given a forged appointment letter of a bank. The call centre in Noida procured contact details from Monster and Shine job websites where Rana and Tiwari were formerly employees. Dubey was director of the fraudulent call centre with registered name of All India Networking Faculty Icon Pvt Ltd from Noida. Dubey would buy the details and would subsequently dupe the victims on pretext of interview, documentation, etc. The accused had been booked under IPC sections 420 and 34 and relevant sections of the IT Act. They have been rema-nded to police custody. Filmmaker Hansal Mehta, screenwriter Apurva Asrani, Sacred Games star Kubbra Sait, were among those who were angry. Mumbai: Filmmaker Hansal Mehta and screenwriter Apurva Asrani are among the first voices from the Hindi film industry to condemned Queen director Vikas Bahl over the sexual harassment allegations against him. Last year, a woman employee at Phantom Films, which had Bahl as one of the partners alongside Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane and Madhu Mantena, had levelled allegations of molestation against Bahl, who she said behaved inappropriately during a trip to Goa. In a recent article in Huffpost India, the woman has reiterated the allegations, sharing further details about the incident. According to the report, in October 2015, the woman reached out to Kashyap and detailed her experience, but no action was taken while Bahl continued to harass her until she finally quit the company. Sharing the article on Twitter, Mehta wrote, "Will anybody do anything about this bloody creep or will the industry protect him like it always does?" Will anybody do anything about this bloody creep or will the industry protect him like it always does? 'Queen' Director Vikas Bahl Sexually Assaulted Me, Phantom Films Did Nothing: Survivor Speaks Out https://t.co/dKeqlMkE0n Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) October 6, 2018 Asrani said such incidents made him feel "sick". "Why was no action taken against Vikas Bahl in over 3 years? To think that the victim had to continue to work in the same office and even be assigned to report to him is awful," he tweeted. This story makes me sick. Why was no action taken against Vikas Bahl in over 3 years?? To think that the victim had to continue to work in the same office & even be assigned to report to him is awful. Terrific reportage @aktalkies https://t.co/nbmE3rrJ6f Apurva Asrani (@Apurvasrani) October 6, 2018 Critically-acclaimed filmmaker Onir said it was sad that some of the biggest stars in the Hindi film industry were still working with Bahl. "It's sad that in spite of knowing the truth... studios and stars continue to turn a blind eye to the perpetrators." Thank you @aktalkies for bring out the story. Its sad that inspite of knowing the truth... studios and stars continue to turn a blind eye to teh perpetrators . Onir (@IamOnir) October 6, 2018 Bahl is currently directing his next venture Super 30, featuring Hrithik Roshan in the lead. Quoting the story, Sacred Games actor Kubbra Sait tweeted, "The details in here are gory. But necessary to read. May the girl continue to fight knowing that her story isn't wasted. Thank You for the courage. #MeToo #TimesUp". The details in here are gory. But necessary to read. May the girl continue to fight knowing that her story isnt wasted. Thank You for the courage. #MeToo #TimesUp https://t.co/s5AF8kLQxU Kubbra Sait (@kubrasait) October 6, 2018 Shubh Mangal Saavdhan director R S Prasanna said the revelations were "shocking". "This is so very shocking. #MeToo seems to have become the forest fire that it deserves to be," he said. This is so very shocking. #MeToo seems to have become the forest fire that it deserves to be. https://t.co/AB27t5c2Ft R S Prasanna (@rs_prasanna) October 6, 2018 Producer-director Nikkhil Advani said serious action must be taken against the culprit. "Serious action, serious introspection and serious correction is required from an industry that has forever been plagued with ill repute. This is not the story of one girl or one incident but symptomatic of a work ethic at large," he wrote. Serious action, serious introspection and serious correction is required from an industry that has forever been plagued with ill repute. This is not the story of one girl or one incident but symptomatic of a work ethic at large. @aktalkies @HuffPostIndia https://t.co/ZkGcMe5qZ8 Nikkhil Advani (@nikkhiladvani) October 6, 2018 In the article, which has since become viral on social media, Kashyap has admitted he had failed the woman, three years after he first learnt of the allegations. "Whatever happened was wrong. We didn't handle it well, we failed. I cannot blame anyone but myself. But now we are determined to do better. We believe her completely. She has our undying support. What Bahl has done is horrifying. We are already on our path of course correction and will do everything in our capacity to fix it," Kashyap said. According to the publication they had also sent detailed questionnaires to Phantom Films's remaining three partners -- Bahl, Motwane and Mantena. Before the article was published, the four partners Saturday announced that have decided to dissolve their joint banner Phantom Films, without citing the reason for this decision. Beverage Refrigeration Market Trends & Forecast To 2024 Key Players are GE, Electrolux, Whirlpool Corporation, Dover Corporation, Haier. Countertop beverage refrigerator https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2111 https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/2111 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/beverage-refrigeration-market www.gminsights.com/ North America Beverage Refrigeration Market is anticipated to surpass USD 1 billion by 2024. This can be credited to escalating consumption of refreshment drinks and technological improvements in refrigeration systems. In addition, government encouraging utilization of energy-efficient and eco-friendly technologies in refrigerators.Escalating demand for refrigerators to store and serve drinks for social gathering and private events, is a key factor driving beverage refrigeration market growth. Ongoing technological advances to reduce the overall cooling time and consumer demand for distinctive features such as bottom freezer drawer and powerful filtered water will boost beverage refrigeration market. Beverage Refrigeration Market to reach USD 4.5 billion by 2024.Sample copy of this Report @Rising demand to preserve milk in dairy shops will propel coolers demand over the projected timeframe. Diary companies are upgrading their existing capacities, and setting up cold storages along with the processing plant. This will generate the overall revenue over the forecast period.Increasing consumer preference for packaged drinks which are convenient to consume at home will support the product demand. According to recent statistics, the global consumption of packaged drinks was estimated more than 1.05 trillion liters in 2016 and Chinese consumption amounted to about 178.6 billion liters.Beverage Refrigeration Market, By Producto Under counter beverage refrigerator Gliding door Swing Dooro Countertop beverage refrigerator Gliding door Swing dooro Storage beverage refrigeratoro Milk coolersMake an Inquiry for purchasing this Report @Under counter beverage refrigerator was valued at over USD 1 billion in 2016. Product offering such as stainless-steel body or custom panel-ready fronts are stimulating the demand. In addition, better shelving and temperature control will support segment penetration over the forecast period.Manufacturers are anticipated to invest in new product development to comply with new energy standards implemented by the regulatory bodies. Further, increasing penetration of refrigerators that employ specific features such as modifiable shelves to accommodate bottles and cans will boost product sales.Browse Report Summery @Asia Pacific market holds over 20% of overall industry share in 2016. According to industry estimates, the region is anticipated to account for more than two-thirds of the global beverages consumption by 2020. The region accounts for 60% of the world population and increasing consumption will provide lucrative opportunities for manufacturers.Global Beverage Refrigeration Market is fragmented in nature. Key industry players are Electrolux, Daikin Industries, Avanti, Dover Corporation, KingsBottle, Whirlpool Corporation, Edgestar, Haier, Ford and General Electrics. Other Industry participants are Koolatron, Coca-Cola, Danfoss, Gamko, Liebherr, Marvel, Kegco, Danby, Johnson Controls, U-line, HABCO, Allavino, Kenmore, Marvel, United Technologies Corporation and Illinois Tool Works.About Global Market Insights:Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone:1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb: Halal Cosmetics Market Analysis, Chemicals and Materials Innovation by Top Key Players Mena Cosmetics, MMA Bio Lab Sdn Bhd, The Halal Cosmetics Company, Talent Cosmetic Co., Ltd., PHB Ethical Beauty, Saaf SkinCare, One Pure. Halal Cosmetics Market Size, Halal Cosmetics Market Share https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/halal-cosmetics-market/request-for-free-sample https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/halal-cosmetics-market/inquire-before-buying https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/halal-cosmetics-market www.polarismarketresearch.com The Global Halal Cosmetics market study focuses major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. It provides information on trends and developments, and focuses on markets and materials, capacities and technologies, and on the changing structure.The global halal cosmetics market is anticipated to reach USD 22.56 billion by 2026 according to a new study published by Polaris Market Research. The market growth is primarily due to increase in Muslim populations and their purchasing power. This has created a surge in demand for halal cosmetics. Increasing demand has also compelled market players to engage in new product development. Halal cosmetics market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.0% between 2018 and 2026.Request For Sample Report @Currently, consumers are exhibiting growing interest in halal cosmetics and personal care. This is primarily due to the increasing consumer awareness about the importance of personal hygiene and improving lifestyles as a result of increasing disposable income. Halal cosmetics being different from conventional cosmetics are gaining popularity, as these cosmetics do not contain alcohol, porcine-by products and their derivatives. Basically, they do not contain contents or ingredients that are against Islamic beliefs.Halal cosmetics are expected to be produced, packaged, stored, and distributed as per Islamic teachings. Moreover, these products are considered to be safe, clean, and high quality. The significant growth in Muslim populations across the globe is expected to offer immense opportunities to personal care and halal cosmetics industry. In addition, the rapidly accelerating economic power of Islamic countries is anticipated to largely influence them to spend additional money on beauty and personal products.The growing issues over the environmental and health hazards are also responsible for such as significant impact on the cosmetic industry. Some of the health hazards such as distortion, breast cancer, and abnormalities pertaining to genital are usually blamed to occur as a result of excessive usage of cosmetics products comprising nano-particle ingredients.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @Table Of Content - Snapshot1. Overview and Scope2. Executive Summary3. Halal Cosmetics Market Insights4. Halal Cosmetics Market Size and Forecast by Product Type5. Halal Cosmetics Market Size and Forecast by Application6. Halal Cosmetics Market Size and Forecast by Distribution type7. Halal Cosmetics Market Size and Forecast by Regions8. Company Profiles.Browse Full Report @Major Key Player: -Ivy Beauty Corporation Sdn Bhd, Mena Cosmetics, MMA Bio Lab Sdn Bhd, The Halal Cosmetics Company, Talent Cosmetic Co., Ltd., PHB Ethical Beauty, Saaf SkinCare, One Pure, Sampure Minerals, Amara Cosmetics, Wardah Cosmetics, Inika, Clara International, Prolab, and IBA Halal Care.Low level of awareness about the presence of halal cosmetic brands is acting as a challenge to the industry. As a consequence, the industry is not experiencing heavy demands as expected out of its potentials. Moreover, halal issues within the sector are considered quiet minor among consumers in comparison to food consumption. Thus, this requires manufacturers to improve their marketing strategies and production facilities. Furthermore, it becomes difficult to understand consumer perspective about halal cosmetic brands.About us Polaris Market ResearchPolaris Market Research is a global market research and consulting company. We provide unmatched quality of offerings to our clients present globally. The company specializes in providing exceptional market intelligence and in-depth business research services for our clientele spread across different enterprises. We at Polaris are obliged to serve our diverse customer base present across the industries of healthcare, technology, semi-conductors and chemicals among various other industries present around the world. We strive to provide our customers with updated information on innovative technologies, high growth markets, emerging business environments and latest business-centric applications, thereby helping them always to make informed decisions and leverage new opportunities.We mainly focus on aiding our customers with substantial competitive intelligence, helping them to secure a competitive advantage in the market and accomplish sustainable growth in different market domains. Adept with a highly competent, experienced and extremely qualified team of experts comprising SMEs, analysts and consultants, we at Polaris endeavor to deliver value-added business solutions to our customers. Through dedicated qualitative and quantitative primary and secondary market research and consulting assignments, we adeptly formulate competitive strategies to address business challenges for our clients through analyzing market trends and emerging technologies.Contact us-Mr. NeelCorporate Sales, USAPolaris Market ResearchPhone: 1-646-568-9980Email: sales@polarismarketresearch.comWeb: Medicare open enrollment runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. During this period, seniors 65 and older, and other Medicare enrollees, can switch providers of their comprehensive health and drug plans. Here's a guide to some of the choices they face. BASIC MEDICARE More than 830,000 Oregonians are enrolled in some form of Medicare insurance, according to U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data. About 453,000 of them stick with basic coverage, known as Parts A and B. Premiums: $135.50 is standard in 2019, up from $134 in 2018, according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Higher-income taxpayers (singles making more than $85,000 a year or couples earning more than $170,000) will pay considerably more likely in the $188 to $455 a month range, and about 3.5 percent of enrollees will pay less than the standard rate. Enrollment periods: There's a seven-month enrollment window starting three months before the month you turn 65. Those who miss this initial enrollment period can sign up between Jan. 1 and March 31 each year. Those who are 65 and older and still working have eight months after their employment ends or group insurance coverage terminates to enroll. MEDICARE ADVANTAGE About 376,000 Oregon Medicare enrollees, or 45 percent, choose to pay a bit extra for private insurers to deliver their medical coverage, federal data show. That's one of the highest U.S. enrollment rates, and it's significantly higher than the 34 percent reported nationwide. Most of those plans also offer prescription drug insurance known as Part D. Multnomah County has one of the highest Medicare Advantage penetration rates of any county, at 59 percent, according to government data. Premiums: $0 to $201 per month in 2019 among plans in the Portland market. Enrollment period: Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLANS Another 262,000 enrollees in the state buy stand-alone prescription drug plans, federal data show. These Part D plans cover medications only, not care. Premiums: $14.50 to $117 a month in 2019, according to The Oregonian/OregonLive's analysis of federal data. The government projects the average premium will decline for the second consecutive year, by $1.09 to $32.50 a month. But actual changes vary widely across all 19 plans, from a 55 percent decline to a 30 percent increase, the analysis shows. High-income enrollees also pay a surcharge for Part D coverage, which in 2019 will range from $12.40 to $77.40 per month. Enrollment period: Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 MEDIGAP About 155,000 residents choose supplemental Medicare coverage, known as Medigap, according to the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation. These policies cover deductibles for Parts A and B, copays and other cost-sharing requirements that basic Medicare doesn't. Premiums: $30 to $457 per month in 2019, depending on age and plan type, according to state data. Enrollment period: Only for six months beginning with the month of your 65th birthday or when you otherwise become eligible. After that, seniors can still buy a policy, but an insurer can, with some exceptions, deny coverage or price it based on an existing health condition. Birthday rule: In Oregon, seniors can switch Medigap plans during a 30-day period that starts with their birthday. This rule allows them to move to the same type of plan offered by a different insurer or to a different type of plan with fewer benefits. Seniors in employer-sponsored group Medigap plans are not eligible for this rule. Brent Hunsberger is an investment adviser representative in Portland. For important disclosures and information about Brent, visit bit.ly/2dwmN7w. Reach him at OregonianMedicare@gmail.com or leave a message at 503-683-3098. Medicare open enrollment runs Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. Here are resources to help you evaluate plans. ONLINE Visit Medicare.gov. Its Plan Finder allows you to compare a wide range of costs across multiple drug and Medicare Advantage plans available in your county. It also has ratings on each plan's performance and quality. Most important, it allows you to enter your prescription drugs to find out whether they're covered and at what cost across various plans. Check the Medicare Rights Center's Medicare Interactive site to help you find answers about Medicare benefits. Read The Oregonian/OregonLive's past coverage on picking a Medicare plan. BY PHONE In Oregon, volunteers from the Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance program can answer questions by phone 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 800-722-4134 or visit healthcare.oregon.gov/shiba. Call Medicare itself at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) In Washington state, call the Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors at 800-562-6900 or visit bit.ly/2P3QES0. Call the nonprofit Medicare Rights Center's national helpline at 800-333-4114, Monday through Friday. IN PERSON Health insurance brokers are often knowledgeable about choices and can help you choose and purchase a plan. It's best to deal with a licensed broker, who sells plans from several different insurance companies. Check their license online or call the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation's insurance help line at 1-888-877-4894. Volunteers with SHIBA also offer free counseling. Find a workshops in Oregon or in Washington state. Here's a list of free counseling resources in the Portland area provided by impartial volunteers and trained SHIBA staff: CLACKAMAS COUNTY Clackamas County residents can call 503-655-8269, option 4, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday, to schedule an appointment. You can also attend one of the following presentations and individual counseling workshops: Canby: Oct. 17, 1 to 2 p.m., Canby Adult Center, 1250 S. Ivy St., 503-266-2970. Individual counseling: 2:30 to 4 p.m. Canby: Nov. 7, individual counseling, 1 to 4 p.m., Canby Adult Center, 1250 S. Ivy St., 503-266-2970 Estacada: Oct. 24, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., Estacada Community Center, 200 S.W. Clubhouse Dr., 503-630-7454. Individual counseling: 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Gladstone: Nov. 13, 1 to 2 p.m., Gladstone Senior Center, 1050 Portland Ave. 503-655-7701. Individual counseling: 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Lake Oswego: Oct. 23, 1 to 2 p.m. and 6 to 7 p.m., Lake Oswego Adult Community Center, 505 G Ave., 503-635-3758. Individual counseling: 2 to 4 p.m. Lake Oswego: Oct. 30, individual counseling, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Lake Oswego Community Adult Center, 505 G Ave., 503-635-3758. Milwaukie: Oct. 16, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., Milwaukie Center, 5440 S.E. Kellogg Creek Dr., 503-653-8100. Individual counseling: noon to 3:30 p.m. Milwaukie: Nov. 19, individual counseling, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Milwaukie Center, 5440 S.E. Kellogg Creek Dr., 503-653-8100. Molalla: Oct. 18, 11 a.m. to noon, Molalla Adult Community Center, 315 Kennel St., 503-829-4214. Individual counseling: 12:15 to 3:15 p.m. Oregon City: Oct. 8, 2 to 3:30 p.m., Pioneer Community Center, 615 Fifth St., 503-657-8287. Oregon City: Oct. 14, 12:30 to 2 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Willamette Falls, 710 Sixth St., 503-656-7296. Oregon City: Nov. 14, individual counseling, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Pioneer Community Center, 615 Fifth St., 503-657-8287. Sandy: Oct. 22, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., Sandy Senior Center, 38348 Pioneer Blvd., 503-668-5569. Individual counseling: 2 to 4 p.m. Sandy: Nov. 5, individual counseling, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sandy Senior Center, 38348 Pioneer Blvd., 503-668-5569. Welches: Oct. 16, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Hoodland Senior Center, 65000 E. Highway 26, 503-622-3331. Individual counseling: 1 to 3 p.m. West Linn: Nov. 1, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., West Linn Adult Community Center, 1180 Rosemont Road, 503-557-4704. Individual counseling noon: to 3 p.m. Wilsonville: Oct. 17, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., Wilsonville Parks and Recreation Administration Center, 29600 Park Place, 503-682-3727. Individual counseling: noon to 2 p.m. MULTNOMAH COUNTY Multnomah County residents can call 503-988-3646 during normal business hours and ask to make an appointment for one-on-one counseling with a trained SHIBA volunteer at the following locations and dates: Asian Health and Service Center: Dec. 5, 9035 S.E. Foster Rd. Hillsdale Library: Oct. 27, 1525 S.W. Sunset Blvd. Hollywood Library: Oct. 29, Nov. 7, Nov. 21, Nov. 30, 4040 N.E. Tillamook St. Midland Library: Oct. 26, Nov. 2, Nov. 12, Dec. 3, 805 S.E. 122nd Ave. From Oct. 15 to Nov. 7, county residents can call to schedule appointments for individual counseling and enrollment sessions at regularly scheduled sites in Portland and Gresham (ask for a "SHIBA appointment"): Charles Jordan Community Center: Every second and fourth Friday, 9009 N. Foss Ave., 503-288-8303. East County YWCA: Wednesdays and Thursdays, 600 N.E. 8th St., Gresham. 503-721-6771. Friendly House: Every second and fourth Thursday, 1737 N.W. 26th Ave., 503-224-2640. Hillsdale Library: Thursdays, 1525 S.W. Sunset Blvd., 503-988-3646. Hollywood Senior Center: Every first and third Wednesday, 1820 N.E. 40th Ave., 503-288-8303. IRCO Cherry Blossom Senior Program Office: Wednesdays and Thursdays, 740 S.E. 106th Ave., 503-484-6371. Multicultural Senior Center (Urban League): Wednesdays, 5325 N.E. MLK Jr. Blvd., 503-280-2600, ext. 632. Multnomah County Lincoln Building: Fridays, 421 S.W. Oak, first floor, 503-988-3646. Neighborhood House Senior Center: Thursdays, 7688 S.W. Capitol Hwy., 503-244-5204. Multicultural Service Center: Mondays, 4610 S.E. Belmont St., 503-721-6760. County residents can also attend free educational seminars on the basics of Medicare at Mt. Hood Community College on Oct. 18 and Nov. 29, 26000 S.E. Stark St., Gresham, 7 p.m. to 9:20 p.m. Register by calling 503-491-7572 or on the college's website. WASHINGTON COUNTY Washington County residents can get individual counseling and enrollment help from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7 at the following sites. Call 503-846-3094 to schedule an appointment: Beaverton: Thursdays, noon to 3 p.m., Elsie Stuhr Center, 5550 S.W. Hall Blvd. Forest Grove: Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Forest Grove Senior Center, 2037 Douglas St. Hillsboro: Weekdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Washington County Disability, Aging and Veteran Services Office, 5240 N.E. Elam Young Pkwy., Suite 300. Hillsboro: Wednesdays, 2 to 4 p.m., Hillsboro Senior Center, 750 S.E. Eighth Ave. Walk-ins accepted. Sherwood: Thursdays, 1 to 4 p.m., Marjorie Stewart Senior Community Center, 21907 S.W. Sherwood Blvd. Tigard: Wednesdays, 1 to 4 p.m., Tigard Senior Center, 8815 S.W. O'Mara St. Tualatin: Tuesdays, 1 to 3 p.m., Juanita Pohl Center, 8513 S.W. Tualatin Road. Brent Hunsberger is an investment adviser representative in Portland. For important disclosures and information about Brent, visit bit.ly/2dwmN7w. Reach him at OregonianMedicare@gmail.com or leave a message at 503-683-3098. Starting next year, Medicare Advantage plans will be able to add restrictions on expensive, injectable drugs administered by doctors to treat cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, macular degeneration and other serious diseases. Under the new rules, these private Medicare insurance plans could require patients to try cheaper drugs first. If those are not effective, then the patients could receive the more expensive medication prescribed by their doctors. Insurers use such "step therapy" to control drug costs in the employer-based insurance market as well as in Medicare's stand-alone Part D prescription drug benefit, which generally covers medicine purchased at retail pharmacies or through the mail. The new option allows Advantage plans an alternative to traditional, government-run Medicare to extend that cost-control strategy to these physician-administered drugs. In traditional Medicare, which covers 40 million older or disabled adults, those medications given by doctors are covered under Medicare Part B, which includes outpatient services, and step therapy is not allowed. About 20 million people have private Medicare Advantage policies, which include coverage for Part D and Part B medications. Some physicians and patient advocates are concerned that the pursuit of lower Part B drug prices could endanger very sick Medicare Advantage patients if they can't be treated promptly with the medicine that was their doctor's first choice. Critics of the new policy, part of the administration's efforts to fulfill President Donald Trump's promise to cut drug prices, say it lacks some crucial details, including how to determine when a less expensive drug isn't effective. "Do you have to lose vision before you are allowed to use" medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration, asked Richard O'Neal, vice president for market access for Regeneron, which makes Eylea, a medicine that is injected into the eye to treat macular degeneration. In 2016, Medicare paid $2.2 billion for Eylea prescriptions for patients in traditional Medicare, more than any other Part B drug, according to government data. Medicare Advantage insurers spend about $12 billion on Part B drugs, compared with the $25.7 billion traditional Medicare spent in 2016 on such drugs. Insurers that adopt the step therapy policy can apply it only to new prescriptions medicine a patient hasn't received in the past 108 days. The change in policy gives insurers a new bargaining tool: Pharmaceutical makers may want to compete by cutting prices to get their product on the plans' list of preferred lists, allowing patients to receive the medicines without step therapy pre-conditions. That "strengthens their negotiating position with the manufacturers," Medicare chief Seema Verma said when she unveiled the policy last month. It could also save patients money since they usually pay a portion of the Part B prescription cost. In addition, Medicare is requiring plans to share the savings with enrollees. "Competition is a big factor in price concessions," said Daniel Nam, executive director of federal programs at America's Health Insurance Plans, an industry trade group. But insurers haven't had much leverage to negotiate lower prices for these drugs without strategies like step therapy, he said. Federal health officials told insurers in a memo last month that they could substitute a less expensive Part B drug to treat a medical condition the FDA has not approved it for, if insurers can document that it is safe and effective. Yet coverage for a Part D drug is usually denied for a condition that doesn't have FDA approval, according to the Center for Medicare Advocacy, which helps beneficiaries with appeals. Several representatives of medical specialty groups recently met with Alex Azar, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, to express their concerns. Dr. Stephen Grubbs, vice president of clinical affairs at the American Society of Clinical Oncology, was among them. He said Azar told then the new step therapy policy would not have a big impact on cancer treatment. Patients and their physicians who encounter problems getting specific Part B drugs can appeal using the "process that we have throughout the Medicare Advantage program and Part D plans," Verma advised. Under this system, if patients don't want to follow their insurance plans' requirements to try a less expensive medication first, they can request an exception to step therapy. "They need their doctor's support," said Francine Chuchanis, director of entitlement rights at Direction Home, an Area Agencies on Aging organization that serves older adults and people with disabilities in northeastern Ohio. The physician must tell the plan why its restrictions should be lifted and provide extensive documentation. The plans have 24 hours to respond to an expedited exception request and 72 hours for a regular one. During this time, "people are going without their drugs," said Sarah Jane Blake, a Medicare counselor for New York's StateWide Senior Action Council. However, Dr. David Daikh, president of the American College of Rheumatology, said plans frequently do not meet the 72-hour deadline. "We raised this point with the secretary and his staff," he said. "They replied that they felt that there would not be a backlog for this program." If a plan denies the exemption, patients can file a "reconsideration" appeal. During this process, patients still can't get their medicine unless they pay for it out-of-pocket. Susan Jaffe, Kaiser Health News Kaiser Health News is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente. KHN's coverage of these topics is supported by Laura and John Arnold Foundation and John A. Hartford Foundation. An Oregon-based Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued a 67-year-old man who suffered a possible stroke nearly 200 miles offshore. The crew, flying an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter, picked the man up from the cruise ship Explorer of the Seas, which was in the middle of a nearly six-day trip from Seattle to Hawaii, according to its itinerary. A C-27 Spartan airplane from Sacramento was also launched to facilitate communications. The ship's crew requested a medical evacuation around 2 p.m. when the man appeared to be suffering a diabetic emergency and showed signs of a stroke. Once the helicopter arrived at the Astoria Airport, a second air ambulance took the man to Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland. His condition was not disclosed. -- Elliot Njus On the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary, Pope Francis renewed his invitation to pray the Rosary every day and recite the prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel "to repel the attacks of the devil who wants to divide the Church". In marriage, Jesus "does not accept repudiation". The Church confirms "the beauty of the family" but tries to accompany "those who live the experience of broken relationships or carry on in a painful and tiring way". For the pontiff, "wounded love can be healed by God through mercy and forgiveness." Vatican City (AsiaNews) Pope Francis addressed "a special greeting to the faithful gathered at the Shrine of Pompeii for the traditional supplication, led on this occasion by Cardinal Mario Zenari, apostolic nuncio to Syria." The supplication is a traditional prayer that calls on the Mother of God to help the faithful and the Church, for the salvation of the world. The icon that is venerated at the Shrine of Pompeii is that of Our Lady of the Rosary, which is celebrated today. The Pontiff renewed his invitation, made public at the end of September, to all the faithful to recite the rosary during the month of October, together with the prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel against the devil and the Marian antiphon Sub tuum praesidium. Addressing the faithful gathered in St Peter's Square, after the Angelus prayer, the pontiff said: "I renew the invitation to pray the Rosary every day of October, ending it with the antiphon Beneath Thy Protection and [recite] the prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel, to repel the attacks of the devil who wants to divide the Church." Earlier, the Holy Father commented the Gospel of today's Mass (27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, B, Mk 10:2-16), which deals with Jesus' thoughts about marriage. Jesus, said Francis, "defends the dignity of marriage as a union of love that implies fidelity. What allows married couples to remain united in marriage is a love of mutual self-giving sustained by the grace of Christ. If, on the other hand, individual interest and satisfaction prevail in the spouses, then their union cannot resist." "Jesus does not accept repudiation and all that can lead to the wrecking of a relationship. He does this to confirm Gods plan, in which the strength and beauty of human relationships stand out. The Church, mother and teacher who shares the joys and labours of people, on the one hand, does not tire of confirming the beauty of the family as given to us by Scripture and Tradition; at the same time, she strives to make her maternal closeness to be concretely felt by those who live the experience of broken relationships or carry on in a painful and tiring manner." "God's way of behaving with his unfaithful people that is, us teaches us that wounded love can be healed by God through mercy and forgiveness. Therefore, in such situations, the Church is not asked to impose immediately and only condemnation. On the contrary, faced with so many painful marital failures, she feels called to live her presence of charity and mercy, to bring back to God the wounded and lost hearts." ROME - In a combative letter, a highly-placed cardinal on Sunday mounted the Vatican's first direct response to accusations that Pope Francis knew about and covered up sexual misconduct, describing those claims as a "political fabrication devoid of a real foundation." The letter, written by Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, came six weeks after a former Vatican ambassador to the United States wrote a bombshell letter of his own, charging that much of the Vatican hierarchy, including Francis, had for years protected recently-resigned cardinal Theodore McCarrick. Ouellet's letter is significant because it ends a period of overwhelming silence among the key Vatican officials with the standing to rebut or back up the claims of that former ambassador, Carlo Maria Vigano. That silence has tested the patience of many Catholics, who remain divided over Vigano's credibility but say his claims have further wounded a church that is contending with multiple abuse-related crises. Ouellet, the head of the Vatican's powerful bishops office, said it was "unbelievable and unlikely from every point of view" to accuse Francis of "having covered up with full knowledge of this alleged sexual predator." Ouellet, who portrayed Vigano as bitter and disillusioned with his career within the Holy See, said he was in "open and scandalous rebellion," and Ouellet accused him of exploiting the broader clergy sex-abuse scandal in the U.S. as a way to land "an undeserved and unheard of blow" on the pope. But pushing back against Vigano, Ouellet said the Vatican had attempted years ago to place some restrictions on McCarrick - an acknowledgment that matches somewhat, but not completely, with Vigano's version of events. As Vigano describes it, the Vatican had ignored reports about McCarrick for years - until "2009 or 2010," when Pope Benedict XVI placed sanctions on the cardinal, forbidding him to travel, appear publicly or hold Mass. Vigano says he then told Francis in 2013, not long after he became pope, that McCarrick was a "serial predator." Francis nonetheless reportedly ignored those sanctions and made McCarrick a trusted adviser. Vigano wrote that he learned of Benedict's sanctions against McCarrick in part from Ouellet. But as Ouellet describes it, the Vatican's measures against McCarrick did not reach the papal level. At an unspecified time, Ouellet writes, McCarrick was "strongly invited not to travel, and not to appear publicly, so as not to provoke further rumors about him." The measures could have been stronger, Ouellet said, had the Vatican been supplied with clear evidence of McCarrick's misconduct by its representatives - including Vigano - working in the United States. "Presenting the measures taken against (McCarrick) as 'sanctions' decreed by Pope Benedict and annulled by Pope Francis is false," Ouellet wrote. "After reexamining the archives, I can see that there are no documents in this regard signed by one or the other pope." Though the Roman Catholic Church is dealing with abuse scandals in multiple countries, McCarrick's case has become among the most damaging, because it raises questions about who within the Vatican's hierarchy knew of the prelate's behavior as he rose to become one of the most prominent figures within the global church. McCarrick is accused of sexual abuse of both adults and minors, and in July he became the first cardinal in nearly a century to fully resign his position. He is 88, and in 2006, when McCarrick reached the customary retirement age of 75, Benedict accepted his resignation as the archbishop of Washington. McCarrick's case has battered Francis's reputation, but some Vatican watchers say the Holy See's promised "study" into McCarrick's case, which it announced Saturday, could shine a spotlight on the actions of previous popes, including Benedict and John Paul II - who promoted McCarrick through the ranks and elevated him to cardinal in 2001. Ouellet said he was "greatly astounded" by McCarrick's rise and wrote that he recognized "the flaws in the procedure of selection that was conducted in this case." Ouellet specifically defended Francis and said - ticking off the stops in McCarrick's career - that the current pope "didn't have anything to do with McCarrick's promotions in New York, Metuchen, Newark and Washington." c) 2018, The Washington Post * Chico Harlan Carlisle police are investigating an incident where gunshots were fired outside of a convenience store near student housing for Dickinson College. Several neighbors reported hearing the gunshots about 5:20 p.m. at the Quick Stop Deli at the intersection of Cedar and West Louther streets. Witnesses saw several men running away and a car parked behind the store that fled northbound on Cedar. A neighbor also found a gun abandoned on the sidewalk near the entrance to the store off Louther Street. When officers arrived, they found three shell casings in the parking lot. Across the street from the store is Goodyear Hall, a building owned by Dickinson College to provide apartments for about 120 students. Investigators were checking surveillance video from the store and other property owners in the area. Officers summoned a county crime scene investigator to the scene to help collect the evidence. Officers had two ambulances staged nearby in case a victim was found, but when no victims or signs of injury were found, the ambulances were released. Police were combing through several vehicle descriptions given by witnesses and seen on surveillance video to try to determine who may have been involved in the incident. The scene was about one mile away from the scene of a June 21 homicide, where 23-year-old Michael Burch was fatally shot. Last month, police arrested a 21-year-old suspect and charged him with homicide, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm by a felon. Police said Burch was walking with a friend when a sport utility vehicle up, and the driver fired several times, hitting Burch. About 35 minutes after the killing, police got information that the suspect, Chris Ryan Hines, had entered a convenience store at East Pitt Street and West Louther Street, which is five blocks from the shots-fired incident Saturday night. The National Hurricane Center is watching a tropical disturbance off the coast of Honduras that is showing signs of becoming dangerous and creating a path toward the Gulf Coast. Tropical Cyclone 14, as it's currently known, is expected to be upgraded into Tropical Storm Michael by Sunday night, and could reach winds of 70 mph by Wednesday when it's expected to make landfall. Potential tropical cyclone 14 It's too soon to know the exact path or magnitude of the system, but it is expected to bring torrential rains and flooding to western Cuba, the Yucatan Peninsula and Central America before striking the U.S., according to the Weather Channel. Saturday morning, the National Hurricane Center upgraded the system's chances of strengthening into a cyclone in the next two days to 80 percent, which doubled Friday's prediction of 40 percent. Forecasters are even more confident that the system will upgrade into a cyclone in the next five days, likely forming in the northwestern Caribbean Sea or the southern Gulf of Mexico. The storm's path then leads quickly north, according to the latest models, with landfall somewhere between the Mississippi coast and the Florida panhandle at 1 p.m. Wednesday. "The system could bring storm surge, rainfall, and wind impacts to portions of the northern Gulf Coast by mid-week, although it is too soon to specify the exact location and magnitude of these impacts," according to the forecast discussion from the National Hurricane Center. "Residents in these areas should monitor the progress of this system." Tropical storm warnings already have been issued for parts of Western Cuba. In October, hurricanes more often form in the Caribbean and head toward Florida and the gulf. Effects from the storm could reach as far as West Virginia on Thursday, according to current models. Karen Baker, chief executive officer for the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR), sent out this reaction to the news that the Senate this afternoon confirmed the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to sit on the Supreme Court. The final vote was 50-48. His nomination came after allegations of sexual assault by several women and a day of drama when Christine Blasey Ford and Kavanaugh both appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee to answer questions about those claims. Here's what Baker wrote: The U.S. Senate voted today to confirm Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh by a 50-48 vote. The message to survivors of sexual harassment, abuse and assault--and all those who believed Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee is clear--we remain a culture that does not respond appropriately to those who come forward and will not accept the fact that people who perpetrate sexual assaults intentionally ensure that victims have no witnesses and little evidence to support their reports of what was done to them, nor that assailants often are otherwise well-liked, admired members of their communities. Not only are victims largely not believed when they report, they also are not believed when they tell us why they didn't report. There are decades of published data from credible sources and tens of thousands of stories from survivors which comprehensively detail why survivors don't report. Ultimately each survivor's individual reasoning falls under the same umbrella - they do not trust the rest of us to respond appropriately. We know that sexual harassment, abuse and assault are serious and widespread problems. And how we respond to victims who tell us what happened to them matters. While Dr. Ford faced a severe backlash from the Trump administration, legislators and the public on social media in coming forward with her experience, President Trump--a man with his own track record of outrageously disrespectful comments about women accusers alleging rape, attempted rape, unwanted sexual advances like groping and kissing, and unwelcome sexual remarks--revered Kavanaugh's performance during last Thursday's hearing, characterizing the judge's aggressive tone as "powerful, honest, and riveting," according to his Twitter statement, and saying, "Judge Kavanaugh showed America exactly why I nominated him." It takes an incredible amount of courage for survivors of sexual abuse to come forward. The level of attention around high-profile cases makes it even more daunting to speak out, as victims fear the negative impact of public scrutiny and even threats to their safety such as Dr. Ford experienced. The Kavanaugh hearing and confirmation process reiterated to millions of listeners around the world that widespread sexual abuse and harassment is a sweeping and often unspoken problem. Victims often feel they must hide their truths rather than have the traumatic experiences met with denial, shame, and a stripping of self-worth. That is why Dr. Ford remained largely silent for nearly four decades, why she reported her truth anonymously before her identity was leaked, and why she called the hearing absolutely terrifying. Her greatest fears materialized. She and her family were attacked and forced to enter literal hiding and her experiences were scrutinized and discredited. We simply must do better. To maintain this hostile status-quo is harmful not only to victims and survivors, but to all of us. We must continue to work in our communities to illustrate the scope and impact of the problem and create a culture of respect, safety and equality. A culture that excuses or discounts sexual assault breeds from power inequities that embolden abusers and silence victims. Dr. Ford has served as the courageous voice for survivors who have not yet found their own, and for those who may never get the chance to find theirs. She has inspired survivors throughout the world to bravely share their truths. She is a hero for survivors and an inspiration in the movement to end sexual assault and abuse. She, however, is also yet another example of a survivor who did not receive an adequate response to the sexual assault she experienced. We can do better. We must do better. The work to end sexual harassment, abuse and assault is far from over as this nomination process has illustrated. We need your help in standing up against sexual harassment, abuse and assault. Speak out. Practice healthy behaviors and relationships. Demonstrate acceptance and respect. Hand-in-hand, we can create communities that believe victims and provide help, hope, and healing to all survivors. Together, we will end sexual harassment, abuse and assault. Last week's Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry Dinner in Hershey, PA provided the single opportunity to see both gubernatorial candidates face off in a debate. Kirstin Snow (PennLive file) Except it was anything but a true debate. What we saw, in my retired Army friend's words, was a 'soup-sandwich.' A meandering hodge-podge of soliloquies from the moderator (I use that term loosely as well) punctuated by pablum policy from both candidates with a tiny bit of snark tossed in for good measure. As you've heard by now, "Jeopardy" host Alex Trebek was selected to moderate the debate. How interesting it would have been to be privy to the discussion to hire him followed by the one after his dismal performance. I get it- he's famous. But not for anything remotely related to politics, the state of Pennsylvania or the gravity of event over which he was presiding. In fact, he's not even an American, but rather a Canadian, who now makes his home in California. Pennsylvanians were cheated out of the opportunity to see the only real debate in this election for governor. When Trebek took the stage he said he only took the job if he could do things 'his way', which was to hold a 'conversation' about topics, not a formal debate in style. His style was disastrous. I didn't have the pleasure of watching the performance in person and frankly am thankful I didn't have to part with several hundred dollars to do so. Instead, like most people who get PCN, I watched it in the comfort of my own home. But I was on my computer. Up close. In HD. Optics are so very important, particularly in a situation such as this. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, the incumbent, was dressed, as expected, in a conservative suit and tie. In a nod to his blue-collar image, former state senator Scott Wagner, Wolf's Republican challenger, opted for a blazer, tie and khakis. All three men looked equally uncomfortable sitting on high stools facing the audience. In opening remarks, Wolf in his more calm and quiet demeanor addressed the crowd by standing in place, where Wagner fiercely stomped the stage from one end to the other. The debate was one hour in length. From the very beginning Trebeck sucked the time and energy from the room. As I watched at home, I began to mark time codes each time Trebek would speak. I stopped when it became obvious that, for nearly 40 percent of their allotted hour, Trebek was talking. And he was talking in a manner that was, at times demeaning at times oddly uncomfortable, and, then sometimes like someone who was auditioning for some sort of Pennsylvania-centric trivia contest. We heard nothing new from the candidates. Each held to their own policies as Pennsylvanians have heard over and over again on the airwaves and in soundbites. This was not their fault- we learned nothing new because the format didn't allow for true debate, statement and rebuttal. Earlier this year, Wagner requested a debate in each of the 67 counties. That isn't remotely feasible given the timeframe. However, I fully believe we need a real debate -- and soon. One with a real moderator and real timeframes with hard nosed-questions. One shown other than just on PCN, and one where the public has an opportunity to attend without the high price tag. Both candidates deserve a real debate, and we as citizens should demand it. PennLive Opinion contributor Kirstin Snow is the principal of Snow Public Affairs in Harrisburg. Her 'Donkeys & Elephants' column appears weekly opposite conservative commentator Charlie Gerow. 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. 2.5k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard By Ginger Gibson WASHINGTON (Reuters) Two well-financed liberal groups that help elect Democratic candidates will not aid the campaigns of U.S. Senator Joe Manchin or Senate candidate Phil Bredesen because the two support Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court. Super PACs MoveOn and Priorities USA, which raises money to support Democrats, on Friday said they would no longer support the two men, even as the party tries to leverage a potential wave of liberal voter anger to pick up the two additional Senate seats it would need to take a majority in that chamber. The withdrawal of support is a sign of how charged the debate around Republican President Donald Trumps second nominee for a lifetime seat on the nations top court has become. Democrats have organized to oppose Kavanaugh, with opposition intensifying after Christine Blasey Ford last month accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault when they were teenagers. Bredesen, who polls indicate is locked in a dead heat for the Tennessee seat being vacated by a Republican, said in a statement Friday that he would have voted for Kavanaugh had he been in the Senate. Manchin, who is leading in his re-election bid to represent conservative-leaning West Virginia, said Friday that he will back Kavanaugh in the final senate confirmation vote expected on Saturday. MoveOn said on Twitter it has canceled campaigning for Manchin and would also cancel more than $100,000 worth of online advertising it had planned to buy in support of Bredesen. Priorities USA has not yet spent any money to support either candidate and will not do so following their support of Kavanaugh, spokesman Josh Schwerin said in a phone interview. Manchin is expected to be the only Democrat to join Republicans in approving Kavanaugh. Priorities USA and MoveOn are among the largest liberal super political action committees or Super PACs. At the end of August, Priorities USA had spent $16 million for this election cycle and had $7 million on hand, according to Federal Election Commission filings. By the end of June, the most recent data available, MoveOn has spent $13 million so far this election cycle and had $7 million in cash. Senate Majority PAC, a separate super PAC run by allies of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, will continue to spend in support of Manchin and Bredesen, said the groups spokesman, Chris Hayden. Under U.S. law Super PACs can raise and spend unlimited sums of money but are barred from donating directly to candidates or coordinating with their campaigns. (Reporting by Ginger Gibson; Editing by Scott Malone) 1.9k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Republicans got their way and confirmed Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, so now it is up to voters to vote them out of office. Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer said before the vote: So, my colleagues, my fellow Americans, what is the appropriate response? Our country needs to have a reckoning on these issues and there is only one remedy. Change must come from where change in America always begins. The ballot box. So to Americans to so many millions who are outraged by what happened here, theres one answer. Vote. If you believe Dr. Ford and other brave women who came forward and you want to vindicate their sacrifice, vote. If you believe the supreme court should uphold womens rights, vote. If you believe the supreme court must protect health care and our preexisting conditions that are protected now, vote. If you believe the supreme court should defend workers, consumers, the environment, civil rights, native populations, vote. If you believe the supreme court should be a check on an overreaching president, vote. If you believe the process here in the Senate was a sham, and you believe Americans deserve better, vote. If you believe that have supreme court justices should conform to the highest standards of character impartiality, can temperament, and above all honesty and credibility, vote. I understand, I share the deep anguish that millions of Americans are experiencing today. But I say to you, my fellow Americans, there is one answer. Vote. Video of Schumer: Meanwhile, in fantasyland, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell claimed that Brett Kavanaugh will make America proud: Republicans Must Now Be Voted Out This was the scene as the Senate voted: Hell is about to be unleashed on House and Senate Republicans. The GOP got a temporary bump in the polls during the Kavanaugh fight, but the rage of the majority of America is not going to go away. The confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh is the cherry on top of a trash sundae whose ingredients are a Republican Congressional majority that has consistently ignored the will of the American people. The day of reckoning is coming for Republicans in a month. If you dont like the way this country is going, if you dont like what Republican control of the federal government has done, get to the polls and vote for Democrats in November. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook. 623 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Advocates for sexual assault survivors and womens rights have been energized by the fight against Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court. Now that the fight is over they are focusing their energy on the November midterm elections. Mobilized against Kavanaugh, womens groups turn energy toward to midterms Mobilized against Kavanaugh, women's groups turn energy toward to midterms https://t.co/ohzVLR1ZBJ pic.twitter.com/RiI84AjWxL Mike Walker (@New_Narrative) October 7, 2018 Survivor groups have received much national attention over recent weeks by protesting Kavanaughs nomination in Washington, D.C., and around the nation. They have started an online movement but also have personally confronted senators which resulted in mass arrests at the U.S. Capitol Building. Even though the Senate has officially confirmed Kavanaugh, the womens groups hope they now will be able to harness their energy and use it to create real political power. They hope their increased influence will allow them to elect congressional candidates who support their cause. After that, the next step is for them to lobby for legislation in Congress. Theres no question that the energy from this moment will relate to the energy that we will all see in November, said Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Womens Law Center. Graves said the objectives of the movement were more than just electing Democrats to office. Anyone who covers for abuse, anyone who is not interested in changing the institutions that cover for abuse, will find themselves vulnerable, she said. After Dr. Christine Ford went public with her allegation that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a high school party in 1982, large numbers of sexual assault survivors immediately mobilized to oppose his nomination to the high court. Kavanaugh of course completely denied all allegations from Ford as well as from two other women. On Thursday, over 300 protesters were arrested for marching and protesting at the Hart Senate Office Building. Many of the individuals arrested wore shirts that read I am a survivor and believe women. Progressive and womens rights groups involved include CPD, Womens March, the National Womens Law Center, anti-sexism group Ultraviolet and the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA). They all were involved in mobilizing their supporters to oppose Kavanaugh. The leaders of the groups said they are part of a powerful national movement and are looking beyond the confirmation fight. I think all roads lead to November, Womens March co-chair Tamika Mallory said on Thursday. November is coming has been one of our campaign slogans since weve been engaged in the Cancel Kavanaugh campaign. Many of the groups are supporting the initiative to register voters, called the Womens March Power To The Polls. Womens March co-chairs Mallory and Linda Sarsour said that the Kavanaugh fight greatly helped their efforts to register voters. People are fired up, Sarsour said. Thats gonna be a problem. This could be another opportunity for us to fuel our effort. Sarsour also made clear their belief that the Kavanaugh confirmation fight helped their efforts greatly. She said the Kavanaugh battle created an opportunity for us to leverage women to be even more involved and participate at a deeper level in this activism work. The NDWA represents domestic workers, most of whom are women of color, and is focused on improving workplace conditions and preventing sexual harassment. Marzena Zukowska, NDWAs communications director, told The Hill that they are very focused on registering voters ahead of the midterms. She said her group has targeted a few races, including Democrat Stacey Abramss campaign for governor against GOP opponent Brian Kemp in Georgia. Abrams would be the nations first black female governor. After the election, Zukowska said her group will lobby lawmakers to pass legislation at the federal, state and local level that respects the rightsof domestic workers. Many such workers have been and continue to be personally affected by sexual violence. Historically they have not had a voice and have not had any political power. Zukowska said the group will throw its weight behind legislation such as the EMPOWER Act, a bipartisan House bill that would target sexual harassment in the workplace. Sarsour said her group now has a huge digital infrastructure that it will use to get hundreds of thousands of women to support Democrats in dozens of U.S. House of Representatives races. They believe this will help Democrats win control of the House in November. Planned Parenthood Action Fund has also started running digital ads in key races that they hope to swing to the Democrats column. Clearly energized women are now playing a very important role in this years midterm elections. Since Donald Trumps 2016 victory his statements about women have fueled the Resistance and the #MeToo movement. Thanks to Trump, a record number of women are running for Congress this year, most of them Democrats. And thanks to the misogynist in the White House this may be a Blue Wave election year. If it is, it will be because of one group of voters: energized women. 2.3k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard The Fresno Bee, hometown newspaper to GOP Representative Devin Nunes, has published a scathing editorial endorsing his Democratic opponent. For the first time in nearly 16 years, the @FresnoBee is not recommending Devin Nunes to voters. I am honored to have the Bees recommendation. Together, we can move the Central Valley forward. -AJ For the first time in nearly 16 years, the @FresnoBee is not recommending Devin Nunes to voters. I am honored to have the Bees recommendation. Together, we can move the Central Valley forward. -AJ https://t.co/EpyR73NZPB Andrew Janz (@JanzforCongress) October 6, 2018 The Bee had supported Nunes since 2002, but this year is giving its support ro Andrew Janz, the Democratic challenger. According to the newspaper, it is Janz: who offers the best chance to both lead the district by attending to its issues and then by striving for bipartisanship in Washington, D.C., which is the only answer to the poison of gridlock politics that is stifling debate and action at nearly all levels. The papers editorial board gave a very detailed explanation of its reasons for supporting the moderate Janz, a former prosecutor. It also criticized Nunes for supporting Republican Party ideology even when doing so hurts voters in his district. One example given was his many votes to repeal and undermine the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), saying: Nunes voted along party lines in approving the House version of the American Health Care Act of 2017. It would have shrunk Medicaid by 15 million enrollees nationwide by 2026. Medicaid is the government program that covers low-income children, adults, seniors and people with disabilities, aiding one in five Americans. In Nunes district, 313,000 people were enrolled in Medi-Cal as of January. Of those, 74,000 would have immediately lost coverage, and all would have had their coverage impacted through loss of benefits or access to doctors. (Medi-Cal is Californias version of Medicaid). Nunes did this despite the fact that his district has more people relying on government-paid medical assistance than almost anywhere else in the nation, The Bee added. The paper was especially hard on Nunes for refusing to hold town halls, dodging his constituents, and for his close ties to Trump. The paper says voters in the district have a chance to become a model for the nation, or go with Nunes and remain stuck with the damaging partisanship he practices, the party-above-country mode that motivates him to protect President Trump from the investigation into Russian meddling more than meet his constitutional obligations as an independent arm of government. In response to criticism from his local newspaper Nunes has gone full Trump and launched attacks on the Bee. Last week, Devin Nunes sent constituents in his Central Valley, California, district a 38-page glossy mini-magazine entirely dedicated to lambasting the areas largest newspaper, the Fresno Bee. Last week, Devin Nunes sent constituents in his Central Valley, California, district a 38-page glossy mini-magazine entirely dedicated to lambasting the areas largest newspaper, the Fresno Bee. Take a look at the full mailer here: https://t.co/KGCo15Tb3F Mother Jones (@MotherJones) October 3, 2018 Unfortunately Nunes represents a very Republican district and he is still ahead in polling. But the fact that he has alienated his hometown newspaper and many of his constituents is a sign that his power and influence is waning. 2.3k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Chief Justice John Roberts received more than a dozen judicial misconduct complaints in recent weeks against Brett M. Kavanaugh, who was confirmed as a Supreme Court justice Saturday, but did nothing about them. According to the Washington Post, he has chosen for the time being not to refer them to a judicial panel for investigation. Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (where Kavanaugh also serves as a judge) sent to Roberts a series of perjury complaints the court had received about Kavanaugh. The complaints began to coming in to the court about three weeks ago. Henderson decided that the complaints were substantive enough that they should be sent to the Chief Justice and not to Kavanaughs fellow judges in the D.C. Circuit. In a statement Saturday, Henderson said the complaints involved testimony given by Kavanaugh during his Senate confirmation hearings. She wrote: Under the law any person may file a misconduct complaint in the circuit in which the federal judge sits. The complaints do not pertain to any conduct in which Judge Kavanaugh engaged as a judge. The complaints seek investigations only of the public statements he has made as a nominee to the Supreme Court of the United States. The complaints from the D.C. Circuit were forwarded to Roberts at the same time that the controversy and scrutiny of Kavanaugh was intensifying during his Supreme Court nomination battle. According to the Post: People familiar with the matter say the allegations made in the complaints that Kavanaugh was dishonest and lacked judicial temperament during his Senate testimony had already been widely discussed in the Senate and in the public realm. Roberts did not see an urgent need for them to be resolved by the judicial branch while he continued to review the incoming complaints, they said. The situation is highly unusual, said legal experts and several people familiar with the matter. Never before has a Supreme Court nominee been poised to join the court while a fellow judge recommends that misconduct claims against that nominee warrant review. Robertss decision not to immediately refer the cases to another appeals court has caused some concern in the legal community. Now that he has been confirmed, the details of the complaints may not become public and instead may be dismissed, legal experts say. Supreme Court justices are not subject to the misconduct rules governing these claims. If Justice Roberts sits on the complaints, then they will reside in a kind of purgatory and will never be adjudicated, said Stephen Gillers, a professor at New York University Law School and an expert on Supreme Court ethics. This is not how the rules anticipated the process would work. What this means is that the Chief Justice of the United States decided to bury some substantive claims of perjury against a sitting federal judge. The motivation for this seems to have been simply that the federal judge had been nominated to serve on the Supreme Court. Roberts clearly did not want to do anything to hurt Kavanaughs chances of being confirmed. The worst thing about this revelation by the Post is that the perjury complaints against Kavanaugh have been buried forever. He now sits on the Supreme Court and the only recourse will be for a Democratically elected House of Representatives to open hearings into the perjury claims. That in fact may happen, and eventually John Roberts may be called to account for his failure to act when he had the chance. 1.1k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard In a desperate plea for help in the upcoming midterm elections President Donald Trump late Saturday used some of his most inflammatory and excessive rhetoric to date. He said that Democrats have become too extreme and too dangerous to govern. After his unhinged appearance at a political rally in Topeka, Kansas the president tweeted: You dont hand matches to an arsonist, and you dont give power to an angry left-wing mob. Democrats have become too EXTREME and TOO DANGEROUS to govern. Republicans believe in the rule of law not the rule of the mob. VOTE REPUBLICAN! You dont hand matches to an arsonist, and you dont give power to an angry left-wing mob. Democrats have become too EXTREME and TOO DANGEROUS to govern. Republicans believe in the rule of law not the rule of the mob. VOTE REPUBLICAN! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2018 At the rally in Kansas he had given the partisan crowd roughly the same message. Also during the rally, Trump described a grim view of the negative fallout from Democratic victories in November, saying: If you allow the wrong people to get into office things could change. They could change and they could change fast. And were not going to let that happen. Trump was alluding to the battle over his Supreme Court appointee, Brett Kavanaugh. The U.S. Senate confirmed Kavanaugh on Saturday in a 50-48 vote, with one GOP senator absent and another voting present. Every Democrat opposed Kavanaughs nomination except for Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. The Kavanaugh confirmation came despite multiple sexual misconduct allegations against him. Before he was confirmed a week-long supplemental FBI investigation found no corroborating evidence of the claims, Republican senators said. Democratic senators, however, labelled the short, restricted FBI probe a sham and a farce. Throughout the Kavanaugh confirmation process has issued inflammatory warnings, saying that due process was under attack and that it was a very scary time for young men who could be wrongly accused of a crime. He has won political favor in some corners by painting MEN as the victims of sexual assault allegations. The presidents statements concerning due process and mob rule have been heavily criticized by many people on social media. Of course, it was Trump and his supporters who chanted Lock her up about his presidential opponent Hillary Clinton. They wanted her to be jailed with no due process at all. As always, Trump has a double standard, and holds himself out as the victim of his own abuses. Hopefully the American people are smart enough to see through his lies and his double dealing. Hopefully American voters in November will make the right choice and put Democrats in control of Congress to serve as a check on the power of the unhinged monster who currently occupies the Oval Office. 1.1k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard The good news is that Democrats now appear to have a better chance than ever at winning back control of the U.S. House of Representatives with 30 days until the midterm elections. Some people even believe that the Blue Wave will turn into a Blue Tsunami. The bad news is that the slim chance Democrats have of taking back the Senate seems to be slipping away. Now that the intense controversy and fight about Brett Kavanaughs confirmation to the Supreme Court is over, the political world is 100% focused on the elections to be held November 6th throughout the United States. Nobody knows how the next four weeks will play out, but everyone seems to agree that the Kavanaugh fight has hurt Republicans further with suburban female voters. It is these women from affluent areas currently being represented by Republicans who have been leaving the GOP and who are expected to provide the impetus for a Blue Wave election. Suburban districts are the ones most likely to swing in favor of Democrats and give them the 23 seats they need to win a House majority. Despite this, Republicans were crowing about their Supreme Court victory all weekend. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on Saturday that his Kavanaugh victory has given a major boost to Republican senate candidates in the midterms. It does appear that the Kavanaugh confirmation has given Republicans a boost in several competitive Senate races. This year Democrats have to defend 10 senate seats in states Trump won in 2016, including North Dakota, Indiana, Missouri, Montana and West Virginia. Right now it appears that Democratic incumbents Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota and Claire McCaskill in Missouri may be headed to defeat. Many political analysts are skeptical about the increase in Republican enthusiasm continuing to help them through Election Day. Since the fight for Kavanaughs nomination has ended they believe Republicans will be less energized to vote on election day. Now that Kavanaugh is confirmed, perhaps Republicans will feel less of a need to turn out, Michael Cornfield, the co-director of the George Washington University Poll, said in an interview with Hill.TV. But the picture is different in House races, where most political strategists believe Kavanaughs confirmation is going to fuel increased Democratic turnout in the midterms. Democrats believe Republicans rammed through Kavanaughs confirmation and ignored credible allegations of sexual assault. This has especially upset college educated women voters who were already leaving the Republican Party in droves. Compared to the Senate, the House map is much more favorable for Democrats. Since they need just 23 seats to regain control, and they are competitive in over 50 races currently held by Republicans, they like their chances. And of course many of the key battleground races are in swing suburban districts which are now leaning Democratic. Another indicator favoring a Blue Wave is the preponderance of public opinion polls which show an historically large gender gap. By margins of over 20% women are now favoring Democrats over Republicans. Outrage over Kavanaughs nomination, and the way his accusers were treated, may increase the gender gap even further. Democratic strategist Jon Reinish said that Kavanaughs confirmation has motivated angry Democrats and he predicted that they will turn out in force, while Republicans now will be less motivated. The Republican base will see that they got what they wanted, Reinish said. I dont think that people turn out to say thank you. If the Republicans thought they had a problem before, they have an earthquake now, because you cannot overstate the rage and you cannot overstate the emotion and you cannot overstate the mobilization of Democrats after this, he added. Reinish also said that he believes that the Kavanaugh confirmation will lead to much more than just a Democratic Blue Wave in November. Theres going to be a Blue Tsunami, he predicted. Angie Jackson covers crime and breaking news for The Post and Courier. She previously covered the same beat for the Grand Rapids Press and MLive.com in Michigan. When shes not reporting, Angie enjoys teaching yoga and exploring the outdoors. Chloe Johnson covers the coastal environment and climate change for the Post and Courier. She's always looking for a good excuse to hop on a boat. 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. Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations. Editorials represent the institutional view of the newspaper. They are written and edited by the editorial staff, which operates separately from the news department. Editorial writers are not involved in newsroom operations. Political Reporter Caitlin Byrd is a political reporter at The Post and Courier and author of the Palmetto Politics newsletter. Before moving to Charleston in 2016, her byline appeared in the Asheville Citizen-Times. To date, Byrd has won 17 awards for her work. I will vote for keeping most of them in elected office I will vote to replace most of them I will vote to replace some of them I will vote for just a few, if any I will not vote Vote View Results Judge Brett Kavanaugh is now Justice Kavanaugh. He was confirmed as an associate justice of the Supreme Court by a 50-48 vote in the Senate late yesterday afternoon. Senator Murkowski voted no but withdrew her vote to pair off with Senator Daines, who was otherwise engaged back in Montana walking one of his daughters down the aisle. Only Senator Manchin crossed over from the dirty Democrats to support the confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh. The Democrats stood united in disgrace and calumny. Along with their media adjunct they demonstrated that there is no bottom to their deviousness and dishonesty in the pursuit of power. Their efforts lacked only physical assault of Judge Kavanaugh, but they wont quit now. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ended as he began, with a statement packed full of transparent lies (below). Where is the left-wing media hack who will perform a fact check on Schumer? After each such lie, Schumer appealed for votes in favor of Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections. Schumer perfectly represents the face of the Democratic Party. Steve had a Postscript on the grievance studies scandal about the project of three liberal academics placing nonsense articles in leading postmodernist/identity politics journals. I have a PPS. Jillian Kay Melchiors updated Wall Street Journal story on the hoax is accessible here on Outline. The Australian site Quillette has posted The Grievance Studies Scandal: Five Academics Respond. It is prefaced by this editors note: For the past year scholars James Lindsay, Helen Pluckrose, and Peter Boghossian have sent fake papers to various academic journals which they describe as specialising in activism or grievance studies. Their stated mission has been to expose how easy it is to get absurdities and morally fashionable political ideas published as legitimate academic research. To date, their project has been successful: seven papers have passed through peer review and have been published, including a 3000 word excerpt of Adolf Hitlers Mein Kampf, rewritten in the language of Intersectionality theory and published in the Gender Studies journal Affilia. Quillette then posts a response to the scandal from five academics who are currently researching, publishing and teaching in the fields of Philosophy, English Studies, Behavioral Genetics and Economics. The symposium leads off with From Foolish Talk to Evil Madness by Nathan Cofnas. Cofnas writes: King Solomon said of the fool: His talk begins as foolishness and ends as evil madness (Ecclesiastes 10:13). Can a disregard for evidence, logic, and open inquiry combined with a burning hatred for large classes of people perceived as political opponents (racists, sexists, homophobes, transphobes, etc.) possibly lead to a good result? The editors and peer reviewers who handled LBPs papers have revealed their true, vicious attitudes. Steve posted the video below with his original post on the hoax. The perpetrators explain themselves in the video. They tell their story from the inside. If having fun exposing the truth were against the law, this video would be incriminating beyond belief. Quillette also includes the video together with its symposium. Quotable quote: What appears beyond dispute is that making absurd and horrible ideas sufficiently politically fashionable can get them validated at the highest level of academic grievance studies. PR-Inside.com: 2018-10-07 13:15:44 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 616 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / October 7, 2018 / According to Neil Shekhter, despite a heated battle over rent control, the real-estate sector in California is writing sizeable checks in an effort to defeat a November ballot measure predicated on giving cities more leverage to regulate what landlords are able to charge their tenants. In opposition, the initiatives backers responded with a cash infusion totaling $10 million. "We know we will be significantly outspent by the opposition," says Rich Haughey at the National Multifamily Housing Council. Haughey believes that the deep pockets of developers and investors only serve to compound this problem in California's housing market. He further states that "the greed of billionaire corporate landlords is tantamount to wide-scale misery for the millions of people residing in the state and, if not addressed, could result in a marked increase in the state homeless population." Needless to say, California's dream of attracting new residents is dying, and therefore, voters are encouraged to show up at their polling locations to express their discontent with the state's out of control rent prices. According to several reports, the most recent contribution to Proposition 10, which is a campaign that previously only raised $2.5 million, has, for lack of a better term, up the ante after raising a staggering $11.9 million in support of the initiative to lift California's restrictions on rent control. It's important to note that the exponential increase was precipitated by the initiative being placed on the ballot. Also, a great deal of the debate surrounding rent control has been focused on tenants and the challenges they face in finding affordable rentals in the Bay area. And the influx of early contributions aimed at challenging the measure is a testament to just how much is on the line for real estate investors and landlords, alike. After all, this is initiative threatens to roll back the 1995 Costa Hawkins Rental Housing Act, a law that places limits on municipal rent control ordinances. According to Rick Haughey, the possibility of the measure being passed 'scares the bejeezus out everyone in California's rental community.' He further states that, in light of this threat, Proposition 10 will be running a full-scale campaign, which is intended to inform voters of the consequences that could befall the state's housing market if they don't come out and vote. That being said, Haughey admits that nothing will immediately change even if voters approve Proposition 10, but it will allow the state's cities and counties to regain their ability to place a cap on rental properties intended for single-family homes, apartments, and condominiums built within the last 10 years. In addition to being able to curtail the out of control rent prices, the passing of Proposition 10 could pave the way for cities to adopt a 'vacancy control' policy. This would serve to limit how much a landlord can raise the rent after the property has been vacated by the previous tenant. Although this would be a tremendous win for renters, Proposition 10 faces an uphill battle. According to Haughey, getting people to turn out and vote can be a challenge in and of itself, especially those who are less affluent or younger. That said, he fully believes that those who have been personally impacted by higher rents or have faced eviction will likely make a point to make their opinions heard. NMS has offered quality rentals in the Los Angeles area for nearly three decades. Since 1988, NMS has developed and managed a large portfolio of premier apartment buildings and commercial properties in Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, Brentwood and the San Fernando ValleyJessica Zalban NMS Properties, Inc.linkedin.com/neilshekhtercrunchbase.com/neil-shekhterlevo.com/neil-shekhtertwitter.com/neilshekhterangel.co/neil-shekhterforbes.com/Neil-ShekhterSOURCE: NMS Properties, Inc. These are some of the reports in the health sector published last week: Flood Disaster: WHO steps up disease prevention efforts In a bid to prevent disastrous epidemics, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says it is stepping up efforts to provide life-saving assistance, especially basic medical care, to flood victims in Nigeria. At least 826,000 Nigerians were severely affected by heavy flooding after the banks of the countrys two main rivers the Niger and the Benue busted following heavy rain, which began falling in August. The disaster has affected 12 out of 36 states according to the National Emergency Management Agency. The floods had claimed about 200 lives with 176,300 people displaced, more than 150,000 hectares of farmland inundated, 17,800 houses washed away, and 321 roads and bridges destroyed. Floods and their consequences including lack of drinkable water, shelter, and overflowing sanitation systems can easily lead to the spread of communicable and water-borne diseases, such as cholera and malaria. National Hospitals Second Cancer Machine The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, has said that the second cancer machine at the National Hospital, Abuja will commence operations January 2019. The machine was donated by SNEPCO Nigeria limited as part of her corporate social responsibility to Nigerians. The newly installed machine is expected to reduce the plight of cancer patients in Nigeria who have been travelling out of the country in search of radiotherapy treatment as the machine has the capacity to treat at least 100 patients a day. National Hospital, Abuja SON Beams Searchlight On Table Water Producers The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has urged the Association of Table Water Producers (ATWAP) to ensure strict compliance with the Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) to eradicate waterborne diseases. Osita Aboloma, Director-General, SON, at a one-day sensitisation workshop for ATWAP in Minna, Niger State, said there is a need to ensure that all elements of quality assurance are strictly applied to produce and supply not only good quality but safe water to all Nigerians. He said incidences of waterborne diseases must be eradicated and emphasised that strict compliance is the bedrock for ensuring continual customer satisfaction and sustainability of economic growth. Newborn Deaths In Bauchi Oluseyi Olusunde, United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) Health Officer in Bauchi, said the rate of neonatal deaths in the state was alarming and called for urgent action. He stated this at a stakeholders meeting for situation analysis on newborn deaths in the state. Out of every 1000 newborn, 161 are likely to die before their fifth birthday in Bauchi; this is far above SDG target. For our newborn presently, we have about 11455 deaths of newborns every year in Bauchi, therefore Bauchi is number five in Nigeria in terms of newborn deaths, he said. Incorrect Use Of Viagra Risky The incorrect use Viagra may have a negative impact on vision, a new study as shown. These drugs known as sildenafil citrate commonly sold under brand name Viagra has no doubt improved the lives of many of its users, but by inducing significant penile erection, too much of it can lead to permanent damage of the eyes. For the first time ever, researchers investigated in cellular detail the damage that high levels of Viagra can do to the retina. Taking too much of it might threaten colour vision. Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, NY, have recently published a case study in the journals Retinal Cases and Brief Reports. The concluded that using doses of Viagra could eventually lead to significant long term vision damage. Diabetes Linked To Aarthritis, Osteoporosis A study that draws on data from more than 100,000 people has found a link between diabetes and an increased risk of osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Scientist from Nordsjaellands University Hospital in Hillerd, Denmark, set out to gain a better understanding of the potential interactions between diabetes, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. Prof. Isaac Adewole. Minister of Health Results presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes Annual Meeting, held in Berlin, Germany showed that people with diabetes were 33 per cent more likely to have osteoarthritis; they were also more likely to have rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis (the risk increased by 70 per cent and 29 per cent, respectively). Ovarian Cancer: Low-dose Aspirin Can Lower Risk A recent study has shown that taking low dose of aspirin can lower risk of ovarian cancer. A paper on the study led by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, MA which is to appear in the JAMA Oncology journal, showed by an analysis of data from hundreds of thousands of women in the United States that regularly taking low-dose aspirin is linked to a lower risk of developing ovarian cancer. The team found a 23 per cent lower risk of ovarian cancer in women who reported that they had recently been frequently taking up to 100 milligrams of aspirin, compared with women who had taken none. However, the team discovered no links between standard-dose aspirin use (325 milligrams) and ovarian cancer risk. Residents Attack Congo Health Workers Angry residents left health workers dealing with an Ebola outbreak severely injured in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Four Red Cross workers were set upon by locals who threw rocks at their car in the city of Butembo as they were transporting dead bodies for burial. Residents do not believe the Ebola virus, which has killed 100 people since the start of the outbreak two months ago, is real. Touching dead bodies is common as part of traditional burial rights in DR Congo, but the bodies of Ebola victims are highly contagious and are buried safely to stop the spread of the virus. The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association has pledged to support immunisation of child killer diseases in Makoda Local Government Area of Kano State. The Chairman of the association in Makoda, Yahya Madawaki, made the pledge in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Makoda town. He said that the association had facilitated the immunisation of many nomadic children who came into the local government area from neighbouring states and countries. According to him, We have informants who are vigilant and inform us of any nomadic group coming into the local government and we immediately move to immunize their children. If they refuse to allow for their children to receive immunization, we tell them to move elsewhere immediately as we dont want get fresh virus in our community, Mr Madawaki said. The chairman, however, appealed to the nomadic groups to allow for the immunisation of their children in every community they found themselves as the immunisation is harmless. He lauded the efforts of the local government council and other stakeholders for their tireless efforts in creating awareness in the border communities who were more prone to the diseases. (NAN) President Muhammadu Buhari promptly launched his campaign for a second term in office early on Sunday morning after being overwhelmingly endorsed as candidate by 14,842,072 members of the All Progressives Congress across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Taunting the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, which had governed Nigeria for 16 years, up till May 2015, President Buhari asked the party, also holding its convention simultaneously in Port Harcourt, what it did with all the money earned under its watch. Fellow Nigerians, think how much PDP governments earned between 1999 to 2015. Think what they did with it. Infrastructure down! Security down! 18 local governments of Nigeria under control of a hostile army of insurgents. Reserves depleted! Bankruptcy around the corner. What did they do with your money?, Buhari asked in a tone indicative of fireworks to be expected in the weeks ahead for the electioneering campaign. Mr Buhari thanked all eligible members of the party who stepped down their ambition to allow him emerge as the partys sole aspirant and now its candidate. I thank you all for your encouragement and support, and I will not disappoint the people of Nigeria, he said. The president paid special tribute to the partys national leadership and its founding fathers and the National Presidential Convention Committee for organising what he called a perfect convention. He maintained that the federal government was tackling corruption head-on, and it is also rebuilding the economy and developing infrastructure, saying that the APC was proud of its achievements. He also said that his recent interactions with the international community have been very encouraging, adding that the international community was giving the Nigerian government the necessary support. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the reported 14.8 million votes that Mr Buhari received from APC members in a direct primary was announced early Sunday morning by the Ekiti State Governor elect, Kayode Fayemi, who was the chairman APC Presidential Primary Election Committee. Mr Fayemi had also chaired the APC Convention in Lagos in 2014 that elected Buhari as the partys candidate. The result was later affirmed by no fewer than 7,000 delegates from across the federation and the FCT through a yes vote. The delegates were made up of three from each local government area elected at the partys recent state congresses aside the statutory delegates. Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo who is the Chairman APC National Presidential Convention Committee, described Mr Buhari as the antidote for all political locusts. He is the insecticide for all political termites and the saviour of the oppressed and downtrodden, and the best president for the people. We are impressed by his exemplary honesty, sincerity and commitment to a greater Nigeria, he said, adding that President Buhari has positively impacted on the lives of Nigerians in the last three and half years. He called on Nigerians to vote for him again in 2019 to enable him consolidate on his achievements and take the country to greater heights. Mr Ajimobi said the convention had opened a new chapter in Nigerias political history and called on APC members not to succumb or be distracted by the negative propaganda of the opposition. We have a job to do, let us all join hands with President Buhari and roll up our sleeves for the task ahead,he said. Adams Oshiomhole, the APC National Chairman, formally presented President Buhari to the convention as the partys 2019 presidential candidate, amidst cheers from delegates and other party members. I hereby formally present President Muhammadu Buhari as the candidate of our party for the 2019 presidential election to everyone here and to Nigerians, and by the grace of God, victory shall be ours, he said. Present at the convention were Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, APC Governors, National Assembly members and party delegates from the 36 states and FCT. Atiku Abubakar, a retired Customs officer and Nigerias vice president between 1999 and 2007, has been elected the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). At a PDP national convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, held Saturday and Sunday, Mr Abubakar defeated 11 other aspirants to clinch the hotly-contested ticket. His victory sets him as the main challenger to President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 general election. The ruling All Progressives Congress confirmed Mr Buhari as its candidate at a non-competitive convention in Abuja, Nigerias capital on Saturday. Mr Abubakar, an Adamawa-born politician whose quest for Nigerias presidency has seen him vie for the top office since 1992, scored 1,532 votes at this weekends convention. His closest rival, Aminu Tambuwal, scored 693 votes while Senate President Bukola Saraki came third with 317 votes. Sundays PDP 2018 National Convention is one of the most competitive since 1998 when the party chose Olusegun Obasanjo as its candidate. Mr Obasanjo went on to lead Nigeria for eight years starting in 1999, with Mr Abubakar as his vice president. Mr Abubakar left the PDP in the build up to the 2007 election to be the flag bearer of the then opposition Action Congress. He lost the election to late President Umaru YarAdua. He later joined the PDP again and sought to be the partys candidate in 2011. He lost the ticket to Goodluck Jonathan who led Nigeria until 2015. Mr Abubakar, in the build up to the 2015 election again left the PDP for the then newly formed All Progressives Congress. He came third in the APC presidential primary behind Muhammadu Buhari and Rabiu Kwankwaso. Mr Buhari went on to win the general election and is now seeking re-election. 2019: Atiku emerges PDP presidential candidate; to challenge Buhari Mr Abubakar left the APC for the PDP last year, accusing the ruling party and President Buhari of failing Nigerians. The election of Atiku Abubakar as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in 2019 was fair and transparent exercise which no aspirants would challenge, two PDP senators said. Dino Melaye and Isa Misau, from Kogi and Bauchi respectively, both supported Senate President Bukola Saraki in the primary. They said the transparent manner of the exercise would help keep the PDP united going into 2019. We expect everybody to line up behind the candidate now and chase the disaster that is APC and Buhari government out, Mr Melaye said. This is a key victory for not only the PDP but also Nigeria because the APC should now know that their days in office are numbered, Mr Misau also said. Both senators spoke with PREMIUM TIMES shortly after Mr Abubakar was declared winner of the election with 1,532 votes. He defeated Governor Aminu Tambuwal and Senate President Bukola Saraki, who polled 693 and 317 respectively, to secure second and third places. Messrs Melaye and Misau were at the convention to support Mr Saraki, who joined the race considerably late but soon emerged a frontrunner in the days leading up to the exercise. Mr Misau said the exercise was transparent, and he does not see anyone challenging the outcome. This is a very transparent convention, everything was done in a very civil and effective way that no one would bother challenging it, the senator told PREMIUM TIMES. Fears that the aspirants may not unite behind the eventual nominee gripped the PDP ahead of the primaries, which reportedly prompted party to compel candidates to enter into an accord declaring they would support the candidate. Mr Abubakar now has President Muhammadu Buhari as his main challenger in 2019, a race many Nigerians expect to be competitive. Mr Melaye said Mr Abubakar should see the race as a cakewalk. The president has nothing to run on, Mr Melaye said. He will be disgraced by Nigerians at the polls next year. He told PREMIUM TIMES he could guarantee that Mr Abubakar would win Kogi State next February. The race will not even be close, the people of Kogi have suffered the incompetence of this government enough, he said. Mr Misau said Mr Abubakar is from the North-east, and would easily win in tthat region. The former vice president is from the North-east in the core North, so you should expect him to clear that region, especially when he is running against a poor incumbent like Buhari, he said. Mr Buhari picked his partys nomination ticket yesterday in an exercise that was essentially planned to formalise his candidacy, having emerged the sole contender for the ruling partys ticket since announcing his intention to seek reelection in April. While accepting the nomination, the president railed against the PDP, Nigerias main opposition, for running the country aground during its control of the centre, an affliction he said he has been trying to correct since 2015. Presidential aspirants who lost to Atiku Abubakar in the Peoples Democratic Party primary have pledged to support him. Mr Abubakar defeated 11 other aspirants at the opposition partys convention held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Saturday and Sunday. The former vice president scored 1,532 votes, more than double that scored by his closest challenger, Aminu Tambuwal, who had 693 votes. Senate President Bukola Saraki came third with 317 votes. Speaking on behalf of the other aspirants, Mr Saraki, at the venue of the convention, pledged to support Mr Abubakar. You truly deserve this, he told Mr Abubabakr. On behalf of al of us, we congratulate you. Earlier Mr Abubakar had thanked his co-contestants and pledged to call on them in his efforts to help the party win the 2019 presidential election. In response to that, Mr Saraki said even if you dont call us, we are here to work with you. The senate president took a jibe at doubting Thomases who suggested that the convention would lead to some of the presidential aspirants walking away from the party. We are all here, he said. We are only working with you (Mr Abubakar) to victory. After the convention, one of the presidential aspirants, Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State, also pledged to support Mr Abubakar. Congratulations to Former Vice President of Nigeria, His Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on his emergence as the flag bearer of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party. We are united under one Umbrella and we will work assiduously for our partys victory in 2019, Mr Dankwambo said on his Twitter handle. Mr Dankwambo scored 111 votes at the convention. His spokesperson had earlier confirmed that the Twitter handle belongs to his principal. Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo [Photo credit: The Worldfolio] NOT ALONE I cannot do it alone, Mr Abubakar said in his acceptance speech. I need your support, I need your understanding, he told his fellow aspirants. It is not a one mans job, it is one of collective responsibly, he added. He described the process that produced him candidate as free, fair and innovative. Congratulations to Former Vice President of Nigeria, His Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on his emergence as the flag bearer of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party. We are united under one Umbrella and we will work assiduously for our partys victory in 2019. pic.twitter.com/BsbzlDDbd1 Hassan Ibrahim Dankwambo (@HEDankwambo) October 7, 2018 We have witnessed the most credible, transparent and fair primaries, the candidate said, adding that it is the most innovative process since the inception of PDP 1998. He said the PDP and other political parties should learn from the process and improve upon it. Mr Abubakar, who spoke without a prepared script, commended his challengers, saying they showed a sense of unity, a sense of purpose and a sense of commitment. 2019: Atiku emerges PDP presidential candidate; to challenge Buhari He described President Muhammadu Buhari as clueless, adding that the PDP cannot afford to fail at the general election. Mr Abubakar is expected to be the main challenger to Mr Buhari in the 2019 presidential election. The president has already been declared the APC candidate for the election. Two senators, Dino Melaye and Ben Murray-Bruce, are to report to the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, Garki, Abuja by 1000hrs on Monday, the police said Sunday The invitation superseded an earlier one sent to them over their conduct in connection with a protest last week Friday in Abuja, the police said. Both men were among Peoples Democratic leaders who protested to demand the removal of the INEC chairman and the declaration of PDP winner of the Osun governorship election. Other PDP leaders at the protest include the partys chairman, Uche Secondus, and Senate President Bukola Saraki. Mr Saraki was one of those initially summoned by the police. But the police appear to have soft-pedaled on the senate president as he was not mentioned or summoned in the Sunday statement. The protesters had earlier condemned the unprofessional conduct of the police during the rally. The police said they want the two senators to explain their role on the day unruly and violent protesters attacked police men on duty in front of the Force Headquarters. They are no longer expected to report at the office of the IGP Monitoring Unit as earlier stated in a press release issued by the police headquarters on October 5. The police spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, said Sunday that the two senators have a case to answer following preliminary investigation carried out so far by the police into the incident. Mr Moshood said the probe revealed that Mr Melaye and Mr Murray-Bruce were captured on camera for their active involvement in the disturbance of public peace and public safety, unlawful blockade of Shehu Shagari Way. He said the blockade lasted several hours and prevented motorists, road users and other members of the public from having access and passage on the highway thereby disturbing public peace and public safety and causing innocent people to scamper for safety. He also said they have to explain the violent attack on policemen posted to ensure security of the Force Headquarters, the pushing and hitting of the policemen to forcefully enter the Force Headquarters to cause damage to police equipment and government properties. Consequently, Senator Dino Melaye and Senator Ben Murray-Bruce are to report to the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, Garki, Abuja by 1000hrs on Monday, 8th October, 2018 for investigation and not the IGP Monitoring Unit as earlier stated in the Press Release from the Force Headquarters on 5th October, 2018. Mr Moshood said further investigation is ongoing to determine the level of involvement and culpability of other individuals and personalities who were seen at the scene of the crime on the date of the incident. According to Mr Moshood, invitation letters have been sent to both Messrs Melaye and Murray-Bruce for them to report to the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, Garki, Abuja. The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has the statutory jurisdiction to investigate the matter, he said. Adams Oshiomhole, the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, has said that with the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari as the partys presidential candidate for the 2019 election, it is set to especially, engage the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on issue-based campaign. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Oshiomhole stated this in his address of welcome at the partys National Presidential Convention, which ended in the early hours of Sunday. President Buhari scored a total of 14,842,072 votes at the partys recent presidential primaries held across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as announced by Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti State Governor-elect. Mr Fayemi, who was the Chairman, APC Presidential Primary Committee, later asked the no fewer than. 7,000 delegates from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to affirm the presidents candidacy through a yes vote, and they did affirm the candidacy. Aside the statuary delegates, the delegates who were drawn from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), were made up of three from each local government area. They were elected at the partys state congresses held earlier in the year. Mr Oshiomhole maintained that with President Buhari as the partys presidential candidate, it was now ready for the 2019 election, adding that the president had given a good account of himself as a leader who led by example. He added that unlike some political parties in the past, the APC decided to elect President Buhari as its presidential candidate for the 2019 presidential election using the direct primary mode to give all party members a say. Mr Oshiomhole said, unlike the other party which printed only one presidential form and came up with 2 million signatures from unverified individuals in 2015 , the APC chose a more democratic process, using the direct primary method which gave all registered party members a true sense of participation. He said that the APC would scrutinise the records of whoever the opposition party, especially the PDP ,brought up as its presidential candidate for the 2019 election. This, he said, would be done with a view to bringing their past deeds to the public to enable them to make good choice. The other party is choosing its candidate in Port-Harcourt, we will look at the records of the opponent, we will look at his pedigree, we will challenge them on their track records, he said. The national chairman, however, dismissed claims by members of the opposition PDP that the federal government was being selective in its anti-graft war. He also said that the complaints by opposition figures that the President Buhari-led administration was being heavy-handed should be ignored. According to him, the present government was being too mild compared to past administration which he said always harassed and intimidated those in the opposition, saying that he was a victim of such harassment. As a sitting governor then, I was denied the use of a public airport. Mr President, sometimes I feel you are too mild. I was under threat of impeachment, I had to remove the roof of my State House of Assembly in order to survive. One of your predecessors used seven people to remove a sitting governor. I am, however, not in anyway suggesting that you do the same, Mr Oshiomhole said. (NAN) The National Population Commission of Nigeria (NPC) has estimated that no fewer than 19 million Nigerians are living with disabilities. The Chairman of the Commission, Eze Duruiheoma (SAN), announced this during the 73rd UN General Assembly General Discussion of Agenda 28 on Social Development at the UN headquarters in New York. The World Bank estimates that one billion people, or 15 per cent of the worlds population, experience some form of disabilities and the prevalence is higher for developing countries. The NPC chief said Nigeria has a policy that reserves a percentage of vacancies for the disabled, adding the corporate organisations are also encouraged to reserve two per cent for the disabled population. As a result, government is implementing measures to promote and enhance the entrepreneurial skills of many of our 19 million Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). This is executed through training in various vocations and provision of relevant tools to enable them to embark on economic ventures of their choice. Furthermore, corporate organisations in Nigeria are encouraged to reserve two per cent of their vacancies to PWDs in support of the existing policy in the public sector. He said Nigeria recognises the importance of implementing policies that bridge social inequality gap through poverty eradication, social integration, full employment and decent work that target especially the disability population. As part of our commitment to the continuous implementation of the relevant provisions of the 2002 Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the National Senior Citizen Act 2018 early this year. The Act mandates all tiers of government, including institutions in the country, to establish National Senior Citizens Centres to ensure proper care, training, integration, orientation and re-orientation of senior citizens. This highlights the need for, and ensuring full utilisation of potential and expertise of the elderly, while recognising the benefits of increased experience through age, as well as strengthening intergenerational solidarity, Mr Duruiheoma said. Similarly, a pre-retirement vocational training is being provided to officers prior to disengagement from the public service to enhance investment of retirement benefits and guarantee income security as a means of eradicating poverty, he said. Waivers are also extended to treatment provided for the elderly in government hospitals in some states in the country, the Nigerian population chief said. He said Nigerias recently-revised National Population Policy now accorded special attention to ageing and the aged, and provided strategies for improving their welfare through investment in healthy ageing and integration into life-long learning programmes. He added that the Nigerian Government remained irreversibly committed to implementing social policies that impacted positively on the lives and well-being of all Nigerians, regardless of social status, creed and affiliations. This is based on President Muhammadu Buharis conviction that the implementation of people-centred and all inclusive sustainable development policies remain a strong parameter for measuring the success of any credible government, he said. He explained that Nigeria had begun implementation of an ambitious three-year medium-term economic development strategy: Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP). Duruiheoma said the ERGP would fast-track the realisation of the objectives of Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and the overarching social-economic goals of Agenda 2063 of the African Union. Fundamentally, EGRP was designed to place the countrys economy on a trajectory of upward growth, sound social infrastructure, global competitiveness, as well as ensuring environmental sustainability for all Nigerians. President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated winners of All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries across the country, urging losers to demonstrate sportsmanship by accepting the outcomes without bitterness or resentment. In every competition, someone has to win and someone has to lose, but those who lost should not abandon the party or lose their enthusiasm for the advancement of the party, the president said. President Buhari advised Nigerian politicians to learn from several aspirants like Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State who despite his loss didnt abandon APC for another party because he was angry over the outcome of the gubernatorial primaries. The president said that: the larger interest of our party is greater than our individual ambitions, and we should therefore work together for its success, despite our losses. According to Mr Buhari, in politics, we shouldnt lose hope permanently because tomorrow could present another opportunity for us to contest again and win. He advised the losers of the primaries to always put the party first because we are in it together to serve the country, and I am always proud of our members who demonstrate sportsmanship and a good party spirit. President Buhari also enjoined the winners to show grace in victory instead of mocking the losers, as such action is capable of destroying party unity and cohesion. The tent is large enough for us. He added that those elected should see their positions as a public trust instead of abusing their mandates to amass personal wealth at the expense of the ordinary voters who voted them into power. In a separate statement, the presidency said it wishes to distance President Muhammadu Buhari from a letter currently in circulation, which alleges that the president had authorised a governor or anyone else for that matter to deal with traitors and disloyal members of APC, especially Senator Shehu Sani. We wish to confirm that the president is not aware of any such letter, let alone authorising anyone to deal with any party member. Given President Buharis record, it is inconceivable that he would usurp the role of the party leaders and instruct anyone to punish a party member. In the light of above, we would like to appeal to the general public, especially members of the press, to ignore false or unauthorised information intended to attribute to the president any action which is not in line with his character. The Convener of Save Nigeria Group, Tunde Bakare, told President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday to proclaim an executive order urgently to facilitate national reconciliation, reintegration and restructuring. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Bakare gave the advice against at a news conference in Ikeja against the backdrop of the persistent call by opinion leaders for Nigeria to be restructured to engender, equity, unity, peace and progress. Mr Bakare said that the executive order should be proclaimed in consultation with the National Assembly and the council of state, to establish a presidential commission to facilitate the restructuring. The tele-evangelist and politician was speaking on the state of the nation at his Latter Rain Assembly Church. He said that restructuring would return Nigeria to the winning formula of the past that facilitated the countrys socio-economic development. To chair the presidential commission, the president should appoint a wise and discerning Nigerian who must be incorruptible and of unquestionable integrity and highly respected. The person should be able to build bridges among the diverse interest groups in the country and willing to serve his or her fatherland without remuneration. The chairperson should evolve the presidential commission into six zonal commissions and appoint for each zone, a zonal commissioner. The zonal commissioners should be technocrats, mandated to create and implement a master plan for their respective geo-economic zones and coordinate the transition of the economy in their zones. The presidential commission will launch a nationwide reconciliation and reintegration drive and should creatively communicate the new Nigeria with a compelling national vision and a brand identity. The commission should institute a social impact bond for the implementation of the zonal economic master plan. The financing scheme should be structured into key sectors, including agriculture which we have neglected. We should be ready to reject who we are not and reaffirm who we are. Its time we say no to a defective system that throws up the worst of us for leadership. Its time to say no to a system that only breeds defectors because it is only defective people that defect. It is time to build systems that will serve the common good; structure that works for every Nigerian and a nation that caters for every citizen. It is time to make the right choices. Mr Bakare also advised the federal government to prioritise the welfare of every Nigerian. (NAN) A Nigerian senator has declared his willingness to honour a police invitation on his role in the Friday protest in Abuja. Ben Murray-Bruce was among Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders who led a protest on Friday demanding that the PDP candidate in the Osun governorship election, Ademola Adeleke, be declared winner of the election. They also demanded the removal of INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, from office. Other PDP leaders involved in the protest include the partys national chairman, Uche Secondus, Senate President Bukola Saraki and a senator, Dino Melaye. During the protest, the lawmakers and a crowd of PDP supporters had face-off with the police in front of the force headquarters in Abuja. But the police in a statement on Friday said Mr Saraki, Mr Melaye, Mr Murray-Bruce and others who participated in the protest should turn themselves in latest by Monday, October 8. The police said they deployed minimum force in resisting an alleged attempt to break into the Force Headquarters by the protesters. Speaking in an interview on Silverbird Television during the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries in Port Harcourt on Saturday, Mr Murray-Bruce said it was a peaceful protest to express the partys grievances on the Osun election. The summon is a party issue but after my meeting on Sunday, I will appear. I will love to appear if they ask me to appear 10 times a day or 55 times. I am a law abiding citizen, let them do whatever they want to do. It is all politics, he said According to him, the protest was recorded on video and so there is nothing to be afraid of. The lawmaker said he would honour the invitation because he has nothing to hide. The Osun State governorship election held on September 22 but was declared inconclusive because the margin between the PDP candidate and that of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was smaller than number of cancelled votes. After the rerun in the seven units on September 27, the APC was declared winner by 462 votes and its candidate, Gboyega Oyetola, declared governor-elect, although several local and international observers reported anomalies in some of the units during the rerun. INEC on Thursday presented Mr Oyetola the certificate of return while Mr Adeleke has filed a petition before the election tribunal set up by the judiciary. The Publisher of Sahara Reporters and Convener of #TakeItBack Movement, Omoyele Sowore, has been elected the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) for the 2019 general election. Mr. Sowore was unanimously elected without opposition by members of the party on Saturday at its national convention that took place at Duplex Plaza, CMD, Shangisha, Lagos. The Ondo-born activist thanked the party delegates for supporting his dream to take Nigeria out of mess. We must work to realise the dream of a new Nigeria, where we would be able to send our children to school and where the black man will be proud of the Nigerian nation. We must say enough is enough. Those who are taking Nigeria into the future are here with us. He applauded Femi Falana, a Lagos-based Lawyer and rights activist, for supporting his ambition. It would be impossible for me to graduate from the University of Lagos without him. We are not alone. We have people at the Diaspora and our ancestors who have gone with us. I thank those who have nominated and supported me in the journey to become the President of Nigeria, he said. Reacting to Mr. Sowores candidature, Mr. Falana at the convention urged the party to elevate politics of ideas as against politics of money. Elsewhere, when convention is taking place, dollars are being distributed. We must never allow some people take over our country. We must determine the destiny of our country with our own hand. AAC, you must elevate politics to the platform of Nigerians. When others are distributing money we must be distributing ideas because it is only ideas that can eradicate politics in our country, the senior advocate said. President Muhammadu Buhari has been formally declared the presidential candidate of the governing party, APC, for next years election. The president was so declared at the APC convention held in Abuja on Saturday. Mr Buhari, in his acceptance speech, accused the main opposition party, PDP, of mismanaging Nigeria in the 16 years it led the country. Read the presidents full acceptance speech below. PROTOCOLS: I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the Chairman and members of the Convention Committee for planning and conducting this convention. The same appreciation goes to the chairmen of National and State Executive Committees of our party. Thank you very much for doing a difficult job well. 2. I would like to pay tribute to Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande the first chairman of our great Party and to Chief John Oyegun who led the party until this year and all the APC Governors. 3. The result of the presidential primaries of the All Progressives Congress this time is different because I am the only candidate. I thank all other eligible candidates who deferred to me in the interest of our party unity and over-all national stability. 4. Fellow party members, it is with a deep sense of humility that I stand before you today to accept the nomination of our party, the All Progressives Congress to be its candidate and flag-bearer in the 2019 presidential elections. 5. As I stand today before you, there is no honour greater than the confidence given to me by all of you when you affirmed my nomination. I thank you for your support. I thank you for your guidance. I thank you for staying committed to the CHANGE agenda. 6. I accept this honour as a tribute and mark of confidence to carry the responsibility as we all join hands to continue the good work of the APC government to 2023 and beyond. 7. We are very proud of our record from 2015 to date: We have arrested and checked the slide to anarchy on the security and economic fronts. Boko Haram is reduced to dastardly attacks on soft targets. Normalcy has returned to much of North East and neighbouring North West states. Our currency has stabilised. Our reserves are now $44 billion, a lot higher than we had in 2015. Power generation capacity has reached 8,000 megawatts against less than 4,600 when we came into office. As we invest in new power generation infrastructure we are strenuously working to address the legacy deficiencies and challenges of transmission and distribution networks across the country. We are executing Independent Power Projects in 9 Federal Universities to deliver uninterrupted power supply and we intend to expand to a total of 37 Universities We have revived most of our capacity to produce fertilisers locally. The Government through its Anchor Borrowers Programme and other incentives has empowered more than 2 million farmers to go back to the land. We now produce 80% of our rice requirements. Many farmers who nearly lost hope are now millionaires. We have introduced primary school feeding programmes to encourage attendance and enrolment. We also have introduced the conditional cash transfer to help small and medium businesses, the men, the women and young people who drive our economy. We have repaired and are repairing major arterial roads and starting major railway projects with the aim of linking the 36 states with efficient road and rail transportation systems. We are attacking corruption head-on. With international support we are recovering Nigerian stolen assets and applying them to infrastructural developments. Today the corrupt are facing the wrath of law and leakages have been generally blocked. Mr. Chairman, Your Excellencies, Members of the APC. 8. We can be proud of our achievements. CHANGE has come. Ladies and Gentlemen, fellow Nigerians, think how much PDP Governments earned between 1999 to 2015. Think what they did with it. Infrastructure down! Security down! 18 local governments of Nigeria under control of a hostile army of insurgents, Reserves depleted! Bankruptcy around the corner. 9. What did they do with your money? 10. Internationally, Nigeria is now respected. My inter-action with foreign heads of state and government has been very encouraging. The international community is very supportive of our efforts to put our country in order. 11. Ladies and gentlemen, Members of APC. I thank you deeply for your support and confidence in me. I will not let you or the people of Nigeria down. On to victory in 2019! Long live APC! Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria! Thank you and God bless you all. The Nigerian Army says it will adhere to and respect human rights in the search of a missing retired major general, Idris Alkali, in Jos. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Mr 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. Consequently, the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, set up an operation to search for the missing officer. The army said that after a thorough search and investigation, they stumbled on some intelligence that made it necessary to search a mining pond at Dura-du, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau. The operation being jointly conducted by Operation Safe Haven and 3 Division Nigeria Army, Rukuba, recovered four vehicles from the pond, including the one Mr Alkali was driving before his disappearance. The situation led to fears, anxiety and apprehension that army would carry out a military action in the area as it continues its search for the general or his remains. According to reports, members of the community fled their homes for fear of being attacked by security operatives. But the army in a statement signed by Kayode Ogunsanya, Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, assured that it would conduct its operations with international best practices and respect for fundamental human rights. The attention of Headquarters 3 Division has been drawn to reports that the residents of Dura-Du District have fled and abandoned their homes and business premises to avoid being clamped down by the troops involved in the Search and Rescue Operation for the missing retired senior officer. Please be informed that Nigerian Army is a professional organisation that conducts its operations with international best practices and respect for fundamental human rights. The troops involved in the search and rescue operation only apprehended those who have information about the missing retired senior officer based on credible intelligence. Consequently, the good and peace loving people of Jos South, especially Dura-Du District, are enjoined not to desert their homes and business premises and urged them to go about their legitimate businesses, he said. Mr Ogunsanya said that doing so would prevent hoodlums from breaking into the abandoned homes and business premises. He also called on anyone with credible information about the whereabouts of the missing retired senior officer to please contact this Headquarters on GSM No. 09074028881. He added that a handsome reward awaits a credible informant and the source of information shall be protected. The army spokesperson further called on everyone within the area of responsibility to remain vigilant and report any suspected breach of peace to security agencies. (NAN) A former Minister of Information, and later of Environment, John Odey, is dead. He was 58. Details of his passage are still sketchy but his death was announced on Sunday by the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Uche Secondus, at the partys convention in Port Harcourt. Mr Secondus also called for a one-minute silence for Mr Odey at the event. A report by the Leadership Newspaper suggested the former minister died in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, where he was undergoing treatment for what was described as cancer-related illness. BELOW IS THE WIKIPEDIA ENTRY FOR MR ODEY John Ogar Odey (born November 1, 1959) was appointed Nigerian minister of information and communications in July 2007, and became minister for environment in December 2008 after President Umaru YarAdua reshuffled his cabinet. Mr. Odey graduated with a B.Sc. in banking and finance from the University of Calabar in 1986. He has been active within the media, with positions such as general manager for South-South Communication and chairman of News Agency of Nigeria.He was appointed National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2004. He served as minister of information and communications and then as minister for the environment in the cabinet of Umaru YarAdua. In March 2010, he handed over to the permanent secretary for the ministry of environment after Vice President Goodluck Jonathan dissolved his cabinet. Details later The South African police will on Monday charge eight police officers to court for their alleged roles in the October 2017 torture and murder of a Nigerian, Ibrahim Badmus. The Nigeria Consul General in South Africa, Godwin Adama, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone conversation from Johannesburg, that the officers include two women and six men. The officers according to him, are: Catherine Tenteza, Gerhard Der-Walt, Nkosinathi Ngwenya , Aaron Arends, Nomkhosi Khoza, Emmanuel Ngwane, Msebenzi Mkhuma, and Joseph Mamasela . Mr Adama said that the officers, who were arrested on Friday by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), would be arraigned in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrates Court on Monday. He said that Mr Badmus, 25, a native of Ibadan, Oyo State, was allegedly killed when the officers interrogated and suffocated him on October 10, 2017, in Vanderbijlpark. Mr Adama commended the IPID who he said assured of a thorough investigation and they had kept to their word. They had constantly briefed us on the case and we commend their seriousness of approach in bringing justice to Nigerians in this case. It will set a new standard in prosecution of cases involving Nigerians in South Africa. It will also send a strong message out. The envoy also expressed appreciation to the government of South Africa for creating the enabling environment for justice to prevail. He also expressed the hope that the accused persons would be convicted to serve as deterrent to others. NAN reports that IPID spokesperson, Moses Dlamini, had said that the accused persons claimed that they had found drugs on the deceased. He, however, said the claim was a false story to cover up the torture and murder of the deceased. There was a huge outcry from the Nigerian community when the death was discovered. At the time, the police also alleged that they were attacked by drug dealers, he said. Mr Dlamini said IPID investigators had probed the matter amid a lot of hostility from some members of the South African Police Service. He said two pathologists who conducted the post-mortem confirmed that the deceased had indeed been tortured. The docket was referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for prosecution and the DPP decided that the eight suspects be charged for murder and torture, he said. (NAN) Nigerias former minister of education and co-founder of the Bring Back Our Girls movement, Oby Ezekwesili, has joined the growing number of candidates aiming to unseat President Muhammadu Buhari when Nigerians go to polls early 2019. Mrs Ezekwesili on Sunday emerged the presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria. The partys chairman, Ganiu Galadima, disclosed this during the 2018 national convention of the party at Alexis hotel, Abuja, on Sunday. Mr Galadima said his party is here to give hope to all Nigerians and Mrs Ezekwesili is the best among current presidential candidates. We appreciate Mrs Ezekwesili for pitching her tent with the party and we have resolved to work with her, he said. Apart from serving in different positions during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, Mrs Ezekwesili, a former vice president of the World Bank, is best known for leading the movement that has been demanding freedom for all girls kidnapped by the Boko Haram terror group. Details later The national headquarters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that Shehu Sani remained its only senatorial candidate from Kaduna Central. The Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Yekini Nabena, gave the clarification in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Abuja on Sunday. He said Mr Sani was the only senatorial candidate from the zone that was duly recognised by the national body. Shehu Sani had distanced himself from the primary election held in the state on Saturday, where he was said to have lost to Special Adviser to Governor Nasir El-Rufai on Political Affairs, Uba Sani. The Returning Officer of the primary held at Murtala Muhammed Square, Kaduna, Eddie Floyd-Igbo, declared Uba Sani, Mr El-Rufais adviser, as the winner with 2,088 votes, while Shehu Sani garnered only 15 votes. Another aspirant, Usman Ibrahim-Sardauna, was said to have secured only 129 votes. Mr Nabena, however, reiterated that, as far as Kaduna Central Zone 2 is concerned, the only candidate is Sen. Shehu Sani. Yes election took place in that zone because of the House of Representatives and the State House of Assembly but for the senatorial position, the only candidate is Sen. Shehu Sani. The governor cannot dictate to the party. The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the APC headquarters had announced Shehu Sani as its only candidate cleared to contest the Kaduna Central senatorial seat in 2019 elections. (NAN) The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), says about 200,000 candidates have been offered admission by the board, for the 2018/2019 academic session. The Head, Media and Information of the JAMB, Fabian Benjamin, who disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos, said that the admission took effect after the boards policy meeting in June in Gbogan, Osun State. According to him, the exercise is done through the Central Admission Process (CAP), an automated process to eliminate all human interference. We have so far offered not less than 200,000 first choice admissions to candidates. To this effect therefore, we are urging candidates to go to our site and check their admission status and those who have been offered such admission should quickly indicate by accepting and printing such offer, as failure to do so will automatically mean the candidate is no longer interested. And therefore, the board may see all such offers as rejected and would have no option than to mop them up and give it to other interested candidates. Candidates are to accept or reject all offers not later than Oct.16 as that is when all offers of admissions of first choice will close. After that, we will commence admission exercise for the second choice of candidates, Benjamin said. He added that the admission process has been made easy as it is clear on the boards official website, all what the candidates need to know about their admission status and process. NAN reports that over 1.6 million candidates wrote JAMB-organised 2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). (NAN) A retired nurse, Lami Musa, has emerged the governorship candidate of Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) for Adamawa in the just concluded primaries of the party. Mrs Musa who is the only female candidate to emerge so far as governorship candidate in Adamawa, was endorsed through affirmation by delegates of the party to fly its flag in 2019. The state chairman of the party, Christopher Nicholas, lauded the hitch-free conduct of the primaries and urged party members to work assiduously toward her victory and that of other candidates of the party. In her acceptance speech, Mrs Musa thanked the delegates for endorsing her and urged them to work as a team to ensure the success of the part in 2019 general elections. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Imam of Jammatul Nasril Islam (JNI) Friday Mosque in Yola, Bappari Umar, emerged the gubernatorial candidate of KOWA party in the state. Mr Umar who emerged unopposed at the party primaries, told NAN that he decided to join politics as a cleric to make a difference. There is a lot of betrayal by many people elected to represent the people and I feel my participation in the race as a cleric who always preach good governance will make a difference, Mr Umar said. NAN also reports that Abel Behora who recently defected from Social Democratic Party (SDP) to Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) emerged unopposed as ANN gubernatorial candidate. (NAN) The Action Democratic Party (ADC) has elected Margret Inusa as its governorship candidate in Plateau State for the 2019 elections. Mrs Inusa, a pastor, was affirmed alongside all other aspirants seeking various political offices at the APC primaries held at the state party headquarters in Jos on Sunday. Apart from the governorship candidate, the party affirmed three senatorial candidates, eight for Federal House of Representatives, and 24 for state House of Assembly. The returning officer of the primaries, Ibrahim Pam, who conducted the exercise charged all the party candidates to be good ambassadors of the party. I call on you to be good ambassadors of the party and be change agents for Plateau State and Nigeria in general. Ensure that the policy of our great party is known to Plateau people so that they will know where we are heading to, Mr Pam said. Mrs Inusa, who is also an entrepreneur, later spoke to journalists about her plans if elected governor of the state. I will ensure security of lives and properties in the state. I promise that. I will restore confidence and hope through politics of conscience for a better Plateau State, the governorship candidate said. Mrs Inusa has, as major opponents, the candidates of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) and governor of the state, Simon Lalong, and Jeremiah Useni of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs has condemned the recent escalation in violence in Plateau State. PREMIUM TIMES reported the murder of dozens of people in separate ethno-religious attacks in the state in the past week. The NSCIA in a statement by its deputy secretary general, Salisu Shehu, called for perpetrators of the killings to be apprehended. Read the full statement below. The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), under the leadership of its President-General, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Saad Abubakar, is compelled to express its shock and stupefaction on the tragic bloodbath and savagery emanating for the umpteenth time from Plateau State. Formerly a haven of peace and a pride to the nation, Plateau State, especially the three Local Government Areas of Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Jos South, has relapsed into a state of anomie, a condition of intermittent, internecine and seemingly intractable violence. At the centre of this horrible and extreme criminality are the Berom Christians, a bunch of evil and deadly ethnic supremacists whose brazen show of cannibalism astounded the world when they slaughtered, burnt and ate the flesh of several Muslims about a decade ago when the worshippers were waylaid at a major Islamic festival. It is the same terrorists that have turned Jos to a theatre of carnage again with the unbelievable discoveries being made in Lafendeg Du pond, where the car and belongings of a General of the Nigerian Army, Idris Alkali, were criminally deposited, among other traces of unimaginable horror. NSCIA condemns in the strongest terms the unspeakable disappearance of Major General Idris Alkali (rtd). We remonstrate the gruesome murder of several other Muslims, including Zayyanu Shallah, Manager, Department of Universal Service and Provision Fund, Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC), and Jubril Mailafia, an award-winning Film Editor and Animator, in the same community. As responsible and civilised people, we must all collectively and unanimously condemn the killing of innocent souls regardless of whoever is perpetrating it and or whoever may be the victims. All human souls are sacred and they must be equally protected and valued. The usual silence of some self-styled religious leaders when their people are the perpetrators of crime and their cantankerous posturing and raucous cacophony when their followers are perceived as victims of mayhem smack of hypocrisy and wickedness in the sight of God and indeed in the sight of all just, fair and humane people. Given their antecedents, it is just true to type that General Alkalis car, the clothes he was wearing and other personal effects were all found in the evil pond. Other similar and alarming discoveries are still being made, like carcasses of human bodies and cars, and other things that prove beyond reasonable doubt that the area in question has been converted to a triangle of undiluted evil, where innocent people plying the Jos-Abuja road are profiled religiously and Muslims are frequently hacked to death with their bodies dumped in some shallow graves while their vehicles are buried in the bellies of ponds. So far, many vehicles including an 18-seater bus of Gombe Line, 6 motorbikes, and several dead bodies have been discovered in that particular pond alone. We understand that about 80 other ponds dot the community and it will actually take some time to unravel the depth and dimensions of the atrocities committed against innocent Muslim commuters over the past one decade. It is this blood-chilling reality that makes travellers to Abuja from Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe, Borno and Adamawa State to pass through Kano, enduring the hardship of travelling for a whole day on a journey that could have been undertaken within an average of 5 or 6 hours. For a madness that has lasted this long, it is curious and disappointing that no definitive measure has been taken to deal decisively with the situation as the security agents cannot claim ignorance about it. In the face of this unsavoury and sense-numbing development, we are dismayed and appalled that the media have chosen to remain hypocritically silent and ignominiously disinterested, understandably because, and as it has often been the case, Muslims are the victims and the perpetrators of the evil and crime are Christians. If it were to be the so-called herdsmen attack, though it is the same anarchists that often disguise as herdsmen to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it, the media would have been awash with sensational headlines, mischievous reports and obnoxious hyper-analyses. In fact, if General Alkali were a Christian, a dominant section of the media would have earned for themselves accolades for bigotry and the corrupt-souled purveyors of hate speech, masquerading men of God, would have been spitting fire and brimstone, beating the drums of war, fanning the embers of hubris and mischievously mouthing their ill-digested Jihad. Now, we strongly demand that the Federal Government hold the people living in the communities around the Lafendeg Du pond responsible for the disappearance of General Alkali and the ordinary civilians whose lives had been gruesomely terminated. The guilty conscience of these terrorists and cannibals had made them to use their women to attempt stopping the search of the pond. The leader of those barely-clad women and her co-travellers should be arrested immediately and investigated to determine their actual motif and culpability in the disappearance of the General and the death of others. The efforts of the Governor of Plateau State, Rt. Honourable Simon Bako Lalong, at entrenching peace and stability in Plateau State is commendable. At least, his own administration, in the last three and a half years, until the past few months, is different from what obtained in the immediate past administration in the State when the State Government was not only brazenly taking side but was also culpable in certain situations. The former Governor should be able to assist the authorities in their investigations as a federal legislator had revealed on the floor of the National Assembly, even while citing security concerns for his own life, how mercenaries and terrorists had been trained abroad by politicians to kill, plunder and massacre. The Council appreciates the Federal Government, in spite of the daunting challenges it faces from the corrupt and conflict entrepreneurs, on the appreciable progress and achievements it has recorded in addressing the various challenges of insecurity in the Country. We acknowledge the doggedness and resolve of the military in unearthing the facts surrounding the disappearance of one of their own. More importantly, we reiterate that Government must not allow the perpetrators of this heinous crime in the Plateau axis of evil to go scot-free in the guise of playing politics. This is a moment of testing the commitment of Government and political will to put an end to impunity in Nigeria. We demand that Government ensure that justice is done and that the law takes its full course. This is the only sure way of engendering good governance, responsible leadership and enduring peace and stability in the country. Nations/governments do survive on justice even if they are led by infidels, but they do not survive on injustice, even if they are led by believers in God. We cannot afford to continue as a nation of actions without consequences. We, therefore, insist that in the spirit of the change mantra, the killing fields and ponds of Jos will be thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators brought to book to serve as deterrent to other terrorists. Nothing less is acceptable to the right-thinking and peace-loving Nigerians. Signed Professor Salisu Shehu Deputy Secretary-General NSCIA The presidency has distanced President Muhammadu Buhari from a letter in circulation, which alleged that the president authorised Governor Nasir el-Rufai to deal with traitors and disloyal members of APC, especially his political rival, Shehu Sani. Garba Shehu, the presidents Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Sunday. According to the presidential aide, the president is not aware of any such letter, let alone authorising anyone to deal with any party member. The statement read: The presidency wishes to distance President Muhammadu Buhari from a letter currently in circulation, which alleges that the President had authorised a governor or anyone else for that matter to deal with traitors and disloyal members of APC, especially Senator Shehu Sani. We wish to confirm that the president is not aware of any such letter, let alone authorising anyone to deal with any party member. Given President Buharis record, it is inconceivable that he would usurp the role of the party leaders and instruct anyone to punish a party member. In the light of above, we would like to appeal to the general public, especially members of the press, to ignore false or unauthorised information intended to attribute to the president any action which is not in line with his character. It would be recalled that Mr El-Rufai, governor of Kaduna State had last week visited the Presidential villa twice over political developments in his state. Mr El-Rufai is a key ally of Mr Buhari. Mr El-Rufai, who vehemently opposed the decision of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) to clear the senator as the sole candidate in the race for APC-Kaduna Central, said the fate of the senator lies in the hands of the party delegates in the state. The national body of the APC had on Sunday reiterated that Mr Sani remained its only senatorial candidate from Kaduna Central. The acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Yekini Nabena, confirmed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja. (NAN) A senator, Gbenga Ashafa, has lost his bid to return to the Senate for a third term on the platform of the All Progressives Congress. The 63 year-old senator lost by a wide margin at the primary for the Lagos East ticket to a four-term House of Assembly member, Bayo Osinowo, according to the results announced Saturday by the All Progressives Congress (APC) Electoral Committee of the National Assembly and State House of Assembly primaries in Lagos. Mr Ashafa was expected to run unopposed in the primary as Mr Osinowo was not originally cleared by the National Working Committee of the APC to stand in the election. It was not clear when the NWC gave Mr Osinowo the nod to run for the seat. As far as the Ashafa Support Group is concerned, the result may be a nullity as Mr Ashafa only went into the primary for affirmation. In other words, he ran against himself. Hon. Bayo did not scale through the screening of the party and so could not contest an election. Senator Gbenga Ashafa only came out to be affirmed by his constituents, the group tweeted on Friday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the primaries, including a repeat of the senatorial primary election, were held on Friday. The senatorial primaries initially held on Thursday, but were cancelled and rescheduled owing to logistic issues. Announcing the results in Ikeja, Chairman of the committee, Lucky Imasuen, said the primaries were contested for the three senatorial seats, 24 House of Representatives and 40 state House of Assembly seats. In the results of the senatorial primaries, Mr Imasuen said Oluremi Tinubu, who was unopposed, polled 89,494 votes to emerge as candidate for Lagos Central. For Lagos West, the committee chairman said the incumbent, Olamilekan Solomon, emerged winner with 378,906 votes, as against the 1,179 votes scored by Kayode Opeifa and Areago Olopades 1,275 votes. Mr Imasuen, a former Deputy Governor of Edo State, added that a member of the state House of Assembly, Bayo Osinowo, defeated the incumbent, Gbenga Ashafa, with 247,743 votes to emerge candidate for the Lagos East Senatorial district. He disclosed that Mr Ashafa, the incumbent, polled 20,385 in the primary. Mr Imasuen said the details of the House of Representatives and state House of Assembly primaries results were ready and that they would be released later. He described the exercise as peaceful and successful. The primaries were peaceful and successful. We thank the state chapter led by Tunde Balogun for the support for the committee. We also thank all other stakeholders including all members of our party in the state for making the conduct a success, he said. This Blog is a digital journal for two cute pooches, Casey (A White Color Shih Tzu Dog Mix) & Peanut (A Brown Dachshund Dog Mix) who are both two complete opposites who have nothing in common except this blog and same owners. 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. Geneva, Oct 7 : The World Health Organization (WHO) unveiled a global strategy on Saturday to scale up the tobacco control agenda over the next few years and to prevent further interference by tobacco industry in public health policies. The strategy, titled the Medium-Term Strategic Framework (MTSF), aims to strengthen implementation of the WHO Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC), with a roadmap to guide the work of the convention parties, the secretariat and other stakeholders with regards to tobacco control from 2019 to 2025, Xinhua reported. "The adoption of this strategy marks a key milestone in strengthening the FCTC," said Vera Luiza da Costa e Silva, head of the WHO FCTC Secretariat. "This strategy provides a very clear path forward, with priorities and objectives to reinforce government policies and accelerate global action for more effective implementation of the tobacco control treaty." The strategy was concluded during the eighth session (COP8) of the FCTC, which brought together over 1,200 participants, including delegations from 148 parties to the global tobacco control treaty and representatives of UN agencies, other intergovernmental organisations and civil society. They also agreed to maximize transparency to protect FCTC related sessions and proceedings from the intrusion of tobacco industry representatives and interests. "More than ever, we need to stay the course and strengthen our commitment to ensure that FCTC efforts to protect and promote public health and sustainable development are not hijacked by the tobacco industry," Costa e Silva said. "We must yield no ground to the tobacco industry." To prevent further interference by tobacco industry in public health policies, the strategy requires parties to the treaty to protect national public health policies "from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry." In addition to tighter control actions, the parties also addressed the need for tobacco control efforts to integrate strategies to combat the destructive impacts of tobacco on the environment and sustainable development. Since it came into force in 2005, the FCTC has resulted in national strategies and legislation that have introduced health warning on packages of tobacco and comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. As the only existing global intergovernmental meeting exclusively devoted to tobacco control, the FCTC COP has served as a platform for policy formulation and the adoption of implementation mechanisms by the parties to the convention. Pyongyang, Oct 7 : North Korea has spoken highly of its friendly relation with China on the 69th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. China and North Korea established diplomatic relations on October 6, 1949, and it is a meaningful day for both the North Korean and Chinese people, Rodong Sinmun, the official daily of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, said on Saturday. The daily said in a commentary that the establishment of diplomatic ties served as an epochal occasion to develop the friendly relations between the two peoples, Xinhua news agency reported. Created and nurtured by the older generations of leaders of both countries, North Korea-China friendship is the valuable treasure of the two peoples, the newspaper said, adding that the friendship has been developed and strengthened through generations without wavering in any trials and storms. By analogy to a deep-rooted tree that could brave any weather, the traditional friendship between North Korea and Chinese people was hailed by the newspaper as "impregnable". It is an unshakable stand of the party and government of North Korea to boost the traditional North Korea-China relations of friendship as required by the era, the newspaper said. Los Angeles, Oct 7 : Actor Tom Cavanagh says as far as superhero characters are concerned, one of the things that he is drawn to are flawed people doing extraordinary things. Cavanagh plays Harry Wells in the American superhero TV series "The Flash", which airs on Colors Infinity in India. What makes a great superhero character? "When it comes to superhero characters, one of the things that I'm drawn to are flawed people doing extraordinary things. When I watch (actor) Robert Downey Jr. and (actress) Gwyneth Paltrow do their exchanges (in 'Iron Man'), it elevates the genre," Cavanagh said in a statement to IANS. "They took Oscar-winning people and they put them in a superhero project - and the way they acted elevated the genre. That's something that I've always tried to do. I try to take something that is populist and inject it into our show." He has been able to play lots of different extremes with Wells. What is he looking forward to showing audiences with Sherloque Wells in season five of the show? "I really like Harry. Harry is a bit of a bad**s. He is gruff and mean. I like that a lot. There's always going to be room for Harry in the show. With H.R., it was nice to play the guy who was flat-out with enthusiasm, 'I just love everybody'. "He was the antithesis of a hero who ended up emotionally doing the right thing in the end. With Sherloque, I think there's room for a bit of both. Harry was an exceptionally smart guy, but I think this guy is even smarter. He has to be. However, there's also a sense of 'Wait, can this guy be trusted?' What's his agenda? I think that will be fun to do, too." Mumbai, Oct 7 : Actor Vicky Kaushal, who is gearing up for the release of his forthcoming film "Uri" has said that it is the most physically demanding film for him until now. Vicky was interacting with the media at Elle Beauty Awards 2018 where he won the "Breakthrough Star Award" on Saturday here. The teaser of "Uri" received an overwhelming response from the audience. When about his experience of working in "Uri", Vicky said: "It was really nice experience to work in the film. In a short span of my of career, 'Uri' has been the most physically demanding film for me and I am very excited because after the teaser, the trailer of the film will also release. I am very excited to know audience reaction to the film." Vicky will be seen playing the role of an Indian commando who is involved in the 2016 surgical strike. Regarding his role, the actor said: "When you play the role of a commando onscreen, you feel that they are the real heroes. In our effort to portraying their character, we get exhausted but they are living their lives like that on a daily basis so hats off to them and it's not easy what they are doing." Reacting on the Tanushree Dutta and Nana Patekar controversy, Vicky said: "I think any kind of disrespect or harassment at workplace or anywhere is not a correct thing to do. If someone comes out in the open to share his or her ordeal then the least we can do is to listen to what they are saying and to respect them because it is not easy to express such kind of issue in front of the world. "It is also important to listen to both the accuser and the accused. When such kind of serious cases occur, then it has to be investigated in proper manner." Based on the surgical strikes of 2016 carried by the Indian Armed Forces, "Uri" traces the significant event. It stars Vicky Kaushal, Yami Gautam, Kirti Kulhari and Paresh Rawal in lead roles. Produced by RSVP movies and directed by Aditya Dhar, "Uri" will hit the theatres on January 11, 2019. Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 7 : The representatives of Sabarimala temple's 'tantri' (chief priest) will not attend a conciliation meeting called by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to discuss the September 28 Supreme Court verdict that threw open the temple to all women, it was announced on Sunday. "Let us hear the final decision of the state government with regards to the filing of a review petition against the apex court's verdict. Once that is known, then we will decide on what needs to be done. To deploy female police personnel in the temple premises is a violation of the temple practices," Sabarimala priest Kantararu Mohanaru told the media. The meeting is scheduled to be held on Monday. Following the verdict, Vijayan had categorically said that no review petition would be filed and the state government will do all the things needed to implement it. Things went out of control after the state government and the Travancore Devasom Board (TDB), who is the custodian of the temple, decided not to file the petition leading to hundreds of devotees taking to the streets in protest. A. Padmakumar, a senior Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader and TDB President, said the Board was initially keen to file the review petition, but after being openly chided by Vijayan, they decided not to. Rahul Eashwar, another member of the tantri family, said that they have nothing against the Vijayan government but their priority was the emotional attachment of the devotees. "The key stakeholders of the temple are the state government and the TDB and if they do not file a review petition, then there will be no locus standi to other review petitions. The need of the hour is that these two parties should do the needful," said Eashwar. The decision to boycott Monday's meeting was taken after detailed consultations with the powerful Nair Service Society -0 the socio cultural body of the Hindu Nair community. The Pathanamthitta district (where the temple is located), is observing a shutdown on Sunday to protest the use of police force against the youth wing of the BJP while they staged a demonstration on Saturday. On September 28, in a 4:1 judgment, the apex court said the ban on women in the menstruating age group, whose presence in the Lord Ayyappa temple was considered to be "impure", violated their fundamental rights and constitutional guarantee of equality. Until now, girls below 10 years and women over 50 years were allowed to visit the hilltop shrine. New York, Oct 7 : US President Donald Trump scored a political victory when the Senate voted by a razor thin margin to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh, his nominee who battled last-minute accusations of sexual assault while a teenager in high school 36 years ago, as the Supreme Court Justice. Within hours of the Senate vote on Saturday 50 to 48 in his favour, Kavanaugh was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts, solidifying the conservative majority in the nation's top court. It now has five conservatives ranged against four liberals, and with life-time appointments for judges the 53-year-old Kavanaugh can be expected to impact the court for decades. He succeeds Anthony Kennedy, who retired, and is the second judge nominated by Trump to the Supreme Court, giving him an opportunity to put his right wing seal on the court. The nomination process has ripped open the scabs on the never-healed wounds of polarisation on the US body politic exactly a month before the mid-term elections to Congress that can determine the future of Trump's presidency. Vociferous protests broke out across the nation against Kavanaugh's nomination before and after the vote on Saturday, and was even carried into the Senate chambers from where demonstrators were ejected. On the opposing side, his supporters rallied behind Trump, who ridiculed Kavnaugh's main accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, and the others opposing him calling them "an angry left-wing mob". Republican Senator Susan Collins, who voted for Kavanaugh after a cliff-hanger, said it was a "confirmation process that has become so dysfunctional, it looks more like a caricature of a gutter-level political campaign than a solemn occasion". The last minute ambush of Kavanaugh was done with an eye on the upcoming elections by the Democrats, who hoped the battle would reinvigorate their base. During the final moments before the vote, Senate Democratic Party leader Chuck Schumer said: "To Americans, to so many millions who are outraged by what happened here, there's one answer: Vote" in November. But Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, claimed the confrontation would turn out to his party's advantage. "It certainly had a good impact for us," and added that the Democrat's tactics "have turned our base on fire." For Trump, the past week brought another victory ahead of the elections: He managed to redeem a 2016 poll pledge to get the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta)with Canada and Mexico changed to more favourable terms for the US and achieved it by brow-beating Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Besides the accusations of sexual misconduct, another issue -- abortion rights -- mobilised the opposition to Kavanaugh. Liberals fear that by solidifying the conservative majority, the articulate judge could overturn or restrict a 1973 verdict banning state and federal regulations criminalising or restricting abortion, which the right-wing supporters of Trump want. They also fear that the court can now make several rulings whittling down social legislation and programmes for healthcare, aid for the poor, reservations in college admissions and immigration, while being pro-business and stricter on law and order. While his accuser, Ford, a research psychologist at a California university, had written to her Congressional Representative with her allegations against Kavanaugh in July, it was publicised by the Democrats only in September after the Senate Judiciary Committee had grilled him and was about to vote on recommending his nomination to the entire Senate. They appeared to have counted on delaying the confirmation process so that if the Senate majority flips to their side in the November elections, they can block him and temper Trump's future nominations. Ford testified at a Judicial Committee hearing that Kavanaugh had pushed her on to a bed and choked her while trying to take off her clothes during a 1982 party and she feared she was going to the killed before managing to escape. While she said she was 100 per cent sure the assailant was him, she acknowledged she did not remember many of the details. He denied the accusations and launched an impassioned attack on his accusers, leading to fresh charges that he was temperamentally unsuited to the judgeship. Meanwhile, another woman, Deborah Ramirez who is married to a technology entrepreneur of Indian descent, Vikram Shah, alleged that while they were students at Yale, Kavanaugh had exposed his genitals in front of her at a party they had been drinking at. She and a third accuser, who said that she had seen him lined up outside a room with other boys waiting to "take turns" with a girl inside, were not asked to testify before the Senate Committee. Ultimately with no evidence from 36 years ago, the Ford-Kavanaugh hearing convinced only one Republican and one Democrat to switch sides. With the controversy over the nomination focused on alleged victimising of women, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski opposed his nomination. A Democratic Senator, Joe Manchin, who represents West Virginia, a heavily pro-Trump state, voted for Kavanaugh. Walking a fine line, some conceded that they believed Ford was telling the truth that she was attacked at the party, but did not think the attacker was Kavanaugh. The final vote by the entire Senate was further delayed by Republican Senator Floyd Flake, a critic of Trump, demanding an investigation of Ford's allegations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The investigation was wrapped up in about five days and it convinced Flake to back Kavanaugh. There is an element of irony in Kavanaugh facing sexual misconduct charges: He was a lawyer in the office of Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr, who investigated sexual misconduct charges against former President Bill Clinton, whose wife Hillary lost to Trump in the 2016 presidential election. The Kavanaugh case before the Senate Judicial Committee seemed a throw-back to the 1991 confirmation hearing of Supreme Court Judge Clarence Thomas, when he faced sexual misconduct allegations -- but only that he made romantic overtures to a subordinate and told her dirty jokes. The conservative was confirmed as judge. An Indian American federal appeals court judge, Amul Thapar, was among those Trump considered for the Supreme Court before deciding on Kavanaugh. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis) Lucknow, Oct 7 : Jammu and Kashmir is a part of India and it will remain so and and "no power in the world can snatch it from us", Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday. "Kashmir is ours, it was ours and it will be ours. No power of the world can snatch it from us," the Minister said on the occasion of 26th anniversary of the Rapid Action Force (RAF), a specialised wing of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The RAF deals with riots, major law and order issues as well as relief and rescue operations. Singh also lauded the the CRPF's attempt in maintaining a balance while dealing with Kashmiri people and terrorists. "If some Kashmiri youths do things they should not because they are instigated by some people, you handle them properly as you feel that they belong to our country. "But if any person indulges in any terrorist activity, no power in the world can stop you from neutralizing that person," he added. The Minister said militant incidents had decreased in Jammu and Kashmir and that security forces had been giving a befitting reply to the terrorists. Pyongyang, Oct 7 : US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Pyongyang on Sunday and is set to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Pompeo left for Pyongyang from Tokyo earlier in the day, where he met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Foreign Minister Taro Kono, reports Yonhap News Agency. South Korean officials said that in Pyongyang Pompeo will hold a meeting with the North Korean leader on the issues of denuclearization and the establishment of a peace regime. Following the meeting, Pompeo will fly to Seoul for a meeting with President Moon Jae-in and Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha later Sunday and brief them on the results of his trip to the North. On Monday, he will depart for Beijing for further talks with Chinese officials. His visit to the North, his fourth, comes as the US and the North are trying find a breakthrough in the stalled denuclearization negotiations. The US has insisted that the North must declare its nuclear arsenal before any peace process moves forward, but the North has sought an initial end-of-war declaration from the US. Kabul, Oct 7 : At least six policemen were killed after Taliban militants launched a massive attack in Wardak province, an official said on Sunday. Hundreds of Taliban militants stormed Sayed Abad district late Saturday night, triggering heavy clashes in the south of provincial capital Maidan Shar, the official told Xinhua news agency. "Six police officials, including Sayed Mezrabshah Hashemi, the district police chief, were killed," he said, adding several militants were also killed and injured during the fighting. The Kabul-Kandahar highway, a main road connecting Kabul with southern and western provinces, was blocked by militants as heavy clashes were still ongoing in the district on Sunday. Dehradun, Oct 7 : Uttarakhand has got investment proposals worth Rs 70,000 crore, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said on Sunday. "Investment proposals worth over Rs 70,000 crore have been received and most of the memorandum of understandings have been signed with an aim to to reach development to the state's hilly areas," Rawat said at a two-day Uttarakhand Investors Summit that began here today. Among the investment proposals, the Adani Group has committed the largest sum of Rs 6,500 crore. The group plans to invest Rs 5,000 crore in a metro rail project, and Rs 1,000 crore to upgrade power transmission. It will create a logistics park at Rs 500 crore. "We see tremendous potential in Uttarakand. Its economy has grown at a rate 11 per cent in the last fiscal year. We have also signed an MoU in the area of farm production," Adani Enterprises Director Pranav Adani said. The state government has identified 12 sectors for focussed investments. These include wellness and AYUSH, pharmaceuticals, information technology, horticulture and floriculture, natural fibres, tourism and hospitality, film shooting, biotechnology, renewable energy, food processing and automobile. The summit is being attended by hundreds of investors from India and abroad. Czech Republic and Japan are the country partners for the state's summit, and were represented by their ambassadors to India. Singapore's Communications and Information Minister S. Iswaran was also present at the summit. Automaker Mahindra & Mahindra started its journey in the state with a tractor plant in 2000. In 2006, it added another plant in Haridwar, which now makes its top-selling models including Bolero. "The state has good infrastructure and skilled manpower that provides opportunities for investors. In the 18 years of our presence, we have never faced any issues," Pawan Kumar Goenka, M&M's Managing Director, said. The group also makes 1,000 electric three- wheelers per month in the state, he added. New Delhi, Oct 7 : A 19-year-old young man on Sunday committed suicide by shooting himself outside his residence in Delhi, police said. At around 6.30 a.m., Gulshan's father found him sprawled with a gunshot injury in Dwarka's Matiala area, Deputy Commissioner of Police Anto Alphonse said. He was rushed to a hospital where he was declared dead. The hospital alerted the police regarding the youth, Alphonse added. "During investigation, it was found that Gulshan had received a gunshot injury from very close range," the officer said, adding that four live cartridges were recovered from his pocket. "It appears to be a case of suicide... We are investigating the case from other angles too," he added. Bengaluru, Oct 7 : Leading e-tailer Flipkart on Sunday said it had tied up with Bajaj Allianz General Insurance to offer insurance to products like mobiles bought on its online shopping platform from October 10. "We will offer customised insurance solutions to power our complete mobile protection programme for all leading mobile brands sold on our platform with Bajaj Allianz," said the city-based company in a statement here. The decade-old company, in which world retail giant Walmart acquired majority stake in May, secured a corporate agent license from Bajaj Allianz to provide insurance to its customers. Walmart completed acquisition of 77 per cent equity stake in Flipkart for $16 billion on August 18. Touted to be the first, the insurance will be in cash payout option or free pick-up, service and drop convenience to customers. "The insurance will be available from October 10, coinciding with our 'The Big Billion Days' festival offer to serve customers who shop during the event," said the statement. Global market intelligence firm IDC estimated that the smartphone market in India would continue to grow in double digit in 2018, with Flipkart's share of online phone sales at 65 per cent. "Insurance is our logical next move in providing consumers with after-sales care for their phones. The plan, from purchase to claim, will be integrated into our online platform," said Flipkart Senior Vice-President Ravi Garikipati in the statement. Consumer data insights and tech will enable insurance partners to underwrite better and help in improving operating efficiencies for new-age products. According to a study, 36 per cent of mobile phone users across the country own smartphones. The worry for customers is damaging their screens or having their phone stolen. "Other than the warranties offered by manufacturers, there are no micro-insurance offerings for customers," asserted the statement. Bajaj Allianz Chief Executive Tapan Singhel said partnership with Flipkart to give complete protection plan would add value to the e-tailer's customers.A "Customers will be able to purchase the insurance when buying the mobile phone at a nominal price starting from Rs 99. The policy will activate from the day of delivery," added the statement. The insurance plan, valid for a year, covers accidental, screen, liquid damage and theft. For claims, a customer will have a choice to return the phone for fixing or opting for a cash payout that will be deposited in his/her bank account. As the country's largest e-commerce player, the 11-year-old Flipkart group includes Myntra, Jabon and PhonePe. It offers 80 million products in 80 categories. In fiscal 2017-18, Flipkart recorded Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) of $7.5 billion and net sales of $4.6 billion, representing 50 per cent year-on-year growth. With over one-lakh sellers, Flipkart offers about 80 million products across 80 categories, including smartphones, books, media, consumer electronics, furniture, fashion and lifestyle. Kolkata, Oct 7 : Around 35 exotic birds and animals smuggled into India from Bangkok via Myanmar were seized by DRI personnel at the city's international airport and two persons were arrested, an official said on Sunday. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials intercepted the consignment valued around Rs 85.55 lakh on Saturday and handed over the seized animals and birds to the Kolkata Zoo authorities for safe custody. "The cargo was booked in the name of Domnic Jacob Sequeira of Pune, who along with an accomplice was found waiting to receive the consignment. Both were arrested when they were trying to load the five cages containing the birds and animals in a vehicle," a DRI official said. The official said that DRI's Aizawl zonal unit had identified one Lalfingkima Sailo for involvement in the smuggling of the birds and animals through the India-Myanmar border at Zokhtawar in Mizoram. A follow-up action was underway in Pune. These are four white cockatoos, one yellow-tailed black cockatoo, five Eclectus parrots, 12 grey parrots, one blue yellow macaw, one silver macaw, one knobbed hornbill, two birds-of-paradise, four cassowary chicks, two black and white ruffed lemurs, one baby marmoset and one Bengal cat. Islamabad, Oct 7 : Pakistan said on Sunday it has reopened its consulate in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad that was closed in August over what Pakistani officials had claimed "interference" in diplomatic affairs by local Afghan officials. Afghan officials had denied any intervention, saying they had taken certain security measures for thousands of visa seekers who gathered outside the consulate, reports Xinhua news agency. Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal said the Consulate General in Jalalabad, closed on August 30, will resume its visa operations on Monday after assurances by the Afghan government that all necessary security will be provided to it. Dhaka, Oct 7 : Bangladesh's apex court on Sunday dismissed a review petition filed by a death row convict in the murder case of Saudi diplomat Khalaf Al Ali. A four-member bench of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain made the ruling, clearing the way for the execution of Saiful Islam Mamun Mamun who is now in jail, reports Xinhua news agency. The Supreme Court in November last year upheld the death sentence for Mamun and life terms for three others in the murder of the Saudi diplomat. The death row inmate is now left with the only option of seeking presidential clemency. If the president rejects his pleas, the government will fix a date and prison authorities will start the process to execute the verdict. Khalaf, 45, a Second Secretary at the Saudi embassy in Dhaka, was shot dead near his Gulshan house in Dhaka's diplomatic enclave on March 6, 2012. This is the first time a foreign diplomat was murdered in Bangladesh. Kabul, Oct 7 : At least 14 police, including a high-ranked officer, and 25 insurgents were killed in a large-scale attack launched by Taliban in the eastern Afghan province of Maidan Wardak, an official source told EFE on Sunday. Many of Tablian rebels attacked the district of Sayedabad and the security forces fought back, the spokesperson for the regional governor said. During the clashes, 14 police personnel were killed including the Sayedabad police commander Sayed Nezrabshah Hashemi and 25 Taliban rebels were also killed, according to the source. A few hours later, security forces repelled the attack, although the traffic on a road linking Kabul with the central and southern provinces was cut off due to the clashes. Taliban's spokesperson Zabihullah Muyahid claimed on his Telegram account that the rebels had seized control over Sayedabad. New Delhi, Oct 7 : The Indian Air Force (IAF) will celebrate its 86th anniversary on Monday, highlighting the "untiring efforts and supreme sacrifices" made by its personnel, the Defence Ministry said on Sunday. "In keeping with the tradition, the IAF will hold a grand parade-cum-investiture ceremony at the Air Force Station at Hindon (Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh). Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa, Chief of the Air Staff, will review the parade," it said in a statement here. The parade will be followed by an air display and acrobatics by the Air Force's various aircraft, including Jaguar, Bison, MiG-29, Mirage-2000 and SU-30 MKI fighter jets and Rudra helicoptors. "After the parade, all visitors will also get an opportunity to witness static display of aircraft, weapon, radar and missiles systems of the Indian Air Force," the Ministry added. The Indian Air Force was born in 1932 as the Royal Indian Air Force under then British rule. The name was changed to Indian Air Force in 1950. The IAF has technologically evolved and grown in strength over these years to thwart any threat to the nation. It is committed to safeguarding the Indian skies and has played a key role in providing assistance to the people during natural calamities. New Delhi, Oct 7 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday urged his counterparts from BJP- and NDA-ruled states to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apprise him about the "dangers" related to the proposed amendments to the Electricity Act, 2003. Calling the amendments "anti-federal", Kejriwal also wrote that he know "it won't be easy for you (CMs) to speak against this". The letter, written to the Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tripura, Bihar, Nagaland and Meghalaya, also claimed that the amendments would render states powerless in the field of electricity. "I know you belong to the BJP alliance and it won't be easy for you to speak against this amendments. But I request you to kindly meet the PM personally and apprise him of the dangers of this amendment," he said. "Centre wants to pass the dangerous amendments in the winter session. If passed it would be disastrous," he added. "All powers will be with the Centre if the amendment is passed. State governments won't be (able) to take any decision in the matters of electricity," he said. He warned the CMs that the amendments would push up power tariffs. "The poor and the middle class would be hit very hard... Centre wants to end cross subsidy. Almost all the states use cross subsidy to give cheap/free power to farmers and charge industries/commercial units more," he said. He also said that the amendments, if passed, would make power tariffs the same for farmers, industries, commercial, residential and agricultural customers and Delhi will have to pay Rs 7.50 per unit. "Citizens of Delhi who use up to 200 units are charged Rs 1 per unit while those using up to 400 units are charged Rs 2.50 per unit. Once this amendment is done, both the categories will have to pay Rs 7.50 per unit. "This would hit around 90 per cent of all consumers in Delhi hard. The amendment would lead to huge increase in tariffs all across the country immediately for small and medium consumers as well as farmers," he said. "The AAP government has been able to keep power tariffs the cheapest in Delhi as we have the powers to do so. Once these powers are snatched, we would be helpless and the common man of Delhi and all over the country will suffer," he added. Addressing the media last week, Kejriwal had said the proposed amendments to the Electricity Act, 2003, were "very dangerous" and aimed at benefiting "a few power companies" at the cost of the people. Riyadh, Oct 7 : Saudi Arabia on Sunday denied reports that Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who went missing earlier this week, was killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, as reported by several international media. A statement released on Sunday by the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) cited a diplomatic officer as denying "these baseless allegations", reports Efe news. The official quoted by SPA underlined that Saudi Arabia was responsible for the safety and well-being of all its citizens, wherever they may be, and that its authorities "are diligently following up on this matter to uncover the complete facts". The statement followed reports by various international media which cited Turkish officials to allege that Khashoggi was killed at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul. According to two sources quoted by The Washington Post, for which Khashoggi worked, the journalist died earlier this week at the hands of a Saudi assassination squad. Khashoggi, former general manager of the Al Arab Media Group and columnist for the Washington Post, disappeared on Tuesday after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, where he had been living in exile since 2017. The Saudi consulate subsequently issued a statement saying that the journalist had left its premises on Tuesday, although the Turkish government, which summoned the Saudi ambassador in Ankara demanding explanations on the whereabouts of Khashoggi, said he remained inside the consular precinct. New Delhi, Oct 7 : Three Delhi residents have been arrested on the charge of robbing commuters on the pretext of giving them lifts in Delhi and adjoining areas, police said on Sunday. Accused Satender, 35, Rahul, 30, and Shahul, 25, of east Delhi's Trilokpuri were arrested on Saturday night on a tip-off while they were waiting for their victims near Ghazipur Mandi in east Delhi, Deputy Commissioner of Police Pankaj Kumar Singh said. In the latest case, they robbed a Noida resident after offering him lift from Anand Vihar to Noida on Friday night. The gang used different cars with private registration numbers and visited bus stands and stops to look for potential victims. As for their modus operandi, the officer said that two gang members seated themselves on the rear seats of the cars and posed as passengers, while the one on the driver's seat offered lifts to lone commuters to Noida, New Ashok Nagar and adjoining areas. "After driving their targeted victims over some distance, the gang used to overpower them and looted valuables and credit/debit cards at knifepoint. They withdrew cash from ATMs with the snatched credit/debit cards and dumped their victims at desolate places and escaped. The gang was active for the past one year," the officer added. Two cars used in the crime were seized from them. New Delhi : He hosted Indian televisions first and most popular crime investigation show "Indias Most Wanted". Suhaib Ilyasi had it all. Then one night he lost it all. His wife died of multiple stab wounds. Ilyasi was accused of murdering her and was sentenced to life imprisonment. In a startling turnaround, the Delhi High Court earlier this week declared Ilyasi not guilty. Understandably Ilyasi is pinching himself in disbelief. "I have been saying for 18 years that I am innocent. Now the honourable court has also said it. There is no compensation for the time, energy, self-esteem and self-confidence, not to mention my career, I've lost in these 18 years. I am only grateful to God and the judiciary for finally believing in my innocence," says a discernibly shaken Ilyasi. "It's yet to sink in that I'm a free man now, that Tihar Jail is no longer home, that I am in my real home with my daughter Aaliya, talking to you. I used to dream about this freedom in jail. I feel this is a dream," Ilyasi's voice quivers with emotion. What has his life been like during these 18 years? "In one word? Hell. Only the thought that I would one day be reunited with my daughter kept me going. And of course I gained a lot of strength in jail from reading the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. I have studied and understood the teachings of these two scriptures thoroughly. And now I want to make the Upanishads and the Gita as accessible to the average citizen of this country as they've become to me." Working on reader-friendly translations of the Upanishads and the Gita is one of the projects Ilyasi will now take up. The other is the revival of his show. Sighs Ilyasi: "I am aware that many crime investigative shows have come up in the past years. But I need to revive my show. Earlier it was not possible because from being the man who cracked criminal cases from across the country, I became a crime accused. I want to restart my show 'India's Most Wanted' to tell the stories of the inmates that I met at Tihar. Some of them have killed multiple times. But their eyes tell a different story. I want to go deep into the motivations of crime. The law only sees things in black and white. There are so many grey areas in an act of crime. I want to revive my show to tell the untold stories of those charged with murder." Ilyasi admits the world has changed during the 18 years he fought to prove his innocence. "I cannot get back the time I lost. But I want to utilize every moment I am left with on this earth to do the work that I left incomplete when fate snatched away my freedom. Today I am free not just physically but also emotionally and spiritually, thanks to the judiciary." New Delhi, Oct 8 : Actress-producer Priyanka Chopra's "Pahuna - The Little Visitors" won two awards at the SCHLINGEL International Film Festival for Children and Young Audience in Germany. The film won European Children's Film Award and got a special mention in the Awards of The Professional Jury Feature Film International category. The film received an overwhelming response at the European premiere of the film at the festival held on October 2 and October 5. It won the awards on October 6. "Pahuna - The Little Visitors" narrates the story of three Nepalese children separated from their parents and their journey back home. Paakhi A. Tyrewala has directed the Sikkimese film, which is backed by Priyanka and her mother Madhu Chopra's banner Purple Pebble Pictures (PPP). "'Pahuna...' will always be a very special film for all of us at Purple Pebble Pictures. When we started the journey of 'Pahuna...', we didn't anticipate the film to go this far. But God has been kind and the film has resonated with the audience not just in India but across the globe," Madhu said in a statement. "I'm grateful to SCHLINGEL children's film festival for the recognition. We are looking forward to many more such milestones in our journey at Purple Pebble Pictures," she added. Washington, Oct 8 : The US State Department on Sunday said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and North Korean top leader Kim Jong-un have held a productive dialogue in Pyongyang. According to a statement issued by State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert, Pompeo "held productive discussions" with Kim on Sunday, when they "discussed the four elements contained in the US-North Korea Singapore Summit Joint Statement" signed by the two countries' top leaders, Xinhua reported. "They also discussed the upcoming second summit between US President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim and refined options for the location and date of that next summit," the statement read. Pompeo and Kim also agreed to instruct their respective working-level teams to meet soon to intensify discussions on the key remaining issues to deliver on the Singapore Summit Joint Statement. In addition, Kim invited inspectors to visit the Punggye Ri nuclear test site to confirm that it has been irreversibly dismantled, the State Department said. "President Trump looks forward to continuing to build upon the trust established with Chairman Kim in Singapore and anticipates meeting again soon," it added. In a related development, North Korea is demanding the US take steps to secure Pyongyang's trust before its denuclearization. "Without any trust in the US there will be no confidence in our national security and under such circumstances there is no way we will unilaterally disarm ourselves first," North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told the UN General Assembly last week. Pompeo was joined by US special representative on North Korea issues Stephen Biegun, and Kim was joined by Kim Yo Jong, first vice department director of the Central Committee of the ruling Worker's Party of Korea (WPK), the statement said. This has been his third tour to North Korea since he became the US secretary of state. Pompeo met with Kim on Sunday and arrived in Seoul later. He will also travel to Beijing. While speaking with South Korean President Moon Jae-in before the media, Pompeo said that he and North Korean side "had a good, productive conversation". "There are many steps along the way and we took one of those today; it was another step forward. So this is, I think, a good outcome for all," he noted. "What we all hope will be the denuclearization and the change in the relationship here on the peninsula ... I'm confident together we can achieve the outcome that the world so desperately needs." For his part, Moon said that "I dearly hope that your latest visit, as well as the upcoming US-North Korea summit, which I hope will be happening soon, will make an irreversible and decisive progress in terms of complete denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula as well as the peace process." eConnect, Inc., a Las Vegas-based software company which provides hospitality and gaming companies with a platform for actionable information, reinforced by video, will reveal their latest Casino Technology at G2E 2018 in Las Vegas. eConnect will be demonstrating its AI capabilities with a suite of new technologies, including Visual Bet Recognition. Visual Bet Recognition allows casino operators to see the actual value of all bets at all tables in real time. This is a giant leap forward from the current situation where bet values are strictly an estimate. AI Visual Bet Recognition technology will give accurate bet data for all games in which it is deployed. This will enhance the accuracy and timeliness of hand-to-hand analysis in eConnects existing table games products and dramatically improve the accuracy, and efficacy, of its Player Ratings module. If the past few years have taught us anything, its that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will increasingly drive innovation and advancement when it comes to analytics. So, we continue to layer the latest technologies onto our platform, commented Henry Valentino, President & CEO of eConnect, With visual bet recognition, were layering on a previously unavailable data source to further enhance the value of our Casino Connect suite. Analytics on the casino floor can make any casino run more efficiently. At this years Global Gaming Expo, eConnect will be demonstrating how these new technologies are making it easier for our customers and partners to stay secure, stay connected, and stay informed. By employing the power of Artificial Intelligence to detect and isolate unusual events in real time, eConnect is making it easier than ever for Gaming Operators to monitor entire gaming estates with unparalleled coverage. See eConnects latest products in action October 8-11 at G2E, Booth 3710. About eConnect eConnect is a cutting-edge technology company that helps improve business performance through data and video intelligence. The company seamlessly integrates digital video surveillance with transactional data from point-of-sale (POS), casino systems, people counting and other data sources to quickly and directly improve profitability, efficiency and the guest experience. eConnect offers measurable ROI within months of system deployment. The software tools are world-renowned for their ability to discover previously unknown problems, thereby reducing eliminating sources of loss and correcting operational problems. For more information visit http://www.econnectglobal.com Author and Doctorate of Educational Leadership, Dr. Nicole Armstrong wrote a new book on how to prepare a class for a substitute teacher. Dr. Nicole Armstrong, a substitute teacher or as she prefers to be called a guest teacher, has experienced more than seven years of guest teaching in two states and seven different school districts. Dr. Armstrong writes, in her own sarcastic way, these suggested instructions as a contribution that will benefit schools, administrators, certified teachers, and other guest teachers. How To Leave Your Class for a Guest Teacher by Dr. Nicole Armstrong is the only guide that explains what resources are valuable to substitute teachers from a substitute teachers perspective. Principals, vice principals, teachers, and school staff learn which resources are needed when teachers are out of class to ensure students receive continuous classroom instruction. Substitute teachers will learn tips on what to do if these resources are not available. Students oftentimes miss out on a day or more of class instruction because a guest teacher does not have the proper resources, says Dr. Armstrong of her book. How to Leave Your Class for a Guest Teacher, discusses a much more effective way for students to continue learning in their teachers absence by explaining the necessary tools to be productive as well as the reasons these tools are needed. Dr. Nicole Armstrongs has a Doctorate in Educational Leadership as well as over 7 years guest teaching in seven different school districts. How to Leave Your Class for a Guest Teacher is her first book. How to Leave Your Class for a Guest Teacher is available as an e-book on Amazon and in Kindle format on Amazon. For more information, contact Dr. Armstrong at nicole(at)shesadoctor.com. For more information about Dr. Armstrongs book, please visit, http://www.shesadoctor.com. Resource Furnitures booth will highlight the latest in cutting-edge transforming furniture pieces, designed to optimize space and reduce environmental impact without sacrificing modern comforts or style. Resource Furniture, named the largest retailer multifunctional space by the Wall Street Journal, will once again unveil their latest collection of multifunctional furniture at this years show. Hosted from October 18-21 at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, CA, the 2018 WestEdge Design Fair will feature the best in modern design and home furnishing trendsmany of which are new to the West Coastand host a series of panel discussion with top industry leaders including Resource Furniture co-founder Ron Barth. Mr. Barth will participate in a panel discussion at 10:30 AM Saturday, October 20 alongside top industry leaders Joel Turkel, Principal of Turkel Design, and Jaime Derringer, founder and Executive Editor of Design Milk. Their talk, titled Transformative Design: Its Always Personal, tackles the various ways in which smart product and technology design elicit powerful individual responses. Resource Furnitures booth will highlight the latest in cutting-edge transforming furniture pieces, designed to optimize space and reduce environmental impact without sacrificing modern comforts or style. Attendees will experience the Oslo wall bed system by Italian manufacturer Clei, industry leader in high-end transforming furniture for over 50 years. In addition, Resource Furniture will also feature the Goliath expanding console-to-dining table, the Passo coffee-to-dining table, and the ultra-high-resolution Botanicals wallpaper collection by Norwegian photographer Tom Haga, creator of ConcreteWall. The Oslo queen wall bed system is among the newest creations from the Clei collection, featuring a 3-4 seat sectional sofa with both hidden and display storage. With integrated fixed back panel cushions, there is no need to remove the backrests when lowering down the bed, allowing for an effortless transition from day to night. The Oslos bed storing unit is extraordinarily compact at only 13 inches deep, allowing for infinite applications in spaces of virtually any size. This makes for an extraordinarily sleek look and feel, characteristic of contemporary Italian design. The Goliath table is a revolutionary departure from conventional expanding tables; with its five leaves, this product transforms from a slim console up to a nearly 10 foot-long dining table suitable to seat a party of 12. Also to be featured is the Passo transforming coffee- to dining-table. The Passo may be adjusted to various heights to suit the users preference using its unique telescoping mechanism, and can seat up to 10 people when fully extended thanks to its self-storing leaf. The Botanicals Collection by Tom Haga is a visually striking floral motif wallcovering based on 700 Megapixel photographs. Every print is custom manipulated to fit the exact specifications of each wall, and no pattern is ever repeatedmaking for an arrestingly beautiful trompe l'oeil accent wall of any size up to 20 high and 60 long. Resource Furniture and Ron Barth are available for press interviews in booth 534 during the WestEdge Media Preview on Thursday, October 18 from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Please contact tyler@resourcefurniture.com to schedule. Attendees can register and view the full schedule of events, including panel discussions, by visiting westedgedesignfair.com. ABOUT RESOURCE FURNITURE Resource Furniture is the original and largest source for cutting-edge, multifunctional living systems in North America, offering the most innovative furniture solutions available in the world for nearly 20 years. With showrooms in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Mexico City, Resource Furniture defines and revolutionizes the industry by offering the most technologically innovative, space-saving and sustainable products, all of which transform any space with both beauty and functionality. http://www.resourcefurniture.com ABOUT CLEI Based in Brianza, Italy, Clei, s.r.l. has been the global leader in the design and manufacturing of smart, transformable furniture since 1963. With a focus on research and innovation, the second generation of the Colombo family continues to maintain the standards set by their founding fathers, producing the most innovative and highest quality products available. Cleis unique, patented furniture is distributed worldwide to an ever growing and increasingly appreciative audience. http://www.clei.it Comparing the effectiveness of surgery versus radiation in the management of prostate cancer has been hotly debated for many years. It is the goal of research to be able to offer the most up-to-date and accurate information for men with a diagnosis of prostate cancer in order to help them make an informed decision right for them. https://prostatecancer911.com/ In the past year, several studies have credited surgery as a superior to radiation for treatment of clinically localized high-risk prostate cancer. One of the issues with radiation as opposed to surgery is that many of the side effects can occur later on, which can include rectal and bladder bleeding, whereas the side effects from surgery only improve as time goes on, explained Dr. David Samadi, Urologic Ocology Expert. https://www.roboticoncology.com/ A study presented at the American Urologic Association Annual meeting this year based on best-available data in 2018, described at least 11 studies https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1011967 supporting the assertion that surgery is superior to radiation for high-risk prostate cancer. Notably, the greatest beneficial effect of surgery over radiotherapy was largest among patients with high-risk disease. http://www.aua2018.org/ Another study from the Washington University School of Medicine, found that higher doses of radiation do not improve survival for many patients with prostate cancer. Past studies have shown that gradually escalating the radiation dose resulted in improved cancer control, such as slower tumor growth and lower levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), https://prostatecancer911.com/what-is-prostatic-specific-antigen-psa/ an indicator of cancer growth. The main concern of using higher doses of radiation was that of patients experiencing more side effects, such as urinary irritation or rectal bleeding, sometimes years after treatment. https://source.wustl.edu/2018/03/higher-doses-radiation-dont-improve-survival-prostate-cancer/ Surgery simply makes more sense for most men with prostate cancer, stated Dr. Samadi. For many prostate cancers, surgery is the optimal treatment path because its the only option that gives the most accurate staging and grading of the cancer. In addition, the prostate gland and surrounding lymph nodes are completely removed and the patients PSA will drop to undetectable levels. Dr Samadi also added, Radiation involves frequent treatments which take up time. Radiation can also have numerous side effects such as increased fatigue, rectal bleeding caused by the radiation in addition to a higher probability of developing erectile dysfunction along with bladder or urinary problems such as incontinence. https://prostatecancer911.com/erectile-dysfunction-faq-part-1/ Dr. Samadis SMART Technique for Robotic Prostate Surgery is an innovative robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) technique, developed by Dr. Samadi that reduces surgical time to less than two hours and hospital recovery stay to less than 24 hours. This minimally invasive procedure employs the latest advancements in robotics and computer technology to remove cancerous prostate tissue. https://www.smart-surgery.com/ Recovery from surgery is faster and side effects are almost eliminated, explained Dr. Samadi. Radiation can be effective for select patients and I always reserve low dose radiation after surgery if needed but robotic prostate surgery is much less invasive with almost no long-term urological issue. Dr. Samadi went on to add, Simply put, surgical removal of the prostate can be done with greater attention resulting in improved functional outcomes, decreased blood loss, and a shorter recovery. My goal, my philosophy for each man I treat for prostate cancer is that they will have a cancer cure after surgery, attain continence and preserve full sexual functioning. Patients newly diagnosed with prostate cancer can contact world renowned prostate cancer surgeon and urologic oncologist, Dr. David Samadi, for a free phone consultation and to learn more about prostate cancer risk, call 212-365-5000. https://samadimd.com/ For More Information on Dr. David Samadi, VISIT: http://www.Samadimd.com Facebook.com/DrDavidSamadi Twitter: @DrDavidSamadi Instagram: @DrDavidSamadi The police upon a swoop recovered three fresh human skulls, eight dry ones, several suspected human bones and a bunch of human hairs and other items. Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Fafowora Bolaji told local press in Nigeria that:acting on intelligence available to the command about suspected ritual killings around Adewole area of Ilorin by some ritualists, detectives from the police command swooped on a building located at 20 Ole-Opa area of Aromaradu, Adewole Ilorin, and one Yakubu Azeez and four others were rounded up. "A search warrant was conducted in the building, 11 human skulls, several suspected human bones, a bunch of suspected human hair and other items were recovered. Investigation into the matter is ongoing, suspects will be charged to court after the conclusion of the investigation". Babymigo is an online community that connects mothers-to-be with information, medical experts, services and other parents. The platform is equipped with an SMS subscription service for pregnant women that informs them of prenatal appointments and their babies development. The 50 most genius companies in 2018 were selected by a global network of editors and correspondent based on originality, influence, success and ambition. Aryn Baker, Time magazines Africa correspondent, said Babymigo was selected for its effective ways of connecting mothers-to-be with information, medical experts, services and other parents. Adeloye Olanrewaju speaks on Babamigo's selection as one of the most genius company It is humbly. We feel excited to be a part of the 50 genius companies in the world. The most important thing is about telling us to work harder and see how to live to the standard that has been set before us. It is an interesting time for us as a company, Babymigo co-founder, told Business Insider SSA in a phone interview. Every day, approximately 830 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth - 99% of them in developing countries such as Nigeria, where lack of education is as much a cause as poor health care. There are 10.4 million babies born every year in Nigeria, and every one of those mothers is hungry for the kind of information we provide, Times quoted him as saying. Below is an excerpt from the interview with Adeloye Olanrewaju: BISSA: Where do you see Babymigo in the next years? Adeloye Olanrewaju: To be the biggest parenting platform supporting mums across Africa. Most importantly, to be that brand that is helping to reduce maternal and newborn mortality across Africa. The plan is to expand to different countries and to scale the platform The target is to reach 20 million mums by 2020. I know this sounds unachievable but we are working hard to achieve it. BISSA: What are the challenges so far? Olanrewaju: I think we have our challenges especially as an Africa-focused business. Registration of business alone is a challenge in this part of the world. But how we will scale through is to learn from various mistakes and challenges. With the team and what we are passionate about, we can always fathom challenges ahead. BISSA: Which are the expansion plan for Babymigo? Olanrewaju: We are a data-driven company. We maintained where our traffic is coming from. Interestingly we have the traffic coming from few countries in Sub- Saharan Africa. This will help us form the decision on which way to go. We are looking between 6 to 8 months for the expansion plan to happen. The Head, Media and Information of the JAMB, Fabian Benjamin said this on Sunday, October 7, 2018, Lagos while speaking reporters from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). He said the admission took effect after JAMB's policy meeting in Gbogan, Osun State, in June. He said, We have so far offered not less than 200,000 first choice admissions to candidates. To this effect therefore, we are urging candidates to go to our site and check their admission status and those who have been offered such admission should quickly indicate by accepting and printing such offer, as failure to do so will automatically mean the candidate is no longer interested. And therefore, the board may see all such offers as rejected and would have no option than to mop them up and give it to other interested candidates. Candidates are to accept or reject all offers not later than Oct.16 as that is when all offers of admissions of first choice will close. After that, we will commence admission exercise for the second choice of candidates, Odufuwa who is also the CEO of Lagos City Computer College in an interview with the Punch said students take too many courses in Nigerian tertiary institutions and that is why most of them prefer to cram. He said, ''If you look at children taking the senior secondary certificate examinations, you will notice that most of them sit for between eight to ten subjects. When they get to tertiary institutions, they will also do nothing less than ten courses as well. This is not so in other countries because the maximum a student can take is about 18 hours and if they are exceptionally brilliant, then they can get special approval to take 21 hours which will not be more than five or six courses. In Nigeria, students take 10 to 11 courses and that is why they often cram things. ''When students cram, they walk away without understanding anything. In developed countries, if you are taking four to five courses, there will be assignments or impromptu tests different from the regular tests. Then, your final exam could just be on the last chapter you treated in the class. In other words, they dont rely only on the examinations to grade you. They ensure that the students fully understand the concept of what is taught in class. That is why they tend to be more creative than we are in Nigeria''. UK varsity says Nigerian students use alcohol to study for exams However, in January 2018, Brunel University, London after conducting a research about Nigerian university students reports that Nigerian students use alcohol to study during exams. The report says female students at Nigerian universities frequently take liquor before exams because they believe it helps boost their memory. The pair seemed at peace with each other at their son's second birthday held at Franklin's residence. Esoro's caption in an IG post published on Thursday, October 4, 2018, may be a hint that there is a new attraction behind the curtains. A nicely taken picture at a location in Rome got the actress thanking a mysterious lover when she wrote, "The boo takes the best by the way." Her son Jayden is perhaps still the main menu for her as far as love is concerned. Together with Franklin the actress has raised a child who has brought her nothing but pride. "Happy birthday son. I am super blessed seeing you take on another year in good health, happiness n strength. I am super glad your dad and I are able to raise a super Happy, handsome, sweet, smart, and intelligent boy. "I really dont know how we did this @ubifranklintriplemg but we are raising a rare gem here. I bless God for it all. "We are super proud to have you as our son. Happy birthday my sweet-happy-sugar-creamy-handsome-chocolate-butterscotch footballer in the making oya oo Modeling Agencies over to you. Go forth and prosper in Jesus name. Mummy loves you #Jayden@2" However, your favourite celebrities were on hand to make it worth a while as we got to see them talk about the Independence day celebration. For some, there was nothing to celebrate while for others they couldn't be happier (Major twitter palaver). So guys, in a summary, let's bring to you all the major stories that ticked off our moods during the week. 1. Yul Edochie says there is nothing to be happy about in Nigeria While most patriotic Nigerians were busy celebrating the Independence Day anniversary, Yul Edochie wasn't having any of it. The actor turned politician took to his Twitter page where he blasted the country. "Can't wish anybody a Happy Independence day, there's nothing to be happy about. Nigeria is in a mess. The masses, the youths are unhappy. Poverty, hunger, joblessness, killings still prevail. Government listen to the cry of the people. Power is nothing if ur people are unhappy," he tweeted. 2. Toke Makinwa says her ideal man shouldn't be rich Toke Makinwa in her usual self, drew a lot of attention during the week when she tweeted what many didn't see coming. In a series of tweets, the media personality revealed that she had lowered her standard and didn't necessarily need a rich man to settle down with. "Today, in my thirties, the complete one for me doesnt have to be rich, but he has to be able to take care of me she #Thecompleteone share yours? Your complete man should be..." she tweeted. 3. DJ Cuppy's Independence Day tweet receives mixed reactions on Twitter Unlike Yul Edochie who wasn't in any celebratory mood during the country's Independence Day celebration, DJ Cuppy had nice things to say about Nigeria. It didn't take long before her tweet about the country's anniversary began to cause an uneasy tension on Twitter. The reactions from Nigerians across Twitter to her tweet were of mixed reactions and some of them were a bit too harsh. 4. Toke Makinwa shoots her shot at Don Jazzy One interesting story that made the headlines during the week was the little romantic drama between Don Jazzy and Toke Makinwa. We all know so much Toke Makinwa fancies the idea of being in love. Well, she took her shot at Don Jazzy when the music mogul mentioned her in one of his tweets. 5. Stephanie Coker's husband wins APC primaries It's the election season and a number of celebrities or spouses of celebrities have already started experiencing victories in their respective constituencies. For Stephanie Coker, it was all good news during the week as her husband, Olumide Aderinokun won the APC primaries to represent Abeokuta north, Obafemi-Owode and Odeda federal constituency in the forthcoming elections. The businessman took to his Instagram page on Thursday, October 4, 2018, where he shared the good news. 6. Shina Peller wins APC primaries In the mood of election victories, Quilox boss, Shina Peller emerged victorious at the APC primaries in Oyo state. The businessman will be representing Iseyin, Itesiwaju, Kajola, and Iwajowa federal constituency of Oyo state during the 2019 general elections. He announced his victory on his Instagram page on Friday, October 5, 2018. 7. eLDee is sick and tired of beggars on social media The latest celebrity to call out people who slide into their DMs to beg for money is eLDee. Going by the posts the rapper posted on his Instagram stories on Friday, October 5, 2018, it is obvious that he is fed up with the unending and irritating messages he has been receiving in his DM. "I'm sick and tired of people sliding into my DM to beg for money. I barely have enough for me and my girls and I sure don't have money trees growing in my yard," he wrote. It didn't end there as he went to reveal that for every time he gives out money, he is depriving his family the things they need. 8. Chris Attoh marries again! After a failed marriage to Nollywood's sensational, Damilola Adegbite, Chris Attoh has perhaps found love again as he remarries. He tied the knot with his America-based Caribbean girlfriend who has been identified as Betty at a private ceremony at North Kaneshie in Accra. Akeredolu gave the directive in Akure on Saturday through a press statement signed by Mr Segun Ajiboye, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor. The governor asked the police to ensure that Seuns killers were arrested and prosecuted accordingly. He expressed sympathy with the family of the deceased and assured them that his administration would support the police to fish out the perpetrators of the act. Akeredolu promised that every part of the state would be adequately protected. He urged youths in the state to rededicate their selves to hard work and shun acts that were capable of truncating their future. He promised that his administration would continue to implement policies that could create enabling environment for the youths to prosper. Akeredolu is committed to his administrations mandate of protecting lives and properties of every resident in the state. Ondo State is not a haven or safe place for criminals and their backers to carry out their heinous crimes. It is either they change from their evil ways or the long arm of the law catches up with them. Let Seuns killers be aware that they will be fished out wherever they are hiding. NAN also reports that the duo who were members of the PDP that protested the outcome of the Osun governorship election at the force headquarters on Oct. 5, allegedly attacked policemen. A statement by the Force spokesman, acting DCP Jimoh Moshood on Sunday in Abuja, said that the two Senators were captured on camera for their roles in the disturbance. Moshood alleged that the duo pushed and hit policemen to forcefully gain entrance into the Force Headquarters to cause damage to Police equipment and Government properties. He said that further investigation was ongoing to determine the level of involvement and culpability of other individuals during the protest. The spokesman said that the invitation letters have been sent to them for compliance. Brig. Gen. Texas Chukwu, the Director, Army Public Relations, disclosed this in a statement issued in Maiduguri. Chukwu said: troops of Sector 3, Operation LAFIYA DOLE in conjunction with Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), while on fighting patrol to Gara village in northern Borno on Friday October 5, encountered suspected Boko Haram Terrorists. Five members of the Boko Haram terrorists were neutralised during the encounter, following the superior fire power of the troops, while others escaped to a nearby bush with gun shot wounds. He disclosed that the troops recovered four AK 47 rifles; five magazines, 55 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and eight rounds of 5.56mm NATO ammunition. Other items recovered from the insurgents include: 11 mobile phones; assorted drugs; cooking utensils; consumables and six horses. Mrs. Buhari made this known in a statement which she issued on Instagram on Sunday, October 7, 2018. The First Lady also vehemently kicked against the practice of giving automatic tickets to people. APC endorses Buhari This is coming after her husband, President Buhari was overwhelmingly endorsed as the APC presidential candidate for 2019 in the partys convention that ended on Sunday. Over 14 million delegates at the APC convention gave their nod to Buharis second term bid. While speaking at the convention, the President thanked the delegates and also promised not to disappoint Nigerians. Aisha Buhari does not take nonsense The First Lady is known for her frank talk when it comes to issues concerning her husbands administration. In October 2016, Mrs. Buhari told the BBCin an interview, that her husband is being held hostage by a cabal. According to her, "The president does not know 45 out of 50, for example, of the people he appointed and I don't know them either, despite being his wife of 27 years. "Some people are sitting down in their homes folding their arms only for them to be called to come and head an agency or a ministerial position. The First Lady also threatened not to vote for Buhari, saying "He is yet to tell me, but I have decided as his wife, that if things continue like this up to 2019, I will not go out and campaign again and ask any woman to vote like I did before. I will never do it again. Aisha Buhari blasts Aso Rock clinic Also, Mrs. Buhari, on Monday, October 9, 2017, condemned the management of Aso Rock clinic. She said that the health center didn't have the facilities to treat patients. According to her, she had to visit a private clinic after she found out the Aso Rock clinic's X-Ray machine was not working. Read Aisha Buharis recent outburst on the APC Primaries It is disheartening to note that some aspirants used their hard earned money to purchase nomination forms, got screened, cleared and campaigned vigorously yet found their names omitted on Election Day, these forms were bought at exorbitant prices. Many others contested and yet had their result delayed. Fully knowing that AUTOMATIC tickets have been given to other people. All Progressives Congress being a party whose cardinal principle is change and headed by a comrade/ activist whose main concern is for the common man, yet, such impunity could take place under its watch. Given this development one will not hesitate than DISSOCIATE from such unfairness, be neutral and speak for the voiceless. It is important for the populace to rise against impunity and for voters to demand from aspirants to be committed to the provision of basic amenities such as: 1. Potable drinking water 2. Basic health care ( Primary Health Care centers) 3. Education within conducive & appropriate learning environments. Let us vote wisely !!!! LONG LIVE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA!!!!!! Aisha Buhari has constantly said that she criticises her husbands administration because she believes in justice and fairness. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that President Buhari scored a total of 14,842,072 votes at the partys recent presidential primaries held across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as announced by Dr Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti State Governor-elect, to emerge as the partys candidate. Fayemi, who was the Chairman,APC Presidential Primary Committee, later asked the no fewer than 7,00 delegates from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to affirm the presidents candidacy through a yes vote, which they did. Aside the statuary delegates, the delegates who were drawn from the 36 states of the federation and the FCT, were made up of three from each Local Government Area. They were elected at the partys State Congresses held earlier in the year. President Buhari specifically thanked all other eligible candidates within the party who deferred their aspirations because of him in the interest of the partys unity and overall national stability. Ladies and gentlemen, members of APC. I thank you deeply for your support and confidence in me. I will not let you or the people of Nigeria down. Fellow party members, it is with a deep sense of humility that I stand before you today to accept the nomination of our party, the APC to be its candidate and flag-bearer in the 2019 presidential elections. As I stand today before you, there is no honour greater than the confidence given to me by all of you when you affirmed my nomination. I accept this honour as a tribute and mark of confidence to carry the responsibility as we all join hands to continue the good work of the APC government to 2023 and beyond,he said. He thanked the party members for their support and guidance and for staying committed to the change agenda. The president expressed gratitude to the partys National Chairman,Mr Adams Oshiomhole, and members of the National Convention Committee for planning and conducting the convention. He also appreciated the chairmen of National and State Executive Committees of the APC, saying: I thank you very much for doing a difficult job well. President Buhari, however, noted that the result of the APC presidential primaries was different this time, because he was the only candidate. The president, while recalling the achievements of the APC-led Federal Government, said the party was very proud of its records from 2015 to date, adding that it had arrested and checked the slide to anarchy on the security and economic fronts. He added that Boko Haram under the government, had been reduced to attacks on soft targets as normalcy had returned to much of North-East and neighbouring North-West states. The president also noted that the countrys currency had stabilised while its reserves was now $44 billion, a lot higher than it was in 2015 when the APC Government came into power. Power generation capacity has reached 8,000 megawatts as against less than 4,600 when we came into office. As we invest in new power generation infrastructure, we are strenuously working to address the legacy deficiencies and challenges of transmission and distribution networks across the country. We are executing Independent Power Projects in nine Federal Universities to deliver uninterrupted power supply and we intend to expand to a total of 37 Universities,the president said. He added that the Government through its Anchor Borrowers Programme and other incentives had empowered more than two million farmers to go back to agriculture. He further added that the country now produces 80 per cent of its rice requirements as many farmers who nearly lost hope were now millionaires. Buhari said the APC-led Federal Government had also introduced primary school feeding programmes to encourage attendance and enrollment and had introduced the conditional cash transfer. This, he said, was to help small and medium businesses, men and women and young people who drove our economy. He said the Government had repaired and was repairing major arterial roads and starting major railway projects with the aim of linking the 36 states with efficient road and rail transportation systems. The president maintained that the Government was attacking corruption head-on, with international support, saying that it was presently recovering Nigerias stolen assets and applying same to infrastructure development. Today the corrupt are facing the wrath of the law and leakages have been generally blocked.We can be proud of our achievements, change has come,President Buhari stressed. He, however, charged Nigerians to think of how much the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Government earned between 1999 and 2015 that it was in power and what it did with it. The president recalled that under the PDP Government, infrastructure and security was down while 18 Local Government in the North-East were under control of Boko Haram. He said under that Government, the countrys reserves were depleted and bankruptcy was around the corner, adding that Nigerians should ask the PDP what it did with the national treasury. He added that Nigeria was now respected internationally, saying that the international community was very supportive of the APC-Governments efforts to put the country in order. El-Rufai had earlier claimed that the President directed him to start the process of recalling Shehu Sani over acts disloyalty. The Governor said he had written a letter to Buhari dated October 1, 2018, where he listed the many sins of Senator Sani. An excerpt of the letter obtained from The Cable reads: When your excellency traveled to London in April 2018 for medical consultation, Shehu Sani ridiculed it on Facebook as Voyage to London, Season 3. In May 2018, he lamented what he said was Buhari s three years of failure to protect human lives. In the same month, he wrote that Baba should protect his testicle from any man who always bends down to greet him. Your excellency will recall that earlier this year, you directed me to initiate processes to recall Shehu Sani from the senate to punish his repeated acts of contempt and disloyalty. Following your directive, our team in Kaduna studied what was being done in Kogi state regarding the recall of Dino Melaye and drew up a budget. Upon examination of the costs and loopholes in the recall process as brutally exposed in Dino Melayes case, and in recognition of the immense of preparations for the next elections, it was decided that it may be more prudent to oust him at the ballot. The party executives in his ward in Kaduna suspended him from APC in December 2015 for negative comments about your excellency. It was later extended to indefinite suspension in 2016. El-Rufai also kicked against the automatic Senatorial ticket given to Sani, who is currently the Senator representing Kaduna Central. Presidency denies In a statement issued on Twitter via the handle, @NGRPresident, the Presidency denied knowledge of any letter. The statement reads: The Presidency wishes to distance President @MBuhari from a letter currently in circulation, which alleges that the President had authorized a Governor or anyone else for that matter to "deal with traitors and disloyal members of APC, especially Senator Shehu Sani. We wish to confirm that the President is not aware of any such letter, let alone authorising anyone to deal with any party member. Given President Buharis record, it is inconceivable that he would usurp the role of the party leaders and instruct anyone to punish a party member. In the light of above, we would like to appeal to the general public, especially members of the press, to ignore false or unauthorized information intended to attribute to the President any action which is not in line with his character. More controversy This is coming as the All Progressives Congress (APC) issued a statement saying that Sen. Shehu Sani remainsits only senatorial candidate from Kaduna Central. There were reports in the media that Sani lost his Senatorial ticket during a Senatorial primary election which held on Saturday, October 6, 2018, in Kaduna. Ezekwesili, who is also the co-founder of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) group, made this know in a statement which she posted on Twitter. According to the former minister, she will be contesting on the platform of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN). Ezekwesili, in her statement explain why she is contesting, said that the decision to run for President is the hardest she has ever had to make in her life. According to her, I believe that every generation faces its defining moment and for us, this is our moment. A moment when our countrys motto: Unity and faith; peace and progress no longer holds meaning for citizens. In place of unity in diversity, we are faced with divisions, the likes of which we have not seen since the Civil War. The ruling political class stokes divisions between the 97% and the 5%; their failed policies widen the inequality between the haves and the have-nots. Instead of faith in our can-do spirit and a shared vision of our future, Nigerians across the country suffer a suffocating hopelessness and despair. Our young people have given up; abandoned their hopes and dreams. They are leaving the country in their numbers every day. What a tragedy! Instead of peace and safety, our humanity is assaulted daily by killings, violence and kidnappings from Jos to Dapchi, from Afara to Zamfara. Instead of progress, our country now appears to be marking time; stagnant or declining on all the most important indices. The few opportunities available are cornered by a greedy political elite. Enough is enough Ezekwesili also said that the time has come for Nigerians to rise up, adding that the citizens will no longer sit down and watch the political class destroy the nation. The BBOG co-founder said Ladies and gentlemen, the choice before us at this moment is clear. Do we wither in the face of this unsustainable cycle of failure by successive administrations? Do we sit content on the sidelines while our country and our people move closer and closer to the tipping point of economic, security, political and social collapse? I have a message today for the forces of the status quo and their defenders Enough is now finally enough. We would no longer watch Nigeria be consumed in the flames of a mediocre political class that bumbles from one crisis to another and fails to live up to its responsibilities. I offer myself to lead a peoples movement that will permanently terminate bad leadership, ethnic and religious divisions, mediocrity and failure in governance in Nigeria. I bring a message of hope. A hope that a stable, progressive and prosperous society is possible. A hope that together with the support of those in this room and the millions who will join us on this historic journey in the coming weeks and months we shall remove any barrier standing in the way of the #NewNigeriaOfOurDream. We shall begin by pulling down the stronghold of the two failed dominant political parties #PDPAPC. We will disrupt the politics of this nation, displace the old order and replace them with a new movement of visionary and dynamic leadership that will mobilize Nigerians to build a new nation. 4 planks of her government She said The #NewNigeriaOfOurDreams which we will build from 2019 will be measured on four planks of progress. As president, I will not take my eyes away from any of these four planks at any time: A high standard of living which we shall measure by real GDP per capita. It is a pity that Singapore which got its independence five years after Nigeria now has a real GDP per capita of $60,000, while Nigerias GDP per capita as at 2017 was $1,944 A high knowledge capital which we shall measure by adult literacy. Today, the adult literacy in Singapore is 98%, while adult literacy in Nigeria is just 57% A high longevity which we shall measure by life expectancy at birth. Today, Singapores life expectancy is 85 years, Nigerias life expectancy is a mere 52 years A strong, resilient, sustainable and thriving nation which we shall measure by the fragility index. Today, we are the 13th most fragile country in the world. This is beyond unacceptable. Let us not forget that the current government promised to create three million new jobs yearly, but under its watch we have seen more people lose jobs. Unemployment and underemployment have actually risen to 40% of the population. We can and we will do better. As senior economic adviser for the Open Society, I have advised some of the most reform minded governments on our continent. I served for five years as the Vice President of the World Bank in charge of the Banks operations in 48 countries. I know what sound economics that creates jobs and produces prosperity looks like. I know what it takes to build a productive and competitive economy. It is time to get our country and our country men and women working again. Let us not forget that this government promised to kill corruption before it kills us, but under its watch the culture of corruption continues to fester under a regime of favoritism. There is no comprehensive strategy to the fight. There is not even a sincerity to it. We can and we will do better. As co-founder and pioneer director of Transparency International, one of the foremost anti-corruption organizations in the world, I ruffled feathers without fear or favor. As the head of the Due Process office under the Olusegun Obasanjo government, my team cleaned up the public procurement and contracting process in Nigeria. Some of the most sustainable transparency laws in Nigeria today have my imprint from the public procurement to NEITI. The world is leaving Nigeria behind The former minister also said that Buharis government does not understand how to take advantage of the power of disruptive technologies. This government does not understand the power of disruptive technologies the world is leaving Nigeria behind. The world is going through a 4th Industrial Revolution with profound changes that will basically change the world as we know it. How can a country gifted with millions of young, vibrant, brilliant people, be satisfied with just being onlookers at a time like this? It ought not to be so, and it will not be so under my leadership. I believe in the miracle of new, smart and disruptive technologies from Artificial Intelligence to Quantum computing to Big Data and the Internet of things to accelerate our productivity and global competitiveness. Under my leadership the young shall have their moment to demonstrate that they have the skills and attitudes to lead the rest of the world through knowledge. My government will substitute oil focused governance with human capital governance. Today we have 13.5 million kids out of school. Thats a ticking bomb and things must change. Under my watch, education will be the new economy; education will be the new oil. Make no mistakes about it, the economy that this administration will be handing over to us in 2019 will not look pretty. The skyrocketing debt burden they have foisted on us, the serious fiscal crisis and the deep structural imbalances that they have done little or nothing about will await us from Day ONE. As frightening as that realization is, think about what a great opportunity it will be for Nigerians to demonstrate our can-do spirit. "Think about the effect that visionary leadership can achieve when the whole country is mobilized to sacrifice and work hard to achieve speedy recovery that benefits us all. That is exactly what we will do. What a great comeback story that will be! But its not just about this government. This government is part of an evil ruling class, including those who were in the PDP, who then went to the APC and are now in the PDP again, asking for our votes. What do these people take us for fools? Enough is enough of these #APCPDP Siamese twins," she added. Abubakar scored 1,532 votes and was declared the winner of the PDP primaries which held in Rivers state by the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa led convention committee. In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Turaki Hassan and obtained from the Speakers website, Dogara called on Atiku to unite other presidential aspirants. The Speaker also expressed hope that the PDP will win the 2019 elections and break the chain of bad leadership in the country. He said One would not be entirely wrong if we say that the problem of Nigeria, or the bane of development of this country is bad leadership. Not even the challenge of infrastructure, not the bloodletting we are witnessing in different parts of Nigeria from Zamfara, down to the middle-belt states of Taraba, Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Adamawa and the rest and sundry acts of kidnapping across this country. Of course, we have the problem of infrastructure. Those of us delegates who traveled by road from our various states down to Port Harcourt for this exercise will bear an ample testimony to the fact that we are living in a country with decayed infrastructure. Obviously, the biggest challenge of them all is leadership. If we have the right leadership, education will not be a problem, infrastructure will not be a problem, getting or inspiring our citizens to live in peace will not be a problem. With the right leadership, Nigeria will be the pride of not only the black man, but of the entire world and that is the responsibilty that has fallen on the shoulders of the PDP delegates that we have here today. This is the responsibility that has been outsourced to us by our different citizens from across the states. ALSO READ: Come February 2019, PDP will lead Nigeria to the transformation that we so dearly desire as citizens of this dear country. Dogara also commended other presidential aspirants for accepting the outcomes of the PDP primaries. Atiku got 1,532 votes during the PDP convention and was declared the winner. Saraki in a statement signed by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Yusuph Olaniyonu also commended the delegates to the convention and members of the organizing committee led by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State for holding a convention in which a candidate was elected in a free, fair, transparent and rancour-free atmosphere. The Senate President said "Our just concluded convention was a partisan event which the country can show-case as an example that democracy has a future in Nigeria and that when we are determined we can elect our leaders without any manipulation, intimidation and violation of the law and democratic norms. "The credit goes to the leadership of our party led by Prince Uche Secondus, the organizing committee led by Governor Okowa, the numerous delegates who came from across the country and conducted themselves in a civil, mature and democratic manner. I give kudos to them. "My commendation also goes to the government and people of Rivers State for providing the best necessary facilities for hosting over 5000 delegates, campaign workers, security personnel, observers, media people and others who came to play one role or the other in the convention. "More importantly, let me congratulate the winner and new flagbearer of our party and all the fellow aspirants for running credible and mature campaigns and working all along to reassure millions of our fellow party members and other Nigerians that PDP will leave the convention venue more united and ready to work together to form the next government at the federal and other levels in a manner that we will unite the country, grow the economy, carry along all stakeholders, empower the youths and make government serve the people better. "Like I said in my speech at the convention after the official declaration of Alhaji Atiku as winner, all the other aspirants, especially myself, are ready to walk and work with him to spread the positive message of the PDP and his campaigns across the nooks and crannies of the country such that the PDP will win the 2019 general elections. "Those who expect that the party will degenerate into crisis after the primaries have miscalculated. We will all work for the Atiku-PDP ticket to succeed and contribute ideas into solving the problems confronting Nigeria today. "The event in Port Harcourt between yesterday and today was a victory for Nigeria and for democracy. We will not lose the momentum but sustain it to rebuild Nigeria and elect Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the next President of Nigeria. "I wish all our delegates and other participants in the convention journey mercies back home. The accord, reached on September 17, aims to stave off a massive regime assault on Idlib province, the last major rebel bastion in Syria, by creating a 15 to 20-kilometre (9-12 mile) buffer zone ringing the area. Under the deal, all rebels in the demilitarised zone, which surrounds Idlib and also parts of the adjacent provinces of Aleppo and Hama, must withdraw heavy arms by Wednesday, and radical groups must leave by October 15. "We began to withdraw our heavy weapons from the demilitarised zone to rear positions," NLF spokesman Naji Mustafa told AFP. "The operation will last several days," he said, adding that the weapons will be held by fighters deployed in positions outside the demilitarised zone. The NLF is the main Turkey-backed rebel alliance in the Idlib region, but jihadist heavyweight Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) holds a large part of the province and the zone. HTS, led by former Al-Qaeda fighters, has yet to announce its stance on the buffer zone deal. On Sunday, an AFP correspondent saw NLF fighters on the frontline inside the planned buffer zone on the Idlib region's eastern flank. They waited in trenches armed with light weapons on a hill in the area of Al-Eis in the southwest of Aleppo province, overlooking regime-held territory several kilometres (miles) away. Jihadists? The correspondent did not see any heavy weapons in Al-Eis. "According to the set deadline, the withdrawal of heavy weapons will end on October 10. The operation is ongoing," an NLF commander on site told AFP. "We are reinforcing our positions and are ready to face any violation" from the regime side, he added. In recent weeks, Turkey has deployed troops at "observation posts" it set up in rebel-held areas of Idlib and neighbouring Aleppo. Nawar Oliver, an analyst from the Turkey-based Omran Centre for Strategic Studies, said pro-Ankara fighters giving up their heavy weapons on the front line leaves them vulnerable to a regime attack. But "the Turkish military should have some kind of heavy artillery" with them, he said. On Saturday, a media spokesman for Faylaq al-Sham, one of the NLF factions, confirmed the withdrawal of arms. Seif Raad said it included pulling back missile launchers, tanks and mortars. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said the withdrawal of weapons had already started a week ago and would continue for several more days. "But the rebels only hold a third of the buffer zone," the head of the Britain-based monitor, Rami Abdel Rahman, said. HTS and other jihadists, who control around 70 percent of the planned demilitarised area, pose the main challenge to its implementation, he said. Auckland University Philosopher of Science Professor, Emily Parke joins Graeme Hill to answer his questions and give the latest in science news. Octopuses are incredibly intelligent creatures. So what happens when you give them MDMA? A recent study displays some very uncharacteristic behaviour of the touchy, feely kind. Also, discovery of weird deep sea critters and BPA-free plastics just as harmful as BPA stuff? Shipwreck Tales make a return so we can gradually make the archive complete and after this were pretty sure were there. This week the story behind the Gordon Lightfoot classic the 'Edmund Fitzgerald'- a truly massive freighter that went to the bottom of Lake Superior in 1975 losing all hands on board. The Shipwreck Tales Archive here. Listen to the full audio above. Weekend Variety Wireless with Graeme Hill, 8pm - midnight Saturdays and Sundays, on RadioLIVE and streaming live to the Rova app on Android and iPhone. RadioLIVE. The news follows on a dramatic horserace where Comcast outbid 21CF and Disney for the right to set a price to take over Sky. 21CF has confirmed it has zero interest remaining in Sky, having offloaded its 39.12% stake to the cable giant.21CF sold its shares to Sky at the 17.28 per-share price that Comcast has bid for the rest of the company. That bid values 21CF's Sky holding at 11.63 billion.Meanwhile, earlier this week, Comcast clinched the fourth largest corporate bond sale on record, successfully borrowing $27bn to fund its $39.7bn acquisition of the pan-European satcaster. It raised the funds across 12 tranches of floating- and fixed-rate bonds, ranging from two- to 40-year maturities.The sale has he follow-on effect of r educing Disney's debt in acquiring 21CF's media assets.Along with the net proceeds from the divestiture of the RSNs, the sale of Foxs Sky holdings will substantially reduce the cost of our overall acquisition and allow us to aggressively invest in building and creating high-quality content for our direct-to-consumer platforms to meet the growing demands of viewers, said Bob Iger, chairman and CEO at Disney, last week.In terms of whether the Sky acquisition was a good move for Comcast, Dilantha de Silva, a stock analyst writing for Seeking Alpha, said that trends around cord-cutting will affect Sky and, now, its new owner.Not only in the US but even in other major markets such as the United Kingdom, streaming services are becoming increasingly popular and is challenging the sustainability of cable TV providers, he said. These developing trends formed the background for Comcast to bid for Sky as it was apparent that the addition of Sky would assist Comcast to compete with Netflix and other streaming services, and more importantly, the addition of Sky would expand Comcasts reach to Europe as well which is untouched at present.Thats because Sky is competing with streaming services such as Netflix by producing its own content and making it available on its premium platform. It also has its own video-streaming service, Now TV, and this enables the company to push that original content to the end users beyond its 23 million pay-TV customers.Theres never been a more competitive time to be in the content business and Im incredibly excited by the scale, quality and authenticity of the UK TV industry right now, said Gary Davey, Skys MD of content. Next year will see over 50 Sky original productions on air and over 20 of these will be returners - a testament to the popularity of our shows and it doesnt stop there, with our increased investment, the focus for 2018 remains getting even better on screen.In addition to its own content, Sky has exclusive broadcasting rights to the English Premium League, which acts as an economic moat for the company, he pointed out. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada. Search Real Estate , We're sorry, this article is not currently available Four words: Get out and vote. Georgia residents have heard this phrase countless times from candidates on both sides. This time, however, Athe DANBURY Union Savings Bank announces the addition of Gary DellaRocco as Vice President, Business Banking Officer. He will be based in Torrington, supporting multiple branches. Gary is an excellent addition to our Business Banking team, said Cynthia Merkle, President and CEO of Union Savings Bank. His extensive experience, team-building and leadership skills will prove to be a great asset to Union Savings Bank and our small business partners. DellaRocco is responsible for managing and growing a small business portfolio that includes lines of credit, commercial mortgages, term loans and equipment financing through building new customer relationships and deepening existing relationships. He brings over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. Before joining Union Savings Bank, he served as the small business relationship manager at TD Bank; the premier client manager at Bank of America; a financial specialist/small business banker at Wachovia National Bank and an investment sales manager at American Financial Trading Corporation. DellaRocco graduated from Southern Connecticut State University with a B.A. in accounting. Throughout his career, DellaRocco has completed multiple financial services programs, including the Commercial Credit Foundations program, the School of Commercial Lending Program, the Miller Heiman Selling Program and the Dunhill Staffing Systems Excellence in Management Program. DellaRocco is a resident of Morris, Conn. He is active in several Chambers of Commerce, including the Canton Chamber, the Northwest CT Chamber and the Kent Chamber. He is also an active member of the Knights of Columbia Council 1322 in Bethlehem. New Morning Market announces non-GMO month WOODBURY Through October, New Morning Market joins 13,000 participating grocery retailers across North America to celebrate Non-GMO Month. Created by the Non-GMO Project, an independent third-party verifier, this month-long celebration spotlights shoppers right to choose products that do not contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). New Morning Market will help shoppers identify Non-GMO Project Verified choices through sales, samples, and educational materials. Public concern about GMOs is rising as studies increasingly raise doubts about the long-term safety and environmental impact of these experimental technologies. More than 60 countries around the world - including Australia, Russia, China, and all the countries in the European Union - require GMOs to be labeled. Globally, there are also 300 regions with outright bans on growing GMOs. During Non-GMO Month, New Morning Market reminds customers to vote with their dollar. By supporting products verified by the Non-GMO Project, consumers are taking a stand on this important issue. Thomaston Savings Bank holds annual awards event THOMASTON The Thomaston Savings Bank Foundation, Inc. awarded its 2018 grant recipients during a special celebration Oct. 2 at the Thomaston Opera House. The foundations Board of Trustees and Thomaston Savings Bank officers were present to award more than $400,000 in grants to the invited 219 local non-profit organizations. We are proud to contribute to a variety of non-profit organizations that work day in and day out to make our community a better place, said Stephen L. Lewis, President, Thomaston Savings Bank Foundation, in a written statement. The Thomaston Savings Bank Foundation works to positively impact its communities and has awarded grants in excess of $6 million since the Foundations inception in 1997. For a list of the 2018 Thomaston Savings Bank Grant recipients, visit ThomastonSB.com/news. Pearce Real Estate donates school supplies NORTH HAVEN Barbara L. Pearce, CEO and President of Pearce Real Estate, with her agents and staff, collected school supplies in the Pearce offices in support of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Connecticut, who distributed the donated school supplies to the Little Brothers Little Sisters in their program. The items collected included gender-neutral backpacks, pens, pencils, crayons, markers, binders, K thru 2nd grade activity books, and notebooks and folders for various grade-levels. The Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Connecticut serves hundreds of children facing adversity in 40 towns including Bethany, Branford, East Haven, Guilford, Hamden, Madison, Milford, New Haven, North Branford, North Haven, Orange, West Haven and Woodbridge. Cranick named top producer WETHERSFIELD Weichert, Realtors -The Zubretsky Group in Wethersfield announced that Realtor Paul Cranick has been named the companys Top Listing Agent for the month of August. This marks the 20th consecutive month that Cranick has earned the Weichert affiliates top listing agent award. Cranick is part of a team of talented agents at Weichert, Realtors - The Zubretsky Group, which brings many years of combined real estate experience to its clients. For more information about Weichert, Realtors - The Zubretsky Group, located at 449 Silas Deane Highway in Wethersfield, contact John Zubretsky, Jr. at 860-263-2121 or visit www.thezubretskygroup.com. Sothebys International Realty website honored REAL Trends Inc., one of the most trusted sources of news, analysis and information in residential real estate, named the website of William Pitt and Julia B. Fee Sothebys International Realty the best residential real estate brokerage website in the country in its just-released annual 2018 Real Estate Website Rankings, according to a press release. The firm achieved more honors than any other company in the rankings, and was the only firmboth in its market areas and nationallythat ranked in every single category recognizing residential brokerages. The companys website ranked No. 1 Best Overall Website, No. 1 Best Community, recognizing the details and search capability provided for local communities served, No. 2 Best Property Detail, No. 4 Best Video, No. 7 Best Design and No. 7 Best Mobile. REAL Trends reviewed the websites of residential real estate brokerages in all 50 states, including the technology disruptors. Information about the 2018 REAL Trends Website Rankings can be found online at http://realtrendswebrankings.com. Weichert Real Estate Affiliates named a top franchise MORRIS PLAINS, N.J. Weichert Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. has been named one of the top franchise brands in the U.S. by Entrepreneur magazine in its Top Franchise Brands list for 2018. Weichert was ranked #191 on this years annual list. The list of top franchise brands was compiled from Entrepreneurs 2018 Franchise 500 list and was based on factors such as social media followers, system size, number of years in business, number of years franchising, and overall reputation. Earlier this year, the Weichert franchise division appeared on Entrepreneurs 39th annual 2018 Franchise 500 list for the fourteenth consecutive year. Weichert was ranked the #3 traditional real estate franchise and the #4 company overall in the Real Estate category by Entrepreneur magazine. RIVERTON When a company reaches its 10th anniversary, it holds a sale. At 50 years, another sale and maybe a party. At 100 years, well, thats a pretty big deal and there might be all kinds of events held in conjunction with the firms centennial. But when a company launched its product line 200 years ago, that is something special indeed and worth noting. Thats why the Hitchcock Chair Co. is holding its 200th anniversary celebration through 2018, albeit in an understated fashion. The company has not operated contiguously all those years, closing several times. Nonetheless, its products have remained a gold standard in furniture making, with classic rocking chairs still in high demand and sought after by collectors. According to a an article by Troy Segal on the website The Spruce Crafts, Lambert Hitchcock, who lived from 1792 to 1852, was a cabinetmaker who settled in Barkhamsted. He soon began making chair parts for shipping and assembly. By 1820-21, he put into operation a bigger plan: the manufacturing of entire chairs. Not hand-made, but created on an assembly line, using standardized patterns and components, in the tradition of the burgeoning Industrial Revolution. Painted dark (instead of using dark polished woods) and stenciled (instead of carved or inlaid), they were indeed fancy chairs for ordinary people. Therein lies much of the long sustained charm and allure of Hitchcock products; They are both beautiful and accessible for individuals of most economic levels. The small, light chairs were a hit, selling up and down the Eastern seaboard and into the interior of the rapidly growing young United States, according to the story, and by 1825, Hitchcock had moved to a bigger factory, one that employed 100 people. In its heyday, throughout the 1820s and 1830s, the company produced up to 300 chairs a week, which equates to about 15,000 a year. The town even changed its name to Hitchcocksville in his honor. At Hitchcock, each of our collections spins a story that began with a man named Lambert Hitchcock, says the companys website. Hitchcock set out to build furniture of great character and beauty much like the clockwork of his time. His business eye settled on maple, oak and cherry, wood plentiful enough in the rugged countryside to be affordable. On the way to his goal, he built a flourishing Connecticut company in a town now known as Riverton. And like most families, the Hitchcock chronicle is characterized as much by `fire and flood as homespun memories. And like most people, weve come through with our treasure preserved. Segals piece claims that the Hitchcock chair is a true American original. It was designed by one man, intended to be mass-produced, and came to stand for an entire genre of chair. Hitchcocks company, which was reorganized in 1832 as Hitchcock, Alford & Co., produced chairs in several varieties and colors, along with settees. But the quintessential Hitchcock chair was basically a Sheraton style piece, Segal points out, with the characteristic rectilinear silhouette, round legs, and Neoclassical motifs updated with American Empire touches, such as a sloped back and curved back rail. Most pieces were painted black or brownish-black (imitating ebony) or a very dark green. Elaborate designs were then stenciled onto the back and sides in bright metallic colors (golds, blues, reds, whites), and a bronze finishing coat was applied overall. The end product had a fresh, gleaming quality that appealed to consumers of the day. With success came imitators, and over time, Hitchcock chair began to mean any painted and colorfully-stenciled chair that roughly resembled the originals, that is, medium-back in height and largely square in shape, said Segal. The earliest authenticated Hitchcock chairs date from 1825 on, when the company began stenciling a signature onto the chairs. However, that stencil underwent variations with the firms fortunes. Hitchcock died in 1852. His old factory fell into disuse, but in 1946 it was taken over as the site of the newly formed Hitchcock Chair Company, owned by John Kenney, who reopened the company. His firm enjoyed a thriving existence before closing again 12 years ago because of declining sales. According to Segal, Hitchcock chairs sold for $.50 to $1.50 in the 1850s. Today, prices are a bit higher, with chairs from 1825 to 1843 bringing at most $200 to $300 for a signed, single chair in good condition, and $1,200 for a set of four. Pieces with more unusual stencils often go higher. Some of the works produced by the later Hitchcock Chair Company have collectible status as well, especially commemorative models or those made in the 1940s and 1950s. When the company closed in 2006 it was viewed by many with dismay, an historic company located in a charming rural town in northwest Connecticut would be only a memory. But that wasnt the case for long. Four years later, two men, Rick Swenson and Gary Hath, purchased the company name and began making the classic Hitchcock pieces again. They soon became overwhelmed by orders from customers wanting restoration services on existing Hitchcock pieces, as well as requests for new ones, and they continue to build up a new inventory, with one piece being a limited run 200th anniversary chair. What the 200th anniversary says about the company is that it remains a brand name for many people, said Swenson. It is a credit to the way we do things, with quality workmanship and construction and the fact that we are 100 percent American made. You can still buy a chair that matches something you bought 50 years ago. Hitchcock products are lasting and they endure through generations. They become heirlooms. He continued, What makes us a success today, is the craftsmanship and dedication of our workers. Everything we do is hand built, using wood such as maple, cherry, soft maple, and ash. We may use some wood from Canada because they have so much of it, but we locally source all of our wood from suppliers. Swenson, who worked for the previous owners doing repairs and restorations, believes he and his business partner are keeping alive a vital link to the areas past. The factory grew a town grew around it, as well as other businesses. Most of the factories at the time were built near rivers (the historic chair factory building is located on the Farmington River). The chair factory was the largest employer in the area for a number of years. Hitchcock Chair Company now employs around a dozen individuals, compared the several hundred that worked in the factory at its height. But the legend lives on, with pieces made in a shop adjacent to the Hitchcock factory store, located at 13 Riverton Road in Riverton. Although Swenson and his partner are dabbling in some minor modifications to the original chairs and other furniture, their products will remain true to the original pieces. We are doing some live edge work and weve done some pieces in exotic woods. We have also created some wormy maple pieces that people seem to enjoy these days. We are doing a lot more cherry wood pieces now. We are trying to be relevant to todays trends, but when you have been doing the same thing for 200 years and it remains successful, you dont want to wander far from what makes the pieces unique and desired. The Hitchcock style continues to endure. Lambert Hitchcock would certainly be pleased. The stores hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.. For more information, call 860-738-9958. You can access the companys catalogue at ww.hitchockchair.com. Contributed photo WINSTED Ashley Johnson, a biology major at Northwestern Connecticut Community College (NCCC), has been selected as one of 50 students in the country to attend the Advanced Technology Education Principal Investigators Conference, Oct. 24-26, according to a press release from NCCC. The conference is being held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC, and is hosted by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). U.S. Marine Corps, Pfc. Mark Fike / Contributed photo / Lance Cpl. John OConnor fired an M1014 shotgun during a shotgun tactical proficiency range at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Sept. 25. Combat engineers with 1st Platoon, Bravo Company, 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, practiced ballistic breaching with M1014 shotguns, which are used in operations by holding the weapon away from their body and directly against doorways to shatter locks, hinges and door frames. Combat engineers often augment infantry units during exercises and deployments, which requires tactical proficiency with multiple weapons systems. OConnor, a combat engineer with 1st Plt., Bravo Co., 9th ESB, 3rd MLG, is a native of Torrington. The resignation of Justice Anthony Kennedy from the U.S. Supreme Court has driven a debate as to whom should be appointed as his replacement. It follows the debate on filling the vacancy caused by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in 2016. The shenanigans on Capitol Hill to fill the Scalia vacancy brought no luster to Congress, and one can argue that there is less to encourage Washington observers with the current debate on the Kennedy vacancy. Pundits never tire of associating liberal justices with Democratic presidents and conservative justices with Republican presidents. One supposes that this surface analysis is generally accepted in the media and public today, but events under two Republican administrations give one pause. For example, the two staunch liberals of the Warren Court, the chief justice himself, and Justice William Brennan were both appointed by Republican President Dwight Eisenhower. The traditional view is that Eisenhower thought he was getting conservatives, and he turned out to be mistaken. Secondly, the author of the majority opinion in the famous privacy case, Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, 1973, was Justice Harry Blackmun, with a concurring opinion by Chief Justice Warren Burger, both appointees of conservative President Richard M. Nixon. The liberal President John F. Kennedy had appointed Justice Byron White who dissented in Roe. Some conservatives have been heard to say that justices should interpret the U.S. Constitution pursuant to the original intent of the Founding Fathers in the eighteenth century. The document should be strictly construed, and so the argument goes the court should not act as a super legislature with justices imposing their personal views to the cases they are deciding. The problem with attempting to interpret the Constitution according to the opinions and cultures of the eighteenth century is, of course, the fact that we are not living in the eighteenth century. One thinks that Justice Brennans approach is a more appropriate standard: The genius of the Constitution rests in the adaptability of its great principles to cope with current problems and current needs. As for precedent, the late conservative Justice Scalia, and current liberal Justice Stephen Breyer did in separate interviews acknowledge the value of precedent. Justice Breyer spoke of the danger of overturning precedents because of the reliance that people have come to place on court decisions in their own lives. This reminds that there are over 325 million of us and the Constitutions function is to serve as an umbrella under which we attempt to get along with each other, and yes, respect the court even when its decisions are uncomfortable. In the second phase of the Kavanaugh proceedings, whether one calls it a hearing or a job interview the gathering of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Sept. 27 and 28 left one with less confidence in the ability of Congress to fulfill its responsibilities than before. Senator Corey Booker of New Jersey embarrassed himself with theatrics. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina demonstrated the opposite of restraint when he lashed out at the minority members of the Judiciary Committee. Judge Brett Kavanaugh overdid his defense when he blamed some of his difficulties on the Clintons, and on the Democrats disappointment with the 2016 election results. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., did himself no favor with his Latin quotation. There has yet to be an answer as far as I know as to who leaked Christine Blasey Fords letter. The majority members of the committee, as well as the president, seem determined to rush Kavanaughs nomination to a vote of the full Senate before the public will be able to digest whatever the FBI may find. It is possible that as long as the two political parties engage in the equivalent of a seventh grade snowball fight, that it is the court itself that will suffer the most. Its stature depends on its reputation for wisdom and ethics, with deference to law and human rights. It possesses neither the purse nor the power that the political branches of our government possess. When you enter its halls, there are fewer seats than across the street in the Congress, and no South Lawn on Pennsylvania Avenue with microphones at the ready. There is a wealth of talent and good cheer in the United States, both in the private sector and in the public. But those attributes need to be applauded, nourished, and practiced. We still have the same organic document with which we commenced this grand experiment in self-governance, the Constitution. The celebration of the Constitution is only meaningful if we can once again resolve our problems with a sense of fairness to all. We need not agree with each other when it comes to Supreme Court appointments, or election outcomes. But we owe it to ourselves to insist that those who aspire to leadership positions recognize that their first loyalty is to the rest of us, and not to some future campaign for higher office. The pandering and patronizing that have characterized the Kavanaugh proceedings over the past several weeks have tarnished the Senates reputation for diligence and intelligence, and the presidents understanding of lucid commentary. Further, the media would do itself and us a favor if it would focus on what is actually known, not simply what may be alleged or speculated, and leave to the participants: the senators, the president, the protagonists Ford and Kavanaugh, and by extension the court itself, some degree of dignity. Thomas Hogan is an adjunct professor of American Studies at UConn-Waterbury and a resident of Litchfield. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Politicians in Bosnia-Herzegovina cast their ballots in the country's presidential, parliamentary, and regional elections on October 7. While the Bosniak member of the tripartite presidency, Bakir Izetbegovic, voted in Sarajevo, Serb leader Milorad Dodik came to a polling station in the town of Laktasi. Bosnian Serb nationalist Milorad Dodik is set to win his community's seat on Bosnia-Herzegovinas three-member presidency, as ethnic Serbian, Muslim, and Croatian parties dominated their regions in the October 7 poll likely to slow the country's advance toward EU integration. Bosnia consists of two entities: the ethnic Serb-dominated Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation of Bosniaks and Croats. The two entities are linked by joint state-level institutions, including a tripartite presidency. The main Bosnian Muslim party said its candidate, Sefik Dzaferovic, will be the Muslim representative in the presidency, while Croats returned Zelijko Komsic to their seat. Dodik, who has led Republika Srpska since 2006, defeated moderate incumbent Mladen Ivanic to take his place in the tripartite presidency. Ivanic conceded defeat. Meanwhile, Dodik's close ally, Zeljka Cvijanovic, has claimed victory in the race for the presidency of Republika Srpska. Voters on October 7 were choosing leaders for the three-member presidency, as well as parliamentary legislatures and canton assemblies in what may be the world's most complicated political system. The largest Bosnian Muslim party, the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) , secured the most votes in the national parliament and its Bosnian Muslim-dominated cantons ahead of the largest Bosnian Croat party, HDZ, and Dodik's SNSD. The SNSD, along with coalition partners, was on course to dominate both the Serbian faction in the national parliament and the legislature of Republika Srpska. HDZ and its coalition partners won the most votes of Croats in the national parliament and in the majority Croatian cantons. Turnout was 53.3 percent of the countrys 3.3 million eligible voters, election officials said. No major incidents were reported on election day. Dodik, who has close links with Russia and favors a split-up of the Balkan country, told a news conference early on October 8 that his first priority will be the position of the Serb people and of Republika Srspka. I believe that Bosnia-Herzegovina also may progress if everyone is respected, the head of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats said in Banja Luka, the administrative center of the Serb entity. Dzaferovic of the SDA was leading for the Bosniak seat in the presidency with 38 percent of the vote. "I am leading and have won the seat in Bosnia's presidency," he told a news conference. Komsic, a Social Democrat who has served two terms in the presidency, was leading with 49.5 percent of the vote over nationalist Dragan Covic of the HDZ. Covic, who had 38 percent, has called for the creation of a separate entity for Croats. He conceded defeat but warned of a "never-seen-before" crisis in the country. Komsic sought to reassure all voters, saying, "I will serve all citizens, even if they didn't vote for me." The elections have heightened tensions between Bosniak Muslim and Bosnian Serb officials, who have been at loggerheads since the 1995 U.S.-brokered Dayton peace accords ended the wars that ripped Yugoslavia apart. The vote came with Bosnia sitting at a crossroads: Either it continues to pursue its path toward deeper Euro-Atlantic ties, or its ethnic rivalries further derail progress toward European Union membership and NATO integration. Though the Bosnian war ended in 1995, wounds from the three-year conflict that claimed some 100,000 lives and displaced about 2 million people continue to fester With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP KOSTYANTYNIVKA/BAKHMUT, Ukraine -- When Father Kostyantyn Kuznetsov rang the bells and swung open the doors of the blue-and-gold-domed St. Stritenskiy Temple in 2015, it marked a small but significant victory in an intensifying dispute that's shaking the Eastern Orthodox Church, the world's second-largest Christian denomination. First planned as a Ukrainian Orthodox church of the Moscow Patriarchate, as the local wing of the Russian Orthodox Church is known, construction of St. Stritenskiy began in 2014, as Russia-backed separatists swept through Ukraine's eastern Donbas region and seized city after city. But parishioners of Kostyantynivka's other houses of worship under the control of the Russian Orthodox Church "saw armories in their churches, they saw priests calling for separatism and [for] people to join local separatists' forces," Father Kostyantyn, a descendant of Russian aristocrats from Foros, in Crimea, who previously spent 11 years as a priest in the Moscow Patriarchate, told RFE/RL in September. The last straw for many of them came that May, when separatist militiamen opened fire on an Orthodox priest as his car approached a checkpoint at night, killing the 40-year-old husband and father of three. "We made a decision that this church will belong to the Kyiv Patriarchate," Father Kostyantyn explained, referring to his parish of more than 100 worshipers and one of the two breakaway denominations formed in Ukraine after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Construction of St. Stritenskiy -- the city's first and only one loyal to the Kyiv-led church -- was completed soon thereafter. Kostyantynivka, an industrial city of roughly 80,000 in Ukraine's east, sits not only a little more than a rocket shot from the front lines of the simmering war between the Ukrainian Army and Russia-backed separatist forces. It is also one of many at the center of a politically charged spiritual conflict that is pitting Eastern Orthodox Christians against each other and setting the stage for a religious schism of historic proportions. A Cry For Independence The dispute at hand centers around granting the Ukrainian Orthodox Church autocephaly, or the right to be ecclesiastically independent. If granted, the designation would strike a serious blow to the heart of Russia's historic claims to Ukraine and deny Moscow religious authority over Ukraine's roughly 30 million Orthodox believers. There are 14 independent Orthodox churches worldwide that recognize each other as canonical. Each national church comes under a particular patriarchate, but all essentially answer to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople -- the old Greek name for Istanbul, Turkey -- who is considered "first among equals." Ukraine is not among the group of 14; at least not yet. But last month it was granted a path toward such recognition, when Bartholomew appointed two bishops as delegates and sent them to Kyiv in preparation. Ukraine currently has three Orthodox denominations: the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, which remained subordinate to Russia after the breakup of the Soviet Union, and two breakaway entities -- the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, neither of which is recognized by the global Orthodox community. The three are nearly indistinguishable in terms of their rituals but differ when it comes to the issue of church independence. And, along with the Russian church, they each trace their history to the ancient medieval state of Rus in Kyiv. The Kyiv Patriarchate is headed by 89-year-old Patriarch Filaret, who was once a front-runner to head the Russian Orthodox Church but was excommunicated as Ukraine gained independence from the Soviet Union and he pushed for an independent Ukrainian church. Bartholomew is expected to give Ukraine a so-called "Tomos," or ordinance, granting it autocephaly at a synod perhaps as early as this month. Should that happen, Filaret is the obvious choice to lead the newly formed church, and he told Reuters last week that despite his age he was ready to do so. "If I fought for 26 years for the autocephaly of the Ukrainian church and believed that it would happen, then, of course, as long as God gives me strength, I will serve the Ukrainian church till the end," Filaret said. 'Matter Of National Security' The Tomos is strongly encouraged by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who has said it is necessary to "guarantee our spiritual independence from Moscow." Of course, amid flagging poll numbers and growing public disillusionment with his administration, the push could prove critical to Poroshenko's reelection effort in March. In recent weeks, billboards have sprung up across the country that the president claims to have paid more than $380,000 for to champion the notion of the Tomos. Polls show that many Ukrainians support the move. A survey conducted in May and June by the Center for Insights in Survey Research, a project of the International Republican Institute, showed that 39 percent of respondents definitely or somewhat support independence for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, while 29 percent oppose it to at least some degree, and 32 percent remained undecided. Kyiv's Western backers have also come out in support of independence for the Ukrainian church. "The United States respects the ability of Ukraine's Orthodox religious leaders and followers to pursue autocephaly according to their beliefs," read a statement from State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert on September 25. Unsurprisingly, the Russian Orthodox Church opposes it. In late September, the Moscow-based church took the contentious step of suspending diplomatic ties with Constantinople after reports that a Tomos for Ukraine was imminent; its patriarch, Kirill, who is a staunch ally of President Vladimir Putin, said that he would stop praying for Patriarch Bartholomew. Kirill's fierce opposition to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church's independence was further highlighted in a leaked partial transcript of an extraordinary meeting he had with Bartholomew in August. According to the transcript, Kirill repeated talking points pushed in recent years by the Kremlin and Russia's state-run media, saying Poroshenko's government was asking for the tomos to strengthen its legitimacy after seizing power "by way of a coup during the Euromaidan," as the 2014 street uprising in Kyiv was known; that Ukraine's current leadership doesn't represent the Ukrainian public; and that Ukrainians and Russians "are one country and one people." The latter are the words of Putin himself in defending Moscow's annexation of Crimea in March 2014. "We are one people," he told a joint session of parliament at the time, referring to Russians and Ukrainians. "Kyiv is the mother of Russian cities," he continued, adding that the ancient medieval state of Kievan Rus "is our common source and we cannot live without each other." By December, Putin had gone further, calling a city in Crimea "Russia's Temple Mount" because it is where Vladimir the Great, the first Christian ruler of Rus, was baptized in A.D. 988. Ukraine regards such statements part of Russia's "hybrid warfare" -- a military strategy said to combine conventional and irregular warfare, propaganda, and cyberattacks -- against its much smaller neighbor. That is why the issue of independence for the Ukrainian church "goes far beyond religion" and is a matter of "national security," in the words of Poroshenko at an Independence Day military parade in August. "It is similar to the strengthening of the army, protection of the language, struggle for membership in the European Union and NATO," he said. Ukrainian Worshipers Rebel Ukrainian worshipers say they have seen the hand of the Russian church and its local arm, the Moscow Patriarchate, in that hybrid warfare. "I heard how they invoked aggression. They said that Crimea was not Ukraine, that Donbas was not Ukraine," Father Kostyantyn said. Local media have reported on priests of the Moscow-led church refusing funerals and last rites for Ukrainian soldiers killed in battle, as well as harboring Russia-backed separatist fighters and blaming Kyiv for starting the war -- despite evidence that has since come to light during more than four years of fighting to suggest that Moscow instigated it. Those alleged actions have prompted believers across Ukraine to rebel, sometimes in creative ways. For instance, with no Kyiv Patriarchate church in Bakhmut, a city of roughly 90,000 residents about 25 kilometers east of Kostyantynivka and closer to the front line of the ongoing war, Natasha Zhukova and her husband, Volodymyr Tsaryk, who fought in Ukraine's 128th Separate Mountain Zakarpattia Brigade, took the unusual step of baptizing their first-born daughter Sofia in the Greek Catholic Church. Zhukova says they could not bring themselves to christen their child in a church that was "doing propaganda" for Russia and pro-Russian entities in Ukraine, and which had taken the side of the separatists in the war. On a larger scale, scores of Moscow Patriarchate churches across Ukraine ousted their priests and switched allegiance to the Kyiv Patriarchate -- even in predominately Russian-speaking, eastern cities like Kostyantynivka, where the idea of a church of the Kyiv Patriarchate once seemed unattainable. 'All Of Us Believe In God' But millions of Ukrainian worshipers have stuck with the Moscow arm of the church, despite the bloodshed. One evening in late September, inside the 157-year-old wooden St. John the Baptist Temple of the Moscow Patriarchate in Bakhmut, Father Serhiy led Mass for around 40 parishioners. Afterward, he tells RFE/RL that he is frustrated by the "brewing religious confrontation, which Ukraine does not need." He has been offended, he says, by accusations that he and fellow priests of the Moscow Patriarchate are working against the country. "There is some strong criticism [from some Ukrainians] that we are agents of the Kremlin, that we apparently receive instructions from there, that I have a Russian tank in my garage, that I have a gun under my robe, that I can kill a Ukrainian at any moment...that I am a Muscovite," Father Serhiy says. "But I have never supported conflicts or war -- ever. And I even became a sort of pacifist. I hate weapons, guns." Many worshipers at the Moscow Patriarchate church said their allegiance was purely religious, not political, with many insisting that they are "pro-Ukrainian." "Some support Russia, some [support] Ukraine, but all of us believe in God," says Oleksandr Dyachenko, a Bakhmut photographer who became a devout Orthodox Christian and member of the parish after the death of his wife in 2009. As an active supporter of the Ukrainian Army -- a stance that earned him a beating by Moscow-backed separatists, resulting in liver damage and sutures in his face, when they briefly controlled Bakhmut in 2014 -- he struggles internally with the fact that the church to which he belongs acts like an arm of "the aggressor country," as he puts it. "We just don't have a church that is part of the Kyiv Patriarchate here," he says, defending his attendance at the church. And Father Serhiy, he adds, "is my friend and my spiritual father. It would be difficult for me to give up on him just because he serves under the Moscow Patriarchate." But if Ukraine gets its way -- and its Tomos -- Father Serhiy's church in Bakhmut might go the way of Father Kostyantyn's in Kostyantynivka. Filaret, head of the Kyiv Patriarchate, has predicted that many of the Moscow Patriarchate churches will switch their allegiance en masse. Father Serhiy brushed off a question about whether he would be on board with that. Whatever happens, he says, he just hopes that it won't "turn into a full-blown religious conflict" that would put at risk "Ukraine's holiest sites," such as the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, "which are the basis of our Christian faith." "If this fight begins, it will be an everyone-against-everyone fight, an irreversible fight." SOFIA -- A Bulgarian TV reporter has been found dead in a northern border city and authorities say they are investigating into whether the killing was a random crime or connected to her reporting work. Officials said on October 7 that Viktoria Marinova, whose body was found in a park in the city of Ruse a day earlier, had also been sexually assaulted. Iliyan Enchev, the deputy regional chief of the Interior Ministry in Ruse, told a news conference that a person walking in a park in Ruse, a Danube River city on the border with Romania, notified police of a female corpse on October 6. He said her body could not be immediately identified, because there was no identification on the body, and her mobile phone was also missing. Some of her personal items were scattered near the walkway, and her body was found lying several meters away from one of her shoes, he said. A local prosecutor, Georgi Georgiev, told reporters that her mobile phone, her car keys, her eyeglasses, and some of her clothing were missing. Marinova died "of combined trauma to her head and asphyxiation," he said. Interior Minister Mladen Marinov was later quoted by news agency Focus as saying that Marinova had been sexually assaulted. Georgiev said investigators were looking into several theories, whether it was a random crime or if the attack was connected to her work. He declined to answer reporters' question about whether there was signs she had been sexually assaulted. A colleague at her employer, the private TV station TVN, confirmed Marinovas death to RFE/RL, but declined to say anything more pending an official statement from the station. "We are in shock," the man said, asking not to be named since he was not authorized to speak publicly. A Bulgarian news site, Rusemedia.bg, said Marinova may have been jogging at the time, training for an upcoming road race. A veteran TV reporter, Marinova for many years hosted a lifestyle show and also served as a member of the management team of TVN. Several months ago, she became the host of an investigative program called Detector. The most recent show featured interviews about alleged corruption involving private companies misspending European Union funding. At a previously scheduled meeting on October 7 of officials from the Interior Ministry, the Prosecutor-General's Office, and security agencies, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov promised that investigators would solve the case. Though it wasnt immediately clear whether the killing was connected to Marinova's professional work, her death prompted a concerned response from reporting organizations in Europe. The press freedoms office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe called for a full investigation. In a statement on October 7, the U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists called on Bulgarian authorities to conduct a thorough investigation of Marinova's killing. "CPJ is shocked by the barbaric murder of journalist Victoria Marinova," said Tom Gibson, the organization's European Union representative. "Bulgarian authorities must employ all efforts and resources to carry out an exhaustive inquiry and bring to justice those responsible." Thousands of protesters have jammed the capital of Russia's Ingushetia region for a fourth day, demanding the resignation of a longtime leader for a controversial land deal with neighboring Chechnya. With demonstrators setting up tents and campfires in the center of the Ingushetian capital, Magas, the region's first post-Soviet leader, Ruslan Aushev, met with protesters on October 7. He criticized the current leadership under Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, saying Yevkurov erred by not consulting with Ingushetia's people before committing to the deal with Chechnya. The agreement , which would exchange what officials described as unpopulated plots of agricultural land, was approved by the parliaments of both regions last week, and immediately triggered massive protests in Ingushetia. "The leadership of Ingushetia has made a grave mistake," Aushev said on October 7. Protesters say the deal is detrimental to tightly populated Ingushetia, which is closely linked linguistically and ethnically to neighboring Chechnya. Khamid Azhigov, 78, told Agence-France Presse that Yevkurov, who has run Ingushetia for the past decade, betrayed the Ingush people. "He should be in prison. We will demand that today and in the future," Azhigov was quoted as saying. Yevkurov tried to meet with the protesters on October 4 -- when the protests first erupted -- but he had to flee after the crowd booed and threw empty water bottles at him. Like many regions of Russia's North Caucasus, Ingushetia is plagued by poverty, high unemployment, corruption, and the threat of Islamic extremism. The two regions used to be parts of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. They split in 1992, a year after the Soviet collapse. There has been little to no outcry to the land swap in Chechnya, whose leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, rules the region unchallenged. Kadyrov recently threatened the Ingush protesters, saying they "will be held accountable." With reporting by Current Time TV The leader of Macedonia's opposition is urging the government to break off a deal to change the countrys name and to call early elections. Hristijan Mickoski, head of the conservative VMRO-DPMNE party, said a caretaker government should be installed until elections are held, which he said should happen in late November. "Macedonia is entering a new political crisis. The solution is catastrophic and unacceptable both for VMRO-DPMNE and the majority of citizens. A new crisis will completely destroy the economy," he said. Macedonians on September 30 voted 91.5 percent to back the deal to change the nations name to North Macedonia, a move that would help move the country toward eventual membership in the European Union and NATO. However, the referendum did not attract the required 50 percent voter turnout for a valid result, finishing at 36.9 percent of the countrys 1.8 million eligible voters. Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has vowed to keep pushing for a change to the Balkan nations name to end a decades-old dispute with neighboring Greece. However, the ruling coalition does not have the two-thirds majority that would be needed to complete the necessary constitutional amendment. President Gjorge Ivanov also has opposed the name change, saying the Macedonian people "clearly" rejected the accord with Greece. The name dispute between Macedonia and Greece dates back to 1991, when Macedonia peacefully broke away from Yugoslavia. Greece says the name Macedonia implies territorial and cultural claims on the northern Greek region of the same name. Greece, an EU and NATO member, has cited the dispute to veto Macedonia's bids to join the two organizations. In June, Athens and Skopje hammered out a tentative compromise to end decades of squabbling if Macedonia adopts the new name. Nationalists in both countries have opposed the deal. In Macedonia, many say it would constitute a sacrifice of sovereignty, while in Greece, many say it would allow its neighbor to continue to use the historic Macedonia name. Macedonias economy is sputtering after a two-year financial crisis that pushed unemployment above 20 percent, one of the highest rates in the Balkans, and an average monthly net salary of about $400, the lowest in the region. Analysts say further integrating Western Balkan countries such as Macedonia into European and transatlantic structures is the best way to ensure the stability and development of a region still healing from the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. With reporting by Reuters, AP, IBNA AFP, BBC, dpa, and Balkan Insight Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has signed the order to eliminate as of January 1, 2019, allotments of free water, gas, and electricity that the Turkmen government has provided to citizens for more than 25 years. Berdymukhammedov said Turkmenistan's economy is doing so well that authorities no longer need to provide this benefit. His appraisal of Turkmenistan's economic performance is not supported by the evidence, which shows the country is in its worst economic crisis sinceindependence in 1991. There is worse to come as increases are expected soon in the cost of basic goods such as flour, sugar, cooking oil, and other items that have been in short supply in Turkmenistan for more than two years now. RFE/RL's media-relations manager, Muhammad Tahir, moderated a discussion on the decision to cut free water, gas, and electricity and the ramifications it could have as Turkmenistan's economy continues to spiral downward. Participating in the discussion from India, Sam Bhutia, Central Asia analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, took part in the Majlis. From London, Max Hess, head of Political Risk Advisory and principal analyst at AKE International, joined the discussion. Farruh Yusupy, the head of RFE/RL's Turkmenistan Service, known locally as Azatlyk, sat in on the talk. I had a few things to say also. Listen to the podcast above or subscribe to the Majlis on iTunes. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has agreed to a second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, South Korea says. The comments by South Koreas presidential office on October 7 come after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Seoul following what he called productive talks on denuclearization in North Korea earlier in the day. The South Korean statement reported Pompeo said that "he agreed with Chairman Kim to hold the second U.S.-North Korea summit at the earliest date possible." No specific date was set. Trump met Kim in Singapore in June for an historic summit. The leaders hailed major agreements toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, but little progress, if any, has been made since. Pompeo did not immediately comment on the South Korean report of a second summit. But after meeting with Kim, he tweeted, "We continue to make progress on agreements made at Singapore Summit. Thanks for hosting me and my team." Pompeo said at a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on October 7 that he had "a good productive conversation" with Kim, in talks which represented "another step forward. Kim hailed his "nice meeting" with Pompeo and told the top U.S. diplomat that it was "a very nice day that promises a good future...for both countries." South Korea's Moon said the "whole world" was watching Pompeos Asia visit. "I hope your trip to North Korea and the upcoming second U.S.-North Korea summit will provide a good opportunity for achieving irreversible, decisive progress in terms of denuclearization and the peace process on the Korean Peninsula." The secretary of state will also visit China, North Koreas main ally, on this trip. With reporting by AFP and AP Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin "soon" in the first such meeting since a Russian military aircraft was shot down over the eastern Mediterranean Sea last month. Netanyahu and Putin spoke by telephone and "agreed to meet soon to continue the important inter-military security coordination," the Israeli leader said on October 7, without citing a date for the talks. Putin and Netanyahu have spoken at least three times by phone since 15 Russian servicemen were killed when their reconnaissance plane was downed on September 17. Russia blamed the incident 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. Netanyahu again pledged on October 7 to "prevent Iran from entrenching itself militarily in Syria and transferring deadly weapons" to Lebanon's Shi'ite group Hizballah. 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. More than 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. On October 2, Moscow announced it had delivered S-300 surface-to-air missile systems to its Syrian ally, despite objections from Israel and the United States that the weapons will escalate the war in the Middle Eastern country. Moscow said the purpose of the delivery was to protect Russian military personnel in Syria. Russia also announced it will 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. With reporting by AFP, dpa, and Reuters Turkey's president says he is awaiting a final report by prosecutors investigating the death of a Saudi journalist who died under mysterious circumstances in Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul. Recep Tayyip Erdogan's remarks on October 7 came after unnamed Turkish sources told Reuters and The New York Times that Jamal Khashoggi was killed at the Istanbul diplomatic mission. Erdogan said that the authorities were looking into all camera records and monitoring incoming and outgoing airport transits as part of the investigation. Earlier, an Erdogan aide, Yasin Aktay, told Reuters that Turkish authorities believed a group of 15 Saudi nationals were "most certainly involved" in the case. Another unidentified official was quoted as saying that Khashoggi was likely killed by a Saudi team sent "specifically for the murder." A former newspaper editor, Khashoggi left Saudi Arabia last year saying he feared retribution for his growing criticism of Saudi policy in the Yemen war and its crackdown on dissent. He entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on October 2, reportedly trying to obtain a document that he needed to get married. His fiancee, who accompanied him to the building but remained outside, told reporters that he never emerged. An official at the consulate described the allegations as "baseless," adding that a security delegation of Saudi investigators was in Istanbul to probe Khashoggi's disappearance. An unnamed official at the consulate described the allegations as "baseless," and Saudi Prince Muhammad bin Salman was quoted as saying: "We have nothing to hide." The Turkish Foreign Ministry has summoned Saudi Arabia's ambassador to ask for an explanation about Khashoggi's disappearance, which comes amid already strained relations between Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Ankara has taken the side of Qatar over its blockade by Saudi Arabia and other neighbors, and Turkey's rapprochement with Iran has riled the Riyadh government. Based on reporting by Reuters, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, AP, and the BBC Un accident sest produit sur lA16 dimanche apres-midi. La police en a ete informee a 15h15. Selon les premiers elements dont elle dispose, une voiture a touche la glissiere de securite a la sortie du tunnel vers Court, en direction de Bienne, pour une raison encore indeterminee. Le conducteur du vehicule a ete legerement blesse et conduit a lhopital en ambulance pour un controle. La circulation sest faite de facon alternee, la route na donc pas du etre fermee. /anl Two tourists released after being accused of damaging artifacts Villahermosa, Tabasco Two men accused of vandalizing archaeological pieces at a museum park in Villahermosa have been released by a state judge. On October 3, two Indonesian tourists were arrested and accused of vandalizing 15 archaeological pieces by spraying them with oil. The oil is alleged to have left marks and/or stains on the stone pieces. Police arrested both Abraham Theodoric, 28 and Alexander Tiu, 40 for damaging at least 15 of the 33 pieces inside La Venta Park Museum. The Director of Heritage of the State Institute of Culture, Rebeca Perales Vela, reported that two men poured oil on the pieces according to the museums surveillance video. Two tourists arrested, accused of damaging artifacts After a review of the video, a Tabasco judge ordered the pair release after not finding enough evidence against them. The men were released Saturday morning for lack of evidence with the judge saying the videos did not clearly or explicitly show the two museum visitors damaging the pieces. Testimony from park security guards also worked in their favor when they testified not actually seeing the men throw oil on the artifacts. Theodoric and Tiu were advised by their embassy in Mexico. A fancy vivid pink diamond weighing 18.96 carats, which was once part of the Oppenheimer collection, is set to go on a tour ahead of the Geneva auction on 13 November. The rectangular cut Pink Legacy, as it is called, would be taken to Hong Kong, London and New York, before returning to Geneva, according to Christies auction house. The saturation, the intensity of this stone is as good as it gets in a coloured diamond, said Rahul Kadakia, international head of jewellery at Christies. To find a diamond of this size with this colour is pretty much unreal. You may see this colour in a pink diamond of less than one carat. But this is almost 19 carats and its as pink as can be. Its unbelievable. Fancy vivid pink diamonds over 10 carats were essentially unheard of and only four such stones had ever appeared for sale. Christies sold The Pink Promise, an oval-shaped fancy vivid pink diamond of just under 15 carats, for $32,5 million or $2,176 per carat, in Hong Kong last November. It was projecting the Pink Legacy to fetch between $30 million and $50 million. Image credit: Christies Auction House However, the hype around the stone, reminds many of Lucaras Lesedi La Rona stone, which was also taken on tour to the Far East, Dubai in the Middle East, New York and Antwerp ahead of the London auction on June 29, 2016. The company had partnered with Nemesis International DMCC and sold its 813-carat diamond named The Constellation for $63,1 million in May 2016, so it was confident that Lesedi, a 1,109-carat stone, would fetcher a better price. So they engaged Sotheby's to auction the stone, which was valued at $70 million, with others claiming that bidding would reach $150 million. However, the moment of reality came when bidding at the London auction stalled at $61 million. Lesedi was expected to illuminate a lot of light for Lucara, but the end of its journey with the diamond miner, was somewhat dim as it was sold to Laurence Graff for $53 million or $47,777 per carat on 25 September, 2017. So in as much as Lesedi proved to be a disappointment for Lucara, its our hope that the rare factor of these fancy vivid pink stones would shatter the record set in Hong Kong last year, come November 13. Unlike Lesedi, the pink stone would not be sold at a public auction, a move that allegedly deterred potential buyers as they preferred private bidding. Buyers are also wary of big stones like Lesedi as they would likely have fissures. Chisties argues that prices for top-quality large pink diamonds had increased exponentially over the years propelled by collector demand. Rio Tintos Argyle mine in Australia was the main producer of quality fancy pinks, but it was set to close by 2020. Analysts believe this would boost demand and prices once the supply dwindles. Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished Former Mayor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom says San Francisco has become too permissive when it comes to open drug use and other bad behavior on the citys streets. People shooting up on the streets and sidewalks, where kids are in strollers, is not acceptable its just not, Newsom said during a visit to The Chronicles editorial board last week. Newsom, who served as mayor for seven years before being elected lieutenant governor in 2011, has been attacked by GOP opponent John Cox for his leadership in San Francisco, a city that has drawn attention for homelessness, feces littering the streets and blatant drug use. Newsom says there is plenty of blame to go around but that his enough is enough view came from spending time on the streets with one of the San Francisco homeless outreach teams that deals with opioid users and others on a daily basis. Newsom said he was particularly struck by the comments of two Homeless Outreach Team members who are former drug users. The points they made are that the city is too lenient, too complicit as it relates to drug use out on the streets, and unless that changes they dont think injection sites alone will, quote-unquote, solve the issue, Newsom said, referring to Mayor London Breeds push to create medically monitored centers for drug users to shoot up. While Newsom said he is very, very open to the idea of safe injection centers, he questions their effectiveness. The feeling among addicts, he said, is, Im going to shoot up when I need to shoot up because Im self-medicating ... and Im not going to wait for the doors to open in a facility that I have to make my way to particularly in a city that frankly is indulging my use because they are not necessarily intervening. Newsom is seen as one of the nations leading progressives, in large part for having opened the doors to same-sex marriage when he was mayor. But as a San Francisco supervisor, Newsom was best known for his Care Not Cash initiative, which offered the homeless care and supportive housing instead of direct cash aid from the states general assistance. The program was roundly criticized by both homeless advocates and fellow Democrats. Newsom said he isnt ready to specify what programs or tough-love measures he would advocate to remedy the addiction and other problems on the streets, but he did tell the editorial board that his own views have been hardened by the reality of having served as mayor. When you are accountable to a quality of life, and accountable to diverse communities, you cannot allow the streets to be taken over, he said. And so I supported sit/lie ordinances, I supported panhandling restrictions, and I took the hits for that. On the other hand, Newsom was an early supporter of Proposition 47, the statewide measure approved by voters in 2014 that reduced penalties for many drug and theft offenses. Critics argue it has fueled an uptick in car break-ins and other street crimes. Newsom told us that while he doesnt support felony prosecution for most drug offenses, he does support enforcing the law when it comes to quality-of-life crimes such as public drunkenness or defecating on the streets. Its a balancing act, Newsom said. Its not about driving criminalization or abusing the right to use those laws as leverage, but oftentimes with drugs youve got to intervene, and there has got to be the ability to intervene. You can be too permissive, and I happen to think we have crossed that threshold in this state and not just in this city, Newsom said. You see it. Its just disgraceful. As for the reaction? Mayor Breed appreciates Lt. Gov. Newsoms support for safe injection sites and his perspectives on the challenges facing our city and its streets, said mayoral spokesman Jeff Cretan. 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. State of the estate: San Francisco socialite Summer Tompkins Walker, the daughter of North Face and Esprit co-founder Douglas Tompkins, has lost another bruising round in her battle to claim a portion of her late fathers inheritance. The state Second District Court of Appeal in Los Angeles rejected her bid to overturn a probate court decision upholding her fathers right to hand over his entire estate to his second wife, Kristine McDivitt Tompkins, and to the foundations that the couple created to preserve millions of acres of open space in Chile and Argentina. Douglas Tompkins, an outdoorsman, businessman and philanthropist, died in a kayaking accident in December 2015. Tompkins Walker is the 51-year-old daughter of Susie Tompkins Buell, who is one of Hillary Clintons best friends and, with Douglas Tompkins, co-founded the Esprit clothing line. The couple divorced in 1988. Tompkins Walker has argued that Chilean laws, which forbid the disinheritance of children, should govern the estate rather than the laws of California. A three-member panel of the court disagreed, writing: We are hard-pressed to imagine a reason that, as a matter of public policy, Chile would be concerned about Summers inheritance or lack thereof, as she is neither a citizen or a resident of Chile. Neither Tompkins Walker nor her attorneys responded to requests for comment. But as she told us soon after filing her case, her fathers decision to cut his children out of his will was definitely an insult. He clearly had no trust of us and no respect, she said. Adam Streisand, an attorney for the Douglas R. Tompkins Trust, called the ruling a good day for the late conservationists extraordinary preservation gift adding that the court had powerfully rebuked Tompkins Walkers attempt to satisfy her greed. San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX-TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call 415- 777-8815, or email matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross It took a concerted campaign $300 in application fees, persuasive letters from the Irish Consulate, the Irish Arts & Writers Festival, the writers publisher and university professors to reverse the U.S. governments denial of a visa for writer Melatu Uche Okorie, who will appear at the Los Gatos festival running Thursday-Monday, Oct. 11 through Oct. 15. The visa was denied at first because her name had been spelled wrong on some papers, and because officials deemed her a flight risk, meaning she would disappear into the United States. Okorie, born in Nigeria (not on the list of countries whose travelers are banned in the U.S.), sought asylum in Ireland and has lived in Dublin for the past 12 years. She is in the process of becoming an Irish citizen, has a teenage daughter enrolled at school there, and herself is studying for a doctorate at Trinity College at the University of Dublin. Her writing has focused on Irelands direct provision program, which places asylum-grantees in camps where they are segregated from the public, without permission to work. Shell participate in a Sunday, Oct. 14, panel discussion, Who Belongs? Immigrants, Refugees, Asylum Seekers in the 21st Century, and be part of a Saturday, Oct. 13, session about Frederick Douglass 1885 visit to Ireland. Applying for a visa in early summer, she had what seemed like a positive interview with U.S. officials; a few days later, she learned that her request had been turned down. The festival had already paid for her airline ticket, and helped her rally support, including a letter from the Irish Consulate in San Francisco. Her second interview (with her second $150 application fee) was on Monday, Oct. 1. She got it, said festival director Catherine Barry. We thought wed have to Skype her in. More information about the event is at www.irishartsfestival.com. The last week in September, Cissie Swig was in Washington for a reception at the Danish Embassy, hosted by the ambassador and his wife, followed by an intimate dinner just across the street at the home of Bill and Hillary Clinton. The focus of the gatherings was the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation, which is based in Arkansas and grew out of the (now defunct) Clinton Global Initiative. The foundation was set up in support of global health, increased opportunity for women, reduction of childhood obesity, the creation of economic opportunity and addressing effects of climate change. One of the nonprofits with whom it works is the George W. Bush Foundation. Swig, director of the Art in Embassies program under the U.S. State Department during the Clinton administration, says there was lots of goodwill and appreciation for the Clintons, as well as commitment to making a difference in our global and national society. ... Sitting next to Hillary was a special treat. At Carnegie Hall in New York on Wednesday, Oct. 3, the San Francisco Symphony performed, with Audra McDonald and Renee Fleming, at the opening concert of Carnegies 2018-19 season. One of McDonalds songs was Summertime. This seems to be a tradition in that place with those performers. Michael Tilson Thomas was conducting the orchestra 20 years ago, too, for the 1998 version of the event. And McDonald, making her Carnegie Hall debut, sang Summertime. The Shanti Foundation canceled its Compassion Is Universal fundraising gala on Thursday, Oct. 4, because it was at the Palace Hotel, where Unite Here Local 2 members were on strike. The foundation, which supports people with life-threatening disease, had hoped to raise $350,000 with the event, including $200,000 in donations at the gala itself, for which 550 guests had registered. Shanti stands with the workers of our city, said Executive Director Kaushik Roy. And the Chicana Latin Foundation, which was having a Journey to Justice dinner on Friday, Oct. 5, at the Westin St. Francis, canceled that too. Many of the hotel workers represent our community, said the nonprofit in a statement. They are our mothers, sisters or daughters. The groups budget expectation for the event was $167,000. Carey Perloff, who stepped down as artistic director of ACT a few months ago, is in Seattle directing the Seattle Rep production of A Thousand Splendid Suns, which she directed here at ACT. The play, adapted by Ursula Rani Sarma from the novel by Khaled Hosseini, is the Seattle companys season opener. Its a joy to revisit it in this gorgeous city, she emailed. PUBLIC EAVESDROPPING I cant order that. It will threaten my sense of masculinity. Young man to companion whod asked him to order a drink for her, overheard at Peets in Berkeley by Michael Palmer Leah Garchik is open for business in San Francisco, 415-777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @leahgarchik WASHINGTON - Senate confirmed Brett Kavanaugh as the 114th Supreme Court justice on Saturday by one of the narrowest margins in history amid mass protests, ending a vitriolic battle over his nomination and solidifying a conservative majority on the court. As a throng of angry demonstrators stood on the steps of the Capitol, the Senate finalized on a near party-line vote of 50 to 48 what will certainly be one of President Donald Trump's most enduring legacies: two Supreme Court justices in two years in an increasingly polarized nation. The brutal confirmation fight is likely to have far-reaching implications in next month's midterm elections. Republicans are confronting an electrified Democratic base led by women infuriated by the treatment of Christine Blasey Ford, who detailed in emotional testimony last week her allegations that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when both were teenagers. Kavanaugh has denied the allegations. Yet Republicans say the battle to get Kavanaugh confirmed - in the face of Democratic opposition and the "mob" of anti-Kavanaugh demonstrators who flooded the Capitol in recent days - only motivated a fractured GOP electorate on a singularly unifying issue for conservatives: the federal judiciary. "It's been a great political gift for us. The tactics have energized our base," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in an interview Saturday with The Washington Post. "I want to thank the mob, because they've done the one thing we were having trouble doing, which was energizing our base." Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., delivered a message "to so many millions who are outraged by what happened here . . . vote." Kavanaugh heads to the Supreme Court significantly scarred from the confirmation fight, which had the echoes of the 1991 battle over now-Justice Clarence Thomas who was accused of sexual harassment by law professor Anita Hill and defended himself in an emotional, high-stakes congressional hearing. Already, Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. has received more than a dozen complaints of judicial misconduct against Kavanaugh but is not referring them for investigation for the time being. And in a joint appearance on Friday night at Princeton University, their shared alma mater, Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor raised concerns about how the bitter partisan battle over Kavanaugh will affect the court's reputation. "We have to rise above partisanship in our personal relationships," said Sotomayor, who was nominated by President Barack Obama in 2009. "We have to treat each other with respect and dignity and with a sense of amicability that the rest of the world doesn't often share." The tension surrounding Kavanaugh's nomination continued until the final minutes in the packed Senate chamber, where several protesters were escorted out after disrupting the vote, during which Vice President Mike Pence presided. Over shouts of "Shame! Shame! Shame!" and screams of "I do not consent!" each senator stood at his or her desk to vote - a move generally reserved for historic roll calls. White House counsel Donald McGahn - one of Kavanaugh's most ardent defenders within the administration - sat in the front row of the public gallery. Kavanaugh, who received a congratulatory call from Trump, was sworn in at the Supreme Court on Saturday night. Later in the evening, Trump touted the victory as a pivotal win for conservatives at a rally in Topeka for Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who's running for governor. "I stand before you today on the heels of a tremendous victory for our nation, our people and our beloved Constitution," Trump said, emphasizing the importance of electing Republicans to Congress in four weeks, given potential future openings on the Supreme Court. "It could be three, it could even be four, it could be a lot," he said. "And if you allow the wrong people to get into office, things could change . . . You don't hand matches to an arsonist, and you don't give power to an angry left-wing mob." Kavanaugh's name elicited thunderous applause, with supporters cheering, fist-pumping into the sky and holding up babies in celebration. The two-vote margin was the narrowest for a confirmed Supreme Court justice since 1881, when the Senate confirmed Stanley Matthews, a nominee of President James Garfield. The vote reflected the divisiveness of the Trump era, where all but one Democratic senator - Sen. Joe Manchin III, W.Va. - opposed Kavanaugh. Democrats were enraged by the nominee's partisan criticisms in his Senate defense last week as he cast the opposition to his nomination as retribution for Hillary Clinton's loss in the 2016 presidential election. They questioned whether he had the temperament for the nation's highest court. Republicans vigorously defended Kavanaugh's character and fitness to serve on the bench and blamed Democrats for the tumultuous battle. "Democratic leaders did everything in their power to make Judge Kavanaugh's confirmation about anything except his judicial record," Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said. "When routine process arguments failed, they resorted to outright character assassination." Kavanaugh, 53, is a veteran of the George W. Bush White House who has served on the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals for a dozen years. He was a top deputy in the office of independent counsel Kenneth Starr in the Clinton administration. His nomination was fraught with partisan tensions from the start, as he replaced Justice Anthony Kennedy, a Ronald Reagan appointee who nonetheless was a crucial swing vote on landmark decisions involving abortion access and gay rights. His opponents repeatedly warned that Kavanaugh would vote to overturn the 1973 decision Roe vs. Wade, which legalized abortion. Much of Kavanaugh's records from his tenure in the Bush administration remains obscured from public view - particularly documents from his three years as Bush's staff secretary, one of the senior-most positions in any White House. But then his nomination collided with the year-old #MeToo movement after Ford detailed her assault allegation to The Washington Post, which she said occurred at a gathering in suburban Maryland in the early 1980s. Two other women have since accused Kavanaugh of misconduct. Following a hearing that included testimony from both Ford and Kavanaugh, the confirmation vote was delayed a week to allow the FBI to investigate the allegations. Republicans said the FBI report exonerated Kavanaugh, while Democrats argued it was too limited in scope to be enlightening. In a new statement on a GoFundMe page, Ford said she believed and still believes "that it was my civic duty to come forward, but this is by far the hardest thing I've ever had to do, much harder even than I thought it would be." Ford's family had reopened the GoFundMe page to cover the costs of security, housing, transportation and other expenses. In a reminder that Saturday's vote might not be the last word on the accusations, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she will file a Freedom of Information Act request to make public the FBI report and other related documents. After the remaining votes fell into place on Friday, Democrats, in a show of defiance, spent all night making impassioned floor speeches against the nomination and continued into Saturday morning. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said that by confirming Kavanaugh, the Senate would be sending a deeply troubling message both to the nation's girls and women - "your experiences don't matter" - but also to its boys and men. "They can grab women without their consent and brag about it," Murray said. "They can sexually assault women, laugh about it. And they're probably going to be fine. They can even grow up to be president of the United States or a justice on the Supreme Court." Murray was first elected to the Senate in 1992, in the wake of the chamber's 52-to-48 vote to put Clarence Thomas on the Supreme Court, the last time issues of gender were so starkly highlighted in a confirmation process. 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 Democratic speeches, many delivered to an almost-empty chamber, were part of their strategy of using nearly the full 30 hours of debate time automatically granted to senators, allowing them to delay the final vote on Kavanaugh until late afternoon. As they spoke Saturday morning, a mass of predominantly female protesters gathered outside the Supreme Court, chanting "yes means yes, no means no, Kavanaugh has got to go," and "this is what democracy looks like." Several women detailed their own experiences with sexual assault. In the afternoon, the crowd numbered in the hundreds, with many wearing T-shirts with the words, "November is coming." They marched across the Capitol plaza to the steps, breaking through police barricades. Dozens were arrested, raising their fists as police escorted them away. But inside, Republicans were lining up in defense of Kavanaugh. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, who first became friends with Kavanaugh during their shared time in the Bush administration, said he strongly believes those who commit sexual assault should be punished. But he said he also believes in the presumption of innocence. "We do not want a system of guilty until proven innocent in America," he said. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., delivered a blistering, two-hour speech, starting at 4 a.m., in which he read testimonies from more than 30 rape and sexual assault survivors who had written to him after Kavanaugh's nomination. "I've received a lot of letters," he said to a silent chamber, almost an hour into his speech. "I'm going to read more of them now." The sole Republican to oppose Kavanaugh was Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. But on the floor, she officially withdrew her vote as a courtesy to Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., who missed the vote due to his daughter Annie's wedding. The practice, called a "pair between senators," ensures that the vote margin would be the same had Daines been there. But Trump attacked Murkowski in a brief interview with The Washington Post on Saturday, predicting that she "will never recover" politically for her opposition to his second Supreme Court pick. And the bitter politics over Kavanaugh's confirmation is likely to continue in the coming weeks, months and perhaps years. "In my view, the biggest losers are the people sitting over there in that court," said Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala. "This is a partisan Supreme Court . . . and they're the ones that are going to have to try to make it nonpartisan because we can't do it at this point." - - - The Washington Post's Mike DeBonis, Paul Kane and Gabriel Pogrund and Carol Leonnig in Washington and Ezra Austin in Princeton, New Jersey, contributed to this report. --- Video Embed Code Video: President Trump on Oct. 6 said he is "100 percent" certain that Christine Blasey Ford named the wrong person when she accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault.(The Washington Post) Embed code: I have lost friends, family members and countless clients to the deadly consequences of addiction, which is why I am disheartened and disappointed in Gov. Jerry Browns recent decision to veto AB186. This legislation would have allowed San Francisco to open facilities for individuals to use controlled substances under the supervision of trained medical staff under a four-year pilot program. Browns decision to veto the bill stemmed from skepticism that government-sponsored injection centers will reduce drug addiction without also requiring users to undergo residential treatment. Data show this is not the case. Supervised injection sites drastically reduce the number of overdose deaths, reduce rates of disease transmission (e.g., HIV), and provide drug users with a clear and compassionate entryway to treatment programs without a corresponding increase in crime or drug trafficking. Forcing users into treatment plans simply does not work. Rather, it creates a disincentive. Recovery must be chosen, not imposed. Day in and day out, my team and I at Larkin Street Youth Services work with hundreds of young people experiencing homelessness. Most of the young people we serve have experienced significant trauma as both a cause and a result of their homelessness, and drug use as a coping mechanism is common. In fact, more than 70 percent of young people entering Larkin Street housing report using drugs in their lifetime, and, on average, the first age of drug use is 15. In a city with some 200 overdose deaths a year, this crisis has dire effects. A study out of UC Berkeley published last year found that youth experiencing homelessness die at rates 10 times higher than their housed peers. Browns second argument against the initiative was the disconnect it would create between state and federal law on this issue: Though local officials and health care professionals at the sites would have been granted immunity under state law, no such promise would be made under federal law. To rebut this argument, I point to Californias role, especially in the past two years, as a visionary for progressive and innovative solutions to complex problems. In the face of federal backlash, time and time again California has established itself as a state where we take risks for the issues we believe in, standing up for those who need it most. We should make no exception for this issue. Brown stated in closing that AB186 was all carrot and no stick. I disagree. California has a very real responsibility to address this emergency. Thats why San Francisco Mayor London Breed has been firm and unwavering in her support of the measure to pursue safe injection sites as a forward-thinking means to address the crippling opioid and heroin crisis. On Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom joined the chorus, announcing his tentative support for the measure. Championed by Assemblywoman Susan Eggman, D-Stockton, and state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, AB186 touted a robust coalition of support, garnering endorsements from groups spanning the public health and advocacy sectors such as California Health Advocates, HealthRight 360, and the American Civil Liberties Union of California. Leadership matters. If elected governor in November, Newsom has the power to bring this initiative across the finish line by making this a key priority for his first 100 days in office. I implore readers to make your support for this initiative known, and call upon Newsom to take this bold step to save lives and address the myriad public health problems that are associated with use of intravenous drugs on our streets. Sherilyn Adams is the executive director of Larkin Street Youth Services. To comment, submit your letter to the editor at SFChronicle.com/letters. How will California survive the end of Americas empire? The question might seem hypothetical, but I found it inescapable last month in Rome, where I ran a global forum on the future of direct democracy. Our forums mission was hopeful: Hundreds of participants, from 80-plus countries, discussed how to democratize the worlds democracies. But each morning, I encountered the less-hopeful remains of fallen empires. To reach Romes city hall, the conference site, I had to walk up Capitoline Hill, passing two ancient monuments, each of which inspired a different thought. The first monument, the Colosseum, seemed less special with each viewing. Whats the big deal about a dilapidated old stadium known for violent spectacles? Los Angeles and Oakland have similar coliseums today. But the second monument, the Roman Forum, felt profound, its layers of ruins serving notice that no regime and no republic lasts forever. Still, the Eternal Citys enduring lessons lie not in the ends of eras but in how people respond to those ends. As Rome resident Matthew Kneales book, Rome: A History in Seven Sackings, shows, the oft-conquered Romans have rallied after some defeats, while turning against each other after others. But, he writes, Rome has survived because Romans eventually shrugged off catastrophes and made their city anew. Californians cant match the history of the Romans, but we too have been shaped by apocalypse. For all our states booms, California has mostly been fashioned during busts, when we had to reassess. Our state governments progressive structure was created by San Francisco earthquake survivors while their city lay in ruins. Today, Californians from Redding to Santa Rosa to Montecito wrestle with the decisions that come after destruction from fire or mudslides. Do we stay? And if we do, do we rebuild the way it was, or do something different? For all Californias experience with disaster, the soon-to-come end of the American empire accelerated by crushing debt, faltering defense alliances, trade wars, racial resentment and that Nero in the White House will test the state like never before. We are accustomed to being the richest part of the richest country, playing in a global economy that runs on our money and our rules. How will we respond when we lose that? Will we be drawn into a polarized America and ape its violence? Will we quietly accept diminished prospects? Or will we come together, and find a distinguished place in a less American world? Rome is a great place to think through such questions, because it has a young, forward-thinking government. Led by 40-year-old Mayor Virginia Raggi, Rome is run by an internet-based party called the Five Star Movement, which uses an online program to determine its agenda. Its unclear whether Five Star can reinvent Roman democracy with digital platforms or whether it will fail like other populist movements. But it was refreshing to watch its young members try. Unfortunately, each days optimism lasted only until I returned to the hotel and turned on CNN. The screen conveyed Americas late-empire awfulness, and again posed that question: How will California get through this? The Palo Alto psychology professor on TV embodied the Californian predicament. Christine Blasey Ford struggled to maintain her dignity in the face of the American meltdown. It looked like opera, with the tenor Brett Kavanaugh singing his angry arias about the maiden he claims he did not violate. And couldnt they get younger actors for the chorus? Dianne Feinstein is a half-century older than the people running Rome. How could the New World of America have become so old? One evening, Mayor Raggi took hundreds of conference attendees to a fashionable, open-air Roman nightclub with a canopy of cypress trees so beautiful even Monterey residents would marvel. Different areas of the club represented different ecosystems marsh, forest, beach while various bars offered different cultural styles Japanese, Thai, Cajun, Tex Mex, Tahitian. There were hammocks, beds and even a maze of laurel bushes. The places name? The Sanctuary. California is proudly a sanctuary for unauthorized immigrants. But when empires fall, we all need sanctuary. Heres hoping that California can eventually construct a new, diverse democracy atop the ruins of the American one. Joe Mathews writes the Connecting California column for Zocalo Public Square. To comment, submit your letter to the editor at SFChronicle.com/letters. The confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh was a setback to the legitimacy of the U.S. Supreme Court and the stature of the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate, and a threat to an array of Americans rights that have been barely preserved by a divided court in recent years. With the 50-48 Senate vote for Kavanaugh on Saturday, the highest court of the land is now solidly conservative. He replaces retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, a Republican appointee who was nevertheless willing to maintain an open mind and deliver decisive votes on issues such as abortion rights, gay rights, affirmative action and limits on the death penalty. Kavanaughs swearing-in leaves little mystery about the future direction of the court. The process that elevated him to the bench was a disgrace from start to finish. As a candidate, Donald Trump made plain that he would be nominating justices who would repeal the landmark 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision guaranteeing a womans reproductive freedom. It is now only a matter of time until that decision is tested with two Trump appointees, including the one he was gifted, Neil Gorsuch, by a Republican Senate that resolutely refused to allow even a hearing for President Barack Obamas appointee, Merrick Garland. That nomination languished for 293 days until Obama left office. It was the height of hypocrisy for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to complain about Democrats delay tactics because they reasonably insisted on seeing many thousands of withheld documents about Kavanaughs work in the George W. Bush White House, and then demanded a fuller investigation into multiple allegations of sexual assault against Kavanaugh. The treatment of Christine Blasey Ford, the Palo Alto University professor who accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct when they were in high school, will not be easily forgotten. Many of the key Republicans were often dismissive when they were not being outright misogynistic as if her poignant, credible testimony could be brushed aside for the partisan imperative of getting him on the court. Trumps mockery of Ford at a Mississippi rally was repulsive even by the low standards he has set for his presidency. Kavanaughs Judiciary Committee intemperate performance in response to the allegations raised new and potentially disqualifying questions about his fitness to serve on any court, let alone the highest in the land. He interrupted and insulted senators who dared to challenge him, oscillated from bouts of anger to self-pity, and suggested that he is a target of revenge for the 2016 election. What goes around comes around, he said at one point. Yet ultimately the Republicans had the votes, and his nomination prevailed. Trumps associates who chortled at the certitude they could jam through this nomination despite near-unanimous Democratic objections liked to invoke the famous Obama quote, elections have consequences. The phrase was never quite so true, or so stinging to the Democrats who stayed home in 2016. But decisions have consequences too. Americans will be voting in just a month on whether to restore checks and balances to Washington. The need has rarely been greater. This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters. Thousands of BART riders wont have to worry so much about hurtling off the tracks during the Big One on Monday when California fires up a long-awaited earthquake warning system. The warning system, called ShakeAlert, has been under development by the U.S. Geological Survey for six years, but a lack of money has delayed implementation despite a dozen successful pilot projects in California, Oregon and Washington. Now the largest rail transit system in the Bay Area will roll out what seismologists say is one of the most sophisticated earthquake alert systems in the world a program designed to protect millions of people in the three states from flying off tracks and roadways, getting crushed by rubble, or succumbing to gas leaking from cracked pipes. BART was chosen for the launch because it was one of the first to use the ShakeAlert prototype. If it works properly, the system will automatically bring trains to a standstill before the shaking begins. Its clearly a very important milestone, said Richard Allen, the director of the UC Berkeley Seismological Laboratory, who, along with state and local politicians and legislators, will introduce the ShakeAlert 2.0 system Monday. Its a key milestone because we are starting to issue the alerts. A demonstration, at 11 a.m. Monday at the MacArthur BART Station in Oakland, will mark the start of what officials say will be a sprawling earthquake early alert system that will eventually reach most businesses, utilities, energy and transportation companies in the three Western states. The launch Monday will include a train ride to show how the system works. Absent an unexpected temblor, the event is not expected to delay commuter trains. Paul Chinn / The Chronicle ShakeAlert, developed jointly by the U.S. Geological Survey, UC Berkeley, the California Institute of Technology and the universities of Washington and Oregon, is designed to brake trains, cause firehouse doors to open, close valves in fuel pipelines, halt elevators at the nearest floor, and even stop amusement park rides. The system uses a network of sensors to tap into the seismic waves that course through the ground when an earthquake strikes. It then pinpoints the slower-moving waves that cause dangerous ground-shaking, which, in turn, can destroy buildings and take lives, and then broadcasts warnings anywhere from a few seconds to a minute before the shaking begins. It is especially important in the Bay Area, where numerous earthquake faults, including the San Andreas and Hayward faults, run directly below urban areas. As an early adopter of the ShakeAlert pilot system, BART has been receiving alerts already from more than 200 seismic stations with sensors. Now that the full system is being implemented, the idea is that BART operators, alerted to a quake, will be able to slow down or stop trains and warn passengers to duck and cover. At the same time as BART demonstrates its system, other participants Chevron, Pacific Gas and Electric Co., the Oregon Department of Transportation and 10 water districts in the Pacific Northwest will also implement theirs, closing highways, shutting valves and sealing pipelines after alerts. Airports, schools and hospitals in California, Oregon and Washington are also planning to launch ShakeAlert, which officials with the state Office of Emergency Services expect to dramatically expand in the coming months and years. Several companies have developed devices for instance, a box with an LCD screen that sounds a siren when an earthquake is coming that can be set up in offices and give workers at least enough time to duck under heavy desks. Allen, who helped develop the system, said the detection technology is the most advanced devised yet. It not only locates earthquakes, but instantly creates a computer map of the likely distribution of ground shaking, giving seismologists the information they need to alert specific regions where the most shaking is expected. Our system has the ability to recognize very large magnitude earthquakes and map out the portion of the fault that is rupturing, Allen said. You can have much more accurate targeted warnings because you have a map of where the likely shaking is going to be. The system will eventually send earthquake alerts to every smartphone, he said. The lack of an earthquake warning system has long bothered seismologists in California, especially after Mexico City utilized a warning system during a major earthquake in September 2017 and twice just before quakes in February. 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 geological surveys more sophisticated system, first developed in 2012, has been imperiled by President Trumps threat to cut federal funding, but California legislators have so far managed to fight off any budget cuts. The program has received more than $71 million in state and federal funding over the past two years, but officials say more money is needed. Only about half of the 1,675 seismic stations needed to complete the system and provide adequate coverage are in place. Allen said Mondays launch is happening because there are enough stations to provide adequate coverage in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle. He said the alerts will work outside of those urban areas, but the warnings will be slower in those places. But in the absence of full coverage, the U.S. is more vulnerable than Mexico, which built its system in response to an earthquake that devastated the nations capital in 1985, killing an estimated 10,000 people. Japans system, which is similar, was a response to the 1995 Kobe earthquake, which killed 6,400 people. Taiwan built an alert system after the Chi Chi earthquake in 1999 killed 2,400, and China is building one in response to the 2008 Wenchuan quake, which killed 87,000. Both Japan and South Korea provide cell phone alerts to their citizens. Were behind in the sense that we dont have fully public alerts, Allen said. In terms of the system, ours is extremely advanced. It has all the bells and whistles, but what doesnt exist is the technology to bring that alert to every single cell phone. Now that the system is being put in place, he said, it is up to software developers to come up with a cell phone app and build up the technology necessary for ShakeAlert to be part of every business, public agency, utility and home. Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite A coalition of organizations are leading a march call in Oakland to protest the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court on Saturday. The Oakland Does Not Consent rally started at 5 p.m. at Frank H. Ogawa Plaza at 14th and Broadway in Oakland. The organization's Bay Resistance and NARAL Pro-Choice California are organizing the rally and march. High winds in Bay Area hills and mountains have weather and fire officials warning of dangerous conditions for wildfires a year after the deadly and destructive Wine Country fires. A red-flag warning issued when gusty winds and low humidity are expected is in effect through 9 a.m. Monday in the East Bay hills, the Mount Diablo region, North Bay mountains and Santa Cruz Mountains. The warning extends north to Redding, where this years Carr Fire raged for 39 days and killed nine people. NEW ORLEANS A group that supports abortion rights wants a federal appeals court to revisit its split decision upholding a Louisiana law that requires abortion providers to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. The Center for Reproductive Rights on Friday asked that the full Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rehear the case. A panel of judges on the appellate court, in a split 2-1 decision last month, upheld the law. The Center said it asked the court to rehear the case because the decision violates binding Supreme Court precedent. What these two judges did is really outrageous, said Travis Tu, the Centers senior counsel. Any first-year law student knows that when the Supreme Court speaks, lower courts are supposed to listen. And the Supreme Court said that the exact same law in Texas was unconstitutional. So how can the Louisiana law be constitutional? The Fifth Circuit ruling acknowledges a U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down an admitting privileges law in Texas a case known as Whole Womans Health. But the majority said Louisianas law does not impose the same substantial burden on women as the Texas law. The ruling reversed a Baton Rouge-based federal judges decision in the case and ordered the lawsuit by opponents of the law dismissed. Opponents have said if the law goes into effect, it could result in the closure of at least two of the three clinics that provide abortions in Louisiana. Louisiana health care providers and the Center are currently challenging many of the other restrictions in two other lawsuits Chevel Johnson is an Associated Press writer. PHILADELPHIA Bill Cosbys lawyers have asked a Pennsylvania court to overturn the actors conviction and three- to 10-year prison sentence because of what they call a string of errors in his sex assault case. The defense motion argued that trial Judge Steven ONeill erred in declaring Cosby a sexually violent predator who must be imprisoned to protect the community. Lawyers called the sentence more punitive than necessary, given the standard two- to three-year guideline range for the crime and the fact Cosby is 81 and blind. They also said the trial evidence never proved the encounter with accuser Andrea Constand took place in 2004, and not 2003, or that Cosby was arrested within the 12-year time limit. Cosby was arrested on Dec. 30, 2015, and was convicted at a second trial this April. He has been in a state prison near Philadelphia since the Sept. 25 sentencing, when the judge refused to let him stay out on $1 million bail pending appeal. Given his fame, wealth and use of drugs to molest the accuser, the judge said, Cosby could remain a threat to other women. The defense motion said ONeill improperly considered the trial testimony of five other accusers in sentencing Cosby, instead of limiting that prior bad act testimony to the question of his guilt or innocence. ONeill, in explaining the sentence in court, told Cosby he considered voices from the past, your past, and that he heard their voices loud and clear, the defense said. The lawyers also challenged the states sex offender laws, which have been revised several times amid challenges they are unconstitutionally vague. The law requires judges to find that a sexually violent predator has a mental abnormality, a term they said has no legal or psychological meaning, yet subjects defendants to lifetime counseling and police registration. The defense motion, dated Friday, was posted to a public court docket in the case over the weekend. Kate Delano, a spokeswoman for the Montgomery County District Attorneys Office, said the office will file a response. The motion was filed by lawyer Peter Goldberger, a top appellate lawyer in the region, and Joseph Green Jr., who handled Cosbys sentencing after more than a dozen other lawyers on the case had come and gone. The defense also complained that an audio recording played to jurors of a 2005 conversation between Cosby and Gianna Constand, the mother of accuser Andrea Constand, was not authentic. They said they did not make the discovery until an expert review after the trial. District Attorney Kevin Steele has dismissed that as a legitimate appeal issue. She had called Cosby to get answers about what happened to her daughter after Andrea Constand disclosed the assault a year later. Maryclaire Dale is an Associated Press writer. WASHINGTON Judge Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court on Saturday by one of the slimmest margins in U.S. history, locking in a solid conservative majority on the court and capping a rancorous battle that began as a debate over judicial ideology and concluded with a reckoning over sexual misconduct. As a chorus of women in the Senates public galleries repeatedly interrupted the proceedings with cries of Shame, somber-looking senators voted 50-48 almost entirely along party lines to elevate Kavanaugh. He was promptly sworn in by both Chief Justice John Roberts and retired Justice Anthony Kennedy the courts longtime swing vote, whom he will replace in a private ceremony. For Trump and Senate Republican leaders, who have made stocking the federal judiciary with conservative judges a signature issue, the Senate vote was a validation of a hard-edge strategy to stick with Kavanaugh, even after his nomination was gravely imperiled by allegations by Palo Alto University professor Christine Blasey Ford that he had tried to rape her when they were teenagers. The president was exultant. Hes going to go down as a totally brilliant Supreme Court justice for many years, he told reporters, whom he had invited to join him in watching the vote on television aboard Air Force One on his way to a rally in Kansas. Trump derided the sizable protests against Kavanaugh on the steps of the Supreme Court and the Capitol as phony stuff and said it was wrong to imply that women were upset at his confirmation. Women, I feel, were in many ways stronger than the men in this fight, the president said. Women were outraged at what happened to Brett Kavanaugh. Outraged. The Kavanaugh confirmation, playing out against the backdrop of a midterm election where control of Congress is at stake, gave Republicans what they believe is momentum to ensure they keep their Senate majority. Republicans are painting Democrats and their activist allies as angry mobs; Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, delivered a speech Saturday assailing what he called mob rule, while Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said that the virtual mob that has assaulted us in this process has turned our base on fire. The bitter nomination fight, coming in the midst of the #MeToo movement, also unfolded at the volatile intersection of gender and politics. It energized survivors of sexual assault, hundreds of whom descended on Capitol Hill to confront Republican senators in recent weeks. But it also left many feeling dispirited, as though their elected representatives have not heard their voices. And, in the end, it challenged Americans faith in the Supreme Court as an institution that is above politics. Washington had not seen such a brutal nomination fight Cornyn called it a cruel and reckless and indecent episode since 1991, when law professor Anita Hill accused then-Judge Clarence Thomas of sexually harassing her. Senators of both parties wondered aloud how the chamber, and the nation, would heal. The road that led us here has been bitter, angry and partisan steeped in hypocrisy and hyperbole and resentment and outrage, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the minority leader, said on the Senate floor, minutes before the vote, When the history of the Senate is written, this chapter will be a flashing red warning light of what to avoid. Saturdays vote reflected that fury, with Capitol Police dragging screaming demonstrators out of the gallery as Vice President Mike Pence, presiding in his role as president of the Senate, tried to restore order. This controversial and partisan choice further deepens the divisions in America and profoundly undermines democratic governance. A real tragedy, said California Gov. Jerry Brown. The final result was expected; all senators had announced their intentions by Friday. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., was the lone Democrat to support Kavanaugh. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska the lone Republican to break with her party was recorded as present instead of no as part of an agreement with a colleague, Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., who was attending his daughters wedding and would have voted yes. By voting present, Murkowski spared Kavanaugh the indignity of being confirmed by a single vote. The last time a justice was confirmed by that margin was in 1881, when Stanley Matthews was confirmed 24-23. Thomas was confirmed by a four-vote margin. When Saturdays vote was over, Murkowski seemed drained. I dont know what you were doing when those voices were shouting and screams and Im sure tears, she told reporters, but I was closing my eyes and praying, praying for them and praying for us and praying for the country. We need prayers. We need healing. Kavanaughs confirmation fulfills a long-held dream of conservatives, who have waged a long campaign to remake the high court. In replacing Kennedy, a moderate conservative, he will give the court a reliably conservative bloc. At 53, he is young enough to serve for decades, shaping U.S. jurisprudence for a generation, if not more. McConnell was unequivocal about what Republicans had accomplished. It is the most important contribution we have made to the country that will last the longest, McConnell said in an interview, ticking through two Supreme Court justices and 26 federal appeals court judges confirmed in the past two years. Sheryl Gay Stolberg is a New York Times writer. WASHINGTON Death threats drove Hadi Mohammed out of Iraq and to a small apartment in Nebraska, where he and his two young sons managed to settle as refugees. But the danger hasnt been enough to allow his wife to join them. Mohammed, who worked as a security guard for the U.S. military in Baghdad, said he was initially told his wife would be reunited with him and the boys within a month. The wait has now dragged on for more than a year as she goes through stricter screening imposed by the Trump administration. Mohammed says its been an agonizing wait, especially for his 9-year-old son. Every night he cries about mom, I need mom, he said in halting English as he sat with the boy in their apartment in Lincoln. Tens of thousands of people are experiencing similar waits as the number of refugees entering the U.S. falls to historic lows because of tighter scrutiny that administration officials say is necessary for security. Critics say it amounts to an abandonment of the countrys historic humanitarian role and discriminates against certain groups, particularly Muslims. The U.S. admitted 22,491 refugees in the budget year that ended Sept. 30. Thats one-quarter of the number allowed to enter two years ago and the lowest since Congress passed a law in 1980 creating the modern resettlement system. It was less than half the maximum that the administration had said it would allow, even with millions of people seeking to escape war and famine around the world. Its unfortunate for the refugees who could have come this year and didnt, said Jen Smyers with Church World Service, an organization that supports refugees and immigrants. But these low numbers also show the U.S. turning away from a global leadership role on this issue. Last month, the cap was set even lower, at 30,000, for the new budget year. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at the time the U.S. remained the most generous nation in the world when it comes to protection-based immigration but that the government needed to work through a backlog of pending asylum cases and support efforts to resettle people closer to home, so they can eventually return. Behind the reduction are more stringent security protocols for citizens of 11 countries designated by the administration as presenting the greatest potential threat. People from four of them Iraq, Iran, Syria and Somalia made up 41 percent of refugees allowed into the U.S. in 2016 and 2017. Now, they make up just 2 percent as people such as Mohammeds wife, whose name he does not want to publicize out of fear for her safety, face much lengthier background checks. Administration officials say refugee applicants are now subject to strictest, most comprehensive background check process for any group seeking to come to the U.S. Officials collect more data on refugee applicants and conduct higher-level security vetting. Susannah George and Colleen Long are Associated Press writers. | BY Ricki Green | With the insight that more than one-in-three meals ordered via an online food delivery platform are shared specifically with friends, Uber Eats has paired Aussie icons together for its second campaign installment via Special Group, including home-grown Hollywood stars Rebel Wilson with Ruby Rose, and queen of news Lee Lin Chin with the king of current affairs, Ray Martin. Says Steve Brennen, marketing director, Australia and New Zealand, Uber: Last years launch of our first ever marketing campaign for Uber Eats Tonight, Ill be eating drew from the insight that one-third of Australians still do not know what theyre having for dinner between 4-7pm. Touching on this human truth made the campaign highly effective in building brand awareness and helping inspire Aussies across the country to decide what to have for dinner tonight. Were excited to bring the campaign back in market with fresh, new personalities and partners. We know that the way food is being consumed is rapidly changing, were time poor and looking for convenient and affordable ways to make our lives easier. What hasnt changed is who we like to share our meals with our family and friends. This second iteration of the campaign speaks to the occasion of sharing a meal with loved ones. Tonight, Ill be eating will launch with a series of 30 individual television commercials, 15-second TV spots, each featuring a different celebrity, proudly declaring their local dinner choices featuring Nandos, Guzman y Gomez and I Love Pizza to name a few. The creative has been tailored to each citys restaurant options, and will also include over 20 individual radio commercials. Uber Eats restaurant partner Guzman y Gomez (GYG) is prominently featured in the campaign, with Rose and Wilson discussing a tongue-in-cheek version of what they will be eating for dinner tonight. Says Lara Thom, chief marketing officer, GYG: I cant actually remember the last time I watched an ad and laughed out loud. Ruby and Rebels Tonight, Ill be eating campaign is the perfect brand fit for GYG and Uber Eats, theyre real, authentic and hilarious. Its always important for GYG to keep it real and this campaign just feels right, our customers will get it too, this TVC and execution could not be more on brand for GYG. Were proud of our partnership with Uber Eats as we deliver record numbers of burritos, nachos and tacos across Australia. I have no doubt a few more will be trying GYG as a result of this brilliant campaign. Says Tom Martin, executive creative director, partner, Special Group: Were especially excited about the second year of the Tonight, Ill be eating campaign. Not only because they are great to make but because this is a campaign that taps into popular culture to inspire Aussies to decide what theyll be eating for dinner and we think this could go on for many many years. The campaign will be supported by OOH, radio, digital, direct and PR, as well as a host of live social media activations, media partnerships and traffic-read integrations. Client Uber Director of Marketing Steve Brennen Head of Strategy & Planning Andy Morley Head of Brand & Campaigns Georgie Jeffreys Eats Senior Marketing Manager Rebecca Kemp Eats Marketing Manager Harriet Johnston Consumer Communications Lead Megan Smith Creative Agency Special Group Executive Creative Directors Tom Martin & Julian Schreiber Creatives Josie Fox & Michael Punton Planning Director Celia Garforth CEO Lindsey Evans Managing Partner Cade Heyde Business Lead Rebecca Ingham & Tori Magill Account Manager Stephanie Wilkinson Executive On-Screen Producer Meredyth Judd Casting Producer Emily Stewart Producer Laura Midalia Digital Producer Sharon Gray Senior Digital Creative Jesse McLallen Production Film Production Company: Sweetshop Director: Nick Kelly Producer: Llew Griffiths Executive Producer: Loren Bradley Managing Director: Edward Pontifex Edit & Post Production: ARC EDIT Editorial & Post Producer: Olivia Carolan Editor: David Whittaker Edit Assistant: Lucas Baynes Editorial Coordinator: Raphaelle Said Colourist: Billy Wychgel Flame Operator: Karen Fabling Grade and Online Assistant: Josh Alex Lay Sound and mixing Rumble Production Stills Production Company Louis & Co Photographer Mat Baker Producer Louis Molines Art department Imogen Naylor Retouching The Bakery PR agency Sling & Stone Head of Consumer Kasi Reynolds Account Director Hannah Jackson OAKLAND (BCN) Approximately 100 people turned out for a protest rally this afternoon at Lake Merritt in downtown Oakland following the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh as the newest justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Protesters marched around the lake this afternoon carrying signs and chanting before walking to Frank Ogawa Plaza several blocks from the lake to hear several speakers as evening approached. Oakland police said the gathering had broken up before 8 p.m., and that the gathering was peaceful. No arrests were made. Kavanaugh, the subject of an unusually contentious confirmation hearing on Sept. 27, was sworn in today as the newest Supreme Court justice. That came a few hours after the U.S. Senate voted 50-48 to confirm him. Thousands of people took part in protests today in Washington D.C.; some protesters disrupted the Senate vote itself. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Congressman Chuck Fleischmann issued the following statement after the United States Senate voted to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court: I applaud my colleagues in the Senate for their vote to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. Judge Kavanaughs judicial record speaks for itself with over 300 published opinions, 12 years as a federal court judge, and a total of 26 years of public service. However, even before the ink dried on Judge Kavanaughs Supreme Court nomination, his proven track record as a constitutionally-minded jurist quickly became overshadowed by divisive rhetoric and uncorroborated allegations. This vitriol highlighted a broken confirmation process, at the expense of an exceptionally qualified and highly respected individual. I have full confidence that as a Supreme Court Justice, Judge Brett Kavanaugh will preserve the fabric of our nation the Constitution by interpreting the law as written. I look forward to having Judge Brett Kavanaugh as the ninth Justice on the United States Supreme Court. Senator David Perdue voted to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh. He said, This has proven to be a tumultuous time in Washington. Despite partisan attempts to assassinate Judge Kavanaughs character, it is encouraging this body acted decisively about the future of our nations highest court. The presumption of innocence remains a fundamental cornerstone of our democracy. The United States Senates role is to provide advice and consent, and that is a job I take very seriously. There is no doubt in my mind that Judge Kavanaugh will do exactly what he said he would do in his testimony before the Senate: Preserve the Constitution of the United States and the American rule of law. I'm proud to vote to confirm such an imminently qualified nominee. Just as he did during his 12 years on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, I'm confident Judge Kavanaugh will serve this nation well on the United States Supreme Court. Senator Bob Corker appeared on Fox News ahead of the vote to express his support for Judge Kavanaugh. He said, I am very confident in my vote. I am looking forward to it. I talked to Judge Kavanaugh this morning and thanked him for his willingness to serve the country in this manner and to go through all of this. I talked to Don McGahn, who I think is going to leave the White House whenever he leaves with a tremendous legacy for our country. I talked to Susan Collins yesterday and thanked her for a speech that, to me, was historic and not only reflected well on all Republicans, but I think the Senate as a whole. It is a big day. It is a great day for our nation. And I look forward to the vote. | BY Ricki Green | R/GA is excited to announce the appointment of Drew Klonsky as executive director, business transformation. He will work with the agencys interdisciplinary team of consultants, experience designers, strategists and branding specialists across its Sydney and Melbourne offices. VP managing director, R/GA Sydney and Melbourne, Rebecca Bezzina, described the key appointment as one which formalised and expanded R/GAs in-demand consulting offering in Australia. Says Bezzina: Drew adds even greater firepower to our goal of enabling clients businesses to grow. Hell be instrumental in helping equip clients with the tools to become more customer-centric, data-driven, purpose-led and creatively-fueled. We could not be more excited to have him spearheading our core mission. Klonsky brings with him nearly two decades of innovation expertise. He joins R/GA from Fahrenheit 212, where he held the role of managing director for the companys San Francisco office, and prior to this was an Entrepreneur in Residence within Nikes Innovation Accelerator. He also founded the independent Portland-based design and product innovation consultancy, Citizen Inc, grew it to over 80 employees, and worked on projects with brands including Intel, Disney and Samsung. Earlier in his career he served as CMO at Chockstone where he built the largest gift and loyalty card platform of its day, which was eventually sold to Subway. In the new role, Klonsky will also work closely with R/GAs global Business Transformation practice, which was launched in 2015 and now spans five offices across three continents. Unlike the traditional, siloed approach employed by management consulting, R/GA marries consulting practices with 40-years of experience in technology, design, and advertising which has resulted in transformational work for clients including Walmart, Banco Bradesco and Siemens. Klonsky said his focus would be to ensure the delivery of innovative, integrated solutions in the market via this unique proposition. BERKELEY (BCN) A cannabis salon, a former Obama ambassador's take on Trump and the longtime Chez Panisse head chef were all on tap at Berkeleyside's Festival of Ideas in downtown Berkeley today. This is the sixth year of the two-day event featuring a mix of political activists, playwrights, professors and more. It was held by Berkeleyside, an East Bay news outlet, Friday and today at the Berkeley Repertory Theater and the Freight and Salvage coffeehouse. Like a Pied Piper of produce, longtime Chez Panisse head chef Cal Peternell led about 40 people from the theater to the Berkeley Farmers Market to demonstrate how to pick out the freshest offerings. "I'm stopping for cherry tomatoes here because how can you not?" Peternell said as the group paused at the River Dog Farm booth at the open-air market. Meanwhile, Former Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, an Obama appointee, held forth on "Things we've forgotten to worry about," a conversation with Berkeleyside co-founder Lance Knobel, at the Freight and Salvage. The former ambassador said one of her friends who still works at the State Department is now the only person of color on her floor. "This is after years of trying to build up the number of women and people of color in the State Department," Jenkins said. Jean Whitehead of Berkeley, one of hundreds who attended the event, said she came because "I like Berkeleyside," and that she especially enjoyed the cannabis salon, which featured a panel of two entrepreneurs, a scientist and an RN. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. ALAMEDA (BCN) As part of a multi-agency anti-drug-trafficking patrol off the coasts of Central and South America, the Alameda-based U.S. Coast Guard cutter Stratton seized more than eight tons on its recent deployment, the Coast Guard reported Thursday. The Stratton crew, combined with crews of the cutters Seneca and Active, seized a total of more than 11 tons of narcotics, offloading the bales Wednesday in San Diego. Stratton's crew alone intercepted seven drug smuggling vessels in 26 days, detaining 23 suspected smugglers for prosecution in the U.S. and partner nations. The wholesale value of the seized drugs was estimated at about $235 million, Coast Guard officials said. Counter-drug operations in the eastern Pacific region involved multiple U.S. agencies and an air crew and MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from a tactical squadron based in Florida. The Stratton just returned to the Bay Area after a 104-day patrol that also included enforcement of fisheries regulations in Alaska. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Deputies have identified a 21-year-old Southern California man who died this morning following a traffic collision on westbound Interstate Highway in Solano County. Randall Chunn, of Palmdale, was killed in the collision about 2 a.m., after a Toyota pickup crashed into the center divide of the freeway east of the Hunter Hill Rest Stop. The Toyota may have been struck by at least one other vehicle, according to the CHP. All lanes of the freeway were reopened at 4:39 a.m., CHP said. No other information about what led to the crash was immediately available. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. | BY Kim Shaw | Sudler Sydney creative director Cherie Davies has joined FCB Chicago as SVP, Group Creative Director. In this role, Davies will report directly to Liz Taylor, chief creative officer of FCB Chicago, and will lead all creative work with FCB Chicagos health and wellness clients. Cherie is not only a strong creative leader, but also a strategic storyteller with the ability to emotionally captivate and engage consumers, says Taylor. Im thrilled to have Cherie join FCB Chicagos health and wellness team, and to watch her continue to make a positive impact on patients around the world. Prior to Sudler Sydney, Davies worked at a variety of agencies including greyhealth and Saatchi & Saatchi Healthcare across a broad portfolio of global brands whose work has been recognized at Clio Health, One Show, Creative Floor and the New York Festivals Global Awards. Her most notable accomplishments include Pfizers Living With RA film and VR experience, as well as Prevenar 13s Adults Too campaign. Following the success of these activations, Cherie has sat on three executive creative juries including: Cannes Health Lions, New York Festivals Global Awards and The Creative Floor. VATICAN CITY A top Vatican cardinal issued a scathing rebuke Sunday of the ambassador who accused Pope Francis of covering up the sexual misconduct of a prominent American cardinal, saying his claims were a blasphemous political hit job. Six weeks after Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano threw the papacy into turmoil over his claims about ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the head of the Vaticans bishops office said there was no evidence in his files backing Viganos claims that Francis annulled any canonical sanctions against McCarrick. Ouellet did confirm for the first time that McCarrick, now 88, had been subject to some form of disciplinary measures given uncorroborated rumors of misconduct in his past. But Ouellet said the exhortation to live a discreet life of prayer stopped short of binding canonical sanctions, precisely because the rumors lacked proof. Ouellets letter was issued Sunday, a day after Francis authorized a thorough study of all Vatican archives into how McCarrick rose through the ranks of the Catholic Church despite allegations he sexually preyed on seminarians and young priests. The letter, addressed to Vigano but identified as an open letter to the faithful, marked an extraordinary end to the official Vatican silence about Viganos claims. In it, Ouellet both defended the pope and excoriated Vigano, asserting that the conservative cleric had used the scandal over sexual abuse in the U.S. to score ideological points with Francis critics on the Catholic right. He demanded Vigano come out of hiding and repent for having falsely accused Francis and questioned how he could continue to celebrate Mass and pray the rosary given his incomprehensible and gravely reprehensible attack on Christs vicar on Earth. The McCarrick scandal has thrown the U.S. and Vatican hierarchy into turmoil, given that it was apparently an open secret in some U.S. church circles that he would invite seminarians into his bed. Francis accepted McCarricks resignation as a cardinal in July. Ouellets letter marked the Vaticans first direct response to Viganos 11-page denunciation published Aug. 26 in which he accused two dozen Vatican and U.S. church officials of covering up for McCarrick since 2000, and demanded Francis resign for his role in the scandal. Nicole Winfield is an Associated Press writer. PALU, Indonesia Christians flocked to Sunday sermons in the earthquake and tsunami damaged Indonesian city of Palu, seeking answers as the death toll from the twin disasters surpassed 1,700 and officials said they feared more than 5,000 others could be missing. Indonesias disaster agency said the number of dead had climbed to 1,763, mostly in Palu. Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said many more people could be buried, especially in the Palu neighborhoods of Petobo and Balaroa, where more than 3,000 homes were damaged or sucked into deep mud when the Sept. 28 quake caused loose soil to liquefy. Based on reports from village chiefs in Balaroa and Petobo, some 5,000 people have not been found. Our workers on the ground are trying to confirm this, he said at a news briefing in Jakarta, Indonesias capital. Nugroho said efforts to retrieve decomposed bodies in deep mud were getting tougher and that some people may have fled or been rescued and evacuated. More than 8,000 either injured or vulnerable residents have been flown or shipped out of Palu, while others could have left by land, he said. Officially, Nugroho said only 265 people are confirmed missing and 152 others still buried under mud and rubble, nine days after the magnitude 7.5 earthquake and powerful tsunami hit Palu and surrounding areas. The government targets to end search operations by Thursday, nearly two weeks after the disaster, at which time those unaccounted for will be declared missing and considered dead, Nugroho said. In Palu on Sunday, at least 200 people, including soldiers, filled the gray pews of the Protestant Manunggal church for a service. Min Kapala, a teacher, said she came to the city from an outlying area because her usual house of worship was destroyed. Im here at this particular church because my own church is no more; its leveled, she said. As searchers continued to dig through rubble Sunday, Central Sulawesi Gov. Loki Djanggola said local officials were meeting with religious groups and families of victims to seek their consent to turn neighborhoods wiped out by liquefaction into mass graves. He said survivors in the Petobo, Balaroa and Jono Oge neighborhoods could be relocated and monuments be built in the areas, which now look like wastelands, to remember the victims interred there. Stephen Wright and Eileen Ng are Associated Press writers. SEOUL Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made progress Sunday toward an agreement for the North to give up its nuclear weapons. President Trump, tweeting from Washington, cited progress on agreements he made with Kim at their June meeting and said, I look forward to seeing Chairman Kim again, in the near future. Arriving in Seoul after several hours in Pyongyang on his fourth visit to North Korea, Pompeo tweeted that he had a good trip and that he and Kim continue to make progress on agreements made at Singapore summit. Trump and Kim held a historic summit there in June that resulted in a vague agreement for the North to denuclearize. The top U.S. diplomat offered no details. Upon landing in South Korea, he briefed White House national security adviser John Bolton and Trump chief of staff John Kelly on his trip, officials said. Pompeo, on the third stop of a four-leg Asian tour that began in Japan and was to end in China on Monday, then met South Koreas president, Moon Jae-in. Moon, who has met twice with Kim, asked Pompeo to make public as much information as he could about the trip. I dearly hope that your latest visit, as well as the upcoming U.S.-North Korea summit, which I hope will be happening soon, will make an irreversible, decisive progress in terms of the denuclearization as well as the peace process, Moon said. Since we have the media present here, I would like to ask you to disclose anything that you can open to the public here. Pompeo declined that opportunity. I will certainly tell you in private about our conversation, but we had a good, productive conversation, Pompeo said. As President Trump said, there are many steps along the way and we took one of them today. It was another step forward. So this is, I think, a good outcome for all of us. Moons office said in a statement later that Pompeo told Moon that the North Korean leader had agreed a second summit with Trump should be held as soon as possible, and that talks on the timing and location would continue. In Pyongyang, Pompeo and Kim met for about 3 1/2 hours, first in a business session and then in a 90-minute luncheon that the North Korean leader hosted at a state guesthouse, according to the pool report from the lone U.S. journalist allowed to accompany Pompeo on his Asia trip. Since the denuclearization effort got under way with a secret visit to the North by then-CIA chief Pompeo in April, there has been only limited progress, even since the June 12 Trump-Kim summit that many had hoped would jump-start the effort. North Korea so far has not taken any steps to halt nuclear weapons or missile development. Matthew Lee is an Associated Press writer. Page Content The U.S. Senate has confirmed Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court after weeks of controversy involving sexual-assault and harassment allegations. The 50-48 vote was mostly on party lines, with Republicans voting for and Democrats voting against his lifetime appointment to the high court. Here's an overview of how he has ruled on workplace issues. Employers can expect Kavanaugh to be a strict constructionist, sticking to the text of labor and employment statutes and not expanding workers' rights, said John Maley, an attorney with Barnes & Thornburg in Indianapolis. "In traditional labor law matters, employers can expect scrutiny of [National Labor Relations Board] decisions, including a dose of common sense on occasion," he said. Mark Phillis, an attorney with Littler in Pittsburgh, said Kavanaugh's rulings in labor and employment cases don't reveal any leanings either in favor of or against workers. "While some commentators have noted that he sided more often with employers than employees, a review of his decisions reveals that his opinions are well within the mainstream and are consistent with rulings in other courts of appeals," he added. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, however, said Kavanaugh "is anything but a neutral." Kavanaugh's "confirmation would potentially lock in the pro-corporate tilt of the court for a generation," Trumka said during a Sept. 7 speech at Yale Law School. Kavanaugh served as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit since 2006 when he was appointed by former President George W. Bush. President Donald Trump nominated Kavanaugh to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy, a Republican-appointed associate justice who announced his retirement in June. "Justice Kennedy was viewed as a reliable vote for the employer community in many cases, and I would not expect much to change with Judge Kavanaugh," said Michael Passarella, an attorney with Olshan Frome Wolosky in New York City. Labor Relations National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decisions involving collective bargaining and other rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) can be challenged in federal court. As a federal appeals court judge, Kavanaugh sometimes ruled against the NLRB's pro-employee decisions. A case that is often cited as providing insight into Kavanaugh's record involved customer-facing employees who wore union-sponsored T-shirts, noted Courtney Ofosu, an attorney with Reed Smith in Chicago. In that case, Kavanaugh issued a unanimous opinion holding that a company did not run afoul of the NLRA by prohibiting employees who interacted with customers from wearing pro-union shirts bearing the words "inmate" and "prisoner." While the NLRA generally protects workers' right to wear union gear, Kavanaugh relied on a "special circumstances" exception, finding that the company could lawfully prohibit and discipline employees who donned the T-shirts, Ofosu said. The exception allows a company to prohibit employees from displaying messages on the job that the employer reasonably believes may harm its reputation or relationship with customers. Kavanaugh started the opinion with the sentence, "Common sense sometimes matters in resolving legal disputes." Employment Discrimination Though Kavanaugh has sided with employers in some cases, he has also reversed district court rulings made in favor of employers, Maley said. In one notable race-discrimination case, he wrote that a single insult may be sufficiently severe to create a hostile work environment. In that case, a supervisor allegedly called the plaintiff the "n-word." "It may be difficult to fully catalogue the various verbal insults and epithets that by themselves could create a hostile work environment. And there may be close cases at the margins," Kavanaugh wrote in a concurring opinion in the case. "But, in my view, being called the n-word by a supervisor suffices by itself to establish a racially hostile work environment." [SHRM members-only toolkit: Managing Equal Employment Opportunity] In another race-discrimination case, Kavanaugh and his colleagues reversed their own prior ruling and held that an employer's decision to deny a lateral transfera decision that was allegedly motivated by racial animuswas an adverse employment action under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Kavanaugh's track record on labor and employment matters is not likely to change if he is appointed to the bench, and he may be perceived as continuing to narrowly interpret the law in ways that generally favor employers, said Jill Vorobiev, an attorney with Reed Smith in Chicago. "However, his concurrences in these cases reveal his willingness to side with employees and deliver impactful decisions in their favor," she said. "As a result, his nomination should not necessarily be viewed as a slam-dunk for companies whose employment cases may come before him." LGBT Rights One area where Kennedy tended to disagree with other conservative members of the court was on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) and other social issues, Passarella said. For example, in 2015, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that the 14th Amendment requires states to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states and to license marriages between two people of the same sex. Kennedy authored the opinion, which was joined by the four liberal justices and opposed by the other four conservative justices. Kavanaugh might rule differently from how Kennedy would have been expected to rule on such issues, Passarella said. In the next few years, the high court may decide whether Title VII prohibits employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. Federal appeals courts disagree on this issue, which makes it ripe for Supreme Court review. Kavanaugh's vote could be decisive, Ofosu noted. WASHINGTON (AP) -- Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in Saturday night as the 114th justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, after a wrenching debate over sexual misconduct and judicial temperament that shattered the Senate, captivated the nation and ushered in an acrimonious new level of polarization -- now encroaching on the court that the 53-year-old judge may well swing rightward for decades to come. Even as Kavanaugh took his oath of office in a quiet private ceremony, not long after the narrowest Senate confirmation in nearly a century and a half, protesters chanted outside the court building across the street from the Capitol. The climactic 50-48 roll call capped a fight that seized the national conversation after claims emerged that he had sexually assaulted women three decades ago -- allegations he emphatically denied. Those accusations transformed the clash from a routine struggle over judicial ideology into an angry jumble of questions about victims' rights, the presumption of innocence and personal attacks on nominees. His confirmation provides a defining accomplishment for President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, which found a unifying force in the cause of putting a new conservative majority on the court. Before the sexual accusations grabbed the Senate's and the nation's attention, Democrats had argued that Kavanaugh's rulings and writings as an appeals court judge had raised serious concerns about his views on abortion rights and a president's right to bat away legal probes. Trump, flying to Kansas for a political rally, flashed a thumbs-up gesture when the tally was announced and praised Kavanaugh for being "able to withstand this horrible, horrible attack by the Democrats." He later telephoned his congratulations to the new justice, then at the rally returned to his own attack on the Democrats as "an angry left-wing mob." Like Trump, senators at the Capitol predicted voters would react strongly by defeating the other party's candidates in next month's congressional elections. "It's turned our base on fire," declared Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. But Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York forecast gains for his party instead: "Change must come from where change in America always begins: the ballot box." The justices themselves made a quiet show of solidarity. Kavanaugh was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts and the man he's replacing, retired Justice Anthony Kennedy, as fellow Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan looked on -- two conservatives and two liberals. Still, Kagan noted the night before that Kennedy has been "a person who found the center" and 'it's not so clear we'll have that' now. Noisy to the end, the Senate battle featured a call of the roll that was interrupted several times by protesters shouting in the spectators' gallery before Capitol Police removed them. Vice President Mike Pence presided, his potential tie-breaking vote unnecessary. Trump has now put his stamp on the court with his second justice in as many years. Yet Kavanaugh is joining under a cloud. Accusations from several women remain under scrutiny, and House Democrats have pledged further investigation if they win the majority in November. Outside groups are culling an unusually long paper trail from his previous government and political work, with the National Archives and Records Administration expected to release a cache of millions of documents later this month. Kavanaugh, a father of two, strenuously denied the allegations of Christine Blasey Ford, who says he sexually assaulted her when they were teens. An appellate court judge on the District of Columbia circuit for the past 12 years, he pushed for the Senate vote as hard as Republican leaders -- not just to reach this capstone of his legal career, but in fighting to clear his name After Ford's allegations, Democrats and their allies became engaged as seldom before, though there were obvious echoes of Thomas' combative confirmation over the sexual harassment accusations of Anita Hill, who worked for him at two federal agencies. Protesters began swarming Capitol Hill, creating a tense, confrontational atmosphere that put Capitol Police on edge. As exhausted senators prepared for Saturday's vote, some were flanked by security guards. Hangers and worse have been delivered to their offices, a Roe v. Wade reference. Some 164 people were arrested, most for demonstrating on the Capitol steps, 14 for disrupting the Senate's roll call vote. McConnell told The Associated Press in an interview that the "mob" of opposition -- confronting senators in the hallways and at their homes -- united his narrowly divided GOP majority as Kavanaugh's confirmation teetered and will give momentum to his party chances this fall. Beyond the sexual misconduct allegations, Democrats raised questions about Kavanaugh's temperament and impartiality after he delivered defiant, emotional, testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee where he denounced their party. Schumer said Kavanaugh's "partisan screed" showed not only a temperament unfitting for the high court but a lack of objectivity that should make him ineligible to serve. At one point in the hearing, Kavanaugh blamed a Clinton-revenge conspiracy for the accusations against him. The fight ended up less about judicial views than the sexual assault accusations that riveted the nation and are certain to continue a national debate and #MeToo reckoning that is yet to be resolved. Republicans argued that a supplemental FBI investigation instigated by wavering GOP senators and ordered by the White House turned up no corroborating witnesses to the claims and that Kavanaugh had sterling credentials for the court. Democrats dismissed the truncated report as insufficient. In the end, all but one Republican, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, lined up behind the judge. She said on the Senate floor late Friday that Kavanaugh is "a good man" but his "appearance of impropriety has become unavoidable." In a twist, Murkowski voted "present" Saturday as a courtesy to Republican Kavanaugh supporter Steve Daines, who was to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding in Montana. That balanced out the absence without affecting the outcome, and gave Kavanaugh the same two-vote margin he'd have received had both lawmakers voted. It was the closest roll call to confirm a justice since 1881, when Stanley Matthews was approved by 24-23, according to Senate records. As the Senate tried to recover from its charged atmosphere, Murkowski's move offered a moment of civility. "I do hope that it reminds us that we can take very small steps to be gracious with one another and maybe those small gracious steps can lead to more," she said. Republicans control the Senate by a meager 51-49 margin, and announcements of support Friday from Republicans Jeff Flake of Arizona and Susan Collins of Maine, along with Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia, locked in the needed votes. Manchin was the only Democrat to vote for Kavanaugh's confirmation. He expressed empathy for sexual assault victims, but said that after factoring in the FBI report, "I have found Judge Kavanaugh to be a qualified jurist who will follow the Constitution." A procedural vote Friday made Saturday's confirmation a foregone conclusion. White House Counsel Don McGahn, who helped salvage Kavanaugh's nomination as it teetered, sat in the front row of the visitors' gallery for the vote with deputy White House press secretary Raj Shah. Senators on both sides know they have work to do to put the chamber back together again after a ferocious debate that saw them arguing over the sordid details of high school drinking games, sexual allegations and cryptic yearbook entries. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said, "The Senate has been an embarrassment. We have a lot of work to do." By Alan Fram, Lisa Mascaro and Matthew Daley, Associated Press. Mary Clare Jalonick, Matthew Daly, Padmananda Rama, Ken Thomas, Catherine Lucey, Juliet Linderman and Mark Sherman contributed to this report. STATEN ISLAND -- As deer mating season kicks off and deer vehicle collisions continue to plague Staten Island, the city plans to set up electronic signs warning drivers to be aware. On Monday, the Department of Transportation (DOT) will begin putting up variable message signs that read: Be Alert-Deer Crossing. They will be stationed at the following locations: Coming off of the Outerbridge Crossing, where the West Shore Expressway and the Korean War Veterans Memorial Parkway split. Coming off of the Goethals Bridge at Exit 5, where the Staten Island Expressway and the West Shore Expressway split. On Drumgoole Road West before the entrance to the Korean War Veterans Memorial Parkway, coming from Richmond Avenue. The Parks Department said the city has deployed the electronic signs during the fall over the past several years in areas where deer vehicle collisions are high risk. Deer-vehicle collisions typically increase during mating season known as the rut for white-tailed deer because bucks and doe are less cautious and are primarily focused on mating. The rut in New York is typically between October and January. Last year, 98 deer vehicle collisions occurred in the borough, or roughly eight collisions a month -- the highest number of collisions since 2015. The Parks Department told the Advance in August that as of July 31, 39 deer-vehicle collisions occurred in the borough in 2018. It is unclear where that figure stands currently, and neither the Parks Department nor the NYPD could immediately be reached to provide the latest figure of collisions to the Advance. The number of deer carcasses the Department of Sanitation has been picking up around the borough has tripled. In 2014, the department collected 67 carcasses, and in 2017 -- 201. In August, DSNY told the Advance it collected 154 carcasses this year. The third, and what is supposed to be the final year, of the controversial $3.3 million deer vasectomy program to curb the Island's rising deer population restarted at the end of July. But the program is running more than $800,000 over budget and the city will likely be on the hook for more funds after the program wraps up next year. Mayor Bill de Blasio has said he is willing to dish out more money on the deer vasectomy program to get the results he wants. Last year, White Buffalo Inc. estimated Staten Islands deer population between 1,918 and 2,188, about four times the citys last count and a 9,000 percent increase in the herd since 2008. White Buffalo is the city contractor performing vasectomies on the Islands herd. The most recent survey conducted by White Buffalo and verified by the city's Parks Department estimated the borough's deer population in 2017 at 2,053 with a decrease to 1,884 in 2018. The Parks Department has said the goal of the third year of the program is to sterilize 98 percent of male deer on Staten Island, a target its says it is on track to meet by the end of the third year of the program. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. STATEN ISLAND -- The city wants your input regarding where the next fast ferry should go. The New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) said it plans to conduct a ferry feasibility study to look at various sites for possible future landings. New York City residents have until Oct. 15 to fill out a form letting the city know who you are and where you want the next ferry. The EDCs study comes as Mayor Bill de Blasio said he plans to make a decision on where to add another route to the citys ferry system by the end of the year. He said his administration is looking at sites on Staten Island -- particularly on the South Shore, although hizzoner did not specify where. Over the summer, the mayor said that once the citys fast ferry program opened lines in Soundview in the Bronx and in Manhattans Lower East Side, he would look at where the city could expand ferry service next. The city launched the Lower East Side route -- the sixth and final 2018 route -- in late August. The EDC said the first stage of the ferry feasibility study will include meeting with local elected officials and community board representatives along the waterfront to hear which sites it should include in the study. The agency said the study will take into consideration various factors, including water depths, population density, existing access to transit, and travel time comparisons between modes. Borough President James Oddo has also been helping to give recommendations to the city on potential Island fast ferry sites. Earlier this summer, he asked residents on Facebook to help his office come up with ideas for South Shore sites. He said the location would need to be to be located as close to the East Shore as possible and have sufficient space for 500 to 600 vehicles, or be close to a nearby site that could serve as a park and ride. He also said the site would need to be readily accessible, so that commuters could get there with ease. Oddo said his personal top choice for a South Shore fast ferry site is Mount Loretto in Pleasant Plains, and that he wants to send at least five recommendations to the mayors office. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. STATEN ISLAND -- If you watched the popular Hulu series The Handmaids Tale, you might begin to notice some Handmaids walking around Staten Island after Saturdays Senate confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. After more than a week of hearings and an FBI investigation into troubling details from Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in the 80s, the U.S. Senate voted 50-48 confirming his nomination Saturday. As the Senate readied to confirm Kavanaugh to the nations highest court, dozens of women dressed up in Handmaids costumes to send a message to Staten Islanders and politicians: Womens voices matter. The women, who were walking around the St. George Farmers Market, said they plan to continue to make their presence known around the borough in the weeks to come. Were sick of not being heard, were done with it, said St. George resident Gabriella Shlyakh, who said she is a sexual assault survivor. Hopefully us coming out, maybe people getting more vocal about being survivors, about being victims of abuse, and about just it not being acceptable anymore -- I hope that that anger bubbles over into something actually productive. After the Womens March last year, a group of Island women decided to stay in touch over email, social media, and text message, to stage grassroots rallies. Shlyakh said more than a dozen women joined her on the North Shore dressed as Handmaids Saturday, and about a dozen other women did the same on the South Shore. She said that in response to the Senates actions, she plans to vote more ruthless in the upcoming general election against anyone who does not support womens issues. Unfortunately what ends up happening is that my vote becomes a little bit more ruthless, so like an enemy of my enemy is my friend, she said. Im basically going to be voting the complete polar opposite of someone who is not interested in protecting my freedoms, my safety, and my truth. West Brighton resident Mary Hernandez, who walked with fellow Island women as Handmaids, said participating in Saturdays silent protest was about pushing back against women getting attacked when they come forward to share their stories of sexual assault. Hernandez, who said she is also sexual assault victim, vowed to get out the vote in general elections and flip the Island from red to blue. And she blasted Rep. Daniel Donovan (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) for his silence during the Kavanaugh hearings. Where has he been on all of this? Silent, certainly not speaking out for concerns of women, Hernandez said. Donovan spokeswoman Jessica Proud said the incumbent supported Kavanaughs confirmation to the Supreme Court. As someone who has personally dealt with domestic violence and sexual assault victims, he found the Democrat's handling of Dr. Ford's allegations disgusting, and as a father to his daughter, District Attorney and Congressman, he has made combating violence against women and maternal health a cornerstone of his public service. He is a member of the bipartisan task force to end sexual violence, established the Family Justice Center on Staten Island, increased resources on domestic and sexual abuse in the DA's office, and is the co-sponsor of the International Violence Against Women Act and the Women Safety Act. This is nothing more than an election year attack from those with a political agenda, Proud said. But not all Island women were against Kavanaughs confirmation. Several who are part of a women-led Facebook group The Many, which is made up of women across the political spectrum who discuss social and political issues, said they believed Kavanaugh should be confirmed. Westerleigh resident Jennifer Spadafora said she supported the confirmation of Kavanaugh -- not because of partisan loyalty, but because of what the facts have found. I think there are a lot of gaps in the story both in Dr. Fords memory as well as what she could and could not answer. I think the timing is exceptionally suspicious given how long we know the information was held onto, mixed with how long it could be dragged out seeing as how midterm elections are so close," Spadafora said. "And while I do believe that [Kavanaughs] temperament during his questioning was not of even keel I dont believe that that is enough to keep him from the Supreme Court. Grasmere resident Dawn Paolillo said she too supports Kavanaughs confirmation to the Supreme Court because he is qualified for the job and I havent heard any credible evidence to the contrary. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Hollywood Play, 35, a Brooklyn-based hip-hop artist, was shot and killed in a Queens bar, according to published reports. The rapper, whose real name is Frank Snyder, was allegedly shot at about 3:15 a.m. at Tavern Lounge on Jamaica Avenue by a person in a passing car, according to published reports. Friends told ABC.com that Snyder performs at the bar regularly. The report says Snyder was shot in the leg and neck by a shooter who fled the scene. He was pronounced dead at Jamaica Hospital, according to multiple published reports. Authorities told media that it wasnt certain if Snyder was the intended target of the shooting. Below is an instagram post about the Saturday night performance. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Planning next weeks commute? Dont forget about the major changes coming to Staten Islands MTA express bus network starting Sunday, Oct. 7. The changes, announced in mid-September, include the addition of a new route, the discontinuation of two existing routes, additional service and extended schedule spans. We have always said that this redesign of the express bus network is a collaborative process where were listening to the customers riding the buses every day and the bus operators who drive these routes, said MTA NYCT president Andy Byford. Heres a recap of the changes you can expect during next weeks commute. SIM5x, SIM6x In order to offer additional service across multiple lines, the MTA has announced it will discontinue the SIM5x and SIM6x routes, beginning Sunday. The experimental single-stop route from the South Beach Park-and-Ride on Father Capodanno Boulevard had recently been extended to make two additional Hylan Boulevard stops, but still has not garnered enough ridership to justify the route. SIM5x and SIM6x customers can take the SIM5 and SIM6, which serve the same stops between Manhattan and Staten Island. The buses and personnel freed up by this change will be used on routes where additional service is in demand, said an MTA spokesperson. SIM9 The MTA will implement a new route -- the SIM9 -- that will begin at Hylan Boulevard and Richmond Avenue, traveling down Hylan Boulevard and then turning right onto Midland Avenue. It will then travel along Father Capodanno Boulevard, stopping at the South Beach Park-and-Ride, before heading to the West Side of Manhattan. In Manhattan, the SIM9 will follow the same route as the SIM7 and SIM33. This route will complement the existing SIM7 route, which runs exclusively along Hylan Boulevard before traveling to the West Side. EXTENDING SIM4/SIM4c After previously announcing a late-night shuttle from the Eltingville Transit Center for South Shore commuters, the MTA has announced it will extend the SIM4/SIM4c route farther south and later into the night. Once the changes are implemented, the SIM4/SIM4c route will be extended to Huguenot Avenue and Woodrow Road, running until 1:26 a.m. The shuttle bus was a temporary improvement to immediately deliver additional service south of Eltingville Transit Center, and this improvement is now being made permanent and more efficient, according to an MTA spokesperson. SERVICE INCREASES TO MANHATTAN The SIM1, SIM2, SIM7, SIM22, SIM31, SIM32 and SIM34 will receive increased service on Manhattan-bound trips. SERVICE INCREASES TO SI The SIM1, SIM2, SIM3, SIM4, SIM7, SIM22, SIM31, SIM33 and SIM34 will receive increased service on Staten Island-bound trips. SPAN INCREASE The SIM3c evening rush hour span has been extended to begin 95 minutes earlier, at 6:25 p.m. The SIM7 evening rush hour span has been extended to end 30 minutes later, at 7:30 p.m. ADDITIONAL SERVICE TO CSI To accommodate riders traveling to the College of Staten Island, three morning trips have been added to the SIM4c, leaving Midtown at 8 a.m., 8:50 a.m. and 9:50 a.m. REALIGNMENT OF SCHEDULES Routes that won't be receiving increased service will have their schedules realigned to optimize existing resources. For example, the SIM10 has experienced overcrowding during the early morning rush between 4 and 5 a.m. However, some SIM10 trips later in the day have been underutilized. As a result, the schedule will be reconfigured to address existing conditions. This redesigned network launched with 68 more trips each weekday, 62 more trips each Saturday, 60 more trips each Sunday than the network it replaced, and with these new schedule changes, we will add 38 more weekday trips since the launch as a result of customer feedback and observations on the ground, according to an MTA spokesperson. Jim Bunner waved to the camera, cellphone in one hand, KTTC-TV branded microphone in the other, his receding hairline bared to the Minnesota morning chill. He could have been any other reporter standing outside the Rochester civic center on Thursday, awaiting President Donald Trump's rally. At least, so it seemed in that particular shot. "I've met people all the way from Mankato, from Iowa, from Eagle Lake, you name it," Bunner said in his NBC news station's Facebook Live feed. "They are excited for the fact the president of the United States is visiting Rochester. This is big! This 'yuge,' in the words of Donald Trump." The multimedia reporter might have been simply channeling the enthusiasm of the crowd - thousands of people lined all the way to the back of the civic center, most of them sporting "Make America Great Again" hats. But just outside the camera frame - visible for a split second when it pulled back from Bunner's face to pan around - his own bright red MAGA hat peeked out from his duffel bag. KTTC-TV dismissed Bunner the next day, according to The Associated Press, after another reporter photographed him wearing the hat and posted it on Twitter. Caption: "Whyyyyy?" While Bunner could not be reached for comment, KTTC new director Noel Sederstrom told BuzzFeed News, "We don't allow our people to wear campaign clothing while on assignment." As BuzzFeed noted, Bunner's publicly available social media feed was full of his political views - something that The Washington Post, The New York Times, Politico and many other new outlets discourage. "I never have been a big Trump fan," Bunner wrote a few days after Election Day in 2016. "I love a lot of what he's saying and believe if he could live up to all of these promises he's made about immigration and the Supreme Court, he could be a fantastic president." "Look on the bright side," he added. "At least now Obama's legacy has been destroyed, Hillary Clinton will never be president, and there's gonna be a whole lot of pissed off liberals in the morning." A few months after KTTC hired him in December 2017, BuzzFeed reported, the reporter changed his Facebook profile image to a photo of himself in front of the White House with the caption: "I'm the NRA." While Sederstrom did not respond to a request for comment from The Post, the news director told BuzzFeed that Bunner's political views were not a factor in his dismissal. Wearing Trump campaign gear while on the job was. (c) 2018, The Washington Post. Written by Avi Selk. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! You would send all your data [from the app] to your area representative, otherwise they said you wouldnt get paid. It would record your start time, pause time and the time you finished, I think they would know how long it took for each of us to finish a contract. A contract would usually be about $20, but it was taking so much time, sometimes six to seven hours to sort the catalogues and three to four hours to deliver them, I worked out I was making about $2 an hour. After nearly 100 hours of work Young estimates she was only owed $150-200, but she never received any payment. Loading They [contractor] never asked for my banking details and when I told them I was quitting and needed to be paid, the lady went on holidays, she never got back to me," she says. Eventually I gave up, the only bonus is I dropped a clothing size. According to a Salmat area-representative-contractor in Melbourne, independent contractors are typically paid directly by Salmat. Salmat argues that independent contractors such as Young are not bound by the minimum wage as they are free to work how they please and accept or decline any contract. Legal experts say Salmats model raises questions about whether the walkers are really contractors or employees. Tess Hardy, a senior lecturer at Melbourne Law School and co-director of the Centre for Employment and Labour Relations Law, says she would be surprised if Salmat wasnt worried. Some suggest that the nature of letter distribution work is so unique that it falls outside the boundaries of the relevant employment regulations. Similar arguments are being made in the gig economy, Hardy says. Coles and Woolworths say they are looking into their relationship with Salmat. Credit:Sasha Woolley But in reality, the work is not that unique. Rather, it seems that Salmat either directly or via a subcontractor are engaging people to perform menial tasks in exchange for payment. The workers do not appear to be operating any genuine business of their own. Young did not have an ABN while working for Salmat, typically a requirement of independent contractors. For its part Salmat told investors recently that the app known as Salmathub - was a true differentiator that had excellent uptake and response from users in the field and clients. Investigation continues Fairfax Media revealed in September that the Fair Work Ombudsman is investigating Salmat. Major clients including Woolworths and Coles have said they are also looking into their relationship with the company. Hardy believes that, according to the information available, Salmats role and the exact contractual arrangements remain uncertain. If Salmat is paying the walkers directly, then it may be that Salmat is found to be the true employer. In any case, the fact that Salmat has engaged the walkers via a separate entity does not make them immune to liability. For example, where the head contractor has set the contract price at such a low level that it makes it impossible for the relevant employer to comply with their award obligations, then it is quite possible that the head contractor will be taken to be involved in the contravention and liable as an accessory under the Fair Work Act. Tough times Salmat started as pioneers of catalogue distribution marketing in Australia. It has since grown to a publicly listed company worth $114 million. But the company has endured a tough few years as its share price has fallen from almost $4 to 58 cents. The share price has fallen steadily since Fairfax Media first highlighted its labour practices dropping from just above 70 cents since the start of September. Salmats most recent results show it delivered 4.3 billion catalogues last financial year down 3 per cent on the previous year and it maintains the majority market share in the industry. Revenue fell 3.2 per cent to $250.2 million as the company reported a headline loss of $5.2 million and an underlying profit of $11.4 million. The marketing solutions arm had a drop-in revenue from $191.2 million to $176.9 million and a 5.7 per cent fall in its profit before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation to $16.6 million. It indicated that it would focus on streamlined operations, citing its Salmathub app as a key differentiator from competitors. The distribution industry Salmat is not alone in the business of letterbox distribution, competitor PMP boasts a reach of 7 million Australian households, and there are many smaller operations. Loading Carita Kazakoff, principal solicitor at Young Workers Centre and part of Slater & Gordons industrial and employment law team is working with some of the industrys exploited workers. Kazakoff believes in most cases the type of work being described in the catalogue industry is that of an employee, not a contractor. What is disgusting is these business models rely on a continuing practice of exploitation, she says. Workers are absolutely entitled to back pay claims if they have been getting paid under their award wage. Kazakoff believes this type of exploitation is widespread in any industry that relies so heavily on independent contractors. Its common in things like contract cleaning as well, she says. One walker who spoke on condition of confidentiality, accepts contracts from both Salmat and PMP in order to make about $12 an hour. He says PMP pays even less per contract than Salmat, offering as little as $11.07 per thousand households. Working out to under $2 an hour based on his average speed of 150 house per hour. PMP declined to comment on industry practices. Loading During the course of the investigation Fairfax has spoken to multiple people with stories of exploitation in the distribution industry - many of whom worked for smaller operations. Sites like Gumtree advertise jobs from large distributors like Salmat and PMP, to small businesses with some explicitly advertising pay rates at below minimum wage. Many require walkers to download some kind of tracking app. Others post warnings about contractors who have ripped them off. But the university stands by the program, telling The Canberra Times 10 of its top 20 researchers are either assistant professors or began as assistant professors. "[It demonstrates] the strength of the program and ... the accelerated career trajectory for academics," a spokesman said. He also pointed to the university's climbing world rankings, driven largely by research output. While the university did not provide the number of academics to successfully complete the scheme, the union said at least half of the assistant professors "put through the wringer" ended up without a job. "No temporary sugar hit in research rankings is worth the human cost of the assistant professor scheme," UC union president Craig Applegate said. Assistant professor Eamon Merrick, who is leaving the scheme early, said it had been "heart-wrenching" to watch his colleagues build a life in Canberra, starting families and buying houses, only to be told they hadn't made the cut. "There's some amazing academics working themselves to death trying to pass that review, we're all working evenings, weekends, suddenly you have to leave," he said. "You give a lot of yourself to your students, to your work ... and our research makes the university money, but when you hear assistant professors called a burn and churn strategy by [management] itself, it's pretty demoralising." Like most academics who spoke about the scheme, Dr Merrick said it had good intentions, but it would take coordinated mentorship and support to run properly - something he said was advertised but never delivered. UC promises a lot when they recruit but I don't feel like I've achieved as much as I could have elsewhere. Dr Eamon Merrick Without a senior colleague supervising their work, some assistant professors found it almost impossible to pull in research funding. Dr Merrick attracted investment by building a track record of small-scale pilot studies but his repeated requests for a mentor were only answered two years into the scheme, thanks to a supportive new faculty head. One academic, who has since left the scheme for another university and did not wish to be named, said she worked on average 60- to 70-hour weeks at UC to meet the "exhausting" demands of the assistant professor workload and still didn't feel she was doing enough. "You have to be almost superhuman, people had health issues, anxiety," she said. Loading "Academia always has high workload but not like this." Since leaving the university, she said her research had skyrocketed and her workload reduced from teaching three courses a semester on average to one. Many who had stayed behind in the scheme now felt "trapped", the academic said, and reported things had gotten worse. "No one speaks out about it but management need to be held to account I think, a lot of people are being exploited. "Some of the people they let go were top performers, I thought 'what chance do I have?'. Often it was just a letter, there was no feedback, no conversation, sometimes they didn't even get a contract expiry date, they had to call to find out if they could come into work the next day." They extract what they can and spit people out. Former UC assistant professor Professor Walker agreed the scheme seemed to depend on a failure rate as not everyone could get through without making the university "top heavy" in the professor ranks. "I'd hate to think it was [exploiting] people by design, that's not what we're about," he said. "There needs to be a way of keeping those performing well at the [lower] level. They are immensely valuable." Know more? sherryn.groch@fairfaxmedia.com.au Last month, union delegates walked out of an enterprise bargaining meeting in frustration after the university repeatedly failed to "take staff concerns seriously". A few weeks later, staff moved a motion to begin action for a strike, which could happen as early as October 17. Union officials say there is "a lot of anger on campus" as pay continues to lag behind the rest of the sector and workloads pile up on the desks of academic and professional staff. Earlier this year, the university finished up a "voluntary separation program" in which it spent more than $7 million paying staff to resign amid the federal government's funding freeze. But while the people had disappeared, the work hadn't, Dr Applegate said. Professor Walker said that, given the time lapse in research between writing and publication, it was likely some of the problems hitting overworked academics now wouldn't be reflected in university rankings for another two or three years. Of particular concern, he said, was the potentially discriminatory effect of the assistant professor scheme on women, who often reported their research momentum - and so survival at the university - was jeopardised by maternity leave. There is a proportionally high number of Mormon students in schools in western Sydney and Sikh students are concentrated in the Hills Shire. Of the 1400 Jewish students in NSW public schools, nearly 1050 attend just four schools, Bellevue Hill Public School, Killara High School, Rose Bay Public School and Rose Bay Secondary College, according to the latest data from the NSW Department of Education, which reveals pockets of particular religions throughout the state. Westfields Sports High School has a diversity of students from the smaller religions represented in NSW government schools. Credit:Chris Lane The highest concentration of students who were enrolled as Jehovah's Witnesses is in Tweed in northern NSW and there is also a proportionally high number of students prescribing to the faith in the Sydney suburb of Warringah and NSW's South Coast. Remy Low, a lecturer at the University of Sydney's school of education and social work, said the concentration of particular religious groups in some areas is "unsurprising" but has implications for individual school policies. Happiness Is ... Canberra Dance Theatre. Artistic director: Jacqui Simmonds. Various choreographers. The Street Theatre, Friday, October 12 and Saturday October 13 at 7pm and Sunday, October 14 at 5pm. thestreet.org.au. More about CDT: canberradancetheatre.org/. Participants in Happiness Is ...., the finale of Canberra Dance Theatre's 2018 production of the same name. In 2018. Canberra Dance Theatre is celebrating 40 years of teaching, performing and creating dance in the ACT community. To celebrate its 40th year, CDT is presenting Happiness Is ..., a program of short works at The Street Theatre. It's a reflection of past glories as well as celebrating the present and looking towards the future. Jacqui Simmonds, who's been CDT's artistic director since May last year, thinks the company has survived for four decades because people - ranging from adolescents to retirees - like to get involved and occupy themselves physically and mentally as well as enjoying the social element and working with dance professionals. Behind all the talk about the independence of the ABC lies a separate but gnawing concern that populism is increasingly trumping depth in the making of its programs. Michelle Guthrie was a late convert to quality reporting (staff still wince recalling her early advice to makers of Four Corners, that they should try doing some positive profiles of successful business leaders). But under her, and under budget pressure, senior management have been hacking away at serious programs in order to make way for topical and lighter fare. Guthrie presided over a downsizing of the ABCs flagship current affairs programs The World Today and PM, cutting both from one hour to half an hour. The ABC board sacked managing director Michelle Guthrie last month. Credit:AAP It has narrowed the range of topics focused on by those programs and limited their depth. Church overflows with mourners Hundreds of mourners, including government officials and diplomats, crowded the Toorak Presbyterian Church for Sir Keith Murdochs funeral while hundreds more waited outside. Every metropolitan newspaper in Australia was there including all the newspaper unions. Nearly five hundred wreaths carpeted the lawn in front of the church and later a procession of cars two miles long followed the cortege to the Springvale Crematorium. Highway robbery Ten bandits masked and armed with tommy-guns, blocked the main road near Ozieri, Sardinia. They held up more than 250 travellers for two hours, stealing money and valuables worth 30,000. The bandits joked boisterously with the men and women as they stripped them of their jewellery and valuables then dashed off to hills with their loot. The police had left the area to attend a city parade and receive their annual awards and medals. Letter to the Editor One man is fighting for life and six others have been injured following a crash involving a car and a minivan in Gladsville overnight. A Subaru Impreza and a Toyota Hiace collided head-on at the intersection of Victoria Road and Sulter Street about 11.30pm on Sunday. The 25-year-old male driver of the Impreza was initially trapped in the vehicle. After he was freed, he was taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in a critical condition, where he will also undergo mandatory testing. The six occupants of the Hiace were all injured in the crash and were in a stable condition. So began in 1868 the Lucy Osburn home for nursing adjacent to Sydney Hospital on Macquarie Street and built to plans approved by Nightingale. Lucy, with her brown moire silk uniform (with modified bustle) set about shaking things up. Sir Henry Parkes, longest non-consecutive premier of the Colony of NSW, wasn't happy with the state of nursing. He personally wrote to the lady with the lamp requesting a female superintendent and four nurses trained in the Nightingale method. Florence Nightingale was lauded for her work in the Crimea. She revolutionised the way the soldier was treated. The buildings whose doors are unlocked for Sydney Open next month can instil a variety of emotions. Claustrophobia in tunnels or vertigo atop tall towers. But mostly awe at remarkable architecture, old and new. The Lucy Osburn Museum instils something else. After a few moments the casual visitor may decide it is best to approach each display cabinet with a degree of trepidation. First off, in a small free-standing glass case affording a view from all sides, is "the hand". The hand is reminiscent of Thing in The Addams Family. With its curved finger and nail in need of a clip, it once belonged to Australia's first X-Ray technician. The harmful effect of repeated exposure to the remarkable rays was not appreciated back then and took their toll. The original owner kindly donated the appendage (voluntarily) in the interests of science. Hand belonging to Australias first radiographer. Credit:Nick Moir Think of a body part and you will find it here embedded in resin. Perhaps most challenging is evidence of a back-street abortion which neither mother nor fetus survived, thanks to gangrene. The builders of the spookiest places in Sydney, the unused St James tunnels, would be very disappointed at the proposed use (Turning hidden into hip is no easy task, October 6-7). Bars and their like will succeed if only for the strange shape and location. The tunnels were intended for the Eastern Suburbs Railway and could still serve that purpose. Based on Melbourne experience, the normal service capacity of the coming Eastern Suburbs tram service is around half the capacity (crushload) quoted by the government. The high number of major CBD intersections severely restricts services. A branch line is needed from Moore Park to Circular Quay a tunnel incorporating the ''spooky'' tunnels will offer four times the planned capacity. - Peter Egan, Artarmon The so-called new use of the unused St James train tunnels as underground bars beggars belief. There are enough drinking establishments in the CBD. The priority of this Liberal/National state government should be to provide us poor old commuters with efficient public transport. Those tunnels should be used to store peak-hour trains and/or a turnback facility. This would avoid trains having to go fully around the City Circle. But then again, its all about money, developers, privatisation and poor planning! Enough to send one to drink! - Brian Malligan, Dulwich Hill One hundred years ago John Bradfield began building a heavy rail system with a hub at St James. Instead of the tollway 1960s solution, imagine how much better than an underground coffee shop it would be if the billions spent on tollways went to completing his vision. - Ronald Smith, Waterloo Land Titles mistake Privatisation of the Land Titles Office appears to have been a major mistake by the NSW government (Privatised land titles registry hiked fees by 1900 per cent October 6-7). Gouging of prices has already begun. These failed neo-liberal policies have resulted in the corruption of integrity by the majority of privatised government entities, such as the banks and power utilities, which used to provide yearly returns to the government. One wonders what the role of government is anymore, other than being a conduit for taxpayers money to developers and privately owned companies. - Greg Thomas, Annandale The owners of the privatised NSW land titles registry have tried, unsuccessfully so far, to increase some fees by a whopping 1900 per cent. This is on top of shedding 20 per cent of staff. Is privatisation working? Well it is for those who bought government enterprises, but not for the citizens of NSW. - Arthur Hennessy, Gymea Bay Bowing to racing industry? Shame I am disgusted to read of Gladys Berejiklians instruction to the Opera House to allow the sails to promote Racing NSW (After jockeying from Jones, racing gets a win, October 6-7). Very tacky and an insult to Joern Utzon. -Bernadette Rice, Unanderra Scott Morrison says Why dont we put it (racing advertising) on the biggest billboard we have?. Because we are better than that, Prime Minister. - Greg Phillipson, Aranda (ACT) Can we imagine the Eiffel Tower, London Bridge, Statue of Liberty or Taj Mahal being hung with promotion of a horse-racing event? So why the Everest logo on the equally iconic Sydney Opera House? Berejiklian is displaying not only our states cultural depravity but its complete enslavement to gambling revenue now that the income-generating public assets (such as land titles registry) have been sold off. What makes this decision even more heinous is that such sacrilege occurs on the SOHs 45th birthday. - Polly Seidler, Darlinghurst Shame on you for letting Alan Jones yet again dictate government decisions. Why do you give this bully so much power? Its a disgrace. - Victoria Bel, Paddington Gladys this is your greyhound moment. - Tristan Parry, Cremorne Gladys! How could you? - Christine Pulley, Armidale You have lost my vote. The Opera House is not a billboard for crass commercialism. - Nicole Oldfield, Wahroonga Opera House chief executive Louise Herron was correct to oppose the projection of the images onto the sails of the SOH as requested by Racing NSW. The Premiers decision to overrule Herron and her treatment by Jones is nothing short of disgusting. - Jennifer Winten, Cremorne Point While one can be critical of the Premier for caving in, it does raise another issue of the difficulty for any woman in confronting aggressive male bullying. That is why we have such a strong womens movement of solidarity sweeping the US, dividing their society as it grows. This man must not be allowed continued access to a media platform. - Rosemary McDonald, Beecroft All Herron did was defend the artistic integrity of the institution she is charged with managing. I suspect Jones will get his wish and another woman will lose her head. - Shirley Whybrow, Balmain One can imagine the impact on a young child listening to Jones bullying of Herron. Could we expect the Premier to stand up and demand a much higher standard? Her craven surrender was standard in the face of Jones, and reinforces the standard she has set. - Michael Perry, Murwillumbah On behalf of Herron to Jones: Who do you think you are? - Clive Kessler, Randwick Who the hell do you think who do you think you are? - Richard Lees, Rosebery When was Bully Jones elected to the NSW legislature? - Antoinette Riley, Marrickville No matter who you vote for next March, it seems Jones will still run the show. - Anne Carrick, Maianbar Who do I vote for if I dont want Jones running the state? - Pepita Maiden, Bondi We might have a cost-cutting opportunity here. Why not get rid of all elected representatives? Jones wont need more pay as hes getting results as it is. We mostly wont like his choices, but whats new? - Elizabeth Sayers, Wentworth Falls Why doesnt Jones use his bullying powers for something useful, such as fixing the light-rail project? - David Farrell, Erskineville The Opera House was inscribed on the World Heritage List as a globally significant work of creative genius. The Sydney Opera House Trust, its Conservation Council, and Herron manage and conserve this outstanding icon of Sydney and Australia and, with support from the NSW government, are facilitating essential operational improvements that will allow it to continue its important role in the cultural life of Sydney for generations to come. Demeaning its aesthetic value to promote a horse race and gambling is ill-informed, inconsistent with the heritage values of the Opera House itself, and arguably contrary to the obligations that arise under Australian heritage legislation and the World Heritage Convention. Is this, perhaps, globally significant stupidity? - Richard Mackay, Roseville (Past chair, Australian World Heritage Advisory Committee) To what further depths of vandalism, philistinism and aesthetic nihilism can this government plunge? Having already flogged off historic buildings, dispersed public art collections, felled whole avenues of noble trees, torn the heart out of the capital to pursue a dubious light-rail project, compromised whole suburbs for roadworks, now at the behest of a shock jock they endorse this ultimate obscenity.Would London, Paris, Berlin or San Francisco sanction such crass behaviour? Sydney is a great city but its being treated like a town in the Klondike during the 1890s, when the only thing on anyones mind was gold. - Leo Schofield, Potts Point I live a 20-minute walk from Randwick Racecourse and I try to get to every meeting held there. But in case my attendance is seen as supporting those crass fools Peter Vlandys, Alan Jones et al, Ill be giving the Everest a miss this year. - Tony Moore, Queens Park How does naming a horse race after a foreign location promote Sydney internationally, Mr Vlandys? - Hannah Lane, Wollstonecraft I will be happy to see the Opera House sails turned into an advertising billboard when the Queen starts wearing a McVities Chocolate Digestive Biscuit wrapper as a hat, while carrying a Waitrose shopping bag. - Kristina Vingis, Church Point If, as it seems, all bets are off in regard to what message is permitted on the sails, let us go back to NO WAR. - Judy Sherrington, Kensington Hey Sydney, what are you doing to our Opera House? - Darryl Emmerson, Ballarat (Vic) Oh Sydney: all fur coat and no knickers. - Barbara Simmons, Mirador LEGO whiz has my vote Congratulations to Ryan McNaught, who so painstakingly re-created the Australian Parliament with 152,690 LEGO pieces (Inside the stunning and hilarious LEGO Parliament House replica, smh.com.au, October 6). What an amazing feat to show us question time without sound no yelling, sniping, whining, interjections, threats or any of the all-round venom that normally characterises it. He has my vote. - Lorraine Hickey, Khaolak (Thailand) Two people charged over a shooting at a popular Darling Harbour restaurant will face court after they were nabbed inside a western Sydney hotel room. Officers were called to Italian eatery Criniti's on Darling Drive after reports a man had fired a shot about 9pm on Saturday, September 15. No injuries were reported. Criniti's on Darling Drive. Credit:Fairfax Media Police investigating the incident arrested a man and woman at a hotel on Church Street about 3.30am on Sunday. I tried many different drugs for the first time and that simply wasnt my experience, he said. In some cases I had a great time and it just reeled me in slowly over time. But that drugs are bad; dont do drugs' head-in-the-sand type of approach led me to believe it was perhaps an urban myth and a bit of a lie. Former ice addict Greg talks with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk after launch of new anti-ice campaign in Queensland. Credit:Tony Moore That is why I carried on. I think to be honest and aware in our society and to realise that addiction is a problem in our society and to promote recovery - as opposed to stay away from drugs - is a much more important message. Greg was never told recovering from drug addiction was possible. I never knew of anyone to become clean and sober or remain abstinent from drug use and finding help was just difficult, he said. The decision to ask for help was the hardest for any addict, he said, saying the single thing that helped him quit was realising he was not the only person suffering addiction. The thing that helped me was to be part of the journey of recovery with other people, he said. I felt really isolated and alone and felt that I was the only one who suffered the issues I was having at the time. To move into recovery and learn that there was a whole bunch of people who had the same experience as me and were already years into recovery and were willing to tell me their stories. I could relate to them and slowly but surely they gave me a little bit of hope that recovery was possible. For others, that help could come from the Queensland governments new five-year $100 million Ice Help campaign beginning on Sunday. It features six former addicts telling their stories. It aims to choke off the supply of ice at a grassroots level, to offer targeted counselling and run a $3 million television and social media campaign to let former ice addicts tell their story. The campaign was launched in Brisbane on Sunday by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Police Commissioner Ian Stewart. Ms Palaszczuk urged everyone to take note of the campaign because the ice epidemic is insidious. How a drug lab would look in your neighbours garage Credit:Tony Moore If you have a loved one who is currently experiencing ice addiction there is a path to recovery, she said. As a little girl, Anne-Marie Dowling loved to dance, going to weekly classes at Marjorie Clarke's ballet school in Church Street, Brighton. It was bliss to dress up and perform The Sleeping Beauty and Les Sylphides in concert. But she was one of five siblings, and so at age 12, the family finances didn't allow her to continue. She never lost her passion for dance, however. And last year at age 74, she resumed ballet classes. Paige Dent died in a car crash early on Saturday morning. Credit:Facebook The father of a young woman who died in a horror car smash in Melbournes south-east has paid tribute to his daughter's wicked sense of humour and appetite for life. Paige Dent, 25, died when she crashed into a pole outside Southland shopping centre early on Saturday morning. Police say the Dandenong woman was driving a blue BMW sedan at high speed around 5.30am when it hit a pole on Nepean Highway between Centre Dandenong Road and Bay Road in Cheltenham. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has launched a national campaign rebadging Labor as the Fair Go party in a bid to head off any electoral clawback by new Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Taking the stage at the Revesby Workers Club on Sunday morning, in the highly marginal south-western Sydney seat of Banks, Mr Shorten promised that his united, steady and stable team would hand a better deal to the next generation than the one we received. He outlined a five-point Action Plan which retains health and education as key pillars, while also pledging to ease pressure on family budgets, build a strong economy that works in the interests of all Australians, not just the lucky few, end the climate change wars and deliver a better deal for workers. Against a backdrop of red balloons and banners, with a large cohort of red-T-shirted Labor volunteers flanking the room, Mr Shorten said he was taking nothing for granted despite the recent bloodshed inside the federal Liberal Party. Like a Le Mans Formula 1 start, cabinet ministers and their shadows are lining up this week to blanket the electorate of Wentworth in a dash to the finishing line for an October 20 byelection. At risk of stating the obvious, this is shaping as the most consequential byelection in Australian political history. If Sharmas primary vote were to slip back into the 30s he would be in big, big trouble given the near certainty of strong preference flows against him. Credit:AAP Loss of Wentworth would not simply rob the government of its majority, it would presage an intensification of a wider battle for the heart and soul of the Liberal Party, as a Cabinet moderate put it to me this past week. Having failed to hijack the party by installing Peter Dutton as leader, the right persists in a relentless campaign on issues like climate against party moderates, now referred to by its media acolytes, opportunistically, as the left. Sydney's booming economy has helped push last year's budget surplus in NSW over the $4 billion mark. The Berejiklian government's final report on the 2017-18 financial year showed the surplus came in at a better-than-expected $4.2 billion - $242 million more than what was forecasted in the June budget. The state's net debt postion also improved for a third consecutive year - on that count NSW ended up being in the black to the tune $11.2 billion in 2017-18. NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet during Question Time. Credit:AAP The healthy budget result for last financial year reflects a long period of economic strength in NSW, including Sydney's long property boom and relatively low unemployment. I was worried when I heard about these polio cases, he said. It made me think we must avoid this. Last month a six-year-old boy living at the nearby 5-Mile settlement was diagnosed with polio. It was the first case in Port Moresby and sparked fears the virus would spread further in the national capital and biggest city. One-year-old Wanita receives a Polio vaccination. Credit:Louise Kennerley Officials have confirmed a nine-year-old boy with polio died in the north-western Enga province, although the World Health Organisation says the child was also diagnosed with TB-meningitis. The WHO representative in PNG, Dr Luo Dapeng, said the boys death highlighted the need to ensure children are immunised. No child should die from any vaccine-preventable disease, he said. In late June a national emergency was declared in PNG after a case of polio was confirmed in the port city of Lae on the countrys north coast. Since then, cases have been confirmed in a total of six provinces, including some in PNGs rugged highlands region. A boy's finger is marked with black after a Polio vaccination. Credit:Louise Kennerley The government says around half a million children have been vaccinated in areas deemed to be at the highest risk. Health officials are now scaling up an ambitious nation-wide polio vaccination drive to immunise every child in PNG under the age of 15 a total of around 3.3 million. Loading The WHO said 9000 workers were being mobilised for the campaign, many of them volunteers. Keith Feldon, the co-coordinator of PNGs national polio emergency response, said relatively low vaccination rates in PNG has left many children vulnerable. The immunisation coverage has been suboptimal for many years, he said. We estimate that for children under the age of 15 in Papua New Guinea we have about 800,000 that are unprotected from polio before this vaccination campaign, which is a sizeable amount. PNGs difficult terrain and the remoteness of many communities make it a challenging campaign. Its a very big effort even though its a relatively small country, said Feldon. The polio outbreak has drawn attention to deficiencies with PNGs health system. Last month Foreign Minister Marise Payne announced Australia would provide an extra $10 million to support PNGs polio vaccination campaign and help combat other infectious diseases. PNG is our nearest neighbour, she said in a statement. Outbreaks of infectious diseases are a threat to both PNGs and Australias health security. PNG was declared polio-free in 2000, along with the rest of the Pacific region. The re-emergence of polio in both large urban centres and small remote communities in PNG shows how easily and quickly the virus can spread. Polio vaccinations at the 8 Mile Settlement just outside Port Moresby. Credit:Louise Kennerley Justine McMahon, the PNG country director of aid agency CARE International, said most of PNGs population live in rural, and often remote, areas making basic health services difficult and expensive to deliver. To get good coverage across PNG, normal childhood immunisations have to happen routinely, as they do in Australia, she said. Cost, location, education, availability of vaccines and an over-burdened health system mean that this isnt happening as it should. More financial assistance will be needed if higher vaccination rates are to be sustained, McMahon said. Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a highly infectious virus which is transmitted person-to-person and mainly affects young children. Around one in every 200 cases results in irreversible paralysis with a small proportion of those dying because they cannot breathe. There is no cure for polio so it can only be combated by vaccination. The polio virus is only known to be present in a small number of countries apart from PNG, including Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan. An official report on the polio outbreak response released on Monday provided some details on the initial case in PNG's polio emergency. The patient, a six-year-old boy named Gafo from the Morobe province, has survived the illness but his paralysis "will never be cured". The report said that a few weeks ago "Gafo was unable to walk and had to be carried everywhere" but that his mobility had since improved with therapy. "He still cannot run, but has developed his own unique gait, moving rapidly to keep up with his friends and his sister Sola, it said. Tokyo: It's going to be tough to replace 83 years' worth of grime. As the fishmongers of Tokyo's famed wholesale seafood market, Tsukiji, opened for their final day at their familiar site on Saturday, they and their customers lamented the end of an era of grunge. "Dirty is best," said Yoshitaka Moria, 38, an owner of a fish shop in the Ota ward of Tokyo, who regularly shops for seafood at Tsukiji and was buying an assortment of tuna, sea bream, oysters and amberjack on Saturday morning. "It makes this place so vibrant. I know that the fishmongers are working too hard to clean up." Mikio Wachi, 73, who has run a tuna wholesaler for 48 years and opposed the relocation of Tsukiji, the famed wholesale seafood market in Tokyo, pictured on the last day on Saturday. Credit:New York Times In the waning hours of the market believed to be the world's largest for seafood, the lumpy cobblestone alleys, sprawled across 57 acres, were soaked in bloodied water, and forbidden cigarette butts mingled with fragments of bone and guts. Port-au-Prince: An earthquake that struck off the northern coast of Haiti late on Saturday killed at least 11 people and injured more than a hundred when several buildings collapsed in the impoverished Caribbean country, officials said. The magnitude 5.9 quake was centred about 20 kilometres west-northwest of the coastal town of Port-de-Paix, at a depth of 11.7 kilometres, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. The police chief for the north-west region, Jackson Hilaire, said at least seven people were killed and more than 100 injured in Port-de-Paix. USGS map showing where the earthquake struck Haiti on October 7, 2018. Credit:USGS Another four people died in and around the town of Gros-Morne further south, including a boy struck by a falling building, said mayor Jean Renel Tide. Edinburgh: Tens of thousands have marched through the streets of Edinburgh to show support for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom, a cause Scottish nationalists say has drawn strength from Britain's struggles to leave the European Union. The campaigners waved giant blue Scotland flags and sported kilts as they congregated in a park near the Scottish Parliament building. The Scottish National Party (SNP), which backs secession from the UK and has almost half the seats in the country's devolved parliament, starts its annual conference today (Sunday GMT). A Reuters journalist at the march estimated there were several tens of thousands of people present. There were a handful of pro-union counter-protesters waving British flags. "For years, the question was who's the swing justice, and I'm not sure there will be one moving forward," Clement said at the same Georgetown Law preview of the term. It is more accurate to think of Roberts as a "governor switch", Clement said, determining "whether the court moves quickly or slowly." The court's liberals already have expressed alarm. At a forum on Friday at their alma mater Princeton, Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan worried about not only how the partisan battle over Kavanaugh might affect the court's reputation, but also about how the court might change. Chief Justice John Roberts, right, administers the Constitutional Oath to Judge Brett Kavanaugh in the Justices' Conference Room of the Supreme Court Building. Credit:AP "I think it's been an extremely important thing for the court that in the last really 30 years, starting with Justice O'Connor and continuing with Justice Kennedy, there has been a person who people found the centre, who people couldn't predict in that sort of way," Kagan said. "And that's enabled the court to look as though it was not owned by one side or another, and was indeed impartial and neutral and fair. It's not so clear, I think, going forward, that that sort of middle position - it's not so clear whether we'll have it." Of course, it was only two years ago that it seemed another side might own the court. After Justice Antonin Scalia's death, President Barack Obama's nomination of Judge Merrick Garland would have given liberals a majority on the court. Jessica Campbell-Swanson, an activist from Denver, sits in the lap of a sculpture known as the Statue of Contemplation of Justice on the steps of the Supreme Court Building where she and others protested the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh as the high court's newest justice, in Washington, on Saturday. Credit:AP But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to let the nomination proceed, in hopes that a Republican president would fill the opening. As a result, Roberts will play a unique role; not only is he likely to be the median justice, as the court's chief he decides which justice writes the opinion when he is in the majority. John Elwood, a Washington lawyer who practises before the court, predicted that Roberts might try to bring Kagan on board for some decisions - he has been successful in the past, when the decisions have been narrow - to minimise the number of 5-to-4 splits. It has been clear in the past that Roberts has been reluctant to be viewed as overturning the court's precedents, the doctrine know as stare decisis. The key issue, said Washington lawyer Kannon Shanmugam, another Supreme Court regular, is "how is the new court - because the court is always a new court when it has a new member - going to approach the subject of stare decisis and the extent the new justice has diverging views from Justice Kennedy. . . . I think there are good reasons to believe it will be gradual." Gornstein agreed. "There is a risk. If we see one 5-4 decision after another, with Democrats on the four and Republicans-appointed on the five, the country at large will no longer view the Supreme Court in the same way it does now," he said. He said that Roberts has "mentioned this on more than one occasion. This is an outcome he fears more than almost any other" But the difference between fast and gradual, said Donald Verrilli, solicitor general under Obama, "is between one and five years." Loading Roberts' pattern, Verrilli said, is to raise questions about an issue in one decision, and then to act decisively when the next one comes along. That is how the court's conservatives removed a key portion of the Voting Rights Act, for instance, and reversed the court's precedent relating to public employee union dues. And the direction of the court is not solely up to Roberts. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Kavanaugh are all thought to be to the chief justice's right, and it takes only four justices to accept a case. They might be willing to take on an issue even without Roberts' support, figuring that the chief justice would vote their way. Thomas and Gorsuch, Trump's other nominee to the court, in particular have shown that they are willing to reverse the court's precedents. Orin Kerr, a law professor at the University of Southern California who frequently writes about the court, predicts that the four will be presented with many opportunities. "This will unleash a lot of test cases," Kerr wrote in a series of tweets. Loading "Kavanaugh's confirmation will mean that, for the first time in most of our lifetimes, there is a clear majority of conservative Justices. No mushy middles of Powell, O'Connor, Kennedy, but rather five solid conservatives." The most obvious places to look for change are the areas where Kavanaugh seems to differ from Kennedy, his former boss and mentor. Gun control might be one area. Since the court recognised a Second Amendment right for people to own handguns for protection in their homes, gun advocates have been stymied in their efforts to get the Supreme Court to accept challenges to state and local bans on military-style rifles or other restrictions, such as on the right to carry weapons. Speculation is that the court was unsure of Kennedy's position, and that there was no reason to accept the case with the outcome in doubt. Abortion, affirmative action, executive power, the death penalty and religious rights are all areas where Kavanaugh is thought to be to the right of Kennedy. Moreover, Clement said the new court might be a less "tantalising" prospect for lawsuits from Democratic attorneys general challenging Trump administration initiatives. Sao Paulo: Nearly 150 million voters in Latin America's largest nation cast ballots in a landmark election on Sunday pitting a far-right candidate fan of US President Donald Trump, against a crammed field of opponents in the most divisive presidential race here since the restoration of democracy in 1985. A woman and a drag queen pose for a photo backdropped by a billboard with a message that reads in Portuguese: "Not Him", in reference to presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro has a long history of offensive comments about gays, women and minorities. Credit:AP The campaign to lead Brazil harboured echoes of the 2016 race for the White House, with Brazilians polarised over Jair Bolsonaro - a 63-year-old former army captain with a legacy of incendiary remarks denigrating women, minorities and the LBGT community. Bolsonaro has toned down his rhetoric while seeking to expand his appeal, staging a surge that has solidified him in opinion polls as the front-runner in the race. He secured 46 per cent of votes with 99 per cent counted three hours after polls closed. His closest opponent, Fernando Haddad secured at least 29 per cent. Neither achieved the required 50 per cent plus 1 vote to avoid a run-off. The results include more than 500,000 votes cast by Brazilian expatriates in 99 countries, according to major local newspaper Estadao. A win for Bolsonaro in the second round on October 28 would mark a huge march forward in the heart of Latin America for a burgeoning global movement of right-wing populists who have already captured presidencies in the United States, Eastern Europe and the Philippines. It would also amount to a particular feat in Brazil - a nation that, as recently as the 2000s, was seen as a leader of the international left under former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The Marines involved with the kickoff event at the MarshWalk in Murrells Inlet were, from left, PFC Dick Richards, Maj. Chris Williams, Sgt. Don Corinna (Georgetown Toys for Tots coordinator) and Lt. Cpl. Tamie Boger. BREMEN, Germany Chinese startup Landspace announced Oct. 1 that it will launch its Zhuque-1 launch vehicle later this month, which would be the first Chinese private orbital launch if successful. At a news conference on the opening day of the International Astronautical Conference here, Landspace said it will launch the Zhuque-1 three-stage solid-propellant rocket near the end of October, with the exact date to be decided. The rocket left a site in Xi'an Sept. 27 for transport to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, one of four national launch sites, located in the Gobi Desert in the northwestof the country. [China in Space: The Latest News and Missions] Zhuque-1 is a 19-meter-tall, 1.3-meter-diameter rocket with a takeoff mass of 27 metric tons and thrust of 45 tons, able to carry 200 kilograms to 500-kilometer Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) and 300 kilograms to a 300-kilometer low Earth orbit. Aboard the first flight will be the small "Future" (Weila-1) satellite for China Central Television (CCTV) for space science experiments, remote sensing and use in a television show. A successful launch would be a landmark moment for China's emerging commercial space sector, which has so far seen two suborbital launches apiece by companies named OneSpace and iSpace. While being on the cusp of this achievement, Landspace is already looking to future developments. Move to reusable methalox launchers Landspace CEO Zhang Changwu stated that a more important step was a firing last week of a combustion chamber as part of development of a new launch vehicle. The test was a big step in the development of the 80-ton thrust liquid methane-liquid oxygen engine named Tianque and developed from scratch which will power the larger, medium-lift Zhuque-2 launch vehicle, and took place at the company's "intelligent manufacture base" in Huzhou, one of three Landspace sites along with research and development sites in Beijing and Xi'an. The final engine will have specific impulse in vacuum of 350 seconds with a total weight of 1.3 tons and a nozzle diameter of 1.5 meters. "We're very close to full system, and this year we will test it at our own facilities," Zhang said. Zhang said Landspace sees its future in providing medium-lift capabilities with liquid, rather than solid, launchers. "We don't know how many Zhuque-1 flights will take place, but the development has been very important for the larger methane rockets," Zhang said. The two-stage Zhuque-2, which Landspace aims to manufacture next year and launch in 2020, will measure 48.8-meters tall with a diameter of 3.35 meters and be capable of delivering a 4,000-kilogram payload capacity to a 200-kilometer low Earth orbit and 2,000 kilograms to 500-kilometer SSO, using 80-ton and 10-ton methane engines. It will be the first in a series of methalox rockets. Powered by variable thrust methalox engines, Landspace will be attempting to land and reuse the first stages. The future ZQ-2A, B and C three-stage rockets will aim to be able to lift 6,000, 17,000 and 32,000 kilograms to 200-kilometer low Earth orbit, respectively underlining ambitions that currently go well beyond those of other emerging private launch companies in China. Zhang says the methalox engine is a first for China, and that Landspace is the only private company Asked if he sees Landspace and other Chinese private launch ventures as being disruptive to China's state-owned space contractors, Zhang responded that the company, "regards itself as supplementary factor in the space industry in China." But there is ambition to grow, Zhang reveals: "In [the] future if we can prove our launchers are reliable and economic, we also believe we can get some missions from the government." In response to a question on what support Landspace has had from the Chinese government and space contractors in terms of finance and technology, Zhang offered only that, "the most encouragement from the government is [that it] allows us to develop these technologies and give us permission to conduct the launch. This is already extremely important for us." This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry. I am writing once again to express my thoughts on present day political races, Supreme Court nominees and the general feeling of division in this country. As a concerned citizen of the great state of Tennessee I just want what is best for our state and country. First, the concerns of everyone concerning the nomination of Brett Kavenaugh for Supreme Court justice. I feel badly for Prof. Ford and her willingness to testify in front of a divided senate judicial committee. I am sure as she stated it was a very terrifying moment in her life. But, I feel that anyone who suffered a such a traumatic moment in their life should have made sure that friends or family was aware of it immediately. If not at the party she attended that night, but at least to friends. I understand in the immediate aftermath that you're scared, cautious of how you will be perceived and be labeled with a title that doesn't reflect who you really know who you are. I am sure everyone has stories of events that affected them one way or another in their life, I know I do. But, to expose it 36 years later concerning someone you have been out of touch with for so long just doesn't make sense to me. Mr. Kavanaugh's recollection that it did not happen poises the problem of a "he said, she said" dilemma that cannot be proven without recorded facts or probable eyewitnesses or reported first hand knowledge at the time of the incident. All I see from the public and opposing senators is you are presumed guilty until proven innocent. If there were proven and substantiated facts to prove this happened then Kavenaugh should not be allowed to even be nominated as a dogcatcher. Now concerning our nomination of the next senator for the state of Tennessee, and once again this my opinion. I wish Marsha Blackburn would explain more of what she wants to accomplish as a senator for the state of Tennessee than what she proposes for the whole country. I personally could care less if the wall is built between Mexico and the U.S and that is because the nearest ending point is about a thousand miles from Tennessee. My trepidation is as she states she will support the wall paid for with our money, not Mexico's as was stated in 2016. She is against sanctuary cities and promises to do away with them, but there are no cities like that in the state of Tennessee (I googled it) and I don't like the ads against her for her opioid votes which is the most important one to me. If you as an individual or family has not had to deal with this horrible addiction then "God Bless You" and be thankful. And finally, I so wish we could stop being a nation of tribes, Republican or Democrat, in which every issue has an opposing side with no chance of being negotiated in congress or the senate. Why can't we just agree to disagree, but work together to come to a suitable conclusion that works for everyone. How hard is that? Why have opposing parties set in two different sections in their prospective U.S. houses and everyone mingle together for everyone's benefit. That's the way this country was set up - do you remember the United States Constitution and Declaration of Independence? People working together, where did that go? Clifton W. Duggan Selectman moves for disposal of old town records In an effort to clear town vaults and other storage places of an accumulation of obsolete and duplicate records, many of which date more than 10 years, First Selectman George T. Barrett and Harold S. Burt, state examiner of public records, will confer here Tuesday afternoon. Arrangements for the conference were completed following an exchange of correspondence between Mr. Barrett and the State Commissioner of Public Records. In a letter to the State Commissioner of Public Records, Mr. Barrett said: We have in the files of the Town of Stamford a burdensome accumulation of obsolete records and of duplicate records, which we would like to dispose of in order to economize space and make room for future records. 50 years ago School buses unsafe, NAACP head charges Inadequate and dangerous are two words used to describe the Stamford school bus service for public school students by the Rev. Orvel Black, president of the Stamford branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In a letter to Superintendent of Schools Joseph B. Porter, Black said, Many of our junior high school students at Turn of River Junior High have continually been late to school in the morning because their bus pick up has been as late as 8:45 or 9. These students arrive at school after the first period of the day is completed. Porter was unavailable for comment. He was visiting the schools, which are celebrating fire prevention week. 25 years ago Stamford wants out of parking business Stamford officials are reviewing plans from three companies interested in managing the citys downtown parking facilities. An increase in nighttime activity downtown has created a demand for parking and its time to turn it over to the professionals, Public Works Commissioner Michael Pavia said at a meeting of the Traffic and Parking Commission. The city of Stamford cannot commit the resources to provide full-time management sufficient to address the variety of parking needs downtown, said Pavia, who has stepped in as traffic and parking director until a new one is chosen. erin.kayata@stamfordadvocate.com; (203) 964-2265; @erin_kayata WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he never considered urging the White House to withdraw Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court and called opposition to the judge a "great political gift" for Republicans ahead of next month's midterm elections. In an interview with The Washington Post hours before Kavanaugh's near-certain confirmation on Saturday afternoon, the Kentucky Republican again underscored his confidence in Kavanaugh's denials of allegations of sexual misconduct decades ago while decrying the protesters who have challenged senators for days. "I never thought Judge Kavanaugh would withdraw," McConnell said during the interview with The Post. "When your integrity is attacked like his was, a withdrawal was certainly no solution to that, so we were in the fight to the finish." McConnell, overseeing a razor-thin 51-49 GOP majority, said the GOP is already seeing a boost in polling in Senate races due to the Democratic opposition to Kavanaugh combined with the protests. Republicans are on offense in the fight for control of the Senate, with 10 Democrats seeking re-election in states President Donald Trump won in 2016. "It's been a great political gift for us. The tactics have energized our base," he said, adding: "I want to thank the mob, because they've done the one thing we were having trouble doing, which was energizing our base." McConnell said he became confident he had the votes only when the roll call occurred Friday morning, when the Senate narrowly moved to advance Kavanaugh's nomination. He announced last week that the Senate would vote on Friday following a brief FBI investigation - a probe demanded by a trio of influential Republican senators who had yet to announce how they would vote on Kavanaugh's nomination. The White House, McConnell said, "took some grief for a decision they didn't make" - referring to the scope of the FBI's background investigation into allegations that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted two women in separate instances decades ago. Kavanaugh has vehemently denied all accusations of misconduct, and McConnell said the report was "reassuring." McConnell - who swiftly declared "I believe the women" when Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore faced allegations of sexual misconduct - declined to answer directly when asked whether he believed any part of the testimony from Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers more than three decades ago. "Well you know, we had an FBI investigation to follow up. Every one of us had a chance to look at the facts, to listen to the testimony of both witnesses," McConnell said. "We made a decision, and Judge Kavanaugh's probably sitting on the Supreme Court." McConnell's full-throated support of Kavanaugh is also notable partly because the federal appeals court judge wasn't the majority leader's first choice. Before Kavanaugh was announced July 9 as Trump's nominee, McConnell said had been privately advocating for Amul Thapar, who currently sits on the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and is a fellow Kentuckian. The New York Times reported July 7 that McConnell had warned the White House that Kavanaugh's lengthy paper trail from his tenure in the George W. Bush White House would be challenging in trying to confirm him. "I said to the White House, the only challenge I thought would be the voluminous paper. And sure enough, it was one of the many tactics the Democrats tried to use," McConnell said. "But I think voluminous paper was certainly not a rationale for not making the nomination." In the Post interview, McConnell praised Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine - who detailed in a lengthy speech Friday afternoon why she decided to back Kavanaugh - calling her a "very independent" and "very smart" GOP senator who "went through this very thoughtfully." But McConnell twice declined to comment on the decision by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, to oppose Kavanaugh. Murkowski raised questions about Kavanaugh's temperament for the bench after watching his combative testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week. "Well, I'm just grateful we won, and I'm not going to go back and critique every utterance by members on either side," McConnell said when asked for the second time about Murkowski. "We're gonna win this. This was important for the country that we were not steamrolled." McConnell made several references to the "mob" of energized anti-Kavanaugh protesters who flooded the Capitol this week - many of whom were assembled outside the Senate on Saturday morning as the chamber prepared to vote on his confirmation. While thanking Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. - the only Democrat who has announced his support for Kavanaugh - McConnell predicted that the opposition to the judge from senators such as Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., and Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., is a "big problem" for them and a "great asset for us politically." "Nothing brings home the importance of the Senate like a court fight and nothing unifies Republicans like the courts," he said. "Whether you're a Trump Republican or a Bush Republican or whatever kind of Republican you are, we all think putting strict constructionists on the courts is important." The Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools (AROS), a coalition of parent, community and labor groups, recently issued a report, Confronting the Education Debt, finding that over the past 13 years, the United States has underfunded its schools by more than $580 billion in federal dollars alone. The group focused thirteen-year-span because it corresponds to the public school experience, from kindergarten, of a student graduating in 2017. As AROS notes, federal funds amount to a very small portion, about 8 percent, of a school districts education funding. However, the bulk of these funds is targeted to some of the neediest children, children living in poverty and students with disabilities, so these small amounts make a big difference for impoverished school districts. Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, enacted in 1965 was intended to direct federal funds to schools with high concentrations of poverty. Since its enactment, Title I has never been fully funded. In the past 13 years, Congress has only appropriated on average only fourteen percent of the full-funding amount. Nationwide, our poorest districts have been shortchanged almost $350 billion dollars over the past thirteen years alone. Connecticuts poorest districts lost out on over $3 billion dollars since 2005; and over $300 million in 2017 alone. The Individual with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) of 1975 was designed to address the needs of students with disabilities. Congress promised to fund 40 percent of the cost of educating students with disabilities under this law; however, IDEA too has been underfunded since its inception. Over the past thirteen years, Congress has appropriated on average only 16 percent of the full-funding amount, resulting in a loss of at least $233 billion. Connecticuts students with disabilities lost over two billion dollars during this period; and over $189 million in 2017 alone. The federal funding shortfalls for Connecticuts most vulnerable students compound the deficiencies in what should be their largest funding source: state dollars. In this gubernatorial election season, where the Republican candidate is pledging to drastically reduce public revenue and the Democratic candidate can only commit to flat funding education, it is important to review the conditions in our states poorest schools. Recall that the CCJEF court found severe deprivations of critical educational resources in Connecticuts poorest districts. These schools lacked preschool, bilingual services, social workers, guidance counselors, reading and math interventions and other staff and services necessary for underserved children to access their rights to an education. Connecticuts highest court agreed that these deprivations exist and that the lack of these programs, staff and services impedes the ability of Connecticuts most vulnerable students to access the states educational offerings. These severe resource deficiencies have not magically gone away. In fact, they are likely to get worse. The legislature tinkered with the Educational Cost Sharing (ECS) Formula last session but the end result of the legislative session was a net reduction in ECS funding. The legislature reduced overall state education funding, knowing that our neediest children in Bridgeport, New London, Windham and elsewhere across the state lack the basic building blocks of an adequate education. Our poorest districts are also majority students of color. Thus, providing adequate education funding is not only a matter of basic fairness, but it also a matter of racial justice. A state budget reflects what state leaders value. If our leaders value our children, particularly our most underserved children, then they must, once and for all, put their money where their mouths are. To enact meaningful school finance reform, which does not mean just shifting inadequate resources around, they must first assess the real cost of education today in Connecticut, then find a way to pay for it. Providing out most vulnerable students with basic, indispensable educational resources should be our top priority. In this election season it is up to us to make sure those who want to be our representatives and those who want to remain our representatives finally make adequately funding public education their priority. Wendy Lecker is a columnist for the Hearst Connecticut Media Group and is senior attorney at the Education Law Center. T he grieving mother of a young woman killed in the London Bridge terror attack has told how she is struggling to cope with the grief over her daughter's "horrific" death 16 months on. Julie Wallace, whose daughter Sara Zelenak died in the attack has said talking with a therapist has not been enough for her to overcome her distress after her daughter was stabbed to death in the terror attack. Ms Zelenak died aged just 21 in June last year. She was among eight people killed when three men carried out a van and car attack on people enjoying an evening out at restaurants and pubs around London Bridge and Borough Market. Ms Wallace told of the enduring pain of facing such a horrific tragedy, speaking out about the loss of her angelic, beautiful, loving child, who she called Sarz. Opening her piece, a guest post for Mumsnet, she wrote: No mother ever expects to lose a child - its every parents worst nightmare. "Yet on June 3, 2017, my daughter Sarz was murdered in one of the most horrific ways imaginable: she was stabbed to death on a night out for dinner with friends. Parents Mark and Julie Wallace / Family Collect Mrs Wallace explained how her daughter was just like me but a much better version. She said her daughter had travelled to London to work as an au pair which she left for with a smile and giddy wave. It was not long after she found herself tragically in the wrong place at the wrong time, said Ms Wallace. Mrs Wallace explained how her family has had to take alternative methods to cope with their loss . She wrote: Theres no way of predicting or determining how people will respond to the sudden or violent death of a loved one. If Ive learnt anything through Sarz passing, its both the debilitating impact of this loss, and the varying ways in which each family member responds to it. The experience is deeply personal, and theres no one-size-fits-all approach to coming to terms with it. Mark and I still feel like Sarz is guiding us every day, but talking about her and our feelings in therapy doesnt really help. For me, physical activity, reiki and mindfulness is a great release. For Mark, it is kinesiology. For my sons, its a different story again. What I learnt is that everyone heals on their own terms. Sara Zelenak with dad Mark Wallace / Family Collect This realisation, she said, has given her purpose to encourage other people to find different methods to help them cope as opposed to more tradition support such as therapy. And if my family differs so much in our coping mechanisms, it got me thinking about what help there is out there to cater to such varying needs, she wrote. Do institutions exist to offer therapy, physical activity and specialised treatments all under one roof? I didnt know. With this in mind, she has set up her charity Sarz Sanctuary, a charity to help people cope in the way that fits uniquely to them. Were committed to supporting others, and to help them make their journey as positive as possible, she wrote. Islamist terrorists Khuram Butt, 27, Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, launched their attack on the evening of Saturday, June 3, when they drove a van across London Bridge, then leapt out wearing fake suicide belts. They ran through Borough Market, stabbing and slashing at people drinking and dining at pubs, bars and restaurants, before being shot dead by police. T wo police officers were stabbed while another pair were beaten after being called to reports of a fight on Saturday night. They had attended an incident at a property in Islington's Liverpool Road, in north London, at 10.43pm and were "met with hostility" upon their arrival, police said. One person inside the address produced "a large knife", according to Scotland Yard. Stabbing: Two male police officers suffered knife wounds and two female officers suffered other injuries Two male officers were stabbed and two females were injured, one sustaining a head injury while the other is suspected to have fractured her wrist. They were all taken to hospital but three have been released while one remains in care for his stab wounds. None of their injuries are thought to be life-threatening, the Metropolitan Police reported. Two 19-year-old men have been arrested in connection with the incident. One is detained on suspicion of attempted murder while the other is being held on suspicion of affray. According to one witness report there were around 30 police officers on scene to deal with the situation. A taser was deployed during the incident and a knife was recovered at the scene. Superintendent Mike Hill, of the Central North Command Unit, said: "This incident demonstrates the courage and professionalism officers show day in day out in what can often be a dangerous job. When officers respond to what can often be a difficult situation or go to assist members of the public they should not be met with violence, it is completely unacceptable." Enquiries are continuing and anyone with further information is asked to call police on 101 quoting CAD 7687/06 Oct or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. H undreds of dogs and their owners have marched through central London in a bizarre rally calling for a Peoples Vote on Brexit. The so-called Wooferendum March saw protesters walk down Whitehall holding placards and EU flags aloft, before gathering in Parliament Square on Sunday afternoon. Labour MP Stella Creasy and actor Peter Egan were among the speakers at the unusual protest, which was organised in response to fears that leaving the EU will harm the UK's estimated 54 million pets. 'Wooferendum March' in Westminster 1 /21 'Wooferendum March' in Westminster REUTERS EPA AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images EPA AP PA PA PA AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images REUTERS PA AFP/Getty Images AP PA PA EPA EPA EPA EPA Political writer Alastair Campbell was among the crowd with his five-month-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy Skye, who was attending her first ever rally. "It's a very British sort of thing - people love their animals and there are serious animal welfare concerns with Brexit, but the reason I wanted to come is that I do think the people's vote has got to happen, said the 61-year-old. Alastair Campbell attended the protest with his Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy Skye / PA Mr Campbell added that politicians were "scared" of having a people's vote on the outcome of Brexit negotiations. He said: "They know the will of the people is changing, if Theresa May can't even unite her party around this vision of Brexit, how is she going to unite the country?" Protesters marched down Whitehall on Sunday afternoon / PA The march's organisers say leaving the EU is likely to result in a suspension of the EU Pet Passport scheme - a programme that allows more than 250,000 animals to travel overseas with their owners. There are also fears that Brexit will see a shortage of skilled vets and vet nurses from the EU as well as rising costs for animal health and pet food products. Many of the signs on show used canine-themed puns, including Brexits barking mad and paws Brexit paw-ever. Stella Creasy, Labour MP for Walthamstow, was one of the speakers in Parliament Square / PA Tiffany Haynes, 32, a Londoner who attended with her Welsh Collie Megan, said: "I think this is a nice idea for a protest, it's a clever way of doing it because dogs make light of politics and bring people together. "People can relate to each other more with their dogs." 'I am not a bargaining sausage' was the message on one sign / AP David Elkan, the founder of Wooferendum, started the campaign a year ago as a "secret protest" by taking photographs of dogs with campaign signs and putting them up in public places. He said: "So many people don't speak out when it's a tough, dry topic, but if people don't [speak out] politicians don't hear it. "The reaction I got from dog owners was so enthusiastic and it was like feelings were pouring out through the dogs." Mr Elkan, 45, who isn't a dog owner himself, said the idea for the "Wooferendum March" was initially thought of as "bonkers", but was well received. S NP leader Nicola Sturgeon has said her party's MPs would back a so-called People's Vote. Her comments come as Theresa May hopes to reach a deal this month on the post-Brexit relationship with the European Union, however it is believed this could happen later. Calls have been made for a new referendum before March - when the UK is due to leave the union - and the SNP leader has said her MPs would back such a move if negotiations end without a satisfactory agreement. Speaking on the BBC's The Andrew Marr Show, Ms Sturgeon said: "No doubt calls for a second referendum would grow in those circumstances, and I've said before we wouldn't stand in the way of a second referendum. "I think SNP MPs would undoubtedly vote for that proposition." The UK is due to leave the EU on March 29 2019, but issues such as the Irish border and trade have stalled talks. An agreement was hoped to be reached at the EU summit on October 17, but officials say it could be later. MPs would then be given a "meaningful vote" on the deal. Ms Sturgeon also said she will make her opinion known about the case for another poll after "this phase" of Brexit talks are over. She said: "I will set out what I think the next steps are when we are at the end of this phase of negotiations. "Whether I like it or not - or whether anybody likes it or not - the future of EU/UK relationship is the context in which Scotland will decide that question of independence." She added: "I will set out my views on the next steps at that stage, if that's when Theresa May comes back with the deal. "It could be later this month, it could be November, it could be December." A poll published in The Sun on Sunday and The Sunday Herald suggests a no-deal Brexit would see backing for Scottish independence reach 52%. The Survation survey also shows support would be a 50/50 split if the break-up goes "as planned", while support for leaving the UK would be at 46% if there was another referendum tomorrow. Meanwhile, a poll in The Sunday Times shows backing for Scottish independence would merely grow in the case of a no-deal Brexit - but would not find a majority. The Panelbase survey of 1,024 voters in Scotland found support for leaving the UK would increase from 45% in September 2014 to 48%, while support for staying would fall from 55% to 52%. Ms Sturgeon added that she believes the case for a so-called People's Vote is understandable, but the real solution for Scotland is independence. She said: "I think we are on a journey that ends with independence. I think Brexit brings issues around this sharply into focus. "That democratic deficit we have seen in the last two year, 62% of people in Scotland voted to remain in the EU and yet in under 200 days we are going to face exit from the EU." All Under One Banner held a rally on Saturday which saw supporters of Scottish independence march the length of the Royal Mile to Holyrood Park. Organisers estimated more than 100,000 people took part, while authorities put the figure at 20,000. Scottish Labour business manager Neil Findlay said: "The First Minister isn't standing up for Scotland by continuing to threaten to divide Scotland with another referendum." Scottish Conservative shadow cabinet secretary for constitutional relations Professor Adam Tomkins added: "Nicola Sturgeon today confirmed that the SNP is the party of the Neverendum - not just in Scotland, but across the UK too. "Scotland voted to stay in the UK and the UK voted to leave the EU. Scotland has had enough of Nicola Sturgeon's endless complaints and demands for a rematch." Meanwhile Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: "Thank goodness the First Minister has seen sense on a people's vote - it's taken long enough. "But we don't just need the SNP to vote for it, we need them to fight for it." The SNP conference starts on Sunday in Glasgow. H eartbroken friends have paid tribute to a British backpacker who died after being bitten by a venomous sea snake while working on a trawler in Australia. He is the first person to ever to die from a sea snake bite in Australia. Friends paid tribute on social media. Shutterstock / Mike Workman George Jackson-Carter wrote: "Harry Evans, you were one of the most kind hearted and funniest people Ive ever met. "Always made everyone laugh and smile, my thoughts go out to George and their family for this tragic loss to them and everyone that knew him. " Gino Coen wrote: "Such a shock. He was such a good lad! Will never forget that smile of his!" Tobias Snow wrote: "What a massive shock. Had many of laughs with him and his brother back in the day." After Mr Evans was bitten, a helicopter crew was summoned and the trawler made its way from its location off Groote Eylandt, 400 miles east of the capital Darwin to Borroloola, inland from the Gulf of Carpentaria, where he was pronounced dead. Craig Garraway, from St John Ambulance, told ABC News: "A trawler off Groote Eylandt had reported that one of their male crewmen had been bitten by a sea snake. "The Groote Island health clinic and police responded to the trawler, but unfortunately the male passed away at some point yesterday afternoon." Inquiries are continuing and a post-mortem will be carried out. All known species of sea snake are venomous and "produce some of the most dangerous venoms know in the animal kingdom," the Marine Education Society of Australia said. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "We are supporting the family of a British man who had died in the Northern Territory and are in contact with the Australian authorities." It is the second death of a British man while working on a fishing boat in the north of the country in five years. T emperatures are set to soar into the mid-20s this week as Brits enjoy a spell of unseasonably warm and sunny weather. The Met Office forecasts the mercury could reach as high as 24C in London and the South East, way above the October average of 15C for the region. However, the skies are set to become more unsettled from Thursday onwards with rain and wind both likely. A Met Office forecaster said: In the next few days its going to be dry across London and the South.Through Tuesday and Wednesday a lot more sunshine will develop and we could see 23C or 24C, which is well above what we would normally expect for this time of year." A man relaxes in the sunshine in St James's Park in October / PA Wire/PA Images He added: As we get towards the end of the week there might be one or two showers. By Friday there could be some pretty strong winds. Particularly towards the South West we could see gales by the end of the week. Two women enjoy the autumn sunshine in Green Park / PA Wire/PA Images Temperatures are expected to stay above 15C on Tuesday ad Wednesday, with Brits in line to enjoy a brief return to the unusually warm weather witnessed earlier in the year. This summer, the UK enjoyed its joint hottest summer on record, with temperatures in the South consistently topping 30C during a six-week spell. UK August Heatwave - In pictures 1 /31 UK August Heatwave - In pictures Two women take a selfie in Trafalgar Square in London, as another blast of hot weather is set to hit parts of the UK PA Birds are seen flying as St Paul's Cathedral and skyscrapers in the City of London are seen at dawn in London REUTERS People enjoy the sun at Carsington Water in Derbyshire as another spell of warm weather hits the UK PA A dog under an umbrella at the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park, Gloucestershire PA Beach goers enjoy one of the quieter beaches on the Dorset coast as temperatures continue to increase Rex Features People enjoy the sunshine aboard a boat on the Regents Canal, London, as another blast of hot weather is set to hit parts of the UK PA People sunbath on the clifftop at Woolacombe Beach in North Devon PA People enjoy the sun at Carsington Water in Derbyshire PA Girls sunbathe in the hot sunny weather during Bestival at the Lulworth Estate in Dorset PA People in the sea at Croyde Beach in North Devon PA People on pedalos and paddleboards at Nene Park in Peterborough PA People enjoy the sun at Carsington Water in Derbyshire PA Beach goers enjoy one of the quieter beachers on the Dorset coast as the mercury continues to rise Rex Features People in the sea at Croyde Beach in North Devon PA People in an inflatable canoe at Nene Park in Peterborough, PA A woman brushes a man's hair under a sun shade on Herne Bay beach Getty Images People relax on kayaks at Nene Park in Peterborough PA People enjoy the hot weather at London Fields in Hackney PA Peoploe enjoy the sunshine at London Fields in Hackney, London PA A couple play catch with a ball while swimming in the River Stour Getty Images Girls sunbathe in the hot sunny weather during Bestival festival in Dorset PA Beach goers enjoy one of the quieter beaches on the Dorset coast Rex Features A canal boat passes along the Regent's Canal in front of Granary Square in King's Cross, London PA Office workers on the steps at Granary Square, King's Cross, London enjoy the continued hot weather PA Early morning on the beach at Whitley Bay, North Tyneside PA Children play in the fountains at Granary Square, King's Cross, London PA People enjoy the hot weather on Gorleston beach near Great Yarmout PA Early morning at St Mary's lighthouse on Whitley Bay, North Tyneside PA Balloons inflate during a ground tether flight after bad weather prevented flying at the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta at the Ashton Court Estate in Bristol PA People enjoy the sunshine on the beach at Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear. PA People walk along the beach at Whitley Bay PA Meanwhile in Scotland, flood alerts are in place across western regions with heavy rainfall forecast. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has said Argyll and Bute, Ayrshire and Arran, Skye and Lochaber as well as west central Scotland are all at risk. Met Office yellow weather warnings for rain are in place across until Tuesday. A statement said: "Persistent, and at times heavy rain will remain over parts of western Scotland throughout Monday and Tuesday. Autumn sun: Londoners are set to bask in temperatures 10C higher than the October average / PA Wire/PA Images "The west Highlands may see some breaks in the rainfall on Monday morning in particular before the rain spreads back into this area. "Through Monday and into Tuesday widely 40-60mm of rain is expected with totals of 100-150mm over some upland sites exposed to the strong south-westerly winds." T urkish officials have claimed a missing Saudi journalist was killed inside his own country's consulate in Istanbul last week. Jamal Khashoggi was said to have been killed in what Turkish police claimed was the deliberate targeting of a prominent critic of the Gulf kingdom's rulers. Mr Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to get documents for his forthcoming marriage, according to reports. Saudi officials say he left shortly afterwards but his fiancee, who was waiting outside, said he never came out. A friend of a Mr Khasoggi today said officials told him to "make your funeral preparations". Saudi officials gather outside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul / AFP/Getty Images Turan Kislakci, a friend of Jamal Khashoggi and the head of the Turkish-Arab Media Association, said officials also told him they "have evidence he was killed in a barbaric way" and dismembered. Saudi officials have denied the allegations that Mr Khashoggi was killed as "baseless". One Turkish official said authorities believe Mr Khashoggi was killed at the Saudi consulate, while another said it was a "high possibility". Police said their initial assessment was that Mr Khashoggi had been murdered / AFP/Getty Images Turkish police said: "The initial assessment of the Turkish police is that Mr Khashoggi has been killed at the consulate of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul. "We believe that the murder was premeditated and the body was subsequently moved out of the consulate." The President of Turkey said the Saudi Consulate and Istanbul's airports are being closely monitored for clues. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today that he is still hopeful that Jamal Khashoggi is alive. "God willing we will not be faced with the situation we do not desire," he added. The comment apparently referred to Turkish officials saying they believed that Mr Khashoggi was killed at the Saudi Consulate after disappearing on Tuesday. Mr Erdogan called Mr Khashoggi a "journalist and a friend". He said he was personally following the case and would announce the results of the investigation at an undisclosed time. Mr Khashoggi, a former newspaper editor in Saudi Arabia and adviser to its former head of intelligence, left the country last year saying he feared retribution for his growing criticism of Saudi policy in the Yemen war and its crackdown on dissent. Countries & Areas Search for country or area A Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan B Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi C Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Costa Rica Cote dIvoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia D Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic E Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia F Fiji Finland France G Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana H Haiti Holy See Honduras Hungary I Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy J Jamaica Japan Jordan K Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan L Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg M Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique N Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway O Oman P Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Q Qatar R Republic of the Congo Romania Russia Rwanda S Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria T Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu U Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan V Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Y Yemen Z Zambia Zimbabwe The Aspen Romania Institute president says we practically talk about a multi-speed Europe, from the point of view of the integration in various initiatives of the Union. Several centres and outskirts are currently in the EU, depending on the competitive advantages of the various regions, hence the numerous visions regarding the future of Europe, that most of the time are different and opposed. Inside and outside the euro zone the centrifugal and the regional alliances are striking the oil, as well as the populist and the anti-system rhetoric. At regional level, the security context is marked by Russia's re-emergence that is seeking for its hegemony in the Black Sea, as a gate to the Middle East and the Mediterranean Sea, and the return to the world power status. Romania must make sure that a resuming of a influence spheres' policy wouldn't be possible and that the NATO will continue to strengthen its Eastern flank, Mircea Geoana pointed out. Asked to comment upon how the current tension on the international scene could affect the half-year presidency of Romania to the EU Council, as of 1 January 2019, Mircea Geoana said that Romania will have a difficult task within the said Presidency, considering the above-mentioned trends and the lack of consensus in the EU on numerous essential topics, from migration to the digital policies or the next multiannual financial framework.Mircea Geoana reiterated that it is paramount for Romania to be connected to Europe's commercial roads. Moreover, says he, our country "has to focus on carrying out the objectives identified a few years ago within the Romania Gateway strategic project, developed by the Aspen Institute in partnership with Romania's government.""Today, more than ever the public sector and the private environment must intensify cooperation to turn Romania into an economic, commercial, logistic, industrial, energy and IT hub," Mircea Geoana stressed. AGERPRES "For all of those who have falsely affirmed in an unprecedented disinformation campaign ever since the 1989 Revolution that this referendum is the PSD's and the party's leader Liviu Dragnea, now becomes obvious through the boycott carried out at the whole country's level by the PSD, the falseness of such statements. This is also proven through the shallow and unprofessional manner the referendum has been organised, so that not even the basic data regarding the object of the referendum were not communicated to the Romanian public," a release by the Initiative Committee for the promotion of the citizens' draft law regarding the revision of Art. 48 paragraph (1) of the Romanian Constitution, sent on Sunday to AGERPRES, reads. According to the Coalition for Family, it is about a "general boycott of all of the political parties that have voted in Parliament the law of revision of Romania's Constitution.""We must understand that we are in the situation where all the urges to the vote of the churches and Christian religions in Romania are boycotted by the political parties, despite the official statements of their political leaders. The huge disinformation campaign of the entire Romanian electoral corps is in force even today, through political, administrative and media vectors, being under the political parties' influence. We draw attention of the political parties that the Romanian citizens are the first to have understood this political boycott, sending to us its effects from every county countrywide, being obvious for everybody the falseness of the public statements of the political leaders against the way the parties have really acted. We make a last appeal for this general political boycott to cease throughout the country, because it is directly and firstly headed against the Christians in Romania," the release adds. AGERPRES Until 10:00, 7.24 percent of electors have voted in the referendum for the redefinition of the notion of family, according to data centralized by the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC). The total number of voters that turned out to the polls until 10:00 hrs is of 1,324,642, of which 760,071 persons were from urban environments and 564,571 from the rural environment. Regarding the vote abroad, 50,043 citizens cast their ballots until 10:00 hrs.According to the BEC, in Bucharest 7.31 percent of voters cast their ballots, namely 130,989 persons.In District 1, 8.75 percent of voters on the electoral rolls cast their ballots, in District 2 - 7.82 percent, in District 3 - 6.12 percent, in District 4 - 7.39 percent, in District 5 - 6.35 percent, and in District 6 - 8.11 percent.A numerous turnout until 10:00 hrs was recorded in Dambovita, Bihor and Dolj counties.The counties with the lowest turnout are: Covasna, Harghita, Satu Mare.The turnout on county level was as follows:* Alba - 7.19 percent* Arad - 7.90 percent* Arges - 6.20 percent* Bacau - 6.55 percent* Bihor - 10.39 percent* Bistrita-Nasaud - 7.53 percent* Botosani - 8.14 percent* Braila - 8.48 percent* Brasov - 6.98 percent* Buzau - 8.06 percent* Calarasi - 7.88 percent* Caras-Severin - 9.02 percent* Cluj - 6.67 percent* Constanta - 6.48 percent* Covasna - 2.88 percent* Dambovita - 11.30 percent* Dolj - 9.71 percent* Galati - 6.34 percent* Giurgiu - 8.62 percent* Gorj -5.85 percent* Harghita - 2.96 percent* Hunedoara - 7.98 percent* Ialomita - 7.65 percent* Iasi - 6.75 percent* Ilfov - 7.16 percent* Maramures - 4.87 percent* Mehedinti - 9.45 percent* Mures - 5.29 percent* Neamt - 8.02 percent* Olt - 9.66 percent* Prahova - 7.17 percent* Salaj - 5.93 percent* Satu Mare - 4.48 percent* Sibiu - 5.45 percent* Suceava - 8.81 percent* Teleorman - 8.16 percent* Timis - 7.41 percent* Tulcea - 5.63 percent* Valcea - 5.74 percent* Vaslui - 5.77 percent* Vrancea - 6.56 percentThe following data regarding turnout will be comunicated on Sunday at 14:30 hrs for the reference hour 13:00 hrs.The referendum is taking place on Saturday and Sunday between 7:00 and 21:00 hrs. The mayor of Timisoara Municipality Nicolae Robu stated on Sunday upon exiting the polling station that although he is generally an nonconformist person, he remains a traditionalist when it comes to family according to AAgerpres. "Although I am generally an nonconformist person and I am known as such, when it comes to certain things, including family, I remain a traditionalist and I adhere to consecrated values throughout time, as specific values of our people and of other peoples," Nicolae Robu affirmed. The leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL) Timis underscored that boycotting the referendum is not a good choice."I believe this campaign carried out to prevent participation in the polls with the argument that money has been spent for nothing completely lack logic. Money truly spent for nothing would be if the referendum doesn't reach any conclusion, one way or another, but is invalidated," Nicolae Robu added.He explained that this referendum was necessary because laws can be easily changed, anytime, even through a Gov't emergency ordinance, through a parliamentary majority constituted ad-hoc, whereas "what is established by referendum can only be amended through another referendum.""I didn't say it was a stringent need for Romania to regulate these things right now, but is we got to the point of a referendum being organised following the signatures of three million Romanian citizens, is it not a pity for this expenditure to be in vain and the referendum be invalidated?," Nicolae Robu concluded.Nicoale Robu and his wife voted at General School no. 30 in Timisoara. By 16:00hrs, as many as 15.21pct of the Romanian electors have cast their ballots at the referendum for the redefinition of the family, according to the data released by the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC). The total number of the persons who showed up to the polling stations until 16:00hrs is 2,781,918, of whom the urban milieu counts for 1,426,989 voters, and the rural milieu for 1,354,929. A dictatorship does not represent the public but only the aristocracy that, behind the scenes, controls the government. Jonathan H. Adler, Professor at Case Western University School of Law, noted, regarding George W. Bushs secret policy for the NSA to access everyones phone-records, that The metadata collection program is constitutional (at least according to Judge Kavanaugh), and he presented Judge Kavanaughs entire published opinion on that. Kavanaughs opinion stated that the 4th Amendment to the US Constitution could be shoved aside because he thinks that the national security of the United States is more important than the Constitution. Kavanaugh wrote: 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 The Fourth Amendment allows governmental searches and seizures without individualized suspicion when the Government demonstrates a sufficient special need that is, a need beyond the normal need for law enforcement that outweighs the intrusion on individual liberty In sum, the Fourth Amendment does not bar the Governments bulk collection of telephony metadata under this program. Kavanaugh said that since the 4th Amendment excludes only unreasonable searches and seizures (such as seizures of all of this private information from everyone), it doesnt exclude the bulk collection of 2 telephony metadata (collection of both phone numbers in each phone conversation from and/or to anyone in the United States), because a critical national security need [preventing terrorist attacks on the United States] outweighs the impact on privacy occasioned by this program. As a consequence, for each American, the US federal Government knows everyone whom you call, and who calls you it knows all of your phone-contacts and it does so because everything in the US Constitution can be overridden by any critical national security need such as preventing terrorist attacks such as occurred on 9/11, which attacks hadnt at all been enabled by the then-existing lack of such police-state measures here. Kavanaughs opinion simply ignored that fact didnt even discuss it. Instead of thats having produced the intelligence failure, the US Government especially the US President prior to 9/11, had refused to allow its agents to inform the US President of the actionable information that they had found and that they were struggling to get to him prior to the attacks. Bush didnt want to know, until the attacks had already occurred. He demanded deniability. As regards the reason why this police-state procedure which Kavanaugh backs is needed now, after 9/11 though it had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks (except for the latters having served in far-right-wingers propaganda such as Kavanaughs opinion, as being the alleged excuse for the intelligence failure), and though martial law hasnt yet even been declared in the US no one has publicly said anything. But is it really reasonable that the Government permanently stores all of this telephone-data from everyone, even if a given citizen does not, and in many instances doesnt get to see it even on the phone-bill? Who actually benefits from this? Its a severe situation that isnt seriously being publicly discussed; such discussion is effectively banned in at least all of the major news media (which pretend to be concerned about protecting citizens most-basic rights and not only about their own). Judge Kavanaugh was appointed to the US Supreme Court by a President who has threatened to go to war against Russia if Russia follows through with its announced plan to exterminate the Al-Qaeda-led forces in the only province of Syria that is at least 90% in favor of Al Qaeda and/or of ISIS the province that is well over 90% jihadists and their pre-war supporters; its by far the most-jihadist province in all of Syria. Consequently, this alleged opposition to Radical Islamic Terrorism on the part of candidate and now US President Donald Trump, the President who appointed Judge Kavanaugh to the highest court in the land, is entirely and blatantly fake. Trump and his allies support Al Qaeda in Syria, just as Obama did. Three nations have been prominently alleged to have been the secret cause of the 9/11 attacks. One of them is Shiite Iran, which is the only Government that is accused by the US Government, and which the US Government has fined billions of dollars as having been the cause of the 9/11 attacks, even though theres no credible evidence that Iran had planned those attacks, nor that Iran had financed either the planning or the execution of those attacks. Iran is instead a Government which the US Government had controlled during 1953-1979 and whose US-installed regime of torture became overthrown in 1979 during the Iranian Revolution against the US-installed Iranian regime, at which time both the fundamentalist-Sunni Sauds the royal family who own Saudi Arabia and the fundamentalist-Jewish aristocracy who control Israel, declared Iran to be an existential threat against themselves; and the US Government has both of those Governments as allies to overthrow this post-US-stooge Government of Iran. In 1996, Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan al-Saud and his friend FBI Director Louis Freeh managed to blame the 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia not on the fundamentalist-Sunni US-and-Saudi-created Al Qaeda, which were widely thought to have done it, but instead on Iran, which both the US and Saudi Governments hated; and the retiring Freeh then recommended Robert Mueller to replace himself, and the retiring Robert Mueller recommended James Comey to replace himself, and thus all three FBI Directors endorsed the Saudi accusation against Iran, that Iran was behind the Khobar Towers bombing, even though no reliable evidence has yet been supplied that Iran had had anything at all to do with it. Mueller himself had a long history as the aristocracys master of cover-ups designed to misdirect blame either sideways or else downward but always away from the actual culprits and especially away from the culprits at the very top of the given criminal or traitorous operation. Hes the master of investigative deception, serving the aristocracy, not the public. Wherever there are aristocratic conflicts to be resolved by lawyers, its almost never good guys versus bad guys but almost always monsters versus monsters. The US and its allies are simply bullies who lie, psychopathically. All recent US Presidents say that Iran is the top state sponsor of terrorism, even though (other than against Israel) all or nearly all Islamic terrorism has been perpetrated by fundamentalist Sunnis (such as Saudis), and virtually none by any Shiites at all. Many Americans who oppose the US Government, but who arent intelligent, say that instead Israel caused the 9/11 attacks, even though no reliable evidence has been cited for that allegation, either, and much of the evidence' that is cited for it is fraudulent or otherwise disprovable. Israel (like the Sauds) is an enemy of the American people, but (unlike the Sauds) it didnt cause 9/11. Osama bin Ladens financial bagman, when asked where the money came from to pay the salaries of all Al Qaeda members, said Without the money of the of the Saudi, you will have nothing of Al Qaeda. The evidence is overwhelming that the Sauds financed the 9/11 attacks and that George W. Bush and some of his friends were also involved in it but were careful to make sure they had deniability ignorance of the advance details so as not to be able to be nailed for their advance involvement in the arrangements that had been made for the attacks. Bush, of course, relied on a close staff that included not only FBI director Mueller but Brett Kavanaugh, the current Supreme Court nominee by Donald Trump and Trump had been elected after a Presidential campaign in which he had pretended to loathe the Bushes and their and Obamas policies. Trump overturns the least-bad of Obamas policies, but is otherwise simply an even bolder fascist than those two Presidents had been. This is entirely a bipartisan matter the same US aristocracy controls all American political Parties that have any chance of ruling the nation. For example, the opinion by Judge Kavanaugh was the only opinion that was published from any of the 11 judges though the ruling by the Court was unanimous. Among the ten other judges was the Chief Judge, Merrick Garland, whom President Obama subsequently appointed to the US Supreme Court and the Republicans blocked from being considered by the full Senate. President Obama was a defendant in this particular case, and all 11 judges on it ruled in his favor. If the Chief Judge had been the lone one to rule against him, then perhaps the Chief Judge (Garland) would not have been appointed (exactly four months later, on 16 March 2016) by the President to the Supreme Court. Garland was rejected by the Republicans because the President who appointed him labeled himself with the competing brand. The minor differences between US Supreme Court judges nowadays are the differences that separate the two political brands, not actually differences in basic beliefs or values, though the propaganda by the competing brands pretends to basic differences between them. Anyone who opposes the existing secret rule by the aristocracy wont even be appointed, much less confirmed. This is todays American democracy. So, clearly, just as the US regime and its news media had lied to say that Saddam Hussein needed to be eliminated because he possessed and was building up WMD and even nuclear weapons; and just as Muammar Qaddafi was similarly slaughtered on the basis of US-and-allied lies; and just as those and other US invasions such as in Syria and in Yemen have made America and the world vastly worse-off except for the US weapons-makers such as Lockheed Martin and the other US Defense Departments contractors and the US extraction firms such as ExxonMobil and Halliburton which gained new sources of lands to strip of their natural resources by means of such military invasions, the biggest threat to US national security is the US Government itself and especially its military, which spends around half of the entire worlds military budget each year. As part of this growing US police-state, every phone call that anyone in the US participates in is information that this regime has (since 9/11) been collecting on that individual. We are all national security suspects, now. The US Government isnt only the chief enemy of Iraqis, and of Libyans, and of Syrians, and of Iranians, and of Yemenis, and of Afghans, and of Russians, and of Chinese, etc.; it is also the chief enemy of the American people (though it doesnt cause us hell like it causes the residents in those target-countries). And it is the chief enemy of Europeans, too. More recently, the US Government has, in effect, even declared economic war against Europe. President Barack Obama said, and repeated many times, that the United States is the one indispensable nation meaning that all others are dispensable. Adolf Hitler had said essentially the same thing about Germany; and, like recent US Presidents, he acted accordingly. Todays US Government is the enemy of FDRs US Government, and is not only the enemy of Americas Founders, in these and so many other basic matters. Todays America is the fascist United States Government. All dispensable countries deal with that top fascist one, in whatever way the given nations aristocracy chooses to deal with it. Most aristocracies choose to share, however they can, in the Empires (the US aristocracys) loot from this military, propaganda, and extraction, system. But some other dispensable nations resist the US aristocracy. And some others are quiet, on the sidelines, for as long as they can be there, to avoid their becoming targets themselves. Dealing with such a bully is difficult for everyone. Photo: Twitter This year, German Chancellor Angela Merkel did not go to the UN General Assembly too busy grappling with domestic problems, such as the ruling coalitions internal squabbles. She suffered a serious setback in late September when Volker Kauder, who had headed the parliamentary group of chancellors Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Bavarian allies Christian Social Union (CSU) for many years, lost in a re-election to challenger Ralph Brinkhaus, a relative unknown. The heavy blow made her wobble. The chancellor has relied on Kauder for many years and had campaigned hard for his reelection. The vote was generally seen as a slap in the face and a sign that she is losing the grip on her own party. Many believe that Angela Merkel has become a lame duck. The Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU), the CDUs ally, is likely to lose its absolute majority for the first time since WWII on October 14, when the local election takes place. The reason is the rise of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is threatening Bavarian exceptionalism associated with the CSU for so many decades. The EU reform is an acute problem for Germany. The issue is high on the countrys internal political agenda. Putting forward the proposals supported by voters is the way to reverse the trend and regain popularity. In the speech Angela Merkel delivered on September 30 during her visit to Ottobeuren, Bavaria, the chancellor strongly supported the creation of a Security Council of the European Union on a rotational basis. The idea was first expressed during the German-French intergovernmental consultations that took place in June 2018. It presupposes a permanent presence in the body of the EU leaders, such as Germany and France, with others coming and going in turn. The new body will be an analog of the UN Security Council, with the permanent members making major decisions about the fate of the world. Indeed, its hard for the 28 member states to take unanimous decisions on foreign policy. The 2009 Treaty of Lisbon established the qualified majority method 55% of member countries, comprising at least 65% of the population when it comes to the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), joint defense policy, the European police, space, energy, migration, etc. When the Council is not acting on a proposal from the Commission or the multi-hatted high representative for foreign affairs and security policy and vice-president (HR/VP), the necessary majority of member states increases to 72%. To block legislation, at least four members the minimum number representing more than 35% of the population of the participating countries, plus one country have to vote against a proposal. The right of veto remains. In theory, Hungary or Italy could impede the anti-Russia sanctions. In general terms, the idea of a European Security Council was approved by France and Germany in June. The creation of the body will be included into the agenda of the EU summit on October 18. It could be finalized at the special summit devoted to the blocs reform, which will take place in Sibiu, Romania, on May 9, 2019. The EU national leaders will also vote there on President Junckers proposal to move from unanimity to qualified majority voting in certain areas of the EU's CFSP to make the bloc a stronger global actor. The plan includes three specific areas: human rights, sanctions, and security and defense missions. At present, a unanimous decision taken by all 28 members is required to continue, ease, impose new ones or lift the anti-Russia sanctions. So far, all member states have voted to go on with the punitive measures despite the fact that some of them, for instance Austria and Greece, expressed their desire to lift or ease them. Each and every time the wisdom of sanctions was put in doubt, arms-twisting policy was used to achieve the so-called unity and solidarity. Today, Italy is adamant in its desire to oppose the automatic prolongation of the sanctions. Actually, Chancellor Merkel has always espoused the idea of moving to another phase of integration under its leadership shared with France. Merkel and Macron both wish the process would go much faster. They want a mechanism to rapidly take binding decisions in place along with a common budget providing funds for CSDP. Whatever form of decision-making process is approved, Germany and France will call the shots. The UK was a challenge but it is on its way out. Neither Italy nor Spain, the next largest EU economies, is a match because of the debt burden and lack of geopolitical clout comparable to either of the two leaders. At the same time, some nations, such as Poland and Hungary, are not willing to give away their right to implement independent foreign policy. A common policy is hardly possible as the attitudes toward Russia and the US differ. With the UK gone, Poland will become the leader of pro-US bloc inside the EU. Several countries want the anti-Russian sanctions lifted and the migration policy drastically changed. Eurosceptics are predicted to improve their position in the European Parliament and Germany may be led by another chancellor by that time. The process of European integration may be frozen or even pushed back instead of making strides ahead as the German chancellor wants it to. This is a make it or break it moment for the chancellor. She needs badly fresh ideas and new initiatives to keep her position. Otherwise, her tenure as well as a lot of other things, such as anti-Russia sanctions, may become things of the past. Photo: Contributed Join our wine writer, Allison Markin, every week for a wine review complete with food and music pairings. Featuring Okanagan and Canadian wines, with an occasional international bottle, Castanet celebrates the bottles of our Valley and the diversity of the Canadian wine industry and influences from around the world. For current availability and pricing, consult the winery. Unless indicated, international selections are generally available at government liquor stores or private wine shops. Wine: Santa Rosa (plum), 2017 Winery: Rustic Roots, Similkameen Why drink it? Plum wine. Fruit wines are not for every palate, but if you think this will be a cloying and sweet fruit bomb," you should be pleasantly surprised by this organic dessert wine from the Santa Rosa plum. The fruit itself has a deep, rich flavour, expressed in the aromas of strawberries, rhubarb, and freshly squeezed lemons. There is some sweetness reminiscent of good red liquorice, but it is tempered with tastes of citrus, a bit of dark chocolate and coffee, and a bit of spice. The bonus of visiting the winery is shopping the organic fruit stand plus a selection of condiments and preserves. Price: $25 Pair with: With holiday visitors coming soon, impress them with and Okanagan Mimosa add this to a glass of local bubbly to start brunch, or to a plum sauce for a main course of game meat or duck, or pair it with a dessert (lava cake?) with dark chocolate as the main ingredient. Music pairing: Apple Blossom, White Stripes Have a wine to suggest? Email Allison at [email protected] Al Nofi's CIC Issue #466, Oct 6th, 2018 This Issue... Infinite Wisdom la Triviata Short Rounds Admiral Russell's Orders The Arduous Life of a West Point Cadet in 1842 Infinite Wisdom "The master of the sea must inevitably be master of the empire." -- M. Tullius Cicero, Letter to Atticus, May 2, 49 BC La Triviata At the height of the Empire (c. AD 100-180), a Roman legion seems to have required 1,370 amphorae of olive oil a year, roughly 94,000 kilos, the yield of about 14,400 trees. The U.S. Armys Ambulance Service Section 646, received more French honors during the First World War than any other American unit; six awards of the Fourragere aux couleurs de la Croix de guerre, four with palm, one with a gold star, and one with a silver star, to indicate four army level awards, one corps-level award, and one division level one. During the 105-day Winter War in 1939-1940, the Soviets suffered a daily average of 1,252 dead, 2,523 wounded, 1,259 frostbite cases, 52 captured, and about 114 missing, a rate of casualties nearly three times greater than those France suffered during the 302-day Battle of Verdun in 1916, while Finnish daily losses were about 213 dead, 412 wounded, and 8 captured. In the early 1850s, Austrian general Julius Jacob von Haynau (1786-1853) (who had earned the nicknamed Hyena for having women and even children flogged while suppressing rebellions in Hungary and Italy in 1849) visited London, where one day some draymen in Park Street, Southwark, threw him into a barrel of ale, which shocked Queen Victoria, amused Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston, but so impressed revolutionary hero Giuseppe Garibaldi that he personally congratulated the men. Of the 18,946 men who volunteered in the summer of 1941 for service against Russia with the Spanish Blue Division, over 85 percent were university students or veterans of the Spanish Civil War. Robert H. Weir, who painted, among many other works, theEmbarkation of the Pilgrims which hangs in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, taught drawing at West Point from 1833 until 1877. During the British retreat before the Japanese invaders in Malaya in December 1941-January 1942, personnel of the Federated States Railways sabotaged much equipment and numerous installations, including hundreds of miles of track, 185 locomotives and over 5,000 wagons. Field Marshal John, Earl Ligonier (1680-1770) had a long and distinguished career in the British Army but, while often in the thick of things, was never once wounded more than slightly; at Malplaquet (Sep. 11, 1709) despite his clothing being pierced by 23 bullets he was completely unharmed. More... In Gaza (the smaller of the two Palestinian territories) Hamas, the Islamic terrorist group that has controlled the Palestinian enclave since 2007, has suffered another defeat in its most recent war with Israel. Once more Hamas thought it had it all figured out only to discover that the Israeli military superiority represented more than weapons and well-trained troops. Defeat in the latest six month war was due to being outmaneuvered by Israeli tactics that exposed the weaknesses and ruthlessness of Hamas and left the rulers of Gaza much worse off than when they began. This time Hamas thought they could win the media war by encouraging civilians (via free food, publicity and cash payments for those injured or killed) to try and physically force their way through the security fence and into Israel. It didnt work and so far over 150 Palestinians have died. One Israeli has been killed, by a Hamas sniper using a long-range 12.7mm Iranian sniper rifle. Hamas lost dozens of members, many of the promising young leaders, These men were in the crowds to urge the largely male (and teenage) force to keep going in the face of tear gas, rubber bullets and real bullets for the few who made it through the fence. This was all captured on video, from both sides, and it did not reflect well on Hamas, which lost more support from its few remaining Arab allies (and donors). This included Egypt, which also closed its border to Gaza as well as increasing efforts to find and destroy Hamas smuggling tunnels into Egypt. Another Hamas defeat, that was not unexpected, was new Israeli technology which made it very difficult (and apparently, for the moment, impossible) to dig tunnels under the security fence and into Israel. Moreover, it soon became apparent that the Israelis had no intention of invading, as they had in 2014. That war was another major disappointment for Hamas and they failed to realize that the Israelis learned more from the 2014 war than Hamas did. Six months into this latest war Hamas is faced with more unrest among the nearly two million Palestinians it rules. Hamas is under even greater pressure from its rival Fatah, which rules the West Bank. Egypt, which had brokered numerous efforts to achieve peace with Israel, is pressuring Hamas to make peace with Fatah and form a unified Palestinian government, even though everyone believes Hamas would no longer be in charge of Gaza, or anything else, because the group has become so unpopular with most Palestinians. Everyone in the Arab world wants Hamas and Fatah to merge. But the long record of failure means that would cost Hamas its control over Gaza where most Palestinians are decidedly anti-Hamas. In fact, the only ally Sunni Hamas has is Shia (and non-Arab) Iran which is currently calling for Iranian Shia to replace the Sunni Arabs who have always controlled the most sacred Islamic shrines in Mecca. Because of this latest war against Israel Hamas has less support in Gaza, fewer Arab allies, less cash and is generally despised by the Arab world. Hamas has a history of defeat whenever it went after Israel and this latest defeat shows that the failed 2014 war and earlier defeats were evidence that Hamas was all talk and no hope of victory. Consider what happened in 2014. Back then Hamas declared victory at the end (in August) of another war (lasting 50 days) with Israel. It's traditional in the Arab world that, if you fight Israel and still have possession of your capital at the end of hostilities, you can declare that the Arabs won. No matter how many battles your troops lost, if you can still issue a press release declaring victory after the shooting stops, it counts as a win. Apparently, the reasoning is that because the Israelis had the ability to utterly crush you, but were stopped by steely Arab resolve, it was an Arab victory. This particular charade is growing threadbare with over-use, and this time around, even many Arabs are openly disappointed with the Hamas "defeat" (or "lack of victory.") Even Hamas leaders noted, and commented on, the lukewarm support they received during and after the 50 days 2014 war. Even the Palestinians in the West Bank were not eager to support or join, Hamas in fighting Israel. The West Bank politicians and the Arab media, in general, said all the usual, and politically correct things during the war, but it was obvious that even the Arab media was just going through the motions. That was obvious when you scanned the letters to the editor, which were often critical of Hamas and dubious of any Hamas victory claims. When Hamas called for billions in cash from Western and Arab donors the response was not as generous as Hamas expected, and along with donations came strings meant to prevent Hamas from diverting aid money to military projects (which Hamas promised not to do in the ceasefire agreement they signed to end the fighting) or into foreign bank accounts where corrupt officials hide the money they steal. Egypt and Israel, which rarely agree on anything, both closed the legal crossings into Gaza because Hamas was bragging about how it was going to use some of the reconstruction materials for military purposes. Hamas also expressed support for Islamic terrorism in general and that angered the Egyptians who are losing soldiers and police to Islamic terrorists based in Gaza. Arab critics of Hamas (and Palestinian politicians in general) point out that Palestinian leaders expend a lot of energy on avoiding reality and expect the West and the wealthy Arab oil states to subsidize this fantasy. After 2014 that approach was frequently and openly denounced in the donor states and as if on cue, the Palestinian leaders were ignoring the criticism. In July 2014 Hamas thought they could risk another war with Israel and come out the winner (to the Arab world at least). Despite a public warning from Israel that the Israeli armed forces were much better prepared to deal with Hamas tactics, Hamas went to war anyway, confident that they had enough new tricks to stay ahead of the Israelis. Hamas quickly discovered that the Israelis were a lot quicker and better coordinated than in the past. This has happened before, to both the Israelis but mainly to the Arabs. Case in point was a Hamas attempt to use their scuba equipped naval commandos to make an underwater assault on an Israeli seaside base just north of Gaza. The Hamas commandos were quickly spotted by Israeli sensors monitoring offshore waters, which automatically sent the contact information to the new Israeli computerized command and control system. This automatically sent the alert (along with location and other data) to land, naval and air vehicles within range. That meant that before the Hamas men hit the beach they were being tracked by an Israeli tank gunner, an armed UAV overhead and a nearby warship. The closest infantry unit sent troops to the beach the Hamas men appeared to be moving towards. The five Hamas men refused to surrender to the Israeli troops waiting for them on the beach and in a brief gun battle all five Hamas commandos were killed. One Israeli soldier was wounded and this (and the fact that the Hamas men made it onto the beach) was, by Arab standards a victory. A week later Israel released details of what had happened to the Hamas frogmen. At that point, Hamas was discovering that many of their other new tactics, like dozens of deep tunnels into Israel and numerous new ideas for hiding and launching rockets from residential areas and public buildings (schools, hospitals and mosques) were not only known to the Israelis but were captured by Israeli aerial video cameras. Hamas also discovered that the Israelis had better information on where the Hamas leaders were hiding out and a lot more of these fellows were getting killed than during past conflicts. Hamas also found that their attempts to force Israel to kill a lot more Palestinians during efforts to halt the rocket attacks were compromised by Israeli warnings to civilians (often via telephone) to get out when the rockets hidden in their building were about to be destroyed by smart bombs or missiles. The saddest aspect of all this was that Hamas had been warned. Months before the July war began Israel revealed that because of new technology and weapons the air force could now hit more targets in 24 hours than it did in 33 days (during the 34 day war with Hezbollah in 2006). For Hamas Israel pointed out that it would now hit in less than 12 hours the number of targets it took seven days to find and attack during the week-long 2008 war with Hamas. This was all part of a technological revolution the Israeli armed forces have been undergoing since the 1990s. Since the 2006 war with Hezbollah, those changes have been accelerating. Israel always had some formidable intelligence collection capabilities. Israel satellites, UAVs and manned recon aircraft collect data that leads to the identification of enemy bases and weapons storage sites. This, for example, enabled the Israeli Air Force to quickly destroy most of the long range rockets in Lebanon in 2006 and in Gaza in 2008. The Israeli Air Force demonstrated a lot of changes less than two years after the 2006 war when, in Gaza, dozens of targets taken out within three minutes by Israeli warplanes. That was an impressive example of precision bombing. But when the Israeli ground troops entered Gaza ten days later, other air force innovations were largely invisible to the public. This included post-2006 reforms in which the Israeli military made radical changes in the way it coordinated its operations. The new automated systems included everyone (air, ground and naval). In addition to using more sensors (ground, air and naval) all these were linked together electronically so that when a potential threat was detected every tank, infantry unit, artillery, aircraft or ship within range was alerted and provided access to video or other sensor data. Israel has long been the leading developer and supplier (for their own forces as well as export) sensor and computerized command and control systems. Most importantly Israel learned that they could defeat Hamas without invading Gaza. That deprived Hamas of an opportunity to get lots of Gaza civilians killed because Hamas had learned how to construct new residential buildings (from single family homes to apartment buildings) with military features. Hamas learned that from Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shia militia created by Iran in Lebanon in the 1980s. Hezbollah builds a lot of new government, commercial and residential buildings and all have a secondary military purpose. Often it is just ammunition storage bunkers in the basement and special passageways to allow rockets to be quickly moved to firing positions (either right next to or in the building). Hezbollah shared its techniques for forcing civilians to stay in their homes during conflicts, even though these homes and been weaponized and were now legitimate military targets. Israel could have gone after Hamas anyway but found it better to stop Hamas at the border fence and let Gazans know what else Hamas had in store for them. For Hamas, that was not a win. Photo: Facebook Chad Alphonse. CORRECTION: While the B.C. Ministry of Attorney General initially said they had yet to make direct funding available for Gladue reports, it has since clarified that they have directly funded three Gladue reports, with one of those being for Chad Alphonse. Additionally, 131 reports were funded by the Legal Services Society, with partial funding from the government, through legal aid during fiscal 2017-2018, while 155 reports have been produced or are underway through legal aid this fiscal year. While the Crown sought a sentence of four to eight years for the man who killed 26-year-old Waylon Jackson, Chad Alphonse was instead given three years of probation for his manslaughter conviction. Alphonse's defence counsel Terry La Liberte says a main feature of the suspended sentence was his Gladue Report, a legislated type of pre-sentencing report that describes an accused's history as an Indigenous person in Canada and how it's impacted their life. La Liberte says the Alphonse case was precedent-setting in B.C., because Justice Catherine Murray ordered the Gladue Report, forcing the government to pay for its preparation. While the Gladue Report comes from a 1999 Supreme Court of Canada decision, La Liberte says the provincial government has fought back against court-ordered Gladue Reports, and to his knowledge, a judge has never ordered one before in B.C. In the past, the government sent lawyers to insist that (the accused) would pay for it themselves if they weren't on legal aid, so this is a bit of a breakthrough in that regard, La Liberte said. The judge was adamant, she wanted a Gladue Report and we didn't have to fight... we had no opposition. I believe, partly, because of the very strong position taken by a judge who was not going to be involved in the funding aspect of it. In her decision, Justice Murray pointed to Alphonse's Gladue report findings which found he grew up around family members, friends and acquaintances who were struggling with mental health issues and abused substances to self-medicate, including his parents. In a statement, the B.C.'s Ministry of the Attorney General said they began funding the Legal Services Society last year, which in turn can provide Gladue reports for those who qualify for legal aid. La Liberte says the report is not a defence report though, but a report mandated by the Supreme Court of Canada and the Criminal Code, and says the onus for payment shouldn't be on the accused. The average cost of a Gladue report is more than $2,300. The 1999 Supreme Court of Canada decision said that in sentencing, a judge must consider how the accused's Indigenous history affected their life, and explore reasonable alternatives to incarceration in the case of all aboriginal offenders. It has to do with the fact that First Nations people were the only Canadians subjected to residential schools, reserves, Indian Acts, La Liberte said. No other minority or immigrant or anybody has ever been subjected to that demeaning and racist environment and yet for First Nations people it was institutionalized. The Ministry of Attorney General says they are working to make funding available for those ineligible for legal aid, but a timeline of this development could not be provided. La Liberte says Alphonse has worked to rehabilitate himself since the March 2016 killing. He was released on bail into the VisionQuest Recovery Society in August 2016 and stopped drinking following Jackson's death. His probation conditions now allow him to live with relatives in Kelowna with a curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. for the first year. We hope that this case, in terms of other First Nations people who are being charged with offences, will see some hope," La Liberte said. "That if they do put the work into rehabilitation, really try hard, they're going to be rewarded by not having to be sent to jail like all the generations of First Nations people have been." While La Liberte says the suspended sentence will let Alphonse work on his rehabilitation, the victim's parents were visibly upset by the sentence, abruptly leaving the courtroom Wednesday after Justice Murray announced her ruling. The Crown says it is reviewing Justice Murray's sentencing decision, and will not comment on the likelihood of an appeal at this time. Last year Read Bros celebrated 150 years in business, and this year they were named the supreme winner of the Hauraki-Coromandel Business Awards. The Thames hardware store also topped the retail category. Winners were announced at a gala evening at Grand Mercure Puka Park Resort on September 27. Currently owned by Stuart and Jocelyn Read and their son John, who has been manager for the past five years, the business have been in the Read family for five generations. Stuart says the win was unexpected and that the companys recipe for success had been brewing for well over a century. Weve just done 150 years of business that was not all me. Theres a couple of generations behind me and Im very, very pleased that John is doing a wonderful job for the future, he says. Many Hauraki businesses also shone brightly on the night including Number One Electrical, Waihi, which won the Manufacturing and Trade category; Waihi Gold Discovery Centre, first in Hospitality and Tourism and Innovation; Buttercup Dairies, Turua, first in Primary and Rural, and Waihis Koru Florist and Home which received the most votes in the Peoples Choice Award as well as plenty of whistles and high-fives on the night. Hauraki District Mayor John Tregidga says he was incredibly proud to see so many innovative, hardworking and successful business people cross the stage. These awards are a fantastic opportunity to shine a spotlight on the achievements of all our local businesses and celebrate the huge contribution they make to our communities. At the end of the day our communities are the biggest winners. There have been enormous changes in the business world since I owned a small bookshop in Paeroa 30 odd years ago, but some things havent changed at all. Local businesses still have a unique relationship with our communities and they still give back to us all in so many ways. Local business has a huge impact on our economy and the well-being of our communities. John also acknowledged the hard work of the business awards committee in pulling the event together. The committee did an enormous amount of work behind the scenes to create another absolutely stunning and entertaining red-carpet celebration. There was only one blooper when somebody dropped their flowers but theres always one isnt there? he laughed. Thames Coromandel Mayor Sandra Goudie acknowledges running a business is not easy, and even for that alone we celebrate them. Our businesses are so important to our districts and work so hard to boost our local economy providing great services and employment. They also make a huge contribution to activities and events with sponsorship and other support. We need them, and we want more of them. We want people to be able to live, work and play here, instead of having to go to places like Auckland, she says. The judges convenor, Peter Davey of Waikato Innovation Park says the standard of entries this year was generally high to outstanding. It is wonderful to see the breadth of good businesses in the Hauraki/Coromandel that entered. Id also like to acknowledge the time the volunteer judges committed to this. Thank you all. Hauraki Coromandel Business Award Winners: Supreme Award, Read Bros; Manufacturing & Trade, Number One Electrical; Retail special commendation, Guthrie Bowron Whitianga; Community, Safer Coromandel; Tourism & Hospitality, Waihi Gold Discovery Centre; Tourism & Hospitality special commendation, Sunlover Retreat; Primary & Rural, Buttercup Dairies; Emerging Business, Stilo Collective; Professional Services, Twentymans Funeral Directors; Service to Business, Warren Male; People's Choice, Koru Florist and Home; Sustainability, T3 Thames; Innovation, Waihi Gold Discovery Centre. Its a claim that would be backed by anyone who attended last years Pasifika in the Bay festival - that upping the ante on this years festival would be a hard task. And yet organisers of the festival are claiming they will be doing just that. The Bay of Plentys much-loved festival, celebrating all things Pasifika, is returning for another year to Greerton Village School on Wednesday, October 24. The festival is held by Pasifika in the Bay Trust, made up of a small group of Pasifika teachers from around the region who banded four years ago in order to help raise the achievement of Pasifika students. Mike Douglas is one of many teachers who are part of the trust, and he says this years event is promising to be bigger and better than ever. Twelve primary schools, three kindergartens and four intermediate schools from all over the Bay of Plenty are confirmed so far, ranging from as far as Katikati to Te Puke. The festival also includes guest performances by Tauranga Boys College. Our intention is always to raise the Pasifika profile in the Bay of Plenty and to promote the Pasifika culture within our ECE and primary school communities, says Mike. The vibrant atmosphere which is uniquely Pacific is always what makes this event special. Pasifika culture is colourful, loud and joyful. Best of all, is the food. Coconut buns, panikeke, pork buns, chop suey and raw fish. It's great, adds Mike, who hopes the event can become as recognised as the national ASB Polyfest, hosted in Auckland each year. Last year around 2000 people attended the event, and we hope this year we can have more people enjoy it and support the children performing, he says. For many first-time performers in the festival, its a unique opportunity to experience Pasifika culture on such a grand scale. Its great to see the sense of pride in the childrens eyes, being able to represent their culture on the big stage. For the first time the event is being hosted on the other side of the city at Greerton Village School, which Mike says is a unique opportunity. In previous years the event has been hosted by schools in Papamoa, and we are looking forward to having the festival closer to central Tauranga for the first time. Backstage the crew has learned ways to tidy up, making a plan to run things as efficiently as possible. Theres no space for Island Time at this festival - everything runs to time, he says. But its not just the trust who make all of the magic happen. They are joined by a wider committee who help run the festival each year. Everyone volunteers their time in order to see this event succeed. Each year a different school offers to host the event and, beyond that, the cultural groups that perform are usually run by parent or teacher volunteers and are a culmination of many hours of practice, costume making and organisation. This years event will start with a powhiri to welcome the performing groups into the school. School performances will begin from 9.30am, hosted on an outdoor stage including special guest performances and sponsor giveaways. The audience can stretch out a picnic blanket, says Mike, and enjoy the music or stroll through the market style stalls selling authentic Pacifica food and goods. There will also be community information stalls. Pasifika in the Bay will be at Greerton Village School, on Wednesday, October 24, between 9.30am and 2pm Postponement date will be Friday 26 October. Bay of Plenty We are looking for a storeman with an OSH forklift license. You will need to be physically for as the job is about 70% forklift... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz SCHOHARIE, N.Y. -- Twenty people were killed after a stretch limousine crashed into bystanders near a popular country store and cafe on Saturday, according to New York State Police. State police said that the crash happened just before 2 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of State Route 30 and State Route 30A. The Times Union of Albany reported local officials said a limo speeding down a hill crashed into bystanders at the Apple Barrel Country Store on Saturday in Schoharie, southwest of Albany. The store is a popular spot for autumn leaf-peepers. Authorities on Sunday didn't release names of victims or specifics. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. At a livestreamed news conference on Sunday afternoon, New York State Police said the limousine -- a 2001 Ford Excursion -- failed to stop at the intersection and barreled across the roadway, striking another a parked, unoccupied 2015 Toyota Highlander, as well as two bystanders,. All 18 people inside the limo and the two bystanders were killed, police said. Robert Sumwalt, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, was in attendance at the news conference. He described an NTSB investigation that will take five days and be as comprehensive as possible. "Twenty fatalities is just horrific," Sumwalt said at the news conference. "I've been on the board for 12 years and this is one of the biggest losses of life that we've seen." The speed limit in the area is 50 mph, police said. It hasn't been determined whether the driver of the limo was speeding. Police did not identify the victims or give any more details about what might have caused the crash, saying the investigation is in its early stages and ongoing. They would not say what company operated the limo except that it was licensed to operate in New York. Seatbelts for limousines like the one that crashed are required for the drivers and frontseat passengers, not for any backseat passengers, police said. Police did not say whether road conditions might have caused the crash or whether there was equipment failure. That's all being investigated. A hotline has been set up for families of possible victims to call. The number is 1-877-672-4911. Police would not say whether the victims were from Upstate New York or give any other details, pending autopsies and family notifications. In a Facebook post, the cafe said it would be open today and accepting donations for local emergency services. Update at 6:30 p.m.: Onondaga County Sheriff's Office has arrested a man they say crashed a stolen pickup truck into the utility pole on Old Liverpool Road after shoplifting. Drivers in the area are asked to take precautions as National Grid crews remain on the scene. Update at 4 p.m.: Both northbound lanes of Old Liverpool Road, between School Road and Greenpoint Avenue, have reopened after a crash Sunday, Onondaga County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Jon Seeber said. One southbound lane remains closed, he said. "Please drive with caution through this area while National Grid employees make repairs," Seeber said. GALEVILLE, N.Y. -- A section of Old Liverpool Road is closed at the moment due to a vehicle crash involving a utility pole, according to the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office. The road is closed between School Road and Greenpoint Avenue in Galeville due to the crash. The road will be closed for several hours, so drivers should take an alternative route. Details of the crash will be released later, according to the sheriff's office. Photo: CTV The largest private capital investment in Canada's history was celebrated in Kitimat on Saturday. B.C. Premier John Horgan was in the northern community with local officials to commend the LNG Canada project, a liquified natural gas terminal and pipeline worth $40 billion, which is now under construction after investors gave it a green light this week. British Columbia is ready to open our doors to investment, provided you work with Indigenous communities who have the rights and title to the land, you protect the environment, you create jobs for the people who live here, and you make sure that the resources that belong to all of us get a fair return to all of us, Horgan said, touting the project. LNG Canada has done that. Construction of the project will reportedly create between 4,500 and 7,000 jobs. LNG Canada is owned by five companies, led by Shell which owns 50 per cent. Other shareholders are PetroChina, Korea Gas Corporation and Mitsubishi. - with files from CTV Vancouver The opening event of the 2018-19 academic year at the Cambridge Union saw four individuals intimately involved with pro-democracy action in Hong Kong share their experiences with an attentive crowd. Though Hong Kong is rarely a topic of interest in British politics, Martin Lee the so-called grandfather of democracy in Hong Kong argued that Beijing is actually emboldened by [the British governments] silence on its increasingly authoritarian action. Evan Fowler, the co-director of the Hong Kong Free Press, delivered a moving and personal speech on the link between a democratic free press and the preservation of culture and identity in Hong Kong, while Nathan Law, the youngest member of the legislative council in Hong Kong prior to his expulsion last year, spoke passionately about finding ones vocation in politics. I spoke to Benny Tai, a legal scholar known for his involvement in initiating the Hong Kong Occupy movement of 2014, about politics, youth activism, and his irrepressible optimism regarding Hong Kongs future. The idea of genuine democracy is common to discussions about Hong Kong, and I was interested in Tais own definition of the term. His response was measured, and he emphasised his reluctance to define democracy too narrowly. Democracy, he stated, was for him about more than representation in a legislature. Even if you do have representative democracy, he noted, the government can be quite detached from the people. With the Occupy movement, we attempted to introduce the idea of deliberative democracy into Hong Kong. When I emphasised the frustration of many 2014 protesters with consultation, such as the heavily publicised interaction between Hong Kongs government and five leaders from the Federation of Students in October 2014, he sought to clarify his point. Tai stressed that their aim was not consultation itself, given the lack of any real imperative for the government to respond to the needs of its citizens. Instead, the ideal of deliberative democracy in Hong Kong was about the people having their own dialogue we hoped to provide a platform for ordinary citizens to express and exchange their views. The centrality of a free press to a functional genuine democracy was a subject often revisited throughout the panel. Political activism over the past decade has benefitted from the use of non-traditional media forms (namely, social media) as a method by which to organise. It has also proven, most notably in the Cambridge Analytica controversy, to also be a method by which unaccountable bodies might corrupt the democratic process. When I asked Tai about his experiences with Occupy, he made clear that to split hairs about the morality of social media is something one can only do if one already has the privilege of access to multiple media formats. We have no choice in Hong Kong, he stated, The traditional media TV, the radio, printed newspapers are already very much under the influence or control of the Chinese Communist party. It was, he argued, only through non-traditional channels that pro-democratic activists could organise at all. Martin Lee had described Hong Kong earlier that evening as having historically occupied a fluid space between semi-democracy and semi-authoritarianism. There was a clear sense coming from all of the panel members, most especially Evan Fowler (the only individual to answer no to the question of whether he was optimistic that Hong Kong could attain genuine democracy within the next fifty years) that over the past two decades Hong Kong has been sliding consistently toward the authoritarian end of that scale. This gray area, moreover, seems irrevocably linked to the insecurity of freedoms granted to Hong Kongs people under the Basic Law. I asked Tai if he truly believed that Hong Kong could ever leave this grey area, given its proximity to an authoritarian global superpower able to exert considerable influence to further its own vested interests. If China continues to be under authoritarian rule, he said, the chance for Hong Kong to have genuine democracy will be very small. There would need to be some form of change within China this may not be the total collapse of Communist rule, but certainly some form of political change within the state. Yet Tais optimism remains; he stressed Hong Kongs prior role in effecting change in the mainland. He thinks of his home as a place wherein new ideas can be incubated, a shelter to dissidents and stresses that at the present moment we maintain a degree of political freedom which can enable fundraising and other forms of peaceful activism. This role, in his view, is vital and continuous. In the wake of the 2014 protests, there were attempts made to locate the cause of the discontent of Hong Kongs youth in the economic, rather than the political realm. Given that Hong Kong suffers from a lack of social mobility and a level of income inequality that means the wealthiest 10 percent of households earn nearly 44 times more than the poorest 10 percent, this explanation, favoured by the pro-Beijing camp, is not inconceivable. Tais first-hand experience with Occupy, however, means he places dissatisfaction with ones economic state as only a background to action. What triggered the movement, he said, was anger anger at the government having used tear gas against its own people. That was the essential motivation. I concurred. The use of tear gas against peaceful protestors, including Martin Lee, did make the movement fundamentally political above all else; the emphasis of the protestors on a pro-democracy stance is understandable in a context wherein the rights and freedoms of Hong Kongs citizens had just been so blatantly infringed upon. Yes, you may say so, Tai agreed, They are interrelated. It [the Umbrella Movement] was an attempt to fight against authoritarianism, by building up a democratic system. The fight against authoritarianism is ongoing. Memories of the governments use of tear gas against peaceful protestors in 2014 have not faded, and as recently as September the banning of the pro-independence Hong Kong National Party made international headlines. The situation in Hong Kong is, moreover, less far removed from Cambridge than one might expect. As noted by Evan Fowler during the panel discussion at the Union last night, Carrie Lam, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, is currently listed as an Honorary Fellow of Wolfson College. Fowler condemned the fellowship, stressing that Cambridge University, in honouring Lam, is failing to stand for the freedom of access to information that is so essential to a democratic society. It is a sobering reminder that Britain is not only failing to fight, but actively complicit in, the denial of the genuine democracy towards which Lee, Law, Fowler, and Tai continue to strive. Through the looking glass: An internal document Apple distributed to Apple stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers reveals that third-party and DIY repair will no longer be possible on 2018 MacBook Pros, the iMac, and many future devices. Unless Apples proprietary software is run on a repaired device while it is connected to Apples password protected servers, it will be bricked and rendered "inoperative. After acquiring the report, Motherboard immediately put iFixit CEO Kyle Weins on the phone, who said that theres two possible explanations: this is a continued campaign of obsolescence and they want to control the ecosystem and bring all repair into the network they control. Another is security, but I dont see a security model that doesnt trust the owner of the device making much sense. iFixit just went out and brought a shiny new MacBook Pro today, and put it to the test, swapping the displays and logic boards with the MacBook Pro from their teardown. Nothing happened. They concluded: Apples secret repair kill switch hasnt been activated yet. Lets take a deeper dive. The document, first obtained by Motherboard and Mac Rumors, details that any device with Apples new T2 security chip the 2018 MacBook Pro and iMac Pro would require Apples proprietary Apple Service Toolkit 2 (AST 2) System Configuration Suite to function at all. The document states that the software performs a quick health check of hardware and software, but it will actually completely inhibit the devices' basic functions. Repairs that require the AST 2 software to work include any that replace the display assembly, logic board, keyboard, touchpad, internal housing or TouchID board of a MacBook Pro and the logic board and flash storage of an iMac Pro. That covers any serious repairs and all upgrades. To use the AST 2 software (which is only given out very carefully under strict legal agreements) the repairer must connect to Apples Global Service Exchange cloud server to complete the repair. That requires an Apple login, making a workaround impossible. Its already well-known that Apple restricts who can repair their devices pretty heavily, so how much damage can this do? In the best case scenario for an Apple user who lives close to an Apple store or one of the very few authorized repairers, the price of the repair will remain at Apples current high prices. With no competition from third-party repair centers, Apple can charge however much they want, and you may see prices increase. If youre like me however and live a hundred miles away from the nearest Apple store, then you cant get your device repaired without getting the device there. For me, thats either a four-hour round trip or a very expensive (and slow) post. Its also quite brutal on schools, companies and DIY-ers who are used to conducting repairs themselves at a fraction of the price. But it is worst of all for all the third-party repairers whose livelihood depended on repairing Apple products. Fortunately, the so-called kill switch isnt in play as iFixit has shown. As iFixits Adam OCamb puts it, Thats a promising sign, and it means the sky isnt quite fallingyet. We have no idea when or how it will be activated. Apple has declined to comment. Why would Apple do this? The security angle does make some sense. If your MacBook is stolen, you wouldnt want someone just replacing the logic board to make it resalable or to access your files. But it does make it so unreasonably and unnecessarily hard for the consumer many people have commented saying how much they dont want this. More likely is that this is Apples long-term plan to fight against the Right to Repair. The right to repair is an umbrella term referring to the right of the owner of a device to repair it at a reasonable cost without the manufacturer putting any barriers in their way. Currently, 19 U.S. states are considering legislating this, but its known that Apple is lobbying against them in New York where lobbying records must be made public. Its conceivable that by claiming that this is a security feature and by linking it to the T2 security chip, they could get away with restricting users right to repair even if the legislation does pass. If you want to stop Apple and other large companies from doing things like this, you can do so by supporting organizations and companies like iFixit. At the end of the day, though, Apple might be just shooting itself in the foot, because who wants to buy a device that is so hard to repair? Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission Photo: Contributed South Okanagan rattle snakes are under threat. University and government researchers are working to save a diminishing species of British Columbia rattlesnakes. They're focusing on the western rattlesnakes found in the South Okanagan Valley, which are still under threat despite a comparative lack of development. Karl Larsen, a professor at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, says Okanagan's long, cold winters and short summers mean females can't reproduce every year. Adding to that is a high death rate from passing vehicles, which Larsen calls a "recipe for disaster." Christine Bishop, a researcher with Environment and Climate Change Canada, says some snakes are killed because drivers don't see them -- but others are run over intentionally. Larsen says if nothing is done, the snakes could be wiped out from the area in about a century or less. The team of researchers is working with the government to build tunnels for the snakes that go under the roadways. After the Friday night admission by Oscar Lozada in the 2011 killing of his wife, Sylviane Finck Lozada, investigators focused their attention on recovering her remains to bring closure to her family. Oscar Lozada, who was extradited Friday from Texas to Baton Rouge, was questioned for hours before admitting to killing Sylviane Lozada, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff Sid Gautreaux announced in a middle-of-the-night news conference just before Oscar Lozada was booked in East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on a count of second-degree murder. "We feel like that's going to help us bring some closure to the family, but this is an ongoing investigation," Gautreaux said. "You already know some of the evidence we already told you about but we have a lot more things (and we're) putting the pieces together." Can't see video below? Click here. In Oscar Lozada's arrest warrant, released last month, investigators laid out a timeline between July 5, 2011, when Sylviane Lozada was last heard from, and July 18, 2011, when she was reported missing. The day after Sylviane Lozada last spoke by phone to her mother in Belgium, Oscar Lozada purchased two round-trip tickets to his home country of Venezuela for his 4-year-old daughter and himself. He then bought 15 bags of Quickset Concrete and nine 5-gallon buckets with lids and luggage locks. Oscar Lozada and his daughter, Angelina, left the country July 9. Investigators searched his Springlake Drive home 13 days later, after he failed to board his scheduled return flight to Baton Rouge. They located Sylviane Lozada's blood splattered around the garage. They found her cellphone and car. But they didn't find her or what happened to the concrete and buckets Oscar Lozada bought shortly before her disappearance. And they still haven't found Sylviane Lozada's remains. +3 Husband of Brusly teacher missing since 2011 wanted for her death, investigators say More than seven years after the disappearance of Brusly High School teacher Sylviane Finck Lozada, authorities now allege her husband is respo Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up "Were very elated as to the outcome of this case but it's not over until we get to the bottom of the whole thing and we get some resolution," Gautreaux said. "We're hopeful, I don't know that well be able to, but were hopeful that well be able to find her body or whatever is there to help bring some further closure." East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Casey Rayborn Hicks said Saturday that investigators are still talking to Oscar Lozada and hope to locate Sylviane Lozada's remains. But it's too early to say if that will happen, Hicks said. Oscar Lozada was initially arrested and booked into jail on Sept. 13 in Maverick County, Texas, after he was detained in Mexico. Venezuela does not work with the United States on criminal investigations, so Louisiana detectives waited for years until Lozada left Venezuela, eventually moving to Mexico. +5 How was case of slain Brusly teacher solved? Investigator spends 7 years making his own 'breaks' Maj. Todd Morris treated the case like all the others he's investigated during his 28 years with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office, "With the political state of (Venezuela), we felt that one day, (Lozada) would leave, and we felt like he would try to come back to the United States, but if not the United States, some place else that was more modernized and had more of the modern conveniences that we have here in the United States," Gautreaux said. "So he did go to Mexico, and I think he felt comfortable there, and thats why he called Angelina to come with him." Gautreux reiterated early Saturday morning that Angelina's safety was always the priority. Now that she is in protective custody in Louisiana, investigators have been able to fully focus on solving the case. "We know that at the end of the day, the right decisions will be made for the child, and were very confident in that," Gautreaux said. "The second thing was to bring Oscar to justice because we felt right out of the gate that Oscar was responsible for the disappearance of his wife." The Sheriff's Office is preparing to turn the case over to East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore III. Moore commended the work of the Sheriff's Office, in particular the investigative work of Detective Maj. Todd Morris, who, the district attorney said, has worked the case "as if the child is his own." "In these cases, I've found when bodies are missing, families always want to know where the remains are so they can find some closure," Moore said. "My hope for the family is (Oscar Lozada's) statement will lead to some remains that will give that family the final closure that they have always been wanting." Not so long ago, the Pelican State lost its namesake bird. A chemical used to kill insects also induced the animals to lay eggs with too-thin shells. "Instead of eggs, heavily DDT-infested Brown Pelicans and Bald Eagles tend to find omelets in their nests, since the eggshells are unable to support the weight of the incubating bird," Stanford researchers have written. +3 Louisiana's bald eagle population soaring again after years on the brink After many lean years, Louisiana's bald eagle population has clawed its way back from the brink, according to the state Department of Wildlife Today, the brown pelicans are back, and wildlife scientists are celebrating 50 years since the species was reintroduced to the Louisiana coast. While it's a cause for celebration, researchers also warned that the fight is not over because coastal birds continue to lose their nesting grounds. In the early 1960s, pollution from dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane or DDT killed off the last Louisiana brown pelicans. In 1968, the state decided to start shipping in young birds from the Atlantic coast of Florida to the rookeries of Queen Bess Island in Barataria Bay, biologist Todd Baker told the state Wildlife and Fisheries Commission recently. At the time, scientists didn't know much about how to capture, transport and reintroduce birds, so they chose chicks between 8 and 12 weeks old strong enough to make the trip but too young to have their flight feathers yet. Scientists would bring the birds fish twice a day until they were old enough to fly, Baker said. Three years later, in 1971, the birds who imprinted on Queen Bess Island returned to lay 11 nests the first in a decade. The U.S. banned DDT the following year. All told, Louisiana relocated 767 pelican chicks through 1976, and the population continued to grow such that the birds were removed from the endangered species list in 2009. Today, brown pelicans nest along the coast of Louisiana. Locations include Cameron, Jefferson, Lafourche, St. Bernard and Terrebonne parishes, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. To think that we almost lost our state bird, the brown pelican, is inconceivable, Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Jack Montoucet wrote in a statement. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up As many drive along Louisianas coastal region and see the pelican flying above, it is easy to take for granted their great abundance. The job now is to make certain the species continues to flourish." Louisiana sees whooping crane resurgence; 5 chicks this year for endangered bird JEFFERSON DAVIS PARISH, La. (AP) In a southwest Louisiana crawfish pond, two endangered whooping crane chicks peck about for crawfish, insec Since their return, these birds have steadily lost their rookeries, forcing pelicans to flee to the Texas coast. Those that stay in Louisiana often must make do with less ideal nesting grounds, like coastal habitats where the ridges aren't as high, Baker said. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill also damaged the population. State officials don't have an exact number, but about a quarter of the dead birds collected from the disaster were pelicans. About 1,000 birds of all types were killed just on Queen Bess Island, where many pelicans nest, Baker said. Louisiana received about $148 million from the oil spill to clean up coastal rookeries. A pair of projects are in the design phase right now. The first would shore up Rabbit Island in southwest Louisiana, and the other would help fill in area around Queen Bess Island that's sunken due to subsidence and turned to open water. It's a balancing act for scientists, who must rebuild enough land to expand the nesting grounds without making the island so large and high that predators move in, predators the birds seek to avoid by laying their eggs on islands, Baker said. Wildlife and Fisheries is working with the state's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority to repair the rookeries, which are seen as indicators of the health of the entire Louisiana coast. In Louisiana we share our living space with more species of the animal kingdom than just about anywhere else in America. If we cannot save the habitat for those species, we cannot save it for ourselves. And as Queen Bess Island proves, every foothold of land is vitally important," authority Chairman Johnny Bradberry wrote in a statement. Still, on the 50th anniversary of the reintroduction of the brown pelican, state leaders are reminded that with careful intervention the birds' population has rebounded from extinction before. "It's a feel-good story," Baker said. "We now have pelicans back in the Pelican State." As he fights to retain his job in a normally low-key race, interim Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin is testing the maxim that any publicity is better than no publicity. Shortly after qualifying in July for election to the position he assumed after his predecessors resignation, Ardoin found himself in an unwelcome spotlight when the state reprimanded him for intervening in the awarding of a contract. He called it a misunderstanding and inadvertent, but it's led to litigation. That has allowed his opponents to question his competence for the job, if not his ethics. While in this instance Ardoin might have unsuspectingly given his competitors a campaign issue, recently he handed them another one this time on a silver platter. Last month, parish voting registrars began mailing ballots to registrants under a special program that allows elderly and shut-in voters to cast ballots through the mail. Not long after, using internal departmental data not available publicly, Ardoins office spent more than $23,000 to send more than 47,000 letters to program participants who usually voted in past elections. With his name displayed throughout, the communication reminded recipients of the upcoming Nov. 6 state elections and of their ability to vote by mail. Need to catch up on Louisiana's Secretary of State race? We can help with that A casual observer of the Secretary of States race and that includes pretty much everyone could be forgiven for mistaking George Soros as Never before had a previous secretary seen a need to do this. What's more, as a public information campaign, it made little sense for the letters to go to people with a consistent voting history, since those who seldom if ever voted seemed more in need of a reminder. In short order Ardoins opposition objected, calling this little more than unethically using public dollars for campaign purposes. Receiving a letter whose letterhead matches a name on the ballot to which the note refers certainly could prompt recipients to tick the box next to that name. Still, Ardoin insisted that, even as his office fielded a few complaints about the mail out, some recipients conveyed thanks for the information. Yet however unscrupulous this may seem, its not illegal. A bill failed this past regular legislative session that would have clarified and beefed up the statutes to prevent state, but not local, government officials from spending public dollars in promoting, achieving, establishing, or restoring a favorable public image of or for advocacy of any public servant. The bill foundered when almost all House Democrats present voted against it, although almost all had voted for a similar version in 2016. They shouldnt have reversed course. The bills attempt to make this prohibition crystal-clear and easier to enforce would have advanced government integrity. But a mailer that doesnt mention a specific contest wouldnt seem to help Ardoin's campaign. Perhaps the law needs to prohibit specifically the secretary of state after he qualifies for that office from using nonpublic data in disseminating information about elections held on a day in which he is a candidate. Louisiana voters warned about voter registration scam; Oct. 9 is deadline for Nov. elections Prompted by reports of voter registration scams in other states, Louisiana's chief elections officer is warning residents to be wary of caller Regardless, Ardoin use of taxpayer dollars to tell chronic voters about an upcoming election whose accompanying ballot has his name on it targets people most likely to make up their minds independently. The tactic could pick up some votes, but unlikely many that he otherwise wouldnt have earned. More likely, the unfavorable publicity from the incident that Ardoins rivals will amplify throughout the election season will cost him more votes than he nets. The controversy only cultivates a reputation, made credible due to his earlier misstep, of Ardoin as a typical politician trying to game the system. If so, he may regret pushing that ethics envelope. Jeff Sadow is an associate professor of political science at Louisiana State University-Shreveport. He is author of a blog about Louisiana politics at www.between-lines.com and writes about Louisiana legislation at www.laleglog.com. Follow him on Twitter, @jsadowadvocate or email jeffsadowtheadvocate@yahoo.com. His views do not necessarily express those of his employer. A casual observer of the Secretary of States race and that includes pretty much everyone could be forgiven for mistaking George Soros as the leading candidate. The Hungarian-born New York billionaire investor, who funds progressive causes and has become the latest pinata for right-wing rage, is the most mentioned name at candidate forums despite his lack of involvement in this race. George Soros wants to take your ballot away, letting illegal aliens register and vote, thats the only way liberals can win, said state Rep. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge, echoing the words of the other candidates. Poorly funded and populated by nine little-known politicos, the campaign for Louisianas third highest ranking state official has attracted little attention even though the race tops the Nov. 6 ballot, four weeks from now. Candidates also are critical, though not quite as loudly, of the tactics of interim Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, who until his boss quit in May following sexual harassment allegations, was the nuts-and-bolts administrator for the office that oversees elections, registers businesses and archives the states records. He said he wasnt going to run for the final year of Tom Schedlers term. But when the door literally shut on official qualifying, Ardoin announced he had signed up to seek the office. He felt none of the candidates had experience enough to guide Louisiana through the rocky shoals of tightening ballot security while staging a 2019 election for the governor, other statewide officials (including secretary of state) and the entire 144-seat Legislature. His opponents pushed reporters to go after Ardoin on various issues, such as contracts to replace 10,000 voting machines. But not wanting to introduce themselves to voters by throwing mud, the candidates wouldnt go there themselves at least in the public forums where this underfunded race is being run. Louisiana elections chief pushes back on voting machine contract protest Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin defended the selection of a vendor to replace Louisiana's years-old voting machines, saying Friday that the eva From the pulpit of Greenwell Springs Baptist Church, five of the candidates Tuesday night talked mainly about who hated liberals more. As former state Sen. A.G. Crowe left the sanctuary, the Pearl River Republican said he didnt confront Ardoin with issues he thought warranted official investigations because its not the right place for that. During a Thursday night forum before a coalition of Baton Rouge area Republican womens clubs, the conversation remained polite hors d'oeuvres had been served. That changed when last question was called. Kim Powers, who had been standing for a while waiting to be recognized, shouted out her question. Shes running for council member at large in the Town of Central and had asked in August for the list of voters in her town who were mailed ballots because they are too old or too disabled to get to the polls. She wanted to personally ask support from this group who had demonstrated their willingness to vote a consequential group in a low-turnout election. Why, Powers asked, was she denied access to the list for political purposes a 2012 law protects the names of those participating in the mail-in ballot program when Ardoin used that same list, to which only he has access, and mailed a thinly veiled campaign letter. On Sept. 20, Ardoin wrote 47,039 mail ballot voters: My office and your parish registrar of voters will never disclose that you are enrolled in the program, and state law prohibits voter harassment, coercion or intimidation by candidates or third parties. Ardoin said his job includes educating voters, and thats what he did at a cost to taxpayers of $23,964.63. No previous secretary of state had mailed such warnings. +4 Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin sends letter educating seniors about voting, opponents howl Election opponents of Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin are crying foul over an official letter he wrote reassuring elderly participants in a pro The gloves came off. It is just not the right thing to do, Stokes said. She then ticked off infractions she thinks disqualify Ardoin on ethical grounds, from the imbroglio over contracts for new voting machines to buying vanity plates proclaiming him as secretary of state. Crowe said he would push for new laws that would forbid future secretaries of state from using their official position to campaign. Edmonds said he wasnt buying that the letter was technically legal. As a public servant, we are to avoid the appearance of impropriety, period, said Republican Turkey Creek Mayor Heather Cloud. The forum quickly ended. Coming off the stage, Ardoin pulled a card from his coat pocket and, carefully putting a thumb over the writer's name to protect her identity, showed a handwritten note thanking him for his sweet letter. I was doing my job, Ardoin said. Then, nodding toward Powers, he added, She wanted to send political messages. It remains to be seen if Powers question marked a beginning of more raucous debate or was an aberration. The candidates meet again Monday at noon for the Press Club of Baton Rouge. After a tough legislative battle, Louisiana members of Congress have delivered a vital patch to a federal regulation that hurt families flooded out by violent storms around the state in 2016. Following a key vote in the U.S. House, senators also approved new legislation that includes a provision vital to flooded families. Louisianians hit by the 2016 flood who borrowed money from the Small Business Administration would no longer have those loans counted against them when applying for Restore Louisiana rebuilding grants. The provision was included in a must-pass bill reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration. Maybe it's another commentary on how dysfunctional Congress is that such a common-sense provision should require a parliamentary trick to make it to the statute books. But the bill goes to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it. Changing the SBA's so-called "duplication of benefits" rules has been a priority for Louisiana's congressional delegation since record-breaking amounts of rain flooded large swaths of the Baton Rouge metro area in August 2016, although other flooding also had serious impacts in Acadiana and north Louisiana that year. Federal officials encouraged homeowners to take out low-interest loans from the SBA, which thousands did to rebuild their damaged homes. But few realized that federal rules would count those loans against any later grant money under regulations designed to prevent disaster victims from getting paid twice for the same damage. Trump signs off on bill with 'duplication of benefits' fix, other disaster relief changes WASHINGTON President Donald Trump put the final touch on new federal legislation designed to clear a number of bureaucratic and regulatory h Thousands of Louisiana homeowners were snagged by the rule and ended up facing decades of loan repayments when they'd otherwise have gotten free-and-clear grants for the same amount. The delegation deserves credit for pushing the issue, particularly U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, who lobbied senators intensively. Other heroes of this battle were two House members with significant flooding in their districts: U.S. Reps. Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge and Cedric Richmond, a Democrat whose district runs from New Orleans to north Baton Rouge, where neighborhoods were also badly hit by flooding. Gov. John Bel Edwards particularly praised Cassidy, Graves and Richmond for their leading roles in this endeavor, but every member of the delegation had constituents who needed help with this provision, as well as the uphill battle in Congress to provide a realistic level of aid to the state to deal with the 2016 disasters. What is dismaying is that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development failed to act administratively, despite face-to-face lobbying by Graves and Cassidy, and the arguments of Edwards and state recovery officials. That delayed this provision but did not stop it, and we compliment all those in our delegation and state government who did not let this cause fall by the wayside. The April 2013 decision by New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu and the Aviation Board to move the terminal at Louis Armstrong International Airport has meant jobs for thousands of area workers. And starting May 15, airport officials say, local residents and arriving tourists will begin passing through what Landrieu has called a world-class airport for a world-class city. But at Friendship Community Missionary Baptist Church, all the new terminal has brought is a damaged foundation. The Rev. Reginald Holmes attributes a shift in the foundation to the 18-wheelers that constantly rumble past his church on Aberdeen Street in Kenner, delivering materials for roadway construction related to the new terminal taking shape nearby. Although consultants for the airport, seeking community feedback, hosted two meetings in June 2013 at the nearby Doubletree Hotel, just 33 residents attended, according to the consultants report. Many residents of the Veterans Heights/Susan Park neighborhood, among them Holmes, say they never heard about those meetings, though the consultants sent out 4,000 invitations. I just think the community should have been involved from the start of this, Holmes said in a recent interview. Everybody should have had access to the table. That was not granted. The Veterans Heights/Susan Park neighborhood lies between Interstate 10 on the north, the airfield to the south, the St. Charles Parish line to the west and the Airport Access Road to the east. It had 5,000 residents at the time of the 2010 census. Moving the airports main terminal will mean shifting passenger operations from the airports longtime home abutting Airline Drive to a location adjacent to Veterans Heights and Susan Park. Local residents say airport officials treated the effects of the move on the poor, mostly black neighborhood as an afterthought. A review of minutes of Aviation Board meetings shows that neighborhood impacts were little discussed as the new terminal was planned. For at least the first four years after it opens, drivers will reach the new terminal via a four-lane boulevard under construction that is slicing Veterans Heights in half. The new boulevard parallels Aberdeen Street, which until recently was a quiet two-lane roadway, the continuation of Loyola Drive south of Veterans Boulevard. Soon, officials at the state Department of Transportation and Development hope to begin construction on flyovers to and from I-10 that will further divide Veterans Heights along Aberdeen. The officials hope to inaugurate those flyovers in August 2023. The construction of the flyovers will require DOTD officials to buy out about 20 businesses and residences. The agency has hosted two meetings recently with residents to outline the coming changes and to show the different options under consideration for the flyovers. Holmes church stands on the west side of Aberdeen Street. The boulevard is on the eastern side of Aberdeen. Its construction has already blocked pedestrians and drivers from crossing Aberdeen on 27th Street, the only east-west corridor in the subdivision. Mark Mitchell is the pastor of New Hope Urban Family Ministries, at 27th and Gadsden streets, a few blocks away. New Hope offers an after-school enrichment program, a summer camp and a weekend academy. Parishioners built five affordable homes in Kenner last year. Were truly a community church to help rebuild and revitalize communities, Mitchell said. But his church is already feeling a drop-off in attendance from parishioners who live on the other side of Aberdeen and now have to walk up to Veterans Boulevard to get to the church. You take a community where families live, where kids play, where people go to church, and you stick a spear through it to create an access road to the airport, Mitchell said. The community that we were feeling safe about theyve taken that away. In December 2013, RS&H, a Florida-based engineering and architectural consulting firm, produced a lengthy environmental assessment required by the Federal Aviation Administration before work on the airport terminal could begin. RS&H reported that a total of 33 people attended the two meetings it sponsored at the Doubletree Hotel. That low figure, plus conversations with local school officials, led the consultants to report that the idea of the new boulevard did not result in any concerns about closing 27th Street. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Walter Krygowski, deputy director of aviation over operations and maintenance, defended the conclusion, saying in a recent interview that officials went a step beyond what was required by holding the Doubletree events and sending out thousands of invitations. The FAA accepted that document and issued a 'finding of no significant impact, Krygowski said. Holmes church provides hot meals and gives away clothes on the first Saturday of every month. He said perhaps 15 percent of the people who have been coming to the church on foot no longer show up because of the roadway construction. Im in support of the airport progressing, expanding, blooming, Holmes said. Thats wonderful. I just dont want the people in our community to have any impact. Were the ones affected most by this. Holmes, Mitchell and others feel let down by their local government officials. Mike Yenni, now Jefferson Parishs president, was mayor of Kenner at the time of the April 2013 announcement and for nearly three years afterward. In an interview, Yenni said he organized meetings with local residents to discuss the project's impact and to push for them to get jobs. One meeting took place in May 2015. Holmes was among those who attended. Holmes said that when he presented his concerns, officials responded that the boulevard that would cut through Veterans Heights had already won approval. I was dumbfounded, he said. I thought they were seeking comments from the community and then taking them into consideration before proceeding. I was blown away. The community was outdone with those comments. Many people gave up. They felt like the train had left the station. Yenni said he regrets the negative impacts. But, he added, Thats something that can happen anywhere when you have to move more traffic through a community. Can't see video below? Click here. Ben Zahn, Kenners mayor since January 2017, said he has participated in two public meetings with residents. Its something weve inherited and have to deal with, he said. Its not something we like. But its here. Landrieu, who decided along with his Aviation Board to move the terminal, declined to be interviewed for this story but wrote in an email that along with support from the airlines, the project has had broad support from the FAA, federal, state, regional officials, and business and tourism communities. Local officials in Kenner have been involved extensively throughout the process as we have worked through drainage, noise, road access, traffic and other business and residential impacts. Holmes and Melvin Hurst, the pastor at Guiding Light Missionary Baptist Church, said Gregory Carroll, who represents the subdivision on the Kenner City Council, has not paid enough attention to the problem. Carroll did not return four phone calls from The Advocate. Hursts church operates out of a trailer just west of Loyola Drive at Veterans. He fears that the new roadways and extra traffic will keep parishioners away. I would like to see them compensate our church and Pastor Holmes church, Hurst said. We will suffer a pretty good financial hit. We have bills to pay. In the meantime, because of construction, Aberdeen Street has been narrowed to a one-way street heading south. Thats forcing northbound traffic to reroute to Greenwood Street, one block to the west. Its bumper to bumper in afternoons, said Amanda Mullen, who lives on Greenwood. I cant get out of my driveway. She said she had been a Landrieu fan, but her admiration has dimmed. I liked him, but Id like to give him a bad word that God doesnt want me to say, she said. He didnt think of us. Either well have to sell out and take a loss or be stuck here. Editor's note: This story was changed Oct. 8 to clarify that trucks carrying materials for the new terminal do not travel along Aberdeen Road. On May 15, if all goes according to the latest plan, Louis Armstrong International Airport will undergo a massive change: The current terminal on Airline Drive will shut down, and flights will begin operating out of a sparkling new terminal closer to Interstate 10. The completion of the $1.3 billion, six-year project will make New Orleans the first major American city in a decade to replace its airport terminal. The last was Indianapolis in 2008. It will bring an end to a generation of uncertainty about how to modernize New Orleans airport, which serves four out of every five passengers who fly into or out of Louisiana. The opening will cap a remarkable decade for air travel at the airport. Consider: For the first time since 1982, New Orleans has direct service to Europe, with British Airways offering nonstop flights to London and Condor flying nonstop to Frankfurt. Airport traffic grew by 60 percent, making New Orleans the third fastest-growing airport in America over that time. Thanks to the growth in passenger traffic and better cost containment, costs per passenger will have declined even as the airport begins paying down the debt for the new terminal. New Orleans costs are lower than the average for similarly sized airports. By all accounts, when it comes to design, New Orleans will be getting what Mayor Mitch Landrieu promised in 2013: a world-class airport for a world-class city. The airy new facility, co-designed by star architect Cesar Pelli, will have a wide, open feel. It will feature a broad array of restaurants, easier access to gates, a modern baggage system and the latest technology. The new terminal would not have been possible without Landrieu, who viewed it as a legacy project for his administration, and for good reason. It will be the most consequential public works project he oversaw and probably the largest one that metro New Orleans has seen since the construction of the Superdome nearly 50 years earlier. But as the project nears takeoff, some blemishes also have become more apparent: The total cost of $1.3 billion for the terminal and roadways to it is about twice the $650 million estimate touted in 2013 by Landrieu and the airports outside consultants. That's partly because costs have grown and partly because the original price tag didn't include major roadwork. The terminal is now scheduled to open a year after the original date. The latest delay was caused by the need to build a new sewage pipe for the terminal after the one that was built could no longer operate because of shifting soils. Although the new terminal is about three-quarters of a mile closer to Interstate 10, drivers will likely encounter traffic tie-ups, possibly significant ones, getting there via Loyola Drive in Kenner. Thats because the planned flyovers from the interstate wont be ready until at least 2023 in part because of poor planning. The new airport access road off Loyola Drive cuts in half a poor, mostly black neighborhood in Kenner, a development that has upset residents but attracted little attention from Landrieu, other local officials and the Aviation Board. The new long-term parking lot wont be ready when the new terminal opens. For the first couple of months, departing passengers who want to use cheaper long-term parking will have to park in a lot by the existing terminal and take a shuttle to the new one. Arriving passengers who want to rent a vehicle will have to take a shuttle bus back to the existing rental car facility next to the current terminal. Reaching for the sky Landrieu began the push for a new airport terminal in 2011, shortly after taking office. His pitch followed a series of abortive efforts over the previous 30 years, which variously envisioned expanding the old airport, moving it to a site midway between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, moving it to eastern New Orleans or privatizing it. In a letter to the Aviation Board, the mayor noted that he had commissioned a study when he was lieutenant governor that identified the dated airport infrastructure and poor arrival experience as major dissatisfiers inhibiting our ability to grow as a top tourism destination, which we know also inhibits our ability to compete as a top destination for business and industry. The airport hired a consulting firm to study four options: refurbish the existing terminal, at an estimated cost of $595 million; build a new terminal on the site of the existing one, by doing construction in phases, for $690 million; build a new terminal just to the west of the existing terminal, at a cost of $610 million; or build a new terminal on the north side of the old one, for $650 million. Can't see video below? Click here. All along, the consultants and Landrieu favored the fourth option, the move to the north, where they could build a free-standing terminal not tied to the longtime facility facing Airline Drive. However, that was the only one of the four options that would require building new flyovers from the interstate a $150 million project that was not included in the price tags at the time. In 2012, Landrieu appointed developer Roger Ogden to the Aviation Board. A well-known art collector who had built some 35 shopping centers collectively worth more than $1 billion, Ogden would take the lead in the decision-making process. He worked in tandem with board member and Mercedes-Benz Superdome executive Doug Thornton, a close ally of Landrieus who brought invaluable experience from having overseen the Domes renovation after Hurricane Katrina. In a recent interview, Ogden said he initially favored renovating the existing terminal. But he eventually decided that would be akin to renovating an old house, which is more risky than building new from the ground up. Ogdens second choice was to build the new terminal immediately to the west, near the rental car facility then under construction. But he rejected that option because it would disrupt FedEx, UPS and other cargo operators, and would put departing passengers farther away from I-10. The north side option allowed us to ground-up build and have close proximity to the interstate, Ogden said. Even as Aviation Board members were marshaling evidence to support that decision, they were overseeing a $300 million renovation of the existing terminal that added six new gates, freshened up the ticketing area, opened more inviting restaurants, upgraded the baggage area and constructed a garage to consolidate rental car operations. That facelift had to be completed before New Orleans hosted the Super Bowl in February 2013. A move to the north would thus mean that most of the benefits from the Super Bowl upgrade would last only five or six years. The rental car garage will be its main vestige. A financial renaissance Even before the 2013 decision to build a new terminal, the airport was undergoing a financial renaissance under a new aviation director, Iftikhar Ahmad, whose predecessor had resigned in disgrace. At the direction of Landrieu and the Aviation Board, Ahmad was eliminating bloated contracts that had been freely given under previous mayors who in return mined the consultants for campaign contributions. For example, the airport staff reduced spending on an electrical contract from $253,000 in 2010 to $75,000 in 2011, and eliminated a consulting contract for maintenance services that has resulted in a savings of $560,000 per year, according to Erin Burns, an airport spokeswoman. Greater staff oversight of security services reduced that contract from $2.8 million in 2010 to $1.6 million in 2011. "The inspector general once called the airport a pit of corruption. We turned it around by reforming procurement; overhauling credit card, overtime and take-home car policies; renegotiating contracts; and making the agency more transparent and accountable, Landrieu, who declined to be interviewed for this story, said in an email. Overall, the airports operational costs remained essentially flat over nearly a decade an impressive feat given the skyrocketing passenger numbers. The steep rise in traffic generated more money from restaurants, stores, parking and other non-airline sources. And all of that meant Ahmad could reduce how much Louis Armstrong International charged the airlines. All of it together helped dramatically reduce the airlines cost for each passenger, a key figure known as cost per enplanement, or CPE. We learned that was the metric by which all airports are measured, Thornton said in an interview. The lower you can bring the CPE, the more attractive you can make it to the airlines. The airlines local CPE, once projected to be $12.80 by 2012, was instead only $8.49 that year. The CPE would eventually bottom out at $5.32 in 2017, well below the average at other medium-sized hubs. A virtuous cycle had begun. Southwest expanded its flights, and such low-cost carriers as Spirit and Frontier began flying out of New Orleans. In 2012, New Orleans was actually the fastest-growing airport in the country, as the citys post-Katrina recovery gained strength. Amid all that good news, Landrieu got the Aviation Boards OK on April 17, 2013, to build the brand-new terminal on the north side. This is one of these wonderful opportunities where all of the stars aligned and the people of this city and this region decided to seize the moment that has been missed by us so many times, Landrieu told reporters, as enthusiastic local officials crowded behind him. Along with Ogden and Thornton, those voting for the move were: board Chairman Nolan Rollins, then president of the Urban League of Greater New Orleans; Michael Smith, general manager of the New Orleans Hyatt Hotel; Cheryl Teamer, an attorney and strategic consultant; Ti Martin, a restaurateur; Lea Polk Montgomery, a financial adviser; and Jim Hudson, a bank executive who represented Kenner on the board. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up This airport is the front door to our city, and we intend to give you a front door that you are proud of in every way, Martin said that day. The airlines signed off on the plan, and none of them have publicly expressed any complaints about its execution. Throughout the process, Southwest, as well as other carriers, have had a seat at the table during project planning and construction conversations, Dan Landson, a spokesman for Southwest, the biggest operator out of New Orleans, said in an email. Together, weve worked to ensure the new facility has the right amount of space for todays airline operations as well as space to grow into in the future. One big improvement at the new terminal: Travelers will pass through a central checkpoint to the gates. The current terminal has a checkpoint for each of its three concourses; those can become bottlenecks when one airline has heavy passenger traffic. The terminal will also feature mechanized conveyor belts to transport luggage from ticket check-in counters to security screening machines. At the existing terminal, employees must carry the bags. Another bonus: Connecting passengers who make up just 4 percent of Louis Armstrongs traffic will be able to go directly to their new gate, rather than having to pass into the terminal and then back into a secure area. The new terminal also will have more food and gift concessions. Most will be in the secure area which passengers generally prefer in the post-9/11 era rather than in the main terminal. All four of the proposed new terminals would have included the same improvements. Hitting some turbulence Although the airports price tag is much higher than originally envisioned, the project hasnt ballooned as spectacularly as it might have. In board meetings, Ogden and Thornton pushed to keep costs down. In mid-2015, the contractor chosen to build the airport a joint venture consisting of four companies, known as Hunt Gibbs Boh Metro presented an initial estimate that the terminal would cost more than $1 billion, almost 50 percent more than the original estimate. The project was in jeopardy, Thornton said. We were about to walk away. For three months, he led a team that reduced costs and sliced out luxuries the height of the terminal was reduced from 80 feet to 75 feet, for example while working closely with Charlie Prewitt, the joint ventures construction boss. In December 2015, the Aviation Board announced that construction of the new terminal and roadways (not including the flyovers) would now cost $806 million, up a more modest 24 percent from the initial estimate. The opening would be pushed back from the original unveiling date of May 5, 2018 two days before Landrieus second and final term ended to October of that year. Much of the cost increase announced in 2015 resulted from a realization that the planned terminal was too small and would have to be enlarged by about 17 percent. The undersized plan had helped keep the overall cost down, at least initially. In March 2017, Mark Reis, then the airport's interim director, announced another increase in the price tag. The terminal would now cost $993 million after the board decided to add five more gates for a total of 35 to meet higher passenger traffic projections. The flyovers that will drop traffic from I-10 directly onto airport property allowing traffic to bypass the congestion of Loyola Drive will add another $150 million. The need for more gates was hardly a surprise: The existing terminal has 35 gates, and the board had known in 2012 before the plan to build a new terminal was even approved that the airports traveler count was exceeding projections and growing rapidly. The extra work caused the board to delay the expected opening again, to Feb. 1, 2019. The airlines believe in the future of this market, and we are adjusting the project to meet those new demands, and that's a good thing, Ogden told his colleagues. The various delays had ensured the airport wasnt going to open on Landrieus watch, so in April, two weeks before he left office, Landrieu invited reporters and several dozen business and political leaders to see the new terminal, by then nearly 70 percent complete. Bow-tied waiters passed out food and drink, and a band played. The new terminal, Landrieu told the assembled crowd, will be the economic engine that drives the future. The problem with the new terminals sewer line, announced last month, has resulted in the latest opening date of May 15, 2019, just after the Jazz and Heritage Festival ends. Not just hot air Perhaps the central irony of the gleaming new terminal is that many of the problems it was intended to solve not enough flights, not enough destinations, high per-passenger costs have already been fixed. Since 2011, when the new terminal was first proposed, New Orleans travelers have seen the number of cities they could fly to directly jump by 43 percent. The number of passengers using the airport since then has shot up by 41 percent. All of those extra passengers have meant more people parking their vehicles and spending money on concessions at the airport. That has led to a spike in non-airline revenue. And all of that, combined with lower operating costs, has allowed the airport to sharply drop the airlines per-passenger costs, the CPE. With air travel on the rise around the country, other medium-sized hubs also have seen drops in CPE, but not as impressive as those posted by Louis Armstrong International. The CPE at New Orleans is now rising to pay off the $763 million in bonds that airport officials sold to finance the new terminal. The CPE is now projected to be $8.02 in 2019 and to peak at $8.25 in 2021 before beginning to decline slowly in succeeding years. Those numbers are still well below industry standards. The average CPE for medium-size hubs in 2017 was $9.04, according to the Airports Council International North America, or nearly $4 higher per passenger than the airlines operating cost that year in New Orleans of $5.32. Although the old terminal has achieved an efficiency that officials never foresaw, they say now that a reckoning would have come due fairly soon had they not built the new terminal. For instance, Thornton said, the old terminals aging air conditioning and electrical systems would eventually have become prohibitively expensive to maintain or replace. But its not just about CPEs. Thornton said the new terminal was needed to make sure that visitors have a pleasant entry to New Orleans, whether they are here to attend a convention or to enjoy the French Quarter, a sporting event at the Superdome or one of the litany of local festivals. We will now have a world-class airport constructed to the best of the ability (to meet) the needs for the next 15 to 20 years, said Ogden. Editor's note: This story was changed Oct. 8 to clarify when the new long-term parking lot will open. In addition, a graphic accompanying this story was modified to correct the number of gates in Concourses A and B. Jazz great Irvin Mayfield and his sidekick Ronald Markham are in a heap of trouble, but they, or at least their attorneys, are not cowed. They have come out swinging against state Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera, who has just added to their tale of woe by digging even more deeply into the lavish lifestyle they allegedly sustained through embezzlement. It may be true that offense is the best defense, but surely Mayfield's attorney, public defender Claude Kelley, and Markham's, Sara Johnson, are wasting their time chastising Purpera. He can't put Mayfield and Markham in prison, but federal prosecutors will try to do so, doubtless for a long time, if the trial goes ahead on schedule in April. Mayfield and Markham have been indicted on 23 counts of fraud, conspiracy and obstruction, after allegedly diverting money they controlled as members of the city's Library Foundation Board to their New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. Maybe Purpera just provided grounds for additional counts. If Purpera is the wrong target, the complaint against him also seems wide of the mark. Defense attorneys' beef is that Purpera is in cahoots with the feds, and is, in fact, no more than their biased, coercive tool. But feeding dope to prosecutors is clearly part of the auditor's job. In his cover letter, Purpera added the standard line that his report had been handed to the U.S. Attorney and the District attorney as required by law. Anyone with knowledge of a crime is obliged to report it; failure to do so constitutes the crime of misprision. The state constitution requires the Legislative Auditor to bird-dog the fiscal records of the state, its agencies and subdivisions. Anyone who misappropriates public money is fair game. That must entail cooperation with prosecutors. Indeed, prosecutors routinely rely on outside help to build cases. On this occasion, the Metropolitan Crime Commission, the media and Purpera all conducted investigations that must have made the feds' job easier. Now, in a letter, the defense attorneys demand that the Louisiana Legislative Auditor put down its gun, take off its badge and return to its original noble purpose of providing meaningful and transparent services to the people of Louisiana. That makes state auditors sound a bit like Gary Cooper in "High Noon," surely a first. The public will not agree that Purpera is out of line, being more inclined to appreciate his meaningful and transparent services in tracing the various misappropriations alleged against Markham and Mayfield. The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, which paid Mayfield and Markham six-figure salaries while they flitted between fancy hotels, is a nonprofit partly dependent on government grants. Since Mayfield and Markham made no attempt to separate NOJO's private and public funds, the Legislative Auditor was obliged to investigate its whole operation or, as defense attorneys have it, play junior detective for the federal government. Last December, a federal grand jury alleged that Mayfield and Markham had grabbed $1.4 million donated for the benefit of the New Orleans public libraries, and then came up with another $140,000 for a superseding indictment. Purpera's new report tells the same old story of shameless self-indulgence on money intended for charitable or civic purposes, but with a different cast of victims. Now it is alleged that Markham and Mayfield razooed money the city gave NOJO to pay for sculptures in Armstrong Park. And when the state handed NOJO more than $1 million toward the cost of its Jazz Market, Markham and Mayfield helped themselves to most of it for unauthorized purposes. The defense attorneys also complain that Purpera is resisting subpoenas for copies of documents he has provided to help the feds prepare their case. It is impossible for their clients to respond to the allegations, the attorneys write. Since prosecutors are obliged to turn any exculpatory material over to the feds, Mayfield and Markham presumably won't have any due-process complaints by the time of the trial. Still, it is hard to see how justice is served by being less than open with two men who have every reason to sing a worried song while a year and a half passes between indictment and trial. Email James Gill at Gill1047@bellsouth.net. Calvin Warren Jr., 35, has been indicted on the murder charge after Thomas Tommy Matuseski overdosed from the fentanyl that Warren provided, Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg said in a news release Friday. First-degree murder is a capital felony that carries a potential punishment of life in prison or the death penalty. Warrens arrest is the first time Aronbergs office has relied on a law that was recently enacted in Florida to crack down on fentanyl trafficking. As part of our focus on the opioid epidemic, which claimed 642 lives in Palm Beach County last year, we will aggressively charge drug dealers who spread deadly fentanyl-laced heroin into our community, Aronberg said in a statement. We will use all tools provided us by the Florida Legislature to hold drug dealers accountable for causing the deaths of others. On Thursday, the prosecutors office secured the indictment against Warren, charging him with the illegal distribution of heroin, cocaine and fentanyl. On Friday, a judge ordered Warren to remain jailed without bond. Additional details about the allegations against Warren, and how he encountered Matuseski, werent available late Friday. Matuseski, who died on Jan. 28, was valued at his workplace, Banyan Treatment Center, which provides addiction treatment. The center has several locations in South Florida, as well as other parts of the country. He was a great guy who worked for Banyan Treatment Center as a client care coordinator for several months, said Allison Seriani, a Banyan spokeswoman. He answered calls in our call center and would take down callers information to coordinate admission times for incoming patients. He was always willing to lend a hand and was a very likable guy. The news of his death shocked us all. He showed up to work on time, worked well with everyone and got his work done. This tragedy is exactly what we, at Banyan, try to combat every day; another senseless overdose. State records show Calvin Warren Jr. has an extensive criminal history, which includes serving prison time for felony battery and being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition. (Courtesy of the Florida Department of Corrections.) Matuseskis family couldnt be reached for comment Friday despite phone calls. State records show Warren has an extensive criminal history, which includes serving prison time for felony battery and being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition. In the new case against him, he was detained after a joint investigation by multiple agencies, which have been working together to try to reduce the number of opioid overdoses, Aronbergs office said. Florida has moved forward with stiffer penalties to hold drug dealers accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic. Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill into law last year that increases the penalties for fentanyl possession, including charging drug dealers with murder if customers die from the potent painkiller. Sometimes, customers dont even know theyre getting fentanyl, because the opioid has been mixed in with other drugs. Photo: The Canadian Press A firefighting airplane drops its load next to firetrucks on a road outside the village of Charneca, in the Sintra national park, west of Lisbon, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018. Over 700 firefighters were battling a forest fire that started overnight about 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of Lisbon. (AP Photo/Armando Franca) Over 700 firefighters battled a wildfire Sunday in a national park west of Lisbon that forced Portuguese authorities to evacuate about 350 people. The fire that broke out overnight in the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park that covers hilly terrain near the Atlantic coast injured 17 firefighters and one civilian, Andre Fernandes of Portugal's civil protection agency said Sunday. Fernandes added that 300 people were evacuated from a campsite while another 47 were removed from their homes in the wooded area as a precaution. Firefighters on the ground were being supported by 225 vehicles and six aerial fire-fighting units as they tried to put out the blaze. Planes swooped low to dump water on plumes of smoke rising from densely wooded hills 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of the capital. Fernandes said firefighters were combating the fire on two fronts, and their efforts were being helped by a decrease in the winds that had previously fanned the flames. "The first hours of the fire were very, very difficult," Fernandes said. Resident Francisco Reymao told The Associated Press that "it was very windy, so the fire front came all the way down with an astonishing speed." "The firefighters could only watch during the night because it was impossible to control the fire," Reymao added. "Our luck was the start of the day when the aircraft were able to stop this ... it would have been a tragedy here in Charneca." Wildfires routinely blacken large areas of forest every year in Portugal. Last year they also killed 106 people in what was by far the country's deadliest fire season on record. That was a wake-up call for authorities, who had been slow to react to demographic changes and a climate that was getting hotter and drier. This year the Portuguese government enacted a raft of preventive measures to reduce fire deaths, like employing goats to munch flammable undergrowth along key roads. A union survey of more than 400 cabin crew working for Australia's airlines has found a majority have been sexually harassed at work, with some saying the confines of an aircraft is the "perfect place" for abuse to take place. The survey of 419 cabin crew working for Qantas, Virgin, Jetstar and Tigerair found that 65 per cent said they had been harassed by either a colleague or a passenger. Hannah Rowlands says airlines need to improve how they deal with complaints about harassment. Credit:Eddie Jim. The survey, taken between August and September this year, represents about 5 per cent of the roughly 8000 cabin crew who work in the industry in Australia. Hannah Rowlands, a former Qantas cabin crew member, said the results were confronting but did not surprise her. The 27-year-old left her job after she was allegedly sexually assaulted by her cabin manager on late-night flight from Sydney to Melbourne in mid-2015. It is a little understood part of Australian life, but a new study has revealed a worrying number of women are falling pregnant accidentally, and hundreds of thousands could be having abortions. No accurate data on unwanted pregnancies is kept by Australian authorities, and even the number of terminations remains a mystery, with record-keeping patchy and inaccurate. Much of what happens around unwanted pregnancies in Australia remains behind closed doors. Credit:Robert Banks But a survey of more than 2570 women published in the Medical Journal of Australia has offered a rare insight into how women are reacting to the news of a positive pregnancy. It found that of the 1390 women who reported pregnancies over 10 years, more than a quarter (362) said they had an unintended pregnancy, including 94 who said their pregnancies were unwanted. Danielle McGuire, the former partner of underworld figures Tony Mokbel, Toby Mitchell and Mark Moran, is embroiled in a legal dispute with two builders over the construction of a backpacker hostel in St Kilda. Ms McGuire, who famously fled with Mokbel to Greece where she gave birth to their daughter Renate, has refused to pay almost $750,000 in invoices over the past 10 months, with the matter expected to proceed to the Supreme Court of Victoria. One of the builders was offered just $137.09 by McGuire on a debt of more than $400,000. Danielle McGuire. Credit:Jason South The 46-year-old already operates a backpacker hostel in a former Collingwood pub on Johnston Street, but lists her daughter Brittany Leigh McGuire, 22, as director of the company in documents filed with the corporate regulator. Homes and lives are no longer under threat in the states north after firefighters were able to contain a raging bushfire burning near a remote Aboriginal community on Sunday morning. The fire started near Looma in Camballin, and was reported to the Department of Fire and Emergency Services just after 10.30pm. Looma, WA. Credit:Richard Baker It is currently moving fast in a north-easterly direction, but the townsite is no longer under direct threat. Firefighters are on the scene conducting backburning and mopping up. A WA police officer has been charged with common assault. The 46-year-old senior constable was charged by the internal affairs unit on Sunday following a Corruption and Crime Commission probe into an incident where he allegedly tasered a man during an RBT traffic stop in Fremantle last year. The charged senior constable will face court later this month. Credit:File The investigation was sparked due to a video of the March 2017 incident. The man was with his wife and a friend when he stopped at a random breath test run by traffic officers. The peak body for Australian unions has unleashed a new advertising campaign as it ramps up efforts to unseat the Morrison government. Launching today across television and radio, the ACTU campaign appeals to workers' concerns about CEO pay and stagnant wage growth, with the tagline: "We're all getting ripped off. Let's stand together, and get things changed." ACTU secretary Sally McManus will launch a new advertising campaign on Sunday. Credit:AAP It comes as Opposition Leader Bill Shorten heads to western Sydney on Sunday to deliver a pre-election pitch in Labor heartland which will place "standing up for workers" at the heart of a five-point "blueprint" to win over voters. The "fair go action plan" - a slightly wordier version of Tony Abbott's 2010 slogan pitch - includes school and hospital spending, investing in cleaner energy and "easing pressure on family budgets". Riga: Latvia's ruling coalition has lost its majority and two newly formed parties have taken more than a quarter of the votes amid widespread disillusion with the Baltic country's politicians, the result in the nation's elections showed with 80 per cent of the votes counted. The country of two million, a quarter of whom are ethnic Russians, is a frontline state in Europe's and NATO's increasingly tense relationship with Vladimir Putin. An elderly Latvian woman casts her ballot papers at a polling station in Riga, Latvia, on Saturday. Credit:AP The pro-Russia party, Harmony, on Saturday remained the biggest with 20 per cent, due to its support from Russian-speakers, but will find it difficult to get in government as parties that oppose it because of its Moscow ties won enough votes. Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis, head of the centrist Union of Greens and Farmers party, has led a three-party governing coalition since 2016 with the conservative National Alliance and the liberal Unity parties. CORRECTION...by Smart Start GRAPEVINE, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Please replace the release with the following corrected version due to multiple revisions. The corrected release reads: SMART START CANADA ULC BECOMES NEW PRIVATE MANAGER OF QUEBEC'S ALCOHOL IGNITION INTERLOCK PROGRAM Societe de l 'assurance automobile du Quebec awards Smart Start Canada ULC a five-year contract for the management of Quebec's alcohol ignition interlock program 1A Smart Start LLC ("Smart Start"), the global leader in alcohol ignition interlock program services and technologies, today announced that its Smart Start Canada ULC subsidiary has been awarded a five-year contract to manage the alcohol ignition interlock program of the Societe d'assurance automobile du Quebec (Societe). The Societe, whose mission is to protect persons against the risks associated with road use, is responsible for the application of the Highway Safety Code and the Automobile Insurance Act. In addition to Quebec, Smart Start operates as the exclusive supplier in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. "Smart Start is pleased to increase its footprint in Canada by supporting the Societe in improving road safety in Quebec," said President and CEO Matt Strausz. "Our business is focused on customer service and superior products to make our roads safer and change lives. We look forward to serving our first customers in Quebec by the end of 2018." Founded in 1992, Smart Start is the most trusted manufacturer of alcohol ignition interlock devices in Canada. It is also one of the largest suppliers of alcohol ignition interlock devices in North America, as well as a world leader in its field. Smart Start also provides alcohol monitoring products to judicial authorities as well as those convicted of impaired driving. These products are designed and manufactured in the United States to serve our customers in the US and in 18 countries, including Canada, thanks to our 700 employees. Smart Start Canada is headquartered in Sherwood Park, Alberta. As well, the company served its one millionth customer in October 2017. In addition to its success as a partner of local, state and provincial monitoring agencies in preventing alcohol-impaired drivers from starting vehicles, Smart Start works with national organizations such as MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) to improve the laws on alcohol ignition interlock devices. Today, several jurisdictions have enacted alcohol ignition interlock device regulations so that offenders use an interlock device after their first arrest. Studies indicate that laws that affect all offenders help to drastically reduce impaired driving recidivism by changing the behavior and choices of offenders. About Smart Start As a private US manufacturer of modern technology and custom-designed software, Smart Start is a leader in the field of alcohol control. Made for convenience, Smart Start's SSI-20/30 and SSI-20/20 interlock devices and S.M.A.R.T. Mobile alcohol monitoring devices offer more benefits at the lowest cost for users and control agencies. Our user-friendly and reliable technology is backed by 24/7/365 customer support. With an international footprint of nearly 2,000 service locations in 18 countries, including Canada, Smart Start continues to set the standard in alcohol monitoring technology . To learn more, please visit www.SmartStartInc.com. In Canada, please visit www.SmartStartCanada.ca. Contacts Smart Start United States: Blair Burney, 469-735-4683 blair.burney@smartstartinc.com or Canada: Lambert Guilbault, 514-677-5978 lambert.guilbault@capconseillers.com 2019 Subaru Ascent, Living Large - Review By Larry Nutson 2019 Subaru Ascent Living Large By Larry Nutson Senior Editor and Bureau Chief Chicago Bureau The Auto Channel Subaru has been on a roll here in the U.S. With nine consecutive years of sales growth, they needed to continue to grow their brand lineup to satisfy present owners and also to continue to bring new buyers to the brand. The all-new 2019 Ascent is the largest Subaru ever. Ascent is a three-row SUV with a choice of seating for seven or eight. Its powered by a 260-hp engine and can tow up to 5,000 lbs. and comes standard with Subarus Symmetrical all-wheel drive. Subarus Car Line Planning Manager Peter Tenn presented the all-new Ascent to Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA) members in July. Tenn said the Ascent is satisfying consumer demand as the need for a three-row SUV is on the rise. Described as family-sized, versatile and capable, the Ascent has a bold, edgy and strong presence with sweeping lines. Tenn said comfort, styling, reliability, quality, space and safety are the main reasons for purchase in this segment, and hes confident the Ascent delivers in each of these categories. Ascent is built at Subarus production plant in Lafayette Indiana and comes in base, Premium, Limited and Touring trims. Prices start at $31,995 and top out at $44,695. Eight-passenger seating is available on base, Premium and Limited trims. Seven-passenger seating comes in Premium, Limited and Touring trims. Ascent rides on a 113.8 inch wheelbase and is 196.8 inches long. To get an idea of size, think VW Atlas or Honda Pilot. I had a weeks time with the top-of-the-line Ascent Touring finished in a very luxurious looking Crystal Black Mica. Satin silver side mirrors with integrated turn signals, chrome door handles, chrome front under guard and rear bumper protector added to the classy look. Opening the drivers door revealed Java Brown leather seats and upholstery, a leather steering wheel and woodgrain-pattern matte finish accent trim. The second row had two captains chairs, making overall seating for seven. My first impression was quite good. Other features on the Touring included panoramic moonroof, power liftgate, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, heated steering wheel and a camera-based smart rear-view Mirror plus a 180-degree front-view camera. By the numbers the Ascent has a 10-way power drivers seat, 4-way power front passenger seat, 19 bottle or cup holders, 8-inch navigation screen, 14-speakers, 120-volt power outlet, 8 USB ports, 18- or 20-inch wheels, and a 19.3 gal fuel tank. On the outside the Ascent uses Subarus Dynamic x Solid design philosophy and looks very much like a Subaru-just a bit larger than we are used to. Powering the Ascent is a new turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. I was at first skeptical by the engine size, but the 277 lb-ft of torque does indeed get the job done. Theres good low-end acceleration. For the most part my driving was just with me on board on the relatively flat roads around Chicago. I did a few highway runs and merging and passing seemed okay. I did wonder how performance would be when fully loaded or in hilly terrain. Stepping deep into the throttle calling for more performance brings out a noticeable engine drone thats a bit unrefined and detracted from the luxury impression I got when first viewing my Ascent test vehicle. Im not a big fan of CVT-continuously variable automatic transmissions for this reason. The Touring model equipped with 20-inch wheels has EPA test-cycle fuel economy ratings of 22 mpg combined with 20 city mpg and 26 highway mpg. Lower trims equipped with 18-inch wheels have EPA ratings one mpg higher in both city and highway. I thought the Ascent had good overall ride quality as well as low NVH. I didnt detect any excessive wind or tire noise and the low-profile 50-series tires werent too harsh on pock-marked city streets. A few quick highway off-ramps demonstrated good composure with good steering feedback and a nicely compliant suspension tuning. For the more active Subaru buyer the Ascent has 8.7 inches of ground clearance for all models, which is more than many SUVs. That said, ingress and egress is still very comfortable with a low step-in height for both front and rear passenger entry. For hauling stuff, theres 17.8 cu.ft. of space behind the third row. This grows to 47.5 cu.ft. with the 3rd row seats folded, and then to 86.5 cu.ft. with the 2nd row down. Its my experience that most 3-row SUV owners leave the 3rd row folded most of the time, except for those school car-pool days. Subaru's EyeSight safety and driver assistance system comes on every Ascent. EyeSight includes forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control. Blind spot warning, lane change assist and rear cross-traffic alert are equipped on all but the base trim. The Ascent was named a 2018 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) TOP SAFETY PICK+ (when equipped with available Steering Responsive Headlights) and achieved the highest possible rating of Superior for front crash prevention from IIHS with standard EyeSight. More information, specifications and details on the 2019 Subaru Ascent can be found at www.subaru.com. The 2019 Ascent is in dealers now. Overall I thought the new Ascent offered good value with lots of desirable equipment. Its a solidly designed and engineered SUV and came across as an affordable choice in the mid-size SUV segment. As we wrap up this review Subaru of America, Inc. reported 57,044 vehicle sales for September 2018, a 3.5 percent increase over September 2017. The company also reported year-to-date sales of 503,418 vehicles, a 5.1 percent gain over the same period in 2017. The Ascent is selling with 5,859 units delivered in September. September marked the 55th consecutive month of 40,000+ vehicle sales for the company. 2018 Larry Nutson, the Chicago Car Guy The Most In-Depth Subaru Vehicle Shopper's Research - Anywhere! After responding to a question about recreation and culture last week, Steinbachs three candidates for the mayors chair and 10 challengers for council seats are being asked to wade into the issue of Sunday shopping. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 7/10/2018 (1134 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. After responding to a question about recreation and culture last week, Steinbachs three candidates for the mayors chair and 10 challengers for council seats are being asked to wade into the issue of Sunday shopping. This week The Carillon has asked all 13 candidates the following question: The current Steinbach city council recently chose not to hold a referendum on the issue of Sunday shopping. Do you think council should create a bylaw to allow Sunday shopping in the city? How do you think council should gauge support for the creation of such a bylaw? Mayoral candidate John Fehr says 60.3 percent of people recently surveyed by David Banman felt it should be left up to the businesses to decide if they wanted to be open Sunday and 80 percent of businesses said in a Chamber of Commerce survey that businesses did not want to be open Sundays. Fehr said he has received many emails telling him that they moved to Steinbach because they like the fact there is no Sunday shopping. "I believe that given the opportunity, very few people would decline an opportunity to shop Sunday but statistics show that for most businesses the return does not offset the extra costs to be open Sunday," he said. Fehr also wonders if people should instead ask the question, would they make themselves available to work Sundays. "Its difficult to get staff to work Saturdays, never mind Sunday. In speaking with many of my business colleagues they all tell me they experience the same thing. That is why I did not support a plebiscite on Sunday shopping," he said. Earl Funk says he is content with the way things are today. "I like what we have in Steinbach right now. Sunday is a day that is currently recognized as a family daya day to slow down and rest, a day to reconnect with friends. Any given Sunday you can see families playing in our parks, biking or walking on our pathways," the candidate for mayor said. "It is part of our heritage, and it makes us unique. Some of the candidates, myself included, have stated that they will build on or preserve Steinbach's heritage. Recognizing Sunday as a special day definitely is a part of our heritage." Funk says in the last three months while door knocking, most residents support his position. "So at this time I don't think that it would be wise to make a bylaw to allow Sunday shopping. Before we make a decision I would also like to hear from our business community, so we will be able to make a balanced decision." Listening, or not listening, is key for mayoral candidate Paul Neustaedter. "The current city council has illustrated again, that it is not interested in listening to the citizens of our community," he said. "I believe that not listening is the issue here, as the council should be listening and trying to understand where a community is at," he said. "The city has missed an inexpensive way to hear the true voice of the community in a referendum," Neustaedter said. "Ive been going door to door and I get a strong sense that people like the community the way it is as it relates to a place where most people do not have to work on Sundays. "Ive heard people say, Weve had shopping for twenty years on Sunday as we go to Winnipeg, or Sunday is our family day" He said he has also heard other strong feelings about wanting to be able to shop on Sunday in Steinbach, specifically in the area of obtaining a prescription in difficult or medical emergency circumstances. "When asking local people about issues that are important to them, by far the majority has told me that they do not want Sunday shopping or their children working on Sunday." Councillor candidates shop their positions Incumbent Michael Zwaagstra says he isnt in favour of passing a bylaw to allow Sunday shopping, which is governed by the provinces Retail Businesses Holiday Closing Act. "I believe that our city benefits from having a day where most people do not have to work and can spend time with their families," he says, noting that many business owners in Steinbach apparently agree with two separate surveys conducted in recent years by the Steinbach Chamber of Commerce indicating that most of its members were not interested in opening on Sundays. "Throughout my time on council, I have been clear about my position on this issue and have not tried to straddle the fence in a futile attempt to appeal to both sides. When the Sunday shopping issue comes up at the door, I give the same answer to everyone, regardless of whether I am speaking to someone who supports Sunday shopping or someone who does not. The people of Steinbach deserve to have elected representatives who clearly state their beliefs and stand behind them." Candidate Cyndy Friesen notes that this issue has been discussed for the past eight years and cites articles back to 2010 that indicate that retailers have inquired to city council about the possibility of opening on Sundays with no luck. "I believe that its time to give our constituents the opportunity to express their views," Friesen said. "I would support holding a referendum on the issue of Sunday shopping and taking this information into account when basing my decision surrounding this issue." Incumbent Jac Siemens put forward a motion, which was ultimately defeated, to add a Sunday shopping question to the Oct. 24 ballot. "I saw it as an opportunity to hear from the public at no additional cost to the city. In the past city council has addressed the Sunday shopping question by seeking feedback from the Steinbach Chamber. The question on the ballet would have been a way to hear from the general public on the issue." As he campaigns door to door, Siemens says the response to Sunday shopping has been varied. "I would estimate that 20 percent are very opposed and 20 percent are in favor and the rest dont have a strong opinion either way," he said. "For myself today I would vote no to Sunday shopping for the simple reason that I like Sundays as being a different type of day and makes us different from other communities. Additionally, I dont have a clear understanding of how much it would change Steinbach, for the positive or negative. A much larger issue that will face our retail stores in the near future is online shopping and that happens any time." Candidate Adam Crookes says the topic isnt one that comes up often as he goes door to door, but acknowledges it is a topic that has generated much discussion. "There really are two very different cases that seem to be coming forth, and they're completely different. The one case is that we're too big of a city to not offer the services that a normal city of our size offers, whether this is due to work schedules, or due to our lives being very busy the rest of the week. There are times where on a Sunday you need something that you just can't get with the current businesses that are open," he said. "The other case is that Steinbach is a unique, quiet community where people come to raise a family, or where they have lived their whole life and choose to stay in this community due to it feeling special and somewhat relaxed on a Sunday." Crookes says it is impossible to satisfy all these lifestyles, so a choice needs to be made. "I can appreciate the current council not wanting to deal with this current discussion as some of their terms are coming to an end, but I feel at some point in the next term the taxpayers of this city will demand a referendum to see where the majority lies." Bill Hiebert agrees that he has heard very little feedback about the issue on Steinbach doorsteps, but those who have more often have expressd a desire for shopping to remain closed on Sundays. "Traditionally we have not had the option and personally I kind of like it that way. Being closed on Sundays makes our community feel very peaceful, it forces us to slow down in an otherwise very fast paced society and presents a great opportunity for family time. I am a believer that strong families are what make a healthy vibrant community." He points to members of the citys Filipino community and how they often gather in parks for family picnics on Sundays. "I would hate to see weekend work schedules getting in the way of families spending time together. I realize not everyone is going to agree with my sentiment or my familys traditions, however when it comes down to it, I do not believe this decision should be in the hands of city council," he said. "As it has already been stated in the media our chamber of commerce has voted on this matter and have chosen against it, rightly so. This decision needs to be in the hands of the business owners of Steinbach, as these are the people who will need to carry the weight of the decision, staffing and often working those extra hours themselves." Incumbent Susan Penner says, though not personally opposed to Sunday shopping, in her campaigning that she has heard significantly more feedback from residents who would prefer to keep Sundays the way they are. "According to the Chamber of Commerce, most businesses would prefer to be closed on Sundays to let their employees have a day off," Penner said, noting that even stores that are allowed to be open under the current legislation, like Shoppers Drug Mart, choose not to be. "I believe having a quieter day on Sunday is a part of what makes Steinbach unique," she said, noting she would not support creating a bylaw at this time. Candidate Alan Wiebe says people in Steinbach have waited long enough for a decision on Sunday shopping. "Sunday shopping should be allowed in Steinbach," he said. "The option should be available in Steinbach so that individuals and businesses can make their own choices about participating in the economy on Sunday." Wiebe says a referendum would allow Steinbach to make a decision once and for all. "Thats because people in Steinbach expect a stronger voice on local decisions. The future of public policy at City of Steinbach should be informed by a strategy for public engagement. Public engagement uses all the tools available in our society to make sure that everyone can be represented with an equal voice on important decisions." Wiebe is advocating for a public engagement officer to provide objective measurements of public support for policy initiatives. "A public engagement plan also makes the decision making process more informed, effective, and efficient. Such a plan will help council determine the best strategy in the future for making inclusive, objective, and timely decisions about the most important items on todays agenda." More than any other issue, Damian Penner says Sunday shopping is the topic of most discussion as he canvasses the community, with different arguments on both side of the issue. "I feel now was a favorable time to hold a non-binding referendum to gather information from the voting public for the businesses to take into consideration," he said. "I personally look at the Sunday shopping by-law as something bigger than just being able to engage in commerce on Sunday. The question I asked myself is, "When should the government be able to dictate what private businesses can or cannot do in their operations?" "I feel government should not be able to have control of when a private business can choose to engage in commerce. So to summarize, am I an advocate for Sunday shopping? Not directly, however I am an advocate for less government involvement in private citizens affairs, and therefore would look at passing a Sunday shopping bylaw when a local business voices that they feel they could benefit from being open on Sunday." Candidate Mitesh Kumar says he believes referendums should be used with great caution after exploring all options on merits. "As a councillor candidate I strongly voiced for referendum on Sunday shopping, because city council have failed to properly exercise all options to listen, collaborate and understand residents opinion and concerns," he said. "Most people including me, personally like status quo but because of attitude of current city council and the way this have been handled, general public opinion right now is in support of bringing a bylaw to allow Sunday shopping. This could have been prevented with right approach and by giving proper time, attention by current council, as majority of residents love this unique feature of our community." Kumar allowed that residents do share some genuine concern about prescription drugs availability on Sunday, employment and other situations which make Sunday more suitable for them to shop. "Regardless of my personal opinion, I would support bylaw if that's what Steinbach residents want me to do as their voice at council." Candidate Jake Hiebert says he has spoken to well over 500 people regarding Sunday shopping and 35 percent are in favour. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Of these, most do not want to work nor do they want their children to work on a Sunday," Hiebert said. "Most described Sunday in Steinbach as a quiet and tranquil setting that they appreciated. Some people said they moved to Steinbach with this value motivating their decision. People travelling to Costco or Rona or specialty stores in Winnipeg will continue this Sunday shopping trek." Hiebert says business owners expect to see the same revenue spread over seven days, rather than six, but would require additional staffing too. He, like Bill Hiebert, takes note of the citys Filipino community and its appreciation for a family day on Sunday. "I realize it wont be long till Sunday shopping will be a reality," he said. "Is now the time to ask ourselves as a community are we willing to arbitrarily surrender such values in order to promote commerce and convenience? Not being judgmentaljust asking the question." Amid fears of U S sanctions over the S-400 deal with Russia, Army Chief Bipin Rawat Sunday asserted that India follows an independent policy and was also keen on getting the Kamov helicopters and other weapon systems from Moscow. India and Russia on Friday signed a multi-billion-dollar deal to procure the S-400 Trimuf S-400 air defence system, which could attract sanctions under the Countering American Activities Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). The act is primarily aimed at countering Russia, Iran and North Korea. India and Russia concluded the deal notwithstanding the US warning that it would be a "focus area" for it to implement punitive sanctions against a nation undertaking "significant" business deals with the Russians. Gen. Rawat, who returned Saturday night after a six-day visit to Russia, held talks with military officials of that country to enhance cooperation between the two countries. He said the Russians were very keen in associating with the Indian Army and defence forces. Because they do understand that we are a strong Army, capable of standing up to what is right for us based on our strategic thought process, he said. The Army Chief was speaking at the Gen. K V Krishna Rao Memorial lecture here. On his Russian visit, Gen. Rawat recalled a question posed to him by a Russian naval officer that India seemed to be looking westwards at America, which has put sanctions on Russia, and that Washington has also threatened to impose restrictions on New Delhi for dealing with Moscow. To this, Rawat responded saying, "Yes, we do appreciate that there could be sanctions on us, but we follow an independent policy, he said. Rawat also sought to assuage Russian concerns over its growing ties with the US. You (Russia) can be rest assured (that) while we may be associating with America in getting some technology, but we follow an independent policy. I told them while we are talking sanctions and you are questioning on sanctions, President Vladimir Putin and Mr. Narendra Modi, at this juncture, are signing the treaty on purchase of S-400 weapon system inspite of the fact that we may face challenges from America in the future, the Army Chief said. Rawat said India was looking forward to procuring Kamov helicopters and other weapon systems and technology from Russia. He said New Delhi was looking to get space based systems and technologies from Moscow to enhance its space capabilities. There is no end in sight to the manner in which we can cooperate with your country. I think the way forward is to see what is best for the nation, strategically important for us, he had said. (PTI) Pakistan is reviewing the projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to safeguard the interest of the people in Balochistan province, Prime Minister Imran Khan has said. The USD 50 billion CPEC, launched in 2015, is a planned network of roads, railways and energy projects linking China's resource-rich Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region with Pakistan's strategic Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea. Khan's remarks about the CPEC projects came as he chaired a Balochistan cabinet meeting on Saturday in Quetta during his first visit to the province as the prime minister. Khan in the past had criticized former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for the lack of transparency and corruption in the CPEC projects. Khan said the CPEC projects are being reviewed to address concerns and reservations of the Baloch people, who say the projects are not beneficial for them. Successive Baluchistan governments have also raised objections over the CPEC projects in the province. Khan said he was aware about the reservations about the Baloch people about the CPEC projects. "Baluchistan will get its due share, whatever it may be, in the CPEC," he said. He said unfortunately the province had been ignored by the previous governments. Since Khan's Pakisatan Tehreek-e-Insaf party-led government took charge, there have been several occasions where it has backtracked on statements on the CPEC. In September, a British financial daily had said that Pakistan was plannig review deals concluded under Beijing's Belt (BRI) and Road Initiative. The CPEC is also the part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's ambitious BRI. Both China and Pakistan have denied reports of differences over the project. Balochistan, where many CPEC projects are being carried out, remains a flashpoint, with separatists carrying out a campaign against security forces and government installations. The province has also been hit hard by sectarian violence against the Hazara Shia Muslim community and attacks by terror outfits close to the border with Afghanistan and Iran. -PTI Nightclub celebrates Taylor Swifts new album by displaying videos of Jake Gyllenhaal crying This is how you need to get over your ex... At Least 20 Dead in New York Limo Crash, Reportedly Carrying Wedding Party At least 20 people died in a limousine crash in upstate New York on Oct. 6 in front of a store and was reportedly carrying a wedding party. The Albany Times Union reported that the limo had a wedding party inside, but it did not report on the names of those involved. The crash occurred on State Route 30A and State Route 30 in Schoharie. New York State Police said the crash occurred at around 2 p.m. on Oct. 6, according to the Times Union, which said the limo sped down a hill and crashed into bystanders at a country store. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said its investigators were heading to the scene as of the morning of Oct. 7. NTSB launching go-team today to limo crash near Albany, NY. More details to come. Check @ntsb_newsroom for additional updates. NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) October 7, 2018 Police told Fox News that the crash involved two vehicles, including the limo. The Times Union reported that the limo was a stretch-style SUV. What we can tell you at this point is that it is a 2-vehicle, multi-fatalities as a result of this crash. The investigation is very preliminary its in its infancy stages, New York State Police Capt. Richard OBrien said on Oct. 6, Fox News reported. Heard Some Screaming I heard some screaming. It looked serious because people were running back and forth, witness Bridey Finnegan of Schoharie told WNYT NewsChannel 13. I heard a loud bang I came out my front door to see what was going on, Finnagen told WTEN. I saw a lot of people here at the Apple Barrel out in the parking lot. Then I heard screaming. Then I saw this large van, a very unusual looking vehicle out here in Schoharie in the bushes and really wrecked, hit a tree. The first responders broke some windows to try to get people out. I believe the jaws of life were here on the side of one of the fire trucks, Finnagen added. Apple Barrel, where the crash took place, issued a statement on Oct. 6, thanking first responders. As you may be aware, there was a horrific accident in front of our business today [Saturday]. First, we want to thank all of the emergency services that responded. We are so thankful for all of you, the store wrote in a Facebook post. As you may be aware, there was a horrific accident in front of our business today. First, we want to thank all of the Apple Barrel Country Store + Cafe We will be collecting donations for our local volunteer emergency services. They are the heroes of our small community. Our hearts and prayers go out to everyone that was affected by the events of today. You will always be part of our family, the store said, adding that it will not be issuing any more comments on the matter. Bill Waterson and his son arrived on the scene on Oct. 7. I couldnt believe it when I came out of the woods, he told the Times Union. This is terrible, terrible, terrible. Schoharie Town Supervisor Alan Tavenner suggested that the intersection is quite dangerous. There have been tractor trailers that have come barreling down that hill and it was a miracle they didnt kill somebody, said Tavenner, the paper reported. At Least 50 Dead, 100 Burned in Congo Tanker Truck Fire INSHASA, CongoAt least 50 people were killed and more than 100 were badly burned when a tanker truck in Congo collided with another truck and, as villagers rushed to collect the leaking fuel, burst into flames, witnesses and officials said Oct. 6. Faced with one of the countrys deadliest traffic accidents, President Joseph Kabila ordered three days of national mourning in this particularly painful moment for the Congolese people. The accident occurred overnight in the village of Mbuba, not far from Kisantu city and about 200 kilometers (124 miles) southwest of the capital, Kinshasa. The city is on the main highway between the capital and the countrys Matadi seaport. The fire quickly spread to nearby homes, Congos health ministry said in a statement. An investigation was under way into the cause of the accident. A photo tweeted by the ministry showed the blackened tanker, its front bumper torn aside and its windshield missing. The driver of the tanker truck has disappeared while the driver of the tractor trailer died at the scene, the ministry said. Twenty charred bodies had been recovered, and four other people died after arriving at a hospital. The toll continues to evolve, the statement said. COMMUNIQUE Le Programme National des Urgences du @MinSanteRDC a depeche des equipes d'urgence et des ambulances a Kisantu pour l'evacuation medicale des nombreux blesses brules au 2e et 3e degre. 20 blesses sont deja en route pour Kinshasa.https://t.co/iB1uGvbNxH pic.twitter.com/vMdtKzONfl Ministere de la Sante RDC (@MinSanteRDC) October 6, 2018 The interim governor of Kongo-Central province, Atu Matubuana, who shared the toll of at least 50 dead, said officials were identifying the bodies in preparation for burial. Photos posted online by a local journalist showed some of the injured, their skin raw from burns, piled into the back of a pickup truck and squeezed between people on a motorbike as they sought aid. See under what conditions they are transported, the activist group LUCHA, which in English is known as Fight for Change, said of the photo in a Twitter post. You can guess under what conditions they will be treated. Shameful and revolving in the 21st century! As the countrys health and transport ministers arrived, ambulances and mobile clinics rushed to the scene. The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo said it had offered assistance for the injured, with nine ambulances en route to help with medical evacuations. Congos military was sending others, the health ministry said. Already 20 of the injured had been evacuated to the capital, it added. Deadly traffic accidents are common in Congo, where roads and other infrastructure in the vast country are often poorly maintained. In 2010, more than 200 people were killed when a tanker truck overturned and burned in South Kivu province at the other end of the country. Again, many of the victims had been trying to collect the leaking fuel when it caught fire. By Saleh Mwanamilongo Black Americans Increasingly Support Trump, Pollster Says Increasingly more black Americans say they approve of the job President Donald Trump is doing, according to Rasmussen polls. Trump has gained the approval of 35 percent of black likely voters, according to a daily update released by the pollster on Oct. 4. Rasmussen typically posts results that are more favorable to Republicans than other pollsters, but even compared to its own numbers, Trump has been garnering more support in the black community. On Aug. 6, the poll showed 29 percent support for Trump among blacks, up from 15 percent on Aug. 3, 2017. Reuters/Ipsos polls have showed a more moderate improvement, to about 15 percent approval among blacks (polled Sept. 28 to Oct. 2), from about 11 percent a month earlier (Aug. 24 to Aug. 31) Pitch to Black Voters Trump has spent considerable time making his case to black America, focusing on safe communities, great education, and high-paying jobs. So far, things are going his way on several crucial metrics. Black people have been enjoying the lowest unemployment ever, based on government data reaching back to 1972. Also, violent crime slightly declined in 2017 after two years of increases. While the murder rate dropped by less than 1 percent, it contrasted with the jump seen in the two previous years of more than 20 percent in total. The last two-year period that the homicide rate had soared so dramatically was between 1966 and 1968. Trump has also framed illegal immigration as a civil-rights issue, pointing out that an influx of cheap labor from abroad hurts black communities the most. Black people, on average, have less education, making it harder for them to compete with illegal immigrants for jobs. In April, Trump signed an executive order to make changes to welfare. One of the points is to promote strong social networks as a way of sustainably escaping poverty (including through work and marriage). The breakdown of family has been extensively linked with poverty and child delinquency, regardless of race. But the black community, in which some 70 percent of children are born out of wedlock, has especially seen the plight of single parenthood. Some 80 percent of all long-term child poverty concentrates in single-parent homes, according to the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Midterms Key to Trump Convincing black Americans to give his policies a chance could help Trump buoy Republican candidates in the Nov. 6 midterm elections. Voters will get a chance to reshape the House of Representatives, where Republicans currently hold 235 seats, compared with 193 for the Democrats. Ballots will also be cast on 35 Senate seats23 held by Democrats, two by independents allied with Democrats, and eight by Republicans. Republicans need to keep majorities in both chambers to keep rolling out the Trump agenda, making the often overlooked midterms a referendum of sorts on Trump himself. Democrats have focused intensely on blocking Trumps agenda, but that time and effort has come at the expense of communicating any competing agenda, a factor the president is capitalizing on. So if African-American unemployment is now at the lowest number in history, median income the highest, and you then add all of the other things I have done, how do Democrats, who have done NOTHING for African-Americans but TALK, win the Black Vote? Trump wrote in a Sept. 30 tweet. And it will only get better! Watch Next: The Destruction of Civilized Debate An in-depth look at Communist policies that have destroyed civilized debate Pascha Thomass daughter was allegedly sexually assaulted by a boy using a girls bathroom, as allowed by Decatur, Georgia school district policy. Thompsons attorneys had filed a federal complaint. (Alliance Defending Freedom) Girl Reports Attack by Gender-Fluid Student in Restroom A five-year-old girl told her mother that she was molested by a gender-fluid boy in a school bathroom after which the school district ordered that the mother be investigated. Pascha Thomas had her five-year-old daughter enrolled at Oakhurst Elementary School in Decatur, Georgia. On the night of Nov. 16, 2017, her daughter, who remains unnamed out of respect for her age, told her mother that she felt pain in her genitals. When Thomas asked questions, her daughter said a male student had pushed her against a wall, pushed his hand between her legs, and repeatedly felt and poked at her genitals, according to a complaint filed against the City Schools of Decatur. This happened in a girls bathroom but the Decatur school district has a policy allowing students to use whichever restroom they choose, depending on which gender they identify with, College Fix.com reported. Official Inaction Pascha Thompson met the next day with the school nurse, the school counselor, and her daughters classroom teacher, and other school officials. As the official report is redacted, not everyone was named. Thompson met with Oakhurst Principal Marcy Fowler as well. Decatur Police Officer M. Damico also spoke with Principal Fowler and other officials, and a plan was made to work with the Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) to properly respond to the situation. Then, Thompson claims, nothing was done for a week. Thompson asked that the alleged attacker be moved to a different classroom, but the school refused. Thompson repeatedly sought further meeting with Principal Fowler but no meeting was arranged. Also, the school did not offer her daughter any counseling, despite the fact that she was reporting a sexual assault. Thompson made repeated attempts to contact School Superintendant David Dude, again with no luck. For Thompson, the worst thing was that nothing was done to ensure that boys would not be able to use the girls bathroom while her daughter was there. After a week without any action from the school district, Thompson withdrew her daughter from school. According to the complaint, the Decatur school system made no investigation into the incident, and did not address the policy that allowed a male student to go unsupervised in a female-designated bathroom. Legal Action To add insult to injury, the Decatur school district had reported the sexual assault to the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services listing Thompson as the responsible party. When DFCS agents arrived at the Thompson home, they took Thompsons daughter aside and questioner her privately, and in general acted as though the mother might be at fault. One possible implication of the school listing Pascha Thompson as a responsible party was they may have believed the mother had assaulted her own daughter and invented the story of the attack at school to cover it up. Outraged by the way her daughters case was being handled, Thompson decided to take legal action. An official Title IX sexual discrimination complaint was filed against the school district on May 22, 2018. The complaint was filed by attorney Vernadette Broyles, Esq., in conjunction with the Alliance Defending Freedoma non-profit which advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith, according to its website. Boys in Girls Bathrooms The complaint went beyond the fact that the Decatur school districts student restroom policies foster an environment that made an alleged sexual assault possible. The complaint points out that elementary school students are almost universally curious about the differences between girls and boys bodies. It is not hard to imagine that some boys would opt to use the girls bathrooms or locker rooms just for a chance to see girls in some state of undress. The complaint states that the school district has the responsibility to ensure both safety and the privacy of all the students. By allowing students to choose how they use bathroom facilities, the school district is not ensuring that students can engage in private behavior, such as change clothing, showering, or using the restroom, without fear of other students trying to spy on them. The parents of the boy who is accused in the complaint had informed the school that their son was gender-fluid, as they put itthat is, he identified as either a boy or a girl at different times. The school staff therefore knew that this student might use a girls restroom. Federal Investigation The U.S. Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights announced on Sept. 14 that it would open a formal investigation into the claims made in the complaint. Three main points to be investigated are: whether the School district showed bias by not promptly and thoroughly investigating the complaint of a sexual assault; whether allowing students to pick which rest rooms, changing rooms, and shower rooms to use created a frightening or hostile environment for female students; and whether the school district intentionally retaliated against Pasha Thompson by insinuating or stating that she was responsible for her daughters complaints of pain from her private parts. Deeply tragic and avoidable This situation was both deeply tragic and avoidable, opined Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Christiana Holcomb. Schools have a duty to protect the privacy and safety of all students and Decatur Schools clearly failed this young girl. The current approach that many schools are taking of passing these transgender bathroom policies isnt working; they fail to provide basic privacy or ensure the safety of all students. From NTD.tv Watch Next: Why is Falun Gong Persecuted? Although its freely practiced in over 70 countries, doing this in China can lead to unlawful arrest, imprisonment, torture, or even death. Haiti Earthquake Update: 12 Dead After 5.9 Magnitude Quake Hits A 5.9 magnitude earthquake shook Haiti over the weekend, killing at least 12 people and injuring scores more. Government spokesman Eddy Jackson Alexis said that 11 people have been reported dead so far, the AFP news agency reported on Oct. 7. A disaster response team was set up in the aftermath of the quake. On Oct. 7, the Miami Herald, citing a local official, reported that 12 people had died, while adding that a number of buildings had been damaged. Search and rescue, and assessment still ongoing, said Jerry Chandler, the head of the countrys Civil Protection disaster response unit, according to the publication. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said that the quake was located about 12 miles northwest of Port-de-Paix. It struck at a depth of around 7 miles. At least two strong aftershocks were felt after the initial quake, the Herald reported. President Jovenel Moise went on Twitter to urge residents to remain calm. I urge the population to keep calm, following the passage of the earthquake whose epicenter is located in the northwest coast, he wrote in full on Twitter, according to a translation of his statement. The [disaster] risk management system and the regional branches of the Civil Protection are on standby to assist the inhabitants of the affected areas. The injured are being treated at area hospitals, Haitis civil protection agency said on Oct. 6, AFP reported, adding that injuries were sustained after people panicked. The quake was felt in Haitis capital, Port-au-Prince, as well as in the Dominican Republic, also located on the island of Hispaniola. There was no tsunami warning after the quake, the Haitian Civil Protection agency told CNN. Last month, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake and tsunami killed hundreds of people in Indonesia. In 2010, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake rocked the country, killing between 200,000 and 300,000 people, according to estimates. Tens of thousands of Haitians are still displaced eight years later. Kavanaugh Likely to Soon Cast Pivotal Votes in Contentious Disputes While there are no blockbusters in the queue of cases before the Supreme Court when Justice Brett Kavanaugh begins his lifetime service on Oct. 9, he likely will still cast tiebreaking votes on major cases making their way through the lower courts. Having taken the oath of office, Kavanaugh will take the seat formerly occupied by Republican-appointed Justice Anthony Kennedy, who himself cast pivotal votes on crucial cases, but repeatedly disappointed conservatives by siding with liberal justices on issues including abortion and same-sex marriage. Kavanaughs judicial track record suggests he will be a solid conservative voice and his confirmation has solidified a conservative majority on the bench, a dream come true for organizations that have worked for years to shift the balance of the Supreme Court. This sea change at the top of the judicial branch might impact laws on issues ranging from gun rights to religious freedom for decades. The raised stakes were obvious shortly after President Donald Trump nominated Kavanaugh in July, with top Democrats vowing within minutes to do anything in their power to derail his confirmation. That vow played out at the tail end of the confirmation process when Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) released an anonymous letter making unverified allegations she had withheld from colleagues for weeks. The ensuing spectacle delayed the final confirmation vote by about three weeks. Kavanaugh vehemently denied the allegations, which were deemed unsubstantiated by a career prosecutor and an FBI report. On Oct. 6, 49 Republicans and one Democrat voted to confirm him to the nations highest court. While none of the cases on the courts current docket are notable, the justices often take up cases from lower courts that are appealed. Those appeals could soon include a ruling on Trumps order to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration program, as well as cases on religious freedom, gerrymandering, and abortion. In Washington state, a florist who is a Christian was fined for refusing to work a homosexual wedding is appealing a lower-court ruling against her. Barronelle Stutzman was fined $1,001 after she refused to make floral arrangements for a gay couples wedding because it would violate her religious beliefs. Stutzmans case pits the constitutional protection of religious freedom against relatively recent anti-discrimination laws, a keystone issue tailor-made for the Supreme Court. The florists case is similar to that of a Christian baker from Colorado, which concluded last year with a narrow Supreme Court ruling that didnt establish any broad protections against the potential overreach of anti-discrimination laws. The fate of the DACA program is also likely to come before the court, with both states and the federal government appealing the rulings of district court judges. In Texas, a lawsuit by more than half a dozen states is challenging the overall legality of DACA itself. The states pushed for a final ruling in September, paving the way for an appeal. In Maine, a years-long legal challenge to gerrymandering is back before three federal judges. The practicefrowned upon yet repeatedly used by both Democrats and Republicansinvolves redrawing district lines to influence the outcome of elections. The Supreme Court previously declined to take up the issue. Lower-court judges in several states are mulling challenges to laws restricting abortions. In Arkansas, a court is considering a challenge to what is effectively a state-wide ban on medication-induced abortions. In Iowa, a law banning abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected is also facing a challenge. Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood, the nations largest provider of abortions, is challenging plans by several states to bar Medicaid reimbursements over of the corporations prominent pro-abortion lobby. In other states, challenges are playing out against laws imposing regulations on abortion providers, such as requiring formal ties to a local hospital. Kavanaughs judicial record on both religious issues and abortion is limited. In Newdow v. Roberts, the judge sided with a District of Columbia circuit court decision that upheld a dismissal of a complaint by atheists who opposed prayers and the addition of the words so help me God to the presidential oath at the inauguration ceremony. The judges only ruling on abortion came last year, when he dissented on an appeals-court decision that allowed an illegal alien teenager in federal custody to get an abortion. Kavanaugh wrote that the government has permissible interests in favoring fetal life, protecting the best interests of a minor, and refraining from facilitating abortion. Trumps bid to restrict the military service of transgender people has been challenged in lower courts and is another issue that could make its way to the Supreme Court. After lower courts blocked Trumps ban last year, the president announced in March he would endorse Defense Secretary Gen. Jim Mattiss plan to restrict the military service of transgender people who have a condition called gender dysphoria. Trumps administration has asked courts to allow that policy to go into effect. Reuters contributed to this report. Lets Do It: Mike Pence Faces Anti-Kavanaugh Protesters Outside Senate Shortly after presiding over the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh on Oct. 6, Vice President Mike Pence opted to exit through the front door of the Capitol building to face people who had gathered to protest the confirmation. Pence stood at the top of the steps looking at the crowd when Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms Jim Morehand told the vice president he could exit through a different way if he preferred. Pence briefly turned but he stopped and pivoted, according to Fox News. Lets do it, he said. Pence and his security detail then strode down the steps. Pence waved repeatedly to the protesters. In a statement, Pence said after the confirmation of Kavanaugh, Today is a historic day for our country as a majority in the U.S. Senate voted to send a new voice to the Supreme Court who will uphold the timeless vision of Americas founders. Pence walks down Senate steps after Kavanaugh vote amid cacophony of protests. Initially stood in Senate door & was going to exit another way. Then, defiantly reversed course, telling security detail lets do it. Waves to to the demonstrators pic.twitter.com/N3avjtqHa1 Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 6, 2018 Today is a historic day for our country as a majority in the U.S. Senate voted to send a new voice to the Supreme Court who will uphold the timeless vision of Americas founders Judge Brett Kavanaugh. My full statement below: pic.twitter.com/OYlkQEMOCR Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) October 6, 2018 PENCE: "On this vote, the ayes are 50; the nays are 48. The nomination of Brett M. Kavanaugh of Maryland to be an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States is confirmed." pic.twitter.com/azRbcmeiRo State of the Union (@CNNSotu) October 6, 2018 One of the roles of vice president is serving as president of the Senate, presiding over the Senates daily proceedings. He sat in the front of the Senate floor and helped keep order during the confirmation vote as protesters in the room sought to disrupt the proceedings by screaming. According to the U.S. Capitol Police, a total of 101 people were arrested for unlawful demonstration throughout the Senate building, and outside of it. That included six people who unlawfully demonstrated inside the Senate Gallery, which is against the law. The vice president is able to cast a deciding vote in the case of a tie-breaker. Kavanaughs confirmation ended up with a vote of 50-48. Every Republican voted for Kavanaugh except for Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who voted no before quickly withdrawing her vote and saying present as a way of pairing her vote with Kavanaugh supporter Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), who was in Montana for his daughters wedding and thus unable to vote yes. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) was the only Democrat to vote for Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh was sworn in as a justice on Saturday night, by Justice Anthony Kennedy, whose retirement opened up the vacancy filled by Kavanaugh. A public ceremony welcoming Kavanaugh to the court will take place on Oct. 8, according to President Donald Trump. From NTD.tv The CBS logo is seen at the CBS Building, headquarters of the CBS Corporation, in New York City on Aug. 6, 2018. (Angela Weiss/Getty Images) News Anchor Resigns for Defending Kavanaugh A CBS affiliated local veteran news anchor, Kris Long, resigned on Oct. 5 because he chose to defend Judge Brett Kavanaugh on Facebook. Long used to work in Palm Springs, Calif., about two hours east of Los Angeles. Here's a nice pic I got of you today, Kris Long!! Renee Schiavone Long wrote a 400-word post on Facebook on Sept. 17 regarding Kavanaughs accusation and received a variety of comments. He appeared on the evening news that same night but has not returned since. He also deleted the post the following day. The previous post to this page has been deleted. This is a sensitive and controversial subject and I apologize for any offense that this has caused, he wrote. The previous post to this page has been deleted. This is a sensitive and controversial subject and I apologize for any offense that this has caused. Kris Long Later, he submitted his letter of resignation, and the company issued an statement on Oct. 5 saying his resignation was effective immediately, according to USA Today. Kris Long has been an integral part of this companys news organization and wed like to thank him for his many years of service, Gulf California Broadcast Company General Manager Jerry Upham wrote. I want to thank those who have offered support and apologize again for any I may have offended, Long said on the same statement. I hope to return to the news business in the future. Many people left Long with encouraging notes on his Facebook after they heard he resigned. Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court on Oct. 6. He denied multiple accusations against him and testified that he had never committed any act of sexual misconduct toward anyone. If you enjoyed reading this article, please continue to read more stories here. Sign up for our free newsletters here. Israeli soldiers patrol near the scene where, according to Israeli media, a Palestinian shot and wounded three Israelis, at an industrial park adjacent to a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, on Oct. 7, 2018. (Ronen Zvulun/Reuters) Palestinian Terrorist Kills Two Israelis in West Bank: Israeli Military BARKANA Palestinian terrorist shot dead two Israelis and wounded a third on Oct. 7, in an industrial park next to a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military said. The terrorist, the military said, had worked in a factory where the shooting took place. Israels national ambulance service said a man and two women were shot in the attack in the Barkan industrial area, where nearly 5,000 Palestinians are employed in Israeli-owned businesses. A military spokesman, in a conference call with foreign journalists several hours after the incident, said the man and one of the women had died of their wounds. The other woman shot in the incident was taken to hospital, where doctors said her injuries were not life-threatening. This was a serious terrorist attack, the military said in a statement. It identified the terrorist as a 23-year-old Palestinian from a West Bank village and said he was still at large. Surveillance camera footage broadcast on Israeli television showed a man armed with a rifle fleeing down stairs and running away from the factory. Barkan industrial park is next to the settlement of Barkan and was established in the early 1980s. By Rami Amichay and Jeffrey Heller Vice President Pences Speech Riles Some, in China and Beyond U.S. Vice President Mike Pences extensive speech about Beijings aggression and the United States counter-strategy has sparked heated discussion among Chinese living in mainland China and abroad. His remarks, given at the Hudson Institute in Washington on Oct. 4, signal a new era for the U.S.China relationship. Pence offered a direct criticism of the Chinese Communist Partys wide-ranging tactics to advance its interests in the United States and globally, including Beijings meddling in the 2018 U.S. midterm elections with propaganda to influence public opinion; human-rights violations within its borders; its censorship of Hollywood films that enter the Chinese market; and its bullying of Taiwan. He emphasized that the Trump administration would take a proactive approach to countering Beijings aggression, calling it a reset of Americas economic and strategic relationship with China. Beijings Response Beijings official response was predictable. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Pences comments were unfounded accusations. This is nothing but hearsay evidence, confusing right and wrong and creating something out of thin air, Hua said. Chinas state media rejected the claims. An article appearing on Oct. 5 in state-run media Xinhua titled Not-so-Bright Rumor-Spreading: a Critique of U.S. Leader Using Absurd Arguments to Defame China rejects each accusation that Pence made. For example, regarding state-sponsored hacking, the article says China is also a victim of hacking. On the topic of Chinese state medias running an advertorial in the Des Moines Register to influence Iowa voters, the article claims such ads are typical and that other countries also do it. About China placing third-world countries in a debt trap through massive loans for infrastructure projects, the article says, Dont be envious, jealous, or hateful about China and developing countries fostering relations. Meanwhile, an Oct. 5 article in the global edition of the hawkish state-run newspaper Global Times, cited articles from Western media outlets that have headlines portraying Trump actions as anti-China, as well as infographics from Axios and the FiveThirtyEight blog predicting that Democrats will win U.S. congressional elections and showing negative approval ratings for President Donald Trump. Reactions Beijing-based artist Wang Peng said that many of his friends felt Pences speech was an example of the United States finally understanding the crux of the Chinese Communist Partys domestic and foreign policiesand recognizing what to do about it. It [the speech] is a reflection on and rectification of past policies of pacification. My friends hope that they [U.S. government] will not be lenient, and impose sanctions on Chinese senior officials, he told the Chinese-language Epoch Times. Chinese scholar and former arts magazine publisher Wu Zuolai, who currently lives in Los Angeles, says Pences speech marked a significant change in the U.S.Sino relationship. The U.S. has gone from being disappointed [with China] to giving up hope, he said. He hopes the United States awareness of Beijings ambitions will allow it to curb Chinas aggression. Chen Weijian, editor-in-chief of Beijing Spring, a magazine that focuses on democracy activism in China, is concerned that while Pence has outlined the administrations proactive strategy of putting China on notice, there are many pro-Beijing agents that will lobby Washington to advance the Chinese regimes interests. Meanwhile, China commentator Tang Hao said that Pences speech represents a counteroffensive against Chinas long-term infiltration of the United States. Curious Timing Just before Pence made his speech, reports emerged that the U.S. Pacific Fleet is planning a series of operations during November to warn against Chinas military aggression. The Navy plan suggests sailing ships and flying aircraft near Chinas territorial waters in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait in freedom-of-navigation operations to demonstrate the right of free passage in international waters, according to an Oct. 3 CNN report, citing anonymous U.S. defense officials. What could have prompted this decision to display U.S. might? In fact, Pence mentioned a recent incident that played out in the South China Sea, exemplifying Chinas aggression. On Sept. 30, a U.S. naval ship USS Decatur was conducting a freedom of navigation operation in the waters near the Gaven Reef when the Chinese navys PRC Warship 170 came within 45 yardsforcing the Decatur to maneuver to avoid a collision. Given that the U.S. ship was sailing near small reefs that arent within the bases China built up in the South China Sea recentlymeaning it was conducting an innocent passageChinas move is an elevated level of aggression, according to Bonnie Glaser, director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a U.S.-based think tank. All they did was sail through what [China] would consider territorial waters, and yet, [the U.S. Navy] got the strongest reaction ever, Glaser told the U.S. Naval Institute in an Oct. 3 interview. Glaser explained that the move was contrary to protocol and likely came from Chinese leader Xi Jinping himselfsince naval rules of engagement are usually set by the Communist Partys Central Military Commission. Xi is chair of that agency. Glaser says Chinas increased aggression likely has more to do with unhappiness about other recent interactions with the United States such as the ongoing trade disputes, according to the U.S. Naval Institute report. In his speech, Pence condemned the naval incident as an example of Chinas bullying tactics on the international stage. Despite such reckless harassment, the United States Navy will continue to fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows and our national interests demand, he said. We will not be intimidated and we will not stand down. Serial Killer-Rapist Identified Via DNA Technology A man responsible for multiple attacks and murders across the southeast in the 1980s and 90s was identified after a lab used the latest genealogy DNA test. Those DNA tests confirm that Robert Eugene Brashers, who died in a police shootout in 1999, was responsible for numerous attacks, sexual assaults, and murders. Greenville, South Carolina Police Chief Ken Miller announced the DNA test results at a press conference on Oct. 5, Fox News reported. Brashers had been convicted and jailed for beating and shooting a woman in Port St. Lucie, Florida in 1985. He was released on May 4, 1989. On April 4, 1990, Brashers started a nine-year crime spree that spanned three states, by raping and murdering a 28-year-old South Carolina woman named Genevieve Jenny Zitricki. That crime was the first of several which have all resolved using the DNA test. Zitrickis brother, Phillip, expressed his gratitude for law enforcements effort at the press conference. 28 years, he said. 28 years. Its been a long time. Its been time enough for trails to go cold, for memories to fade, and for connections to fray and sever. Its almost been time enough to give up hope. But the men and women of this outstanding organization in concert with professionals from other long jurisdictions never gave up. They never wavered. They never forgot their promise. Hopefully, identifying Brasher as the perpetrator will bring closure to many victims families. A Crime of Opportunity In 1990, Jenny Zitricki was a recent divorcee living in apartment complex near a community pool. People frequently used the pool as a place to hold partiesand party-goers frequently used Zitrickis bathroom, Greenville Police Sergeant Sgt. Tim Conroy told Fox News. We think that since Jenny was so outgoing, her apartment was right there by the pool, it wasnt uncommon to have pool parties and Jennys apartment, Sgt. Conroy said. I believe that she was targeted that way since she was so outgoing. I dont think it was a random act that he just went into that apartment. He knew who was in that apartment when he entered, so no, I believe she was targeted. There is no evidence Zitricki knew Brasher sociallyhe was just one of many people who hung out at the pool and took advantage of the hospitality she offered. On April 4, 1990, Brasher broke into Zitrickis apartment through the sliding glass door. He attacked and then beat and strangled the young woman, leaving her body in the bathtub. DNA Technology Solves the Crime Her body was not found until two days later, when a co-worker called police DNA technology was fairly new and rare in 1990, but samples had been kept. In 2005, the Greenville police gave the Zitricki crime scene DNA to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) laboratory. SLED shared the data with the FBIs Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) database. In 2006, Greenville police announced at a press conference that the DNA from Jenny Zitrickis murder matched that from a 1998 Missouri double murder. The DNA also linked Brasher to other crimes. In May, 2017, DNA from the 1997 rape of a 14-year-old girl from Tennessee was matched to the DNA from the Zitricki case. This led investigators from multiple agencies to convene a conference call with Parabon NanoLabs, a genealogy DNA lab in Virginia. Parabon was able to identify several potential family members of the as-yet unidentified criminal by matching the DNA with samples from a public database. Once they had homed in on Bashers as a suspect, police had his body exhumed for a definitive DNA test. A Litany of Violent Crimes Law enforcement officials were able to construct the trail of criminal deeds basher committed. According to the Greenville News, Brashers had stayed off police radar for almost two years after killing Jenny Zitricki. Then, Feb. 18, 1992, Brashers was arrested in Cobb County, Georgia, with a stolen car and a stolen pistol. Police said Brashers had a police scanner, the jacket from a police uniform, burglary tools and a fake Tennessee license in his possession when he was arrested. Brashers was convicted and served five years. One month after being released, in March, 1997, Brashers broke into a home in Memphis, Tennessee, and sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl. He left DNA, but was not identified as the attacker until May, 2017, Fox News reported. One year later, on March 28, 1998, brasher broke into the home of Sherri Scherer, in Portageville, Missouri. He then sexually assaulted 12-year-old Megan Scherer, before shooting her many times and killing her. Later that same day, Brashers tried to break into a home in Dyersburg, Tennessee. The 25-year-old woman in that house resisted, trying to protect her small child. The mother was shot in the struggle, but survived, and gave police a description of her attacker. Ballistics evidence linked Brasher to the Scherer attack earlier in the day. On April 12, 1998, Brashers was arrested while breaking into another womans home. He had cut the phone lines, and was carrying tools, a video camera, and a firearm. Because he had not yet been linked to any of his previous crimes, Bashers was eventually released. The saga came to a just but bloody conclusion in January of 1999. On Jan. 13, police in Kennett, Missouri, spotted a car with a stolen license plate in the parking lot of a Super 8 motel. Police cross-referenced the plate with room numbers and found where Brashers was staying. Brashers had a gun and held the other occupants of the room hostage for about four hours before finally releasing them. Apparently realizing that he was not going to be able to escape and was not going to be released on bond again, Brasher shot himself. He died six days later. From NTD.tv Watch Next: Why is Falun Gong Persecuted? Although its freely practiced in over 70 countries, doing this in China can lead to unlawful arrest, imprisonment, torture, or even death. Tropical Storm Michael Forms, Florida Governor to Declare State of Emergency Top video shows Hurricane Florence last month Tropical Storm Michael formed on Oct. 7, according to a 1 p.m. update from the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC). Some forecast models show that the storm could impact northern Florida and Alabama by Wednesday, Oct. 10. Florida Gov. Rick Scott said on Oct. 7 that he will declare a state of emergency for the Florida Panhandle area for the storm. By declaring this state of emergency, Governor Scott is ensuring that state and local government has ample time, resources and flexibility to get prepared for this storm. Governor Scott will be traveling to Tallahassee today to receive a briefing from federal, state and local emergency management officials at the State Emergency Operation Center at 5:00 p.m., according to a statement from Scotts office. The NHC said that Michael is expected to spread heavy rains over Western Cuba on Oct. 7. Between 3 inches and 7 inches of rain could fall in some places. Two to 4 inches could fall on the Yucatan Peninsula, Belize, and northern Honduras. Elsewhere, outer rain bands from Michael are expected to produce total rain accumulations of 2 to 4 inches across the Florida Keys through Monday, according to the NHC. The storm has winds of 40 mph with higher gusts. Strengthening is forecast during the next several days, and Michael could become a hurricane by Tuesday night or Wednesday, according to the agency. When the storm approaches the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, a gradual strengthening is forecast as the system moves to the north, according to the NHCs discussion of the storm. Nearly all of the intensity models bring the cyclone to hurricane strength over the Gulf of Mexico in 2 to 3 days, and the NHC forecast follows suit, the NHC said. The NHC added: There is an increasing risk of dangerous storm surge, rainfall, and wind impacts over portions of the northern Gulf Coast by mid-week, although it is too soon to specify the exact location and magnitude of these impacts. Residents in these areas should monitor the progress of this system. Two Policemen Stabbed in London After Being Met With Hostility Two men have been arrested after four police officers were injured in north London, two having stab wounds. Londons Metropolitan Police said in a release that four officers from the Central North Command Unit were injured around 11 p.m. on Oct. 6 after responding to a disturbance in Liverpool Road, which is in Londons Islington district. Police responded to reports of a fight at a residential address, and upon arrival, the officers were immediately met with hostility, with a man inside the address producing a large knife, according to the Met. This resulted in two male police officers being stabbed and two female officers being injuredone sustained a head injury with another a possible fractured wrist. Scotland Yard said that a taser was fired during the altercation and a knife was recovered at the crime scene. None of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening, Scotland Yard added. A 19-year-old man [A] was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. He was taken to a central London hospital for treatment for minor injuries before being taken into custody at a north London police station. He remains there at this time. A second 19-year-old man [B] was also arrested, on suspicion of affray and remains in police custody, the Met said. #Islington BREAKING MET POLICE OFFICERS INJURED: 2 officers have received knife wounds & the other has a head injury following calls to a fight at an address on Liverpool Road, #N1 At this stage injuries are believed to be non life threatening. 3 males have been arrested. pic.twitter.com/KCKZYmoWlC London 999 Feed (@999London) October 6, 2018 Superintendent Mike Hill, of the Central North Command Unit said, This incident demonstrates the courage and professionalism officers show day in day out in what can often be a dangerous job. When officers respond to what can often be a difficult situation or go to assist members of the public they should not be met with violence, it is completely unacceptable. Scotland Yard has asked for witnesses or those with knowledge of the incident to contact the police. Whilst arrests have been made if you have any information that can assist police with their ongoing inquiries; witnessed the attack or what occurred prior to police attendance please get in touch, said Hill. Police continue to investigate. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea attend a working lunch in Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Oct. 7, 2018. (State Department) US and North Korea Agree to Second TrumpKim Summit as Soon as Possible SEOULNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo agreed to arrange a second leaders summit as soon as possible, and discussed potential U.S. monitoring of Pyongyangs steps toward denuclearization, South Koreas presidential office said on Oct. 7. Pompeo said his latest, fourth trip to Pyongyang was another step forward to denuclearization and he had a good, productive conversation with Kim, but more needed to be done. South Korean President Moon Jae-in held talks with Pompeo in Seoul after the top U.S. diplomat met with Kim for more than three hours during a short trip to Pyongyang that was aimed at breaking a gridlock in their nuclear negotiations. Pompeo said he and Kim discussed denuclearization steps to be taken by the North and the issue of U.S. government monitoring of those actions, which Washington sees as vital, as well as the measures the United States would conduct in return, Moons office said. In a statement, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Kim had invited inspectors to visit the Punggye-ri nuclear test site to confirm it has been irreversibly dismantled. The statement did not provide further details. Pompeo and Kim also agreed to form a working group at an early date to discuss the denuclearization process and the second summit, which Kim proposed to U.S. President Donald Trump in a letter last month, according to Moons press secretary Yoon Young-chan. Secretary Pompeo said he and Chairman Kim concurred that they will hold the second U.S.North Korea summit as soon as possible, Yoon said in a statement. The two had refined options for a location and date of a second summit without offering specifics, the State Department statement said. While Seoul sounded upbeat, Pompeo struck a more cautious tone. As President Trump said, there are many steps along the way and we took one of them today, Pompeo told Moon. It was another step forward. So this is, I think, a good outcome for all of us. Trump appeared hopeful on Oct. 7. [Mike Pompeo] had a good meeting with Chairman Kim today in Pyongyang. Progress made on Singapore Summit Agreements! I look forward to seeing Chairman Kim again, in the near future, Trump wrote on Twitter. Moon expressed hopes that Pompeos trip and the proposed second meeting between Kim and Trump would make irreversible, decisive progress in terms of denuclearization as well as the peace process. Moon had his own third summit with Kim last month in Pyongyang, which was partly intended to help salvage the stumbling negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington, after Trump called off Pompeos planned visit to the North in late August citing lack of progress. A U.S. official who was part of Pompeos delegation said the trip was better than the last time but added: Its going to be a long haul. Kim pledged to work toward denuclearization during the Singapore summit, but Pyongyangs actions have since fallen short of U.S. demands for irreversible steps to give up its arsenal. At his last meeting with Moon, he expressed willingness to allow outside observations of key missile facilities and, for the first time, to permanently scrap North Koreas main nuclear complex in Yongbyon. But the inter-Korean agreement again failed to stipulate any plans called for by the United States, such as to declare a list of its nuclear weapons, facilities, and materials, or a concrete timeline for denuclearization. The United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), say they are best placed to verify a dismantlement of North Koreas nuclear program. They have not returned to North Korea since they were expelled in 2009. The IAEA said in August it did not find any indication that North Korea had stopped its nuclear activities, adding to doubts about the countrys willingness to abandon its arsenal. By Hyonhee Shin, David Brunnstrom, Jonathan Landay, and Pete Schroeder U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross poses in his office during an interview with Reuters at the U.S. Department of Commerce building in Washington, U.S., on Oct. 5, 2018. (Mary F. Calvert/Reuters) US Commerces Ross Eyes Anti-China Poison Pill for New Trade Deals WASHINGTONU.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross signaled on Oct. 5 that Washington may flex its muscle with additional trading partners in order to exert pressure on China to open its markets, saying that a poison pill provision in the recently completed pact with Canada and Mexico could be replicated. Ross said in an interview that the provision was another move to try to close loopholes in trade deals that have served to legitimize Chinas trade, intellectual property, and industrial subsidy practices. The United States is now in the early stages of talks with Japan and the European Union to lower tariff and regulatory barriers and try to reduce large U.S. trade deficits in autos and other goods. If the EU and Japan signed on to provisions similar to the one in the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), it would signal that they are fully aligned with Washington in trying to increase pressure on China, the worlds No. 2 economy, for major economic policy changes. The provision in USMCA, which is expected to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), effectively gives Washington a veto over Canada and Mexicos other free trade partners to ensure that they are governed by market principles and lack the state dominance that is at the core of President Donald Trumps tariff war against China. Under the provision, if any of the three countries in the USMCA enters a trade deal with a non-market country, the other two are free to quit in six months and form their own bilateral trade deal with each other. Its logical. Its a kind of a poison pill, Ross said. Ross, asked if the provision would be repeated in future trade deals, said: We shall see. It certainly helps that we got it with Mexico and with Canada, independently of whether we get it with anyone else. He added that with a precedent now set, it will be easier for the provision to be added to other trade deals. People can come to understand that this is one of your prerequisites to make a deal, he said. Car Tariffs Hanging over the talks with the EU and with Japan is the threat of a 25 percent U.S. tariff on imported autos and auto parts as the Commerce Department pursues a study on whether such imports pose a national security threat. The USMCA deal largely exempts Canada and Mexico from such tariffs. The United States cited national security concerns when it announced tariffs on imported steel and aluminum from a number of countries in early March. Ross said Canada and Mexico are effectively really not in a position to object to (the national security tariffs) anymore because theyve signed an agreement that says if we put them in well exempt the first 2.6 million vehicle imports from each country. Ross declined to discuss timing for releasing the Section 232 auto probes findings, noting that Trump has said he would not impose car tariffs while the EU and Japan talks are underway. But in a signal that the probe could take longer, Ross said the Commerce Department was now incorporating details on autos trade from the USMCA deal, including new provisions that will effectively require more automotive content to be made in the United States. Ross also said Japan should take steps to move manufacturing into the U.S. to cut its $40 billion automotive trade surplus with the United States. He declined to say if the Trump administration would seek a voluntary autos export cap from Japan. The methodology that well use will be determined by the negotiations. There are plenty of ways you can solve things, Ross said. We want more production of everything in the United States. Thats our theme song with everybody. Ross said he did not expect much movement on China trade talks until after the Nov. 6 U.S. congressional elections, adding that Chinese officials do not appear in a mood to talk at the moment. He said the view among some Chinese officials that Trump will be weakened by Democratic Party gains in Congress is a miscalculation, because the real farmers, the real ranchers are hanging in there and are not likely to turn away from Trump and Republicans in Congress. The November elections are being closely watched to see if the Democrats can wrest control of the Senate or the House of Representatives from Republicans. Some of the key races are in states and Congressional districts where farming dominates and that had voted for Trump in 2016. ZTE Scrutiny Ross trumpeted the Commerce Departments June settlement with ZTE, Chinas No. 2 telecommunications equipment maker, saying it brought an unprecedented level of change and scrutiny to the company that could be used in other cases. Commerce virtually put ZTE out of business in April when it banned U.S. companies from supplying ZTE with components for its smartphones and networking gear for failing to comply with a deal to settle violations of U.S. sanctions on Iran. Under the settlement deal that allowed ZTE to resume shipments, the company replaced its board and senior management, allowing a Commerce Department monitor access to the company for 10 years, in addition to agreeing to a $1 billion penalty and a $400 million escrow payment. Weve set the pattern that a huge, publicly owned companychanged its management, changed its board and permitted extreme intrusion by a foreign government regulatory agency, Ross said. I dont think youll find anything comparable to that anywhere in the world. Ross also highlighted the current labor contract talks between U.S. steel companies and the United Steelworkers union, saying that wage increases are a likely outcome and that they would be a bellwether for the broader U.S. labor market. United States Steel and ArcelorMittal USA, a unit of ArcelorMittal, have been negotiating new labor contracts for about 31,000 workers represented by the United Steelworkers union since July. A deal, however, remains elusive as workers are demanding a share in the profits from soaring steel prices. By David Lawder, Karen Freifeld, David Shepardson, and Chris Sanders California has enacted a first-of-its-kind law to tackle the lack of women on boards of directors of publicly traded companies based there. Similar underrepresentation persists in boardrooms in Connecticut. The Golden State last week became the first to require that public companies include women on their boards, a mandate that supporters have said would help firms to cultivate fairer and more hospitable work environments. Equivalent legislation is not yet on the table in Connecticut, but lawmakers and corporate leaders agree that pursuing more gender balance should be a top governance priority for companies in a state where women account for no more than one third of any Fortune 500 firms board seats. I think the California law is great, and Id love to see something similar in Connecticut, said Fran Pastore, CEO of the Stamford-based Womens Business Development Council. In the last year, weve seen the negative outcomes than can occur when you dont have inclusive and diverse leadership teams and boards. A push for more representation Reflecting the #MeToo movements campaign against pervasive sexual misconduct and gender discrimination, the California state legislator who championed the new mandate said having more women in leadership positions could help reduce sexual assault and harassment in the workplace. About 25 percent of public corporations headquartered in California do not have any women on their boards of directors. This is one of the last bastions of total male domination, said California state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson. We know that the public and business are not being well-served by this level of discrimination. The new law mandates at least one female director on the board of each California-based public corporation by the end of next year and up to three by the end of 2021. A number of European countries, including France and Norway, have similar mandates. In Connecticut, women are also underrepresented in the upper echelons of public companies. They account for no more than one-third of the board members of any of the 16 companies based in the state that made this years Fortune 500 list. United Rentals, Synchrony and The Hartford are the firms with one-third female representation. Two companies currently have a chairwoman: Stamford-based United, the worlds largest equipment-rentals company, and Norwalk-based Frontier Communications. Jenne Britell, an adviser with Manhattan-based Brock Capital Group and former executive vice president at GE Capital, has served as Uniteds chairwoman since 2008. A board with diversity has an expanded perspective, and it enhances the tendency to foster diversity throughout an organization, Britell said. A diverse board is going to encourage a companys leadership to ask different kinds of questions, such as why there arent more women and minorities in a company, especially in leadership positions. Among the Connecticut Fortune 500 group, Stamford-based Charter Communications lags, with only woman on its board of 14. Messages left for Charter Communications were not returned. Model for Connecticut? State Sen. L. Scott Frantz, R-Greenwich, said he would be willing to discuss with his fellow co-chairpersons of the state Legislatures Commerce Committee the development of incentives such as tax credits to help increase the number of women in public companies governing positions. Increasing the number of women on corporate boards is an excellent idea, Frantz said. However, I would have liked to see California use incentives, instead of law with required minimums, to achieve something that is eminently possible in the private sector. Alex Bergstein, the Democratic nominee for the 36th District Senate seat held by Frantz, gave a similar assessment. She pointed to findings by consulting firm McKinsey & Co. and other researchers showing that the presence of women on boards and in executive positions generally improves businesses performances. Women dont need data to understand why this is true. Unfortunately, some male-run companies still refute the data, Bergstein said. So a statute that starts the process is helpful. Lets remember the law only requires one woman on the board, which is hardly a major overhaul. This should not be controversial at all. State Rep. Caroline Simmons, D-Stamford, also a co-chairwoman of the Commerce Committee, described the California law as an encouraging step towards improving gender diversity on corporate boards, which I believe is essential to economic growth. Companies with more women on their boards perform better, are more collaborative and innovative, and better respond to female consumers needs, she said. No Connecticut legislators have committed to developing such legislation in next years session, but any who did would likely face skeptics. Opponents of the California mandate, such as the California Chamber of Commerce, argued that companies should determine their boards. The California law would fine companies $100,000 for a first violation and $300,000 for subsequent infringements. It also requires companies to report their board composition to the state and would levy a $100,000 fine if a company did not comply. I would back comparable legislation here, though I would expand the size/penalty range for violators; $100,000 to $300,000 is a pittance for most major firms, said Megan Cassano, the Green Party nominee for the 36th District Senate seat. I would also explore mandating cooperatives or open-book management practices, emphasizing employee-driven models as a prospect for making the workplace more gender equal. Messages left for Republican Barry Michelson, the Republican nominee for the 144th District seat, were not returned. Moving forward Britell said she was optimistic the California law would help foster greater diversity, but also noted that boards can take steps on their own to become more heterogeneous. There are many paths to the boardroom, so there is not only one way of demonstrating skill sets, Britell said. Im hopeful that the California law will encourage boards to look at backgrounds that are different from ones that have been looked at in the past. If we look at the criteria for board positions and expand them, not diminish them, we will get more diverse groups. The lack of women in leadership positions in the corporate world is hardly confined to the boardroom. Only 4 percent of this years Fortune 500 companies have a woman CEO. Synchrony is the only Connecticut company on the latest list with a female chief executive. Margaret Keane has led the firm since it was spun off in 2014 from GE. This law is great, but the work does not end there, Pastore said. There have to be foundations put in place including mentoring and networking and flexible working schedules to support women throughout every organization. We have to change how we view and value work. Includes reporting from the Associated Press. pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; Twitter: @paulschott As a parent, I chose my childrens schools. I could have sent my kids to New Canaan schools because I taught there, but I liked the social mix in Norwalk. I chose Columbus as their elementary school because I liked the teaching approach. My daughter chose to attend the Japanese Center because she wanted to study a new language. We took advantage of the few choices offered. But after decades of keeping options limited, Norwalk Public Schools has decided that choice is good. The districts goal is to develop robust choices for parents and students that meet diverse needs and interests, according to the Strategic Operating Plan. In a diverse city, said Superintendent of Schools Steven Adamowski, we must offer something for everyone. So plans are under way to create choices new magnet schools, new subject-specific academies that are housed within existing schools, and new high school pathways that offer in-depth and hands-on learning within a field of study. For some, finding the right academic program is their top priority. I love languages, said Alejandro Vasquez, a junior at the Center for Global Studies, an interdistrict magnet school located in Brien McMahon High School. Last year I took Chinese, Spanish and Japanese. This year, I cant fit Chinese into my schedule, but Im being tutored for the AP Chinese test. A school that offers multiple languages and cultures fit his needs. I was down for a world perspective, he explained. Science plus industry To meet the interests of students and give them marketable skills when they graduate, Tom Seuch, Science Department chair at Brien McMahon High School, is planning a new course of study. The Marine Science Pathway will create a challenging, field-based marine science education. Yes, kids will study fish and the oceans, but they will also get prepared for jobs that pay some of the highest entry-level salaries in the economy. We are looking to partner with industry, the city, the Maritime Aquarium, and SUNY Maritime College for this program, he said. Hes hopeful that kids could ultimately become certified as commercial ship captains. Norwalk is stepping up, Seuch said. Local folks have been helpful and excited. Im learning about resources in our community that I didnt even know existed. A cargo ship businessman has provided seed money for 18 months of planning. The Connecticut Maritime Association Education Foundation is exploring funding for internships and apprenticeships. The Norwalk Seaport Association wants to put a lab on one of the Norwalk islands. An architect is determining whether an unused auto shop in Brien McMahon can be turned into an aquaculture and marine science lab. There is nothing like this in the immediate area, a program that offers marine biology and industry, he said. The first classes will be offered in September 2019. A comfortable environment But course content is not the only draw for students and parents. Some students crave a social environment that suits their personalities, where they feel comfortable. After senior Aidan Bowman completed her freshman year at Darien High School, she was ready for something different. I had everything planned out for me, but I wanted some adventure, she said. At the Center for Global Studies, she found it. It sounded like a really open environment, and I thought it would be awesome to learn in, she said. Although her dad was wary at first, it has turned out to be a great choice for her. Because her classmates are very diverse economically, racially, and ethnically and they come from many different home environments, she said that class discussions are really interesting. Ive developed more well-rounded perspectives, she explained. But mostly she feels comfortable. I love it here, she said. I just love it. And that is precisely the feeling Principal Theresa Rangel plans to create as Tracey School becomes a character-education magnet school, perhaps as soon as September 2019. Right now, she is working on an application for Tracey to become certified as a School of Character by Character.org. For Rangel, strong relationships are the key to an effective school. When you build relationships with kids, she said, they know you and love you. Its a powerful dynamic. To build these personal relationships, teachers eat lunch with their students. Sometimes, Rangel said, it can be awkward, so she bought conversation-starter cards to get the talk flowing. Each classroom has a Den Zone, a place where kids can disconnect for a little while. We want kids to recognize their own emotions and frustrations, Rangel said. Its normal to have these feelings. Its not bad, but sometimes you need a moment and then you can reconnect with the family. The school has already identified the values it wants to instill in the children Problem-solving and Perseverance, Respect, Integrity, Neighborliness, and Taking Responsibility (PRINT). PRINT posters adorn the walls, and children are taught to think about their actions by using these concepts. We frame everything through PRINT, Rangel said. To be named a School of Character, the school must assess how deeply it adheres to 11 principals of character education. Principle 4 is The school creates a caring community. Rangel knows how important that is. CGS senior Aidan Bowman knows how important that is. And, maybe next year, parents who are searching for that type of school will be able to choose it for their child. The disappearance and alleged killing last week of dissident Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi while he was visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul is only the latest challenge to a U.S.-Saudi relationship that both governments have diligently cultivated. The Trump administration has said little beyond expressing public concern over Khashoggi's fate, and the kingdom has sharply denied any knowledge of his whereabouts. In private, officials from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on down have been frustrated with the lack of a substantive response to direct high-level queries, according to administration officials. Confirmation that Khashoggi was killed - as some senior Turkish officials have charged - or even his disappearance at Saudi hands is likely to spark a new round of congressional pressure to reassess the relationship with Riyadh. "If this deeply disturbing news report is confirmed, the United States & the civilized world must respond strongly, and I will review all options in Senate," Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., tweeted Sunday, among a number of similar comments. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, long suspicious of Saudi religious extremism and historic ties to terrorism, more recently have been highly critical of Saudi actions in Yemen and at home. Only last month, they were dissuaded by the administration from stopping U.S. military sales and assistance to the kingdom - the world's largest purchaser of American defense hardware and a key partner in White House plans to bring Iran to heel and to forge an Israeli-Arab alliance. Pompeo's certification that the Saudis were "undertaking demonstrable actions" to reduce civilian casualties in Yemen caused by airstrikes with U.S.-provided weaponry followed an earlier Senate hold on arms sales over the kingdom's dispute with Qatar, another U.S. ally in the region. Khashoggi, a prominent Saudi journalist, has been in self-imposed exile for the past year after leaving the country under what he said was fear of arrest. His columns, appearing in The Washington Post and elsewhere, have infuriated the ruling Saudi monarchy, particularly because of his criticism of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the powerful son of King Salman. In his most recent column for The Washington Post, published Sept. 18, Khashoggi wrote that Prince Mohammed, widely known as MBS, "promised an embrace of social reform," including ending the Saudi ban on women driving. "But all I see now is the recent wave of arrests," he wrote, including of intellectuals and religious leaders who have dared to criticize the crown prince and activists who had pressed to lift the driving ban. The Saudis have been a willing recipient of President Donald Trump's courting, which began in earnest during his first presidential trip overseas, to Riyadh in May 2017. In addition to hailing Salman as a wise and beneficent king of his own people, Trump virtually proclaimed him leader of the Muslim world and America's closest Arab ally. The trip also marked a foreign policy shift in which the administration began clearly to equate the purchase of U.S. arms with the pursuit of American policy interests. Since then, Trump rarely meets with a foreign leader - particularly from the Middle East - without publicly raising the subject of American sales of what he has referred to as "lots of beautiful military equipment." The apex of that goal so far, however, remains what he touted as $110 billion in Saudi purchases pledged during last year's visit. Not all of those deals have yet worked out, however. Despite a 20 percent price cut, the Saudis let a Sept. 30 deadline to lock in the $15 billion purchase of a Terminal High Altitude Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile system expire without signing on the dotted line. Administration officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity about the sensitive U.S.-Saudi relationship, expressed concern that the price for the missiles, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, is now likely to go up, even as U.S. willingness to concede to Saudi-demanded co-production provisions is likely to decrease. A Saudi official, asked about the deal, said that the kingdom remained "highly interested" in the THAAD system, but "like any military purchase, there are negotiations happening which we hope will conclude in the quickest means possible." At the same time, the Saudis have resisted U.S. entreaties to disavow any interest in buying Russia's S-400 antimissile defense system and have continued talks with Moscow. Purchase of U.S. defense systems is one component, along with a coordinated stand against Iran and rapprochement with Israel, of Trump administration hopes of drawing the six members of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council, Egypt and Jordan into what the administration has called a new "Middle East Strategic Alliance" (MESA). A planned summit to solidify the alliance, currently scheduled for January at Camp David, has repeatedly been postponed over the past year as its putative members have questioned its purpose and squabbled among themselves. "I would characterize the reception as generally accepting the idea in concept," said retired Gen. Anthony Zinni, the administration's MESA point man. Zinni toured the region late last month to exchange ideas. "Some are ready to say, 'Sign me up right now.' Others, obviously, have a lot of questions," he said. "No one rejected it outright." Some countries would like to see a mutual defense pact, akin to NATO's Article 5, along with a broad free trade agreement - neither of which the administration is interested in providing. Others, including the administration, would like it to be a vehicle for resolving the dispute with Qatar, but the Saudis and United Arab Emirates staunchly oppose that. Qatar and Oman are wary of Saudi, UAE and administration aggression against Iran, and all the Arab members worry that the administration harbors plans to use them to solidify a peace deal with Israel against the Palestinians. "Some weren't sure this gives them more than they [already] have bilaterally" in their relations with the United States, Zinni said of his recent consultations. "Some are afraid" that it would establish a "first among equals - giving too much to the Saudis," he said. "Our point was, let's put it all on the table. We're not trying to hide anything." Confirmation of Saudi responsibility for Khashoggi's disappearance could complicate efforts to get the alliance off the ground if Congress decides to punish Riyadh and public opinion in the United States demands a response. Despite their frequent differences, the White House and the Saudis have gone out of their way to present a united front. After Trump insulted Salman at a political rally last week, saying he "might not last two weeks in power" without U.S. protection and calling on Riyadh to "pay for your military," MBS gently deflected the comments. "Friends will say good things and bad things," he said in an interview with Bloomberg published Friday. "You will have some misunderstandings. So we put that in that category." Trump, he said, was merely making a political statement to "his own people." "If you look at the picture overall, you have 99 percent of good things and one bad issue," the crown prince said. "One percent. I love working with him." At the same time, he reminded, far from the United States "protecting" Saudi Arabia, the kingdom has "bought everything with money." JERUSALEM - A relaxed and smiling Sara Netanyahu, wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, appeared before a Jerusalem judge Sunday, the first hearing in a long-anticipated trial that will likely shed light on what critics often describe as her and her husband's opulent and self-indulgent lifestyle. Netanyahu, together with former deputy director of the prime minister's office, Ezra Saidoff, is accused of ordering meals from private chefs and catering companies, tallying up a bill of some $100,000 in public funds between 2010-13, even though a full-time chef was already employed at the residence. The prime minister is not directly named in the case but a very public trial against his wife could have far-reaching implications for his political standing and could harm his image at a time when he is said to be considering an early election. There will also be echoes from his first term as prime minister, 1996 to 1999, when his wife was under constant scrutiny for her behavior. Even during his current term in office, Sara Netanyahu, who often appears at his side during important political and diplomatic events, has faced damning testimony from former employees describing extreme temper tantrums and an unhealthy obsession with cleanliness. She is often portrayed by the media as a kind of Marie Antoinette. Less than three years ago, a former chief caretaker at the official residence successfully sued the couple for abusive treatment, winning about $43,735 in damages. During his testimony, Meni Naftali revealed intimate details about her, including a taste for pink champagne and other luxuries. Another trial, stemming from allegations of abuse filed by a former cleaner, is slated to begin later this month in Jerusalem's labor court. Seeking to downplay the charges against her, Sara Netanyahu's legal team released a statement Sunday saying this was the "first time in history that an indictment has been filed against the wife of a world leader for ordering trays of food." The statement highlighted previous claims that it was Naftali, the former caretaker, that had ordered the outside catering, against Netanyahu's wishes. It also said that the food was used for official purposes and reiterated her legal defense that it was up to the parliament to "determine the expenditure procedures at the prime minister's residence." In the hopes of avoiding a public trial, Israel's Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit did offer Netanyahu a plea bargain deal if she agreed to repay all the money in question and admit wrongdoing. She reportedly rejected the offer, a legal strategy that prompted two of her lawyers to quit and led to a full-on trial. Though Sunday's hearing was only to determine if her case should be heard by a single judge or by a panel of judges, Netanyahu was required to attend. She did not speak during the hearing, which was not televised as is the regulation in Israel. Journalists were, however, allowed to inside the courtroom. According to the indictment filed last June by the Israeli police, Netanyahu and Saidoff falsified documents so that food from outside companies and private chefs could be used. Investigators also found evidence that she had asked other employees to hide the fact that she used outside chefs and was aware that ordering meals from outside was a violation of the rules. As Sara Netanyahu faces the possibility of a drawn out and potentially embarrassing trial, her husband has his own legal woes. In February, the police recommended that he too be indicted, in two separate corruption cases. The first, dubbed Case 1000, raises suspicions he was involved in giving political favors for gifts worth around $280,000; the second, Case 2000, alleges he cut a deal with a newspaper publisher in exchange for favorable coverage. The prime minister was questioned for the twelfth time Friday by police investigators. His office immediately downplayed the investigation saying in a statement, "now, after the 12th round of questioning, it has been made absolutely clear that not only is there is no meat in the prime minister's investigations, there isn't even a bone." Analysts questioned whether Sara Netanyahu's trial would impact the prime minister's grip on power. "There is no doubt that it is going to be embarrassing but the real question is how this will impact Netanyahu politically." said Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz journalist and author of the recently published, 'Bibi: The Turbulent Life and Times of Benjamin Netanyahu.' "The political atmosphere is very polarized and although this may be embarrassing, it could in fact bolster him among his right wing supporters, those who say this trial is persecution by the legal system, the police and the left-wing media," said Pfeffer. TOKYO - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he had "productive talks" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang on Sunday, with the pair reportedly agreeing to hold a summit between Kim and President Donald Trump as soon as possible. Pompeo and Kim met for about two hours and then had a 90-minute lunch together. South Korea later said the two men agreed to a second Kim-Trump summit "at the earliest possible date." "It's good to see you again," Pompeo told Kim as the two men shook hands for the cameras before lunch. The secretary of state then put his hand on Kim's shoulder, and the pair smiled. "Well, I am really pleased for this opportunity. After having a nice meeting we can enjoy a meal together," Kim said. As the pair sat for lunch, Kim said, "It's a very nice day that promises a good future for both countries." Pompeo said he had a "great visit" and a "very successful morning," adding that Trump sent his regards. Both men spoke through translators. The secretary of state's last trip to North Korea, in July, did not go so well. He came away from it saying the two sides had made progress, only for North Korea to denounce him for making "gangster-like" demands and raising "cancerous" issues. On that occasion, he did not meet Kim. Pompeo then planned to return in late August, only for Trump to cancel the trip at the last minute as it became apparent that the two sides remained far apart on their approach to the negotiations. But a summit of the leaders of North and South Korea last month has helped to rekindle the peace process, as has the apparent desire of both Kim and Trump to meet again. An official accompanying the delegation who declined to be named said the trip had gone "better than the last time" but added that it is going to be a "long haul," according to a pool report from the lone U.S. journalist who accompanied Pompeo to Pyongyang. Later Sunday, Pompeo flew to Seoul, where he met South Korean President Moon Jae-in. He said in Seoul that he had "a good, productive conversation" with Kim. "As President Trump said, there are many steps along the way, and we took one of them today. It was another step forward. So this is, I think, a good outcome for all of us," Pompeo said. Moon said he hoped a Trump-Kim summit would happen soon, and would "make irreversible, decisive progress in terms of denuclearization as well as the peace process." During his private meeting with Moon, Pompeo said, he and Kim had agreed to arrange the second U.S.-North Korea summit "at the earliest possible date," according to a statement issued by Moon's chief press secretary, Yoon Young-chan. "Secretary Pompeo said there had been discussions on denuclearization measures to be taken by North Korea and monitoring by the U.S. government, as well as on corresponding measures to be taken by the United States," Yoon said. Yoon said the two sides would form "working-level negotiating teams" to discuss the specific date and location for the summit, as well as North Korea's denuclearization process. During Pompeo's meeting in Pyongyang, Kim invited inspectors to visit the Punggye-ri nuclear test site to "confirm that it has been irreversibly dismantled," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. North Korea had committed to this previously but has been resistant to allowing international inspectors to visit sites it has claimed have been dismantled. "Allowing inspectors at Punggye-ri would be an important test of North Korea's willingness to subject its facilities to verification," said Adam Mount, a senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists. Nauert's statement made no mention of North Korea's commitment to dismantle the important Yongbyon nuclear facility, a potentially troubling sign for U.S. negotiators. At the heart of the impasse has been two fundamentally different approaches to denuclearization. Pompeo has insisted that sanctions on North Korea should remain in place until the country completely dismantles its nuclear program. The governments of both North and South Korea, however, say that is unrealistic. Instead, they want both sides to take a "phased" approach, in which Pyongyang is rewarded as it takes gradual steps to roll back its nuclear program. On his way to Asia, Pompeo stuck to his guns, indicating that the spirit of the June agreement between Trump and Kim at Singapore in June was that "we will get to denuclearization in a fully verified, irreversible way, and then we will actually deliver on the commitments to make this brighter future for the North Korean people." Pompeo met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on Saturday, and the two men "agreed that pressure must continue until the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) denuclearizes," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said. That is not how Pyongyang sees things, nor is it the approach being advocated by Seoul. After the summit between the leaders of the two Koreas last month, Kim said he was prepared to permanently dismantle his country's main nuclear site at Yongbyon, but only if the United States took "corresponding steps" to build trust. North Korea has been asking for the United States to formally declare that the 1950-1953 Korean War is formally over, as a way to bring an end to hostile relations between the two countries. The war concluded with an armistice but no peace treaty. In the past few days, North Korea has also renewed its demands for sanctions to be eased. North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told the U.N. General Assembly late last month that "coercive" sanctions were lethal to trust-building between the two nations and that without trust, "there is no way we will unilaterally disarm ourselves first." Pompeo will also visit Beijing on Monday as he concludes his four-nation visit to the region. --- The Washington Post's John Hudson contributed to this report from Washington. Maria Bartiromo, Fox Business Network: "Do you believe George Soros is behind all of this, paying these people to get you and your colleagues in elevators or wherever they can get in your face?" Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa: "I have heard so many people believe that. I tend to believe it. I believe it fits in his attack mode that he has and how he uses his billions and billions of resources." - Exchange on "Mornings With Maria" on Fox Business Network , Oct. 5, 2018 - - - "The very rude elevator screamers are paid professionals only looking to make Senators look bad. Don't fall for it! Also, look at all of the professionally made identical signs. Paid for by Soros and others. These are not signs made in the basement from love! #Troublemakers" - President Donald Trump, in a tweet , Oct. 5, 2018 - - - Liberal billionaire George Soros has been a boogeyman for conservatives ever since he spent $27 million to oppose President George W. Bush's reelection in 2004. A Hungarian-American who supports a range of liberal groups and causes, Soros, who is Jewish, has been unwillingly cast as the protagonist of conspiracy theories large and small circulating on the right for more than a decade. The latest one: As protesters fill the Capitol to oppose Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court - challenging senators on elevators, in hallways and outside their offices - Trump and Grassley are playing down the uproar as a sideshow orchestrated by the invisible hand of Soros. Polls show Americans are divided over Kavanaugh's nomination. The judge has faced sexual misconduct from Christine Blasey Ford and other women. He could tilt the balance on the court in a right-leaning direction if, as expected, he replaces the more centrist Anthony Kennedy. More than 20 million people tuned in to watch Ford and Kavanaugh testify about the sexual assault allegations. In short, with the stakes so high and the confirmation battle drawing so much attention, it's not hard to imagine that protesters would be descending on Washington without checks from Soros. Is he paying protesters or not? Grassley gave an interview to Fox Business Network in which the host, Maria Bartiromo, asked whether he believed Soros was paying the anti-Kavanaugh protesters confronting senators. Grassley said, "I tend to believe it" because "it fits his attack mode." Eighty minutes later, Trump tweeted that the protesters' signs were "paid for by Soros and others." Grassley's staff provided three articles from conservative media for support. Fox News reported Oct. 3 that the women who confronted Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., on a Capitol elevator were affiliated with the Center for Popular Democracy, a liberal advocacy group. Members of the group also hounded Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., at Reagan National Airport, Fox News added. "Seemingly organic, powerful protests," Fox News reported. "But in both instances, the women involved came from a nonprofit called Center for Popular Democracy that has received funding from liberal billionaire George Soros, records show." A Sept. 30 article in the National Review noted that the two women who confronted Flake - a video of their encounter went viral - were Ana Maria Archila, the co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy, and Maggie Gallagher, a 23-year-old activist with the group. "Perhaps because the women expressed such raw emotion, few media outlets dug into their political activism," the National Review reported. "The Center is a left-wing group that is heavily funded by George Soros' Open Society Foundations. Indeed, as of 2014, the Open Society was one of the three largest donors to the group." A Sept. 19 article in the Daily Caller noted that the Center for Popular Democracy and two other groups, the Women's March and Housing Works, organized a conference call detailing plans to provide protesters with $50 in case they were arrested at the Capitol. These payments, known as "post-and-forfeit," are basically a form of bail. "Left-wing groups funded by George Soros and other major Democratic donors hand out cash to protesters arrested for disrupting Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings, the activists revealed Monday night," the Daily Caller reported. PolitiFact last year gave a "Pants on Fire" rating to the claim that Soros was paying Women's March protesters. We found no record of any grants or donations from Soros or his Open Society Foundations to Housing Works. Andrew Friedman, the co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy, said the Open Society Foundations contribute more than $1 million a year. That total is split up between the center itself, which is a nonprofit, and to Center for Popular Democracy Action, a 501(c)(4) political advocacy group. The center received $12.5 million in gifts, grants and contributions in fiscal 2016, and $13.2 million in fiscal 2015, according to its yearly IRS filings. The 501(c)(4) received nearly $3 million total in gifts, grants and contributions in fiscal 2016, and $2.3 million in fiscal 2015. Most of the Open Society Foundations money comes with strings attached, Friedman said. The Open Society Foundations provides grants for economic justice programs, and that money was not for "post-and-forfeit" payments for the Kavanaugh protests, he said. The Soros group also provides a minor amount of funding for general operating expenses, but none of that money is used for "post-and-forfeit" payments, either, Friedman said. "It's a totally fallacious accusation," Friedman said. Jennifer Flynn Walker, director of advocacy and mobilization for both the center and its 501(c)(4) arm, said protesters are not being paid. Soros has no involvement in the group's organizing efforts or strategy sessions for opposing Kavanaugh, she added. "A payment means someone has money at the end of the day to go buy milk for their family," she said. "We help people with post-and-forfeit. You get it for the hour or so at the Capitol, and then if you get arrested, you give it to the Capitol Police. You don't take it home. And if you don't get arrested, you give it back to us." Laura Silber, a spokeswoman for the Open Society Foundations, said the organization "has long supported the work of the Center for Popular Democracy." "The decision to discuss the Kavanaugh nomination with Sen. Flake was obviously a deeply personal one, and Ms. Ana Maria Archila has explained her thinking and motivations for doing so; the decision was entirely independent of OSF's support," Silber added. "That said, the foundations proudly support the right of all citizens to make their voices heard by their elected representatives - a bedrock principle of our democracy that surely Fox News believes in as well." The latest two grants to the Center for Popular Democracy came this year, Silber said. One, for $100,000, was designated to recruit and train activists on pushing "progressive policies on health care," she said. The other grant, for $1.2 million, was designated for rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. The White House did not respond to our request for comment. First the Daily Caller, then the National Review, then Fox News, then Maria Bartiromo, then Grassley, then the president of the United States - each cried "Soros" to play down the outrage on Capitol Hill over Kavanaugh's nomination. But the evidence that the Open Society Foundations is somehow paying these protesters doesn't add up. The post-and-forfeit payments are not coming from Soros money, according to an on-the-record interview with the Center for Popular Democracy's co-executive director. The Soros group said it provided $1.3 million this year for other, specific programs. The Center for Popular Democracy does not get most of its money from the Open Society Foundations anyway. It received $1 million to $1.5 million a year out of a total $15.5 million a year in grants, gifts and contributions. The balance tips heavily toward "Soros conspiracy theory" rather than "Soros facts" in this case. There is some, indirect money from Soros associated with the groups that confronted senators in elevators, but it is wrong to claim the protesters were paid by Soros or directed by him. Grassley and Trump each earn Three Pinocchios. Contributed Photo / Connecticut State Police / Contributed Photo NORWALK Police are investigating a report of an armed robbery at a liquor store in the city Saturday evening, dispatch reports indicated. Shortly after 9 p.m., officers were asked to respond to the Budget Liquor Shop at 542 West Ave. after someone called in that the store had been robbed at gunpoint. LOS ANGELES (AP) 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 moguls downfall from his heyday as one of the biggest and most feared names in the music industry. Knight, 53, will now likely live out most, if not the rest, of his life 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, which Sloan was serving as a consultant on. Knight clipped Sloan with his pickup truck, seriously injuring him, before speeding through the parking lot and running over Carter and fleeing. While Carters relatives said they hoped Knights lengthy sentence will 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. Carters 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. Before Thursdays hearing, Knight had already agreed to his lengthy prison term by pleading no contest to voluntary manslaughter 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, hell likely spend roughly 20 years in prison before hes eligible for parole. Knight, Dr. Dre and rapper the D.O.C. founded Death Row Records in the immediate aftermath of the break-up of N.W.A. The labels records, including Dres first solo album The Chronic and Snoop Doggs debut Doggystyle, are considered classics of the genre that defined an era. Tupac Shakur became the labels star artist later in the 90s before he was shot and killed in Las Vegas in 1996, while riding in a car driven by Knight. Shakurs death brought on decline for the label, which led to decades of decline for Knight himself. Many of his associates and rap rivals from the era like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube and Sean Diddy Combs went on to become warmly accepted actors, businessmen and media personalities who are now able to do things like host parties in the Hamptons and co-host a cooking show with Martha Stewart. Knight went in the opposite direction, losing Death Row after it went into bankruptcy in 2006, serving time in prison, and having a knack for being near violence that eventually caught up with him. Nearly two dozen of Carters relatives packed the courtroom Thursday. Carters 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 weve finally got it, kind of, she said. She then addressed Knight directly despite the judges instructions not to. My dad can finally rest in peace while you live out the rest of your life in prison. His sister, Jessica Carter, told Los Angeles Superior Court Ronald Coen, He was so much more than the person the defendant killed with his truck. There have been disputed accounts of why Carter had been at the scene, but his family said he often acted as a community mediator and peacemaker. This wasnt no cat who went after nobody, Carters brother-in-law Damu Visha said in court. He helped people. The death was captured on surveillance video, and family members described their anguish in having to see it repeatedly, and chastised the media for showing it so often. Coen appeared moved by the familys words and offered his own condolences. If it hasnt been said by anyone else, Coen said, let me tell you, that my heart goes out to you. Most victims 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 Carters cousin Patricia Hawkins said. But it wont be today. EDWARDSVILLE As the fall colors erupt locally this year, keep in mind you could see them do the same thing next year in New England. The Main Street Community Center has scheduled an informational meeting beginning at 6 p.m. on Oct. 17 regarding a New England Rails & Sails Travel Trip. Main Street Community Center Assistant Director Michelle Boyer said the meeting will gauge the level of interest in offering the trip, which is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 1 through Oct. 8, 2019. Jeff Holtrop, of Vacations by Rail, will give a presentation on the trip and answer questions. The meeting will go a long way in determining if the trip is offered. We have to make sure we have enough interest to make the trip, Boyer said. Were starting to do some bigger trips, longer distances. This will help us gauge the level of interest. Those taking the trip will fly into Boston and stay overnight, taking in the citys history and other attractions. The trip includes both rail and bus travel. Stops include Wells, Maine; Portland, Maine; Kennebunkport, Maine and Newport, Rhode Island. There will be a visit to Mystic Seaport as well as a lobster cruise. Other cruises include one on Lake Winnipesaukee and another aboard the Rum Runner II. Those excursions are all part of the packages final price as are 10 meals, including a lobster dinner, and seven nights hotel accommodations. Other activities are excursions are also planned. The trip is open to anyone of any age, Boyer said. Registration will be conducted the night of the meeting, but attendance is not necessary for those wishing to make the trip. Price information will also be available at the meeting. Boyer said the New England trip is something that there appears to be a desire for. We had a travel meeting earlier this year. We looked for suggestions, she said. This is something we had a response on. The Main Street Community Center is located at 1003 North Main St. in Edwardsville. For more information, call 656-0300 or email info@mainstcc.org. 35 minutes ago Some Pieces are Missing, But the Puzzle of HOFV Stock is Coming Together Risk-tolerant investors can look at HOFV stock as an under-the-radar penny stock play Earlier this summer, I suggested that Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Co. (NASDAQ: HOFV) was a speculative stock worth considering. Read Article Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 7) Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro will lead the Supreme Court's (SC) flag ceremony for the last time on Monday, October 8. This, as she is set to end her 40-day stint as the country's top magistrate on Wednesday, October 10, upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70. De Castro was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte on August 25 as the new head of the Supreme Court, making her the shortest-serving Chief Justice. She replaced Maria Lourdes Sereno who was ousted in a landmark ruling in May. Her appointment stirred controversies, with some saying that Duterte gave De Castro the post as a reward for her role in Sereno's ouster. De Castro was among the eight justices who voted to unseat Sereno, one of the youngest chief magistrates ever appointed. The President and De Castro vehemently denied the claim. She stressed that her legacy as Supreme Court justice would not be determined by her short term as the top judge. "Even when the position of Chief [Justice] was beyond my imagination, I was already working on many projects which I want to be done when I retire not as Chief Justice, but as Associate Justice," she said. De Castro vowed to be independent in all her decisions, even in cases involving the one who appointed her to the post. She also stressed that Duterte would not do anything to "impair the independence of the judiciary." 45-year career The outgoing chief justice is also ending her 45-year career in the judiciary. She began her government service as a law clerk at the Supreme Court in 1973 after earning her law degree at the University of the Philippines in 1972. She served as state counsel at the Department of Justice in 1978, assistant chief state counsel in 1997, associate justice of the Sandiganbayan in the same year, and presiding justice of the anti-graft court in 2004. In 2007, then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed De Castro as associate justice. CNN Philippines' Senior Digital Producer Eimor Santos contributed to this report. The winter camper keen on survival is keen on gear: sleeping bag, long johns, wool socks, pocketknife, flashlight, fleece, parka, warm gloves, big boots. Also bannock, which is bread mix. Add water, stir with a stick, and the camper is prepared to produce any type of bread pancake to pate en croute. Bannock can be pressed into pizza, pita, biscuit, bun, fritter, fruitcake, potpie or boule. Wrapped around a twig and propped over the flames, the sticky dough chars into curly quick bread. Bannock can probably pitch a tent, light a fire and scare off wolves. Recipes for bannock salt the camping memoir, along with instructions for frying up deer heart with onion. Presumably those resourceful enough to fry up deer heart with onion don't actually consult the recipe. If you've never heard of the rustic staple, it likely is because a) you don't camp, or b) you're vague on Canada. Bannock is strictly a north-of-the-border phenom. Bannock traces its roots to scone-toting Scottish explorers, who inspired fry-bread-crisping locals, yielding the low, gritty cake with the can-do attitude. It's also easy, crisping up over the fire or, for the armchair camper, the stovetop making quick work of both scone and winter survival. Bannock Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 20 minutes Serves: 8 Ingredients: 1 cup flour 1 cup rolled oats 3 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder teaspoon fine salt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut up cup buttermilk (or substitute 10 tablespoons milk mixed with 2 tablespoons plain yogurt) Mild oil (such as canola) and unsalted butter, for crisping 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Mix: Measure flour, oats, sugar, baking powder and salt into the food processor. Buzz until oats are reduced to fine powder, about 1 minute. Add butter and pulse several times until mixture looks crumbly. Drizzle: Heap flour mixture in a bowl. Drizzle on buttermilk, mixing with a fork just until the dough clumps. Crisp: Set a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add 1-2 teaspoons oil and 1-2 teaspoons butter, plus a pinch of salt. When butter has melted, add bannock dough, patting evenly into place. Neaten up the edges with a rubber spatula. Let cook, shaking pan now and then, until bottom is golden brown, top is no longer sticky and center has cooked through (test with a toothpick), about 18 minutes. Adjust heat to keep bannock from scorching. Flip: Brush the top of the bannock with some of the melted butter. Place a flat lid or plate over the bannock. Wearing oven mitts, flip skillet and plate, landing bannock crisp-side-up on plate. Return skillet to heat. Brush skillet with additional melted butter. Slide bannock back into skillet, crisp side up, and let second side cook to a golden brown, about 3 minutes. Cut: Slide bannock onto a cutting board. Let cool a few minutes. Slice into 8 wedges. Enjoy sweet (say, with jam) or savory (say, with stew). Leah Eskin is a Tribune special contributor e-mail her at leahreskin@aol.com Britains malls are some of the least desirable shopping destinations for international investors. But even this supremely unloved part of the London stock market has a price. Property mogul John Whittaker has teamed up with Brookfield Property Group and Saudi investment fund Olayan Group to explore a potential buyout of U.K. mall operator Intu Properties plc. Whittakers Peel Group already has a 27-per-cent stake in Intu while Olayan owns about 3 per cent. Before their putative bid emerged late on Thursday, the value of those holdings had fallen 60 per cent since early 2015. No wonder they were fed up. As for Brookfield, it has a reputation for investing against the grain. Intus valuation is superficially enticing: even after a jump on Friday, the shares trade at a 39 per cent discount to book value. It is dangerous to call the bottom for the U.K. consumer given the number of high-profile retail failures this year. Then there are chains, such as Mothercare plc. and Carpetright plc., which have pursued controversial restructurings that have cost their landlords. Hopes of a revival in spending have been dashed by a continuing squeeze on Britons disposable incomes. The flip side is a large amount of store capacity has left the market, benefiting the retailers still standing. Wages are increasing while fixed-rate mortgages will insulate many consumers from the expected increases in interest rates. A better-than-expected Brexit deal could release demand. And physical stores will still have a place in the online retailing world for returns and those click-and-collect bargains. Clearly, industry insiders reckon Intu is a good way to wager on a recovery in U.K. retail. Without a firm proposal made, the stock jumped as much as 37 per cent on Friday to approximately $2.66 U.S., valuing the company at $3.2 billion. Even with the real risk that a binding offer fails to materialize, money managers suddenly see value here. An approach, if one does happen, would be tricky for the Intu board to handle. Directors recommended a $3.31-a-share offer from Hammerson plc. in December. That was pitched at 28-per-cent premium to the prevailing share price and a 27-per-cent discount to the then net asset value. But Hammerson shareholders balked at consummating the deal and expanding their exposure to the sickly retail industry. To recommend a considerably lower offer today, and one coming from Intus dominant shareholder, would require some explaining to everyone else. Any bid would be in cash, forcing many investors to crystalize a loss at a terrible point in the cycle. The view of South Africas Coronation Fund Managers, which owns 21 per cent of the company, will be critical. If Brookfield wants full control, rather than just a majority stake, it will need Coronations support. A loss of stock market confidence means it will be hard for Intu to make the case for a stand-alone future. Pulling in a rival bid from Hammerson looks like wishful thinking its shareholders are still almost certainly against a deal. But if Intu could persuade Coronation to hold out, it would gain some leverage to play hardball. As recreational marijuana legalization looms, some industry insiders are predicting a hot niche in the market for less potent products. At the centre of the shift is an expected influx of new consumers more interested in dabbling than getting blitzed, creating demand for pot products with lower doses of psychoactive ingredients. A report by Deloitte forecasts that legalization on Oct. 17 will bring a consumer into the market who is more risk-averse, older and less likely to consume the drug as regularly as existing recreational users. Read more: How to talk to your kids about cannabis Federal NDP will table bill to grant amnesty to Canadians with cannabis possession records Shopify confident on pot e-commerce because cannabis isnt Kylie Cosmetics Todays consumer is what we describe as a risk-taker. Theyre young, typically with a high school or college education. In their quest to live life to the fullest, theyre more likely to put their health or safety at risk, even going so far as to skirt or break the law, it says. Newer recreational customers will typically be 35 to 54 years old, and three-quarters of them will have some experience with recreational pot but only 41 per cent will have used it in the last five years, it says. This consumer is more of a conservative experimenter typically middle-aged, with a university or graduate school education. They dont tend to put their personal interests before family needs or other responsibilities, the report says. It says almost half of current consumers say they would move to the legal market if there were more choices in terms of product potency. Producers are paying attention. Andrew Pollock, vice-president of marketing for The Green Organic Dutchman said many consumers are asking for products with higher concentrations of non-psychoactive cannabidiol, also know as CBD, rather than tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which is the main mind-altering ingredient in the plant. CBD is becoming kind of an it word in cannabis. We see a real trend there, Pollock said. CBD and THC are some of the most common compounds found in marijuana. Plants with high CBD give more clear-headed relief to symptoms of anxiety, pain and inflammation. THC gives users a high, an appetite and relieves symptoms like pain and nausea, Pollock said. What were finding is more and more consumers are just looking for something to help them relax, to take away the stress, maybe to help them sleep. What most consumers are looking for in this day and age is calm, he said. The Green Organic Dutchman is building 130,000 square metres of cultivation facilities in Ontario, Quebec and Jamaica. Ali Wasuk, store manager of WestCanna dispensary in Vancouver, says CBD products are already popular among the companys medical clients, especially older users without recreational experience who are wary of getting high. That crowd was the main one who kind of wanted to dabble, get their feet wet with the lower dose stuff, he said. Generally the medical side of it is mainly lower-dose THC. South of the border, less potent products have already entered a market once dominated by black-market pot that packed a punch. Products are now being scored and packaged and marked in low doses, said Tom Adams, managing director of BDS Analytics in Colorado. Part of that comes as a result of what industry members refer to as the Maureen Dowd Effect, he said. The New York Times columnist wrote a piece detailing her experience sampling a cannabis-infused chocolate from one of Colorados newly legal pot shops in 2014 that left her curled in a hallucinatory state for eight hours in her Denver hotel room. Since then, the industry has made a concerted effort to cater lower-dose products to new users and emphasize responsible consumption, especially with edibles. The industry has very much harped on the theme of, Start low, go slow, Adams said. There are also regular users in the market who want to take some edge off without getting high. (They say) two milligrams or three milligrams just has a mild relaxing effect and doesnt interfere with you going about your day, Adams said. The shift is occurring mostly at the processing level where the plants are used to create concentrates, oils, edibles and other products, he said. Some companies are banking on recreational consumers having less fluency in dosages or chemical components and who are instead looking for an experience. Adine Carter, chief marketing officer for High Park, based in a Nanaimo, B.C., said the company is highlighting its recreational products effects instead of its medicinal components. In other words, you can buy Sun under its Irisa brand if you want energy or Earth for balance and focus. Its a very different approach to product development than the medical products that are geared toward having the patient understand exactly what the potency is for their condition, Carter said. We believe that telling them what the products are designed to do will resonate better with them as consumers. CALGARYCalgary police said an 18-year-old woman with a number of mental health and developmental conditions whod been missing since Saturday has been found. The force said in a press release on Sunday afternoon that shed been found safe. Kattryna Giesbrecht had been last seen on Sunday morning at about 10:50 a.m. walking east on 16 Ave. N.W. from 14 St. N.W., but despite the sighting, search parties hadnt been able to find her, police said in a press release. Giesbrecht may be shy when interreacting with strangers, but she is not violent, due to her mental health and development conditions, police said earlier Sunday. Her family was concerned for her well-being, because shes considered high risk, the press release said. Read more about: VANCOUVERWith the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court amidst many allegations of sexual assault, Canadian legal experts are expressing their dismay at what some are describing as a failure of the U.S. legal system to uphold fair legal processes. While the confirmation does not directly impact our political or legal system, there can be significant cultural impacts on Canada. I think its hugely disappointing, said Margot Young, a law professor at the University of British Columbia. I am shocked, but not surprised, as we see the American system of government and its theoretical checks and balances failing all over the place right now its extremely concerning for the legitimacy of the U.S. Supreme Court. Young said that while the decision wont have direct legal impact on Canada, there are strong cultural connections that leave people emotionally tied to American politics. Its of huge cultural and political relevance we are so inundated by American news, that the cultural moments that happen there are also our cultural moments, she said. Young said that the lack of accountability for men accused of sexual assault has had similar impacts in both the U.S. and Canada. We see increasingly a groundswell of women speaking out, but we dont see increasing accountability. The lessons to take for Canadian women, and American women, is a complicated one. Carol Baird Ellan, the the first female chief of the B.C. Provincial Court and now a family law mediator, expressed her disappointment in the process of confirmation as a while, and the way complainants faced public scrutiny. Personally, I'm appalled at the amount of politicization in the process in the U.S. at this point Im dismayed by it, the fact that it's all public and televised, she said. Baird Ellan added that the Canadian system of judicial appointments is far more private, and thorough ,in their vetting of nominations. By the time the nominee is presented for appointment, they have been vetted in a private way which allows these people to come forward without televised cross-examination. She also added that Canadian appointments are much less political in nature. But while the Canadian legal system operates very differently than the American one, there can still be some impacts on discourses in Canadian law. Adam Goldenberg , a lawyer at McCarthy Tetrault LLP, said that sometimes, US Supreme Court judges can have what he calls persuasive authority in Canadian law. That means, while they arent binding on our courts, Canadian judges can draw insights from American jurisprudence in deciding Canadian disputes, he said in an email. But while he said that this could sometimes happen is more likely Canadian judges to refer to decisions from Commonwealth countries. When American courts sneeze, Canadians dont catch cold and for good reason, he said. However, other experts have identified similarities in the way that Canadian courts can have inherent biases, which have been brought into sharp relief in the wake of the Kavanaugh hearings. Alan Dutton, a member of the Canadian Anti-racism Education and Research Society, said that these biases, especially against women and people of colour, have been brought into sharp relief in the wake of the Kavanaugh hearings. We haveparticularly in the case of rape and misogyny, in terms of racism and in terms of sexism. But Dutton said that he actually believes that the controversy around Kavanaugh could bring to light increased social progress by bringing these privileges to light. Im hoping for the opposite effect I am hoping that the #metoo movement and Black Lives Matter will force people in Canada and in the U.S. to be much more aware of the systemic biases within the system, and there will be a much stronger demand from ordinary people for our rights to democracy. With files from Omar Mosley. Read more about: As work on the Obama Presidential Center progresses, South Shore residents and organizers call on city for protection As work on Obama Center progresses, South Shore residents and organizers call on city for protection WINNIPEGBrian Pallisters abrupt about-face on a carbon tax came after the Manitoba premier felt like he was being used as a prop by Ottawa, and sources say it was a surprise to most in his own caucus. The move, which aligned Pallisters Progressive Conservatives with other Canadian conservative leaders, came after months of his insisting that a Manitoba-made tax that met the federal Liberals halfway was better than having a levy imposed by Ottawa. Things took a sharp turn last month when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Manitoba and wished publicly that Pallister would encourage some of the other conservative voices around the country to recognize that having a plan to fight climate change is something that all Canadians ... have a right to expect. Pallister gave no indication at the time, but on Wednesday he suddenly announced he was dropping his plans for a carbon tax and said he did not appreciate Trudeaus comments. I dont think anybody likes to be used as a prop, and I certainly am not inclined that way, Pallister said a day later. The Canadian Press interviewed three Manitoba government sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, and used documents along with comments from Pallister to piece together what happened. Read more: Manitoba backs out of planned carbon tax, says feds not respecting provinces Pallister ruffled some feathers in PC circles during the April 2016 provincial election when he included a promise to put a price on carbon in the partys platform. Conservatives dont generally run on promises of new taxes, but the federal Liberals had already signalled their intention to enact a nationwide carbon price. In October 2016, the federal government said provinces would have to bring in a cap-and-trade system or charge a rising carbon tax on gasoline and other items. The tax would start at $10 a tonne in 2018 and reach $50 per tonne in 2022. Any province that balked would be hit with an equivalent backstop tax collected by Ottawa. A year later, Pallisters government announced it would charge a flat $25-a-tonne carbon tax and argued the federal government shouldnt push further because of the billions Manitoba has invested in clean hydro. Manitoba also released a legal opinion that stated the federal government had the constitutional authority to enact a carbon tax, but the province might be able to rebuff the move if it came up with its own tax that was equally effective at reducing emissions. Thats when Pallister began the mantra that billed his tax as the better of two options. If we just say no, we get Trudeau, became the slogan. There were concerns in caucus. Legislature members didnt like the idea of having to sell a tax. But with an agriculture exemption, and with the Opposition NDP open to the full $50 federal plan, the feeling was the Tories were going to be on the right side of public opinion. The caucus was united, but we were hearing noise from party members, one source said. There was cautious acceptance, and an understanding that the provincial plan was better than the alternative, said another source. Plus, we would have control over how the carbon tax revenues would be spent. Pallister promised to use the cash from the carbon tax to cut other taxes and help offset rising energy prices. And if Manitoba had to go to court to fight further increases, it would likely come in 2020, an election year. The Tories could promote the dispute on the campaign trail. Also helping Pallister at the time was that only Saskatchewan had come out firmly opposed to the carbon tax. Ontario PC leader Patrick Brown supported a carbon levy that could be offset by other tax cuts. But Brown was replaced by Doug Ford, who has firmly opposed the tax. New Brunswick Tory Leader Blaine Higgs then promised to fight the federal plan in court. And Albertas NDP Premier Rachel Notley pulled her province out of further carbon tax increases because of a court ruling that put the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion on hold. The political landscape was shifting, but Pallister held firm at a premiers conference in New Brunswick in July, where he met with Ford and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe. Pallister was quite adamant in his explanation of this is why were doing this, one source said. It was kind of an agree-to-disagree thing. It wasnt acrimonious or anything. A post on Twitter from Fords account after the meeting said Pallister had reaffirmed opposition to carbon taxes. It was quickly deleted. One of Fords staffers was overly enthusiastic ... and the premier immediately corrected that, a source said. Then Trudeau came to Winnipeg in September. In a private meeting, Pallister said, the prime minister gave no ground on the federal backstop. In public, Trudeau held Pallister up as an example to other conservatives. Pallister said last week it was at that point that he lost any hope the federal government might budge. It became pretty clear. Pallister said he had not been in contact with Moe or Ford in the two weeks before he announced he was pulling out. He told a small number of people of his plan to scrap the provincial carbon tax several days before his announcement, one source said. For the Tory caucus, it came as a surprise. Members were told just before or found out when Pallister stood in the legislature Wednesday and announced Manitoba would not enact a tax. Read more about: Two years ago, a man died of an apparent drug overdose after being held at the Clackamas County Jail in Oregon City, Oregon. Now, video has emerged in which sheriffs deputies could be heard laughing as the man thrashed uncontrollably in a padded cell before he died. They joked that he could be used as a cautionary example to warn students about the dangers of drugs. Should we just take him and put him in front of the classroom? asked one of the officials. If you could just wheel him in a cage and wheel him back out, said another. Look what I brought for show and tell today, one deputy said while laughing. The one holding the cellphone could be heard saying: I wish we could show this to his girlfriend like, You love this? The man, Bryan Perry, 31, was a U.S. Army veteran who had earned a Purple Heart, according to a lawsuit filed this week by his mother, Brenda Nordenstrom. The lawsuit accused Clackamas County sheriffs deputies and the jails medical provider, Corizon Health, of failing to deliver prompt medical care or to take Perry to the hospital in time, ultimately leading to his death. Police reports show that Perry was arrested on Nov. 3, 2016, on a warrant and was cooperative as he was being booked, although he had trouble controlling his movements. He was then taken to a high-security padded cell. County officials and medical workers checked on Perry periodically during the night, and deputies observed that he was thrashing in a way that suggested he had recently taken methamphetamines, according to jail incident reports released by the sheriffs office. One deputy reported that Perry said he had taken bath salts, heroin and meth. The reports indicate that Perrys girlfriend was also taken to the jail and later to the hospital on Nov. 3, 2016, and that she exhibited similar symptoms and was found to have drugs in her system. The video was recorded by one of several deputies who, at one point, stood outside of the cell looking in as Perry moaned, yelled, flailed his limbs and somersaulted off his padded bed. The incident reports indicate that nurses and officials gave Perry water, monitored his vital signs and administered CPR after he became unresponsive. Some time after the video was recorded, Perry was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. It was not immediately clear how much time elapsed from when the cellphone video was recorded to when authorities took him to the hospital. A preliminary, post-mortem drug screen indicated levels of amphetamine, methamphetamine and THC, according to the reports. I cannot comment on the pending lawsuit, which focuses primarily on Mr. Perrys medical care provided by the Jail medical contractor, Sheriff Craig Roberts said in a statement Thursday. But I will say this: The laughter, substance, and tone of several comments heard from my employees in that video were inappropriate, and do not conform to our professional standards. He said the deputy who took the cellphone video had resigned, and that his office had conducted an investigation and disciplined the employees involved who still worked there. It was not clear how many employees were disciplined and in what ways. CAIROMelania Trump says she has, at times, told the president to put his phone down. And she says she doesnt always agree with what he tweets. The U.S. first lady spoke briefly with reporters Saturday as she was wrapping up a four-country tour of Africa with a visit to the pyramids and the Great Sphinx in Egypt. Standing in front of the Sphinx, Melania Trump said she makes her opinions clear with her husband. I dont always agree what he tweets, she said in a rare, unscripted interaction with reporters. And I tell him that. I give him my honest opinion and honest advice. And sometimes he listens and sometimes he doesnt. But I have my own voice and my opinions and its very important for me that I express what I feel. As for whether shes ever told him to put his phone down, she said, yes, with a laugh. Trump arrived in Cairo on Saturday after a flight from Kenya. She met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and his wife, Entissar Mohameed Amer, before heading to the nearby city of Giza to see the pyramids and Sphinx to highlight U.S.-backed preservation efforts. The U.S. Agency for International Development has been working with the Egyptian government for the past several years on a project to lower groundwater levels to prevent additional damage to the landmarks. Saline content in the water can erode their foundations. The first lady described her tour, which took her to Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt, as amazing and said she hoped people would talk more about her visit and less about her fashion choices. Thats very important what I do, what were doing with U.S. aid and what I do with my initiatives and I wish people would focus on what I do, not what I wear, she said. Trumps outfit choices have drawn considerable attention, as when she wore a jacket that read I REALLY DONT CARE, DO U? during a trip to visit migrant children whod been separated from their families at the southern border. The first lady received warm welcomes everywhere she went though there were some reminders of her husbands strained relations with the continent, which he has yet to visit as president. In Lilongwe, Malawi, her motorcade passed a sign that read Welcome to Malawi. #NOTASHITHOLE! a reference to reports that President Donald Trump used the vulgar term to describe African nations. Melania Trump said she never heard her husband saying those comments and nobody discussed that with me. Read more about: SALT LAKE CITY Mormons will start spending less time at church each Sunday two hours instead of three after a change announced Saturday aimed at making worship more manageable for members around the globe. The switch, which takes effect in January, is a significant one for Mormons, who since 1980 have been expected to attend all three hours each Sunday to be considered active members of the faith. The news triggered widespread applause from members, with some posting celebratory memes on social media. It came during The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints twice-yearly conference, where a leader also reaffirmed the faiths opposition to gay marriage and its belief that gender is God-given and eternal. The senior leaders of the church have been aware for many years that for some of our precious members, a three-hour Sunday schedule at church can be difficult, said Quentin Cook, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, church leaders who help run the faith. This is particularly true for parents with small children, primary children, elderly members, new converts and others. The three-hour commitment is a hefty one compared with some other religions Sunday services. Other denominations offer weekly worship that lasts about an hour or an hour and a half, along with voluntary classes and other gatherings throughout the week. Church president Russell Nelson called the adjustment a new home-centred church strategy that comes as the faith expands throughout the world. More than half of its 16 million members live outside the U.S. and Canada. The long-standing objective of the church is to assist all members to increase their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and in his atonement, Nelson said. In this complex world today, this is not easy. The adversary is increasing his attack on faith and on families at an exponential rate. To survive spiritually, we need counterstrategies and proactive plans. Paulina Porras, a mother of 1-year-old twins, was ecstatic with the news. Her daughters arent old enough to go to childrens programs alone, so she and her husband have to care for them during Sunday church time. Staying three hours is impossible, said Porras, 29, of Logan. Two hours we can do. Instead of attending two meetings each Sunday beyond the one-hour worship such as Sunday school, mens and womens groups members will attend one each Sunday, with the meetings rotating throughout the month, Cook said. Marc Fisher, an insurance company owner from Las Vegas, also lauded the change. Three hours each Sunday can be intimidating for potential converts and wayward members, and the change gives families the flexibility to weave in gospel activities at home. Fisher, 38, has seven children ranging in age from 7 to 25 who are busy with piano, volleyball and homework, he said. He plans to have more one-on-one talks with them. Schedules are crazy for a lot of families, Fisher said. Sometimes you hear in the church were caught up with checklists, the pressure and the stress of just meeting everything. The two-day Mormon conference kicked off a day after the faith announced it was renaming the famed Mormon Tabernacle Choir to drop the word Mormon. The singing group, now called the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, performed at the conference as they always do. The decision to rename the choir the was the first major move since president Nelson in August called for an end to the use of shorthand names for the religion that have been used for generations by church members and the public. Nelson didnt mention the issue in his brief remarks, but a lower-level church leader named Paul Pieper called on Latter-day Saints to take up Nelsons prophetic call. Pieper encouraged members to take upon themselves the name of Jesus Christ, which has singular and essential power. The comments about gay marriage and gender came from longtime Quorum of the Twelve member Dallin Oaks, who called on members to oppose social and legal pressures to retreat from traditional marriage or to make changes that confuse or alter gender or homogenize the differences between men and women. Oaks said those relationships and identities are essential to accomplish Gods great plan and that Satan seeks to confuse gender, to distort marriage and to discourage child-bearing especially by parents who will raise children in truth. The comments align with past positions by the faith, which has tried to take a more welcoming stance to LGBTQ people while sticking with fundamental opposition to same-sex marriage and transgender operations. KABULThe Taliban destroyed highway bridges southwest of Kabul during a wide-ranging assault on security forces, cutting off road traffic between the capital and three provinces for most of the day on Sunday, officials said. Interior Ministry deputy spokesperson Nasrat Rahimi said 14 police, including a district police chief, were killed as the insurgents tried but failed to capture the Sayed Abad district headquarters in the Maidan Wardak province. He said another seven security forces were wounded. The highway between Kabul and Kandahar has since been reopened, and the route has returned to normal, he added. The insurgents burned down part of the district police headquarters and destroyed a number of checkpoints around the district, said Hekmat Durani, the provincial police chiefs spokesman. Durani said that around 20 Taliban fighters were killed and wounded during the battle in Sayed Abad. The Taliban said they overran the district headquarters, but local officials denied the claim. Rahimi said reinforcements have been sent to the area and that the district is under the control of security forces. Read more: Taliban rockets fired toward Afghanistans presidential palace during Eid speech Taliban fighters occupy parts of key Afghan city overrun on Friday Founder of Haqqani network dies in Afghanistan, Taliban say The destruction of the bridges had cut off the main highway from Kabul to the Ghazni, Zabul and Kandahar provinces. The battle also cut off electricity to four provinces: Maidan Wardak, Logar, Ghazni and Paktia. The Taliban have seized a number of districts across the country in recent years and regularly attack security forces. The latest assault comes just two weeks before Afghanistan holds parliamentary elections. On Sunday, the UN mission in Afghanistan said civilian deaths from suicide bombings rose 46 per cent in the first nine months of this year from the same period last year and that deaths from roadside bombs were up 21 per cent. It says more than 1,000 people were killed and more than 2,500 have been wounded this year in both kinds of attacks, including scores of women and children. It said suicide bombings caused more civilian deaths than any other form of violence, including ground battles between troops and insurgents. Deliberately targeting civilians is a war crime and cannot be tolerated, said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN envoy for Afghanistan. The unpredictable nature of these types of attacks has caused Afghans unbearable suffering and forced them to live in fear of the next explosion, severely curtailing their ability to carry out normal lives. The UN also documented a dramatic increase in attacks deliberately targeting civilians. While the Taliban mainly attack security forces and government officials, an Islamic State affiliate has launched a relentless wave of bombings targeting Afghanistans Shiite minority. The UN said that in the first nine months of this year it has documented more casualties from attacks on Shiites than in the whole of 2017. Read more about: SAO PAULOA far-right former army captain who expresses nostalgia for Brazils military dictatorship won the first round of its presidential election by a surprisingly large margin Sunday but fell just short of getting enough votes to avoid a second-round runoff against a leftist rival. Jair Bolsonaro, whose last-minute surge almost gave him an electoral stunner, had 46.7 per cent compared to 28.5 per cent for former Sao Paulo Mayor Fernando Haddad, Brazils Superior Electoral Tribunal said after all the votes were counted. He needed over 50 per cent support to win outright. Polls predicted Bolsonaro would come out in front on Sunday, but he far outperformed expectations, blazing past competitors with more financing, institutional backing of parties and free air time on television. Despite the sizable victory, polls show the two candidates are neck-and-neck for the Oct. 28 runoff, and much could shift in the coming weeks. Ultimately, Bolsonaros strong showing reflects a yearning for the past as much as a sign of the future. The candidate from the tiny Social and Liberal Party made savvy use of Twitter and Facebook to spread his message that only he could end the corruption, crime and economic malaise that has seized Brazil in recent years and bring back the good old days and traditional values. This is a victory for honest people, who want the best for Brazil, said Bianca Santos, 40-year-old psychologist, who added Bolsonaro would end high crime rates. Brazil is the largest economy in Latin America and it is a diplomatic heavyweight in the region. Bolsonaro has promised to shake up its foreign policy, including taking a harder line on Venezuela and other leftist regimes and forging closer ties with the United States. He has been short on details, but he has also promised a more open economy. Read more: Brazils Jair Bolsonaro has history of offensive comments Brazil presidential front-runner Jair Bolsonaro draws thousands of protesters Brazil has mixed feelings over barring of da Silva candidacy But the election largely turned on domestic matters, on which Bolsonaro has alienated nearly as many people as he has attracted. Many fear what Brazil will look like if he wins. Barbara Aires, a transgender woman who unsuccessfully ran for Rio state representative, said Bolsonaros first-round victory represented a step backward that could lead to taking back rights and more violence toward the LGBT community. The two candidates have painted starkly different visions of the countrys past and future. Bolsonaro has portrayed a nation in collapse, where drug traffickers and politicians steal with equal impunity, and moral rot has set in. He has advocated loosening gun ownership laws so individuals can fight off criminals, giving police a freer hand to use force and restoring traditional Brazilian values though some take issue with his definition of those values in light of his approving allusions to the 1964-1985 dictatorship and his derisive comments about women, blacks and gay people. He once told a fellow congresswoman that she was too ugly for him to rape and said that he would not be able to love a gay son. While those comments have disgusted many, Bolsonaro has capitalized on Brazilians deep anger with their traditional political class and throw the bums out rage after a massive corruption investigation revealed staggering levels of graft. Beginning in 2014, prosecutors alleged that Brazils government was run like a cartel for years, with billions of dollars in public contracts handed out in exchange for kickbacks and bribes. Revelations of suitcases of cash, leaked recordings of incriminating exchanges between power brokers and the jailing of some of the of the countrys most powerful people, including da Silva, unfolded like a Hollywood script and then became one: Netflix released a (barely) fictionalized account of the probe this year. The Workers Party was at the centre of that investigation, and many have turned to Bolsonaro as a tactic to keep the party out of office. I voted against thievery and corruption, said Mariana Prado, a 54-year-old human resources expert. I know that everyone promises to end these two things, but I feel Bolsonaro is the only one can help end my anxieties. Meanwhile, the party has struggled to stage a comeback with Haddad after da Silva was barred from running. He has said that many of the allegations against Workers Party politicians are political persecution and portrayed a country hijacked by an elite that will protect its privileges at all costs and cant bear to see the lives of poor and working class Brazilians improve. Haddad has promised to roll back President Michel Temers economic reforms that he says eroded workers rights, increase investment in social programs and bring back the boom years Brazil experienced under his mentor, da Silva. Bolsonaros poll numbers jumped after he was stabbed during a campaign event on Sept. 6. He was unable to campaign or participate in debates as he underwent surgeries during a three-week hospital stay, but instead brought messages directly to voters via Facebook and Twitter. For a front-runner, the best thing to do is commit as few errors as possible, said Andre Portela from Getulio Vargas Foundation, a leading university and think tank. Getting stabbed helped Bolsonaro in that. He wasnt exposed to debate, to people questioning him. The campaign to run Latin Americas largest economy, which is a major trade partner for countries in the region, has been unpredictable and tense. Da Silva led initial polls by a wide margin, but was banned from running after a corruption conviction. Bolsonaros stabbing forced candidates, and Bolsonaro himself, to shift strategies and recalibrate. All along, Brazilians have said their faith in leaders and their hopes for the future are waning. This election was seen as the great hope for ending a turbulent era in which many politicians and business executives were jailed on corruption charges, a president was impeached and removed from office in controversial proceedings, and the regions largest economy suffered a protracted recession. Instead, the two front-runners merely reflect the rabid divisions that have opened up in Brazilian politics following former president Dilma Rousseffs impeachment and the revelations emerging from the Car Wash graft probe. Caught in the middle are Brazilians who dislike both candidates and see them as symbols of a broken system. I think were going to continue with the same polarization, if either Haddad or Bolsonaro wins, said Victor Aversa, a 27-year-old massage therapist who voted for centre-left candidate Ciro Gomes, who had been polling third. Weve been on this path of crazy bipolarity. Haddad and Bolsonaro will both lead populist governments. Read more about: PHILADELPHIABill Cosbys lawyers have asked a Pennsylvania court to overturn the actors conviction and three- to 10-year prison sentence because of what they call a string of errors in his sex assault case. The defence motion argued that trial Judge Steven ONeill erred in declaring Cosby a sexually violent predator who must be imprisoned to protect the community. Lawyers called the sentence more punitive than necessary, given the standard two- to three-year guideline range for the crime and the fact Cosby is 81 and blind. They also said the trial evidence never proved the encounter with accuser Andrea Constand took place in 2004, and not 2003, or that Cosby was arrested within the 12-year time limit. Cosby was arrested on Dec. 30, 2015, and was convicted at a second trial this April. He has been in a state prison near Philadelphia since the Sept. 25 sentencing, when the judge refused to let him stay out on $1 million (U.S.) bail pending appeal. Given his fame, wealth and use of drugs to molest the accuser, the judge said, Cosby could remain a threat to other women. The defence motion said ONeill improperly considered the trial testimony of five other accusers in sentencing Cosby, instead of limiting that prior bad act testimony to the question of his guilt or innocence. ONeill, in explaining the sentence in court, told Cosby he considered voices from the past, your past, and that he heard their voices loud and clear, the defence said. The lawyers also challenged the states sex offender laws, which have been revised several times amid challenges they are unconstitutionally vague. The law requires judges to find that a sexually violent predator has a mental abnormality, a term they said has no legal or psychological meaning, yet subjects defendants to lifetime counselling and police registration. Read more: Bill Cosby, now inmate No. NN7687, placed in single prison cell Bill Cosby sentenced to 3 to 10 years in prison in sexual assault case Bill Cosby robbed me, Andrea Constand says in victim impact statement The defence motion, dated Friday, was posted to a public court docket in the case over the weekend. Kate Delano, a spokeswoman for the Montgomery County District Attorneys Office, said the office will file a response. The motion was filed by lawyer Peter Goldberger, a top appellate lawyer in the region, and Joseph P. Green Jr., who handled Cosbys sentencing after more than a dozen other lawyers on the case had come and gone. A former appellate lawyer on the case is suing Cosby over what he called more than $50,000 in unpaid bills. The defence also complained that an audio recording played to jurors of a 2005 conversation between Cosby and Gianna Constand, the mother of accuser Andrea Constand, was not authentic. They said they did not make the discovery until an expert review after the trial. District Attorney Kevin Steele has dismissed that as a legitimate appeal issue, saying its been widely known that Gianna Constand started her recorder after the call began. She had called Cosby to get answers about what happened to her daughter after Andrea Constand disclosed the assault a year later. The family went to police, who suggested they try to record Cosby. During the call, Cosby acknowledged engaging in digital penetration after giving her daughter pills he would not identify, and offered money for Andrea to attend graduate school, Gianna Constand testified. If thats what theyve got, its beyond a Hail Mary, Steele said at the sentencing, as Cosbys lawyers sought to keep Cosby free on bail over the tape recording. ONeill instead had Cosby led out of the courtroom in handcuffs. Read more about: TOKYOSecretary of State Mike Pompeo said he had productive talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang on Sunday, with the pair reportedly agreeing to hold a summit between Kim and President Donald Trump as soon as possible. Pompeo and Kim met for about two hours and then had a 90-minute lunch together. South Korea later said the two men agreed to a second Kim-Trump summit at the earliest possible date. It's good to see you again, Pompeo told Kim as the two men shook hands for the cameras before lunch. The secretary of state then put his hand on Kim's shoulder and the pair smiled. Well, I am really pleased for this opportunity. After having a nice meeting we can enjoy a meal together, Kim said. As the pair sat for lunch, Kim said, It's a very nice day that promises a good future for both countries. Read more: Pompeo seeks allied unity on North Korea denuke effort 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 he had a great visit and a very successful morning, adding that Trump sent his regards. Both men spoke through translators. The secretary of state's last trip to North Korea, in July, did not go so well. He came away from it saying the two sides had made progress, only for North Korea to denounce him for making gangster-like demands and raising cancerous issues. On that occasion, he did not meet Kim. Pompeo then planned to return in late August, only for Trump to cancel the trip at the last minute as it became apparent that the two sides remained far apart on their approach to the negotiations. But a summit of the leaders of North and South Korea last month has helped to rekindle the peace process, as has the apparent desire of both Kim and Trump to meet again. An official accompanying the delegation who declined to be named said the trip had gone better than the last time but added that it is going to be a long haul, according to a pool report from the lone U.S. journalist who accompanied Pompeo to Pyongyang. Later Sunday, Pompeo flew to Seoul, where he met South Korean President Moon Jae-in. He said in Seoul that he had a good, productive conversation with Kim. As President Trump said, there are many steps along the way, and we took one of them today. It was another step forward. So this is, I think, a good outcome for all of us, Pompeo said. Moon said he hoped a Trump-Kim summit would happen soon, and would make irreversible, decisive progress in terms of denuclearization as well as the peace process. During his private meeting with Moon, Pompeo said, he and Kim had agreed to arrange the second U.S.-North Korea summit at the earliest possible date, according to a statement issued by Moon's chief press secretary, Yoon Young-chan. Secretary Pompeo said there had been discussions on denuclearization measures to be taken by North Korea and monitoring by the U.S. government, as well as on corresponding measures to be taken by the United States, Yoon said. Yoon said the two sides would form working-level negotiating teams to discuss the specific date and location for the summit, as well as North Korea's denuclearization process. During Pompeos meeting in Pyongyang, Kim invited inspectors to visit the Punggye-ri nuclear test site to confirm that it has been irreversibly dismantled, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement. North Korea had committed to this previously but has been resistant to allowing international inspectors to visit sites it has claimed have been dismantled. Allowing inspectors at Punggye-ri would be an important test of North Korea's willingness to subject its facilities to verification, said Adam Mount, a senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists. Nauerts statement made no mention of North Koreas commitment to dismantle the important Yongbyon nuclear facility, a potentially troubling sign for U.S. negotiators. At the heart of the impasse has been two fundamentally different approaches to denuclearization. Pompeo has insisted that sanctions on North Korea should remain in place until the country completely dismantles its nuclear program. The governments of both North and South Korea, however, say that is unrealistic. Instead, they want both sides to take a phased approach, in which Pyongyang is rewarded as it takes gradual steps to roll back its nuclear program. On his way to Asia, Pompeo stuck to his guns, indicating that the spirit of the June agreement between Trump and Kim at Singapore in June was that we will get to denuclearization in a fully verified, irreversible way, and then we will actually deliver on the commitments to make this brighter future for the North Korean people. Pompeo met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on Saturday, and the two men agreed that pressure must continue until the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) denuclearizes, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said. That is not how Pyongyang sees things, nor is it the approach being advocated by Seoul. After the summit between the leaders of the two Koreas last month, Kim said he was prepared to permanently dismantle his country's main nuclear site at Yongbyon but only if the United States took corresponding steps to build trust. North Korea has been asking for the United States to formally declare that the 1950-1953 Korean War is formally over, as a way to bring an end to hostile relations between the two countries. The war concluded with an armistice but no peace treaty. In the past few days, North Korea has also renewed its demands for sanctions to be eased. North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho told the U.N. General Assembly late last month that coercive sanctions were lethal to trust-building between the two nations and that without trust, there is no way we will unilaterally disarm ourselves first. Pompeo will also visit Beijing on Monday as he concludes his four-nation visit to the region. Read more about: YAOUNDE, CAMEROONPolls closed in Cameroon Sunday evening and vote counting began in an election that will likely see Africas oldest leader win another term amid fighting and threats from separatists that prevented residents in English-speaking regions from voting. President Paul Biya, in office since 1982, vows to end a crisis that has killed more than 400 people in the Central African nations Southwest and Northwest territories in more than a year. The fractured opposition has been unable to rally behind a strong challenger to the 85-year-old leader. Voting ended around 6 p.m. local time and results are expected within two weeks. I am satisfied after performing my civic duty and particularly satisfied that the election is taking place in calm and serenity and without fighting, said Biya after voting. I hope that the calm will continue after results are proclaimed. Main opposition Social Democratic Front party candidate Joshua Osih voted in Douala and called for transparency in vote counting. My wish is that the results of the ballot should not be tampered with. That transparency should be the watchword and that the choice made by the Cameroonian people be respected, he said. Read more: Boko Haram has been defeated, Cameroons campaigning leader declares Footage shows Cameroon forces executing unarmed people, human rights group says Even as the candidates spoke, violence had already marked the voting. The military killed two armed men in the English-speaking northwest town of Bamenda, according to Governor Deben Tchoffo of the Northwest region. We shall not allow terrorists to disrupt the election, he said. I salute the maturity of people who are braving the threats and carrying out their civic duties. We are informed that armed men are shooting indiscriminately to frighten voters, we shall not allow such a thing to happen. Gun fighting between the military and separatists began Saturday in at least six towns and villages including Nkambe, Mamfe and Kumbo. Several buildings have been burned, including residences where voting material was thought to have been stored. Several armed men had been killed by military in the Southwest region, Governor Bernard Okalia Bilai confirmed. The wave of attacks will not deter us from doing our job, said Enow Abrams Egbe, chairman of ELECAM, the election commission. Security has been increased and people should not be afraid to vote, said Cameroons territorial administration minister Paul Atanga Nji. The Election Commission and government said they made provisions for displaced voters, but it was not clear people came out amid threats by separatists. Cameroon also battles with Boko Haram extremists in its Far North, where more than more than 230,000 people have been displaced. The election commission said voters lined up at voting stations for displaced persons in the north. More than 200,000 people have been displaced because of violence by both separatists and the military in the English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions, with many towns simply abandoned. By law, voters can only cast a ballot in the community where they are registered. Election observers, including the African Union, have said they will not be carrying out their work in the troubled southwest and northwest because of the crisis. What began as protests two years ago by teachers and lawyers in the English-speaking regions against what they charged was their marginalization by majority French speakers turned deadly after a government crackdown. The separatists emerged, cheered on by some in Cameroons diaspora, including the United States. Then fringe groups became violent, clashing with Cameroons security forces that have been a close ally of the U.S. in regional counterterror efforts but face accusations of human rights abuses. Panicked civilians are caught in the middle. More than 6.6 million people across Cameroon were registered to vote. All voters in the English-speaking regions had to be screened, present voters cards and identity cards before they were able to cast their ballots. Numbers were low at the start of the vote Sunday. In the French-speaking regions, however, thousands line up eager to vote. I have performed my civic duty. It indicates I am a true Cameroonian. I voted for Biya because he is the one who promised to improve the health care system, said Julienne Ngono, a voter at the Bastos primary school polling centre where president Biya will vote. Even if Biya wins, his mandate could be weakened if voter turnout is low in Anglophone regions. ___ AP reporter Carley Petesch in Dakar, Senegal contributed to this report. ___ Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa As I head to my hometown of Windsor, Ont., to spend the holiday weekend with family, it occurs to me just how much we have to be thankful for. The city joins communities across the country in letting out a collective sigh of relief that the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) negotiations are behind us. There may have been those who viewed the renegotiation of our trilateral trade agreement impassively, but for many the experience was an absolute terror. Some lived in fear that one misstep could destabilize entire regional economies and, in turn, livelihoods. In announcing the details of the agreement in principle this past Monday, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland called out Windsor by name one of just two municipalities to be specifically mentioned at the press conference. Later in the week Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made time for a two-day visit to the city celebrating the construction kickoff of the Gordie Howe International Bridge. Trade negotiations with the Donald Trump administration have been difficult and unpredictable. The president wagered the auto industry as if our intertwined economies would not both take the hit if we didnt all get this right. From the moment Trump initiated trade renegotiations, Windsor has held its breath unwillingly strapped into a nauseating roller-coaster directed by the erratic whims of the president himself. And an emotional roller-coaster it was for the motor city. At 23-years-old, NAFTA was in need of modernization. Our prime minister aimed high and held true to his commitment that he would only sign an agreement that was good for Canadians. The result is a quite progressive trade agreement. It includes an environment chapter and a labour chapter defending the rights of workers with consideration to gender-based discrimination. And while it didnt garner its own chapter as advocates initially hoped, language on Indigenous rights was included. Not every industry came out unscathed. Dialogues will continue on the appropriate compensation for impacted supply managed sectors, and steel tariffs remain in force for the foreseeable future. That said, the negotiation of this agreement was a rare endeavour in multi-partisan Canadian collaboration. Academics, political representatives from all levels of government, labour leaders, and industry leaders alike respectfully contributed to this largely successful outcome. Former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney actively supported the efforts, helping to ensure our neighbours to the south saw a united Canadian front. Opposition members collaborated for the best outcomes on labour inclusion. Essex MP Tracey Ramsey of the NDP pushed like only a former auto line worker could. She advocated fiercely throughout negotiations and was appropriately thanked by Freeland for her contributions and partnership on trade during question period last week. For a moment in time, our country, in all of her strength, came together shoulder to shoulder with purpose. But as we move forward, we cant forget how much we owe to Freeland for this hard-fought agreement. It was remarkable to see her lead the negotiations from the Canadian front. She stayed calm, communicative and straightforward to Canadians throughout the process. She was joined by a thoughtful and persistent group of journalists who uncovered and shared the story with us along the way. And still, in September, at the height of negotiations, I watched her greeted by a thunderous standing ovation at Torontos Koerner Hall for the Women in the World Summit. The room full of powerful Canadian women from all walks of life roared in appreciation for her leadership. No one would have faulted her for breaking her commitment to speak, considering the pace of negotiations at the time. But she showed up, and brilliantly engaged in an honest dialogue about populism and its role in the shaping of our society today. Trudeau vowed as we entered negotiations that, We would remain united. And ultimately, wed emerge stronger. Stronger we have emerged. Freeland carried out this trade mission admirably. She led with refreshing authenticity while remaining true to Canadian values. Trudeau called USMCA the largest task carried out by a cabinet minister in a generation. I would agree. And I have a feeling shes just getting started. Tiffany Gooch is a Toronto-based Liberal strategist at public affairs firms Enterprise and Ensight. She is a freelance contributor for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @goocht Read more about: McMahon did not know much in advance that Van Dyke would hit the stand. But just in case, prosecutors put their heads together in a hotel room the weekend before the defense was slated to rest their case to prepare for every possibility they could think of if Van Dyke testified. They didnt know if he would come off as contrite or defiant, emotional or analytical. Ultimately, he grew tearful on the stand and then somewhat prickly on cross-examination. As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau looks at the political landscape across the country, he must be reminded of just how true is the political axiom that time is your enemy. When he won a majority mandate just three years ago, the country was in the midst of what could best be described as a love affair with the Liberal Party. Governing in seven provinces, including Ontario and Quebec, the prime minister saw friendly, ideologically aligned colleagues virtually everywhere he looked. Whats more, things were about to get better. Two more Progressive Conservative governments would soon fall in Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador. And even if some of those provincial governments had only loose ties to their federal cousins, shared voter bases provided more than enough incentive for everyone to play nicely in the sandbox. It allowed the federal government to move quickly with minimal pushback on a variety of policy issues. Notably, the governments commitment to carbon pricing received only a murmur of dissent from the provinces. Issues that have caused great acrimony with provinces in the past, such as health care transfers and immigration levels, caused little more than a peep. No one, it seems, was going to say boo to this mouse. For many conservatives, it represented a nadir for the movement in this country. After all, try as he might, Brad Wall, the only right-leaning premier left, could only do so much. How times do change. Quebecs election on Monday evening of the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) became just the most recent example of a remarkable shift in Canadian politics over the last two years. CAQ is now the newest party to come to power eager to fight with the federal government. CAQ is particularly concerned about immigration levels and the federal governments lack of control over our border, but Premier-elect Francois Legault is also gearing up for a fight with the federal government over the use of religious garb in official governmental positions. Other fronts have opened, too. Premier Doug Fords Progressive Conservatives have joined a lawsuit with Saskatchewan to fight the federal carbon tax plan, a fight that Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister has promised to join. Just last week, the Progressive Conservatives, led by businessman Blaine Higgs, bested rising-star Liberal Premier Brian Gallant and his government in New Brunswick. Higgs, too, has complained of the federal governments overreach on multiple issues and has vowed to fight the carbon tax. And there is more to come. Albertas leader of the United Conservative Party, and a former Trudeau foe in Ottawa, Jason Kenney, looks set to join the insurrection when the provinces election is held this coming spring. And trouble doesnt just lurk on the right: British Columbia elected a New Democratic government last year that has fought with the federal government over the establishment of a pipeline in the province. It is an ominous scene for a federal government that has prided itself on calming rocky provincial-federal relationships. For a government that has branded itself as a unifying one, it is a new world to have so many fronts open on so many key battlegrounds. So far, the federal government has done little to tamp down the fight. Premier Ford, in particular, seems to enjoy fighting the federal government on any number of fronts: from the carbon tax to refugee politics to Toronto City Council, the premier seems happy to thumb his nose at a government he sees as deeply out-of-touch with Ontarians. Ford will soon be joined by Kenney, who is a savvy political operator with a bone to pick with the prime minister. The two together will cause headaches for Trudeau in the run-up to his re-election campaign. While the other premiers will perhaps not be so bold or so loud, they have indicated that they are far more willing than their recent predecessors to stand with the bucking provincial governments than with Ottawa. Perhaps, in their own funny way, they are uniters after all. Jaime Watt is the executive chairman of Navigator Ltd. and a Conservative strategist. He is a freelance contributor for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @jaimewatt Read more about: If some Canadian conservatives had their way we would adopt some of the procedures Americans use to select their higher court judges. Imagine, the scene before a Commons committee chosen to vet Canadian appeal and Supreme Court judges. The opposition MPs would be using the forum to embarrass the government, as is their job. The government would be using stonewalling tactics to limit debate and force their candidates through, as is their job. Who would always lose? The judicial candidates and Canadians. The Brett Kavanaugh fiasco has a long history. Americans have always ceded judges a bigger role in making political judgments than we do. Their Supreme Court contributed to the political meltdown leading to the Civil War with the infamous Dred Scott Decision, forbidding governments from restricting slavery! The Roberts court has issued forty 5-4 judgments, many of them clearly partisan including the choice of a president. The American approval process is theatrically captivating more than 20 million Americans watched Dr. Christine Blasey Ford courageously unveil her horrific story, followed by the egregiously deceitful Judge Kavanaughs rant but there is little to commend it beyond gruesome theatre. Christine Todd Whitman, one of the GOPs respected elders asked, Is it really worth appearing callous to the feelings of an intelligent professor who has risked her reputation to come forward and, by extension (being seen as callous to) countless other victims of sexual assault. Has this all become about winning, rather than what is best for America? It is not surprising that the American political class demands greater scrutiny over the selection of what has become another class of political opponents except that they are robed, appointed for life and have the full majesty of the law to empower them. Yet some Canadian conservatives argue for more political involvement in their selection, and that our current judiciary are too activist. In this they merely mean decisions they dont like. Banning abortion would not be activist, one may be certain. Is there an argument that we have too many old white men on the bench? Yes, of course, as in many powerful institutions in society. Is the answer more partisan selection and vetting? Dont be silly. As our esteemed Justice Frank Iacobucci is fond of reminding would-be judicial reformers, Be careful what you wish for! He strongly opposes relieving governments and politicians of all responsibility for the men and women they approve to serve on the bench. They must be accountable for their choices. We have a good balance of law, competence, and partisanship. We need to produce more diversity more justices like Rosie Abella and Bev McLachlin and that work is underway. Americans might want to consider more dramatic steps after this latest humiliation. Instead of competing legal lobby groups producing slates of ideologically approved candidates, they would be wise to look at how every other advanced democracy does it better. Typically, by involving a range of senior lawyers, retired judges and fewer political thumbs on the scale. Former campaign and political staffers should be regarded skeptically in seeking to advance to high courts. Partisanship does not simply evaporate in donning a black robe. Most importantly, judges and sheriffs should not be drawn into greasy money machine politics seeking cash and votes to win appointment. If we dont trust politicians to remain unbiased toward big donors, whatever would possess one to conclude that judges cannot be tampered with financially as well. Our judicial selection process is one institution of Canadian design of which we can be justly proud just look south if you are not convinced. Correction Oct. 7, 2018: An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of Justice Frank Iacobucci. The Ontario Medical Association is fighting back after contract talks broke down with the Progressive Conservative government, claiming the province has overstated the value of its offer. The government violated a media blackout in the talks and misportrayed the size of the settlement doctors are seeking, an OMA source said on Saturday. Not only did the government renege on the mediation blackout on communicating each others proposals, but it also misrepresented the proposals exaggerating both how much the government offered and how much the OMA actually proposed, said the source who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. Tensions between the two parties are running high because attempts to reach a negotiated settlement have failed. Many doctors had expressed hopes that they would have more success in reaching a favourable settlement under the new Ford government. But talks broke down Thursday and the dispute is headed back to binding arbitration. Read more: Ford government, OMA fail to reach negotiated settlement Radiologist resigns from OMA board, says specialists receptive to the idea of breaking away OMA turns to Supreme Court to stop release of names of highest paid MDs The OMA is essentially the union for the provinces 34,000 practising and retired physicians and bargains on their behalf with government. The two sides had committed to not disclosing details of each others positions in the four-year-old contract dispute, as is the norm in labour negotiations, the OMA source said. The association now feels it has no choice but to try to set the record straight, he said, adding that it is not seeking as much in annual increases as the government alleges. A senior government official privy to the negotiations, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss internal deliberations, told the Star on Friday that the OMA is demanding hikes of 6.8 per cent annually over four years. But the OMA source said the associations last proposal in mediation was for increases of 2 per cent annually over four years. The government source said Health Minister Christine Elliott pushed for a lucrative deal with a 5 per cent increase in the first year and 3.15 per cent annually in the next three years. But the OMA source contends the government proposed no increases for the first two years of the contract and only 1.2 per cent in each of the last two years. As to the governments claim that it offered the OMA the keys to the car to drive change, if any keys were offered they were to a 1971 Lada, the OMA source said. Meantime, the government source said it stands by its statements, and charges that the OMA violated the media blackout earlier in the talks. Whatever the numbers, the two sides remain billions of dollars apart. The contract dispute was at the stage of binding arbitration prior to Junes election. But within days of the Conservatives victory, the new government asked the OMA to go back to the bargaining table in attempt to reach a negotiated settlement with the help of a mediator. Binding arbitration is now set to resume on Oct. 22. Read more about: EDWARDSVILLE Gary Knecht of rural Edwardsville is anxious to start doing something that until this summer was illegal in Illinois growing hemp. There are thousands of products that can be made from industrial hemp, Knecht said. We import most of it from other states, Canada and other foreign countries, but we couldnt grow it here legally. Knecht and his family farm corn and soybeans on several hundred acres near Edwardsville and 800 acres in Menard County, Illinois. He is the founder of the Omni Ventures farm group in Bond, Calhoun, Greene, Jersey, Macoupin and Madison counties, and for nearly 20 years the organization has been looking forward to legalized hemp cultivation. After we organized the first thing we looked at was industrial hemp because of the value-added opportunities. It would give us an alternative crop, Knecht said. We even made a trip to Canada and visited with some hemp farmers up there. Gov. Bruce Rauner signed the Illinois Industrial Hemp Act on Aug. 25, adding Illinois to an increasing number of states that allow the cultivation of the non-hallucinogenic form of cannabis for use in a myriad of products from oils to fibers. The bill had passed the Illinois House of Representatives on a 106-3 vote and passed unanimously in the Senate. Knecht and other farmers are waiting for the Illinois Department of Agriculture to set the rules and regulations to implement the new law. Once those rules are in place, which is expected to occur in late 2018, Knecht intends to start with a smaller crop and see how it works. Hemp can be grown for oil, seed or fiber, and Knecht wants to try the fiber variety. Guys who are in livestock and have cattle, theyve got a lot of the equipment already that they are going to need for fiber production, Knecht said. You can harvest it with a mower, bale it with a baler, its not all that difficult to harvest. You can use hemp for making plastics, auto body interior trim panels, headliners, and hempcrete is very popular right now, they claim its as strong as regular concrete, Knecht said. The main thing weve looked at the past 18 years has been the fiber. Thats not to say that eventually we wouldnt get into some oil too, but I think fiber is where our Omni Ventures group is headed. For several years some Omni Ventures members legally grew kenaf, an ancient food and fiber plant from the cannabis family, because its growth and fiber properties are similar to those of hemp. Knecht said this experience has shown group members what to expect when they grow hemp. But growing hemp is only half of the story. The crop needs to be processed, and Omni Ventures has thought of that as well. If we get enough growers and investors together we could put up a processing plant, Knecht said. We have been looking into mobile processing plants like years ago when the threshers got together and went around to area farms. Oblong, Illinois farmer Les Dart is the chairman of the Ag Development Association, an eastern Illinois non-profit, and farmers in his area are also looking to combine their hemp growing and processing efforts. Our idea is that if we can grow it, we can learn how to grow it well, get a head start, and then start to attract businesses and identify people who want to partner with us, Dart said. Gary Knechts son Edward shares his fathers enthusiasm for the new crop. Any new markets that we can get involved with would be a good thing, especially now with the tariffs and what that has done to the crop prices, Edward Knecht said. Illinois farmers will grow whatever they can to produce a good crop and turn a profit. The road to legalized hemp The organization Vote Hemp notes that to date, 34 states have defined industrial hemp as distinct and removed barriers to its production. These states include Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming. But those numbers dont mean the road to legalized hemp production in Illinois was easy. Eric Pollitt is the President of Peoria-based business Global Hemp and is also a member of a new group, the Illinois Hemp Industry Association. Pollitt said a 2014 hemp cultivation bill failed in the Illinois General Assembly, but it was re-written and passed to allow growing hemp for research only. It was 2016 before the rules were in place, and it was only in the spring of 2018 that the first two research test plots were grown in Illinois. We did grow hemp in Illinois this year, we had to keep it secretive. We are doing it legally with the Department of Agriculture, but there were two permits and we got one of them, Pollitt said. We cant allow anyone on the property, we had to visit with area law enforcement, and the permit specifically limits the people who can be on the property. Those two research plots are in Mason and Warren Counties and both have been harvested. Now, with the Illinois Industrial Hemp Act, the door is open to widespread, commercial hemp production in the state. For Illinois farmers they are not completely breaking the glass ceiling, this has been done in other states, so theres not as much of a learning curve, Pollitt said. But growing it is the easy part. The hard part is, whos going to buy it. The Illinois Farmers Union began working on hemp legislation in 2014 with the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, according to Farmers Union Marketing Director Robert Davies. We thought it would be a really good opportunity for farmers, but the time wasnt right then, Davies said. It just seemed that it would be a better time to try and start it again in 2018. The best way for us to move forward with industrial hemp is to see how farmers can own as much of it as they possibly can, from where they grow it to processing, Davies said. It would be a very sad day indeed if industrial hemp turned into just another commodity where people are growing it at a loss and some other guy somewhere else is running all the way to the bank with the profit. Many Illinois farmers have visited Kentucky, which has allowed industrial hemp production since 2013, to see how the licensed farmers south of the border grow this newest cash crop. Kentucky farmers have embraced the opportunities and challenges presented by this diverse crop, said Kentucky Department of Agriculture spokesman Sean Southard. Current program licensees have a little over 6,700 acres of hemp in the ground. In order to grow, process or handle industrial hemp in Kentucky, you must hold a license from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. The science of hemp Compared to Kentuckys 6,700 acres of legal hemp, the one-third of an acre that was Illinois only remaining unharvested legal hemp crop in late September might seem paltry. The small parcel was one of two allowed under the states previous hemp research legislation, and it was located near Roseville in western Illinois Warren County. The test plot consisted of approximately 1,200 hemp plants ranging from three to six feet tall. The plot emitted a pungent, musty scent and any contact with the leaves transferred a sticky oil that remained with the scent on clothing. Win Phippen is Professor of Plant Breeding and Genetics at the Western Illinois University School of Agriculture. He worked with Warren County farmer Andy Huston who planted, tended and harvested the hemp test plot full of oil-producing hemp plants. Most of the attraction right now is for the cannabinoids, or CBD products, oils that are found on the leaves and the buds, Phippen said. These have a medicinal type response in people, they are non-hallucinogenic and they are not controlled or regulated. The secondary market is primarily for the fiber side, Phippen said. These are fibers in the stem that can go into packaging material, carpet backing, sound insulation, things like that. The delay in getting Illinois industrial hemp law passed was due largely to the fact that hemp and marijuana look very similar and are from the same plant species, cannabis sativa. The hemp line, legally, is one that has been bred with tetrahydrocannibinol, or THC, content less than 0.03 percent. Everything else in the plant can be the same as medical marijuana as long as the THC level is below 0.03 percent, Phippen said. This is the only thing that is different between the two lines. Phippen said hemp has long been known as ditch weed because it grows wild along fence rows and field edges, but he said thats because it takes advantage of nitrogen fertilizer runoff from corn or soybean fields. Growing hemp properly actually requires a tremendous amount of care and hand labor to come up with the ideal plant size of about six feet, Phippen said. Harvesting hemp is another tricky operation because timing is everything. The THC content and CBD oil levels have a tendency to creep up toward harvest time. Producers want to wait as long as possible for the CBD level to be as high as possible but keeping the THC below 0.03 percent, Phippen said. The minute THC goes into 0.03 percent that crop has to be harvested immediately, because if it crosses over into 0.04 or above, now the crop becomes illegal and has to be destroyed. The end products Products made from hemp fibers offer an ecological and often economical alternative to other natural or man-made fibers. CBD oil, on the other hand, can command premium prices. On-line companies advertise eyedropper-type bottles of CBD oil for between $25 and $450 based on the concentration each bottle contains. The CBD Shop on Homer Adams Parkway in Alton features a case full of these small, eyedropper-type bottles for almost $180 apiece. It is an investment, but the whole goal of our shop is to help you find a natural alternative rather than taking pharmaceuticals which you are paying a lot for anyway, said Dustin Hays, an employee of the CBD Shop. People notice relief from pain, anxiety, stress, sleeplessness, lack of mobility. Its pretty much beneficial for every aspect of your body from a little bit of anxiety to seizures. Users place a drop of CBD oil under their tongues, let it be absorbed into the bloodstream, then swallow. We have edible forms of CBD oil, tincture oils, topical creams, edible candies, vapable oils in a vegetable glycerin base, and we have actual smokable hemp flower, Hays said. We have a chronic candy chocolate bud and a lot of people are confused by it because its supposed to look like the actual thing, but its just chocolate. Its a growing industry and a lot of people have opened their eyes to it, Hays said. Some hurdles remain Hemp was banned nationwide under the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 for its close relation to the marijuana plant. The Drug Enforcement Administration still classifies hemp as a Schedule 1 drug and prohibits its growth, but Illinois and other states have gotten around the federal ban by legalizing industrial hemp production for commercial purposes. These states are taking advantage of a market that is expected to surpass $2 billion by 2020 according to the National Hemp Association, which notes that the U.S. imports an estimated $300 million in hemp products and materials each year. Although he can soon legally grow hemp in Illinois, Edwardsville farmer Gary Knecht still faces one more government hurdle. Last year Knecht founded the Illinois Industrial Hemp Association, one of two new industry groups in the state, but the organization cant accept memberships yet. We are having difficulty getting a bank account set up because federally-regulated banks are reluctant to create a checking account for an entity with hemp in the name because hemp is still illegal under federal law, Knecht said. We cant accept membership fees if we dont have a place to put them. Knecht and other advocates are awaiting passage of the new federal farm bill that currently includes the Hemp Farming Act of 2018 which would remove many federal barriers to hemp production and encourage continued growth in the industry. WOOD RIVER People who qualify, suffering chronic pain symptoms, can find relief once they obtain a medical marijuana license and an Illinois Medical Marijuana Card ID, for which a new Wood River-located Medical Cannabis Outreach office helps streamline the process. Once medical marijuana did become legal in Illinois, I moved to Illinois in 2010, from Colorado, to help with lobbying efforts, explained Medical Cannabis Outreach chief executive officer Eric Sweatt, 47. It was like a domino effect. Dispensaries were calling to do seminars with the public, to sign people up. We started with volunteers and now have twelve full-time employees at seven locations throughout the state. We hold patients hands through the whole process through our medical marijuana facilities, he explained. When you come to the shop bring the doctors recommendation, photo ID, proof of residency and a two-by-two photo for the cannabis card ID. What weve done is turn out to be the drivers license bureau for your medical cannabis card. The only people ineligible for a cannabis card are commercial drivers license (CDL) holders; law enforcement; and, firefighting personnel. The passage of Illinois Senate Bill 1381 and its companion House Bill 30, sponsored by state Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, legalized the use of medical marijuana in the state to relieve certain medical conditions. Sweatt, a former cultivator in his former home state of Colorado, he educated people there, learning the best medicinal use per individuals, the most effective strength for given medical conditions and individuals, the time of day to ingest the prescribed medical marijuana and more. I know all about cannabis, for young people to elderly, Sweatt said. It can be a regiment for cancer patients. Ive known six people who were diagnosed as terminal with six months to live. Now, its three years later and theyre still surviving because of cannabis. More Information Medical Cannabis Outreach Illinois locations: 201 E. Ferguson Ave., Wood River, 62095 530 Margaret St., Pekin, 61554 540 N. Commercial St., suite 420, Harrisburg, 62946 480 S. Heinlein Drive, Shelbyville, 62565 1801 Woodfield Drive, Savoy, 61874 7301 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincolnwood, 60712 3409 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago, 60647 How to reach Medical Cannabis Outreach: 224-281-0888 Chicagoland 309-338-8900 Central 844-626-4200 Outside of Illinois Qualifying conditions: All medical marijuana patients must have one of the following chronic or debilitating health conditions: A Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Agitation of Alzheimer's Disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Arnold-Chiari Malformation and Syringomyelia C Cachexia/Wasting Syndrome Cancer Causalgia Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) Type I; Formerly RSD Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) Type II Crohn's Disease D Dystonia F Fibromyalgia (Severe) Fibrous Dysplasia G Glaucoma H Hepatitis C Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Hydrocephalus Hydromyelia I Interstitial Cystitis L Lupus M Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Muscular Dystrophy Myasthenia Gravis Myoclonus N Nail-Patella Syndrome Neurofibromatosis P Parkinson's Disease Post-Concussion Syndrome Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) R Residual Limb Pain Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) S Seizures (Including Those Associated With Epilepsy) Sjogren's Syndrome Syringomyelia Spinocerebellar Ataxia (SCA) Spinal Cord Injury Spinal Cord Disease, including but not limited to arachnoiditis T Tarlov cysts Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Tourette's Syndrome See More Collapse Medical Cannabis Outreachs mission is to provide a safe, professional, clinical setting for patients with chronic or debilitating health conditions to gain legal access to medical marijuana treatment. We strongly believe in the medicinal properties of medical marijuana and cannabidiol, also known as CBD, which is a naturally occurring cannabinoid constituent of cannabis, Sweatt explained. CBD was discovered in 1940 is a cannabis compound that has significant medical benefits, but does not make people feel stoned and can actually counteract the psychoactivity of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), according to Project CBD. The fact that CBD-rich cannabis is non-psychoactive or less psychoactive than THC-dominant strains makes it an appealing option for patients looking for relief from inflammation, pain, anxiety, psychosis, seizures, spasms, and other conditions without disconcerting feelings of lethargy or dysphoria, Project CBD states on its website. For those who live in the Alton metroplex, seeking an Illinois Medical Marijuana Card, Medical Cannabis Outreach helps them connect to a Madison County doctor who can confirm if they meet medical conditions to carry the card and thus receive medical marijuana therapy. What sets Medical Cannabis Outreach apart from other medical marijuana card providers in Illinois is that its application process is free and it provides all the services necessary for clients to obtain an Illinois medical marijuana license. Services include a consultation to determine whether applicants have a qualifying condition, free application processing and the mandated state fee. By streamlining the process of obtaining a medical marijuana license in the state of Illinois, our goal is to optimize your therapeutic relationship with medical cannabis so you can focus on getting well, Sweatt said. Medical Cannabis Outreach has seven Illinois locations: Savoy, Pekin, Harrisburg, Shelbyville, Wood River, Lincolnwood, and Chicago. Call or visit an office to see if you qualify. Though Sweatt understood the difficulty of convincing demographics of people that cannabis can help medicinally, Medical Cannabis Outreach has so far proved successful. Throughout all our offices in Illinois, we have about 250 patients in one month, Sweatt said. We have 1,500 phone calls a week. I was shocked when I saw that number; about a year ago we had 400 a week. We came that far in a matter of a year. Most patients seeking medical marijuana therapy are older, Sweatt noted, although patients include younger individuals with seizure-causing diseases, such as epilepsy. We also pay for two to four people a month because they are indigent, he said. We help them get a card. I prefer to help a veteran or an elderly patient living along on disability. We gave one away at a Fibromyalgia Foundation event. It felt so good to be able to help that person. For now, the Wood River Medical Cannabis Outreach office is open only on Fridays. Im only there on Fridays because theres not enough people wanting a cannabis card to be open more days a week, Sweatt said. He is at the Harrisburg location once a month; in Pekin every Thursday; and, Savoy every other Wednesday. We ask people to call in first so we can tell them the correct forms and documents to bring in, that they have to have a qualifying condition, theres a cost because insurance doesnt cover services, theres state and doctors fees and the mailing address to send documents they need to bring on their first visit to Medical Cannabis Outreach offices, Sweatt explained. There is an application fee, the processing is free, but not to apply, theres a fee. Medical Cannabis Outreach works with five Illinois doctors, one of whom is a medical cannabis-friendly Madison County doctor. We got a call from The Medical Cannabis Community, they said a doctor down south (in Illinois) was interested in helping patients, Sweatt recalled. We called him. Contact Medical Cannabis Outreach or visit one of its locations in Savoy, Pekin, Harrisburg, Shelbyville, Wood River, Lincolnwood, or Wicker Park to see if you qualify for a medical marijuana card in the state of Illinois. Visit www.medicalcannabisoutreach.com, Medical Cannabis Outreachs Facebook Page for more information and the following organizations for more information about the medical marijuana movement and resources: Project CBD; The Medical Cannabis Community, which is a network of online communities through the use of social media and digital advertising, to connect medical cannabis patients, advocates, consumers, industry members, etc.; and, Americans For Safe Access, which has a mission of ensuring safe, legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research. EDWARDSVILLE County officials are still trying to determine the actual impact of a state-mandated change in court fees, while the implementation of the new fee system could create budgeting issues for the county. HB 4594, which was approved by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Bruce Rauner Aug. 8, would standardize court fees throughout the state. The 300-page bill would also shift a number of set court fees to county general funds. Circuit Clerk Mark Von Nida said in many cases the fees were not in alignment with supreme court rules. Chief Circuit Judge David Hylla noted part of the problem was that there was a large discrepancy in court fees throughout the state. Von Nida also said the countys general fund, which pays for many of the day-to-day expenses, will receive a large amount of new revenue because of this, but much of it will also have to pay for operations now paid for through designated court fees. The county receives between $7 million to $9 million. About $2 million is designated, with the rest already going into the general fund. County officials have said two of the most notable agencies or departments affected are the Child Advocacy Center and Courthouse Security. At Fridays Madison County Board Judiciary Committee meeting, Circuit Clerk Mark Von Nida said that while the bill has been signed, implementation will not take effect until July to work out differences between the legislation and Illinois Supreme Court rules. The general fund will receive quite a bit more, he said. County officials have been trying to take that into consideration as the county goes through its annual budget process. However, another issue is that with the delayed implementation, that will put the switch into the middle of next years budget cycle. Von Nida said that the new legislation will have a larger effect on the 2020 budget than next years. Board Member Phil Chapman, R-Highland, who is also on the Finance Committee, said county officials need to meet and work out the issues. In an unrelated matter, Maj. Jeff Connor, deputy chief of the Madison County Sheriffs Department, noted that work continues on the jail renovation and they still expect to need to move prisoners sometime around February. At that time, the jail will have to reduce its population as workers move into the cell block renovations. Connor said they are in final negotiations with the Alton Police Department to house approximately 20 prisoners there. Alton makes more sense to us, he said, noting access to a courtroom there is one of the reasons. It makes more sense to stay as local as we can. Hylla noted they were working on creating a second video court room, which he said would also be helpful. As of Oct. 1 there were 327 inmates in the jail, which is certified for 312. The average monthly jail population this year is 314. Reach reporter Scott Cousins at 618-208-6447. EDWARDSVILLE The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded $49,957 to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in support of School of Engineerings (SOE) Nima Lotfis, PhD, work to advance mechatronics and robotics education by pioneering a more cohesive curricular approach across the nation. Lotfi is an assistant professor in the SOEs Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. As a teacher-scholar in the SOEs mechatronics and robotics engineering (MRE) program, he has witnessed the area of studys dynamic growth and notes the need for collaborative development of educational materials. He is the principal investigator (PI) of the NSF-funded endeavor, entitled Workshops for the Future of Mechatronic and Robotic Education. His co-PIs include Vikram Kapila, PhD (New York University); Mike Gennert, PhD (Worcester Polytechnic Institute); and James Mynderse, PhD (Lawrence Technological University). Mechatronics and robotics engineering professionals are shaping the world by designing smart and autonomous systems, and processes that will improve human life and welfare, Lotfi said. MRE requires an interdisciplinary knowledge of mechanical, electrical, computer, software, and systems engineering to oversee the entire design and development process. Our work in MRE education is critical to prepare our students for careers at the human-technology frontier. The projects main goal is to offer workshops aimed at bringing together MRE educators, students and professionals to share experiences and initiate efforts toward defining the field. I am extremely happy to have received support from the NSF, as it will enable me and my collaborators to hold several workshops at various technical conferences, Lotfi said. Through these workshops, we plan to build a community of mechatronics and robotics professionals from around the world to standardize and strategize the future of this field. I am excited to be one of the pioneers toward this effort. We are thrilled about the rapid growth in enrollment we have observed since we started our new mechatronics and robotics engineering program two years ago, said SOE Dean Cem Karacal, PhD. This new interdisciplinary program is one of the emerging fields in engineering and we are happy to be one of the first in our geographic region to offer it. We are proud to have faculty members like Dr. Nima Lotfi lead the way in this new frontier in engineering education. Project collaborators are also placing emphasis on outreach initiatives that will ensure inclusivity and diversity among workshop participants. Their future work will expand the MRE educational community to incorporate educators in K-12 institutions, potentially reshaping and reinvigorating K-12 STEM education. By recruiting the next generation of MRE educators and professionals, we aim to inspire succeeding generations of students to enter engineering with the skills to lead the nation in this emerging field, explained Lotfi. The drivers of coming societal employment changes, including machine learning, artificial intelligence and robotics, are significant components of the MRE knowledgebase. Jasmine O'Brien, from Dublin, and Vivek Iyengar, originally from India, met in Germany seven years ago when they were both working a trade fair. After their very first date they were inseparable. They got engaged in Santorini in 2016, when Vivek popped the question on a cliff overlooking the stunning Santorini Bay. He had arranged a romantic sunset dinner for that evening, a meal the pair both remember fondly. They both moved over to Dubai together soon after. Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The couple travelled to sunny Spain to tie the knot, with guests flying in from all over the world to celebrate the occasion. "We wanted to throw a party they would never forget," says Jasmine, "and we had decided on a destination wedding from the start, as we both loved the idea of getting to spend a few days with our family and friends rather than just one!" The wedding marked the first time Vivek's family from India met Jasmine's family from Ireland, and the longer celebrations meant that they could really get to know each other. Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp They planned a three day event, beginning with a welcome drinks party in Es Baluard in Palma, Mallorca, on the Wednesday evening. Their dreamy outdoor wedding took place in the fabulous Finca Son Mir on the Friday and the day after, the couple rented a villa to throw a pool party where guests tucked in to paella as they chatted about the previous night's festivities. Their wedding photos are by Amelia Fullarton. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Planning Working in PR, bride Jasmine has organised her fair share of events over the years but she says, "nothing compares to your own wedding". Living in Dubai and planning a wedding in Mallorca was a challenge for the couple but Jasmine admits she spent hours at it, and enjoyed every minute. "Admittedly spent hours deliberating over every decision," she says, "from the colour and style of our flowers, to the lighting, venue decor, props, bridesmaid dresses, cake, music, readings, guest transport and everything in between." Jasmine's mother kept her well stocked with ideas from all the latest bridal magazines, while she took to Pinterest to get some inspiration for the look for the day. Her mother was "a godsend" through the planning, she says, styling her for her civil ceremony, finding the bridesmaid and flower girl dresses and accompanying the couple to their various appointments with suppliers. Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Dresses For her civil ceremony in Dublin, Jasmine wore a beautiful Jenny Yoo white tulle skirt and cashmere sweater, which she got from Covet in Dublin's Powerscourt Centre while for the big day in Spain, she went with a very different look. "As one of the most indecisive people in the world, it was a shock to myself and my family that I decided on the dress so quickly, but its true what they say when you know, you know." Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Video of the Day Jasmine found her Liz Martinez gown in The White Gallery in Newry, after flying home to Ireland for one week exactly one year before the wedding. The gown was custom made in Paris, and Jasmine accessorised it with a headpiece by Luna Bea and had her veil custom-made to match. "I felt so incredibly lucky to get to wear something so beautiful and so special on my wedding day," says Jasmine. "I cant recommend Rachel and the White Gallery enough. She has an amazing eye and is the exclusive stockist of all of the designers in her store. Every single gown was stunning. [My wedding dress] is currently hanging on the front of my wardrobe and I dont think Ill ever be able to part with it." The bridesmaids wore beautiful gowns by Australia designer White Runway, while Jasmine's sister and junior bridesmaid wore a gown by Quiz. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Ceremony Jasmine and Vivek had a humanist ceremony with celebrant Annie Verinder which included readings and poems said by close family and friends. The bride walked up the aisle to Elbow's One Dy Like This played on spanish guitar by Toni Cruz. They had a 'wine box' ceremony within their ceremony where letters they had written to each other ahead of the wedding were nailed inside a wine box to be opened on their 10th wedding anniversary. "Our celebrant was fantastic and made sure our ceremony was completely personalised and very us," says Jasmine. "The whole ceremony was beautiful and very emotional." The Venue The couple tied the knot in the Finca Son Mir after falling in love with the area on a recce to Mallorca after they had gotten engaged. "We see 4 different venues. They were all incredible which made the decision pretty hard! But there was something very special about Finca Son Mir and we fell in love with it instantly. Its also an olive farm and the Finca is surrounded by lush greenery and olive fields. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp "It had rooms on site for us to stay on the night of the wedding, and we also knew that the caterer at Finca Son Mir was Marc Fosh - a highly renowned chef who we had heard incredible things about. He did not disappoint. The food was out of this world and it was something all of our guests remarked on." The Decor The couple's beautiful outdoor ceremony in the Finca Son Mir, Cami Vell de Sineu, Mallorca took place at 6pm in the evening when the sun was low in the sky and temperatures made for a more comfortable setting. The space was filled with natural greenery, leaving the couple with very little to do to make it a romantic backdrop for their vows. Expand Expand Previous Next Close / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Guests were given parasols and trilby hats to shelter from the sun, and the couple had bathroom baskets with everything anyone could need for the day - including flip flops for dancing in later in the night! They opted for a four-poster pergola for the ceremony, which was draped in white chiffon cloth, white flowers and pale green foliage. They also had olive foliage with white peonies as pew ends and fresh cream rose petals sprinkled on the grass to create the aisle. They had 'his' and 'her' signs on their chairs, which they sourced online at Etsy. For dinner, the couple had a long banqueting table as their top table, decorated in green garland and white flowers in vases. The guests tables were decorated with low pedestals in gold with a mix of white and cream roses and peonies, white astilbe, white Esianthus and eucalyptus. Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jasmine said help from family was key to pulling the day together: "We were very lucky to also get lots of support from my step dad, whos happens to be a very talented designer. He created our wedding invitations and stationary, and had everything printed for us ready to be transported to Mallorca. My family each took an extra bag or suitcase, to help us transport everything!" The Photographer The couple's photographer was Australia based Amelia Fullarton, whom the bride came across by chance when searching online for some wedding dress inspiration. She spotted a stunning wedding in Italy on Harper's Bizarre, and fell in love with the photos. "Given that shes based in Australia, I thought the chances of her realistically being able to shoot our wedding were slim to none, but thought Id get in touch just in case you never know after all" says Jasmine. Incredibly, Amelia was heading to Europe to shoot another wedding the week before Jasmine and Vivek's, and the couple were able to have her there after all. "She was amazing and captured such special moments that well cherish forever." The Rings "When I was born, my grandmother had her wedding ring cut in half and then created two new bands one for myself and one for my cousin" explains Jasmine. "My granny kept my ring safe for 28 years and gave it to me when I got engaged, which was such a lovely moment. My grandparents have been together all their lives and have one of the nicest love stories, so it felt extra special having her wedding band on our wedding day and I love that I get to wear it every day." The Food The couple had a lemonade stand and served before the ceremony, and after the ceremony, they had a cava and canapes reception, served alongside Aperol Spritz and 'Hugo' cocktails. "We created a fusion menu for the dinner, which meant we were able to cater to our different guests preferences," explains Jasmine. "Our family from India dined on Aloo Tikki Chenna, Shahi paneer and dal makhani, while the rest of the guests enjoyed Sea Bream to start, followed by Braised Iberian pork with an apricot-vanilla puree and warm, new potato salad. Desert was Cremoso of Coconut with banana ice cream and caramelised popcorn. From the canapes through to the dinner itself, we incorporated as many local dishes and produce as possible." The Stand out Moments "Walking up the aisle," says Jasmine. "The moment we saw each other for the first time was incredibly emotional and one of the stand-out moments for us both. And just seeing everyone we loved who had travelled from far and wide to be there, in one place, celebrating with us. It was the most special day and one neither of us will ever forget." Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Advice "Try to organize the big things in advance, so you can enjoy the excitement in the run up to the big day," advises the bride. "Relax and enjoy the process you will only do this once after all. Take time on the day with your new husband/wife to just take everything in, the day goes by so quickly so try to savour it as much as possible." And as for anything they'd do differently if they could do it all over again? "It would have been lovely to have a little more time on the day because we started our ceremony at 6pm due to the heat. However, we had the best day ever and apart from this, theres nothing either of us would have changed." The BJP, Congress and the Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) on Saturday claimed that they would emerge victorious in the assembly polls slated for November 12 and 20. Votes will be counted on December 11. State BJP Chief Dharamlal Kaushik welcomed the Election Commission's announcement claiming that the BJP would form a government for the fourth consecutive time with over 65 seats in the 90-member assembly. He said that a directionless and issueless Congress would be uprooted from Chhattisgarh. Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel said that, with the announcement of polls, the reverse countdown had begun for the Raman Singh government. While the EC announced that 18 seats would go to polls in the first phase on November 12, the Congress demanded that four more seats be added to this phase. In the first phase, polling will be held in naxal affected constituencies of Bastar division and Rajnandgaon district. Four more Maoist-hit constituenciesKawardha and Pandariya in Kabirdham district, Bindranavgarh in Gariaband district and Sihawa in Dhamtari district, should also be covered in the first phase to ensure peaceful polling, state Congress general secretary Girish Dewangan sought in a letter. He also said that voting in Rajnandgaon constituency, which falls in an urban area and is free from the naxal menace, should be shifted to the second phase. The Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J), an outfit formed by former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi, welcomed the poll announcement stating that the BJP would be ousted from power. Ajit Jogi will become chief minister after the polls, party MLA Amit Jogi said. Bengal's beverage Co says fizz to stay in carbonated drinks Kolkata, Oct 07 (PTI) Despite an estimated Rs 70,000 crore carbonated soft drinks (CSD) is under pressure in the beverages market, a city based company remains optimistic about its future in the country. "CSD in India is going to stay and will grow despite the fear that it is slowing down. With this believe we have introduced an Indian brand 'Fly Up' in carbonated drink segment during the festive season," Greenfizz Beverages Director Pramod Lundia told PTI. He said "the main brunt is on colas and not the other variants. The total beverage market is shared equally between carbonated drinks and non-carbonated drinks." Speaking about the market, another Director Punit Lundia said "whatever slowdown is witnessed is in cities and not in rural areas which still remains an untapped market. "The overall volume of even Colas has not dipped, but fresh growth is taking place in other variants like lime and lemon flavours," he said. To overcome some negative perception about the carbonated drinks, we have introduced fruit based carbonated drink and not carbonated soft drink by two MNCs which enjoy 60 per cent of the market, he said. Lundia said they were already bottlers for a US soft drink brand 'RC' and had world class modern production lines and its existing capacity of at least 20 million cases a year. "Initially, we will focus in West Bengal within 150 km from our manufacturing facility in Singur before expanding further," he said. "We hope for Rs 200 crore revenue in the first year equivalent to two per cent of the estimated Rs 1000 crore market for CSDs," he said. The company with home grown brand 'Fly UP' has four variants now to compete with the MNC market leaders in cola, lemon, orange and jeera flavours. PTI BSM PR PR PR Seoul, Oct 7 (AFP) Kim Jong Un has agreed to hold a second summit with US President Donald Trump as soon as possible, Seoul said Sunday, after Washington's top diplomat held "productive" talks on denuclearisation with the North Korean leader in Pyongyang. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Kim on Sunday morning for around two hours of talks followed by a lunch in the North's capital, before flying to Seoul on a whirlwind diplomatic visit to the region. Pompeo said "he agreed with Chairman Kim to hold the second US-North Korea summit at the earliest date possible," South Korea's presidential office said in a statement, although no specific time or location has yet been agreed. Pompeo and Kim also discussed "denuclearisation steps that will be taken by North Korea and the issue of attendance by the US government," as well as "corresponding measures" to be taken by the US, the statement said. The visit was Pompeo's fourth to North Korea. US President Donald Trump met Kim in Singapore in June for the first-ever summit between the countries, resulting in what critics say was only a vague commitment by Kim towards denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. "We continue to make progress on agreements made at Singapore Summit. Thanks for hosting me and my team," Pompeo tweeted. Kim also praised their "nice meeting", telling Pompeo via an interpreter following the morning's talks that it was "a very nice day that promises a good future ... for both countries." Since the Singapore summit, the road towards warmer ties has been bumpy. Washington and Pyongyang have sparred over the exact terms of the vaguely-worded agreement in Singapore, with the US pushing to maintain sanctions and pressure against the North until its "final, fully verified denuclearisation". Last month the North's foreign minister told the United Nations there was "no way" his country would disarm first as long as tough US sanctions remain against his country. After a previous visit to Pyongyang in July, Pompeo had said the two foes made progress on key issues -- but within hours of his departure the North condemned "gangster-like" demands from the US, raising questions over how much the two sides really saw eye to eye. Another planned trip by Pompeo to Pyongyang was scrapped after what Trump said was insufficient progress towards implementing the terms of the Singapore declaration. An official on Sunday's latest visit to Pyongyang with Pompeo said the trip was "better than the last time", but added: "It's going to be a long haul." Following his arrival in Seoul from Pyongyang on Sunday, Pompeo said at a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in that he had "a good productive conversation" with Kim, in talks which represented "another step forward". The dovish Moon, who held three summits with Kim this year and also brokered the Trump-Kim summit in Singapore, said Sunday the "whole world" was watching with keen interest the outcomes of Pompeo's trip. "I hope your trip to North Korea and the upcoming second US-North Korea summit will provide a good opportunity for achieving irreversible, decisive progress in terms of denuclearisation and the peace process on the Korean peninsula." Analysts say Washington may now consider new options as China, Russia and South Korea seek to relax sanctions. "North Korea took some steps towards denuclearisation and the US will face criticism from the international community if it continues to demand complete denuclearisation without any lifting of sanctions," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "We can't rule out the possibility that Washington... may move in the direction of partial easing of sanctions based on progress in denuclearisation," he said. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has given a hint of what a grand bargain between the two countries could look like. In an interview with the Washington Post, she said the North could agree to dismantle Yongbyon, its signature nuclear site. In exchange, the United States would declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War -- which concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty -- but North Korea would stop short of delivering an exhaustive list of its nuclear facilities, she said. After Seoul, Pompeo ends his trip Monday in China, North Korea's political and economic lifeline. The Beijing stop could be tense as it comes days after Vice President Mike Pence delivered a blistering speech accusing China of military aggression, commercial theft, rising human rights violations and electoral intervention against Trump. (AFP) CPS Sofia, Oct 7 (AFP) A television journalist has been brutally murdered in Bulgaria's northern town of Ruse, prosecutors said Sunday, in a case that has sparked international condemnation. The body of 30-year-old Viktoria Marinova, whom authorities identified only by her initials, was found on Saturday in a park, Ruse regional prosecutor Georgy Georgiev said. The death was caused by blows on the head and suffocation, he added. "Her mobile phone, car keys, glasses and part of her clothes were missing," Georgiev said, adding that prosecutors were probing all leads -- both personal and linked to Marinova's job. Interior Minister Mladen Marinov later confirmed to journalists that the victim had also been raped. Prime Minister Boyko Borisov expressed hope that the investigation would succeed because of the "work that has been done. Thanks to the large amount of DNA material collected it is just a matter of time before the perpetrator will be found." Police sources told AFP that the crime did not immediately appear linked to her work. The OSCE's media freedom representative Harlem Desir condemned Marinova's killing on Twitter: "Shocked by horrific murder of investigative journalist Victoria Marinova in #Bulgaria. Urgently call for a full and thorough investigation. Those responsible must be held to account." Marinova was an administrative director of Ruse's small private TVN television and had recently launched a new current events talk show called "Detector". The first episode of the show on September 30 broadcast interviews with investigative journalists Dimitar Stoyanov from the Bivol.bg website and Attila Biro from the Romanian Rise Project, about an investigation of alleged fraud with EU funds linked to big businessmen and politicians. The pair were briefly detained by police, drawing condemnation from Reporters Without Borders (RSF). "We are in shock. In no way, under any form, never have we received any threats -- aimed at her or the television," a journalist from TVN told AFP under condition of anonymity, adding that he and his colleagues feared for their safety. In a statement on their Facebook page, Bivol.bg insisted for police protection of Marinova's colleagues. A journalist is killed on average every week around the world, according to figures compiled by RSF. Among the most high-profile recent cases were Malta's anti-corruption blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia who died in a car bombing outside her home in October 2017, and top Slovak reporter Jan Kuciak who was shot dead with his fiancee at their home in February. Bulgaria tumbled to 111th place in the annual RSF media freedom ranking in 2018 -- the lowest among EU member states. Widespread corruption, shady media ownership and suspected collusion between journalists, politicians, and oligarchs have made objective reporting a constant obstacle course, RSF said. According to the Bulgaria-based Association of European Journalists, reporters from small regional and local media are particularly subjected to pressure from local businessmen and politicians and outright threats, often leading to self-censorship. Violence against women has also been widespread in Bulgaria, with several brutal killings of women by their ex-boyfriends and ex-husbands causing an outcry in the media recently. A candlelight vigil in Marinova's memory is organised for Monday evening in Sofia. (AFP) SCY SCY Before Erdogan's speech, a senior Turkish official confirmed that investigators believed Khashoggi was dead. Yasin Aktay, an adviser to Erdogan, told the Reuters news agency that Khashoggi had been killed in the consulate and that a team of 15 Saudi nationals were "most certainly involved." His comments were the first official confirmation that Turkey had concluded the journalist was killed, and they added to the mounting pressure on the Saudi government to explain Khashoggi's fate. Seoul, Oct 8 (AFP) Kim Jong Un has agreed to hold a second summit with US President Donald Trump as soon as possible, Seoul said Sunday, after Washington's top diplomat held "productive" talks on denuclearisation with the North Korean leader in Pyongyang. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Kim on Sunday morning for around two hours of talks followed by a lunch in the North's capital, before flying to Seoul on a whirlwind diplomatic visit to the region. Pompeo said "he agreed with Chairman Kim to hold the second US-North Korea summit at the earliest date possible", South Korea's presidential office said in a statement, although no specific time or location has yet been agreed. Pompeo and Kim also discussed "denuclearisation steps that will be taken by North Korea and the issue of attendance by the US government," as well as "corresponding measures" to be taken by the United States, the statement said. The visit was Pompeo's fourth to North Korea. Trump met Kim in Singapore in June for the first-ever summit between the two countries, resulting in what critics say was only a vague commitment by Kim towards denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. "We continue to make progress on agreements made at Singapore Summit. Thanks for hosting me and my team," Pompeo tweeted. Kim also praised their "nice meeting", telling Pompeo via an interpreter following the morning's talks that it was "a very nice day that promises a good future... for both countries". The North Korean leader also invited inspectors to visit the Punggye-ri nuclear test facility, which Pyongyang took apart in May, "to confirm that it has been irreversibly dismantled", according to a State Department readout of the meeting. Since the Singapore summit, the road towards warmer ties has been bumpy. Washington and Pyongyang have sparred over the exact terms of the vaguely-worded agreement in Singapore, with the US pushing to maintain sanctions and pressure against the North until its "final, fully verified denuclearisation". Last month, the North's foreign minister told the United Nations there was "no way" his country would disarm first as long as tough US sanctions remain against his country. After a previous visit to Pyongyang in July, Pompeo had said the two foes made progress on key issues -- but within hours of his departure the North condemned "gangster-like" demands from the US, raising questions over how much the two sides really saw eye to eye. Another planned trip by Pompeo to Pyongyang was scrapped after what Trump said was insufficient progress towards implementing the terms of the Singapore declaration. An official on Sunday's latest visit to Pyongyang with Pompeo said the trip was "better than the last time", but added: "It's going to be a long haul." Following his arrival in Seoul from Pyongyang on Sunday, Pompeo said at a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in that he had "a good productive conversation" with Kim, in talks which represented "another step forward". The dovish Moon, who held three summits with Kim this year and also brokered the Trump-Kim summit in Singapore, said Sunday the "whole world" was watching with keen interest the outcomes of Pompeo's trip. "I hope your trip to North Korea and the upcoming second US-North Korea summit will provide a good opportunity for achieving irreversible, decisive progress in terms of denuclearisation and the peace process on the Korean peninsula." Analysts say Washington may now consider new options as China, Russia and South Korea seek to relax sanctions. "North Korea took some steps towards denuclearisation and the US will face criticism from the international community if it continues to demand complete denuclearisation without any lifting of sanctions," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "We can't rule out the possibility that Washington... may move in the direction of partial easing of sanctions based on progress in denuclearisation," he said. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has given a hint of what a grand bargain between the two countries could look like. In an interview with the Washington Post, she said the North could agree to dismantle Yongbyon, its signature nuclear site. In exchange, the United States would declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War -- which concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty -- but North Korea would stop short of delivering an exhaustive list of its nuclear facilities, she said. After Seoul, Pompeo ends his trip Monday in China, North Korea's political and economic lifeline. The Beijing stop could be tense as it comes days after Vice President Mike Pence delivered a blistering speech accusing China of military aggression, commercial theft, rising human rights violations and electoral intervention against Trump. (AFP) SCY SCY Lyon, Oct 7 (AFP) The international police organisation Interpol announced Sunday that it has received the resignation of its Chinese chief Meng Hongwei, who has been missing since September 25 and is suspected by Beijing of "violating the law". Meng has resigned "with immediate effect" and Senior Vice President Kim Jong Yang of South Korea has become acting president, Interpol said in a statement. Meng, the first Chinese president of Interpol, was last heard from on September 25 as he left Lyon, where the police agency is based, for China. That day, his wife said he sent a social media message telling her to "wait for my call", before sending a knife emoji signifying danger. She said she feared for his life. Beijing, which had remained tight-lipped about Meng's fate since French officials disclosed his disappearance on Friday, said in a one-line statement that Meng "is currently under investigation on suspicion of violating the law". Interpol also said in its statement that it will elect a new president for the remaining two years of the current mandate at its general assembly to be held in Dubai on November 18-21. (AFP) SCY SCY Ahmedabad, Oct 7 (PTI) The Gujarat forest department Sunday started vaccination of lions in the Gir sanctuary to protect them from a deadly virus blamed for the death of some of the big cats in their last abode. As many as 23 lions have died in Gujarat's Gir sanctuary in less than a month. Most of them have succumbed to canine distemper virus (CDV) and protozoa infections, forest officials had said. The lions, an endangered species, are being vaccinated under intensive veterinary care and as per standard protocol, officials said Sunday. CDV is considered a dangerous virus and had been blamed for wiping out 30 per cent population of African lions in East African forests. "Vaccination of segregated #Lions under intensive veterinary care as per standard protocol started. Top national & International lion experts have been consulted. Government undertaking utmost care for lion safety," the Chief Conservator of Forest, Wildlife Junagadh, an official twitter handle of the Junagadha district forest department, said. The Gir sanctuary falls under the Junagadha district forest department's jurisdiction. A senior government official in Gandhinagar said only those lions which are in the forest department's captivity are being vaccinated at present. Following the death of big cats, the forest department had captured 36 lions and shifted them to Jashadhar and Jamwala rescue centres in the Gir forest as a precautionary measure. After the CDV spread was confirmed in Asiatic lions, the state government had urgently imported 300 shots of the vaccine against the virus from the US. CDV is mainly found in wild dogs, jackals and wolves. The disease can be contracted by lions if they eat any animal infected by it. CDV is a highly contagious disease that attacks the immune system and other vital organs in animals. In most of the cases, the infection is fatal. According to the last census conducted in 2015, the number of lions in the Gir sanctuary stood at 523. PTI PD RSY DV DV Bhubaneswar, Oct 7 (PTI) Union minister Smriti Irani on Sunday accused Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of depriving the people of the state from the benefits of central schemes such as Ayushman Bharat, "on political consideration". About the fuel price issue, she said even as the NDA government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has slashed fuel prices by Rs 2.50 per litre, Patnaik was not ready to reduce state tax for giving relief to the people. Addressing a BJP state executive meeting here, the Union textiles minister said, "Naveen Patnaik has deprived the people of Odisha from the benefits of Ayushman Bharat scheme on political consideration." Justifying her allegation, Irani told reporters that Patnaik "rejected" the Ayushman Bharat scheme despite the fact that over 60 per cent of Odisha's women and children suffer from anaemia and the state ranks number one in birth of stunted children. Despite of the health scenario in the state, Naveen Patnaik preferred to reject the Ayushman Bharat scheme, Irani said, adding, "The poor people are now raising question why they should not avail the benefits of the central scheme." Claiming that atrocities against women has been increasing in the state by the day, she said, "The BJD government has failed to maintain law and order in the state and provide protection to women and girls." On the BJP's agenda of securing more than 120 of the total 147 seats in the Odisha Assembly, Irani said, "The BJP's Mission 120 plus is not just about securing power in the state, it also aims to raise public awareness on issues of women atrocities, unemployment, corruption." The Union textiles minister said some BJP workers, during the state executive meeting, drew her attention to a proposal to revive the Odisha Textile Mills (OTM). "Yes, the OTM can be revived, but the state government should take initiative towards this direction. The Centre will certainly extend a helping hand," she said, adding that 50 per cent of the workers in Tirupur textile cluster in Tamil Nadu hailed from Odisha. "If Odisha women and girls can make Tirupur Textile cluster successful, why cannot they do it in their state?" Irani asked. Reacting to Irani's allegation, the spokesman of the ruling BJD, Sasmit Patra, said "The BJP is afraid of Odisha government's Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana. The BSKY offers better facilities than the Ayushman Bharat scheme." About Iran's claim about rise in the atrocities against women in Odisha, the BJD spokesman said, "The Union minister should first say how safe women are in BJP-ruled states." On fuel price issue, Patra said, "The BJP government announced reduction of fuel price by Rs 2.50 per litre keeping in view the elections in five states. They (BJP) are not worried about the people." PTI AAM MM NSD NSD Three held with drugs from hotel in Kolkata Kolkata, Oct 7 (PTI) Police on Sunday seized banned drugs and arrested three persons, including two students, in this connection during a raid at a city hotel. Acting on a tip-off, police conducted a raid at the hotel and seized 7 gm of MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) - an ecstasy drug, 4 LSD blocks and 3 gm of cocaine from the possession of the trio, a senior officer of Kolkata Police said. The students, aged between 18 and 20, and the man (22) had brought the drugs from Delhi with an intention to use them at parties organised at discos in the hotel, and to sell them at a higher price to customers there, he said. "We are questioning them and trying to find out more details... whether they are members of any drug trafficking racket," the officer added. PTI SCH RBT RBT Srinagar, Oct 6 (PTI) In the wake of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's allegation that industrialist Anil Ambani was being favoured in rolling out an insurance policy in Jammu and Kashmir, the state government Saturday said the scheme has been implemented in a fair and transparent manner. "Dispelling the rhetorical misgivings being created about the Group Medical Health Insurance Scheme rolled out by the JK government recently, the state government Saturday made it clear that the scheme has been implemented after following all the required procedures in a fair and most transparent manner," an official spokesperson said here. Gandhi took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday for allegedly favouring Anil Ambani after the Jammu and Kashmir government gave his company the contract for executing the government employees mediclaim policy. "When your BFF is the PM, you can get the 1,30,000 Cr. Rafale deal, even without relevant experience. But wait. There's more! Apparently, 4,00,000 JK Govt staff will also be arm twisted into buying health insurance ONLY from your company!," the Congress president tweeted, tagging a media report which suggested Anil Ambani was being favoured. Gandhi's comments also referred to the offset deal between French aerospace giant Dassault Aviation and Ambani's Reliance Defence after the BJP-led NDA government entered into an agreement with France to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets. The state government spokesperson said the entire bidding process has been done in a competitive, clean and transparent manner in line with the Financial Rules and Regulations as well as Chief Vigilance Commissioner guidelines. He said the bidding process was monitored by a team of senior-most officers, well-versed with the financial rules and regulations and was conducted through strict technical and financial evaluation. "In the first round of bidding, only one bid was submitted by a public sector undertaking (PSU) and as the first round concluded with poor response it had to be terminated. Thereafter, a pre-bid conference was organised, where both private and PSU companies participated and the tender was reissued with minor changes in technical parameters on their suggestion," he said. The spokesperson said all the PSUs as well as top private insurance companies were contacted to participate in the bidding process as a result of which in the second round, nine companies, including private and public sector undertakings, submitted their bids, out of which five qualified on technical evaluation criteria. "The financial bids of five qualified companies were opened and it emerged that Reliance General Insurance Company with a quoted premium of Rs 8776.84 was at L1, National Insurance Company Ltd with quoted premium of Rs 11918.00 at L2, ICICI Lombard with quoted premium of Rs 17691.74 at L3, Bajaj Allianz with quoted premium of Rs 23476.10 at L4 and United India Assurance Company with quoted premium of Rs 27225.00 at L5," the spokesperson said. He said the only PSU which participated in the first round and the bid of which was not opened due to poor response came second in the second round with a substantially higher premium quoted than L1. "Further, the gap between L1 and other bidders was substantial and, therefore, there was no question of lack of competition," he said. The spokesperson said more than four years ago when ICICI Lombard was awarded the contract, the premium was Rs 6,196 per annum. "However, coverage was much less than this time as the scheme was previously restricted to Gazetted employees only," he said, adding that although the earlier policy also covered employee plus five members of his family, the coverage was only for a sum up to Rs five lakh and between the age group of three months to 80 years. He said on any criteria of coverage, the number of hospitals where cashless service will be provided (more than 4,700 hospitals across the country) and the prevalent market rates, the premium quoted by the successful bidder is extremely competitive. "It is also known that at the premium of Rs 6,196 five years back, the then company suffered losses, as the total amount paid out by them for treatment was higher than the premium collected," he said. The spokesperson said only 3.5 lakh regular employees of the government are expected to be covered under the scheme while for pensioners, All India Service officers, daily wagers/casual labourers and those government employees who are already covered under a health insurance scheme on their own, it will be optional. He said the expected outgo of the premium would be approximately Rs 310 crore per annum. The spokesperson said misleading information was being spread to create doubts in the minds of the people. PTI SSB KJ New Delhi, Oct 7 (PTI) A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Uttar Pradesh government to amend the law to bring the office of Chief Minister under the purview of state ombudsman, Lokayukta. The plea said that the existing status of the 'Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta and Up-Lokayukta Act, 1975' does not make the ombudsman "powerful enough to serve the purpose and object for which it was enacted". The PIL, filed by advocate Shiv Kumar Tripathi, has sought a direction for amending the 43-year-old state law to bring the Chief Minister under purview of the ombudsman to ensure effective control over corrupt activities. "The Lokayukta of the state of Uttar Pradesh is not competent to proceed against the Chief Minister for any corrupt action in which he has been found guilty of favouritism, nepotism or lack of integrity therefore there is need to bring the Chief Minister under the purview of Lokayukta for proceeding against him for his corruption," it said. The plea has also sought direction to bring under the ambit of Lokayukta law the institutions like state and deemed universities and private institutes, committees, boards, commission, established under the state laws. Besides seeking power to "search and seizure" for the Lokayukta, the plea said that the ombudsman be also provided the administrative control over state police for carrying out the probe. "The Lokayukta/Up-Lokayukta should be given independent police force which shall directly be under his administrative control," the plea said. UP Lokayukta is not "effective enough" in probing corrupt public servants and has to depend on police authorities, which are under the control of the state government, it said. It also sought directions to empower Lokayukta for proceeding on its own on information regarding any corruption by a public servant as defined in the Lokayukta Act and to fix a time limit for presentation of the report/recommendation of the Lokayukta before both the houses of the state legislature. The plea also said that necessary amendments should be made so that every public servant submits annual return of all the assets and liabilities before the Lokayukta. PTI URD SJK ABA RKS SA Chennai, Oct 7 (PTI) Highlights from the southern region at 9 pm. MDS4 KL-SABARIMALA Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government's move to hold talks with 'Thazhamon tantries', the head priests of the Sabarimala Temple, on the Supreme Court verdict on entry of women into the shrine receives a setback with one of the priests saying there was no relevance in holding discussions. MDS8 KL-RAINS Thiruvananthapuram: Heavy rains have been forecast in Kerala, under the influence of a depression over Arabian Sea which is likely to intensify into a deep depression and further into a cyclonic storm over the next two days. MDS9 KL-RAFALE-CONG Kochi: Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma alleges the Rafale fighter jet deal was the "biggest defence purchase scam" of the century and says Prime Minister Narendra Modi is directly answerable. MES5 KL-SABARIMALA-SHARMA Kochi: Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma Sunday defends the stand of party's Kerala unit seeking a review of the Supreme Court judgement allowing women of all ages to enter the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala and urges the central and state governments to take a call on the issue. PTI VS VS New Delhi, Oct 7 (PTI) Five labourers were injured on Sunday after the boundary wall of a vacant plot collapsed in Rohini's Alipur, police said. The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) received a call about the incident at 11.39 am and immediately three vehicles were rushed to the spot, a senior DFS officer said. The wall collapsed when the labourers were working on the premises after which they suffered injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital, a police officer said. The injured are in stable condition and have been discharged from the hospital, the officer added. A case has been registered against the contractor and the matter is being probed, police said. PTI AMP CK New Delhi, Oct 7 (PTI) A suspected drug peddler was arrested with 528 grams of heroin in South East Delhi's Jaitpur, police said Sunday. Farooq Mohammad (45), a resident of Indira Gandhi Camp, Taimoor Nagar, was arrested Saturday night, they said, adding that his mother was also a drug supplier. He was involved in drug peddling in New Friends Colony, Taimoor Nagar, Khirjrabad village and neighbouring areas of Delhi. On Saturday, a police team laid a trap near Khadda Colony, Madanpur Khadar, Jaitpur and spotted the suspect who was coming from Faridabad side and was going towards Jaitpur. Farooq tried to flee the spot but the team apprehended him, Chinmoy Biswal, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South East) said. During interrogation, the arrested accused revealed that he lives in Taimoor Nagar since his childhood. His mother also used to peddle drugs and he also got involved in the same in his early 20s. Farooq's mother used to support him in narcotics peddling, the DCP added. He used to purchase Heroin at Rs 12 lakh per kilogram from drug suppliers of Bareilly and Hapur. Farooq used to pay Rs 500 per day to his accomplices to sell heroin packs. He had also deployed a watchman in plain clothes in the nearby areas where he used to sell these packets, the DCP said. A 28-year-old drug peddler, identified as Abhijit Mukherjee, was also arrested on Saturday with 320 grams of heroin in South East Delhi. PTI NIT CK Chanting "We believe survivors!" "Vote them out!" and "Shame, shame, shame!" hundreds of demonstrators converged on the Capitol early in the afternoon, where they mixed with tourists and onlookers on the Capitol's East Front plaza. They had gathered, they said, to express their displeasure with senators who voted to confirm Kavanaugh despite the allegations of sexual assault made against him by Christine Blasey Ford and their belief that he was not truthful in his testimony before the Senate. Holiday rentals giant Airbnb is stepping up security measures to help end the scourge of fraudsters using its website to dupe holidaymakers into sending cash to scam accounts. The menace of fake Airbnb bookings was exposed last year by The Mail on Sunday after numerous families were tricked into transferring payments for seemingly genuine properties to conmen disguising themselves online as the real property owners. Now, as the US-based company reports that booking numbers are exploding ten million British holidaymakers alone arranged accommodation via its online service in 2017 it has pledged to stamp out the practice. Airbnb is increasing security measures after a number of people were conned on the website As well as reinforcement measures such as ID checks and checking names against regulatory, terrorist and sanctions watchlists, the company has introduced stricter authentication requirements when customers log in from an unrecognised device. It has also developed new guides to help guests and hosts protect themselves, compiled with the help of internet safety group Get Safe Online. Nick Shapiro, global head of trust and risk management at Airbnb is former deputy chief of staff at the CIA. He says: While we already take steps to help keep bad actors off our platform we think these guides will further protect customers. The growing band of booking websites rely on trust between owners and bookers. But some users have paid thousands of pounds for properties that turned out to be sham listings. Among them were the Gilmour family from South London who handed over more than 5,000 to a fraudster posing as the real host of a luxury property on the Balearic island of Majorca. Other victims are also hoodwinked by websites set up by fraudsters using photos and details lifted from genuine web pages. In all cases the holidaymakers are tricked by convincing patter to send cash quickly by bank transfer to secure a booking. Figures from Action Fraud reveal crooks stole 6.7 million from holidaymakers last year but it is the tip of the iceberg as embarrassment means many frauds go unreported. Airbnb checks the ID of members but this does not stop fraudsters from hijacking real profiles. Customers using online marketplaces such as Airbnb can protect themselves by only communicating with owners through the booking websites private messaging system and paying via the firms own secure payment set-up. But not all online marketplaces do ID checks or provide secure booking. One way to be safe is to pay by credit card. Your bank may provide a refund if the booking proves fake. If a bank transfer is the only option then do extra homework. Use Google maps to track down properties and search engines to verify an owners details. Report any holiday fraud to Action Fraud online or by calling 0300 123 2040 or contact sally.hamilton@mailonsunday.co.uk. Businessman Melvin Taylor is a happy individual. This weekend, he is better off to the tune of more than 228,000 because 17 months ago he had the foresight to go out and buy a copy of The Mail on Sunday. It is a return on his investment far better than any envisaged in his wildest of dreams. Melvins rich bounty is a direct result of reading an article in the Personal Finance pages about the protracted battle two brothers endured in getting insurance companies to pay up on disputed claims. Melvin Taylor, right, was helped in his battle against Scottish Provident by Andy Macpherson He was so inspired by their David versus Goliath story he was persuaded to reopen a financial protection claim against an insurance company that four years earlier had politely but robustly told him to get lost. A claim based on the same type of cancer that the brothers had experienced, albeit years apart, and insisted their insurance covered. Although the insurer in question, Scottish Provident, played hard ball for a while, Melvin was determined to get financial justice. Assisted by Andy Macpherson, one of the two brothers featured in our May 2017 report, and supportive urological surgeons who refused to water down their assessments of Melvins medical condition, he took his dispute to the Financial Ombudsman Service. It arbitrates in unresolved disputes between companies and customers and eventually Melvin triumphed. Ten days ago, he received 228,203.55 from Scottish Provident, part of financial giant Royal London. But not a whiff of an apology, just a perfunctory letter followed two days later with another one offering sincere apologies for a miscalculation that meant he had been underpaid by 100. So, 228,303.55, not 228,203.55. Please remember we are here to help, its final correspondence read. Customer service par excellence? No way, par gutter level. Although Melvin, 58, is seething at the way he has been treated by Scottish Provident while it has batted away his claim, he has nothing but praise for Macpherson, surgeon Stephen Payne and The Mail on Sunday. Case: The Mail on Sunday tackled a case involved HSBC's critical protection cover last year On Friday, he said: I would like to say a great big thank you to The Mail on Sunday for its article of May 14, 2017. If I had not read it, I would have gone to my grave never realising Scottish Provident had wrongly rejected my original claim. Timeline: the insurer initially refused to payout before finally handing over money But my case begs a bigger question: How many other people has the life insurance industry done this to who sadly are no longer with us and unable to fight for the justice they deserved all along? Just as importantly, he urges anyone who has had a financial protection claim rejected by their insurer to challenge the decision if they have lingering doubts over whether they were hoodwinked. If unsuccessful, he says, they should take their case to the Ombudsman. Melvins battle with Scottish Provident started in 2012 when he triggered claims on two critical illness policies which he had paid premiums on for many years totalling some 190 a month. This followed radical treatment including chemotherapy for two bladder tumours, one of which Payne described as the most aggressive cell type of bladder cancer. Such insurance policies are sold on the basis they will pay out a pre-determined tax-free amount in Melvins case 200,000 on diagnosis of a serious illness such as a stroke, cancer or heart attack. They are meant to provide financial comfort at a time of stress and uncertainty. So Melvin, from Stockport in Greater Manchester, was surprised in early 2013 to be told his cancers were not covered because they were not invasive in plain speech, not serious enough. He did not complain. I assumed its decision was right and I let it be, he recalls. I was more interested in getting better and praying the cancers would not spread. He continued to receive excellent ongoing care from the Alexandra Hospital in Cheadle where his cancers were detected. Then in May last year, he bought a copy of The Mail on Sunday which ultimately would change his financial life for the better and force Scottish Provident into an embarrassing U-turn. On Page 93 was an article describing how Andy Macpherson had helped his brother Alistair overturn a rejected claim for bladder cancer on an HSBC critical illness policy. Like Melvin, Alistair was told by the insurer that his cancer was non-invasive and so not covered. But his brother Andy knew better, because 15 years previously he had gone to war with HSBC over the same issue after being diagnosed himself with bladder cancer and having his claim rejected. He challenged and won. Over the coming months, Andy, who runs a successful recording studio, helped Melvin prepare a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Although Andy and Alistairs past success suggested Melvin would win, it took a while for the service to decide in his favour. Scottish Provident warned that if Melvin won it would open the floodgate for more people to come forward and ask for rejected claims to be reviewed. Finally, in late August, the Ombudsman upheld Melvins complaint. It said he should be compensated for the sums assured on both policies (200,000), be refunded all premiums paid since his original 2012 claim plus receive an element of interest. Although the Ombudsman can only require a company to pay up to 150,000, it recommended Scottish Provident pay additional compensation as recommended. To its credit, the insurer obliged. Last week, The Mail on Sunday brought together Andy and Melvin for the first time. Two mighty Davids who took on faceless insurers and against the odds won. Hurrah. Energy suppliers failing to meet the grade on customer service are being blacklisted by new switching tools in a bid to protect bill-payers from bad experiences. Automatic switching services, like Switchd and Look After My Bills which recently won backing from business moguls in hit TV programme Dragons Den do the work of moving customers on to cheaper gas and electricity tariffs. Deals: Automatic switching services move customers onto cheaper gas and electricity tariffs Consumers save money without having to compare the different options themselves. The deal they are offered is based on a mix of price and service. Customers signing up to Switchd, for example, are warned of companies it does not recommend. One recently on the blacklist is Solarplicity which also ranks low in service league tables published by consumer charity Citizens Advice. Auto-switch service Look After My Bills, which has 70,000 customers, says it will not hesitate to obstruct transfers to suppliers not up to scratch. Co-founder Henry de Zoete says: Its not worth it, even for a few extra pounds in savings. We have experience of working with suppliers and know who is or isnt any good. Meanwhile Citizens Advice has voiced concerns over the performance of some small suppliers. It puts TOTO Energy at the bottom of its service league tables with 1.45 stars out of five. For help comparing energy, try the Citizens Advice tool at energycompare.citizensadvice.org.uk. Register your interest in our autumn collective energy switch now with a few simple details Holidaymakers face not being compensated if their vacation is cancelled due to disruption caused by Brexit, according to a top secret travel industry report leaked to The Mail on Sunday. The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), the packaged holiday trade body, is encouraging member companies to insert Brexit clauses in their terms and conditions to prepare themselves for potential turbulence if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. The guidance is contained within a confidential blueprint that has been sent out to ABTAs members which number more than 1,000 to prepare them for the possibility of a no-deal. Holidaymakers may not be compensated if their vacation is cancelled due to Brexit disruption The body is also advising travel agents on how to ramp up charges for holidays that have already been booked if their costs increase due to a fall in the value of the pound. This could mean that holidaymakers are sent unexpected bills that they must pay on top of the advertised price of their trips. Thomas Cook now rules out compensation, damages, expenses, costs, losses or any other amount of any description in the event of disruption due to a no-deal Brexit, although it will offer refunds in the event of cancellation. On The Beachs conditions do not even guarantee a full refund. Under the title Brexit Implications, On The Beach state that in the event of Brexit disruption we will endeavour to provide suitable alternative arrangements or refunds where possible [but] we will not be liable to pay you any compensation. The ABTA document, which was first sent out in August and will be updated periodically as Brexit looms next March, was prompted by a perceived lack of progress in UK-EU negotiations. ABTA believes it is now prudent for members to consider in more detail the implications of the UK departing the EU under a no-deal scenario, it says. The report contains several warnings about a no-deal scenario, saying Britons could be forced to obtain visas to visit EU countries. Alternatively, if the UK agrees non-visa access to the rest of Europe, visitors may need to buy electronic travel authority (ETA), at a cost of 7, which would last three years. Brexit disruption: ABTA is advising its members on how they can keep their costs at a minimum The body also predicts that a no-deal exit would initially lead to considerable disruption at borders between the UK and EU, if Britons are no longer allowed to use queues for people who live within the European Economic Area. There would also be serious challenges for the aviation industry, the report says, which could have to rely on the UK agreeing new access rights for its carriers to travel into the EU and other countries that are covered by EU rules. The warnings echo the pessimistic tone of Michael OLeary, the Remain-supporting boss of Ryan-air, who last month claimed certain flights could be grounded. Last month, the Government also said flights could be grounded in the event of a no-deal exit. In the event of Brexit disruption, ABTA is advising its members on how they can keep their costs at a minimum, sometimes at the expense of their customers. The body recommends that while travel agents should provide their customers with refunds if their package trips cannot go ahead, organisers would not be liable for additional compensation. It says this is because a no-deal Brexit, and issues arising from it, can currently be considered unforeseeable and unavoidable. There is more uncertainty where holidays are not packaged up. For instance, if a flight is cancelled but not a hotel, then the accommodation provider is unlikely to offer a refund. It is unclear whether the flight provider would need to compensate, ABTA said. The ABTA document also raises the prospect of travellers being charged extra for holidays that have already been paid for if the pound falls in value. This can happen on the condition that a company reserves the right to introduce surcharges, travellers are informed at least 20 days before their holiday and the firm absorbs equivalent to 2 per cent of the total holiday cost due to currency changes. The guidance recommends that ABTA members consider amending their terms and conditions to introduce Brexit clauses to make clear that, while refunds will be provided, compensation will not. ABTA also notes that Britons may need to apply for international driving licences for use in the EU An ABTA spokesman said: Anyone who books and pays for a package holiday through a UK travel company will receive a full refund for that holiday if it cannot be provided due to Brexit. As Brexit is a situation which is beyond the control of travel companies, customers will not be entitled to compensation. If you book an individual travel service e.g. a flight or a hotel the suppliers terms and conditions will apply. They would usually offer a refund if the service cannot be provided. If Brexit was the reason, compensation is unlikely to be available, as it would be deemed beyond the control of the travel service provider. George Soross investment firm is among a pack of funds to have taken out huge bets against a maker of red carpets for the Queen. Soros Fund Management, backed by the billionaire known for breaking the Bank of England in 1992, has disclosed a 1.25 per cent short position in Victoria, according to Bloomberg data. Investment: George Soros is a billionaire and founded the Soros Fund Management in 1970 The Kidderminster-based company made the red carpet for the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Short-selling means investors profit if a share price falls which would be bad news for Victoria after a stellar run over the past six years. The carpet maker was founded 123 years ago in the reign of Queen Victoria. It floated in 1963 and gained a Royal Warrant in 2013. Victoria has grown rapidly since the appointment of New Zealander Geoff Wilding as executive chairman in 2012. He turned a stock market value of 15 million into 890 million thanks to a string of audacious acquisitions. Purchases include Interfloor, Ezi Floor, Abingdon Floorings, Grass Inc in the Netherlands, Keraben in Spain and Ceramiche Serra in Italy. But in August, Wilding sold a 4.23 per cent shareholding at 827p a share. On Friday, Victorias shares closed at 710p, though Wilding still has a 16 per cent stake. Mark Hiley, of researcher The Analyst, said: The valuation and margins look high relative to peers like Headlam. Floor covering markets are cyclical and Victoria has a lot of debt. The NHS is often referred to as a national treasure. But the entire system is under intense pressure, as the population ages, obesity increases and drugs become more expensive. Prime Minister Theresa May is determined to make it work better. Speaking at last weeks Conservative Party conference, she pledged to speed up cancer diagnosis. Earlier this year, she spoke about using artificial intelligence to fight cancer and a range of other chronic diseases. Sensyne Health is helping the NHS to put the Prime Ministers words into practice. The shares are 187p and should rise substantially over the next few years. Sensyne Health is a pioneer in clinical artificial intelligence, using data from the NHS The company is a pioneer in clinical artificial intelligence (AI), using anonymised data from the NHS to diagnose patterns in cancer, heart disease and lung disease, as well as conditions such as Alzheimers and diabetes. The company then passes on its findings to drug companies so they can develop treatments faster and more cost-effectively than in the past. Importantly, the drug firms do not have access to the data itself so Sensyne acts as a gateway between the NHS and the pharmaceutical industry. The model was developed by chief executive Lord (Paul) Drayson, a highly successful entrepreneur who co-founded medical diagnostic firm Powderject Pharmaceuticals in 1993 and sold it for 550 million ten years later. Drayson recognised that the UK has two major advantages in the fast-moving world of clinical AI. First, the NHS has enormous amounts of patient data, probably more than any other health service in the world. Second, Britain is at the forefront of research into how best to use AI. Drayson has a PhD in robotics and a lifelong passion for science, technology and fast cars. Stake: In return for providing data to Sensyne, the NHS gets a share of the drug company payments Minister for Science and Innovation in Gordon Browns Labour Government, he founded Sensyne just a year ago, working in partnership with Oxford University and the Oxford University NHS Trust. The company has since signed agreements with two more Trusts, South Warwickshire and Chelsea & Westminster in London and expects to add three more within the next two years. Under these agreements, the NHS Trusts provide anonymised data to Sensyne, which it sieves through looking for clues about how diseases arise and develop. Smart ideas are patented and licensed to drug firms, who provide upfront payments, milestone payments and royalties to Sensyne. In return for providing the initial data, the Trusts receive shares in Sensyne and a share of the drug company payments. In this way, the NHS helps to improve treatments for patients and receives tangible financial benefits, which can be used, in turn, to deliver better care. Sensyne is a relatively new company but it has already made some major breakthroughs. The group has developed apps used on tablets and smartphones to monitor heart conditions, lung disease and diabetes among pregnant women. One app, SEND, analyses patients at risk of cardiac arrest while they are in hospital, sending the data to doctors and nurses so high-risk patients can be seen first. The app has already cut heart attacks on the ward by 20 per cent. Another app, used at home by lung disease sufferers, has reduced hospital admissions by 17 per cent. Sensyne does not generate revenues from these apps but it uses the data to further its research. In time however, Drayson hopes to make money from these apps overseas and is already in talks with US hospitals. Sensyne has also signed a licence agreement with a drug company relating to its lung disease findings and expects to sign another major deal in the short term. Sales are expected to surge from 100,000 this year to more than 12 million by 2021. The group is likely to be loss-making for the next few years, ploughing revenues back into the business but the long-term outlook is bright. Encouragingly too, Drayson and his wife own 29 per cent of the stock and the board is filled with professors, scientists and high-ranking doctors, led by chairman Professor Sir John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford. MIDAS VERDICT: Sensyne Health is a rare beast. Using cutting-edge technology, the company is working with the NHS to help drug companies find cures for some of the most prevalent diseases of our time. At 187p, the shares are a buy. Royal Mail shares were trading at more than 630p in May. On Friday, they closed at 345p within flirting distance of the 330p flotation price five years ago. The stock had been drifting lower all summer but it fell 27 per cent last week alone, after a shock profit warning from new chief executive Rico Back. Back confessed that the letters business has been faring even worse than the company expected, with volumes likely to be down by 7 per cent this year. Stock watch: Royal Mail's share price plummeted after business admitted it was faring worse than expected Hoped-for productivity gains have not materialised and even the overseas parcels division, supposedly a jewel in the crown, has been hit by cost pressures. The UK parcels business is growing but full-year group profits are still expected to slide from 694 million to 525 million. The main bright spot is the dividend, forecast at 24.9p, putting the shares on a yield of just over 7 per cent. Back says he is committed to a progressive dividend, which normally means payments should rise. However, analysts are already questioning how long that can last. The company generates plenty of cash but Back has a big challenge on his hands, particularly when it comes to improving productivity which really means encouraging 90,000 postmen and women to deliver more letters and packages than they are used to. Midas verdict: More than 500,000 people own shares in this business, including thousands of staff. Many will be tempted to sell now, while they can still make a tiny profit on the 330p flotation price. But the company reports half-year figures next month and Back will almost certainly try to deliver better news then. Worth holding, at least for the next few weeks. Zayo Group Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides bandwidth infrastructure solutions for the communications industry in the United States, Canada, and Europe. The company operates in six segments: Fiber Solutions, Transport, Enterprise Networks, Zayo Colocation (zColo), Allstream, and Other. The Fiber Solutions segment provides dark fiber, and fiber-to-the-tower and small cell mobile infrastructure services for carriers and other communication service providers, Internet service providers, wireless service providers, media and content companies, large enterprises, and other companies. The Transport segment offers lit bandwidth infrastructure solutions comprising wavelength, Ethernet, wholesale IP services, and SONET services through its metro, regional, and long-haul fiber networks for carriers, content providers, financial services companies, healthcare, government entities, education institutions, and other medium and large enterprises. The Enterprise Networks segment provides connectivity and telecommunications solutions comprising Internet, wide area networking products, managed products, and cloud based computing and storage offerings to medium and large enterprises. The Zayo Colocation (zColo) segment offers data center infrastructure solutions consisting of colocation space, and power and interconnection services to a range of enterprise, carrier, cloud, and content customers. The Allstream segment provides cloud VoIP and data solutions, such as voice offerings; and unified communications, as well as telecommunications services, including Ethernet, and IP/MPLS VPN solutions. The Other segment provides network and technical resources to customers in designing, acquiring, and maintaining their networks. Zayo Group Holdings, Inc. was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. Read More Theres a bunch of stuff the Trumps reportedly did that may not be illegal, but should be. When it comes to taxes like lots of other policy arenas, such as campaign finance we need to work harder not only to enforce the laws on the books, but also to make those laws fairer, clearer and less susceptible to exploitation. Stockbridge, Mass. When the Berkshire Theatre Group was planning its 2018 season, it could not have known how resonant this fall a play would feel about a woman's sexual history and the way the men involved assume it is their right to express outrage and otherwise opine about it. But that's the best thing that can be said about "Naked," running through the end of the month in the Berkshire Theatre Group's Unicorn Theatre. The company's production of the 1922 play by Nobel literature laureate Luigi Pirandello, under the direction of longtime BTG artistic associate Eric Hill, is handsomely mounted, with Randall Parsons' set evoking an early-20th-century Italian apartment and J Hagenbuckle's sound design and original music bringing in the outside world. The acting, too, is first-rate and includes veteran Berkshires stage presences David Adkins and Rocco Sisto. But Pirandello's work, in contrast to the realism of late-19th- and early-20th-century dramatists from Ibsen to Shaw and O'Neill, relied on Italian theater traditions that were more stylized and melodramatic and never really caught on with English-speaking audiences. Even his most famous work, "Six Characters in Search of an Author," is produced only occasionally; "Naked," less so, and deservedly so. The central problem is that virtually all of the important action of the play, performed here in a 1998 version by prolific contemporary British dramatist Nicholas Wright, happens offstage, most of it before the play takes place. Thus for more than an hour and a half we're left with people talking with windy grandiloquence and exaggerated emotion, complete with sobbing spells and fainting and other histrionics, about things we didn't see. This is part of Pirandello's point, of course, as he examines what it means to try to assert control over one's life narrative when there are competing version from people involved and from a novelist who seeks to find the larger truths by fictionalizing facts. But it's still primarily an exercise in frustration as we as an audience try to connect with a central character whose core is elusive. She's Ersilia (Tara Franklin), who as the play opens is being welcomed to the lodgings of Ludovico (Sisto), a novelist who offers to take her in after her release from a hospital following a suicide attempt. Others clamoring for her attention are two men with whom she had affairs (James Barry and Jeffrey Doornbos), the journalist to whom she told her sensational, perhaps not wholly true, story (Adkins), and the apartment building's landlady (Barbara Sims). All of the action takes place in the living room of the novelist's apartment, lending a claustrophobic air to conversations and confrontations about matters that may be more, or less, or at least different, than how they originally were presented. Through no fault of Franklin's, Ersilia remains an enigma, a device of an author in search of a character. That might be the basis for a philosophical inquiry, but it's not a person around which to build a play. sbarnes@timesunion.com 518-454-5489 blog.timesunion.com/tablehopping @Tablehopping Albany Fifty years ago this week, George Wallace came to Albany. The fiery segregationist and former Alabama governor was running for president in 1968, and his rally on the steps of the Capitol was as tumultuous as you would expect. Among the crowd of 5,000 were protesters gathered across the street at Academy Park. "Sieg Heil!" they chanted. "Down with Wallace!" The man with the slicked hair didn't let the taunts go unanswered. "You are through in this country when I'm elected president," Wallace bellowed during a speech in which he claimed polls showing Richard Nixon ahead in the race were "rigged" by the "eastern money establishment." The more things change... If nothing else, the anniversary of Wallace's visit is a reminder that the division and rancor of the moment are hardly new. Given that Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King were assassinated in 1968, and Wallace himself was shot four years later, you could convincingly argue the animus was much worse then. But it is bad now. Really bad. The fight over Brett Kavanaugh's nomination was a national black eye that made our chasm obvious and deeper. With the sexual-assault allegation by Christine Blasey Ford viewed entirely through partisan lenses, few involved were fair-minded least of all Democrats who assumed it must be true, despite the lack of corroboration, largely because they objected to Kavanaugh's judicial philosophy. Just in case Ford's testimony might not be enough to finish Kavanaugh, the allegations shifted toward the trivial. He once threw ice at somebody! He joked about puking! A classmate may have seen him sloppy drunk! He was no choir boy! The stuff from decades ago, much of it heresay, was repeated gleefully on CNN and MSNBC, but was irrelevant to Ford's allegation or the Supreme Court. It was character assassination. Kavanaugh was also accused of lacking the proper judicial temperament, given that he had angrily defended himself. Here's a question: How would former Supreme Court justices Antonin Scalia, say, or Earl Warren have reacted to being accused of systematic gang rape, as Kavanaugh was by Michael Avenatti's unreliable client? Thankfully, we will never know. Some of the attacks worked to Kavanaugh's benefit, because they drew attention away from Ford's allegations and made the whole process seem suspect. Others tainted the attackers far more than the nominee. Consider that the ACLU, an organization that has long defended due process, spent $1 million on appalling ads that compared Kavanaugh to Bill Cosby, a convicted sexual predator. What in God's name has happened? Has everybody forgotten Atticus Finch? You don't have to like Kavanaugh or the man who chose him to be troubled by all this. You can support the #MeToo movement and think the groupthink aimed at Kavanaugh was largely unfair. You don't have to believe Ford was lying to concede that she could just possibly be wrong. Our memories, after all, are fallible. We are human. The divide isn't the fault of Democrats alone, of course. President Trump sprinkles gasoline on the fires of division daily. He mocked Ford's testimony, despite the evidence of her pain. It was mean, unnecessary. And some in the crowd laughed. I'm writing this on Friday evening, not long after Susan Collins, the moderate and principled senator from Maine, all but assured Kavanaugh's nomination by announcing she would vote for him. Collins did so only after imploring us, in her rational and remarkable speech, to be more civil, to take sexual assault allegations seriously and to remember our long-standing values. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "The Senate confirmation process is not a trial," Collins said. "But certain fundamental legal principles about due process, the presumption of innocence and fairness do bear on my thinking and I cannot abandon them." Collins said what had become obvious: There wasn't evidence to back Ford's words. "The four witnesses she named could not corroborate any of the events of that evening gathering where she says the assault occurred," she said. "None of the individuals Professor Ford says were at the party has any recollection at all of that night." It would have been nice if everyone had paused when Collins was done to think about what she'd said and consider her points. Of course, that isn't what happened. The Twitter mob brimmed with rage. "Never let Collins have a moment of peace in public again," wrote a person who should know better. "She's a traitor to her country and her gender," tweeted another, a man repeating a common refrain. More Information Contact Chris Churchill at 518-454-5700 or email cchurchill@timesunion.com See More Collapse A traitor to her gender? Isn't it a bit sexist for a man to suggest that all women must think alike? It is easy to be pessimistic about where we are headed. The poison in our politics is making everyone sick. It might not be as bad as 1968, but it is close. cchurchill@timesunion.com 518-454-5442 @chris_churchill Why must our elected officials look at revenue instead of costs? Make the hard decisions to cut our bloated government costs instead of appealing to the voters with tax and spend, spend, spend promises that sound good, but cannot be accomplished without an additional tax burden. Where will any money come from for new programs when we cant fund what is in place today? Instead of promoting a progressive tax rate program, address things that will make a dent in areas that impact our budget which are costs. For once, be honest with the voters. Albany It took a village to bring history to light in Kinderhook. A group of residents there have been quietly working to restore headstones in the Persons of Color Cemetery in Rothermel Park, which was rededicated last year. There are about a dozen legible headstones in the cemetery, most of which denote the graves of children. The Albany Institute of History and Art will host a free film screening of "Brought to Light: Unearthing the History of an African American Cemetery in Kinderhook" at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 11, at 125 Washington Ave. A story of rediscovery, respect and change, the hour-long documentary highlights the efforts of villagers to uncover stone markers in an overgrown field, which led them to a forgotten cemetery where hundreds of African Americans were buried during the 1800s. A portal to the past lives of Kinderhook's lesser-known population, the film explores black history and the efforts of residents to restore and call attention to the Persons of Color Cemetery, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. "From the moment that I first visited the Persons of Color Cemetery, I felt that there was an untold story here," said Barbara Reina, who wrote, directed and produced the film. "While 'Brought to Light' tells a factual story, lingering mysteries and unanswered questions about those buried in the cemetery remain." The documentary chosen as one of six from around the state to be showcased in the Archaeology Video Festival at the New York Archaeology Conference in April is being screened this fall around the Capital Region. A Q&A with the filmmaker follows. It features interviews with Roxanne Jones Booth, an adjunct professor in the Department of Africana Studies at the University at Albany; Lisa Anderson, New York State Museum bioarchaeologist; and Michael Lucas, curator of historical archaeology at the Columbia County Historical Society. Narrated by Demetria Bridges, the film includes footage from an archaeological dig and a ground penetrating radar survey conducted at the site, as well as excerpts from last year's cemetery rededication. Ruth Piwonka, Kinderhook village and town historian, was part of the ceremony, where an interpretative sign was unveiled to recognize the cemetery's history. Piwonka said that there may be more than 500 people buried on the plot of land set aside by village resident John Rogers in 1813. Rogers lived nearby on Broad Street and owned the land that would become Rothermel Park. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. According to the sign, Rogers directed in his will that part of his land should be used "for a cemetery for the people of colour in the said town of Kinderhook to use for that purpose and none other." The documentary touches on this history and more in Columbia County. Amy Freinberg-Trufas and Charles Logan lend their voices to a dramatization that recounts a piece of oral history connecting Valatie with the Underground Railroad. Logan is the voice of Rogers, who was an Irish immigrant. "Being of Irish and African American descent, I find this local history interesting," Logan said. "It's an important part of our history and offers us an opportunity to examine our past and illuminate our future," Freinberg-Trufas added. More Information A portal to the past "Brought to Light: Unearthing the History of an African American Cemetery in Kinderhook" will be screened Oct. 11 in Albany. Go to albanyinstitute.org. See More Collapse jpatterson@timesunion.com @JenSPatterson 518-454-5340 Portland, Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine isn't up for re-election until 2020, but critics vowed Saturday she'll pay a political price for voting for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Collins, meanwhile, insisted she "will not be intimidated." Crowdpac tweeted that it's secured pledges for more than $3 million for Collins' future opponent. "We're taking back Maine's Senate seat, and claiming it for someone who knows how to listen to her constituents," tweeted Mainers for Accountable Leadership, which organized protests at Collins' office. Collins said Saturday that crowdsourced funding targeting her was tantamount to "a bribe, or extortion." "I did not do any kind of political calculation in making my decision. I have to apply my best judgment. I cannot weigh the political consequences. In this case it was obvious there were going to be people very angry at me no matter what I did. I have to do what I think is right, and that's what I did," she told WCSH-TV. Saturday's vote for Kavanaugh was 50-48. So far, no serious contender has stepped forward to challenge the only Republican senator from New England, who has found herself among a dwindling number of GOP centrists. But Republicans are aware that her position could make her vulnerable. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Collins is a "top priority" when he was asked Saturday if she could be targeted by Democrats in 2020. Collins was viewed as a potential swing vote for a Supreme Court nominee whose path to confirmation was shaken by sexual misconduct allegations made by three women including Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of trying to rape her when he was in high school. Kavanaugh denied the accusations. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. In the end, Collins said she found Ford's allegation of sexual assault "sincere, painful and compelling" but said that absent any corroborating evidence she could not allow that to be the basis for voting against a nominee she thought was otherwise qualified. "We still have in this country certain fundamental principles, due process, fairness, a presumption of innocence," she said. While her vote spurred criticism, Collins was cheered by Republicans including past and former presidents. President Donald Trump said Saturday that he thought Collins was "incredible." Former President George H.W. Bush tweeted support for Collins from Kennebunkport, praising her before the final vote for "political courage and class." The death of 20 people in a crash in Schoharie on Saturday was among the Capital Region's deadliest transportation tragedies on record. On Oct. 2, 2005, 47 people were thrown in Lake George and 20 drowned when the Ethan Allen tour boat sank. Who will win control of the state Senate is anyone's guess, but now you can judge the political struggle yourself. To help voters assess what will happen in the narrowly divided chamber, where a dozen seats are likely to be competitive, we took our analytical game up a notch. We created an interactive map that uses the Partisan Value Index to help handicap where there are races that could be in play based on the electorate's past voting behavior. The Cook Political Report created the Partisan Value Index (PVI) in 1997 to calculate whether a congressional district leaned toward the right or left on the political spectrum. The value is based on the district's past two presidential votes compared to the national results, with the difference indicating how far off center the district's electorate is. The PVI was designed for congressional elections because their results are generally more closely aligned with national election trends. Democratic consultant Bruce Gyory said the PVI could be useful this November because national politics will likely inform how New Yorkers vote further down the ballot, like in state Senate races. "This year, what will drive most voters to the polls will be to express themselves for and against Trump, and therefore the Cook Partisan Voters Index will be instructive," he said. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Mapping this data presented a challenge because nearly half of the Senate districts are in the densely populated New York City area. We tackled this problem with a "tile map," which represents each district with a square. The squares give each district the same weight and preserve the districts' relative location. The resulting interactive may look like a crazy giraffe but it effectively illustrates the power divide. We included a handy explainer tool to help you navigate the geography of the state in this format. (Unfortunately, it won't resolve the longstanding debate about the borders of upstate New York.) Now, you can predict who will win the Senate. When you figure it out, let us know. New York State Police ST. JOHNSVILLE - The funeral for Michaela Macvilla, the Stewart's Shop clerk whose body was found last week in a wooded area in Oppenheim, will be held Sunday afternoon in the auditorium of the high school where she graduated. The 4 p.m. service at Oppenheim-Ephratah-St. Johnsville Junior/Senior High School, 44 Center St., is expected to draw hundreds of mourners. When Maha Syed, a Pakistani Muslim, moved to a majority-white high school on Long Island the year before 9/11, she said no one knew anything about Islam. After the terror attacks, she said everyone suddenly thought they knew everything they needed to know. Immediately, she banded together with five Muslim friends and formed a Muslim Students' Association. Seventeen years later, Syed has joined another group of five young Muslims sharing their experiences of identity, faith and family while coming of age post-9/11. She's a performer in Ping Chong and Company's production "Beyond Sacred: Voices of Muslim Identity," an interview-based play seen by 20,000 people in eight states over the past three years that's now coming to the Capital Region. The University at Albany Performing Arts Center will host a public performance on Sunday, Oct. 14, and a private event for about 500 local high school students on Monday, Oct. 15. Kim Engel, associate director of the center, heard about the play last year and knew it would have an impact on campus. Sara Zatz, the play's co-director and co-author, insisted the show is not about immigration or politics, but about "human beings living their lives." "We are literally opening up our lives and vulnerabilities," Syed said. "Sara always says that you can argue with politics and opinions, but you can't argue with people's lived experience. There's a real magic to the way that the show is done that really opens people in the audience." There are more than 3.4 million Muslims in America, according to the Pew Research Center an increase from 2.75 million in 2011. Syed and her fellow performers are as diverse as their community across the country. Their backgrounds are Pakistani, Trinidadian, African-American, Afghan and Egyptian-Puerto Rican. Three were born in the U.S. and two immigrated as teenagers, one within the past five years. "One of the overlying themes of the script is it's not just about Islam, it's not just about being Muslim. We have socioeconomic and gender struggles," Syed said. "We are whole people with really complex lives." The show is part of Ping Chong and Company's project "Undesirable Elements" that since 1992 has produced works to give voice to marginalized communities in the U.S. In 2015, the company collaborated with LaGuardia Community College in New York City to create a play about Muslim identity and put out a call for applications. Zatz, who is also the theater troupe's associate director, said most of the people who applied were young a reflection, she believes, of fear and mistrust in the Muslim community in New York City in the wake of 9/11, where police implemented surveillance and informant policies. The show premiered in May 2015. It was six months before then-presidential candidate Donald Trump called for a ban on Muslims entering the U.S. and a year and a half before, as President, he signed an executive order to ban seven-Muslim majority countries. In the play's first performance the week after the 2016 election, each performer responded with raw emotions. The show is constantly being rewritten, Zatz said, as the lives of the individuals evolve. Syed, born in Kuwait to Pakistani parents who were then displaced by the Gulf War, moved between a dozen countries growing up. After immigrating to New York City as a high school student, she worked for the Peace Corps and as an activist before becoming the executive director of New York Legal Services Coalition. For Syed, a self-described radical feminist with left-wing politics who speaks her mind and dresses the way she wants, being a part of the project has allowed her to represent a different side of Islam and connect with diverse members of her own community. She said after one show where she talked about how she doesn't look like the traditional picture of a pious Muslim, two girls with light skin and wearing shorts approached her to say thank you because people often didn't think they are Muslim, too. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "We don't all look one way, we don't all practice one way," Syed said. She didn't tell her family what she was doing until she'd already agreed to be in the show. After the fact, she had to probe for family history from relatives who usually don't discuss uncomfortable subjects. Now, her parents have attended the most shows of anyone who's not in the cast or crew. The director and performers thought the play would only last a couple weeks, but interest snowballed, calls for more shows kept coming and three years later, the project shows no signs of slowing down. The show will be hitting six states four for the first time over the next six months, including visiting SUNY Oswego in February. Their most common criticism, Zatz said, is that they preach to the choir by not doing the show in conservative parts of the country. "No matter what bubble you're living in, you can be a part of change in your community," she said. Seattle The epiphany that mushrooms could help save the world's ailing bee colonies struck Paul Stamets while he was in bed. "I love waking dreams," he said. "It's a time when you're just coming back into consciousness." Years ago, in 1984, Stamets had noticed a "continuous convoy of bees" traveling from a patch of mushrooms he was growing and his beehives. The bees actually moved wood chips to access his mushroom's mycelium, the branching fibers of fungus that look like cobwebs. "I could see them sipping on the droplets oozing from the mycelium," he said. They were after its sugar, he thought. Decades later, he and a friend began a conversation about bee colony collapse that left Stamets, the owner of a mushroom mercantile, puzzling over a problem. Bees across the world have been disappearing at an alarming rate. Parasites like mites, fast-spreading viruses, agricultural chemicals and lack of forage area have stressed and threatened wild and commercial bees alike. Waking up one morning, "I connected the dots," he said. "Mycelium have sugars and antiviral properties," he said. What if it wasn't just sugar that was useful to those mushroom-suckling bees so long ago? In research published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports, Stamets turned intuition into reality. The paper describes how bees given a small amount of his mushroom mycelia extract exhibited remarkable reductions in the presence of viruses associated with parasitic mites that have been attacking, and infecting, bee colonies for decades. In the late 1980s, tiny Varroa mites began to spread through bee colonies in the United States. The mites which are parasites and can infect bees with viruses proliferate easily and cause colony collapse in just years. Over time, colonies have become even more susceptible, and viruses became among the chief threats to the important pollinators for crops on which people rely. "We think that's because the viruses have evolved and become pathogenic and virulent," said Dennis vanEngelsdorp, a University of Maryland professor in entomology, who was not involved in the mycelium research. "Varroa viruses kill most of the colonies in the country." He likened the mites to dirty hypodermic needles; the mites are able to spread viruses from bee to bee. The only practical solution to date has been to keep the number of Varroa mites within beehives "at manageable populations." Stamet's idea about bee-helping mycelium could give beekeepers a powerful new weapon. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. At first, mushrooms were a hard sell. When Stamets, whose fascination with fungi began with "magic mushrooms" when he was a "long-haired hippie" undergraduate at The Evergreen State College, began reaching out to scientists, some laughed him off. "I don't have time for this. You sound kind of crazy. I'm gonna go," he recalled a California researcher telling him. "It was never good to start a conversation with scientists you don't know saying, 'I had a dream.'" When Steve Sheppard, a Washington State University entomology professor, received a call in 2014 from Stamets, however, he listened. Sheppard has heard a lot of wild ideas to save bees over the years, like harnessing static electricity to stick bees with little balls of Styrofoam coated in mite-killing chemicals. Stamets' pitch was different: He had data to back up his claims about mycelium's antiviral properties and his company, Fungi Perfecti, could produce it in bulk. "I had a compelling reason to look further," Sheppard said. Together with other researchers, the unlikely pair have produced research that opens promising and previously unknown doors in the fight to keep bee colonies from collapsing. "This is a pretty novel approach," vanEngelsdorp said. "There's no scientist who believes there's a silver bullet for bee health. There's too many things going on. This is a great first step." Washington Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in Saturday night as the 114th justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, after a wrenching debate over sexual misconduct and judicial temperament that shattered the Senate, captivated the nation and ushered in an acrimonious new level of polarization now encroaching on the court that the 53-year-old judge may well swing rightward for decades to come. Even as Kavanaugh took his oath of office in a quiet private ceremony, not long after the narrowest Senate confirmation in nearly a century and a half, protesters chanted outside the court building across the street from the Capitol. The climactic 50-48 roll call capped a fight that seized the national conversation after claims emerged that he had sexually assaulted women three decades ago allegations he emphatically denied. Those accusations transformed the clash from a routine struggle over judicial ideology into an angry jumble of questions about victims' rights, the presumption of innocence and personal attacks on nominees. His confirmation provides a defining accomplishment for President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, which found a unifying force in the cause of putting a new conservative majority on the court. Before the sexual accusations grabbed the Senate's and the nation's attention, Democrats had argued that Kavanaugh's rulings and writings as an appeals court judge had raised serious concerns about his views on abortion rights and a president's right to bat away legal probes. Trump, flying to Kansas for a political rally, flashed a thumbs-up gesture when the tally was announced and praised Kavanaugh for being "able to withstand this horrible, horrible attack by the Democrats." He later telephoned his congratulations to the new justice, then at the rally returned to his own attack on the Democrats as "an angry left-wing mob." Like Trump, senators at the Capitol predicted voters would react strongly by defeating the other party's candidates in next month's congressional elections. "It's turned our base on fire," declared Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. But Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York forecast gains for his party instead: "Change must come from where change in America always begins: the ballot box." The justices themselves made a quiet show of solidarity. Kavanaugh was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts and the man he's replacing, retired Justice Anthony Kennedy, as fellow Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan looked on two conservatives and two liberals. Still, Kagan noted the night before that Kennedy has been "a person who found the center" and "it's not so clear we'll have that" now. Noisy to the end, the Senate battle featured a call of the roll that was interrupted several times by protesters shouting in the spectators' gallery before Capitol Police removed them. Vice President Mike Pence presided, his potential tie-breaking vote unnecessary. Kavanaugh is joining under a cloud. Accusations from several women remain under scrutiny, and House Democrats have pledged further investigation if they win the majority in November. Outside groups are culling an unusually long paper trail from his previous government and political work, with the National Archives and Records Administration expected to release a cache of millions of documents later this month. Kavanaugh, a father of two, strenuously denied the allegations of Christine Blasey Ford, a mother of two, who says he sexually assaulted her when they were teens. An appellate court judge on the District of Columbia circuit for the past 12 years, he pushed for the Senate vote as hard as Republican leaders not just to reach this capstone of his legal career, but in fighting to clear his name. After Ford's allegations, Democrats and their allies became engaged as seldom before, though there were obvious echoes of Thomas' combative confirmation over the sexual harassment accusations of Anita Hill, who worked for him at two federal agencies. Protesters began swarming Capitol Hill, creating a tense, confrontational atmosphere that put Capitol Police on edge. As exhausted senators prepared for Saturday's vote, some were flanked by security guards. Hangers and worse have been delivered to their offices, a Roe v. Wade reference. Some 164 people were arrested, most for demonstrating on the Capitol steps, 14 for disrupting the Senate's roll call vote. McConnell told The Associated Press in an interview that the "mob" of opposition confronting senators in the hallways and at their homes united his narrowly divided GOP majority as Kavanaugh's confirmation teetered and will give momentum to his party chances this fall. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Beyond the sexual misconduct allegations, Democrats raised questions about Kavanaugh's temperament and impartiality after he delivered defiant, emotional, testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee where he denounced their party. Schumer said Kavanaugh's "partisan screed" showed not only a temperament unfitting for the high court but a lack of objectivity that should make him ineligible to serve. At one point in the hearing, Kavanaugh blamed a Clinton-revenge conspiracy for the accusations against him. Republicans argued that a supplemental FBI investigation instigated by wavering GOP senators turned up no corroborating witnesses to the claims. Democrats dismissed the truncated report as insufficient. In the end, all but one Republican, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, lined up behind the judge. She said on the Senate floor late Friday that Kavanaugh is "a good man" but his "appearance of impropriety has become unavoidable." In a twist, Murkowski voted "present" Saturday as a courtesy to Republican Kavanaugh supporter Steve Daines, who was to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding in Montana. That balanced out the absence without affecting the outcome, and gave Kavanaugh the same two-vote margin he'd have received had both lawmakers voted. It was the closest roll call to confirm a justice since 1881, when Stanley Matthews was approved by 24-23, according to Senate records. As the Senate tried to recover from its charged atmosphere, Murkowski's move offered a moment of civility. "I do hope that it reminds us that we can take very small steps to be gracious with one another and maybe those small gracious steps can lead to more," she said. Republicans control the Senate by a meager 51-49 margin, and announcements of support Friday from Republicans Jeff Flake of Arizona and Susan Collins of Maine, along with Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia, locked in the needed votes. Manchin was the only Democrat to vote for Kavanaugh's confirmation. He expressed empathy for sexual assault victims, but said that after factoring in the FBI report, "I have found Judge Kavanaugh to be a qualified jurist who will follow the Constitution." A procedural vote Friday made Saturday's confirmation a foregone conclusion. White House Counsel Don McGahn, who helped salvage Kavanaugh's nomination as it teetered, sat in the front row of the visitors' gallery for the vote with deputy White House press secretary Raj Shah. Senators on both sides know they have work to do to put the chamber back together again after a ferocious debate that saw them arguing over the sordid details of high school drinking games, sexual allegations and cryptic yearbook entries. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said, "The Senate has been an embarrassment. We have a lot of work to do." Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 7) President Rodrigo Duterte went to Hong Kong with his family Friday night, his assistant confirmed. Special Assistant to the President Bong Go shared on Saturday photos of the President with partner Honeylet Avacena and their daughter Kitty Duterte, with the caption, "Bago maunahan ng mga Fakenews kailangan din magpahinga ng Pangulo." [Translation: Before fake news breaks out first, the President needs to rest.] Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque earlier reported that doctors found a "growth" in the President's body after conducting an upper endoscopy. An upper endoscopy is a test wherein a lighted tube with a camera is passed through the mouth and throat, so doctors can view the esophagus, stomach and the small intestine. Go said the doctors have not found anything, although he did not confirm if the test results are out. Duterte also told the public Thursday that he had undergone an endoscopy and colonoscopy three weeks ago, and had another test on Wednesday. Roque said Duterte was already in Davao City Saturday afternoon. However, Go, who joined the President in his trip, said they will return to the country by Sunday. "America First" is a Trump trope loathed by lefties for whom nationalism is a dirty word. John Lennon sang "imagine there's no countries ... nothing to kill or die for." Some dream of "one world" uniting all humanity. That dream should quickly pall if you imagine what a global nation's politics and governance would be like. I sure wouldn't want to become subject to the worldviews of today's Russians, Chinese, Indians, and Turks. But disagreement about nationalism is part of our own cultural divide. Some say Americans have nothing to be proud of; our history a litany of crimes, our present a cesspool of racism, inequality, exploitation, oppression, and corruption. That's epitomized by Howard Zinn's book, "A People's History of the United States." It should have been titled "A Cynic's History." Zinn condemned America because it was not a perfect egalitarian utopia from Day One, flaying every social ill that ever existed here. With nary a word of recognition that any progress was ever achieved on any of it. Thus some friends questioned why my house flew the flag. But I was indeed proud to be an American a supportive member of what, despite its flaws, is as good a society as human beings had yet succeeded in creating. I flew the flag to honor the principles, values, and ideals America at its best stood for. The progress Zinn refused to acknowledge is this nation's central story. We are imperfect beings in an imperfect world, but strove "to form a more perfect union." A society that could and did rise toward its highest ideals. That is what our nationalism should embody. Not blood-and-soil but good will, civility, generosity, courage. Truth, reason, progress, and justice under rule of law. All people are created equal, endowed with inalienable rights: to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. E pluribus unum out of many, one. I once stood on a corner, passed by a Muslim woman in a headscarf, then a black man, a turbaned Sikh, an Hispanic, an Indian lady in a sari, a Chinese girl, and, yes, a Caucasian too. This was in Westchester. Nobody batted an eye. This is America. E pluribus unum. A place where all people can make homes, be welcomed, and thrive. This is humanity transcending its boundaries and limits. Our Declaration of Independence was truly revolutionary when, as Rousseau put it, mankind was "everywhere in chains." We lit a beacon light in the darkness, guiding countless millions of others to liberation. And as America grew more prosperous and powerful (thanks to its ideals), we took on an ever greater role as the vanguard of global efforts to expand freedom and prosperity and resist the forces that would hold people down. That U.S. world leadership has been noble. But also, it recognized that other countries being more democratic, and richer and the resulting peace are good for America itself. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. These then are the values and ideals that make America great, and make for an American nationalism worth holding to. A nationalism not of ethnicity but of principles. Alas, the us-against-them "America First" nationalism strutting today is the antithesis of those values and ideals. Their evil twin, throwing them under the bus. That is why, on November 9, 2016, I furled my flag. I look forward to I burn for the day when I can fly it once more. Frank S. Robinson of Albany is author of "The Case for Rational Optimism." [October 07, 2018] CORE Transport Technologies Announces Major Upgrade of Its Bluetooth Air Cargo Tracking System GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CORE Transport Technologies (CORE), announces the deployment of the latest upgrade to its COREInsight Bluetooth Tracking. This news is made on the eve of the annual global symposium "ULD CARE," held in Guangzhou, attended by numerous airlines leaders and suppliers from all over the world. CORE has already implemented over 800 readers and 20,000 tags and is rapidly expanding. This latest upgrade reflects CORE's experience with this initial deployment phase. In this upgrade, CORE is implementing a BLE resilient mesh network, incorporating military grade security, which can support hundreds of low-cost nodes ("relays") over a very large area. The nodes can relay messages over multiple nodes to the nearest cellular gateway ("readers") making the network totally resilient to hardware or cellular failures. This equipment is using BLE5 ("Bluetooth Low Energy") hardware and software. An initial operational deployment will begin in the week 15th October 2018. The combination of BLE5 hardware and software provides enhanced performance: 1) Speed Improvement by two times. Twice as fast . 2) Range Increased by four times, from 100 120 meters to 400-500 meters 3) Payload Capacity Increased by eight times Existing readers and tags can be integrated into the mesh by software utilizing over the air updates : no need to pull devices from service. A fast and easy transition to the new technology. Existing equipment will acquire the benefits of range and speed through the BLE5 relays. CORE announced they can now achieve further enhancements to COREInsight Bluetooth Tracking, including: Localization: Mesh tags are read by multiple relays and the signal strength is recorded for each and forwarded automatically to a reader or another relay. This extends the reach of the readers, and gives better localization of ULDs and other assets at no additional cost to customers. Ian Craig , CEO of CORE , said: "Now we can achieve highly optimal coverage as well better specific localization, two things our Airline Customers have requested." Mesh tags are read by multiple relays and the signal strength is recorded for each and forwarded automatically to a reader or another relay. This extends the reach of the readers, and gives better localization of ULDs and other assets at no additional cost to customers. , said: Waterproof Solar Powered Relay : Supplementing readers in warehouses and cargo centers with weatherproof units is a major leap forward. Solar powered readers provide the largest gain in tracking technology, taking the data collection device to the tag itself. : Supplementing readers in warehouses and cargo centers with weatherproof units is a major leap forward. Solar powered readers provide the largest gain in tracking technology, taking the data collection device to the tag itself. BLE Mesh Enabled Readers: the CORE readers can now share data amongst each other should cellular communications become inadequate. The readers are able to talk to each other to ensure uninterrupted data flow as Tag events are logged. Ian Craig continued, "We've been preparing for today for a long time. While we introduced a Bluetooth tracking system to the world in 2016, today we have reached a new milestone in the COREInsight Bluetooth Tracking product line BLE5.0, Relay Enhancement, BLE Mesh Readers all of these together create a sound and successful system to enrich our Customers' tracking experience." Steve Townes, CEO of ACL Airshop, CORE's worldwide expansion partner in this effort, said "CORE's patented Bluetooth applications for the air cargo industry are a game changer for airlines and their shipper customers. Now implementing with a number of forward-thinking airlines, including one of the world's Top Ten, this latest technology upgrade from CORE can yield new competitive advantages and logistics efficiencies for airlines ." For more information, visit www.core-tt.com and www.aclairshop.com. Both companies will be meeting with airlines customers at the ULD CARE symposium in Guangzhou. Pete Hinman Director Business Development CORE Transport Technologies p. +1 832332-3550 e. phinman@core-tt.com w. www.core-tt.com SOURCE: Ranger Aerospace View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/core-transport-technologies-announces-major-upgrade-of-its-bluetooth-air-cargo-tracking-system-300726639.html SOURCE Ranger Aerospace [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 07, 2018] Photos of the Super Mario Party and Luigi's Mansion Launch Event at Nintendo NY Store Are Available on Business Wire's Website and the Associated Press Photo Network Photos of the Super Mario Party and Luigi's Mansion Launch Event at Nintendo NY Store Are Available on Business Wire's Website and the Associated Press (News - Alert) Photo Network. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181007005051/en/ In this photo provided by Nintendo of America, guests celebrate the launch of the Super Mario Party game by challenging Mario during a special event at the Nintendo NY store in Rockefeller Plaza. An action-packed party game with 80 interactive mini-games, Super Mario Party is now available for the Nintendo Switch system. (Photo: Business Wire) Photo 1 In this photo provided by Nintendo of America, guests celebrate the launch of the Super Mario Party> game by challenging Mario during a special event at the Nintendo NY store in Rockefeller Plaza. An action-packed party game with 80 interactive mini-games, Super Mario Party is now available for the Nintendo Switch system. Photo 2 In this photo provided by Nintendo of America, Joshua A., 9, and Jacob A., 6, of Brooklyn, NY, get into the Halloween spirit during a special event at the Nintendo NY store in Rockefeller Plaza by joining Luigi for a ghost-hunting activity. The spooky classic game Luigi's Mansion will be available for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems on Oct. 12. Photo 3 In this photo provided by Nintendo of America, Parker G., 7, Bill V. and Ava T., 8, left to right, of Rotterdam, NY, gather at the Nintendo NY store in Rockefeller Plaza to celebrate the launch of the Super Mario Party game by playing the new Toad's Rec Room mode using two Nintendo Switch systems. An action-packed party game with 80 interactive mini-games, Super Mario Party is now available for the Nintendo Switch system. Photo 4 In this photo provided by Nintendo of America, Shirley M. and Gabriella A., 5, of New York, NY, celebrate the launch of the Super Mario Party and Luigi's Mansion games by posing with Mario during a special event at the Nintendo NY store in Rockefeller Plaza. An action-packed party game with 80 interactive mini-games, Super Mario Party is now available for the Nintendo Switch system. The spooky classic game Luigi's Mansion will be available for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems on Oct. 12. Photo 5 In this photo provided by Nintendo of America, Joshua A., 9 and Jacob A., 6, of Brooklyn, NY, help Luigi in his spooky adventure by playing the Luigi's Mansion on the New Nintendo 2DS XL during a special event at the Nintendo NY store in Rockefeller Plaza. The classic game Luigi's Mansion will be available for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems on Oct. 12. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181007005051/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Investigators are looking into whether Minneapolis police have shown a pattern or practice of policing that is unlawful or unconstitutional. They are also examining the police departments use of force, including against protesters, its treatment of people suffering from behavioral health issues, its systems of accountability and whether officers have engaged in discriminatory policing. Kansas City police said they would like to talk with Marlawn Betts in connection with a fatal shooting late Saturday at Ninth and Olive streets. Community Outreach Redux KCPD holds six events to better community relations KANSAS CITY, Mo. - While violence continues to plague Kansas City, the police department is searching for solutions to curb gun violence. The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department conducted six coordinated community events, one in each of its six patrol divisions, in hopes of bridging the gap between law enforcement and the community. More Newspaper High Praise Why Jason Kander's revealing PTSD story is rare in politics | The Kansas City Star Arizona Congressman Ruben Gallego is a rarity in American politics. The two-term Democrat has spoken openly about his struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the result of his service as a Marine in the Iraq War. Even then, he only revealed his symptoms - heightened anxiety and difficulty sleeping - after he was first elected in 2014. Library Talk This Week From Kennedy to Kavanaugh? The Future of the Supreme Court As Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump's pick to replace Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, faces allegations of sexual misconduct, constitutional law scholar Frank Colucci discusses Kennedy's legacy and how his successor (whoever that might be) could influence our nation's highest court. Smaller Crowd For Abuelita Democrat Laura Kelly makes campaign stops in Wichita Democrat Laura Kelly was in Wichita Saturday afternoon for a meet and greet at United Teachers of Wichita. Show-Me Search For Justice VIDEO: Missouri awarded grant to clear rape kit backlog Click here to view this video from myleaderpaper.com. Kansas City Tough Decisions Kansas City Royals should have traded Danny Duffy last offseason During the past offseason, there was much discussion about the Kansas City Royals and the rumors of a Danny Duffy trade. Obviously as we know, no trade happened. But it saw comments from Duffy on social media talking about "Bury me a Royal" and all the other comments we have come to know in the past year. Newsie Conversation Coming Soon NBC's Lester Holt coming to KC next week KANSAS CITY, Mo. - NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt is making a stop in Kansas City next week as part of his across America tour. Holt told 41 Action News anchor Christ Dubill that he plans to cover economic division in Kansas City, specifically the changes on the east and west side of Troost Avenue. Keeping The Faith And Tacos Sacred Heart churns out thousands of tacos for annual fundraiser by Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org EMPORIA - Just before Father Brandon Farrar celebrated Mass for Sacred Heart School students here in late September, he asked them questions about his vestments. "What color am I wearing?" he said. "Red! Red!" they eagerly replied. "Now, why am I wearing red?" asked Father Farrar. Here's the heavenly high price of hanging with hotties that's thankfully going to a good cause . . .Closer to home, here's access to some of the more important news stories today:is the song of the day and this is thefor right now . . . China visa exemption policy mainly applies to 10 groups of people, including 24-hour direct transit passengers, 53 countries passport holders enjoying 72-hour or 144-hour visa-free transit, tour groups organized by local travel agencies to specific areas like Hainan and Guangdong, and holders of Japanese, Singaporean, Qatari and Bruneian passports, or Chinese Alien Residence Permit. Please read the following details to check whether you meet China visa exemption requirements. Under the 24-hour visa-free transit rule, no visa is required for international flight, ship, or train passengers who transit directly through mainland China and will stay for less than 24 hours. This policy is applicable to almost all nationalities. Most airports are eligible, except the airports in Shenzhen, Yanji, Mudanjiang, and Fuzhou. Passengers should hold tickets to a third country or region and have a confirmed seat.In case that they want to leave the port for city sightseeing or transfer to another port during the 24 hours, they can apply for a Temporary Stay Permit upon arrival. Those who transfer in more than one city of China within 24 hours can also enjoy this policy. For instance, if one's trip is Los Angeles Beijing Shanghai Bangkok and the total time in China is less than 24 hours, the passenger can still enjoy the 24-hour direct transit.Passport holders of the following 53 countries and regions can be granted a visa-free stay up to 72 hours while transiting via Beijing Capital Airport, Shanghai Pudong Airport, Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, and airports of Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shenyang, Dalian, Harbin, Xi'an, Guilin, Kunming, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Tianjin, Qingdao, Nanjing, Changsha, and Xiamen:24 Schengen Agreement Countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland15 Other European Countries: Russia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia (FYROM), Albania, Belarus, Monaco6 American Countries: the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile2 Oceania Countries: Australia, New Zealand6 Asian Countries: Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar Passengers from the above countries transiting in Guangdong, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Xi'an, Chongqing, Liaoning, Chengdu, Wuhan, Qingdao, Kunming, and Xiamen can enjoy a visa-free stay up to 144 hours. See Beijing Layover Tours 6 6-Day Visa Exemption for Tourists to Pearl River Delta 7 6-Day Visa Exemption for ASEAN Tour Groups Visiting Guilin 8 Nationals of Singapore, Brunei, Japan, Qatar and Armenia Mutual Visa Exemption, 9 Holders of Aliens' Residence Permit 10 Holders of APEC Business Travel Card 11 Diplomatic, Service or Official Passport Holders Citizens holding the passport of the 59 qualifying countries are exempt from China visas when they travel to Hainan Province as a group or an individual organized by Travel Agencies in Hainan. The stay is limited to 30 days in general, and the 30 days start from 00:00 the day following the entry date.Foreigners who take a cruise to Shanghai and leave with the cruise from Shanghai or other ports of China can enjoy a 15-day visa-free stay in China given that they are received by a local travel agency as a tour group. The group should contain at least two members. Eligible passengers can travel with the ship to other coastal cities and provinces, including Beijing, Liaoning, Hebei, Tianjin, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan. The stay period counts from the following day after arrival.Citizens holding passports issued by the nations with diplomatic relations with China are exempted from China visas if they join a tourist group at Hong Kong or Macao organized by registered travel agencies in HK and Macao to visit the Pearl River Delta region for tourism and stay up to 6 days. The region includes Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Zhaoqing, and Huizhou.Tour groups from ASEAN member countries, including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Myanmar, Brunei, and the Philippines, can visit Guilin for six days free of visa. They should be received at Guilin Liangjiang Airport by local travel agencies in Guilin. During the six days, all members cannot leave Guilin. In addition, tour groups using this visa exemption policy shall exit from Liangjiang Airport only.Ordinary passport holders of Singapore, Brunei and Japan are allowed to enter China without visas for up to 15 days for tourism, visiting family or friends, or minor business purposes provided they enter through international ports open to foreigners. According toQatar citizens with ordinary passports may stay in China for less than 30 days without visa. Armenian citizens who stay in China for no more than 90 days every 180 days are exempt from visas.For nationals of these countries, a visa is required under following circumstance:(1) Ordinary passport holder visits for tourism, business, visiting friends and relatives but stays for more than 15 days (30 days for Qataris, 90 days for Armenians).(2) Ordinary passport holder visits for the purposes of study, work, official visit, settling down and interview.(3) Japanese Diplomatic and Official passport holder.Foreigners who visit for study on X1 visa or for work on Z visa and resident foreign journalists shall apply for Aliens' Residence Permit at local public security bureau within 30 days after entry.Within the period of the validity of the Residence Card, the holder is entitled to enter and exit from China for multiple times without applying for another visa.The APEC Business Travel Card is regarded as a multiple entry visa valid for three years. With this card and relevant passport, the holder is entitled to enter China for many times within its validity. The duration of each stay should be within 2 months.China has mutual visa-exemption agreements with some foreign countries, but they are mainly for diplomatic, service or official passport holders and only allow a stay less than 30 days. Joe Maddon, what were you doing with the Chicago Cubs? Its unbelievable what happened this season. Almost nothing was there when it came to your pitchers, your starters and your relievers. Youve got talent in the minor leagues. You shouldve realized that you were not going to get into the playoffs. You should have tried some of those prospects from the minor leagues to see if we could get some decent pitchers and get something going with the ball club. I couldnt believe the Cubs were recently World Series champions. They were terrible. . . You shouldve thrown away your pieces of paper that you kept looking at and actually managed this team. editorial@tribune.com Naina Mishra Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 6 Amarjit Batra, an alumnus of University Business School (UBS) and ex-CEO of OLX India and the managing director of Spotify India, was in the city for the second UBS Star Alumni Awards. During an interview with Chandigarh Tribune, Batra said, A large number of startups have been inspired by the US and China markets, which isnt a bad thing. OLX India was also inspired by a foreign model and it has been able to capture a good market share. In next four to five years, the country will witness original ideas too as the number of Internet users will rise to 700-800 million. He added, The government has been co-operative by introducing the Digital India initiative. There are more online payments, shopping or delivery services. With an increase in investment, more models will come up with the regional touch. The technology has the potential to improve the income of people and generate jobs. For example, an Uber driver is an entrepreneur in himself and Zomato is giving jobs to many young people. The 1992-batch student of the UBS said the Internet business model had created a delivery ecosystem and India could become a service provider. In coming years, the per capita income can increase up to 4,500 US Dollar considering the increasing Internet penetration. Batra said he was proud of being a part of the UBS community. The department can flourish by devising the curriculum in alignment with the latest trends. A culture should be formed wherein regular discussions are held. Capital is always available for good ideas, added. see also page 2 ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 7 Sector 22 has one of the oldest and busiest markets in the city. As the area has four major markets22-A, 22-B, 22-C, 22-D besides a rehri market, which attracts a large number of residents daily, the parking pangs have multiplied over the years. Moreover, while the number of shops and customers have increased, the area has seen slow pace of infrastructure development. Saran Pal Singh, president of the Sector 22-A Market Welfare Association, said there were around 100 shops in Block A, situated opposite Parade Ground, Sector 17. He said parking of vehicles was a major issue as private taxi drivers had occupied a large chunk of the parking, leaving little space for the visitors. The situation of in Sector 22-B is no different. It has one of the major markets for mobile accessories. Subhash Narang, president of the Sector 22-B Market Welfare Association, said the parking introduced by the MC had failed to serve its purpose. Encroachments and sanitation are other major problems in the market. A large number of hotels and electronics shops are situated in the market. Ajay Gupta, a trader at the Sector 22-C market, said parking was a major problem. He said the paid parking brought no relief. The paid parking is only in the name as the staff there have failed to manage it properly. Street lights are non-functional at many places. A number of thefts have been reported in the market due to it in the past six months. The problem of parking is also seen near Hotel Aroma. The Sector 22-D is facing a similar problem. Arvind Jain, president of the Chandigarh Beopar Sadan, said it was one of the oldest markets in the city but the Municipal Corporation and the Administration failed to protect its sanctity. Chaos at rehri market Street vendors have squeezed the walking space at the rehri market in the area. The police too have failed to act against encroachers. Residents face problems as visitors park their vehicles in front of their houses. Even fire safety norms have been completely ignored. At some spots, the passage is so narrow that it is impossible for a fire tender to enter in case of an emergency. Multi-level parkings on anvil To end parking woes in the city, the Municipal Corporation is planning to construct three multi-level parkings in Sectors 17, 22 and 34. This will help end parking woes. Davesh Moudgil, Mayor, Chandigarh Completely ignored Traders in 22-C have been facing the problem of parking for long. Those visiting hotels and eating joints park their vehicle in the market parking, causing problems for others.Varinder Bajaj, City Centre Market Welfare Association, Sector 22-C Taxi drivers to blame The Sector 22-A market has been completely ignored by the authorities. Parking is a major issue. A large number of private taxi drivers have occupied the parking, leaving little space for visitors. The Administration should also install traffic lights or leave some space for hassle-free movement in the market. Saran Pal Singh, president, Sector 22-A Market Welfare Association Authorities failed to protect sanctity The 22-D market is one of the oldest in the city but the Municipal Corporation and the UT Administration have failed to protect its sanctity. Due to the apathy of the authorities, it has today turned into a flea market. There is a need to expand roads in front of the market. A police post should also be constructed. Arvind Jain, president, Chandigarh Beopar Sadan Poor management Though the city Municipal Corporation introduced the parking in the area, the problem remained. There is a chaos in the parking everyday due to its poor management. The bus stop opposite the market should be shifted to the Sector 17 ISBT as it causes problems to the visitors. The parking area should also be increased to end the chaos.Subhash Narang, president, Market Welfare Association, Sector 22-B ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 7 The UT police have already arrested 125 drug peddlers in the city till September 14 this year and have recovered 672 gm of heroin and 3,156 gm of charas among other drugs. According to police records, 121 cases under the NDPS Act have been registered at various police stations. Among the 125 arrests, 10 are women drug peddlers, who were caught with injections and other drugs. This year, 672 gm of heroin has been recovered in the city as compared to 1,325 gm last year. The police have also recovered 19.415 kg of ganja from people arrested from different parts of the city. The police have recovered 3.156 kg of charas and 1.765 kg of poppy husk. Police officials said the sale of banned injections had gone up in the past few years, especially in colonies and suburbs of Chandigarh. These days, vials are widely used by drug addicts. This year, the police have recovered 2,864 banned vials. Drug peddlers get banned injections from Ambala for around Rs 25 per injection, which is sold between Rs 250 and Rs 300 in the city. The sale of injections is more rampant in colonies and villages, said a police official. Women drug lords In August, drug peddler Poonam (33) was nabbed with 270 gm of heroin, 200 banned injections and Rs 6 lakh. Poonam had a well-knit drug nexus and several cases registered against her. Poonam owns a house in Sector 40 and used high-end mobile phones. Her husband Sikander is in jail in an NDPS case. Sikander had six cases registered against him. Earlier in July this year, Nirmala, alias Nimmo, was arrested by the Chandigarh Police with 30 gm of heroin and 30 banned injections. She also has several cases registered against her. The seizures Drugs Recovery Heroin 671.611 gm Ganja 19.415 kg Opium 566 gm Injections 2,864 Tablets/capsules 433 240 cases in 2017 In 2017, 240 cases were registered under the NDPS Act, leading to the arrest of 244 persons of whom 20 were women and three Nigerians. The police had recovered 1,325 gm of heroin and 3,989 vials among other drugs. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Mohali, October 6 Special Task Force (STF) sleuths have arrested a notorious drug peddler with 270 gram of heroin. The accused has been identified as Balwinder Singh, alias Thakar, a resident of Polia village in Una district of Himachal Pradesh. Giving information, Harpreet Singh, AIG, Ropar Range, said Thakar was arrested from Madanpur Chowk here following a tip-off. AIG Harpreet Singh said Thakar was released on bail around four months ago. He was earlier arrested by us (STF, Mohali) twice last year. In one case, 40 gram of heroin was recovered from him and in the other case, he was caught with 50 gram of heroin. After coming out on bail in both the cases, he restarted his drug business, said AIG Harpreet Singh. He added that a case of hawala money was also registered against the accused at Ropars Sadar police station in 2006. In the case, he was declared a proclaimed offender. He was arrested around two years later. He had to spend a lot of time in jail and when he was released, he took to chhita trade, said the AIG. In 2013, the Banga police arrested Thakar with heroin. Besides, he was booked for attempt to murder in Ludhiana. He was also booked under the NDPS Act by the Ropar police in 2015 and the Kiratpur police in 2016. The police added that Thakar was active in Mohali, Zirakpur, Chandigarh, Panchkula and some towns of Himachal Pradesh. He used to procure heroin from some Nigerians staying in New Delhi, said the police. In the fresh incident, a case under Sections 21, 31, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against him at the STF police station, Phase 4. He was produced in a local court, which sent him to two-day police remand. KP Nayar KP Nayar Senior Journalist Deluged by military analyses of PM Narendra Modis decision to buy 36 Rafale fighter planes and its political fallout, it has completely been lost sight of that the plan to acquire French aircraft had a high foreign policy dimension. Rightly, it was not solely defence-related considerations that influenced the purchase. Shortly before French President Francois Hollande was to arrive in New Delhi in January 2016 as chief guest for Republic Day, Modi, frustrated that his intention to purchase 36 Rafale aircraft nine months earlier was not going forward, called a meeting of principals in the negotiations. The mood at the meeting was uncertain and indecisive. Price was still an issue, there were conflicting views on what lay beyond inking the deal during Hollandes visit and there was no clarity on the presumed public sector partner of Dassault Aviation in the offset arrangements. The only certainty at the meeting was the firm stand by the Indian Air Force that it desperately needed fighter aircraft, and quickly. There were no single-handed bureaucrats at the meeting. Typically, the civil servants who spoke hedged their remarks with on the one hand and on the other. The Prime Minister sensed that this meeting would be a waste of time, a non-starter. Modi had specifically instructed that Mohan Kumar, Indias ambassador in Paris, should be invited for the meeting. But Kumar had not said a word, because he was the junior-most officer at the table and was diffident to offer his opinion without being asked. Modi looked at Kumar and asked: Aapki rai kya hai? (What is your opinion?) Sir, this deal is very important for France. He could not go on to the next sentence because he was rudely interrupted by Nripendra Misra, Principal Secretary to the PM. You are Indias ambassador to France, not the French ambassador to India, he curtly tried to silence Kumar. But Modi quickly came to the ambassadors rescue. Mohanji, theek keh rahe hain (Mohan is right). The French were the only people who stood by us when we tested the nuclear weapons in 1998, Modi continued. Even the Russians opposed us and told Brajeshji (Brajesh Mishra, the PMs special envoy) as much when he visited Moscow after the tests. The Russians changed their mind only after the tide began to turn in Indias favour. The PM gave a long lecture to the assembled bureaucrats on Indias imperatives in foreign policy and linked it to the Rafale purchase. He said the French had been sensitive to Indias needs when the Vajpayee government had its back to the wall and gave support at every turn after the nuclear option was exercised. India, too, had to be alert to French sensitivities now. If the deal was important for France, and since the planes met the specifications of our Air Force, the ambassadors views had to be considered. Modi had done his homework. He quoted from cipher telegrams sent by Ranjan Mathai who was ambassador in Paris in 2007 after Dassault Aviation placed its bid for 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft in August of that year. Mathai, who later became Foreign Secretary, had familiarised himself with Rafale at air shows in France and had given his impressions in those telegrams. Mathai also stressed Indias strategic imperatives in aligning with France as a diplomat with a ringside view, stationed in Paris. As it often happens at such meetings, once a PM lets it be known which way he is leaning, civil servants who used both hands to argue their point suddenly become single-handed. To cut a long story short, an MoU on the purchase of Rafale planes was signed during the French Presidents visit. Diplomatic imperatives played only a part, but a significant one. Because other elements were integral to the deal, it took eight more months to unlock the complexity of technical and price negotiations. The final steps to seal the deal were completed only on September 23, 2016. It is a great loss to Indias diplomatic archives that Brajesh Mishra, Indias first National Security Adviser, did not write his memoirs which would have been a treasure trove of episodes about some of the momentous years in Indias history. Fortunately, Mishra, who loved good things in life, shared several of those tales with those he trusted on many spirited evenings. Therefore, we know that in the initial days of the Kargil war in 1999, when Pakistanis had a worrying advantage on the heights, the French executed on an emergency footing the adaptation of IAF Mirages to equip them with Israeli laser-guided bombs, which were secretly delivered in Srinagar. Without such French support, Pervez Musharraf could well have gotten the better of this country. Between the two series of nuclear tests on May 11 and May 13, 1998, there was only one foreign affairs delegation present in New Delhi. It was led by the Secretary-General of the French foreign ministry, Bertrand Dufourcq. While almost the entire world condemned the tests, imposed sanctions or pulled out their High Commissioners from New Delhi, Dufourcq extended an invitation to Mishra, then Principal Secretary to Vajpayee, to visit Paris. When Mishra reached Paris, his first stop abroad to explain Pokhran II, it was a national holiday. But President Jacques Chirac took him on a long walk on the grounds of the Elysee Palace. Chirac said France would stand by India, but advised Mishra that in order to end Indias nuclear winter, he would have to work on the Americans. The rest, as they say, is history. In arguing the foreign policy rationale for buying Rafale jets, Modi has been acutely aware that if India now has a respected presence at the Group of Twenty summits, it is originally owed to the French who broke new ground in 2003 by inviting Vajpayee to the G-8 summit in Evian-les-Bains. This invitation was the seed which germinated as todays G-20. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Hisar, October 6 Animal scientists of Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (LUVAS) here have claimed that a Hariana breed cow yielded 20.6 kg milk in a day on Saturday. Hariana cow is an indigenous breed of dairy cattle. Dr Gurdial Singh, Vice-Chancellor of LUVAS, congratulated the scientists of Department Animal Genetics and Breeding and said it was a step forward towards increasing the farmers income through comprehensive breed improvement programmes. The Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding was granted a project Genetic Improvement of Indigenous Breed of Cattle Hariana Unit by ICAR during 1985-86 to undertake studies on propagation, multiplication, improvement and conservation of Hariana Cattle with the germplasm unit at the main campus and four other associated units in and around Hisar. This project on genetic improvement of Hariana Cattle successfully continued for nearly 25 years. Judicious selection and mating for eight generations of Hariana cow project led to this outcome. The cow has surpassed all records in its class and recorded a peak yield of 19.80 kg on per day average for past three days. Today, this record was also surpassed as the cow yield was recorded at 20.6 kg. This cow has fairly good track record of reproduction traits with age at first calving average, calving interval and dry period, said the VC. The cow had attained a peak yield at 17.2 kg per day with total lactation milk yield of 3,281.4 kg during last lactation period. It also has an unprecedented average daily milk yield of 12.97 kg per day. It may be mentioned that the state average peak yield of Hariana cow is about 5 to 6 kg per day, against the national average of elite farms of this breed at 8 to 9 kg per day. Dr Abhay Singh Yadav, Head of the Department, Dr Parveen Goel, Director of Research, and Dr Diwakar Sharma, Dean, College of Veterinary Sciences, claimed that the unique performance of Hariana cattle herd at the farm in general and cow A-6 in particular was obtained due to concerted efforts by the team of scientists. The Union Agriculture Ministry had honoured the scientists of the university with the National Kamdhenu Award for their outstanding contribution to improvement of indigenous breeds of cattle Hariana and Sahiwal last year on World Milk Day at New Delhi. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Ambala, October 6 Unhappy with the repeated physical verification of the stocks at rice mills, millers in Ambala City decided not to lift paddy stock for milling on Saturday. Rajkumar Singla, president of the Rice Millers Association, Ambala City, said, The state government has constituted teams to check the stock and records of rice mills and commission agents. We cant work under such pressure. The government has been sending its officials for physical verification repeatedly as if we are criminals. On September 23 and 24, the physical verification of the mills was carried out. We have been lifting stock for the government and it is not possible to get the physical verification done now as the arrivals have started to turn heavy in the market. If the government wants to carry out the physical verification, it can carry it out in November and February, he added. If the government wants, it can purchase the stock, and offload at rice mills. We will provide space, but we will not lift the stock from now. The commission agents will also not participate in the procurement process, the millers said. They marked their resentment to Deputy Commissioner Sharandeep Kaur. The DC assured the rice millers that she would apprise the higher authorities about the issue. The millers also raised objection to the ban on the entry of heavy vehicles under the limits of the Municipal Corporation. They said they had been facing obstacles in paddy lifting due to the ban. The DC said relaxation would be given to vehicles during the paddy season. While inspecting the grain markets of Ambala City and Ambala Cantonment, the DC inquired about the arrivals and lifting. She asked the officials concerned to ensure that stocks were lifted on time and farmers got their payments in time and also to pay more attention to sanitation. At the Ambala Cantonment grain market, the DC asked the market secretary to get the CCTV cameras installed at the place. Over 1,22,931 tonnes of paddy have arrived at five grain markets of the district so far. Kurukshetra: The Haryana Rice Millers Association (HRMA) on Saturday announced to indefinitely suspend paddy purchase and milling in the state to protest the spot-verification of the foodgrain stocks at various rice mills. As traders stopped buying paddy, agitated farmers locked down the new grain market here this evening. They demanded the state government restart paddy purchase immediately. Farmers demanded action against the rice millers for harassing them. The protesting farmers blocked the Kurukshetra Development Board road. However, the blockade was lifted at around 8 pm. HRMA president Jewel Singla said the state agencies were harassing the millers on the flimsy ground of checking the mills. Karnal: After the failure of their meeting with the Minister of State for Food and Supply Karan Dev Kamboj at Karan Lake, the Haryana Rice Millers and Dealers Association on Saturday announced not to procure paddy from tomorrow across the state. At the state-level meeting that lasted for more than around two hours, the millers told the minister that the higher officials of the department were issuing illogical orders to harass them daily. editorial@tribune.com Parveen Arora Tribune News Service Dachar (Karnal), October 6 A week after the cancellation of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattars visit to a gurdwara at Dachar village, sewadars of various gurdwaras of the district on Saturday announced to continue the boycott of the BJP in the state. They called upon the Sikhs not to invite any BJP leader in any programme and not to honour them in the gurdwaras. Besides, they also announced not to allow the testing of langar by the Health Department for any political leader. The sewadars also asked the CM to express apology at the Akal Takht first and later in the Dachar gurdwara. In a meeting that lasted for around six hours, Baba Ram Singh, priest of Nananksar gurdwara, Singhra, Baba Sukha Singh, priest of Dera Kar Sewa, and Baba Gurmeet Singh, sewadar of Dachar gurdwara, said the cancellation of the CMs visit to the gurdwara was an insult of the gurughar. We had served an ultimatum of October 6 to the CM to express apology in the same gurdwara, said Baba Sukha Singh. Baba Ram Singh exhorted the Sikh community not to attend any rally of the chief minister and the Prime Minister in the state. Members of the Sikh community asked Assandh MLA Bakhshish Singh Virk to resign from the post. SGPC chief: CM hurt Sikh sentiments Amritsar: SGPC chief Gobind Singh Longowal has flayed Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for hurting Sikh sentiments by abstaining from paying a visit to the gurdwara in Dachar village of Karnal district. Talking to mediapersons, Longowal said Khattar took the step at the behest of the RSS. Meanwhile, in a press release issued here on Saturday, RSS general secretary Avtar Singh Shastri said Khattar did not visit the gurdwara following inputs from the Intelligence Bureau. He said Khattars faith in the Sikh Gurus could not be doubted as he had credited them for his success after assuming the post of chief minister. During his tenure, a high number of educational institutes and intersections were named after the Sikh Gurus, he claimed. Some mischievous persons were inciting feelings of the Sikh community, Shastri alleged. TNS If the Post-Tribune ever takes the time to track down little ole me for a interview, I would hope that they would have enough common sense to leave the little boy name-calling out of the conversation, refer to Mr. Trump as President Trump like someone with honor and dignity. Because I lost my respect for anybody not willing to respect the position of President of the United States of America, and I hate a sore loser that just can't move on. I'm a Independent that can think for myself, and this constant name-calling and especially calling the president a racist tells me everything about you, not the president. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Hisar, October 6 A debt-ridden farmer allegedly committed suicide after the recent rains damaged his cotton crop. Ram Kumar (52), a resident of Pabra village in the district, consumed celphos tablets in his fields on Thursday evening and died in a private hospital on Friday night. Ishwar Singh, a cousin of the victim, said that Ram Kumar had taken a loan of nearly Rs 2.30 lakh from the cooperative bank and private lenders. He took short-term crop loan of Rs 1 lakh from the bank, besides loans from Cooperative Society and arhtiyas. He hoped to repay the loan after harvesting the crop, he said, and added that he was upset after the recent rains damaged his cotton crop on 2.5 acres. He returned home in the evening and disclosed that he had consumed celphos tablets. We rushed him to a private hospital, but he could not be saved, he said. Rajesh Kumar, husband of the woman sarpanch of the village, said that the farmer was in financial crisis due to the debt coupled with crop failure. Ram Kumar has a teenaged son and two daughters who are married, he said, and added that they had appealed to the Chief Minister to provide financial assistance to the farmers family. Barwala police station in charge Ajmer Singh said that the family members stated that the farmer was in distress for the past a couple of days due to the damage to the crop. It seems to be a case of suicide, he added. editorial@tribune.com Dipender Manta Tribune News Service Mandi, October 7 To keep hawk eye vigil on offenders during the week-long Kullu Dasehra from October 19 to 25 police will use four drone cameras, which will be monitored by the SPs office round the clock. Apart from this, police will install around 50 CCTV hidden cameras at key locations to keep tab on offenders. Entire Kullu town will be divided into 11 sectors and each sector will be monitored by a special officer. This was for the first time that the district police had decided to use drone cameras to keep tab on movement of traffic and offenders in overcrowded areas. This will ensure timely action against offenders. Superintendent of Police Kullu Shalini Agnihotri said additional police force had been sought to maintain law and order during the fair as lakhs of people throng the historical Dhalpur ground in Kullu to enjoy festivities. Traffic management is a big challenge for police authorities as Kullu town witnesses a heavy rush of foreign and domestic tourists, who visit the venue to also have a glimpse of the famous deity culture. During the fair, over 200 deities from across the district congregate at the Dhalpur ground. The deities are accompanied by hundreds of devotees. They stay here at temporary camps at the ground for seven days. Due to heavy rush of the visitors parking areas at the ground remain choked. To provide parking facilities to the visitors, the district administration has identified 21 parking places in the vicinity of the town. Bus service from the Lag valley will be curtailed at Shishamati and the bus service from the Bhunter side towards Kullu will be halted at the college gate ground to avoid traffic mess. Talking to The Tribune, Superintendent of Police Kullu Shalini Agnihotri said, Security of citizens is our top priority. To maintain law and order, we have sought additional police force. Generally, during Dasehra every year around 1,600 police personnel were deployed to maintain law and order situation but this year we have decided to deploy 2,200 police personnel and Home Guard jawans. Apart from using drone cameras, special teams will be constituted to curb eve teasing, road side drinking and hooliganism after cultural programmes, she remarked. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Solan, October 7 Scientists of the department of plant pathology at Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry (UHF) have bagged an international collaborative project on developing technology for inducing biotic and abiotic stress tolerance in mustard rape for economic and environmental sustainability. The project has been sanctioned under the Newton Bhabha Fund UK-India pulses and oilseed research initiative (PORI). The university scientists will collaborate with nine leading research organisations of the country besides seven renowned research institutes of the United Kingdom in this project. A budgetary outlay of Rs 7.27 crore comprises the Indian component, which will be distributed among the 10 Indian institutes, which are part of the project. Each Indian institute will work on a different aspect of the project with a researcher working in the same area in the UK. BBSRC will make available upto 3.5 million to support the UK components of this research. Dr HR Gautam, Professor and Head of the department of plant pathology, informed that Dr Anil Handa, Professor of plant pathology, would be the principal investigator and coordinator of this project. While elaborating on the project, Dr Gautam said India was one of the major producers and consumers of oilseeds in the world. The university scientists will work on genomics-led improvement of biotic and abiotic stress tolerance in mustard rape for economic and environmental sustainability by utilising advanced molecular approaches for mapping the genes conferring resistance to turnip mosaic virus (TuMV). The plant virology laboratory of the department of plant pathology is an internationally acclaimed laboratory where molecular research will be conducted for this project. University of Delhi, South Campus; NIPGR, New Delhi; NBPGR, New Delhi; NRCPB, New Delhi; IARI, New Delhi; PAU, Ludhiana; CAZRI, Jodhpur; DRMR, Bharatpur and IIT, Kharagpur, will also be a part of the project. The University of York, University of Hertfordshire, University of Warwick, University of Essex, Earlham Institute and Rothamsted Research will be the investigators from the United Kingdom. Vice-Chancellor Dr HC Sharma said the latest techniques in biotechnology would be used for disease management to increase productivity of oilseeds. It would also train the students in using molecular markers for crop improvement. Through this collaborative project, efforts are being made to encourage multi-institutional collaborations between UK and Indian researchers to enhance crop productivity, resilience, sustainability and quality of pulses and oilseeds grown for food or feed in India informed Sharma. editorial@tribune.com Our Correspondent Chamba, October 6 Residents of Tissa in Churah Assembly constituency are up in arms over the vacant posts of doctors and lack of other basic facilities at the Tissa hospital as the present government has failed to provide better health services. This is the only hospital in the area looking after the wellness of about one lakh people. Only one doctor is running the Tissa hospital, besides looking after the additional charge of Block Medical Officer. The residents demanded that three more doctors and a Block Medical Officer were required to meet the need of this 50-bedded subdivisional hospital. There is no facility of X-ray and ultrasound at the hospital which add to the misery of the patients and they have to go to far-off places for treatment, the residents further said. Threaten to intensify stir editorial@tribune.com Lalit Mohan Tribune News Service Dharamsala, October 7 Government colleges in tribal areas of Chamba district lack infrastructure and faculty. Last week, the students of Government College in Killar, Pangi, blocked a road, demanding that posts of science teacher be filled. Pangi is one of the remotest tribal areas of the district. It is located at a distance of 200 km from Chamba. The area remains cut off during winter. From Chamba, the Pangi valley can be approached through the Saach Pass. Surjeet Singh Bharmouri, general secretary of the Youth Congress, said Government College in Pangi started functioning in 2003. However, even after 15 years, it was still functioning from a temporary building, he added. There are over 200 students in the college. This year, 11 students took science subjects. The government posted four science teachers in the college. However, all of them got themselves posted out even before joining. The government is now urging the students to shift to Chamba Government College. This is unjustified. Moreover, the decision to shift the students is not in favour of girls. Parents will not send their daughters to far-off places. The decision of the government to shift science students to Chamba college is unfair, Surjeet Bharmouri said. Sources in the Education Department said after the students blocked the road in Killar for a day, the government ordered posting of three science teachers in Pangi Government College. However, the teachers are yet to join. A senior official in the Education Department said teachers desisted from working in remote areas. Whenever a teacher is posted there, he or she exerts political pressure to get transferred out. So the department has decided to shift the students to Chamba college, he stated. The government also offered to bear the expenses, which was turned down by the students and their parents. Bharmour is another tribal area in Chamba district. Government College, Bharmour, was established in 2005. The college is still functioning from the old tehsil building of Bharmour. The authorities have failed to even identify land for a permanent building. Surjeet Singh Bharmouri said the tribal area continued to remain neglected. The students of these areas are forced to go to Chamba, Dharamsala and adjoining states for education. It was an irony that the government had failed to provide even the basic infrastructure in colleges, he said. editorial@tribune.com Our Correspondent Kullu, October 6 Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today announced a reduction of Re 1 in the minimum bus fare of the HRTC which was hiked by the Cabinet at its meeting on September 24. The fare for the first 3 km in local buses had been hiked by 100 per cent from Rs 3 to Rs 6. The announcement was made by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur while speaking at the conclusion of the two-day Abhyaas Varg workshop of the BJP for the Mandi constituency held here. The BJP is holding the workshop to gear up the party cadres for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections next year. The decision to reduce the hike by Re 1 seems to have been made with an eye on the parliamentary polls and the resentment brewing among the public over the hike. The substantial hike would hit the common man the most as it is this section which uses bus as the main mode of travel. The fare was increased by almost 22 to 24 per cent by the Cabinet on September 24. There was resentment not just among the Congress and CPM but also BJP leaders. Now, it remains to be seen whether the partial reduction in the fare will help in damage control. The hike for the first 3 km in local buses had been 100 per cent from Rs 3 to Rs 6. The per kilometre fare in the plains and hilly areas has been increased from 90 paise and Rs 1.45 to Rs 1.12 and Rs 1.75, an increase of 24.44 per cent and 20.69 per cent. The fare of deluxe and Volvo buses has also been increased by more than 20 per cent. The justification given by the government was that the hike was imminent as it had been done way back in 2013. Private bus transporters had gone on a strike last month, seeking a hike in bus fare. Eye on polls too rchopra@tribunemail.com Amir Karim Tantray Tribune News Service Jammu, October 6 Twenty-two persons were killed and 14 injured when a minibus fell into a gorge at Kela Morh near Marog on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Ramban district on Saturday. Thirteen critically injured passengers were airlifted to military hospital in Udhampur. Two of them died at the hospital. Three persons with minor injuries were discharged after first aid. Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban Range DIG Rafiq-ul-Hassan said the minibus was on its way from Banihal to Ramban when it veered off the road around 9.55 am. Thirty-six persons, including the driver, were travelling in the 20-seater vehicle. The driver probably lost control over the overloaded minibus, which fell into the 200-metre gorge, Hassan said. The police, with the help of the Army and locals, immediately launched a rescue operation and shifted the injured to the district hospital in Ramban. As many as 19 passengers died on the spot, he said. Most of the passengers were residents of Banihal and surrounding villages and were headed to Ramban. The rescue operation lasted for a few hours as it was difficult for the rescuers to reach down to shift the injured passengers and retrieve the bodies. Accidents appear to have become a routine on the 30-km Ramban-Banihal stretch on the Jammu-Srinagar highway, said a villager, adding that thousands of lives had been lost on this link over the years and no action has been taken to address the problem. Meanwhile, PM Narendra Modi has announced ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to next of kin of the deceased. editorial@tribune.com Dinesh Manhotra Tribune News Service Jammu, October 7 As the campaigning for the first phase of urban local bodies elections ended on Sunday morning, 6,11,244 voters will decide the fate of 1,283 candidates contesting the elections for 422 wards -- spread over a dozen districts -- on Monday. The last urban local bodies elections were held through the paper ballot in 2005. For the first time, electronic voting machines will be used in the urban local bodies elections in the state. Unlike the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the campaigning for the urban local bodies polls ended 24 hours before the start of voting at 7 am on Monday. Keeping in view the terror threats, adequate security arrangements have been made for the smooth conduct of the elections across the state. We have made elaborate security arrangements, especially in the sensitive areas of Poonch and Rajouri districts, as well in the border belts of Jammu, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu, SD Singh told The Tribune. The IGP said the campaign for the first phase was peaceful and there was no report of any untoward incident. Till 7 am on Sunday, the deadline for the campaign, candidates made every effort to convince the voters in high-pitch canvassing which began 15 days ago with the filing of nominations. Although the National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party have boycotted the polls, the boycott call has failed to dampen the spirit of campaigning even in Muslim-majority border districts of Poonch and Rajouri, where 297 candidates are in the fray in 83 wards. The boycott call was given to protect Article 35A whose constitutional validity has been challenged in the Supreme Court. Toeing the line of the two regional parties, the CPM has also boycotted the elections. The Bahujan Samaj Party has also announced the boycott due to the deteriorating security scenario in the state in general and the Kashmir valley in particular. As many as 78 candidates have already been elected unopposed for the first phase of the four-phase elections. Not only in the militancy-plagued areas of south Kashmir, some candidates have also been elected unopposed from otherwise peaceful areas of Arnia of Jammu (one), Nowshera (one) and Thanamandi of Rajouri (three) and Surankot of Poonch (four). Polls in 422 wards editorial@tribune.com Samaan Lateef Tribune News Service Srinagar, October 7 Amid militant threats and separatist boycott call, the first phase of municipal elections, considered significant for the mainstream narrative, will begin in the state on Monday. The civic elections in the Valley are being held after 13 years. Keeping in view the terror threats, adequate security arrangements have been made for the smooth conduct of the elections across the state. Nearly 200 companies of the CRPF and J&K Armed Police have been deployed across Kashmir for the smooth conduct of the polls. Security forces have also erected checkposts at sensitive areas in Kashmir to keep an eye on the movement of militants even as separatists have called for a shutdown on Monday. All necessary arrangements have been made for the polls, Director General of Police Dilbag Singh told The Tribune. When asked if there were inputs about any possible militant attack to disrupt the polls, he said: We are prepared for any contingency. We have made elaborate security arrangements, especially in the sensitive areas of Poonch and Rajouri districts, as well in the border belts of Jammu, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu, SD Singh told The Tribune. The municipal elections are significant for New Delhi as Kashmir has seen a predominance of separatist politics and militant narrative following Burhan Wanis killing in July 2016. Also, two major mainstream political parties NC and PDP riding on separatist sentiment have boycotted the elections. The voting in the first phase of elections is crucial for Kashmir politics, both mainstream and separatist. Even though people will come out to vote in small numbers, it will definitely help New Delhi to build its narrative in the upcoming elections, said political commentator Ahmed Raiz. Raiz said voting in the first phase would set the ball rolling for the next three phases of elections in Kashmir. In Phase-I of the municipal elections, of the 149 wards in Kashmir, 69 candidates of Congress, BJP and Independent candidates have won uncontested while 11 wards have no contestants. From the remaining 69 wards facing the contest, officials say 171 candidates are in the political fray from 13 municipalities spread over seven districts. In five municipalities of south Kashmir Kulgam, Devsar, Achabal, Kokernag, and Qazigund polling will take place only in Kokernag municipality, where eight candidates are contesting from four wards. Out of total 49 wards, 30 candidates have won uncontested while remaining wards could not get candidates. The polling for 79 municipal bodies, including two corporations of Srinagar and Jammu, will be held in four phases on October 8, 10, 13 and 16. The elections to the municipal bodies in the state were held in 2005 through the secret ballot and their term of five years expired in February 2010. More than 6 lakh voters to decide fate of contestants As the campaigning for the first phase of the urban local bodies elections ended on Sunday morning, 6,11,244 voters will decide the fate of 1,283 candidates contesting the elections for 422 wards spread over a dozen districts on Monday. 200 companies of CRPF, JKAP deployed Nearly 200 companies of the CRPF and J&K Armed Police (JKAP) have been deployed across Kashmir for the smooth conduct of the polls. Security forces have also erected checkposts in sensitive areas in Kashmir to keep an eye on the movement of militants even as separatists have called for a shutdown on Monday. Elections significant for New Delhi The voting in the first phase of elections is crucial for Kashmir politics, both mainstream and separatist. Even though people will come out to vote in small numbers, it will definitely help New Delhi to build its narrative in the upcoming elections, said political commentator Ahmed Raiz. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Srinagar, October 6 Governor Satya Pal Malik here on Saturday reviewed security arrangements made for the smooth conduct of the civic and panchayat elections at a meeting held here. The meeting was attended by officers of the civil administration, police, Central Armed Police Forces, Army, and intelligence agencies, in which a detailed review of security related issues was undertaken. Considering the pattern of attempts to disturb law and order in the past few days, the Governor stressed the need for a heightened vigil and ensuring safety of candidates. He also stressed security of all important establishments and installations. Those attending the meeting included Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, Northern Army Commander; BB Vyas and Vijay Kumar, Advisers; BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary; Dilbag Singh, Director General of Police; and Lt Gen AK Bhat, GOC, 15 Corps. After obtaining sector-wise assessments of the prevailing security situation and arising challenges, the Governor emphasised the importance of maintaining a sustained close watch on the ground situation. He appreciated the coordination and synergy between the security forces and the civil administration. The Governor discussed about the issues relating to the welfare of the police personnel and their families. Lauding the commitment of the security forces towards their duty and the sacrifices made by them during the discharge of duties, the Governor said it was the responsibility of the authorities to take care of the police personnel and their families. Earlier, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, was given an update on the latest situation at the Badami Bagh Cantonment. During the meeting with the Governor, the overall security situation was reviewed, with special focus on the winter strategy, counter terrorist operations and the aspects of alienation among the youth. A piano ensemble charity event in northern China has created a new Guinness World Record. Children play the pianos during a public welfare event to care for children with visual impairment in Wuqiang County, north China's Hebei Province, Oct. 6, 2018. A total of 666 pianos made appearance during the event. [Photo / Xinhua] A total of 666 pianos were played simultaneously by 639 participants in Wuqiang County of Hebei Province on Saturday, setting a new world record. Pianists from eight countries and regions joined hands with blind children, as well as teachers, students and music lovers from around China. On the main stage, 40 pianos were placed to coincide with the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up this year, while the rest of the pianos were placed in a local square. The pianos have a combined worth of more than 50 million yuan (7.3 million U.S. dollars). The event broke the record of 555 pianos playing simultaneously in Inchon of the Republic of Korea in 2007, according to Luo Qiong, the Guinness certification officer. Luo hopes that the event can spread musical education awareness among more people. editorial@tribune.com Majid Jahangir Tribune News Service Srinagar, October 6 The Border Security Force (BSF) man, who was arrested in the frontier district of Kupwara, was directed by the Hizbul Mujahideen to teach basics of handling of weapons to new recruits, police sources said. The J&K Police on Thursday claimed to have busted a Hizbul Mujahideen module in Kupwara by arresting BSF Constable Shakir Wani, 29, and Ghulam Mustafa Sheikh, 27, both residents of Tekipora, Lolab. The police said the two were over-ground workers (OGWs) of the Hizb and were engaged in providing logistic support to militants apart from luring more youth into the path of violence. A police officer privy to the investigation of the case said a Hizb militant based in Kupwara had advised Shakir Wani a few months ago to work for the outfit. A pistol was also given to him with the direction that he will teach the basics of handling the weapon to Mustafa, the officer said, wishing anonymity. Police investigation has so far found that Wani came in contact with the Hizb in July, when he came on 10-day leave to finalise his wedding date. While Wani was on leave, one evening Mustafa came to him along with three militants, including Bilal Shah (who was killed in a gunfight in August). Bilal accused him of being a source of forces and demanded a hefty amount... Wani was also advised to work with Mustafa for carrying out militancy activities in the area, the investigators have found. Moreover, a pistol was given to him with the direction that he will teach the basics of handling the weapon to Mustafa. The BSF man returned to his duties in Mizoram and sought 55 more days of leave for his marriage. In Mizoram, he learnt about the killing of Bilal and another local militant. He got married in the second week of September. As the police got some inputs, he was picked up along with three other persons. After sustained interrogation, he led the police to the recovery of the weapon from his home, the officer said. While the BSF man and Mustafa have been found to have been working as OGWs, the role of other two is being investigated. Mustafa was also arrested under the Public Safety Act for six months during the 2016 unrest. Mustafa was constantly in touch with Bilal through Facebook. Mustafa also talked to Manan Wani (a PhD scholar-turned-militant), he added. shalender@tribune.com Arun Joshi Tribune News Service Srinagar, October 7 Governor Satya Paul Malik on Sunday said he would go by the rule book if any party or a combination of parties comes forward to form a government in Jammu and Kashmir. I will go by the rule book, Malik told The Tribune to a question on what if a combination of parties stakes claim to form the government as the current Assembly has more than 30 months left. He, however, maintained that so far no one has come forward with this claim; even senior PDP leader Altaf Bukhari, who had mooted the idea of a coalition government of PDP and NC, did not broach this subject when he met him, the Governor added. At present, the Assembly is under suspended animation. Governor Malik opined that the best course would be to hold fresh elections, but was quick to add that this call will be taken by Delhi. At the time when Delhi is in election mode for the 2019 parliamentary polls, Malik could take up this issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh during his visit to Delhi Tuesday onwards. The availability of security forces for the Amarnath Yatra made the government announce the urban local body and panchayat elections in quick succession rather than test the waters, he said. editorial@tribune.com Dinesh Manhotra Tribune News Service Jammu, October 6 Terror threats and boycott calls notwithstanding, the election fever has gripped the entire Jammu region as campaigning for the first phase of urban local body polls will conclude on Sunday. Voting for the first phase of the high-stakes election is slated for Monday. Intense campaigning is going on in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri. The Muslim-majority border districts are witnessing contests among candidates of the BJP, Congress and Independents some of whom are the proxy candidates of the PDP and NC. In the Poonch Municipal Council, supporters of veteran leader and PDPs MLC Yash Pal Sharma are giving a tough fight to the nominees of the BJP and Congress. Sharma has fielded candidates on all 17 wards of the committee. Poonch district comprises two urban local bodies, namely Poonch Municipal Council and Surankote Municipal Committee. In all, 87 candidates are in the fray for 30 wards of both the committees. Four candidates from the Surankote committee have already been declared unopposed winners. While the Congress leadership has authorised its district presidents to manage elections in Poonch and Rajouri, the BJPs state leadership, including state president Ravinder Raina and Lok Sabha member Jugal Kishore, have conducted extensive tours of both districts. On Saturday, BJPs state general secretary Ashok Koul visited Poonch and Rajouri. Hectic electioneering is going on in Rajouri comprising five municipal committees. In all, 178 candidates are in the fray for 63 wards. Key contests editorial@tribune.com Azhar Qadri Tribune News Service Srinagar, October 6 As the four-phased urban local bodies elections are scheduled to begin on Monday, 231 candidates have been declared unopposed winners in the Kashmir valley, while 556 will be in competition. The data compiled by the chief electoral office reveals that 787 candidates are contesting the polls in the valley, out of which 231 have been declared unopposed winners. Owing to this, there will be no voting in 24 municipal committees. The remaining 556 candidates will contest the polls in 14 municipal committees. The civic elections have been shadowed by militant threats and boycott by two key political parties the NC and the PDP. It has resulted in poor participation in most of the wards of the Kashmir valley. The final count of the candidates winning the poll without any competition came after the deadline for the withdrawal of nomination for the fourth phase ended on Friday. Seven municipal committees and 25 of the 74 wards of the Srinagar municipal corporation are scheduled to go to the polls in the last phase of the elections, in which 202 candidates have filed their nominations. Out of these, 52 have been elected unopposed. Out of the 40 municipal committees in the 10 districts of the Kashmir valley, only 14 will go to the polls in the four-phased elections. There will be no election in Shopian, Kulgam and Pulwama, as there are no candidates contesting from the wards of these districts. Two municipal committees Khrew in Pulwama and Frisal in Kulgam which have 13 wards each, will see no election as no candidate has filed nominations there. The highest number of candidates, 274, will be contesting from Srinagar, where eight have won unopposed. BJP distorting facts on unopposed candidates The J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) has accused the BJP of distorting facts with regard to number of unopposed candidates. In a statement issued here on Saturday, Ghulam Nabi Monga, JKPCC vice-president and MLC, said, This is very unfortunate, rather condemnable, that the BJP is using the administration to ensure its victory in the upcoming civic polls. TNS shalender@tribune.com Mukesh Ranjan Tribune News Service New Delhi, October 7 Notwithstanding Union Home Minister Rajnath Singhs repeated claims that Naxal violence has come down substantially in the country, security agencies have flagged that the influence of urban activities of over-ground Left-Wing Extremist (LWE) elements have been noticed in at least 18 states, including non-affected Punjab and Gujarat, who, it is learnt, have asked for additional grant under security-related expenditure from the Centre. Sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said, security agencies in a note informed that influence of urban activities of CPI (Maoists) were seen and observed in at least 18 states. Meanwhile, the MHA sources also confirmed that the Ministry has of late received inputs from Punjab and Gujarat police in which they said overground activities of CPI (Maoist) have been vogue for the past 4-5 years in the two states. The ministry is also in the receipt demand from the two states that they should also be extended grants on the lines of security-related expenditure given to the Naxal violence-affected states, a senior official in the know of development said. Sources in the MHA said, the two states have been asked for regular sharing of intelligence with Multi-Agency Centre (MAC), an intelligence-sharing fusion Centre, regarding visits of activists with Maoist leanings and their activities in urban areas. They also contended that the two states have referred to a document, allegedly prepared by suspected Maoist ideologue Kobad Ghandy, which dwelt on the prospect of Naxalism in Punjab. In their notes, sources said, the police in the two states informed that the top decision-making body of the Maoists controls the urban activities through various regional bureaux and sub-committees, including those involved in mass organisations. As it is learnt from sources, in the note it is also said the prominent areas identified as part of the plan include the Surat-Pune industrial corridor, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Coimbatore. The mass organisations represent the link between the rural and urban areas. The main objective is the mobilisation of the masses, including the working class and the youth and formation of Tactical United Front by involving other like-minded organisations, by exploiting common issues, it added. editorial@tribune.com New Delhi, October 6 On the intervening night of February 28 and March 1, 2002, when Gujarat was engulfed in flames, Lt Gen Zameer Uddin Shah met then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, in the presence of then Defence Minister George Fernandes, at 2 am in Ahmedabad and gave him a list of immediate requirements to enable the Army columns to fan out to restore law and order. But the 3,000 troops that had landed at the Ahmedabad airfield at 7 am on March 1 had to wait for a day before the Gujarat administration provided the transport during which period hundreds of people were killed. These were crucial hours lost, Lt Gen Shah, who retired as the Deputy Chief of Army Staff, has revealed in his upcoming memoir titled The Sarkari Mussalman, to be launched by former Vice President Hamid Ansari on October 13. In the memoir, Shah writes that the Gujarat government requested for deployment of the Army through the Centre on February 28, 2002. The then Chief of Army Staff, General S Padmanabhan, was quoted by him as saying: Zoom, get your formation to Gujarat tonight and quell the riots. I replied, Sir, the road move will take us two days. He shot back, The Air Force will take care of your move from Jodhpur. Get maximum troops to the airfield. Speed and resolute action are the need of the hour. Upon arriving at the dark and deserted Ahmedabad airfield, he enquired: Where are the vehicles and other logistic support we had been promised? He learnt that the state government was still making the necessary arrangements. The crucial period was the night of 28th February and the 1st of March. This is when the maximum damage was done. The troops sat on the airfield all through the 1st of March and we got the transport only on the 2nd of March. By then the mayhem had already been done, Lt Gen Shah said. Asked if the damage would be lesser had the Army been allowed full freedom and provided with what he had personally asked Modi for, he said: Most certainly. What the police couldnt do in six days, we did in 48 hours despite being six times smaller in size than them. He said he is not blaming anyone in particular. It may take some time in arranging transport but in a situation like that, it could have possibly been done faster, he added. He said the police were dumb bystanders while the mob was setting fire on streets and houses. I did see a lot of MLAs from the majority community sitting at the police stations. They had no business to be there. Whenever we used to tell the police to impose the curfew, they never did so in the minority areas. It was a totally parochial and biased handling, the Army veteran said. IANS editorial@tribune.com Vibha Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, October 6 Barely three days after BSP supremo Mayawati dealt a blow to the idea of an Opposition mahagathbandhan, outsmarting Congress to the BJPs advantage, the grand alliance suffered another jolt on Saturday as SP chief Akhilesh Yadav too ruled himself out of the coalition. An analyst said political equations appear to be working as per the BJPs machinations and various pieces seem to be coming together desirably on political bisaat (chequerboard) the saffron party has laid for the Assembly elections in caste-crazy Hindi belt of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh as well as the Lok Sabha polls next year. Hours before the Election Commission announced dates for what is being seen as a semifinal ahead of the 2019 battle, Akhilesh declared he had waited too long for the Congress. The SP chief distancing himself from the grand old party could work in favour of the BJP, which of late has been struggling with dipping popularity in the Hindi heartland of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the analyst said. The SP, BSP and the Congress would be fighting for the same vote-bank minority Muslims, Dalits and backward classes. It is from these three states that the BJP is braving to face its toughest challenge next year. While a divided Opposition would increase the chances of the BJPs victory, the developments would also ensure an easier post-poll business for the saffron party. The bua-bhatija combo, which along with the Congress defeated the BJP in several Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha bypolls, certainly has the capability to turn the poll arithmetic upside down in the caste-dominated Hindi belt. Now whether Akhilesh followed bua Mayawati to a collective advantage in the Assembly polls or a better bargain with the Congress in 2019 remains to be seen, the BJP so far appears to be in control of things. shalender@tribune.com Patna, October 7 More than 24 students of Kasturba Gandhi Balika School in Bihars Supaul district were mercilessly thrashed by local goons after they objected to lewd comments scribbled on hostel walls. The girls, admitted to Triveniganj Referral Hospital, are in a trauma, said hospital sources. Taking serious note of the incident, Supaul District Magistrate Baidyanath Yadav took stock of the situation in and outside the school and ordered a probe. He said an FIR would be filed after a preliminary inquiry. The accused will be identified with the help of CCTV footage and action initiated against them, he said. Some boys wrote salacious remarks and we informed the warden and teachers, who chided us. The boys, in the meantime, fled and falsely claimed they had been beaten up by the schoolgirls, a student told the police. A group of boys, accompanied by their guardians, entered the school premises and attacked the girls on the school playground. When the staff interevened, they too were thrashed, claimed a schoolteacher. TNS shalender@tribune.com New Delhi, October 7 Amid fears of US sanctions over the S-400 deal with Russia, Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Sunday asserted that India follows an independent policy and was also keen on getting the Kamov helicopters and other weapon systems from Moscow. India and Russia on Friday signed a multi-billion-dollar deal to procure the S-400 Triumf air defence system, which could attract sanctions under the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). The Act is primarily aimed at countering Russia, Iran and North Korea. India and Russia concluded the deal notwithstanding the US warning that it would be a focus area for it to implement punitive sanctions against a nation undertaking significant business deals with the Russians. Gen Rawat, who returned on Saturday after a six-day visit to Russia, held talks with military officials of that country to enhance bilateral cooperation. He said the Russians were keen on associating with the Indian Army and defence forces. Because they do understand that we are a strong Army, capable of standing up for what is right for us, based on our strategic thought process, he said. The Army chief was speaking at the Gen KV Krishna Rao Memorial lecture here. On his Russian visit, Gen Rawat recalled a question posed to him by a Russian officer that India seemed to be looking westwards at America and that the US has also threatened to impose curbs on New Delhi for dealing with Moscow. To this, Rawat said, You (Russia) can be rest assured (that) while we may be associating with America in getting some technology, but we follow an independent policy. He said New Delhi was looking to get space-based systems and technologies from Moscow to enhance its space capabilities. PTI shalender@tribune.com BY Satya Prakash T he Supreme Court's verdict removing age restrictions on entry of women to the famous Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala in Kerala has exposed the limits of judicial interventions based on constitutional morality in dealing with perceived discriminatory religious practices. The verdict which has stirred up a hornets' nest of angry women devotees highlights the shortcomings of the essential practices test applied to deny a religious denomination status to Sabarimala Temple and Lord Ayyappa's devotees. Almost every village in India has a different religious practices and applying a straight-jacketed essential practices test can destroy religious diversity and pluralism practised since times immemorial in Hinduism once described by the SC as a way of life. The ruling by former CJI Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar, RF Nariman and DY Chandrachud raises certain fundamental questions about relationship between the State and religion in a constitutional democracy which guarantees a set of fundamental right to every citizen the most important of all being right to life, right to equality and right to religion. As an institution, religion has existed for millennia and pre-dates the modern Indian State a constitutional entity which is less than seven decades old. India has nurtured diverse and even extreme religious practices. There are several temples where men are not allowed. Indians worship Lingam and Yoni, animals, rivers, trees, plants and what not. Its not for the State or its instrumentalities to apply rational yardsticks and judge the validity of such practices unless it borders criminality. ... the court cannot impose its morality or rationality with respect to the form of worship of a deity. Doing so would negate the freedom to practise ones religion according to ones faith. It would amount to rationalising religion, faith and beliefs, which is outside the ken of court, noted Justice Indu Malhotra in her dissenting verdict. Unlike in Europe, where religion had established a vice like grip over the State, in India it was much more benign and didnt disturb the State. Its rather strange that while in Europe, the process of separating religion from the State gave birth to secularism; a secular State like India has been busy controlling religious institutions and correcting religious practices. This is not to suggest that the State cant intervene in matters relating to religion. Article 25 which guarantees fundamental right to religion authorises the State to make laws to regulate economic, financial, political or other secular activity associated with religious practices. Article 26 is aimed at ensuring religious diversity and pluralism. Article 25 and Article 26 together represent a social contract between religion and the State and draw a 'Lakshman Rekha'. The verdict appears to be a victim of political correctness and an attempt to secularise Hinduism as it over-stretches the notions of equality and discrimination. The Supreme Court will get an opportunity to reconsider its verdict very soon as review petitions are being filed soon. Will it correct it? A fugitive suspected of economic crimes in eastern China's Shandong Province has turned himself in to the authorities, only five months after he fled to Canada, the country's top anti-graft watchdog said on Saturday. The surrender of Wang Weixin, 62, in just five month has again illustrated the unwavering resolve of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to eradicate corruption, said the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection in a statement on its website. Wang, former head of Daxinzhuang Village, Jinan City, is suspected of involvement in a case of illegal transfer of land use right. In the statement, the CCDI also urged fugitive suspects to let go of illusions and take the opportunity to surrender to the authorities as early as possible. Fugitives who opt to surrender before Dec. 31 and confess to their crimes will be eligible for lesser punishments, according to an announcement jointly released in August by several central agencies, including the National Supervisory Commission and the Ministry of Public Security. shalender@tribune.com Adampur (Jalandhar), Oct 7 The India Air Forces beast MiG-29 has gained in strength and ferocity after an upgrade, giving the force, which is battling a shortage of fighter aircraft, a much-needed boost, according to officials. The Russian-origin aircraft, now capable of effecting mid-air refuelling, is compatible with latest missiles and can launch multi-dimensional attacks, Flight Lieutenant Karan Kohli, who is deployed at Adampur Air Force Station, said. Even in the previous legacy version, the aircraft played an important role as the Indian Air Force stamped its supremacy over the Pakistani force during the Kargil War of 1999. Last week, the upgraded MiG-29 showcased its combat capabilities at Adampur station. The country will celebrate Air Force Day on Monday. The upgraded MiG-29 also has a Multi-Functional Display (MFD) screen. On September 12, Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa had said the force was reeling under a severe shortage of fighter aircraft. The IAF Chief had said the force currently has 31 squadrons of fighter jets against the sanctioned strength of 42. The strategically important Adampur Air Force Station, which is around 100 km from Pakistan and 250 km away from China borders, is now equipped with upgraded MiG-29. The Indian Air Force has three squadrons of MiG-29 fighter jets in operation, two of them at the Adampur Air Force Station. One squadron comprises 16-18 aircraft. Kohli said the force now has a combat aircraft which is flexible and can manoeuvre every situation so that IAF pilots can change their position and strike the enemy. He also said that the fighter plane has the capability of taking off vertically, which has increased the IAFs power a lot. The upgraded MiG-29 aircraft can take off within five minutes of spotting a hostile jet trying to enter the Indian airspace and destroy it, he said. With air-to-air refuelling feature, the upgraded MiG-29 can cover a larger distance as compared to the previous legacy aircraft and destroy the enemy, said another IAF officer, who did not wish to be named. PTI shalender@tribune.com New Delhi, October 7 A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court alleging that the Uttar Pradesh government has failed to implement the 2015 order of the Allahabad High Court asking it to ensure that public servants, including top bureaucrats, send wards to state-run primary schools. The appeal has challenged the Allahabad High Courts recent order refusing to initiate contempt proceedings against the state government for not complying with the earlier judgment that had directed that kids of government servants, local bodies representatives, judicial officers, who receive perks and salary from the state exchequer, should study in schools run by the Uttar Pradesh Board. The plea, filed by advocate Shiv Kumar Tripathi, said non-implementation of the high courts directions was affecting the interest of the children as the primary schools run by the Basic Education Board of Uttar Pradesh were the victims of mal-administration and rampant corruption. The interest of the common man is suffering for non-implementation of the said judgment as the administration of these schools is being seriously affected and mal-administered due to lack of adequate attention being paid by the bureaucrats and political functionaries, the plea said. It further said three years have elapsed since the high courts judgment, thereby causing serious loss of funds which should have accrued for the development of these schools. The plea claimed that the state government had also failed to submit the requisite compliance report despite the lapse of three years and there was no valid reason for it. It sought directions to the state, as per the high courts orders, for making a provision of awarding punishment of depositing an amount of fees equal to what they are paying for their childrens education in private schools. PTI pardeepdhull@gmail.com Thiruvananthapuram, October 7 The representatives of Sabarimala temples tantri (chief priest) will not attend a conciliation meeting called by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to discuss the September 28 Supreme Court verdict that threw open the temple to all women, it was announced on Sunday. Let us hear the final decision of the state government with regards to the filing of a review petition against the apex courts verdict. Once that is known, then we will decide on what needs to be done. To deploy female police personnel in the temple premises is a violation of the temple practices, Sabarimala priest Kantararu Mohanaru told the media. The meeting is scheduled to be held on Monday. Following the verdict, Vijayan had categorically said that no review petition would be filed and the state government will do all the things needed to implement it. Things went out of control after the state government and the Travancore Devasom Board (TDB), who is the custodian of the temple, decided not to file the petition leading to hundreds of devotees taking to the streets in protest. A. Padmakumar, a senior Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader and TDB President, said the Board was initially keen to file the review petition, but after being openly chided by Vijayan, they decided not to. Rahul Eashwar, another member of the tantri family, said that they have nothing against the Vijayan government but their priority was the emotional attachment of the devotees. The key stakeholders of the temple are the state government and the TDB and if they do not file a review petition, then there will be no locus standi to other review petitions. The need of the hour is that these two parties should do the needful, said Eashwar. The decision to boycott Mondays meeting was taken after detailed consultations with the powerful Nair Service Society -0 the socio cultural body of the Hindu Nair community. The Pathanamthitta district (where the temple is located), is observing a shutdown on Sunday to protest the use of police force against the youth wing of the BJP while they staged a demonstration on Saturday. On September 28, in a 4:1 judgment, the apex court said the ban on women in the menstruating age group, whose presence in the Lord Ayyappa temple was considered to be impure, violated their fundamental rights and constitutional guarantee of equality. Until now, girls below 10 years and women over 50 years were allowed to visit the hilltop shrine. IANS amansharma@tribunemail.com Jitendra K Shrivastava Tribune News Service Patna, October 7 More than two-dozen students of Kasturba Gandhi Balika School were beaten up by a group of villagers after they resisted boys passing lewd comments on them in Supaul district of Bihar. These students were admitted to Triveniganj Referral Hospital. Doctors attending to them have said the girls were out of danger but they need further treatment. The fear still lurks on the minds of the girls who are still under treatment. Taking note of the incident, Supaul district magistrate Baidyanath Yadav has ordered an inquiry into the incident. An FIR should be lodged against people who attacked these girls. The accused would be indentified with the help of CCTV footage and action would be taken as per law, the Supaul DM said. A student informed the police that some boys passed lewd comments on them. They informed the warden and teachers who chided to them. Eventually, the boys fled the spot and claimed that they were beaten up by schoolgirls. Boys, with their guardians, entered the school premises and attacked girl students who were playing. When school staff objected, they too were thrashed. Later, more than two-dozen injured students were taken to Triveniganj Referral Hospital, said a school teacher on the condition of anonymity. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Lucknow, October 6 After Mayawati, Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav has also distanced himself from the Congress for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Speaking to the media at the party headquarters here on Saturday, Akhilesh said the SP would no more wait for the Congress and would align with the Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP) and the BSP in MP and Chhattisgarh. The Congress has made us wait for too long, how long do we wait? Now the election dates are to be announced. Thats why we will no longer wait, he said. Reiterating the Congress should have taken the lead in holding talks for an alliance, Akhilesh said the grand old party should learn to show some large-heartedness if it wants to defeat the BJP in 2019. He also warned that any delay would endanger the formation of a grand alliance for the Lok Sabha elections. While the Samajwadi Party is not a major player in any of the states going to the polls in the coming months, it is definitely trying to increase its footprint beyond Uttar Pradesh. On Wednesday, Mayawati had similarly announced to go it alone in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. She had also questioned the intent of the Congress to defeat the BJP. amansharma@tribunemail.com Our Correspondent Jaipur, October 7 A Station House Officer and a constable were allegedly shot dead by a gang of criminals when a police team tried to stop them by putting a barricade on Mandwa road at Beswa village of Sikar district on Saturday night. The deceased were identified as Inspector Mukesh Kanoongo, SHO of Fatehpur, and Ramprakash who received bullets in neck and chest, respectively, Sikar SP P M Sharma told The Tribune on Sunday. The police had information that a notorious gang of criminals, including one Ajay Chaudhary, Jagdeep alias Dhankar and Kailash Nagaur, was passing through the area in an SUV. As soon as they were intercepted by police, the criminals opened fire after alighting from the vehicle around 11.45 pm, the SP said, adding police reportedly retaliated before they fled the scene. The two cops were rushed to the local government hospital where they were declared dead in the wee hours. Director General of Police O P Galhotra rushed to the spot. A 'bandh' was observed in Fatehpur town in protest against the killing of the policemen. People demanded the arrest of culprits even as police sounded alert in the adjoining districts of Churu and Jhunjhunu. The police also started combing operation to nab the criminals, the SP said. The deceased policemen were cremated in the evening. Meanwhile, in a statement, PCC president Sachin Pilot condemned the brutal attack on policemen and alleged that the law and order machinery has failed. "It is lawlessness every where in the state, criminals are at large despite reported such incidents and Chief Minister and Home Minister were unable to tackle the situation," Pilot said. gspannu7@gmail.com Gohana (Haryana), October 7 INLD president Om Prakash Chautala on Sunday said his party will work towards bringing the opposition parties together to make BSP supremo Mayawati the next prime minister after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Out on a two-week parole, the former Haryana chief minister was addressing a rally organised here to mark the 105th birth anniversary of senior Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader and his father Devi Lal. Om Prakash Chautala is serving a 10-year jail term in a teachers recruitment scam. we will work towards uniting the Opposition so that Mayawati becomes the next prime minister, he told the gathering. Om Prakash Chautala said Lal had a dream that the countrymen should have enough food, shelter, good education and access to affordable health. Today, he is not amongst us but we have to follow his ideals and work towards realising his dreams, he said. The INLD presidents son and senior party leader Abhay Singh Chautala also addressed the rally. Abhay Singh Chautala urged the people to help the INLD-BSP alliance to come to power in Haryana with an overwhelming majority in next years assembly elections. Repeat 1987 (when the INLD swept the state polls) by strengthening the hands of the INLD-BSP combine so that (Om Prakash) Chautala once again becomes the chief minister, he said. He promised that if the INLD-BSP combine comes to power in Haryana, it will waive the loans of farmers and weaker sections. The INLD has been fighting for Haryanas rightful share of Satluj-Yamuna Link waters, but the Centre and Haryana Government are not serious about completion of the canal, Abhay Singh Chautala alleged. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Shankarsinh Vaghela also addressed the rally. He spoke about his close association with Devi Lal and his family for over four generations and said the INLD leader understood the pain of farmers and common masses. Vaghela attacked the Centre over high fuel prices and said the cut of Rs 2.50 per litre in the petrol and diesel prices was not sufficient. PTI UP agrees to SC suggestion on monitoring of SIT probe into Lakhimpur violence by ex-judge A bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana also raises the is... ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 6 Demanding the arrest of the accused in the sacrilege cases and Behbal Kalan firing incident, four AAP MLAs on Saturday sat on a day-long hunger strike close to Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singhs residence. After paying obeisance at the Nada Sahib Gurdwara at Panchkula in the morning, several AAP MLAs and an MP reached the CM's residence to protest against the alleged inaction of the state government in cases of sacrilege of religious scriptures. Led by Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema, they marched towards the Chief Ministers residence but were stopped by the police. They said prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC had been imposed in the area. Heavy security arrangements were already in place in wake of the AAP's hunger strike call in front of the CMs house. However, Capt Amarinder Singh was away to New Delhi. Only MLAs Harpal Singh Cheema, Aman Arora, Baljinder Kaur and Sarabjit Kaur Manuke were allowed to sit on the hunger strike. Other party MLAs, including Meet Hayer, Kultar Singh Sandhwan, Amarjit Singh Sandoa and Budh Ram, were told to move to another place. The partys MP from Faridkot, Prof Sadhu Singh, was also present on the occasion. While addressing the media, Cheema said the party wanted to rouse the Chief Minister from slumber so that he could take action against those accused of sacrilege and firing on protesters at Behbal Kalan. They alleged that the Chief Ministers approach over the whole issue was disappointing. They alleged that the Capt Amarinder was playing a fixed match to save the Badals and certain officials. Meanwhile, the rebel faction of AAP led by Sukhpal Khaira will organise a protest march on Sunday from Kotkapura to Bargari in Faridkot district. Demand arrest of sacrilege accused amansharma@tribunemail.com Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 6 Amid the recitation of Gurbani, new gates were installed at the Darshani Deori, an arch before the causeway to the sanctum sanctorum of the Golden Temple, here on Saturday. Golden Temple's head priest Giani Jagtar Singh performed the ardas. Earlier, a Gurmat programme was held in front of the Akal Takht in which Hazuri Raagi performed Gurbani Kirtan. SGPC chief Gobind Singh Longowal commended Baba Kashmir Singh of Karsewa Bhuriwale and Baba Sukhwinder Singh for exactly replicating the doors installed by legendary Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh about 200 years ago. He assured that the Shiromani committee would steadfastly maintain the original doors and showcase to the visiting sangat. Longowal said Sheesham wood was used in preparing the doors which were covered with 60 kg silver foil on a side and seashell on another. Natural effects like trees, vines and birds were engraved on doors. Skilled artisans from Agra and the holy city were roped in to roll out desired designs. These doors are 118-inch high and 110-inch wide. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh and other Sikh religious personalities apart from a large number of devouts were present on the occasion. The original doors having sandalwood base with the ivory carving and golden screws, were unhooked for preservation in 2010. The wood was beyond repair and the government had already banned on ivory trade. So seashells were replaced to give the desired effect. Archaeologists in southwest China's Yunnan Province have unearthed a cluster of 209 tombs believed to be from between the late Neolithic and early Bronze age. The tombs were discovered during the latest excavation of 100,000 square meters of ruins in Jiangbian Village in Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, according to the provincial archaeology institute. Wan Yang, a researcher with the institute, said that most of the tombs were earth pits with well-preserved human skeletons lying flat on their back. But in some tombs, two skeletons overlapped each other, he said. While in other tombs, bones dislocated, a result of funeral rituals according to which people were buried long after death. "Findings from the tombs carry important information about the lifestyles, culture and views of life and death of early humans living in this area," Wan said. More than 1,500 pieces of pottery, 80 pieces of bronze ware, 168 pieces of stoneware and 130 bone artifacts were also unearthed in the tombs. shalender@tribune.com Rajmeet Singh Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 7 The Congress and SAD rallies at Lambi and Patiala, respectively, saw an impressive turnout on Sunday with CM Capt Amarinder Singh and SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal delivering fiery speeches, but it was the popular surge at Bargari that stole the show. As leaders of the two main political parties in Punjab tried to run down each other, the emotive issue of sacrilege and the subsequent police firing in 2015 saw people from Majha, Malwa and Doaba, a large number of them women, converging on Kotkapura, langar packed. They came on their own, in tractor-trailers, trucks and buses. Significantly, Hindus and Muslims were also seen participating in the march from Kotkapura to Bargari to protest against the sacrilege incidents in the state. This came as a shot in the arm for AAPs rebel faction led by Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who was seen sharing the dais with Panthic leaders. The AAPs official group was clearly upstaged. At Lambi, the stronghold of the Badal family, Capt Amarinder sounded the bugle for the Lok Sabha elections, asking the people to wipe out the SAD from the state and ensuring Congress victory in all 13 seats. At the Jabar Virodh rally by the Akalis in the CMs hometown Patiala, patriarch Parkash Singh Badal impressed with his hard-hitting speech. The sulking Taksali leaders were absent. After the Bargari incident, the Akali Dal leadership has been exposed. The Akalis have lost support of the people. Capt Amarinder Singh, Punjab CM Certain forces are trying to weaken the Akali Dal and the Panth (Sikh religion). We must be wary of such designs. Sukhbir Badal, SAD Chief monicakchauhan@gmail.com Ruchika Khanna & Aman Sood Tribune News Service Chandigarh/Patiala, October 7 Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday said no one whose name figured in an ongoing probe into the 2015 cases of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib will be spared if they were found involved, even as the SAD leadership blamed the Congress for trying to malign the image of the party and Badal family by using various means. Sounding the bugle for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Capt Amarinder and Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar launched a poster of "Mission 13", where "Mission 13" stands for 13 LS seats in the state. The day saw two big rallies and a protest with the three main players in Punjab politics-the Congress, the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) -- traded barbs against one another. The highlight of the day was the ruling Congress holding its political rally in Lambi, the turf of SAD patriarch and five-time chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, and the SAD returning the favour by holding a rally in Patiala town, the home town of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. The AAP held a march from Kotkapura town to Bargari village in Faridkot to protest against incidents of sacrilege and the police firing in October 2015 on those protesting against the sacrilege incidents. Addressing a Congress rally at Lambi, Capt Amarinder accused the then SAD-BJP government led by Badal senior of not doing enough to stop the sacrilege incidents. Amarinder claimed that the then government ordered police firing on peaceful protesters in Bargari, killing two youths. "After the Bargari incident, the Akali Dal leadership has been exposed. The Akalis have lost support of the people," Amarinder Singh said. While the 'pandal' was packed with Congressmen, Cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu was conspicuous by his absence. At 'Jabar Virodh' rally held in Patiala, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was the Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Home portfolio when the sacrilege incidents occurred, said the Punjab Congress leadership was "trying to weaken the Sikh religion". "Certain forces are trying to weaken the Akali Dal and the 'panth' (Sikh religion). We have to be beware of the designs of such forces. Our party and our then government felt sad over the unfortunate incidents of sacrilege. The SAD is being blamed for these incidents (by the Congress leaders) by repeatedly telling lies and misleading people," Sukhbir Badal said. Sukhbir said the Congress had failed to deliver on any of the tall promises -- loan waiver to farmers, jobs to every family in Punjab, eradication of drugs and providing mobile phones to the youth. Former minister Sikandar Singh Malooka said: "Only the Shiromani Akali Dal can represent the panth in a better manner." Speaking at the rally, former SGPC president Jagir Kaur accused a TV channel of running a biased campaign to malign the image of the Akali Dal. Punjab BJP president and MP Shwait Malik said there was no government and governance in Punjab ever since the Congress came to power in the state in March 2017. Both the rallies - by the Congress and the Akali Dal - were very well attended and saw participation in thousands. The surprise, however, was the high attendance at the AAP and radical leaders-led 'Rosh March'. With agency inputs amansharma@tribunemail.com Archit Watts Tribune News Service Lambi (Muktsar), October 7 Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh talked to The Tribune on the sidelines of Lambi rally. Excerpts from the interview: You contested election from Lambi but came here after more than one-and-half-year of forming government. Why not even a single visit in between? Frankly, it's not the number of visits that count but the work on ground we have done in the past 18 months that is significant. My agenda during this period has not been to visit all the 117 assembly constituencies in the state but to ensure that the people in these constituencies get what they had voted for - development, welfare, economic revival, etc. I had promised to bring all the people of Punjab, including Lambi, out of the despair and devastation into which they had been thrown by the erstwhile SAD-BJP government, which is what I have done. There are ministers and bureaucrats working in every constituency to implement government's policies. Of course, that does not mean that I do not want to meet the people, but it is a question of priorities. I felt the need to meet the people of Lambi now because of the disinformation campaign launched here by Parkash Singh Badal. Once again, he's trying to mislead the people, which I wanted to expose through this visit. In the last rally, you announced to put all main SAD leaders of Lambi behind bars, even named Kolianwali, Manta, Middukhera, etc. But no action till date? I have never said I'll simply throw the SAD leaders behind bars. I always said I will get every allegation against them probed thoroughly and if even an iota of evidence is found against any of them, we will initiate action as per law. We live under the rule of the law, not in a rule of the jungle. We need to follow the due process of law to take action against criminals. I do not believe in the politics of vendetta and will stand by this principle. But the moment we get the evidence, rest assured I will not spare anyone found guilty of any offence, howsoever well connected he/she may be or whatever their political position. Even Muktsar and Lambi Congress leaders are sulking now, saying they have no say in party and district administration. Some leaders in Lambi have even openly blamed you for party's poor performance in the recently held rural elections. Your comment. Nobody has come to me with any complaint, till date. We have an open democratic system in the Congress and every party leader has the freedom to approach any senior leader, right up to the high command, if they are not happy with our functioning. And I really do not understand what you mean by poor performance in the rural elections. The Congress swept these polls, just like it has swept every election since last year's Assembly polls. A number of Congress leaders awaiting their appointment as chairman of some board/corporation. Why such a long delay? There were some legal hurdles that we are in the process of resolving. The Vidhan Sabha has already passed the Punjab State Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) (Amendment) Bill, 2018, which is now awaiting the assent of the Governor. Once that comes through, the way will be paved for the appointments to be cleared as the Bill provides for various categories of 'office of profit' to be added to the current list of positions and offices which the MLAs can hold without inviting disqualification. The Justice (retd) Ranjit Singh Commission report has been tabled, but still no action against anyone, especially Badals, till date. Why? The commission had clearly said more investigation was needed on the major incidents in which the Badals' complicity was suspected, and the SIT has been formed to do just that. I have repeatedly mentioned that I cannot just take the law into my hands and throw anyone behind the bars simply because there are allegations against them. The law requires hardcore evidence, which is what the SIT has been constituted to find. Sacrilege is a serious issue and I personally know Badal to have been indulging in religious exploitation to further his own interests throughout his life. But my personal knowledge does not amount to evidence in the eyes of the law. Let the SIT complete its job and we shall take the most stringent action against all those whom it finds to be guilty. Is anyone from your family or Raninder willing to contest Lok Sabha election against Harsimrat Badal from Bathinda or any other constituency she will be contesting from? The task of allotting the tickets for the Lok Sabha elections rests with the Congress High Command, which it will take up as and when the occasion arises. The party is currently preparing for assembly polls to five states, which the Election Commission announced yesterday, and the entire focus will be on that. Once the parliamentary elections are announced the high command will decide, in consultation with the state units, on nomination for the same. Do you think, this "rally for rally game" will be benefit to the state or common people? We, in the Congress, do not believe in playing any games with the people. How many rallies have we held since we took over the reins of the state? I mentioned earlier that this rally in Lambi was necessitated by the fact that Parkash Singh Badal had launched a massive disinformation campaign in his constituency, which we needed to counter. We cannot allow him to continue taking the people of Lambi for a ride. It is important to expose his lies, and those of other Akali leaders, and we shall continue to do so through whatever means needed. Cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu did not come to the rally. Was he invited? This is a party programme and everyone was invited. I can't say exactly why he didn't come. But you see a large number of party leaders, ministers are here. Even the crowd is filled with enthusiasm. This is the biggest rally I've seen in Punjab. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Ruchika M Khanna Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 6 Amid efforts by the Punjab government to curb stubble-burning, farmers have threatened to continue with setting paddy straw afire in their fields. Unable to afford the high cost of machinery and with a very short window between the harvesting of paddy and planting of wheat, farmers say that the easiest and fastest way to prepare the fields for the next crop is to burn paddy stubble. However, the state government, which is monitoring the programme against stubble-burning, is confident that there will be minimal such incidents in the state. As many as 13,100 machines (super stubble management system, happy seeders, rotavators, ploughs, shrub cutters, mulchers) have already been supplied to farmers, cooperative societies and community hiring centres. KS Pannu, Secretary, Agriculture, said the machines were being delivered daily, adding that the total number required (25,295) would be provided by October 20. This is in addition to the machines that were supplied last year. A majority of the machines (7,062) have been bought by individual farmers, he said. Pannu said he was hopeful of negligible fire incidents this year because of availability of machinery; a major awareness campaign being launched by the government and Punjab Agricultural University; and a more holistic approach to shift to compressed biogas as an alternative fuel, to be generated from paddy straw. We, however, will not take coercive action against farmers, he added. Though paddy harvesting has not yet begun, figures available from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) and the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre reveal that 125 incidents of stubble-burning have been reported so far this season, including 96 in Amritsar. Krunesh Garg, Chief Environmental Engineer, PPCB, said the incidents reported so far were much less compared to last year. As per the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), environmental compensation (fine) ranging from Rs 2,500 (for one incident by marginal farmer) to Rs 15,000 (on those having more than 5 acres) was being imposed on those who defied the orders on stubble-burning. We have imposed environmental costs on 23 farmers so far this year, he said. The fewer incidents of stubble-burning than last year seem to be more due to a delay in harvesting of paddy. Because of late rains, harvesting has been delayed by a fortnight and is likely to begin in earnest only around mid-October. Since harvesting would end around November 15 and wheat has to be sown before November 22, the farmers would get just a seven-day window to clear the fields. This is likely to lead to farmers burning straw rather than going in for time-consuming in situ management. High capital expenditure on buying equipment and its limited use is a major factor behind farmers rejecting the programme. They have also threatened to move court against the partial implementation of the NGT orders on paddy straw management. Balbir Singh Rajewal, president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU Rajewal), said the NGT had ordered that equipment for in situ paddy management to farmers having less than two-acre landholding be provided free, to those having 2-5 acres for Rs 5,000, and to farmers having over 5 acres for Rs 15,000. However, the government wants debt-ridden farmers to spend thousands of rupees on buying equipment, which is to be used for just 15 days in a year. Over 1,000 farmer suicides have been reported in Punjab this year because of high indebtedness. Is it fair to burden them with buying more equipment? It is against this ill-conceived policy that I am moving court, he said. Farmers complain that ever since the stubble management programme was announced, prices of machines such as rotavators have shot up by over 50 per cent (from Rs 85,000 to Rs 1.3 lakh). The subsidy given to buy these is 50 per cent. Many farmers are also questioning the in situ management of paddy straw. Gurdial Singh, a progressive farmer from Doraha, said this exercise would lead to all microbes being buried in the soil and most likely attack the next crop. This will bring more termites and rodents into the fields, which would affect the yield, he added. Haryana, UP to blame for Delhi smog Sharing the data of air quality index (AQI) in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, Krunesh Garg, Chief Environmental Engineer, said the smog engulfing Delhi was because of straw-burning in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, not Punjab. The AQI in Punjab ranges from 55 (Ludhiana) to 92 (Amritsar) which is in the satisfactory quality zone. In Delhi, it is 256 (poor), Gurgaon 336 and Ghaziabad 302 (both very poor). This proves that the Delhi smog since Friday is because of fires or other causes of pollution in NCR, he said. Stubble-burning cases reported till Oct 6 Amritsar 96 Patiala 6 Tarn Taran 4 Ferozepur 4 Hoshiarpur 4 Bathinda 3 Gurdaspur 2 Mohali 2 Sangrur 2 Fazilka 1 Nawanshahr 1 editorial@tribune.com Aman Sood Tribune News Service Mehmadpur (Patiala), Oct 7 Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patron Parkash Singh Badal and party president Sukhbir Singh Badal led from the front at the Jabar Virodhi (anti-repression) rally here on Sunday. They claimed the SAD is the true representative of the Sikh Panth. In his 24-minute speech, Badal targeted the Congress and radical outfits, claiming they were two sides of the same coin. The Capt Amarinder government has failed to fulfil a single promise. Maray te mukray daa koi ilaaj nahi (Theres no cure for the dead and those who go back on their words), he said. On sacrilege incidents, Badal said the episode was a part of deep-rooted conspiracy by the Congress to grab control of Sikh gurdhams with an ultimate objective of securing a clean chit for the Army that had attacked the Golden Temple. Now, the fight is between the Khalsa Panth and the Congress, the five-time CM said. Badal made sure that the SAD leadership put up a joint show against the backdrop of senior leaders questioning the partys functioning. Buoyed by the huge turnout, he asked Sukhbir to hold two rallies, one each in Doaba and Majha. He reached out to senior party leaders by ensuring that they were seated in the front on the stage. He asked former SGPC chief Kirpal Singh Badungar to prepare a list of all Jathedars, who were either jailed with him or before him, so that they could be honoured. Sukhbir said the real demons were those who committed sacrilege at Bargari. If anyone was distressed at sacrilege incidents, it was the SAD. The Congress is teaming up with elements that are using the name of the Panth to earn money, he said. On the Congress rally, the SAD chief hit out at Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh for taking out time for Lambi one-and-a-half years after people from his home turf rejected him. He did not spare time for Amritsar and Patiala, from where he got elected. Former minister Bikram Singh Majithia accused the Congress of attracting crowds for the rally with songs such as Laake tin peg baliye and Mainu ik din de layi hostel wala kamra de do ji. Rallies should address problems of the common man. The government should resolve the problems of teachers protesting against impending pay cut if they opt for regular service, he added. Majha trio skips rally Amritsar: Three Taksali SAD leaders from Majha skipped the party rally in Patiala district. Not terming it as a boycott, former minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan said he, along with Khadoor Sahib MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura and ex-MP Dr Rattan Singh Ajnala, were upset at not being heard by the SAD high command. Sekhwan said the trio would hold a meeting soon to decide the course of action. He lamented that the SAD had deviated from its Panthic agenda. tns ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Balwant Garg Tribune News Service Faridkot, October 6 For their failure to deposit Rs 5,000 and Rs 2,000 court fine, respectively, two prisoners in Modern Jail here could not get the benefit of special remission which was granted to a specific categories of convicted prisoners as a homage to Mahatma Gandhi on October 2. Gurnam Singh of Burj Hamira village of Moga and Nishan Singh of Amritsar, both lodged in the Faridkot jail for the last about one year, were among the 36 prisoners in jails across the state who were shortlisted by the state government to be released on October 5 as part of an amnesty scheme announced by the Union government on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhis 150 birth anniversary. But for failing to deposit the court fine they have to stay for more days in the jail. Belonging to poor families, both convicts prefer to stay in the jail than pay the fine. Gurnam Singh has to stay in the jail for three more months and Nishan Singh for 15 days. Gurnam Singh was convicted in a cheque bounce case under the Negotiable Instrument Act and the court had awarded him one-year jail along with Rs 5,000 fine on December 7, 2017. He has been in jail since then. In case of Nishan Singh, he was awarded a two-year jail term along with Rs 2,000 fine after recovery of stolen goods from him. As per legal provisions, for their failure to pay the fine, imposed by the court, they could not be released. Both these prisoners have to stay for extra days in the jail for non-payment of the fine, said Lalit Kohli, Deputy Jail Superintendent, Faridkot. On the recommendation of the Union Home Ministry, the Punjab government had constituted a state-level committee and identified 36 prisoners to be released on October 5. These 36 prisoners, to be granted remission, are two prisoners each in Faridkot, Ferozepur, Amritsar, Patiala, Muktsar jails, five each in Ludhiana and Ropar jails, one each at Mansa, Barnala, Kapurthala and Moga jails, four prisoners each at Bathinda, Sangrur and Nabha jails in the state. amansharma@tribunemail.com Kuljit Bains Punjab on Sunday saw between 6,000 and 10,000 policemen deployed in three areas to ensure law and order, expensive diesel burnt in thousands of buses, and the entire medias attention riveted, all to bring peoples attention to a debate they have already become sick of listening to. Sick more from the insincerity to the cause than the repetitiveness. If religion and politics can be mixed to bring public discourse to a low level, then the mobilisation by all major parties of the state is probably the lowest in recent years. The Congress, SAD and AAP organised massive public events avowedly over the tragedy of sacrilege incidents and the shooting of two Sikh protesters three years ago. Nothing could be farther from truth. The state is already agitated over the issue. Peoples minds are fairly made up about all that transpired in 2015, perhaps even more than any of the commissions. Peoples demands are pretty clear, and the political parties have made their stands public at every available forum, including the Assembly. What then could be the purpose of wasting huge public resources and making incendiary speeches? Nothing more than pulling a flimsy cover over their politics of lies, deceit and opportunism. The SAD putting up a show of strength can be explained as the Badals attempt to protect their legacy and, if possible, preserve the familys relevance in the states politics. The AAP and its factions are perhaps desperate to establish a connect with the people by hooking on to any cause they think people are agitated about. What is inexplicable, however, is the Congress all-out attempt to display its hold over the states politics at this point. It is the ruling party. So if there is anything it believes people in the last SAD government were guilty of, it has the power and duty to take action against them. If there is no actionable evidence, then it ought to keep quiet and focus on running the government peacefully and productively. The claim of exposing at a rally the misdeeds of the Akalis during their 10-year rule after the SAD has been routed in elections is ridiculous. The only option for the Congress is to ask its own government to take action. Even as common people gathered for the Kotkapura-to-Bargari march to express their genuine resentment over the governments inability to bring the matter to a just conclusion, what the political parties are achieving is to keep the state on the edge. There have been physical confrontations between protesters at times backed by political elements and SAD leaders and workers. Any of these could get out of hand, mischievous violence can be perpetrated, and a fresh chain of disturbing events can be triggered. It would amount to wilful disturbance caused by the government. Even politically, the Congress is barking up the wrong tree. At a time when it had near complete hold of the states politics, it has conceded space to certain elements of radical Sikh leadership, managing to bring them back from the wilderness after they had been rejected even by Sikhs. In contrast, the Chief Minister has made repeated appeals to the Union Home Minister to keep an eye on extremist activists abroad trying to disturb the peace in the state. On Saturday, Capt Amarinder Singh even claimed that Pakistan and China were trying to damage the Indian Army by getting the youth in the North addicted to drugs (northern states are important military recruitment grounds). If he really expects such claims to be taken seriously, he has to demonstrate his own sincerity to the grave issue by not contributing to the disturbance of peace in the state. The government (and SAD) recently protested the move to merge certain police officers of Chandigarh with the national UT cadre, asserting it amounted to dilution of Punjabs claim over the capital city. While the assertion may seem to be in the interest of the state, making territorial claims without the reassurance of good governance can only be seen as occupation of land. Let Punjab be appreciated as a territory worth joining, and not a land where cops provide security to a political farce while robbers run free. editorial@tribune.com Our Correspondent Abohar, October 7 Alamgarh village sarpanch Makhan Lal, who was recently elected zila parishad member as a Congress nominee, his sons Gopi Ram and Naresh, ex-sarpanch Mohan Lal and Atma Ram have been booked for allegedly abetting suicide of a labourer. A case was registered under Sections 306, 506 and 149 of the IPC following the death of Gurtej Singh (42), who had consumed poison on Saturday evening. In a handwritten note, he accused the sarpanch and others of humiliating him instead of taking action against seven youths who had thrashed his son, Parampal Singh, on October 3. Gurtej was shifted to the Sub-Divisional Civil Hospital here late on Saturday, from where doctors referred him to Sriganganagar. He got his statement recorded on the mobile phone as he was being taken in an ambulance to Sriganganagar. In a video that went later viral, Gurtej blamed Makhan and the others for driving him to suicide. Gurtej died at a private hospital in Sriganganagar on Sunday. The hospital administration had reportedly informed the police control room at Fazilka on Saturday night about the patients critical condition. Parampal, in a written statement given to the village panchayat on October 3, had alleged that Gopi Ram, along with Vishal, Lala, Mehmad, Ravi, Sagar and Midhia, waylaid him when he was going to Government Senior Secondary School at Dharampura village. He was beaten up and thrown into a bush. Later, someone rescued him and informed his parents. It came to light later that the accused wanted to teach Parampal a lesson for objecting to sexual harassment of female students. After Gurtejs death, residents took out a protest march and reached the Civil Hospital, where the body has been kept in the mortuary for an autopsy. Sadar police station incharge Angrej Kumar and Sub-Inspector Balwinder Singh recorded the statement of Gurdas Singh, son of Gurtej Singh, and registered a case. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Zira (Ferozepur), October 6 In a case of honour killing, a 16-year-old girl was murdered by her paternal uncle at Shah Abu Bakkar village in Zira subdivision of Ferozepur district on Saturday, the police said. The accused, Baldev Singh, was upset over his niece Kirandeep Kaurs relationship with a youth of her village. Kirandeep, a Class-X student, was at the village bus stand along with her grandmother when Baldev arrived. After a heated exchange, he attacked the girl with a sharp-edged weapon. Local residents rushed her to the Civil Hospital, from where the doctors referred her to the Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot. She died soon after reaching the hospital. After a post-mortem examination, the body was handed over to the family. The investigating officer, ASI Satpal Singh, said the police had recorded the statement of Balwinder Kaur, mother of the deceased. Sources said the girls mother had not objected to her affair. A case has been registered against Baldev under Sections 302 and 120-B of the IPC. TNS editorial@tribune.com Pushpa Girimaji Can a passenger of a transport corporation file a complaint for compensation before the consumer court for the rude behaviour of the conductor and the driver? The inter-state bus in which I travelled recently, refused to halt at the scheduled bus stop. When I protested, I was abused and was dropped so far away from the stop that I had to take a three wheeler to reach home. I feel that I should not allow them to get away with this kind of behaviour. I must assure you that the consumer courts have, in several cases, told service providers, particularly road transport companies, that rude and uncivilised behaviour towards customers would not be tolerated and would be construed as deficient service and the victims are entitled to compensation. So please go ahead and file the case against the driver, the conductor and the corporation that runs the service. In BL Sood VS Delhi Transport Corporation ( RP no 115 of 2006 , decided on November 28, 2007), for example, the apex consumer court came down heavily on the DTC and its checking staff for abusing and manhandling a passenger, particularly a senior citizen and awarded him compensation. In this case, soon after Mr Sood boarded the bus, a ticket checking party entered the bus and refused to accept his explanation that he did not have the ticket because he had just boarded. Humiliated and angry, Mr Sood hauled up the DTC before the consumer court and forced them to pay compensation to him. Have you come across a case similar to mine? I can quote an almost identical case. In Brij Mohan Sharma, assistant DM, Rajasthan State Road Transport Company VS Jag Mohan Sharma, the passenger boarded a deluxe bus run by the Rajasthan State Road Transport Company at Kota. When he reached his destination at Tonk, the bus did not drop him at the bus stop. It stopped on the main road itself. It was raining hard and Mr Sharma had to take a rickshaw to reach home, spending Rs 15. In response to his complaint, the RSRTC argued that the deluxe buses stopped on the main road for the convenience of passengers, as otherwise it took half an hour more for the bus to reach the bus stop in the city. The District forum, after hearing the case, directed the RSRTC to drop the passengers at the bus stand in the city. It also asked RSRTC to pay the complainant, Rs 15 that he had spent on the rickshaw. The RSRTC then filed an appeal before the State Commission, which upheld the order of the District Forum and said that not dropping a passenger, who had a valid ticket up to the Tonk bus stand, constituted deficiency in service. I must also mention here the case of Dr Ajit KR Mohanty vs District Transport Manager. This is slightly different from yours, but here too, the passenger was determined to teach the service provider a lesson for their negligent service. Dr Mohanty had booked a ticket to travel from Kansbahal to Bhubaneswar by Rourkela-Bhubaneswar non-stop bus run by the Orissa State Transport Corporation on January 4, 1990. At the time of booking, he was told that even though there is no scheduled stop at Kansbahal, it would pick up passengers who had booked early. So the ticket was issued for travel from Kansbahal, but the bus passed by without stopping. So much so the passenger was forced to take another bus and travel all the way to Bhubaneswar, standing. Worse, he reached his destination late, upsetting his work and personal schedule. The State Commission directed the transport corporation to refund the cost of the ticket and pay Rs 1,000 as compensation. I must mention that the consumers did not ask for very high compensation in these cases. Besides, in the initial years, the consumer courts too were quite tight fisted when it came to computation of damages. Today, the law not only provides for compensation for financial loss, physical and mental suffering, but also punitive damages. Punitive or exemplary damages are awarded as a punishment for wrongdoing and are intended to deter the wrongdoer from indulging in similar behaviour. Saba Naqvi Saba Naqvi Hami hua jo gai ka ahle yakeen hai Samjha woh dil mein gai ke sar par zameen hai (Supporters of the cow are the true believers because they know that it is on the horns of a cow that the world rotates!) Akbar Illahabadi, 20th century Urdu poet and satirist Once upon a time, in a land not so far away (actually in the heart of the country), lived many cows and human beings. The humans, especially those who once upon a time dwelled in the forests were known as Tribals and were often very, very poor. This land, Madhya Pradesh (also referred to as the land of Moo), has reported the highest number of rape cases in the country. Besides, many people were poor and there was shortage of water and electricity. Therefore, the wise political leaders of the land meditated and went on pilgrimages to find a way out. One young leader of a not-so-divine party decided to win the favour of the Gods and undertook an arduous pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar; he came back saying Bum Bum Bhole, Shiva is great and I am a Brahmin. After that, enlightenment dawned on his followers who set out on the path of worshipping Kamdhenu, the eternally bountiful cow of ancient tradition. The problem was that the living cows of The Land of Moo were often ill. They were set free by their owners after they stopped giving milk and many died cruel deaths with plastic clogging their intestines as they had to forage for food in garbage. A year ago, 58 cows had starved to death in a shelter meant for them and that had caused an embarrassment to the state rulers who were trying to prove that they were the real cow saviours. But after deaths in the cow shelters, strange and evil curses began to unfold in the land. Over the past year, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, both ruled by wise sages belonging to a party of celestial beings, have seen a sharp hike in the number of cows dying under train tracks. In the region between these two states, there have been a 362 per cent jump in cattle deaths recorded by the Railways. From 2,183 deaths under train tracks the previous year, 10,105 cattle have died this way in the year ending March 2018, mostly in the areas under the Northern Railway and West Central Railway. Understanding their responsibility towards cows in a poll year, both the celestial party and the not-so-divine party have got down to business. They are competing to make promises to serve the cows, feed them, house them and protect them. They argue that it would only be through cow worship that the people would get great bounties and rainfall. It was like a giant election yagna to holy cows. The pradhan sevak of the land, who had ruled for 15 years, recently announced a Ministry for Cows at a function meant to award the best cowsheds. People with small minds saw it as an attempt to counter the promise made by the leader of the not-so-divine party that he would set up cowsheds in every gram panchayat. The pradhan sevak also promised to build cow sanctuaries in the land also famous for tiger sanctuaries. He also announced a Cow Express that was a sort of ambulance on wheels to attend to sick bovines. So what if there was a shortage of doctors in the state; the Cow Express would have a vet and an attendant to treat the holy cows. They would materialise through prayer, wish fulfilment and divine blessings. A dedicated helpline number was also announced for cows. After seeing the celestial party out-cow them, the members of the not-so-divine party began to retrace a journey into exile of Lord Rama. They began the Ram Van Gaman Path Yatra from Kamtanath Temple in Chitrakoot in Satna district to trace the route taken by Lord Ram on way to his 14-year exile. They did not see the joke when people asked them whether the journey also symbolised their 15-year exile in the state. They said besides building cowsheds, they were also determined to develop religious tourism in the state. Mohinder Singh Mohinder Singh A common cause (the freedom struggle) and a common enemy (the British) kept the Akalis close to the Congress till India got freedom. However, soon after cracks started appearing in this friendship. The ambition of Akali leaders to capture power at the provincial level because of their sacrifices in the past and Congress leaders inability to accept an exclusive Akali claim for ruling the border state resulted in serious differences. Subsequently, there were powerful Akali agitations Struggle for Punjabi Suba (1956-66), Akali morcha against the Emergency (1975-77) and the Dharam Yudh morcha leading to Operation Bluestar and the tragic events that followed. Non-Cooperation Movement The Akali achievement in the past is significant because of the large-scale Sikh participation. Despite being less than 2 per cent of Indias population, the number of Sikhs who courted arrest exceeded those held in connection with the larger countrywide Non-Cooperation Movement. Again, while Mahatma Gandhi withdrew the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1922 without achieving any of its three goals (i) Restoration of the Khalifa of Turkey to his throne (ii) Righting the Punjab wrongs (over the Jallianwala Massacre) (iii) Attaining Swaraj within one year the Akalis did not stop their agitation till they liberated the historic Sikh shrines from the hereditary control of the corrupt mahants. This is what led Khushwant Singh to describe Mahatma Gandhis larger Non-Cooperation Movement as pale imitation of the Akali movement. In the Akali movement, the Congress found an opportunity to further its own programme of non-cooperation launched by Mahatma Gandhi and to strengthen its position in Punjab. By winning over the Akali leadership, they were able to influence a large section of the Sikh masses, who had till then remained aloof from the Congress. As Maulana Mohammed Ali remarked in the course of his presidential address at the Cocanada Session of the Indian National Congress held on December 31, 1923, A better opportunity for Civil Disobedience at least on a provincial scale never presented itself since the arrest of the Mahatma. Jaito morcha Apart from passing a formal resolution to support the Akalis in their non-violent struggle against the government, the Congress leadership also decided to send Jawaharlal Nehru, A. T. Gidwani and K. Santhanam to Jaito in Punjab where the Akalis were engaged in a powerful struggle against the local administration for having interrupted an akhand paath. On arrival in Jaito, the Congress representatives were summarily arrested and put behind bars. It was here that Nehru experienced what it meant to be in jail in a princely state governed by a British administrator where no rules were followed. In a lengthy handwritten statement, Nehru attacked the administration and the judicial machinery for their unscrupulous and crooked ways and recorded his admiration for the Akalis. The last paragraph of his note drafted in the Nabha jail on November 23, 1923, reads as follows: I was in jail when the Guru-ka-Bagh struggle was gallantly fought and won by the Sikhs. I marvelled at the courage and sacrifice of the Akalis and wished that I could be given an opportunity of showing my deep admiration of them by some form of service. That opportunity has now been given to me, and I earnestly hope that I shall prove worthy of their high tradition and fine courage. Sat Sri Akal. Punjabi-speaking state Ironical as it may seem, it was Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, much maligned by the Akalis, who conceded to their long-pending demand for Punjabi-speaking state after bifurcation of the state into Haryana, Himachal and Punjab on a linguistic basis. While the Sikhs came in a majority in the new state, the Centre retained its control over Chandigarh, which undisputedly was built as capital for Punjab after the Partition. To gain control over Chandigarh and other Punjabi-speaking areas left in Haryana, the Akalis launched fresh agitations. Sant Fateh Singh, who replaced Master Tara Singh as the Akali supremo, went on fast unto death for transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab. To pressurise the Centre, Sant Fateh Singh got an agnikund constructed on the roof of a house adjoining the Akal Takht and threatened to immolate himself if his demand was not conceded to. He, however, violated the sanctity of ardas by breaking his fast on false assurances, and thus joined the line of fallen idols of the Akali struggle. It was left to Darshan Singh Pheruman, a devout Sikh with an Akali-Congress background, to restore the sanctity of ardas by going on fast unto death. He attained martyrdom on the 74th day of his fast. His determination can be seen from a letter he wrote to Indira Gandhi in response to her appeal to break the fast. My dear child, do not take my ardas to mean any kind of pressure. The ardas of a Sikh offered with sincerity can never be intended to exert pressure on anyone or hurt anyones feeling. Its purpose is absolutely pure. Mainstream support A comparative study of its three most powerful agitations by the Akalis reveals some interesting facts, the most important of these being the role of the leadership. It shows how Akali leaders in the past succeeded in channelling the popular religious upsurge during the Gurdwara Reform Movement (1920-25) into a powerful instrument for Indias struggle for freedom and brought the Sikh community into the mainstream of the freedom struggle. Three distinct features of the past struggle made it more effective than its later manifestations. The first was that the Akali leadership realised the value of press and public opinion. They started an English daily, the Hindustan Times, in addition to two vernacular papers, Akali and Akalite Pardesi, besides securing the active support of Ruchi Ram Sahni, a trustee of The Tribune. The second was that from the very beginning they eschewed violence and quickly disowned violent activities of the splinter group, Babbar Akalis. And third, the movement was never allowed to take a communal turn. In contrast, the recent Akali leadership has failed to carry with it support of larger section of the Indian society and the national media. During the turbulent period of the 1980s, both the SGPC and the Shiromani Akali Dal failed in their duty to ensure the sanctity of the Golden Temple by checking extremist elements from carrying out activities from the sacred premises. Rather than fighting from the front like the past Akali leaders, they ensured their own safety by being detained in the safe haven of circuit houses. Master Tara Singhs famous slogan main marante panth jeeve (I may die so that the panth lives) seems to have been reversed by the present Akali leadership with disastrous consequences. The writer is director, National Institute of Panjab Studies, New Delhi ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM The autumn evenings in Shopian are cold and grey. However, the fires of dissent that burn among the residents of this historic town on the southern-most edge of the Kashmir valley remain blazing. Shopian has become the latest flashpoint in an ageing but resilient insurgency. The district is also one of the Valleys most prosperous. It produces tonnes of high-quality apples which has resulted in economic mobility for its residents. In the past, the quiet villages of Shopian have been home to thinkers who shaped extreme ideologies, either political or religious, or both. Leftist ideologue Abdul Sattar Ranjoor and Jamaat-e-Islamis ideologue Ghulam Ahmad Ahrar both belong to Shopian. Shopian, which has a population of three lakh and literacy rate of 62.49 per cent, is seeing the emergence of yet another extreme ideology the belligerent and almost-suicidal reverence for militants. Everyone knows a militant either in family or among friends, says Wasim Gul, a young man with neatly trimmed beard. He and four others are packing apples at an orchard in Shopians Mool village. It is the reason why everyone supports them, he said. All five men speak about their militant connections either near or distant blood relations, friends, neighbours, acquaintances reflecting the bonds that are shaping the new realities in much of South Kashmir. Life in Shopian, as much as it is idyllic, is ironic as well. Along side its crop of apples in its lush-green orchards, ringed by Himalayan mountains, the emerging crop of militants has made it the most dangerous flashpoint in Kashmir. In the past two months, nine policemen have been killed by militants based in Shopian while the abduction and killing of three cops has sparked a fresh diplomatic row between India and Pakistan, resulting in failure to the restart of talks between the two neighbours. In the past few years, as a new generation of militants has taken command of the insurgency, Shopian has provided abundance of recruits to the once-dwindling militant numbers. The district is now home to 60 to 70 militants, which was the number of total militants present across the Valley four years ago. This large presence of militants in South Kashmir, most of them concentrated in Shopian, has given birth to an ecosystem where the gap after the death of a militant is quickly filled by a new readily-available recruit. In April, 12 local militants were killed in a single day in two separate gunfights in Shopian the highest death toll in more than a decade. Even before their funerals were over, the buzz had already spread that double the number of young men had joined the militants ranks. Two police officers, who have served in Shopian district in recent years, admit that the gap between the people and the government institutions has widened. And militants have exploited this successfully. The message has to be made clear that we are not at war with people, says a police officer. Our outreach has been limited because we are engaged in a battle but a positive word has to go out, the officer said. The number of militants operating in Shopian rose manifold after the July 2016 killing of Burhan Wani, which sparked an agitation across Kashmir. It was spearheaded by militants in South Kashmir who addressed protest rallies in villages and launched their own outreach. The protests continued for several months after Wanis death. Efforts by the police to contain the dissent resulted in many young men and women becoming blind due to pellets fired at demonstrators. More than hundred persons were killed. The grief and anger among the people in Shopian was reflected in the bulging ranks of militants, whose number jumped to 32 from a minuscule eight. The new recruits, brandishing assault rifles in rallies and funerals, announced their presence on social media which inspired other youth. Mujtaba Ahmad, a schoolteacher in Shopian, says, Every action has an equal reaction. Shopian became a bastion of militants because its people suffered extreme violence. The growing influence of militants and the audacity of their attacks in Shopian has forced an exodus of members associated with mainstream political parties. It has widened the wedge between people and the state and eased the consolidation militants base in the district. A local politician associated with the mainstream National Conference says, The self-respect of people has been challenged. The youth is furious and they find their only option in violence. Azhar Qadri shalender@tribune.com THE question of primary education in the Punjab has a special importance at the present time. The Bill to introduce compulsory primary education which is on the legislative anvil, demands the attention of educationists of the Province as well as the public. It is a matter of satisfaction that educationists of experience like Rai Bahadur Sundar Das Suri and Rai Sahib Ruchi Ram Sahni have been elucidating some issues raised by the Bill and enlightening the public in regard to its provisions. The Bill requires to be mended in important directions to make it serve the object in view, the popularising of education. The Director of Public Instruction, Punjab, has, it is known, issued a Note on School Courses in the Punjab, proposing to curtail the period of primary education. The text of the Note is not available to us. We think all important proposals, whether of a progressive or reactionary character should be made available to the public here as in other provinces. pardeepdhull@gmail.com Beijing, October 7 Authorities in eastern China said 2 people were killed and 16 injured after a knife-wielding man drove a vehicle into a crowd of pedestrians on Saturday night. The suspected assailant, identified only by his surname, Wang, was apparently enraged by a personal conflict when he committed the attack, the Beilun district government in the Zhejiang province city of Ningbo city said in a statement on its microblog. It said the case is under investigation and no other details were given. The incident follows an attack last month in which 11 people were killed and 44 hospitalised after a man drove an SUV deliberately into people at a plaza in the central province of Hunan, before jumping out and attacking victims with a dagger and shovel. The Hengyang city government said the suspect in that case had previous convictions for crimes including drug trafficking, theft and assault and, acting alone, had sought to get revenge on society. Such attacks generally blamed on mental illness, alienation from society or personal disputes continue to occur despite China having one of the worlds most extensive domestic surveillance and security networks. Many of the incidents have occurred at schools, including a chain of attacks in 2010 in which nearly 20 children were killed. In June, a man used a kitchen knife to kill two children in Shanghai, and last year, eight people were killed when a man set off an explosion at the front gate of a kindergarten in eastern China as relatives gathered to pick up children. AP shalender@tribune.com WASHINGTON, October 6 President Donald Trumps nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, looked headed for a lifetime job on the US Supreme Court on Friday after two crucial senators said that sexual misconduct accusations against the judge would not prevent them from voting to confirm him. If Kavanaugh is approved in a final Senate vote, Trump will have achieved a victory in his drive to consolidate conservative dominance of the nations highest court and move the American judiciary to the right. Two key senators, Republican Susan Collins and Democrat Joe Manchin, both seen as swing votes, said they would support Kavanaugh, after weeks of debate about sexual violence and the nominees temperament that gripped the nation. Kavanaughs confirmation would give conservatives a solid 5-4 majority in future legal battles on contentious issues such as abortion rights, immigration, industry regulation, presidential powers, and gay and transgender rights. A sharply partisan battle over the nomination became an intense personal and political drama when university professor Christine Ford accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were high school students in Maryland in 1982. Reuters harinder@tribunemail.com London, October 6 Idiocracy, nothingburger and fam are among the 1,400 new words to make an entry into the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) as part of its latest update. Idiocracy refers to a society consisting of or governed by people characterised as idiots. In what may be seen as a reflection of modern-day politics, the word is also defined as a government formed of people considered stupid, ignorant, or idiotic, by the definitive lexicon of the English language. Words like democracy and aristocracy originated in ancient Greek, but by the 18th century, -ocracy was being added to English words, explains Katherine Connor Martin, Head of US Dictionaries at OED. In the 19th century, the trickle of such formations became a flood, with many of the new words being terms of ridicule, a tradition to which idiocracy belongs, she said. Some of the other stand-out entries in the latest update include nothingburger, defined as a person or thing of no importance, value, or substance, especially something which, contrary to expectations, turns out to be insignificant or unremarkable. Fam, short for family and with a wider connotation for family and close friends, has been added due to its prolific use as a slang in reference to relatives and mates. Another new addition is alt-right, which is short for alternative right and came to prominence in recent years especially in the US after Donald Trumps election campaign for President. The OED classifies it as an ideological grouping associated with extreme conservative or reactionary viewpoints, characterised by a rejection of mainstream politics. The OED is updated four times a year, with the next update is due in December. PTI shalender@tribune.com PARIS, October 6 Interpol has asked Beijing to clarify the situation of Interpol president Meng Hongwei, who has been reported missing, the international police organisations secretary-general Juergen Stock said on Saturday. Interpol has requested through official law enforcement channels clarification from Chinas authorities on the status of Interpol President Meng Hongwei, Stock, who carries out the day-to-day running of the organisation, said on its website. Interpols General Secretariat looks forward to an official response from Chinas authorities to address concerns over the Presidents well-being, Stock added in the statement. Meanwhile, the French police are investigating the disappearance of Meng, who was reported missing after travelling from France to his native China, while his wife has been placed under police protection after receiving threats. Mengs wife contacted police in Lyon, the French city where the international police agency is based, after not hearing from him since September 25, and after receiving threats by phone and on social media, Frances interior ministry said. A person familiar with the investigation said the initial working assumption was that Meng had antagonised Chinese authorities in some way and had been detained as a result. France is puzzled about the situation of Interpols president and concerned about the threats made to his wife, the ministry said, adding that it was in contact with China. It was not clear why Meng, 64, who was named Interpols president two years ago, had travelled to China, which has not commented officially on his disappearance. Chinas Ministry of Public Security did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment and there was no mention of him in official media on Saturday. There have been several cases in recent years of senior Chinese officials vanishing without explanation, only for the government to announce weeks or even months later that they have been put under investigation, often for suspected corruption. Hong Kongs South China Morning Post quoted an unnamed source as saying Meng had been taken for questioning as soon as he landed in China, but it was not clear why. French police are investigating what is officially termed in France a worrying disappearance. Reuters laxmi@tribune.com Tehran, October 7 Irans Parliament on Sunday approved a Bill to counter terrorist financing that was strongly opposed by conservatives but seen as vital to salvaging the nuclear deal with European and Asian partners. The Bill, one of four put forward by the government in a bid to meet demands set by the international Financial Action Task Force (FATF), was passed by 143 votes to 120, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency. It aims to bring Irans laws in line with international standards and allow it to join the UN Terrorism Financing Convention. A previous Bill on the mechanics of monitoring and preventing terrorist financing was signed into law in August. But joining the UN convention has been controversial because hardliners say it will limit Irans ability to support armed groups in the region such as its Lebanese ally, Hezbollah. Two other Bills, on money-laundering and organised crime, have also been passed by Parliament but are being held up by the Guardian Council, which vets all legislation. Iran is alone with North Korea on the blacklist of the Paris-based FATF, which monitors global money laundering and terrorist financing. The FATF suspended counter-measures against Iran in June 2017 and has set a final deadline of mid-October for it to amend its laws. The issue has become particularly pressing since the US walked out of the 2015 nuclear deal. The other parties to the deal Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia have sought to salvage the agreement and maintain trade with Iran. AFP gspannu7@gmail.com Sofia, October 7 A television journalist has been brutally murdered in Bulgarias northern town of Ruse, prosecutors said Sunday, with the case drawing international condemnation. The body of 30-year-old Viktoria Marinova, identified by authorities only by her initials, was found on Saturday in a park, Ruse regional prosecutor Georgy Georgiev said. The death was caused by blows on the head and suffocation, he added. Her mobile phone, car keys, glasses and part of her clothes were missing, Georgiev said, adding that prosecutors were probing all leadsboth personal and linked to Marinovas job. Police sources told AFP that the crime did not immediately appear linked to her work. The OSCEs media freedom representative Harlem Desir condemned Marinovas killing on Twitter: Shocked by horrific murder of investigative journalist Victoria Marinova in #Bulgaria. Urgently call for a full and thorough investigation. Those responsible must be held to account. Local media reported that Marinova was an administrative director of Ruses TVN television and had just started her own news talk show called Detector. The channel has not released any statement so far. A journalist is killed on average every week around the world, according to figures compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Among the most high-profile recent cases were Maltas anti-corruption blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia who died in a car bombing outside her home in October 2017, and top Slovak reporter Jan Kuciak who was shot dead with his fiancee at their home in February. Bulgaria tumbled down to 111th place in the annual RSF media freedom ranking in 2018 -- lower than any other EU member state. Widespread corruption, shady media ownership, and suspected collusion between journalists, politicians, and oligarchs have made objective reporting a constant obstacle-run, RSF said. According to the Bulgaria-based Association of European Journalists, reporters from small regional and local media are particularly subjected to pressure from local businessmen and politicians and outright threats, often leading to self-censorship. Violence against women has also been widespread in Bulgaria with several brutal killings of women by their ex-boyfriends and ex-husbands causing an outcry in the media recently. AFP laxmi@tribune.com Seoul, October 7 Kim Jong Un has agreed to hold a second summit with US President Donald Trump as soon as possible, Seoul said on Sunday, after Washingtons top diplomat held productive talks on denuclearisation with the North Korean leader in Pyongyang. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Kim on Sunday morning for around two hours of talks followed by a lunch in the Norths capital, before flying to Seoul on a whirlwind diplomatic visit to the region. Pompeo said he agreed with Chairman Kim to hold the second US-North Korea summit at the earliest date possible, Souths presidential office said in a statement, although no specific time or location has yet been agreed. Pompeo and Kim also discussed denuclearisation steps that will be taken by North Korea and the issue of attendance by the US government, as well as corresponding measures to be taken by the US, the statement said. The visit was Pompeo's fourth to North Korea. US President Donald Trump met Kim in Singapore in June for the first-ever summit between the countries, resulting in what critics say was only a vague commitment by Kim towards denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. We continue to make progress on agreements made at Singapore Summit. Thanks for hosting me and my team, Pompeo tweeted. Kim also praised their nice meeting, telling Pompeo via an interpreter following the morning's talks that it was a very nice day that promises a good future ... for both the countries. AFP pardeepdhull@gmail.com Jakarta/Palu, Indonesia, October 7 When up to six-metre (20-foot) tsunami waves crashed into the Indonesian city of Palu last month, Didiek Wahyudi Kurniawans house near the beach was quickly engulfed with water, leaving his wife and two daughters barely any time to escape. I know there is supposed to be a tsunami warning alarm, but maybe it was outdated? I have no idea. We never get any warning from it, said Kurniawan, 46. He said he was out at the time but his family escaped by wading through chest-high water to a neighbours three-storey building. While his family was spared, scores attending a beach festival in Palu were among those swept away, adding to the more than 1,600 deaths from the 7.5 magnitude quake and tsunami that have been confirmed so far. Other survivors also said they heard no sirens, even though a tsunami warning was issued and then lifted 34 minutes after the quake, based on data available from the closest tidal sensor, around 200 km (125 miles) from Palu, which is on Sulawesi island. As Indonesia struggles with the aftermath of the devastating quake, the spotlight has again been shone on the apparent lack of preparedeness in a sprawling archipelago that suffers regular tremors, lying on the seismically active so-called Pacific Ring of Fire. There was a major push in the region to improve warning systems after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami killed more than 120,000 in Indonesia alone, including establishing a network of 22 warning buoys to detect tsunamis that was put in place with German and U.S. help. International agencies and countries poured $4.6 billion into the reconstruction of Indonesias devastated Aceh province on Sumatra island, with new infrastructure such as strategically placed evacuation centres. Still, with the first waves in Palu arriving within around four minutes and power and communications knocked out by the quake, text message alerts or sirens would probably not have been enough, even if they were working. Denis McClean, a spokesman of the UN Disaster Risk Reduction agency, told a briefing only public awareness would have saved people under these circumstances. It happened very quickly. There wasnt much time for warnings to be disseminated, so it was very much dependent on the level of public awareness in order to save lives. The earthquake is the warning Indonesias national disaster mitigation agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said people still often did not know what to do when a disaster strikes. Unlike in quake-prone countries like Japan and New Zealand, earthquake education and drills are conducted only sporadically in Indonesia. The problem in tsunami early warning systems is not the structure, not its tools, but the culture in our communities, Nugroho told reporters. Palu has some tsunami evacuation route signs, but Mokhtar, a resident, said while he was aware of government sponsored simulations shown on television on what to do in an earthquake, he had not seen any on the ground. There is a warning system but on that day there was none. No siren or anything, said the 51-year-old civil servant, adding that he has never heard the warning system ever. Nugroho of the diaster agency said communities sometimes vandalise early warning tools like tsunami buoys. The network of 22 buoys in Indonesia, which are connected to seabed sensors, have been inoperable since 2012, often due to neglect or vandalism. Fishermen often used buoys to tie their boats, sometimes damaging sensors, while in one case a buoy was towed by fishermen from its original mooring to another part of the sea off Sulawesi. Indonesian President Joko Widodo called this week for the buoys to be repaired or replaced, but experts and officials say investment has also been neglected in other areas. According to data from the disaster agency, out of about 1,000 tsunami sirens needed across Indonesia, only 56 are in place. Only about 3,100 km (1,920 miles) of evacuation routes have been established against a need for 11,900 km (7,390 miles), while there are only 50 evacuation shelters compared with estimates of 2,200 needed, the data showed. The speaker of Indonesias parliament, Bambang Soesatyo, pledged in a statement that at least in the case of buoys, parliament would support the budget for this. Adam Switzer, a tsunami expert at the Earth Observatory of Singapore, said from evidence so far it appeared the tsunami in Palu was generated by a submarine landslide, something most warning systems would not pick up. The earthquake is the warning. The first thing you need to do is take cover in a safe space until the shaking stops and then get yourself away from the coast. Its about education, said Switzer, stressing that this needed to be ingrained in every child in Asia, especially in Southeast Asia. Even putting aside the human cost, there are powerful economic arguments for doing more to prepare for disasters. Udrekh, a disaster expert at Indonesias Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), said Indonesia is discussing with Japan whether to invest in seabed cables with sensors that could detect tsunami and earthquakes, similar to a system in Japan. Such cables would be less vulnerable and quicker than buoys and cost 300 billion rupiah ($19.8 million) a year for every 200 km (125 miles), he said. We always say for disaster infrastructure that you save $7 for every $1 investment you make, so this is needed and the cost is nothing compared to other infrastructure, he said. He estimated Indonesia lost about 30 trillion rupiah ($2 billion) each year from disasters, but spent too little on disaster mitigation infrastructure and education. Its like we never learned from 2004, he said. Reuters laxmi@tribune.com Ankara, October 7 Turkish authorities believe Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside his countrys consulate in Istanbul last week, Turkish sources said, in what they described as the deliberate targeting of a prominent critic of the Gulf kingdoms rulers. Khashoggi, a former newspaper editor in Saudi Arabia and adviser to its former head of intelligence, left the country last year saying he feared retribution for his growing criticism of Saudi policy in the Yemen war and its crackdown on dissent. On Tuesday he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to get documents for his forthcoming marriage. Saudi officials say he left shortly afterwards but his fiancee, who was waiting outside, said he never came out. The initial assessment of the Turkish police is that Khashoggi has been killed at the consulate of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul. We believe that the murder was premeditated and the body was subsequently moved out of the consulate, one of two Turkish officials said on Saturday. An adviser to Turkeys President Tayyip Erdogan, Yasin Aktay, said authorities had concrete information about Khashoggis case, and he believed the journalist was killed in the consulate. A Saudi source at the consulate denied that Khashoggi had been killed at the mission and said in a statement that the accusations were baseless. The Saudi source said that a security team including Saudi investigators had arrived in Istanbul on Saturday to take part in the investigation into Khashoggis disappearance. The US is seeking more information, a State Department official said. Khashoggis fiancee could not immediately be contacted but she said in a Tweet that there had been no official confirmation of the Turkish sources statements. Reuters shalender@tribune.com Lahore, October 6 An anti-corruption court in Pakistan on Saturday granted a 10-day remand of opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif to the countrys top anti-graft body in a Rs 1,400 crore housing scam, the latest setback to the embattled Sharif family. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), which arrested the PML-N president on Friday, had sought a 15-day remand to investigate his alleged involvement in the multi-billion rupees corruption case. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president, who was kept in a highly-secured lock-up inside the NAB Lahore office, arrived in court in an armoured vehicle, under heavy security. A large number of PML-N workers gathered outside the court and chanted slogans against PM Imran Khan for taking revenge from the Sharif brothers. Accountability Court judge Najamul Hasan accepted the request of the NAB prosecutors plea and granted Shahbazs physical remand for 10 days to interrogate him in the case. Shahbaz, who has been accused of misusing his authority, denied corruption charges and told the court that he had saved billions of rupees in different developmental projects during his tenure as Punjab CM. PTI gspannu7@gmail.com Islamabad, October 7 Pakistan has ordered as many as 18 international non-governmental organisations to cease their operations and leave the country within two months, a media report said Sunday. The Express News TV reported that the Interior Ministry has given 60 days to those International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGO) for closing down their operations. Among the 18 INGOs, nine have association with the US, three with the UK and two with the Netherlands. Others have connections with Italy, Switzerland, Denmark and Ireland. ActionAid and Plan International are among the charities asked to shut down. In addition, the ministry also imposed restrictions on 72 NGOs for inadequate documentation. The government has allowed 141 NGOs to continue their functions, including 66 foreign entities, sources said. The scrutiny of INGOs and NGOs started during the tenure of the previous government when authorities devised a new system and asked all of them to register under it. The role of foreign donors and their partners in Pakistan came under scanner after fake vaccination camp was launched by a doctor to help the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) trace former al-Qaeda chief Osama bin-Laden. He was killed in a US operation in 2011. PTI pardeepdhull@gmail.com Kabul, October 7 At least 10 policemen were killed in clashes with Taliban fighters in the central Afghan province of Wardak, officials said on Sunday, amid fighting to wrest control of arterial highways a day after Taliban fighters blew up bridges. The Taliban set fire to a government building in Wardaks Sayeed Abad district and killed the district police chief along with nine other policemen on Saturday night, a senior police official said. Repeated assaults on strategically important provinces, such as Wardak and nearby Ghazni, have been a show of strength for the Taliban, underscoring how volatile security remains in Afghanistan two weeks before nationwide parliamentary elections. Abdul Rahman Mangal, a spokesman for the Wardak governors office, said the Taliban raided some civilian houses after killing 10 policemen, destroyed newly built checkpoints and cut power to some parts of the city. Government forces counter-attacked to stop the insurgents from approaching the city, Mangal said. A statement from the Talibans main spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said the insurgents had taken the centre of Sayeed Abad and all surrounding security checkpoints, killing numerous members of the security forces and seizing weapons, ammunition and vehicles. Mohammad Arif Noori, a spokesman for Ghaznis governor, said one soldier was killed by Taliban fighters as they tried to gain control over parts of the province nearly two months after being pushed back from the city by U.S.-backed Afghan forces. The Taliban attacked Ghazni, a strategically important centre straddling the main highway linking Kabul with Afghanistans south, in August. It was the largest tactical operation launched by the Taliban since they overran the northern city of Kunduz in 2015. That confrontation killed 150 members of Afghanistans security forces and 95 civilians, as well as hundreds of Taliban fighters. Reuters pardeepdhull@gmail.com Ankara, October 7 Turkish authorities believe that prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who disappeared four days ago after entering Saudi Arabias consulate in Istanbul, was killed inside the consulate, two Turkish sources said on Saturday. The initial assessment of the Turkish police is that Mr. Khashoggi has been killed at the consulate of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul. We believe that the murder was premeditated and the body was subsequently moved out of the consulate, one of the two Turkish officials told Reuters. The Turkish sources did not say how they believed the killing was carried out. A Saudi source at the consulate denied that Khashoggi had been killed at the mission and said in a statement that the accusations were baseless. The Saudi source said that a security team including Saudi investigators had arrived in Istanbul on Saturday to take part in the investigation into Khashoggis disappearance. Saudi Arabias consul-general told Reuters earlier on Saturday that his country was helping search for Khashoggi, and dismissed talk of his possible abduction. Khashoggi, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Washington for the past year fearing retribution for his criticism of Saudi policies, entered the consulate on Tuesday to secure documents for his forthcoming marriage, according to his fiancee, who waited outside. He has not been heard of since. Since then, Turkish and Saudi officials have offered conflicting accounts of his disappearance, with Ankara saying there was no evidence that he had left the diplomatic mission and Riyadh saying he exited the premises the same day. The United States is seeking more information, a State Department official said. We are not in a position to confirm these reports, but we are following them closely, the official said. A Turkish security source told Reuters that a group of 15 Saudi nationals, including some officials, had arrived in Istanbul in two planes and entered the consulate on the same day Khashoggi was there, and later left the country. The Turkish source said Turkish officials were trying to identify them. Turkeys Anadolu news agency also reported that the group of Saudis were briefly at the consulate. Deepening divisions Khashoggis disappearance is likely to further deepen divisions between Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Relations were already strained after Turkey sent troops to the Gulf state of Qatar last year in a show of support after its Gulf neighbours, including Saudi Arabia, imposed an embargo on Doha. Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said this week that the kingdom would allow Turkey to search the consulate for Khashoggi. But he also criticized Turkeys crackdown following a 2016 failed coup against Erdogan. On Saturday, Yasin Aktay, Erdogans AK Party adviser and a friend of Khashoggi, told Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera: We demand a convincing clarification from Saudi Arabia, and what the crown prince offered is not convincing. He also said what happened to Khashoggi was a crime and those responsible for his disappearance must be tried, Al Jazeera said. Turkish prosecutors have begun an investigation into the case, officials said on Saturday, and a spokesman for Erdogans AK Party said authorities would uncover his whereabouts. The condition of the lost journalist, details on him and who is responsible for this will be uncovered, Omer Celik said. Khashoggi is a familiar face on political talk shows on Arab satellite television networks and used to advise Prince Turki al-Faisal, former Saudi intelligence chief and ambassador to the United States and Britain. Over the past year, he has written columns for newspapers including the Washington Post criticising Saudi policies towards Qatar and Canada, the war in Yemen and a crackdown on dissent which has seen dozens of people detained. I have left my home, my family and my job, and I am raising my voice, Khashoggi wrote in September 2017. To do otherwise would betray those who languish in prison. I can speak when so many cannot. Two months later, writing about the detentions of scores of Saudi royals, senior officials and businessmen accused of corruption, he said Mohammed bin Salman dispensed selective justice and said there was complete intolerance for even mild criticism of the crown prince. On Saturday Saudi Arabias consul-general in Istanbul, Mohammad al-Otaibi, opened up his mission to Reuters to show that Khashoggi was not on the premises, and said talk of his abduction was ungrounded. Opening cupboards, filing cabinets and wooden panels covering air conditioning units, Otaibi walked through the six floors of the building including a basement prayer room, offices, visa counters, kitchens and toilets as well as storage and security rooms. He said the consulate was equipped with cameras but they did not record footage, so no images could be retrieved of Khashoggi entering or leaving the consulate, which is ringed by police barriers and has high security fences topped with barbed wire. Reuters National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds is anticipating an increase in crime when the state of emergency (SoE) is lifted on Wednesday. Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley announced at the Covid-19 news conference last Saturday that Parliament will meet on Wednesday to bring an end to the SoE, as it had achieved its objective. That's what I thought. We will arrive in Moscow in the morning so plenty of time to pickup tickets at the station. I've bought tickets through rzd.ru but always e-tickets. At the moment I don't think UK passport holders need a visa for Kazakstan so that would make it easier. We are not travelling until next year and the visa free trial may end before then so I will keep an eye on the requirements. We will be heading to Almaty after Tashkent so would need to be careful regarding the multi-entry aspect when the time comes. Thanks for your help. Hi there, I'm trying to organise a 4 days trip to Munich with my wife, around New Year's Eve, but I'm not sure how to plan it. I'd like to find scenic trains to get there. I've considered 2 options so far: starting from Brussels or from Switzerland (we live in London). - if we start from Brussels, what are the routes and stops you would recommend? We'd like to find a nice place for New Year's Eve (we'd be leaving on 29 December, so that would be day 3, we'd need to be in Munich the day after) - if we start from Switzerland (that would probably be really quiet option), we're dreaming of a lovely train trip across the Swiss Alps, enjoying the beautiful snowed countryside and ending up relaxed in Munich - a third option would be to start from Northern Italy but I'm not sure about that... I'll carry on looking for information myself but any advice or tips would be much appreciated. Thanks for your help, Will Edited: 3 years ago Get out in Negril ! Stay normally aware of safety as you would anywhere.. Walk the beach, explore restaurants, the Westend and cliffs. Meet a local driver ! Go to music. Take the one love bus tour from your hotel, it's frees ( tips only ) you'll get out to 5-7 cool places for a cold drink, good views & local flair. Anniversary Dinner at Catcha Falling Star / Ivan's on the cliffs. '100 candle light dinner' Just get out there there is so much to see taste and do. Some of the warmest people in the world. Have great trip ! Adding to the excellent advice & notes above: Just to give you an idea of the size of Australia : Youll need to factor in losing about half a day each time you change locations + flying times. Our security checks & boarding systems are much more streamlined ( and courteous) than the US, but it still takes time. Internal flights arent terribly expensive considering the distances travelled, if you book early - but they add up. I did a check using Qantas & their low cost carrier Jetstar for a mid February Itinerary; 12 Feb .... SYD - AYQ (Ayers Rock airport - you fly here for Uluru). JQ 660 $411 - $551 (only a few seats left at $411). 10:30 - 12:30 (3 1/2 hours flying time (there's 90 mins difference between NSW & NT) 14 Feb .... AYQ - CNS ( Cairns for Great Barrier Reef) best price via Alice Springs QF 1940 & QF 1948 (9.20 - 13.55) - 3 hrs 10 mins flying time + waiting in Alice Springs ... $550 18 Feb ... CNS - MEL - several flights a day, I would take the latest to maximise your time on the ground. JQ 943 - (18:35 - 22:55) $256. Or you could go earlier ... QF 703 (13:05 - 17:35) 3 hrs 30 mins flying (time difference between Queensland & Victoria in February) $310 So .... all up - cheapest about $1357 (NB: Qantas allows 23kg luggage, Jetstar charges for checked luggage). All our domestic airlines have a limit of 7kg carry-on, plus size limits and strictly monitor them. We dont do mini van hire & drivers - unless youre talking about individual tours, which may be reasonably cost effective for a group - but are not the cheap variety you find in Asia. If you can drive, Id suggest you rent a car & drive yourselves. Keep this in mind when youre packing - 5 people in a sedan is ok, but you wont have a lot of room in the boot (trunk) for luggage. Once you get into SUVs, the increased space comes at a price. Again, between 5, its probably still a cost effective way of doing day & overnight trips from your bases. The other benefit is, of course, flexibility to stop when & where you like. Offset: Convenience of not having to drive & the guides advice (which as we all know, can be on either end of the proficient/enjoyable/interesting scale!) You asked about Travel Agents. Whilst there are Certified Aussie (and NZ) Specialists, you should run a mile from anyone who agreed to do your proposed Itinerary in your timeframe of 17-18 days, with your parameters of moderately easy pace. We have seen some horrendous Itineraries put together by Travel Agents, who raise incompetent to an art-form! Do keep in mind the varying climates. February is far from the ideal time for the northern part of Australia. Hot & dry around Uluru. Hot & wet with marine stingers on the Great Barrier Reef. Thats not at all to say dont go just to be aware that you will need to do your walks early in the morning in Central Australia & allow for the probability of some rain in FNQ (Far North Queensland). I think youll need to increase your budget, particularly as your time-frame doesnt really allow for staying out of the prime real-estate tourist areas. That said, Sydney & Melbourne are very well serviced with self-catering apartments, which can help cut catering & laundry costs, as well as being more spacious than hotel rooms. Have a look at Airbnb and Booking.com ... and book direct with the property if using hotels/apartments. They will match prices with booking.com, sometimes offer better rates and dont have the same restrictive cancellation or pre-payment conditions. NB: The price you see is the price you pay. Our 10% is included in the advertised price if its applicable. No nasty surprises at the cash register. You also do not have to tip anyone. For anything. Anywhere. Ever. So thats a saving of whatever youd be adding to your costs at home. With the USD about 30% stronger than the AUD at the moment, you have a saving there, too. Thought: Are you committed to February? Could you come at another time? It would be much more pleasant just about everywhere in Australia in Autumn or Spring ... and very nice in the northern parts in our Winter. You will need ETAs for Australia. Apply here before you book anything Edited: 3 years ago Hi Im planning a trip to Australia in February (work is letting me have the whole month off), Im planning on going to Hobart, Melbourne and the Sunshine Coast. I was also planning on trying to visit the Great Barrier Reef so up to Port Douglas or cairns, even to the Whitsundays but reading up on the areas it seems like its a terrible time of year to visit with the cyclones. Is this the case or are people just being overly cautious? Im a 35yo female travelling on my own so would also appreciate any advice on places to stay either where to stay for the GBR but also in Melbourne and on the Sunshine Coast. Thanks! Hello all, I'll be traveling to Vietnam next month for two weeks and right now have three full days planned for the Danang - Hoi An - Hue area. I realize three days is not nearly enough time to do all three and I will need to choose. Right now I am leaning towards two nights in Hoi An, with my final night in Danang since that is where I am flying in and out of. As much as I would like to see/visit Hue, I just don't think I'll have the time since most of the things I would like to do/see are in or around Hoi An (My Son, beaches, etc.) I'm just looking for opinions one way or another on opinions either way. If you had only three full days to spend in this area, what would you recommend? Hoi An? Hue? I'm also a bit worried about the flooding situation that I keep reading about in Hoi An in November and wonder if this could be what decides I go in a completely different direction all together! So... I guess my question is: You're flying into Danang and have three full days to spend in the area. Where would you recommend for a first time, solo traveler to Vietnam that is looking for great food, great people, and excellent cultural spots? Thanks in advance! Busy planning our Vietnam trip (albeit short) and I've been blown away by the kindness, patience and willingness to assist from everyone on this forum! I've recently returned from a trip to another country and that forum was so toxic that I had to quit (pretty much stopping me from paying it forward, which is sad as I'm one of those travellers who will spend the time making very elaborate notes as I travel so I can share the information later with fellow travellers). Anyway, just wanted to say thank you - and also to those who reached out via private message. I REALLY apprecite it! I'll definitely pay it forward! Much love...xx Hello dear trip adv friends, i have few questions about my incoming trip to Japan this month. I will be in japan for 14 days, and im already doing research in forum etc about it, and now i need your opinion especially for arrival and departure after i land in japan: 1. i will be landing on Narita at 20.30 and my hotel is at Toshima-Ku (Ikebukuro area), according to what i read in forum the best way is getting NEX combo with Tokyo Subway Pass fro 72H (Since i will be in tokyo area about 4 days), is NEX is stop at Ikebukuro station?and will it still available since im arrive at late hour? 2. i will leave japan from Kansai airport, and since i already puchased JR Kansai area( because i will be at Osaka for 7 days and go around Osaka,Nara and Kobe area), is JR Kansai can be used from Osaka to Kansai Airport? 3. i will be at tokyo for total 5 days and then go to Nagano to hunt autumn leaves fro 1 day and then continue to Osaka area, and my question is what the best way to go from Tokyo- Nagano- Osaka since i dont buy the JRPass because i will less use it. Every advices will be very appreciated, this is my first trip to Japan with my wife and i hope i will get a great experience in this trip. Thank you all my dear friends :) God Bless Us Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 7) At least six Chinese tourists were rescued in Bohol Saturday evening. Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Central Visayas Spokesperson Lt. JG Mike Encina said authorities received a distress call around 8 p.m. on October 6 alerting them about the incident. The tourists and three Filipino crewmen were aboard the yacht MV Mags Royal, which has ran aground near Bansaan in Talibon town. The boat had a hole in its hull. The BRP Capones, a Coast Guard vessel based in Cebu City, conducted a search and rescue mission after receiving the distress call. The names of the tourists and crewmen have not been released, but Encina said all were safe. The yacht was towed Sunday by the BRP Capones. The Coast Guard is conducting an investigation into the issue. - KANU party leader Gideon Moi said referendum was inevitable and hit out and leaders opposing it - The Baringo senator said the only way Kenyans would determine how to be governed was through their vote in the referndum - Gideon argued that Kenyans were at liberty to review the supreme law which was promulgated eight years ago - He said those opposing referendum were selfish and insensitive to the electorate KANU party leader and Baringo Senator Gideon Moi has reiterated his support for a referendum to change Constitution saying it was inevitable. Moi who had initially differed with Deputy President William Ruto over conducting a referendum before the latter changed his stance, said a plebiscite was the only way Kenyans would determine how they wanted to be governed as provided by the supreme law itself. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Pasta akamatwa akifanya maombi na wanawake 7 wakiwa uchi nyumbani kwake KANU leader Gideon Moi endorsed the call for referendum saying it was the only way Kenyans would decided how they wanted t be governed going forward. Photo: The Standard. Source: UGC READ ALSO: City lawyer Ahmednasir wants Supreme Court scrapped, says it has failed its purpose In a statement to the press seen by TUKO.co.ke, Gideon said the push for a referendum was unstoppable as the train had already left the station. The legislator who said he would vie for presidency in 2022 further hit out at unspecified leaders who were campaigning against a referendum saying it was tantamount to muzzling voices of majority Kenyans who had plunged into challenges occasioned by current state of affairs. "The citizens who are supreme are facing a lot of challenges which can be solved through a referendum making it inevitable to conduct the poll. It will only be responsible for leaders to listen carefully to the electorate than suppressing their voices," he said. Gideon pointed to, among other issues, the tough economic situation Kenyans were facing as concrete and genuine reasons to seek redress through a referendum. DP William Ruto who had consistently opposed calls for a referendum changed his position on the debate saying he was ready to face his opponents in the plebiscite vote. Photo: WIlliam Ruto/Twitter. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Uhuru graces colourful wedding of Narok Governor Tunai's brother "Kenyans have tasted the current Constitution which also came at a cost and have felt they need to make some reviews. This law recognises people as supreme thus in a position to choose how they want to be governed. They need to decide what needs to be reviewed and how to be governed by leaders they elect," Gideon explained. The senator called on those in key decision making positions to create a favourable environment to facilitate sober and reasonable debates which would bear informed choices during the referendum poll. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. Migori Residents Demand The Release of Okoth Obado - On Tuko TV Source: Kenyan Breaking News - The Western Kenya politicians argued referendum was not a solution to Kenya's problems - They claimed Kenyans had also not been informed on the proposed constitutional reforms - Raila has been spearheading push for a fresh referendum to change about 20% of the Constitution A section of Luhya leaders have accused former prime minister Raila Odinga of personalising the ongoing debate on whether or not Kenya should have another referendum, claiming the ODM party leader had a hidden agenda. Amani National Congress (ANC) party leader Musalia Mudavadi and his Ford Kenya Counterpart Moses Wetangula said the referendum debate was being tilted to serve interests of individuals at the expense of the general public. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Pasta akamatwa akifanya maombi na wanawake 7 wakiwa uchi nyumbani kwake Amani National Congress (ANC) party leader Musalia Mudavadi questioned why Raila was pushing for a referendum eyt Kenyans had not been informed what it is all about. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Raila using referendum calls as excuse for his constant election loses - William Ruto Speaking during the thanksgiving ceremony of Matisi ward MCA Obed Mwale, the Western Kenya leaders wondered why Raila was insisting the country must have a vote to change the supreme law even before Kenyans were informed on the proposed reforms. How do you force Kenyans to participate in a referendum yet the proposed changes have not even been formulated. Changing the law is not the cure to the countrys challenges as alleged, Mudavadi argued. READ ALSO: Raila must apologise to Ruto following attacks from ODM MPs - MP Ngunjiri Wambugu Echoing Mudavadi's sentiments, Senator Wetangula said a debate on the need to have a referendum as a country must be centered on pertinent issues that are ailing the country instead of focusing on the creation of positions to benefit some individuals. We cannot twist the rules as a country just to reward some politicians who feel they must have a slot in the government. We will not approve such such a direction since it doesn't capture the interests of Kenyans, Wetangula said. Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetangula said the new referendum debate must be centered on pertinent issues that are ailing the country. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Jubilee stole 2017 elections and did it badly - Jakoyo Midiwo The two leaders also took issue with the proponents of the referendum for turning a blind eye to the fact that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission IEBC (iebc) was not properly constituted to oversee any national electoral exercise. ANC party secretary general, Barrack Muluka, also weighed in on the matter by accusing Raila of hypocrisy saying he was duping Kenyans that the referendum needs to be changed to promote inclusivity yet he had individualised the building bridges initiative. Raila talks of inclusivity yet he is fighting other leaders while he seeks political redemption. He should know that we have mastered his game and thus we will no longer fall prey to his selfish tactics, said Mr. Muluka. Raila has been pushing for a fresh referendum to change about 20% of the Constitution with the aim of changing the governance structure. Story by Philip Bwayo, Tuko correspondent, Trans Nzoia Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. When Uhuru, Ruto and Raila Met at State House - On Tuko TV Source: Tuko News - Sonko went undercover once again at 4 am in the morning of Sunday, October 7 - He randomly visited Pumwani Hospital which has come under scrutiny in recent weeks - However, this time the governor did not find any malicious activity at the hospital - His visit came two weeks after he discovered bodies of infants stashed in boxes Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko was once again upto his gate keeping ways as he took to an impromptu visit to the Pumwani Hospital on Sunday, October 7. The governor, who has over the past year developed a reputation for his unothordox methods of governing the city, went undercover in a random swoop at the hospital which has come under scrutiny in recent weeks. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Pasta akamatwa akifanya maombi na wanawake 7 wakiwa uchi nyumbani kwake READ ALSO: Top Pumwani Hospital management suspended after 12 bodies of infants are discovered hidden in boxes Whilst covered in a red robe, the governor quietly infiltrated the hospital at 4 am in the morning where he caught a number of patients off-guard. In a video seen by TUKO.co.ke, the governor interacts with several women in the hospital as he sought to ensure operations were running smoothly at the hospital. He also toured the hospital theatre and had a lengthy interaction with hospital staff including the security officers. Sonko interacted with women as he toured the theatre during his impromptu visit Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Pumwani hospital baby thief arrested His visit comes barely three weeks after he unearthed a disturbing trend at the hospital in a similar visit. As TUKO.co.ke reported, Sonko discovered bodies of 12 babies which had been strategically placed in boxes. It was later revealed the babies were kept as part of a larger ploy to dupe new mothers into thinking their babies had passed away and subsequently selling the live ones to other women who desired to have children. Nairobi governor Mike Sonko goes under cover at Pumwani Hospital in wee hours of the morning Source: UGC READ ALSO: Section of Luhya leaders accuse Raila of hypocrisy in quest for fresh referendum The governor went on to suspend the top leadership at the hospital including three senior staff and also dissolved the hospital board following the unfortunate discovery. In a bid to prevent cases of baby theft in the hospital, Sonko offered a heavy incentive to the security team by offering a reward of KSh 50,000 to any officer who would nab a baby thief in the act. 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: Why Kenyans Love Avocados | Tuko TV: Source: Tuko News - Kenya National Qualifications Authority said the teachers' employer was misleading Kenyans on the proposed low grade - TSC had rejected the lower college entry mark arguing it would flood the market with poor quality teachers - TSC also argued Kenya already had thousands of unemployed teachers and lowering grade would make situation worse - But KNQA held number of unemployed teachers could not arise because Kenya was training teachers for the region, not just the local market A war of words has erupted between the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) and Teachers Service Commission (TSC) officials on the proposal to lower college entry grade for students seeking to pursue the teaching profession. KNQA rubbished claims by the teachers' employer that lowering the college entry grade was going to water down the quality of teachers in Kenya. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Pasta akamatwa akifanya maombi na wanawake 7 wakiwa uchi nyumbani kwake Teachers Service Commission argued lowering entry grade would affect quality of teachers. Kenya National Qualifications Authority disagreed. Source: UGC READ ALSO: KNUT puts on hold planned teachers' strike In a statement seen by TUKO.co.ke on Sunday, October 7, KNQA boss Bonaventure Kerre accused TSC of misleading Kenyans on the proposed teachers' college admission requirements. According to Kerre, the quality of teachers that were being churned out by the local training institutions was determined by several factors, among them the quality of teachers' trainers and training programmes. READ ALSO: Teachers split in the middle as KNUT, Kuppet fight over planned strike Kerre also dismissed TSC's position that revising the entry grade downwards would flood the market with poor quality teachers at a time the country was struggling to absorb thousands of qualified but unemployed teachers. The Commission's statistics showed the number of unemployed teachers in Kenya was about 291,600 as of October 2018. Kerre, however, argued Kenya does not train teachers for the local market alone but also for other East African countries including Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan and Uganda. READ ALSO: Teachers union demands resignation of CS Amina Mohamed for running down education sector TSC had previously warned it would not register anyone who would enroll into a teachers' training college with the lower grade proposed by KNQA . Should persons with lower qualifications decide to train as teachers, they face the danger of not being registered by the commission on account of non-compliance with the Commissions standards, TSC's CEO Nancy Macharia said in a letter dated September 25, 2018. READ ALSO: Education CS narrates how her son begged for money to buy leaked KCSE exams In its recommendations gazetted on June 2018, KNQA, which is the body mandated to come up with the minimum entry grades to training institutions in Kenya, had proposed C (minus) as the minimum diploma entry grade and D+ (plus) for certificate courses. 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. Eric Omondi's Tips For Success - On Tuko TV Source: Tuko.co.ke - The governor said he was only committed to Makueni, despite being a heavy favorite among Kenyans - Kivutha has been a hot topic on social media especially with his ardent followers insisting he should take over after Uhuru's term comes to an end - The 64-year-old has however shown no signs of wanting the top job Makueni governor Kivutha Kibwana on Sunday, October 7 disappointed his new-found supporters after distancing himself from ever governing the country on presidential levels. Amid the various mishaps riddling President Kenyattas Jubilee regime since he took charge of his second term, the Makueni county boss has emerged online as a crowd favorite to take over from Uhuru. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Pasta akamatwa akifanya maombi na wanawake 7 wakiwa uchi nyumbani kwake READ ALSO: Kenyans endorse Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana for 2022 presidency This has mostly been because on paper, Kibwana looks like the real deal to take the country to the next level on so many fronts. Some daring Kenyans went a step further by even creating a hilarious pseudo political party for Kivutha dubbed Upende Usipende movement to roughly mean the governor would be head of state whether he preferred it or not. READ ALSO: Nairobi governor Mike Sonko goes under cover at Pumwani Hospital in wee hours of the morning With the massive online endorsement that Kivutha has received, it would only be natural for a governor to actually consider making the next big step into presidency, but not the Makueni boss. 64 year old Kivutha Kibwana has inadvertently gained massive support from Kenyans for presidency Source: Facebook In fact, the man who can seem to do no wrong for Kenyans maintained he was fully focused on delivering his promises to the people of Makueni, with the presidency far from his mind. "In my last term, I have pledged to work on the county agenda to my last day in office. That is my duty. That is our common work," He said as quoted by Nation. READ ALSO: 7 powerful photos which best define governor Kivutha Kibwana's humility He however did not fail to acknowledge the massive online support he has received in recent weeks. Obviously we deeply appreciate the goodwill extended to us from the rest of our countrymen and women, he went on. Quite notably, it is not only ordinary Kenyans who have seen the potential in Kivutha as in July, Deputy Governor Adelina Mwau and Kasikeu MCA Tangai Munari sensationally urged members of the Kamba community to rally behind him at the expense of Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka. However, even if Kivutha somehow had shown hints of interest in the presidency, there is a pretty good chance he would not stand a chance against other individuals who are better poised politically to take on the 2022 race including Deputy president William Ruto. Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana disappoints Kenyans who want him to be next president Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Eldoret woman arrested transporting body of her husband in a sack This is for the simple fact that while social media exhibits alot of numbers, it is hard to translate the large figures to actual votes. Former Gatanga legislator Peter Kenneth was a victim of this phenomenon in two occassions when he contested for presidency and Nairobi governor in the 2013 and 2017 elections respectively. 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: Why Kenyans Love Avocados | Tuko TV: Source: Tuko Newspaper - Donald Kipkorir said Irungu's IQ would be equated to that of a class five pupil if indeed he killed Monica Kimani - Irungu is considered a prime suspect in murder of Monica whose body was found in bathtub inside her house - DNA test confirmed Irungu was at the murder scene, further confirming he had something to do with the crime Vocal city lawyer has outlined the top three dumbest mistakes that Citizen TV news anchor Jacque Maribe's lover, Joseph Irungu, made and which directly linked him to the the brutal murder of business lady Monica Kimani. Donald Kipkorir came close to declaring Irungu the most stupid murderer Kenya has ever had owing to the glaringly silly mistakes he made in the planning and killing of Monica as was alleged by the authorities. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Pasta akamatwa akifanya maombi na wanawake 7 wakiwa uchi nyumbani kwake A DNA test has by the homicide detectives investigating murder of Nairobi business woman Monica Kimani has confirmed Joseph Irungu, aprime suspect in the case was at the crime scene. Photo: Nation. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Monica Kimani's parents cry foul after mourners stole smart phones, handbags during burial In a Twitter post seen by TUKO.co.ke on Sunday, October 7, Kipkorir alleged Irungu alias Jowie drove to Monica's apartment using Maribe's car, carrying Maribe's knife and stolen ID and a friend's gun and most likely murdered Monica in cold-blood. "If Jowie planned and carried out the murder of Monica Kimani, then his IQ is Standard 5 ...He drove to Monicas apartment using Jacque Maribe car, used ID stolen from Maribes gate, uses Maribes knife and a gun of their mutual friend...He is the most foolish murderer in Kenya," Kipkorir said. READ ALSO: Police arrest TV girl Jacque Maribe over murder of Monica Kimani Detectives investigating the gruesome murder crime had a major breakthrough after a DNA analysis placed the main suspect, Irungu, right at the crime scene. The detectives' findings indicated samples obtained from Irungu matched 99.9% with those taken from a masking tape used to muzzle the victim, proving he was in the apartment in which Kimani was killed. The test specimen further corresponded to DNA samples on a rope used by the killer to tie her hands and those on blood stains discovered on a seat inside the slain woman's house. READ ALSO: DNA analysis places Jacque Maribe's lover at Monica Kimani's murder scene Monica was found dead in her posh house in Kilimani, Nairobi, on Thursday, September 20, a day after jetting back to Kenya from South Sudan. Police reports indicated she was raped, strangled, her throat slit and lifeless body dumped in a bathtub. Authorities are yet to fully establish the main reason whythe 28-year-old business lady was killed. She was laid to rest on Friday, September 28, at her father's home in Gilgil, Nakuru County. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. Obado to Spend More Days Behind Bars - On Tuko TV Source: Tuko.co.ke If there was a competition on who was the most savage governor in the country, there is no doubt the Nairobi governor would scoop the spoils. Amid the fire that is following Migori governor Okoth Obado over the death of his young lover Sharon Otieno, Sonko, who has himself also had his fair share of controversy with women in office, had his say on the matter. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Pasta akamatwa akifanya maombi na wanawake 7 wakiwa uchi nyumbani kwake Sonko had a message for the newly weds and it involved the Migori governor's woes Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Kenya National Qualifications Authority clash with TSC on proposal to lower college entry grade to D This was through the wedding of a couple Naserian and Dan which was attended by Sonko as one of the special guests. During Sonkos speech on Saturday, October 6, the governor did not hesitate in talking about the key destroyers of marriage which include infidelity. The newly weds were left in stiches after Sonko's very 'experienced' take on marriage Source: Twitter READ ALSO: Nyeri schoolgirls charm Kenyans after giving all their food to man living with disability In the video seen by TUKO.co.ke, Sonko boasts of his vast experience in matrimony while offering his two cents on the institution of marriage to the beautiful young couple. His speech was very inspiring at first as he talked of getting his first daughter Saumu Mbuvi whilst still in high school but the piece of advice took an awkward turn when the governor mentioned some pointers that would eventually lead to break down of a marriage. READ ALSO: Kiambu county bans prostitutes from operating during the day In a marriage, when one of you is angry, the other has to maintain calm. When you as the man is angry, never raise your hand at a woman. If you get too angry, go punch a wall but dont touch a woman, he said. According to Sonko, he alongside President Uhuru Kenyatta and DP Ruto enjoyed largely successful marriages because of living by the basic rules of marriage. It was his message on Twitter after the wedding, however that got people talking as Sonko echoed his initial sentiments only to weigh in on the question of older men seeking pleasure from young girls. "Your marriage will last if you keep tolerating each other rather than impregnating young girls then murdering them later," his explosive tweet read. 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: Why Kenyans Love Avocados | Tuko TV: Source: Kenya Breaking News Today - They were eating in an eatery at Witeithie bus stage before they were attacked - The two officers were whisked away in a police vehicle for medical assistance - One of them has claimed he lost his mobile phone to their attackers on Saturday - The youth are suspected to be on a revenge mission after arrest of their colleagues - A swoop has been conducted and several suspects and touts have been arrested Police in Juja, Kiambu County are investigating a case where a group rowdy matatu touts allegedly attacked two police officers and inflicted serious injuries on them. TUKO.co.ke has learnt the two Administration Police (AP) officers are attached to Witeithie AP post and were attacked while at an eatery on Saturday, October 6. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Pasta akamatwa akifanya maombi na wanawake 7 wakiwa uchi nyumbani kwake READ ALSO: City lawyer claims Jacque Maribe's lover Joseph Irungu is Kenya's dumbest murderer The unarmed officers received hefty kicks and blows, leaving them seriously wounded but were later rescued by their colleagues who were alerted of their distress. Citizen Digital reported on Sunday, October 7. They were whisked away in a police land cruiser and rushed to hospital for medical attention. READ ALSO: Nyeri schoolgirls charm Kenyans after giving all their food to man living with disability As the youth descended on the helpless officers, one of the attackers was heard shouting at them saying he was never afraid of the police and that he was a matatu crew member. Mark me very well. Am not afraid of you at all. Am a matatu crew here. Local authorities have however not established the actual motive of attack. READ ALSO: Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko goes under cover at Pumwani Hospital in wee hours of the morning It is, nonetheless, suspected that that it was a revenge mission by the youth after the security officers conducted an operation that saw the arrest of several touts at Witeithie bus stop. One of the injured officers has claimed that he lost his mobile phone during the attack. Since the attack, Juja sub-county deputy commissioner Charles Mureithi has issued an order to to flush-out all the touts from the bus terminus. Area Inspector James Dawai has conducted a swoop around the area and several suspects including touts have been arrested.. 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. The Struggles of a Kenyan Woman With Beards - Kenya Untold Stories | Tuko TV. Source: Tuko Kenyans on the internet are beyond disgusted by a video which captures a man fiercely hitting a lady on her head after the two were involved in a verbal disagreement. TUKO.co.ke gathered the girl was trying to reprimand the man for allegedly cheating on her friend. READ ALSO: Pasta akamatwa akifanya maombi na wanawake 7 wakiwa uchi nyumbani kwake READ ALSO: Vera Sidika claims her love with Otile Brown was meant to be but fans are having none of it "She loves you but you are using her so just leave her alone," the girl is heard saying in the almost inaudible video. The man, completely annoyed, asserts he does love the unnamed woman as he asks the friend to try minding her own business. READ ALSO: TV girl Kambua hard tackles fan who asked why shes married and childless The girl then decides to shove the guy after the argument gets heated. Meanwhile, a group of onlookers curiously watch the two exchange words as the drama unfolds. Completely pissed off, the irate man holds onto his rival and pummels her head so viciously. The onlookers immediately jumped into action and separated the two as the lady buried her head in her hands. Netizens called out the man as most people demanded for his immediate arrest. According to most people, it was cowardly of him to react in such a violent manner. Others sided with him stating the lady should have never put her hands on him then maybe the guy would not have been aggravated. 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. Eric Omondi's Tips For Success | Tuko TV Source: Tuko - The strike, according to KNUT, may take off on Wednesday, October 17 - Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has been asked to postpone exams - This is if they will not concede to demands like stopping delocalisation - Omucheyi has blamed TSC for putting education sector on its knees Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has announced to stage a mega teachers strike as from Wednesday, October 17, if TSC does not cease implementing punitive polices. Speaking on Friday, October 5, KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion said the planned mass action will be unstoppable and targets stalling national examinations. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens. READ ALSO: Pasta akamatwa akifanya maombi na wanawake 7 wakiwa uchi nyumbani kwake Speaking of Friday, October 5, KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion said the planned mass action will be the greatest as it targets palsying national examinations. Photo Source: UGC READ ALSO: Teachers threaten to go on strike after collapsed talks with TSC Sossion claimed KNUT met TSC bosses but the commission demanded for more time deliberated on their petition and dismissed claims the Union walked out of a meeting with the teacher employer. Nation reported on Sunday, October 7. "If TSC will heed our demands, we shall comply, but if they will choose to defy us, we shall blow the whistle and call all teachers including the examiners to industrial action so that national examinations will be interrupted," Sossion said. TUKO.co.ke understands among demands by KNUT is for the employer to stop the delocalisation of teachers which they termed as illegal President Uhuru Kenyatta had earlier weighed into the issue and urged the process be halted as it had capacity to distabilise families. Key among the issues we raised was a call to TSC to rescind delocalisation, the new curriculum, recognise teachers career progression, teachers promotions and appraisal policies, said the KNUT boss. Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has been asked to seek way of postponing national exams if KNUT's demands will not be met. Sossion said even examiners and invigilators will down tolls. Photo: UGC Source: UGC READ ALSO: TSC, KNUT much anticipated talks collapse badly raising fears of teachers strike The Union also wants at least 30,000 tutors promoted and abolition of the ongoing performance appraisals. Sossion was flanked by KNUT National Chairman Wycliffe Omucheyi who accused TSC of frustrating the education sector. Omucheyi claimed the commission had turned a deaf ear to National Treasury's instructions to employ 11,000 teachers. He further alleged a tune of KSh 5 billion had been earmarked for the new recruitment but regretted TSC had remained hard-headed. "Let the employer know that all teachers are facing the same problems and when the whistle will be blown, they will all come out and down their tools," warned Omucheyi. The Union also wants at least 30,000 tutors promoted and abolition of the ongoing performance appraisals. Photo: UGC Source: UGC 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. Ken Okoth Is Fighting For Marijuana Legalization | Tuko TV. Source: Kenyan Breaking News You are here: World Flash The Turkish authorities are conducting a thorough investigation on the disappearance of the Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi after he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. "There is an ongoing investigation on this foreign individual by the police and affiliate organizations," a Turkish source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. The Turkish police said on Saturday that the missing Saudi journalist hasn't left the Saudi consulate. The Washington Post's columnist Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident critic of the country's crown prince and a former government adviser, entered the consulate last Tuesday. His visit to the consulate was related to getting official documents for his re-marriage. But he had reportedly expressed concerns about his safety. The 59-year-old journalist has been living in self-imposed exile in the United States since he fled the kingdom in September 2017. Turkey's presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told reporters on Wednesday that Khashoggi remains inside the Saudi consulate, a day after his Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, reported his disappearance. "He didn't inform me of a threat or anything of the kind but I felt that he was fearful of something that might concern him. I waited outside the (Saudi) consulate for three hours but he didn't come back, at least I didn't see him coming back," Cengiz told CNNTurk news channel. Kalin said Turkish Foreign Ministry and police were closely monitoring the case, adding that Ankara was in touch with Saudi officials. On Thursday, Turkey's Foreign Ministry summoned the Saudi ambassador to Turkey "for consultations" over Khashoggi's disappearance. In contrasting opinion to the Turkish side, Saudi officials insisted that Khashoggi had left the building. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomed Turkey to search the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. In an exclusive interview with Bloomberg published on Friday, bin Salman said Saudi Arabia is "very keen to know what happened" to the Saudi citizen, adding "we have nothing to hide." Turkish and foreign journalists held demonstrations outside the consulate, demanding Saudi authorities shed light on Khashoggi's disappearance for fear of his safety. The mystery surrounding the missing Saudi journalist happened at a time of strained relations between Turkey and Saudi Arabia, putting the two regional powers at odds. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Qatar on Jun. 5, 2017, over unsubstantiated claims that Doha has supported extremism and fostered relations with Iran. When the current Gulf crisis broke out, Turkey sent rapid aid to Qatar including food supplies. On Jun. 7, 2017, the Turkish parliament ratified a bilateral defense bill previously signed with Qatar. Last month, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani pledged 15 billion U.S. dollars investments in Turkey during a visit in Ankara to help its ally to overcome a serious economic volatility. Flash Neuroscientist Doris Tsao from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) was awarded the Genius Grant for her creativity and talent in neuroscience, it was announced in Los Angeles, the U.S., on Thursday. Neuroscientist Doris Tsao from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) was awarded the Genius Grant for her creativity and talent in neuroscience. [File photo] The Genius Grant, also known as the MacArthur Fellowship, is a no-strings-attached award with 625,000 U.S. dollars to people of "outstanding talent," for their "originality, insight and potential," according to the MacArthur Foundation. Tsao is a systems neuroscientist studying the neural mechanisms underlying primate vision. She and her group aim to discover how the brain "stitches together" individual pixels of light, the photons hitting retinas, to create the visual experience of discrete and recognizable objects in space. In 2017, Tsao and her team discovered the neural mechanism for face recognition. Even though an infinite number of different possible faces exist, they found that the brain needs only about 200 neurons to uniquely encode any face, with each neuron encoding a specific dimension of facial variability. Tsao is widely recognized for pioneering the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to target electrodes for studying visual processing in monkeys. She also demonstrated the existence of "face patches" in the macaque brain. "I've been lucky to be on this journey with incredible mentors, colleagues, students and postdocs. This award is every bit a recognition of their hard work and brilliance," said Tsao. She said her lab is taking some completely new directions right now, venturing into new parts of the brain and a new species. "Doris has been a true pioneer in exploring how we perceive the world around us and she has completely revolutionized our understanding of how our brains see faces," said Stephen Mayo, Chair of the Division of Biology and Biological Engineering. Tusk claimed he has no "anti-Russian obsession." President of the European Council Donald Tusk says that Russians will not refrain from any means to weaken European unity and Vladimir Putin's Russia represents a major threat to the unity of the European Union. "Our problem is Russia, which is undermining whatever it can undermine in Europe," Tusk said on October 6 at a conference on the future of the European Union to express concern about Russia's attempts to influence the direction of politics in Europe, POLITICO reported. "I can provide numerous examples to prove that Russians will not refrain from any means to weaken European unity." Stating he was "anxious" about the result of Latvia's national election, Tusk said it could "be a turning point for that region a moment which was planned in the Kremlin and not in Europe." The final polls showed the pro-Russian Harmony party poised to win the biggest share of votes. Read alsoSecond Skripal suspect's identity 'to be revealed' in UK Parliament meeting media Tusk also referenced "very clear traces of Russia's engagement in the Brexit referendum campaign" and in Catalonia's conflict with Madrid, and cited the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and the cyberattack on the Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons as examples of unwelcome interference. Tusk claimed he has no "anti-Russian obsession," but said: "If there is somewhere whose main political priority is to disintegrate Europe, this certainly is Russia." The conference was hosted by the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow in southern Poland. Crimea has been and will be a destination for Medvedchuk's vacation. Former lawyer, politician and businessman Viktor Medvedchuk, who is considered to be Russian President Vladimir Putin's best friend in Ukraine and who counts Putin as godfather to his daughter, has reiterated he does not think that Russia is an aggressor country. "I don't consider Russia to be an aggressor," he told on Russia's TV Center channel on Saturday, October 6. Read alsoChief Prosecutor suspects Medvedchuk of plotting coup in Ukraine together with Ruban, Savchenko "When I say that I do not consider Russia an aggressor, it's not just a cliche because I travel to Moscow, hold talks and I have many friends there. I say so because I think this is an objective truth," he said. He also mentioned findings of public opinion polls about Ukrainians' attitude to Russia, without naming the organizations that conducted the polls. "In February 2018, two sociological centers asked the citizens of Ukraine the following question: How do you feel about Russia? So, the attitude of 38% was 'bad and very bad,' and that of 45% was 'good and very good.' Two days ago we received [fresh] findings that say the share of 'bad and very bad' is 32%, and that of "good and very good' is already 47%," he said. "I am among those 47% who treat Russia well and very well. Therefore, the term 'aggressor' sounds to me as a propaganda cliche, but not a reality at all," Medvedchuk said. When asked whether he considers Crimea to be part of Ukraine or Russia, Medvedchuk replied: "According to the current legislation of Ukraine, Crimea is Ukraine. Unfortunately, it is now Russia de facto." However, he said, Crimea has been and will be a destination for his vacation: "Crimea is the place where I have spent and will spend my vacation. It's no secret I was there last and this year, and will go there again." As was reported earlier, Medvedchuk stated that Putin considered Donbas to be the territory of Ukraine, and it could be possible to agree on the return of the uncontrolled territory to Kyiv on terms of broad autonomy. On January 18, 2018, the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, adopted a law on the reintegration of Donbas, which recognizes Russia to be an aggressor and occupying state. Training will focus on air sovereignty, air interdiction, air-to-ground integration, air mobility operations, aeromedical evacuation, cyber defense, and personnel recovery. United States Air Force F-15C Eagle tactical fighter aircraft and a C-130J Super Hercules military transport aircraft have arrived in Ukraine to participate in Clear Sky 2018, which is to kick off on Monday, October 8. Clear Sky 2018 is a "multinational military exercise focusing on promoting peace and security," the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine said on Facebook. It will involve approximately 950 personnel from nine nations, including Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Ukraine will be represented by five tactical aviation units with about 350 military personnel. Read alsoU.S. Air Force to join large-scale aviation exercise in Ukraine The event will be held from October 8 to October 19 and the venue is primarily at Starokostiantyniv Air Base, Ukraine, as well as other training areas and ranges in the region. This year marks the 25th anniversary of collaboration between the California Air National Guard and Ukraine as part of U.S. European Commands State Partnership Program, and this exercise will include robust participation of California ANG units. "Aircraft from California units will include F-15C Eagles and a C-130J Super Hercules," the official website of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa said. "Other U.S. aircraft participating in the exercise will include an F-15D from the 48th Fighter Wing, KC-135s from the Illinois ANG and the 100th Air Refueling Wing, and MQ-9s operating out of Miroslawiec AB, Poland. The Pennsylvania ANG will provide Joint Terminal Attack Controller instructors, and several additional units from California, Maryland, Ohio, New York, Alaska, Washington and bases in Europe are also scheduled to participate." Training will focus on air sovereignty, air interdiction, air-to-ground integration, air mobility operations, aeromedical evacuation, cyber defense, and personnel recovery. The citizens are charged with committing crimes related to forgery of documents and theft. Three Ukrainians who are wanted by police on charges of document forgery and theft have been detained on the Ukrainian border amid an attempt to flee Ukraine. On October 7, the border guards of the Mostyska, Lutsk and Chop detachments detained three Ukrainians wanted by law enforcement agencies for violating the current legislation of Ukraine, the press service of the State Border Service of Ukraine has said. Read alsoNo law in Ukraine bans citizens from obtaining another country's passport: MFA Hungary "The border guards identified two men amid passport control at the checkpoints of Krakovets and Yahodyn and a woman in Chop, who were listed on the law enforcement officers' database as 'wanted,'" it said. The citizens are charged with committing crimes related to forgery of documents and theft. "The detainees were handed over to the National Police," it said. Proscribed weapons were used in six instances. Two Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in action as a result of 25 attacks mounted by Russia's hybrid military forces in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, on Saturday, October 6. "Two servicemen of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) have been wounded amid hostilities," the press center of Ukraine's JFO Headquarters has said. Proscribed weapons were used in six instances. The enemy opened aimed fire from 122mm artillery systems, 120mm and 82mm mortars, cannons of infantry fighting vehicles, grenade launchers of various systems, large-caliber machine guns, and small arms. Read alsoDonbas militants amass military hardware beyond withdrawal lines JCCC The Russian occupation forces shelled Ukrainian positions near the towns of Krasnohorivka, Maryinka, as well as the villages of Krymske, Novotoshkivske, Luhanske, Mayske, Shumy, Nevelske, Novomykhailivka, Novotroyitske, Pavlopil, Hnutove, Vodiane, Lebedynske, and Shyrokyne. Ukrainian JFO forces near Lebedynske came under fire when the enemy resorted to 122mm artillery systems and 82mm mortars. Ukrainian troops stationed near the villages of Luhanske, Shumy, and Hnutove also came under 82mm mortar fire. In addition, the enemy shelled the defenders of Mayske, using 120mm mortars. Infantry fighting vehicles attacked the Ukrainian defenders of Krymske, Luhanske, and Hnutove. On Saturday morning, the enemy resorted to 122mm artillery system: a sector in the village of Vodiane near the Sea of Azov, Donetsk region, was attacked by enemy troops based in the occupied village of Zaichenko. According to Ukrainian intelligence reports, four enemy troops were eliminated and another eight were wounded over the period under review, the JFO HQ said. Since the beginning of Sunday, October 7, the enemy has already attacked Ukrainian troops, using banned 120mm mortars near the village of Novoluhanske at night. No JFO casualties have been reported. President, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Sardar Masood Khan on Saturday praising the role of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) said that a strong private sector could ensure economic prosperity and stability of the country. KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Oct, 2018 ) :President, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Sardar Masood Khan on Saturday praising the role of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) said that a strong private sector could ensure economic prosperity and stability of the country. The AJK President in a meeting with the Senior Vice President of FPCCI, Syed Mazhar Ali Nasir here at the FPCCI Head Office said the role of the business community could not be undermined towards economic development. He said there were two major sectors- agriculture and minerals where the business community could explore investment opportunities in Azad Jammu Kashmir, specially in the Mirpur Special Economic Zone which was getting ready to welcome the potential entrepreneurs, FPCCI statement said here. He invited the FPCCI members to visit Azad Kashmir and explore the investment opportunities. FPCCI Senior Vice President Syed Mazhar Ali Nasir on the occasion condemned the Indian attack on the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir Raja Farooq. He said there was a huge potential in the AJK because of its natural resources with huge opportunities for tourism and adventurous activities. 'CPEC is a mega project that will revive the historical trade route (silk route) and could serve as a strategic opportunity for Central Asia, China and other countries to transport their goods and market more competitively to regional and global markets, Syed Mazhar said. He said the FPCCI was ready to facilitate the trade, investment activities and creating employment opportunities in AJK. The meeting was attended among others by Senator Abdul Haseeb Khan, FPCCI Vice President Zahid Saeed, members of the business community including Mumtaz Shiakeh, Noor Ahmad Khan, Malik KhudaBukhsh, Shakeel Dhingra and Waseem Vohra and others. BELGRADE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 07th Oct, 2018) Al Dahra, a UAE-based international conglomerate, specialising in the agribusiness, today signed a Sale and Purchase Agreement for acquiring the assets of PKB Korporacija and its subsidiaries in Serbia for Euro 150 million, through an asset sale model transaction. The acquisition is being undertaken as a result of Serbias objective to privatise PKB Korporacija, and follows a public tender issued in August 2018. The agreement was signed by Khadim Al-Derei, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Al Dahra, and Dragan Stepanovic, Serbian Deputy Minister of Economy, in the presence of Mubarak Saeed Ahmed Bershid Al Dhaheri, UAE Ambassador to Serbia. The operations that will be acquired from PKB Korporacija cover several different agricultural and food sector activities. In terms of farming, Al Dahra will manage and cultivate more than 50,000 acers of farmland, which is spread across eight farms, strategically located at close proximity to Belgrade city centre. The different crops that will be produced include sugar beet 491 hectares; sunflower 2,136 hectares; wheat 3,552 hectares; corn 636 hectares; barley 1,454 hectares; soya 2,621 hectares; oilseeds 1,141 hectares; forage 2,322 hectares; silage 2,775 hectares; and a compound of feed and several vegetable varieties. Al Dahra will manage the dairy operation and livestock business, which sell to the milk and meat production industries in Serbia. Al Dahra has agreed, as part of the transaction, to invest Euro 30 million over the coming three years to enhance the farms, upgrade the irrigation infrastructure and modernize the dairy operation facilities. However, Al Dahra expects and is willing to invest a further Euro 15 million to optimise the farm and facilities. Commenting on the announcement, Al-Derei stated, "The signing of the agreement is a special day for the UAE and Serbia. The addition of the PKB assets to our existing portfolio reinforces our position in Serbia and our regional presence in Europe and complements our vertical integration strategy, allowing the group to further grow in the grains trading, dairy and livestock segments. Al Dahra is committed to capitalise on the expertise and knowledge of the existing PKB workforce and is equally committed to maintain PKB products as a source of supply for Serbian citizens, building on its tradition. "We believe that the privatisation of PKB and the investments that Al Dahra will be injecting to upgrade the existing operations and infrastructure, will enhance the commercialisation and internationalisation of Serbian crops and will ultimately benefit the Serbian farmers, traders and wider agricultural sector. Al Dahra looks forward to strengthening its relationship and ties with Serbia and the Serbian people through its investments in Serbia," he added. In turn, Al Dhaheri said that this agreement reflects the credibility and mutual trust between the UAE and Serbia, pointing out that the acquisition of BKP by Al Dahra is a culmination of the durability of the relationship between the two countries and a solid proof of the great reputation that Al Dahra has in the international market. For his part, Stepanovic valued the UAE-Serbian relations, particularly in the economic, trade and investment fields, saying, "We thank the UAE and Al Dahra in particular for choosing Serbia as an economical partner, as this is not a new initiative, the cooperation between the two countries are vast." He also emphasised the importance of this agreement which came as a result of the continuous hard work by the two parties, pointing out that Al Dahra is an important partner for the Serbian government and is capable to take this partnership to a global level. Al Dahra will be working jointly with Serbia to complete the transaction and assets transfer over the coming period; ensuring a smooth transition for all parties involved. (@ChaudhryMAli88) ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 04th Oct, 2018) The Department of Transport, DoT, in Abu Dhabi recently participated in the International Road Federation conference and exhibition, in the Danish capital, Copenhagen, to promote the 26th World Road Congress 2019, which will be hosted by Abu Dhabi. The department's participation is aimed to enhance its cooperation with its strategic partners to ensure the success of the Congress, which will be held from 6th - 9th October, 2019, and is expected to be attended by 5,000 representatives of governments, scholars, and private sector companies from over 120 countries. The conference witnessed the participation of many countries, as well as United Nations representatives, experts and specialists in the transport sector, who discussed digital transformation of transport and mobility. The World Road Congress will discuss many topics related to smart mobility services, environmentally-friendly solutions and modern transportation methods, and will involve 150 sessions and 400 exhibitors. (@FahadShabbir) ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 07th Oct, 2018) The MBF National Investment Group has discussed, with Cambodia's Consulate-General, various investment opportunities in Cambodia, most notably a joint venture to build a health resort in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. The resort is expected to provide various services and facilities, such as medical treatment and landscapes for Cambodian green areas. Sheikh Mohammed bin Faisal Al Qasimi, Chairman of the MBF Investment Group, and Kamal Je Augustin, Cambodian Consul, discussed potential areas of cooperation, ways of strengthening their partnership, and investment opportunities in Cambodia, while reviewing the countrys facilities and advantages offered to investors, along with its current investment policies. Sheikh Mohammed bin Faisal noted that the resort will cover an area of some 4 million square feet. The partnership with the Cambodian government to complete the project will be done through a local national entity, while its total cost is estimated at AED1 billion. The MBF Investment Group Chairman explained that Cambodia is known for its herbal therapy practices and resorts, while reiterating that the project will encourage families to visit Cambodia and is among the groups major priorities He added that between November and the end of the year, the group will visit Cambodia to evaluate the project and draft appropriate designs. Je Augustin added that Cambodia is currently one of the most attractive investment hubs in Asia, which has an ancient history and attractive natural environment. He expects the project to play a vital role in attracting visitors, as Cambodia has a diverse history and is one of the leading historic locations in Southeast Asia. Flash Police in Central African Republic have arrested three suspects over killings of three Chinese nationals, the Chinese Embassy in the CAR said. A boat carrying four Chinese and a local young man capsized Thursday in the town of Sosso-Nakombo, causing the disappearance of the Central African. The surviving Chinese then went to a gendarmerie brigade to report the incident. At this moment, bandits, who were informed of the disappearance of their compatriot, came to attack the Chinese, killing three of them and seriously wounding the fourth one. The gendarmerie brigade was also attacked and ransacked. On Friday, Chinese Ambassador to the CAR Chen Dong had a telephone conversation with the country's President Faustin-Archange Touadera, and met with Prime Minister Simplice-Mathieu Sarandji and Minister of the Interior in charge of public security Henri Wanzet Linguissara. The Chinese ambassador called on the CAR authorities to do everything necessary to find and punish the criminals, as well as to ensure the safety and other legitimate rights and interests of Chinese nationals in the CAR. Touadera and Sarandji condemned the brutality of the perpetrators, and expressed their condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and the government of China. Reinforcements have been deployed to the locality of the tragedy. The bodies of the three victims and the person who was seriously injured were sent to the capital Bangui, where the injured are currently under intensive medical care. (@FahadShabbir) ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 07th Oct, 2018) The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) yesterday held a brainstorming session which aimed to promote childrens literature entitled Multaqa Fikra (Idea Forum), which featuredg an elite group of writers, painters and visual artists. Held at Manarat Al Saadiyat, the session aimed to explore different innovative ideas and proposals that can translate into initiatives and activities, which would contribute to identifying cooperation prospectsin the field of childrens literature. In addition, Multaqa Fikra offered insights on how to use words and art to convey messages encapsulating noble human values and ideals that raise the consciousness, while targeting children in particular. As part of the brainstorming session, participants were put into 5 groups, each assigned with a specific topic highlighting the views and suggestions of participants. The session reached various suggestions, including offering training workshops to improve the reading and writing skills of participants in the "Creative Reader Competition", "The Young Writer Competition", and the "Meet the Author" programme. The session also proposed creating a platform or application that provides information on authors and illustrators of children's literature, alongside their works. Aiming to promote childrens literature, the event featured a wide range of creative, productive ideas and suggestions, as well as discussions to identify solutions for the challenges in this sphere, working towards publishing meaningful picture books. Abdullah Majed Al Ali, Acting Executive Director of DCT Abu Dhabis National library Sector, said, "This events significance is a testament to DCT Abu Dhabis belief that children's literature plays a pivotal role in the childs cognitive and emotional growth. Children live in a world of their own, using language and expressions that suit their thinking and perception. "A writer must delve into the childs mindset to produce works that piques a childs interest. We hope to see this special event become an annual tradition, allowing us to discuss challenges and reach solutions together, and connect writers with artists to create different knowledge-rich materials that appeal to children and drive their passion for reading." DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 07th Oct, 2018) The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), represented by Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, TRA Director-General, participated in the 16th Annual Meeting of the Arab Regulators Network of telecommunications and information technologies (AREGNET), which was held in Bahrain based on the decisions of the 15th AREGNET meeting, which was hosted by the UAE in Abu Dhabi in September 2017. As the former president of the AREGNET, the UAE handed over to the Kingdom of Bahrain the presidency of the Arab Regulators Network 2018-2019, which includes all telecom regulators in the Arab countries under one umbrella. The heads and representatives of Arab telecom regulators from several Arab countries participated in this annual meeting, namely; Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, Djibouti, Sudan, Iraq, Comoros, Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco and Mauritania. In this respect, Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, TRA Director-General, said, "The UAE is always keen to activate the Arab action in ICT, believing in the importance of Arab integration and cooperation. During its presidency of AREGNET, the UAE made every effort to support other Arab countries in this field, where the UAE has established its humanitarian role drawn from the directives of our wise leadership, that the UAE should strengthen its presence in regional and international organizations, thereby serving the issues of sustainability, development and progress. Today, as the UAE hands over AREGNET presidency to Bahrain, it is fully aware that the handover is well-deserved and is fully confident that Bahrain will follow a successful course of action that seeks to exchange views and experiences in regulating the sector and harmonising regulatory practices in the Arab world through information sharing and seeking to unify these practices, and work to promote the development and modernization of ICT networks and services effectively, appropriately and competitively. " He stressed that the importance of this meeting comes from being held a few weeks before the launch of the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-18), hosted by the UAE, he said, "During this meeting, we followed efforts to coordinate with the Arab countries in order to reach a joint Arab action plan that meets the aspirations of Arab societies. We discussed the contributions already adopted and the new contributions that could be included in AREGNET's action plan during the Plenipotentiary Conference. The UAE is keen to coordinate the positions of AREGNET members in order to adopt a unanimous view at this major world conference, thereby serving the ICT sector in the Arab world." The establishment of AREGNET was announced on the occasion of the first symposium for regulators in the Arab region, which was held in Algiers in April, 2003, in the presence of representatives of regulatory bodies and departments and operators from 15 Arab countries. The AREGNET includes regulators and departments responsible for regulating the ICT sector in the Arab region. Its main objectives are the exchange of experience on telecom regulation, coordination for the harmonization of regulatory practices in the Arab world, and the development of fair and transparent policies, organizational models and procedures to encourage the development and modernisation of ICT networks and services in the Arab World. The AREGNET is also working to transform the Arab economy into a digital economy to increase productivity, promote ICT industrialization in the Arab world, and encourage Arab cooperation to implement modern methods in the management and control of scarce resources. (@ChaudhryMAli88) NEW YORK, Oct 7 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Oct, 2018 ) :The commander of US forces in Vietnam had devised a secret plan to use nuclear warheads against North Vietnam in 1968 during the Vietnam War, before President Lyndon Johnson halted the ongoing preparations, the New York Times reported, citing recently declassified documents. The documents show General William Westmoreland, the Saigon-based American commander, sought to have nuclear weapons at hand should the US forces find themselves on the verge of defeat at Khe Sanh, one of the fiercest battles of the war, the Times said. After receiving the approval of the American commander in the Pacific, Westmoreland put together a secret operation, code-named Fracture Jaw. As part of the operation, nuclear weapons were to be moved into South Vietnam so that they could be employed on short notice against North Vietnamese troops. However, President Johnson's national security adviser, Walt Rostow, notified the president in a memorandum on White House stationery, prompting the president to reject the plan. "When he learned that the planning had been set in motion, he was extraordinarily upset and forcefully sent word through Rostow, and I think directly to Westmoreland, to shut it down," Tom Johnson, then a young special assistant to the president and note-taker at the meetings on the issue, told the New York Times. The two Johnsons were not related. The president was worried about "a wider war" which would also involve the Chinese like in Korea in 1950, Johnson said. The President "never fully trusted his generals," Johnson was quoted as saying. "He had great admiration for General Westmoreland, but he didn't want his generals to run the war." The story of how close the United States came to using nuclear weapons in Vietnam is contained in "Presidents of War," a coming book by presidential historian Michael Beschloss. "Johnson certainly made serious mistakes in waging the Vietnam War," Beschloss, who found the documents during his research for the book, said. "But we have to thank him for making sure that there was no chance in early 1968 of that tragic conflict going nuclear." (@ChaudhryMAli88) KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Oct, 2018 ) :Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Senator Siraj-ul-Haq has said that his party is in strong favor of accountability, but it should be done impartial and un-biased without any discrimination. Addressing a press conference here at Idara-e-Noor Haq, he said that the accountability of political and non-political figures should be done on justice. Secretary General, JI Liaqat Baloch, and other local leaders were also present on the occasion. JI Ameer also demanded action against those personalities whose Names are included in Panama Leaks. Senator Siraj-ul-Haq further said that the accountability should be done openly and transparent without any victimization. Criticizing the increase in prices of gas and CNG, he said it has adverse affects on the lives of common men directly. (@ChaudhryMAli88) PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Oct, 2018 ) :Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mehmood Khan Sunday said that the local government system would be further strengthened and made effective in order to ensure provision of quick and inexpensive civic amenities to the people at their doorstep. All the development works would be carried out under the new local government system across the province, he said this while talking to a representative delegation of Bannu district led by Malik Shah Mohammad here. The CM made it clear that the elected representatives would concentrate on legislation and constitutional responsibilities in the provincial legislators. He assured that he would all possible measures to address the problems of the people in the respective communities. Making strong the local bodies system is the vision of the Prime Minister Imran Khan which will ensure rapid development in the province and will provide an effective system for resolution of problems at local level. Earlier, the delegation apprised the CM about the problems being faced by them in the execution of development projects in theirareas. LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Oct, 2018 ) :The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) on Sunday took an initiative against substandard breakfast points in different cities and imposed fine on 83 points. Following the orders of DG PFA Capt(R) Muhammad Usman, the teams of the PFA inspected around 269 breakfast points in different cities, including 99 in Lahore. The teams also imposed fine on 83 food points, including 23 in Lahore. The DG PFA said more actions would be taken against those who were involved in adulteration in edible items. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Provincial Minister for Industries and Trade Mian Aslam Iqbal said on Saturday those, who ruled over Punjab for ten years continuously, did nothing for development of Punjab and prosperity of people. LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Oct, 2018 ) :Provincial Minister for Industries and Trade Mian Aslam Iqbal said on Saturday those, who ruled over Punjab for ten years continuously, did nothing for development of Punjab and prosperity of people. Addressing the chairmen, vice chairmen and councilors of various union councils here, he added that resources were wasted on such projects that provided no relief to people. Former rulers looted the public money in the name of development projects, he said, asserting that in new Pakistan, no one would dare to plunder the hard earning of the poor. The minister said that clean environment played a pivotal role in establishing healthy society and "We will provide clean atmosphere to people." Green and clean Punjab programme had been initiated and under this programme, people would be provided clean and neat atmosphere, he maintained. He said, the present government would give such an effective local government system which would help resolve people's problems at their doorsteps. Good results could only be achieved from Green and Clean Punjab Programme with the cooperation of people, and "When we will work with an approach for the welfare of the society than the situation will be improved," he added. Announcing to celebrate two weeks as cleanliness, the minister said that he would personally monitor the implementation of the cleanliness programme in his constituency. He also appointed focal persons in every union council for implementing this programme. He said cleanliness system would also be improved in katchi abadies. Doable proposals were given by the representatives of local government regarding cleanliness programme. On this occaion, Solid Waste Management Company Managing Director said that people could contact on helpline 1139 for the situation of cleanliness. ISLAMABAD, Oct 7 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Oct, 2018 ) :Islamabad Saddar Zone police have arrested six motorbike lifters from different areas of Tarnol, Ramna and Shalimar Police stations and have recovered 13 motorbikes from their possession in last 10 days, a police spokesman said on Sunday. He said on special directions of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations Syed Muhammad Amin Bukhari, SP Saddar Zone Muhammad Umar Khan constituted special teams to arrest those involved in street crimes and motorbike lifting. During crackdown against them, Ramna police station has arrested motorbike thief identified as Nasir s/o Allah Ditta and has recovered eight stolen motorbikes from his possession. Shalimar police station team has arrested two culprits namely Shahryar s/o Latif and Junaid s/o Javed involved in motorbike lifting and has recovered four stolen bikes. Furthermore, teams of Tarnol police station, during crackdown, has arrested three bike lifters identified as Zeeshan, Asif and Bahadur and has recovered one stolen bike from them. Further investigation is underway from these arrested bike lifters and hope for more recovery. SSP Operations has appreciated the performance of saddar zone police and further ordered to all zonal police officers to start special crackdown against street criminals and motorbike lifters. He ordered all officers to remain in their area, brief officers about nature of their duty to remain vigilant. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th October, 2018) The International Space Station (ISS) crew that landed in Kazakhstan on Thursday brought back a dust filter from the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft, which is currently docked to the ISS and where, in late August, the station's crew found an air leak, as part of the investigation into the incident, a source in the space industry told Sputnik on Sunday. On August 30, the ISS crew detected an air leak caused by a microfracture on a wall of the orbital module of the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft, which had docked to the ISS on June 8. The hole was sealed by the crew on the same day. Russia's state space corporation Roscosmos set up a special commission to investigate the incident. Earlier in October, Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin said that the commission had concluded that a manufacturing defect was not the cause of the incident. "Among the cargo brought back by the Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft, item 111 attracts the most interest. It is the dust filter from Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft and swabs taken from and around the hole," the source said. The source added that experts would try to find traces of aluminum, which is what the module is made of, and if they did find it, it would prove that the hole appeared when the module was already in orbit. The Russian Central Military District said later in the day that the Soyuz MS-08 had been delivered to Moscow and would be handed over to Russia's rocket and space corporation Energia. In early September, a source from the space industry told Sputnik that Russian cosmonauts at the ISS had been asked to collect all evidence that could help to shed light on what could have caused the hole to appear. On November 15, the ISS crew are set for a spacewalk during which they will examine the hole from outside before the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft departs from the ISS in December. It will be impossible to examine the hole upon the return of the spacecraft to the Earth because the orbital module separates from the descent module, in which the crew lands, and burns when entering into the atmosphere. LONDON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th October, 2018) The Russian Embassy in London pointed Saturday to the contradictions in the article released by the Financial Times newspaper, which claimed that the Russian military intelligence service GRU had allegedly conducted a cyberattack on the UK-based islam Channel tv broadcaster in 2015. On Friday, the Financial Times reported, citing non-designated UK officials, that the GRU officers allegedly hacked the computer network of the UK-based TV station in 2015. The news outlet has not provided any evidence, proving the claims. The newspaper has not specified why Russia would "attack" the broadcaster either. In addition, all the sources of information mentioned in the article were anonymous. "What is interesting about the article is that it claims that hackers, supposedly, had complete control over the TV channel's infrastructure during the intrusion. Then [the article] claims that the [UK] Home Office staff called [the broadcaster] and informed it of the cyberattack and says that 'we [the TV station's staff] had not noticed any irregularities in the work of the channel until this call.' The information in this article does not withstand the slightest criticism, it seems it was written in a hurry, and the logical pattern was disrupted. [The article's] main goal is clear to bring another accusation against Russia," a representative of the embassy told reporters. The representative stressed that the embassy usually refrained from commenting on newspaper articles based on leakages from the UK security services because nobody was willing to take responsibility for the allegations. He added that the UK Foreign Office habitually left Moscow's requests concerning such publications without answer. On Thursday, the UK Foreign Office said it assessed "with high confidence" that GRU was "almost certainly" responsible for a series of cyberattacks on political institutions, media outlets and infrastructure across the globe. The Foreign Office mentioned a UK-based TV station among the targets of the attacks. Later on Thursday, the Dutch Defense Ministry claimed that four Russian citizens holding diplomatic passports had been expelled from the Netherlands in April on suspicion of an attempted cyberattack on the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The Russian Foreign Ministry refuted the claims on Thursday and stressed that the "spymania campaign" unleashed in the Netherlands was seriously hurting bilateral relations with Russia. The ministry pointed out that the Netherlands made the statement ahead of the OPCW opening session, which could set up the "necessary' political background" to push through some illegal initiatives that Russia opposed. Canada and the United States subsequently joined the allegations against GRU, claiming that seven Russian military intelligence officials allegedly targeted with cyberattacks the US Westinghouse nuclear power company and multiple anti-doping agencies and athletes. Meanwhile, Russia's proposal for the establishment of a joint task force on cybersecurity has been earlier rejected by Washington. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has said that the United States "poisoned" Russian-US relations by its new allegations against Russian security services. The diplomat noted the danger of fueling tensions between two nuclear powers. (@rukhshanmir) VILNIUS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th October, 2018) A German soldier died as a result of an incident that occurred during military drills held by the Lithuania-based NATO battalion on Saturday, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. "On October 6, during the exercises of the NATO force battalion at Pabrade range, a German serviceman died. The incident occurred when the armored vehicle driven by the soldier crashed into a tree," the ministry said. According to the ministry, the incident is being investigated by the German law enforcement agencies. The Germany-led battalion has been deployed in Lithuania in 2017 as part of the agreement between Vilnius and NATO to establish an enhanced forward presence in the country. The battalion comprises around 1,200 troops and conducts joint drills with the Lithuanian servicemen in peacetime. RHODES (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th October, 2018) Italian Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi, who will visit Moscow on Monday, is expected to invite Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to the conference on Libya in the Italian city of Palermo, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told Sputnik on Sunday. The international conference on Libya will be held on the Italian island of Sicily on November 12-13. "On Monday, the Italian foreign minister will arrive [in Moscow], there will be talks with Sergey Viktorivich Lavrov, I think that as part of such dialogue on the current international and regional issues the issue of Libya will be touched upon as well ... I think that they [the Italian side] will bring an official invitation for Russia to take part in the event, I think, it will be at the ministerial level," Bogdanov said. The deputy foreign minister added that it would depend on Lavrov's schedule whether he would be able to go to the conference or not. According to the diplomat, Italy has been demonstrating great interest in the Libya issue not only because of its economic interests but mainly because of the mass influx of migrants into Italy from and through Libya. Libya has been in a state of civil conflict since 2011, when the country's long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed. The country is currently divided between two governments, with the eastern part of Libya controlled by the parliament elected in 2014 and backed by the Libyan National Army. The UN-backed Government of National Accord, led by Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj, governs Libya's western parts and is based in capital Tripoli. (@FahadShabbir) Sofia, Oct 7 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Oct, 2018 ) :A television journalist has been brutally murdered in Bulgaria's northern town of Ruse, prosecutors said Sunday, in a case that has sparked international condemnation. The body of 30-year-old Viktoria Marinova, whom authorities identified only by her initials, was found on Saturday in a park, Ruse regional prosecutor Georgy Georgiev said. The death was caused by blows on the head and suffocation, he added. "Her mobile phone, car keys, glasses and part of her clothes were missing," Georgiev said, adding that prosecutors were probing all leads -- both personal and linked to Marinova's job. Interior Minister Mladen Marinov later confirmed to journalists that the victim had also been raped. Prime Minister Boyko Borisov expressed hope that the investigation would succeed because of the "work that has been done. Thanks to the large amount of DNA material collected it is just a matter of time before the perpetrator will be found." Police sources told AFP that the crime did not immediately appear linked to her work. The OSCE's media freedom representative Harlem Desir condemned Marinova's killing on Twitter: "Shocked by horrific murder of investigative journalist Victoria Marinova in #Bulgaria. Urgently call for a full and thorough investigation. Those responsible must be held to account." Marinova was an administrative director of Ruse's small private TVN television and had recently launched a new current events talk show called "Detector". The first episode of the show on September 30 broadcast interviews with investigative journalists Dimitar Stoyanov from the Bivol.bg website and Attila Biro from the Romanian Rise Project, about an investigation of alleged fraud with EU funds linked to big businessmen and politicians. The pair were briefly detained by police, drawing condemnation from Reporters Without Borders (RSF). "We are in shock. In no way, under any form, never have we received any threats -- aimed at her or the television," a journalist from TVN told AFP under condition of anonymity, adding that he and his colleagues feared for their safety. In a statement on their Facebook page, Bivol.bg insisted for police protection of Marinova's colleagues. A journalist is killed on average every week around the world, according to figures compiled by RSF. Among the most high-profile recent cases were Malta's anti-corruption blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia who died in a car bombing outside her home in October 2017, and top Slovak reporter Jan Kuciak who was shot dead with his fiancee at their home in February. Bulgaria tumbled to 111th place in the annual RSF media freedom ranking in 2018 -- the lowest among EU member states. - Journalists face pressure, threats - Widespread corruption, shady media ownership and suspected collusion between journalists, politicians, and oligarchs have made objective reporting a constant obstacle course, RSF said. According to the Bulgaria-based Association of European Journalists, reporters from small regional and local media are particularly subjected to pressure from local businessmen and politicians and outright threats, often leading to self-censorship. Violence against women has also been widespread in Bulgaria, with several brutal killings of women by their ex-boyfriends and ex-husbands causing an outcry in the media recently. A candlelight vigil in Marinova's memory is organised for Monday evening in Sofia. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Latvia's Social Democratic Party "Harmony" (SDPS), which is mainly supported by the country's Russian-speaking population, is leading in the parliamentary election, according to the exit poll released following the closure of polling stations. RIGA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th October, 2018) Latvia's Social Democratic Party "Harmony" (SDPS), which is mainly supported by the country's Russian-speaking population, is leading in the parliamentary election, according to the exit poll released following the closure of polling stations. According to the exit poll, the SDPS is receiving 19.4 percent of votes, while the Development/For party can count on becoming second with 13.4 percent of votes. The National Alliance "All For Latvia!" is getting 12. 6 percent of votes, surpassing the New Conservative Party by 0.2 percent of votes, the exit poll showed. The KPV LV populist party (11.5 percent), the Union of Greens and Farmers (9.7 percent) and the Unity party (6.9 percent), which formed the New Unity joint electoral list ahead of the vote, have all overcome the 5-percent threshold. The parliamentary election was held in Latvia earlier on Saturday. The representatives of the country's 16 political parties were running for 100 parliamentary seats. (@ChaudhryMAli88) MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th October, 2018) Nearly 100 Syrian refugees have returned to their home country from neighboring Lebanon over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry's Center for Refugee Reception, Distribution and Settlement said on Sunday. "Over the past day, in total 93 people (27 women and 48 children) left Lebanon for Syria via the Jaydet-Yabus and Zemrani checkpoints," the bulletin circulated by the Russian Defense Ministry said. A total of 302 internally displaced Syrians returned to the places of their permanent residence over the same period, the center added. Over the past day there were three humanitarian actions to distribute 5.85 tonnes of food sets to civilians in Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor and Latakia provinces. According to the bulletin, Syrian army engineers have cleared six hectares of territory, seven buildings and one kilometer (1.6 miles) of roads from mines in the provinces of Homs and Quneitra. "They found and defused 41 explosive devices including 6 improvised explosive devices," the bulletin said. As the Syrian government has regained control over most of the country's territories that were seized by terrorists, it is now focused on creating favorable conditions for the repatriating refugees. Moscow is assisting Damascus in this, along with providing humanitarian aid to civilians and being a guarantor of the ceasefire. (@FahadShabbir) MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th October, 2018) Russia has set up a database in Venezuela that allows the government to track in real time how its military hardware is maintained, the head of Service Solutions Center at Proekt-Technika Corporation told Sputnik. "With the help of Graphite we made maintenance a fully automatic process. We issued technical passports for every piece of hardware. We travelled all across the country to create this database from scratch, so that after two months the [Venezuelan] defense minister had access to everything there was to know about the state of all hardware and its faults," Artyom Kalashyan said. He said the software was available for desktop and mobile users and allowed to keep track of hardware lifecycle. The mobile app, he added, makes it easier for government officials to monitor and control maintenance work. (@rukhshanmir) MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th October, 2018) The Ukrainian government's decision to let a decades-old friendship pact with Russia to expire ahead of presidential polls next spring appeals to its base, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said. "It is obviously done by authorities in Kiev to improve their slumping ratings ahead of the 2019 presidential elections," he said in an interview with the Izvestia newspaper out Monday. CHISINAU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th October, 2018) A blast ripped overnight through a high-rise in the Moldovan capital of Chisinau, killing three people, the Interior Ministry said. The explosion hit the 20-floor tower block at around 10:40 p.m. local time (19:40GMT) on Saturday, damaging apartments on the upper floors. "A man born in 1941 has died in hospital," Alexandru Pinzari, the chief of the Ministry's general police inspectorate, told reporters at an emergency meeting. Liliana Puscasu, a spokeswoman for the general inspectorate for emergency situations, said bodies of a woman and a child were found under the rubble on the 14th floor. Seven people were taken to a hospital, including a rescuer whose condition Puscasu described as "satisfactory." A search is underway for more people who may have been trapped under the debris. Pinzari said remnants of a gas cylinder were found on the 16th floor, believed to be the "epicenter of the blast," seemingly confirming suspicions that the explosion was caused by compressed gas. (@ChaudhryMAli88) CHISINAU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th October, 2018) A blast ripped overnight through a high-rise in the Moldovan capital of Chisinau, killing two and hurting at least five, an Interior Ministry spokeswoman said. "The latest data suggests that two people died, including a minor," Liliana Puscasu, a spokeswoman for the Ministry's general inspectorate for emergency situations, told reporters. The explosion hit the 20-floor tower block at around 10:40 p.m. local time (19:40GMT) on Saturday, damaging apartments on the upper floors. Puscasu said two bodies were found inside a gutted apartment on the 14th floor. "Six people were hospitalized. They are five civilians and a rescuer," she added. Chisinau's Deputy Mayor Nistor Grozavu told reporters earlier that seven people had been hurt. A search is underway for more people who may have been trapped under the debris. Authorities have suggested a gas cylinder explosion as a possible cause as the high-rise is not connected to the centralized gas supply system. Yaxley JW et al. Lancet 2016 Eur Urol 2018 Jul;74(1):84-91\ Seoul, South-Korea (UroToday.com) Dr. Sun gave an interesting talk on a new focal therapy modality for prostate cancer. He began discussing the evolution of the surgical scalpel through the years from the prehistoric flint dagger to the robotic surgical system. Despite the development of the scalpel through the years, its functions are still limited to cutting, ablating and anatomy destruction. In surgery, the surgeons must continue to try to maintain the balance between removing the lesion thoroughly, and maximally preserving the function of the organ and surrounding organs.A good example for comparison of two different scalpels is the study comparing open and robotic radical prostatectomy. This study demonstrated no significant differences in the Trifecta (urinary function, erectile function and surgical margins).In order to reach the perfect balance of lesion removal and function preservation, using focal therapy could be one of the possible alternatives.Focal therapy of prostate cancer is defined as a strategy to treat only part of the prostate that contains the cancer, using an energy source. The advantages of focal therapy include the fact that it is area-selective, enables preservation of anatomic structures, it is an organ-sparing approach, associated with a short hospital stay, with improved overall quality of life and it is cost-effective.The number of focal therapy publications has grown exponentially in the last few years. It was first mentioned in the European Association of Urology (EAU) guidelines in 2005. Through the years, it progressed to the status of being potentially beneficial, to promising, and recently, to favorable. In a systematic review of focal therapy for prostate cancer, it has been shown that there are six kinds of energy that can be used for prostate cancer. The options of irreversible electroporation (IRE), laser, and photodynamic therapy have the best reported continence rate and potency rates.Next, Dr. Sun discussed the focal therapy modality of IRE for prostate cancer. It is a high-voltage, low-energy current that forms the electrical field. The electrical current causes the increased permeability of cell membranes by nanoscale pores in an irreversible manner. This in turn, causes cell death through apoptosis or necrosis.IRE has several advantages. These include the fact that it is not thermal (no heat sink effect). Additionally, it is tissue selective and enables preservation of the extracellular matrix. It spares larger tissue structures within or near the target, such as blood vessels, nerve bundles, and urethra, thus enables to preserve function. In a systematic review of all IRE studies, one phase 1 and four phase 2 studies were included. They all demonstrated almost 100% continence rates and very high potency rates (65%-95%). Residual tumor was seen in 0-40% of cases.The known risk factors for residual tumor include lack of experience, and unstable instruments, uneven electric field, and severe muscle contraction. Because of this, the high-frequency IRE (H-FIRE) has been developed. It uses a bipolar high frequency current, thus causing a reduction of the muscle contraction and creating a more uniform electric field. The phase one study of the H-FIRE has ended, after 40 patients had been recruited. This study demonstrates favorable safety with no severe complications, complete ablation of the target areas, with good preservation of the nerve bundles. There is currently an ongoing phase 2 study, initiated in May 2018. So far, 34 patients have been recruited from 5 centers. The results so far seem very promising with good oncological results and almost no side effect profile.In summary, IRE is a promising focal treatment modality, demonstrating a high safety profile and surprising effectiveness. The functional outcomes have been shown to be very favorable with 100% potency and erectile function rates. In the phase 2 study, PSA free survival was achieved in 82% of patients at one month following the procedure. However, the oncological effectiveness still required for long-term data.Presented by: Yinghao Sun, Shanghai, ChinaReferences:Written By: Hanan Goldberg, MD, Urologic Oncology Fellow (SUO), University of Toronto, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Twitter: @GoldbergHanan at the 38th Congress of the Society of International Urology - October 4- 7, 2018 - Seoul, South Korea Thompson IM, et al, NEJM 2004 Mehralivand S. et al. J Urol 2017 Delongchamps NB et al. J Urol 2013 Ahmed HU, et al. Lancet 2017 Kasivisvanathan V et al. NEJM 2018 Schoots IG et al. Eur Urol 2015 Seoul, South-Korea (UroToday.com) Dr. Jun Hyuk Hong gave his point of view on the role of multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) in the diagnosis of prostate cancer. The ideal goals of a prostate biopsy are to detect clinically significant cancer, to reduce under-diagnosis, and to avoid unnecessary biopsies and over diagnosis of indolent disease. It is known that the risk of prostate cancer, and specifically of clinically significant cancer, is strongly correlated to PSA levels.However, PSA on its own is not enough.To avoid unnecessary biopsies, it is important that we use risk calculators, and use serum and urine-based biomarker tests. Dr.Jun Hyuk Hong believes that there is a significant role for mpMRI before first prostate biopsy, and this is a tremendous tool, enabling us to diagnose clinically significant disease in a more accurate way. mpMRI will help predict cancer location, and specifically of clinically significant cancer. It can also assist in the reduction of over-detection of low risk tumors. Another important point which is not often discussed, is that mpMRI can also assist in overcoming post-biopsy changes such as hemorrhage and inflammation.The PIRADS scoring system used to score a prostate lesion identified on mpMRI is from 1 to 5. The chances of a PIRADS 1 lesion harboring any cancer and clinically significant cancer are 25% and 0%, respectively. However, for a PIRADS 5 lesion, the chances of it harboring any cancer and clinically significant cancer are 87% and 72%, respectively.Dr. Jun Hyuk Hong gave a simplified algorithm for the use of the PIRADS scoring system in mpMRI, specifying which phase of the four phases in mpMRI (T1, T2, DWI, and DCE) we need to use for lesions located on the peripheral and transitional zones (Figure 1).Figure 1 PIRAD algorithm in mpMRI to determine category of lesion:mpMRI has been demonstrated to decrease the rate of detection of low risk prostate cancer. Microfocal tumor was detected in 20-25% of patients who underwent systematic standard biopsy, while it was detected in only 0-9% of patients who underwent an mpMRI targeted biopsy.The PROMIS study compared the diagnostic accuracy of mpMRI to that of transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) biopsy (with the reference being templated mapping biopsy). This study demonstrated that for clinically significant prostate cancer, mpMRI was more sensitive than TRUS biopsy (93% vs. 48%). The PROMIS study also showed that using mpMRI may allow 27% of patients to avoid unnecessary biopsies and diagnose 5% less insignificant cancer.The more recent PRECISION study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2018randomized and compared biopsy naive men to either standard systematic TRUS biopsy or mpMRI targeted biopsy. The results were very clear, demonstrating that mpMRI targeted biopsy diagnosed 12% more clinically significant cancer (38% vs. 26%) and 13% less insignificant cancer (9% vs 22%), with a higher percentage of cancer per core (44% vs. 18%).Before concluding his talk, Dr. Jun Hyuk Hong discussed a phenomenon that is important to recognize. This is the post-biopsy hemorrhage, which is a real problem, as it is seen in 49% of patients 3 weeks following a biopsy, lasting up to 4 months. In mpMRI in T2 phase there is decreased signal, which can mimic or obscure an area of a tumor. In T1 phase the hemorrhage will cause a focal or diffuse high signal. The prostate secretes citrate which has an anticoagulant effect. However, prostate cancer causes a significant reduction of citrate secretion, which leads to less hemorrhage in the areas of cancer, producing an hemorrhage exclusion sign. It is important to look at the T2 an T1 phase to recognize this, and the tumor hiding behind it.A major hurdle to the use of mpMRI is its cost. In many countries worldwide, mpMRI can be reimbursed only after the diagnosis of cancer. In Korea, out-of-pocket cost of an mpMRI before prostate cancer diagnosis is more than 1100 USD, while after diagnosis it is only 20 USD. This significant difference in cost is seen in other countries in the world as well. There is data demonstrating that mpMRI targeted biopsy has a higher detection rate of clinically significant cancer in men with a previous negative biopsy as opposed to men who are biopsy naive.However, the use of pre-biopsy mpMRI in the US has been significantly rising in the last years, together with the use of mpMRI in the setting of prior negative biopsy, as can be seen in figure 2.Figure 2 The use of mpMRI in biopsy naive patients and in patients with prior negative biopsy in the US:The current European Association of Urology (EAU) guidelines recommend usage of mpMRI only in the setting of prior negative biopsy, when clinical suspicion of prostate cancer persists, despite the previous negative biopsy (level of evidence 1a). The guidelines also state that systematic biopsy should always be performed in addition to mpMRI targeted biopsy.In summary, Dr. Jun Hyuk Hong believes that mpMRI is the primary imaging modality in the diagnosis pathway of prostate cancer. It may improve the detection rate of clinically significant prostate cancer and reduce the detection rate of clinically insignificant cancer. It is especially useful for anteriorly located tumors, and despite being controversial, and the lacking level one evidence, Dr. Jun Hyuk Hong believes mpMRI should be performed in all patients prior to a biopsy.Presented By: Jun Hyuk Hong, Asan Medical Center South KoreaReferences:Written By: Hanan Goldberg, MD, Urologic Oncology Fellow (SUO), University of Toronto, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Twitter: @GoldbergHanan at the 38th Congress of the Society of International Urology - October 4- 7, 2018 - Seoul, South Korea Seoul, South-Korea (UroToday.com) Derya Tilki, MD gave an overview of the role and cost-effectiveness of biomarkers in prostate cancer. In this presentation, she reviewed diagnostic biomarkers in the pre-biopsy setting, presented their use in the initial or repeat biopsy setting, and provided a brief overview of their cost-effectiveness.When thinking of the ideal biomarkers in the pre-biopsy setting, it should increase the probability of achieving a positive biopsy. Unfortunately, the positive predictive value of the most used biomarker to date for prostate cancer (PSA), is very low (25-40%) when it is in the range of 4-10 ng/ml.Approximately 65-75% and 10-35% of initial and repeat biopsies in the PSA range of 4-10 ng/ml are negative.Additionally, the ideal biomarker will reduce overdetection and the number of unnecessary biopsies, as biopsies have significant adverse events (infection, bleeding), and are associated with pain.Prostate cancer biomarkers in the pre-biopsy setting can be divided to those used to ascertain who to biopsy (PHI, 4K score, Select MDX, MiPS, ExoDx prostate Intelliscore), and those used to ascertain when to re-biopsy (PCA3, and ConfirmMDx). According to the European Association of Urology (EAU) guidelines, to avoid unnecessary biopsies, it is recommended to use risk calculators and additional biomarkers, or imaging.Next, Dr. Tilki gave a summary of the most important available biomarkers. She began with the biomarkers that are supposed to help decide which patient should be biopsied. The first ones discussed were the PHI and the 4K score. The PHI combines three PSA sub-forms (total PSA, free PSA, and [-2]proPSA) into a single score. It is indicated in men with a PSA of between 2-10 ng/ml and normal digital rectal examination (DRE). The PHI score has been shown to correlate with the percentage of a positive biopsy, as seen in figure 1.Figure 1- PHI score is correlated to the percentage of positive biopsyThe 4K score combines four prostate-specific kallikrein assay results (total PSA, free PSA, intact PSA, and hk2) with age and prior biopsy status. The 4K score gives the percentage risk of having aggressive prostate cancer, and it has been shown to predict the probability of distant metastasis within 20 years, as seen in figure 2.Figure 2 4K score prediction of metastasis within 20 yearsIn a comparison of 4k to PHI, they were shown to similarly improve discrimination when predicting prostate cancer and high-grade prostate cancer. Both are simple blood tests that can reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies compared with screening using PSA only.Usage of the 4K score in a hypothetical cohort of 100000 men suspected of having prostate cancer, can result in an average net savings of 169 million dollars (1694 USD per patient), during the first year after the first urologist visit.The next biomarker discussed was the SelectMDx, which is a non-invasive urine assay to improve patient selection for initial biopsy. It is a two-gene risk score combining HOXC6 and DLX1 mRNA expression levels with clinical risk factors, including PSA density, DRE, PSA, age, history of prostate biopsy, and family history. This biomarker can detect high-grade clinically significant prostate cancer. It has an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.89 for detecting clinically significant cancer, and it is highly correlated with Gleason score as well, with a negative predictive value of 98% for aggressive cancer. Various cost-effectiveness studies of SelectMDx have been done, demonstrating its ability to significantly save money.The next biomarker discussed was the MI-prostate score. This score consists of PCA3 mRNA urine test, total PSA in the blood, and TMPRSS2-ERG mRNA in the urine. It can predict the presence of overall and high-grade prostate cancer on initial and repeat biopsy. (6) It has been shown to have an AUC of 0.772 for detection of prostate cancer.ExoDX prostate (Intelliscore) was the next biomarker discussed. This urine biomarker utilized exosomes, which are small, double-lipid membrane vesicles that are secreted from cells. This is a urinary exosome gene expression assay which predicts the presence of high-grade prostate cancer for men older than 50 with a PSA of 2-10 ng/ml, presenting for an initial biopsy. It gives a score between 0-100 by combining the relative weighted expressions of three gene signatures. A score>15.6 is associated with an increased likelihood of high-grade prostate cancer on a subsequent biopsy. It has an AUC of 0.77 and has been validated in a large multicenter study.Dr. Tilki moved on to discuss the two biomarkers used to ascertain when to biopsy. These are the PCA3 and ConfirmMDx. The PCA3 urine test is analyzed by RT-PCR and is an assay commercially used today for aiding the diagnosis of prostate cancer. This has been used especially in patients with a previous negative prostate biopsy. PCA3 has been recommended in for men at a higher risk of prostate cancer, with previous negative needle biopsy.The ConfirmMDx detects a field effect or halo associated with the presence of cancer at the DNA level. It detects epigenetic changes and is performed on the residual tissue from previous negative biopsies (up to 30 months old). It helps to distinguish patients who have a true-negative biopsy from those who may have occult cancer. The test helps find men who may benefit from a mpMRI or another biopsy and early detection. It has 90% and 96% negative predictive value for the detection of any cancer and significant prostate cancer, respectively. In a cost-effectiveness analysis, it has been shown to reduce 1106 unnecessary biopsies for a health plan with 1 million members, with more than 588 USD saved per patient, and more than 530000 USD saved annually per 1 million members.Dr. Tilki summarized her talk, showing a nice algorithm which helps to choose the right genomic biomarker in the appropriate phase (Figure 3). There is currently a large Dutch multicenter prospective study which is comparing mpMRI, biomarkers and risk calculators in approximately 600 patients with a PSA of more than three ng/ml. The recruitment has been completed, and the results are expected at the end of this year.Figure 3 Algorithm on the appropriate genomic biomarker to use:In summary, pre-biopsy markers can improve prostate cancer detection and reduce overdiagnosis. Results from economic evaluations have shown cost-effectiveness for a 4K score, SelectMDx, and ConfirmMDx. To date, the optimization of biomarker uses in the pre-biopsy setting, and their combination with novel imaging remains unclear.References:1. Hendricks RJ et al. Pros Cancer Prostatic Dis. 2016 2. Heidenreich A et al. Eur Urol 2008 3. Loeb S et al. Eur Urol 2013 4. Nordstrom et al. Eur Urol 20155. Voigt et al. Rev Urol 2017 6. Sanda MG et al. JAMA Oncol 2017 7. Tomlins SA et al. Eur Urol 2016 8. McKiernan et al. JAMA Oncol 2016 9. Aubry W et al. American Health Drug and Benefits 2013Presented by: Derya Tilki, MD, Martini-Klinic, Hamburg, GermanyWritten By: Hanan Goldberg, MD, Urologic Oncology Fellow (SUO), University of Toronto, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Twitter: @GoldbergHanan at the 38th Congress of the Society of International Urology - October 4- 7, 2018 - Seoul, South Korea Seoul, South-Korea (UroToday.com) This session began with a case presentation of a 76-year-old man with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). This was a generally healthy man with mild hypertension, who had macroscopic painless hematuria, and was diagnosed with MIBC after transurethral resection of a bladder tumor (TURBT). Badrinath Konety, MD presented his point of view, on why this patient should undergo radical cystectomy, which is the gold standard treatment for a patient with MIBC.Dr. Konety began his talk showing data from a large population-based database from across the US. The data showed that the factors that influence aggressive therapy for bladder cancer include the patients age, race, gender, disease stage, and the geographical location of the patient.The percentage of T2 (muscle-invasive disease) significantly rises with age, with less than 2% of patients younger than 35 harboring MIBC, to approximately 15% of patients older than 85 having it. However, the rate of radical cystectomy in the elderly patients throughout the last decade has been not higher than 15% of these patients.When specifically looking at these elderly patients who do undergo radical cystectomy in the US, most are treated at low/intermediate volume hospitals.The inpatient mortality is about twice as high in these patients, and adverse perioperative outcomes are more frequent. Such patients may benefit from radical cystectomy at high volume and academic centers to maximally reduce adverse perioperative outcomes. When comparing outcomes of patients undergoing radical cystectomy at different age groups, the 90-day mortality rate is worse in elderly patients than in younger patients, while major and minor complications are the same in all age groups.Next, Dr. Konety began to compare the possible treatments available for the presented patient. These include treatments either in the form of radical cystectomy, or bladder-sparing treatment, better known as trimodal therapy, consisting of maximal TURBT, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. When comparing the costs of these two treatment alternatives, the cost is significantly higher in the bladder sparing group.Another factor that is important not to overlook is the frailty index, which is based on functional status, history of diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, and hypertension.This index has been shown to predict the rate of complications following radical cystectomy. As the frailty index increases, the risk of complications increases as well. With a frailty index of 1, the hazard ratio for a complication is 1.17, while if the frailty index is 3 points or more, the hazard ratio is 3.22. The overall complication rate has been shown to be 11.7%, and the mortality is 1.6% in patients older than 65 undergoing radical cystectomy.In summary, radical cystectomy is overall a safe and feasible procedure in the elderly. It is important that surgeons assess the biological age of the patient and not the chronological age. This can be assessed using the frailty index, which is a far more accurate method of assessing the patients status than to simply rely on age. Elderly patients require a comprehensive geriatric assessment before surgery. Additionally, they need an adequate rehabilitation support system and caregiver assistance.Presented by: Badrinath Konety, MD, University of Minnesota, United StatesReferences:1. Konety BR et al. J Urol 20032. Roghman F et al. Urol Int 20143. Fontaine V et al. Eur Urol 2018 4. Svatek R et al. Eur Urol 2014 5. Sathianathen NJ et al. Eur Urol 2018 Written By: Hanan Goldberg, MD, Urologic Oncology Fellow (SUO), University of Toronto, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Twitter: @GoldbergHanan at the 38th Congress of the Society of International Urology - October 4- 7, 2018 - Seoul, South Korea Further Related Content: Seoul, South-Korea (UroToday.com) This session began with a case presentation of a 76-year-old man with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). This was a generally healthy man with mild hypertension, who had macroscopic painless hematuria, and was diagnosed with MIBC after transurethral resection of a bladder tumor (TURBT). Dr. Umbas gave his point of view on supporting bladder-sparing treatment for this patient instead of radical cystectomy.Dr. Umbas began with showing data from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database demonstrating that the percentage of patients above the age of 70 that undergo radical cystectomy is much smaller than that of patients under the age of 70.Additionally, he presented data from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) on more than 1140 patients that had undergone radical cystectomy between 1995-2005. According to this large single-institution data, the probability of 90-day mortality after radical cystectomy significantly rises with age (Figure 1).Using the age cutoff of 75, published data have shown that the overall survival is also significantly worse for patients older than 75 who undergo radical cystectomy.Figure 1 Increasing 90-day mortality after radical cystectomy rising with age:According to the latest National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, bladder preservation following maximal TURBT with concurrent chemoradiotherapy is a valid therapeutic option for MIBC. Bladder-sparing treatment, more known as the trimodal therapy, consisting of maximal TURBT, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, can be performed in one of two main strategies the split and the continuous course. In the continuous course, after maximal TURBT, maximal radiotherapy with full dose chemotherapy is given to the patient, which is then assessed with cystoscopy and biopsies. If there is evidence for complete response, the patient is put on surveillance, while if there is an incomplete response, radical salvage cystectomy is performed. In contrast, in the split course, after maximal TURBT, the patient is first given induction radiation to about 40 Gy, together with chemotherapy. The patient is then reexamined with cystoscopy and biopsies. If a complete response is noted, the patient continues to receive consolidation radiotherapy and concurrent chemotherapy. However, if there is an incomplete response, radical salvage cystectomy is performed.Results from various studies examining tri-modal therapy have shown a 5-year overall survival rate of approximately 50%. A large propensity-matched comparison of patients undergoing radical cystectomy and trimodal therapy was published by the group in Princess Margaret Cancer Center in 2017.Patients who were candidates for trimodal therapy were those with a solitary tumor less than 5 cm, with either no or minimal hydronephrosis, with good bladder function, and no multifocal carcinoma in situ (CIS). The study showed similar overall survival in both groups of patients, those who received trimodal therapy and those who underwent radical cystectomy. Similar results were demonstrated in a large population-based study from the NCDB showing no difference in the overall survival rates.In a systematic review and meta-analysis based on 11 studies between 2009-2017, no differences in overall survival and progression-free survival between radical cystectomy and trimodal therapy were found.In the most recent European Association of Urology (EAU) guidelines, tri-modal therapy is one of the optional treatments recommended for MIBC, especially for patients who are not fit for radical cystectomy. The best way to assess patients who are not fit for radical cystectomy is by using the frailty index. This index is based on functional status, history of diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, and hypertension. This is a superior method of evaluating the ability of an elderly patient to withstand the rigors of surgery, compared to other more traditional methods.In summary, bladder-sparing therapy is a valid option in MIBC patients who want to preserve their native bladder, or who are unfit to undergo radical cystectomy. However, it should be offered only for well-selected patients with several mandatory criteria. These include patients that can successfully undergo maximal TURBT, who harbor no more than a T2 disease without CIS, and who have mild to moderate hydronephrosis. Most importantly these patients need to be compliant with a strict follow-up protocol entailing routine cystoscopies and biopsies.Presented by: Rainy Umbas, MD, University of Indonesia, IndonesiaReferences:1. Smith AB et al. BJU Int 2014 2. Liberman D et al. Urology 20113. Taylor JM et al. BJU Int. 20124. Chan ES et al. Hong Kong Med J. 20135. Kulkarni G et al. J Clin Oncol 2017 6. Zhong et al. Am J Clin Oncol 2018 7. Garcia-Perdomo HA et al. World Journal of Urology 20188. Sathianathen NJ et al. Eur Urol 2018 Written By: Hanan Goldberg, MD, Urologic Oncology Fellow (SUO), University of Toronto, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Twitter: @GoldbergHanan at the 38th Congress of the Society of International Urology - October 4- 7, 2018 - Seoul, South Korea Further Related Content: Seoul, South-Korea (UroToday.com) John Davis, MD gave a summary of the new robotic devices that are in development and will be available in the next few years. Dr. Davis began with a description of how the robotic system has integrated with the health system. In the US, there is an emphasis on volume growth, shorter hospital stays, and improved quality metrics for high volume cases. However, in other countries, the patient might need to pay the difference, the government at a time pays the difference, and some cost pressure can lead to using older models or persistence with laparoscopy instead of using the robot. In the US the practice patterns have resulted in many surgeons becoming obligate robotic surgeons, vs. part-time robotic surgeons.Dr. Davis continued to discuss the future of robotics and where will the added value be found. The overall quality of the next robots will need to match the high quality of the Intuitive robots. The cost will need to be lowered either through capital or instruments. Ideally, the robot will be customized for specific procedures with a high enough volume to justify it. Reducing the cost may enable to acquire a large fleet of robots, as most hospitals struggle with how to allocate this limited resource.Some data from MD Anderson Cancer Center was next shown. This date showed the rising volume of robotic cases per year with a stable 5.3% increase in the volume of cases, and the allocation of the robot among the various medical specialties. This was shown as one possible model that should be adopted by other centers. This model demonstrates a growing need for more robots and how despite the significant costs associated with it, robotic surgery can still be cost-effective.The robot platform a center has will have an impact on the specific procedure that is performed in that center. The older Si model was launched in 2009 and was the first robot that added the dual console. It is very sharp, with manual focus vision, and a 12 mm fixed camera port, and a 1080 HD upgrade. It was the first robot that was approved for head and neck surgery and increased the utilization by thoracic surgeons. The Si platform is preferred by most pelvic surgeons, and it is the only robot approved for head and neck surgery. The newer Xi model was launched in 2014 and added the hopping camera port, which has a 30-degree toggle for up or down. In this model, the console control has been enhanced. It also has a multi-quadrant boom and a multi-quadrant surgical access and introduced the robotic stapler. The Xi model has been a real game changer for colorectal surgery, and the only robot that thoracic surgeons use. For urologists, it is mainly useful in upper tract surgery and retroperitoneal lymph node dissection.Intuitive has additional robots planned. The first one that we will see soon is the single port robot. It has four flexible arms through a 2.5-inch single port. It integrates with Xi vision tower. The indications for the usage of this robot will be small space surgery such as perineal prostatectomy, head and neck surgery, trans-anal surgery and ample room for new indications. Another robot planned to be released by intuitive is the DaVinci X, which is already FDA approved. It is approximately 1 million dollars cheaper than the Xi robot. It uses the Si tower platform but has Xi type arms, with all Xi instruments being compatible with the X robot. The plan is to replace all aging Si robots with this cheaper model (as shown in figure 1).Figure 1 The Xi and X Intuitive robotic platformsAdditional developments that Intuitive are planning include vision enhancements -Firefly and future vision enhancing agents. Additionally, there will be significant simulation updates enabling surgeons to practice on completing a whole simulated procedure, as opposed to task-based learning. Telemedicine will be expanded as well enabling the surgeon to consult, advise and assist around the world. Lastly, table motion will be developed as well.In the last segment of his presentation, Dr. Davis mentioned some of the new robots that are entering into the market. These include the Transenterix robotic system, which is the next generation robotic surgical system, with the advantage of haptic feedback, and reduced cost. This system enables broad reusable instruments with minimal disposables. Other companies include the Mazor robotic guidance systems, Titan Medical single port robotic surgery, and the Korean robotic platform (REVOI-I) which according to its developers, its characteristics are identical to that of the Intuitive robots.Dr. Davis provided a small summary table for the various robots, shown in Figure 2, and concluded his talk stating that the addition of all these new robots will add a variety of robotic platforms to choose from, and the competition will drive the cost down. In the end, newer improved robots will result in better optics, articulation, and improvement in patient outcomes.Figure 2 Summary of the various upcoming robotic systemsPresented by: John Davis, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USAWritten By: Hanan Goldberg, MD, Urologic Oncology Fellow (SUO), University of Toronto, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Twitter: @GoldbergHanan at the 38th Congress of the Society of International Urology - October 4- 7, 2018 - Seoul, South Korea Arizona Will Instructions Simple, clear instructions showing you how to fill out your Arizona Will. Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About Wills Who Can Make A Will? What Does The Will Do? What Are The Advantages Of Making A Will? Do I Need A Lawyer? Can I Create A Trust In My Will? What Happens After I Make My Will? How Can I Change My Will? How Can I Revoke My Will? Can I Disinherit My Spouse Or One Or More Of My Children? Some Questions Regarding Terms Used in a Will What Is A Testator And A Testatrix? What Is A Personal Representative? What Is A Beneficiary? What Is A Guardian For A Child? What Is A Conservator For A Child? How to Use the Will Forms General The Standard Will The Non-Standard Will Other Sample Provisions To Give All Your Estate To One Person To Give All Your Estate To Two Or More People In Equal Shares To Give One Or More Items To One Person And The Remainder To Another To Disinherit An Adult Child Other The Self-Proving Affidavit A Sample Completed Will Assembling The Will Pages And Executing The Will Instructions For your own and your family's protection, you should have a Will. Every adult should. Your Will should be up-to-date, suited to your situation and one that will take care of your family and loved ones in the event of your death. In many instances, you can prepare the Will yourself with the help of these instructions and forms. In other cases, you may need the help of an attorney. In any event, you owe it to your family, your loved ones and yourself, to have a current, valid Will which will protect your family and provide for them in the event you are not around to protect them yourself. Answers to Some Frequently Asked Questions About Wills Who Can Make A Will? Anyone who is of sound mind and at least eighteen (18) years old can make a Will in Arizona. Under Arizona law, the Will should be acknowledged before two witnesses and signed by the maker and the witnesses. Family members or persons mentioned in the Will can qualify as witnesses so long as they are generally competent to act as a witness. It is advisable, however, to have the Will witnessed by people who are disinterested in it. What Does The Will Do? A Will directs how and to whom your property shall be distributed after your death. A valid and effective Will distributes what you own as you see fit through a person you choose. This person is called the "personal representative." Some property, however, is not controlled by a Will. For example, property you may hold in joint tenancy with others, community property with right of survivorship, life insurance payable to named beneficiaries, and trusts you may have created with a future interest in others will not pass by your Will. If you have questions about property that may not be governed by your Will, you should consult an attorney. What Are The Advantages Of Making A Will? A Will allows you to distribute your property to those you want to have it. It allows you to appoint a person to see that your wishes are carried out, appoint a conservator and guardian for your surviving children if necessary, and provide cash to your family for expenses. Do I Need A Lawyer? Many people do not. Of course, if you and your spouse have an estate valued at $300,000.00 or more, or if you are not married and have an estate valued at $150,000.00 or more, you may have complicated problems which a lawyer should guide you through. You may have other complications requiring a lawyer, such as an impending divorce, the existence of an antenuptial agreement (a contract between persons before they marry), prospects of a large inheritance, or property you may want to dispose of during your lifetime. In any of these circumstances, consult and attorney for guidance in preparing your Will. For most of the rest of us, a Will can be prepared easily and quickly, without an attorney. Can I Create A Trust In My Will? Trusts for a spouse, children or others can be created in a Will. There are many different kinds of trusts, however, with various legal, tax and cost considerations. For that reason, you should consult an attorney if you want to provide for a trust in your Will. The Will forms in this website do have provisions for the appointment of a Conservator for your minor children. See the section about Conservators, which follows. What Happens After I Make My Will? After you have prepared your Will, you may want to make photocopies of it for your beneficiaries or personal representative. On each page of a copy, you should print the word "COPY" in bold letters. NOTE: Only the original of your Will is valid. Copies are used only for reference during your lifetime. You must take steps now to insure your original Will is available to your beneficiaries upon your death. Keep it in a safe place. It is a good idea to review it at least once a year to see if it should be revised because of changed circumstances in your life. Some type of legal proceeding may be necessary to process your Will after your death. "Probate" is a word that technically refers to "proof" that your Will is in fact the valid expression of what you want done with your property. "Administration" refers to the process by which your personal representative is appointed by the court to collect all the property subject to the Will, pay your debts and your family's immediate expenses and distribute the remaining assets in the manner described in your Will. A Will may be challenged in court, but a legal attack on a Will usually turns on whether the formalities of Will-making were observed or not. By following the steps outlined in this website, all the formalities are observed and your Will is not likely to be overturned on those grounds. How Can I Change My Will? There is a method by which only certain provisions of an existing Will can be changed, without changing the other provisions. A Codicil is used to do this. However, it is more difficult (and risky) to attempt this than to simply execute a new Will. If you want to make any changes in your Will after it is executed, make a new Will. NEVER attempt to erase or alter an existing Will! How Can I Revoke My Will? Generally, when someone wants to revoke a Will, he or she wants to execute a new one immediately. In Arizona, the execution of a new Will automatically revokes all prior Wills you have made. However, it is always best to destroy the old Will. In any event, destruction of a Will revokes it. Can I Disinherit My Spouse Or One Or More Of My Children? Arizona law gives some protection to a surviving spouse and minor children against disinheritance. It is not possible to entirely disinherit these people. If, however, you make a Will and leave all your estate to other people or organizations, your spouse and minor children may receive only the minimum amounts guaranteed by law. NOTE: One-half () of your community property (which is not subject to right of survivorship) belongs to your spouse and you cannot dispose of that portion by your Will. Similarly, joint tenancy property automatically belongs to the surviving joint tenant or tenants upon the death of the first joint tenant. These matters are rather complicated, and if you have questions about them, you should see a lawyer. It is possible to completely disinherit an adult child (one who is age eighteen (18) or older). A sample provision for doing this can be found later in these instructions. Some Questions Regarding Terms Used in a Will What Is A Testator And A Testatrix? A man who makes a Will is called a "testator;" a woman is called a "testatrix." If you are using these forms to make your Will, the references in the forms to "testator" or "testatrix" will refer to you. What Is A Personal Representative? "Personal Representative" is the title given to the person whom you designate to see that your wishes - expressed in your Will - are carried out after your death. Under earlier Arizona law this person was called an "executor" or "executrix." Your Personal Representative must be over the age of eighteen (18). Many people choose to have their spouse be the first choice for Personal Representative. You might also designate your bank or a trust company to serve in this capacity, but unless your estate is quite large, that probably would not be advantageous to either of you. What Is A Beneficiary? A "beneficiary" is one who is designated by you in your Will to receive some or all of your assets after your death. What Is A Guardian For A Child? A "guardian" is the person nominated by you in your Will to assume the custody of your minor child(ren) in the event of your death. Generally, this is a member of the family or a close personal friend. If a natural or adoptive parent survives, it is not necessary to nominate him or her as guardian. If he or she is not unfit to assume custody, this appointment will happen automatically. A guardian must be eighteen (18) years of age or older. What Is A Conservator For A Child? A "conservator" is one who manages the estate of a minor child. He or she acts as a trustee with regard to any property you may leave to a minor. As with guardians, conservators are often family members or close personal friends. Frequently, married couples will want to designate each other as the first choice for conservator. Your conservator can be the same person who is nominated as guardian, or you can separate these roles if you wish. A conservator must be at least eighteen (18) years old. How to Use the Will Forms General This website contains two different Will forms, one of which you will not use. After you have made the appropriate selection for you, disregard the other form. If you are married and have children, you may want to leave all your estate to your surviving spouse. If your spouse dies before you, you may want to leave everything to your children in equal shares. You may also want to nominate a personal representative , and, if you have minor children, you may want to nominate a guardian and a conservator. The "Standard Will" form in this section can be used by couples who wish this distribution of their property. If you are not married, or if you do not have children, or if you want your property distributed at your death in some manner other than as described in the preceding paragraph, then you will use the "Non-Standard Will" form. The Standard Will In addition to the features mentioned above, the Standard Will does two things which you should be aware of. In paragraph "FOUR", the Standard Will makes provisions for your grandchild(ren) in the event that one or more of your children dies while either you or your spouse is still alive. Such grandchild(ren) would receive the share of your estate that would have gone to that child(ren)'s parent. The best way to illustrate this is with a diagram. Let's assume the two of you are "Husband and Wife" in the diagram below, and you had three children, represented by the letters "A", "B", and "C". While at least one of you was still living, your child "C" died, leaving two children whom we will call "X" and "Y". Using the Standard Will form in this section, upon the death of the last spouse (Husband or Wife), child "A" and "B" would each receive one-third (1/3) of the estate and grandchildren "X" and "Y" would each receive one-sixth (1/6). In other words, "X" and "Y" would share equally the portion of the estate that would have gone to their parent, "C". If you do not want this to occur, the Standard Will is not for you. The second feature of the Standard Will which you should be aware of is the provision in paragraph "TWO" regarding the list of "items of tangible personal property." This provision permits you to leave particular items of your personal property to the people designated on the list to receive them. This is very useful because you can change the list from time to time without making a new Will. Your list should always be typed or printed in ink, dated, and signed by you. You may keep it with the original of your Will. Be sure to destroy the old list when making a new one. NOTE: Do not use this list to dispose of real estate, money, promissory notes, contracts, securities, titles to things or property, or property used in a trade or business. This list is intended only for items of personal property, such as jewelry, china, furniture, collectibles, etc. The Non-Standard Will Most of the provisions in the "Non-Standard Will" are identical to provisions in the Standard Will. However, the most important part of the Non-Standard Will is different - the paragraph which describes the distribution of your property after your death. It is blank on the Non-Standard Will form. The following paragraphs include some sample provisions for various situations. You may type or print them in ink in paragraph "THREE" on the Will form. (Naturally, you must change the names, relationships, and addresses appropriately.) You may alter the language of these sample provisions to suit your circumstances. If, however, you have any doubts or questions about what you are doing, you should consult a lawyer to review your Will. Paragraph "TWO" in the Non-Standard Will is identical to paragraph "TWO" in the Standard Will. You should read the discussion of it in the preceding section entitled "The Standard Will." It is important that you dispose of all of your estate when making a Will. Difficult problems arise when a Will fails to dispose of some property. Because, however, it would be practically impossible to list all the property you own, there are two methods for handling this problem. One way is to leave all your estate to one or more people or organizations. Two sample provisions for this can be found in this section. The other method for dealing with this problem is to include a "residuary clause" in your Will. This clause follows all the other provisions making specific gifts of your property, and serves as a "catch-all" for all remaining assets you own at your death. If you do not leave all your estate to one or more people or organizations, you definitely should include a residuary clause in your Will. The following example illustrates the use of a residuary clause: THREE: I give and devise the sum of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) to my good friend Ralph J. Nelson of Boulder, Colorado. I give and devise all real property which I own at my death to my father, John T. Robinson. This is the residuary clause. --> I give and devise all of the rest and residue of my estate to my daughter, Mary R. Robinson. Other Sample Provisions To Give All Your Estate To One Person All property owned by me at my death is hereby devised to my mother, EDNA M. SMITH. If she predeceases me, I devise all the property which I own at my death to my good friend, CHARLES R. JOHNSON. To Give All Your Estate To Two Or More People In Equal Shares All property owned by me at my death is hereby devised in equal shares to my brothers who survive me. My brothers are: ROY R. PARKS, ROBERT S. PARKS and RAYMOND D. PARKS. To Give One Or More Items Of Property To One Person And All The Remainder Of The Estate To Someone Else I give and devise my real property, and all improvements thereon, situated at 1234 North Jackson Street, Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona to my son, EDGAR JOHN O'DAY. All the rest and residue of my estate, I give and devise to my daughter, SUSAN ANN (O'DAY) MORGAN. To Disinherit An Adult Child I intentionally make no provision in this, my Last Will and Testament, for my son, ROBERT T. MURPHY. The Self-Proving Affidavit The "Self-Proving Affidavit" consists of one page and is designed to be used with both the Standard Will form and the Non-Standard Will form. It is not essential that you use this form, but it is highly recommended. Its use can simplify the administration of your estate after your death. To use this form, attach it to your Will as the last page. You and the two witnesses to your Will must sign this Affidavit in the presence of a Notary Public. A Sample Completed Will To assist you in preparing your Will, this section includes an example of how a hypothetical person might do it. This example is a Standard Will form, but the illustration serves as well for the Non-Standard Will form. NOTE: Sample provisions for paragraph "THREE" of the Non-Standard Will can be found in this section, above. Assembling the Will Pages And Executing The Will After you have completed filling-out your Will forms, put them in the proper order. Remember, if you use it, the Self-Proving Affidavit will be the last page. When the pages are assembled, put two or three staples through the top of the forms, thereby attaching all the pages to each other. Now you and your witnesses may sign the Will. If you use the Self-Proving Affidavit, everyone must sign in the presence of a notary public. The signed Will may be folded and should be stored in a safe place. Congratulations, you have completed drafting your own Will! Forms Cardinal Marc Ouellet writes to "his fellow brother", Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, responding to his accusations according to his own personal knowledge and documents in the archive of the Congregation for Bishops, and asks him to return to full communion with the Successor of Peter Today, the Holy See's Press Office published an Open Letter by Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, regarding recent accusations against the Holy See. We provide a working translation into English from the Italian translation of the original French. Dear fellow brother, Carlo Maria Vigano, In your last message to the media in which you denounce Pope Francis and the Roman Curia, you urged me to tell the truth about the facts which you interpret as endemic corruption that has invaded the Churchs hierarchy even up to the highest levels. With due pontifical permission, I offer here my personal testimony, as the Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, regarding the events concerning the Archbishop Emeritus of Washington, DC, Theodore McCarrick, and his presumed links with Pope Francis, which constitute the subject of your sensational public denunciation, as well as your demand that the Holy Father resign. I write this testimony based on my personal contacts and on archival documents of the aforementioned Congregation, which are currently the subject of a study in order to shed light on this sad case. First of all, allow me to say to you with complete sincerity, by virtue of the good collaborative relationship that existed between us when you were the Nuncio in Washington, that your current position appears incomprehensible and extremely deplorable to me, not only because of the confusion that it sows in the People of God, but also because your public accusations seriously damage the reputation of the Successors of the Apostles. I remember the time in which I once enjoyed your esteem and confidence, but I realize that I stand to lose the dignity you recognized in me for the sole fact of having remained faithful to the guidelines of the Holy Father in the service that he entrusted to me in the Church. Is not communion with the Successor of Peter the expression of our obedience to Christ who chose him and who supports him by His grace? My interpretation of Amoris Laetitia, which you criticize, is written out of this fidelity to the living tradition, of which Francis has given us an example through the recent modification of the Catechism of the Catholic Church regarding the question of the death penalty. Let us get down to the facts. You say that you informed Pope Francis on 23 June 2013 on the McCarrick case during the audience he granted to you, along with the many other papal representatives whom he then met for the first time on that day. I imagine the enormous quantity of verbal and written information that he would have gathered on that occasion about many persons and situations. I strongly doubt that McCarrick was of interest to him to the point that you believed him to be, since at the moment he was an 82-year-old Archbishop Emeritus who had been without an appointment for seven years. In addition, the written brief prepared for you by the Congregation for Bishops at the beginning of your service in 2011, said nothing about McCarrick other than what I told you in person about his situation as an emeritus Bishop who was supposed to obey certain conditions and restrictions due to the rumors surrounding his past behavior. Since I became Prefect of this Congregation on 30 June 2010, I never brought up the McCarrick case in an audience with Pope Benedict XVI or Pope Francis until these last days, after his removal from the College of Cardinals. The former Cardinal, who had retired in May 2006, had been strongly advised not to travel and not to appear in public, so as not to provoke additional rumors in his regard. It is false to present the measures taken in his regard as sanctions decreed by Pope Benedict XVI and revoked by Pope Francis. After re-examining the archives, I can ascertain that there are no corresponding documents signed by either Pope, neither is there a note of an audience with my predecessor, Cardinal Giovanni-Battista Re, giving Archbishop Emeritus McCarrick an obligatory mandate of silence and to retire to a private life, carrying canonical penalties. The reason being that at that time, unlike today, there was not sufficient proof of his alleged guilt. Hence, the position of the Congregation was inspired by prudence, and my predecessors letters, as well as mine, reiterated through the Apostolic Nuncio Pietro Sambi, and then also through you, urging a discreet style of life, of prayer and penance for his own good and that of the Church. His case would have been the object of new disciplinary measures had the Nunciature in Washington, or whatever other source, provided us with recent and decisive information regarding his behavior. I hope like many others, out of respect for the victims and the need for justice, that the investigation underway in the United States and in the Roman Curia will finally offer us a critical, comprehensive view on the procedures and the circumstances of this painful case, so that such events are not repeated in the future. How is it that this man of the Church, whose inconsistency is recognized today, was promoted on several occasions, even to the point of being invested with the highest function of Archbishop of Washington and Cardinal? I myself am extremely surprised by this and recognize the defects in the selection process undertaken in his case. Without entering here into the details, it needs to be understood that the decisions taken by the Supreme Pontiff are based on information available at a precise moment, which constitute the object of a careful judgement which is not infallible. It seems unjust to me to conclude that the persons in charge of the prior discernment are corrupt even though, in this concrete case, some suspicions provided by witnesses should have been further examined. The prelate in question knew how to defend himself very skillfully regarding the doubts that were raised about him. On the other hand, the fact that there may be persons in the Vatican who practice and support behavior contrary to Gospel values regarding sexuality, does not authorize us to generalize and declare this or that person as unworthy and as accomplices, even including the Holy Father himself. Should not the ministers of truth be the first to avoid calumny and defamation themselves? Dear Papal Representative Emeritus, I tell you frankly that I believe it is incredible and unlikely from many points of view to accuse Pope Francis of having covered up after having full knowledge of the facts of this presumed sexual predator, and therefore of being an accomplice in the corruption rampant in the Church, to the point of considering him unfit to continue his reforms as the first Shepherd of the Church. I cannot understand how you could have allowed yourself to be convinced of this monstrous accusation which has no standing. Francis had nothing to do with the promotion of McCarrick to New York, Metuchen, Newark or Washington. He divested him from the dignity of Cardinal when a credible accusation of the abuse of a minor became evident. I have never heard Pope Francis allude to this self-styled advisor during his pontificate regarding nominations in America, though he does not hide the trust that he has in some of the Bishops. I presume that they are not preferred by you or by those friends who support your interpretation of the facts. I therefore consider it to be aberrant that you should profit by the horrible scandal of the sexual abuse of minors in the United States to inflict such an unprecedented and unmerited blow on the moral authority of your Superior, the Supreme Pontiff. I have the privilege of meeting at length each week with Pope Francis, in order to deal with the nominations of Bishops and the problems that affect their office. I know very well how he handles persons and problems: very charitably, mercifully, attentively and seriously, as you yourself have experienced. Reading how you concluded your last message, apparently very spiritual, mocking and casting doubt on his faith, seemed to me to be really too sarcastic, even blasphemous! Such a thing cannot come from Gods Spirit. Dear fellow brother, I truly want to help you retrieve communion with him who is the visible guarantor of the Catholic Churchs communion. I understand that bitterness and disappointments have been a part of your journey in service to the Holy See, but you cannot conclude your priestly life in this way, in open and scandalous rebellion, which is inflicting a very painful wound on the Bride of Christ, whom you claim to serve better, thus aggravating the division and confusion in the People of God! In what other way can I respond to your request other than to say: come out of hiding, repent from this revolt and retrieve better feelings toward the Holy Father, instead of exacerbating hostility against him. How can you celebrate the Holy Eucharist and pronounce his name in the Canon of the Mass? How can you pray the Holy Rosary, the Prayer to St Michael the Archangel, and to the Mother of God, condemning him whom She protects and accompanies every single day in his heavy and courageous ministry? If the Pope were not a man of prayer, if he were attached to money, if he were one who favors the rich to the detriment of the poor, if he did not demonstrate an untiring energy in welcoming all who are poor, giving them the generous comfort of his word and his actions, were he not multiplying all the means possible to proclaim and communicate the joy of the Gospel to everyone in the Church and even beyond its visible frontiers, if he were not extending a hand to families, to the elderly who are abandoned, to the sick in spirit and in body and above all to the young in search of happiness, then someone else could perhaps be preferable, according to you, with different diplomatic and political attitudes, but I, who have been able to know him well, cannot put into question his personal integrity, his consecration to mission, and above all the charisma and peace that dwell in him by Gods grace and the power of the Risen One. Responding to your unjust and unjustified attack, dear Vigano, I therefore conclude that the accusation is a political maneuver without any real foundation to be able to incriminate the Pope, and I repeat that it is deeply wounding the Churchs communion. It would please God that this injustice be quickly repaired and that Pope Francis might continue to be recognized for who he is: an eminent pastor, a compassionate and firm father, a prophetic charism for the Church and for the world. May he continue his missionary reform joyfully and in full confidence, comforted by the prayer of the People of God and by the renewed solidarity of the entire Church together with Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary. The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas has announced the opening of Ghost Donkey rounding out the offerings at Block 16 Urban Food Hall, which began serving Las Vegas customers earlier this month (Pictured: Chorizo and Tripe Nachos). Photo credit: Alan Weiner New York Citys famed mezcal and tequila bar, Ghost Donkey, pulls inspiration from the alluring ingredients and flavors of Mexico to create an authentic fiesta experience. Featuring an extensive selection of mezcal, Ghost Donkey serves expertly selected tasting flights alongside specialty crafted cocktails. All cocktails consist of traditional Mexican spirits from artisanal brands, complementing the resorts world-renowned cocktail program. Ghost Donkey will also serve a selection of unique late-night snacks including Wild Mushroom Nachos, the perfect combination of chips smothered in a huitlacoche-mushroom puree, cotija cheese, and topped with a poblano salsa. Photo credit: Alan Weiner Block 16 Urban Food Hall brings an emerging class of acclaimed chefs and first-to-market culinary creations to The Strip. A place for locals and visitors alike to celebrate their shared passions for easy-to-love food and drink, additional restaurant concepts include the hip and widely popular New Orleans restaurant, District: Donuts. Sliders. Brew., Nashvilles hot Southern chicken joint Hattie Bs Hot Chicken, Lardo, Portland chef Rick Gencarellis over-the-top sandwich eatery, James Beard Award-winning Chef Andy Rickers Pok Pok Wing from Portland, and Tekka Bar: Handroll & Sake, an original Japanese handroll and sake concept from locally acclaimed Las Vegas restaurateur, Takashi Segawa. Are you a blues fan? Well, this week's edition features a live studio interview and short acoustic performance by Mamadou Kelly and his desert blues band from Timbuktu! In this special bi-lingual interview Kelly talks (in Bambara) about his songs and what the blues in Mali is all about. You'll also meet singer/songwriter Andy Jemea from Douala, Cameroon. Song of the Week features a hit song currently burning through Uganda "Didadada" by A Pass and more! With more than 90 percent of votes counted, far-right Brazilian candidate Jair Bolsonaro was leading Sunday in the country's presidential election, electoral court TSE reported. Bolsonaro had 47 percent of the votes with 92.5 percent of returns in, according to election officials. Bolsonaro, 63, was the unexpected front-runner going into Sunday's election, but if he manages to garner 50 percent of the vote, he will win the presidency outright. He is a far-right former Army captain who has praised the country's past military dictatorship and has insulted women and gay people, as well as the country's black and indigenous populations. His views have earned him the nickname of "Tropical Trump," a reference to the controversial U.S. president. He has also promised to crackdown on crime by loosening controls on Brazil's already deadly police forces. The election in Latin America's largest economy follows the revelation of a huge political corruption scandal in Brazil, one of the largest corruption scandals in Latin American history. His closest rival is leftist candidate Fernando Haddad, who has 28 percent of the vote. Haddad is a stand-in for former President Luiz Inacio da Silva, who is jailed and was barred from running. Although the two men come from different sides of the political spectrum, each ran a campaign based on nostalgia for a return to traditional values and better, simpler times. "I voted against thievery and corruption,'' Mariana Prado, 54, a human resources expert, told the Associated Press. "I know that everyone promises to end these two things, but I feel Bolsonaro is the only one can help end my anxieties.'' However, Monica de Bolle, director of Latin American Studies at Johns Hopkins University, told AP, "These are the strangest elections I've ever seen. It's shaping up to be a contest between the two weakest candidates possible." If neither Bolsonaro nor Haddad from the field of 13 candidates receives a majority of the votes, a run-off vote will be held October 28. The Committee to Protect Journalists is calling on the government of Bulgaria to investigate the killing of a popular TV journalist over the weekend. "CPJ is shocked by the barbaric murder of journalist Victoria Marinova," said CPJ European Union Representative Tom Gibson in Brussels. "Bulgarian authorities must employ all efforts and resources to carry out an exhaustive inquiry and bring to justice those responsible." The body of the popular Bulgarian TV journalist investigating alleged corruption involving politicians and EU funds was found Saturday in a park in the northern city of Ruse. Her mobile phone, car keys, glasses and some of her clothes were missing. Police say Marinova, 30, was raped before she was killed. "Her death was caused by blows to the head and suffocation," Ruse prosecutor Georgy Georgiev said, adding that investigators were able to obtain a lot of DNA evidence. Interior Minister Mladen Marinov said there have been no signs linking Marinova's death to her work as a TV investigative journalist. Another reporter from Marinova's television station also said no one at the station had been threatened. But the owner of a website involved in the investigation of the alleged corruption, and whose own journalists were interviewed by Marinova, said his group had gotten credible information that there would be trouble. "Viktoria's death, the brutal manner in which she was killed, is an execution. It was meant to serve as an example, something like a warning," Asen Yordanov told the French News Agency Sunday. Marinova worked for the Ruse-based television station TVN and hosted a talk show Detector. The Reporters Without Borders global index of press freedom rated Bulgaria 111 out of 180 countries in 2018 the lowest of any EU member. As a child, Sreat Mom Sophear never dreamed of growing up to become a business leader, even though she grew up in a business-oriented household. But today, the founder and CEO of SOPHIYA Corp. is one of Cambodias pioneering women entrepreneurs. Sreat Mom Sophear started SOPHIYA, which provides tourism, home management, spa wellness and beauty services, in 2005. At the time, she did not understand entrepreneurship, which the Harvard Business Review defines as the pursuit of opportunity beyond resources controlled. All I thought was about making money, the 36-year-old said. That has changed as her Phnom Penh-based company grew to employ more than 65 people. Its not only about me and my business. It is also about helping others, providing job opportunities to people and contributing to the economy, Sreat Mom Sophear told VOA during her visit to the United States under the State Departments International Leadership Visitor Program for 10 days in September. Sreat Mom Sophear and 11 other women from Cambodias private sector and state-run institutions met with business representatives and federal and state officials to learn more about business management, partnership and leadership. The goal? Reshaping the business landscape in Cambodia to encourage women to run businesses, and to promote women as business leaders. But this means overcoming many challenges, many of which are familiar to ambitious women worldwide. Leading a business is considered a mans job in Cambodia, even though women own about 65 percent of the businesses, according to the National Institute of Statistics, where the numbers show most of the women-owned enterprises are small-scale and informal, employing only one or two people. Women's roles Then there are other issues such as the continuing influence of traditional social and cultural code, the chbap srey, which believes women should be quiet and obedient and have limited educational opportunities. A lack of financial and business management training has prevented many women from scaling up their businesses, said Eng Lykuong, president of Cambodia Women Entrepreneurs Association (CWEA), a networking group supporting women in business. And then theres the challenge that working women face worldwide. Even though they become entrepreneurs, they are still expected to fulfill household roles, she said, defining the so-called second shift. I have to say that we work twice as hard as men. We are struggling to balance it [our business] with our role as mothers and wives. Ly Viriya, a shareholder of LM LIMA Angkor Food Co. Ltd. of Siem Reap, found balance at a personal cost. Had I not been separated [from my husband], I would not have been able to travel and continue my studies and improve myself, she told VOA Cambodia, adding that the support from her family has been critical as she made career choices and undertook advocacy work through CWEA. Building confidence Ly Viriya believes that a lack of self-confidence is one of the key challenges for Cambodian women in business, particularly those in rural areas where there are fewer opportunities and education and income levels are lower than in urban areas. It takes a lot of training and encouragement to help them find confidence in themselves, she said, adding, I want to encourage more women to really believe that they can play important roles in society. Although Cambodias Ministry of Womens Affairs is supporting private sector initiatives to empower women in business, it has signed several memoranda of understanding with women-led associations, such as CWEA and the Cambodia Women Business Federation (CWBF). The three women, Sreat Mom Sophear, Eng Lykuong and Ly Viriya, know each other through CWEA, where they work to empower women. They also rally support from the government and business-partner organizations, including the American Chamber of Commerce of Cambodia (AmCham), to remove the obstacles that prevent women advancing further by growing the capacity of their businesses. In small- or medium-size business, you see a lot of women are running them, but when the business is large-scale or becomes a corporation, very few women make it that far, said Eng Lykuong, adding that CWEA provides mentoring and capacity building programs that upgrade their knowledge and skills. Entrepreneurial community Touch Socheata, a co-founder and managing director of InoTED, which provides information and communications technology (ICT) solutions to education, tourism and agriculture sectors, benefited from CWEA training. Touch Socheata had no knowledge or skills in ICT when she launched Innovative Technologies for Education, Tourism and Development, or InoTED, in 2017. As a member of the association, Ive learned from trainings and exchanging ideas with other members, which has prepared me for managing my business, Touch Socheata told VOA. Founded in 2011, CWEA claims a membership of about 500 women whose businesses range from small- to medium-sized. Collectively, these endeavors support more than 15,000 people, help drive their local economies and provide new skills to many of working age. Chen Sopheap, for example, took her love of Cambodias traditional silk and began her social enterprise, Keiy Tambanh Khmer, in 2015 in Phnom Penh, employing 10 women to produce good quality silk products for Cambodias special-occasion clothing. Now the Keiy Tambanh Association that Chen Sopheap created supports 200 women silk weavers and helps their products reach larger markets. Chen Sopheap says her business has empowered more women to gain skills in business and financial management. I began a business from a point where women silk weavers were shy about sharing ideas, she said, but now they are engaged and debating ideas to help improve themselves. Bill Cosbys lawyers have asked a Pennsylvania court to overturn the actors conviction and three- to 10-year prison sentence because of what they call a string of errors in his sex assault case. The defense motion argued that trial Judge Steven ONeill erred in declaring Cosby a sexually violent predator who must be imprisoned to protect the community. Lawyers called the sentence more punitive than necessary, given the standard two- to three-year guideline range for the crime and the fact Cosby is 81 and blind. They also said the trial evidence never proved the encounter with accuser Andrea Constand took place in 2004, and not 2003, or that Cosby was arrested within the 12-year time limit. Cosby was arrested on Dec. 30, 2015, and was convicted at a second trial this April. He has been in a state prison near Philadelphia since the Sept. 25 sentencing, when the judge refused to let him stay out on $1 million bail pending appeal. Given his fame, wealth and use of drugs to molest the accuser, the judge said, Cosby could remain a threat to other women. The defense motion said ONeill improperly considered the trial testimony of five other accusers in sentencing Cosby, instead of limiting that prior bad act testimony to the question of his guilt or innocence. ONeill, in explaining the sentence in court, told Cosby he considered voices from the past, your past, and that he heard their voices loud and clear, the defense said. The lawyers also challenged the states sex offender laws, which have been revised several times amid challenges they are unconstitutionally vague. The law requires judges to find that a sexually violent predator has a mental abnormality, a term they said has no legal or psychological meaning, yet subjects defendants to lifetime counseling and police registration. The defense motion, dated Friday, was posted to a public court docket in the case over the weekend. Kate Delano, a spokeswoman for the Montgomery County District Attorneys Office, said the office will file a response. The motion was filed by lawyer Peter Goldberger, a top appellate lawyer in the region, and Joseph P. Green Jr., who handled Cosbys sentencing after more than a dozen other lawyers on the case had come and gone. A former appellate lawyer on the case is suing Cosby over what he called more than $50,000 in unpaid bills. The defense also complained that an audio recording played to jurors of a 2005 conversation between Cosby and Gianna Constand, the mother of accuser Andrea Constand, was not authentic. They said they did not make the discovery until an expert review after the trial. District Attorney Kevin Steele has dismissed that as a legitimate appeal issue, saying its been widely known that Gianna Constand started her recorder after the call began. She had called Cosby to get answers about what happened to her daughter after Andrea Constand disclosed the assault a year later. The family went to police, who suggested they try to record Cosby. During the call, Cosby acknowledged engaging in digital penetration after giving her daughter pills he would not identify, and offered money for Andrea to attend graduate school, Gianna Constand testified. If thats what theyve got, its beyond a Hail Mary, Steele said at the sentencing, as Cosbys lawyers sought to keep Cosby free on bail over the tape recording. ONeill instead had Cosby led out of the courtroom in handcuffs. Dissatisfied Latvians rejected the right-of-center ruling coalition in Saturdays parliamentary election, but suspicion of the left-leaning pro-Russia party makes it likely the next government will be another formation of ethnic Latvian parties to the right. The result means a confirmation of the European Union and NATO members role as a bulwark against Russia in the increasingly hostile relationship between the West and President Vladimir Putin. Latvians, fed up with corruption and weak democracy in the Baltic country of 2 million, punished the ruling three-party coalition, which lost almost half of its votes, mostly to two newcomers. Anti-corruption The populist KPV LV and anti-corruption New Conservatives won 14.1 and 13.6 percent respectively to become the second- and third-biggest parties. Our voters want a change from the old post-Soviet politics, which has been very powerful up to now, said Janis Bordans, leader of the New Conservatives. They want to have a stable Latvia, but a one which doesnt stagnate. The New Conservatives, whose leadership features several former officers from the countrys anti-corruption agency, want to beef up law enforcement and get rid of a number of current officials who they say are corrupt. Bordans said he would like to be the new prime minister. If we count out Harmony then its logical that we take responsibility. We have to be ready to do it and it is very realistic, he said. Ethnic divide The pro-Russia party Harmony, which is supported by ethnic Russians who make up a quarter of the population, took 19.9 percent of the vote but will find it almost impossible to be part of any government. The ethnic divide is strong in Latvian politics, and other parties have always shut Harmony out of government. It has tried to rebrand itself as a Western-style social democratic party but severed official ties to Putins United Russia party only last year. I dont think this is a norm-breaking election. It carries on the tradition we have seen in Latvia that a quarter of the seats go to the Russian-speaking party, said Daunis Auers, professor of comparative politics at the University of Latvia, adding that other parties would have no problem shutting out Harmony. Now they have no reason to form a government with Harmony. They can form a coalition among themselves, he told Reuters. Concerns about Russia Before the election, some Latvians were concerned that a strong result for Harmony and the populist KPV could lead to their forming a government and bringing Latvias foreign policy closer to Putins Russia. The result will lead to a more fragmented parliament of seven parties, of which six won between 10 and 20 percent support each. The forming of a government coalition could take months. Harmony will get 24 seats and remain the biggest bloc. It is followed by the New Conservative Party with 16 seats, KPV LV with 15 seats, the National Alliance with 13 seats, Development/For with 13 seats, the Greens and Farmers Union with 11 seats and New Unity with eight seats. Indonesian Christians sought solace Sunday in churches in the city of Palu, hard hit last week by an earthquake and a tsunami that roiled central Sulawesi, killing 1,649 people and seriously injuring some 2,500 people. Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim country, but there are Christian communities throughout the archipelago. During a service held Sunday in front of the Santa Maria Church in Palu, a priest encouraged locals to have faith in God and stay in Palu to rebuild the city. If we all leave, then who will welcome those who come here to help us?" Yohanes Salaki asked his congregation, speaking from outside the church as the inside remains unsafe because of damages caused by the earthquake and tsunami. Palu resident Etna Rorimpande told VOA's Indonesian service that we have to give ourselves to God, have faith on Him, believe that God will always take care of us. Another Palu resident I Nyoman Sarna said that though he is sad and worried about his fate, he think he and his family will stay in the city. "We have to rebuild our town. Who else will do that? he said. The United Nations said in a statement that 113 people remain missing after the twin disasters. About 70,000 people have been displaced. The U.N. is seeking $50.5 million from the international community to provide relief for the 191,000 Indonesians affected by the natural disasters. The U.N. announced its plan Friday, saying it developed the program in consultation with its counterparts in the Indonesian government. The initiative outlines the support needed from the international community over the next three months. United Nations Resident Coordinator in Indonesia, Anita Nirody, said the full scale of the disaster and the recovery needs are becoming clear now that a week has passed. She said the plan not only includes immediate relief but also logistical support needed to deliver aid to those who need it. Meanwhile, Antara News reports Palu's main market has reopened, under tight security by armed guards. Traders told Indonesian news outlet they fear being raided by looters. Electricity has been restored to some parts of the city of more than 370,000 residents, which endured the brunt of the disaster. Shops have reopened, a major phone network is back in operation, and a small number of commercial flights have resumed flying in and out of the city's wrecked airport. The 7.5 magnitude quake triggered a huge tsunami that turned scores of houses and buildings in Palu into mounds of debris. Roads and bridges were washed away, cutting off at least three districts near Palu with a combined population of more than 1 million people. Indonesia and its 18,000 islands are located along the Pacific Ocean's "Ring of Fire" and frequently are struck by earthquake, volcano and tsunami activity. In 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake off Sumatra and a subsequent tsunami killed about 230,000 people in 14 Pacific countries. About half of those deaths occurred in Indonesia. Eva Mazrieva of VOA's Indonesian service contributed to this report. Iran's parliament voted Sunday to join a global convention to cut off terror financing, hoping to avoid further international sanctions as the 2015 nuclear accord unravels. Parliament speaker Ali Larijani said 143 out of 268 lawmakers voted to join the "Combating the Financing of Terrorism," or CFT. The bill must be ratified by the Guardian Council, a constitutional authority, to become a law. Iran has long provided support to the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group as well as Palestinian armed groups, which Western countries view as terrorist organizations. Joining the CFT is unlikely to prevent Iran from continuing to support such groups. President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the nuclear deal with world powers in May and has vowed to ramp up sanctions unless Iran dramatically changes its policies, including halting its support for regional militant groups. By joining the CFT, Iran would be required to comply with some ideas offered by the Financial Action Task Force, an intergovernmental organization that targets money laundering around the world. After Sept. 11, the body increasingly offered ideas on how to combat terror funding. Hard-liners in Iran opposed the bill, saying it would erode the country's sovereignty, and hundreds of hard-line students protested the bill outside parliament on Sunday. Others saw the bill as a positive gesture toward European countries as they try to salvage the nuclear accord. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called Sunday's vote a "historic decision" that would make it easier for Russia and China - which also signed the nuclear accord - to continue doing business with Iran as the U.S. restores sanctions. The U.N. World Food Program reports the Kenyan Government will assume full responsibility for organizing and implementing the school lunch program it started in the country 40 years ago. Over the past four decades, the World Food Program has been providing lunches to 1.6 million school children in arid and semi-arid areas of Kenya. For most of these children, the lunch they receive at school is their only hot meal of the day. WFP says school lunches for impoverished children play a crucial role in providing them with the nutritious food they need to remain healthy. It says these meals also act as an incentive for parents to send children to school. It notes children who are educated have a better chance of growing up to become productive adults. WFP spokesman, Herve Verhoosel, said the distribution of school meals has been jointly organized with the Kenyan Government over past years. He told VOA the transition away from WFP's involvement started gradually a few years ago. "Then the Government was starting step by step to take over a bit more and a bit more and a bit more. It was the best way to do it to make sure that they had the capacity. We needed to make sure that the Government had the capacity to take over such a program. And, that is the case in Kenya. Twenty-four million dollars for that, 4,000 schools, 1.6 million children. It is quite a budget for Kenya," said Verhoosel. Verhoosel said the logistics of organizing such a large program and raising the money needed to run it is very complex and can be overwhelming. He said WFP welcomes the Kenyan Government's decision to maintain this crucial program. He said his agency hopes other African countries as well as nations in other regions of the world will be able to do the same one day. Last year, the U.N. agency implemented and supported school feeding programs in 71 countries. WFP also directly provided school meals to 18.3 million children in 60 countries. The medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders, says the Pacific Island of Nauru has ordered it to stop providing mental health care services to the residents, as well as the asylum seekers that Australia houses in detention centers there. An MSF spokesman told the French news agency, AFP, "The Nauruan government informed Medecins Sans Frontieres that our services were 'no longer required' and requested that our activities cease within 24 hours." MSF said on its website its team had "identified cases of schizophrenia and family violence, and concerning levels of depression in Nauru, especially among children." Tony Bartone, the president of the Australian Medical Association, recently said the situation for children on Nauru is "a humanitarian emergency requiring urgent intervention." MSF began delivering mental health care to Nauru in 2017. In 2014, Australia implemented a tough immigration policy that bars any asylum seeker who tries to arrive by boat from reaching its shores. The asylum seekers are either turned back or sent to remote camps on the tiny Pacific nations of Papua New Guinea or Nauru, and are not allowed to resettle in Australia. Australia has come under international condemnation for its controversial detention program. U.N. officials report Rohingya Muslims live in fear and mistrust and are not allowed to move around freely in Myanmar's Rakhine State. The U.N. refugee agency and U.N. development program recently carried out their first assessments of conditions in northern Rakhine State since the mass exodus of Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh more than one year ago. The two agencies visited 23 villages and three village tracts in Myanmar's Rakhine State. They said their teams were able to go wherever they wanted and to meet with whomever they wished. UNHCR spokesman Andrej Mahecic said the focus of their meetings was to find out the conditions under which people are living and the challenges they face. "These assessments are happening in the context of the crisis that unfolded last year. So, clearly there is also an impact on how people live and everybody that the teams have met are facing a very difficult situation, especially in making ends meet," he said. Mahecic said people in Rakhine spoke about their inability to make a living and get basic services because of severe restrictions on their freedom of movement. He said mistrust, fear of neighboring communities and a sense of insecurity are prevalent in many areas. "Fear and mistrust, has an impact on access to education, health and other basic services. It also limits interactions between communities, hindering prospects for confidence-building and social cohesion. The communities we visited frequently spoke of challenges in getting to health services as well as restrictions on the Muslim population in accessing education," said the spokesman. The UNHCR and UNDP signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Myanmar in early June. The MOU seeks to create conditions conducive to the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh and their reintegration in Rakhine State. On the basis of these initial assessments, Mahecic said it is clear that none of these conditions have been met. Israel's prime minister says he will meet Russia's president for the first time since the downing of a Russian warplane by Syrian forces reacting to an Israeli air raid last month. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been trying to ease tensions with Russia since the incident. Russia blamed Israel for the shootdown and responded by supplying Syria with sophisticated S-300 air defense systems. Speaking to his Cabinet Sunday, Netanyahu said he had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and would soon travel to Moscow for face-to-face talks. He said he had stressed the importance of military coordination with Russia, while also saying Israel "will act at all times to prevent Iran from establishing a military presence" in Syria. Israel frequently carries out airstrikes against Iran and its allies in Syria. America's top diplomat left Tokyo for Pyongyang on Sunday after pledging that the U.S. would coordinate with allies Japan and South Korea on efforts to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. On the eve of his fourth visit to North Korea, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Saturday with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to try to unify the countries' positions as he looks to arrange a second summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and chart a path toward denuclearization. Japan has been wary of Trump's initiative, fearing it could affect its long-standing security relationship with the U.S. Pompeo said it was important to hear from the Japanese leader "so we have a fully coordinated and unified view.'' Pompeo also pledged that during his meeting with Kim on Sunday, he would raise the cases of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea. Pompeo later planned stops in South Korea and China to review the negotiations. "It is important for us to hear from you as I travel to Pyongyang to make sure that we are fully in sync with respect to missile programs, [chemical and biological weapons] programs,'' Pompeo told Abe. "We will bring up the issue of the abductees as well, and then we will share with you how we hope to proceed when we are in Pyongyang tomorrow.'' Vague agreement Trump is pressing to meet with Kim for a second time after their June summit in Singapore produced a vague agreement on denuclearization with few if any specifics. Despite the historic meeting, the two sides are deadlocked over how to achieve that goal. Trump canceled Pompeo's initial planned return to North Korea last month. In contrast with South Korea, where President Moon Jae-in has been at the forefront of encouraging Trump's rapprochement with the North, Japan has been decidedly cautious, insisting its interests and concerns be addressed. Abe did not speak of differences but highlighted the importance of demonstrating to the world that the U.S.-Japan alliance is "more robust than ever'' and stressing the importance of "thorough coordination'' with Washington on all aspects of North Korea policy. Pompeo has repeatedly refused to discuss details of negotiations, including a U.S. position on North Korea's demand for a declared end to the Korean War and a proposal from Seoul for such a declaration to be accompanied by a shutdown of the North's main known nuclear facility. The U.S. and Japan have pushed for the North to compile and turn over a detailed list of its nuclear sites to be dismantled as a next step in the process; the North has rejected that. Japan's foreign minister, Taro Kano, said the accounting continues to be a priority for his country. "Disclosing all nuclear inventories is the first step toward denuclearization,'' he told reporters after Pompeo wrapped up his meeting in Tokyo. Kono also said he and Pompeo didn't go into details of a possible war-end declaration because it's premature while there is virtually no progress in denuclearization. "We are not even talking about whether to do it or not,'' he said. "It's not an issue that we are even considering.'' U.S. troop presence Many believe such a declaration could reinforce North Korea's demands for the U.S. to withdraw its forces from South Korea and Japan. While traveling to Asia, Pompeo said his mission was to "make sure that we understand what each side is truly trying to achieve ... and how we can deliver against the commitments that were made'' in Singapore. He said they would develop options for, if not finalize, the location and timing of a second Trump-Kim summit. He has also distanced himself from an earlier stated goal of achieving North Korea's nuclear weapons abandonment by the end of Trump's term in January 2021. Since the effort got underway with a secret visit to the North by then-CIA chief Pompeo in April, there has been only limited progress. North Korea so far has suspended nuclear and missile tests, freed three American prisoners and dismantled parts of a missile engine facility and tunnel entrances at a nuclear test site. It has not taken any steps to halt nuclear weapons or missile development. The North also has accused Washington of making "unilateral and gangster-like'' demands on denuclearization and insisted that sanctions should be lifted before any progress in nuclear talks. U.S. officials have thus far said sanctions will remain in place until the North's denuclearization is fully verified. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Seoul Sunday, after his fourth visit to North Korea where he met with Kim Jong Un. The leader of the isolated country was heard saying to the top U.S. diplomat, I am really pleased for this opportunity.After having a nice meeting, we can enjoy a meal together. Shortly after arriving in South Korea from North Korea, Pompeo posted a photo of himself walking along with Kim on Twitter: A U.S. official in Pompeos delegation said the trip to North Korea was better than the last time but further efforts were needed. The official indicated some progress was made during the visit, which included a meeting with the North Korean leader, but added: Its going to be a long haul. Pompeo is scheduled to meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Foreign Minister Kan Kyung-wha to brief them on his meeting with Kim Jong Un. Pompeo had said the goal of his meeting with North Korea was to make sure we understand what each side is truly trying to achieve ... and how we can deliver against the commitments that were made in Singapore where Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump held their historic summit earlier this year. He had also said he wanted to pin down a date for a second summit between Kim and Trump. It was not immediately clear if that goal had been reached. On the first leg of Pompeos three-day tour of East Asia, he met Saturday with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Foreign Minister Taro Kono about North Korea. Pompeo said it is important for the two allies to have a fully coordinated, unified view of how to proceed, which will be what is needed if we are going to be successful on denuclearizing North Korea. Abe said he thinks that their talks demonstrate to the world that the alliance between Japan and the U.S. is more robust than ever. After Pompeos stop in South Korea, he will visit China before heading home. The Beijing visit could be tense as it comes days after U.S. Vice President Mike Pence delivered a blistering speech accusing China of military aggression, commercial theft, rising human rights violations and electoral intervention against Trump. Prisoners in South Sudans notorious Blue House say about 200 of them broke into a store in the prison where weapons are kept early Sunday morning local time and are holding two unharmed prison guards hostage, demanding the government provide prisoners with due process. The prisoners say they do not want to fight, we just want our voice to be heard and add they have no intention of firing back at South Sudanese military and national security personnel who have surrounded the prison. No fatalities have been reported, although one prisoner was shot below his left knee during a scuffle that broke out when the prisoners took control of the prison. Safety 'very relative' Safety now is very relative, we are now in a situation where we dont know what may happen, said Peter Biar Ajak, an academic who was arrested at the Juba International Airport in late July. Biar is unarmed and said he is hiding in a bunker along with other unarmed civilians in the prison known as the Blue House for its blue-tinted windows. What we are hoping for is that the government of South Sudan is able to resolve this and is able to negotiate to those who have taken this decision to resort to this kind of armed protest, Biar said. Prisoners say there has been no communication between them and South Sudanese officials. There are about 100 armed prisoners in the rooftop, 50 on the grounds and another 50 inside the Blue House, according to Kerbino Wol who spoke to VOA South Sudan in Focus on the phone. Languishing in prison The prisoners say they are fed up as most of them have been behind bars for months, some for years without being charged or given access to a lawyer. Abraham Majak Maliap who spoke to VOA over the phone says he has been in prison since November 2017. Majak says they are asking the president to keep his promise and release political prisoners. If the president pardoned us, we have to be released, Majak said. So our goal is that, we dont want to create any problems. The president has been decreeing a lot of decrees, Majak said, and we have not yet been released and our names have been replayed and replayed but all those things are fake, they are not true. South Sudans government spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment. 'Systematic injustice' Prisoners say the standoff was not premeditated but was in response to months of aggravated threats by prison personnel. They say armed military and security personnel were shooting at the prison but they refused to shoot back. No shooting was taking place when the phone interviews were being conducted. Prisoners say only half of the 400 inmates in the Blue House have taken up arms in the stand-off while the other half are hiding in bunkers. Wol, one of the armed prisoners, was arrested April 27, accused of plotting a coup and an assassination. He says there is no evidence to substantiate the accusation, he has not been given access to a lawyer, and has not seen his loved ones for months. This systematic injustice is not acceptable, Wol said. He says he is speaking up on behalf of the voiceless. We are asking for justice, he said. We asked to be governed by the rule of law, not by force. We have been cut out all over from the world outside, Majak said. We are just here. Even going outside to see sunlight is so hard. So our voice needs to be heard and if anybody commits a crime they have to be taken to a court, otherwise they should not be kept because the crime is a crime and justice has to be done. Officials in Haiti are urging people to stay calm Sunday after a strong 5.9-magnitude earthquake shook the impoverished country. Saturday's quake killed at least 12 and injured more than 180. It was centered close to the northern city of Port-a Paix, but was felt across the country. The U.S. Geological Survey reported Sunday afternoon that a 5.2-magnitude aftershock rattled the same region of Port-de-Paix, in northern Haiti. President Jovenel Moise and Prime Minister Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceantwas were in the disaster-stricken city Sunday to coordinate relief efforts. "I congratulate the citizens for their show of solidarity and support," Moise tweeted. Reports say a hospital, community center and a number of homes were destroyed. "I was watching TV, the president was talking and all of a sudden I felt my chair shaking," Marie Claude Sylverin told VOA Creole. "I thought it was our dog doing that, but then my daughter asked me, Mom, did you feel the earthquake?' and that's when I ran outside to see what was going on." Another man told VOA he was working on his computer when all of a sudden the desk started to shake. He said at first he did not know what was causing the shaking. "I ran outside and saw all these people in the street and I realized -- that was an earthquake," he said. Haiti has never fully recovered from the 7.1-magnitude earthquake in 2010 that killed more than 200,000 people and left 1 million people homeless. Many people whose homes were destroyed are still living in tent cities. VOA Creole's Roney Innocente contributed to this report. Too few eligible voters in Romania turned out for a two-day referendum that sought to prevent same-sex marriages by changing the country's constitution, election officials said Sunday. The national election bureau said late Sunday, after polls closed, that voter turnout was 20.4 percent, far short of the 30 percent needed for the vote to be valid. The referendum, supported by the ruling Social Democrat Party (PSD), asked voters to approve a constitutional amendment that would have changed the definition of family by declaring that a marriage is a union between a man and a woman. Presently, it defines a union as between spouses, a gender-neutral term. The conservative Coalition for Family supported the referendum, and blamed the poor turnout on "a massive disinformation campaign" by the media, politicians and local lawmakers. The Romanian Orthodox Church also supported the proposed constitutional amendment. The gay rights group Accept, however, said the tepid results show citizens "want a Romania based upon democratic values." "We have shown that we cannot be fooled by a political agenda that urges us to hate and polarize society," the group said. There are already marriage statutes in religiously conservative Romania that prohibit same-sex marriage. It has been less than 20 years since Bucharest decriminalized homosexuality, in 2001. The public identification this week of more than 300 suspected agents of Russias military intelligence service, the GRU, is being dubbed by security analysts the largest intelligence blunder in Russian post-Cold War history. And the cause for the bungling comes down, they say, to the simple human factor of wanting to avoid traffic fines, including for drunken driving. Prompted by the midweek disclosure by Dutch and British authorities of the identities of four Russian GRU operators accused of trying to hack the headquarters of the world's chemical weapons watchdog, the investigative journalism consortium Bellingcat subsequently trawled through a publicly available Russian traffic-records database to unearth the names and details of 305 other individuals thought to be working for the Russian intelligence agency. Passport numbers and, in many cases, mobile telephone numbers were included in the vehicle registrations. Bellingcat scrutinized the traffic database after one of the four GRU operatives named Thursday by the British and Dutch was found to have registered his Lada car in 2011 using the Moscow address of the GRU barracks housing his cyberespionage unit 26165. The unit has been accused by Western authorities, including the U.S., of being responsible for a series of cyberattacks and the hacking of computer networks of international anti-doping agencies as well as organizations investigating Russia's use of chemical agents, including the alleged nerve-agent poisoning in the English town of Salisbury earlier this year of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. By searching for other vehicles registered to the same address Bellingcat came up with a list of 305 other individuals ranging in age from 27 to 53-years-old. Special list' The GRU agents likely exposed their personal information on the database in order to gain immunity from traffic stops and to avoid punishment for violations, according to Alexander Gabuev of the Carnegie Moscow Center, a think tank. He says the root cause for the data leak is a combination of a wrecked values system, notorious incompetence and banal corruption. Using the GRU address meant the agents are put on a special list so the traffic police cant stop you, the fines for drunk driving etc. never apply to you, and you dont need to pay car tax, he tweeted. The disclosure of the list of 305 GRU operatives has added to a growing debate among analysts and Western intelligence officials about the professionalism or lack of it of the GRU when it comes to standard tradecraft. Initially, Dutch and British authorities thought the names of the four Russian GRU operators accused of trying to hack the computers of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons were aliases. But it now appears the GRU operatives, Aleksei Morenets, Evgenii Serebriakov, Oleg Sotnikov and Aleksey Minin used their real names and traveled on genuine passports. That is an extraordinary security lapse, say current and former members of Western intelligence services, making it easier for the mens missions, which took them not only to the Netherlands but Switzerland and Rio de Janeiro, too, to be laid at the door of the GRU. Russia's Foreign Ministry has described the allegations about GRU operatives mounting so-called active measures in Europe and elsewhere as fantasies. But Moscows denials have not been helped by the trail to the GRU the four men left and the surprising story of failed spycraft revealed by Dutch authorities Thursday, which is undermining Russias fearsome reputation in the field of espionage, say analysts. Amateurish bunch Dutch authorities say the four men, like the alleged GRU would-be assassins of Skripal and his daughter, didn't do much to cover their tracks. Britains security minister Ben Wallace has described the recent GRU operations as more Johnny English than James Bond. The four GRU would-be hackers in the Netherlands failed to recognize they were being monitored by the Dutch intelligence service. When they were detained in April before being expelled by the Dutch they were found to have with them laptop computers linking them to other Russian espionage operations around the world. One of them had a taxi receipt showing he'd traveled from the GRU barracks in the Russian capital to Moscow Sheremetyevo airport. The botched tradecraft of both the Skripal poisoning and the GRUs alleged close-access hacking has prompted ridicule from some Western politicians and officials. British Conservative lawmaker Tom Tugendhat, the chairman of the British parliaments foreign affairs committee, mocked the GRU in a tweet as an amateurish bunch of jokers. Another British lawmaker, Bob Seely, said recent GRU blunders reveal how hapless the organization is and shows that subversion is probably beyond their professional capability; they can't even cover their tracks in the most basic of ways. It is very sloppy and makes President Putin look foolish. Arrogant defiance? But some analysts and Western intelligence officials are querying whether the Salisbury attack and GRU hacking operations were just a matter of clumsy spy tradecraft or a display of arrogant defiance by the GRU. Security analyst Mark Galeotti of the Institute of International Relations in Prague, the author of a new book on Russian organized crime and Russian security forces, maintains the GRU shouldn't be dismissed as incompetent. Writing in Foreign Policy magazine, he says the emerging narrative about its supposed clumsiness, is dangerous. He adds the GRU prides itself on having a military culture in which a mission must be accomplished, whatever the cost. The GRUs ethos of completing the mission no matter what means that innocent lives lost or even the revelation of agents names are not blunders so much as irrelevancies. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have agreed to arrange a second U.S.-North Korea summit "as soon as possible." According to the U.S. State Department, Pompeo and Kim "refined options for the location and date of that next summit." State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Sunday, "Secretary Pompeo and Chairman Kim also agreed to instruct their respective working-level teams to meet soon to intensify discussions on the key remaining issues to deliver on the Singapore Summit Joint Statement." She added U.S. President Donald Trump "looks forward to continuing to build upon the trust established with Chairman Kim in Singapore". The announcement Sunday came shortly after Pompeo arrived in Seoul, following his fourth visit to North Korea, where he met with Kim. South Korean President Moon Jae-In thanked Pompeo for his visit and expressed his well-wishes for the potential upcoming summit. The two leaders last met last June in Singapore. Trump tweeted earlier Sunday Kim and Pompeo "had a good meeting". "Progress made on Singapore Summit Agreements! I look forward to seeing Chairman Kim again, in the near future," he wrote. Following their meeting a day earlier, Kim was heard saying to the top U.S. diplomat, "I am really pleased for this opportunity. After having a nice meeting, we can enjoy a meal together." Pompeo tweeted after the meeting, "Had a good trip to #Pyongyang to meet with Chairman Kim. We continue to make progress on agreements made at Singapore Summit. Thanks for hosting me and my team @StateDept" Pompeo had said the goal of his meeting with North Korea was "to make sure we understand what each side is truly trying to achieve ... and how we can deliver against the commitments that were made" in Singapore where Kim and Trump held their historic summit earlier this year. Saturday, Pompeo met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Foreign Minister Taro Kono about North Korea. Pompeo said it is important for the two allies to have a "fully coordinated, unified view of how to proceed, which will be what is needed if we are going to be successful on denuclearizing North Korea." Abe said he thinks their talks demonstrate to the world the alliance between Japan and the United States is "more robust than ever." After Pompeo's stop in South Korea, he will visit China before heading home. The Beijing visit could be tense as it comes days after U.S. Vice President Mike Pence delivered a blistering speech accusing China of military aggression, commercial theft, rising human rights violations, and electoral intervention against Trump. President Donald Trump celebrated the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court on Saturday, dismissing allegations of sexual misconduct and declaring he was 100 percent certain his nominee was innocent. Trump was aboard Air Force One, traveling to a campaign rally in Kansas, as the Senate voted on an extraordinarily fraught nomination that sparked angry protests, nail-biting votes and a national reckoning about sexual assault allegations and who should be believed. Trump invited reporters traveling with him to watch the final vote in his private office, delivering a thumbs up from his desk as the confirmation was made official. Very, very good, Trump said. Very happy about it. Great decision. I very much appreciate those 50 great votes and I think hes going to go down as a totally brilliant Supreme Court Justice for many years. Trump: No taint on Kavanaugh Trump, throughout the day, insisted Kavanaugh would not be tainted by the sexual assault allegations from Christine Blasey Ford and others that nearly tanked his nomination. Kavanaugh vigorously asserted his innocence. When these allegations first surfaced, a reporter asked the president, you said there shouldnt even be a little doubt. Are you 100 percent certain ... Trump interrupted and began speaking as the question continued, ... that Ford named the wrong person? Im 100 percent. Im 100 percent. I have no doubt, Trump said. Trump went on to say: One of the reasons I chose him is because theres nobody with a squeaky-clean past like Brett Kavanaugh because he is an outstanding person and Im very honored to have chosen him. Mocking Ford had great impact Trump continued lashing out at Democrats when he rallied supporters in Topeka, telling them the opposition party conducted a shameless campaign of political and personal destruction against Kavanaugh. He said radical Democrats have become an angry, left-wing mob and too dangerous and extreme to govern. Aboard Air Force One, Trump said Kavanaugh had withstood a horrible, horrible attack that nobody should have to go through. And he revealed that he believes a rally speech in which he mocked Christine Blasey Fords Senate testimony had been turning point for the nomination. I think that the Mississippi speech had great impact, he said, calling it a very important thing. Advisers and Senate leaders had urged Trump not to attack Ford publicly, worried such a move would anger on-the-fence senators. But Trump went after her anyway, mocking her testimony and gaps in her memory as a rally crowd laughed and cheered. White House officials now say they view the speech as a turning point that changed the momentum as it appeared Kavanaughs nomination was at risk. Rally for Kobach, Watkins Trump campaigned in Kansas for Kris Kobach, secretary of state and the Republican nominee for governor, and Steve Watkins, the GOP nominee in the 2nd Congressional District of eastern Kansas. Retiring Republican Rep. Lynn Jenkins holds the seat, and Democrats hope to flip it. Trump has been holding rallies across the country as he tries to boost Republican turnout in Novembers midterm elections that will determine which party will control the House and Senate during the second half of Trumps term. He said he thinks Republicans are going to do incredibly well in the midterm elections after Kavanaughs confirmation. I think we have a momentum that hasnt been seen in years, he said. (CNN) Pope Francis ordered a Vatican investigation last year into abuse allegations against U.S. Archbishop Theodore McCarrick but is not yet releasing the results, the Vatican revealed Saturday. "The Holy See will, in due course, make known the conclusions of the matter regarding Archbishop McCarrick," the Vatican statement said. U.S. Catholics have been reeling in recent months from allegations that McCarrick, a former top American cardinal, sexually abused seminarians and an altar boy. McCarrick, who has denied the accusations about the altar boy and not responded to the allegations about the seminarians, resigned from the College of Cardinals in July. The allegations, as well as an explosive letter from a former papal diplomat, have raised serious questions among senior church leaders about why McCarrick was allowed to rise through the church's ranks, as well as who knew about the accusations. In its statement, the Vatican said it had ordered a preliminary investigation in September last year after it was informed by the Archdicoese of New York that a man had accused McCarrick of having abused him in the 1970s. The investigation was conducted by the Archdiocese of New York, where the alleged abuse took place. The Archdiocese then sent its findings to the the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome, which acts as a watchdog division. "In the meantime, because grave indications emerged during the course of the investigation, the Holy Father accepted the resignation of Archbishop McCarrick from the College of Cardinals, prohibiting him by order from exercising public ministry, and obliging him to lead a life of prayer and penance," the statement said. The investigation's conclusions will be made known "in due course," and the information gathered during the preliminary investigation will be combined with other Church records regarding McCarrick "in order to ascertain all the relevant facts, to place them in their historical context and to evaluate them objectively," the statement said. The archdiocese earlier said it had found the allegations against McCarrick to be "credible and substantiated" and that it had handed the accusation over to law enforcement. "The Holy See is conscious that, from the examination of the facts and of the circumstances, it may emerge that choices were taken that would not be consonant with a contemporary approach to such issues. However, as Pope Francis has said: 'We will follow the path of truth wherever it may lead,'" the Vatican statement said. "Both abuse and its cover-up can no longer be tolerated and a different treatment for Bishops who have committed or covered up abuse, in fact represents a form of clericalism that is no longer acceptable." The U.S. Catholic bishops' conference last month issued a dramatic apology for the role of bishops in the church's clergy sexual abuse scandal and announced new initiatives to hold abusive or negligent bishops accountable. Francis has come under increasing pressure to act over the sexual abuse crisis that has engulfed the Catholic Church in countries around the world, with survivors complaining that the Vatican is moving at a "glacial" speed on the issue. The Pope last month summoned the church's top officials from across the world to the Vatican for a February meeting to discuss the problem. In Saturday's statement, the Vatican said Francis "renews his pressing invitation to unite forces to fight against the grave scourge of abuse within and beyond the Church, and to prevent such crimes from being committed in the future to the harm of the most innocent and most vulnerable in society." This story was first published on CNN.com "Pope ordered inquiry last year into McCarrick abuse claims, Vatican says" One staff member who, like several others, spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared that their comments might anger Jones said the principal has told teachers who clashed with students in their classrooms to take time off to think about the episode. The staff member described interactions that students have exaggerated to their parents and the teacher was not allowed to respond to. (Jones, in an emailed response to The Washington Post, called that account inaccurate and incomplete.) Todays Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. Email address By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy The document was circulated between Metros offices of planning and performance and comes on the heels of a Washington Post report that highlighted the board and managements uncertainty on how to address Metros ridership slide. It is perhaps the most candid assessment of Metros operating challenges positing that the transit agency is largely responsible for its own ridership woes and acknowledging in plain language that service is a key factor that drives ridership, along with population and jobs, tourists and reliability. Police said Nathan L. Dickerson, 47, was driving a Nissan Altima westbound on the local lanes of Interstate 495 about 1:20 a.m. on Saturday near the Eisenhower Avenue exit when he veered off the left side of the road and hit a barrier. Dickerson, of Alexandria, then drove back into the westbound lanes and collided with an RV. He has been forced to repeatedly disavow known white nationalists such as Paul Nehlen, who Stewart once praised as one of my personal heroes, and Jason Kessler, an organizer of last years Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville that led to the death of Heather Heyer, 32. Six months before the rally, Stewart appeared at a news conference with Kessler. For Daniel Tammet, 39, the number sequences in pi have an aura. They have color, texture, shape and, even weirdly, emotion, he says. The number 4, for example, to Tammet is blue, but its also a timid number, one he feels close to because of his own shyness. Numbers can glow and wink on their own and perhaps even snarl when Tammet looks at or thinks about them, but strings of numbers form sentences of emotions and feelings. Five more Ebola cases confirmed in Congo: Congo's Health Ministry has reported five additional confirmed cases of Ebola in the nation's east. The current epidemic in Congo's North Kivu and Ituri provinces has seen 140 confirmed cases since July, with 108 ending in death, according to the ministry's daily bulletin, which has been reporting an average of one to two new confirmed cases per day in recent weeks. The ministry said the five new cases were in the regional hub of Beni, where attacks by rebel groups and local mistrust of the Ebola response campaign have disrupted treatment and vaccination programs. Beyond the committed lawyers and activists, this verdict speaks to the need for America to see the victims of these shootings as human beings deserving of justice. So often, it feels as though the plight of black America is underrated, like our lives are undervalued when they are taken so senselessly and readily by the police. But this jury did not relegate the life of a black man to second-class status. The jury in this case saw beyond any faults that McDonald, like all of us, may have had and viewed him, instead, as a human being whose life was taken unjustifiably. They were also able to see law enforcement as fallible and capable of acting overzealously with little regard and respect for the lives of the black men and women who sometimes die needlessly by their hands. After all these outrages, there will be calls for a renewal of civility, as if the problem is that people said nasty things about one other. But the answer to this power grab cannot be passive acceptance in the name of being polite. The causes and consequences of what just happened must be acknowledged frankly. Watkins, an Army veteran, started the race ahead of Democratic opponent Paul Davis, but he has been dogged by claims that he misrepresented his past. Board members of a security firm denied his claims that he co-founded and helped grow the company. He was also forced to walk back claims of heroic leadership during an avalanche on Mount Everest, after one of those present said he never made comments attributed to him on Watkinss website. Watkins has described the criticism as fake news. And Kavanaughs own words could cause problems. His retort that the charges against him were retribution by those who couldnt accept Trumps 2016 election and that he was a victim of revenge on behalf of the Clintons will return when he is called upon to decide politically sensitive cases. (Kavanaugh in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal said he had gone too far in some of his remarks, but did not say which ones.) Hes going to be on the Supreme Court with a huge taint and a big asterisk after his name, Hirono said on ABC Newss This Week. Everyone knows when you just interview a small number of people and not the dozens of others who wanted to be interviewed by the FBI, its a sham. The mystery deepened dramatically over the weekend, as Grace Meng told reporters in Lyon that her husband had sent her a knife emoji as a way of telling her he was in danger before he vanished. Grace Meng covered her face during the news conference because she feared for her safety, the Associated Press reported. Salameh Nematt, a Jordanian journalist based in the United States who was Khashoggis colleague and editor at the Al-Hayat newspaper at the time and has remained a lifelong friend, recalled frequently being called upon to rescue Khashoggi from run-ins with authorities because of suspicions about his ties to his extremists. On one occasion in the early 2000s, Nematt had to persuade Jordanian airport authorities not to deport Khashoggi after suspecting him of links to al-Qaeda. The prime minister is not directly named in the case, but a public trial of his wife could have far-reaching implications for his political standing and could harm his image at a time when he is said to be considering an early election. There will also be echoes from his first term as prime minister, 1996 to 1999, when his wife was under constant scrutiny for her behavior. Khashoggi seemed mostly focused on the future, his friend Azzam Tamimi said, talking about writing his third book and his excitement about his upcoming wedding. Tamimi said that Khashoggi told him about the appointment at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday morning; he had to prove that he was divorced so that he could marry again. Not all of those deals have yet worked out, however. Despite a 20 percent price cut, the Saudis let a Sept. 30 deadline to lock in the $15 billion purchase of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-ballistic missile system expire without signing on the dotted line. Administration officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity about the sensitive U.S.-Saudi relationship, expressed concern that the price for the missiles, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, is now likely to go up, even as U.S. willingness to concede to Saudi-demanded co-production provisions is likely to decrease. On his way to Asia, Pompeo stuck to his guns, indicating that the spirit of the June agreement between Trump and Kim in Singapore was that we will get to denuclearization in a fully verified, irreversible way, and then we will actually deliver on the commitments to make this brighter future for the North Korean people. On Sunday night, Washington Post Publisher Fred Ryan met for an hour and 20 minutes with Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Saudi ambassador to the United States, to express his profound concern about Khashoggis whereabouts. Ryan told the ambassador that The Post will be relentless in pursuing this matter until a final determination regarding his fate. If his disappearance were found to be the result of state action, Ryan told the ambassador, it would be the most depraved and oppressive act against a journalist in modern history. Haddad, his replacement, is a shy, pragmatic economist of Lebanese background, a shadow of the larger-than-life Lula. He has tried to reassure investors that he would not pursue radical leftist policies, but many still worry he would not pass the tough reforms seen as necessary to avoid another economic crisis here. Many in the business community have backed Bolsonaro and his economic guru, the University of Chicago-trained Paulo Guedes. Though the Roman Catholic Church is dealing with abuse scandals in multiple countries, McCarricks case has become among the most damaging because it raises questions about who within the Vaticans hierarchy knew of the prelates behavior as he rose to become one of the most prominent figures within the global church. McCarrick is accused of sexual abuse of adults and minors, and in July, he became the first cardinal in nearly a century to fully resign his position. Wesfarmers shareholders need to make an important decision in November. Should they sell the Coles shares they will inherit when the supermarket chain is demerged or hold on to them and see whether the new management can improve its fortunes? Separately, you have to wonder whether Wesfarmers' shareholders are natural owners of Coles? Probably not. In the case of Coles new chief executive Steven Cain, we now know that his short-term incentive package of up to $2.52 million will be paid in cash rather than shares. Credit:James Davies Wesfarmers investors are (or at least they are supposed to be) looking for total shareholder returns, and profit growth. As the recent history of Wesfarmers' atrocious investment to establish Bunnings in the UK has demonstrated, investing in the West Australian conglomerate carries some risk. But given its asset base, it has the capacity to grow its earnings. The dirty secret of rare earths is that they are not actually that rare. The problem is the intensive extraction process, which is costly, and the toxic waste material. This is one reason Lynas is the only processor operating outside China, which has a choke-hold on the market that became apparent in 2010 when it withheld supply from Japan after a diplomatic spat. And this is where Malaysia's scrutiny of the Lynas plant becomes a geopolitical issue. Rare earths are crucial for elements of the new economy like mobile phone components, electric cars, batteries. An employee at work in Lynas' processing plant in Malaysia. Credit:Ian Teh "This is probably quite scary for Lynas as well as Japan and other buyers," Ryan Castilloux of Adamas Intelligence told the Financial Times this week. The closure of the Lynas plant would be a boon for China in its trade war with US President Donald Trump. A point Lacaze hinted at in an ASX statement this week. "Our key customers are in Japan, Europe and North America - all important trading partners of Malaysia," she said. But at the moment, it is the Malaysians near the Lynas plant who have been doing the worrying over the radioactive material stored on site. Kuantan residents, in the state of Pahang in central Malaysia, fear a repeat of their country's experience with a rare earth plant built in Bukit Merah. It closed in 1992 and has been blamed for birth defects and a surge in cases of leukaemia, and the largest radiation clean-up in the industry's history. It is the Malaysians near the Lynas plant who have been doing the worrying over the radioactive material stored on site. Not that Lacaze, who joined the company in 2014, likes referring to the material in such terms. "Lynas does not produce radioactive waste. The company has a comprehensive residue management plan that has been approved by the relevant regulators in Malaysia," she said in a statement to Fairfax Media. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is happy to use the word "radioactive" but as the agency pointed out in one of its reports on Lynas, the minerals mined from its Mount Weld mine in Western Australia, and processed at its Malaysian plant, are considerably less radioactive than other plants. Not that this helps Lynas in its battle with the Malaysian government. This is probably quite scary for Lynas as well as Japan and other buyers. In a statement this week, which finally acknowledged the investigation, Fuziah confirmed that the three-month review would focus on the plants radioactive waste management plan (RWMP) and environmental impact. "Apart from the RWMP, the committee will also be looking into other aspects of safety such as health impacts, social impacts as well as environmental impacts," she said. While public health and safety has been at the forefront of the public protests, it is not expected to be an issue. As the IAEA reported previously: "The radiological risks to members of the public and to the environment associated with the operation of Lynas Advanced Material Plant are intrinsically low." Subsequent reports have given Lynas a clean bill of health on this front. But the issue of permanent disposal facility (PDF) is an issue. "The science behind the storage is solid but the politics/costs are large. Nobody wants this stuff in their country," said a fund manager who sold out of the stock as Mahathir surged to his improbable win. The problem for Lynas is that, despite spending the best part of a decade on the problem, it has yet to come up with a permanent solution for the waste. Lacaze did not directly address the issue of a permanent facility, which may become the heart of the review, when queried by Fairfax Media this week. "Lynas comprehensive residue management plan has been approved by the relevant regulators in Malaysia," she said. "Implementation of this plan is closely monitored, inspected and verified by the regulators and independent third-party auditors appointed by the regulators." Its easy to take Keynes dictum that in the long run were all dead out of context. When you do, you can come badly unstuck - as the banks and insurance companies are discovering. In case youve ever wondered, economists see the short term as being for a year or two, the medium term as about the next 10 years, and the long term as everything further away than that. See the point? If the long run is only 10, 15, 20 years from now, you wont be dead. Nor will most of the people around you at work. The economy will still be alive and kicking in 20 years time and, in all probability, so will your company. Banks and insurance companies found to have mistreated their customers in ways that are outright illegal, will face big bills for restitution. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer In which case, spending too many years making short-sighted decisions could leave you looking pretty bad if you havent had the foresight to skip town. Mackenzie was just the sweetest, smartest, most perfect little baby apart from this tiny flaw in her DNA. How can anyone say that sort of thing? Loading The Casellas were called narcissists and accused of using the death of their baby for promotion. It was devastating, Mrs Casella said. In media interviews the Casellas try to preempt negative reactions they had come to expect. People say that they wouldnt get genetic testing because they would love their child no matter what. That cuts like a knife. "We love Mackenzie ... we would never say Mackenzie shouldn't be here, but we can separate Mackenzie from SMA. Mackenzie's Mission is named after Mackenzie Casella. The seven months and eleven days we had with her were the best of my life and I would live them over and over again, but I wouldnt make her relive the five days in hospital [before she died]. Many people can understand a constant aching kind of grief, but few can comprehend the agony in the detail. Loading People dont think about the last time we put her down and left her in the morgue and had to walk away, or when we picked up her urn. No one should have to go through that, she said. Mrs Casella has panic attacks when she hears ambulance sirens, remembering when the ambulance came for her daughter. She finds moments of escapism in celebrity gossip magazines and reality TV, but never for long. I see how much money these celebrities spend on cars or luxuries and I think of how many funerals for children that could have paid for. I hate that my head goes there, she said. In August the Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists recently updated their prenatal screening guidelines to recommend carrier screening for the more common genetic conditions (cystic fibrosis, SMA and fragile X syndrome) be offered to all women planning a pregnancy or in the first trimester. [Women] wanting more information about carrier screening should be given the opportunity to have a more detailed discussion about carrier screening with an informed clinician. The benefits and limitations of testing, and any associated costs should be discussed, the updated guidelines read. Mrs Casella knows Mackenzies Mission has caused some people with genetic conditions to feel vulnerable or unwanted. Critics have called the project an exercise in eugenics and designer babies. Loading I hate the idea that our daughters legacy would ever make anyone feel bad," Mrs Casella said. She stressed the trial would be limited to testing for lethal, very severe genetic conditions. Its not about Australia eradicating genetic conditions, its about stopping this pain and suffering, she said. Before Alan Jones did his best impression of an inflated airbag last Friday, it seemed almost certain Racing NSW boss Peter Vlandys and Sydney Opera House chief Louise Herron would have reached a deal to promote The Everest race day without raising a single eyebrow. But nuance has never been Jones strong suit. This is, after all, a man who ridiculed Herron as elitist but employs a team of three full-time horticulturalists to tend the grounds of his Southern Highlands estate. (The near full-scale elephant sculpture once again proving beyond doubt that Alan is a man of the people.) Alan Jones attacked Louise Herron on air on Friday over plans to promote The Everest on the Opera House. Credit:Fairfax Media All Jones did was make life difficult for all involved and prod a bunch of blowhards like The New Dailys Michael Pascoe into a hyperventilating defence of the sanctity of the Opera House. NSW Minister for Racing Paul Toole has backed his government's decision to order advertising of The Everest horse race on the Sydney Opera House sails, but he's distanced the move from heavy-handed lobbying by 2GB broadcaster Alan Jones amid intense criticism. Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore is among the high profile stakeholders to put the NSW government on blast, describing the move as "blatant commercialisation" and encouraging the public to write to the Premier to "voice their disgust". An image from the Racing NSW submission to the Opera House. Mr Toole told Fairfax Media he fully supports the Premier's decision and insisted Alan Jones had little if anything to do with it. "There was a lot of work done behind the scenes before Alan Jones became involved and I fully support the Premier on this," he said. "Alan Jones and Ray Hadley do not make decisions for this government. Theyve called for many heads to be rolled over the years but were still here delivering for the people of this state." Australia must prepare for a shift in global power towards China and India in the decades ahead, former foreign minister Julie Bishop will warn this week amid a growing debate over Chinese military tensions with the United States. Ms Bishop will also set out the challenges from a fourth industrial revolution that promises new economic growth and job creation, arguing that Australia is ideally positioned to share the gains. The speech to a major summit in Perth on Monday is one of Ms Bishops first forays into public policy since the Liberal Party leadership spill in August that led her to give up her position as foreign minister. Former foreign minister Julie Bishop says a global power towards Asia will benefit billions of people. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Ms Bishop will set out the challenges facing Australia from two great trends that are reshaping the world economy, saying it will take decades to consider the full implications of the extraordinary economic development of China, India and South East Asia. Nairobi, Kenya: A half a world away from the spectacle of Washington, US First Lady Melania Trump still managed to create one of her own during a Kenyan safari on Friday, riding out into the grassland wearing a crisp white pith helmet a common symbol of European colonial rule. It may not have been the most glaring faux pas the hyper-scrutinised Trump has ever made. That title probably goes to the "I really don't care. Do U?" jacket she wore on the way to visit detained migrant children in Texas in June. But to some especially those who study African history her fashion choice in Kenya was still a big error on the global stage: the sight of a first lady wearing something so closely associated with the exploitation of Africans. Melania Trump's choice of outfit has lit up social media for the wrong reasons. Credit:AP Trump who is here representing a husband widely reported to have disparaged African nations in vulgar terms is in Africa on a four-nation tour, with plans to visit Egypt this weekend after stops in Ghana, Malawi and Kenya. New Delhi: India will buy nine million barrels of Iranian oil in November, in a signal the world's third-biggest oil importer will continue purchasing crude from the Islamic republic despite US sanctions coming into force on November 4. "Refiners have placed November nominations to lift 1.25 million tonnes (about 9 million barrels) of oil from Iran," a source has told Reuters. Indian Oil Corp will lift 6 million barrels of Iranian oil and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals another 3 million barrels, the source said. The United States plans to impose new sanctions targeting Iran's oil sector on November 4 to try to stop the country's involvement in conflicts in Syria and Iraq and bring Tehran to the negotiating table over its ballistic missile program. Interpol Senior Vice-President Kim Jong Yang of South Korea will become acting president, pending the election of a successor. The statement gave no further details. The announcement came shortly after China's top anti-corruption body said that Meng was under investigation, ending days of speculation about his whereabouts but still leaving many questions unanswered. His family lost touch with him after he travelled from France to China. Meng's wife reported her husband missing, saying he sent her an image of a knife before he disappeared. Making her first public comments on the mystery surrounding Meng's whereabouts, Grace Meng on Sunday told reporters in Lyon, France - where Interpol is based - she thinks the knife was her husband's way of trying to tell her he was in danger. Being a teenager in the 1980s meant big hair, frilly shirts and parties where the most obnoxious high school jocks got shit-faced, dropped their daks and pushed their luck with girls unlucky enough to be in their vicinity, or unlucky enough to have a reputation. These guys dressed up in togas, a salute to the frat-house satire Animal House, which US Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh cited as one of the films inspiring the goofy mindset of his 1983 high school yearbook. They watched Debbie Does Dallas on video and engaged in uninhibited male bonding rituals, including one known as soggy biscuit, which I hope is self-explanatory because I wont be explaining it here. A woman holds a placard during a protest against the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court, in Denver, Colorado. Credit:AP Girls were obliged to find such drunken antics hilarious, to the extent our preferences came into the equation at all. Male desire was the only measurable kind and its rampant display had to be tolerated, if not celebrated. At least thats how Im remembering my teens, though its possible Im filtering the past through a darkened lens, with sadistic laughter ringing in my ears. Like the sadistic laughter of Donald Trump, leader of the global frat pack, mocking Dr Christine Blasey Fords accusations that a teenage Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her. And the laughter Blasey Ford describes as indelible in the hippocampus from the night an inebriated Kavanaugh allegedly pinned her to a bed, covered her mouth and fumbled to remove her clothes, as friend Mark Judge stood by. The uproarious laughter between the two, and their having fun at my expense. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh testifies before the Senate. Credit:Bloomberg Back in that Reaganite era, when greed was good, when women squeezed themselves into power suits in the hope of finally getting some power, that is we watched movies that the film buff in me still wants to celebrate as pop-culture classics, but is finding harder to do because the #MeToo movement has women picking at scabs. Movies that indulge and validate the transgressive fantasies of teenage boys desperate to get some sex, that is. Again and again, President Donald Trump was instructed not to do it. A cadre of advisers, confidants and lawmakers all urged him - implored him, really - not to personally attack the women who had accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault. So he did it anyway. Addressing thousands at a boisterous rally in Mississippi, Trump relied on his own visceral sense of the moment and mocked Christine Blasey Ford for gaps in her memory, directly impugning the accuser's credibility. Establishment Republicans initially reacted with horror. But Trump's 36-second off-script jeremiad proved a key turning point toward victory for the polarizing nominee, White House officials and Kavanaugh allies said, turbocharging momentum behind Kavanaugh just as his fate appeared most in doubt. Tuesday evening in Southhaven, Mississippi, Trump laid into Ford with the ruthlessness of an attack dog and the pacing of a stand-up comedian. The crowd roared with laughter and applause. Aides privately crowed as footage of the performance was played and replayed many times over, shifting the national discussion from scrutiny of Kavanaugh's honesty and drinking habits to doubts about Ford's memory. And in Washington, Republican senators - though they condemned Trump's mockery of Ford - felt emboldened to aggressively demand Kavanaugh's confirmation, which became a near-certainty Friday and looks to become official with a vote Saturday. "As long as he was willing to go to the mat for him, it fortified probably people up here, too," said Sen. John Thune, S.D., the chamber's third-ranking Republican leader. The three-week maelstrom - from when Ford first shared her story with The Washington Post to Saturday's expected confirmation vote - fused the nation's cultural reckoning over sexual assault with tribal politics, carrying ramifications not only for next month's midterm elections but also for the long-term identities of both political parties. At the center, as always, was Trump, who used his bully pulpit to champion Kavanaugh and accused men everywhere. Initially restraining his combative impulses and deferring to the Senate on process, the president ultimately followed his own gut as if he were, in the description of one aide, "a strategic boogeyman." The result is likely to be, according to counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway, "a crowning achievement of his presidency." "If people look at this as an apocalyptic fight, he's the ultimate fighter who doesn't give up, doesn't give in and doesn't back down, even if there's an avalanche of criticism and vicious, vile reactions from the other side," Conway said. Yet for all of Trump's public declarations, the actual deciders of Kavanaugh's fate were a trio of Senate Republicans with an independent streak - Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine and Jeff Flake of Arizona - whose demands for an FBI investigation prolonged the process but also ended up ensuring Kavanaugh's confirmation. Republican leaders, who for nearly two years have accommodated Trump's brushfires in service to a shared agenda, plowed through the chaos to fulfill a wish of the movement right: replacing the Supreme Court seat held by swing vote Anthony Kennedy with a conservative ideologue. The GOP's hardball approach left Democrats shaken and defeated. "They are succeeding because they have broken all the rules and norms," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. "They adopted the strategy that the best defense is a good offense." This portrait of Kavanaugh's fraught confirmation process is the result of interviews with more than two dozen senators, Senate staffers, White House officials and outside Republican advisers, some of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss behind-the-scenes machinations. After three weeks of uncertainty and pitched partisanship, it was Collins on Friday who all but determined the outcome in an extraordinary 44-minute address on the Senate floor. The Maine moderate had signaled her thinking earlier with a "yea" on a procedural vote to move forward, before sitting down to lunch with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in the members-only Senate dining room. Collins struck defiant notes in defense of Kavanaugh and lambasted liberal activists and senators, whom she argued never gave the nominee a fair shake. Although she said she found Ford's testimony "sincere, painful and compelling" and believes she has survived a sexual assault, she explained in some detail that she did not see any substantiating witnesses or evidence for her claims that Kavanaugh was the aggressor. The final words of her address were the ones many GOP leaders had been longing to hear: "I will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh." McConnell led the Republican senators - nearly two dozen in attendance - in a standing ovation. One by one, Collins' compatriots celebrated her decision. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, enveloped Collins in a giant bear hug. Within moments, Sen. Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va., became the only Democrat to say he would vote to confirm Kavanaugh, and coupled with Flake's earlier expression of support all but guaranteed the nominee's ascension to the Supreme Court. - - - From the moment Kennedy announced his retirement on June 27, the White House realized the battle to fill his seat would be far more difficult than the one for Justice Neil Gorsuch to replace the late Antonin Scalia. Picking a successor for Kennedy's swing seat gave Trump an opportunity to solidify a conservative majority on the court for decades to come - and White House advisers decided they would need to mount a vigorous political campaign. The chief strategist was Donald McGahn, the White House counsel who has had a tempestuous relationship with Trump but rose up through the conservative movement. Trump, too, understood the stakes, aides said. If he could solidify the Supreme Court's conservative majority, the president calculated, that move alone could permanently endear him to Republican voters - especially evangelical Christians - and override doubts about how he conducts himself in office. Trump had no particular personal affinity for Kavanaugh, although a dinner was arranged between the two men and their wives to cultivate a relationship. "I don't even know him," the president told the Mississippi crowd, "so it's not like, 'Oh, gee, I want to protect my friend.' " Nevertheless, Trump felt invested in Kavanaugh, and he entrusted McGahn, with whom the president barely was on speaking terms, to muscle through this final victory before departing the White House later this fall. "Kavanaugh's an establishment guy. He was a Bush guy," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., referencing the nominee's experience as White House staff secretary under President George W. Bush. "There was a lot of pushback, you know - 'Don't go [down] that road,' 'That's not why you won,' and he said, 'Wait a minute. I want to pick the best people to be on the court I can,' and he said he was incredibly impressed by his background, just the whole package of Kavanaugh." McGahn built a war room on the fourth floor of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building staffed with nearly a dozen lawyers, two communications operatives and a stable of Kavanaugh's former law clerks. A farm team at the Justice Department conducted research and drafted talking points. Leonard Leo, a longtime leader of the conservative Federalist Society, and to a more limited degree Republican lawyer William Burck, were key advisers. And an assortment of well-funded outside groups, including the Judicial Crisis Network, worked to buff Kavanaugh's public image through television and online advertisements and surrogate media appearances. The team treated Kavanaugh like they would a presidential candidate, including choreographing his public movements. When Kavanaugh visited Capitol Hill, McGahn and an entourage of clerks and aides accompanied the judge to meetings with senators and devised routes to avoid interactions with protesters. Still, even the Kavanaugh operation drew pointed criticism from Republican allies on Capitol Hill and others in Trump's orbit, who at times privately questioned everything from the selection of Kavanaugh himself to the war room's ability to effectively manage a bloody-knuckled partisan brawl. - - - The story of Kavanaugh's nomination can be told in two parts. Until Sept. 16, he was a milquetoast Bush Republican whose confirmation hearings had failed to animate much of the country. But that Sunday, when The Washington Post published Ford's detailed account of sexual assault when she and Kavanaugh were teenagers in suburban Maryland, the Supreme Court nomination gripped the nation - casting Kavanaugh as a predator with a drinking problem for some and an unfairly smeared folk hero for others. The initial Ford allegations momentarily sent the White House reeling, as they scrambled to assess her credibility and the veracity of her claims. The president was immediately advised, including by Conway, not to attack Ford, but to say that she deserved to be heard - a line he stuck to for several days. In the coming day, stories of Kavanaugh's alleged debauchery as a high school and college student dribbled out from former classmates, as well as two additional claims of sexual misconduct: Deborah Ramirez claimed in the New Yorker that Kavanaugh had exposed himself to her as an undergraduate at Yale University, and Julie Swetnick, represented by attorney and potential Democratic presidential candidate Michael Avenatti, suggested that Kavanaugh had been present at parties where women were gang-raped. But the additional claims had an unexpected effect: Widely deemed less credible than Ford's assault allegation, they gave Kavanaugh's supporters fresh ammunition to cast all of the charges as a political hit job. Kavanaugh, a former political staffer who had micromanaged his confirmation process and media coverage of his nomination, was eager to defend himself publicly - and McGahn, McConnell, Trump and other advisers were encouraging him to do just that. Kavanaugh and his wife, Ashley, sat for a television interview with Fox News Channel's Martha MacCallum. The interview was widely criticized - "objectively a horrible idea," in the words of one White House official. Kavanaugh appeared wooden and dispassionate, sticking only to a few talking points, and Trump, an avid consumer and critic of television news, thought he appeared weak and unconvincing. But the Kavanaugh team believed the Monday sit-down served its purpose: He was on camera denying allegations in clips that helped fill the news vacuum in the run-up to that Thursday's scheduled Senate testimony from him and Ford. "It filled the void," a second White House official said. Then came the whiplash - more than eight hours of Senate testimony, first from Ford, then from Kavanaugh, that captivated the nation and even left the president seesawing from fatalism to enthusiasm about Kavanaugh's confirmation prospects. When Ford had finally finished, McGahn spoke privately to Kavanaugh, who had not watched, urging him to be passionate. "Speak from your heart," McGahn advised the nominee, according to someone familiar with their discussion. Kavanaugh roared into the committee room and shouted his opening statement, which he had personally written the night before with the help of one trusted clerk. The hotly defiant performance was so effective in the eyes of his advisers - and, perhaps most importantly, of the president - that a group gathered in Vice President Mike Pence's Capitol Hill office began to cheer and pump their fists. Some even had tears in their eyes. - - - The hearing galvanized activists on both sides and left jittery senators - including Flake, one of 11 Republicans on the Judiciary Committee - torn between competing accounts and party loyalties. Flake, who has repeatedly criticized Trump's rhetoric and had been positioning himself as the pivotal swing vote on Kavanaugh's nomination, decided to vote "yes" last Friday to advance Kavanaugh's nomination from the committee to the full Senate floor. But Flake was confronted that day in a Senate elevator by two women who tearfully accused him of dismissing credible allegations of assault. He told fellow senators the FBI should reopen its background investigation to review the sexual misconduct allegations. Flake, along with Murkowski and Collins, met with McConnell and the committee's Republican members in the leader's Capitol office and said they would not vote to confirm Kavanaugh until there had been an FBI investigation. The trio laid out the scope of the probe, which would take no more than one week and which they decided would not include Swetnick's claims. "How do we confine it to credible allegations versus any number of things that we would've expected to come out?" recalled Senate Judiciary member Thom Tillis, R-N.C. McConnell spoke with Trump and convinced him that the only option was to delay a vote and move forward with the FBI probe, according to people familiar with their conversation. McConnell understood that Murkowski, who generally keeps her own counsel, was the true wild card. After being personally lobbied by sexual assault survivors from Alaska, she announced Friday morning that she would not vote to confirm Kavanaugh. In the closing days of the Kavanaugh fight, Trump's role was mostly public-facing. His aides conceded that the president would not have much sway with the trio of Republicans who were on the bubble. "I think in terms of the people that we needed to in the end win over, it's sometimes the less said is better," Thune said, referring to Trump's role. On the campaign trail, however, Trump ratcheted up the partisan warfare at his rallies. In Mississippi, the president - already fuming over a New York Times investigation into his family's allegedly fraudulent tax schemes - felt the media was not properly scrutinizing Ford's account and decided to engage. "How did you get home? 'I don't remember,' " Trump said, reenacting Ford's hearing. "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.' " The riff lasted less than a minute, but had lasting ramifications. The senators whose votes Kavanaugh was wooing said they were aghast at the president's rally-stage behavior. But Kavanaugh allies saw a clear benefit: An argument by the president that bucked up Kavanaugh, discredited Ford and became a clarion call for conservatives. More than two dozen Trump supporters interviewed at the president's campaign rally Thursday in Minnesota said they wish he had not gone after Ford, fretting that doing so was not presidential. Yet many also acknowledged the president had simply spoken aloud what many of them thought privately. "There are things he says that I wish he wouldn't say, but I will take it - for all that he has done, I'll take it," said Matthew Hoffland, 24, a web developer from Sparta, Wisconsin. "It fired up his base." - - - The Washington Post's Jenna Johnson in Rochester, Minnesota, contributed to this report. It was a different crowd, with a different tone and new rules at Saturdays mayoral forum organized by and for newcomers. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 7/10/2018 (1135 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. It was a different crowd, with a different tone and new rules at Saturdays mayoral forum organized by and for newcomers. The Got citizenship? Go vote! civic engagement campaigns event at the Hugh John MacDonald School gym banned candidates from making negative comments about their opponents and promised to reward those who said positive things about their rivals by granting them additional speaking time at the end. "Weve been following what happens at other forums," Abdikheir Ahmed, one of the organizers and an emcee, told the crowd of close to 150 men and women, most of whom were of African, Middle Eastern and Asian descent. "New Canadians are interested in an inclusive city, not negative finger pointing," said Ahmed, the director of Immigration Partnership Winnipeg. "For some, its their first mayoral forum. Lets make sure this makes a positive impression. We are not going to have any personal attacks." All six candidates who participated in the forum Ed Ackerman, incumbent Mayor Brian Bowman, Tim Diack, Umar Hayat, Doug Wilson and Don Woodstock earned extra speaking time for their good behaviour. The no-shows were Venkat Machiraju, who did not RSVP to his invitation, and Jenny Motkaluk, who said shed be there then changed her mind. "Were quite disappointed," Ahmed said about Motkaluk choosing not to take part. The organizers had rescheduled it from Sept. 22 to Oct. 6 to make sure both mayoral frontrunners Bowman and Motkaluk could attend. On Monday, they were informed Motkaluk wouldnt be there that she wanted to be at events where candidates could ask each other questions, Ahmed said. "Were organizing the forum so voters can ask questions. Immigrants and first generation Canadians make up about 45 per cent of Winnipegs population," he said. "Shes making a choice about what communities to go to and which to ignore," said a clearly miffed Ahmed. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS A mayoral forum for newcomers Saturday was hosted by Immigration Partnership Winnipeg, with the support of nearly 30 community organizations. It was the first-of-its kind in a Winnipeg civic election. "If a candidate is ready to bail out on a commitment like this at the last minute on flimsy grounds what do we expect from them if they become mayor of the city?" At the forum, the candidates were asked questions such as how theyd make Winnipeg a more welcoming place for newcomers, how theyd encourage entrepreneurship, more diversity in hiring by the City of Winnipeg, and how theyd tackle poverty and prevent youth from being lured by gangs. The candidates faced "rapid fire" questions that required them to flash a yes or no sign when asked about such things as Winnipeg having a safe injection site, pushing the province to allow permanent residents to have the right to vote in civic elections, offering a low-income bus pass and creating a seat on the Winnipeg Police Board for a member of the newcomer community. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Diack, a community police officer in Point Douglas, flashed a no sign to safe injection sites. Thats because methamphetamine, not opioids, is Winnipegs biggest problem right now, he said. Meth users can be violent and a typical safe injection site would be dangerous for anyone working there, he said. "Before we take any action we have to make the safety of the workers and the public a priority," Diack said. "Mental health is the biggest issue in Winnipeg," said Hayat, who came to Canada 10 years ago. The lack of treatment can be connected to poverty and addiction and crime, he said. If elected, Hayat promised a to create a low-income bus pass and more funding for youth recreation programs that would come from fewer city-funded breaks for wealthy developers. "Do not give $28 million to guys who are already rich for luxury condominiums," Hayat said. Bowman said the city has had an equity and diversity initiative and encourages job applicants to self-identify if theyre from historically disadvantaged groups. Today, about 12.4 per cent of city workers are members of a visible minority, he said. By the time Winnipeg hits his oft-stated goal of having a million people, Indigenous people will make up 25 per cent of the population. "Theres more we need to do on the retention side." carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca A letter in which Albert Einstein explicitly rejected God and religion will be auctioned in December for the second time since the famous physicist wrote it, a year before his death. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 7/10/2018 (1135 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A letter in which Albert Einstein explicitly rejected God and religion will be auctioned in December for the second time since the famous physicist wrote it, a year before his death. Einstein wrote the letter to a Jewish philosopher in 1954, and it caused a sensation when it first went public at an auction sale in 2008 complete with Einsteins unambiguous declaration: "The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honorable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish." AP FILES Albert Einstein believed in what he called a cosmic religion, using God as a metaphor. For decades, people had been debating the theorists concept of religion, in large part because they kept misunderstanding it. When Einstein was a child, Denis Brian wrote in his book Einstein: A Life, he was for a time so devoutly Jewish that he wrote "songs in praise of God, which he belted out as he walked to and from his high school." That changed at age 13, when Einstein became interested in higher mathematics and philosophy and "abandoned his uncritical religious fervour, feeling he had been deceived into believing lies." But he did not become an atheist. As Eugene Mallove wrote for the Washington Post in 1985, Einstein believed in what he called a "cosmic religion" which was less a religion than "a rapturous amazement at the harmony of natural law, which reveals an intelligence of such superiority that, compared with it, all the systematic thinking and acting of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection." For Einstein, the mystery in the architecture of the physical universe an architecture he helped reveal with his breakthroughs concerning relativity and the nature of space and time was more profound than any wonder he read about in the Talmud or the Bible. "I cannot conceive of a God who rewards and punishes its creatures, or has a will of the kind we experience in ourselves," he wrote in an essay in 1931. Einstein did speak often of "God," and was sometimes confused with a theist because of it. But he used the word as metaphor. "Einsteins God was the Universe itself, not an external grand puppeteer," Mallove wrote. For Einstein, the deepest secrets of the universe were as unknowable as the mind of God was to a theologian. So the physicist read with interest a book published in 1952 by the philosopher Eric Gutkind, which attempted to marry Jewish spirituality and intellectualism, arguing that the pursuit of science could and would lead people to a complete understanding of God. "As Einstein profoundly remarked," Gutkind wrote in the book, "it is the most astonishing feature of the universe that the universe can be known. " Einsteins review was polite, but pretty savage. "I read a great deal in the last days of your book, and thank you very much for sending it to me," he wrote to Gutkind in 1954, before delivering his line about "human weaknesses" and "primitive legends." "For me the Jewish religion, like all other religions, is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions," Einstein wrote, according to the Guardians translation of his handwritten German, "and the Jewish people to whom I gladly belong and with whose mentality I have a deep affinity have no different quality for me than all other people. " Its not clear what Gutkind did with the letter, or how it emerged from obscurity in 2008, when the Associated Press wrote that someone with "a passion for theoretical physics and all that entails" had bought it at an auction for US$404,000. In 2012, the letter showed up again on eBay for an asking price of at least US$3 million, but apparently never sold. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The auction house Christies expects that the letter will sell for $1 million to US$1.5 million when it goes on sale in New York in early December, after a series of public viewings. In case the excerpts above have given the impression that Einsteins letter is a polemic, its really not. Whatever his views on religion, he maintained a deep respect for what he called "religious geniuses," and believed that religion was necessary to guide people between right and wrong. "Science can only ascertain what is, not what should be," as he put it. So while Einstein spent a paragraph or two criticizing Gutkinds understanding of the universe, he praised what he called Gutkinds "factual attitude to life and to the human community." "I think that we would understand each other quite well if we talked about concrete things," the physicist wrote in conclusion. "With friendly thanks and best wishes, Yours, A. Einstein. " Washington Post The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. is an insurance and financial services company. The company provides life insurance, group and employee benefits, automobile and homeowners insurance and business insurance, as well as investment products, annuities, mutual funds, and college savings plans. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Lines, Personal Lines, Property & Casualty Other Operations, Group Benefits and Hartford Funds. The Commercial Lines segment provides workers compensation, property, automobile, liability and umbrella coverage under several different products, primarily throughout the U.S., within its standard commercial lines, which consists of The Hartford's small commercial and middle market lines of business. The Personal Lines segment includes automobile, homeowners and home-based business coverage to individuals across the U.S. The Property & Casualty Other Operations segment includes certain property and casualty operations, currently managed by the company, that have discontinued writing new business and substantially all of the company's asbestos and environmental exposures. The Group Benefits segment offers group life, accident and disabi Read More Genesee & Wyoming Inc. owns and leases freight railroads. It operates through three segments: North American Operations, Australian Operations, and U.K./European Operations. The company transports various commodities, including agricultural products, autos and auto parts, chemicals and plastics, coal and coke, food and kindred products, lumber and forest products, metallic ores, metals, minerals and stone, petroleum products, pulp and paper, waste, and other commodities. It owns or leases 122 freight railroads, including 105 short line railroads and 2 regional freight railroads located in the United States, 8 short line railroads located in Canada, 3 railroads located in Australia, 1 railroad located in the United Kingdom, 1 railroad in Poland and Germany, and 2 railroads in the Netherlands with a total of approximately 16,200 miles of track. The company also operates 6,200 additional miles of track that is owned or leased by others. In addition, it operates deep sea maritime containers and provides bulk haulage, including coal, aggregates, cement, and infrastructure services. Further, the company provides rail service at approximately 40 ports; rail-ferry service in North America, Australia, and Europe; and contract coal loading and railcar switching for industrial customers. Genesee & Wyoming Inc. was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in Darien, Connecticut. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Zimmer Biomet: Abbott Spine, Beijing Montagne Medical Device Co. Ltd., Beijing Montagne Medical Device Co. Ltd., BioMet, Biomet 3i Australia Pty. Ltd., Biomet 3i Belgium N.V., Biomet 3i Benelux Holdings N.V., Biomet 3i Dental Iberica SL, Biomet 3i LLC, Biomet 3i Mexico S.A. de C.V., Biomet 3i Netherlands B.V., Biomet 3i Nordic AB, Biomet 3i Portugal Lda, Biomet 3i Switzerland GmbH, Biomet 3i Turkey, Biomet 3i UK Ltd., Biomet 3i do Brasil Comercio de Aparelhos Medicos Ltda., Biomet Acquisitions (Unlimited), Biomet Argentina SA, Biomet Australia Pty. Ltd., Biomet Biologics LLC, Biomet Brazil Medical Device Ltda., Biomet C.V., Biomet CV Holdings LLC, Biomet Cementing Technologies AB, Biomet Chile SA, Biomet China Co. Ltd., Biomet Deutschland GmbH, Biomet Deutschland Holding GmbH, Biomet Fair Lawn LLC, Biomet Finance US LLC, Biomet France Sarl, Biomet Global Supply Chain Center B.V., Biomet Healthcare Management GmbH, Biomet Holdings B.V., Biomet Hong Kong CBT Ltd., Biomet Hong Kong Holding Ltd., Biomet Hong Kong No. 1 Ltd., Biomet Inc., Biomet Insurance Ltd., Biomet International Inc., Biomet International Orthopedics LLC, Biomet Leasing Inc., Biomet Manufacturing LLC, Biomet Mexico S.A. de C.V., Biomet Microfixation B.V., Biomet Orthopedics LLC, Biomet Orthopedics Puerto Rico Inc., Biomet Spain Orthopaedics S.L., Biomet Sports Medicine LLC, Biomet Trauma LLC, Biomet U.S. Reconstruction LLC, Biomet UK Healthcare Ltd., Biomet UK Ltd., CD Diagnostics, CD Diagnostics Inc., CD Laboratories Inc., Cayenne Medical, Cayenne Medical Inc., CelgenTek Innovations Corporation, Centerpulse Ltd, Changzhou Biomet Medical Devices Co. Ltd., Citra Labs LLC, Clinical Graphics, Compression Therapy Concepts Inc., Compression Therapy Products, D.S. Comp Ltd., Dornoch Medical Systems, Dornoch Medical Systems Inc., EBI Holdings LLC, EBI LLC, EBI Medical Systems LLC, EBI Patient Care Inc., ETEX Corporation, ETEX Holdings Inc., Electro-Biology LLC, Endius, Espanormed S.L., Etex, ExtraOrtho, Hakuho Company Ltd., IC Guided Surgery SRL, Implant Concierge LLC, Implant Innovations Holdings LLC, Implex, InnoVision Inc., Interpore Cross International LLC, JERDS Luxembourg Holding Sarl, Kirschner Medical Corporation, Knee Creations, LDR Brasil Comercio Importacao e Exportacao Ltda., LDR Holding, LDR Medical Hong Kong (branch), LDR Medical S.A.S., LVB Acquisition Inc., Lanx Puerto Rico LLC , Lanx Srl, Medical Compression Systems Inc., Medtech SA, Medtech SAS, Medtech Surgical GmbH, Medtech Surgical Inc., NORMED Medizin-Technik GmbH, ORTHOsoft ULC, Ortho Transmission, Orthopaedic Advantage LLC, Ospol Participacoes Ltda., Representaciones Zimmer Inc. S. de R.L. de C.V., Respondwell, SM Re Ltd., Scandimed Holding AB, Shanghai Biomet Business Consulting Co. Ltd., Synvasive Technology, Synvasive Technology Inc., ZB COOP C.V., ZB COOP LLC, ZB Cayman (Asia) Holding Ltd., ZB Cayman Island CBT 2 Ltd., ZB Dental India Private Limited, ZB EMEA 1 LP, ZB EMEA Finance UK 1 Ltd., ZB EMEA Finance UK 2 Ltd., ZB EMEA Finance UK 3 Ltd., ZB EMEA US UK LLC, ZB Hong Kong CBT 2 Ltd., ZB Hong Kong Holding Ltd., ZB Hong Kong Ltd., ZB Manufacturing LLC, ZB UK Group Holdings Limited, ZH2LX Barbados Branch (branch), Zfx, Zfx GmbH, Zfx Innovation GmbH, Zhejiang Biomet Medical Products Co. Ltd., Zimmer (Shanghai) Medical International Trading Co. Ltd., Zimmer Asia (HK) Ltd., Zimmer Australia Holding Pty. Ltd., Zimmer Biomet (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Zimmer Biomet Asel Alarabiya Limited Company, Zimmer Biomet Asia Holding B.V., Zimmer Biomet Asia Holdings Pte. Ltd., Zimmer Biomet Austria GmbH, Zimmer Biomet BVBA, Zimmer Biomet CBT, Zimmer Biomet CBT 2, Zimmer Biomet CMF and Thoracic LLC, Zimmer Biomet Canada Inc., Zimmer Biomet Centroamerica SA, Zimmer Biomet Comp Ltd., Zimmer Biomet Denmark ApS, Zimmer Biomet Dental Canada Inc., Zimmer Biomet Dental K.K., Zimmer Biomet Deutschland GmbH, Zimmer Biomet Distribution LLC, Zimmer Biomet Finance Srl, Zimmer Biomet Finance US Holding Inc., Zimmer Biomet Finland Oy, Zimmer Biomet France Holdings SAS, Zimmer Biomet France SAS, Zimmer Biomet GK, Zimmer Biomet Global Holdings Switzerland GmbH, Zimmer Biomet Hellas SA, Zimmer Biomet Ireland Limited, Zimmer Biomet Italia Srl, Zimmer Biomet Korea Ltd., Zimmer Biomet Nederland B.V., Zimmer Biomet New Zealand Company, Zimmer Biomet Norway AS, Zimmer Biomet OUS Holdings AG, Zimmer Biomet Polska Sp. z.o.o, Zimmer Biomet Portugal Unipessoal Lda, Zimmer Biomet Pty. Ltd., Zimmer Biomet Romania S.R.L., Zimmer Biomet South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Zimmer Biomet Spain S.L., Zimmer Biomet Spine Inc., Zimmer Biomet Sweden AB, Zimmer Biomet Taiwan Co. Ltd., Zimmer Biomet UK Ltd., Zimmer Biomet US 2 Holding Inc., Zimmer CBT I Holding Inc., Zimmer CBT II Holding Inc., Zimmer CEP USA Holding Co., Zimmer CEP USA Inc., Zimmer CIS Ltd., Zimmer CV Inc., Zimmer Caribe LLC, Zimmer Cayman Islands Holding Co. Ltd., Zimmer Co-op Holdings LLC, Zimmer Colombia SAS, Zimmer Czech sro, Zimmer Dental (Shanghai) Medical Device Co. Ltd., Zimmer Dental Chile Spa, Zimmer Dental GmbH, Zimmer Dental Inc., Zimmer Dental Italy Srl, Zimmer Dental Ltd., Zimmer Dental SAS, Zimmer Finance Ireland, Zimmer France Manufacturing Sarl, Zimmer Germany Holdings GmbH, Zimmer GmbH, Zimmer GmbH Euro IP Branch (branch), Zimmer GmbH Winterthur Branch (branch), Zimmer Gulf FZ LLC, Zimmer Inc., Zimmer India Private Ltd., Zimmer International Logistics GmbH, Zimmer Investments LLC, Zimmer Knee Creations Inc., Zimmer Luxembourg II Sarl, Zimmer Luxembourg Sarl, Zimmer Manufacturing B.V., Zimmer Manufacturing B.V. (branch), Zimmer Medical Malaysia SDN BHD, Zimmer Netherlands Cooperatief U.A., Zimmer Orthobiologics Inc., Zimmer Orthopedics Manufacturing Limited, Zimmer Production Inc., Zimmer Pte. Ltd., Zimmer Slovakia sro, Zimmer Southeast Florida LLC, Zimmer Spine Next Inc., Zimmer Spine SAS, Zimmer Surgical, Zimmer Surgical Inc., Zimmer Surgical SA, Zimmer Switzerland Holdings LLC, Zimmer Switzerland Manufacturing GmbH, Zimmer Tibbi Cihazlar Sanayi ve Ticaret AS, Zimmer Trabecular Metal Technology Inc., Zimmer Trustee Ltd., Zimmer UK Limited, Zimmer US Inc., and Zimmer do Brasil Comercio Ltda.. The following companies are subsidiares of Carnival Co. &: 1972 Productions Inc., 6348 Equipment LLC, A.C.N. 098 290 834 Pty. Ltd., A.J. Juneau Dock LLC, AIDA Kundencenter GmbH, Adventure Island Ltd., Air-Sea Holiday GmbH, Alaska Hotel Properties LLC, Barcelona Cruise Terminal SLU, Bay Island Cruise Port S.A., Belize Cruise Terminal Limited, CC U.S. Ventures Inc., CCL Gifts LLC, CSSC Carnival Italy Cruise Investment S.r.L, Carnival (UK) Limited, Carnival Bahamas FC Limited, Carnival Bahamas Holdings Limited, Carnival Corporation & plc Asia Pte. Ltd., Carnival Corporation Hong Kong Limited, Carnival Corporation Korea Ltd., Carnival Corporation Ports Group Japan KK, Carnival Finance LLC, Carnival Grand Bahama Investment Limited, Carnival Investments Limited, Carnival Japan Inc., Carnival License Holdings Limited, Carnival Maritime GmbH, Carnival North America LLC, Carnival Port Holdings Limited, Carnival Ports Inc., Carnival Support Services India Private Limited, Carnival Technical Services (UK) Limited, Carnival Technical Services Finland Limited, Carnival Technical Services GmbH, Carnival Technical Services Inc., Carnival Vanuatu Limited, Costa Crociere PTE Ltd., Costa Crociere S.p.A., Costa Cruceros S.A., Costa Cruise Lines Inc., Costa Cruise Lines UK Limited, Costa Cruises Shipping Services (Shanghai) Company Limited, Costa Cruises Travel Agency (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Costa Cruzeiros Agencia Maritima e Turismo Ltda., Costa Group Digital & Strategic Services GmbH, Costa International B.V., Costa Kreuzfahrten GmbH, Cozumel Cruise Terminal S.A. de C.V., Creative Travel Lab Ltd., Cruise Ships Catering & Services International N.V., Cruise Terminal Services S.A. de C.V., Cruiseport Curacao C.V., D.R. Cruise Port Ltd., Ecospray Technologies S.r.L., F.P.M. SAS, F.P.P. SAS, Fleet Maritime Services (Bermuda) Limited, Fleet Maritime Services Holdings (Bermuda) Limited, Fleet Maritime Services International Limited, GXI LLC, Gibs Inc., Global Experience Innovators Inc., Global Fine Arts Inc., Global Shipping Service (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Grand Cruise Shipping Unipessoal LdA, Grand Turk Cruise Center Ltd., HAL Antillen N.V., HAL Beheer B.V., HAL Cruises Limited, HAL Maritime Ltd., HAL Nederland N.V., HAL Properties Limited, HAL Services B.V., HSE Hamburg School of Entertainment GmbH, Holding Division Iberocruceros SLU, Holland America Line Inc., Holland America Line N.V., Holland America Line Paymaster of Washington LLC, Holland America Line U.S.A. Inc., Ibero Cruzeiros Ltda., Iberocruceros SLU, Information Assistance Corporation, International Cruise Services S.A. de C.V., International Leisure Travel Inc., International Maritime Recruitment Agency S.A. de C.V., Milestone N.V., Navitrans S.R.L., Ocean Bahamas Innovation Ltd., Ocean Medallion Fulfillment Ltd., Operadora Catalina S.r.L., P&O Princess American Holdings, P&O Princess Cruises International Limited, P&O Princess Cruises Pension Trustee Limited, P&O Properties (California) Inc., P&O Travel Limited, Prestige Cruises Management S.A.M., Prestige Cruises N.V., Princess Bermuda Holdings Ltd., Princess Cays Ltd., Princess Cruise Corporation Inc., Princess Cruise Lines Ltd., Princess Cruises and Tours Inc., Princess U.S. Holdings Inc., RCT Maintenance & Related Services S.A., RCT Pilots & Related Services S.A., RCT Security & Related Services S.A., Roatan Cruise Terminal S.A. de C.V., Royal Hyway Tours Inc., Santa Cruz Terminal S.L., SeaVacations Limited, SeaVacations UK Limited, Seabourn Cruise Line Limited, Shanghai Coast Cruise Consulting Co. Lda, Ship Care (Bahamas) Limited, Sitmar Cruises Inc., Spanish Cruise Services N.V., Sunshine Shipping Corporation Ltd., T&T International Inc., Tour Alaska LLC, Transnational Services Corporation, Trident Insurance Company Ltd., Westmark Hotels Inc., Westmark Hotels of Canada Ltd., Westours Motor Coaches LLC, Wind Surf Limited, and World Leading Cruise Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.. iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF's stock was trading at $35.66 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, EWL stock has increased by 43.2% and is now trading at $51.07. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. BT Group plc provides communications services worldwide. Its Consumer segment sells telephones, baby monitors, and Wi-Fi extenders through high street retailers, online BT Shop, and Website BT.com; and offers home phone, copper and fiber broadband, TV, and mobile services in various packages. The company's EE segment offers 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile network services; broadband, fixed-voice, and TV services; and postpaid and prepaid plans, and emergency services network. This segment also sells 4G mobile phones, tablets, connected devices, and mobile broadband devices from various manufacturers. Its Business and Public Sector segment provides fixed voice, mobility, fiber and connectivity, and networked IT services to retailers, utilities, public sector, healthcare, sports, construction, finance, and educational sectors. The company's Global Services segment offers business communications and ICT services comprising BT Connect, BT Security, BT One, BT Contact, BT Compute, BT Advise, and BT for financial markets. This segment serves approximately 5,500 customers in 180 countries. Its Wholesale and Ventures segment enables communications providers and other organizations to provide fixed or mobile phone services. Its ventures provide mass-market services, such as directory enquiries and payphones; and enterprise services comprising BT Fleet and BT Redcare. This segment also provides broadband and Ethernet, voice, hosted communication, mobile virtual network operator, managed solutions, machine-to-machine, roaming, and media services. The company's Openreach segment engages in the provision of services over the local access network; and installation and maintenance of fiber and copper communications networks that connect homes and businesses. The company was formerly known as Newgate Telecommunications Limited and changed its name to BT Group plc in September 2001. BT Group plc was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Cummins: Anvl, Apollo FC Holdings Ltd., Atlantis Acquisitionco Canada Corporation, Atlantis Holdco UK Limited, Brammo, CIFC Worldwide Partner C.V., CMI Africa Holdings BV, CMI CGT Holdings LLC, CMI Canada Financing Ltd., CMI Canada LP, CMI Foreign Holdings B.V., CMI Global Equity Holdings B.V., CMI Global Equity Holdings C.V., CMI Global Holdings B.V., CMI Global Partner 2 C.V., CMI Global Partners B.V., CMI Group Holdings B.V., CMI Group Holdings Cooperatief U.A., CMI International Finance Partner 1 LLC, CMI International Finance Partner 2 LLC, CMI International Finance Partner 3 LLC, CMI International Finance Partner 4 LLC, CMI International Finance Partner 5 LLC, CMI Mexico LLC, CMI Netherlands Holdings B.V., CMI PGI Holdings LLC, CMI PGI International Holdings LLC, CMI Turkish Holdings B.V., CMI UK Finance LP, CMI UK Financing LP, Cherry Island Renewable Energy LLC, Consolidated Diesel Company, Consolidated Diesel Inc., Consolidated Diesel of North Carolina Inc., Cummins (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Cummins (Xiangyang) Machining Co. Ltd., Cummins Africa Middle East (Pty) Ltd., Cummins Afrique de l'Ouest, Cummins Americas Inc., Cummins Angola Lda., Cummins Argentina-Servicios Mineros S.A., Cummins Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Cummins Aust Technologies Pty. Ltd., Cummins BLR LLC, Cummins Battery Systems North America LLC, Cummins Belgium N.V., Cummins Botswana (Pty.) Ltd., Cummins Brasil Ltda., Cummins Burkina Faso SARL, Cummins CDC Holding Inc., Cummins CV Member LLC, Cummins Canada ULC, Cummins Caribbean LLC, Cummins Center of Excellence Singapore Pte. Ltd., Cummins Centroamerica Holding S.de R.L., Cummins Child Development Center Inc., Cummins Colombia S.A.S., Cummins Comercializadora S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Corporation, Cummins Cote d'Ivoire SARL, Cummins Czech Republic s.r.o., Cummins Deutschland GmbH, Cummins Diesel International Ltd., Cummins Distribution Holdco Inc., Cummins EMEA Holdings Limited, Cummins East Asia Research & Development Co. Ltd., Cummins Eastern Marine Inc., Cummins Electrified Power Europe Ltd., Cummins Electrified Power NA Inc., Cummins Emission Solutions (China) Co. Ltd., Cummins Emission Solutions Inc., Cummins Empresas Filantropicas, Cummins Energetica Ltda., Cummins Engine (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Cummins Engine (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Cummins Engine (Shanghai) Trading & Services Co. Ltd., Cummins Engine Holding Company Inc., Cummins Engine IP Inc., Cummins Engine Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Cummins Engine Venture Corporation, Cummins Enterprise LLC, Cummins Filtration (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Cummins Filtration GmbH, Cummins Filtration IP Inc., Cummins Filtration Inc., Cummins Filtration International Corp., Cummins Filtration Ltd., Cummins Filtration SARL, Cummins Filtration Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Cummins Filtros Ltda., Cummins Franchise Holdco LLC, Cummins Fuel Systems (Wuhan) Co. Ltd., Cummins Generator Technologies (China) Co. Ltd., Cummins Generator Technologies Americas Inc., Cummins Generator Technologies Germany GmbH, Cummins Generator Technologies India Private Ltd., Cummins Generator Technologies Italy SRL, Cummins Generator Technologies Limited, Cummins Generator Technologies Romania S.A., Cummins Generator Technologies Singapore Pte Ltd., Cummins Ghana Limited, Cummins Ghana Mining Limited, Cummins Global Financing LP, Cummins Global Technologies LLP, Cummins Grupo Comercial Y. de Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Grupo Industrial S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Holland B.V., Cummins Hong Kong Ltd., Cummins India Ltd., Cummins Intellectual Property Inc., Cummins International Finance LLC, Cummins International Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Cummins International Holdings LLC, Cummins Italia S.P.A., Cummins Japan Ltd., Cummins Korea Co. Ltd., Cummins LLC Member Inc., Cummins Ltd., Cummins Maroc SARL, Cummins Middle East FZE, Cummins Mining Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Mobility Services Inc., Cummins Mongolia Investment LLC, Cummins Mozambique Ltda., Cummins NV, Cummins Namibia Engine Sales and Service PTY LTD, Cummins Natural Gas Engines Inc., Cummins New Zealand Limited, Cummins Nigeria Ltd., Cummins Norte de Colombia S.A.S., Cummins North Africa Regional Office SARL, Cummins Norway AS, Cummins PGI Holdings Ltd., Cummins Power Generation (China) Co. Ltd., Cummins Power Generation (S) Pte. Ltd., Cummins Power Generation (U.K.) Limited, Cummins Power Generation Deutschland GmbH, Cummins Power Generation Inc., Cummins Power Generation Limited, Cummins PowerGen IP Inc., Cummins Research and Technology India Private Ltd., Cummins Romania Srl, Cummins S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Sales and Service Korea Co. Ltd., Cummins Sales and Service Philippines Inc., Cummins Sales and Service Private Limited, Cummins Sales and Service Sdn. Bhd., Cummins Sales and Service Singapore Pte. Ltd., Cummins Sinai ve Otomotiv Urunleri Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Cummins South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Cummins South Pacific Pty. Limited, Cummins Southern Plains LLC, Cummins Spain S.L., Cummins Sweden AB, Cummins Technologies India, Cummins Trade Receivables LLC, Cummins Turbo Technologies Limited, Cummins Turkey Motor Guc Sistemleri Sats Servis Limited Sirketi, Cummins U.K. Holdings Ltd., Cummins U.K. Pension Plan Trustee Ltd., Cummins UK Global Holdings Ltd., Cummins UK Holdings LLC, Cummins Vendas e Servicos de Motores e Geradores Ltda., Cummins Venture Corporation, Cummins West Africa Limited, Cummins West Balkans d.o.o. Nova Pasova, Cummins XBorder Operations (Pty) Ltd, Cummins Zambia Ltd., Cummins Zimbabwe Pvt. Ltd., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica Costa Rica S.de R.L., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica El Salvador S.de R.L., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica Guatemala Ltda., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica Honduras S.de R.L., Distribuidora Cummins S.A., Distribuidora Cummins Sucursal Paraguay SRL, Distribuidora Cummins de Panama S. de R.L., Dynamo Insurance Company Inc., Efficient Drivetrains, Efficient Drivetrains (Beijing) New Power Technology Co. Ltd., Efficient Drivetrains (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Hilite International, Hydrogenics, Hydrogenics Corporation, Hydrogenics Europe N.V., Hydrogenics GmbH, Hydrogenics Holding GmbH, Hydrogenics USA Inc., Markon Engineering Company Ltd., Nelson Burgess Ltd., Nelson Industries, Newage Engineers GmbH, Newage Ltd. (U.K.), Newage Machine Tools Ltd., OOO Cummins, Petbow Limited, Power Group International (Overseas Holdings) B.V., Power Group International (Overseas Holdings) Ltd., Power Group International Ltd., Quickstart Energy Projects SpA, Shanghai Cummins Trade Co. Ltd., TOO Cummins, Taiwan Cummins Sales & Services Co. Ltd., Worldwide Partner CV Member LLC, Wuxi Cummins Turbo Technologies Co. Ltd., Wuxi New Energy Automotive Technologies Co. Ltd., and ZED Connect Inc.. The following companies are subsidiares of Emerson Electric: A.P.M. Automation Solutions Ltd., AE Valves, AGI Mexicana S.A. de C.V., ALCO CONTROLS spol. s.r.o., APM Automation Solutions, ASC Investments Inc., ASCO (Japan) Company Limited, ASCO L.P., ASCO Numatics (India) Private Limited, ASCO Numatics Holding Inc., ASCO SAS, ASCO Valve (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ASCO/JOUCOMATIC s.r.o., ATX SAS, Advanced Protection Technologies, Aegir Norge Holding AS, Alliance Compressors LLC, American Governor, Aperture, Apple JV Holding Corp., Appleton Electric LLC, Appleton Electric S.A. de C.V., Appleton Group, Appleton Group Canada Ltd., Appleton Grp LLC, Appleton Holding Corp., Appleton Holding Sarl, Artesyn Embedded Technologies, Artesyn Hungary Elektronikai Kft., Artesyn Technologies, Asco AB, Asco Controls AG, Asco Controls B.V., Asco Joucomatic Ltd., Asco Joucomatic ZA B.V., Asco Magnesszelep Kft., Asco Numatics GmbH, Asco Numatics S.A., Asco Numatics Sirai S.R.L., Asco Numatics Sp. z o.o., Ascomatica S.A. de C.V., Ascomation (NZ) Ltd., Ascomation Pty. Ltd., Ascotech S.A. de C.V., Ascoval Industria e Commercio Ltda, Automatic Switch Company, Aventics, Aventics, Aventics AB, Aventics AG, Aventics AS, Aventics ApS, Aventics B.V., Aventics Corporation, Aventics Holding S.A.S., Aventics Holding S.a.r.l., Aventics Hungary Kft, Aventics Inc., Aventics India Private Limited, Aventics Limited, Aventics Ltd., Aventics Oy, Aventics Pneumatics Equipment (Changzhou) Co. Ltd., Aventics Pneumatics Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Aventics S.A.S., Aventics S.R.L., Aventics Services Germany GmbH, Aventics Singapore Pte. Ltd., Aventics Sp. z.o.o., Aventics Spain S.L., Aventics spol. s.r.o., Avtron LoadBank, Bannerscientific Limited, Beckman Industrial B.V., Beijing Rosemount Far East Instrument Co. Ltd., Bettis Canada Ltd., Bettis Holdings Limited, Bettis UK Limited, Biffi Italia S.r.l., Bioproduction Group, Branson Korea Co. Ltd., Branson Ultrasonic S.A., Branson Ultrasonics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Branson Ultrasonics B.V., Branson Ultrasonics Corporation, Branson Ultrasonics a.s., Branson Ultrasonidos S.A.E., Branson Ultrasons SAS, Branson Ultrasuoni S.R.L., Branson de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Bray Lectroheat Limited, Bristol Babcock Limited, Bristol Inc., Buehler Europe Limited, Buehler UK Limited, CR Compressors LLC, CSA Consulting Engineers Ltd., California Emerson LLC, Cascade Technologies, Cascade Technologies Holdings Limited, Cascade Technologies Limited, Chemat GmbH Armaturen fur Industrie - und Nuklearanlage, Chloride Koexa S.A., Componentes Avanzados de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Computational Systems, Computational Systems Incorporated, Conception et Representation de Technologies de Controle C.R.T. Controle SAS, Control Products Inc., Controles de Temperatura S.A. de C.V., Cooligy Inc., Cooper-Atkins, Cooper-Atkins Corporation, Cooper-Atkins Pte. Ltd., Copeland Access + Inc., Copeland Compresores Hermeticos S.A. de C.V., Copeland Corporation, Copeland Corporation LLC, Copeland Limited, Copeland Redevelopment Corporation, Copeland Scroll Compresores de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Copeland de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Copesub Inc., Crosby Valve LLC, Damcos A/S, Damcos Holding A/S, Daniel Automation Company, Daniel Europe Limited, Daniel Industrial Inc., Daniel Industries, Daniel Industries Canada Inc., Daniel Industries Inc., Daniel Industries Limited, Daniel International Limited, Daniel Measurement Solutions Private Limited, Daniel Measurement and Control Inc., Daniel Measurement and Control S. de R.L. de C.V., Danmasa S.A. de C.V., Dar Ibtikar Al Iraq for General Services and General Trade LLC, Decision Management International, Dieterich Standard Inc., Digital Appliance Controls (UK) Limited, Dixell North America Inc., Dixell S.R.L., Do+Able Products, E. Business Development E.B.D.Com Ltd., E.G.P. Corporation, EECO Inc., EGS Comercializadora Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., EGS Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., EGS Private Ltd., EMERSON CLIMATE TECHNOLOGIES s.r.o., EMR (Asia) Limited, EMR (Mauritius) Ltd., EMR Emerson Holdings (Switzerland) GmbH, EMR Europe Holdings Inc., EMR Foundation Inc., EMR Holdings (France) SAS, EMR Holdings Inc., EMR Worldwide B.V., EMR Worldwide Inc., EMRSN HLDG B.V., EMRSN Process Management Morocco Sarl, ENPDOR2012A Limited, ENPESNA Inc., EPM Tulsa Holdings Corp., EPMCO Holdings Inc., ETC International Holdings Ltd., Easy Heat Europe SAS, Easy Heat Inc., El-O-Matic B.V., El-O-Matic Valve Actuators (F.E.) Pte. Ltd., Electrische Apparatenfabriek Capax B.V., Emerald Advanced Technology Limited, Emerson (Philippines) Corporation, Emerson (Taiwan) Limited, Emerson (Thailand) Limited, Emerson Arabia Inc., Emerson Argentina S.A., Emerson Asia Pacific Private Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Actuation Technologies Holdings Inc., Emerson Automation Solutions Actuation Technologies Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control (Sichuan) Co. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control (Taiwan) Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control (Thailand) Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Africa (Pty) Ltd, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Australia Pty Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Czech Republic s.r.o., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Denmark A/S, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control France SARL, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Germany GmbH, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Hong Kong Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Hungary Kft, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Italia S.r.l., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control LLC, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Middle East FZE, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Netherlands B.V., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Polska Sp. Z.o.o., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Sales Australia Pty Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Sales Holding LLC, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Singapore Pte. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control UK II Ltd, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control UK Ltd, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control US LP, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Emerson Automation Solutions GmbH, Emerson Automation Solutions Intelligent Platforms (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Intelligent Platforms Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Intelligent Platforms Private Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Intelligent Platforms do Brasil Ltda, Emerson Automation Solutions Ireland Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Isolation Valves Inc., Emerson Automation Solutions SSC UK Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions UK Limited, Emerson Beijing Instrument Co. Ltd., Emerson Climate Services LLC, Emerson Climate Technologies (India) Private Limited, Emerson Climate Technologies (Shenyang) Refrigeration Co. Ltd., Emerson Climate Technologies (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, Emerson Climate Technologies (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Emerson Climate Technologies (Suzhou) Trading Co. Ltd., Emerson Climate Technologies - Solutions (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Emerson Climate Technologies - Transportation Solutions ApS, Emerson Climate Technologies Arabia Limited Co., Emerson Climate Technologies Australia Pty. Ltd., Emerson Climate Technologies FZE, Emerson Climate Technologies GmbH, Emerson Climate Technologies Inc., Emerson Climate Technologies Limited, Emerson Climate Technologies Mexico S.A. de C.V., Emerson Climate Technologies Refrigeration S.A., Emerson Climate Technologies Retail Solutions Europe S.R.L., Emerson Climate Technologies Retail Solutions Inc., Emerson Climate Technologies Retail Solutions UK Limited, Emerson Climate Technologies S.A., Emerson Climate Technologies S.R.L., Emerson Climate Technologies Sarl, Emerson Commercial & Residential Tools LLC, Emerson Commerical & Residential Asia Limited, Emerson Comres de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Emerson DHC B.V., Emerson Dietzenbach GmbH, Emerson Dominicana Srl, Emerson Egypt LLC, Emerson Electric (Asia) Limited, Emerson Electric (China) Holdings Co. Ltd., Emerson Electric (M) Sdn Bhd, Emerson Electric (Mauritius) Ltd., Emerson Electric (South Asia) Pte. Ltd., Emerson Electric (Thailand) Limited, Emerson Electric (Tongling) Co. Ltd., Emerson Electric (U.S.) Holding Corporation, Emerson Electric (U.S.) Holding Corporation (Chile) Limitada, Emerson Electric (Zhuhai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Electric CR Limitada, Emerson Electric Canada Limited, Emerson Electric Company (India) Private Limited, Emerson Electric Company Lanka (Private) Limited, Emerson Electric Holdings (Switzerland) GmbH, Emerson Electric II C.A., Emerson Electric International Inc., Emerson Electric Ireland Limited, Emerson Electric Korea Ltd., Emerson Electric Nederland B.V., Emerson Electric Overseas Finance Corp., Emerson Electric Poland Sp. z o.o., Emerson Electric U.K. Limited, Emerson Electric de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Emerson Electric do Brasil Ltda, Emerson Energy Systems (UK) Limited, Emerson FZE, Emerson Final Control US Holding LLC, Emerson Finance LLC, Emerson Fusite Electric (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Emerson Gabon SARL, Emerson Hazardous Electrical Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Holding Company Limited, Emerson Holding Sweden AB, Emerson InSinkErator Appliance (Nanjing) Co. Ltd., Emerson Industrial Automation USA Inc., Emerson International Holding Company Limited, Emerson Japan Ltd., Emerson Junkang Enterprise (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Korea Limited, Emerson LLC, Emerson LLP, Emerson Machinery Equipment (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Emerson Mexico Finance S.A. de C.V. SOFOM ENR, Emerson Middle East Inc., Emerson Network Power DHC B.V., Emerson Paradigm Holding LLC, Emerson Process Management (India) Private Limited, Emerson Process Management (South Africa) (Proprietary) Ltd., Emerson Process Management (Tianjin) Valves Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management (Vietnam) Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management A/S (Denmark), Emerson Process Management AB, Emerson Process Management AG, Emerson Process Management AS, Emerson Process Management Angola Lda, Emerson Process Management Arabia Limited, Emerson Process Management Australia Pty Limited, Emerson Process Management B.V., Emerson Process Management Chennai Private Limited, Emerson Process Management Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management Distribution Limited, Emerson Process Management Europe GmbH, Emerson Process Management Flow B.V., Emerson Process Management Flow Technologies Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management GmbH & Co. OHG, Emerson Process Management Holding AG, Emerson Process Management Holding LLC, Emerson Process Management Kft., Emerson Process Management LLLP, Emerson Process Management Lda, Emerson Process Management Limited, Emerson Process Management Ltda, Emerson Process Management Magyarorszag Kft., Emerson Process Management Manufacturing (M) Sdn Bhd, Emerson Process Management Marine Solutions Korea Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management Marine Solutions Singapore Pte. Ltd., Emerson Process Management Marine Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management NV, Emerson Process Management New Zealand Limited, Emerson Process Management Nigeria Limited, Emerson Process Management Oy, Emerson Process Management Power & Water Solutions (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management Power & Water Solutions Inc., Emerson Process Management Power & Water Solutions India Private Limited, Emerson Process Management Qatar W.L.L., Emerson Process Management Regulator Technologies Inc., Emerson Process Management Regulator Technologies Tulsa LLC, Emerson Process Management Romania S.R.L., Emerson Process Management S.A., Emerson Process Management S.A. de C.V., Emerson Process Management S.L., Emerson Process Management S.R.L., Emerson Process Management SAS, Emerson Process Management Shared Services Limited, Emerson Process Management Sp. z o.o., Emerson Process Management Ticaret Limited Sirket, Emerson Process Management UAB, Emerson Process Management Valve Automation (M) Sdn Bhd, Emerson Process Management Valve Automation (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management Valve Automation Inc., Emerson Process Management Verwaltung GmbH, Emerson Process Management d.o.o., Emerson Process Management de Colombia SAS, Emerson Process Management del Peru S.A.C., Emerson Process Management s.r.o., Emerson Professional Tools (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Puerto Rico Inc., Emerson Retail Services Europe GmbH, Emerson S.R.L., Emerson Sales UK Limited, Emerson Saudi Arabia LLC, Emerson Scroll Machining (Thailand) Limited, Emerson Sice S.R.L., Emerson Sweden AB, Emerson TOV, Emerson Technologies GmbH & Co. OHG, Emerson Technologies Verwaltungs GmbH, Emerson Tool Company de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Emerson Tool and Appliance Company S. de R.L. de C.V., Emerson Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson UK Trustees Limited, Emerson USD Finance Company Limited, Emerson Valves & Controls Japan Co. Ltd., Emerson Ventures Inc., Emerson Vulcan Holding LLC, Emerson Xi'an Engineering Center, Emersub 1 LLC, Emersub 10 LLC, Emersub 11 LLC, Emersub 12 LLC, Emersub 14 LLC, Emersub 15 LLC, Emersub 16 LLC, Emersub 3 LLC, Emersub 4 LLC, Emersub 5 LLC, Emersub 7 LLC, Emersub 8 LLC, Emersub 9 LLC, Emersub CII Inc., Emersub CV Inc., Emersub Italia S.R.L., Emersub LXXXIV Inc., Emersub LXXXVI Inc., Emersub Mexico Inc., Emersub Treasury Ireland Unlimited Company, Emersub XLVI Inc., Emersub XXXVI Inc., Emirates Techno Casting FZE, Emirates Techno Casting Holding Limited, Emirates Techno Casting LLC, Enardo, Endura-Greenlee Tools, Energy Solutions International (India) Private Limited, Energy Solutions International GP LLC, Energy Solutions International Ltd., Energy Solutions International SAS, Energy Solutions International Sub LLC, F-R Tecnologias de Flujo S.A. de C.V., FC QSF LLC, FMC Technologies, Fiberconn Assemblies Morocco Sarl, Fincor Holding LLC, Fire & Safety Group.Com Ltd., Fisher Controles de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Fisher Controls International LLC, Fisher Jeon Gas Equipment (Chengdu) Co. Ltd., Fisher Regulators (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fisher Sanmar Limited, Fisher-Rosemount Systems Inc., Flow Control Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Flow Control Holding Verwaltungs GmbH, Flow Control US Holding Corporation, Francel SAS, Fromex S.A. de C.V., Fusite B.V., Fusite Corporation, Fusite Land Company, GSEG LLC, General Equipment and Manufacturing Company Inc., Generale de Robinetterie Industrielle et de Sytemes de Surete, GeoFields, GeoFields Inc., Greenex Ltd., Greenfield (UK) Limited, Greenlee, Greenlee Communications, Greenlee Tools Inc., Gulf Valve FZE, Gustav Klauke GmbH, H.T.E. Engineering Limited, HD Electric Company, HTE Engineering Services Limited, Hindle Cockburns Limited, Hiross India Private Limited, Hiter Industria e Comercia de Controles Termo-Hidraulicos Ltda., Humboldt Hermetic Motor Corp., Hytork International Ltd., I Solutions Inc., ICC Intelligent Platforms GmbH, ISE-MagTech, Industrial Controls Canada ULC, Industrial Group Metran JSC, Instrument & Valve Services Company, Intelligent Platforms LLC, Intellution, International Gas Distribution SA, Intrinsic Safety Equipment of Texas Inc., JCF Fluid Flow India Private Limited, JSC Metran-Export, Joucomatic S.A., K Controls Limited, Keystone Germany Holdings Corp., Keystone Valve (Korea) LLC, Keystone Valve (U.K.) Limited, Klauke, Klauke (Jiangsu) Electrical Connection Technology Co Ltd., Klauke France SARL, Klauke Handelsgesellschaft mbH, Klauke Iberia S.L., Klauke Polska Sp. z.o.o., Klauke Slovakia s.r.o., Klauke UK Ltd., Knurr, Liebert, Liebert Swindon Limited, Locus Solutions LLC, Locus Traxx Worldwide, Locus Traxx Worldwide Europe BVBA, MDC Technology Limited, MDC Technology Trustees Limited, METCO Services Limited, MYNAH Technologies, Management Resources Group Inc., Mecafrance (Deutschland) GmbH, Metallurgical Services Laboratories Limited, Metaserv Limited, Metco Services Venezuela C.A., Micro Motion Inc., Mobrey Group Limited, Motores Hermeticos del Sur S.A. de C.V., NetworkPower Ecuador S.A., Nippon Fisher Co. Ltd., Novel Environmental Technologies Ltd., Novel Extinguishing Agent Technology Ltd., Numatics Incorporated, Nutsteel DHC B.V., Nutsteel Industria Metalurgica Ltda, O.M.T. Officina Meccanica Tartarini S.r.l., Open Systems International, P I Components Corp., PT Emerson Solutions Indonesia, PT. Emerson Indonesia, PT. Paradigm Geophysical Indonesia, Pactrol Controls Limited, PakSense, PakSense Inc., Paradigm, Paradigm (UK) Holding Limited, Paradigm B.V., Paradigm France S.A., Paradigm Geophysical (India) Private Limited, Paradigm Geophysical (KL) Sdn. Bhd., Paradigm Geophysical (Nigeria) Limited, Paradigm Geophysical (U.K.) Limited, Paradigm Geophysical B.V., Paradigm Geophysical Corp., Paradigm Geophysical Italy SRL, Paradigm Geophysical LLC, Paradigm Geophysical Limited, Paradigm Geophysical Pty Ltd, Paradigm Geophysical S.A., Paradigm Geophysical Sdn. Bhd., Paradigm Geophysical Spain S.L., Paradigm Geophysical de Venezuela C.A., Paradigm Geophysical do Brasil Ltda., Paradigm Geoservices Canada Ltd., Paradigm Geotechnology (Egypt) S.A.E., Paradigm Kazakhstan LLP, Paradigm Middle East FZ-LLC, Paradigm Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Parex Industries Limited, Pentair Valves & Controls, Pentair Valves and Controls India Private Limited, Permasense, Permasense Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd, Permasense Limited, ProSys, ProTeam Inc., Progea, RAC Technologies (Israel) Ltd., RIDGID Inc., RPP Europe GmbH, RPP LLC, Rey-Lam S. de R.L. de C.V., Ridge Tool (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Ridge Tool Company, Ridge Tool Europe NV, Ridge Tool GmbH, Ridge Tool GmbH & Co. OHG, Ridge Tool Manufacturing Company, Ridge Tool Pattern Company, Ridgid France SAS, Ridgid Italia S.R.L., Ridgid Online Inc., Ridgid Scandinavia A/S, Ridgid Werkzeuge AG, Rosemount China Inc., Rosemount Inc., Rosemount Measurement Limited, Rosemount Nuclear Instruments Inc., Rosemount Specialty Products LLC, Rosemount Tank Gauging India Pvt. Ltd., Rosemount Tank Gauging Middle East SPC, Rosemount Tank Gauging North America Inc., Rosemount Tank Radar AB, Rosemount Tank Radar Properties AB, Roxar, Roxar AS, Roxar Flow Measurement AS, Roxar Flow Measurement Sdn Bhd, Roxar Limited, Roxar Maximum Reservoir Performance W.L.L., Roxar Saudi Co., Roxar Services AS, Roxar Services OOO, Roxar Software Solutions AS, Roxar Technologies AS, Roxar Vietnam Company Ltd., Roxar de Venezuela C.A., Rutherfurd Acquisitions Limited, S.F.T. Group Ltd., SABO-Armaturen Service GmbH, Safety Systems UK Pte. Ltd., Sakhi-Raimondi Valve (India) Limited, Scroll Compressors LLC, Scroll Mexico LLC, Sempell GmbH, Shanghai Virgo Valves Technology Consulting Co. Ltd., Sherman + Reilly, Soluciones 0925 C.A., Spectra-Tek Holdings Limited, Spectra-Tek International Limited, Spectra-Tek UK Limited, Spectrex, Spectrex Inc., Spectronix Ltd., Spensall Engineering Limited, Steel Support Systems Limited, Stratos Lightwave, System Plast International B.V., System Plast Ltda, System Plast USA de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., TDM-avtomatizatsiya, TV&C GP Holding LLC, Taiwan Valve Co. Ltd., TechnipFMC, Termocontroles de Juarez S.A. de C.V., Tescom Corporation, Tescom Europe GmbH & Co. KG, Tescom Europe Management GmbH, The Automation Group Inc., The J.R. Clarkson Company LLC, Therm-O-Disc Europe B.V., Therm-O-Disc Incorporated, Thunderline Z Inc., TopWorx UK Limited, Tranmet Holdings B.V., Tranmet Holdings Limited, Verdant Environmental Technologies, Vilter Manufacturing LLC, Virgo Valves & Controls (ME) FZE, Virgo Valves and Controls Sdn Bhd, Von Arx AG, Vulsub 1 Limited, Vulsub Brasil Holding, Vulsub Brasil Ltda., Vulsub Chile SpA, Vulsub Gulf Holding Limited, Vulsub Holding III (Denmark) ApS, Vulsub Holding Ltd, Vulsub Holdings A LLC, Vulsub Holdings B LLC, Vulsub Holdings C LLC, Vulsub Holdings D LLC, Vulsub Italia S.r.l., Vulsub Middle East Holdings LLC, Vulsub Peru S.A.C., Vulsub Property Holding LLC, Vulsub Property Limited, Vulsub S.A., Vulsub South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Vulsub VZ C.A., Westinghouse Electric Pvt. Limited, Westlock Controls Limited, Westlock Equipamentos de Controle Ltda., Woodstock Land Company LLC, epro GmbH, iSolera Inc., iSolutions Private Limited, and intelliSAW. iShares National Muni Bond ETF's stock was trading at $114.45 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, MUB stock has increased by 1.5% and is now trading at $116.11. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF's stock was trading at $170.68 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, IWO shares have increased by 88.9% and is now trading at $322.43. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. iShares Global Healthcare ETF shares split on Wednesday, May 2nd 2018. The 2-1 split was announced on Thursday, March 29th 2018. The newly created shares were payable to shareholders after the closing bell on Tuesday, May 1st 2018. An investor that had 100 shares of iShares Global Healthcare ETF stock prior to the split would have 200 shares after the split. There is not enough analysis data for Nuveen New Jersey Municipal Value Fund. 4.4 Community Rank Outperform Votes Nuveen New Jersey Municipal Value Fund has received 71 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Nuveen New Jersey Municipal Value Fund has received 38 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Nuveen New Jersey Municipal Value Fund has received 65.14% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Nuveen New Jersey Municipal Value Fund and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe NJV will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe NJV will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. 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Previous Next The following companies are subsidiares of Exxon Mobil: AKG Marketing Company Limited, Aera Energy LLC, Al-Jubail Petrochemical Company, Ampolex (Cepu) Pte Ltd, Ancon Insurance Company Inc., Barnett Gathering LLC, Barzan Gas Company Limited, Caspian Pipeline Consortium, Celtic Exploration Ltd., Coral FLNG S.A., Cross Timbers Energy LLC, Ellora Energy Inc., Esmeroon Oil Transporta Imperial Oil Limited, Esso (Thailand) Public Company Limited, Esso Australia Resources Pty Ltd, Esso Deutschland GmbH, Esso Erdgas Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 15) Limited, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 17) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Angola (Overseas) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Chad Inc., Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Deepwater) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Offshore East) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, Esso Exploration and Production UK Limited, Esso Global Investments Ltd., Esso Italiana S.r.l., Esso Nederland B.V., Esso Norge AS, Esso Petroleum Company Limited, Esso Raffinage, Esso Societe Anonyme Francaise, Exxo Holdings Inc., Exxon Azerbaijan Limited, Exxon Chemical Arabia Inc., Exxon International Finance Company, Exxon Luxembourg Holdings LLC, Exxon Mobile Bay Limited Partnership, Exxon Neftegas Limited, Exxon Overseas Corporation, Exxon Overseas Investment Corporation, ExxonMobil (China) Investment Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil (Taicang) Petroleum Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil Abu Dhabi Offshore Petroleum Company Limited, ExxonMobil Alaska Production Inc., ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., ExxonMobil Australia Pty Ltd, ExxonMobil B Resources Company, ExxonMobil Capital Finance Company, ExxonMobil Capital Netherlands B.V., ExxonMobil Central Europe Holding GmbH, ExxonMobil Cepu Limited, ExxonMobil Chemical France, ExxonMobil Chemical Gulf Coast Investments LLC, ExxonMobil Chemical Holland B.V., ExxonMobil Chemical Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil China Petroleum & Petrochemical Company Limited, ExxonMobil Development Africa B.V., ExxonMobil Development Company, ExxonMobil Egypt (S.A.E.), ExxonMobil Exploracao Brasil Ltda., ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc., ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Norway AS, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Romania Limited, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Tanzania Limited, ExxonMobil Finance Company Limited, ExxonMobil Financial Investment Company Limited, ExxonMobil France Holding SAS, ExxonMobil Gas Marketing Europe Limited, ExxonMobil General Finance Company, ExxonMobil Global Services Company, ExxonMobil Golden Pass Surety LLC, ExxonMobil Holding Company Holland LLC, ExxonMobil Holding Norway AS, ExxonMobil Hong Kong Limited, ExxonMobil International Services SARL, ExxonMobil Iraq Limited, ExxonMobil Italiana Gas S.r.l., ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Inc., ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Ventures Inc., ExxonMobil LNG Services B.V., ExxonMobil Lubricants Trading Company, ExxonMobil Oil Corporation, ExxonMobil PNG Limited, ExxonMobil Petroleum & Chemical BVBA, ExxonMobil Petroleum & Chemical Holdings Inc., ExxonMobil Pipeline Company, ExxonMobil Production Deutschland GmbH, ExxonMobil Production Norway Inc., ExxonMobil Qatargas (II) Limited, ExxonMobil Qatargas Inc., ExxonMobil Ras Laffan (III) Limited, ExxonMobil Rasgas Inc., ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, ExxonMobil Russia Kara Sea Holdings B.V., ExxonMobil Sales and Supply LLC, ExxonMobil Technology Finance Company, ExxonMobil Ventures Finance Company, ExxonMobil Ventures Funding Ltd., Fujian Refining & Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Golden Pass LNG Terminal Investments LLC, Golden Pass LNG Terminal LLC, Gulf Coast Growth Ventures LLC, Imperial Oil Limited, Imperial Oil Resources Limited, Imperial Oil Resources N.W.T. Limited, Imperial Oil/Petroliere Imperiale, Infineum Italia s.r.I., Infineum Singapore Pte. Ltd., InterOil Corporation, Jurong Aromatics Corporation Pte Ltd, MPM Lubricants, Marine Well Containment Company LLC, Mobil Australia Resources Company Pty Limited, Mobil California Exploration & Producing Asset Company, Mobil Caspian Pipeline Company, Mobil Chemical Products International Inc., Mobil Corporation, Mobil Equatorial Guinea Inc., Mobil Erdgas Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Mobil Exploration & Producing Australia Pty Ltd, Mobil International Petroleum Corporation, Mobil Oil Australia Pty Ltd, Mobil Oil Exploration & Producing Southeast Inc., Mobil Oil New Zealand Limited, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Mobil Producing Texas & New Mexico Inc., Mobil SerLimited, Mobil Venezolana De Petroleos Inc., Mobil Yanbu Petrochemical Company Inc., Mobil Yanbu Refining Company Inc., Mountain Gathering LLC, Mozambique Rovuma Venture S.p.A., Palmetto Transoceanic LLC, Papua New Guinea Liquefied Natural Gas Global Company LDC, Permian Express Partners LLC, Phillips Exploration LLC, Qatar Liquefied Gas Company Limited, Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited, Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited (II), SPI Limited, Saudi Aramco Mobil Refinery Company Ltd., Saudi Yanbu Petrochemical Co., SeaRiver Maritime Inc., South Hook LNG Terminal Company Limited, Tengizchevroil LLP, Terminale GNL Adriatico S.r.l, Trend Gathering & Treating LLC, Wolverine Pipe Line Company, XH LLC, XTO Delaware Basin LLC, XTO ENERGY, XTO Energy Canada, and XTO Holdings LLC. Raymond James Financial, Inc., a financial holding company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the underwriting, distribution, trading, and brokerage of equity and debt securities, and the sale of mutual funds and other investment products in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through Private Client Group, Capital Markets, Asset Management, RJ Bank, and Other segments. The Private Client Group segment provides securities brokerage services, including the sale of equities, mutual funds, fixed income products, and insurance products to their individual clients; and borrowing and lending of securities to and from other broker-dealers, financial institutions, and other counterparties. The Capital Markets segment offers securities brokerage, trading, and research services to institutions with a focus on sale of the United States and Canadian equities and fixed income products; and manages and participates in underwritings, merger and acquisition services, and public finance activities. The Asset Management segment engages in the operations of Eagle, the Eagle Family of Funds, Cougar, the asset management operations of Raymond James & Associates, trust services of Raymond James Trust, and other fee-based asset management programs. The RJ Bank segment provides corporate loans, SBL, tax-exempt loans, and residential loans. The Other segment engages in private equity activities, including various direct and third party private equity investments; and private equity funds. Raymond James Financial, Inc. was founded in 1962 and is based in St. Petersburg, Florida. Read More There is not enough analysis data for Hudson's Bay. 4.3 Community Rank Outperform Votes Hudson's Bay has received 521 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Hudson's Bay has received 295 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Hudson's Bay has received 63.85% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Hudson's Bay and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe HBC will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe HBC will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next As the fight to protect old-growth timber reaches what some call a watershed moment in the nation's capital, the Portland group that bills itself as the last line of defense against the logging industry may be shutting down its operations for good. Cascadia Forest Alliance, the high-profile enviro group whose lofty brand of civil disobedience made the term "tree-sitter" a part of the Portland lexicon, is shutting down its $400-a-month office at Southeast 16th Avenue and Clinton Street to conserve scarce funds. Noah Kort of CFA would not say directly whether the informal collective is itself endangered, instead asking, "Is CFA struggling, or is [the rented space] just not worth it?" Ivan Maluski, one of Cascadia's original members, agreed that rent was an issue but not the only one. "I think CFA is probably going to sleep for the winter," he says. "Things are up in the air." CFA's retreat comes at a bad time for environmentalists. Activists say President Bush's "Healthy Forests Initiative" would allow clearcutting of rare old-growth trees, further threatening endangered species. The bill, some form of which is about to become law, would also limit citizens' ability to challenge questionable timber plans by using lawsuits. CFA is one of the few pro-forest groups that does not rely on lawsuits to block timber sales. Instead, it organizes human roadblocks on forest roads and sends its members to live hundreds of feet up in the forest canopy for interminable sit-ins, employing sophisticated platforms and safety measures. With members using names like Moss, Lichen, Granite and--most notably--Tre Arrow, CFA has captured the imagination of Portlanders and been a thorn in the timber industry's side since 1995. The CFA actions have successfully defeated or delayed several high-profile of Northwest timber sales. The group's most famous protest was a four-year tree sit to block a flawed timber plan for a sensitive area of Mount Hood National Forest called Eagle Creek (see "Out on a Limb," WW, Sept. 1, 1999). U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden eventually stepped in, and the controversial cut was killed in 2002. Wyden chief of staff Josh Kardon says Cascadia has "served a potent function for the environmental movement by framing the left side of every forestry debate." But CFA's efforts have also spawned controversy. A 2001 arson of logging trucks during Eagle Creek protests in Estacada was linked to CFA activist Tre Arrow, earning Cascadia constant scrutiny from the FBI and undermining the group's nonviolent image. Some say the Tre Arrow fiasco has created too much media baggage for the group. Others note that many of its most active members have left town or, like Maluski, jumped to more mainstream organizations. One CFA acquaintance claims the office has become little more than a crash pad for people passing through. Maluski, who now works for the Sierra Club, does not go that far but says, "After years of serious effort, it's hard to maintain the momentum, especially with a changing group of people and few folks with institutional knowledge." Currently, some CFA activists are seeking donations for a new radical collective--Cascadia Rising Infoshop--to take over payments on the office. CFA's struggles come despite predictions that a Bush presidency would re-energize a faltering environmental movement, and Maluski says there are still major battles left to be fought. He is currently spreading the word about the proposed Biscuit timber sale in southwest Oregon's Siskiyou National Forest. "It's a little premature to write CFA's obituary," says Maluski. "I feel confident that in scaling back over the winter, new groups will emerge and take on some of the work CFA has become known for. But to be clear, no decision has been made on 'what's next' for CFA." But former CFA activist Donald Fontenot, who also left for the Sierra Club, argues that whatever happens with the group, tree-sitting will continue "as long as the Forest Service is cutting old-growth." In what may be one of the CFA's last actions, a meeting to discuss the Biscuit timber sale will be held Thursday, Nov. 20, at It's a Beautiful Pizza, 3342 SE Belmont St. Call 233-5444 for time. WWeek 2015 A Minnesota news station has fired one of its television reporters after he was seen wearing a Make America Great Again hat while covering President Donald Trumps rally in Rochester. James Bunner was let go from his job at KTTC-TV, news director Noel Sederstrom told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, for exhibiting political bias while on the job. He violated our policy so hes no longer with us, Sederstrom told BuzzFeed News on Friday. We dont allow our people to wear campaign clothing while on assignment. Reps for KTTC-TV and Bunner did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment. Bunner first joined KTTC in December 2017, BuzzFeed reported. The reporters trouble first started on Thursday when Mark VanCleave, a journalist with the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, tweeted a photo of him standing outside the Mayo Civic Center wearing his KTTC-branded red jacket and matching red MAGA hat. Whyyyyy? he wrote in the photos caption. From there, users noticed that Bunner had uploaded many pro-Trump things to his social media pages. Sederstrom told BuzzFeed, however, that none of those uploads had anything to do with KTTCs decision and that the MAGA hat was solely to blame. Its not something we allow, he explained of campaign gear. RELATED VIDEO: PEOPLE Writer Natasha Stoynoff Breaks Silence, Accuses Donald Trump of Sexual Attack Critics on Twitter have slammed the news station for their decision. You fired your reporter James Bunner a journalist for KTTC-TV in Austin?? Really? one wrote. He wore the hat Thursday while covering President Donald Trumps appearance in Rochester and images of him wearing the hat began appearing on Twitter. SHAMEFUL!! You should allow pride! Rehire him! This is employment discrimination and if you pick up a bookfiring an employee for their political values is illegal, said another. I hope James Bunner takes you to court. As BuzzFeed noted, Prohibiting reporters from wearing campaign clothing or pins, especially while on the job, is standard practice across the news industry. Many news outlets also recommend or warn their staff against making public political displays or statements in order to maintain objectivity. How 4 Nobel Prize winners reacted to receiving the awards originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Nobel Prizes for six categories are given out annually in recognition of outstanding achievements in various fields, ranging from activism to science to writing. Each of the laureates are people who've worked tirelessly in some capacity for the better good of humanity. Over the last week, the various institutions given the task of determining the laureates have begun announcing who will be receiving the awards. Heres how some of the recipients reacted. The Nobel Peace Prize The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday to anti-rape activists Nadia Murad and Denis Mukwege for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict. The Nobel Peace Prize goes to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for holding and promotion of peace congresses. (MORE: Congo's conflict makes fighting Ebola, sexual violence risky) PHOTO: Nobel Peace Prize winner Denis Mukwege talks to the press at the Panzi hospital in Bukavu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's South Kivu province, on Oct. 6, 2018. (Alain Wandimoyi/AFP/Getty Images) Each of them in their own way has helped to give greater visibility to wartime sexual violence, so that the perpetrators can be held accountable for their actions, the Committee said in an statement. Murad, a survivor or sexual violence herself, said in a statement that she was grateful for the international community paying attention to the plight of the Yazidi people, who have suffered since the 2014 genocide in Daesh, Iraq, committed by the Islamic State committed. I am incredibly honored and humbled by their support and I share this award with Yazidis, Iraqis, Kurds, other persecuted minorities and all of the countless victims of sexual violence around the world, Murad said. Mukwege, a physician who has spent large parts of his adult life helping victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, also said in the statement: I learned of this news while I was in the middle of performing surgery in my hospital. At this time, my thoughts turn immediately to all survivors of rape and sexual violence in conflict zones around the world. Story continues (MORE: Sexual violence campaigners win Nobel Peace Prize) PHOTO: Nadia Murad, public advocate for the Yazidi community in Iraq and survivor of sexual enslavement by the Islamic State jihadists, delivers a speech at the European parliament, Dec. 13, 2016, in Strasbourg, France. (Frederick Florin/AFP/Getty Images) The Nobel Prize in Chemistry Three people will receive the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2018. The award is given to people whove made the most important chemical discovery or improvement, according to Alfred Nobels will. This year, one-half of the award will go to Frances Arnold, a California Institute of Technology professor, and the other half will be split among George Smith, a researcher from the University of Missouri, and Greg Winter, a researcher at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge. Arnold is receiving the award for inventing a way to control evolution in enzymes, an accomplishment that could ultimately lead to the manufacturing of everything from biofuels to pharmaceuticals, according to a press release from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which is tasked with determining the laureates for this award. (MORE: Chemistry Nobel for using evolution to create new proteins) PHOTO: Gregory Winter, poses for photographs after being awarded the Noble Prize for Chemistry, outside Trinity College Cambridge, England, Oct. 3, 2018. (Chris Radburn/Reuters) Arnold was sleeping in a hotel room in Dallas when she received the call at around 4 a.m. on Wednesday. At first I was afraid it was an emergency at home, Arnold told ABC News about her experience with the Academy. I was not thinking clearly when I answered, having just been roused from a deep sleep. And by the time I was alert, it was apparent it was not a prank, Arnold said. Then I was thinking, how can I rouse my sons back in California to tell them the news? They never answer the phone. Arnold said she had mixed of feelings when she was told about the award. More exhilaration and frustration, with the desire to share the news, but I was not able to for 30 minutes until the press conference, she said, adding that she also felt regret that her father is not alive to share the moment with her. (MORE: Nobel chemistry winner credits team at Caltech) PHOTO: Nobel chemistry winner Frances Arnold poses for a photo at California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., Oct. 3, 2018. (Damian Dovarganes/AP) Still, she said that the Academy was very gracious and praised my work. They told me the prize would be shared with Greg Winter and George Smith, whose work I admire deeply, she added. Arnold shares the prize with Winter and Smith, who were awarded their half of the prize for developing a method to create new antibodies and subsequently pharmaceuticals by manipulating viruses that infect bacteria, known as bacteriophages. Their method is known as phage display. In a press conference, Winter said that the news shocked him, even though people had mentioned to him that hed be nominated for the prize. It came as a bit of a shock, and I felt a bit numb for a while. Its almost like youre in a different universe, he said. For a scientist, a Nobel Prize is the highest accolade you can get, and Im so lucky because there are so many brilliant scientists and not enough Nobel Prizes to go around. After slaying her first solo engagement as a duchess, Meghan Markle passed the monarchys test, which means theyre giving her a bunch more opportunities to show off her royal events rapport. During her and Prince Harrys first royal tour together to Oceania (beginning October 16), including stops in Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Tonga, Markle will attend two pro-feminism events alone (no Prince Harry this time). On October 23 in Fiji, the Duchess of Sussex will have tea at the British high commissioners residence and attend a showcase of Fijis womens organizations. Shell also meet some female vendors in Fijis Suva Market who work with the United Nations project Markets for Change, which focuses on empowering female entrepreneurs (a program Markle has worked closely with in the past). Its also the 125th anniversary of womens suffrage in New Zealand, so theyll both attend a reception hosted by the governor-general honoring the special day. So, who run the world? The Duchess of Sussex, thats who. RELATED: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Just Got the Perfect Handmade Gift from the Children of Sussex Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas have both been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women. (Photo: Illustration: HuffPost Photos: Getty Images) With Brett Kavanaughs confirmation to the Supreme Court, a third of the six men among the nine justices who have the final say on interpreting the nations laws now stand accused of sexual misconduct. The Senate voted to give Kavanaugh a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the country on Saturday, despite misconduct allegations from multiple women. Most prominently, professor Christine Blasey Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers, locking her in a room and pinning her down on a bed. Kavanaugh joins Clarence Thomas, who has been on the bench since 1991. He is there even though Anita Hill testified that he sexually harassed her while she worked for him. In 2016, another woman spoke out and said Thomas had groped her at a formal dinner party in 1999. Shaunna Thomas, executive director of the progressive group UltraViolet, said that, with Kavanaughs confirmation, the Supreme Court will become yet another tarnished institution, where women will not feel like they can get a fair hearing. The fact that our culture and politics silences and shames survivors while elevating abusers to positions of power and prestige FOR LIFE is exactly why women are so damn angry, she added in an email. Kavanaugh replaces Justice Anthony Kennedy, a conservative who was nevertheless often a key swing vote on issues such as womens reproductive rights. The right wing on the court now has a solid majority for years to come, with the ability to put its stamp on matters like abortion, equal pay and discrimination. And it will be anchored by two men who have been accused of mistreating women. Both Kavanaugh and Thomas have denied the accusations. The new makeup of the court is a big win for President Donald Trump, who also faces sexual misconduct allegations from a number of women. The confirmation fight galvanized women around the country, who traveled to Washington to protest Kavanaughs confirmation. Many women were also inspired by Fords testimony and spoke out about their own sexual assaults for the first time. Story continues On the eve of a Senate vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh as the next Supreme Court justice, activists and furious citizens march to the Supreme Court to demand that he not be confirmed. (Photo: Andrew Lichtenstein/Getty Images) Demonstrators gather Thursday inside the Hart Senate Office Building for a rally against Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination. Many of the protesters were detained by police. (Photo: Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images) Republicans are not, and never were, interested in the truth about Brett Kavanaughs history of sexual assault and lying, said Kaylie Hanson, spokeswoman for NARAL Pro-Choice America. They make excuses for, or defend, powerful and abusive men if it means gaining an opportunity to force their ideology on all of us. We saw that with Clarence Thomas, too. Republicans want to gut Roe v. Wade and criminalize abortion, repeal the Affordable Care Act, roll back LGBTQ rights, and decimate the Voting Rights Act and Affirmative Action. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. You don't need a professional chef to make the healthy drink that gives the Brazilian supermodel plenty of energywait till you see how easy it is. You dont need a professional chef to make the healthy drink that gives the Brazilian supermodel plenty of energywait till you see how easy it is. If theres one woman we can trust to give us valuable beauty advice its Gisele Bundchen. After all, she has been a supermodel for decades and is, as you can see, one of the most stunning people on Earth. And, luckily for everyone, shes now spilling all her secrets as she promotes her new book, Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life. According to the Brazilian-born beauty, she swears that drinking yerba mate every single day is her own personal version of the fountain of youth. "It tastes completely different than green tea but I think it has the same effect," Bundchen told Good Morning America. "It's definitely something that gives you energy." Of course, she loves the concoction just a bit more because it originates from her native country. "It's part of my roots," she said. "I've been drinking it since I was a little kid and I grew up seeing my parents, my grandparents, just on Sundays, sitting outside the house and drinking the mate." But what is the drink actually made of anyway? As Teatulia explained, yerba mate was allegedly first discovered by the indigenous peoples of the forests of Paraguay and Southern Brazil. It was first known as an herb from the gods and was used mostly for physical stamina, which was likely due to its high caffeine content. The plants leaves and twigs are typically dried and used as a tea when they are steeped in hot water. Luckily for all of us, we no longer have to hunt down the plant in the South American forests. Instead, the tea can simply be found in health food stores and in tea aisles in grocery stores just about anywhere (and even on Amazon for $14). As for Bundchen, she prepares hers by taking the ground yerba mate and placing it in a traditional container known as a gourd. She fills it nearly to the top. Next, she adds in hot water, shakes vigorously, then enjoys with a straw (a metal one as she never uses plastics). "Definitely the best time to drink mate is in the morning and maybe after lunch," Bundchen said, noting that its the perfect drink to sip with family and friends. "Usually people sit around and it's a moment to kind of drink together and share conversation. Next time youre having high tea go a little Brazilian with a bit of organic yerba mate. Just make sure to thank Bundchen for the idea later. KCRA - Sacramento Videos A former El Dorado County teacher is set to appear in court after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography and child abuse charges. His entire case began after a video sent by mistake. Ryan Michael Pullen, who was a Union Mine High School drama teacher in the El Dorado area near Diamond Springs, is scheduled for sentencing in relation to his charges, according to the El Dorado County District Attorneys Office. The district attorney's office said his offense came to light when Pullen inadvertently sent a 7-minute homemade video of multiple female students undressing and changing into costume to fellow high school employees. He was attempted to upload video to a Google Drive after the high school's assistant principal requested event content to add to a promotional video for incoming 8th-graders. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) Israeli troops killed two Palestinians, including a 13-year-old boy, at a protest near the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, Gaza's Health Ministry said on Friday. The ministry added that 46 others were wounded by Israeli gunfire. Thousands of Palestinians flocked to the frontier, continuing near-weekly protests that the territory's Hamas rulers have has staged since March. The Israeli military said the protesters burnt tires at several locations along the fence and threw explosives at the troops, prompting a response with "riot dispersal means and live fire." An aircraft also carried out two airstrikes in northern Gaza, the military said. Israeli troops have killed at least 145 Palestinians since protests began in late March, and a Palestinian sniper killed an Israeli soldier in August. Hamas wants an end to a decade-long Israeli-Egyptian blockade on Gaza that has been in effect since the Islamic militant group assumed control of the territory in 2007. Earlier Friday, Hamas' leader told an Israeli newspaper that another war in the Gaza Strip is "definitely not in our interest." Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth published a rare interview with Yahya Sinwar on Friday in which he viewed a cease-fire with Israel as entailing "complete calm" and an end to the blockade of Gaza. He said "through war we don't achieve anything." The interview ran as Egyptian-mediated efforts to secure a cease-fire in Gaza have stalled. Hamas later issued a statement saying the Italian reporter conducting the interview misrepresented herself and didn't say she worked for Yedioth Ahronoth. Twenty people were killed in a limousine crash in Schoharie County in upstate New York on Saturday, state police said. The accident took place at the intersection of Routes 30 and 30-A just before 2 p.m. and is being investigated, according to the state police. What we can tell you at this point is that it is a two vehicle, multi fatalities as a result of this crash. The investigation is very preliminary; its in its infancy stages, Captain Richard OBrien of the New York State Police told ABC News 10. Heres a closer look at the scene. This is right by the Apple Barrell Country store. pic.twitter.com/7XJeoOTVIz Steve Maugeri (@CBS6SteveM) October 7, 2018 The limo, which was carrying a wedding party, crashed into people outside the Apple Barrel Country store located at the intersection, according to the Times Union. Two helicopters, six ambulances and three fire companies responded to the crash, the Times Union reported. The Apple Barrel posted a message about the incident on Facebook Saturday. It is unclear what caused the crash, but the National Transportation Safety Board sent a team to investigate. The intersection is known for being a dangerous one, and Schoharie Town Supervisor Alan Tavenner said that improvements made to the intersection seven years ago dont seem to have made it safer, according to the Times Union. NTSB launching go-team today to limo crash near Albany, NY. More details to come. Check @ntsb_newsroom for additional updates. NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) October 7, 2018 A witness who lives down the street from the store told ABC News 10 that they saw people in the Apple Barrel parking lot and then I heard screaming. Story continues Then I saw this large van, a very unusual looking vehicle out here in Scoharie in the bushes and really wrecked, hit a tree, Bridey Finnagen the local news outlet. The first responders broke some windows to try to get people out. According to the Times Union, this is the deadliest accident in the area since 20 people died when a tour boat sank in Lake George in 2005. A news conference will provide updates on the incident at 3 p.m. E.T. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) Israeli forces shot dead three Palestinians, including a 13-year-old boy, as thousands of people protested Friday along the fence dividing the Gaza Strip and Israel, Gaza's Health Ministry said. The ministry said the boy was struck in the chest, a 24-year-old man was shot in the back and another man, 28, succumbed to his wounds at hospital. It added that 126 protesters were wounded by live fire. Responding to calls by Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza, thousands of Palestinians thronged five areas along the fence, burning tires, throwing rocks and chanting slogans against a stifling Israeli-Egyptian blockade on the territory. The Israeli military said about 20,000 protesters participated. They threw explosive devices and grenades toward the troops which used tear gas and live fire to disperse the crowds, it added. At least at two locations, young men with bolt cutters tore the frontier fence but did not break into Israeli territory, according to the military. Israeli aircraft carried out two airstrikes in what the army said was a response to the firing of explosives. One strike hit less than 50 meters away from two clearly marked press cars belonging to The Associated Press. A cameraman said journalists, ambulances and vendors were in the area, about 250 meters away from the fence. There were no casualties. Hamas, which violently seized the territory from the Palestinian Authority in 2007 after winning legislative elections a year earlier, wants an end to the blockade that has shattered the economy and put the unemployment rate at more than 50 percent, plaguing most of Gaza's 2 million residents. Hamas has initiated the protests in March on weekly basis but escalated and intensified them recently after Egyptian-mediated efforts to broker a cease-fire deal easing the closure faltered. The number of participants was higher than last Friday, which, at seven deaths, was the deadliest in the last four months. While hundreds breached the fence last Friday, only dozens ventured to the fortified boundary today. Story continues Israeli fire has killed 148 Palestinians, including 33 children under the age of 18, since the protests began in March. In August, a Gaza sniper shot dead an Israeli soldier, prompting cross-border exchange of gun and rocket fire that fueled fears of a full-blown war. Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official who attended the rally in east Gaza, said his movement will not give up on lifting the blockade. "We don't seek confrontations, but we want freedom," he said. Earlier Friday, Hamas' leader told an Israeli newspaper that another war in the Gaza Strip is "definitely not in our interest." Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth published a rare interview with Yahya Sinwar on Friday in which he viewed a cease-fire with Israel as entailing "complete calm" and an end to the blockade of Gaza. He said "through war we don't achieve anything." Hamas later issued a statement saying the Italian reporter who conducted the interview misrepresented herself and didn't say she worked for Yedioth Ahronoth. Palu (Indonesia) (AFP) - The number of people believed missing from the quake and tsunami that struck Indonesia's Palu city has soared to 5,000, an official said Sunday, an indication that far more may have perished in the twin disaster than the current toll. Indonesia's disaster agency say they have recovered 1,763 bodies so far from the 7.5-magnitude and subsequent tsunami that struck Sulawesi on September 28. But there are fears that two of the hardest-hit neighbourhoods in Palu -- Petobo and Balaroa -- could contain thousands more victims, swallowed up by ground that engulfed whole communities in a process known as liquefaction. "Based on reports from the (village) heads of Balaroa and Petobo, there are about 5,000 people who have not been found," agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told reporters Sunday. "Nevertheless, officials there are still trying to confirm this and are gathering data. It is not easy to obtain the exact number of those trapped by landslides, or liquefaction, or mud." Nugroho said the search for the unaccounted would continue until October 11, at which point they would be listed as missing, presumed dead. The figure drastically increases the estimates for those who disappeared when the disaster struck 10 days ago. Officials had initially predicted some 1,000 people were buried beneath the ruins of Palu. But the latest tally speaks to the considerable destruction in the worst-hit areas of Petobo and Balaroa as the picture on the ground has become clearer. - Wiped out - Petobo, a cluster of villages in Palu, was virtually wiped out by the powerful quake and wall of water that devastated Palu. Much of it was sucked whole into the ground as the vibrations from the quake turned soil to quicksand. It was feared that beneath the crumbled rooftops and twisted rebar, a vast number of bodies remain entombed. In Balaroa, a massive government housing complex was also subsumed by the quake and rescuers have struggled to extract bodies from the tangled mess in the aftermath of the disaster. Story continues Hopes of finding anyone alive have faded, as the search for survivors morphs into a grim gathering and accounting of the dead. "This is day ten. It would be a miracle to actually find someone still alive," Muhammad Syaugi, the head of Indonesia's search and rescue agency told AFP on Sunday. The government has been considering declaring those communities flattened in Palu as mass graves, and leaving them untouched. Muhlis, whose uncle was still missing in Balaroa, said the missing and dead should be honoured respectfully. "There should be a monument here to make people aware, so that our grandchildren will know this disaster happened in 2018," said Muhlis, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. - 'Great need' - The grim news comes as relief efforts were ramped up to reach 200,000 people in desperate of help after days of delays. Looters ransacked shops in the aftermath of the disaster more than a week ago, as food and water ran dry and convoys bringing life-saving relief were slow to arrive. But the trickle of international aid to Palu and local efforts to help the survivors have accelerated in recent days. Planeloads of supplies were landing with increasing frequency in Palu, where daisy chains of troops unloaded supplies directly onto trucks or helicopters. More than 82,000 military and civilian personnel, as well as volunteers, are on the ground while Indonesian army choppers are undertaking supply runs to remote areas blocked off by the disaster. "They are in great need because the road is cut off and it's accessible only by air", Second Lieutenant Reinaldo Apri told AFP after piloting a helicopter to rugged Lindu district, some 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of Palu. Hercules planes carrying tonnes of donations from Australia and the United States reached Palu on Sunday morning, as did a plane chartered by Save the Children and another carrying a South African medical team. Teams of Indonesian Red Cross workers set up warehouses and fanned out to distribute supplies across the region. But relief workers face a monumental task ahead. The tens of thousands left homeless by the disaster are scattered across Palu and beyond, many squatting outside their ruined homes or bunkered down in makeshift camps and entirely dependent on handouts to survive. "There is nowhere else to get food, nowhere is open," said 18-year-old Sela Fauziah in Palu's central market, where she queued with hundreds for essential food items being distributed by soldiers. Things are even more desperate in remoter areas. "I am coming to Palu to report that we need tents, because 95 percent of our village has been destroyed," said Simsom Mudju from Lindu, who clambered aboard the chopper to tell the outside world about his marooned community's plight. Tokyo (AFP) - American DJ David Morales was arrested early Sunday at a southern Japanese airport on suspicion of drug smuggling after a tiny quantity of ecstasy was allegedly found in his possession, police and local media said. Morales was detained at Fukuoka airport after a customs officer found the euphoria-inducing drug MDMA, better know as ecstasy. "He was arrested for allegedly violating the law on narcotics and psychotropics control," a police spokesman told AFP. Authorities allegedly found five granules of MDMA -- weighing 0.3 grammes -- in Morales' carry-on suitcase, according to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper. The Sankei Shimbun newspaper reported that the 56-year-old DJ denied the allegation, saying: "It's not mine. (Someone) might have tried to frame me". Morales was scheduled to perform at events in Fukuoka on Saturday and Tokyo on Sunday, according to his website. Morales was an influential figure in the New York dance scene during the 1980s and 1990s. He has remixed and produced releases for artists including Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson, according to his website. Morales was nominated for his first Grammy Award in 1996 as a producer for Mariah Carey's song "Fantasy." Two years later, he won the Grammy for "Remixer of the Year." Japan has strict anti-drug laws where even possession of minute quantities can lead to jail sentences. Possession of ecstasy for personal use, however small the quantity, carries a maximum jail sentence of seven years and a three million yen fine ($26,000) fine. In arguably Japan's most infamous music drug bust, Paul McCartney spent nine days in a Tokyo jail in 1980 after being caught at the airport with a bag of marijuana in his suitcase. DOVER, Del. (AP) A Delaware inmate who is a key prosecution witness in a deadly prison riot entered a guilty plea almost a year ago to charges stemming from the uprising, but the plea was not noted in court records until this week. Fifty-three-year-old Royal Downs, serving a life sentence for murder, entered the plea Dec. 4, less than a month after he entered a plea of not guilty at his arraignment, and just weeks after he and other inmates were indicted. He's one of 18 inmates charged in the riot. The secrecy surrounding Downs' guilty plea follows a pattern by prosecutors and court staff of keeping details about case under wraps. A transcript of the plea hearing was docketed Tuesday, but the docket entry was quickly sealed Thursday after The Associated Press began asking questions about it. Downs' attorney, Jonathan Layton, declined to comment Friday. A spokeswoman for the attorney general's office referred questions to court officials. Linda Carmichael, chief staff attorney for Delaware's Superior Court, said in an email Friday that the docket entry had been "corrected" to reflect that the documents were filed under seal by order of Judge William Carpenter Jr. She refused to answer other questions. Downs, who has been labeled by other defendants as a "rat" and "snitch," is one of only two defendants not charged with murder for the death of prison guard Steven Floyd. Sixteen defendants were charged with murder, kidnapping, assault and other crimes following the Feb. 1 uprising, during which Floyd was killed and three other prison staffers taken hostage. Downs and another inmate were charged with kidnapping, riot and conspiracy. Several of the defendants are already serving time for murder, including four serving life sentences. Downs has given four separate statements to investigators and prosecutors, the first on Feb. 2, 2017, the day the uprising ended. He gave a second statement 10 days later, followed by another interview on Sept. 19, less than a month before the defendants were indicted. Downs was interviewed a final time on Feb. 12, after pleading guilty, but a recording of the interview was not given to defense attorneys until June 6. Story continues Downs is being held at an undisclosed location separate from the other defendants. Jury selection for the first four inmates to be tried begins Monday. Although Downs pleaded guilty, the court docket continues to list him as a defendant, and Layton continues to receive correspondence directed at defense attorneys preparing for trial. Typically, a guilty plea represents a disposition of criminal charges, and the defendant is no longer considered part of a case. Court staff have not entered any disposition of Downs' case on the docket, which still indicates he faces trial. Prosecutors have included him in the last of five groups of defendants to be tried. Stephanie Volturo of the state Office of Conflicts Counsel, which oversees the court-appointed attorneys representing the inmate defendants, said Friday that she was unaware of any plea being entered in the case until she received a query from the AP. Volturo noted, however, that her office is not typically notified of every development in a case. Defense attorneys complain that prosecutors have ignored their efforts to get materials they need to defend their clients. Patrick Collins, who is serving as coordinating counsel for defense attorneys, expressed frustration earlier this year at the state's approach, including its failure to provide a copy of Floyd's autopsy report more than a year after his death. Just weeks ago, Collins was forced to suddenly withdraw as attorney for defendant Jarreau Ayers after prosecutors notified him that one of their witnesses, convicted murderer Wade Smith, was once represented by Collins. Prosecutors had Smith's name for several months but withheld it from Collins until late August, barely a month before the start of Ayers' trial. Meanwhile, Carpenter began routinely sealing court filings after The Associated Press in July requested transcripts of three office conferences he had held with attorneys. In the following weeks, docket entries were routinely sealed by the judge. But in the days leading up to Monday's scheduled start of jury selection, Carpenter has ordered the unsealing of several court filings, some of which indicate that prosecutors have remained slow in providing materials to defense attorneys. "Candidly the court would not expect that discovery issues remain ... or that correspondence from any defense counsel in this matter would be ignored by the state," Carpenter wrote in a Sept. 5 letter to prosecutors. "The court is giving a great deal of time and resources to trying these cases and it expects the Attorney General's Office to do the same." Republican enthusiasm has surged in recent weeks, but that might not be predictive of voter turnout Republican voter enthusiasm has spiked in outrage over the treatment of Brett Kavanaugh. Photograph: Chet Strange/AFP/Getty Images When the curtain rose on the internet on Thursday morning, the stage was filled with stories about how Republican voter enthusiasm had spiked in outrage over the treatment of supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. The Brett bounce, Axios christened it, anticipating a potential windfall point or two for Republicans in Novembers midterm elections. Slate noticed that Republican women in particular seemed to be invigorated by Kavanaughs tribulations at the hands of Senate Democrats. McClatchy spoke with three Republican pollsters: all reported soaring enthusiasm among GOP respondents after months of apathy and malaise. For progressives, the news set off every alarm. Anger that Dr Christine Blasey Fords allegations of sexual assault had been reduced to the horse-race question. Distress that anyone could react to her testimony and to the manifest petulance of Kavanaughs response that way. Anxiety that the midterms could be squandered. Panic about a classic Democratic own-goal. Anger again at the effort to silence and punish Ford. A week earlier, Kavanaugh had been dragged, metaphorically kicking and literally screaming, through hours of questions about the Ford allegations and other alleged conduct. In the immediate aftermath, most, including Donald Trump, declared Ford to be credible. But Kavanaugh called it a calculated and orchestrated political hit, fueled by a desire for revenge on behalf of the Clintons and millions of dollars in money from outside leftwing opposition groups. It was the same language of grievance and victimhood at the hands of China, or immigrants, or trade agreements, or Barack Obama, or the rigged system, or indeed the Clintons that Trump used so fluently to harness a wave of political support in 2016. And, apparently, core Republican voters still responded to it. A NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll released on Wednesday showed them up to about even with the Democrats. Story continues The result of the [Kavanaugh] hearings, at least in the short run, is the Republican base was awakened, said Marist director Lee Miringoff. But is the Brett bounce real or does it look more like a bubble? It is important to note, as New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman did straight away on Twitter, that the midterms are still a month away. In politics, thats a very long time. The decisions voters make in the booths or about whether to vote at all do not always represent the terminus of a smooth arc, passing evenly through an ordered progression of viewpoints. How voters say they feel right now, especially about their own levels of enthusiasm, might just not be all that predictive. Kavanaugh was expected to face a confirmation vote on Saturday. If he is confirmed, Republican hackles might settle. Democrats might be motivated. And there were reasons to doubt outright that the much-touted Republican enthusiasm spike was real. Washington Post reporter Dave Weigel pointed out that the supposed spike had not registered in senatorial races in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, three states Trump flipped to win. In each case, Democratic senators seeking reelection appear to be holding comfortable double-digit leads. FiveThirtyEight founder and analyst Nate Silver wrote that there appeared to be a signal in the polling noise, but it was kind of weak. There is truth in the idea that Republicans have had a decent week of polling, but it can also be exaggerated by cherry-picking data thats consistent with a particular narrative, he wrote. In short, Silver said that during the hearings Democratic senator Heidi Heitkamps reelection bid looked to have suffered in North Dakota, where Kavanaugh is popular. That could diminish the Democratic chances of taking the Senate from the 25% baseline where FiveThirtyEights model has had them for awhile to somewhere closer to one in five. Cue Weigel again, with a molten hot take: Heitkamps polling dip has less to do with Kavanaugh (whom she had not taken a position on before the bad polls) than with rising Trump [numbers] in ND, related to good news about the trade wars, which are front page stories in the state. In House races, Silver wrote, Republicans appeared to be doing better than a week ago but worse than a month ago. District-level polls have generally been getting worse for Republicans, even if national indicators have stabilized or improved slightly, he said. Silver concluded that victory over Kavanaugh could lead to defeat in November: whichever party doesnt get its way on Kavanaugh will have more reason to feel aggrieved and perhaps more motivation to turn out to vote. With both Republican senator Susan Collins and Democratic senator Joe Manchin announcing Friday afternoon that they intended to vote for Kavanaugh, that aggrieved party looks unlikely to be the Republicans. Shortly after the double announcement, veteran GOP strategist John Weaver tweeted: Folks, coming to an election near you: a giant blue wave. Maybe. Many Democrats feel the stakes in the Kavanaugh confirmation fight were higher than the stakes in the midterms. The midterms might have important implications for the next couple years of the Trump presidency. The confirmation of Kavanaugh, who is only 53 and will assume a life term, could potentially have more important implications for longer. The political calculus, in other words, is complicated and opaque. Kavanaugh is set to go down in history as a supreme court justice. The election is on 6 November. The Senate confirmed Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court on Saturday, bringing to an end an intensely angry and partisan process that involved multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against the judge, public testimony by him and one of his accusers and an additional FBI investigation over the last week. But while 50 Senators ultimately voted to elevate Kavanaugh to the countrys highest court, the teams representing the women who accused Kavanaugh of harassment and assault said they stood by their stories. Christine Blasey Ford Lawyers for Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers, released a statement late Friday outlining concerns about the Senate Judiciary Committees handling of the process. As the Senate debates the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, numerous false claims have been repeated to undermine the credibility of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, Fords lawyers said in a statement. Whatever the outcome, Senators deserve to know the truth: An FBI investigation that did not include interviews of Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh is not a meaningful investigation in any sense of the word, the statement said. Fords lawyers also released a letter from Keith Koegler, who they described as a friend of Fords and a corroborating witness who was not interviewed by the FBI. We believe Christine Blasey Ford and we fully support her, the statement concluded. Senators claiming to want a dignified debate should not repeat lies constructed by the Judiciary Committee that were cynically designed to win support for Judge Kavanaugh. Deborah Ramirez Deborah Ramirez, who accused Kavanaugh of exposing himself to her at a college party, also released a statement through her lawyers. She said that the experience of watching Senators debate Kavanaughs nomination greatly affected her, but said she would not be silenced. Thirty-five years ago, the other students in the room chose to laugh and look the other way as sexual violence was perpetrated on me by Brett Kavanaugh. As I watch many of the Senators speak and vote on the floor of the Senate I feel like Im right back at Yale where half the room is laughing and looking the other way, she said in her statement on Saturday. Only this time, instead of drunk college kids, it is US Senators who are deliberately ignoring his behavior. This is how victims are isolated and silenced. Story continues She, too, mentioned other witnesses that she wished had been able to speak with the FBI during its investigation of the allegations against Kavanaugh. But I do have corroborating witnesses speaking for me, although they were not allowed to speak to the FBI, and I feel extremely grateful for them and for the overwhelming amount of support that I have received and continue to receive during this extremely difficult and painful time, Ramirez said in the statement. There may be people with power who are looking the other way, but there are millions more who are standing together, speaking up about personal experiences of sexual violence and taking action to support survivors. This is truly a collective moment of survivors and allies standing together. Thank you for hearing me, seeing me and believing me. I am grateful for each and every one of you. We will not be silenced, she added. We stand in truth and light. Julie Swetnick A third woman, Julie Swetnick, also accused Kavanaugh of misconduct, though her allegations were not included in the FBI investigation. She had said Kavanaugh was present at parties where she and other women were gang rapedan allegation that many Senators said they did not believe, particularly when she was represented by Michael Avenatti, the lawyer who also represents adult film star Stormy Daniels and has clashed with President Donald Trump. While Swetnicks claims were not investigated as part of Kavanaughs confirmation process, Avenatti hit back at those doubting her in his own statement on Saturday ahead of the final vote on Kavanaugh. People that are attacking Ms. Ramirez and Ms. Swetnick for coming forward should be ashamed. They claim these women should have shut up and stayed quiet, he tweeted. Apparently assault victims are to blame for the vote. This line of thinking is disgusting & offensive to all survivors. Read the full statement from Fords lawyers, Debra S. Katz, Lisa J Banks, and Michael R. Bromwich, below. As the Senate debates the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, numerous false claims have been repeated to undermine the credibility of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. Whatever the outcome, Senators deserve to know the truth: An FBI investigation that did not include interviews of Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh is not a meaningful investigation in any sense of the word. Had the FBI interviewed Dr. Ford, she would have answered questions about Judge Kavanaughs assault, including questions that Ms. Mitchell and the Judiciary Committee members failed to ask during the hearing. She would have provided corroborating evidence, including her medical records and access to the phone from which she sent messages to a reporter about the assault prior to his nomination to the Supreme Court. The suggestion that our refusal to give medical records to the Judiciary Committee bears on Dr. Fords credibility is completely false. The Committee has released every document we have exchanged, and in the case of their letters to us, sometimes before we received them. We lost confidence in the Committees ability or desire to maintain the confidentiality of materials and information we provided, especially with respect to something as sensitive as medical records. Ford wanted to detail the events of the sexual assault by Judge Kavanaugh directly to members of the Judiciary Committee. Dr. Ford was timely provided with all communications from the Majoritys staff and chose from the multiple options she was given by them. At the hearing, Dr. Ford understood Senator Grassleys comment to be that he personally would have flown to California to speak with her. She would have welcomed Senator Grassley and other Committee members to California but that was not one of the options offered by Committee staff. At no time did members of Dr. Fords team advise Committee staff that she could not travel to Washington, D.C. because of her fear of flying. Rather, staff was told that Dr. Ford could not travel on the schedule the Committee demanded because she was focused on taking measures to protect her family from threats, including death threats. Those measures included meeting with the FBI to report these disturbing threats. In fact, Dr. Ford does have a decades-long fear of flying for which she takes medication prescribed by a physician, but this had no impact on the timing of her testimony. Committee staff repeatedly rejected our requests for multiple corroborating witnesses to be allowed to testify, including Jeremiah Hanafin, the highly experienced former FBI agent who administered the polygraph to Dr. Ford on August 7, 2018. He was also prepared to cooperate with the FBIs investigation, including making the underlying polygraph results and process available. Had Mr. Hanafin been permitted to testify or been interviewed by the FBI, he would have explained that his conclusions of no deception were validated by four independent outside reviewers. There were seven people whom Dr. Ford told about the assault prior to the nomination who could have testified to the Committee or been interviewed by the FBI. In her testimony, Dr. Ford said: It is not my responsibility to determine whether Mr. Kavanaugh deserves to sit on the Supreme Court. My responsibility is to tell the truth. We believe Christine Blasey Ford and we fully support her. Senators claiming to want a dignified debate should not repeat lies constructed by the Judiciary Committee that were cynically designed to win support for Judge Kavanaugh. With reporting from Alana Abramson/Washington Which is more artful: The painted work, preserved forever on canvas; or the carefully orchestrated act of destroying said canvas? Banksy implicitly asked that very question on Friday. An auction of the artist's popular work, "Girl With Balloon," ended with the shocking display of the the piece shredding itself immediately after the winning bid of 1.04 million pounds was cast. It wasn't an accident. The ornate frame containing "Girl With Balloon" apparently concealed a shredder. Once the auction ended with a purchase price that was three times higher than expected an alarm sounded and the secret shredder switched on. Banksy shared a look at the shocking moment on Instagram, paired with the cheeky caption, "Going, going, gone...." SEE ALSO: Banksy is back with 9 new fiery murals in Paris Hilariously, the Sotheby's listing for "Girl With Balloon" notes that the frame is "an integral element of the artwork chosen by Banksy himself." Now we know why! "It appears we just got Banksy-ed," Sotheby's head of contemporary European art Alex Branczik told the Associated Press. "We have not experienced this situation in the past where a painting spontaneously shredded, upon achieving a record for the artist," Branczik added. "We are busily figuring out what this means in an auction context." Sotheby's hasn't identified the buyer, but the auction house had this to say in an email to Mashable. "We have talked with the successful purchaser who was surprised by the story. We are in discussion about next steps." [h/t Associated Press] UPDATED Oct. 9, 2018, 1:53 p.m. ET with a comment on the Banksy piece's buyer from Sotheby's. BANJA LUKA, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) Pro-Russia Serb leader Milorad Dodik won a race to fill the Serb seat in Bosnia's three-member presidency Sunday, deepening ethnic divisions in the country that faced a brutal war some 25 years ago. Preliminary official results from the election gave Dodik 56 percent of the vote and his main opponent, Mladen Ivanic, 42 percent. The projections were made with 44 percent of ballots counted. "The will of the people leaves no doubt what they want," Dodik said, adding that voters "punished" his opponent for his "servile policies toward the West." Ivanic conceded defeat. Complete official returns were expected Monday. Dodik advocates the eventual separation of Serbs from Bosnia. His election to the three-person presidency, which also has a Muslim member and a Croat member, deals a blow to efforts to strengthen unity in the country, where ethnic divisions fueled the 1992-95 war that killed 100,000 people and left millions homeless. "The number one priority for my job in the future will be the position of the Serb people and Republic of Srpska," Dodik said, referring to the Serb-run mini-state he has led since 2010 and which resulted from a 1995 peace settlement. The general election was seen as an indicator of Bosnia's future direction: moving toward integration in the European Union and NATO or driven by entrenched rivalries and friction. Russian President Vladimir Putin had endorsed the openly anti-West Dodik. The United States has imposed sanctions on Dodik for actively obstructing efforts to implement the 1995 Dayton Accords that ended the Bosnian war. Voters in Sunday's election filled positions in the complex governing system the peace accord created. The country consists of two regional entities the Serb-run Republika Srpska and a Muslim-Croat federation with joint institutions in a central government. Supporters of a unified, multi-ethnic Bosnia found encouragement in the lead a moderate candidate for the Croat position in the tripartite presidency held after the partial count. Zeljko Komsic, had 49 percent, while nationalist contender Dragan Covic had 38 percent. Story continues Covic advocated further fragmentation of Bosnia with the creation of a separate entity for the country's Croats. However, Komsic's likely victory still could trigger discord within the Muslim-Croat federation. Croat nationalists dispute his legitimacy as a Croat representative, arguing that Komsic was backed overwhelmingly by Muslims. Covic has warned of an "unprecedented crisis." Sefik Dzaferovic, from the ruling Party of Democratic Action, won the Muslim seat in the presidency. Along with the Bosnian presidency, voters picked the Serb president, the two entities' parliaments and cantonal authorities during Sunday's election. More than half of Bosnia's 3.3 million eligible voters cast ballots, election officials said. The campaign was marred by divisive rhetoric and allegations of irregularities that fueled tensions. Election officials described the voting that took place as "extremely fair." ____ Sabina Niksic contributed from Sarajevo and Dusan Stojanovic from Belgrade, Serbia. Sarajevo (AFP) - Nationalist Milorad Dodik took the lead in a vote for the Serb seat of Bosnia's tripartite presidency, as a country splintered along ethnic lines awaits final results due out later Monday. The elevation of the hardliner to the top office -- a joint post he will share with Muslim and Croat leaders -- lays bare the nationalism haunting Bosnia more than two decades after it was torn apart by war. Dodik is the longtime leader of Bosnia's Serb-majority Republika Srpska, one of the country's post-war entities. He has previously threatened to hold a vote on the region's secession -- a move that would unravel a delicate arrangement that has kept peace since the 1992-95 conflict. Now the firebrand will co-lead a country he has referred to as a "failed concept". "This victory is as clean as a whistle," Dodik announced from his base in Banja Luka, the capital of the Serb-run entity. He said he captured 56 percent of the vote, beating his moderate rival Mladen Ivanic with 85 percent of the ballots counted. The electoral commission confirmed Dodik's lead, announcing after midnight that he had 55.15 percent of the vote after input from 43 percent of polling stations. Full results are expected later Monday. But the incumbent Ivanic claimed the race could not yet be called. "We will wait for the report of our observers to see if everything has gone well," he said in a televised statement. Meanwhile, the main Bosnian Muslim party SDA claimed a victory for its candidate Sefik Dzaferovic in the three-person presidency. And the Croat post went to Social Democrat Zeljko Komsic, knocking out current president Dragan Covic from the nationalist right. Bosnia's complex -- and some say dysfunctional -- political system is a relic of the 1990s war that saw Serbs, Croats and Muslims turn on each other in brutal fashion. The conflict left 100,000 dead, displaced millions and wrecked the economy and infrastructure. Story continues The peace accord that stopped the fighting sliced the country in two halves -- one dominated by Serbs and the other home to Muslims and a Croat minority. Each "entity" has its own government with a high level of autonomy. They are held together by a relatively weak national administration, headed by the tripartite presidency which rotates between members every eight months. - Divide and rule - Ahead of elections, many politicians leaned into nationalist rhetoric to court voters. During the campaign Dodik repeated claims that Bosnia was "not a state" and that its capital Sarajevo was "foreign territory." After casting a ballot in his hometown Laktasi, the Serb strongman said he would work with Bosnia's institutions but "solely in the interest and benefit of Republika Srpska." Dodik, who is vocally pro-Russian, was blacklisted by the United States last year for threatening Bosnia's integrity. How he will approach his new role remains to be seen. The most extreme scenario would see him "work towards the decomposition of Bosnia," says Tanja Topic, a political analyst. After voting, one of Dodik's supporters in Laktasi, Jadranaka Pavic, said she expected him to "go to Sarajevo to fight (the others) there." - Disillusionment - Among the population of 3.5 million, there is a pervasive sense of disillusionment with a political class accused of clinging to power by stoking nationalism instead of fixing economic woes. Monthly wages average around 430 euros while around one fifth of the population is unemployed. "No party meets my expectations as a citizen," said Danica Odovic, a 47-year-old bookseller outside a polling station in Banja Luka. She added that she was voting only for "change... not because I think the others are better." Experts say Bosnia's unwieldy political structure hampers progress on reforms and creates a space for graft to run wild. According to Transparency International, corruption is a serious problem at "all levels of government". "Most young people see their future outside Bosnia," said Zoran Kresic, an analyst. Hearing these "same stories, messages of war and of the impossibility of living together, demotivates people from staying", he added. Voter turnout was estimated to be close to the 55 percent figure from 2014, according to the electoral commission, with no significant incidents reported. By Daria Sito-Sucic and Maja Zuvela SARAJEVO (Reuters) - Bosnian Serb nationalist leader Milorad Dodik proclaimed victory in Bosnia's presidential election on Sunday, as did the candidate of the largest Muslim Bosniak party. "I proclaim victory," Dodik said at a news conference, adding that he won 56 percent of the vote for the Serb seat in the country's tripartite inter-ethnic presidency. Sefik Dzaferovic, the candidate of the Muslim Bosniak largest SDA party, also said he won the Bosniak seat in the body, with 40 percent of vote. "I am leading and have won the seat in Bosnia's presidency," Dzaferovic said at a news conference. Bosnians went to the polls to decide whether their country will pursue a path toward European Union membership and NATO integration or sink deeper into ethnic strife and further fragmentation. More than two decades after a war in which 100,000 died, leading Serb, Croat and Muslim Bosniak parties campaigned on nationalist tickets, reviving wartime pledges in programs that failed to offer any clear economic or political visions. About 3.35 million registered voters were due to take part in the presidential and parliamentary elections, choosing members of Bosnia's tripartite inter-ethnic presidency, consisting of a Bosniak, a Croat and a Serb, and lawmakers for parliament's lower house. They will also select leaders and assemblies of its two autonomous regions - the Serb Republic and the Bosniak-Croat Federation, and of the Federation's 10 cantons. Pro-Russian Dodik has repeatedly advocated secession of the Serb Republic and integration with Serbia and analysts say that he will try to weaken Bosnia as the presidency member. Zeljko Komsic, a moderate Croat who already served two terms in the presidency, said he was leading over nationalist Dragan Covic from the largest Croat HDZ party. Covic said he has won the majority of Croat votes and that Komsic could profit only thanks to Bosniak votes, the reason why they had demanded the creation of new ethnically-based election units where Croats would vote only for their ethnic kin. "Such election results may cause an unprecedented crisis in Bosnia-Herzegovina," Covic said in the southern town of Mostar. The election commission said that turnout by 7 p.m. (1700 GMT) was 53.3 percent. The commission will announce first preliminary results of the presidential vote around midnight (2200 GMT). The results of the parliamentary vote will be published on Monday. (Writing by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Marguerita Choy) By Anthony Boadle and Eduardo Simoes BRASILIA/SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil's far-right presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro has widened his lead over leftist Fernando Haddad ahead of Sunday's deeply polarized election, and would win a likely second-round run-off later this month, a CNT/MDA poll showed on Saturday. With more polls due later on Saturday, the CNT/MDA survey captured a palpable surge in Bolsonaro's support in recent days that could, if it continues, see him win a majority of votes on Sunday, and avoid the Oct. 28 run-off. Bolsonaro's support grew to 36.7 percent from 28.2 percent in the previous late-September poll, while his main rival, second-placed Workers Party candidate Haddad, slipped to 24.0 percent from 25.2 percent. But perhaps more tellingly, Bolsonaro's share of valid votes shot up to 42.6 percent from 35.3 percent, putting him tantalizingly close to Brazil's first initial-round electoral victory since 1998. Haddad's share of valid votes fell from 31.5 percent to 27.8 percent. Bolsonaro, who has surged on widespread anger over rising crime, a drifting economy and the prospect of the divisive Workers Party returning to power, was also seen beating all his possible rivals in the second-round run-off. The 63-year-old former army captain, who is still recovering from a serious stab wound received during the campaign, enjoys passionate support thanks to grassroots organizing on social media, but terrifies critics who label him a "Tropical Hitler." He vows to loosen gun laws so citizens can defend themselves, protect family values and slug it out with powerful drug gangs responsible for a record 64,000 murders in 2017. On Friday, Bolsonaro appealed to Brazilians to vote for him in a live Facebook feed from his Rio de Janeiro home, asking them to give him a majority to avoid a second vote. Haddad's support relies on the popularity of his mentor, jailed former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was barred from running due to a corruption conviction. Haddad on Saturday campaigned in the northeastern state of Bahia, Lula's political heartland, where the 55-year-old recorded a video message alongside the state's Workers Party Governor Rui Costa, urging his supporters to be wary of the political messages they receive via social media. "A lot of lies on the internet," he said. "The other side is a bit desperate, because they think that if Bolsonaro is forced to debate, he will melt. So they want Bolsonaro to win without having to debate, which is bad for democracy." Bolsonaro was due to address supporters via a Facebook Live later on Saturday. About 26 percent of voters say they have yet to decide who to vote for, according to a Datafolha poll released on Thursday. "We will accept the result whatever it is, there should be no doubt of that," Bolsonaro said on Friday, in a bid to calm fears he would call for a military coup if he lost. Bolsonaro, who is backed by a group of retired generals, said last week he would only accept victory. A Bolsonaro government would speed up the privatization of state companies to reduce Brazil's budget deficit and relax environmental controls for farming and mining. It would also block efforts to legalize abortion, drugs and gay marriage. In an interview published on Friday by the newspaper Estado de Sao Paulo, one of the candidate's top economic advisers said Bolsonaro would push ahead with privatizing state power firm Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA , or Eletrobras. However, former army General Oswaldo de Jesus Ferreira pledged to keep state oil giant Petroleo Brasileiro SA , known as Petrobras, in government hands. Hydroelectric dam projects on the Tapajos river in the Amazon basin that were stopped due to environmental concerns would be discussed again, Ferreira said. But he said the expansion of soy, corn and sugar cane plantations would not be allowed in the Amazon region, where environmentalists say deforestation is on the rise again. (Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Gabriel Stargardter and Franklin Paul) Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Donald Trump has said women were outraged at the way his Supreme Court pick was treated during the confirmation process, despite days of angry protests against Brett Kavanaugh in Washington. Speaking to journalists aboard Air Force One after Mr Kavanaughs appointment to the US's highest court, Mr Trump said he was 100 per cent certain that Christine Blasey Ford named the wrong person as her alleged assailant. It was a counterpoint to what Dr Ford said during her testimony last month that she was 100 per cent certain Mr Kavanaugh was the person in question. Angry shouts of Shame! Shame! Shame! rang out during the vote in the Senate gallery while vice president Mike Pence was presiding. Several hundred women could be seen outside of the Supreme Court after the vote, openly weeping or chanting in frustration and anger as Mr Kavanaugh was being sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts. Hundreds of people flooded the steps of the court building as police tried to move them away. In the minutes following the vote, which the president watched from his private cabin on the aircraft, he flashed two thumbs up and tweeted: I applaud and congratulate the US Senate for confirming our GREAT NOMINEE. He then accused Democrats of levying a horrible, horrible attack that nobody should have to go through on Mr Kavanaugh during the confirmation process. Mr Trump said Mr Kavanaugh would be a totally brilliant Supreme Court justice for many years. He also praised the justices temperament, his incredible past, his outstanding years on the court. After he landed in Topeka for a rally, the president said he spoke with Mr Kavanaugh and congratulated him on a well fought confirmation. DEVELOPING: Protesters streaming to the US Supreme Court after the US Senate confirmed Judge Kavanaugh. https://t.co/pruzPK6jL3 pic.twitter.com/gQDtAQYCE1 MSNBC (@MSNBC) October 6, 2018 He thanked the FBI for their work as well, saying the bureau worked hard ... really fast and said he heard the investigation report was detailed, thorough. Story continues He called the vote a testament to our country and said the week-long delay in the vote was terrific for the confirmation process. Many felt the new justices testimony in September was incredibly emotional. Mr Kavanaugh appeared to hold back tears several times as he discussed what his wife and young child have had to go through since the assault allegations against him were made public. It was a line toed by several Senate Republicans who used the word disgrace several times to characterise the confirmation hearing in the days after Dr Ford came forward with her allegations. Republican Susan Collins had called the confirmation process a dysfunctional circus and said when passions are inflamed, fairness is most in jeopardy in a 45-minute speech defending her yes vote on Mr Kavanaugh. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said after the vote that putting Mr Kavanaugh on the court was about treating someone fairly. Mr Kavanaugh is reportedly going to hire all female law clerks for his office, the news of which only added to the tension on Saturday. Brett Kavanaugh has been been sworn in as a US Supreme Court justice after a highly charged confirmation process in which he was accused of sexual assault. At a passionate hearing last month, Mr Kavanaugh denied allegations levelled against him by psychology professor Christine Blasey Ford that he assaulted her while they were both at high school in 1982. In the days since, scores of protesters have descended on Capitol Hill, doubts have been raised over Mr Kavanaughs religious convictions, and thousands of law professors have written a letter opposing his nomination. None of this has stopped him from being confirmed to the USs highest court, which is now expected to swing to the right for a generation. Protesters shouted Shame! Shame! Shame! in the gallery as Senators were repeatedly interrupted before the vote was confirmed 50-48 by Vice President Mike Pence. Another group of protesters stormed towards the doors of the nearby Supreme Court building with raised fists. Police stood guard at the doors. Inside the Capitol, Senator Steve Daines was not present because his daughter was getting married in Montana but he would have voted yes. His Republican colleague Lisa Murkowski had announced her preference as no, but did not formally cast her vote out of respect for the party and because it would have made a difference in the final vote tally. Mr Kavanaugh is Donald Trumps second nominee to be confirmed to the court and the first one in history to be publicly accused of sexual assault. A former federal judge, he becomes the 114th person to serve on the court and joins the sitting eight justices: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Samuel Alito, Stephen Breyer, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, and Chief Justice John Roberts. Mr Gorsuch was also an appointment of Mr Trumps, but his confirmation process was timid compared to Mr Kavanaughs, which Republican Senator Susan Collins called a dysfunctional circus. Story continues Critics immediately pointed out Mr Kavanaugh would not have been nominated with only 50 votes last year. In 2017, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell took the nuclear option and eliminated the need for a 60 vote minimum for appointments to pass the Senate. The saga of the last few weeks began when Senator Dianne Feinstein, through House member Anna Eshoo, received a letter from Dr Ford detailing her allegations. The psychology professor at Palo Alto University in California had originally asked to remain anonymous, but ultimately felt a civic duty to come forward after the letter was leaked to the media, she said during her testimony to the Senate last month. Washington insiders have indicated the Senate Judiciary Committee was worried about the optics of so many Republican men interrogating Dr Ford about the sexual assault claims. Sex crimes prosecutor Rachel Mitchell was appointed to ask questions on the Senators behalf. Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said Ms Mitchell was chosen for objectivity and experience supervising attorneys who handle cases involving child molestation, sexual assault and computer crimes against children in Arizonas most populous county. Protests outside of the hearing room in the halls of the Capitol building and in front of the Supreme Court continued during the testimony. Dr Ford detailed the floor plan of the house where the alleged assault took place, spoke of a polygraph examination she voluntarily took, and of the death threats she and her family have gotten since coming forward. Her demeanour appeared calm, though she noted she was terrified. Mr Kavanaugh testified later that day and he appeared the exact opposite during an emotional, fiery retort to Dr Fords allegations in his opening statement. During the first part of his statement, Mr Kavanaugh held back tears as he spoke of the fallout from the allegations on his family and young child. That gave way to what appeared to be disgust with Democrats as he contorted his face in anger and had heated exchanges with senators Patrick Leahy and Amy Klobuchar. An impassioned statement from Republican Senator Lindsay Graham in opposition to having an FBI investigation was overruled by a dramatic last-minute moment of reaching across party lines by colleague Jeff Flake. The Senate Judiciary Committee ultimately deciding to ask the Trump administration for a week-long, limited scope FBI investigation into Dr Fords allegations. Another point of contention was Mr Kavanaughs characterisation of his drinking habits. He repeatedly said I like beer during his testimony and claimed he never blacked out from drinking as he refuted Dr Fords allegations. One of his Yale classmates, Chad Ludington, said Mr Kavanaugh was lying about that. He called the nominee a belligerent and aggressive drunk. There were reports of more women coming forward to accuse Mr Kavanaugh, however, none had come forward publicly. Mr Trump ordered the FBI investigation and indicated in off-the-cuff remarks it wouldnt bother [him] at all if the FBI had interviewed Dr Ford and Mr Kavanaugh in a thorough investigation. By the time the FBI had compiled its findings in a report on Friday, Democrats had hit out at the bureau and the president for not interviewing several key witnesses. Throughout the last few weeks Americans were reminded of the hearings of Anita Hill in 1992. Just four days after Ms Hills allegations of sexual harassment against then-nominee and now Justice Clarence Thomas were levied, an FBI investigation was launched. The Senate then heard from more than 20 witnesses including Ms Hill. On Saturday, thousands of protesters openly wept at the decision of the final vote many of them survivors of sexual assault. There was also anger too. Democratic Senator Cory Booker told The Hill newspaper: This, I think, really has been just a painful experience for all of America. Mr Kavanaugh has said he will be hiring all female law clerks in his office. Judge Brett Kavanaugh will soon be Justice Brett Kavanaugh. But the consequences of his confirmation Saturday will inevitably be analyzed for years to come not only on the Supreme Court and the Senate, but across the country. The Senate voted 50-48 to confirm Kavanaugh to the highest court in the land, a relatively anticlimactic finale to one of the most contentious Supreme Court confirmation fights in recent history. The vote was consistently interrupted by protesters shouting from the gallery, causing Vice President Mike Pence, who was presiding, to call for order. Protesters also descended on the Capitol to express their dissatisfaction with the confirmation. The confirmation not only exposed the raw emotions of sexual misconduct allegations, but sparked intense national conversations on class, privilege and gender. Chief Justice John Roberts and retired Justice Anthony Kennedy whose seat Kavanaugh is taking will swear him in as a justice later Saturday, so he can begin to participate in the work of the Court immediately. I applaud and congratulate the U.S. Senate for confirming our GREAT NOMINEE, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, to the United States Supreme Court. Later today, I will sign his Commission of Appointment, and he will be officially sworn in. Very exciting! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 6, 2018 Kavanaughs path the the Supreme Court seemed all but assured before allegations surfaced from Christine Blasey Ford that he had tried to rape her at a house party in 1982 when they were both in high school. Two other accusations followed all of them decades old. Deborah Ramirez alleged that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her when they were in college, and Julie Swetnick alleged she was gang raped at a party Kavanaugh attended. Ford, a California psychology researcher, was called before the Senate and her testimony Sept. 27 riveted the country, sparking numerous women, including high profile figures like Connie Chung, come forward with their own stories of sexual assault. Kavanaughs testimony in response, later that same day, was a boisterous, emphatic denial of any of all claims of impropriety. Story continues Christine Blasey Ford says Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in high school In the end, Fords testimony before the committee wasnt enough to persuade a significant number of Senators to break with the Republican Party and vote against Kavanaugh. An FBI investigation was unable to corroborate her allegations, although Democrats decried that process itself was a sham and purposely manipulated by the White House to reach that conclusion. Neither Ford nor Kavanaugh was interviewed for the FBI report, and Swetnicks claims werent investigated. Ramirez was interviewed but her attorneys said investigators never spoke the witnesses she said could corroborate her claim. The fate of Kavanaughs nomination was all but sealed Friday afternoon, when Maine Sen. Susan Collins, a key swing Republican, announced she would vote to confirm him after reviewing the FBIs report on sexual misconduct allegations levied against him in the final weeks of his nomination. Immediately after Collins concluded her speech, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, the lone Democrat holdout, announced his support for Kavanaugh, as well. While the decisions from Manchin and Collins gave Kavanaugh the necessary votes to ascend to the court, his reputation as a Justice may always be tainted, not only by lingering questions about the allegations of sexual misconduct which his opponents and, according to polling a majority of women, believe but about his judicial temperament. Many Democrats openly questioned the latter after his Senate testimony, where he decried the allegations against him as a calculated and orchestrated political hit that was the result of anger about President Donald Trumps election and Kavanaughs work in the office of Ken Starr, the prosecutor whose investigation ultimately led to Bill Clintons impeachment when he was president. (The ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, told the New York Times Friday he would open an investigation into Kavanaugh if Democrats retake the House in the 2018 elections.) I think theres going to be a cloud over Justice Kavanaugh for most of his career, said Paul M. Collins, Jr., a political science professor at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and co-author of Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings and Constitutional Change, a book about the history of Supreme Court confirmation hearings. This was possibly the most controversial Supreme Court nomination in American history. The allegations of sexual assault are obviously exceptionally serious, but so are the allegations of perjury. And there seems to be fairly substantial evidence that at a minimum he misled the judiciary committee. And so having a justice on the Supreme Court who misled the committee, it doesnt look good for Kavanaugh and it doesnt look good for the Supreme Court. Answers about how Justice Kavanaugh will respond will play out over his lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court. Kavanaugh is 53 years old. The political implications will likely be found at the polls in the upcoming midterm elections on Nov. 6. The country will soon learn whether the controversy will rally President Donald Trumps conservative base or women and sexual assault survivors who felt they were ignored through the confirmation process or both groups. Most immediately, however, Senators were in nearly unanimous agreement that the chamber needs to heal the partisan rancor that reached a fever pitch over the last month. Without more effort to respect each other, to hear each other, to work across the aisle, the Senate as an institution cannot be the legislative vibrant core of our republic, Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, who sits on the Judiciary Committee and was instrumental in working with Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake on pushing for an additional FBI investigation, said on Friday. Kavanaughs razor thin confirmation vote was the narrowest margin in recent American history. A confirmation vote hasnt been so precarious since Justice Clarence Thomas, who was confirmed 52-48 in 1991 after Anita Hill came forward with sexual harassment allegations. Throughout Kavanaughs confirmation, Democratic lawmakers and progressive activists repeatedly invoked Thomas confirmation, suggesting that nothing had changed for women in nearly three decades. Irrespective of their claims, there was one clear difference between Kavanaugh and Thomas confirmation battles: the divisions in the chamber. What Ive been dealing with since July 10th, the downhill slope that Schumers put us on, were really dealing with a demolition derby, Sen. Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley said this past Thursday. This has been my ninth Supreme Court hearing and I must say Ive never seen anything like this, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee who was elected into office a year after HIlls testimony said on the Senate floor Friday. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who was confirmed 96-3 25 years ago, was even lamenting the tensions before Ford came forward. The Republicans move in lockstep, and so do the Democrats, she said at an event at George Washington University last month. I wish I could wave a magic wand and bring it back to the way it was. When Thomas was confirmed by that narrow margin in 1991, it was considered an anomaly. Supreme Court confirmation processes weret considered sources of partisan infighting; they were mundane Senate procedures. Anthony Kennedy, the outgoing justice Kavanaugh will be replacing, was confirmed 97-0 three years before Thomas. But as Washington became increasingly divisive, Supreme Court nominations gradually followed suit. Samuel Alito was confirmed 58-42 in 2005; Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed 68-31 in 2009; Elena Kagan was confirmed 63-37 in 2010. One reason for the bipartisan support for Supreme Court nominees was that confirmation in the Senate still required 60 votes. But in 2017, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell changed the rules to require 51 votes for confirmation in order to ensure the passage of Justice Neil Gorsuch whose nomination came from Trump despite the Supreme Court seat coming open near the end of President Barack Obamas term when Justice Antonin Scalia. But even Gorsuch was confirmed with the support of three Democratic Senators. Kavanaugh had just one Democrat. Part of these divisions were due to circumstances beyond Kavanaughs control. Even before Ford came forward alleging that he had sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers, he was already facing an intensely partisan Senate. Kennedy was often a swing vote on a Supreme Court divided between four liberal justices and four conservative justices, with Kennedy often a swing vote on key issues like abortion and gay marriage. Kennedys retirement meant that Republicans had a chance to tilt the court rightward for a generation. Democrats buoyed by anger from McConnells refusal to hold a hearing on Merrick Garland after Scalias death, were determined to stop them. Confident that the balance of power in the Senate could shift after the November midterms, Democrats did not want these confirmation hearings to be imminent. I will oppose him with everything Ive got, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the morning after Trump nominated Kavanaugh in July. Schumer held true to his word, but Kavanaughs nomination didnt truly seem in doubt until the sexual misconduct allegations surfaced. READ MORE: How Christine Blasey Fords Testimony Changed America With Kavanaughs confirmation now a done deal, Republicans clearly want the FBI investigation to be in the rearview mirror. What Id like to do, because this is almost rock bottom, I would like to have the future mending things so we can do things in a collegial way that the United States Senate ought to do, particularly when it comes to Supreme Court nominations, Grassley said Thursday when asked if he would take any potential action against Fords legal team. To be sure, the Senate was still legislating on a bipartisan basis even as lawmakers attacked each other. This week alone, the chamber almost unanimously passed sweeping legislation addressing the opioid crisis and a bill reauthorizing funding for the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) for the next five years. For some lawmakers, these bills were proof that the chamber could ultimately recover from the divisiveness of the past month. The Senates not very big, Missouri Republican Sen. Roy Blunt said Friday. Its a matter of figuring out of how to find what you can agree with somebody on and move forward on that. There are clearly some hurt feelings here I think well move on but it will take a while. McConnell was also dismissive of the idea this would do lasting damage. These things always blow over, he said in a news conference after the vote. Notably, however, these achievements were completely overshadowed by the partisan infighting. Members on the Senate Judiciary Committee went back and forth over the details of the FBI investigation, with Democrats calling the process a sham, and Republicans arguing that Democrats would never be satisfied. McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, repeatedly said on the Senate floor that Democrats were using the allegations as fodder for delay, leading Schumer to all but accuse him of lying. It is a blatant falsehood, Schumer said of McConnells remarks this past Wednesday. Im so tempted to use the L-word, but hes my friend. That friendship was rarely, if ever, on display this past week. While Republicans may be pleased with the outcome of the process, the actual steps to get there seemed to leave the entire chamber exhausted, frustrated and unsure how to recover. If this is not rock bottom, I wouldnt want to be in my business, South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who voted for both of Obamas Supreme Court nominees and was an outspoken supporter of Kavanaugh, said on Thursday after the FBI report came out. Notably, the two key Republican swing votes on Kavanagh Collins and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski devoted large sections of their floor speeches Friday to lamenting partisan division. We have come to the conclusion of a confirmation process that has become so dysfunctional it looks more like a caricature of a gutter-level political campaign than a solemn occasion, Collin said at the top of her 44-minute speech that concluded with her announcing her support of Kavanaugh. Our Supreme Court confirmation process has been in steady decline for more than 30 years, she continued. One can only hope that the Kavanaugh nomination is where the process has finally hit rock bottom. About four hours later, Murkowski delivered her speech. She had reached a different conclusion than Collins earlier in the day she had voted against the procedural motion to advance Kavanaughs nomination. (She voted present on Saturday to allow her colleague, Montana Sen. Steve Daines, to attend his daughters wedding). But when she spoke about her disappointment with the Senate, she was firmly in the same camp as Collins. We must do better as a legislative branch, she said at the beginning of her speech. We have a moral obligation to do better than this. As the Senate gets ready to vote on Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court, at least four Senators are still apparently undecided. Donald Trumps second nominee to the highest court in the land was supposed to sail through the confirmation process but allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, primarily from Christine Blasey Ford, have delayed the vote. Dr Fords powerful testimony about the alleged assault at a small party in 1982, when she and Mr Kavanaugh were in high school in Maryland, was met with a fiery, often angry and emotional, testimony from Mr Kavanaugh in his defence against the allegations. After a week-long delay and an FBI investigation in Dr Fords allegations as well as other women, his seat on the court lies in the hands of Republican Senators Jeff Flake, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski as well as Democrat Joe Manchin. Joe Manchin Senator Joe Manchin may seem like an unlikely undecided given the deep party divisions Mr Kavanaughs tense exchanges with Democrats has caused since his 27 September testimony. However, Mr Manchin is from West Virginia, a reliably red Republican state and it is an election year. He also just voted "yes" on the procedural, preliminary vote to move the nomination to a final vote. The long-time Senator is likely worried if he does not nominate Mr Kavanaugh, even in light of the sexual assault allegations and questionable temperament during his testimony, he could be seen as too divisive in his home state. Mr Manchins seat also depends heavily on compromise with Republicans to appease his moderate base of voters on matters like the struggling coal industry. Some experts have said West Virginians may be voting for him despite his party affiliation rather than because of it. If Mr Manchin votes no on this nomination, he may fear political retribution going forward or a loss of votes from the many Americans who have claimed Mr Kavanaughs alleged behaviour was so far in the past it does not have a bearing on his judicial abilities. Story continues Jeff Flake Jeff Flake is retiring from the Senate after this election cycle and has openly said it was because of that he was able to compromise, side with Democrats, and request the Senate to delay the nomination vote, and ask for an FBI investigation into Dr Fords allegations. During the hearing on 28 September, Mr Flake looked a bit shell-shocked and had remained silent until the end. It was likely due to the charged confrontation he had experienced earlier that morning as two protesters - Maria Gallagher and Ana Maria Archila - screamed at him about confirming a man accused of violating a young girl. Ms Gallagher tearfully described how Mr Flake was telling me I dont matter as a survivor of sexual assault. It left its mark, but to what extent remains to be seen as Mr Flake also voted "yes" in the preliminary procedural vote to move the nomination to a final vote. On 28 September, Mr Flake called on his personal friend and Democratic Senator Chris Coons to discuss what to do, resulting in an informal conference with several Senators and the FBI investigation. He said just yesterday: I wanted this pause; weve had this pause. Weve had the professionals, the FBI, determine given the scope that we gave them, current credible allegations to go and do their review, which theyve done. However, Democrats have felt the investigation was not allowed to go far enough and it is unclear if Mr Flake feels the same. Some experts have debated Mr Flakes public indecisiveness has to do with his future outside of the Senate as a lobbyist. If Mr Flake votes no it could endanger his ability to become a well-heeled Republican lobbyist, reducing his future influence over his party colleagues. Others have indicated his reputation within the party has already been damaged with his past railing against Mr Trump in what was seen as a fiery speech announcing his retirement. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski Many protesters have been targeting their ire towards these two women. Neither sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee and male Republicans brought in outside sex crimes prosecutor Rachel Mitchell to question Dr Ford instead. Ms Collins Maine state office has been flooded with phone calls, emails, and protesters camping out near her Senate office on Capitol Hill. Female sexual assault survivors in particular, have called on the pair, as women, not to put Mr Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court. Many have feared he will overturn the landmark case Roe v Wade, which provided a base of privacy rights allowing abortions to become legal. Both women have said they believe that Mr Kavanaugh would not do so. Protesters have threatened to fund Ms Collins opponent in her Senate race ahead of her 2020 re-election bid if she votes to confirm Mr Kavanaugh now, and have already collected thousands of dollars through crowdfunding campaigns. Ms Collins, who said the FBI investigation appears to be a very thorough investigation, has said she would vote yes on the preliminary vote, but has not yet announced her final vote on Mr Kavanaughs nomination. Ms Murkowski has remained more tight-lipped than Ms Collins about her decision. She said only this in response to reading the full FBI report: Im not wasting any daylight here. Ms Murkowski has been praised for voting "no" on the preliminary procedural vote to move the nomination into a final vote. SOFIA (Reuters) - A Bulgarian journalist who reported on an investigation into alleged corruption involving European Union funds has been murdered in the Danube town of Ruse, authorities said on Sunday. Prosecutors in the Balkan country said that the body of 30-year-old Viktoria Marinova was found in a park in Ruse on Saturday. They identified her only by her initials. "It is about rape and murder," Interior Minister Mladen Marinov told reporters. He said there was no evidence to suggest the murder was related to Marinova's work and there was no information that she had been threatened. Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov told reporters: "I am convinced it is a matter of time before the murder would be revealed. The best criminologists were sent to Ruse, let's not press them. A large amount of DNA had been obtained." Police are expected to disclose more details on Monday. "Her death was caused by blows to the head and suffocation, and her mobile phone, car keys, glasses and some of her clothing were missing," Ruse regional prosecutor Georgy Georgiev said. Marinova, who was a board member of the Ruse-based TV station TVN - one of the most popular TV channels in northeastern Bulgaria - is the third journalist to have been murdered in the European Union in a year. Local media reported that Marinova had recently been involved in covering an investigation by a group of Bulgarian journalists into companies involved in EU-funded infrastructure projects administered by local authorities. Last October Daphne Caruana Galizia, Malta's best-known investigative journalist, was killed when a powerful bomb blew up her car and Slovak journalist Jan Kuciak was shot dead in February. "With great pain and insurmountable grief the TVN's team is experiencing the loss of our beloved colleague Victoria Marinova and we pray for sympathy to the sorrow of her relatives and colleagues," TVN said in a short statement. Bulgaria ranked 111 out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders world press freedom index this year, lower than any other EU member and also lower than other countries in the western Balkans, some of which are candidates for EU membership. In October 2017 hundreds of Bulgarian journalists protested in downtown Sofia downtown against threats from Deputy Prime Minister Valeri Simeonov against the country's biggest broadcasters. He accused the mainstream media of leading a "massive smear campaign" against him. (Reporting by Angel Krasimirov, Editing by William Maclean) PRAGUE (Reuters) - The Czech president refused on Sunday to back down from comments slamming what he called a 90 percent unemployment rate among the country's Roma, earning a rebuke from campaigners and rights activists. President Milos Zeman's latest spat with one of the few minorities in the European Union member country began two weeks ago when he said that although he despised the former communist regime, at least it made the Roma people work. His remarks sparked criticism, including from Roma people posting hundreds of pictures of themselves working on social media and asking the president to apologize. He declined, saying that those images were of the one tenth of Roma who actually work. "I said clearly that I appreciate the 10 percent of Roma who work," Zeman said in a live interview streaming at http://www.blesk.cz when responding to a question from a Roma viewer. "Don't forget, if you want to show solidarity with your ethnic group, those 90 percent (not working), because... they are also influencing their children," he said. There are no statistics supporting Zeman's assertion. Czech NGO, Romea, called Zeman's remarks insulting. The European Roma Rights Centre in Budapest rejected his statements as racist. An annual report on the Roma, approved by the Czech government in August, says that as of the end of 2017, there were roughly 240,000 Roma living in the Czech Republic, or about two percent of the population. Half of the 240,000 were estimated to be "socially excluded". That term refers to people living in places where it is tough to get a job, who also are often heavily indebted. The report also stated that the Roma population faces strong obstacles in social life, mainly due to prejudice which often prevents its members from getting a job or suitable dwelling. A separate report showed that as of the end of August, there were a total of 230,000 people out of work in the country of 10.6 million, which enjoys the lowest unemployment in the EU thanks to solid economic growth. Zeman is not the first Czech official to attack the Roma's work record. Prime Minister Andrej Babis was forced to apologize for remarks he made as finance minister in 2016 that Czech Roma were sent to a concentration camp during World War Two because they refused to work. With ancestral roots in India, the Roma migrated to Europe in the 10th century and have a history marked by persecution. There are some 11 million Roma living across the continent, particularly in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Spain. (Reporting by Robert Muller, Editing by William Maclean) A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck off the northern coast of Haiti late Saturday, killing at least 15 people and injuring over 300 others. Buildings have reportedly been destroyed by the temblor, which struck 12 miles (19 km) northwest of Port-de-Paix, Haiti, shortly after 8:00 p.m. local time on Saturday, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Port-de-Paix is the capital of the Nord-Ouest department of Haiti and is home to over 460,000 people. USGS Haiti 10.7 AM The location of the earthquake that struck off the northern coast of Haiti late Saturday. (Image/USGS) Several aftershocks caused panic among residents on Sunday, with the strongest being magnitude 5.2. A statement issued by Haiti's civil protection agency said that houses have been destroyed or damaged in Port-de-Paix, Gros-Morne, Chansolme and Turtle Island. The Saint-Michel church in Plaisance is among the buildings damaged. Part of a hospital and school have also collapsed, the Associated Press (AP) reported. A police station in Port-de-Paix was also damaged. The damage to hospitals combined with power outages has created a dangerous situation for medical professionals and those injured by the earthquake. "I feel like my life is not safe here," nun Maryse Alsaint, director of the San Gabriel National School in Gros-Morne, told the AP. Haiti earthquake AP Photo/Garret Fischer First, at vero eos et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus qui blanditiis praesentium et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus qui voluptatum. 1/12 Residents stand looking at a collapsed school damaged by a magnitude 5.9 earthquake the night before, in Gros Morne, Haiti, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) A bed is covered by rubble from a wall that collapsed during a magnitude 5.9 earthquake the night before, in Gros Morne, Haiti, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) Sr Maryse Alsaint walks alongside a school damaged by a magnitude 5.9 earthquake the night before, in Gros Morne, Haiti, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) Story continues Shelda Similien, who ran out of her before it collapsed when a magnitude 5.9 earthquake hit the night before, waits to be treated at a local hospital in Gros Morne, Haiti, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018. Similien's five year-old son died when he became buried by the rubble of the collapsed home. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) A bed is covered in rubble caused by a magnitude 5.9 earthquake the night before, in Gros Morne, Haiti, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) Residents look at a home damaged by a magnitude 5.9 earthquake the night before, in Gros Morne, Haiti, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) Residents salvage the rebar of a home destroyed by a magnitude 5.9 earthquake the night before, in Gros Morne, Haiti, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) President Jovenel Moise is urging people to donate blood in the wake of the disaster, according to the AP. Light shaking was felt in the country's capital of Port-au-Prince and in the Dominican Republic, but no damage occurred in these areas. No tsunami warning was issued after the earthquake, which occurred at a rather shallow depth of 7 miles (12 km) below the earth's surface. This is the one of the strongest earthquakes to rattle Haiti since the 2010 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people, according to BBC News. The weather will not cooperate for cleanup and recovery efforts, with downpours expected to douse the affected area each day into Tuesday. The downpours could be heavy enough to trigger flash flooding. By Orhan Coskun ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish authorities believe that prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who disappeared four days ago after entering Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, was killed inside the consulate, two Turkish sources said on Saturday. "The initial assessment of the Turkish police is that Mr Khashoggi has been killed at the consulate of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul. We believe that the murder was premeditated and the body was subsequently moved out of the consulate," one of the two Turkish officials told Reuters. The Turkish sources did not say how they believed the killing was carried out. A Saudi source at the consulate denied that Khashoggi had been killed at the mission and said in a statement that the accusations were baseless. The Saudi source said that a security team including Saudi investigators had arrived in Istanbul on Saturday to take part in the investigation into Khashoggi's disappearance. Saudi Arabia's consul-general told Reuters earlier on Saturday that his country was helping search for Khashoggi, and dismissed talk of his possible abduction. Khashoggi, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Washington for the past year fearing retribution for his criticism of Saudi policies, entered the consulate on Tuesday to secure documents for his forthcoming marriage, according to his fiancee, who waited outside. He has not been heard of since. Since then, Turkish and Saudi officials have offered conflicting accounts of his disappearance, with Ankara saying there was no evidence that he had left the diplomatic mission and Riyadh saying he exited the premises the same day. The United States is seeking more information, a State Department official said. "We are not in a position to confirm these reports, but we are following them closely," the official said. A Turkish security source told Reuters that a group of 15 Saudi nationals, including some officials, had arrived in Istanbul in two planes and entered the consulate on the same day Khashoggi was there, and later left the country. The Turkish source said Turkish officials were trying to identify them. Turkey's Anadolu news agency also reported that the group of Saudis were briefly at the consulate. DEEPENING DIVISIONS Khashoggi's disappearance is likely to further deepen divisions between Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Relations were already strained after Turkey sent troops to the Gulf state of Qatar last year in a show of support after its Gulf neighbors, including Saudi Arabia, imposed an embargo on Doha. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said this week that the kingdom would allow Turkey to search the consulate for Khashoggi. But he also criticized Turkey's crackdown following a 2016 failed coup against Erdogan. On Saturday, Yasin Aktay, Erdogan's AK Party adviser and a friend of Khashoggi, told Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera: "We demand a convincing clarification from Saudi Arabia, and what the crown prince offered is not convincing." He also said what happened to Khashoggi was a crime and those responsible for his disappearance must be tried, Al Jazeera said. Turkish prosecutors have begun an investigation into the case, officials said on Saturday, and a spokesman for Erdogan's AK Party said authorities would uncover his whereabouts. "The condition of the lost journalist, details on him and who is responsible for this will be uncovered," Omer Celik said. Khashoggi is a familiar face on political talk shows on Arab satellite television networks and used to advise Prince Turki al-Faisal, former Saudi intelligence chief and ambassador to the United States and Britain. Over the past year, he has written columns for newspapers including the Washington Post criticizing Saudi policies towards Qatar and Canada, the war in Yemen and a crackdown on dissent which has seen dozens of people detained. "I have left my home, my family and my job, and I am raising my voice," Khashoggi wrote in September 2017. "To do otherwise would betray those who languish in prison. I can speak when so many cannot." Two months later, writing about the detentions of scores of Saudi royals, senior officials and businessmen accused of corruption, he said Mohammed bin Salman dispensed "selective justice" and said there was "complete intolerance for even mild criticism" of the crown prince. The Committee to Protect Journalists said it was alarmed by reports Khashoggi may have been killed inside the consulate. "The Saudi authorities must immediately give a full and credible accounting of what happened to Khashoggi inside its diplomatic mission," CPJ said in a statement. On Saturday Saudi Arabia's consul-general in Istanbul, Mohammad al-Otaibi, opened up his mission to Reuters to show that Khashoggi was not on the premises, and said talk of his abduction was groundless. Opening cupboards, filing cabinets and wooden panels covering air conditioning units, Otaibi walked through the six floors of the building including a basement prayer room, offices, visa counters, kitchens and toilets as well as storage and security rooms. He said the consulate was equipped with cameras but they did not record footage, so no images could be retrieved of Khashoggi entering or leaving the consulate, which is ringed by police barriers and has high security fences topped with barbed wire. (Additional reporting by Sarah Dadouch, Tuvan Gumrukcu and Dominic Evans in Istanbul, Yara Bayoumy and Lesley Wroughton in Washington; Editing by Nick Tattersall and Stephen Coates) Libreville (AFP) - Gabonese President Ali Bongo's ruling party won a legislative election by a landslide in the first round, the presidency said on Sunday. "We have observed what looks like... a landslide in favour of the (ruling) majority," said presidential spokesman Ike Ngouoni, citing results posted publicly at voting stations. He said Bongo's Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) had won 80 of the 143 seats in the national parliament. The oil-rich West African country voted Saturday in long-delayed legislative and municipal polls. They were the first polls first since a presidential election two years ago that was marred by deadly violence and fraud allegations. Gabon has been ruled by the same political dynasty for nearly half a century. Bongo's key rival, Jean Ping, boycotted the election, but most other opposition groups took part. Ngouoni said turnout was "relatively weak". He said the electoral authority would announce definitive results later Sunday or on Monday. Some opposition candidates and witnesses interviewed by AFP at polling stations on Saturday alleged voting irregularities. They said voting papers had gone missing, there had been attempts to buy votes, and opposition representatives had been denied access. BERLIN (AP) A German court blocked the felling of an endangered forest Friday, drawing cheers from environmentalists who had protested against the expansion of a nearby coal mine. The Muenster administrative court issued a temporary halt to the clearing of Hambach Forest, after the BUND environmental group argued it deserves protected status because of the bats that live there. Energy company RWE wanted to expand its adjacent lignite strip mine, and the standoff between police and protesters some of whom had camped for months in treehouses has made the ancient woodland a cause celebre for environmentalists. "We are relieved that the clearance of Hambach Forest is off the table," BUND chairman Hubert Weiger said. "This is a great success for environmental protection and also a good signal for the peaceful protest staged by thousands of people in Hambach Forest and beyond who want to protect the climate." Aside from saving endangered species, environmentalists say the continued extraction of coal runs contrary to Germany's goal of reducing carbon emissions to prevent global warming. The court said the legal questions over the forest's status are so complex that it can't rule on the issue in accelerated proceedings, so a halt is necessary to prevent irreversible changes being made. RWE said the decision could delay plans to chop down the forest for a further two years, costing the company "a low three digit million-euro amount per year." RWE's shares dropped 6.2 percent in Frankfurt trading to 19.22 euros ($22.10). Separately, a court in Aachen overruled a decision by local authorities banning a planned protest Saturday. Police said the demonstration by environmentalists can now go ahead. Reuters At least 11 people have been killed after a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck northern Haiti late on Saturday. The quake, which was one of the strongest to hit the Caribbean nation since a major tremor in 2010 killed more than 200,000 people, sparked an overnight rush to help towns in the impoverished Caribbean country affected by the shockwave. Police said at least seven people died and more than 100 were injured in Port-de-Paix on the northern coast near the epicentre of the earthquake, which struck at a depth of 11.7 kilometres (7.3 miles), according to the US Geological Survey. Another four people were killed in and around the town of Gros-Morne further south, local authorities said. Rescue teams fanned out to help residents, many of whom were still dealing with the trauma of a devastating earthquake in 2010. Port-de-Paix, Gros-Morne, the town of Chansolme and the northern island of Tortuga were among the areas worst hit, Haiti's civil protection agency said in a statement. The shock was felt across all departments of the country, giving rise to panic in several towns, the agency said. President Jovenel Moise urged people to remain calm - saying on Twitter that he had ordered all of the republic's resources to be directed towards assisting recovery efforts. Some houses in the worst-affected areas were destroyed by the earthquake, the agency said. Dozens of injured people were rushed to hospitals, and officials said the full extent of the destruction may not be clear until Sunday morning. The civil protection agency said early on Sunday that at least 135 people were being treated for injuries. Among the damaged buildings was a church in the northern town of Plaisance, the agency said. The tremor was one of the strongest to batter Haiti since the 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck near the capital, Port-au-Prince, in 2010. It killed tens of thousands of people. Saturday's quake was felt in Port-au-Prince but initial reports suggested it had not caused major damage there. Story continues Local newspaper Le Nouvelliste said one person was killed when an auditorium collapsed in Gros-Morne and that detainees were released from a damaged police holding cell. Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant said a crisis cabinet had been formed to coordinate all emergency responses to the earthquake. "Damage has been recorded mainly in the far north. All my sympathies to the victims. The executive at the highest level is mobilised to provide appropriate answers. I call on the population to be cautious and calm," he said in a statement shared on Twitter. Additional reporting by Reuters PARIS (Reuters) - International police group Interpol said on Friday it was aware of reports of the "alleged disappearance" of its president Meng Hongwei and said the issue was a matter for the relevant authorities in France and China. French police said on Friday they had opened an investigation after Meng's wife reported him missing following a trip to his native China last week. Interpol is based in the French city of Lyon. "This is a matter for the relevant authorities in both France and China," Interpol's press office said in a statement, adding that the organization's secretary general, not Meng, was responsible for the day-to-day running of Interpol. "Interpol's General Secretariat headquarters will not comment further." (Reporting by Richard Lough; WRiting by Ingrid Melander) Tehran (AFP) - Iran's parliament on Sunday approved a bill to counter terrorist financing that was strongly opposed by conservatives but seen as vital to salvaging the nuclear deal with European and Asian partners. The bill aims to bring Iran's laws in line with international standards and allow it to join the UN Terrorism Financing Convention. It is one of four bills put forward by the government in recent months in a bid to meet demands by the international Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which has given Iran until later this month to tighten its laws against money laundering and terror financing. "Neither I nor the president can guarantee that all problems will go away if we join (the UN convention)," said Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif during Sunday's debate. "But I guarantee that not joining will provide the US with more excuses to increase our problems," he added. The issue has become particularly pressing since the United States walked out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran earlier this year and began reimposing sanctions. The other parties to the deal -- Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia -- have sought to salvage the agreement and maintain trade with Iran, but have demanded that it accede to the FATF. Joining the UN convention has been controversial because hardliners say it will limit Iran's ability to support armed groups in the region such as its Lebanese ally, Hezbollah. Iran is alone with North Korea on the blacklist of the FATF, although the Paris-based organisation has suspended counter-measures since June 2017 while Iran works on reforms. A previous bill on the mechanics of monitoring and preventing terrorist financing was signed into law in August. Two other bills -- on money-laundering and organised crime -- have also been passed by parliament but have been delayed by higher authorities that vet legislation, including the Guardian Council. - 'Death to traitors' - Story continues Conservatives were furious after Sunday's bill passed by 143 votes to 120, with protesters chanting "death to traitors" outside parliament. In a heated debate ahead of the vote, opponents of the bill said it would not solve the country's financial problems, and would help its enemies. Hardline lawmaker Mohammad Dehghan warned the bill means "providing the enemy with intelligence during an economic war" and that passing it amounted to "treason". Economists say greater transparency could cause problems for powerful behind-the-scenes networks, including the Revolutionary Guards military organisation, which is deeply embedded in Iran's opaque economy. Both sides of the debate have evoked supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to support their position. Conservatives pointed to Khamenei's statement in June that Iran has "no need to join" global conventions. But parliament speaker Ali Larijani, who supports the government's position, said he had received a letter from Khamenei explaining that his remarks were about "conventions in general" and not meant to oppose any particular bills. Reformist lawmaker Mohammad Feyzi told the session that Iran does not have "the luxury of choice" and will face negative consequences if it refuses to join the FATF. Ali Najafi, spokesman for the parliament's commission which produced the bill, said Iran retained the right to walk away from the UN convention "wherever it acts against the Iranian constitution" and emphasised that it does not force Iran to recognise Israel. Jerusalem (AFP) - The wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went on trial Sunday for allegedly using state funds to fraudulently pay for hundreds of meals, part of a list of legal troubles facing the family. The start of Sara Netanyahu's trial was the latest chapter in a saga intensely scrutinised in Israel but dismissed by the Netanyahus as another "absurd" attempt to discredit them. She smiled at her lawyers when entering the court and the session began with a hearing on whether the trial should be overseen by a panel of three judges instead of one, due to the case's "public sensitivity". Attorney Yossi Cohen, leading her defence, said the prosecution request for an expanded bench was an attempt to take a simple case and "make it into a complicated drama". After a hearing of about around 40 minutes, the court adjourned until November 13, with the trial expected to run for months. But judge Avital Chen hinted that he would prefer some form of plea bargain to avoid a drawn-out trial, telling the lawyers to "see if they can reach an agreement between them". He said the accused would not be required to appear in court at the November hearing. On the issue of adding two more judges, he said he would inform the parties of his decision in writing. - 'Noodles and take-away' - Sara Netanyahu was charged with fraud and breach of trust in June. On trial with her is Ezra Seidoff, who ran the Netanyahus' official Jerusalem residence at the time of the alleged offences. He is charged with fraud and falsifying documents. Prosecutors accuse them of misusing state funds to pay for catered meals costing $100,000 (85,000 euros) by falsely declaring there were no cooks available at the residence. From 2010 to 2013, Sara Netanyahu, her family and guests received "fraudulently from the state hundreds of prepared meals", the indictment read. According to the charge sheet, the meals were ordered from a variety of well-known Jerusalem businesses, including an Italian restaurant, a Middle Eastern grill joint and a sushi establishment. Story continues Netanyahu, 59 and a high-profile presence at her husband's side throughout his long tenure, has denied any wrongdoing. "For the first time in history, charges are being pressed against a leaders wife over noodles and take-away containers from six to seven years ago," a statement from her lawyers said Sunday. The meals were ordered "against Sara Netanyahu's will", it said. - Allegations over luxury gifts - The case has again turned the spotlight on the Netanyahu family and past allegations of misbehaviour. The premier himself faces possible charges in separate corruption investigations, leading to speculation that he will eventually be forced to step down. Sara Netanyahu has previously been accused of pocketing cash from deposit refunds for empty bottles returned from the official residence. She has also faced accusations of mistreating staff, and in 2016 a court awarded some $47,000 in damages to a former housekeeper who accused the couple of repeated workplace abuse. The Netanyahus have hit back, calling the allegations grossly unfair smear attempts. One particularly high-profile example occurred in 2017, when both the premier and his wife appeared in court in their libel case against a journalist's claim that Sara Netanyahu kicked her husband out of the car during a row. Benjamin Netanyahu testified that the story was a "ridiculous" fabrication. The court later awarded the Netanyahus $32,500. But there are potentially more serious allegations facing Benjamin Netanyahu. On Friday, police quizzed him for a 12th time as a suspect in various cases. In one of them he allegedly tried to secure a secret deal with the publisher of Israel's top-selling newspaper Yediot Aharonot to ensure positive coverage in return for pushing forward a law that would have limited the circulation of a rival. Another case involves suspicions that the premier and his family received luxury gifts from wealthy individuals in exchange for financial or personal favours. There is also an ongoing inquiry into his ties with local telecoms giant Bezeq and its largest shareholder, Shaul Elovitch, according to Israeli media. Police have recommended Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted in two cases, though the attorney general has yet to decide whether to do so. Despite the ongoing investigations, Netanyahu has remained strong in polls and he is not obliged to step down if formally charged. Rome (AFP) - Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini threatened Sunday to shut the country's airports after media reported that Germany planned to send charter flights of rejected asylum-seekers to Italy. "If someone in Berlin or Brussels thinks of dropping dozens of migrants via non-authorised charter flights in Italy, they should know that there is not and there will be no airport available," Salvini said on Twitter. "We will close the airports like we closed our ports," he added in reference to Italy's decision this summer to ban migrant rescue boats from entering its harbours. His comments came after German news agency DPA reported Sunday that Berlin intended to start returning rejected asylum-seekers to Italy via chartered flights. The first flight was due to leave Monday, with another scheduled for October 17, according to DPA. The migrants were mainly Nigerians who had entered the European Union via Italy, the agency said. Similarly, Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported Saturday that Germany's federal migration office was sending letters to asylum-seekers, warning them of their "imminent" return to Italy under the so-called Dublin rules. That controversial regulation assigns responsibility for migrants to the nation of first entry. However, Germany's interior ministry told DPA later Sunday that "no deportations (of migrants) to Italy are planned in the coming days". Immigration remains a hot-button issue among European Union members despite a major drop in arrivals following the 2015 peak of the continent's migration crisis. Germany has welcomed more than a million asylum-seekers, many fleeing war-torn Syria or Iraq, over the past three years. In the face of rifts within her conservative camp and rising xenophobia, Chancellor Angela Merkel has pledged to forge bilateral agreements with EU partner countries for migrant returns. But while Germany was able to strike deals with frontline nations Greece and Spain, Italy has been a much more reluctant partner at the negotiating table. Salvini, whose far-right Northern League party forms a ruling coalition with the anti-establishment Five Star Movement, accuses other EU members of letting Italy shoulder an unfair share of migrants. In a move likely driven by the 2018 midterm elections, Senator Joe Manchin broke ranks with the Democratic Party and has said he will vote in favour of Brett Kavanaughs Supreme Court nomination when it comes up for a final vote this weekend. The moderate Democrat from the reliably red Republican state of West Virginia has become a crucial vote in putting Donald Trumps second nominee on the highest court in the country as party divisions have grown clear. With Mr Manchin's planned support alongside expected "yes" votes from two key Republicans, Jeff Flake and Susan Collins, who had previously said they were undecided Mr Kavanaugh appears to have the votes necessary to be confirmed as the next Supreme Court justice of the United States. Mr Manchin has drawn criticism from both sides of the political aisle since Christine Blasey Fords powerful testimony about her allegation Mr Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her while the pair were in high school in 1982. Mr Kavanaughs emotional, often angry, and heated exchanges with Democratic Senators during his testimony about the allegations only added to partisan tensions, which have grown more clear as the Trump presidency continues. Mr Manchin currently holds a lead in his 2018 re-election bid, but the results vary by pollster and all have shown a drop in his numbers in the days leading up to the Kavanaugh vote. RealClearPolitics still has him at an average lead of 9.4 points, while FiveThirtyEight cited the Tarrance Group poll which showed he had a four-point lead over Republican candidate state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey. Just a few days ago, several polls showed Mr Manchin with a 12-point lead. Mr Manchins office has not responded to a request for comment, but his phone lines and inboxes have been flooded with calls for the left-leaning Senator from coal country to follow party lines and vote no on Mr Kavanaugh. Mr Manchin may be undecided due to his shrinking lead in a state won handily by Mr Trump in 2016, but experts have said he is also concerned about his ability to wield power in the Senate if he does get re-elected. Story continues Mr Trump and his surrogates have played to the concerns of the dwindling coal industry, which continues to thrive in the small, largely rural state. Mr Manchin has never been able to shake the power of coal lobbyists while in Washington, often leading him to break with the Democratic party on key legislation involving climate change and environmental regulations surrounding carbon emissions. However, Mr Trump also went to the state to campaign for his opponent Mr Morrissey and many were hoping it would sway Mr Manchin to vote more closely along party lines on votes like Mr Kavanaughs confirmation. The senator has indicated the FBI investigation - a result of Mr Flake breaking with his Republican party and delaying the nomination vote - would factor heavily into his decision on Mr Kavanaugh. Unlike other undecided senators like Alaskas Lisa Murkowski, Mr Flake, and Ms Collins, Mr Manchin is up for re-election this year. Ms Collins has been feeling pressure from thousands of protesters and sexual assault survivors flooding her inboxes, offices in the Senate and in her home state of Maine, and the halls of the Capitol building. A Maine-based political activist group have set up crowdfunding campaigns in order to fund her opponent in the 2020 election, whoever that may be, if Ms Collins votes to put Mr Kavanaugh on the bench - a threat they are hoping will help sway her vote. While Mr Manchin has not gotten similar threats, his seat is always shaky given the large Republican base in the state. Experts have often said, West Virginians vote for Mr Manchin despite him being a Democrat rather than because of it. The other male vote in the Senate - which could serve to negate any no votes by Ms Murkowski or Ms Collins - is Mr Flake, who announced his retirement from the Senate in a fiery speech last year during which he railed against Mr Trump. He cited his lack of re-election concerns as what allowed him to compromise with personal friend and Democratic Senator Chris Coons and call for the delayed vote and FBI investigation of Dr Fords allegations. What may have prompted him was a heated confrontation from protesters the morning on 28 September. Mr Flake had looked shell-shocked and had remained silent until the end of the hearing that day after two female protesters - Maria Gallagher and Ana Maria Archila - cornered him in an elevator on his way to the hearing. Screaming at him tearfully, Ms Gallagher asked him to look me in eyes as she said she was a sexual assault survivor and that Mr Flake was telling me I dont matter. Ms Archilia was holding the elevator door open as she said the Senator was putting someone on the Supreme Court for decades who was accused of violating a young girl you have children. Mr Manchin also experienced a similar confrontation. Democratic swing vote Joe Manchin is confronted by protesters heading to his office. Right before this recording started he said he hasn't decided yet how he'll vote on Kavanaugh because he needs to finish reading the report. pic.twitter.com/DmJqkHhnKF Paul McLeod (@pdmcleod) October 4, 2018 A woman confronted him as he boarded an elevator as well, saying: As a [sexual assault] survivor, I dont understand how you cant look me in the eye. I can, Mr Manchin replied, adding: Im looking right at you. The protester asked: How are you not listening to us as survivors? No, I am listening to you, Manchin said. Are you? Youre going to get in this elevator? Look, how are you going to vote? Tell me," she said. Mr Manchin simply said: "I can't tell you right now". Party members have called for him to follow Senator Heidi Heitkamp, from the red state of North Dakota, who said she was voting no just after Mr Kavanaughs testimony. Whether Mr Manchin decides to vote with the party and in support of sexual assault survivors remains to be seen as is what he feels would be more representative of his West Virginia constituency. The final Senate vote is scheduled to take place on Saturday, but The Independent has heard it could be delayed until the next day. WASHINGTON (AP) The Latest on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh (all times local): 7 p.m. Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor are raising concerns about partisanship on the high court. Kagan and Sotomayor spoke Friday at an event at Princeton University. Without mentioning President Donald Trump or Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, the justices responded to a question about the politics of the moment. Kagan says there had traditionally been a "middle" of the court and it's not clear there will be going forward. She says it's important for the court to guard its legitimacy, or the public could lose respect for it. Sotomayor says it's important for the justices to rise above partisanship and treat one another with respect and dignity. Kagan and Sotomayor are both Princeton graduates. Both were appointed by Democratic President Barack Obama. Sotomayor was appointed and confirmed in 2009. Kagan joined the court in 2010. ___ 4:30 p.m. Sarah Palin is insinuating she could mount a primary challenge against Alaska GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski if she opposes Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court. In a tweet Friday, Palin wrote "Hey @lisamurkowski I can see 2022 from my house." The tweet was a reference to an infamous "Saturday Night Live" skit in which Tina Fey, portraying Palin, said she could see Russia from her house. Murkowski is next up for re-election in 2022. She hasn't officially said she would vote against Kavanaugh, but opposed a procedural vote related to the nomination earlier Friday. She later told reporters it's time to think "about the credibility and integrity of our institutions." Palin is a former Alaska governor and was GOP presidential candidate John McCain's running mate in 2008. __ 3:58 p.m. The remaining undecided Democrat, Sen. Joe Manchin, says he will support Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. The West Virginia senator announced his decision moments after the remaining undecided Republican, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, said she would vote to confirm the nominee. Story continues Kavanaugh is now set to have the votes needed to be confirmed. A vote is expected Saturday. Manchin says he has reservations because of the sexual misconduct accusations against Kavanaugh and the judge's temperament in denying them. But he says in a statement he is casting his vote on "what is best for West Virginia." Amid a divisive confirmation that has split the Senate and the nation, Manchin says he hopes Kavnaugh "will not allow the partisan nature this process took to follow him onto the court." __ 3:51 p.m. Sen. Susan Collins will vote yes on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court. The Maine Republican announced her decision Friday in Senate speech that was disrupted by protesters before it even began and met with applause when it ended. Her support all but ensures Kavanaugh will be confirmed. Collins says she does not believe the sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh rise to a level to "fairly prevent" him from serving on the court. She says she adheres to a presumption of innocence, and does not believe they reached a threshold of certainty. Collins has never opposed a Supreme Court nominee, confirming the past five justices from Republican and Democratic presidents. Kavanaugh cleared a key procedural vote to advance his nomination earlier Friday. A final confirmation vote is expected Saturday. __ 2:15 p.m. A federal judge is rejecting an Oregon senator's attempt to force disclosure of more details on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh before a confirmation vote. U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson on Friday turned down an emergency request by Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley asking the court to order the release of more than 100,000 pages related to Kavanaugh's time in the White House Counsel's Office under George W. Bush. The White House has declined to make the documents available, citing executive privilege. Merkley filed the suit on Sept. 26, but added a fresh motion Wednesday arguing that lack of access to the documents makes it impossible to properly vet Kavanaugh and "has prevented the U.S. Senate from fulfilling its constitutional duties." Jackson on Friday rejected Merkley's request to accelerate the date of a status hearing set for Tuesday, and then canceled that hearing. Berman suggested that Merkley waited too long to file his motion nearly a month after the White House announced the pages would be withheld. The Senate is expected to hold a final Kavanaugh vote on Saturday. __ 1 p.m. Sen. Steve Daines says he'll return to Washington D.C. by private jet on his daughter's wedding day if his vote is needed to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. The Montana Republican said in a statement to The Associated Press that his Republican colleague, Montana congressman Greg Gianforte, "has come to save the day" by offering him use of his private jet. Daines' daughter is getting married in Montana on Saturday, when the Senate is expected to hold a final vote on Kavanaugh. A spokeswoman for Daines said he will walk his daughter down the aisle, and Republicans can hold the vote open if they need him. There are 51 votes required for confirmation. Republicans hold a slim 51-49 majority. Vice President Mike Pence could break a tie. The Senate on Friday voted to advance Kavanaugh's nomination. A final vote is expected on Saturday afternoon. ___ 12:35 p.m. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski is strongly suggesting she will vote no on Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court. The Alaskan told reporters Friday it's time to think "about the credibility and integrity of our institutions." Murkowski was the lone Republican to vote against advancing Kavanaugh's nomination on Friday. She's one of two Senate Republicans along with Susan Collins of Maine who support abortion rights. Kavanaugh could tip the court's balance toward conservatives for a generation. Murkowski's spokeswoman could not immediately confirm she will oppose Kavanaugh on the final vote but indicated it appeared that way. Murkowski is fiercely independent senator known for bucking her party. She acknowledged she's made "some interesting" votes in her political career. __ 12:20 p.m. Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake said he will vote to confirm Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh "unless something big changes." But Flake added that he doesn't expect anything to change. He was one of a handful of senators who hadn't said how he would vote on Kavanaugh. He said it was a hard decision and "a difficult decision for everybody." Flake predicted that Kavanaugh will be confirmed when the Senate votes on Saturday. Last week Flake forced his fellow Republicans to order an expanded FBI investigation on sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh. Flake and other senators read that confidential FBI report Thursday. Republicans said it showed that the allegations weren't corroborated. Kavanaugh has denied the allegations. __ Noon The nation's largest legal organization is reopening its evaluation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh based on his performance during a Senate hearing last week. The American Bar Association's Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary said Friday it's revisiting its evaluation based on "new information of a material nature regarding temperament." It said it was unlikely the process will conclude before the Senate votes on Kavanaugh's nomination. Kavanaugh touted his "well-qualified" rating from the ABA committee during angry, emotional testimony last week, in which he denied sexual misconduct allegations. Democrats have questioned whether he has the temperament for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court. The ABA was among the organizations that had called for an FBI investigation of allegations against Kavanaugh. That probe was completed this week. Friday's letter says the original "well-qualified" rating stands, for now. ___ 11:10 a.m. President Donald Trump is praising the Senate for pushing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh past a key procedural hurdle. Trump tweeted Friday: "Very proud of the U.S. Senate for voting "YES" to advance the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh!" The chamber voted 51-49 to move forward with Trump's nominee. A final vote on Kavanaugh's nomination could occur over the weekend. White House aides and allies expressed cautious optimism Friday. Trump, who framed the nomination as a rallying issue for Republican voters at a Thursday night rally, has been keeping in close contact with staff and Republican allies in the Senate, the White House indicated. __ 10:55 a.m. The Senate has pushed Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court past a key procedural hurdle. The chamber voted 51-49 to move forward with President Donald Trump's nominee. A final vote on Kavanaugh's nomination could occur over the weekend. There's no guarantee that the senators who supported moving forward will back Kavanaugh on the final vote. Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who voted to advance Kavanaugh, said she will announce her decision on confirmation later Friday. Also voting to move the nomination forward was Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who had been undecided. But Alaska GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted against moving the nomination forward. Kavanaugh's nomination has been imperiled by accusations of sexual misconduct. He forcefully denied the allegations. __ 10:35 a.m. The Senate has begun a procedural vote on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court. Several senators have not said how they will vote: Republicans Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Jeff Flake of Arizona and Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Kavanaugh's nomination will need 51 votes to advance. If there's a tie, Vice President Pence is expected to cast the decisive vote in Kavanaugh's favor. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has pushed to get Kavanaugh confirmed this week, said he was "feeling good" ahead of the vote. Senators have been wrestling with the findings of an FBI background investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh. He forcefully denied the allegations. __ 10:30 a.m. Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine says she will vote to advance Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination in Friday's procedural vote. Collins told reporters she is "voting yes on proceeding to the final confirmation vote" and will announce her decision on confirmation later Friday. Collins was one of three Republicans seen as undecided on Kavanaugh's nomination. Kavanaugh has denied allegations of sexual misconduct in high school and college. __ 10:20 a.m. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says Republicans have only themselves to blame for the hurdles in Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court. Schumer said Friday, "They have a flawed nominee." The New York Democrat called it a "shameful culmination" of a process that started when Republicans refused to consider Merrick Garland, President Barack Obama's nominee for a seat on the court. Schumer blamed Republicans' "scorched earth tactics" as they try to put conservatives on the bench. Senators are poised to vote Friday to advance Kavanaugh's nomination ahead of a final confirmation vote over the weekend. __ 10:14 a.m. Sen. Dianne Feinstein says Brett Kavanaugh's testimony before the Judiciary Committee was "so shocking" it makes him unfit to serve on the Supreme Court. The California Democrat said that the judge's behavior showed "a man filled with anger and aggression." She said that revealed a temperament and lack of impartiality that's unbecoming for the high court. She spoke on the Senate floor ahead of a Friday procedural vote. Feinstein is the top Democrat on the committee and made her remarks as the Senate opened for a key test vote to advance Kavnaugh's nomination. Feinstein says Kavanaugh has not "earned" his seat. __ 10 a.m. The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee has urged his colleagues to say no to "mob rule" and vote to move Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination forward. Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley said on the Senate floor ahead of Friday's procedural vote, "This should have been a respectable and dignified confirmation process." He says in a previous era a nominee as highly qualified as Kavanaugh would have received unanimous support in the Senate. Grassley says an FBI investigation "found no hint of misconduct" by Kavanaugh, who has denied a California college professor's allegations he sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers. Grassley blames "left-wing outside groups" and "left-wing dark money" for trying to derail Kavanaugh's nomination. He says what they did to sully Kavanaugh's reputation was "nothing short of monstrous." Democrats say Republicans have tried to rush the process. __ 9:50 a.m. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he's "feeling good" ahead of a crucial Senate vote to advance the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. McConnell made the short comment Friday to reporters as he walked to the Senate floor as the chamber opened. Key GOP senators have not yet said their positions less than an hour before voting. McConnell has little room for error in the narrowly divided Senate with a 51-49 GOP majority. The Senate is set to vote at 10:30 a.m. Republicans can rely on Vice President Mike Pence to break a tie, but that has never happened for a Supreme Court nominee, according to the Senate Historical Office. __ 9:40 a.m. President Donald Trump is criticizing female protesters who confronted senators over Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Trump is calling them "paid professionals only looking to make Senators look bad." Trump tweeted Friday about the women flooding Capitol Hill to oppose Kavanaugh. Trump described the women as "rude elevator screamers" and said they have "professionally made identical signs." The Senate will take a crucial vote Friday on whether to move Kavanaugh's nomination forward. The nominee has denied allegations of sexual misconduct from high school and college. Senators have been confronted by protesters, some of whom who are members or paid staffers for activist groups. Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake was challenged by two women as he entered an elevator last week. Several women who identified themselves as sexual assault survivors approached Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah on Thursday and asked why he's backing Kavanaugh. Hatch waved and told them to "grow up" as he entered an elevator. __ 8:20 a.m. The No. 2 Senate Democrat says an op-ed written by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on the eve of a Senate vote left him unconvinced that Kavanaugh is qualified for the court. Sen. Dick Durbin says he still believes Kavanaugh doesn't have the temperament and is too partisan. The Illinois Democrat told CBS' "This Morning" on Friday that Kavanaugh's op-ed, in which he conceded being "very emotional" in his Senate testimony was unpersuasive. Durbin says he understands that "this has to be a terrible ordeal" for Kavanaugh and his family, but adds: "The fire in his eyes when he turned into this partisan screed is something I'm not going to forget." Kavanaugh has denied allegations of sexual assault by California psychology professor Christine Blasey Ford, calling them an orchestrated political hit. In an op-ed published Thursday evening in the Wall Street Journal, the 53-year-old judge acknowledged that he became "very emotional" during his Senate Judiciary testimony but is "hardworking" and "even-keeled." The Senate is poised for a crucial vote Friday on whether to advance Kavanaugh's nomination. Key Republicans remain undecided. __ 7:45 a.m. Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, who helped broker a deal with Republican Sen. Jeff Flake that led to an expanded FBI background investigation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, says he doesn't know how Flake or the other undecided senators will vote. Coons, of Delaware, told ABC's "Good Morning America" Friday that his undecided friends are not returning his phone calls, "and that typically is a way a senator tells you they're busy deciding." The Senate is poised to take a crucial vote Friday on whether to advance Kavanaugh's nomination amid his denials of allegations of sexual misconduct when he was in high school and college. Flake, of Arizona, and two other Republican senators have not announced how they'll vote. Neither has Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Republican Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said on Fox News' "Fox & Friends" he doesn't yet know how the vote will come out but respects his fellow senators' decision to keep quiet as they consider what to do. ___ 1:45 a.m. The Senate is taking a crucial vote Friday to advance Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court. Key GOP senators remain undecided amid allegations of sexual misconduct and intense protests dividing the nation. The 53-year-old judge made what were in effect closing arguments by acknowledging that he became "very emotional" when forcefully denying the allegations at a Judiciary Committee hearing last week. But in an op-ed published Thursday he insists he remains the same "hardworking, even-keeled" person as always. Tensions are high at the Capitol, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is pushing ahead with little room for error. Republicans have a slim 51-49 hold on the Senate. A final vote is expected Saturday. OSLO, Norway (AP) The Latest on the awarding of the Nobel Prizes (all times local): 10:15 p.m. Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney says the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to her client Nadia Murad "sends a message that survivors of sexual violence must not be ignored, and that their abusers must be held to account." Clooney said in a statement after Murad was named co-winner of the prestigious prize Friday that "at a time when so many women's voices are still silenced, Nadia's has been heard around the world." The 25-year-old Murad was recognized for her activism on behalf of fellow Yazidi women who were held and raped by the Islamic State group in Iraq in 2014. The next year, she told the U.N. Security Council what was happening. Clooney is Murad's legal counsel and has represented other Yazidi women. She was established as a human rights lawyer before she married actor George Clooney. Murad shares the Nobel with Congolese surgeon Denis Mukwege, who has treated countless rape victims during years of conflict among armed groups. ___ 7:30 p.m. Iraqi prime minister-designate Adel Abdul-Mahdi has congratulated Yezidi activist Nadia Murad for winning the Nobel Peace Prize, saying she deserved the award given the suffering she endured. Abdul-Mahdi added in a short statement posted on his Facebook account Friday evening that Murad was a victim of Islamic State extremists responsible for "terrorism, extremism, mass killing, slavery (and) rape." The 25-year-old advocate for victims of sexual violence is the first Iraqi citizen to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Her mother was killed by IS militants, who also held her captive. Abdul-Mahdi, a veteran Shiite politician, was tapped Tuesday to form Iraq's next government. He says international recognition is the least Murad and her "Yazidi and Iraqi sisters should get" after what they have gone through. ___ 6:40 p.m. Nobel Peace prize co-winner Nadia Murad of Iraq says she will share her award "with Yazidis, Iraqis, Kurds, other persecuted minorities and all of the countless victims of sexual violence around the world." Story continues She says "as a survivor, I am grateful for this opportunity to draw international attention to the plight of the Yazidi people, who have suffered unimaginable crimes" under Islamic State militants. The 25-year-old advocate for victims of sexual violence says will be thinking of her mother, who was slain by IS militants, and other Yazidis who were killed. She says "we must work together with determination - to prove that genocidal campaigns will not only fail, but lead to accountability for the perpetrators and justice for the survivors." She also congratulated her co-winner, Dr. Denis Mukwege, "a man I admire greatly who has dedicated his life to helping women of sexual violence." ___ 5:50 p.m. President Donald Trump hasn't commented on the new Nobel Peace Prize winners but his new ambassador to Congo has. U.S. Ambassador Mike Hammer says in a Twitter post: "Congratulations Dr. Denis Mukwege! Looking forward to visiting Panzi Hospital and seeing firsthand your remarkable work against sexual violence and in support of survivors." This year's Nobel Peace Prize is shared by Mukwege and Nadia Murad, an Iraqi woman who has become a global advocate for rape and torture victims like herself of Islamic State militants. Berit Reiss-Andersen, chairwoman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said the panel wanted to "send a message" that those who use sexual violence against women "have to be prosecuted and held responsible." ___ 5:20 p.m. The Congolese surgeon who shares this year's Nobel Peace Prize says he is dedicating the award to "the women of all the countries of the world wounded by conflict and confronted by violence every day." Dr. Denis Mukwege spoke to jubilant colleagues and supporters at their hospital in eastern Congo, where news of the award arrived while Mukwege was finishing an operation. The 63-year-old Mukwege said for nearly 20 years he has witnessed war crimes "against women, teenage girls, small girls, babies." He said "dear survivors around the world, I want to tell you that through this prize the world is listening to you and refuses indifference ... We hope that the world will no longer delay taking action in your favor, with force and determination, because the survival of humanity depends on you. It's you women who carry humanity." Mukwege shared the prize with Iraq's Nadia Murad, a global spokeswoman for Yazidi women and girls kidnapped into sex slavery by Islamic State militants. ___ 4:50 p.m. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is hailing Nobel Peace Prize winners Dr. Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad as "defenders of human dignity." Guterres spoke Friday at the U.N., which in 2016 named Murad its first Goodwill Ambassador for the dignity of survivors of human trafficking. She was among an estimated 3,000 female members of the Yazidi religious minority who were kidnapped, abused and sold into sex slavery by Islamic State militants in Iraq in 2014. Guterres noted that Murad's "powerful advocacy" helped spur an ongoing U.N. investigation into possible war crimes committed by IS. Mukwege, a surgeon who has treated many women who were raped in conflict-wracked Congo, has faced attempts on his own life. Guterres calls Mukwege "a fearless champion for human rights." ___ 3:20 p.m. The European Union says this year's Nobel Peace Prize "celebrates the strength, the courage and the vision" of co-winners Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad, who were recognized for their work in combating the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. The EU was awarded the peace prize in 2012 for advancing peace, democracy and human rights in Europe. The block said in a statement Friday that the latest laureates "risked their own lives to help, protect and save others." EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini praised the two, saying they "worked tirelessly within their communities to bring about change and put an end to the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war." European Parliament President Antonio Tajani commended their "courage and resilience." He said that "in their fight for common human values, (they) richly deserve the Nobel Peace Prize." Murad and Mukwege previously won Europe's top human rights award, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. ___ 2:40 p.m. Congolese surgeon Denis Mukwege says the news that he was a co-winner of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize came while he was at the operating table. In newly posted audio on the Nobel site, Mukwege says Friday he really doesn't have time to chat but he described the moment that he heard the news as "touching." The doctor who treats rape victims in the central African nation that was been wracked for decades by conflict says he was nearing the end of his second operation of the day when he heard people crying. Mukwege says "I can see in the faces of many women how they are happy to be recognized ... this is really so touching." He and Yazidi activist Nadia Murad won for their campaigns to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. ___ 2:10 p.m. Iraq's newly elected president has congratulated Yazidi activist Nadia Murad for being a co-winner of 2018 Nobel Peace Prize. President Barham Saleh said that honoring Murad is an international recognition of the "catastrophe" that Yazidis were subject to by Islamic State militants. Murad was captured by IS militants at 19 and raped, beaten and tortured daily before escaping and becoming an international spokeswoman for victims. State TV quoted Saleh, who was elected by parliament earlier this week, as saying the award is also recognizes all victims of "terrorism" in Iraq. State TV says Murad is the first Iraqi to win any Nobel prize. She and Dr. Denis Mukwege, a gynecologist who treats rape victims in the Congo, won the 2018 prize for combating the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. ___ 1:30 p.m. Iraq is celebrating the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to former Islamic State captive Nadia Murad, saying she is the first Iraqi citizen to win the top international award. Iraqi state TV interrupted its normal programs Friday for a special broadcast about Murad's award of the Nobel Prize. It reported that outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi expressed his happiness. State TV correspondent in Europe Amer al-Moussawi said in his report that "this is a victory for the just cause that Iraqis fought for against international terrorism." Hussam Abdullah, head of the Yazidi Organization for Documentation, using an Arabic term to refer to IS, said "this win represents the international recognition of the genocide that was committed by Daesh." ___ 1:25 p.m. Congolese politicians are expressing pride but taking the opportunity to make political jabs after surgeon Denis Mukwege was announced as one of the winners of this year's Nobel Peace Prize for his work on combating the use of sexual violence in war. He is the country's first Nobel laureate. "I am proud to be Congolese," says the country's top opposition leader, Felix Tshisekedi, in a Twitter post. "Good done for others always ends up being rewarded." Another opposition leader who was recently barred by the government as a candidate in December's presidential election, Moise Katumbi, tweets that the award puts Congo in the global spotlight. But he adds that "it's time for a new political leadership to end the tragedy of raped women." ___ 1:10 p.m. A U.N. spokeswoman says that the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad for their work in combating the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war is a "fantastic announcement." Alessandra Velluci told reporters in Geneva that "this is a cause that is very close to the United Nations and as you know we have a special representative who is also working towards this, and I'm sure that this Nobel peace prize will help advance the cause of ending sexual violence as a weapon of conflict." Murad is the U.N.'s Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking. ___ 12:55 p.m. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has welcomed the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad. Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said Friday that the German chancellor has "great respect for their work." Seibert said Murad came to Germany in 2015 as part of a special program for female victims of violence and met Merkel in 2016 to discuss her work helping others. ___ 12:50 p.m. A Dutch-based foundation named for Dr. Denis Mukwege has welcomed the announcement that he has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In a statement, The Mukwege Foundation says the award granted Friday to the Congolese gynecological surgeon and to Yazidi activist Nadia Murad sends "a clear message that sexual violence in wars is unacceptable and must stop." Mukwege is a special adviser to the foundation that works to end sexual violence in wars. The foundation says it will "continue to work with Dr. Mukwege and his team, as well as Nadia Murad, towards a world in which sexual violence as a method of warfare is abolished and survivors receive the care they need." Praise also poured in from other colleagues and supporters of Mukwege. "Well deserved and long awaited," said the executive director of Human Rights Watch, Ken Roth. "It is 10 years since I first proposed heroic Mukwege for Nobel Prize," tweeted Jan Egeland, a former U.N. official who now leads the Norwegian Refugee Council. ___ 12:45 p.m. Congo's government is congratulating surgeon Denis Mukwege on his Nobel Peace Prize, while acknowledging that relations have been strained over the years. Spokesman Lambert Mende tells The Associated Press that Mukwege has done "remarkable work" treating victims of sexual violence during years of conflict in the country's east. Mukwege in the past has criticized the Congolese government and accused its troops of having a culture of sexual violence. Congo's government spokesman says "we have not always been in agreement" and says Mukwege has had a tendency to "politicize" his humanitarian work. However, "we salute that a compatriot is recognized." ___ 12:35 p.m. Congo, the sprawling central African nation where 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Denis Mukwege works, has been called "the rape capital of the world," by the U.N. secretary-general's special representative on sexual violence in conflict. Eastern Congo has seen more than two decades of bloody conflict among armed groups that either sought to unseat presidents or simply grab control of a piece of the country's trillions of dollars in mineral wealth. Rape has been used as a vicious weapon of war. Millions of people have been killed over the years and millions more have fled. Dozens of armed groups still roam the region and some now are disrupting attempts to fight a new Ebola outbreak in Congo's northeast, causing alarm among health workers. Armed men tried to kill Mukwege in 2012, forcing him to temporarily leave the country. He won the peace prize Friday with Nadia Murad, a Yazidi woman who became a global spokeswoman for victims after being raped and tortured by Islamic State militants. ___ 12:15 p.m. Nobel Peace Prize winner Nadia Murad was captured by Islamic State militants at 19 and raped, beaten and tortured daily before managing to escape. Following treatment in Germany, Murad became a global spokeswoman for Yazidi women, telling their ordeal to the U.N. Security Council and being named a U.N. special ambassador. Tens of thousands of Yazidis escaped to Mount Sinjar in Iraq in 2014, where they were surrounded and besieged by Islamic State militants. The U.S., Iraq, Britain, France and Australia flew in water and supplies until Kurdish fighters opened a corridor to allow them to flee. The U.N. has called the IS assault a genocide, saying the Yazidis' "400,000-strong community had all been displaced, captured or killed." Of the thousands captured by IS, boys were forced to fight for the extremists, many of the men were executed and women and girls were sold into slavery. Germany's Yazidi community reached out, and the state of Baden Wuerttemberg established a program to bring women abused by IS to Germany, including Murad. ___ 12:10 p.m. The head of the foundation behind the award known as the "alternative Nobel" says giving the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize to Congolese surgeon Denis Mukwege "is a fantastic choice," because he "not only helps mend (women) physically but also restores their human dignity." Ole von Uexkull, head of the Right Livelihood Award Foundation, says the 2018 award "must be a clarion call to putting an end to violence against women everywhere around the world." He said Friday Mukwege was given the Right Livelihood Award in 2013 for "his courageous work healing women survivors of wartime sexual violence and speaking up about its root causes". The Norwegian Nobel Committee jointly awarded the peace prize to Mukwege and to Nadia Murad, a Yazidi who was a captive of the Islamic State group. ___ 12:05 p.m. The Congolese gynecological surgeon who has won the Nobel Peace Prize for treating victims of sexual violence has previously called gender inequality a disgrace to society. Dr. Denis Mukwege made the comments last year to an international assembly of the Lutheran church in Namibia. He said churches must speak out against sexual abuse, and he condemned what he called the "inhumanity" that some men show toward women. Mukwege has treated thousands of women in Congo, many of whom were victims of gang rape in different conflicts. Armed men tried to kill him in 2012, forcing him to temporarily leave the country. Mukwege won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday along with Nadia Murad, a spokeswoman for Yazidi women abused by the Islamic State group. ___ 11:40 a.m. The Norwegian Nobel Committee says that Denis Mukwege is "the foremost, most unifying symbol, both nationally and internationally, of the struggle to end sexual violence in war and armed conflicts." Mukwege and his team have treated thousands of patients who have been raped or sexually abused in Congo's long civil war. "The importance of Dr. Mukwege's enduring, dedicated and selfless efforts in this field cannot be overstated. He has repeatedly condemned impunity for mass rape and criticized the Congolese government and other countries for not doing enough to stop the use of sexual violence against women as a strategy and weapon of war," the committee said in its citation Friday. ___ 11:35 a.m. Nadia Murad, one of the two winners of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize, has become a spokeswoman for Yazidi women abused by the Islamic State group. In December 2015, she told the U.N. Security Council how she and thousands of other Yazidi women and girls were abducted, held in captivity and repeatedly raped after the Iraqi area of Sinjar fell to IS militants in August 2014. She escaped after three months in captivity. A year after most IS-held areas were retaken by Iraqi security forces, around 3,000 Yazidi women and girls are still missing, most presumed dead. At the age of 23, Murad was named the U.N.'s first Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking. ___ 11:30 a.m. The head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee says this year's Nobel Peace winners were chosen to draw attention to the fact that "women are ... actually used as weapons of war." Berit Reiss-Andersen said after announcing the prize Friday that both laureates, Denis Mukwege of Congo and ethnic Yazidi Nadia Murad, had put their personal security at stake as activists on the issue. Oyvind Sternersen, a Nobel historian, said "This is a Nobel bullseye; recognizing victims of war has a long history in the peace prize." ___ 11 a.m. The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad "for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict." The winners were named Friday by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Congolese doctor Mukwege has been a critic of the Congolese government and has treated victims of sexual violence. Murad is a Yazidi who was a captive of the Islamic State group. ___ 6 a.m. The Nobel Peace Prize is always widely anticipated and sometimes controversial. The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which will announce this year's prize on Friday, has received nominations for 216 individuals and 115 organizations. But only a few dozen of them are known the committee keeps the list of nominations secret for 50 years, although some candidates are revealed by their nominators. Among those put forward this year are the Syrian civilian aid group White Helmets, Russia's Novaya Gazeta newspaper, Edward Snowden and the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. Last year's winner was the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. The 2018 prize is worth 9 million Swedish kronor ($1.01 million). Past winners who came under criticism include former U.S. President Barack Obama, who won in 2009 after less than a year in office. A new lawsuit is claiming that popular seltzer water brand LaCroix uses synthetic ingredients, despite its all natural branding. The alleged synthetic ingredients include ethyl butanoate, limonene and linalool propionate, according to the class action suit filed last week by Beaumont Costales. The suit is being brought against LaCroixs parent company National Beverage Corporation in Chicago on behalf of the plaintiff Lenora Rice and all those injured by the popular sparkling water brands false claims to be all natural and 100% natural.' The Beaumont Costales law firm claims the one of the artificial ingredients, linalool, is also used in cockroach insecticide. In a statement, the law firm says it wants LaCroix to relabel its packaging and award damages to customers who bought the beverages thinking it was all-natural. The plaintiff Rice, desiring a healthy, natural beverage, was led to purchase LaCroix sparkling water because of the claims made on its packaging, advertising and web site to be innocent, naturally essenced, all natural, and always 100% natural,' the statement reads. However, LaCroix in fact contains ingredients that have been identified by the Food and Drug Administration as synthetic. These chemicals include limonene, which can cause kidney toxicity and tumors; linalool propionate, which is used to treat cancer; and linalool, which is used in cockroach insecticide. National Beverage Corp. denies the accusations, calling the claims false and defamatory. The lawsuit provides no support for its false statements about LaCroixs ingredients, the Corp. said in a statement. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers natural on a food label to be truthful and non-misleading when nothing artificial or synthetic (including all color additives regardless of source) has been included in, or has been added. All LaCroix product labels include an ingredient statement indicating each product contains carbonated water and natural flavors. National Beverage stands by that ingredient statement and the fact that all the flavor essences in LaCroix are natural. Gros-Morne (Haiti) (AFP) - A strong aftershock sent panicked residents fleeing into the streets on Sunday -- hours after a 5.9-magnitude earthquake killed at least 12 people along Haiti's northwest coast. AFP journalists in the Caribbean nation of 11 million reported strong shaking, felt around the coastal city of Port-de-Paix. It was not immediately clear if it had done any notable damage. Saturday's quake, centered 12 miles (19 kilometers) northwest of Port-de-Paix, injured more than 188 people, damaging or leveling several homes and public buildings. The tremor rattled the capital Port-de-Prince, sparking fear among residents still reeling from the massive 2010 earthquake that left at least 200,000 people dead and 300,000 more injured. President Jovenel Moise and Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant traveled to the affected area to view the damage and coordinate relief efforts. Moise tweeted pictures from Port-de-Paix, where he was briefed at the region's emergency response center, met victims, viewed damage to the police headquarters and offered thanks to local officers. He reported seeing damage to other buildings as well. Moise also visited Gros-Morne, about 30 miles to the southeast. He praised residents for their "show of solidarity and support," and urged them to remain calm. Saturday's quake, which was felt across the country, struck at 8:10 pm (0010 GMT Sunday) at a shallow depth of 7.3 miles. The government said eight of the 12 victims were killed in Port-de-Paix, capital of Haiti's Nord-Ouest department, while three were in Gros-Morne and one in Saint-Louis-du-Nord. The town of Chansolme and the small island of Tortuga also suffered damage, officials said. - 'Remain calm' - "I urge the population to remain calm," Moise said in a tweet Saturday. Some of the injuries were sustained when people panicked after the initial quake, the civil protection agency said. The agency confirmed that some homes were destroyed or damaged, without offering specific figures. Story continues The Nord-Ouest department is the poorest part of impoverished Haiti, with many areas isolated due to the dire state of the roads. There was an unusual buzz of activity, however, at the site in Gros-Morne where a community center had collapsed. Residents using saws or their bare hands scrambled to recover metal support rods from the debris for resale, before being chased away by authorities. The building's guard, who was sleeping at the time of the quake, was killed. A woman watching the disaster unfold, 49-year-old Rosette Jerome, said no one in her neighborhood had been killed but added that a child was seriously injured by a piece of falling masonry. Haitian officials said a convoy bringing food and drinking water was headed to the afflicted zone. A tweet from the US Embassy in Haiti expressed condolences to all affected and said "we stand ready to assist in the relief effort, if requested." The UN representative in Haiti, Helen La Lime, also offered help. A major international relief effort followed the devastating 7.0-magnitude quake that struck the island in January 2010, leaving more than 1.5 million people homeless. Tens of thousands remain in makeshift camps. Damage was estimated to total 120 percent of GDP in Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Longer-term reconstruction has been hampered by lingering political chaos in the nation of nearly 11 million people, and by a deadly cholera epidemic introduced by infected Nepalese UN peacekeepers sent in after the quake. Twenty people died when a limousine ferrying guests to a wedding reception crashed in a picturesque upstate New York town on Saturday. The majority of those killed were travelling in the over-sized vehicle which police believe hit another car at speed outside a country shop in Schoharie, 170 miles north of New York City. At least two pedestrians were also fatally injured. Captain Richard OBrien of the NY state police department said emergency services were still trying to establish what happened. He said: "This is a two-vehicle, multi-fatality investigation. It's very preliminary. In it's infancy stages. We have several units investigating." Witnesses described hearing a loud bang around 2pm and a scene of horror outside the Apple Barrel Country Store with bodies scattered on the ground. The crashed limousine Bridey Finegan, a local resident, told a TV news reporter that rescuers had to pries open the SUV style limousine to get to the victims. "I heard a loud bang, I came out my front door to see what was going on. I saw a lot of people here at the Apple Barrel out in the parking lot. Then I heard screaming, she said. "Then I saw this large van, a very unusual looking vehicle out here in Schoharie in the bushes and really wrecked, hit a tree. A body is draped under a blanket at the scene of the fatal crash in Schoharie, N.Y Credit: Tom Heffernan Sr./ Tom Heffernan Sr. "It looked serious because people were running back and forth. I saw one individual being taken by ambulance but they had trouble getting other people out." Lester Andrews, 60, from Rochester, New York said his two stepsons and a daughter-in-law were among three of the people killed in the crash. The brothers, Axel Steenburg, 29, and Rich Steenburg, 34, and Axels wife, Amy, also died in the crash, he told the New York Times. Debris at the site of the crash Credit: Hans Pennink/AP They rented the limo with some families and I dont know exactly what they were doing. Theres just a lot of confusion, so many people died, he said. Their mother is looking for some answers, he said. She wants to know what happened to her sons. Story continues Jessica Kirby, 36, the manager of the Apple Barrel, said she believed multiple customers in the car park died when they were hit by the limousine as it sped down the hill at over 60 mph. "I dont want to describe the scene, she added. Its not something I want to think about." Matteo Salvini has threatened to close Italy's airports to prevent the repatriation of migrants from Germany - Getty Images Europe Matteo Salvini, Italys far-Right interior minister, has threatened to close the countrys airports to block the rumoured repatriation of migrants on charter flights from Germany. In a move likely to anger Berlin, Mr Salvini, the head of the anti-immigrant League Party and deputy prime minister, on Sunday said he would shut the airports in the same way he defied EU laws and closed Italys ports to prevent migrant arrivals. The minister was responding to reports that Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, was preparing to send the first group of 40 migrants back to Italy on two flights scheduled to land in Rome this week. Reports in Italian media say up to 40,000 migrants could be repatriated from Germany to Italy as Mrs Merkel comes under greater pressure ahead of Bavarian elections next week, but the Italian government has denied there is any agreement to step up migrant returns. However, a spokesman for the German Interior Minister, Horst Seehofer, told the Italian news agency, Ansa: "No repatriation flights to Italy were being planned in the coming days." Luigi Di Maio, deputy prime minister and head of the Five Star Movement, said no agreement has been signed between Germany and Italy for the secondary movement of migrants. Anti Salvini protestors in Milan march in support of Domenico Lucano, a mayor in southern Italy jailed for allegedly helping illegal immigration Credit: Matteo Bazzi/ANSA "If anyone in Berlin or Brussels is thinking of dumping dozens of immigrants in Italy through unauthorised charter flights they should know there is not and will not be any airport available, Mr Salvini Tweeted on Sunday with the hashtag #aeroportichiusi (or #AirportsClosed). We will close the airports like we closed the ports, he added. Under the Dublin Treaty migrants are required to seek asylum in the first European country where they disembark but Italys populist coalition government has been working to overhaul the treaty, saying Italy has taken in too many migrants. Mr Salvinis latest comments are likely to anger his European counterparts, who he has already clashed with in recent days over Italys proposed budget deficit of 2.4 percent, which would be in breach of EU guidelines. Story continues But his tough approach appears to be working in his favour. A new poll published by Corriere Della Sera, an Italian daily, on Saturday showed the Leagues popularity at all-time high of 34 percent, with its coalition partner the Five Star Movement down slightly to 28.5 percent. The Leagues former ally, Silvio Berlusconis Forza Italia party, was at 7.8 percent. Mr Salvini is also looking to exploit anti-EU sentiment in Hungary, Poland and France in the run-up to next years European parliamentary elections and is expected to meet Marine Le Pen from the right-wing Rassemblement National, the new name of the National Front, in Rome on Monday. Angela Merkel is coming under pressure to act on immigration in the run-up to Bavarian elections Credit: HANNIBAL HANSCHKE/Reuters So far this year 21,000 migrants have arrived in Italy by sea, compared to nearly 107,000 for the same period last year. In September Italys coalition government passed a bill that will make it harder for migrants to claim humanitarian protection and easier to expel failed asylum seekers. The decree, which is now before Parliament, is part of the coalitions concerted efforts to reduce the number of migrants arriving by boat from North Africa and repatriate those who are denied asylum status. Stephan Reichel, president of the German NGO Matteo, said Sunday the migrants and refugees he assisted in Germany were afraid of being sent back to Italy. I take care of many refugees who are being deported to Italy, Mr Reichel told The Telegraph from Nuremberg. There is no shelter, there is nothing organised. Most of them have to sleep on the streets without medical care." Mr Reichel's organisation supports Catholic and protestant churches throughout Germany and helps more than 300 migrants from Africa, Syria, Afghanistan and other countries. He described the Italian interior ministers attitude as racist and neofascist. It is frightening, he said. In Germany we are trying to avoid it. By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell told Reuters on Saturday that the political brawl over Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation will help Republicans retain control of the Senate, calling it a "seminal event" leading into the November elections. "We'd been trying to figure out how to get the base excited about this election, and nothing unifies Republicans like a court fight," McConnell said in a phone interview just before the Senate confirmed Kavanaugh in a 50-48 vote. "It's been a seminal event leading into the fall election." The intense debate over sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh gripped the American public for weeks, bringing protesters out in force on Capitol Hill and across the country, including near the homes of lawmakers. "We've literally been under assault by the mob," McConnell said. But he claimed the intensity has proved to be an aid to Republican unity in the Senate, as the party prepares to take the issue onto the campaign trail. "This has all really helped me, No. 1, unify my conference, and No. 2, underscore the significance of the Senate," the Kentucky Republican said. McConnell even welcomed the acrimony of the political brawl. "I dont want it to dissipate over the next four weeks, I can tell you." Republicans are trying to cling to a narrow 51-49 Senate majority in congressional elections that will be held on Nov. 6. Several Democrats are running for re-election in states that Republican President Donald Trump won in 2016, making for an uphill fight for them to win a Senate majority. "We fully intend to be talking about this going into the fall election," McConnell added. "The energy level is high. We've seen the numbers in the races shifting in our direction. This has been good for us politically." Kavanaugh's confirmation appeared to be in trouble a week ago, when three Republican senators, along with Democrats, demanded a supplemental FBI investigation into allegations brought against the nominee by women, including psychology professor Christine Blasey Ford and his former Yale University classmate Debbie Ramirez. McConnell credited a meeting to discuss the Federal Bureau of Investigation probe with undecided Republican Senators Jeff Flake, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski as proving critical to the success of Kavanaugh's confirmation. "The scope of the FBI's ... investigation was determined not by the administration but by us, this group," he said. "I think that was the key moment." Flake and Collins voted in favor of Kavanaugh's confirmation, while Murkowski opposed it but asked to be recorded as "present." (Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Bill Berkrot) Turned away Meghan Markles sister Samantha Markle reportedly clashed with security as she tried to visit the Royal at Kensington Palace (Picture: PA) Meghan Markles half sister reportedly clashed with security as she turned up at Kensington Palace to confront the royal. Pictures published in the Mirror appear to show Samantha Markle arriving uninvited at the home the Duchess of Sussex shares with Prince Harry then being turned away by security. According to the newspaper, the 53-year-old argued with police guarding the palace gates before handing over a letter for her half sister. The confrontation came on a recent trip to the UK by Samantha Markle which she reportedly made in order to confront Meghan. Accompanied by her partner, who pushed her in a wheelchair, she reportedly refused to leave the palace area and went on to buy souvenirs including masks of Meghan and Harry. According to the Mirror, Samantha Markle had given palace officials an ultimatum in which she said she would show up to confront her sister if they did not arrange a meeting. The source reportedly said: She fully hoped they would let her in but she was turned away. She handed a letter to one of the guards in the hope they would pass it on. It was a sad sight. MORE: Well-wishers raise thousands of pounds for new hearing aid for deaf schoolboy attacked by youths MORE: Police video a Good Samaritan reviving a squirrel and the internet loves it Since her visit, Samantha Markle has posted a series of tweets about the trip to London, including a sarcastic post featuring a clip from Monty Python. She also made comments about being followed by paparazzi while in the UK. I got some great video on my recent trip to London. https://t.co/27RA1YF9ah Samantha Markle (@SammyMarkle64) October 7, 2018 During the same trip to the UK, Samantha appeared on Jeremy Vines Channel 5 show where she apologised to Meghan. She said she and her father Thomas would still have been hurt and not being invited to the stars wedding to Prince Harry, but the situation wouldnt have snowballed. Story continues She said: I just think that families can be this way when theres confusion and when people are hurt. So moving forward I apologise and I wish things could be different. Samantha, Meghans half sister from her fathers first marriage, has previously called the royal cold and fake. First lady Melania Trump wont say whether she believes the California college professor who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault. I will move on that, Trump said Saturday when reporters asked her in Egypt whether she believed Kavanaughs accuser Christine Blasey Ford. We need to help all the victims no matter what kind of abuse they had. I am against any kind of abuse or violence. Melania Trump was brief in her comments on the controversy over Kavanaughs nomination. Ford testified to a Senate committee that Kavanaugh tried to rape her while they were both in high school. Kavanaugh has denied the allegation and other accusations of sexual misconduct. I think hes qualified for the Supreme Court, she said. Im glad that Dr. Ford was heard. Im glad that Judge Kavanaugh was heard, and that the FBI investigation was done. Its completed. The Senate is set to hold a final vote on Kavanaughs confirmation on Saturday. Key senators announced their support for him on Friday, paving the way for a favorable vote. Melania Trump, who rarely takes questions from the media, spoke near the Great Sphinx of Giza, an ancient Egyptian monument renowned for its inscrutable expression. Her public statements and even her fashion choices have sometimes implied disagreement her husband but she has rarely explicitly said that hes wrong. The first lady, who has publicly campaigned against bullying on social media, also told reporters she sometimes disagrees with her husbands caustic tweets. I dont always agree what he tweets, and I tell him that, Trump said. I give him my honest opinion and honest advice. Sometimes he listens sometimes he doesnt. The first lady is on a week-long tour of Africa. She met earlier Saturday with Egyptian president Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi. She also visited Malawi, Ghana and Kenya. First lady tours Great Pyramid of Giza and the Sphinx and tells reporters she doesnt always agree with what her husband tweets Melania Trump declared her support for Brett Kavanaugh as she toured Egypt on Saturday, hours before the judge was confirmed to the US supreme court by the Senate and during the first ladys final stop on her solo tour of Africa. I think hes highly qualified for the supreme court, she said while visiting the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Sphinx. However, she told reporters of her husband Donald Trumps Twitter habits that she doesnt always agree with what he tweets. I have my own voice and my opinions, and its very important for me that I express what I feel, she added. The first lady arrived in Egypt after visiting Ghana, Kenya and Malawi. While the president has notably in the past referred to African nations as part of a collection of shithole countries,he struck a markedly different tone at the United Nations general assembly in New York last month, before Melanias departure. We both love Africa. Africa is so beautiful, he said. Melania Trumps choice to appear in Kenya wearing a pith helmet, headwear commonly associated with Britains colonial past, caused controversy. During her one-day excursion to meet Egyptian president Abdel-Fatah al Sisi she also found time to sightsee. In Ghana, she had visited a former slave fort. In Kenya she saw baby elephants and visited orphanages, and in Malawi she visited schools, part of her so-called Be Best campaign, which focuses on child welfare. Her husband has been the biggest disgrace to any achievements of the womens movement Rabab El Mahdi, Cairo professor Children make up the growing majority among Egypts poor, according to a recent study by Unicef and Egypts national statistics agency Capmas. But child poverty and development were not on the agenda for Melania Trumps visit. The Trump administration has pushed to cut funding to USAID, which supports several projects the first lady visited. Story continues Egypt has also repeatedly repressed NGO activity, part of a continued crackdown on dissent. Her meeting with Sisi and his wife, Entissar Amer, did, however, touch on the Egyptian states interest in enhancing the role of women in the society, according to the presidents office, though without further details. Melania Trump arrived in Egypt a week after Amal Fathy, an actor and former activist, was jailed for two years for publishing a video discussing sexual harassment in Egypt. Her husband has been the biggest disgrace to any achievements of the womens movement, so they might need to turn their attention there first, said Rabab El Mahdi, a professor of political science at the American University of Cairo, when asked for her reaction to Trumps visit and her agenda. None of [her] positions taken so far even paid lip-service to the degenerating status of freedoms in Egypt, including women or the so-called liberal values that the US is supposed to stand for these are never mentioned in conversation with Sisi, said El Mahdi. Egypt is the second-largest recipient of US military aid, receiving $1.2bn annually. In June, the US released $195m in military aid that was previously withheld by former secretary of state Rex Tillerson, citing human rights concerns. A leaked memo authored by Tillersons successor Mike Pompeo justifies the dispersal of the formerly withheld aid but mentioned at length that the overall human rights climate in Egypt continues to deteriorate, including restrictions on peaceful assembly, attacks on LGBTI individuals and limited freedoms of expression. Its likely that including Egypt on the agenda is meant to serve as an expression of Donald Trumps friendship with President Sisi, said Timothy Kaldas of the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy. Ultimately, like the rest of this trip it has almost certainly proved to be nothing more than a costly and inconsequential series of photo-ops. Melania Trump wraps her 1st major, solo overseas trip to Africa with message, 'We care' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Melania Trump concluded her first major, solo international trip as first lady by saying her four-country tour of Africa was meant to send a message that "we care." The trip to Ghana, Malawi, Kenya, and Egypt thrust the characteristically private first lady into the global spotlight and out of the glare bearing down on Washington amid a bitter and contentious Supreme Court confirmation battle over Brett Kavanaugh. Her trip stood as a bright spot in the Trump administrations relations with Africa, which has been dampened by the presidents past disparaging remarks about some African nations. We care, and we want to show the world that we care, and Ive partnered and am working with USAID. And thats what I want to share, that we care, Trump told reporters at her final stop in Egypt. She also said none of her hosts brought up the disparaging comments that have been attributed to the president, adding that she never heard him say the remarks. President Trump in a meeting with lawmakers in January grew frustrated at a proposed bipartisan immigration plan and asked those in the room why they would want people from Haiti, Africa and other "s---hole countries" coming into the United States, according to multiple sources either briefed on or familiar with the discussion. PHOTO: First lady Melania Trump holds a baby as she visits Greater Accra Regional Hospital in Accra, Ghana, Oct. 2, 2018. (Carolyn Kaster/AP) The first lady said on the last day of her travels in Africa that it had been "incredible" and "unforgettable." The trip was largely focused on children in keeping with Melania Trump's Be Best initiative, and it sought to highlight the positive impact of U.S. aid on the continent, another point of contrast to the president, who has proposed cutting U.S. aid by more than 30 percent. Congress has rejected that proposal. The first lady offered praise for what she described as successful programs by USAID, the U.S. Agency for International Development, that she observed during her trip. Story continues But she demurred when asked if she would push the president to increase funding to the foreign aid agency. We are having funding, so we are helping the countries, and we are working hard for helping them and we will continue to help, she said. PHOTO: First lady Melania Trump visits Chipala Primary School in Lilongwe alongside head teacher Maureen Masi, Oct. 4, 2018 during a visit in Malawi as part of her week long trip to Africa to promote her 'Be Best' campaign. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images) During her travels, the first lady was warmly welcomed by her hosts, with young girls bearing flowers and the first ladies of each respective country there to greet the first lady when she arrived at the airport. The first leg of Trumps trip brought her to Ghana, where she visited with mothers and children in a hospital and laid a wreath at the "door of no return" in Cape Coast Castle the last place many kidnapped Africans saw before they were crammed onto ships and sent to the Americas for a life of bondage. She also visited Obama Hall, named for the 44th president after he visited the continent in 2009 with his family. A photo of the Melania Trump cuddling a baby boy during her visit to a hospital in Ghana went viral in the United States, offering a diversion from an otherwise intense domestic news cycle. PHOTO: Accompanied by museum educator Kwesi Essel-Blankson, first lady Melania Trump tours the Cape Coast Castle in Cape Coast, Ghana, one of dozens of hubs of the transatlantic slave trade, Oct. 3, 2018 during her trip to four African countries. (Doug Mills/The New York Times via Redux) The first lady then traveled to Malawi, where she visited a primary school in Lilongwe that benefits from USAIDs literacy program. She was greeted by a choir of singing students upon her arrival at the school, where she interacted with the children and donated school supplies. Welcome, welcome, welcome, the children sang. We are happy today, we are happy to see you. She reciprocated with thanks, saying she and her husband appreciate their support. Thank you for having me here and thank you for a beautiful warm welcome, she said at the school in Malawi, I wanted to be here to see the successful programs that the United States is providing to the children. And thank you for educating them to 'Be Best' be their best and to grow up into educated adults for generations to come." PHOTO: First Lady Melania Trump is pictured as she arrives at the State House in Lilongwe, Malawi, Oct. 4, 2018. (Carlo Allegri/Reuters) Melania Trump then traveled to Nairobi, Kenya. There, she fed baby elephants one of which playfully but forcefully nudged her -- and went on a safari. The first ladys emphasis on wildlife preservation in Kenya drew another contrast to the policies of her husbands administration, which earlier this year overturned an Obama-era ban to allow for some elephant trophy imports. She also visited an orphanage in Kenya, where she held and bounced infants and was encircled by a group of older children in song and dance. The first lady swayed side to side and smiled as the children presented her, stem by stem, a bouquet of red and white roses. PHOTO: First lady Melania Trump gives an interview to ABC News' Tom Llamas. (Tony Karumba/ABC News) On the final stop of her trip, Melania Trump traveled to Egypt, where she was received by President Al Sisi and the first lady of Egypt at the presidential palace. She then toured the pyramids and the Great Sphinx. What she wore during the trip drew attention and commentary, including whether she intended to send a message on gender equality with her choice to wear a tie and pants during her visit in Egypt. When asked about her fashion choices by a reporter while in Egypt, Trump said, I wish people would focus on what I do, not what I wear. PHOTO: First lady Melania Trump stands in front of the Sphinx as she visits the Pyramids in Cairo, Egypt, Oct. 6, 2018. (Carlo Allegri/Reuters) President Trump for his part has yet to visit the continent of Africa since he took office, and the White House has not said whether he intends to visit at some point in the future. At a rally this week, he offered his a positive review of his wife's trip. She's doing a great job as first lady, I will tell you. Really great," President Trump said at the Tuesday rally in Mississippi. "And you think that's an easy job? That's not an easy job. That's a tough job. She's fantastic. Mr Pence is standing by to cast a decisive vote for Mr Kavanaugh if necessary: AP With a razor-thin margin of error, Vice President Mike Pence is standing by to vote in favour of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh should Republicans be unable to corral 51 votes to confirm the judge outright. Republicans control the Senate 51 to 49, making Mr Pences involvement a potential necessity if just one GOP senator decides to vote against Mr Kavanaughs nomination. As it stands, three Republican senators have signalled they are on the fence about whether to elevate Mr Kavanaugh Senators Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and Jeff Flake. Red-state Democrat Joe Manchin also voted in favour of sending Kavanaugh to a final vote, and many think he's likely to vote in favour of the judge. Tensions are high in Washington, where the Senate voted on Friday for cloture, a procedural hurdle that sets up a final confirmation vote for Saturday. As the Senate considers what to do, protesters have swarmed the capitol, and hundreds of anti-Kavanaugh demonstrators have been detained by police. On Thursday, protesters filled the Hart Senate Office Building, urging senators to drop Mr Kavanaugh and look to another nominee. Mr Kavanaughs confirmation was thrust into controversy after Dr Christine Blasey Ford, a California university professor, came forward with accusations that the nominee had sexually assaulted him while they were both teenagers more than 30 years ago. In her Senate testimony, Dr Ford said that Mr Kavanaugh had drunkenly assaulted her at a house party while they were in high school, groping her, attempting to remove her clothes, and holding her mouth shut so she could not scream. She said that she is absolutely certain Mr Kavanaugh was the man who assaulted her. Mr Kavanaugh has denied all allegations of sexual misconduct that have been made against him including those from his second accuser, Deborah Ramirez, who has alleged that Mr Kavanaugh forced her to touch his penis against her will during a party at Yale University, where they both attended. Story continues Mr Flake, one of the potential swing votes in Mr Kavanaughs nomination, played an important role in forcing the Senate to follow up on those allegations. While he voted in favour of sending Mr Kavanaughs nomination to the full Senate from the Judiciary Committee, he also urged an FBI investigation into the allegations. The FBIs investigation concluded on Wednesday, and a report was sent to the White House and Senate. Senators reviewed those documents on Thursday, with Ms Collins and Mr Flake indicating they felt the investigation was adequately thorough. Democrats, meanwhile, cast the investigation as a sham. Some called it a cover up. (Bloomberg) Senate Republicans, not the White House, set the scope of the FBI probe into sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, including the decision not to interview the Supreme Court nominee or accuser Christine Blasey Ford, said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. In an interview shortly before the Senate is set to vote on confirming Kavanaugh, McConnell said GOP members of the Judiciary Committee made the decision in a meeting with two other Republicans who were at the time withholding their support, Senator Susan Collins of Maine and Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Collins later announced shell back Kavanaugh, while Murkowski opposes confirmation. The White House took grief for setting the scope, but we gave them the scope, said McConnell of Kentucky. We reached an agreement that it had to be done in seven days, the FBI needed to talk to anyone Dr. Ford mentioned, and also Ramirez and anyone she mentioned, McConnell said. He was referring to Deborah Ramirez, who said Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a drunken party while they attended Yale University in the 1980s. Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa previously told reporters he hadnt restricted what the Federal Bureau of Investigation could investigate or who they could interview beyond looking at current, credible allegations. Regarding the decision not to ask the FBI to interview Kavanaugh or Ford, McConnell said, None of them wanted to do that. We just heard testimony, hours and hours of testimony. Nobody thought there was a need to do the same thing all over again. Ford, a California psychology professor, accused Kavanaugh of holding her down, trying to disrobe her, and covering her mouth to keep her from screaming during a house party in high school. She and Kavanaugh testified at a raucous Sept. 27 hearing, where he angrily and tearfully denied her allegations. On Thursday, over 50 protesters were arrested at McDonald's corporate headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. The event was the latest in a recent wave of protests held by workers in the fast-food industry. Since February, tens of thousands of low-wage and fast-food workers have gone on strike in hundreds of cities across the country, calling for a $15 minimum wage. In September, McDonald's workers from 10 cities walked out of work to bring attention to alleged sexual harassment at the chain . Now, fast-food workers are protesting for the right to unionize. For decades, the fast-food industry has resisted unionizing efforts. Research suggests that a majority of fast-food workers are on some form of public assistance . Protesters calling for a $15 minimum wage and the right to unionize have demonstrated throughout the week at McDonald's locations in cities including Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Detroit, Michigan ; and San Jose, California . Among those arrested on Thursday in Chicago were striking fast-food workers, Illinois Representative Jan Schakowsky and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) President Mary Kay Henry. The Chicago Police told the Chicago Sun-Times that 52 people were arrested for trespassing on private property, while the organizing group coordinating the event, Fight for $15 , says that 54 were arrested. Fight for $15 estimates that roughly 1,000 protesters were present, though these numbers are unconfirmed. "Some politicians will do whatever it takes to block workers from coming together in a union. That's unacceptable, and it's a big reason why paychecks across the country are flat while corporate profits are fatter than ever," said Schakowsky in a statement shared with CNBC Make It . "I'm proud to support workers in the fight for $15 who are striking and protesting all across the country today for union rights. Unions are the solution to un-rigging the economy and strengthening communities here in Illinois and nationwide." Story continues Adriana Alvarez, a McDonald's employee from Cicero, Illinois, walked out of work in order to attend the protest. "We're on strike today to demand the union that fast-food workers need. We need unions for all low wage and service sector workers," she said in a statement shared with CNBC by the Fight for $15. "And I have a message for any politicians listening: Stand with us in our fight for union rights, don't back these corporations. Because on election day, we're showing up to the polls and casting our votes for elect leaders who support working people in Illinois." In response to the protest, a McDonald's spokesperson sent the following statement, adding that roughly 95 percent of McDonald's locations are franchises. (Many states have laws protecting parent companies from grievances aimed at franchises.) "Our commitment to the communities we serve includes providing opportunities for restaurant employees to succeed at McDonald's and beyond with world-class training and education programs to help them build the skills needed for today's workforce. This year alone, we have tripled tuition assistance for restaurant employees by allocating $150 million over five years to our Archways to Opportunity education program to provide upfront college tuition assistance, earn a high school diploma, and access free education advising services. These benefits show McDonald's and its independent franchisees' commitment to providing jobs that fit around the lives of restaurant employees so they may pursue their education and career ambitions." The events follow Tuesday's news that Amazon will be raising its minimum wage to $15 an hour . "We listened to our critics, thought hard about what we wanted to do, and decided we want to lead," said Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said in a statement. "We're excited about this change and encourage our competitors and other large employers to join us." The news garnered an enthusiastic response from Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who introduced the BEZOS Act in September , a bill to tax corporations for the funds their low-wage workers receive in government assistance. In response to Amazon's announced wage hike, Sanders said, "What Mr. Bezos has done today is not only enormously important for Amazon's hundreds of thousands of employees, it could well be, and I think it will be, a shot heard around the world." Sanders sent a similar message of encouragement to McDonald's and other fast-food corporations . "McDonald's is not a poor company. Last year, it made over $5.1 billion in profits and rewarded wealthy shareholders with over $7.7 billion in dividends and stock buybacks," Sanders wrote in the letter, which was directed to McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook and shared on social media. "If McDonald's can afford to give its shareholders $7.7 billion, it can afford to pay all of its workers $15 an hour." Like this story? Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube! Don't miss: California just became the first state to require women on corporate boards Recent MBA grads earn $150,000 but 70% of schools in the US say applications are down The 13 highest-paying jobs you can do from home More From CNBC Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss coordination in Syria after the accidental downing of a Russian plane led to tensions. Netanyahu said he had spoken with Putin and the two agreed "to meet soon in order to continue the important inter-military security coordination". Speaking at the start of a cabinet meeting, Netanyahu again pledged to stop "Iran from establishing a military presence in Syria and to thwart the transfer of lethal weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon". The meeting would be the first since the Russian plane was downed by Syrian air defences, which fired in response to an Israeli raid in the country. Putin and Netanyahu have spoken at least three times by phone since the September 17 incident. Fifteen Russians were killed in the incident that Moscow blamed on Israel, accusing its pilots of using the larger Russian plane as cover. Israel disputes the Russian findings and says its jets were back in Israeli airspace when the plane was downed. Russia announced new security measures to protect its military in Syria, including supplying the Syrian army with S-300 air defence systems and jamming radars of nearby warplanes. Those measures have led to concern in Israel that it will be forced to limit its strikes against what it calls Iranian and Hezbollah targets in the neighbouring country. It has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria against what it says are Iranian military targets and advanced arms deliveries to Hezbollah. Russia and Israel set up a hotline in 2015 to avoid accidental clashes in Syria. Both Iran and Hezbollah -- enemies of Israel -- are supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime in his country's civil war alongside Russia. Theyre set to step foot in Australia in two weeks time, however its now been revealed theres one thing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle cant do while theyre Down Under. The 34-year-old Duke and 37-year-old Duchess of Sussexs tour is set to take place from Tuesday, October 16th, until Wednesday, October 21st. During that time, they will take in all the sights of Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand, meeting with locals and carrying out engagements at the Invictus Games in Sydney. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are coming to Australia on the 16th of October. Photo: Getty Images On the first day of their tour, theyre set to visit Taronga Zoo, where theyll officially open the new Taronga Institute of Science and Learning. And while they might be meeting two kolas and they joeys that are part of the Zoos breeding programme, Meghan and Harry wont be able to hold them. You can cuddle in Queensland and pet in New South Wales, Harry and Meghans private secretary Sam Cohen told the Daily Telegraph. Its believed the Duke and Duchess will simply pat the koalas, before taking a boat ride across Sydney Harbour to the Sydney Opera House. They wont be able to hold a koala like Prince Charles and Camilla did when they visited Adelaide in 2012. Photo: Getty Images Kate Middleton and Prince William are pictured patting a koala at Taronga Zoo in 2014. Photo: Getty Images Kensington Palace has revealed that their trip will focus on youth leadership, and projects being undertaken by young people to address the social, economic, and environmental challenges of the region. During their trip, the loved-up couple will also climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge, visit Lake McKenzie on Fraser Island, take a tram in Melbourne and attend the opening and closing ceremonies of the Invictus Games. Heres a day-by-day breakdown of where the royals are visiting while theyre here: Tuesday October 16: Sydney, Australia Wednesday October 17: Dubbo, Australia Thursday October 18: Melbourne, Australia Friday October 19: Sydney, Australia Saturday October 20: Sydney, Australia Sunday October 21: Sydney, Australia Monday October 22: Fraser Island, Australia Tuesday October 23: Suva, Fiji Wednesday October 24: Suva, Fiji Thursday October 25: Nadi, Fiji and Nukualofa, Tonga Friday October 26: Nukualofa, Tonga and Sydney, Australia Saturday October 27: Sydney, Australia Sunday October 28: Wellington, New Zealand Monday October 29: Wellington and Abel Tasman, New Zealand Tuesday October 30: Auckland, New Zealand Wednesday October 31: Rotorua, New Zealand Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Check out our brand new podcast, Make It Reign our hot takes on all things royals in a non-stuffy way on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. In the day after Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) threw her support behind embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, a crowdsourced effort to finance her eventual 2020 opponent raised more than $1 million. The whopping sum brought the total amount raised to just about $3.2 million far more than Collins last challenger spent in total in the 2014 midterm race. More than 100,000 pledges have been made as of Saturday afternoon, with around 30,000 of those coming in the previous 24 hours. The Crowdpac page was so popular it briefly crashed Friday afternoon. The effort is jointly led by the Maine Peoples Alliance, Mainers for Accountable Leadership and activist Ady Barkan, who co-founded the progressive Be A Hero campaign. Although she is known as a centrist, Collins vote all but guaranteed Kavanaugh a seat on the Supreme Court bench. The nominee was confirmed Saturday by a margin of 50-48, one of the narrowest in U.S. history. The left is now dead set on kicking her out of office. Sources told HuffPost that major donors have already pledged an additional $1 million to support voter registration efforts in Maine in an effort to unseat her. She was previously one of a handful of undecided senators before announcing her intention on Friday afternoon to confirm Kavanaugh. Earlier in the day, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) said he would vote yes, but Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) indicated she opposed the nomination, placing Kavanaughs fate in the hands of Collins and Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat facing reelection in right-leaning West Virginia. Manchin released a statement immediately after Collins announcement also pledging his support for Kavanaugh. Before Collins began speaking shortly after 3 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, the Crowdpac page stood at $1,945,000, a representative for the fundraiser told HuffPost. The site charged donors credit cards when Collins officially voted in favor of Kavanaugh, and the page will remain open for an unspecified amount of time to collect further donations. Organizers told HuffPost the funds will sit in an escrow account until a Democratic opponent emerges. Story continues In a statement issued last month, Collins spokeswoman sharply dismissed the Crowdpac effort as a bribery attempt. Kavanaugh stands accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women. His confirmation process was disrupted when the first woman, Christine Blasey Ford, came forward publicly to detail her story in an early September interview with The Washington Post. Ford testified under oath before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Sept. 27, telling senators that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a high school party in 1982. In a Saturday appearance on CNN, Collins suggested that she does not believe the incident happened as Ford says. "I believe that she believes what she testified to," GOP Sen. Susan Collins says of Christine Blasey Ford #CNNSOTU https://t.co/ZAhvg7tB44 pic.twitter.com/DrBsBgoKTy CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) October 6, 2018 Organizers of the Crowdpac fundraiser told HuffPost Friday that they would double down to ensure the senators career is finished after 2020. This is the worst vote shes ever made in her life, Be A Hero co-founder Liz Jaff told HuffPost. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) seemed aware of the efforts to unseat her. He told reporters Saturday that defending her seat in 2020 was a top priority. This story has been updated with McConnells remarks. Related... Brett Kavanaugh Let His Mask Slip Here Are The People The FBI Didn't Ask About Brett Kavanaugh Brett Kavanaugh Protests Rage Until The Very End Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Jerusalem (AFP) - A shooting attack by a Palestinian at an industrial zone for a West Bank settlement on Sunday killed two Israelis and wounded another, the army said. Army spokesman Jonathan Conricus said the 23-year-old Palestinian had worked in the Barkan industrial zone, where the attack took place in the occupied West Bank. Conricus called it a "terrorist attack" but added that other unspecified factors were involved. The Palestinian used a homemade gun in the attack, known locally as a Carlo, according to Conricus. He said it appeared it was a "lone-wolf attack". Security forces were searching for the suspected perpetrator, Conricus said. Magen David Adom emergency medical services said their medics had entered a building at Barkan where they found a man and woman without pulse, and pronounced them dead. A woman aged 54 was also found wounded and in moderate condition, the medical services said. Speaking at the beginning of the weekly cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the shooting "a very severe terror attack". He said he was certain the perpetrator would be caught and brought to justice. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group called the attack a "natural response" to Israeli crimes in Gaza, Jerusalem and Khan al-Ahmar, a Bedouin village in the West Bank slated for demolition. The industrial zone is located next to Israeli settlement Barkan and near the settlement of Ariel in the north of the West Bank. Palestinians work side by side with Israelis in the industrial zone. A wave of Palestinian attacks against Israelis broke out in 2015, but they have since become sporadic. Last month, a Palestinian teenager stabbed an Israeli to death at a junction at the entrance to a large bloc of Israeli settlements in the West Bank near Jerusalem. A number of attacks have occurred at that location, the Gush Etzion Junction. Police have been using excessive force to arrest a black man, who was later cleared of any charges. Metropolitan Police officers restrained Kamar Hewitt, who can be heard shouting I cant breathe after being sprayed with CS gas, in disturbing footage which went viral after the incident. As many as six police officers were involved in the arrest of the 23-year-old, who police allege was smoking cannabis when they spotted him in north-west London. Officers were following up reports of a stabbing suspect in the area. MPs, along with campaign groups, called for an investigation after the video was shared widely online. The clip showed another example of the excessive use of force used against black men, according to Deborah Coles, who is director of Inquest, a charity which campaigns about the number of deaths in police custody. @SadiqKhan @DavidLammy Why does it take so many officers to detain one man? Why are they still beating him and constantly spraying him in the face when he is already down. I saw lots of minutes where they could of just handcuffed him quickly. And on top of that I hope it was not. pic.twitter.com/jXG3jW9pu1 Charmaine Brown (@CharmB15) October 5, 2018 What can be the justification for the use of CS spray when he is being held down on ground by officers? You can see how quickly these situations can end in death, she added. The forceful arrest has now been referred to the Mets Directorate of Professional Standards for investigation. A spokesperson for Met Police confirmed that officers attended Craven Park Road in Harlesden at 3pm on Thursday after being informed that a suspect in a stabbing was in the area. Officers attended and approached the male who was seen to be smoking cannabis, the force spokesperson said. The male was informed that he would be detained for a search. Story continues A clip of the incident shows four officers surrounding Hewitt as he tells them: All you had to say is a cannabis spliff calm down blud. Met police criticised over video of forceful restraint of black man One of the officers ask about a knife and another advises Hewitt to release your hand. The clip also records the concerned shouts of bystanders, You cant kick him like that and Its just one guy and One person, six police officer can be overheard. A nearby woman expresses fears Hewitt could be killed. Hewitt can be seen falling down on to the ground as the officers continue attempts to handcuff his arms behind his back. Onlookers continue to voice concerns as an officer uses CS spray, Hewitt can then be heard shouting: I cant breathe! The footage was shared online by Charmaine Brown. Brown posted the clip, asking: Why does it take so many officers to detain one man? Why are they still beating him and constantly spraying him in the face when he is already down. I saw lots of minutes where they could of just handcuffed him quickly. Hewitt was initially arrested on suspicion of GBH, possession of cannabis, obstructing a drugs search and two counts of assault on police officer. He has been eliminated as a suspect in a stabbing. He has since been charged with possession of cannabis, obstructing a drugs search and two counts of assault on police and is due in court in November. The Met Police have defended the officers involved. In a statement, the force said: The male was informed that he would be detained for a search. He refused to follow instructions and resisted police efforts to restrain him for the search. Due to the nature of the offence the male was suspected to be involved in, a number of officers worked to detain the male and approved techniques were used to place him in handcuffs. CS spray was also used. Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said: Too often a disproportionate level of force is used by police against young black men. It has to stop. Evidence based stop and search is important in fighting crime, but all that we see here is the type of video that poisons police-community relations. One of the officers, who were all wearing body cams during the incident, was treated for minor injuries after a bottle was thrown at police by onlookers. WASHINGTON (AP) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo headed off to North Korea on Friday under pressure to produce tangible progress at persuading the country to get rid of its nuclear weapons as President Donald Trump seeks a second summit with leader Kim Jong Un. Pompeo departed Washington for a packed, three-day tour of East Asia that will take him to Japan, North Korea and then South Korea. He's also due to visit China, which will bring its own set of challenges, as relations with Beijing slide over trade tensions and accusations of election interference. But it's in Pyongyang on Sunday where Pompeo could face his toughest diplomatic test. There's been little visible progress since Trump and Kim made a vague agreement at their historic June summit in Singapore on "denuclearization," with the two sides deadlocked over seemingly inflexible demands about how to achieve it. Pompeo's task has been made harder by mixed messaging from within the administration over a timeline for the North to abandon its nukes and Trump's hyperbole about what's he's achieved in his own talks with Kim. At a political rally last weekend, the president rhapsodized perhaps a little tongue in cheek about how the North Korean leader had sent him "beautiful letters" and "We fell in love." Pompeo, who was snubbed by Kim on his last visit to Pyongyang in July, is expected to meet him this time, but experts say Kim may feel that he can get a better deal in a face-to-face with Trump himself. "I'm not sure if we are going to get a whole lot of progress other than details of the next Trump-Kim summit," said Sue Mi Terry, a former CIA analyst on Korea and now a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "I think the North Koreans will try and save the actual negotiations for when Kim meets with Trump." Pompeo has refused to discuss the details of negotiations so far and has become testy when asked for them including on the U.S. position on North Korea's demand for a declared end to the Korean War. Fighting ceased in 1953 with an armistice that has left the adversaries in a state of war. U.S. ally South Korea views such a declaration as a possible quid pro quo for North Korea's agreeing to close its main nuclear facility at Nyongbyon. North Korea appears reluctant to provide what Washington really wants in return: a complete inventory of its nuclear and ballistic missile facilities that could be used by international inspectors to verify they have been dismantled. North Korea also wants to get relief from sanctions, which the U.S. has said should only happen when it is verified that the North has taken concrete steps toward denuclearization. Story continues Speaking on his plane Friday, Pompeo again declined to talk specifics. He said his mission was to "make sure that we understand what each side is truly trying to achieve ... and how we can deliver against the commitments that were made" in Singapore. He said they would develop options, if not finalize, the location and timing of a second Trump-Kim summit. On Wednesday, Pompeo distanced himself from a previously stated goal of getting North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons by the end of Trump's first term in January 2021. Trump, who canceled Pompeo's first plan for a fourth trip to Pyongyang last month citing a lack of progress, said last week he didn't want to get into a "time game." "If it takes two years, three years or five months, it doesn't matter," he said. "There's no nuclear testing and there's not testing of rockets." It is true that North Korea has suspended nuclear and missile tests, freed three American prisoners and dismantled parts of a missile engine facility. It also blew up tunnel entrances at its nuclear test site in front of foreign journalists. But it has not taken any steps to halt nuclear weapons or missile development and has yet to respond to invitations to send officials to Europe to meet with Pompeo's new special envoy for North Korea, Stephen Biegun. Biegun will accompany Pompeo to Pyongyang on Sunday, along with veteran diplomat Sung Kim, the U.S. ambassador to the Philippines who has led working-level delegations with North Koreans, and Andrew Kim, who heads a North Korea group at the CIA. Their sole focus on North Korea's nuclear threat, though, leaves the administration open to the very criticism it leveled at the Obama administration's negotiations with Iran over its atomic program. Trump, Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton have all defended the withdrawal from the deal in part by saying it did not address any of Iran's other concerning activities, such as support for terrorism. North Korea is also categorized by the U.S. as a state sponsor of terrorism, has an abysmal human rights record and is allegedly involved in cyber theft from banks around the world to raise funds for its sanctions-strapped government. Those problems are rarely mentioned in the context of Pompeo's discussions with Kim. Nor have they gotten attention in lower-level contacts between the two sides, which have chiefly revolved around logistical issues related to meetings and the handover of remains of U.S. troops missing from the Korean War. Washington (AFP) - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo heads back this weekend to North Korea as the contours of a potentially historic deal begin to take shape, even if Kim Jong Un's regime publicly stays firm in demands. The top US diplomat will pay his fourth visit this year to the onetime US pariah as he looks to arrange another summit between Kim and President Donald Trump, who has declared himself "in love" with the strongman. Pompeo arrives Saturday in Japan, a treaty-bound US ally which has been privately uneasy about Trump's rapid reconciliation with the totalitarian state, before he meets Sunday in Pyongyang with Kim. Just a year after Trump threatened to wipe out North Korea, Pompeo is hopeful that diplomacy can coax Kim to give up the regime's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. "This is a long-term problem. This has been outstanding for decades. We've made more progress than has been made in an awfully long time," Pompeo told reporters on Wednesday. Pompeo has repeatedly declined to be drawn out publicly on the shape of an eventual agreement. The United States has called for a comprehensive accord and rigorous enforcement of sanctions on North Korea in the meantime. - South Korea presents idea - South Korea -- whose left-leaning president, Moon Jae-in, helped pave the way for Trump's diplomacy and who will meet Pompeo in Seoul after he visits Pyongyang -- gave a preview of what a deal may look like. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, in an interview with The Washington Post, said that the North could agree to dismantle Yongbyon, its signature nuclear site. In exchange, the United States would declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War -- which closed with an armistice rather than a full-blown peace treaty -- but North Korea would stop short of delivering an exhaustive list of its nuclear facilities, she said. Kang told the newspaper that the tradeoff would mark "a huge step forward in denuclearization." Story continues North Korea has publicly not budged on its positions. State media ahead of Pompeo's visit said a peace treaty "can never be a bargaining chip," saying an end to war "is not just a gift from one man to another." - Trump seeks summit - Douglas Paal, a former senior US official on Asia policy, said the South Korean proposal could appeal to Trump, who has made clear his eagerness for a second summit soon with Kim. "The package is something that Trump can announce after he lands in Pyongyang. That's my projected outcome at this point, although it has not been confirmed," said Paal, the vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Trump in June met Kim in Singapore in the first-ever summit between the countries. No sitting US president has visited North Korea, which according to human rights groups remains one of the most repressive countries on Earth. Paal said Trump likely sensed political opportunity in a breakthrough with North Korea, with congressional elections seen as tough for his Republican Party due on November 6. When the average US voter "no longer hears the president saying 'fire and fury' but hears him saying peace, they believe he has actually made progress towards it, even if arms control people say we've made no progress of a material nature at all," Paal said. North Korea, ruled by three generations of Kims, has pursued both nuclear weapons and diplomacy with the United States for decades. It reached an agreement in 1994 to freeze nuclear work in exchange for normalization with the president Bill Clinton's administration. The deal broke down a decade later, although George W. Bush also pursued talks late in his presidential term. Pompeo closes his trip Monday in China, which is North Korea's political and economic lifeline. The Beijing stop could be tense as it comes days after Vice President Mike Pence delivered a blistering speech accusing China of military aggression, commercial theft, rising human rights violations and electoral intervention against Trump. By Hyonhee Shin SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo agreed to arrange a second leaders summit "as soon as possible," and discussed potential U.S. monitoring of Pyongyang's steps toward denuclearization, South Korea's presidential office said on Sunday. Pompeo said his latest, fourth trip to Pyongyang was "another step forward" to denuclearization and he had a "good, productive conversation" with Kim, but more needed to be done. South Korean President Moon Jae-in held talks with Pompeo in Seoul after the top U.S. diplomat met with Kim for more than three hours during a short trip to Pyongyang that was aimed at breaking a gridlock in their nuclear negotiations. Pompeo's trip to Pyongyang happened amid negative signals from North Korea whose 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. Pompeo said he and Kim discussed denuclearization steps to be taken by the North and the issue of U.S. government monitoring of those actions, which Washington sees as vital, as well as the measures the United States would conduct in return, Moon's office said. In a statement, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Kim had invited inspectors to visit the Punggye-ri nuclear test site to confirm it has been irreversibly dismantled. The statement did not provide further details. Pompeo and Kim also agreed to form a working group "at an early date" to discuss the denuclearization process and the second summit, which Kim proposed to U.S. President Donald Trump in a letter last month, according to Moon's press secretary Yoon Young-chan. "Secretary Pompeo said he and Chairman Kim concurred that they will hold the second U.S.-North Korea summit as soon as possible," Yoon said in a statement. The two had "refined options" for a location and date of a second summit without offering specifics, the State Department statement said. While Seoul sounded upbeat, Pompeo struck a more cautious tone. "As President Trump said, there are many steps along the way and we took one of them today," Pompeo told Moon. "It was another step forward. So this is, I think, a good outcome for all of us." Trump appeared hopeful on Sunday. "@SecPompeo had a good meeting with Chairman Kim today in Pyongyang. Progress made on Singapore Summit Agreements! I look forward to seeing Chairman Kim again, in the near future," Trump tweeted. Moon expressed hopes that Pompeo's trip and the proposed second meeting between Kim and Trump would make "irreversible, decisive progress in terms of denuclearization as well as the peace process." Moon had his own third summit with Kim last month in Pyongyang, which was partly intended to help salvage the stumbling negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington, after Trump called off Pompeo's planned visit to the North in late August citing lack of progress. A U.S. official who was part of Pompeo's delegation said the trip was "better than the last time" but added: "It's going to be a long haul." Kim pledged to work toward denuclearization during the Singapore summit, but Pyongyang's actions have since fallen short of U.S. demands for irreversible steps to give up its arsenal. At his last meeting with Moon, he expressed willingness to allow outside observations of key missile facilities and, for the first time, to "permanently" scrap North Korea's main nuclear complex in Yongbyon. But the inter-Korean agreement again failed to stipulate any plans called for by the United States, such as to declare a list of its nuclear weapons, facilities and materials, or a concrete timeline for denuclearization. Some experts questioned the significance of opening the Punggye-ri site for inspection. Like everything else Kim has done, it is a gesture that mimics disarmament that isnt actually disarmament, said Jeffrey Lewis director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at Californias Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Lewis dismissed the significance of Kims offer, saying it is a nice gesture but does not represent any progress toward the denuclearization of North Korea. While North Korea blew up the entrances of the tunnels in May and removed the diagnostic equipment, the shafts could be reopened or new tunnels could be excavated if Kim decided to restart underground test blasts, he said. The United Nation's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), say they are best placed to verify a dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear program. They have not returned to North Korea since they were expelled in 2009. The IAEA said in August it did not find any indication that North Korea had stopped its nuclear activities, adding to doubts about the countrys willingness to abandon its arsenal. 'LONG HAUL' Kim and Pompeo met for about two hours, and then had lunch together at the Paekhwawon, or 100 Flowers Garden, a prestigious state guesthouse, for another hour and a half, according to a pool report. "It's a very nice day that promises a good future for both countries," Kim said, speaking through an interpreter, as he sat down at the lunch table with Pompeo. "Thank you for hosting, President Trump sends his regards. And we had a very successful morning, so thank you and I am looking forward to our time here at lunch as well," Pompeo said. Pompeo's last trip did not go well. He left Pyongyang in July hailing progress, only for North Korea to denounce him for making "gangster-like demands." Pompeo did not meet Kim on that trip. Pompeo visited Tokyo on Friday and is also due to travel to Beijing before returning home on Monday. Pompeo declined to comment when asked if he would agree to North Korean demands for a declaration to end the Korean War or to South Korea's suggestion that to break the current stalemate, he should avoid pressing again for an inventory of North Korea's nuclear weapons. "Trump will likely be tempted to hold such a summit quickly to make history and drive headlines, pointing to another success right before the midterm elections," said Harry Kazianis, director of defense studies at the Center for the National Interest in Washington. (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom, Jonathan Landay and Pete Schroeder in Washington; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan, Nick Zieminski and Marguerita Choy) By Tim Kelly TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Saturday he would coordinate closely with Japan during denuclearization talks with North Korea and promised to raise the issue of the abductions of Japanese citizens in his meetings in Pyongyang. "We will have a fully coordinated, unified view of how to proceed, which will be what is needed if it is going to be successful in denuclearizing North Korea," Pompeo told Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. "We will bring up the issue of the abductees as well," he said. Abe thanked Pompeo, who arrived in Tokyo on Saturday, for coming to Japan before he meets North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un on Sunday. Pompeo also said Japan and the United States were in a position to finalize a trade agreement after Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed the issue in New York last month. The two sides have agreed to start trade talks in an arrangement that, for now, protects Japanese automakers from further tariffs, seen as a major threat to the export-dependent economy. Trump is unhappy with Japans $69 billion trade surplus with the United States - nearly two-thirds of it from auto exports - and wants a bilateral agreement to address it. Despite Kim's pledge to denuclearize the Korean peninsula, Japan, Washington's key ally in Asia, still considers North Korea to be a "dire threat," and is pushing ahead with plans to bolster its ballistic missile defenses with Aegis Ashore batteries that can target warheads in space. Tokyo also insists that North Korea give a full accounting of Japanese citizens it abducted to train as spies and return any who are still alive before it agrees to normalize ties. A restoration of ties could lead to Japan releasing what could be billions of dollars of war reparations and economic assistance to its impoverished neighbor. Pompeo will travel to Seoul after leaving Pyongyang and will head to Beijing before returning to the United States on Monday. Speaking to a pool reporter en route to Tokyo, Pompeo said his aim in Pyongyang was "to make sure we understand what each side is truly trying to achieve." He also said he hoped to be able to agree a "general date and location" for a second summit between Trump and Kim following their first meeting in Singapore in June. Pompeo's last visit to North Korea failed to make progress with Pyongyang denouncing him for making "gangster-like demands." Recently, he angered North Korea by insisting that international sanctions must remain in place until it gives up its nuclear weapons. On Wednesday, 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." He declined to say if he would agree to North Korea's demand for a declaration to end the 1950-53 Korean War or to South Korea's suggestion that he avoid pressing again for an inventory of Pyongyang's nuclear weapons to break the stalemate. (Reporting by Tim Kelly, Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) (Bloomberg) Donald Trump drew a contrast between the beautiful support being offered by women and others for Brett Kavanaugh and what the president claims are paid protesters as the Senate prepares to confirm the Supreme Court nominee. Women for Kavanaugh, and many others who support this very good man, are gathering all over Capital Hill, Trump said Saturday on Twitter, misspelling the name of the area known as Capitol Hill. It is a beautiful thing to see and they are not paid professional protesters who are handed expensive signs. Women for Kavanaugh, and many others who support this very good man, are gathering all over Capitol Hill in preparation for a 3-5 P.M. VOTE. It is a beautiful thing to see - and they are not paid professional protesters who are handed expensive signs. Big day for America! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 6, 2018 The Senate is set to hold a final vote to confirm Kavanaugh around 4 p.m. Washington time Saturday after a bitter confirmation battle, locking in the strongest conservative majority on the top court since the 1930s. If confirmed as expected, Kavanaugh would take the bench when the court hears its next arguments on Tuesday. It was the second time in as many days that Trump has derided the demonstrators protesting Kavanaughs nomination as having been paid. On Friday he tweeted, without offering proof, that the protesters were backed by billionaire investor George Soros. He also called those demonstrators troublemakers and very rude. Favorite Villain Soros, whose philanthropy often advances liberal causes, has become a favorite villain of right-leaning conspiracy theorists around the world. The Fox News host Glenn Beck portrayed Soros in a series of television programs as a puppet master who wanted to bring America to her knees, financially. Story continues Michael Vachon, a spokesman for the Hungarian-born billionaire, didnt respond to a message seeking comment. U.S. Capitol Police say 302 people were arrested on Thursday for protesting Kavanaughs nomination illegally inside Senate buildings. Actresses Amy Schumer and Emily Ratajkowski were reportedly among those detained. Last week, two women who said they were sexual assault victims confronted Senator Jeff Flake, the Arizona Republican, in a Senate elevator shortly before the Judiciary Committee was set to vote on advancing Kavanaughs nomination. The incident was partially credited for Flakes decision to request an additional FBI investigation into the accusations against the nominee, delaying the final confirmation vote. Grow Up Other Republicans have been more dismissive when confronted by protesters. Fellow Judiciary Committee member Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah waved off female demonstrators Thursday and told them to grow up. One of the women who confronted Flake, Ana Maria Archila, is co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy, a Brooklyn, New York, based advocacy group that supports policies in favor of workers, immigrants, and racial and economic justice. She responded to Trumps tweet in a statement Friday. No one can pay for someones lived experiences. The pain, the trauma, and the rage that I expressed when I spoke with Senator Jeff Flake in an elevator were my own, and I held it for more than 30 years to protect the people I love from it, she said. Trump is trying to ignore the experiences of people in this country by discrediting individuals who dare to raise our voices and force elected officials to listen to our stories, to look us in the eye, to not turn away. Confront Attackers Lia Weintraub, a spokeswoman for the center, said the organization has received funding from Soros for its work but that in no way compelled Anas actions. Trumps comments echoed criticism of the protesters leveled earlier Friday by senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway, who said on Fox News that victims of sexual abuse should focus their efforts on confronting their attackers, rather than Republican lawmakers. Did they individually wrong these women? Conway said. They cant be held responsible for whatever man or men have wronged these women. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, also criticized protesters during an appearance on Fox News. Grassley said the demonstrations were a reflection of the incivility in American society generally, and criticized Democrats for encouraging those upset by the Kavanaugh allegations to confront lawmakers. We as senators ought to be setting an example for civility, not encouraging incivility, Grassley said. Outside Spending Advocacy groups that support Kavanaugh have been outspending groups that oppose his nomination by more than two-to one on TV advertising, according to an Ad Age Datacenter analysis. Protests continued in Washington on Friday, including a group gathered outside the Capitol Hill home of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell drinking beer from red plastic cups. The protesters repurposed a sea shanty to criticize Kavanaughs alleged drinking habits, singling What Do We Do With A Drunken Justice? outside McConnells front door. Brasilia (AFP) - The running mate of Brazil's far-right presidential election frontrunner on Sunday stirred outrage after proudly talking about a "whitening of the race" in relation to one of his grandchildren. Hamilton Mourao, a retired general who will be vice president if the country elects ultra-conservative candidate Jair Bolsonaro as president, made the controversial comment on Saturday as he arrived at Brasilia airport to a welcome from some family members, according to media reports. "Let me by, my sons are waiting for me. My grandson is a good-looking boy, just look at him there: a whitening of the race," the 65-year-old was quoted as saying. The words were interpreted as racist by many on social media. Race is touchy subject in Brazil, which abolished slavery in 1988 and where half of the 210 million strong population is of African descent -- though less than 10 percent identify as black. The Workers' Party, whose presidential candidate is running a distant second to Bolsonaro according to polls, seized on the controversy. The "barbarity" the far-right candidates represent "is becoming more and more obvious," tweeted Manuela D'Avila, the running mate to Workers' Party candidate Fernando Haddad. Mourao, son of a general who had a role in the 1964 coup that brought in two decades of military dictatorship, has made several inflammatory slip-ups on the campaign trail. In August, he said Brazil had "inherited a culture of privilege from the Iberians (colonial-era Spanish and Portuguese), the laziness of the indigenous people, and the streetwise cunning of the blacks." He caused indignation again in September when he described single-mother families as "factories for ill-adjusted elements who tend to enter the drug gangs affecting our country." Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank attend the Chelsea Flower Show i May. The couple are due to wed on Friday - Getty Images Europe Princess Eugenies future mother-in-law has spoken of her excitement at her son marrying into the monarchy, less than a week before Windsor is once again swept up in royal wedding fever. Nicola Brooksbank, whose son Jack is marrying the Queens granddaughter in the historic royal town on Friday, laughed off the notion of any nerves ahead of the big day, saying: We are all really excited about it. It came as the Duke and Duchess of York joined the bride at a high level meeting at Buckingham Palace on Friday to thrash out the final details. Speaking exclusively to The Telegraph, Mrs Brooksbank said: We are hugely looking forward to it and we are very much hoping the weather holds out. Its been such lovely weather - we hope to have sunshine for Friday. Asked if the happy couple were feeling nervous she added: I dont know about nerves. They are thrilled to bits. We cannot wait. Jack is the eldest son of Nicola and George Brooksbank, an accountant and company director from Wandsworth, south west London. The couple split their time between London and Frances Bordeaux wine region where they own a three bedroom stone farmhouse with a swimming pool. Jack, 32, has a younger brother Thomas who is expected to act as his best man. In a sign of Sarah Fergusons royal renaissance as mother of the princess bride, she is understood to have met her ex-husband and youngest daughter, 28, at the palace on Friday afternoon. Fergie has played a central role in the planning of the 11am ceremony at St Georges Chapel, which will be followed by a champagne reception hosted by the Queen at Windsor Castle and then evening celebrations at Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, Prince Andrews private home, which he shares with his ex-wife. There will then be a second, festival-themed event at Royal Lodge on Saturday. Altogether 850 guests are expected to join the festivities, including the Hollywood actor George Clooney and his wife Amal, a human rights lawyer. Story continues Mr Brooksbank works as the UK brand ambassador for Casamigos, the tequila company owned by Mr Clooney and his friend Rande Gerber, who is married to the supermodel Cindy Crawford. Theodora Williams, the daughter of Robbie Williams and his wife Adya Field is expected to be a bridesmaid along with Princess Charlotte, Maud Windsor, the daughter of Lord Freddie Windsor and actress Sophie Winkleman and Ines de Givenchy, the daughter of JP Morgan executive Olivier de Givenchy. Prince George is expected to be a page boy while Eugenies sister Princess Beatrice, 30, is widely tipped to be maid of honour. Insiders say the Yorks have been dismayed by reports the wedding is costing the taxpayer 2 million. Much has been made of the fact that the couples decision to have a carriage procession around Windsor - in the vein of Harry and Meghans May wedding - has added to the cost of the security bill. A petition, organised by the anti-monarchy group Republic, urging the Government to commit no more money to the nuptials, has attracted more than 28,000 signatures. A source said: No one knows where the 2 million figure has come from but the wedding is all being funded privately. Yes there is a security cost but that is because it is a major royal event involving all the senior members of the royal family including the Queen. "Princess Eugenie doesnt have any bodyguards or personal protection. The carriage procession is going to be nothing like the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs - its a much more low key affair. Theyre not even going up the Long Walk. A friend of the Duchess said she was feeling nervous about being reunited with her former in-laws after being treated as somewhat of a royal outcast since she divorced Andrew in 1996. She does have to take a deep breath before these occasions, said the source. Shes avoided major royal events in the past and it wasnt easy for her to go to Harry and Meghans wedding. Washington (AFP) - Two of America's hallowed institutions, the US Capitol and the Supreme Court, became a nexus of public rage and frustration Saturday as President Donald Trump got his controversial nominee Brett Kavanaugh confirmed onto the high court. Protesters swarmed Washington, and rushed the steps of the Supreme Court to bang loudly on its bronze doors around the time Kavanaugh was set to be sworn in inside. "This is our court, these are our steps, these are our institutions!" proclaimed Jessica Campbell-Swanson, 35, to AFP just after raising a defiant fist and then coming down from the lap of the large marble Contemplation of Justice statue in front of the Supreme Court. Hundreds of her compatriots chanted and waved anti-Kavanaugh placards -- one read "This ain't over" -- as dozens of officers pushed them back from the doors and then stood guard. After a week of deep anxiety in Washington and nationwide, tensions surged about Kavanaugh, who stands accused of sexual misconduct. Several hundred protesters, most of them women, barged through barricades to lay claim to the front steps of the US Capitol. Dozens were arrested as they and others chanted "Vote them out!" and "No justice, no seat!" Protesters also disrupted the vote itself in the US Senate multiple times before being dragged from the public galleries, yelling "Coward!" at lawmakers who backed Kavanaugh. When Vice President Mike Pence, who presided over the vote, exited the Senate, he was loudly booed and heckled by onlookers outside until he ducked into his limousine. The confirmation of Kavanaugh has come in the midst of a MeToo movement that has put sexual assault squarely in a cultural crosshairs. And it has prompted several assault survivors to take up the protest banner. "I am here because President Trump mocked sexual assault victims," said North Carolina native Kara Harrington, 50, as she held a sign that read "Shame," and stood with her daughter and husband in front of a police cordon on the court steps. Story continues "It unleashed something inside me. I was assaulted when I was younger and I didn't tell anybody," she added. But she also spoke of the country's bitter divisions, and how American politicians and the Trump administration have done little to douse the flames. "We have a separation of powers that doesn't exist any more, and it's very scary," she said. "And I'm horrified that we can't seem to have any kind of middle ground or common sense." Across the street from the Supreme Court, a man wearing a "Trump 2020" shirt took in the scene. Chuck Thompson, 41, said he and his wife recently traveled from Georgia to visit Washington on their 20th wedding anniversary, and found a city heaving in protest. But he scoffed at the idea that Kavanaugh's nomination, and the tumult it has unleashed, will help Democrats in November's midterm elections. "This whole thing is going to backfire," he said. AL-EIS (Syria) (AFP) - Turkish-backed rebels said Sunday they expected to finish withdrawing heavy weapons from a planned buffer zone in northwestern Syria within days under a deal to stave off a regime attack. The National Liberation Front (NLF) announced Saturday that it has begun withdrawing heavy arms from the zone as part of an agreement between Syrian regime ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey. The accord, reached on September 17, aims to stave off a massive regime assault on Idlib province, the last major rebel bastion in Syria, by creating a 15 to 20-kilometre (9-12 mile) buffer zone ringing the area. Under the deal, all rebels in the demilitarised zone, which surrounds Idlib and also parts of the adjacent provinces of Aleppo and Hama, must withdraw heavy arms by Wednesday, and radical groups must leave by October 15. "We began to withdraw our heavy weapons from the demilitarised zone to rear positions," NLF spokesman Naji Mustafa told AFP. "The operation will last several days," he said, adding that the weapons will be held by fighters deployed in positions outside the demilitarised zone. The NLF is the main Turkey-backed rebel alliance in the Idlib region, but jihadist heavyweight Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) holds a large part of the province and the zone. HTS, led by former Al-Qaeda fighters, has yet to announce its stance on the buffer zone deal. On Sunday, an AFP correspondent saw NLF fighters on the frontline inside the planned buffer zone on the Idlib region's eastern flank. They waited in trenches armed with light weapons on a hill in the area of Al-Eis in Aleppo province, overlooking regime-held territaory several kilometres (miles) away. - Jihadists? - The correspondent did not see any heavy weapons in Al-Eis. "According to the set deadline, the withdrawal of heavy weapons will end on October 10. The operation is ongoing," an NLF commander on site told AFP. "We are reinforcing our positions and are ready to face any violation" from the regime side, he added. Story continues In recent weeks, Turkey has deployed troops at "observation posts" it set up in rebel-held areas of Idlib and neighbouring Aleppo. Nawar Oliver, an analyst from the Turkey-based Omran Centre for Strategic Studies, said pro-Ankara fighters giving up their heavy weapons on the front line leaves them vulnerable to a regime attack. But "the Turkish military should have some kind of heavy artillery" with them, he said. On Saturday, a media spokesman for Faylaq al-Sham, one of the NLF factions, confirmed the withdrawal of arms. Seif Raad said it included pulling back missile launchers, tanks and mortars. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said the withdrawal of weapons had already started a week ago and would continue for several more days. "But the rebels only hold a third of the buffer zone," the head of the Britain-based monitor, Rami Abdel Rahman, said. HTS and other jihadists, who control around 70 percent of the planned demilitarised area, pose the main challenge to its implementation, he said. None have accepted the Russia-Turkey deal, yet they are expected to withdraw from the zone by October 15. The Hague (AFP) - The Hague brands itself as the "City of Peace and Justice", but this week the stately seat of the Dutch government also revealed a darker side with the exposure of four alleged Russian spies. The sedate city bordering the North Sea is home to a slew of international organisations that have also made it increasingly attractive to espionage and cyber-attacks, officials and experts say. The scale of those normally undercover activities was suddenly thrust into the daylight this week when the Netherlands said it had busted a Russian plot to hack the world's chemical watchdog. In scenes that could have come from a spy film, the four alleged members of Russia's GRU military intelligence agency were caught red-handed with a car full of electronic gear in a carpark next to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. "The Hague as a UN city focusing on issues of human security is attracting judicial bodies and international organisations... also illicit activities," Jan Melissen, a diplomacy expert at Leiden University and the Clingendael institute, told AFP. "In the past, diplomacy and intelligence used to be seen as almost two concepts as almost watertight compartments. Now they are coming much closer as we see here in The Hague." - 'A small city' - Ever since The Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 that helped set down the laws of international warfare, it has drawn a growing array of international bodies. Their grand headquarters lining The Hague's leafy, orderly streets now offer rich pickings for spooks. Apart from the OPCW, it also hosts the UN's top International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court and the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals -- the former Yugoslavia war crimes court. The EU's police agency Europol and judicial body Eurojust are just around the corner. The Dutch prime minister's official residence meanwhile is across the road from the OPCW. Story continues A stone's throw away, one of The Hague's best-known museums the Museon, last month was one of the venues of the city's annual "Just Peace" festival. Over two days, the festival saw a host of events relating to "peace and justice" -- including an exhibition focusing on UN peacekeeping. "The Hague is very much at the centre of the re-framing of what security, justice and human rights values and violations are all about," said Melissen. "This takes The Hague out of proportion. For a small UN city... it's becoming very visible." For a small country, the Netherlands generally attracts plenty of unwelcome attention from spy services. The two Russians named by Britain as being behind the Salisbury nerve agent attack on a Russian double agent allegedly passed during their travels through Amsterdam's Schiphol airport -- the same gateway that the four alleged OPCW hackers came through and were then expelled from. - 'Illicit activities' - The Netherlands has found itself in Russian crosshairs too during the investigation into the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014 over Ukraine as it flew from Schiphol to Kuala Lumpur. A laptop belonging to one of the four Russians expelled in April had been linked to Malaysia and activities related to the MH17 probe. "I often hear people say that the Netherlands is too small and insignificant to interest hackers, but this is of course not the case," said Ben de Jong, a Dutch specialist in Russian intelligence agencies. "We've got important organisations here, like the OPCW... Besides if you have an in into one NATO country, you effectively have an in into all of them," De Jong told the popular Algemeen Dagblad tabloid. Melissen said that "clearly, this sort of thing has been going on since time immemorial -- also in The Hague." "There is much greater transparency these days so there is greater awareness of illicit activities -- also among The Hague's diplomatic corps," Melissen said. - 'No James Bond' - The spying activities that do go on are a far cry from the glamorous world of James Bond -- as the arrest of the Russian agents showed. The manager of the Marriott hotel said that Dutch agents had simply come in and asked at reception to see the four men -- and that by coincidence they came down in the elevator at that moment. "The police officers simply told the men: 'Will you please follow me' -- and they did!," manager Vincent Pahlplatz told AFP. "No Aston Martins, no revolving number plates, nobody sky diving from the rooftop." Indeed, perhaps The Hague's only appearance in the fictional spy world to date is more apt -- a bleak beachfront scene in the John Le Carre classic "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold", a novel in which no one really knows who is who until it is too late. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in Riyadh, - AFP Saudi Arabias crown prince has denied the kingdom is detaining a prominent journalist in Turkey and defended himself against accusations the episode was tarnishing his image as a reformer. Breaking his silence on the mystery of Jamal Khashoggis disappearance, Prince Mohammed bin Salman said he did not know his whereabouts but that Riyadh was happy to help in any investigation. Mr Khashoggi, an outspoken critic of the royal family who has a regular column in the Washington Post, has been missing for three days since visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to update some paperwork needed for a marriage licence. His Turkish fiancee, who was waiting outside for him, says he never re-emerged. My understanding is he entered and he got out after a few minutes or one hour. Im not sure, the prince told Bloomberg in an interview published on Friday. Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi speaks during a press conference in Manama, Bahrain. Credit: AP The premises are sovereign territory, but we will allow them to enter and search and do whatever they want to do. We have nothing to hide. The Washington Post published in Fridays newspaper a blank space where Mr Khashoggis column should have been. Turan Kislakc, a friend who heads the Arab Turkish Media Association, said Mr Khashoggi received assurances from Saudi officials before his visit that he could enter safely. We are holding a spot for Jamal Khashoggi in Fridays newspaper https://t.co/gBro1ilFZCpic.twitter.com/eCLKqJYHwT Washington Post Opinions (@PostOpinions) October 5, 2018 Members of the association have been gathered outside the consulate demanding answers. Ibrahim Kalin, a spokesman for Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said Ankara believed 59-year-old Mr Khashoggi was still inside the consulate. We will continue following the matter closely. There is an international law, Turkish law and humanitarian aspect in this issue, he said. Story continues Prince Mohammed also suggested Mr Khashoggi was still in Turkey. If hes in Saudi Arabia, I would know that, he said. If Saudi Arabia had detained Mr Khashoggi without acknowledging it, his detention would constitute an enforced disappearance, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said. It called on Turkey to deepen its investigation into the case. "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," said Sarah Leah Whitson, HRW's Middle East director. Rights groups have said the incident "sends a petrifying signal" to the kingdom's critics and dissidents. The episode has drawn an ever-intensifying spotlight on the crown prince and his promises to reform one of the worlds last remaining absolute monarchies. The 33-year-old heir to the Saudi throne used the interview with Bloomberg to defend actions that have sullied his reputation abroad. I didnt call myself a reformer of Saudi Arabia, he said. I am the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and I am trying to do the best that I can do through my position. Saudi women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul (far right) poses with Meghan Markle in the April issue of Vanity Fair along with global leaders who attended the One Young World Summit in Ottawa in October 2016. Credit: Jason Schmidt He addressed the arrest of womens rights activists in the country, accusing them of espionage. They have connections with agencies of other countries, he said, naming Iran and Qatar. They have a network, connection with government people, leaking information for the sake these other governments. The activists, many of whom veteran campaigners who had been calling for womens right to drive, have not been formally charged and have little contact with family since they were arrested in May. He also dismissed remarks by Donald Trump in which the US president said he had warned the king he would not last in power "for two weeks" without US military backing and demanded he pay up. We believe that all the armaments we have from the United States of America are paid for, its not free armament," he said. "So ever since the relationship started between Saudi Arabia and the United States of America, weve bought everything with money." He added: "I love working with him. You know, you have to accept that any friend will say good things and bad things, he went on. If you look at the picture overall, you have 99 percent of good things and one bad issue. (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's crown prince insisted the stalled plan to sell shares in oil giant Aramco will go ahead, promising an initial public offering by 2021 and sticking to his ambitious view the state-run company is worth $2 trillion or more, Bloomberg reported on Friday. "I believe late 2020, early 2021," he said, discussing the timing of the IPO in an interview with Bloomberg at the royal palace in Riyadh. "The investor will decide the price on the day. I believe it will be above $2 trillion. Because it will be huge." Aramco declined to comment. For the past two years, Saudi Arabia has prepared to place up to 5 percent of its national oil company on the stock market. Officials talked up the Saudi Aramco initial public offering (IPO) with international exchanges, global banks and U.S. President Donald Trump. The planned listing of the world's biggest oil producer was to be the cornerstone of the kingdom's promised economic overhaul and, at a targeted $100 billion, the biggest IPO ever. It was the brainchild of 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, heir apparent of the world's largest oil exporter. After months of setbacks, the international and domestic legs of the IPO were pulled, as the prince's father King Salman stepped in to shelve it, three sources with ties to government insiders told Reuters in late August. Prince Mohammed said in the Bloomberg interview that the Saudi government will keep the shares of Aramco after the IPO, rather than transfer them into the sovereign wealth fund as originally planned. Instead, the public investment fund (PIF) will receive the $70 billion from the sale of its stake in Sabic, plus the $100 billion that country hopes to raise from the Aramco IPO, the report said. Prince Mohammed provided a detailed timetable of his plans for Aramco, saying that after the deal with local petrochemical giant Sabic is completed in 2019, the company would need a full financial year before it can go ahead and sell shares to the public, the report said. (Reporting by Diptendu Lahiri in Bengaluru) By Orhan Coskun and Tuvan Gumrukcu ANKARA (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday he was closely following the case of missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi after Turkish officials said they believed he had been killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Erdogan told reporters that authorities were examining camera footage and airport records as part of their investigation into the disappearance last week of Khashoggi, who had been increasingly critical of Saudi Arabia's rulers. A former newspaper editor in Saudi Arabia and adviser to its former head of intelligence, Khashoggi left the country last year saying he feared retribution for his criticism of Saudi policy in the Yemen war and its crackdown on dissent. On Tuesday he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to get documents for his forthcoming marriage. Saudi officials say he left shortly afterwards but his fiancee, who was waiting outside, said he never came out. Two Turkish sources told Reuters Turkish authorities believe Khashoggi was deliberately killed inside the consulate, a view echoed by one of Erdogan's advisers, Yasin Aktay, who is also a friend of the Saudi journalist. "My sense is that he has been killed...in the consulate," Aktay said. Erdogan said he was personally following the issue, without saying what he believed had happened to Khashoggi. "Entries and exits into the embassy, airport transits and all camera records are being looked at and followed. We want to swiftly get results," he said, adding without explanation: "My expectation is still positive." A Saudi source at the consulate denied that Khashoggi had been killed at the mission and said in a statement that the accusations were baseless. The consulate has also denied that Khashoggi was abducted. The United States is seeking information, a State Department official said. "We are not in a position to confirm these reports, but we are following them closely," the official said. Khashoggi's fiancee could not immediately be contacted but she said in a Tweet that there had been no official confirmation of the Turkish sources' statements. "Jamal was not killed and I do not believe he was killed," Hatice Cengiz posted. Another Turkish security source told Reuters that a group of 15 Saudi nationals, including some officials, had arrived in Istanbul in two planes and entered the consulate on the same day Khashoggi was there, and later left the country. The source said Turkish officials were trying to identify them. Turkey's Anadolu news agency also reported that the group of Saudis were briefly at the consulate. DEEPENING DIVISIONS Khashoggi is a familiar face on political talk shows on Arab satellite television networks and used to advise Prince Turki al-Faisal, former Saudi intelligence chief and ambassador to the United States and Britain. Over the past year, he has written columns for newspapers including the Washington Post criticizing Saudi policies toward Qatar and Canada, the war in Yemen and a crackdown on dissent which has seen dozens of people detained. "I have left my home, my family and my job, and I am raising my voice," he wrote in September. "To do otherwise would betray those who languish in prison. I can speak when so many cannot." Two months later, writing about the detentions of scores of Saudi royals, senior officials and businessmen accused of corruption, he said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman dispensed "selective justice" and said there was "complete intolerance for even mild criticism" of the crown prince. Khashoggi's disappearance is likely to further deepen divisions between Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Relations were already strained after Turkey sent troops to the Gulf state of Qatar last year in a show of support after its Gulf neighbors, including Saudi Arabia, imposed an embargo on Doha. Erdogan, whose AK Party is rooted in political Islam, also supported a government in Egypt led by the Muslim Brotherhood, which Saudi Arabia has designated a terrorist movement. Erdogan's adviser Aktay told Reuters that Turkish authorities believed the group of 15 Saudi nationals were "most certainly involved" in his disappearance. "The Saudis are saying we can come investigate, but they have of course disposed of the body," he said, adding that he believed Saudi statements about a lack of footage from security cameras were insincere. Saudi Consul-General Mohammad al-Otaibi told Reuters on Saturday that the consulate's own security cameras showed only a live stream and did not record footage, so they could not provide evidence of Khashoggi's movements. The Committee to Protect Journalists said it was alarmed by reports Khashoggi may have been killed inside the consulate. "The Saudi authorities must immediately give a full and credible accounting of what happened to Khashoggi inside its diplomatic mission," the CPJ said in a statement. (Additional reporting by Sarah Dadouch, Tuvan Gumrukcu and Dominic Evans in Istanbul, Yara Bayoumy and Lesley Wroughton in Washington; Editing by Nick Tattersall and Dale Hudson) Stepping gingerly through the pulverised remnants of her Indonesian village, Nonlis Kando spotted a familiar white shoebox imprinted with neon red lips among the ruins and burst into tears. The 35-year-old office worker had found her home -- or what was left of it after an earthquake and tsunami obliterated parts of Palu on Sulawesi island. A week after the twin disaster killed more than 1,700 people, with a further 5,000 believed missing, Kando returned to her neighbourhood for the first time since running for her life as the world around her collapsed. Petobo, a cluster of villages in Palu, was one of the worst-hit. Much of it was sucked whole into the ground, as the vibrations from the quake turned soil to quicksand in a process known as liquefaction. It is feared that beneath the crumbled rooftops and twisted rebar, many bodies remain entombed. Aghast at the totality of devastation, barely a vertical structure remaining, Kando joined shell-shocked neighbours as they staggered through their unrecognisable community. But her mood quickly shifted from horror to grief as she spotted the empty shoebox, and realised the sickening mash of mud and concrete at her feet once housed her worldly possessions. "Now, the house is here, behind me. But before it was right over there," she said, staring in disbelief. "That's my home, down there," she said, pointing at a soil-clad rug and some familiar tiles, a few things that hold memories on top of this giant stinking pile of mud. She noticed a binder holding certificates and important personal documents, the reason she returned in the first place. This will make it easier to rebuild her life, she said. But the impact of her discovery -- and realisation of everything that was lost -- overwhelmed her. "I feel like when it happened the first time. My feet haven't stopped trembling," she said, her voice cracking. The scale of the task ahead is enormous. For now she is living with her parents, many miles away. Story continues But she struggles to imagine what life will now be like for her, her husband Michael and their two young daughters. "I don't know what I'm going to do now," she said. For now, she will make do with the documents and the comfort of a few fragments her old life salvaged from her home. A pair of metal bowls, a serving tray, a man's watch and a chipped plate. DUBLIN (Reuters) - Dozens of people marched silently in Dublin on Saturday carrying plain white shoe boxes to represent the coffins of hundreds of babies buried in an unmarked grave at the site of a former church-run home for unwed mothers in the Irish town of Tuam. Relatives of the Tuam babies say more should be done to recover and identify the infants' remains and to determine how they died. At the head of the cortege was Peter Mulryan, a man in his seventies who lived in the home until he was four and believes that his sister may lie buried among the bones of babies and toddlers found in a disused septic tank in the grounds. An official inquiry said in 2017 that there were "significant quantities" of remains at the site, which were dated to the period when the mother and baby home operated. According to researchers who compared the number of death certificates issued to recorded burials, almost 800 children could be interred in the grounds. "I've a sister in that septic tank in Tuam and I want her, and the rest, out of there for a proper DNA test and to be handed back to their siblings," said Mulryan. "We want to give them the proper Christian burial they were denied." The discovery of the unmarked graves horrified Ireland, reviving anguish over how women and children were once treated at state-backed Catholic institutions. The infant mortality rate at Church-run institutions was significantly higher than in wider Irish society, with death certificates mostly blaming infections like measles, gastroenteritis, bronchitis, tuberculosis, meningitis and pneumonia. Addressing the gathering on Dublin's O'Connell Street, Kevin Higgins, a lawyer who has acted on Peter Mulryan's behalf, called for an inquest and post-mortems to determine how the children in the Tuam home died. "The government has set its face against a inquest into the cause of death of each individual child. They do not want the truth to emerge. From those remains, there will be evidence, even now, of maltreatment and neglect." (Reporting by Graham Fahy; Editing by Ros Russell) NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Michael "The Situation" Sorrentino, whose abs became famous on the hit reality show "Jersey Shore," was sentenced Friday to eight months in prison for cheating on his taxes. A federal judge sentenced the star shortly after his brother, Marc Sorrentino, received a two-year sentence on a similar charge. Both brothers pleaded guilty in January. They were charged in 2014 with tax offenses related to nearly $9 million in income. Michael Sorrentino's attorneys had sought probation, while prosecutors wanted a sentence of 14 months. He is free on bail until he has to report; it's not been determined where he'll be incarcerated or when the term begins. The Situation declined to comment while leaving the courthouse with his fiancee, whom he is scheduled to marry next month, his attorney said. Other "Jersey Shore" cast members who attended the sentencing also didn't comment afterward. In a statement to the judge before sentencing, Sorrentino apologized for his conduct and said he is "overcoming my demons and putting my life back together" after years of alcohol and drug use. "Today I'm a man that I should have been years ago," he told U.S. District Judge Susan Wigenton. Attorney Henry Klingeman portrayed Sorrentino as the son of an abusive father who suffered from substance use problems and low self-esteem before he "rocketed to celebrity and riches" on the MTV reality show that followed a group of boozing, rowdy housemates at the New Jersey shore. Prosecutors painted a contrasting picture. While conceding The Situation may have played a lesser role in the tax scheme than his brother or accountant Gregg Mark who also has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing they noted he had the presence of mind to split up bank deposits into amounts lower than $10,000 so as not to trigger federal reporting requirements. "This was a deliberate course of criminal conduct with a blatant disregard for the law," Assistant U.S. Attorney Yael Epstein told the court. Story continues Michael Sorrentino pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion and admitted concealing his income in 2011 by making cash deposits in amounts that wouldn't trigger federal reporting requirements. Marc Sorrentino pleaded guilty to one count of assisting in the preparation of a false return. In pronouncing sentence, Wigenton commended Michael Sorrentino for his progress in overcoming substance abuse but stressed that his actions in the conspiracy were made knowingly. "With celebrity comes responsibility," she told him. "Part of the cost of making money is you have to pay taxes. We all have to." John Tafur, head of IRS criminal investigations in Newark, called the brothers' crimes "an outright theft from the hardworking American public." The Situation appeared on all six seasons of the reality show that ran from 2009 to 2012. The cast members were known for their drunken antics and the phrase they used to describe their lifestyle: "gym, tan, laundry." Republican former Gov. Chris Christie criticized the show for promoting stereotypes. Last year, he signed a bill capping the amount of state money universities can pay for speakers, because Rutgers University paid "Jersey Shore" cast member Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi $32,000 in 2011. ___ This story has been updated to correct that the star's brother Marc, not The Situation, received a two-year sentence, and to correct that The Situation pleaded guilty to tax evasion, not tax fraud. Juba (AFP) - More than a dozen inmates have disarmed prison guards and seized part of a notorious detention centre in South Sudan's capital Juba, officials said Sunday. A detained officer of the National Security Service (NSS) overpowered a guard at the entrance of the Blue House compound and disarmed him in overnight, the NSS said in a statement. After opening the prison gate by firing shots at the locks, Captain Keribino Wol then "mobilised" 15 detainees and "took over one part of the prison" where he forced several inmates to form a human shield to protect him from NSS officers, according to the statement. The detainees have seized 32 guns and knives, the NSS said, adding that it was seeking "to disarm (Keribino) peacefully for the safety of the other prisoners". The jail is part of the headquarters of the NSS. The prison has repeatedly drawn condemnation from human rights organisation over the alleged illegal detention of prisoners, torture and suspicious deaths. South Sudan, the world's youngest nation, broke away from Sudan in 2011 after a long and bloody independence struggle. But just two years later, fresh conflict broke out when President Salva Kiir accused rebel leader Riek Machar of plotting a coup. The civil war has killed more than 380,000 people and triggered one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Last month, Kiir and Machar signed a peace deal in an attempt to end the unrest, which is often fought along tribal lines and characterised by massacres of civilians, rape and looting. But international observers remain sceptical of the agreement, saying that entrenched distrust between the two men was likely to hamper peace efforts. A passenger train hit and killed three young elephants in eastern Sri Lanka, officials said Sunday, weeks after two calves and their pregnant mother were fatally struck in the same region. The Colombo-bound train with 600 passengers hit the herd near the village of Welikanda, 260 kilometres (162 miles) east of the capital on Saturday night, railway officials said. "Four compartments derailed, but fortunately there were no casualties among the passengers," a railway official said adding that the track was extensively damaged. The incident came less than three weeks after a similar crash involving a fuel train in the same region. The three elephants, part of a larger herd, were crossing the railway track at dawn in jungle near Habarana, 180 kilometres (110 miles) northeast of Colombo, when they were hit and killed late last month. The latest accident came even as the authorities investigated the previous crash to determine if the train driver had followed standard procedures while operating in jungle areas with elephant populations. Drivers are usually expected to move slowly and sound the horn continuously to warn any wild animals on the track. Two months ago, seven elephants drowned in a swamp in the same area. Six of the seven victims were below the age of 12. Sri Lanka considers elephants a national treasure and they are protected by law. However, human-elephant conflicts near wildlife sanctuaries have led to the death of 375 people in the past five years, according to official figures. Enraged villagers have also retaliated by slaughtering nearly 1,200 of the beasts. The government announced in August that it would begin constructing 2,651 kilometres (1,556 miles) of new electric fencing to keep elephants away from villages bordering wildlife reserves. The Sri Lankan elephant population in the wild is estimated at 7,500. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Sunday said Christine Blasey Fords testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee made her question whether then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh should withdraw from consideration. But Kavanaughs forceful denial to the committee of Fords sexual assault allegation against him ultimately led her to vote in his favor, ensuring his confirmation to the highest court in the land, she told CNNs State Of The Union. I was certainly undecided, Collins told CNN. And after hearing Christine Fords very compelling and painful testimony, I thought, Oh my goodness, he perhaps needs to withdraw. She continued: But then when he came back with such forceful denial, and the anger and anguish that he showed, and then the lack of corroboration (for Fords claims) led me back to the fundamental issues that are fundamental to our legal system of presumption of innocence and fairness. Sen. Susan Collins: After hearing Christine Fords very compelling and painful testimony, I thought...'perhaps he needs to withdraw' but then he came back with such a forceful denial led me back to the fundamental issues that are fundamental to our legal system" pic.twitter.com/MXjyQoxz94 CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) October 7, 2018 Collins was one of four senators along with Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) who during the confirmation process were widely viewed as potentially breaking with their political parties on Kavanaughs confirmation. On Friday, a day before the Senate voted on Kavanaughs confirmation, Flake and Collins announced they would likely vote in his favor, all but guaranteeing him a seat on the bench. The Senate on Saturday narrowly confirmed Kavanaugh, 50-48. Every Republican but Murkowski voted in favor of him, and every Democrat but Manchin voted against him. Hours later, Kavanaugh was sworn in as a Supreme Court justice as hundreds of Me Too activists protested outside the Capitol. Story continues Three women in recent weeks have accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct during the early 1980s. Ford, in powerful testimony on Sept. 27 to the Judiciary Committee, alleged Kavanaugh pinned her down, groped her and tried to remove her clothing at a small party in suburban Maryland when they were both high school students. Kavanaugh vehemently denied ever sexually assaulting anyone in his weepy, defiant testimony to the panel following Fords appearance. At one point, Kavanaugh claimed the mounting sexual misconduct allegations he faced were part of a left-wing political hit sparked by revenge on behalf of the Clintons. Kavanaugh was part of the special counsel team whose investigation led to then-President Bill Clintons impeachment in the late 1990s. Collins on Sunday conceded that Kavanaugh stepped over the line at times during his eyebrow-raising testimony. I did believe that he should not have take the shot at the Clintons and that in his questioning with certain senators, responding to their questions, particularly Amy Klobuchar, that he stepped over the line, Collins said. Klobuchar (D-Minn.) had asked Kavanaugh if his drinking as a youth had ever caused him to black out, prompting the nominee to angrily reply, I dont know. Have you? .@SenatorCollins to @DanaBashCNN: "I did believe that he should not have taken the shot at the Clintons and that in his questioning with certain senators, responding to their questions, particularly Amy Klobuchar, that he stepped over the line." #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/9rJt9hyVri State of the Union (@CNNSotu) October 7, 2018 Despite Ford testifying that she was 100 percent sure Kavanaugh assaulted her, Collins in her Sunday comments cast doubt on the womans memory. I do believe that she was assaulted, Collins said. I dont know by whom and Im not certain when, but I do not believe that [Kavanaugh] was the assailant. Following the committee hearing, the White House had directed the FBI to investigate the allegations against Kavanaugh. But the inquiry was limited in scope and failed to interview either him or Ford, as well as several people claiming to be able to corroborate allegations against him. Sen. Susan Collins on Christine Blasey Ford: "I do not believe that Brett Kavanaugh was her assailant. I do believe that she was assaulted. I don't know by whom, and I'm not certain when, but I do not believe he was the assailant" https://t.co/Eg5jp9thkL pic.twitter.com/LpeNmNNsY4 CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) October 7, 2018 Related... Susan Collins' Vote Ensures Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court Confirmation Brett Kavanaugh Confirmed To Supreme Court As Senate Rejects Me Too Movement Over $1 Million Raised In 24 Hours After Susan Collins Announced Support For Kavanaugh Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Sofia (AFP) - Corruption-plagued EU member Bulgaria was under pressure Monday to find the killer of a television journalist whose brutal murder at the weekend has shocked the country and sparked international condemnation. The body of 30-year-old Viktoria Marinova -- who presented a current affairs talk programme called "Detector" for the small private TVN television in the northern town of Ruse -- was found on Saturday. "All leads are being looked at" in the investigation including possible links to Marinova's professional activity, chief prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov said Monday. Authorities earlier revealed that Marinova had been killed by blows to the head and from suffocation, and had also been raped. "We are in shock. In no way, under any form, never have we received any threats -- aimed at her or the television," a journalist from Marinova's own TVN told AFP on condition of anonymity Sunday, adding that he and his colleagues feared for their safety. UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay condemned the murder, saying: The use of sexual and physical abuse to silence a woman journalist is an outrage against the dignity and basic human rights of every woman." In a statement from the UN cultural agency's headquarters in Paris, Azoulay added: "Attacks on journalists erode the fundamental human right to freedom of expression and its corollaries, press freedom and free access to information." Marinova is the third journalist to be murdered in Europe this year after Jan Kuciak in Slovakia in February and Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta in October 2017. Bulgaria is regarded as a laggard in the EU in matters of press freedom, ranking 111th out of a total 180 in this area, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF). "Shocked by the horrendous murder of Victoria Marinova. Again a courageous journalist falls in the fight for truth and against corruption," the EU Commission's vice president Frans Timmermans tweeted late Sunday. Story continues - 'A warning'? - Condolences poured in on social media for Marinova, who leaves behind a small child. Candlelight vigils will be held Monday evening in both Ruse and the capital Sofia. Some observers believe the murder could be linked to Marinova's work. The first episode of her programme, aired on September 30, featured an investigation into fraud allegations against oligarchs and politicians. She interviewed the reporters behind the probe, investigative journalists Dimitar Stoyanov from the Bivol.bg website and Attila Biro from the Romanian Rise Project. Bivol.bg owner Asen Yordanov told AFP that "Viktoria's death, the brutal manner in which she was killed, is an execution. It was meant to serve as an example, something like a warning." The crime has sparked international outcry, with condemnation from the OSCE and the Committee to Protect Journalists. In Bulgaria, however, national TV networks gave scant air time to the case. And even some of Marinova's fellow journalists were not convinced that she was killed because of her reporting. "The country has a bad image with regard to press freedom, but it's possible that there is no link to this case," said Svetoslav Terziev, opposition media analyst and journalism teacher. - Reporting obstacles - Widespread corruption, shady media ownership and suspected collusion between journalists, politicians and oligarchs have made objective reporting a constant obstacle course, according to RSF. The Bulgaria-based Association of European Journalists said reporters from small regional and local media are under particular pressure and even face threats from local businessmen and politicians, often leading to self-censorship. Violence against women has also been widespread in Bulgaria. Magas (Russia) (AFP) - Several thousand protesters in Russia's volatile region of Ingushetia demanded Sunday the resignation of a veteran leader, accusing him of surrendering swathes of territory to neighbouring Chechnya. Activists and clerics in Magas -- the capital of the majority-Muslim Northern Caucasus region of Ingushetia -- called for people to take to the streets after local leader Yunus-Bek Yevkurov agreed a border deal with Chechnya late last month. The protesters say the pact is detrimental to tightly-populated Ingushetia as it surrenders territory to much larger Chechnya run by Ramzan Kadyrov, a hugely controversial former rebel backed by the Kremlin. Tens of thousands have taken part in protests in Magas since Thursday when a regional assembly endorsed the land deal. "We are outraged today because the heads of the two regions decided to swap lands without asking people," Khamid Azhigov, a 78-year-old pensioner, told AFP. He said that Yevkurov, who has run Ingushetia for the past decade, should be held criminally responsible for violating the constitution and betraying his people. "He should be in prison. We will demand that today and in the future," said Azhigov, wearing a traditional sheepskin hat. The roots of the territorial conflict stem from the early days of the Soviet Union when borders between various Northern Caucasus territories were redrawn. Ruslan Aushev, the region's first post-Soviet leader, addressed the crowd, saying Yevkurov should have consulted his people before committing to the deal. "The leadership of Ingushetia has made a grave mistake," Aushev said. Regional authorities claim that the local legislative assembly have endorsed the land swap but activists say the results of the vote were falsified. In a sign of huge tensions on the day of the vote, Yevkurov was reportedly pelted with plastic bottles and his guards were forced to fire automatic rifles into the air to hold back the crowd. Story continues Activists launched indefinite protests from Thursday demanding authorities annul the deal and parliament hold a new vote. They set up a makeshift camp near the regional parliament building where many eat, rest and pray in the presence of riot police. Russia's Northern Caucasus struggles with a litany of problems including a simmering Islamist insurgency, deep poverty and entrenched corruption and presents one of the biggest challenges for the Kremlin. The people of Ingushetia and Chechnya are ethnically close. During World War II, Stalin accused the Chechens and Ingush of collaborating with the Nazi and deported them to Central Asia. The exiles were later allowed to return. Since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russian troops fought two separatist wars in Chechnya, while Ingushetia chose to become a Russian republic. Burlington (United States) (AFP) - When Christine Hallquist first told her children she wanted to run for governor, they were angry. When she told her former board of directors, they thought it was a joke. Now, the Vermont grandparent is on the cusp of making history as America's first transgender governor -- if she beats Republican incumbent Phil Scott in the November 6 midterm elections. Before the race, 62-year-old Hallquist was best known in her bucolic home state for leading the charge toward renewable energy, and as a pioneering American CEO who transitioned on the job. Until 2015, she was officially Dave, father of three and husband of Pat. Today, she is Christine, still living with Pat, and convinced that she can pull off an upset victory against a moderate and fairly popular Republican in a largely blue state whose most famous politician is Senator Bernie Sanders, a self-described Democratic Socialist. Jumping into state-wide politics has been a breeze compared to the life-altering events of her transition and its impact on her family, documented by her son in the 2016 film "Denial." "This is definitely not the hardest thing I ever did," Hallquist tells AFP, sitting in a demure skirt and jacket at the Democratic Party's cramped campaign headquarters in the lake-side city of Burlington. "In 2014, I had cancer, I was sure I was going to die," she says. "When it came to transitioning, it was harder than facing my own death... So once you cross that threshold and I'm sitting here today, I'm just enjoying." - 'Despot' - Crisscrossing the state, Hallquist is campaigning hard. But politics was never her goal in life. Instead, her passion was trying to solve climate change as CEO of a Vermont electricity cooperative. Donald Trump's 2016 election, she says, "changed everything." Having run an incendiary campaign, in office the president has sought to erode transgender rights, including an attempted military ban, roll back environmental protections and orchestrated a crackdown on immigration. Story continues Neither has peaceful, rural Vermont, home to just 624,000 people, been cocooned from growing intolerance. White supremacist flyers, as well as racist and Nazi graffiti, have been reported. Hallquist says it was hearing four Muslim girls perform slam poetry about being harassed, that made her decide to run, determined to counter a president she accuses of eroding American values. "We have a despot," she says, "doing all the classic things that an autocratic leader in a banana republic would do." Polls are few and far between in Vermont, so there is little objective data about her chances against Scott, who if defeated would become the state's first incumbent governor ousted since 1962. Hallquist trailed Scott 42-50 percent, with a margin of error of 4.86 percent, in a survey released by the Democratic Party on October 1. The Republican holds a modest fundraising lead and after only two years on the job, some critics are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, not all of them particularly energized about Hallquist. - 'Unbelievable' - Trump is loathed in Vermont and while Scott has distanced himself from the president, Hallquist's team hopes that Democrats and independents will flock to the polls to make a point and put her over the line. Buoyed by her victory in a crowded Democratic primary, she sees herself as a role model and her candidacy as expanding America's moral compass. "I believe Vermont is a beacon of hope for the rest of the country," she says. Hallquist says her gender status is "not an issue for Vermont," that it rarely comes up with voters and that for every death threat or vitriolic email, there are a hundred messages of support. "Every time I go to an event... people cry," she says. "I think there's so much hope for the leadership that I'm providing in terms of people who were bullied in school." Modest and warm, she has seen her family survive her transition. She speaks glowingly of her children and credits spouse Pat with being her "image consultant" on what to wear on the campaign trail. Her mom, Hallquist says, is also "elated and proud." Never in a million years did she imagine as a child that she would be running for governor as Christine. "Fifty years ago, I didn't even know what a transgender woman was. It wasn't until I was 44 years old that I even learned that there were other people like me," she recognizes. "This is pretty unbelievable." Her hope for November is a blue wave, that "we look back at 2018 and say that's when we made history, that's when our democracy survived a despot." Donald Trump has dismissed a survivor of sexual assault who confronted a Republican senator about his support for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh as rude elevator screamers, paid for my George Soros. Last week, Republican Jeff Flake was confronted by two women in an elevator on Capitol Hill after news broke he was going to vote on the Senate Judiciary Committee to approve Mr Trumps supreme court nominee. What you are doing is allowing someone who actually violated a woman to sit on the Supreme Court. This is not tolerable. You have children in your family. Think about them. I have two children, said one of the women, Ana Maria Archila. A second woman, Maria Gallagher, yelled at him: I was sexually assaulted and nobody believed me. I didn't tell anyone and you're telling all women that they don't matter, that they should just stay quiet because if they tell you what happened to them you are going to ignore them. On Friday morning, as the senate prepared for a ballot that would set up Mr Kavanaugh for a confirmation vote - perhaps as early as Saturday, Mr Trump tweeted: The very rude elevator screamers are paid professionals only looking to make Senators look bad. Dont fall for it! Also, look at all of the professionally made identical signs. Paid for by Soros and others. These are not signs made in the basement from love! #Troublemakers. The action by the women was considered one of the reasons Mr Flake subsequently insisted he would only vote in favour of Mr Kavanaugh, if the full senate vote was delayed and the FBI given a week to carry out an additional background check into allegations of sexual abuse. Mr Trump's reference to Mr Soros was partly accurate; Ms Archila is the co-executive director of the Centre for Popular Democracy, a New York-based activist group. Records show the group receives $500,000 from Open Society Foundations, the grant-making body funded by the 88-year-old Hungarian-American liberal philanthropist. Story continues The very rude elevator screamers are paid professionals only looking to make Senators look bad. Dont fall for it! Also, look at all of the professionally made identical signs. Paid for by Soros and others. These are not signs made in the basement from love! #Troublemakers Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 5, 2018 This country is being ripped apart here, he told the committee. Weve got to make sure that we do due diligence. The committee voted along party lines 11-10 to forward the 53-year-old judges to the full senate for a confirmation hearing. The FBI completed its report on Wednesday and on Thursday, senators were given a chance to read a copy of it. Two of three Republicans whose support had been considered uncertain - Mr Flake and Susan Collins, a senator from Maine, said they had seen nothing in it, to stop Mr Kavanaugh''s confirmation going forward. President Donald Trump is campaigning in the Midwest, where Republican candidates have been hurt in part by his trade policy. In Minnesota, he touted his deal to revise the North American Free Trade Agreement, which could take pressure off the farmers and manufacturers damaged by the tariffs Trump has imposed on major trade partners. He also heads to Kansas and Iowa, where several critical House races are taking place in November. President Donald Trump is swooping into Midwestern states to try to boost House Republican candidates hurt in part by his own trade policy. He has a new tool to limit the political damage. The president started a swing through key midterm states Thursday in Minnesota, which he will follow with rallies in Kansas on Saturday and Iowa on Tuesday. Facing backlash to his tariffs that brought targeted retaliation against farmers, Trump is touting the deal his administration struck this week to tweak, but largely keep intact, the North American Free Trade Agreement. "NAFTA has been one of the great disasters of all time and now we have a great and fair deal. We have a fair deal," he said Thursday night in Rochester, Minnesota, within the state's battleground 1st Congressional District. The area has a strong agricultural presence, and the state overall plays host to four competitive House races in November as Republicans and Democrats battle for control of the chamber. As the president slapped tariffs on key trading partners and threatened to scrap NAFTA this year, candidates in key races in Minnesota, Iowa and Kansas largely criticized the duties and defended the three-nation trade agreement. Securing a revised trade deal could reduce uncertainty for farmers and manufacturers as Trump's poor approval rating and protectionist policies threaten to help Democrats pick off multiple GOP-held House seats. The results hold huge stakes for Trump personally: a Democratic House would not only fight his policy goals, but also it would likely push to release his tax returns or launch more investigations into his administration. Story continues Jim Hagedorn, a Republican who has opposed tariffs as he tries to win the Democratic-held 1st District, cheered the trade deal revision. It "will provide enhanced trade opportunities for our farmers and manufacturers," said Gregg Peppin, a spokesman for Hagedorn. He is running against Democrat Dan Feehan, who has said the district's farmers are "suffering sizable losses" because of a "reckless trade war." Feehan's campaign did not respond to CNBC's request for comment. Feehan tweet Nonpartisan election analysts consider the contest to replace retiring Democratic Rep. Tim Walz a toss-up. The seat stretches from Minnesota's western to eastern border at the southern edge of the state. While Trump can call the deal he dubbed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement a win, he still has one glaring trade problem: China. An escalating series of tariffs leveled by Washington and Beijing led to duties on American agricultural exports such as soybeans and pork. Canada and Mexico also imposed retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. this year when the Trump administration levied duties on steel and aluminum imports from its two allies. The White House will not scrap those tariffs under the new agreement. Still, retaining NAFTA takes at least some pressure off the politically important states of Minnesota, Kansas and Iowa after a tense, monthslong negotiating process . All three states sent more goods to Canada and Mexico than any other countries last year, according to U.S. Census data. Exports to Canada from Kansas jumped 40 percent from 2016 to 2017, while they rose 21 percent and 6 percent from Iowa and Minnesota, respectively. Minnesota's largest newspaper, the Star Tribune, also called the deal a "sorely needed update" after months that "haven't been easy" for "Minnesota farmers and others who have borne the brunt of the tariffs." On Tuesday, the newspaper's editorial board wrote that the deal "should provide certainty and durability to continued free trade among the nations, along with protections for intellectual property and digital trade that the old agreement lacked." "Still unresolved are the trade hostilities with China, one of Minnesota's largest trading partners and one that has resisted attempts to curb its freewheeling piracy of trade secrets and other infringements," the editorial board wrote. "Adding to the pain was the drama that accompanied Trump's attempts at deal making, complete with frequent insults and declarations to pull out of NAFTA altogether or, alternately, dump either Mexico or Canada, depending on the week." In Kansas, candidates have also opposed Trump's tariff policy as they jockey to win in the competitive 2nd District that the president will visit Saturday. Nonpartisan handicappers consider the contest to succeed retiring GOP Rep. Lynn Jenkins a toss-up. The district in the eastern part of the state stretches from its southern to northern border and includes the city of Topeka. Both the Democratic and Republican candidates for the seat have largely supported NAFTA and opposed the president's protectionist bent. Paul Davis, the Democratic candidate, told CNBC that the area's soybean farmers "are definitely feeling" the effects of price decreases caused by tariffs. The former Kansas House minority leader questions "the strategy of putting people in financial jeopardy when we don't really know what the end result is going to be." Davis said he supports the continuation of NAFTA after Trump raised doubts about staying in the deal. He added that he does not worry about Trump's revised agreement boosting his GOP opponent, Steve Watkins, as "in many ways you're preserving the status quo and also averting what could have been a disastrous situation." In a statement to CNBC, Watkins, an Army veteran, said that he "is not a big supporter of tariffs" and believes that ultimately "consumers pay for them and they burden our rural economies." He said early indications show that the NAFTA revision is a "positive step" and added that "the improvements related to expanding access to Canadian dairy markets appear to be promising for Kansas dairy farmers." Rep. David Young, the endangered Republican in the Iowa district Trump will visit Tuesday, has also slammed the president's tariff policy. His Democratic challenger in Iowa's 3rd District, Cindy Axne, said in August that Iowa farmers "are getting crushed by Trump's reckless trade war" and "need trade policies that expand access to markets around the world." Axne tweet The president reportedly has another economic action planned next week in Iowa to boost Republicans. He will follow through on a pledge to end a ban on higher ethanol gasoline blends which would help the state's corn growers, according to Reuters. Minnesota, Kansas and Iowa combined will have eight races this year that nonpartisan analysts consider crucial to the battle for House control. Those are the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 8th Districts in Minnesota, the 2nd and 3rd Districts in Kansas and the 1st and 3rd Districts in Iowa. Republicans hold six of those seats, while Democrats represent two. Of course, trade is only one issue that will determine the outcome of those races. Democratic candidates have focused primarily on health care as they try to flip the 23 GOP-held seats needed to take a House majority. Graphic by CNBC's John Schoen More From CNBC Istanbul (AFP) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said he was awaiting the results of an investigation into the disappearance of a Saudi journalist who a government source said was killed at Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul. Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi, 59, vanished after an appointment with Saudi officials on Tuesday. A Turkish government source told AFP that police believed Khashoggi was killed at the Istanbul consulate, which Riyadh strongly denied. Khashoggi had gone to the consulate to obtain documents needed to marry his Turkish fiancee. Erdogan said he would wait for the outcome of the current investigation before taking a decision. "I am following the (issue) and we will inform the world whatever the outcome" of the official probe, the president told reporters in Ankara. "We hope to have results very quickly," he added. "I am waiting, with high hopes." He said police were examining CCTV footage of entrances and exits at the consulate and Istanbul airport. Police said earlier that around 15 Saudis, including officials, arrived in Istanbul on two flights on Tuesday and were at the consulate at the same time as Khashoggi. "Based on their initial findings, the police believe that the journalist was killed by a team especially sent to Istanbul and who left the same day," the government source told AFP on Saturday. The journalist went to the building but "did not come back out", police were quoted as saying by Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency. - 'Baseless' claims - The consulate rejected the claims that the journalist was killed there as "baseless", in a Twitter message. It said a Saudi team was in Turkey to investigate the disappearance. The journalist's fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, said on Twitter she was "waiting for an official confirmation from the Turkish government" before she could believe the claims. Khashoggi has been critical of some of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's policies and Riyadh's intervention in the war in Yemen. Story continues His criticisms appeared in both the Arab and Western press. The former government adviser, who turns 60 on October 13, has lived in the United States since last year to avoid possible arrest. Yasin Aktay, an official in Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) who was close to the journalist, said Khashoggi had made an appointment in advance with the consulate and called to check the documents were ready. "His friends had warned him, 'Don't go there, it is not safe,' but he said they could not do anything to him in Turkey," said Aktay. He added that he still hoped the reports of his friend's death were untrue. - 'Assault on press freedom' - Prince Mohammed said in an interview published by Bloomberg on Friday that the journalist had left the consulate and Turkish authorities could search the building, which is Saudi sovereign territory. Turkey's foreign ministry on Wednesday summoned Saudi Arabia's ambassador over the issue. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on Twitter that if reports of his death were confirmed, "this would constitute a horrific, utterly deplorable, and absolutely unacceptable assault on press freedom". Fred Hiatt, the director of the Washington Post's editorial page, said if the reports were true "it is a monstrous and unfathomable act". "Jamal was -- or, as we hope, is -- a committed, courageous journalist. He writes out of a sense of love for his country and deep faith in human dignity and freedom," Hiatt said in a statement on the US newspaper's website. A European Commission spokesperson said in a statement that Brussels was "closely" following the case, adding it was "awaiting clarifications from the Saudi authorities on the fate of Mr Khashoggi." - Fled in 2017 - Khashoggi fled from Saudi Arabia in September 2017, months after Prince Mohammed was appointed heir to the throne. The journalist said he had been banned from writing in the pan-Arab Al-Hayat newspaper, owned by Saudi prince Khaled bin Sultan al-Saud, over his defence of the Muslim Brotherhood which Riyadh has blacklisted as a terrorist organisation. He 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. Saudi Arabia, which ranks 169th out of 180 on RSF's World Press Freedom Index, has launched a modernisation campaign since Prince Mohammed's appointment as heir to the throne. The ultra-conservative kingdom in June lifted a ban on women driving, but it has drawn heavy criticism for its handling of dissent. Dozens of dissidents have been arrested including intellectuals and Islamic preachers. A demonstrator holds picture of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a protest in front of Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul - REUTERS Turkish police claimed on Saturday that a prominent Saudi Arabian journalist critical of Riyadh was murdered in its consulate in Istanbul. Mystery has surrounded the fate of Jamal Khashoggi, who had spoken out against the ruling family and had a regular columnist for the Washington Post, since he disappeared four days ago during a visit to the Saudi diplomatic mission in Turkey. His Turkish fiancee Hatice Cengiz, who was waiting outside for him on Tuesday, says he never re-emerged. "The initial assessment of the Turkish police is that Mr Khashoggi has been killed at the consulate of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul. We believe that the murder was premeditated and the body was subsequently moved out of the consulate," Turkish officials told Reuters. They said a "team" of 15 Saudi officials were sent to Turkey to kill the 59-year-old on the day he vanished. It is understood that Riyadh knew ahead of time that he would be visiting the consulate that day - having visited last week and been asked to return on Tuesday. Ms Cengiz tweeted after reading the allegations: "Jamal was not killed and I cannot believe he was killed!". Jamal Khashoggi has not been seen since visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Wednesday Credit: AP Photo/Hasan Jamali, File Turkish officials will reportedly share evidence on Sunday that backs up their claims. "If the reports of Jamal's murder are true, it is a monstrous and unfathomable act," Fred Hiatt, the Washington Post's editorial page editor, said in a statement. "Jamal was - or, as we hope, is - a committed, courageous journalist. He writes out of a sense of love for his country and deep faith in human dignity and freedom." Saudi Arabia has claimed that Mr Khashoggi entered the consulate but left shortly afterwards. However, no CCTV has been released to back up the claim. "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," Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director of Human Rights Watch, said earlier in the day. Story continues Rights groups have said the incident "sends a petrifying signal" to the kingdom's critics and dissidents. Khashoggi's Turkish fiancee Hatice (L) and her friends wait in front of the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul Credit: Ozan Kose/AFP In an interview with Bloomberg published on Friday, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman denied Riyadh was detaining Mr Khashoggi and invited Turkish authorities to search the consulate. Prince Mohammed also suggested that Mr Khashoggi was still in Turkey. If hes in Saudi Arabia, I would know that, he said. At the same time as leading reforms in one of the worlds last-remaining absolute monarchies, the prince has led a crackdown on opponents and activists in recent months. However, the latest would mark a serious escalation of the kingdom's attempt to silence those opposed to it. WASHINGTON (AP) Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski turned against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh quietly, uttering a single word: "No." Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, her longtime friend and fellow moderate Republican, spoke on the Senate floor for 45 minutes, explaining her support for Kavanaugh in detail. Though they reached opposite conclusions, both women had faced similar political pressure heading into Friday's key vote on Kavanaugh's high court nomination. As moderates who support abortion rights, their joint opposition could have been enough to sink Kavanaugh, whose nomination was thrust into uncertainty following sexual assault allegations. Ultimately, it was Collins who put Kavanaugh on the brink of a lifetime appointment. Minutes after she finished speaking, West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin said he, too, would back Kavanaugh, ensuring at least 51 "yes" votes in the Senate. All three senators along with Arizona Republican Jeff Flake had been publicly undecided for weeks as they faced unrelenting pressure from both sides. In the end, Collins and Murkowski diverged. In a Senate speech that was disrupted by protesters before it began and met with applause from GOP senators when it ended, Collins declared, "I will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh." The final Senate vote is expected Saturday afternoon. Collins told a rapt Senate that she does not believe that sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh rise to a level to "fairly prevent" him from serving on the high court. Kavanaugh deserves a presumption of innocence, Collins said, and allegations by Christine Blasey Ford and other women did not reach a threshold of certainty. Murkowski chose the opposite path. "I believe that Brett Kavanaugh is a good man. It just may be that in my view he's not the right man for the court at this time," Murkowski told reporters after voting to oppose Kavanaugh in a procedural vote Friday morning. Story continues While she respects her colleagues' support for Kavanaugh, Murkowski said, "I also that think we're at a place where we need to think about the credibility and integrity of our institutions." Within minutes of their announcements, potential political challengers to both Collins and Murkowski emerged. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin insinuated she could run against Murkowski in a Republican primary, tweeting, "''Hey @lisamurkowski I can see 2022 from my house." The tweet was a reference to an infamous "Saturday Night Live" skit in which Tina Fey, portraying Palin, said she could see Russia from her house. Susan Rice, the former national security adviser to President Barack Obama, volunteered herself on Twitter as a Democratic opponent to Collins in Maine. In a second tweet, she cautioned that she was "not making any announcements" but was "deeply disappointed" in Collins' vote. In the Capitol, however, both senators won praise from their colleagues. "I think what Susan did today was rise to the occasion when the stakes were so high," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., one of Kavanaugh's most ardent supporters. Flake said he thinks "the world" of Murkowski and said she made her own decision despite intense pressure to vote yes. "I admire her a lot," he said. Murkowski said later that although she opposes Kavanaugh she will ask to be recorded as "present" during Saturday's confirmation vote to accommodate Republican Sen. Steve Daines, who will be at his daughter's wedding in Montana. Senators often partner like that to allow an absence without affecting the outcome. Murkowski said her decision was "agonizing" and she was "truly leaning" toward confirming Kavanaugh. But after watching his testimony, she said, she could not in her conscience conclude "that he is the right person" for the court at this time. Murkowski's vote was the latest example of the independent streak she forged since overcoming a Republican primary challenge in 2010 to win re-election as a rare write-in candidate. She was re-elected in 2016. Murkowski has expressed unease with the sexual assault allegations lodged against Kavanaugh, which he denies. She has faced pressure from home state Alaskans, including Native Alaskan women, who have described the scourge of sexual assault. Collins took pains to say she believes Ford suffered a sexual assault that "has upended her life," but said she was not convinced Kavanaugh was the culprit. None of the people at the high school gathering where Ford said the assault took place have corroborated her account, Collins said. "Believe me I struggled with it for a long time," Collins said after her speech. "I found Christine Ford's testimony to be very heart-wrenching, painful and compelling. But there was a lack of corroborating evidence." Even so, Collins said she hopes the ugly fight over Kavanaugh's confirmation will raise awareness of the pervasiveness of sexual assault. She supports the #MeToo movement, Collins said, calling it badly needed and long overdue. Collins has never opposed a Supreme Court nominee, voting to confirm the past five justices from Republican and Democratic presidents. Besides interviewing and talking to people who know Kavanaugh, Collins said she assembled a team of 19 attorneys to assist her in examining his judicial record. She called the appeals court judge eminently qualified, adding that his judicial philosophy is well within the mainstream. In keeping with her deliberative style, Collins had kept mum for weeks about how she would vote. Still, she sent signals that Kavanaugh had cleared a hurdle by reassuring her that he believed the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision on abortion rights is settled law. Democrats argue that Trump picked Kavanaugh, in part, because he is likely to vote to overturn that ruling. Collins and Murkowski are the only GOP senators who support abortion rights, a crucial issue in the Kavanaugh debate. If confirmed, Kavanaugh could tip the court's balance toward conservatives for a generation. Murkowski also rendered her decision Friday in dramatic fashion. As the clerk read names in alphabetical order on a procedural vote to move the nomination forward, all eyes were on Murkowski. When it was her turn, Murkowski stood up, paused, and whispered "no," her voice barely audible. Then she took her seat, looking down with a stone-faced expression. Collins, who sits next to Murkowski, leaned over and put her hand on the arm of Murkowski's chair. The two huddled in deep conversation. _ Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Juliet Linderman contributed to this story. By Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration is actively considering waivers on sanctions it will reimpose next month for countries that are reducing their imports of Iranian oil, a U.S. government official said on Friday. The administration withdrew from a deal over Tehran's nuclear program in May and is unilaterally reimposing sanctions on Iran's crude oil consumers on Nov. 4. The sanctions aim to force Tehran to stop its involvement in conflicts in Syria and Iraq and halt its ballistic missile program. Iran says it has abided by the 2015 nuclear deal, which was struck with five other world powers, besides the United States. The administration is "in the midst of an internal process" of considering exceptions called SRE waivers, or significant reduction exemptions, said a government official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. It was the first time a U.S. official said the administration was in the process of considering waivers. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in India last month that the administration would consider waivers and that some buyers of Iranian oil would take a "little bit of time" to unwind their trade with Iran. White House National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Thursday that the administration's objective was that there be no waivers and "exports of Iranian oil and gas and condensates drops to zero." He added that the administration would not necessarily achieve that. The administration is "prepared to work with countries that are reducing their imports on a case-by-case basis," the official said. The comments followed news that India, Iran's No. 2 oil customer after China, will buy 9 million barrels of Iranian oil in November. It was an indication that India will continue purchasing crude from Iran, despite the Trump administration's push to get countries to stop their purchases. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Tom Brown) Susan Collins: I do not believe these charges can fairly prevent Judge Kavanaugh from serving on the court Brett Kavanaugh cloture vote: as it happened Republicans in the US Senate, with the help of a lone Democrat, have voted to advance Brett Kavanaugh to a final floor vote, propelling the embattled federal judge one step closer to the supreme court. Faced with multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and concerns over his impartiality, Kavanaugh cleared a key procedural hurdle on Friday in a narrow 51-49 vote that fell sharply along party lines. The outcome paved the way for a final vote , expected late on Saturday afternoon, which was poised to confirm Donald Trumps pick for Americas highest court after a handful of key senators said they would back Kavanaugh on the Senate floor. Two moderate Republican swing vote senators, Jeff Flake of Arizona and Susan Collins of Maine, voted to advance Kavanaugh, while Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted against the judge. Joe Manchin, a senator up for re-election in conservative West Virginia, was the lone Democrat to break with his party and vote yes. Murkowski told reporters the vote on Kavanaugh was among the most difficult evaluation[s] of her career. I believe he is a good man, she told reporters, while adding: Hes not the right man for the court at this time. Flake, who last week called for the additional FBI investigation into the allegations against Kavanaugh, said he would vote to confirm the judge. Kavanaugh denies the allegations. Collins dealt a fatal blow to Kavanaughs opponents by affirming her support for the judge while decrying the confirmation process as a gutter-level political campaign. Brett Kavanaughs confirmation would swing the court staunchly to the right. Photograph: Mary Calvert/Reuters I do not believe that these charges can fairly prevent Judge Kavanaugh from serving on the court, Collins said. Certain fundamental legal principles about due process the presumption of innocence and fairness do bear on my thinking, and I cannot abandon them. But on Saturday morning, Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley, of Oregon, said on CNN that he believed there was a pattern of behavior alleged by many witnesses about Kavanaughs heavy youthful drinking and his belonging to school and college clubs that were known for being derogatory towards women. Story continues When you see the pattern, its more likely than not that he did assault her [Ford] in the fashion she described, he said. Kavanaugh was nominated by Trump in July to replace the retiring justice Anthony Kennedy, a conservative who often acted as a swing vote on issues ranging from LGBT rights to abortion. If confirmed to the lifetime post, Kavanaugh would shift the court in a staunchly conservative direction for decades to come. Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, said in remarks on the floor ahead of Fridays vote: When future Americans look back at these proceedings, let them draw no lessons from the Senates conduct here. Let them look back on this chapter as the shameful culmination of the scorched-earth politics practiced by the hard right in America people who will stop at nothing to entrench an advantage on our nations courts. The Republican majority leader, Mitch McConnell, dismissed the controversy over Kavanaughs nomination as part of an orchestrated campaign by Democrats and liberal activists. Before the ink had dried on Justice Kennedys retirement, our Democratic colleagues made it perfectly clear what this process would be about: delay, obstruct and resist, McConnell said. And before the ink had dried on Judge Kavanaughs nomination, colleagues across the aisle including Democrat members of the judiciary committee were racing to announce theyd made up their minds and were totally opposed to his confirmation. The demonstrations surrounding Kavanaughs nomination have been unprecedented. Thousands of protesters, many of them survivors of sexual assault, flocked to the nations capital in recent days with a final appeal to lawmakers to reject Kavanaugh. More than 300 were arrested on Thursday after overtaking one of the buildings that houses the offices of several US senators. On Friday, capitol police arrested more than 100 people, many for crowding and obstructing in senate offices. Trump denounced the protesters in a Friday morning tweet claiming, without evidence, that they had been hired by liberal organizers. The very rude elevator screamers are paid professionals only looking to make Senators look bad. Dont fall for it! the president wrote. The very rude elevator screamers are paid professionals only looking to make Senators look bad. Dont fall for it! Also, look at all of the professionally made identical signs. Paid for by Soros and others. These are not signs made in the basement from love! #Troublemakers Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 5, 2018 Democrats criticized the scope of the FBI report, some outspoken lawmakers condemning it as a cover up and a whitewash Investigators did not interview Kavanaugh or Dr Christine Blasey Ford, the research psychologist who alleged he attempted to rape her when the two were teenagers in the early 1980s. Late Friday night, Fords attorneys released a statement saying the FBI inquiry was not a meaningful investigation in any sense of the word. Had the FBI interviewed Ford, she would have provided corroborating evidence, including her medical records and access to her phone, the lawyers said. There were also seven people Ford told about the assault prior to the nomination who could have testified, the statement said, adding: Senators claiming to want a dignified debate should not repeat lies constructed by the Judiciary Committee. Hundreds of protesters took over the atrium of a Senate office building on 4 October. Photograph: Douglas Christian/ZUMA Wire/REX/Shutterstock As lawmakers processed the FBIs findings, Kavanaugh was also forced to fend off criticism of his temperament. On the eve of Fridays vote, the retired supreme court justice John Paul Stevens said Kavanaughs strikingly partisan tone while denying the allegations against him before the Senate judiciary committee last week should disqualify him. His performance in the hearings changed my mind, said Stevens, a lifelong Republican. The senators should pay attention to this. More than 2,400 law professors from across the country also signed a letter urging the Senate not to confirm Kavanaugh, citing his aggressive demeanor in the hearing. The American Bar Association said it was re-opening its evaluation of the judge based on his performance at last weeks hearing. It had previously rated him well-qualified. Kavanaugh sought to quell concerns over his judicial restraint in an op-ed published late on Thursday in the conservative editorial pages of the Wall Street Journal. The judge said his angry testimony reflected my overwhelming frustration at being wrongly accused. I was very emotional last Thursday, more so than I have ever been. I might have been too emotional at times, Kavanaugh wrote. I know that my tone was sharp, and I said a few things I should not have said. Democrats took to the Senate floor late into the night. Democrats dont seem to have the votes to keep Brett Kavanaugh from joining the Supreme Court, but thats not stopping them from taking to the Senate floor in a parade of speeches into the early morning against the conservative jurist. Hours before the expected roll call vote that would elevate the appeals court judge to the nations highest court, Democrats are making clear their strong opposition. New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand asked rhetorically: Do we, as a country, value women? Gillibrand said women whove experienced sexual trauma are tired of the same old scenario where the men are believed and the women are not. Sam Levin and the Associated Press contributed reporting Washington (AFP) - US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Sunday hailed the confirmation of divisive Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court as his "proudest moment" in the upper house as the warring Republicans and Democrats turned their focus to the crucial midterm elections. Kavanaugh was confirmed to the court Saturday by a razor-thin margin in the Senate, ending months of partisan rancor over his nomination and offering Donald Trump one of the biggest victories of his presidency. "I'm proud of my colleagues, this is an important day for the United States Senate," McConnell told political talkshow "Fox News Sunday." Asked if it was his proudest moment since entering the Senate in 1984, the 76-year-old replied: "I think so," adding that the most important appointments reviewed by the Senate are "the lifetime appointments to the court." Kavanaugh was sworn in shortly after the Senate voted 50-48 in his favor -- a move that cemented the high court's shift to the right under the Republican president, who has chosen two of the nine sitting justices. Reflecting the depth of Democratic anger, Senator Richard Blumenthal tweeted that the Republicans had confirmed "a dangerous & deeply flawed nominee only by breaking all the rules & norms. The damage done today will be enduring." Protesters rallied in Washington and other US cities against the ascent of the 53-year-old jurist, who has faced multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and been criticized for his angry partisan rhetoric. The prolonged nomination battle has roiled American politics, disrupting the status quo on Capitol Hill and firing up both Republicans and opposition Democrats a month before the midterms. "The mob descended on Capitol Hill and tried to intimidate our members into opposing this good man's nomination. We stood up to the mob," McConnell said. Trump told a raucous rally in Kansas late Saturday that the confirmation marked "a tremendous victory for our nation, our people and our beloved Constitution." Story continues - Kavanaugh 'on the ballot' - But the bitter confirmation fight appears to have deepened the fissures in Congress as lawmakers and their supporters head out on the campaign trail. For now, many pollsters predict Democrats will regain control of the House of Representatives in November, while Republicans are touted to hold on to the Senate. But how reaction to the Kavanaugh affair will ultimately play out remains to be seen. Senator Mazie Hirono, a Democrat from Hawaii, said that Kavanaugh would be sitting on the court "with a huge taint after his name. The partisanship he showed was astounding." Both sides claimed that the brutal political battle over Kavanaugh had galvanized their supporters. Democratic Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland noted that several key issues framing the November 6 vote could all come before a Supreme Court pitched to the right by Kavanaugh's presence. Among those concerns are women's reproductive rights, the Mueller investigation into Russia's role in the 2016 election and Republican attempts to roll back the Obamacare health program. "Those issues are going to be on the ballot in the midterm, and Judge Kavanaugh underscores those issues," Cardin told Fox. - 'Mob rule lost' - Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said he had never been so disturbed as by the events of recent weeks. "I'm glad that those who try to overturn the rule of law and replace it with mob rule lost," he told "Fox News Sunday." He added: "I've never campaigned against a colleague in my life. That's about to change" -- suggesting he would hit the campaign trail against Democrats who opposed Kavanaugh in states where Trump did well in 2016. Trump said Saturday that the lone Republican to oppose Kavanaugh's confirmation, Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, would "never recover from this." "I think the people from Alaska will never forgive her," he told the Washington Post. But McConnell told CBS's "Face the Nation" that Murkowski, who isn't up for re-election until 2022, remained "a Republican member of our conference in good standing." On ABC's "This Week," Hirono was pressed on whether she might support potential future Democratic efforts to impeach Kavanaugh. She demurred, but then added: "I'm focused like a laser beam on the elections," predicting angry voters would "go to the polls and vote differently." Americans of both parties appear bruised and battered by the drawn-out Kavanaugh drama. "A pox on both houses for the way this was conducted," Ohio Governor John Kasich, a moderate Republican, told CNN's "State of the Union." "Sometimes you can have a short-term win, and (in) the long term you have to wonder about the soul of our country." By Maayan Lubell JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus wife, Sara, appeared in court on Sunday for the first hearing in the fraud trial against her, in which she is alleged to have misused state funds in ordering catered meals. According to the indictment, Sara Netanyahu, along with a government employee, fraudulently obtained from the state more than $100,000 for hundreds of meals supplied by restaurants, bypassing regulations that prohibit the practice if a cook is employed at home. Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing. She was charged in June with fraud and breach of trust and of aggravated fraudulent receipt of goods. If convicted, Sara Netanyahu could face up to five years in prison. Looking tense, Netanyahu made no comment to reporters who had packed the tiny courtroom. She sat on a bench behind her lawyers. "Can we ask them to move the cameras away?", she asked the lawyer for the other defendant, who replied: "You're used to it." "Not like this," Netanyahu answered. She shook her head as the prosecutor described the gravity of her case. The session, however, dealt mainly with procedural matters. The judge set a meeting with the prosecutors and the defendants' lawyers for Nov. 13 in which he said he hoped all sides could narrow their differences "or even resolve the case". But a settlement at this stage appears remote because the prosecutors would likely demand Netanyahu plead guilty, something her lawyer has ruled out. She was not asked at the hearing to enter a plea. Netanyahus lawyers contend the indictment does not hold up because the regulations for ordering meals were legally invalid and a household employee had requisitioned the food despite Netanyahu's protestations. The prime minister, who himself is embroiled in corruption investigations, has called the allegations against his wife absurd and unfounded. Sara Netanyahu, 59, has inspired a multitude of headlines in the past over what family spokesmen call an undeserved reputation for imperiousness. In 2017 the Netanyahus won a libel suit against an Israeli journalist who said Sara once kicked her husband out of their car during an argument. In 2016, a Jerusalem labor court ruled that she had insulted and raged at household staff in the prime ministers official residence. So far, Sara's present legal woes have not politically damaged her husband, now in his fourth term as Israels leader and riding high in opinion polls despite the allegations against him. Accusations he has made against the Israeli media of orchestrating a politically motivated witch-hunt against him and his wife appear to have struck a chord with his right-wing voter base, which has rallied in support of the 68-year-old leader. (Writing by Maayan Lubell; Editing by Jeffrey Heller and Dale Hudson) Frankfurt am Main (AFP) - Anti-coal campaigners scored a surprise victory Friday when a German court temporarily blocked energy giant RWE from razing part of an ancient forest to expand a giant open-pit mine. The Hambach forest near Cologne has been occupied by activists for six years but its fate had appeared sealed after local authorities last month ordered police to dismantle protesters' treehouses. In an emergency ruling however, judges at the higher administrative court in Muenster said they needed more time to consider environmental group BUND's complaint against RWE's planned clearing. "This is a good day for nature and climate protection and a milestone for the anti-coal movement," Greenpeace Germany's Martin Kaiser told a press conference. The David-versus-Goliath battle in the forest has come to symbolise resistance against brown coal mining in Germany, a country that despite its green reputation remains heavily reliant on this dirtiest of fossil fuels. The plaintiffs argue that Hambach forest, in the industrial heartland of North Rhine-Westphalia state, is home to rare species like Bechstein's bat and qualifies as a protected area under EU law. Judges said RWE must not create an "irreversible" situation on the ground before they rule on the "complex" case. RWE, which owns the forest, had planned to begin clearing around half of the woodland's remaining 200 hectares (500 acres) from October 15. The company claims the expansion of its adjacent lignite mine is necessary to fuel coal-fired power plants in the region -- among the most polluting in the European Union. RWE said in a statement it did not expect judges to rule definitively until late 2020, adding that the delay would amputate more than 100 million euros annually from pre-tax profits in the coming years. Shares in the group were the worst performers on the DAX index of blue-chip German shares, losing 8.52 percent to close at 18.69 euros in Frankfurt. Story continues - Death in the forest - In a second win for environmentalists Friday, a court in Aachen overturned police attempts to block a mass forest demonstration planned for Saturday. "The court does not share the police's safety concerns," the judges said, adding that gatherings could be banned only if there was "significant danger to life and limb". Dirk Jansen of BUND told reporters he expected thousands to flock to the forest. "We will not let up on our resistance," he said. Sympathy for the forest's plight has swelled in Germany, fanned by unflattering pictures of police in cherrypickers dragging activists out of their canopy homes. Local police said 27 officers were injured during the nearly three weeks it took to carry out the evictions, with some activists throwing Molotov cocktails and stones as well as bags of urine and faeces. Tragedy struck when a freelance journalist covering the events died on September 19 after falling through a walkway between two treehouses. - 800,000 signatures - By law, RWE is allowed to cut down trees in the Hambach forest during the annual logging season to dig up brown coal, or lignite, in the ground before burning it to produce electricity. But this it year has run into more resistance than ever before, coming just as Germany debates how to phase out its use of the cheap but polluting fuel. A government-appointed committee is due to announce an end date for coal by the end of the year. More than 800,000 people have signed a petition urging state and federal officials to use their influence to stop RWE from felling a single tree while the coal discussions are ongoing. Germany has massively expanded renewable energy in recent years as part of a government-ordered shift away from fossil fuels. But coal still accounts for 40 percent of Germany's energy mix, in part to offset Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision after Japan's Fukushima disaster to exit nuclear power by 2022. The government admitted in June that it will miss its own target for reducing carbon dioxide emissions -- undermining Merkel's role as a leading global advocate for the implementation of the Paris climate agreement. Rather than cutting CO2 emissions by 40 percent by 2020 compared with 1990 levels, Europe's top economy expects to achieve a 32-percent reduction. Moira Smith was one of the thousands of women who came to Washington last week to lobby Congress to oppose Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court. But Smith had a more direct connection than most to the fight, and that drove her desire to try to keep a man accused of sexual misconduct off the court. In 2016, she went public with allegations that Justice Clarence Thomas groped her at a 1999 dinner party in Northern Virginia. Thomas, of course, made it onto the Supreme Court in 1991 even though Anita Hill testified that he had sexually harassed her. Smith had decided to speak up after the lewd comments by then-presidential candidate Donald Trump about assaulting women surfaced on a 2005 Access Hollywood tape. It felt like we were continuing this sort of wink wink, nod nod agreement that you just put up with stuff like that when youre in certain social circles, she said. I just wasnt willing to continue to do that. Smiths shocking allegations, which Thomas denied, didnt make much of a wave at the time. They came during the final heated days of the 2016 presidential campaign and before the Me Too movement coalesced amid a barrage of sexual misconduct accusations against powerful men. Smith, an attorney, now lives in Alaska. And as sexual assault allegations swirled around Kavanaugh, she felt compelled to add her voice to those opposing his ascension to the high court. With her daughter and other women from the state, she traveled to the nations capital to make that case to Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, one of the few Republicans who was wavering on Kavanaughs nomination. She and 17 other women met with Murkowski for an hour Thursday, and Smith told her about what happened with Thomas. There was one person [in the group] who started crying as other stories were related to Murkowski, Smith recalled. She said she was motivated to come because her 11-year-old daughter asked her why women werent believed as much as men. Story continues Moira Smith was in Washington with her daughter to urge Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) to vote against Brett Kavanaugh. (Photo: Moira Smith) Smith had watched Christine Blasey Fords Sept. 27 testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, in which the California women detailed her allegations that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers growing up in the Washington area. I felt for her, Smith said. You could tell that she wasnt somebody who was used to being in the national spotlight. ... I know from my own experience that there really is no glory in doing this. The personal toll for Smith has been hard. She recently wrote a piece in The Anchorage Daily News, saying she still isnt sure whether it was worth it to come forward about Thomas. But she said shes been blown away by some of the reactions to her story, which has been gratifying. There were three different kinds of reactions, she said. One was Thomas defenders and trolls, who thought she was a Democratic hack or looking for fame. The second group was people in her life who thanked her for speaking up. But the third reaction was the most important to me, and that was that scores of women who are friends, acquaintances, people I barely know, have come to me with their own stories. In many cases, Im the only person theyve ever told, she said. In some cases, Ive been able to put them in touch with resources so they can press charges against their assailants. And that to me makes it worth it. The Senate confirmed Kavanaugh on Saturday but without Murkowskis vote. Smith said she hopes that her story, and the stories of the other women from Alaska, had an effect on the senator. And even though Kavanaugh will now be on the court meaning that sexual misconduct allegations have been lodged against one-third of the six men on it she is hopeful. Were not there yet. We are far from it, she said. Theres just a lot more work to do. But I have to think that these moments, these national debates that were having now, are moving that in the right direction. Even in the face of the confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh. Related... All The Lies Brett Kavanaugh Told A Third Of The 6 Men On The Supreme Court Now Face Sexual Misconduct Accusations Brett Kavanaugh Protests Rage Until The Very End Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. A man and a woman in their 30s were pronounced dead after being critically wounded, and a 54-year-old woman was moderately wounded in a shooting terror attack carried out by a 23-year-old Palestinian in the Barkan industrial area in the West Bank. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The woman who later succumbed to her wounds was found handcuffed on the floor. The 54-year-old told the paramedics she heard a loud noise and went to check its source. After seeing her, the terrorist shot at her and she hid under a table. Some 5,000 Palestinians are employed in Israeli-owned businesses in the Barken industrial area. Security camera footage shows the Palestinian escaping the scene after shooting three people. Terrorist fleeing the scene ( " ") X Shooting in West Bank The IDF called the shooting attack "a serious terror attack." According to the defense establishment, there was no prior intelligence regarding intentions to carry out the attack. Security forces are currently conducting a manhunt to capture the assailant who fled the scene. MDA Paramedics received the report about the shooting at 07:39am, arrived at the scene and began giving initial treatment to the wounded. Shooting scene (Photo:TPS) The now moderately-wounded woman was evacuated to the Beilinson Hospital at the Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva In severe condition after enduring a gunshot to her stomach. She is no longer in a life-threatening condition. The police and IDF force closed the area and are currently conducting extensive searches after the perpetrator who resides in the village of Shweika near Tulkarem. According to estimations he is still armed. The initial investigation indicates that the suspect arrived armed with an M-16 assault rifle to one of the offices in the Barkan industrial area, which symbolizes coexistence between Arab and Jews who work there together. He then went up to the second floor, opened fire, and injured three people. The suspect worked for seven months in the industrial area and was granted a work permit which was supposed to expire next month. Terrorist fleeing the scene Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the terror attack at opening of the government meeting. "This was a very severe terror attack in which two Israelis were brutally murdered and a citizen was also wounded," the premier said. "The security forces are in pursuit of the assailant. I am certain that they will apprehend him and we will deal with him to the fullest extent of the law. "On behalf of myself and all government ministers I would like to send condolences to the families of the two people who were murdered and our hopes and prayers for a swift recovery for the woman who was wounded," he concluded. Yossi Dagan, head of the Shomron Regional Council dubbed the incident as "a serious security incident." "This is a serious incident in an area which symbolizes a bridge of coexistence in the West Bank. More than 8,000 employees work in the Barkan industrial area, with half of them being Jewish and half residents of the Palestinian Authority," he explained. "I see here Arabs and Jews who sit together and cry," he exclaimed. "I want to stress one thingthis incident is very grave, but we'll never break. The Zionist enterprise will continue vigorously operating in the West Bank as well as all over Israel," he asserted. Security forces searching the area "We will continue building settlements, and developing the education and the industry. This despicable incident won't deter us. We will never break," he stated. The Hamas terror organization welcomed the terror attack. "The Barkan shooting is a new chapter in our resistance in the West Bank," Hamas said. "The incident has proven that the attempts of the Palestinian Authority to normalize relations with the Zionist occupier are unsuccessful. "The Palestinian youth wants confrontation, "the terror organization added. Daoud Shehab, an Islamic Jihad spokesman, described the shooting attack as reply to "Israel's war crimes in Gaza, Jerusalem, the Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar and the damage Israel causes to the al-Aqsa mosque." "We call on our people to rise up against the settlements terror until the West Bank is free from it," he added. IDF helicopter (Photo: AFP) President Reuven Rivlin also addressed the terror attack, saying "I'm appalled and distressed by the horrible terror attack carried out in the Barkan industrial area. My heart goes out to the victim's families, and I pray for the recovery of the woman who survived. This was an attack against the idea of Israelis and Palestinian coexisting, and living peacefully side by side. "I call upon the Palestinian leadership to condemn this despicable terror attack and to join the efforts of finding the assailant and his accomplices," Rivlin said. "We will not rest until the law is exhausted with the perpetrators," he added. IDF Spokesperson Brigadier General Ronen Manelis explained that a chase is being conducted to capture the terrorists, while the Shin Bet is investigating the incident. Manelis said that despite that the terrorist had a work permit, the fact he managed to enter the factory with a rifle is yet to be examined. "The terrorist might have additional motives (which are not nationalistically-motivated), but that doesn't change the fact this is a terror attack," he added. "The industrial area is a zone of coexistence where Palestinian with a work permit are employed alongside Israelis. We'll review this incident and decide how to proceed from here. Nevertheless, preserving the coexistence is one of the army's missions," the IDF Spokesperson went on to say. He also noted that 3,300 Palestinian with a work permit are currently employed in Barkan as well as a similar amount of Israeli Jews. Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman tweeted, "The IDF and the security forces are conducting a manhunt to capture the terrorist. It's only a matter of time until we apprehend him (and bring him to justice)." Twenty-three-year-old Palestinian is suspected of carrying out a shooting attack in the Barkan industrial area where he apparently worked. The suspect resides in the village of Shweika near Tulkarem and was granted a work permit. Hamas welcomed the terror attack that took place Sunday morning in the Barkan industrial area in the West bank during which a man and a woman were critically wounded and a woman was moderately wounded. "The Barkan shooting is a new chapter in our resistance in the West Bank," Hamas said. "The incident has proven that the attempts of the Palestinian Authority to normalize relations with the Zionist occupier are unsuccessful. "The Palestinian youth wants confrontation, "the terror organization added. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin soon to discuss continued security coordination over Syria. Netanyahu made the announcement, without citing a specific date for the talks, at a cabinet meeting. Moscow said on Tuesday it had upgraded Syria's air defences with the S-300 missile system, 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. A US official said on Sunday that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's trip to North Korea was "better than the last time" but further efforts were needed. The official, who was part of Pompeo's delegation, indicated some progress was made during the visit, which included a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but added: "It's going to be a long haul." IDF forces are operating in the village of Shweika near Tulkarem where the terrorist who carried Sunday the shooting terror attack in the Barkan industrial area resides. For the first time since Moscow had delivered the S-300 anti-aircraft missile to Syria, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a conversation with with Russian President Vladimir Putin during with the two leaders agreed to meet to continue coordination between the two countries. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Netanyahu made the announcement at a cabinet meeting, without citing a specific date for the talks with Putin. Left to right: Russia's Vladimir Putin and PM Netanyahu (Photo: MCT, EPA, Ohad Zwigenberg) Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu informed Tuesday Russian President Vladimir Putin that the S-300 system had arrived in Syria, after Moscow accused Israel of indirect responsibility for the downing of a Russian spy plane by Syrian forces in Latakia as they fired on attacking Israeli jets last month. "The work was finished a day ago," Shoigu said to Putin. He also added that it will take three months to train Syrian personnel to operate the system. "The equipment transferred includes 49 unit of military gear, among them radars, operation systems and four launchers," Shoigu added. On Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry released footage of the S-300 system arriving in Damascus. Netanyahu and Putin (Photo: EPA) Israeli officials have said the new system could be defeated by Israels stealth fighters and possibly destroyed on the ground, and they have pledged to press on with efforts to prevent Iran's military entrenchment in Syria. But since the Russian plane was shot down, there have been no reports of Israeli air strikes in Syria. The apparent pause has raised speculation that Israel was either holding back at Russias request or paused the attacks over concern they would fuel tensions with Moscowthe Damascus governments main military backer. Netanyahu said he had spoken by telephone with Putin and we agreed to meet soon to continue the imporant security coordination between our armed forces. S-300 anti-aircraft missile system Israel will constantly act to prevent Iran from entrenching itself militarily in Syria and transferring deadly weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon, he said, referring to the Lebanese Shiite terror group allied with Syrian President Bashar Assad. On Saturday, the Saudi-owned pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat reported that Russia is attempting to establish channel of communication between Israel and Iran. According to the report, a Russian source said Moscow has begun investing efforts in promoting the move, which is meant to "ease tensions in the area and lower the chance of friction" following the transfer of the S-300 missile system to Syria. Jewish members of the far-right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, have met in the southwestern German city of Wiesbaden to create a Jewish section within the partya move that drew strong condemnation from other Jews. News Washington, DC - Seven U.S. citizens were charged in an indictment unsealed Tuesday for their roles in a Costa Rica-based telemarketing scheme that allegedly defrauded victims in the United States, including the elderly, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney R. Andrew Murray of the Western District of North Carolina announced. Roger Roger, 34, previously of Hialeah, Florida and currently residing in Costa Rica; Paul Andy Stiep, 26, of Miami, Florida; Manuel Mauro Chavez, 27, also of Miami; David Michael Nigh, 49, previously of Oklahoma and currently residing in Costa Rica; Mark Raymond Oman, 33, of Long Beach, Washington; Cole Anthony Parks, 33, of Pompano Beach, Florida; and Nicholas Richer, 24, of Nashua, New Hampshire, were charged in a 20-count indictment filed in the Western District of North Carolina with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, nine counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and nine counts of international money laundering. According to the allegations in the indictment unsealed today, Roger Roger and his codefendants ran a telemarketing call center in Costa Rica that duped victimsincluding senior citizensinto sending money to claim bogus sweepstakes prizes, said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. This indictment further demonstrates that the investigation and prosecution of individuals who victimize seniors and other vulnerable populations are among the highest priorities for the Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners. Scamming elderly people out of their lifes savings is deplorable, said U.S. Attorney Murray. Most older Americans live on a fixed income, so when scammers come along and steal these elderly victims limited financial resources, our mission is to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice. The indictment alleges that the defendants worked for a telemarketing sweepstakes call center located in Costa Rica, which was supervised by Roger. Telemarketers in the call center, including Roger, Parks, Nigh and other co-conspirators, allegedly called intended victims in the United States including elderly persons convincing them that they had won a substantial sweepstakes prize, but, to claim the prize, they needed to send funds, such as insurance or customs fees or taxes. If a victim sent money, telemarketers called back seeking more money, telling the victims that there was a clerical error, or the prize had increased due to the disqualification of the grand prize winner, requiring payment of additional insurance, fees, taxes and customs duties, the indictment alleges. Victims sent the funds either directly to Costa Rica, where they were retrieved by co-conspirators, including Oman and Parks, or, for victims reluctant to send money to Costa Rica, to co-conspirators in the United States, including Stiep, Chavez and Richer, who, for a portion of the victim proceeds, retrieved the funds and forwarded them to Costa Rica. The promised sweepstakes prize did not exist, and the defendants and their co-conspirators kept the victims money to fund the call center operations and for their personal benefit, the indictment alleges. The named defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly used a variety of techniques to conceal their identities and perpetrate the fraud, including use of phone names (i.e., aliases) when communicating with victims and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to make it appear that they were calling from Washington, D.C. or other places in the United States. They also allegedly often misrepresented that they were government agents or representatives, including from the IRS, Treasury Department or Federal Trade Commission. An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI, with assistance from the Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations, Interpol and the Departments international partners in Costa Rica. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys William Bowne and Jennifer Farer of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of North Carolina provided substantial assistance with this matter. News Tallassee, Alabama - A federal grand jury unsealed an indictment Wednesday charging Michael Brandon Smirnoff, 25, a former officer at the Tallassee Police Department in Tallassee, Alabama, with federal civil rights and obstruction offenses. Smirnoff is charged with two counts of deprivation of rights under color of law, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 242, and one count of obstruction of justice, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1519. The indictment alleges that Smirnoff twice used unlawful force on arrestees and submitted a false report to cover up one of the incidents. In the first incident, on March 29, 2016, Smirnoff slammed a handcuffed man to the ground, then used unreasonable force while placing him into a police vehicle. In a second incident on July 5, 2015, Smirnoff tased a man who had already been placed in handcuffs and was not physically resisting. As a result of these unjustified uses of force, both victims sustained bodily injuries. The indictment further charges that Smirnoff obstructed justice by submitting a false report about the second incident. If convicted, Smirnoff faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the deprivation of rights charges and 20 years in prison for the obstruction charge, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. This case was investigated by the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise Simpson of the Middle District of Alabama and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Michael J. Songer. News Washington, DC - Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio traveled to Mexico City on Tuesday to lead the U.S. delegation in the Trilateral Working Group on Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls. The meeting was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Mexico as a result of the commitments from the North American Leaders Summit (NALS) in 2016. During the meeting there was an exchange of experiences and best practices between representatives, experts and indigenous young women and advocates from Canada, Mexico and the United States to prevent and address gender violence and the challenges for their access to justice. Indigenous women shared their experiences and perspectives, contributing to the development of outcomes for the working group. In the United States, violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women is an urgent problem; indeed, it is a crisis, said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Panuccio. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the entire Department of Justice are committed to reducing violent crime and improving public safety in Native American communities. The United States has increased funding, launched innovative programs, and aggressively investigated and prosecuted these crimes. Cooperative efforts between our three nations will help us end the scourge of abuse and empower indigenous women and girls. Justice demands it, the victims deserve it, and we must deliver it. As head of the U.S. delegation, Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Panuccio met with Gina Wilson, Canadas Deputy Minister of the Status of Women; Roberto Serrano Altamirano, Director General of the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples and Ambassador Miguel Ruiz Cabanas, Mexicos Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Department of Justice delegation also included U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme of Montana, U.S. Attorney John Anderson of New Mexico, Acting Director Katharine Sullivan of the Office on Violence against Women (OVW), OVW Deputy Director for Tribal Affairs Sherriann Moore and Rachel Bissex, Chief of Staff in the Office of the Associate Attorney General. Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Panuccio discussed Department of Justice efforts to prosecute and prevent violence against indigenous women and girls, including the doubling of grant funding for public safety and victim services in Native American communities. He also discussed improvements to OVWs Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys program. The Working Group also discussed the significance of economic empowerment for indigenous women and girls, as well as inclusive economic growth for families, communities and countries. The Working Group addressed the importance of supporting youth leadership in indigenous communities as a means to promote and protect their human rights. Comprehensive respect for the human rights of indigenous women and girls is an obligation for States and is also fundamental for the well-being of their families, communities and countries, said Ambassador Ruiz Cabanas. Therefore, for the Government of Mexico, Indigenous womens human rights are approached with a double perspective: the individual dimension, in which human rights are inherent prerogatives of women []; and the collective dimension, since indigenous women are subject of enforceable human rights within the framework of their peoples and communities. Canada, along with our North American partners, is committed to ending violence against Indigenous women and girls and to addressing the systemic factors that feed this violence, said the Honorable Carolyn Bennett, M.D., P.C., M.P., Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations. In the spirit of collaboration, we will continue to seek the vision, support and guidance of Indigenous leaders, elders, women, and youth to promote the economic rights and empowerment of indigenous women and girls. I also wish to congratulate Gina Wilson and the rest of the Canadian delegation for their hard work during this meeting. Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Panuccios visit supports the Justice Departments continuing efforts under the Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety. This is the third meeting of the trilateral working group. The first was hosted by the United States in October 2016 and the second was held in Ottawa on November 2017. A 2016 National Institute for Justice study concluded that more than half of all Native women have experienced sexual violence and physical violence by an intimate partner, and that 84 percent have experienced some form of violence in their lifetimes. The Group will continue to foster efforts supporting the work of indigenous women of the three countries at the margins of the trilateral annual meeting, particularly at the international fora such as the Human Rights Council, the Commission on the Status of Women and the United Nation Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (PFI). Arizona News Tempe, Arizona - Officials from Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), a leading global medical technology company, were joined by Governor Doug Ducey, Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell and representatives of The Boyer Company to officially break ground on the new I.D.E.A. (Innovation, Discovery, Education and Arts) Tempe campus. BD Peripheral Intervention will be the first business to move to the new campus that is focused on attracting new technology companies to Tempe. BD Peripheral Intervention develops and manufactures innovative endovascular devices that provide critical interventions to help improve blood circulation for patients with peripheral artery disease, end-stage kidney disease and cancer. BD will be the first company to locate on the I.D.E.A. campus, and we are so proud to have BD and its employees grow in our community, said Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell. The I.D.E.A. Tempe campus is designed to create a place where the brightest people in science can create and collaborate together. The space also offers exposure to the arts and instant access to the finest outdoor urban recreation area this state has to offer. When completed, I.D.E.A. Tempe will encompass nearly 18 acres and will include more than 1 million sq. ft. of commercial buildings, including multiple office buildings, a hotel, restaurants, structured parking and additional art and classroom related space. BD is a prime example of the type of company that thrives in Arizonas business climate, said Gov. Ducey. High-tech companies, including medical technology companies like BD, will form the foundation of Arizonas 21st century economy that will continue to create highly rewarding careers for Arizonans, advance the way we do business and improve the way we live. The I.D.E.A. campus is perfectly aligned with these objectives. Steve Williamson, president of BD Peripheral Intervention said, Our move to I.D.E.A. Tempe is symbolic for the future of BD Peripheral Intervention, because we are passionate about taking ideas and making them a reality to improve peoples lives. The momentum being driven by Mayor Mitchell in Tempe and Gov. Ducey in Arizona will help move companies like BD forward, help grow the technology economy and help create new jobs in Tempe and across Arizona. Matt Jensen, a partner with The Boyer Company said, The Boyer Company is proud to be working closely with the City of Tempe to develop the I.D.E.A. BD is the type of company we had hoped to attract to the site. We could not be happier with their commitment to the project. We are excited that the project is beginning to take shape and look forward to making additional announcements about the project in the future. Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - Since 2015, 49 California-based businesses have chosen to set up operations in Arizona, bringing more than 18,000 jobs and over $9 billion in capital to our state. But, its not only companies and startups from our next door neighbor choosing to expand or set up shop in Arizona our states high quality of life, low taxes and qualified workers have made Arizona a destination for international businesses as well. In the last two months alone, five international companies have chosen to expand operations in our state, creating more than 2000 new jobs and investing over $48 million in Arizona. Arizona will also be home to Skybridge Arizona, the first inland cargo inspections facility in the nation to house both Mexican and United States customs, helping speed up the transfer of goods between Arizona and Latin America. Learn more about the latest international companies choosing to do business in Arizona: Yuma News Yuma, Arizona - Share your love of books and reading! The Main Library Book Club will meet Saturday, October 20th, at 10:00 a.m. to discuss The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Kim Barker. All are welcome to attend. The group will meet by the cafe area on the first floor. Future book club titles include: Saturday, November 17th @ 10:00 a.m. Heresy by S.J. Parris Saturday, December 15th @ 10:00 a.m. Holiday Book Tasting! Bring a book you love to share with the group. The Main Library is located at 2951 S 21st Drive. For more information, call (928) 782-1871. Yuma News Yuma, Arizona - On Saturday, October 13th, the Main Library is hosting Introduction to WordPress at 10:00 a.m. in the second floor computer lab. Business Librarian Andrew Zollman will share tips for building a website in WordPress. Participants will create a basic webpage during the workshop. There is no charge to attend; however, space is limited. The Main Library is located at 2951 S 21st Drive. For more information, call (928) 782-1871. Today Sunny. High near 90F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Tonight A few passing clouds. Low near 55F. Winds light and variable. Tomorrow Intervals of clouds and sunshine in the morning with more clouds for later in the day. High 86F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. The following companies are subsidiares of Aptiv: A.E. 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KG, KUM Co. Ltd., KUM LLC, KUMAP Co. Ltd., Movimento (Shanghai) Co Ltd., Movimento Europe GmbH, Movimento Group, Movimento Group AB, Movimento Inc., Movimento International S. de R.L. de C.V., Noteco Comercio e Participacoes Ltda., On-Site Limited, Ottomatika, Ottomatika Inc., PT Aptiv Components Indonesia, Phoenix Assets Holdings Ltd., Pipe Holding GmbH, Potio Holding GmbH, ProSTEP Produktions Technologie AG, Productos Delco de Chihuahua S. de R.L. de C.V., PureDepth, PureDepth Inc., PureDepth Incorporated Limited, PureDepth Limited, Rebafin GmbH, Rio Bravo Electricos S. de R.L. de C.V., Staeng Limited, Tyson Intermediate Holdco Corp., Tyson Upper Intermediate Holdco Corp., Unterstutzungsgesellschaft mbH Delphi Deutschland, Unwired Holdings Inc., Unwired Technology, WF Global (BVI) Limited, WF Global (HK) Limited, Winchester Holding Inc., Winchester Interconnect, Winchester Interconnect (M) Sdn. Bhd., Winchester Interconnect (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Winchester Interconnect (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Winchester Interconnect CM Corporation, Winchester Interconnect Cable Assemblies LLC, Winchester Interconnect Corporation, Winchester Interconnect Hermetics LLC, Winchester Interconnect RF Corporation, Winchester Interconnect Ruggedized Corporation, YanCheng SeMyung Electronics Co. Ltd., gabo Systemtechnik, gabo Systemtechnik GmbH, nuTonomy, nuTonomy Asia Pte. Ltd., and nuTonomy Inc.. Ormat Technologies, Inc. operates as a holding company. The firm engages in the provision of geothermal and recovered energy power business. It operates through the following segments: Electricity, Product and Energy Storage. The Electricity segment focuses in the sale of electricity from the company's power plants pursuant to PPAs. The Product segment involves in the manufacture, including design and development, of turbines and power units for the supply of electrical energy and in the associated construction of power plants utilizing the power units manufactured by the company to supply energy from geothermal fields and other alternative energy sources. The Energy Storage segment consists of battery energy storage systems as a service and management of curtailable customer loads under contracts with U.S. retail energy providers and directly with large commercial and industrial customers. The company was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Reno, NV. Read More iShares MSCI Austria ETF's stock was trading at $15.26 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) 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. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. iShares MSCI Denmark ETF's stock was trading at 60.79 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, EDEN stock has increased by 89.4% and is now trading at 115.11. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. KAZ Minerals PLC, together with its subsidiaries, engages in mining and processing copper and other metals primarily in Kazakhstan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan. It operates through Bozshakol, Aktogay, East Region and Bozymchak, and Mining Projects segments. The company operates the Aktogay and Bozshakol open pit copper mines in the east region and Pavlodar region of Kazakhstan; three underground mines in the east region of Kazakhstan; and the Bozymchak copper-gold mine in Kyrgyzstan. It also develops greenfield metal deposits; operates Koksay deposit in Kazakhstan, and the Baimskaya licence area in the Chukotka region of Russia; and produces and sells various by-products, such as gold, silver, molybdenum, and zinc. In addition, the company supplies and distributes heat, water, and electricity; and offers construction, project management, financing, management, sales and logistics, and repairs and maintenance services. The company was formerly known as Kazakhmys PLC and changed its name to KAZ Minerals PLC in October 2014. KAZ Minerals PLC was founded in 1930 and is based in London, the United Kingdom. Read More 1 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Premier Oil in the last year. There are currently 1 hold rating for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street research analysts is that investors should "hold" Premier Oil stock. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in PMO, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares. View analyst ratings for Premier Oil or view top-rated stocks. There is not enough analysis data for Enel Generacion Chile. 4.1 Community Rank Outperform Votes Enel Generacion Chile has received 205 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Enel Generacion Chile has received 122 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Enel Generacion Chile has received 62.69% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Enel Generacion Chile and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe EOCC will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe EOCC will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next Late dancehall artiste, Priscilla Opoku Kwarteng known in the showbiz industry as Ebony Reigns, has made history at the 2018 edition of the Ghana Music Awards UK. The late act was crowned Artiste of the Year at the awards ceremony held at Gaumont Palace - Dominion Centre in London on Saturday, October 6, 2018. Ebony Reigns becomes the first female artiste to ever win this award after beating her contenders; Shatta Wale, Stonebwoy, KiDi, King Promise, Kuami Eugene and Patience Nyarko. READ ALSO: Photos: Chris Attoh remarries after divorce with Damilola The award was received on behalf of the late artiste by her friend, Afia Schwarzenegger. Late Ebony's tally for 'Artiste of teh Year' has increased after she picked up the same awarda t the 2018 edition of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards held in Accra. Pataapa Amistys One Corner was named the Most Popular Song of the Year with Saminis My Own winning the 'Reggae/Dancehall Song of the Year' award. Kuami Eugene emerged Best New Artiste of the Year with Patience Nyarko sweeping two awards; 'Gospel Song of the Year' and 'Gospel Artiste of the Year'. Other big acts who won accolades on the night included Stonebwoy who picked the award for 'Best Ghanaian International Touring Act'. The 'Best Rapper of the Year' went to Ponobiom. READ ALSO: Video: Hairdresser allegedly fights 'slay queen' for refusing to pay for hair done 'Highlife Artiste of the Year' was picked by Zylofon Media signee, Kumi Guitar. 'Best Male Vocalist' went to King Promise. 'Highlife Song of the Year' went to Wutah for their song 'Bronya'. Yaa Pono's 'Obiaa Woni Master' Ft. Stonebwoy, was adjudged the 'Best Collaboration of the Year'. The main objective of the Ghana Music Award UK 2018 is to recognize the achievements of Ghanaian musicians in Ghana and in the UK. The 2018 edition of the awards ceremony was sponsored by Bie Gya Bitters with Accra City Hotel as partners. READ ALSO: Video proving alleged half-naked photo of Wendy Shay is not 'fake' pops up Watch: Yenkasa: Does it Matter if a Child is Named by the Mother? | Yen.com.gh Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: Yen Newspaper Social commentator and journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, says sacrificing for Ghana does not mean killing oneself. Following the airing of Joy News documentary; 'Who killed the judges' Joy FM on its 'Ghana Connect' program posed a question on whether Ghanaians are willing to die for their country. READ ALSO: Man drops wild video to 'prove' Wendy Shay's half-naked photo is not fake Answering this question, Kwesi Pratt argues that people on a suicidal mission to be patriotic just for the sake of it, wont achieve much because dead bodies do not change society; dead bodies are simply dead bodies. People have to make contributions to the efforts to build the society that is free from injustice, poverty and hunger, where the working people can take control of their destiny. That contribution can be made in many ways and forms," he stated. READ ALSO: 8 wild photos of UK-based lesbian couple whose viral bedroom video has got Ghanaians talking Three judges of the Supreme Court of Ghana -Justices Poku Sarkodie, Mrs. Cecelia Koranteng-Addow and Kwadwo Adjei Agyepong were abducted from their homes at Ridge in Accra and killed on June 30, 1982. The circumstances surrounding their murder has been shrouded in secrecy. Names such as Mr Rawlings and Kojo Tsikatas have been mentioned in the saga. Watch full documentary here: Ghana News Today: President Akufo-Addo Narrowly Escapes Jet Crash: 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. To stay up to date with the latest news, download our news app on Google Play today. Source: Yen Sunday is the beginning of the working week but also a moment of spirituality for Christians. Here in Ghana, for instance, Sundays are busy times for millions of Christians who flock Churches to praise their maker. But as you go about your church activities this Sunday, here are some issues you may want to consider praying against this Sunday 1. Premature deaths The year 2018 has recorded several unfortunate deaths with most of the cases being that of premature deaths. Just recently, we also heard shocking news of the death of the former vice president, Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur. Most Christians believe the best way to ending calamities is through effective and fervent prayer. Maybe this can be your prayer topic. 2. Road accidents Although the road safety commission indicates that the number of road accidents has decreased in the year 2018 alone, there still are disturbing cases of accidents on our roads. A prayer against accidents will never be a bad thing to do on a Sunday. 3. Evil acts The year 2018 alone has been riddled with unfortunate events, shocking ones. Defilement and the trend of young people taking their lives. Yes, the law has taken its cause in all of these cases but you still may want to chip in a word for anyone going through these painful experiences. 4. Ghana's internal safety We live in an unsafe world. Although Ghana is one of the safest countries in the world, there still are moments of tragedy like the armed robbery, gas explosions, you name them. Government through the police and military is doing all it could to enforce security in the country but maybe your prayer as a Christian could calm things up. 5. Political vigilantism and menace of land guards One of the government's major headaches has been the issue of vigilante groups who continue to take things into their own hands behaving as if they determine the realm of affairs in the country. We have read several disturbing stories of how these groups break into courtrooms to free their members from being tried, lock down government offices and so on. In recent time, one other headache of Ghanaians have been the menace of land guards who scare away landowners through vicious means. 6. Fulani herdsmen The influx of Fulani herdsmen in Ghana has never been a peaceful experience as clashes between them (Fulani herdsmen) and indigenes continue to record fatalities. The government, through a joint security taskforce, continue to neutralize the effect of these clashes but more still needs to be done. Ghana News Today: President Akufo-Addo Narrowly Escapes Jet Crash: 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. To stay up to date with the latest news, download our news app on Google Play today. Source: Yen Earlier, YEN.com.gh, reported a story of Moesha Boduong releasing a wild bedroom video from her vacation in Switzerland. In the video Moesha is seen wearing white swimwear with yellow trims as she sat on a bed. Playing in the background was Nicki Minaj's 'Barbie Dreams' as Moesha moved the camera around to capture her thighs. READ ALSO: Lil Win mocks Patapa's ugly face The said video caused confusion on Moesha's page with heated exchanges between followers. However, the Ghanaian actress is not perturbed with respect to what people say about her - she has released saucy photos from her tour. YEN.com.gh has sighted photos from Moehas European tour. Moesha, who first traveled to Switzerland has now moved to Turkey and she is leaving no stone unturned. After arriving in Switzerland she dropped these photos (swipe left to see more) Moeshas photos attracted reactions from her followers as they extended their compliments to her. @jeff8640 commented, Looking good as ever! The moving target?. She released another photos from her Switzerland (swipe left to see more) READ ALSO: Ebony Reigns, Patapaa, others win big at the 2018 edition of Ghana Music Awards UK @jnrnanaquamiI wrote, like it you do all. @virginieferdinand also commented, Those curves, am jealous lol. @opokurichardbruce wrote, Am dying for u. Moesha released first photo from Turkey READ ALSO: Video proving alleged half-naked photo of Wendy Shay is not 'fake' pops up It will be recalled that Moesha spent most of August on vacation in the United States where she had the chance of hanging out with American-based rapper, Safaree, who happens to be the ex-boyfriend of Nicki Minaj. On her US trip, Moesha also shared many controversial posts which included a video in which she was catwalking and shaking her assets to Edem's 'Fokoloryor'. Yenkasa: Does it Matter if a Child is Named by the Mother? | Yen.com.gh: Your stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via YEN's official Facebook page. Source: Yen.com.gh The vice president, Dr. Bawumia, has ended his 55th birthday celebration with a special gift by the Methodist Church of Ghana. It all happened at the Wesley Cathedral in Cape Coast during church service on Sunday, 7th October 2018 where the vice president, in all white, received a 'boxed gift' from head of the church. The Vice President who turned 55 years today, was attending the Induction Service of the newly elected Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, The Most Rev. Dr. Paul Kwabena Boafo. READ ALSO: Man with 4 wives tells his story on polygamy Bawumia receives birthday gift from Methodist church Source: Getty Images Led by the outgoing and incoming Presiding Bishops, the Church presented a birthday hamper to Dr. Bawumia and prayed for the blessings, favour, and wisdom of the Almighty God onto the life of the Vice President. Back in my teens at Tamale, I was the only Muslim member of the Boys Brigade. My mother is a product of Wesley Girls Senior High School (a Methodist school), and likewise my wife, Samira Bawumia, a product of Mfantsiman School (also a Methodist school), he revealed. Bawumia and politics A popular member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe, has called on the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to resign. According to him, Ghanas economy is a bad state, and for that reason, Dr. Bawumia need not remain in office. He explained that Dr. Bawumia has failed to deliver on the numerous promises and assurances he gave Ghanaians when the NPP was in opposition. If you look at the data, you will realize that whilst the National Democratic Congress (NDC) were borrowing, the debt to GDP ratio was increasing, jumping and ballooning. But while we are borrowing, the debt to GDP is declining. So they should take a closer look at the data and come back again, he said. He went on to say that according to Standard and Poor, a global rating agency, Ghanas sovereign credit ratings have been upgraded from B minus to B with a stable outlook. And, this is the first upgrade that Ghana has received in 10 years. Ghana News Today: Lack of Evidence Against Former GFA President | Yen.com.gh Our stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via YEN's official Facebook page. Source: Yen.com.gh Health insurance is rapidly breaking into Sri Lankas health sector. Last year, the government introduced Suraksha, a publicly-financed health insurance scheme to reimburse the (private) healthcare expenses of all school-goers. The government has pledged to double Surakshas health benefits in its second year. Various private insurance companies are competing to gain a foothold in the health insurance market. There was news of an insurance providers Health Protector scheme, offering coverage up to Rs. 20 million with cashless benefits in hospitals across the world. A few weeks ago, another private insurance concern unveiled its exclusive scheme, Premier Health Benefit, promising a similar package with Rs. 50 million coverage. What is health insurance? Health insurance is essentially a way to finance healthcare. The financial risk associated with ill health is shared among a group of people who purchase a specific health insurance plan. Individual dues or premiums (the monthly/annual rate for the plan) may be paid for by governments, employers, or individuals. Using the premiums, the insurer covers the costs of healthcare services for those who experience ill health (not all those insured will fall ill, hence the risk of ill health is shared within the group). Payments by the insurer (reimbursements) are made either directly to healthcare providers or to users who have paid out-of-pocket for the service, at the point of use. A key feature of health insurance is that it separates purchasing and provision in a health system. The insurer purchases services for the insured from selected healthcare providers. While the purchaser-provider split enables governments to entrust purchasing and/or provision to private entities, this separation is believed to improve cost-effectiveness as (private) providers compete for insured clients, keeping quality high and costs low. However, information asymmetries and market failures result in higher cost private services that are often of questionable quality, especially where regulation is weak. Undoing free health According to the Institute for Health Policy, in 2015, 54% of Sri Lankas health spending came from private sources, and, of this, about 85% was paid out-of-pocket a major concern for policymakers and, of course, the public. Of the remaining 15%, employers contributed about 5-8% in claims and medical benefits, and 2-3% was accounted for by the non-profit sector. The outstanding 5% came from health insurance. Although this proportion may not seem substantial, the health insurance contribution to private financing has risen from 1% in 1990, to 5% at present, suggesting that it is a growing industry. This 2015 estimate is likely to climb further as numerous schemes have been/are being rolled out, even as health insurance is presented as the solution to the crisis of out-of-pocket spending in the health sector. The publicly-financed Suraksha scheme, introduced last year, covers all students between the ages of 5 and 19 years, with benefits of up to Rs. 200,000 for hospitalization (Rs. 100,000 maximum per admission, including Rs. 1000 per day for admission in a state hospital plus Rs. 10,000 for drugs/tests not provided at the state hospital), Rs.10, 000 for outpatient services (for specified chronic illnesses), and some accident/disability cover. Here, the government purchases premiums from the insurer, Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation, which reimburses parents for claims on out-of-pocket expenses and other benefits. While this may look good on paper, schemes like Suraksha would be pointless in the absence of the public healthcare system. "A key feature of health insurance is that it separates purchasing and provision in a health system. The insurer purchases services for the insured from selected healthcare providers" In the free public healthcare system, the government is both purchaser and provider. Without market-oriented profit- and rent-seeking, the government is able to control the costs associated with delivering healthcare. Moreover, on entering a state facility, the care received does not depend on an insurance plan that dictates which services will be covered, to what extent, and for whom. Instead, users access (available) services with no charges at the point of use. In addition, the public system delivers an expansive range of preventive health services (contrasting with health insurance, which tends to focus on more profitable hospital-based services). Universality and comprehensiveness As a targeted health insurance scheme for school-goers, Suraksha does well on universality because it covers the entire school population, although comprehensiveness is restricted by annual limits on claims. The reason SLIC offers universal coverage to students is because this age group is generally healthy and account for fewer hospital admissions. When the probability of ill health is greater, health insurance companies place limits on eligibility and claims. For example, a private insurance companys Health Protector Scheme may be purchased only by those below 61 years and does not provide coverage beyond 70 years. Moreover, worldwide coverage is limited to 250 surgeries and 37 critical illnesses. If the illness experienced is not among those listed, the user must either pay out-of-pocket or rely on public healthcare. Health insurance also comes with out-of-pocket payments in the form of cost-sharing. While premiums may (or not) be covered by governments and/or employers, users may be subjected to co-payments (a flat amount that the user must pay per service or item), coinsurance (a percentage of the charge that the user must pay) and/or deductibles (an amount the user must pay before coverage begins). While these payments are thought to prevent users from abusing services, some health systems include protective mechanisms that exempt or limit cost-sharing based on income and other factors. For debt-ridden governments under World Bank and IMF pressures, like Sri Lanka, shifting to a health insurance-based system is appealing because it allows for cost-sharing, aligning with the stipulations and ideologies of international agencies. With Suraksha, however, the government has opted to cover the premium, impressing on the public that a health insurance-based system may be free for all. Resisting infiltration Supported by the government, the health insurance industry is trying its best to expand its limited role in Sri Lanka. Suraksha was an ingenious strategy on the part of the government, literally brainwashing the younger generation into accepting an insurance-based system in favour of socialized medicine. As outlined in budget proposals of recent years, the government would also like to issue cost sheets to patients on discharge from the free public system, perhaps to highlight the potential role of an insurer in purchasing healthcare? Meanwhile, the private health insurance industry is also using innovative strategies to expand markets. For instance, a private insurer launched its Healthiest Workplace Survey to boost the low penetration levels of health insurance in the countrys corporate sector (Daily Mirror,August 13, 2018). No doubt, the survey will reveal high levels of ill health among employees, and health insurance will be proposed as the solution rather than radical changes in lifestyle and working conditions. "According to the Institute for Health Policy, in 2015, 54% of Sri Lankas health spending came from private sources, and, of this, about 85% was paid out-of-pocket" At this time when major health reforms are in the offing, we should ask ourselves what kind of a health system we envision for future generations. Should we endorse publicly-financed health insurance to pay for world class, resource-intensive, hospital-based, private healthcare services (for the few with supplemental benefits via employers or individually purchased plans) or should we call for strengthening the free public system that provides a semblance of equity, universality and comprehensiveness? If it is the latter, we really need to say NO to spreading privatization through health insurance expansion. [The author is attached to the Department of Community and Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna] Famous Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky once said: There is no must in Art because Art is free. This could be experienced at an event that has been organized to experience the freedom of art, Trilogy - an art exhibition which opens today and will go on till October 13 at the J.D.A Perera Art Gallery at Colombo 07. The exhibition brings together the creative energy of three artists-B. Sarath Gunasiri Perera, R.M. Dharmasena and Santos Arzu, who belong to the school of Figurative Abstract Expressionism. Figurative Abstract Expressionism is a form of art which broke the convention of painting in the backdrop of WWII, in the United States. This deeply expressive art form champions a two-way approach, gestural application of paint and large areas of colour compositions in all media on large canvases, using shapes, symbols and colours. Artist Sarath Gunasiri Perera is a senior lecturer at the Department of Painting of the Faculty of Visual Arts at the University of Visual and Performing Arts. He is also the President of the Visual Arts Panel of the Arts Council of Sri Lanka. Artist R.M Dharmasena is a retired senior lecturer of the University of the Visual & Performing Arts. Santos Arzu Quioto is a Latin American artist from Honduras. Trilogy is a rare instance when art enthusiasts have the opportunity to meet the art teacher (R.M Dharmasena) and the student (Sarath Gunasiri Perera) both in the exhibition with another skilled artist, Santos Arzu. Artist Sarath said he and Honduran artist Santos first met at an exhibition held in Korea, where they became friends. Later with their friendship evolving, an idea to organize an exhibition together turned up and Trilogy was born. Referring to the exhibition, Mr Dharmasena said they organized the exhibition after a five-year break during which they had done many experiments with their medium. He said he had done 12 paintings following the theme Creative Landscapes. Being a true artist means travelling through an endless route of learning. Every artist should follow this route of learning, growth and evolving. Artists should never paint or have exhibitions to please society or to imitate others who are doing exhibitions often. An exhibition is an intersection where you practise what you have learned throughout the journey. Never make it a competition with others in the field, he said. "Being a true artist means travelling through an endless route of learning. Every artist should follow this route of learning, growth and evolving. Artists should never paint or have exhibitions to please society" Painting by R.M. Dharmasena Painting by Sarath G. Perera Painting by Santos Arzu Norway had pledged its support to provide modern technology to develop the Sri Lankan fisheries industry, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in the weekend. Minister Wickremesinghe said this at a joint media briefing with his Norwegian counterpart Ema Solberg in Oslo early hours of Sri Lankan time yesterday. The Premier thanked Norway for the assistance it had given to Sri Lanka in the past. Sri Lanka received Norways assistance to develop rural areas such as Hambantota, he said. Sri Lanka has sought Norwegian assistance to preserve peace in the Indian Ocean and to develop fisheries industry in Sri Lanka. Both leaders have also discussed sustainable development and thereby convert the Indian Ocean region as a sustainable development zone. And to continue with the agreements which two countries have already come to safeguard human rights and democracy. Ms. Solberg also assured maximum support to Sri Lanka. It was revealed that both Mr. Wickremesinghe and Ms. Solberg have agreed to shape the diplomatic ties of the two nations in accordance with the Geo-political situation in the world. This agreement was reached during the talks which the two leaders had earlier. Minister of Fisheries Wijith Wijayamuni Zoysa, MPs Dr. Kavinda Jayawardene, Hesha Withanage and Sri Lankan Ambassador in Norway Arusha Cooray, Secretary to Prime Minister Saman Ekanayake and Additional Secretary Saman Athaudaheti and Prime Ministers Special aide Sandra Perera participated in these discussions. (Yohan Perera) Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan will hold talks soon to finalize the appointment of members to the Constitutional Council (CC) which makes recommendations to make key appointments in the government sector and the Independent Commissions, it is learnt. The term of the nominated members of the CC has already lapsed rendering it defunct at the moment. It is a ten member body. The Speaker, the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader hold its membership by virtue of their office. Besides, there is one representative to be nominated by the President. For this slot, President Maithripala Sirisena has already nominated Ports and Shipping Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe. There is another slot reserved for the parties in Parliament, not represented either by the Prime Minister or the Opposition Leader. The remaining five members, including three from civil society, should be nominated by the Prime Minister and the Opposition leader in mutual agreement. Mr. Sampanthan told Daily Mirror yesterday that he held talks with the Prime Minister before he left for Norway and London earlier. He said he would meet with Mr. Wickremesinghe upon his return to the country soon. I will meet him soon upon his return to the country. I am in touch with the Speaker. Also, the Prime Minister is in touch with the Speaker, he said. (Kelum Bandara) As the spring 2019 opening of One Paseo inches closer, Kilroy Realty has added three new shopping destinations to its list of retailers. Newly announced tenants include a first-ever brick-and-mortar shop from local jewelry designer Marrow Fine; the first San Diego location for New York-based Faherty, a family-owned, beach-inspired mens and womens clothing brand; as well as local gem Pigment, a shop for design-savvy gifts, flora, and furniture that has locations in North Park and Point Loma. Our collection of retail is like nothing else in San Diego and we are delighted to welcome these three beloved brands to One Paseo, said Nelson Ackerly, senior vice president of Kilroy Realty. Our team has been working diligently to find retailers that locals and visitors will be surprised and delighted by, but feel like part of the community, while also finding new favorites to frequent. The coast-meets-country mixed use development will bring together 96,000 square feet of shops and restaurants, 608 residential units and 285,000 square feet of office space on Del Mar Heights Road and El Camino Real. The first tenants will open their doors in early March 2019. The residential component will open in summer 2019 and the office spaces will be completed in 2020. One Paseo will house various other fashion and lifestyle retailers, including Van de Vort, West of Camden, and Whiskey x Leather, as well as a collection of wellness and beauty brands, including Shop Good, SoulCycle, DryBar, CurBar and BodyRok. One Paseos culinary collection will include CAVA, Salt & Straw, URBN Pizza, SusieCakes, Joe & The Juice, The Butchery, North Italia, International Smoke, Tocaya Organica, Sweetfin Poke, Ways & Means Oyster House, Shake Shack, Parakeet Cafe and Tender Greens, with more to be announced. Written by ACM *Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- Surprizingly, it's even Years After controversial former US President Barack Hussein Obama's notorious Pressure to Impose UnPopular "Same Sex Marriages" between Homosexuals, Submitting to their "Power" even Children under pretext of so-called "Adoption", that Countries such as Romania a.o. still feel, Nowadays, the Need to SafeGuard Natural Family, by organizing a Referendum to clarify in their Constitution, a Definition of Marriage similar to that of Article 12, of the PanEuropean Convention on Human Rights, which Recognizes to "Men and Women" a "Right to Marry and found a Family", already, since Half a Century ago. This is the main object of the Popular Referendum opened to Vote during this Week-End, (October 6 and 7, 2018), by Romania's 20 Millions Citizens, thanks to a People's "Initiative" dating from 2015, which Succeeded to Gather 6 Times More Supporters than needed, (instead of just 500.000, it was Signed by 3 Millions on 2016 !), and to be, in Addition, Endorsed Both by the Parliament and the Senate of the Country, (with 232 Votes against only 22, and 107 against only 13, respectively, on 2017 and 2018). Curiously, However, its Opponents have Claimed that such a Popular Referendum would be ..."Against Europe (sic !)", (as a Strange Article by a Romanian Author argued in Liberal German Newspaper "Zeit"), and, particularly, that it was against "LGBTI Rights", (according several NGOs, mainly Backed by Controversial Multi-Millionaire Soros, etc). Both seem Unable to explain the Fact that this Popular Referendum simply Reproduces the ECHR's Original Text on Men and Women's Right to Marry and found a Family, witOut adding Homosexuals there, (Comp. Supra, and See also Infra)... ---------------- All the (manifold) Parties located at the Right Side of the Political Spectrum support this Popular Referendum, Joined by an Historic, later Marginalized, but Recently slowly ReGaining Force "Ecologic" Party, as well as even a Part of the ..."Socialist" Party, (something that former Long-Time President of Romania, Trajan Basescu, pointed out as a "Paradox"). Opposed (or, rather, "Boycotting") are a Minor, openly "Technocratic" Party, added to a Split of atypical "Greens", curiously very "Liberal/Private Economy"-minded, and looking more and more as an Appendix of "LGBTI" Lobbies, and a Recent Part of a (much Wider than that) Anti-Corruption Movement, with Exceptionaly Shaky Leaders who have all Failed to Stay at least One (1) Year in the job (sic !). "Neutral" reportedly is a Part of some Long-Time "Liberals", who Recently turned their coats towards the "EPP" Group in EU bodies, but wihOut adhering to the ChristianDemocrats' traditional BioEthical Values, (etc). ------------------------------ However, a Strange Feeling of possible Ambiant Hypocrisy, at least from Some sectors and/or Parties, (Comp. Supra), Might, Perhaps, explain the Fact that this Popular Referebdum's Date of Vote was, astonishingly, Postponed, Belied, and, Later anew Modified, too Many Times in a row : F.ex., initially foreseen on Fall 2017, it was Changed for May 2018, Later Moved to June 2018, Afterwards on September 2018, and Now on October 2018... + In Addition, this Latest chosen Date, astonishingly Coincides with an EU Parliament's Debate Criticizing the current State of Law in Romania, (last Wednesday Morning in Strasbourg), on which, a more or less "Hot" Resolution was, curiously, left for Vote only Later-on, i.e. at the Next Session of EU Parliament, towards the End of October, scheduled for just AFTER that Referendum... (Almost at the Same Moment that anOther, even more Crucial Resolution, by CoE's PanEuropean Assembly, related to Russia's Membership, was Curiously entrusted as Rapporteur to a Notorious pro-LGBTI Technocrat, working on Artificial and other Reproductions of Human Beings, from the "Socialist" Group, Next Week in Strasbourg - i.e. just Before the Final Vote, Later in EU Parliament, on the Referendum for Romania - traditionally Linked to Neighbouring Countries and Russia itself also through Orthodox a.o. Christian Networks Backing that Referendum). ---------------------- More Serious is the Fact that its (Open or Disguised) Critics, here even more than elsewhere, Attempt to Evade the Main Substance of the Key Issues at Stake, and, particularly, that what is Really the Matter, - is Not Homosexuals' Individual Liberty in their own Private Life, (since they are Free to have any Sexual Life they might want, and might, even, perhaps, form some kind of "Personal Unions" for Practical Issues, etc), - But rather the Risk for Many Thousands of Homosexual "Couples" to become Easy Prey and slyly "Trapped" by a Lobby of Shady Technocrats, who could Exploit the LGBTI Community's InCapacity for Natural Births, (since they are Not Fertile), in order to "Use" them as a "Proxy" Group of Interest secretly Manipulated Against Natural Births of Human Beings, Pushing them, instead, in favour of various Artificial Tehniques for ProCreation, (f.ex. Artificial Reproductive Technology, In Vitro Fertilisations, Artificial Inseminations, Pre-Natal Tests, Creation of SuperNumerary Embryos, Human Embryos' Genetic Manipulations, "Banks" of Frozen Embryos, Sperms and/or Ovaries, Artificial Wombs, Surrogate "Mothers", New "Gene-Editing" Technologies, etc), provoking obvious Dangers for Humankind ! I.e. what is really at Stake in such kind of Topical BioEthical Issues is, in Fact, so Important, that Adversaries of Natural Human Family and Natural Births don't Dare Oppose it Oppenly, but Rather Try to Abuse of InDirect Methods to Undermine that : F.ex., here, they reportedly Push to Lower the percentage of Popular Participation to that Romanian Referendum's Votes under the Crucial Threshhold of 30%, (even if about 90% of Voters appear to be Supporting that BioEthical Referendum, according to Polls). Will the Romanian People let a Shady Minority Lobby Block Democracy in such a Serious BioEthical Issue of Nowadays Society, with manifold Crucial Reperscussions on Humankind's foreseable Future (Comp. Supra) ? (../..) 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. This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices. GA English on Sunday : News in Brief from Bonn and the region Bonn Bonn professor Matthias Herdegen wants to supersede Angela Merkel as chancellor, robbers raided a supermarket in Sankt Augustin, where also an elderly lady crashed into a filling station shop in an unrelated event, and Stadtwerke customers planted 200 trees at the Haager Weg - here is our news in brief on Sunday. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken Media reports: Bonn professor wants to supersede chancellor Merkel BERLIN/BONN. Expert in international law, Bonn professor Matthias Herdegen wants to run for CDU chairman and will thus probably compete against chancellor Angela Merkel. I think it is important to make a mark, to show that the fundamental values of the CDU are still alive and that we are not satisfied with the handling of the difficult situation, the 61-year-old said in an interview with the Welt newspaper. The lawyer said that the necessary inner awakening of the party could only happen with a renewal at the top. Merkel is now leading the CDU for 18 years, and she mentioned recently in Hamburg at the start of December that she wants to run again for chairman. Whether this will really happen, could be decided at the elections in Bavaria and Hesse. (Original text: dpa) Search for culprits: Sankt Augustin Netto supermarket robbed SANKT AUGUSTIN. Thieves have raided the Netto supermarket at the Gutenbergstrae in Sankt Augustin-Menden. The police have initiated a dragnet operation to find the culprits. The robbers entered the supermarket around 9pm and forced the staff to hand over money, threatening them with guns. It is the second raid of a similar nature in two weeks. (Original text: Michael Wrobel) Trail of destruction: 79-year-old woman drives into filling station shop in Sankt Augustin SANKT AUGUSTIN. A 79-year-old woman left a trail of destruction when she drove her Audi A3 straight into a filling station shop in Sankt Augustin on Saturday around lunchtime. Apparently she had mixed up the accelerator with the brake. She drove through the glass front, hit a bottle machine, sped through the shop and only stopped at the fridges at the back of the shop. The 79-year-old woman was only slightly injured - and not very impressed by her odyssey. After the police had done the accident report, she called a taxi to continue her weekend errands. The damage she caused was estimated to be at least 35.000 Euro. (Original text: Michael Wrobel, Alf Kaufmann) Forest at the Haager Weg: Stadtwerke plant 200 sweet chestnut trees VENUSBERG. Stadtwerke customers have planted 200 small sweet chestnut trees at the forest at the Haager Weg, making a small contribution to help the climate. The event was also a Thank You to the customers who get BonnNatur electricity or green already from the Stadtwerke, 5000 in Bonn actually, 100 of whom were invited to the planting event. The planting campaign takes place every two years, this was the fifth time. (Original text: Rolf Kleinfeld) Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. As we head into the final days before the 2018 elections, the media coverage of election security has never been greater. Sadly, much of the news is not very encouraging. For example:Indeed, just this week, Vice President Mike Pence accused the Chinese government of meddling in the upcoming U.S. elections , although some cybersecurity experts disagree.The administrations own secretary of homeland security, Kirstjen Nielsen, said: We currently have no indication that a foreign adversary intends to disrupt our election infrastructure.We know they [the Chinese] have the capability and we know they have the will. So were constantly on alert to watch. But what we see with China right now are the influence campaigns, the more traditional, longstanding, holistic influence campaigns, Nielsen said on Tuesday at a Washington Post cybersecurity conference Others are much more concerned with Russian election interference again Going back more than two years, this blog covered this election cybersecurity topic from numerous angles. In March of 2016, I was one of the first to ask:On the weekend before the 2016 vote, I wrote,[Note: this piece was written when most people thought Hillary Clinton would win.]After the 2016 election, we discussed views on the trouble with recounts in the name of hacking and later recapped the good, bad and ugly with those vote recounts that did occur.In January 2017, after more was known about deficiencies with state voting machines, I wrote about what election technology steps were needed , and earlier this year, I took another stab at the election topic from a state government and association perspective.I mention these specific blogs because they are all part of an ongoing election narrative which is coming to a culmination over the next few weeks (and in two years) in the November 2018 and the 2020 elections.As I posted these previous pieces, many security experts agreed with my analysis while others challenged my viewpoints. Sometimes, respected cyberexperts like David OBerry, openly argued another narrative.While I view David as a trusted colleague who I have known for a decade and who has an amazing security acumen, seeing his adamant, well-researched comments on my LinkedIn posts (and other forums) was eye-opening and sometimes even unnerving.Stated simply we disagreed on various hacking points after the 2016 election. (At the same time, we always agree on numerous points as well, such as the serious nature of the election cyberthreat and the need for urgent action to protect future elections.) I always learn from him, and truly enjoy the engaging dialog. I find his professional approach to be both refreshing, challenging and sincerely helpful so much so that I want to bring his insights and perspectives to you before the 2018 election. David OBerry speaks with a wealth of knowledge and cybersecurity experience. He doesnt pull punches, and yet offers a kind, humble demeanor in one-on-one cyberdiscussions. You can get a sense of David's style from this brief YouTube video from 2015.I first met David when he was the South Carolina government cybersecurity lead at MS-ISAC meetings , and we have been friends ever since. After leaving South Carolina government, he held senior positions with McAfee and VMware and other security organizations. He currently is the co-founder and chief innovation officer at PreCog Security Inc. He also serves on several cyberstartup advisory boards and is a mentor for several cybersecurity leaders around the country.Now, on to the election interview.No, I do not believe that the vast majority of the states are even close to ready for the mid-term elections as it relates to their cybersecurity posture, and anyone that says differently is either spinning it or has no idea what they are talking about. I do believe there are going to be some states that may have a better handle on it than others but that number is far less than 30 or 40 percent, and once you factor in the various voting machine issues and the way the precincts are set up ... the way the roles are handled via databases, etc. It is not a question of if they are vulnerable, its a question of how bad will it be and will it undermine the confidence of the vote.DO: I think my largest concern continues to be the voting rolls, phishing attacks that keep divulging astronomical amounts of targeted user data, voting machines without a paper trail, and voting machines that are hackable with their only defense being lack of physical access.The lack of a paper trail is a horrific design, period, and on the other front the voting machine companies are now trying to say that vulnerability/penetration testing is not a real-world environment because they have physical access. That is just ridiculous, and if they ever visited the various places these things are in with the mostly volunteer or low-paid staff and no physical security per se, then they would understand how insane that position is in general. If they have not visited the various places they serve, then it's malfeasance.As far as the voting rolls, my contention has all along been that without an immutable record of the rolls where every change and modification is kept in high fidelity, etched in a blockchain of some sort, we will never know what has been done or can be done to disenfranchise voters in general. When you used to get a phone book, it was only as good as the data inside it. If that data was corrupted at the source, then you were done. The checks and balances to these things right now are ad hoc at best and there is no blockchain-based (read as immutable record ... whatever that tech may be) to compare against.I had a personal experience seeing three minority voters in 2016 turned away (military and female) in the 45 minutes I was standing in line to early vote. It was very clear something was either amiss or I was in the middle of the largest of timely coincidences. I wrote about it back then, as a matter of fact.DO: I think rather than relying on various personal conversations which could be considered subjective and anecdotal, the following score-card from the Center for American Progress lays out both the methodology and the grading system for how they went about assessing the state post-2016. I would make the comment that there were no A's but a few B's, and there should NEVER be D's and F's, yet they too were abundant. When you look at the full chart, they are giving credit for FAIR for a number of even these B's, which is just mind-boggling to me. B's: Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio (borderline C), Oregon, Rhode Island D's and F's: Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Florida, Hawaii (borderline C/D), Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, TexasSo that means we have nearly 50 percent more D's and F's than B's with no A's, and FAIR is being counted as OK in current-state to grade to a B. Think about that?This issue cannot be left to the states because it is a matter of national security and it cannot be treated as some line-item that state leadership can just cut or zero out in any given year. It is the very backbone of what we are as a nation and when it is compromised, it poisons our collective soul.DO: I believe election problems are both at present and include the locals as well. That is one of the single largest issues is the cross-jurisdictional mess this often is and as scary as it sounds I do think that the government (via a non-party-based governing committee or group along the lines of maybe [Federal Election Commission] expanded) should federalize the elections and take this guessing game out of the hands of people who at times are just woefully under-equipped to stave off the likes of Russia or any other nation-state that targets them.As much as it pains me to say it, because I was 20 years in South Carolina state government and saw so many states just do amazing work with so little in the way of resources. Something as important as the confidence in a duly elected federal, state or local representative has to be maintained at all costs. It does not help that the hyper-partisanship has created a situation where it was actually advantageous for one party to hold up funding for protections to the election system, meaning that even now with grants available, it is way too little too late for 2018 and more than likely for 2020 as well. I have seen estimates that shoring up the system to an acceptable level will take till at least 2021. Think about that.DO: Hmm ... I think hackers are at times too good, but I also think that we continue to fail at making targets hard to find, attack and subvert. Companies continue to spew out device after device with little thought to anything besides sales and profit, and while I get that capitalism is supposed to weed out the wrong-doers, it is simply not an effective means of doing so when something as critical as voting is at stake. The lag times are too great.Companies don't have to care who wins or if the vote is accurate because either way, they keep selling machines. It is not unlike medical devices and the current disastrous state they are in or IoT as a whole. I have taken to calling it "The Iniquity of Ubiquity" and recently modified that to "The Iniquity of Insecure Ubiquity." Ubiquity without security threaded through it is just a beatdown waiting to happen ... and in most cases it is not waiting to happen ... it is happening constantly. So combine the above with the fact that humans have this awful tendency to short-cut just about anything ... patching ... site surveys ... cabling plant ... door locks ... insecure ceiling tiles ... and what do you have? The Digital Titanic running into the Cyber-Iceberg over and over and over again ...DO: Wherefore art thou "Fairness Doctrine" and a legal definition of news told from both sides, if not the center?All jokes aside ... I am incredibly concerned about that entire situation because the opponents (and even many of the political commentators in this country) are absolute masters at affecting the minds of others. Not to call out names, but a certain autocratic ruler of a certain semi-rogue nation-state has outright admitted to wanting to influence the 2016 elections, and it's clear they are not stopping there. The challenge is that human psyches are absolutely fragile and so easy to manipulate especially in the ridiculously hyper-partisan environment we are in right now. A number of psychological constructs explain this situation. Dunning-Kruger, The Backfire Effect, Herd/Mob Mentality, etc. When people are able to stoke fear and hate, find a scapegoat, and then bend facts and outright lie while making it seem as though they are telling the truth, it can create a mentally and psychologically debilitating and dangerous environment.Historically this type of thing has repeated over and over again, but I would be invoking "Godwin's Law" if I pointed out the most recent parallel that many would be familiar with. :) Again, Ubiquity ... is not a bad by itself, but Irresponsible Ubiquity poisons minds. There are not multiple versions of the truth or alternative facts. If we could all just stop yelling at one another from the far right and far left long enough to find some middle ground, then this country would rapidly be far better off than it is at this point in time. We allow the nuts from the far right and far left who make up less than 10 or 15 percent on each side control the 70 to 80 percent of us who are center, center-left and center-right. It has to change but it wont until there is less money in hate and intolerance and loudmouths than there is in common sense and a sense of duty to not only the country but [also] to the community around each of us.DO: I expect them to go deeper and deeper and to run more and more silent ... transient ... disposable-type malware that takes the concept of in memory and fractionalizes what even that means such that it can be hyper-dispersed and agnostic to where it hides and even where it runs. I encapsulated all of that in a theory/conjecture of sorts from back around 2005 that I called "Decepticon Class Malware." I wrote about it and was published in the ISMH 2008, 2009, 2010 (RIP Hal) ... and I think the 2010 chapter specifically mentioned this type of new hyper-malware as a prologue to calling for us to all work together across real-time information-sharing standards on a path toward what I call "Autonomic Security." Until the last year, we were still missing a couple of the attributes in the wild to make this reality but all but one has evolved and even been diagnosed since then.DO: I fear the die has been cast and yes they will. They will also dominate the headlines from 2018 to 2020 and probably beyond that because it is the fear, uncertainty and doubt that breaks confidence and trust.If this had occurred and it had been owned at the highest levels without all of this spin, then we would be in a better place. The systems of systems that enable the ability to cast a vote for every legal citizen in the U.S. did not just come under attack from the illegal hacking perspective. Our very foundations have been assailed such that without drastic change (blockchain, a revamp of policies and procedures, and possibly federalization) it may never recover to the levels it was trusted before 2016.DO: I don't think we can implement anything drastic like blockchain or federalization of the elections by 2020, but there is a large sum of money ($380 million) that has been allocated for grants to shore up the system. I believe a prescriptive solution (not homogeneous, but certainly not haphazard) from a non-biased, non-partisan NGE group of experts should be the goal, which means that there would be vetted solutions available to procure and install as plug and play as possible in every state.I believe that at least the rolls of each state should be handled by a non-partisan, non-biased group of providers who make sure the fidelity via blockchain (or some other similar solution) is maintained and verifiable by anyone such that there is no hint of a possibility of someone making changes without there being an unmodifiable trail. I also believe that we can look at what a country (as small as it is) like Estonia has done post being one of the very first victims of illegal Russian cyberaggression and learn from them rapidly.I think this qualifies as a national security emergency, and while we should be absolutely transparent in the process, we should not allow procurement issues or state's rights issues (lobbies included) to stand in the way of a revolutionary change in the way we vote and count the vote in this nation. There is NO REASON we should have 50 states doing so many different things with so little control, input, or even checks and balances from really anyone outside of their own state. I am sorry ... this is far too important to not take every conceivable path to some type of more certain outcome.David OBerry (DO): I am a citizen of this country, no matter who I vote for, and the reality is that as a citizen I want to know that my vote matters or is at least counted fairly along with everyone else. As a technology and business leader, I see a problem that just should not exist in this day and age, and I see solutions that can be fashioned rapidly to raise the tide for all boats. It did not get like this in a day and it will not be fixed in a day, but while the very best time to attack this was 15 or 20 years ago, the next-best time is right now. As we have seen, we already have low participation in elections as a general rule ... anything that diminishes that threatens to horribly skew the direction of our country.Our country is changing and it should be the goal of our election system to allow every man, woman or child (18- to 25-year-olds qualify as children at times ... lol) of voting age who maintains legal voting privileges to vote from anywhere within the next decade. What is the argument against that? Do we not want voters to actually vote? I know I do, and if someone does not, then I expect they need to take a look in the mirror and figure out exactly when and where they lost their way, because they absolutely have.This situation is bigger than me or you or the reader ... it is bigger than any party and any person ... and one of our greatest national priorities should be to restore faith and trust in this key process so that we can move toward more civil discourse and build from there. Maurizio Arrivabene was furious with his own team after Ferrari's bungled qualifying at Suzuka. Sebastian Vettel's chances were already in tatters, but a P9 qualifying in Japan looks to be one of the final nails in the coffin. "Is it still a battle?" Max Verstappen said on Saturday when asked if his P3 would interfere with the fight at the top. Ferrari and Vettel have made mistakes in 2018, but for team boss Arrivabene, Suzuka was beyond the pale. "I do not interfere with technical decisions, but that for me was unacceptable," said the Italian. "What happened on the track was easy to understand. Our competitors all had slicks. Sometimes it would be better to take one's eyes off the computer, watch the track and use common sense," he added. Arrivabene would not rule out making changes to Ferrari's organisation as a reaction to the errors of late. "Sometimes it's a lack of experience or the right nose. At the end of the year, we will take stock and when it is necessary then we will intervene," he said. (GMM) Jean Todt says he is happy to see Russian driver Daniil Kvyat back in F1. Kvyat lost his place in the Red Bull programme last year and has since been a Ferrari development driver. He will replace Pierre Gasly at Toro Rosso in 2019. "He is a very talented driver which he has demonstrated already," FIA president Todt told Tass news agency. "My son is his manager, and I am glad that he has come back to formula one. "He will have a good chassis and a good engine so I'm sure he will have a good performance," he added. Todt has a different view to those who think Kvyat's career has been characterised by key mistakes. "He had comparatively few mistakes," said the Frenchman. "And if he is in formula one, that means he is a very talented driver. "If you make a lot of mistakes, you simply won't be in formula one. If you are there it is because you perform." (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has lamented F1's direction of the past years. Previously, formula one was the clear pinnacle of motor sport, but it now appears that only the wealthiest and most well-connected can make it to the top. "Karting has become something a normal family can no longer afford, so many talents will fall through the cracks," the Ferrari driver told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. "I do not think I would do it again today if I was 20 years younger," Vettel added. "Unfortunately, our sport has changed a lot, and sometimes I get the impression it's more about the business than the individual." He said Esteban Ocon's plight is a good example, declaring that the fact the Frenchman's F1 journey could be over is "wrong". (GMM) High Level UN, AU Delegation To Visit South Sudan A high level delegation from the United Nations and the African Union arrives in the country on Sunday in a joint visit. By Ojwe Lumara JUBA, 07 Cotober 2018 [Gurtong]-The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said on Friday in a statement that the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ambassador Smail Chergui, and the Executive Director for UN Women, Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka will undertake the joint visit to South Sudan from 7-10 October. The delegation is expected to meet with the President, First Vice-President Council of Ministers and other high-level government officials. The visit will provide an opportunity for the delegation to commend the South Sudanese stakeholders for signing the peace agreement on 12 September 2018 and encourage them to faithfully implement it, according to a statement from Office of UNMISS Spokesperson. The visit will focus on tangible actions and re-emphasizing the significance of elevating, safeguarding and ensuring womens meaningful participation and leadership in the implementation of the Agreement, the statement added. The delegation will also travel to Bentiu and meet with women leaders and organizations, including those living in the Protection of Civilian site. They will also meet with the leadership and personnel of the UN system. After the visit to South Sudan, the delegation will travel to Addis Ababa and brief the African Union Peace and Security Council on 10th October 2018. Haiti - Politic : Mayor Colin and Senator Senatus on tour of infrastructure works A delegation led by the Mayor of Croix-des-Bouquets, Rony Colin accompanied by Deputy Mayor Geraldine Cetoute, his Head of Cabinet, Jacky C. Pierre and West Senator Jean Renel Senatus, conducted a tour of inspection of various infrastructure works in progress in the Commune. At Carrefour Marassa, the delegation visited the works of the almost completed public square, of a police sub-station and the widening of the main road (RN 8) to reduce traffic jams in this important intersection leading to other comune and the Dominican Republic. Subsequently the delegation went to the Turkish hospital (close to the local tax office), to make an inventory before taking the necessary steps to lead to the reopening of this health facility. Mayor Rony Colin and members of the delegation continued their tour at the crossroads Cesselesse, Lilavois, where will be built very soon a public square and a sub police station to fight against insecurity in this area. The delegation completed its tour in Bon Repos, specifically between the RN 1 and the entrance of Lilavois, where a public square will be built with play areas for residents. The engineers of the Haitian Enterprise specializing in Buildings and Public Works (BTP) "HL Construction" in charge of the rehabilitation of the main road of Lilavois, took the opportunity to present to Mayor Colin the plan of finishing and canalization work of this road infrastructure. The completion of this work will bring to 37 the number of projects completed by Mayor Colin and his team, for the first two years of his term as head of the commune. See also : https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-25711-icihaiti-croix-des-bouquets-cleaning-and-beautification-of-the-city.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-25641-icihaiti-croix-des-bouquets-central-hospital-of-the-pnh.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24750-haiti-sports-a-large-football-stadium-in-croix-des-bouquets.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24715-haiti-croix-des-bouquets-the-public-square-of-carrefour-marassa-under-construction.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-24687-icihaiti-croix-des-bouquets-continuation-of-the-rehabilitation-works-of-the-lilavois-road.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24535-haiti-news-zapping.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24482-haiti-notice-important-works-at-the-cemetery-of-croix-des-bouquets.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24472-haiti-call-for-tenders-construction-of-the-public-square-of-bon-repos.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24418-haiti-croix-des-bouquets-drinking-water-is-coming-to-canaan.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-24267-icihaiti-croix-des-bouquets-follow-up-of-works-on-the-road-duval-22-carrefour-marassa.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24218-haiti-politic-inauguration-of-the-community-resource-center-of-canaan.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23509-haiti-politic-croix-des-bouquets-announces-new-infrastructures.html 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. A WINDOW at Henley library has been decorated to mark 100 years of womens suffrage. Members of Harpsden WI worked with visual merchandiser Jessica Howarth, from Henley, to create the display at the library by Kings Road car park. It includes images and information from the branchs archives as well as rosettes made by members. It was officially opened on Monday by members of the branch committee and will be in place until next Wednesday. The display was mostly created by Miss Howarth and WI committee member Susannah Rose. Branch president Pat Eades said: We think the window looks very good. As well as marking 100 years of womens suffrage, it also helps to promote the WI as we are always on the lookout for new members. Womens suffrage is one of the most important parts of the WI, the fact that women got the vote is a cause worth championing. We like to champion different causes each year and this year we have promoted tackling loneliness, mental health and reducing plastic and food waste. The group meets at Harpsden village hall every second Wednesday at 2.30pm. For more information, call 07771 867824 or email suzannacrose@btinternet.com This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For over 14 years and 30,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going. At his working session with the Mongolian delegation, Chairman of the provincial Peoples Council Tran Dang Ninh said the visit would contribute to consolidating relations between Vietnam and Mongolia. At the working session between Chairman of the Hoa Binh People's Council Tran Dang Ninh and delegation from the Khural of Peoples Deputies of Mongolias Tov province led by its head TS. Enkhbat on October 5th (Source: Hoa Binh newspaper) The trip would also open up a big opportunity for the two provinces to explore the possibility of cooperation, he said. Ninh introduced the guests to Hoa Binhs potential and advantages in the fields of agriculture, mining, tourism and education where the two provinces can exchange experiences. Enkhbat, for his part, stressed that 2018 marks 60 years of trade ties between Vietnam and Mongolia and the two nations are conducting a range of activities to boost bilateral commercial exchanges. He briefed on Tov provinces development situation and mentioned the areas where the two sides can cooperate such as education, tourism, husbandry and cattle meat processing, and vegetable and fruit exports. During its visit, the Mongolian delegation paid a fact-finding trip to a number of economic establishments in Hoa Binh province to seek suitable cooperation methods and share experiences./. SAO PAULO, Brazil - There has been no lack of drama in the lead-up to Brazil's presidential election on Sunday. One candidate was jailed, another was stabbed and a week before the voting, women organized nationwide protests against the front-runner. The presidential contest, the most splintered and divisive race since the end of the military dictatorship in the 1980s, has for many Brazilians come down to who is the least bad option. Read Full Source: Press Release As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. Edward Vaizey told Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue in Hanoi on October 5th that the UK Government attaches importance to Vietnams role in cooperation and development. The UK wishes to help improve economic skills for Vietnamese people, assist the country in raising transparent administration capacity and participate in infrastructure development using high technologies in the country, he said. Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue and UK Prime Minister's Trade Envoy Edward Vaizey. (Photo: VNA) The UK is conducting procedures to withdraw from the European Union. However, benefits brought about by the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) to Vietnam and the UK should be maintained at a free trade agreement between the two countries, Edward Vaizey said. The UK is ready to push ahead with commitments between the EU and Vietnam as the country is still an EU member, the envoy said. He thanked the Vietnamese Government for its support to the UK in accessing the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). For his part, Deputy PM Vuong Dinh Hue affirmed that the strategic partnership between Vietnam and the UK is development fruitfully. The official also thanked the UK Government for its assistance to Vietnam in signing and ratifying the EVFTA, and promised that the Vietnamese Government always backs and stands ready to help the UK join the CPTPP. Hue urged the two countries to enhance their bilateral trade ties as two-way trade value stood at only over USD6.1 billion in 2017, and called on the UK to expand its investment in Vietnam in finance-banking given its investment capital in the country reaching only USD3.7 billion. Vietnamese ministries and agencies are willing to remove difficulties facing UK investors in Vietnam, Hue said, expressing his hope to receive more support from the Commonwealth Foundation to realise projects in Vietnam and that Vietnamese goods would penetrate more deeply into the Mc Spencer supermarket chain./. By Philip M.Giraldi October 06, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - 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. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter 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. Philip Giraldi, is a former counter-terrorism specialist and military intelligence officer of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and a columnist and television commentator who is the Executive Director of the Council for the National Interest. This article was originally published by " Strategic Culture Foundation " - Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here. ==See Also== Israeli occupation troops kill three, including a child, at Gaza protest: Three Palestinians, including a 12-year-old boy, were shot dead by Israeli forces. At least 126 others were wounded by bullets, it said. US to Supply More F-35s to Israel to Offset S-300 Systems in Syria Report Sheldon Adelson spending $100 million to keep control of U.S. policies on Israel: Casino billionaires total contributions on behalf of Israel in 2016 & 2018 reported to surpass $100 million, possibly making him the largest single donor in American politics today LPRP General Secretary and President of Laos Bounnhang Volachith writes in the condolence book for former Party General Secretary Do Muoi. (Photo: VNA) A delegation of the Central Committee of the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and the State of Laos led by LPRP General Secretary and President of Laos Bounnhang Volachith paid last respects to Do Muoi at the Vietnamese Embassy in Vientiane on October 6th morning. The Lao party leader and President wrote in the condolence book that with the passing of Do Muoi, not only the Party, State and people of Vietnam lose an exemplary revolutionary and a beloved leader, but the Lao Party, State and people also lose a close friend. Comrade Do Muoi has made great contributions to Vietnams cause of national defence, construction and development over the past more than 80 years. He also contributed greatly to strengthening and fostering the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam, Bounnhang Volachith wrote. The day before, Chairwoman of the Lao National Assembly Pany Yathotou also led a delegation to pay homage to Do Muoi at the Vietnamese Embassy. Representatives from Lao ministries, agencies, and foreign embassies in Vientiane came to the Vietnamese Embassy to pay tribute to the former Party chief of Vietnam and offer condolences. In Singapore, the Vietnamese Embassy is opening the condolence book from October 5th to 7th. On behalf of the Singaporean Government, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan paid last respects to Do Muoi at the Vietnamese Embassy. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Pence's diatribe against China over "interference" follows the barrage of humongous trade levies imposed on Chinese exports by the Trump administration, as well as the recent sale of billion-dollar weapons by the US to Taiwan, which China regards as a renegade province. Just days before Pence uttered his unctuous words, a US warship was involved in a near-collision with a Chinese navy vessel after the Americans breached Beijing's proclaimed territory in the South China Sea. The incident which could have sparked a war was but the latest in a series of provocative incursions by US forces into China's maritime spaces, under the guise of "freedom of navigation" exercises. As for Britain's defense minister Williamson, his rhetoric about Russia being a pariah state reminds one of the admonition to not throw bricks in a glasshouse. After its spate of criminal wars in the Middle East, destroying millions of lives and that's just counting the most recent years Britain is not in any position to indict others for pariah status. Specifically though, Britain's pious flourishes this week concerned allegations against Russia for conducting cyberattacks in various countries. The British claims were conveniently amplified by NATO allies, including the US, Canada and Netherlands, as well as partners Australia and New Zealand. Again, the hypocrisy and hyper preciousness here are cringe-making. US and British state intelligence are known to run the biggest, most pervasive illegal hacking of telecommunications across the entire globe. American whistleblowers Edward Snowden, William Binney and other honorable people, have provided irrefutable evidence of the mass global hacking carried out by the CIA, NSA and Britain's GCHQ. Recall just one example: the Americans spying on personal phone calls by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. What's particularly nauseating, however, is when the criminals who have been caught redhanded on numerous grave violations then turn around and accuse others of alleged misdemeanors. That is what we may call "hyper-precious hypocrisy". In the case of Mike Pence's grandstanding on alleged Chinese attempts to oust Trump from the White House, what he was referring to was Beijing's retaliatory trade sanctions on US exports from agricultural states. The corn-belt states of Iowa, Idaho and Illinois were crucial to electing Trump in the 2016 presidential race. The Chinese government also paid for advertorials in an Iowa newspaper last month which criticized Trump's policies for inciting a trade war, in which US farmers could suffer consequences from retaliatory measures. There was nothing underhand in what Beijing was doing. It was simply explaining to American voters the damaging impact of starting a trade war an explanation that the US president has not been leveling to his rural supporters. For the Trump administration to launch into shrill accusations against China of "interfering" in American democracy is a sign of how far Washington has become divorced from reality. We can go way back to the Boxer Rebellion in the late 1800s, when American and British troops slaughtered Chinese civilians in order to prop up a corrupt regime so that they could sell narcotic opium to a lucrative oriental market. Over the past century, the Americans and British have subverted more foreign governments and elections than any other foreign power. The American and British hacking into elections is off the charts, involving hundreds of occasions, which often resulted in bloody mayhem and failed states, wracked by poverty and sectarian violence. If we can set aside the rank hypocrisy for a moment, what about the latest US, British and other NATO claims of Kremlin hacking operations around the world? It was claimed this week that Russian military intelligence agents were involved in trying to hack into numerous entities. Those entities targeted by supposed Russian computer-espionage related to the Skripal poison affair in England; meddling in US elections; the downing of a Malaysian airliner over Ukraine in 2014; the use of doping by Olympic athletes; and investigations into chemical weapons in Syria. Western media reports came up with the imaginative theory that Russian state hackers were trying to "clean up" past illicit operations. What's really going on here is now a concerted effort by the NATO powers to consolidate all their desperate, bankrupt anti-Russia propaganda into a neatly fortified package. It's called getting your stories straight. Each one of the sensational stories impugning Russia, from the Malaysian airline disaster to the alleged poisoning of former Russian agent Sergei Skripal, have been failures. Failures, that is, to galvanize world public opinion against Russia's so-called "malign activities". People around the world just don't buy the absurd, hollow accusations slated by NATO powers. That's why the NATO powers, especially the biggest liars America and Britain, are being forced into consolidating their voices and bizarre accusations against Russia. They are now being forced to use loudspeakers and chorused hymn sheets to try to win their failing information war. But shouting lies ever louder does not make these lies more credible. Perhaps Russian agents were trying to hack into various systems in NATO countries. We don't know. But in the murky realm of all foreign powers being involved in information gathering and espionage, the alleged transgressions are relatively redundant. Again, look at the massive surveillance being carried out by the US and Britain. Another possible factor is this: it would be reasonable for Russia to want to learn what NATO powers and their partners are concocting in the way of fabricated incriminations against Moscow. If that were the case, it still does not justify the hysterical claims made by the US, Britain and others this week of Russia running global cyberattacks. Indeed, we have entered a sort of twilight zone of propaganda and hypocrisy. The Trump administration itself accuses domestic political opponents of conducting witch-hunts, "fake news", and contriving accusations. Yet this administration, along with its NATO minions, shows the same reprehensible tendencies towards Russia and China. Russia and China are right to be wary of the madness that has taken hold in the West's political class. The madness is beyond reason and therefore highly dangerous. As Russia's deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov warned this week, the NATO powers are pushing the rest of the world down a dangerous path, at the end of which is the abyss of world war. The Western public must get rid of their warmongering political class before it's too late. Ironically, and absurdly, such observation coming from a Sputnik columnist will no doubt be construed as "evidence" that Russia is inciting revolution in Western states. Such is NATO hyper-hypocrisy in the twilight zone. Finian Cunningham has written extensively on international affairs, with articles published in several languages. He is a Masters graduate in Agricultural Chemistry and worked as a scientific editor for the Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, England, before pursuing a career in newspaper journalism. He is also a musician and songwriter. For nearly 20 years, he worked as an editor and writer in major news media organisations, including The Mirror, Irish Times and Independent. This article was originally published by " Sputnik " - Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here. ==See Also== The Coming War on China ( Must See! ): Excellent movie by John Pilger Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. Peace and joy By Moon Of Alabama October 06, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - S everal NATO countries ran a concerted propaganda campaign against Russia. The context for it was a NATO summit in which the U.S. presses for an intensified cyberwar against NATO's preferred enemy. On the same day another coordinated campaign targeted China. It is aimed against China's development of computer chip manufacturing further up the value chain. Related to this is U.S. pressure on Taiwan, a leading chip manufacturer, to cut its ties with its big motherland. The anti-Russian campaign is about alleged Russian spying, hacking and influence operations. Britain and the Netherland took the lead. Britain accused Russia's military intelligence service (GRU) of spying attempts against the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague and Switzerland, of spying attempts against the British Foreign Office, of influence campaigns related to European and the U.S. elections, and of hacking the international doping agency WADA. British media willingly helped to exaggerate the claims: The Foreign Office attributed six specific attacks to GRU-backed hackers and identified 12 hacking group code names as fronts for the GRU Fancy Bear, Voodoo Bear, APT28, Sofacy, Pawnstorm, Sednit, CyberCaliphate, Cyber Berku, BlackEnergy Actors, STRONTIUM, Tsar Team and Sandworm." The "hacking group code names" the Guardian tries to sell to its readers do not refer to hacking groups but to certain cyberattack methods. Once such a method is known it can be used by any competent group and individual. Attributing such an attack is nearly impossible. Moreover Fancybear, ATP28, Pawn Storm, Sofacy Group, Sednit and Strontium are just different names for one and the same well known method. The other names listed refer to old groups and tools related to criminal hackers. Blackenergy has been used by cybercriminals since 2007. It is alleged that a pro-Russian group named Sandworm used it in Ukraine, but the evidence for that is dubious at best. To throw out such a list of code names without any differentiation reeks of a Fear-Uncertainty-Doubt (FUD) campaign designed to dis-inform and scare the public. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter The Netherland for its part released a flurry of information about the alleged spying attempts against the OPCW in The Hague. It claims that four GRU agents traveled to The Hague on official Russian diplomatic passports to sniff out the WiFi network of the OPCW. (WiFi networks are notoriously easy to hack. If the OPCW is indeed using such it should not be trusted with any security relevant issues.) The Russian officials were allegedly very secretive, even cleaning out their own hotel trash, while they, at the same, time carried laptops with private data and even taxi receipts showing their travel from a GRU headquarter in Moscow to the airport. Like in the Skripal/Novichok saga the Russian spies are, at the same time, portrayed as supervillains and hapless amateurs. Real spies are neither. The U.S. Justice Department added to the onslaught by issuing new indictments (pdf) against alleged GRU agents dubiously connected to several alleged hacking incidents. As none of those Russians will ever stand in front of a U.S. court the broad allegations will never be tested. The anti-Russian campaign came just in time for yesterday's NATO Defense Minister meeting at which the U.S. 'offered' to use its malicious cyber tools under NATO disguise: 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. If the European NATO allies, under pressure of the propaganda onslaught, agree to that, the obvious results will be more U.S. control over its allies' networks and citizens as well as more threats against Russia: NATO's chief vowed on Thursday to strengthen the alliance's defenses against attacks on computer networks that Britain said are directed by Russian military intelligence, also calling on Russia to stop its "reckless" behavior. The allegations against Russia over nefarious spying operations and sockpuppet campaigns are highly hypocritical. The immense scale of U.S. and British spying revealed by Edward Snowden and through the Wikileaks Vault 7 leak of CIA hacking tools is well known. The Pentagon runs large social media manipulation campaigns. The British GHCQ hacked Belgium's largest telco network to spy on the data of the many international organizations in Brussels. International organizations like the OPCW have long been the target of U.S. spies and operations. The U.S. National Security Service (NSA) regularly hacked the OPCW since at least September 2000: According to last week's Shadow Brokers leak, the NSA compromised a DNS server of the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in September 2000, two years after the Iraq Liberation Act and Operation Desert Fox, but before the Bush election. It was the U.S. which in 2002 forced out the head of the OPCW because he did not agree to propagandizing imaginary Iraqi chemical weapons: Jose M. Bustani, a Brazilian diplomat who was unanimously re-elected last year as the director general of the 145-nation Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, was voted out of office today after refusing repeated demands by the United States that he step down because of his "management style." No successor has been selected. The U.S. arranged the vote against Bustani by threatening to leave the OPCW. Day's earlier 'Yosemite Sam' John Bolton, now Trump's National Security Advisor, threatened to hurt Jose Bustani's children to press him to resign: "I got a phone call from John Bolton it was first time I had contact with him and he said he had instructions to tell me that I have to resign from the organization, and I asked him why," Bustani told RT. "He said that [my] management style was not agreeable to Washington." ... Bustani said he "owed nothing" to the US, pointing out that he was appointed by all OPCW member states. Striking a more sinister tone, Bolton said: "OK, so there will be retaliation. Prepare to accept the consequences. We know where your kids are." According to Bustani, two of his children were in New York at the time, and his daughter was in London. Russia's government will need decades of hard work to reach the scale of U.S./UK hypocrisy, hacking and lying. The propaganda rush against Russia came on the same day as a similar campaign was launched against China. A well timed Bloomberg story, which had been in the works for over a year, claimed that Chinese companies manipulated hardware they manufactured for the U.S. company SuperMicro. The hardware was then sold to Apple, Amazon and others for their cloud server businesses. The Big Hack: How China Used a Tiny Chip to Infiltrate U.S. Companies: 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. Both Apple and Amazon denied the story with very strong statements. The Bloomberg tale has immense problems. It is for one completely based on anonymous sources, most of them U.S. government officials: The companies denials are countered by six current and former senior national security officials, whoin conversations that began during the Obama administration and continued under the Trump administrationdetailed the discovery of the chips and the governments investigation. The way the alleged manipulation is described to function is theoretical possible, but not plausible. In my learned opinion one would need multiple manipulations, not just one tiny chip, to achieve the described results. Even reliably U.S. friendly cyberhawks are unconvinced of the story's veracity. It is especially curious that such server boards are still in use in security relevant U.S. government operations: Assuming the Bloomberg story is accurate, that means that the US intelligence community, during a period spanning two administrations, saw a foreign threat and allowed that threat to infiltrate the US military. If the story is untrue, or incorrect on its technical merits, then it would make sense that Supermicro gear is being used by the US military. There might be financial motives behind the story: Bloomberg reporters receive bonuses based indirectly on how much they shift markets with their reporting. This story undoubtedly did that. When the story came out SuperMicro's stock price crashed from $21.40 to below $9.00 per share. It now trades at $12.60: The story might be a cover-up for a NSA hack that was accidentally detected. Most likely it is exaggerated half truth, based on an old event, to deter the 'western' industry from sourcing anything from producers in China. This would be consistent with other such U.S. moves against China which coincidentally (not) happened on the same day the Bloomberg story was launched. One is a very hawkish speech U.S. Vice President Pence held yesterday: Vice President Mike Pence accused China on Thursday of trying to undermine President Donald Trump as the administration deploys tough new rhetoric over Chinese trade, economic and foreign policies. ... Sounding the alarm, Pence warned 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 also warned American businesses to be vigilant against Chinese efforts to leverage access to their markets to modify corporate behavior to their liking. Another move is a new Pentagon report warning against the purchase of Chinese equipment and launched via Reuters in support of the campaign: China represents a significant and growing risk to the supply of materials vital to the U.S. military, according to a new Pentagon-led report that seeks to mend weaknesses in core U.S. industries vital to national security. The nearly 150-page report, seen by Reuters on Thursday ahead of its formal release Friday, concluded there are nearly 300 vulnerabilities that could affect critical materials and components essential to the U.S. military. ... A key finding of this report is that China represents a significant and growing risk to the supply of materials and technologies deemed strategic and critical to U.S. national security, the report said. The Bloomberg story, the Pence speech and the Pentagon report 'leak' on the same day seem designed to scare everyone away from using Chinese equipment or China manufactured parts within there supply chain. The allegations of Chinese supply chain attacks are of course just as hypocritical as the allegations against Russia. The very first know case of computer related supply chain manipulation goes back to 1982: A CIA operation to sabotage Soviet industry by duping Moscow into stealing booby-trapped software was spectacularly successful when it triggered a huge explosion in a Siberian gas pipeline, it emerged yesterday. ... Mr Reed writes that the software "was programmed to reset pump speeds and valve settings to produce pressures far beyond those acceptable to pipeline joints and welds". Wikileaks list 27 cases of U.S. supply chain manipulation of computer hardware and software. A search for "supply chain" in the Snowden archives shows 18 documents describing such 'projects'. The U.S. government under Trump - and with John Bolton in a leading position - copied Trump's brutal campaign style and uses it as an instrument in its foreign policy. Trump's victory in the 2016 election proves that such campaigns are highly successful, even when the elements they are build of are dubious or untrue. In their scale and coordination the current campaigns are comparable to the 2002 run-up for the war on Iraq. Then, as during the Trump election campaign and as now, the media are crucial to the public effect these campaigns have. Will they attempt to take the stories the campaigns are made of apart? Will they set them into the larger context of global U.S. spying and manipulation? Will they explain the real purpose of these campaigns? Don't bet on it. This article was originally published by " Moon Of Alabama " - Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here. ==See Also== Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. Peace and joy By David Sirota Accountability is for the little people, immunity is for the ruling class. If this ethos seems familiar, that is because it has preceded some of the darkest moments in human history October 06, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - When the former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling was released from prison a few weeks ago, the news conjured memories of a corporate scandal that now seems almost quaint and it was also a reminder that Enron executives were among the last politically connected criminals to face any serious consequences for institutionalized fraud. Since Skillings conviction 12 years ago, our society has been fundamentally altered by a powerful political movement whose goal is not merely another court seat, tax cut or election victory. This movements objective is far more revolutionary: the creation of an accountability-free zone for an ennobled aristocracy, even as the rest of the population is treated to law-and-order rhetoric and painfully punitive policy. Lets remember that in less than two decades, America has experienced the Iraq war, the financial crisis, intensifying economic stratification, an opioid plague, persistent gender and racial inequality and now seemingly unending climate change-intensified disasters. While the victims have been ravaged by these crime sprees, crises and calamities, the perpetrators have largely avoided arrest, inquisition, incarceration, resignation, public shaming and ruined careers. That is because the United States has been turned into a safe space for a permanent ruling class. Inside the rarefied refuge, the key players who created this eras catastrophes and who embody the most pernicious pathologies have not just eschewed punishment many of them have actually maintained or even increased their social, financial and political status. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter The effort to construct this elite haven has tied together so many seemingly disparate news events, suggesting that there is a method in the madness. Consider this past month that culminated with the dramatic battle over the judicial nomination of Brett Kavanaugh. September began with John McCains funeral a memorial billed as an apolitical celebration of the Arizona lawmaker, but which served as a made-for-TV spectacle letting America know that everyone who engineered the Iraq war is doing just fine. The event was attended by Iraq war proponents of both parties, from Dick Cheney to Lindsey Graham to Hillary Clinton. The funeral featured a saccharine eulogy from the key Democratic proponent of the invasion, Joe Lieberman, as well the resurrection of George W Bush. The codpiece-flaunting war president who piloted America into the cataclysm with bring em on bravado, shock and awe bloodlust and uranium from Africa dishonesty was suddenly portrayed as an icon of warmth and civility when he passed a lozenge to Michelle Obama. The scene was depicted not as the gathering of a rogues gallery fit for a war crimes tribunal, but as a venerable bipartisan reunion evoking nostalgia for the supposed halcyon days and Bush promptly used his newly revived image to campaign for Republican congressional candidates and lobby for Kavanaughs appointment. The underlying message was clear: nobody other than the dead, the injured and the taxpayer will face any real penalty for the Iraq debacle. Next up came the 10th anniversary of the financial crisis a meltdown that laid waste to the global economy, while providing lucrative taxpayer-funded bailouts to Wall Street firms. To mark the occasion, the three men on whose watch it occurred Fed chair Ben Bernanke, Bush treasury secretary Hank Paulson and Obama treasury secretary Tim Geithner did not offer an apology, but instead promised that another financial crisis will eventually occur, and they demanded lawmakers give public officials more power to bail out big banks in the future. In a similar bipartisan show of unity, former Trump economic adviser Gary Cohn gave an interview in which he asked Who broke the law? the implication being that no Wall Street executives were prosecuted for their role in the meltdown because no statutes had been violated. That suggestion, of course, is undermined by banks own admissions that they defrauded investors (that includes admissions of fraud from Goldman Sachs the very bank that Cohn himself ran during the crisis). Nonetheless, Obamas attorney general, Eric Holder who has now rejoined his old corporate defense law firm subsequently backed Cohn up by arguing that nobody on Wall Street committed an offense that could have been successfully prosecuted in a court of law. Meanwhile, JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon garnered non-Onion headlines by floating the idea of running for president a reminder that a decade after his firm played a central role in destroying countless Americans economic lives, he remains not only unincarcerated and gainfully employed, but so reputationally unscathed that he is seen as a serious White House candidate. Again, the message came through: nobody who engineered the financial crisis will pay any real price for wreaking so much havoc. Then as Hurricane Florence provided the latest illustration of climate changes devastation, ExxonMobil marched into the supreme court to demand an end to a state investigation of its role denying and suppressing climate science. Backed by 11 Republican attorneys general, the fossil fuel giant had reason to feel emboldened in its appeal for immunity: despite investigative reporting detailing the companys prior knowledge of fossil fuels role in climate change, its executives had already convinced the Securities and Exchange Commission to shut down a similar investigation. Once again, the message was unavoidable: in the new accountability-free zone, companies shouldnt be bothered to even explain much less face punishment for their role in a crisis that threatens the survival of the human species. Now comes the latest stage of the immunity project: the installation of Kavanaugh as the sentinel standing watch over this sprawling accountability-free zone from a lifetime perch on Americas very own star chamber. Kavanaugh is the nominee of Donald Trump, who as a businessman helped set the legal precedent protecting corporate titans from fraud charges, and who as president has appointed a cabinet of accountability evaders from the treasury secretary, Steve Mnuchin, who escaped prosecution during the financial crisis, to the transportation secretary, Elaine Chao, who avoided consequences for her role at Wells Fargo during that companys mass fraud. Kavanaugh is also the nominee of an accountability-free party whose last House speaker was deemed a serial child molester by a judge, whose potential next House speaker is named in a college sexual abuse scandal, and whose White House occupant was caught on camera bragging about sexually accosting women. To the delight of the Republican party, Kavanaugh is not backing down in the face of multiple credible accusations of sexual misconduct. On the contrary, in a snarling refrain that must seem all-too-familiar to victims of sexual assault, Kavanaugh is angrily insisting that youll never get me to quit. In the context of this political moment, Kavanaughs defiance is more than merely a plea of innocence. It is more than just an ideological warriors yearning to serve on a court that has been making it ever-harder for commoners to hold the aristocracy accountable. It is a grand edict detailing the entire culture of entitlement and immunity inside the accountability-free zone. Here is a corporate lobbyists son armed with a prep school education, a diploma from his grandaddys Ivy League alma mater, a writing credit on Ken Starrs Clinton-Lewinsky report, a law review article arguing that Congress should consider exempting presidents from indictments, and a sheaf of judicial opinions that consistently side with power. Kavanaugh has precisely the pedigree that is the ticket into the accountability-free zone. His braying at senators, his laughably obvious dissembling, his refusal to explicitly support an FBI review of his accusers allegations this is the behavior of someone who seems to believe a supreme court seat is his to arrogate. Indeed, Kavanaugh has been inside the aristocracys hermetically sealed bubble for so long that he is genuinely surprised and outraged that anyone would dare get in his way as are his biggest boosters such as the Republican majority leader, Mitch McConnell. Promising a forceful defense of the accountability-free zone, McConnell explicitly lashed out at sexual assault survivors who are now begging Republicans to vote down Kavanaughs nomination. I want to make it clear to these people chasing my members around the hall here, or harassing them at the airports, or going to their homes. Well not be intimidated by these people, McConnell declared. To be sure, you could write this last month off if it was an anomaly but it is the norm, not the exception. Over the last decade, we saw presidential administrations of both parties decrease white-collar prosecutions and grant telecom companies retroactive legal immunity for their role in the governments mass surveillance system. We witnessed the director of national intelligence, James Clapper brazenly mislead Congress about that surveillance, then face no charges of perjury and then be rewarded with a CNN contributor gig. We watched the Trump White House grant waivers another word for immunity to its own employees who violate seemingly strict ethics rules, and we watched the Obama labor department waive punishment for a politically influential financial firm after it had been convicted of operating what law enforcement officials said was a scheme that knowingly and willfully aided tax fraud. We saw congressional Republicans so utterly eviscerate the Internal Revenue Services budget that there may never be a better time to be a tax cheat, according to a recent ProPublica report. We have seen no consequences for a pharmaceutical company that made big money off peddling opioids and now we see the same company turn the crisis into another prospective profit opportunity by patenting a treatment to help wean people off opioids. Taken together, all of it evinces the same underlying message echoing throughout the country: to paraphrase Leona Helmsley, accountability is for the little people, immunity is for the ruling class. If this ethos seems familiar, that is because it has preceded some of the darkest moments in human history the eras of violent purges, authoritarian dictators and sharpened guillotines. There is no guarantee that is our future and lets hope it isnt our destiny. Whether or not things proceed in that terrifying direction, though, the moral question remains: what can be done to restore some basic sense of fairness and justice? Of late, one proffered answer is hard-hitting journalism and there is no doubt that righteous media vigilantes such as Ronan Farrow have occasionally sparked some much-needed paroxysms of accountability. However, for every investigative reporter doing the hard work to break open a much-needed story of corruption and criminality, there is an entire machine that continues to provide platforms to those who are firmly ensconced in the accountability-free zone. Turn on CNN, and you will see Iraq war cheerleaders like David Frum and Bill Kristol as honored guests depicted as the new vanguard of democracy. Flip on MSNBC, and it is much the same thing. In the morning you get economic analysis from Steve Rattner, who was given his media platform even after securities regulators charged him with participating in a widespread kickback scheme and he was banned from the securities industry. In the afternoon you get Nicole Wallace, who helped run the Bush administrations PR operation during the Iraq war. And in the evening you get the news from Brian Williams, who was bequeathed a new show after he was busted for serially lying about his war reporting. Meanwhile, if you take a peek at the business press, you will behold an entire corner of the journalism world that saw few mea culpas or firings after it missed almost all of the warning signs in the lead-up to the financial crisis. No, if there is an answer, it will not originate from media (at least not until theres radical change in that industry). To wedge open the gates of the accountability-free zone, everyday citizens will have to be organized enough to overcome already well-organized money. In the political arena, that means electing pro-accountability candidates of both parties, and then forcing them to follow through on prosecuting wrongdoers and voting down aristocracy-approved nominees who represent the accountability-free zone. In the consumer economy, it will require boycotts, pressure campaigns, union drives, #MeToo movements, shareholder resolutions and other direct actions to hold companies and executives accountable (and as the recent minimum wage campaign against Amazon proves, those efforts can succeed). It will require support for companies that offer different models of corporate behavior, and it will require swarms of cable-news-addled dittoheads to shut off the TV and instead support other forms of media that are serious about questioning, scrutinizing and challenging power. In the job market, it will require employers to actually fire executives when they lie, cheat, steal, harass and otherwise mistreat their workers. And at a cultural level, it will require any and all efforts to rescind and deny social status to those who have committed egregious war, financial and sexual crimes and it will require doing that even if those miscreants wear nice suits and have gilded credentials. This is no easy way forward and there are no shortcuts but if we avoid this path, then the accountability-free zone will fortify itself and we will probably see the rise of an institutionalized form of moral hazard that dooms us to a tragic repetition of history. After all, if there are no social or professional consequences for those who lied a country into a trillion-dollar war that amassed hundreds of thousands of casualties if that wars architects can remain in good standing and in high-prestige jobs what will deter any politician or pundit from supporting a similar military conflict when it is politically opportune? If there are no legal consequences for profiteers who defrauded the global economy into a collapse, what will deter those profiteers from doing that again? If there are no financial consequences for fossil fuel moguls who knowingly created an ecological crisis, what will deter them from continuing to try to profit off that crisis as the planet burns? And if a petulant zealot like Kavanaugh can be credibly accused of sexual harassment, repeatedly distort the facts during his confirmation, temper-tantrum his way through congressional hearings and still get catapulted on to the nations highest court what will deter any other power-hungry child of privilege from behaving in exactly the same way? The answer is nothing which is exactly the point for the aristocracy. But that cannot be considered acceptable for the rest of us outside the accountability-free zone. David Sirota is a Guardian US columnist and an investigative journalist at Capital & Main. His latest book is Back to Our Future: How the 1980s Explain the World We Live In Now This article was originally published by " The Guardian " - Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here. ==See Also== Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. Peace and joy October 06, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - The leading financial publications have misled their political and investor subscribers of emerging crises and military defeats which have precipitated catastrophic political and economic losses. The most egregious example is the Financial Times (FT) a publication which is widely read by the business and financial elite. In this essay we will proceed by outlining the larger political context that sets the framework for the transformation of the FT from a relatively objective purveyor of world news into a propagator of wars and failed economic policies. In part two we will discuss several case studies which illustrate the dramatic shifts from a prudent business publication to a rabid military advocate, from a well-researched analyst of economic policies to an ideologue of the worst speculative investors. The decay of the quality of its reportage is accompanied by the bastardization of language. Concepts are distorted; meanings are emptied of their cognitive sense; and vitriol covers crimes and misdemeanors. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter We will conclude by discussing how and why the respectable media have affected real world political and market outcomes for citizens and investors. Political and Economic Context The decay of the FT cannot be separated from the global political and economic transformations in which it publishes and circulates. The demise of the Soviet Union, the pillage of Russias economy throughout the 1990s and the US declaration of a unipolar world were celebrated by the FT as great success stories for western values. The US and EU annexation of Eastern Europe, the Balkan and Baltic states led to the deep corruption and decay of journalistic narratives. The FT willing embraced every violation of the Gorbachev-Reagan agreements and NATOs march to the borders of Russia. The militarization of US foreign policy was accompanied by the FT conversion to a military interpreter of what it dubbed the transition to democratization. The language of the FT reportage combined democratic rhetoric with an embrace of military practices. This became the hallmark for all future coverage and editorializing. The FT military policies extended from Europe to the Middle East, the Caucasus, North Africa and the Gulf States. The FT joined the yellow press in describing military power grabs, including the overthrow of political adversaries, as transitions to democracy and the creation of open societies. The unanimity of the liberal and right-wing publications in support of western imperialism precluded any understanding of the enormous political and economic costs which ensued. To protect itself from its most egregious ideological foibles, the FT included insurance clauses, to cover for catastrophic authoritarian outcomes. For example they advised western political leaders to promote military interventions and, by the way, with democratic transitions. When it became evident that US-NATO wars did not lead to happy endings but turned into prolonged insurgencies, or when western clients turned into corrupt tyrants, the FT claimed that this was not what they meant by a democratic transition this was not their version of free markets and free votes. The Financial and Military Times (?) The militarization of the FT led it to embrace a military definition of political reality. The human and especially the economic costs, the lost markets, investments and resources were subordinated to the military outcomes of wars against terrorism and Russian authoritarianism. Each and every Financial Times report and editorial promoting western military interventions over the past two decades resulted in large scale, long-term economic losses. The FT supported the US war against Iraq which led to the ending of important billion-dollar oil deals (oil for food) signed off with President Saddam Hussein. The subsequent US occupation precluded a subsequent revival of the oil industry. The US appointed client regime pillaged the multi-billion dollar reconstruction programs costing US and EU taxpayers and depriving Iraqis of basic necessities. Insurgent militias, including ISIS, gained control over half the country and precluded the entry of any new investment. The US and FT backed western client regimes organized rigged election outcomes and looted the treasury of oil revenues, arousing the wrath of the population lacking electricity, potable water and other necessities. The FT backed war, occupation and control of Iraq was an unmitigated disaster. Similar outcomes resulted from the FT support for the invasions of Afghanistan, Libya, Syria and Yemen. For example the FT propagated the story that the Taliban was providing sanctuary for bin Ladens planning the terror assault in the US (9/11). In fact, the Afghan leaders offered to turn over the US suspect, if they were offered evidence. Washington rejected the offer, invaded Kabul and the FT joined the chorus backing the so-called war on terrorism which led to an unending, one trillion-dollar war. Libya signed off to a disarmament and multi-billion-dollar oil agreement with the US in 2003. In 2011 the US and its western allies bombed Libya, murdered Gaddafi, totally destroyed civil society and undermined the US/EU oil agreements. The FT backed the war but decried the outcome. The FT followed a familiar ploy; promoting military invasions and then, after the fact, criticizing the economic disasters. The FT led the media charge in favor of the western proxy war against Syria: savaging the legitimate government and praising the mercenary terrorists, which it dubbed rebels and militants dubious terms for US and EU financed operatives. Millions of refugees, resulting from western wars in Libya, Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq fled to Europe seeking refuge. FT described the imperial holocaust the dilemmas of Europe. The FT bemoaned the rise of the anti-immigrant parties but never assumed responsibility for the wars which forced the millions to flee to the west. The FT columnists prattle about western values and criticize the far right but abjured any sustained attack of Israels daily massacre of Palestinians. Instead readers get a dose of weekly puff pieces concerning Israeli politics with nary a mention of Zionist power over US foreign policy. FT: Sanctions, Plots and Crises Russia, China and Iran The FT like all the prestigious media propaganda sheets have taken a leading role in US conflicts with Russia, China and Iran. For years the scribes in the FT stable have discovered (or invented) crises in Chinas economy- always claiming it was on the verge of an economic doomsday. Contrary to the FT, China has been growing at four times the rate of the US; ignoring the critics it built a global infrastructure system instead of the multi-wars backed by the journalist war mongers. When China innovates, the FT harps on techno theft ignoring US economic decline. The FT boasts it writes without fear and without favor which translates into serving imperial powers voluntarily. When the US sanctions China we are told by the FT that Washington is correcting Chinas abusive statist policies. Because China does not impose military outposts to match the eight hundred US military bases on five continents, the FT invents what it calls debt colonialism apparently describing Beijings financing large-scale productive infrastructure projects. The perverse logic of the FT extends to Russia. To cover up for the US financed coup in the Ukraine it converted a separatist movement in Donbass into a Russian land grab. In the same way a free election in Crimea is described as Kremlin annexation. The FT provides the language of the declining western imperial empires. Independent, democratic Russia, free of western pillage and electoral meddling is labelled authoritarian; social welfare which serves to decrease inequality is denigrated as populism linked to the far right. Without evidence or independent verification, the FT fabricates Putinesque poison plots in England and Bashar Assad poison gas conspiracies in Syria. Conclusion The FT has chosen to adopt a military line which has led to a long series of financially disastrous wars. The FT support of sanctions has cost oil companies billions of dollars, euros and pounds. The sanctions, it backed, have broken global networks. The FT has adopted ideological postures that threaten supply chains between the West, China, Iran and Russia. The FT writes in many tongues but it has failed to inform its financial readers that it bears some responsibility for markets which are under siege. There is unquestionably a need to overhaul the name and purpose of the FT. One journalist who was close to the editors suggests it should be called the Military Times the voice of a declining empire. James Petras is a Bartle Professor (Emeritus) of Sociology at Binghamton University, New York. Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here. ==See Also== Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. Peace and joy By ALAN FRAM and LISA MASCARO October 06, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - WASHINGTON (AP) The bitterly polarized U.S. Senate narrowly confirmed Brett Kavanaugh on Saturday to join the Supreme Court, delivering an election-season triumph to President Donald Trump that could swing the court rightward for a generation after a battle that rubbed raw the countrys cultural, gender and political divides. Kavanaugh was later driven to the courts building, across the street from the Capitol, where he was to be sworn in Saturday evening. Hundreds of protesters chanted outside. The near party-line vote was 50-48, capping a fight that seized the national conversation after claims emerged that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted women three decades ago which he emphatically denied. Those allegations magnified the clash from a routine Supreme Court struggle over judicial ideology into an angrier, more complex jumble of questions about victims rights, the presumption of innocence and personal attacks on nominees. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Acrimonious to the end, the battle featured a climactic roll call that was interrupted several times by protesters in the Senate galleries before Capitol Police removed them. Vice President Mike Pence presided over the roll call, his potential tie-breaking vote unnecessary. When the vote was over, hundreds of the protesters massed on the Supreme Court steps, chanting, We believe survivors and some banging on the locked doors. Kavanaugh was inside, where he was set to be sworn in at a private ceremony. Trump, flying to Kansas for a political rally, flashed a thumbs-up gesture when the tally was announced and praised Kavanaugh for being able to withstand this horrible, horrible attack by the Democrats. The vote gave Trump his second appointee to the court, pleasing conservative voters who might have revolted against GOP leaders had Kavanaughs nomination flopped. Instead, Its turned our base on fire, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters. Democrats hope that the roll call, exactly a month from elections in which House and Senate control are in play, will do the opposite, prompting infuriated women and liberals to oust Republicans. Change must come from where change in America always begins: the ballot box, said Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York, looking ahead to November. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, confronting a tough re-election race next month in a state that Trump won in 2016 by a landslide, was the sole Democrat to vote for Kavanaugh. Every voting Republican backed the 53-year-old conservative judge. Alaskas Lisa Murkowski, the only Republican to oppose the nominee, voted present, offsetting the absence of Kavanaugh supporter Steve Daines of Montana, who was attending his daughters wedding. That rare procedural maneuver left Kavanaugh with the same two-vote margin hed have had if Murkowski and Daines had both voted. Republicans hold only a 51-49 Senate majority and therefore had little support to spare. It was the closest roll call to confirm a justice since 1881, when Stanley Matthews was approved by 24-23, according to Senate records. Within minutes, dozens of political and advocacy groups blasted out emailed reactions. Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILYs List, which contributes to female Democratic candidates, assailed the confirmation of an alleged sexual assailant and anti-choice radical to a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court. But we will carry that anger into the election. Women will not forget this. Kay Coles James, president of the conservative Heritage Foundation, called the vote a victory for liberty in America and called Kavanaugh a good man and good jurist. The outcome, telegraphed Friday when the final undeclared senators revealed their views, was devoid of the shocks that had come almost daily since Christine Blasey Ford said last month that an inebriated Kavanaugh tried to rape her at a 1982 high school get-together. Since then, the country watched agape as one electric moment after another gushed forth. These included the emergence of two other accusers; an unforgettable Senate Judiciary Committee hearing at which a composed Ford and a seething Kavanaugh told their diametrically opposed stories, and a truncated FBI investigation that the agency said showed no corroborating evidence and Democrats lambasted as a White House-shackled farce. All the while, crowds of demonstrators mostly Kavanaugh opponents ricocheted around the Capitols grounds and hallways, raising tensions, chanting slogans, interrupting lawmakers debates, confronting senators and often getting arrested. Capitol Police said 164 were arrested, raising that count in recent days well into the hundreds. Inside the Senate, resentments fanned by the battle showed no signs of receding. Schumer called the GOPs push for Kavanaugh one of the least transparent, least fair, most biased processes in Senate history. McConnell said a vote for Kavanaugh showed that the Senate was a chamber in which the politics of intimidation and personal destruction do not win the day. Democrats said Kavanaugh would push the court too far, including possible sympathetic rulings for Trump should the president encounter legal problems from the special counsels investigations into Russian connections with his 2016 presidential campaign. And they said Kavanaughs record and fuming testimony at a now-famous Senate Judiciary Committee hearing showed he lacked the fairness, temperament and even honesty to become a justice. But the fight was defined by the sexual assault accusations. And it was fought against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement and Trumps unyielding support of his nominee and occasional mocking of Kavanaughs accusers. About 100 anti-Kavanaugh protesters climbed the Capitols East Steps as the vote approached, pumping fists and waving signs. U.S. Capitol Police began arresting some of them. Hundreds of other demonstrators watched from behind barricades. Protesters have roamed Capitol Hill corridors and grounds daily, chanting, November is coming, Vote them out and We believe survivors. On Friday, in the moment that made clear Kavanaugh would prevail, Collins delivered a speech saying that Fords Judiciary Committee telling of the alleged 1982 assault was sincere, painful and compelling. But she also said the FBI had found no corroborating evidence from witnesses whose names Ford had provided. Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who has repeatedly battled with Trump and will retire in January, wavered but also backed Kavanaugh. When Trump nominated Kavanaugh in July, Democrats leapt to oppose him, saying that past statements and opinions showed hed be a threat to the Roe v. Wade case that assured the right to abortion. They said he also seemed too ready to rule for Trump in a possible federal court case against the president. Yet Kavanaughs path to confirmation seemed unfettered until Ford and two other women emerged with sexual misconduct allegations from the 1980s. Kavanaugh replaces the retired Justice Anthony Kennedy, who was a swing vote on issues such as abortion, campaign finance and same-sex marriage. Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick, Matthew Daly, Padmananda Rama, Ken Thomas and Catherine Lucey contributed to this report. This article was originally published by " AP " - Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here. ==See Also== Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. Peace and joy Senate President Bukola Sarakis #GrowNigeria movement has suffered a great setback as he didnt get the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket. Former vice President Atiku Abubakar polled over 1000 votes, thereby beating other aspirants to clinch the ticket to be the partys flag bearer in next years presidential election. Saraki, who polled just 317 votes after wide consultations around the states in the country have earned himself some serious backlash. Nigerians on social media are trolling the Senate President for not winning the primary election after putting in some much efforts. See reactions below So after Saraki toured the whole Nigeria for his Presidential campaign he only had 317 votes #PDPConventionPHC #PDPpresidentialPrimaries pic.twitter.com/RcvXgarxTQ Otunba ICE (@ManLikeIcey) October 7, 2018 Saraki locked up the Senate. Travelled across the whole regions Spent millions of Naira for form, social media influencers and delegates. Earned 317 votes. May we not experience such misfortune in our lifetime Abiodun Bello (@Abdul_A_Bello) October 7, 2018 https://twitter.com/kaybabaofficial/status/1048880646184210432?s=19 Sarakis loss is a proof that social media wont win you elections Get your pvc!! Uncle Deolu (@MrIdide) October 7, 2018 https://twitter.com/Tunnyking/status/1048884735584468993?s=19 Kenya shared her baby's due date. "Thanksgiving. I announced very early when I should have waited 3 months. It takes 9 entire months which is really 10 to have a baby. Baby Daily is healthy! Godspeed," she wrote. Kenya Moore took to Instagram stories recently to answer some burning questions from fans.star shared new info about her pregnancy and which former co-stars she still still stays in touch with and much more. Check it out!"We won't know the sex of the baby until the baby is born. We want it to be a surprise," said Kenya when asked if she was having a boy or a girl.When asked if she was having a baby shower, she replied, "I really want to but my baby shower is in 2 weeks and I'm still finalizing details.""See babydaly during ultrasounds and feeling the kicks and movement. It really is a miracle," she said about her favorite part of being pregnant."NO ! ! ! LOL I have no nusery and I am trying but brain is cloudy," said Kenya when asked if she was ready for the baby.In classic Kenya fashion, she shaded NeNe when asked to play a game of call / text/ delete with Andy Cohen, Porsha Williams and NeNe Leakes. Kenya said she would call Porsha, text Andy and Delete NeNe, but a smiley emoji, clearly it was a joke.Despite her departure from the show, Kenya revealed who she still stays in contact with from RHOA, "Cynthia and Kandi... those are my sisters," wrote Kenya. "They really have my back and are good, kind people. Although I don't talk to Porsha we have been supportive of each other. It feels good to grow."Then, Kenya feels like Bravo cheated out fans from viewing her "journey" to motherhood. "I hate the fans were cheated out of my journey after 6 years of one desire. But... I move in silence, let's just say bitch has options," she wrote.As previously reported, Kenya recently confirmed her departure from RHOA. After allegedly months of back and forth negotiations, Moore confirmed she was leaving the show after five years. I have decided to take this season off to focus on my high risk pregnancy in a healthy and drama free environment," Kenya toldin a statement."I thank Bravo for this amazing platform that has allowed me to grow, flourish and appreciate the value of what is truly important in life."Kenya also thanked her fans for all of the love they have shown her during her time on the Bravo hit reality series in her statement. "And to #TeamTwirl: Thank you for your loving and relentless support you will see me soon!" Kenya gushed, adding a reminder that her first child, #BabyDaly, is on the way.Photo Credit: Bravo 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 NESPAK Technical Jobs 2018 in Lahore Latest National Engineering Services Pakistan NESPAK Engineering Posts Lahore 2021 National Engineering Services Pakistan Pvt. Limited NESPAK a leading international Engineering Consultancy Company requires the services of highly qualified and experienced personnel for the posts of Secretary, Manager Internal Audit, Principal Engineer in Lahore. How to Apply on National Engineering Services Pakistan NESPAK Job Advertisement Apply as per details in job advertisement. In some cases, you may apply online at vacancies after registering at https://www.jobz.pk online. Official Website: www.nespak.com.pk Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If the employer asks you to pay money for any purpose including processing to shortlisting, do not pay at all and report us using our contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs cannot be applied online here. Error & omissions excepted. FLINT, Mich. (AP) - Residents and businesses affected by the lead-contaminated water crisis in Flint are asking a judge to reinstate Republican Gov. Rick Snyder and other Michigan officials as defendants in a class-action lawsuit. Lawyers said Sunday that an amended complaint includes evidence not in the original lawsuit. They say it shows Snyder and his staff knew about health risks for months before making an official announcement. Judge Judith Levy dropped Snyder and others from the case in August, saying the 2016 suit didn't claim Snyder knew of risks when the city switched to Flint River water in 2014. The corrosive water caused lead to leach from old plumbing. The new complaint also alleges the administration's delayed response may have been racially motivated. Snyder spokesman Ari Adler said the administration doesn't comment on pending litigation. (Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) The Vietnam Economic Times quoted the report, entitled Vietnam - Fast, not furious, growth, by the British multinational banking and financial services company, forecasting robust GDP growth for Vietnam at 7% in 2018 and 6.9% next year, driven by strong FDI-supported electronics manufacturing and rising consumption. Manufacturing and agriculture are likely to remain the primary growth drivers in the second half of the year, the report added. Chidu Narayanan, economist for Asia at Standard Chartered Bank, said that Vietnam expanded by 7.1% in H1, moderating mildly in Q2 after a record 7.4% year-on-year growth in Q1, in line with the banks forecast. This is the first year since the global financial crisis that Q2 growth has been slower than Q1. We believe this is a sign of a focus on sustainable growth over the medium term. We expect H2 growth to remain robust, albeit mildly slower than in H1, Narayanan said, adding that the bank remains positive on Vietnams growth in the medium term based on strong manufacturing activity, as FDI inflows to electronics manufacturing remain strong. According to the latest report, manufacturing is predicted to record another year of double-digit growth and agriculture growth will continue its recovery in the second half, even as construction slows down due to more modest growth in the real estate sector. Meanwhile, electronics export growth in 2018 is likely to remain robust, though lower than last year, leading to a trade surplus and supporting the overall growth of Vietnam. The bank maintains its view that FDI inflows into Vietnam will stay strong in 2018 and the next two years, with a registered capital of US$17 billion each year. FDI inflows to the manufacturing sector, particularly electronics manufacturing, will remain high in the medium term. The macro-economic report also expects steady growth in services to support overall growth in 2018, led by strong domestic trading activity. The services sector, which makes up close to 40% of the economy, is expected to grow strongly in the second half, after rising by a steady 7% year-on-year in the first half. The rise of the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, aided by a young, well-trained and low-cost workforce, will accelerate the growth of the service sector in the medium term, the document stated. ROCHESTER, Minn. - Community members gathered outside of Villages at Essex Park Apartments to protest. Current and former tenants say that their rent was increased mid-lease this summer. While some chose to stay, others chose to find housing elsewhere. Abby Splittstoesser opted to leave, saying that she couldn't afford the higher cost of rent. "It was really difficult. I'm a single mom and my son is only six months now... We had to move and I work full time. So with very little notice, we had to up and move and find a new place to go," she explains. Paull Bell also left the apartment complex and moved to Stewartville. "It wasn't what we wanted to do. I mean, work was here, so it's extra expenses for driving to work," he adds. Other tenants have stayed put. Jared Ludowese tells KIMT that his rent also increased, and he's protesting to support the neighbors he is losing. "All we're asking for is reasonable, affordable," he says. The protest was organized by Communities United for Rochester Empowerment, also known as CURE. They delivered a letter to the apartment's leasing office addressed to the company that owns the complex, Dominium. The letter asks Dominium to reverse the rent increases, offer relocation assistance to tenants who left, and to meet in-person with CURE and tenants. KIMT reached out to Dominium for comment but has not heard back at this time. OSAGE, Iowa A Mitchell County woman stands accused of attacking law enforcement. Brandie Renee Rogers, 36 of St. Ansgar, is charged with interference with official acts causing bodily injury and assault on a peace officer. The Mitchell County Sheriffs Office says a deputy was called to the Mitchell County Regional Health Center just before 1:30 am on October 3. The deputy says Rogers was there and smelled like she had been drinking. According to court records, Rogers admitted drinking alcohol in the ER and when the deputy told her she couldnt do that, Rogers pushed the deputy. Rogers then reportedly resisted being placed under arrest and had to be handcuffed and carried to a squad car, kicking a deputy as she was put inside the vehicle. Law enforcement says Rogers then began screaming, kicked the rear passenger side window out of the squad car, and began smashing her head into the rear drivers side door. A deputy says as he tried to stop Rogers from injuring herself, she kicked him several times in the knee. After being restrained, authorities say Rogers bit down and began grinding her false teeth together, losing several false teeth that fell into the backseat of the squad car. Court records say that as Rogers resisted arrest, a car door slammed shut on a deputys hand and left him with a broken finger and a cut that needed four stiches. THOMPSON, Iowa - After over 70 years, one United States veteran has finally received his proper burial. Dozens of people gathered this afternoon at the Rose Hill cemetery in Thompson, Iowa, to celebrate the life of Private Donald E. Brown. My cousin is here with her two sons they were a part of the service and then we have a whole array of second and third cousins that are here, said Joyce Sorensen, Pvt. Browns niece. After being declared as an unknown soldier in Europe since 1944, Private Brown finally returned home today. From what I understand, his tank, Don was the only casualty of that attack, said niece Alison Conrad. 70 years later, the family was contacted to see if they were interested in pursuing DNA testing. I actually had to request that the remains be disinterred there in France and I had to be willing to submit DNA, added Sorensen. After Joyce and her cousin from Colorado had submitted DNA samples, they found out there was a match. I cried and that surprised me actually because in fact, I had never met him other than just the stories that were passed on to me, said Conrad. Alison admitted that this hits close to home for her. Having two sons in uniform, it was a very moving experience for me to think that the country we live in and the army we serve goes to such drastic efforts to find remains of soldiers, added Conrad. The family also expressed their thankfulness to those who helped make the ceremony possible. The participation of the community and the local authorities that made it happen, the folks that came out to say goodbye and show their respects to a soldier in uniform that gave the ultimate sacrifice was very moving for me, said Conrad. Private Brown has received multiple awards and honors. Iowa Governor, Kim Reynolds, declared that all flags be lowered to half-staff on Oct. 6 in his honor. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. The PM noted that Mekong countries have gained important socio-economic achievements, making the region one of the areas with fastest growth speed in the world. During this process, the support of developing partners, including Japan, is significant, he said. The partnership between Japan and Mekong region has been realised through both bilateral and multilateral cooperation mechanisms in various fields such as politics, diplomacy, economy, trade, education, health care, environment, and tourism. Japan is one of the Mekong regions leading trade, investment partners and ODA providers. In the Mekong-Japan cooperation framework, hundreds of projects worth dozens of billions of USD have been successfully implemented, helping regional countries develop transport and industrial infrastructure, train human resources, improve investment and business environment, protect the environment, respond to climate change, narrow development gap and reduce poverty, he said. The PM added that Japan has also supported the building and development of intra-Mekong economic corridors such as the East-West and Southern Economic Corridors. The effective and long-standing affiliation between the Mekong region and Japan has helped promote potential and strengths of economies and create more favourable conditions for businesses of both sides, thus contributing the boosting sustainable and inclusive growth in the region, stated the PM. The Vietnamese Government leader held that cooperation potential between Japan and Mekong countries is huge. He expressed his hope that Japan will continue promoting its role as a partner for high quality development in the Mekong region through making full use of the countrys strengths in technology and finance and the Mekong regions growth speed, market and labour. In the future, the Mekong-Japan partnership should prioritise three pillars of transport infrastructure, energy; soft infrastructure such as institution, trade, investment and people connection; and people-to-people contact. The two sides should focus on realising a joint vision on a green Mekong through projects and programmes on sustainable management and use of Mekong River water resources, smart agriculture and climate change response, he said, adding that Japanese and Mekong enterprises are encouraged to engage in the process. The PM asserted that the upcoming 10th Mekong-Japan Summit will open up a new chapter in bilateral partnership, matching the growth of the ties to potential and demand of both sides. Regarding the Vietnam-Japan collaboration over the past 45 years, he highlighted that the two countries have become important partners of each other with many shared strategic interests. Bilateral ties, which were lifted to an extensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia in 2014, have grown strongly in all fields with closer economic connectivity and strengthened political trust. Japan has been the biggest ODA provider of Vietnam and the countrys fourth largest trade partner. In 2017, Japan became the top foreign investor in Vietnam with total investment of US$9.1 billion, four times higher than that in 2016, he noted, emphasizing the great economic support between the two countries. Defence, security, culture, education-training and tourism collaboration and people-to-people exchange between the two countries have also been expanded. Currently, more than 260,000 Vietnamese people are living, studying and working in Japan, becoming the fifth largest foreign community in Japan. As many as 37 pairs of localities of both sides have set up partnerships. Last year, Japan ranked third in the number of tourists to Vietnam with 800,000, while 300,000 Vietnamese travelled Japan. The two countries have also collaborated closely at international and regional forums such as the United Nations, ASEAN Plus, APEC, and ASEM. They coordinated in promoting negotiations for and signing of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and talks on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), while backing each other to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, and collaborating in regional and international issues of shared concern, thus contributing to building an Asia-Pacific region of peace, stability, development in line with international law. The PM said that he believes that the Vietnam-Japan partnership will enter a new period of development and become more effective, stable and extensive. After 30 years of reform, Vietnam has become a dynamic and internationally integrated economy, with trade ties with more than 200 countries and territories around the world. The country has signed and negotiated for 16 bilateral and multilateral trade deals with nearly 60 partners, including world powers. In the coming time, Vietnam will continue reforming comprehensively, integrating more deeply into the world, and raising its competitiveness for rapid and sustainable growth, he said, adding that Vietnam will give optimal conditions for foreign investors, including those from Japan, to become successful in Vietnam. Vietnam welcomes Japanese firms to invest in areas of Japans strength such as high technology, infrastructure building, smart city, supporting industry, hi-tech agriculture, business restructuring, and green and renewable energy, as well as prioritised areas stated in the Vietnams industrialisation strategy, stated the PM. He underlined that the joining of the CPTPP showed Vietnams strong commitments to continued reform, regional and international integration, and active engagement in sharing regional economic cooperation and connection frameworks for peace, prosperity and inclusive growth in the Asia-Pacific region, while opening up great chances for economic-trade cooperation with many important partners, including Japan. CPTPP, a new generation free trade area of high quality, balanced interests will be a motivation for Vietnam to continue strengthening reform, completing legal system, improving business environment and raising competitiveness, contributing to fulfilling all socio-economic targets. Vietnam is striving to become one of the first six countries to ratify the deal, he said, revealing that the National Assembly will consider approving the agreement at its sixth session in October and November this year. Vietnam welcomes the expansion of the deal, he added. Regarding the East Sea issue, he affirmed that the sea plays an important role in international trade, while serving as an existence and development space of coastal states. Countries in and outside the region have implemented bilateral and multilateral cooperation activities in various fields in order to maintain peace and stability in the area, he said, adding that relevant countries have also worked together to seek peaceful measures to deal with disputes and differences. However, over the past years, the East Sea situation has witnessed many complicated developments, worrying the international community and requiring all parties to strictly abide by international law, show willingness, exercise restraint, and not to conduct any actions that make the situation more complicated, while fully and effectively implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) toward the early signing of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea, he said. PM Phuc stressed that Vietnam shares the viewpoint of ASEAN and the international community on peacefully dealing with disputes in the East Sea in line with international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982, ensuring peace, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the sea. Vietnam welcomes and shares the perspectives of Japan on the significance of diplomatic efforts for the promotion of full observance of international law and peaceful settlement of disputes, he declared. The PM also voiced his hope that Japan will continue showing its responsibility and role, together with the international community, to support and contribute to ensuring security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight, thus bringing prosperity to the East Sea and the whole Asia-Pacific region in general. Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) President and CEO Kwon Pyung-oh, left, shakes hands with Liam Fox, U.K. Secretary of State for International Trade, during an MOU signing ceremony at the KOTRA head office in Seoul, Friday. The deal promotes trade and investment between the two countries. / Courtesy of Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Pyongyang on Sunday and is set to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, news reports said. Pompeo left for Pyongyang from Tokyo earlier in the day, where he met Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Foreign Minister Taro Kono on Saturday. His plane landed in the North Korean capital before noon, the reports said. South Korean officials said that in Pyongyang, the U.S. secretary will hold a meeting with the North Korean leader on the issues of denuclearization and the establishment of a peace regime. Following the meeting, Pompeo will fly to Seoul for a meeting with President Moon Jae-in and Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha later Sunday and brief them on the results of his trip to the North. On Monday, he will depart for Beijing for further talks with Chinese officials. His visit to the North, his fourth, comes as the U.S. and the North are trying find a breakthrough in the stalled denuclearization negotiations. The U.S. has insisted that the North must declare its nuclear arsenal before any peace process moves forward, but the North has sought an initial end-of-war declaration from the U.S. Progress from Pompeo's Pyongyang trip would help revive denuclearization talks and set details for the planned second summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump. "Each side has to develop sufficient trust so they can take the actions necessary to get to the end, and then we're also going to set up the next summit," Pompeo said on a stop in Anchorage, Alaska, before arriving Japan. "So we hope to at least -- I doubt we'll get it nailed, but begin to develop options for both location and timing that Chairman Kim will meet with the president again. Maybe we'll get further than that," he said. (Yonhap) By Jung Da-min North Korean media used South Korean news reports, Sunday, in attacks on the South's conservative Liberty Korea Party, saying the party is ruining itself and being isolated from peace efforts. The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the ruling Workers' Party, citied South Korea's media reports to attack the South's main opposition party, saying it is on the track to "destruction." "According to Edaily, the party is doing everything it can for survival with 'reform' and 'new faces,' but its situation isn't improving," Rodong said. In another article, Rodong criticized conservative lawmakers for refusing to ratify the Panmunjeom Declaration, which was signed by President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on April 27. North Korean media has been mentioning the Liberty Korea Party more often this year, according to North Korean media tracker KCNA Watch website. The number of articles mentioning the party has increased to 4179 (as of Oct. 7) from 2783 last year, after the party was renamed earlier that year on Feb. 13. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, right, talks to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during their meeting in Pyongyang, Sunday (KST). Screengrab of Pompeo's Twitter Pompeo says he had 'productive conversation' with Kim By Kim Yoo-chul U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hailed "progress" in discussions with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang, Sunday (KST), saying the two had a "productive conversation" in taking steps toward denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. "I don't have much to add. I would certainly tell you in private about our conversation. But we had a good productive conversation. As President Trump said there are many steps along the way and we took one of them today with another step forward. This is I think a good outcome for all of us," Pompeo told President Moon Jae-in at Cheong Wa Dae late Sunday. Pompeo said Kim had agreed to hold a second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump "as early as possible," adding working-level discussions between the two countries to set a date and location would take place soon. President Moon responded that the second summit between Trump and Kim would be "decisive progress" in Pyongyang's denuclearization process. "Follow-up and further measures to be taken by North Korea on the country's denuclearization and ways to allow U.S. government officials to be part of the inspection process were also discussed during Pompeo's meeting with Kim. The two also discussed possible corresponding measures that the United States may take," Yoon Young-chan, chief presidential secretary said in a written briefing after Pompeo's briefing of Moon. Rep. Lee Hae-chan, left, leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the co-head of a delegation to Pyongyang for an inter-Korean event to celebrate the anniversary of a 2007 summit, listens as the North's Kim Yong-dae, vice chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly speaks during a gathering of political figures from the two Koreas at the Koryo Hotel, Pyongyang, Friday. / Yonhap By Park Ji-won, Joint Press Corps As a first-ever inter-Korean legislative summit is being discussed amid the growing mood of rapprochement on the peninsula, the ruling party must persuade the opposition parties to participate. Ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) leader Lee Hae-chan, who led a South Korean delegation to Pyongyang from Oct. 4 to 6 with Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, said Friday after meeting his counterparts that "the inter-Korean legislative summit will likely occur this year even though the opposition parties are against it. There is no big difference between the two Koreas on holding this event." Lee added that, "We talked with vice chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly Ahn Dong-chun and agreed in general to hold the legislative summit." The two Koreas held their first joint celebration of the anniversary of a 2007 summit, in Pyongyang Friday. On the sideline of the event, the South's ruling party and the North's legislative leaders agreed to hold the summit this year. About 160 South Koreans, including politicians, civic and religious group members and cultural figures, took part in the celebration held at the People's Palace of Culture to commemorate the 11th anniversary of the second inter-Korean summit on Oct. 4, 2007, which was held between then-South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and then-North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. Lee went to the North also as the leader of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation along with other members from the DPK, the Party for Democracy, and the Peace and Justice Party. Based on the level of discussion between the two Koreas' political officials and unprecedented rosy inter-Korean relations, there is a greater possibility of the meeting to take place compared to the past. The North has been asking for fast ratification of inter-Korean agreements at the South's National Assembly, something the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), which didn't go to Pyongyang, is opposed to due to a lack of details on the North's denuclearization. The ruling party therefore faces hurdles to convince the opposition, even though the DPK can push for the summit on its own. LKP spokesman Yoon Young-seok criticized the ruling party's trip and Lee's remarks made in Pyongyang saying, "The DPK's intention to abolish the National Security Act is inappropriate, and we suspect that Lee has certain political intentions." Talks between the two Koreas for the inter-Korean legislative summit have emerged regularly following instances of rapprochement on the peninsula, but have never materialized due to political confrontation. Fragments of microplastics were found in four types of seafood oyster, mussel, Manila clam, and scallop according to a study by the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology. /Yonhap By Jung Hae-myoung Korea has been struggling to ban plastic use at cafes and restaurants, but even without plastic cups or straws, the material is already on the table, in an invisible way. Recent studies have shown that microplastics are in seafood and even in salt. Microplastics are small plastic debris, less than 5 millimeters long, according to the definition by the U.S. National Ocean Service. Usually decomposed from disposed of plastic objects, they can be harmful to the oceans and aquatic life. According to research on food safety management, conducted by the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology last year, 14 different kinds of microplastics were found in mussels, scallops and four types of clams, sold at seafood markets in Seoul, Gwangju and Busan. In 100 grams of Manila clams, there were 34 microplastics and 12 each were found in mussels and scallops. Microplastics can originate from plastic particles contained in toothpaste and face wash, or from decomposed plastic bottles, clothes made of synthetic textiles and car tires. Cigarette filters also make up a large portion of plastic pollution in the ocean, up to 21 percent of all ocean waste picked up on 32 shores in Korea, according to the Maritime Rescue and Salvage Association. Those not filtered from sewage flow into the ocean and rivers. They are broken down into small pieces which look similar to krill that fish eat. People, at top of the food chain, cook fish containing the microplastics. If the plastics accumulate too much in blood vessels, they block blood flow. Fungi or infections can grow on the surface of microplastics, which may also contain harmful chemicals such as bisphenol A and DDT. Some microplastics that are smaller than 150 micrometers can be absorbed by the lymph system, although the possibility is less than 0.3 percent. The plastics are found not only in sea creatures. In 2015, China discovered more than 550 microplastics particulates inside 1 kilogram of solar salt, which is deemed "healthy" among Koreans. A study by Mokpo National University released in September showed two domestic salt products and six imported ones contained microplastics. Microplastics are also found in tap and drinking water as well. In 2017, the Ministry of Environment found 0.2 to 0.4 microplastics per liter in tap water in Seoul, Incheon, and Yongin in Gyeonggi Province. Rep. Choi Do-ja of the Bareunmirae Party called for strong restrictions on microplastics. "Our dinner table is no longer safe from microplastics," Choi said. "Although the amount we consume may be very small, the problem is we are consuming it continuously from various sources. Proper research and government regulation is urgent at this point." Choi said. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said there are no regulations, both here and abroad, about permissible levels of microplastics in food. "We'll try to find countermeasures through discussions with related ministries, as it is a worldwide issue," a ministry official said. Korean missionary Baik Young-mo, center, receives a visit from church officials at a police detention center in Antipolo, the Philippines, where he was taken into after being arrested for "carrying illegal weapons and bombs" in May. Baik has been moved to prison. Courtesy of Korea Evangelical Holiness Church By Jung Da-min One way or another, Cheong Wa Dae is expected to step in on the arrest of a Korean missionary in the Philippines, widely seen as a victim of "Tanim-bala" or a bullet-planting scam against tourists for shakedowns. A petition at the presidential office for Baik Young-mo, who is in prison in Antipolo, east of Manila, has garnered more than 200,000 supporters, the threshold for which presidential intervention is mandated. Baik's wife, Bae Soon-young, posted the petitioned on the Cheong Wa Dae website last month. Baik was arrested on May 30 for allegedly carrying illegal weapons and bombs when visiting their daughter's school. "The police claimed my husband ignored orders to appear in the court several times since last December," she said in the petition. "We have been living in the village for nine years but have never received such orders." The two have worked in the Philippines for 18 years. By Jung Min-ho Japan will skip an international naval event in South Korea next week after South and North Korea raised a united voice against Japan's plan to fly the Rising Sun flag. According to the South Korean Navy Saturday, Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force told the host of its decision not to send a warship to the International Fleet Review, which is scheduled to open at a military port on Jeju Island. The decision came after two Koreas in one voice expressed opposition to Japan's plan to fly what they see as a symbol of Japan's wartime atrocities. Last week, the South Korean Navy asked the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force not to fly the flag during the five-day event. Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon also said publicly that Japan needed to consider how the flags would affect Koreans. North Korea was more straightforward. "The Rising Sun flag is a war-crime flag that the 20th-century Japanese imperialists used when executing their barbaric invasions into our nation and other countries," said Uriminzokkiri, the North's state-controlled website. "Entering with the flag is an unbearable insult and ridicule to our people." South and North Korea have a long history of hostility to each other, but issues of common interest often unite them. During the PyeongChang Winter Olympics early this year, North Korean cheerleaders waved unification flags showing South Korea's eastern islets as they cheered for the unified Korean teams. After Japan's strong complaint about the flag, South Korea decided not to use it during the Olympics. But North Korea remained defiant, saying "legally and historically it is clear that Dokdo is our people's territory." Korean missionary Baik Young-mo, second from left, was released from jail in the Philippines after 126 days of detention, Tuesday. Courtesy of Korea Evangelical Holiness Church By Jung Da-min A Korean missionary has been released from jail in the Philippines after 126 days of detention on suspicion of carrying illegal weapons. The Regional Trail Court in Manila decided to free Baik Young-mo on bail on Tuesday, a day before his trial, according to an official at the Korea Evangelical Holiness Church, which has sponsored him in the country for missionary work over the past 18 years. Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, who is also a Politburo member, led a delegation of the country to the funeral for the Vietnamese former Party chief. Writing in the funeral guest book, the Lao leader expressed profound grief from the party, national assembly, government and front of the country over the passing of Do Muoi, and praised him for his great contributions to the national defence, construction and development of Vietnam, as well as the consolidation and nurture of the friendly and special ties and solidarity between the two nations. The passing away of Do Muoi also means the loss of one of the closest friends of Laos, he stressed, describing the former Party chief as a staunch revolutionary and a talented and respectable leader of Vietnam. A delegation of Cambodia led by Deputy Prime Minister Men Sam An to the funeral expressed deep condolences to the Party, Government and people of Vietnam as well as the bereaved family over the passing of Do Muoi. In the funeral guest book, she described this as a loss of a top leader to the Vietnamese Party, Government and people. Meanwhile, a delegation of the Cuban Communist Party led by Secretary of the party Central Committee Olga Lidia Tapia Iglesia and a delegation of the Japanese Communist Party also paid last respect to Do Muoi. Many ambassadors, representatives of foreign countries and international organizations in Vietnam did the same and expressed their deep grief over the passing of the former Party General Secretary. United States Ambassador Daniel J. Kritenbrink wrote in the funeral guest book that throughout Do Muois tenure, Vietnam and his country solved many issues left by history in an open manner, accelerated the reconciliation between the two nations and established official bilateral relations in 1995. On the basis of the legacy of Do Muoi, the governments and peoples of have developed their partnership and friendship in an intensive and extensive way, the diplomat stressed. UNICEF Representative in Vietnam Youssouf Ould Abdel-Jelil highlighted that the imprints left by Do Muoi will be preserved in Vietnams human-centred and sustainable development, in which Vietnamese children enjoy good care and chances for their fullest development. Chief Representative of the IMF in Vietnam Jonathan Dunn praised Do Muoi for his great contributions to the countrys economic reform efforts in the initial stage which, he said, helped created outstanding improvements in the life of the Vietnamese people. Cuban General Consul in Ho Chi Minh City Indira Lopez Arguelles called Do Muoi one of the great friends of her country. He stands as an icon of the friendship and friendship between the two nations, his passing is not only a loss of the Party and people of Vietnam but also that of Cuba, the diplomat stressed. For his part, Russian General Consul in Ho Chi Minh City Alexei V. Popov affirmed that Do Muoi will remain forever in the heart of each people as an outstanding leader who had made great contributions to the consolidation of the relations between the two countries. Meanwhile, Malaysian General Consul in Ho Chi Minh City Sofian A. Karim stressed that Do Muoi will be remembered for his special services to the country and people. His devotion is of great significance to the consolidation of the relations between Malaysia and Vietnam, the diplomat affirmed. On behalf of the Japanese community in Ho Chi Minh City, General Consul Junichi Kawaue said his country will always bear memorize Do Muois contributions to the pushing up of the fine cooperation and friendly relations between Japan and Vietnam. By Kim Bo-eun Declaring an end to the 1950-53 Korean War is the key to driving North Korea's denuclearization process forward, experts said Sunday. The North has continued to call for the war to be declared over as a means to remove hostilities and ensure the security of its regime. The measures were not specified but are seen as calls for the Korean War to be declared over. "Realistically, this makes sense because it is difficult for North Korea to report its nuclear inventory or agree to inspections and verification without the establishment of trust with the U.S.," said Yang Moo-jin, from the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. Improving relations between the two countries is among the agreements reached between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump in June. This is North Korea's side of the deal to have its regime protected in exchange for denuclearization. "Countries like South Africa were also able to denuclearize by having key hostile policies against it removed," the professor said. Yang said the likely scenario would be for North Korea to make a verbal pledge to report its nuclear inventory, then carry out its promise to shut down its Tongchang-ri missile testing site in the presence of international experts, according to the Pyongyang Declaration reached at the third inter-Korean summit. The Korean War would then be declared over by the U.S. and the Yongbyon nuclear facility shutdown, and sanctions on North Korea partially eased, the professor said. "The countries have probably already reached an agreement to some extent on North Korea's denuclearization measures with the U.S. declaring an end to the Korean War at working-level negotiations," he said. Professor Park Won-gon of Handong Global University said actual discussions on ending the war and North Korea's denuclearization may take place at the summit between the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea. "This will probably be the more advantageous strategy for North Korea _ having the deal made between the leaders, rather than at the working-level," he said. "But it seems the U.S. has a deeper understanding of North Korea's call to declare an end to the Korean War. For this, the U.S. will likely call for North Korea to make a detailed report on its Yongbyon facility for verification to take place. In turn, North Korea may call for additional corresponding measures from the U.S. which would be exemptions from sanctions," the professor said. Technological progress has mainly affected young job seekers in South Korea because businesses tend to cut down on hiring first when seeking cost-saving measures, a report said Sunday. The report -- the work of three authors, including Lee Seo-hyun from the Bank of Korea (BOK) -- said technological advancement comes with improvements in capital efficiency, such as better machinery, and it leads management to replace workers with machines. It said that based on employment data from 2000-2014 in South Korea, the elasticity of substitution between physical capital and workers in the 15-29 age group was 1.77, compared to 1.54 for those aged between 30 and 64. Elasticity of substitution shows how easy it is to replace one thing with another -- a higher number indicates greater flexibility. In terms of occupational groups, educational levels and size of firms, the younger generation is more susceptible to such managerial decisions. "As technology advances, young workers are more easily replaced by capital than elder workers," said Lee. "Businesses cut back on new employees to set up new machines, while they tend to hold onto the skills and experience of elder workers." The findings are in line with recent trends in South Korea's job market, where the unemployment rate for young people is much higher than in general due partly to a change in industrial structure and a protracted economic downturn. According to latest government data, the country's jobless rate for young adults -- those aged between 15 and 29 -- was 10 percent in August, while the overall unemployment rate stood at 4 percent. (Yonhap) The decay of politics in the South is a result of a hyper-commercialism and fetishistic approach to human experience. Yonhap By Emanuel Pastreich The most remarkable moment in President Moon Jae-in's visit to Pyongyang was his speech before 15 thousand North Korean citizens gathered in the massive May Day Stadium. The enthusiasm that radiated from this massive crowd was startling in its intensity and President Moon himself was visibly affected. Every word Moon uttered was highlighted and animated by the cheers of the audience, coming together, as Kim Il-sung once spoke, as if they were "one body." You would never get that sort of a crowd, or anywhere near that sort of enthusiasm in South Korea for anything other than a concert by BTS or Big Bang. You could see just how seductive for President Moon that level of enthusiasm in Pyongyang was, especially as the politics practiced in Seoul has degenerated into the empty ritual of bowing before those with power and money to receive their blessings, or PR sessions in which one takes selfies with voters so as to demonstrate how accessible you are. The power of the political crowd in North Korea cannot be simply dismissed as the product of an authoritarian regime. For all the showmanship and coercion that may go into putting together one of those mass rallies, with their perfectly coordinated dance routines, they also exude a palpable energy that is not a show, but rather a result of actual engagement in a political event. But such a politics of engagement of people has withered away in South Korea. The candlelight protests have come and gone and now the progressive government severely restricts what you can protest about in downtown Seoul. Part of the problem with politics in the South is a result of a hyper-commercialism and fetishistic approach to human experience. Every aspect of life is presented as some sort of a service offered for pay. In addition, the emergence in Korea of a superannuated society means that we find a large part of the political process dominated by the aged and the vast majority of youth alienated from the political process, and few with a strong desire to participate. The progressive movement has lost much of the fervor that animated the democracy movement of the 1980s, or even the Roh Moo-hyun administration of the early 2000s. Especially notable is collapse of the progressive political debate into a narrow range of symbolic issues. There is no end to the discussion of the "comfort women" sexually abused by the Japanese during the Pacific War, but little interest in the abuse of foreign women by Korean men today. The radical concentration of wealth that is tearing Korea apart is rarely subject to careful analysis, or the systematic corruption that has reduced politics to an empty ritual. Many of the leaders in progressive politics are lost in the memories of the "democracy movement" of the 1980s and not engaged in the real problems of working class youth in Korea today. Many of them have become quite well off and are more concerned about getting their kids into good colleges (or their grandchildren) and not about a more equitable society. I was recently invited to book signing hosted by important progressive political activists and I was shocked to discover that I, at 53, was the youngest person in the room. For hours, the allosauruses and the dimetrodons who assembled there waxed poetic about the student struggles where they met in the 70s and 80s. Then they sang their songs. They talked about democracy and were critical of conservative politicians, but there was not a word about the nightmare world faced by ordinary youth as they struggle to survive the degradation of contemporary education. One thing is sure, the young Koreans who are on the front lines in a decaying economic system, caught between the rapaciousness of cram schools "hakwon" and the haughty indifference of the corporations that are supposed to hire them, did know about that event and if by mistake the aged progressives present had invited them, I do not see how could have derived any benefit from it. The discussion about the "Candlelight Revolution" was far detached from the harsh reality that most working Koreans face. I was invited to an event at a progressive bookstore recently and I found it completely empty of customers. The books on display were excellent and the owner was most thoughtful, but there seemed to be an unbridgeable gap between the space created by older intellectuals and the world of ordinary people struggling to find direction in a confused society. I am sure that many of my students could have benefitted immensely from the books there, not to mention many living in a state of spiritual despair at convenience stores or coffee shops, but they know nothing of the existence of such stores and would find it rather alien to the world they to which they are accustomedeven if the truths in those books would be of tremendous value to them. I have there are many progressive organizations run by educated and prosperous people with good intentions who feel no need or desire to try and reach those who are drowning among youth. I joined four progressive NGOs during the eleven years that I have lived in Korea, but I quit all of them because I felt that there was no culture of participation. I was expected to pay my monthly fee, and was invited to a yearly party, but there was no change for me to attend events, and no way for me to actively help. I made proposals to three of those NGOs that I hold an event for internationals to learn about their needs and concerns. Although, I would have only needed to be given a room and have the NGO put up a posting for the event, I was refused. One major problem is that progressive NGOs are less and less interested in membership. Of course members who make monthly payments are important, but increasingly NGOs look for funding to wealthy individuals with progressive proclivities, to corporate funded foundations and to government projects. The primary job of the administrator becomes locking down such sources of funding, not addressing the needs of working class people. In a sense, the well-off donor is the customer they must service. You do not ask youth for their import any more than Greenpeace asks the polar bear for advice on their policy. After being a member of PSPD People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy for five years, I quit because they never invited me to any events and had no interest in my suggestions, especially my numerous requests that we reach out to multicultural families. Four months ago, I received a call from PSPD asking me why I had ceased to be a member. I explained my reasons, but said that if I could meet one of their administrators to discuss how I could be more involved, I would be happy to rejoin. I never heard back. Memberships in progressive NGOs offered almost nothing for me. If I were working in a convenience store, I would have zero incentive to join such an organization. . By Arthur I. Cyr General George C. Marshall is what people used to call a dedicated public servant. As chief of staff of the U.S. Army, he did essential work to get a dangerously unprepared America at least partially ready for World War II, and then led the mammoth organizational effort required for victory. Later, he served as secretary of state and secretary of defense during the trying post-war years, as the Cold War began. The Marshall Plan, the comprehensive aid and reconstruction program for Europe, began implementation in 1948 seventy years ago. That year governments created the Organization for European Economic Cooperation to distribute aid, succeeded in 1960 by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a global organization. Marshall wanted to lead the Allied invasion of Europe at Normandy, but that mission went to protege Dwight Eisenhower. President Franklin Roosevelt considered Marshall indispensable, and said he could not sleep at night if the general were not in Washington. Along with remarkable executive ability, Marshall had great diplomatic and political skill. Soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese land forces trapped U.S. troops in the Philippines under the command of General Douglas MacArthur. President Roosevelt was emphatic that MacArthur should not become a Japanese prisoner of war, and ordered an evacuation to Australia. Despite personal dislike and mistrust of MacArthur, a view widely shared, Marshall followed up thoroughly to ensure MacArthur's escape, that media and public knew this was not MacArthur's decision, and the government of Australia welcomed him. Marshall also decided MacArthur should receive the Medal of Honor. We do not discuss Marshall much today. He put little personal information in the public record, and never wrote memoirs. He feared inadvertently revealing details best kept private. Also incredibly from a contemporary perspective he felt strongly that patriotic citizens should not benefit financially from government office. For him, public service was literally just that. Fortunately, Forrest Pogue authored a masterful comprehensive biography of this great leader. Another such public servant is Charles Bowsher, who ten years ago this month visited Carthage College in Wisconsin. For sixteen years starting in 1981, he was Comptroller General of the United States, a low-profile but enormously important post that oversees budget management on behalf of the Congress. Earlier, Bowsher spent a total of a quarter century with top accounting firm Arthur Andersen. In public remarks, he provided a detailed tour of the government horizon. He gave high marks to Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton for impressive budgetary discipline, even in the face of harsh criticism, which probably cost the former leader reelection. In comments echoing Eisenhower, he emphasized that wars are easy to begin but often hard to end, using Iraq as an example. His presentation was an informative, inspiring history lesson on the vital role of government in averting as well as handling crises, from the economy to war, and the great difficulty of instituting change in the public sector at any time. Carthage this month hosts former Governor John Baldacci of Maine, a leader who emphasizes bipartisan collaboration. Currently, he chairs the Northeast-Midwest institute, a nonprofit working to improve environment and infrastructure among the eighteen states in the Midwest and Northeast of the U.S. Today, the intense political partisanship that characterizes Washington, and expressed public hostility to our national government, underscores the importance of state and regional cooperation. Thanks to Marshall and associates, we can focus on peaceful pursuits. Arthur I. Cyr ( ) is Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College and author of "After the Cold War." By Joseph S. Nye CAMBRIDGE The key strategic issue in East Asia is the rise of Chinese power. Some analysts believe that China will seek a form of hegemony in East Asia that will lead to conflict. Unlike Europe, East Asia never fully came to terms with the 1930s, and Cold War divisions subsequently limited reconciliation. Now U.S. President Donald Trump has launched a trade war with China and negotiations with Japan that take aim at Japan's trade surplus with the United States. While the recent announcement of bilateral talks postpones Trump's threat of auto tariffs against Japan, critics worry that Trump may push Japan closer to China, whose president, Xi Jinping, is scheduled to hold a summit with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe later this month. The balance of power between Japan and China has shifted markedly in recent decades. In 2010, China's GDP surpassed Japan's as measured in dollars (though it remains far behind Japan in per capita terms). It is difficult to remember that a little over two decades ago, many Americans feared being overtaken by Japan, not China. Books predicted a Japanese-led Pacific bloc that would exclude the U.S., and even an eventual war with Japan. Instead, during President Bill Clinton's administration, the U.S. reaffirmed its security alliance with Japan at the same time that it accepted the rise of China and supported its admission to the World Trade Organization. In the early 1990s, many observers believed that the U.S.-Japan alliance would be discarded as a Cold War relic. Trade tensions were high. Senator Paul Tsongas campaigned for president in 1992 on the slogan, "The Cold War is over and Japan has won." The Clinton administration began with Japan-bashing, but after a two-year process of negotiation, Clinton and then-Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto issued a declaration in 1996 that proclaimed the alliance to be the bedrock of stability for post-Cold War East Asia. There was a deeper level of malaise, however, and although it was rarely expressed openly, it related to the Japanese concern that it would be marginalized as the U.S. turned toward China. When I was involved in negotiating the reaffirmation of the alliance in the mid-1990s, my Japanese counterparts, seated across a table festooned with national flags rarely discussed China formally. But later, over drinks, they would ask whether America would shift its focus from Japan to China as the latter grew in strength. Such anxieties are not surprising: When two allies' defense capacities are not symmetrical, the more dependent party is bound to worry more about the partnership. Over the years, some Japanese have argued that Japan should become a "normal" country with a fuller panoply of military capabilities. Some experts have even suggested that Japan drop some of its anti-nuclear principles and develop nuclear weapons. But such measures would raise more problems than they would solve. Even if Japan took steps to become a "normal" country (whatever that term may imply), it would still not equal the power of the U.S. or China. Today, Japan has a new set of concerns about American abandonment. Trump's "America first" orientation and protectionist policies pose a new risk to the alliance. Trump's withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership was a blow to Japan. While Abe has skillfully played to Trump's ego to deflect conflict, acute differences remain. The Trump administration's imposition of steel and aluminum tariffs on national security grounds surprised Abe and has fueled disquiet in Japan. The Trump administration has also suggested that U.S. allies in Asia should do more to defend themselves and openly questioned the value of forward deployed U.S. forces. Some analysts wonder whether Trump's actions will force Japan to hedge its bets and edge toward China. But that is unlikely at this stage. While such options may be explored, they will remain limited, given Japanese concerns about Chinese domination. The U.S. alliance remains the best option unless Trump goes much further. Thus far, the alliance remains remarkably strong. Abe reached out early to President-elect Trump, meeting him first at Trump Tower in New York and then during visits to Washington, D.C., and Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Florida residence. The Abe-Trump relationship allowed the Pentagon to maintain close cooperation on security matters. North Korea helped focus the alliance's attention and provided an opportunity for Trump to assure Japan that the U.S. was behind Japan "100 percent." Abe and Trump both supported the "maximum pressure" strategy against North Korea, working hard to build international support for United Nations sanctions. Meanwhile, Japan announced a major new investment in ballistic missile defense and cooperated in its joint development. On the other hand, Trump's surprising reversal in attitude toward North Korean leader Kim Jong-un after their Singapore summit in June raised Japanese concerns about a U.S. deal focusing on intercontinental missiles and ignoring the medium-range missiles that could reach Japan. Trump's rhetoric about burden sharing has also raised concern. While Japan's defense expenditure is little above 1 percent of GDP, it contributes significant host-country support. The U.S. Department of Defense estimates suggest that the Japanese government pays roughly 75 percent of the cost of supporting U.S. forces in Japan. This year alone, the Japanese government budgeted 197 billion yen ($1.7 billion) for cost sharing, 226 billion yen ($2 billion) for the realignment of U.S. forces, and 266 billion yen ($2.3 billion) in various types of community support, among other alliance-related expenditures. As the Clinton administration recognized a quarter-century ago, China's rise created a three-country balance of power in East Asia. If the U.S. and Japan maintain their alliance, they can shape the environment that China faces and help moderate its rising power. But that will depend on whether the Trump administration successfully maintains the U.S.-Japan alliance. Joseph S. Nye is a professor at Harvard and author of "Is the American Century Over?" Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org). Any major commercial landlord who engages in a pattern of extensive deception and chicanery that results in the evasion of hundreds of millions of dollars of taxes would face outrage and severe repercussions. When that landlord is reported to be President Donald Trump and his family, the behavior is even more galling and the consequences even more significant. An extensively documented investigation published online Tuesday by the New York Times alleges that the Trump family orchestrated a series of questionable and disturbing efforts to evade enormous amounts of income, gift and estate taxes. Those moves, according to the Times, meant that the Trump family paid about $52.2 million in taxes, when it should have paid $552 million. What the story describes might not be criminal, but the Trumps still could be forced to pay hundreds of millions of dollars if audits find taxes are owed. The account says that beyond enriching itself, the Trump family at times hurt others. For instance, by allegedly padding invoices at a company the family created, the president's father, Fred Trump, found a way to give untaxed funds to his children, who owned the company, by passing them off as business transactions. The Times says this scheme also was used to justify increasing rents on his tenants because his phony maintenance expenses were so high. Beyond the tax avoidance game, the reporting disproves Donald Trump's signature image of himself as a self-made billionaire. His golden spoon from his father was much more than the $1 million he has repeatedly claimed. The Times puts the figure at $413 million in today's dollars. Once again, the president's ability to embellish with abandon, to tell and sell his story to the media and public, pushed a false reality. The lengths the Trumps went to avoid taxes and exploit loopholes speaks to far more than just the president. It sheds light on a system that has long rewarded real estate executives, landlords and other power brokers. Its largest players write the rules that allow them to game the system. Ironically, it is the same unfair system so many Trump voters decry, the one so many thought they were defying when they cast ballots for Trump two years ago. Instead, they voted for the biggest insider of them all. New York State and New York City officials are reviewing the Times account to see whether there is a way to claw back taxes the Trumps avoided. Good for them if they succeed. There's also an opportunity here for state and city officials to examine the tax code to close loopholes and expand enforcement. We'd ask for the same from the federal government, but Trump's not likely to allow the Internal Revenue Service to examine its rules and regulations. It's clear now that there are good reasons why Trump has refused to release his tax returns, but it's also clearer than ever why he must do so. Again and again, Trump has demanded truth, openness and the release of key documents from others. Now it's his turn. The above editorial appeared in Newsday ( ). It was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. By Kai-Fu Lee Most studies of the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on jobs and the economy have focused on developed countries such as the U.S. and Britain. But, through my work as a scientist, technology executive and venture capitalist in the U.S. and China, I've come to believe the gravest threat AI poses is to emerging economies. In recent decades, China and India have presented the world with two different models for how such countries can climb the development ladder. In the China model, a nation leverages its large population and low costs to build a base of blue-collar manufacturing. It then steadily works its way up the value chain by producing better and more technology-intensive goods. In the India model, a country combines a large English-speaking population with low costs to become a hub for outsourcing of low-end, white-collar jobs in fields such as business-process outsourcing and software testing. If successful, these relatively low-skilled jobs can be slowly upgraded to more advanced white-collar industries. Both models are based on a country's cost advantages in the performance of repetitive, non-social and largely uncreative work whether manual labor in factories or cognitive labor in call centers. Unfortunately for emerging economies, AI thrives at performing precisely this kind of work. Artificial intelligence is dramatically accelerating the automation of factories and taking over routine tasks such as customer service and telemarketing. AI does such jobs cheaper than the low-wage workers of the developing world and, over time, will do them better. Robots examining your iPhone for scratches don't take vacations for Chinese New Year; AI customer-service agents don't demand pay raises. Without a cost incentive to locate in the developing world, corporations will bring many of these functions back to the countries where they're based. That will leave emerging economies, unable to grasp the bottom rungs of the development ladder, in a dangerous position: The large pool of young and relatively unskilled workers that once formed their greatest comparative advantage will become a liability a potentially explosive one. Increasing desperation in the developing world will contrast with a massive accumulation of wealth among the AI superpowers. AI runs on data and that dependence leads to a self-perpetuating cycle of consolidation in industries: The more data you have, the better your product. The better your product, the more users you gain. The more users you gain, the more data you have. We've seen this phenomenon play out with purely online products such as Google Search and it will soon be replicated in other AI-intensive industries such as self-driving cars. The result will be an unprecedented concentration of productive capacity and wealth in the hands of the elite AI companies, almost all of which are located in the U.S. and China. According to one study by the consulting firm PwC, of the $15.7 trillion in wealth AI will generate globally by 2030, a full 70 percent will accrue to those two countries alone. So, what is an emerging economy to do? The first step is to recognize that the traditional paths to economic development the China and India models are no longer viable. China will likely be the last large country to climb out of poverty through factory work. The next wave of emerging economies must chart a new course. That requires a two-pronged approach that addresses education. For the large body of less-educated workers, countries must look to build up unique, human-centered service industries. Even the best robots can't give travelers the feeling of warmth and hospitality of staying at a unique bed-and-breakfast. Industries such as tourism, culture, hotline call centers and elderly care can bring poorer nations into a complementary relationship with the AI superpowers. At the same time, developing countries need to carve out their own niches within the AI landscape. Factory robots can work anywhere in the world. But a micro-lending algorithm developed using the credit reports of American consumers would be useless in an agricultural country such as Ethiopia, where borrowers don't have credit cards or traditional mortgages. To seize on this gap, governments need to fund the AI education of their best and brightest students, with the goal of building local companies that employ AI. Math and engineering prodigies should be discovered early, trained vigorously and sent to top global AI universities to study. Neither of these tasks will be easy. Fostering a million small businesses is far more difficult than building a hundred mega-factories, while paying for top students to study abroad is a daunting task for countries still dealing with malnutrition. But if developing countries can strike that balance, AI can also offer them an invaluable new opportunity: the chance to improve livelihoods and grow an economy without having to suffer exploitative sweatshops or environmental degradation. Larger and more resourceful countries, such as the U.S. and China, can help. Access to education and training may prove to be even more valuable than financial support. If AI is to be a boon rather than a global burden, its benefits will need to be shared. Kai-Fu Lee is chairman and CEO of Sinovation Ventures and author of "AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley and the New World Order." He is a founding delegate of the inaugural Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore from November 6-7, which will convene with over 300 global leaders in business, government and academia to find actionable solutions to some of the world's greatest challenges. Corruption is No. 1 enemy of our democracy Former President Lee Myung-bak has become the fourth ex-head of state to be found guilty of corruption. On Friday, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Lee to 15 years in prison on bribery, embezzlement and other charges. He was also fined 13 billion won ($11.5 million) and ordered to forfeit 8.2 billion won. The sentence has brought shame and disgrace to the nation, and also further tainted South Korea's international image. Although the country has long been mired in corruption scandals surrounding incumbent and former presidents, Lee's case is much more frustrating and disconcerting. That's because it came after his successor and fellow conservative, Park Geun-hye, was ousted in early 2017 and sentenced to 33 years in prison on charges of corruption and power abuse. Two other disgraced former heads of states were Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo, who were convicted of corruption, treason and other wrongdoings 22 years ago. Chun and Roh, who ruled through the 1980s and early 1990s, took power in a military coup after the assassination of then authoritarian President Park Chung-hee, Park Geun-hye's father. They extended the late Park's 18 years of military rule by more than a decade. Much to the dismay of the public, former President Lee and his successor Park dealt severe blows to democracy in this country. They were elected to lead Korea by upholding the Constitution and laws. But they disrupted the constitutional order and defied the rule of law by abusing their mandates and committing bribery and other wrongdoings. In short, they cheated the people to be elected, and then betrayed them after occupying Cheong Wa Dae. The sense of betrayal and the loss of trust have become all the more acute because Lee was found to have lied to the people about controversial auto parts company DAS. The court concluded Lee was the firm's de facto owner. This is in stark contrast to his repeated claims that DAS was his elder brother's company. The ownership issue began to surface during the 2007 presidential campaign. Yet investigations by the prosecution and independent counsels failed to confirm widespread allegations that Lee was the real owner. The conclusion was crucial in proving that Lee embezzled 24.6 billion won from DAS. The court also ruled that he accepted 5.9 billion won in bribes from Samsung Electronics in the form of legal expenses for DAS. The court said Samsung paid the money in return for a presidential pardon for Chairman Lee Kun-hee, who was convicted of tax evasion. Former President Lee was also found guilty of taking 2.4 billion won in bribes from a banker, a former intelligence agency chief and an ex-lawmaker. Lee is expected to decide whether to appeal or not Monday at the earliest. Regardless of his decision, Lee had better admit the corruption charges and sincerely apologize to the nation for his wrongdoings. He should no longer claim that he is a victim of "political retaliation." Now it is imperative to step up an anticorruption campaign to prevent another former president from standing trial. It is also necessary to revise the Constitution to address the monopoly of power in the hands of the president. Let us keep in mind that corruption is the No. 1 enemy of our democracy. The 400-year-old gingko tree in Yangsu-ri in Gyeonggi-do. By Robert Neff In 1885, Captain C. F. Anderson sailed to Korea in search of pearls his small schooner was, appropriately enough, named The Pearl. His quest was a financial failure but he did return to San Francisco with one valuable item a chair. It is unclear how true the account is, but according to Anderson (who did not speak any Korean), while visiting Seoul, he encountered a Korean "harvesting [a] chair" from a giant gingko tree "cutting it away from the ground just as one would clip off a bunch of lettuce." In all of his 40 years of traveling around the globe, Anderson had never seen anything like it and had to have it. Anderson's description of the "furniture horticulturist" seems rather romantically generic: the Korean gentleman was dressed in "loose yellowish white breeches, white stockings and long white gown, all tied on with strings, as buttons were unknown in that country at the that time. Around his waist was tied a great green bag in which he carried tobacco, flint and steel. His hair was wound in a tight knot on top of his head, and as a fitting climax, he wore a wide bamboo hat with a metal rim." The captain claimed that the Korean man's father had personally planted the tree and "for 20 long years, this patient [Korean] proved faithful to the task, never missing a day, always watching and studying for effect, and giving nature a course in discipline such as she had never known before, and probably never will know again. Much pruning was necessary to make the lower branches develop in size and strength. The chair was slowly formed by tying the young and pliable twigs together with strong fiber ropes, and as the tree expanded the ropes held firm, even though the wood bulged all about them in knotty deformity. The chair is three feet four inches in height and 25 inches in width, and some of the knots that formed between the binding ropes are 21 inches in circumference. The wood, which is golden brown in color, rivals the imperishable oak in hardness and durability, and has taken a fine polish." The Korean clearly "seemed overcome with sorrow" as he harvested the chair perhaps remembering how his "father had toiled and struggled for so many years" nurturing the tree but the family's economic plight and the American's offer of a handsome price left him with no choice, and the once treasured living-heirloom became the property of an American sea captain. Korean curios on display in Vietnam in 1902. Korean furniture especially the items sold in the Jeongdong area was quite popular with Western visitors in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin leaves the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, Friday, after an appellate court suspended his sentence of bribery charges. He will resume his work today at Lotte World Tower in Seoul. / Yonhap By Park Jae-hyuk Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin will return to his office at Lotte World Tower in Seoul Monday to normalize the management of the group which has suffered a series of setbacks during his eight-month absence. Shin was released from prison Friday after being given a suspended sentence for a conviction on bribery charges. According to the nation's fifth-largest conglomerate Sunday, the chairman will have a meeting with Vice Chairman Hwang Kag-gyu and the heads of Lotte's business units, after receiving briefings from them as soon as he arrives at his office. Shin had dinner with the executives Friday as well, to show his appreciation for them. Industry officials expect Lotte will speed up resuming its postponed investments here and outside of Korea. After the release of the chairman, Lotte said in a statement that "While taking care of our projects that did not go well, we will become a company that works to contribute to the country's economy and take societal responsibility." Shin himself also said, "I will work hard," on the day he was released from prison. Although Hwang and the heads of the group's business units have participated in an emergency management council since the chairman's arrest in February, they have been unable to make any important decisions except for the sale of Lotte Mart stores in China. The chairman is expected to put the priority in dealing with Lotte Chemical's 4 trillion won ($3.5 billion) plan to build a giant petrochemical complex in Indonesia, which had been suspended due to his imprisonment. The construction of the integrated petrochemical facility will allow the group to expand its presence in the Southeast Asian market and is in line with the Moon Jae-in administration's so-called New Southern Policy that seeks to improve Korea's diplomatic and economic ties with Southeast Asian countries. Lotte will likely make its decisions on major M&A deals worth 11 trillion won as well. The deals include those with a Vietnamese confectionary firm, an Indonesian retailer, an American hotel chain and a European chemical company. Industry officials say the conglomerate will take measures to restore trust in the conglomerate. In 2016, Shin announced a reform plan after the end of the prosecutors' investigation into the owner family's alleged corruption. Back then, he promised to hire 70,000 additional employees from 2017 to 2022 and invest 40 trillion won during the period. He also vowed to launch a holding company and list Hotel Lotte on the stock market. Lotte said the chairman will soon go on a business trip to Japan to meet executives of Japan-based Lotte Holdings, the de-facto holding firm of the Korean-Japanese conglomerate. Shin has maintained his position as a director of Lotte Holdings, although he resigned as the representative director. He is expected to retake the post, considering that Lotte Holdings shareholders in June rejected stripping Shin of the Lotte chairmanship during a shareholders' meeting in Tokyo. * Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen embarked on a two-nation tour to Japan and Indonesia on Saturday (October 6) morning, a senior official said. * A Myanmar delegation led by chairman of the Joint Monitoring Committee at Union level (JMC-U) has arrived in Nepal to study about the Himalayan country's peace process, a foreign ministry press statement on October 5 said. * Malaysian police said on Saturday that eight terror suspects had been arrested in recent operations for spreading extremist ideology in Malaysia. * Indian President Ram Nath Kovind will be on a standalone state visit to Tajikistan on Oct. 7-9, official sources said on Saturday. This will be Kovind's first visit to Central Asia since he took over the country's highest office last year. * US first lady Melania Trump arrived in Cairo on Saturday and was received by her Egyptian counterpart Entissar al-Sisi, the Egyptian state TV reported. Cairo was her last stop in her five-day tour in Africa. Trump's trip is her first big solo international tour as US first lady that included Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt. * A MiG-29 jet fighter crashed on October 5 during a test flight in the region of Russia's capital, local media reported. * Tunisian President Beji Caid Essibsi decided to extend the state of emergency for one more month starting from Oct. 8, the presidency said on October 5. * Ukraine and Georgia on October 5 signed an agreement on the liberalization of travel rules, allowing their citizens to enter each other's country using solely national identity cards (IDs), the Ukrainian government press service said. * Death toll from multiple earthquakes and an ensuing tsunami in Indonesia's Central Sulawesi province jumped to 1,649, spokesman of the national disaster management agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said on Saturday. * A joint United Nations and African Union delegation is due in South Sudan on October 7 to help shore up the revitalized peace deal which was inked in Ethiopia in September, the UN mission said on October 5. * India's Election Commission on Saturday announced dates for forthcoming local elections in five states -- Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana. The elections will be held between Nov. 12 and Dec. 7. * Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov discussed cooperation between their countries in the transport sector on October 5, the presidential press service said. * Two of Austria's leading economic research institutes have slightly lowered their forecasts for the domestic economic growth in 2018, in new reports on October 5. * Israeli Air Force attacked on October 5 two Hamas military targets in the northern Gaza Strip, in response to Palestinian riots near the border security fence. * A total of 241 Islamic State (IS) militants and 126 fighters of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were killed during the month-long battles in Syria's eastern province of Deir al-Zour, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on October 5. * Brazilian President Michel Temer on October 5 called for tolerance and understanding in the upcoming general elections, and promised to maintain dialogue with the new government. * Sudan and South Sudan on October 5 agreed to establish a buffer zone on their joint border, demarcate the Zero line and open border crossings before the end of 2018, Sudan's official SUNA news agency reported. * At least one civilian was killed and five others injured following a bomb explosion on an election campaigner's vehicle in Afghanistan southern Khost province, an official said Friday. * The shelling by Houthi rebels hit a camp of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Yemen's Red Sea coastal city of Hodeidah on October 5, a military official told Xinhua. * Six anti-drug agents were killed in an ambush on October 5 in Kapai town in Lanao del Sur province in the southern Philippines, local police said. By Park Jae-hyuk Investors have dumped AmorePacific shares in recent weeks as Beijing cracks down on Chinese travelers who return home with luxury items and sell them at a profit, according to securities analysts Sunday. Shares of the cosmetics giant dropped by 1.1 percent to 225,000 won ($199) Friday from 227,500 won Thursday, following a 13.99 percent decline in the previous session. The plunge came after a China National Radio report quoting a Shanghai customs official, saying Chinese citizens returning from overseas trips should declare goods if they exceed the duty-free allowance of 5,000 yuan ($727). A customs receipt of a traveler, who uploaded the document on social media, showed an imposition of a 60 percent tariff on some cosmetics. Some users of Chinese social media WeChat complained of heavy import taxes that customs authorities slapped on the purchase of luxury cosmetics. J.P. Morgan analysts said the tougher border control may have been taken to regulate the practice of reselling luxury goods at a profit bought from overseas. They said the main target of the regulation will be products from Korea accounting for 1.5 percent of global luxury sales. "Tougher border controls have been in place since 2015, and recent customs scrutiny has probably focused on travelers coming from Korea," analysts at J.P. Morgan said in a report. Analysts said in a note to investors that they see cosmetics and toiletry share prices remaining vulnerable to China-related news because Chinese consumers account for a higher ratio of sales growth. Analysts regard the tightened border enforcement as China's attempt to boost domestic consumption and reduce outflow of foreign currency, amid the economic slowdown following the intensification of the U.S.-China trade war. Against this backdrop, AmorePacific said it has nothing to comment on about the Chinese government regulation. "It is true that our shares have plunged recently, but we are trying our best to improve our business performance," an AmorePacific spokesman said. Korean analysts also expect the company will face difficulties in the Chinese market. "High-end brands account for less than 20 percent of AmorePacific's sales in China," KB Securities analyst Park Shin-ae said. "Budget brands will unlikely enjoy rapid growth in China due to fierce competition with local brands." Pro-democracy activist Avery Ng (C) tears a symbolic 'political red line' during a protest after Hong Kong immigration authorities declined a visa renewal for senior Financial Times journalist Victor Mallet, outside the immigration department building in Hong Kong on Oct. 6. AFP China on Saturday warned foreign countries not to "interfere" over Hong Kong's decision to effectively blacklist a senior Financial Times journalist, after the UK and other governments expressed alarm over eroding freedoms in the former British colony. Victor Mallet, the FT's Asia news editor and a British national, earned the ire of authorities for hosting a speech in August by Andy Chan, the leader of a tiny pro-independence political party. The FT said Friday that immigration authorities in Hong Kong had declined to renew Mallet's visa, prompting the UK to request an "urgent explanation" for a decision described as unprecedented by rights groups and media organisations. "The Central Government firmly supports the SAR (Hong Kong) Government in handling the related matters in accordance with law," a spokesperson at China's foreign ministry in Hong Kong said. "No foreign country has any right to interfere." In a strident speech at the city's Foreign Correspondents' Club (FCC), where Mallet serves as vice president, Chan attacked China as an empire trying to "annex" and "destroy" Hong Kong. China's foreign ministry had asked the club to pull the talk, but the FCC refused, arguing that all sides of a debate should be heard. Rival protesters picketed the lunchtime event and the city's former leader Leung Chun-ying called for the club to be evicted from its government-owned premises. "We have asked the Hong Kong government for an urgent explanation," the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office said in a statement addressing the visa denial. "Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and its press freedoms are central to its way of life, and must be fully respected." 'Disturbing' Semi-autonomous Hong Kong enjoys rights unseen on the mainland, including freedom of expression, which are protected in the city's Basic Law and the handover agreement between China and Britain. But the space for dissent is shrinking as Beijing flexes its muscles. Hong Kong authorities last week banned Chan's Hong Kong National Party, calling it a threat to national security. It was the first ban on a political party since the territory reverted to Chinese control in 1997. The US consulate said Mallet's visa denial was "especially disturbing". "It mirrors problems faced by international journalists in the Mainland and appears inconsistent with the principles enshrined in the Basic Law," US consulate general spokesman Harvey Sernovitz told AFP. Hong Kong's last British governor Chris Patten said the move was a "serious blow against free speech" as well as defying the promise of a high degree of autonomy made to the city when it was handed back to China by Britain in 1997. "The Hong Kong and Beijing authorities should think again and fast," Patten told AFP. A handful of demonstrators rallied outside Hong Kong's immigration department on Saturday morning to protest the decision. "No political red line. We support free press," protesters chanted as they shredded a strip of red fabric to create a long ribbon. The slogan was in response to comments by Hong Kong's former leader Leung Chun-ying -- whose administration faced down major youth-led democracy protests in 2014 -- that discussion of Hong Kong independence "is an absolute and clear red line". The decision to deny Mallet a new visa was welcomed by pro-Beijing media in the city, however. A commentary in the Ta Kung Pao newspaper said the veteran journalist had to "pay the price" for giving exposure to Hong Kong's fringe independence movement, and said authorities may still act to evict the FCC from the premises it has occupied since 1982. (AFP) Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Generally cloudy. A few flurries or snow showers possible. High 36F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 28F. Winds light and variable. The Lao PM expressed his deep condolences over the passing of Party chief Do Muoi, and spoke highly of his significant contributions to the struggle for national independence as well as the construction, development and protection of the country. Also, he acknowledged Do Muois great efforts to treasure the friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries Parties, Governments, and people in the past years. On behalf of the Vietnamese Party, State and Government, PM Phuc thanked the Lao leaders and people for their sentiments towards former General Secretary Do Muoi, saying that this is a vivid illustration for the special solidarity between Vietnam and Laos. It also helps young generations of both sides to have deeper understanding about the bonds between the two Parties and peoples, he underlined. On the occasion, the two PMs talked socio-economic situation in each country as well as discussed measures to bolster the Vietnam-Laos relations. With strong determination to deep the bilateral ties into a more practical manner, they agreed to further coordination in carrying out high-level agreements as well as seek solutions to removing bottlenecks to accelerate key collaboration projects. They said that both sides should make meticulous preparations for the 41st meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee, scheduled to take place in early 2019. For years, Los Angeles leaders have wrestled with how to regulate the renting out of homes for short stays, a practice popularized through websites like Airbnb. Until recently, there was little debate at City Hall about banning the practice in hundreds of thousands of rent-controlled apartments. The goal, city staffers said, was to protect this critically important housing stock from possible abuse. Community activists agreed, saying a ban would prevent landlords from pushing out tenants to rent to a revolving door of travelers and turning their apartment buildings into illegal hotels. But the Planning Commission, whose members are appointed by Mayor Eric Garcetti, recently recommended allowing such rentals in apartments covered by L.A.s Rent Stabilization Ordinance, which limits how much rent can be increased annually for tenants. It would be unfair not to allow renters in those units to reap the benefits of Airbnb and similar platforms, commissioners said. Garcetti has endorsed the idea. Advertisement All Angelenos should be able to benefit from the new economy regardless of economic status, Garcetti spokeswoman Anna Bahr said. Im just trying to survive That was welcome news for David Hunt, a 76-year-old renter in Del Rey, who has been offering up his bedroom to guests through Airbnb to make ends meet after his partner passed away. When travelers come to stay in his rent-controlled apartment, he bunks in the living room. Im just trying to survive, said Hunt, who works off and on as a tour guide and video editor. The cost of living keeps growing and the salaries dont go up. So we have to do something. But the idea has troubled some members of the City Council, which has been deliberating over regulations on renting out homes for short stays for more than three years. Councilman Mike Bonin called it a baffling move that would undermine the goal of protecting rental housing. There is too much potential for abuse, Bonin said. Airbnb host Chris Ganser of Silverlake, right, attends a Los Angeles City Council committee meeting on new rules that would regulate the practice of renting out homes for short stays. (Christina House / Christina House) Tenant advocates also are skeptical it would provide economic equity. For poor families living in crowded conditions, the idea that theyre ever going to have a spare room to rent out is a little bit ludicrous, said Cynthia Strathmann, executive director of Strategic Actions for a Just Economy. In Los Angeles, rent increases for tenants are generally limited in apartment buildings erected on or before Oct. 1, 1978, with more than 600,000 units across the city covered by the rules. There is no income limit on who can move in, and landlords can still raise rents as they wish when those units are vacant. Theyre making a hotel around me Tenant activists warn that gives landlords a financial incentive to push out renters from such buildings, especially if they can replace them with tourists willing to pay much more per night. In Hollywood, Carol Thompson lamented that her neighbors have almost all been replaced by travelers staying just a few nights. At times, the 75-year-old said, she has stayed with her son to escape the racket from vacationers tromping around upstairs. You dont know whos coming or going, said Thompson, who has lived at her rent-controlled Detroit Street building more than two decades. Theyre making a hotel around me. Carol Thompson, 75, looks out the front door of her apartment on N. Detroit Street in Hollywood on Sept. 26, 2018. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) In July, she got a letter stating that her Section 8 lease, which is subsidized by the government, was being terminated because the landlord found it too difficult to deal with the government paperwork and inspections. If she wanted to stay, Thompson would need to cover all of the $982 rent herself an increase of more than $700 a month for her. We knew this was coming. That he would find a way to get rid of her, said her friend Steven Kent, who lives in the building next door. He has strung up a yellow banner that denounces the illegal Airbnb hotel and declares that Good Tenants Were Forced Out for $$. Attorney Dennis Block, who represents building owner Ciscom Inc, said it was absolutely false that the landlord was trying to make way for short-term guests and that no one was asking anyone to move. However, Block recently said that they were yanking the notice after learning that it was not allowed under city rules. Francisco Lim, listed in state records as president of Ciscom, could not be reached for comment. 120-night annual limit is considered The rules being vetted at City Hall are intended to guard against apartment buildings being turned into hotels: Angelenos would be able to rent out only their own primary residence for short stays. Airbnb and its hosts have argued that that and other restrictions including an annual cap of 120 nights in rent-controlled apartments should be enough to prevent abuses. The plan safeguards against landlords and real estate speculators who illegally evict tenants and abuse platforms like ours in search of a quick buck, Airbnb spokeswoman Connie Llanos said. A sign posted by a neighbor asserts that the apartments at 1315 N. Detroit Street are being used illegally as Airbnb rentals. Housing department officials say they are investigating complaints about short-term rentals at the site. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) But tenant activists fear landlords could sidestep that rule. For instance, a landlord could encourage friends or employees to falsely claim they lived in a building, then continue to rent out those apartments to travelers for profit, said Bill Przylucki, executive director of the community organizing group People Organized for Westside Renewal. You create a dummy lease, Przylucki said. Its incredibly hard to stop a landlord who is willing to use shady techniques. Planning officials say they will demand at least two documents to prove a host lives where he or she claims, but have voiced concerns about whether they will have adequate staffing to detect and crack down on fraud. As it stands, the city has struggled to stop apartments from being rented out for short stays. At the Ellison, a brick building steps from Venice beach, more than a dozen current and former residents have sued Lance Jay Robbins, who represents the owner, accusing him of trying to empty the building of rent-controlled tenants to make more money off night-to-night guests. Frustration over nightly rentals in Venice The building is advertised online as the Ellison Suites, with rooms going for roughly $200 a night. Renters there say they have grown aggravated with a constant stream of travelers wheeling in luggage, noisy shows with fire dancing and free beer in the courtyard, neglected repairs and other nuisances, according to their lawsuit. Fewer than a dozen households remain. Were the front-line troops in this war on affordable housing, said Bruce Kijewski, whose rent is roughly $1,700 a month. Tenants Bruce Kijewski, left, and Kelly Day talk about their concerns with short-term rentals at the Ellison in Venice on Sept. 11, 2018. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) The Ellison. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Housing officials ordered a halt to such rentals there 3 years ago, but the Ellison owner fought back, lodging appeals and suing the city. In the latest appeal, attorney Thomas Nitti argued that the building had historically been rented out for short stays and pointed to a court ruling that found there was nothing in L.A. city codes to bar such rentals in apartment buildings. Robbins denied claims of nuisances and said that if they were really trying to get rid of tenants, they could simply evict them under a state law for landlords leaving the rental business. We havent done anything wrong, Robbins said. Marc Bochner, who lives in one of the apartments in the Westlake triplex that he owns, rents out a spare bedroom to travelers using Airbnb. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) Bonin has pointed to the Ellison as an example of the risk of allowing such rentals in buildings covered by rent control. But Airbnb hosts like Marc Bochner counter that the city should specifically target corporate players and leave them alone. Bochner, who owns a rent-controlled Westlake triplex and lives in one of the units, said that renting out his spare bedroom to Airbnb guests has allowed him to minimize rent hikes for tenants in the other two apartments and kept him afloat after his restaurant went under. Banning him from doing that would do nothing to help the housing crisis, he argued, since his spare room isnt suitable for a permanent tenant. Instead, Bochner argued, the hotel lobby is anxious to get rid of us because we cut into their business model. Rosa Aleman, center, a housekeeper with the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles, celebrates with other hospitality workers after the Los Angeles City Council voted to press forward with proposed regulations on short-term rentals. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) It is unclear exactly how much Airbnb critics have spent lobbying at City Hall because some groups, including the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, do not break down how much is spent on each issue. However, the total spent by hotel industry groups and the Keep Neighborhoods First coalition exceeds $580,000 over four years, according to city disclosures. Airbnb, in turn, has reported spending more than $1.2 million lobbying the city over the regulations in the last four years. In a rarity, Los Angeles strips building from rent control, leaving tenants facing big increases emily.alpert@latimes.com Twitter: @AlpertReyes A Navy veteran has been charged with threatening to use a biological toxin as a weapon by sending letters containing ground castor beans, the substance from which the poison ricin is derived, to President Trump and other leaders. William Clyde Allen III, 39, told investigators he wanted the letters to send a message, though he did not elaborate, FBI investigators said in documents filed in U.S. District Court in Utah. Allens return address was on the envelopes, according to the complaint. The envelopes, which tested positive for ricin, also had notes that said Jack and the Missile Bean Stock Powder, the documents said. John Huber, U.S. attorney for Utah, declined to comment on Allens mental state, but said the case is no laughing matter. Advertisement When youre dealing with suspected ricin, this is nothing to trifle with, Huber said. During a court hearing Friday, Allen cried as he told a judge that his wife suffers from a spinal condition and he helps her put on her shoes in the morning. He did not enter a plea, and his attorney, Lynn Donaldson, did not comment. Allen could face up to life in prison if convicted on the biological toxin charge, one of five counts in the complaint. Hes also charged with four counts of making threats through the mail, which carry 10-year sentences. The envelopes were mailed to the president, FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis and the Navys top officer, Adm. John Richardson, authorities said. The mailings were intercepted and no one was hurt. The FBI said all of the letters tested positive for ricin. Allen told investigators he had sent similar letters to Queen Elizabeth II, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the secretary of the Air Force, though it wasnt clear whether those envelopes had been found. The case is expected to go before a grand jury, and Allen could face additional charges at a hearing on Oct. 18. Allen was arrested Wednesday at his house in the small city of Logan, north of Salt Lake City. He told investigators he had purchased castor beans on eBay in case Word War III broke out, so he could defend our nation. He is being held on a $25,000 cash-only bond, though U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin Pead is expected to review that on Oct. 15. Allen served in the Navy from 1998 to 2002, according to Navy records. He has a criminal record in Utah including child abuse and attempted aggravated assault. He has also sent threatening emails over the last few years to then-President Obama, the Air Force and the state of Utah, investigators said. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo said Sunday he concluded a productive meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, calling it another step forward in tortuous talks to dismantle the nations nuclear arsenal. Pompeo provided no details but also said the talks focused on preparations for a second summit between Kim and President Trump. The first, in June in Singapore, produced a vague declaration that has formed the basis for continuing, but fitful, negotiations. There are many steps along the way, and we took one of those today, Pompeo said in Seoul in brief public comments alongside South Korean President Moon Jae-in. It was another step forward. Trump, meanwhile, tweeted his approval and said he would look forward to seeing Chairman Kim again, in the near future. Advertisement Pompeo flew to Seoul after about four hours in Pyongyang that included lunch with Kim. He also went to Tokyo, and from Seoul is scheduled to continue to Beijing, as he attempts to advise regional governments on his efforts and ensure support, or in the case of China, shore it up. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert added that Pompeo and Kim refined options for the location and date of that next summit. Kim invited inspectors to visit the Punggye-ri nuclear test site to confirm that it has been irreversibly dismantled, Nauert added in a statement. But the statement made no mention of Yongbyon, North Koreas vast main nuclear facility. The South Korean government was encouraging the North to offer to dismantle part of Yongbyon, in exchange for the United States issuing a formal declaration of the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, as confidence-building measures. The U.S., however, has been reluctant to issue such a declaration, concerned that could undermine its military presence in the region. The U.S.-North Korea dealings have failed to produce significant steps in disarming North Korea. Critics have said it is important for talks to produce more than statements of commitments that are not backed by actions. And some experts wonder whether Kim is willing to deal, or allow his people to deal, with anyone but Trump. Nauert, who is traveling with Pompeo, said he and Kim agreed to instruct their working-level teams to meet quickly to intensify discussions on the key remaining issues. It was Pompeos fourth trip to Pyongyang and third time he has met with Kim. In the most recent July trip, Kim did not receive Pompeo, and the North Korean accused the secretary of making gangster-like demands. Officials traveling with Pompeo said this weekends encounter was improved over the last one, but tough outstanding issues remained. Pompeo was joined in the meeting by Stephen Biegun, special representative for the Koreas, and Andy Kim, who heads the CIAs Korea Mission Center. Kim Jong Un was joined by his sister Kim Yo Jong, first vice director of the Korean Workers Party central committee. There seemed to be a few hiccups upon arrival. Pompeo was told he could have only three people accompany him to the meeting, and no interpreter, so his interpreter had to get out of the car. (Andy Kim speaks Korean; he, Biegun and a security official went along.) North Korean officials told reporters they were surprised that Kim invited Pompeo to lunch. It was a sumptuous affair, with ornate dishes and cutlery. (Although the menu was not disclosed, lesser members of the delegations, along with reporters who were covering the event, were given steak, fois gras and chocolate cake.) Kim spoke to Pompeo as the two entered the dining room, the only time an American reporter was allowed to be present while the two were together. Well, I am really pleased for this opportunity after having a nice meeting, we can enjoy a meal together, Kim said to Pompeo through an interpreter. This will be great, Pompeo said, warning Kim not to trip over photographers. So is everything OK? Kim asked Pompeo. Everything is great, Pompeo replied. Everything is great. I am very much looking forward to our time together too. Well as I said before, its a very nice day that promises a good future, Kim said, for both countries. tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com For more on international affairs, follow @TracyKWilkinson on Twitter A special FBI team that investigated the slayings of five police officers in Dallas in 2016 and the deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas last year is helping local authorities gather evidence in whats described as an ambush attack that killed one South Carolina law enforcement officer and wounded six others. This is a large crime scene. This is a very large, complex puzzle that we are still filling the pieces in, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott told reporters Friday. His deputies, based in the state capital of Columbia, are investigating the case at the request of the sheriff in Florence County, about 90 miles to the east, where the slayings took place Wednesday afternoon. The suspect, 74-year-old Frederick Hopkins, was charged with murder and six counts of attempted murder Friday. The decorated Vietnam War veteran had set an ambush for investigators coming to question his adult son about a child sexual assault, Lott said. Advertisement Hopkins was hospitalized after he was taken into custody Wednesday, but was taken to jail Friday, Lott said. Florence County investigators had called Hopkins home and arranged to speak to his 28-year-old son, Seth Hopkins, about a sex assault investigation Wednesday afternoon, Lott said, adding that they had a search warrant. Officials had previously given the sons age as 27. The three deputies were shot without warning as they got out of their car, Lott said. Dozens of officers rushed to help, and the gunman shot four Florence police officers, killing Sgt. Terrence Carraway. So many rounds were fired with such powerful weapons that it took up to 30 minutes to get an armored vehicle close enough to rescue the wounded officers, Florence Police Chief Allen Heidler said. The standoff lasted two hours. Several children in the home were not harmed, authorities said. Seth Hopkins was charged Friday with second-degree criminal sexual conduct. Authorities didnt immediately release details about the case. Lott said Seth Hopkins also was hospitalized after the shooting but was released from medical care and jailed Friday. Local state WBTW-TV reported that Judge Tommy Mourounas denied bail for Frederick Hopkins, who needed help getting in and out of the courtroom and appeared dazed and tired. Mourounas asked Hopkins, You understand where youre at right now? Hopkins responded, No, where am I? The judge replied, Youre at bond hearing court. The court delayed a decision whether to appoint him a lawyer until his financial status can be verified. The judge also denied bail for Seth Hopkins, who was not assigned a public defender. Frederick Hopkins wife, Cheryl Turner Hopkins, is an attorney and attended a hearing Friday that Solicitor Ed Clements said concerned emergency custody for children in the home. The solicitor did not provide details on the hearing, and the family court judge sealed the case. Cheryl Turner Hopkins told a reporter from another local station, WPDE-TV, outside the courtroom that she is sorry for the officers families and asked for prayers. Two of the wounded officers have been released from the hospital. Lott said others remain in critical condition but did not provide details. Frederick Hopkins is a Vietnam veteran and a disbarred attorney. His Army records obtained by the Associated Press show he was awarded a marksman badge with a pistol bar and a sharpshooter badge with rifle bar during 11 years of service starting in 1966. Hopkins also was awarded the Bronze Star for his heroism defending a base under attack by North Vietnamese forces on May 6, 1970. As an Army captain, Hopkins carried medical supplies across an open area, braving shrapnel from exploding mortar rounds, according to the letter explaining the award. He was critically wounded when a mortar round exploded near him, the letter said. Hopkins earned his law license after leaving the military but was disbarred a few years later for mishandling money. Several of his Facebook posts in recent years were about guns, including celebrating his 70th birthday by repeatedly firing his M14 rifle, set up exactly like the one I used in Vietnam. Authorities also released the names of all the wounded officers. Florence County Sheriffs Deputy Arie Davis, investigator Sarah Miller and investigator Farrah Turner were shot as they arrived at the Hopkins home. Florence Police Officers Brian Hart, Travis Scott and Scott Williamson were wounded and Carraway was killed as they rushed to help. Carraways funeral is scheduled Monday at the citys Civic Center. When four members of the white supremacist group Rise Above Movement were arrested last week on federal charges that they traveled to Virginia last year with the intent to incite a riot and commit violence, many news outlets referred to the group as an alt-right fight club. Others called it a racist social club. The Rise Above Movement, or R.A.M., is far more dangerous than these euphemistic labels suggest. An extreme hate group that grew out of Californias skinhead subculture, R.A.M. calls for the extermination of Jews and other anti-white enemies, not to mention the overthrow of the U.S. government. R.A.M. is one of many violent hate groups that espouse such views. Atomwaffen Division, a neo-Nazi group that is organized into cells and whose name means atomic weapons in German, openly aspires to terroristic violence. Proud Boys, another group in the white-power ecosystem, has demonstrated a propensity for extreme violence. Despite the dangers posed by such groups, many Americans tend to view their violent acts as either the work of a mentally deranged individual or the collective anger of misguided young men who are merely lashing out. This outlook is dangerously naive and one we can no longer afford to indulge. Advertisement I recognize white extremism, and violent extremism of all kinds, because it was once the currency that ruled my life. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the number of hate groups in the U.S. grew from 784 to 917 between 2014 and 2016. There are now 954 hate groups across the country. Some of these groups include pro-white militia that are engaged in paramilitary-style training, learning hand-to-hand combat and guerilla warfare techniques and planning strategic attacks on critical infrastructure. If jihadists were plotting any of the above on American soil to kill American citizens and take out U.S. power grids, among other things our collective response would be far less permissive. Put another way, if these extremists had brown skin, we would call them terrorists. Instead, we wave away their threats and do so despite this glaring fact: White extremists have committed nearly 75% of all terrorist attacks on American soil since September 11. I recognize white extremism, and violent extremism of all kinds, because it was once the currency that ruled my life. In 1987, at the age of 14, I was recruited into Americas first white-power skinhead hate group, the Chicago Area Skinheads, or C.A.S.H. By 17, I was fronting one of the countrys earliest hate rock bands, using music as a recruitment tool music that would later find its way to Dylann Roof, four months before he killed nine African American churchgoers at Mother Emanuel A.M.E. in Charleston, S.C. Throughout the early 1990s, I led a cell of the Hammerskin Nation, one of the most violent hate groups in the world. I read Mein Kampf, tattooed swastikas on my body and stockpiled weapons for a white revolution. I nearly became implicated in a plot that involved funding from Moammar Kadafi, who wanted to ignite a race war against American Jews. Through the compassion of the people I once believed I hated, I was given the opportunity to crawl my way out of white supremacist beliefs in 1996. For the last 20 years, I have worked to dismantle the monster I helped create. When the marchers in Charlottesville, Va., chanted blood and soil, I knew I was hearing a sanitized version of race and nation, which scores of violent Nazis, myself included, shouted decades ago at events similar to the Unite the Right rally. Inspired by the writings of Hitler and the idea of white jihad, members of groups like R.A.M. and Proud Boys dont need much provocation to become violent. Indeed, members of Atomwaffen Division have been charged in five killings over the past two years. Samuel Woodward, the 20-year-old Newport Beach man charged with stabbing a former high school classmate nearly 20 times, is reportedly a member of Atomwaffen. In Reston, Va., a 17-year-old Atomwaffen member was charged last year with murdering his girlfriends parents, reportedly because they had forbidden their daughter from dating him. In Tampa, Fla., Devon Arthurs, a 19-year-old former Atomwaffen devotee who converted to radical Islam, was charged last year with shooting two of his neo-Nazi roommates after they ridiculed his sudden transformation. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion In a separate case, another of Arthurs roommates, Brandon Russell, 22, an Atomwaffen leader, was arrested for possessing radioactive material and bomb-making devices. Among his possessions, police found a framed photo of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. It is true that the leaders of such groups draw in disillusioned young men who believe the world has sidelined them. But just because their members look familiar to many Americans does not make them less dangerous. Their violence is part of a growing pattern of domestic terrorism and should not be excused as an adolescent blip. Adolf Hitler also understood the strategic utility of empowering young people, feeding them a one-sided worldview built on propaganda and channeling their frustrations, real or imagined, toward a manufactured enemy. Before the Third Reich murdered tens of millions of people, it began in small Munich beer halls, just a few loyal street thugs with a social club. Christian Picciolini (@cpicciolini) is the founder of the Free Radicals Project and the author of White American Youth: My Descent into Americas Most Violent Hate Movement and How I Got Out. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook In his message, Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni described the deceased as an outstanding leader who had made active contributions to the national construction and development of Vietnam. His passing away is a great loss to the Vietnamese nation and people, the monarch said. Meanwhile, Chairman of the Cambodian Peoples Party Hun Sen also expressed his grief at the news of the passing away of former Party Chief Do Muoi. The Cambodian leader called him a heroic leader who worked untiringly for the revolutionary cause of the Vietnamese Party as well as the national reconstruction and development. The deceaseds whole-hearted services to Vietnam will surely be remembered, Hun Sen affirmed. For his part, Russian Prime Minister and head of the United Russia political party in Russia Dmitry Medvedev described former Party Chief Do Muoi as an outstanding politician of Vietnam who was always associated with the struggle for national independence, construction and development of the country. He highlighted that the deceased had made great contributions to the consolidation of the Russisa-Vietnam relations, and stressed that Russia will forever remember Do Muoi as a good friend of his country. Besides, leaders of many political parties in India, Urugay, Turkey, Republic of Korea, Portugal and Brazil have also sent their condolences to Vietnamese leaders over the passing of Do Muoi. To the editor: The Times Editorial Board rightly took Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine) to task for trying to whitewash our states sordid history of racism. One glaring blemish on Californias history may hit too close to home for him as an arch-conservative. In 1964, our state overwhelmingly voted for Proposition 14, a measure contrived to re-legalize racial discrimination in housing that the federal Rumford Act of 1963 had made unlawful. Two years later, racism persisted, as GOP gubernatorial candidate Ronald Reagan rode his opposition to the Rumford Act to victory. Justice finally was done in 1967, when Proposition 14 was ruled unconstitutional. That odious episode isnt something Hunter will readily acknowledge, not where conservatives so ardently strive to lionize Reagan. His revisionist history is about as credible as President Trumps claim to be the least racist person that you have ever met. Advertisement Sandra Perez, Santa Maria .. To the editor: I am white. I was born in the West Adams area of Los Angeles, where my parents were renting. In 1949 they bought a new house on 122nd Street between Broadway and Main Street. I was only 7 years old when we moved in and did not think to question why all the people who were our neighbors were white while my school classmates were overwhelmingly black and Latino. Years later my older brother told me that the word restricted was on the real estate sign at the subdivision office. Larry Harmell, Granada Hills .. To the editor: Hunter has attacked his opponent with a long list of dishonest claims loaded with obvious race baiting. This is someone who is under indictment for serious crimes, and rather than issuing the typical complete denial he blames his wife. He lives in his fathers house because hes broke. In spite of all this hell probably be reelected. This tells us a lot about the majority of voters in his district. Dave Cronkey, El Cajon Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Californias candidates for governor and U.S. Senate are infiltrating television, Facebook feeds and mailboxes with campaign ads and slick mailers, but theres one place voters arent likely to see them the debate stage. On Monday, a San Francisco public radio studio will be the venue for the lonegubernatorial debate or conversation, as its been billed between Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Republican real estate investor John Cox. The faceoff wont be televised, and the live radio broadcast will air at 10 a.m., during the heart of the workday. No debate has been scheduled in Californias U.S. Senate race between Sen. Dianne Feinstein and state Sen. Kevin de Leon. But the two Democrats, who are in acrimonious negotiations on the topic, are expected to appear onstage together at least once before the Nov. 6 election. Traditional electoral debates, which provide voters a side-by-side comparison of how candidates differ on the issues and respond under pressure, have become an endangered species in Californias general election campaigns of recent years. Since the dawn of the states top-two primary election system in 2012, in which the first- and second-place finishers advance to the November election, no race for governor or Senate has featured more than one debate between the two finalists. Advertisement Cal State Sacramento political scientist Kimberly Nalder said the effect of political debates has dissipated as voters have become more hardened in their political views. Debates have started resembling sporting events in which voters tune in more to support the candidate espousing their own political ideology than to learn about the individual politicians on stage, she said. I think theres a growing cynicism about the utility of debates, Nalder said. That climate can be especially harmful to candidates for governor and Senate, who are usually less well known to voters than presidential hopefuls, Nalder said. The bulk of California voters probably only have some vague idea of what Newsom might do. And hes high-profile in California. Negotiations over staging debates are fraught with political gamesmanship. Front-runner Newsom enjoys a solid lead in the polls among the states left-leaning electorate, and he has little incentive to give Cox, who has never held elected office and is largely unknown to most voters, an opportunity to increase his visibility as the November election approaches. Californias candidates for governor in standoff over debate schedule The Newsom campaign has opted against participating in more than one debate with Cox, turning down offers from a number of media outlets including the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times. Gov. Jerry Brown did the same in his 2014 race against Republican Neel Kashkari. In the 2016 U.S. Senate race, then-state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris and fellow Democrat Rep. Loretta Sanchez also debated just once. Feinstein refused to take the stage even once with GOP candidate Elizabeth Emken in the 2012 Senate race. There also has yet to be a single debate in one of Californias most pivotal congressional races, the Orange County matchup between GOP Rep. Mimi Walters and Democratic challenger Katie Porter. The phenomenon is not unique to California. In Maryland, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan agreed to a single debate with Democratic rival Ben Jealous after a lengthy standoff. And in Pennsylvania, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf agreed to just one debate against Republican Scott Wagner, which was moderated by Jeopardy host Alex Trebek. If youre the front-runner, the No. 1 rule is, dont make a mistake that will transform the race and give your opponent an opportunity, said Rose Kapolczynski, a Democratic consultant who ran campaigns for former U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer. Newsom campaign spokesman Nathan Click dismissed criticism of the candidates decision not to debate more than once ahead of the general election, saying Mondays forum will be the 10th Newsom has participated in during the governors race, and the fifth time the lieutenant governor and Cox have shared a stage. But those prior debates took place before the June primary, when there were six candidates sharing a stage, including Democrats Antonio Villaraigosa, the former mayor of Los Angeles, and state Treasurer John Chiang. In those forums, the candidates often had fewer than 15 minutes total to speak, as opposed to a more intense and illuminating one-on-one debate. Newsom initially agreed to a televised debate hosted by CNN. But that arrangement fizzled once Cox demanded that it focus on housing, cost of living, water and other California-specific issues, which Newsoms campaign said was an effort to limit the scope of questions asked. After criticism from news outlets and others about the lack of debates, the two finally agreed to participate in a gubernatorial conversation hosted by San Francisco public radio station KQED. The event will be moderated by KQEDs senior politics editor, Scott Shafer, and air on radio stations throughout the state, including KPCC 89.3 FM and KCRW 89.9 FM in Los Angeles. The forum gives Cox perhaps his best chance to make his mark. But the audience might be limited because the faceoff will take place on a federal holiday, Columbus Day, and will not be televised or aired during prime time. The radio audience also wont be able to pick up visual cues that can be telling in a televised debate, including facial expressions and a candidates demeanor when under attack. This is John Coxs moment to make his case to the undecided voters who are listening, Kapolczynski said. Its probably one of the biggest audiences Cox is going to have during the campaign. So hes going to be trying to create a moment that will capture public attention and be reported on later. Cox is expected to be the aggressor Monday. As has been a common theme of his campaign, the Republican is likely to attack Newsom for being part of a state Democratic leadership that has controlled Sacramento while poverty and homelessness exploded in the state, school quality declined and housing became unaffordable. Odds are high that Cox will also go after his rival for supporting the recently approved increase in gas taxes and what he calls Bernie Sanders policies such as a state-sponsored single-payer healthcare system. Newsom didnt hesitate to fire back when he was targeted by his opponents during the series of debates before the primary. The lieutenant governor almost assuredly will do his best to yoke Cox to President Trump, who has endorsed Coxs campaign and remains extremely unpopular in California. The Newsom campaign also sees Coxs opposition to abortion, as well as past controversial statements about gay rights and immigrants, as political vulnerabilities to be exploited. But its doubtful that the forum will be as caustic as exchanges in some of the other high-profile candidate debates across the country. At a recent gubernatorial debate in Illinois, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner went after his biggest threat for reelection, Democrat J.B. Pritzker, accusing him of being a trust fund baby who hasnt done an honest days work in his life. Pritzker, in turn, called Rauner a liar and failed governor, among other insults. In California, debates tend to be a little more wonky in terms of issues compared to debates in other parts of the country, and they tend to be very polite, said Bill Carrick, a Democratic political consultant who is advising Feinstein in her bid for a fifth full term in the Senate. Feinstein hasnt engaged in a debate with an opponent since the 2000 election, when she was opposed by then-Rep. Tom Campbell, a Republican. Carrick promised that Feinstein will debate De Leon at least once before election day but said that were not going to have 20 of them. You can make the argument that one debate is more consequential than having 10, he said. Itll get more attention. De Leon, who took part in a candidate forum with three other Senate candidates before the primary that Feinstein did not attend, has called for three general election debates in different areas of the state. He has agreed to several invitations from news and public policy organizations throughout California, campaign spokesman Jonathan Underland said. Eighteen years is too long, Underland added, referring to the last time Feinstein took part in a debate. Coverage of California politics phil.willon@latimes.com Twitter: @philwillon Updates on California politics UPDATES: 10 a.m.: This article was updated to note that the debate will be broadcast on KPCC-FM in Los Angeles. This article was originally published at 12:05 a.m. Sunday. If Novembers election finally shatters the maxim that all politics is local, it will be because even the elected positions thought to be in safe political harbors were swept into a historic partisan storm. And in California, the collateral damage could be in a handful of races for the Legislature. The possibility of a legislative domino effect came to light last week when Democrats launched an unexpected effort to pump money and momentum into an effort to unseat state Senate Republican leader Patricia Bates of Laguna Niguel. Her Southern California district, stretching from Encinitas to Rancho Santa Margarita in Orange County, has never been considered a battleground. She won in 2014 by 31 percentage points, and Mitt Romney beat former President Obama there by more than 11 points in 2012. But 2016 revealed GOP weakness in Bates 36th Senate District when Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump there by almost 10,000 votes. And significant portions of her district cross over into three marquee congressional races: the reelection bids of GOP Reps. Mimi Walters of Laguna Beach and Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa, and the seat left open by the retirement of Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista). A poll conducted for The Times by UC Berkeleys Institute of Governmental Studies shows Democrats are ahead in two of those races and tied in the third. Three Assembly districts, all represented by Orange County Republicans, also have constituents who will cast votes in those congressional races. Advertisement To the north, portions of an open state Senate district stretching from the Central Valley to the coast represented by a centrist Republican for eight years but dominated by Democratic voters overlap with the congressional districts of GOP Reps. Jeff Denham of Turlock and David Valadao of Hanford. Denham too trails in the Berkeley IGS Poll. Once an electoral juggernaut, Californias prison-guard union steps back into the spotlight The pollsters found high motivation by Trumps supporters in these districts. On issues, healthcare was cited as a top concern which may explain why the Democratic effort to unseat Bates now features an ad calling her stance on that issue heartless, attacking her vote in the Legislature against the 2017 law that requires new transparency in prescription drug pricing. Its possible that Democrats are simply trying to force Republicans to spend money defending seats they otherwise could take for granted. But with GOP candidates being challenged in so many places comes the specter of dominoes falling in ways that would have profound effects for California Republicans. The state Senate is of paramount concern for the GOP, as Democrats are only one seat shy of restoring their supermajority in the chamber and with it, the power to craft tax increases and ballot measures on a party-line vote. The great unknown is how the bitter politics of the moment in Washington will play when voters scan down the ballot. If theres an effect in Sacramento, it certainly wouldnt be without precedent. The 2012 election cycle hit Republican legislative races hard too, giving Democrats a supermajority in both legislative houses. Most notable was the 1994 midterm election, the Republican wave that flipped control of Congress and knocked off three of the states incumbent House Democrats lifting the GOP to victory in a majority of state Assembly races and later leading to the removal of Democrat Willie Brown as Assembly speaker. The potential wave in 2018 could be even bigger. Its hard to find any record of as many congressional races in California being this close at this point on the calendar. And voters casting ballots for or against one party might see no reason to differentiate between the party that will speak for them in Washington and the one that will do so in Sacramento. john.myers@latimes.com Twitter: @johnmyers UFC lightweight title: Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor live round-by-round coverage Conor McGregor is probably the biggest superstar in the history of MMA, the Irish icon who talks a big game and consistently backs it up. He returns to MMA after a nearly two year hiatus including a boxing bout with Floyd Mayweather. He seeks the UFC lightweight title he never lost in the Octagon. Khabib Nurmagomedov captured that title and is undefeated over the course of his career. This is a major clash of styles as the striker McGregor will look to keep the fight standing while Nurmagomedov will look to take him down and punish the Irishman on the ground. Round 1. There is plenty of security between the fighters during the referee instructions to make sure nothing happens. McGregor walks in and lands a left hand. Khabib goes for a takedown. Khabib blocks the takedown but Khabib keeps control of a leg and secures it by the cage. Khabib controls McGregors legs but isnt doing any damage yet. McGregor looks to stand up but Khabib prevents that. Khabib has McGregors legs nicely controlled but he isnt able to do much damage in the process. Halfway through the round, Khabib starts to land a few punches. McGregor uses a bufferfly guard and lands a few punches from the bottom. The crowd boos, hoping to inspire a standup. Khabib lands some punches late in the round from half guard. 10-9 Khabib. Round 2. McGregor comes out with his hands low and throws some wild strikes. Khabib knocks McGregor down with a heavy punch. He hurts McGregor with another punch and then slams McGregor down. Khabib gains full mount position quickly but McGregor then regains guard. Khabib lands some hard punches and elbows from inside McGregors guard. Khabib lands a stiff short elbow. McGregor is eating heavy punishment and McGregor is just covering up. Khabib is landing punch after punch from a standing position and it looks like the fight could be stopped at any time. Khabib changes tactics and looks for a kimura submission. Khabib gives that up and McGregor returns to his feet. The fighters exchange words after the round ends. 10-8 Khabib. Round 3. McGregor comes out with his hands higher. McGregor lands a few punches. Khabib responds with some punches of his own. Neither man is landing anything big. Khabib shoots for a takedown. It is blocked and McGregor lands an elbow. However, Khabib then lands a strong punch of his own. McGregor blocks another takedown attempt. McGregor lands an uppercut and starts to throw more. Khabib is standing with McGregor and theyre both landing punches. McGregor is mixing in knees as well. Khabib goes for a takedown late. McGregor is briefly down but pops back up. 10-9 McGregor. Round 4. McGregor lands a nice punch early. McGregor also mixes in a couple front kicks to the body. Khabib goes for a takedown a minute into the round. He gets McGregor down next to the cage. McGregor gets up briefly but Khabib pulls McGregor back down. Khabib lands some punches from top position. Khabib grabs a choke from the back. It might be more of a neck crank. Either way, McGregor taps. Winner: Khabib Nurmagomedov, submission, round 4. After the fight, a wild scene breaks out. Khabib continues jawing at McGregor after the submission. Khabib then starts yelling at McGregors corner and throws his mouthpiece in that direction. Khabib then jumps the Octagon and goes after Dillon Danis, McGregors coach. While thats going on, one of Khabibs corner leaps the Octagon and attacks McGregor from behind with punches. a brawl breaks out in multiple spots around the Octagon. This is complete madness and its going to be difficult to sort out. Dana White has Khabib Nurmagomedov leave without putting the title on him, saying that there might be a negative reaction from the crowd. Next weekends fun includes scary critters, Scottish fiddling competitions, fall-themed carnival games and fresh-caught seafood paella. Los Angeles Costumes are encouraged at Boo at the L.A. Zoo, a month-long celebration of the spooky and zoological. Unique to next weekend are feedings of jaguars, gorillas, a Komodo dragon and a black bear. When youre not observing the animals, you can touch them (or at least get pretty close) at the LAIR and Animals & Boo exhibits, which feature rare snakes, venomous lizards and other creepy critters. When: 10 a.m. Oct. 12-14 Cost, info: Free with zoo admission. Family friendly. No dogs. (323) 644-4200, lazoo.org/boo Advertisement Santa Barbara See the Santa Barbara Harbor, where commercial fishermen score up to 10 million pounds of seafood each year, in action at the Santa Barbara Harbor & Seafood Festival. Explore Harbor Patrol boats and Coast Guard vessels, and take free boat rides around the harbor. Between bites of lobster, sea urchin and seafood paella, you can shop for beachy crafts and jewelry, listen to live music and even pet a live shark at the touch tank. When: 10 a.m. Oct. 13 Cost, info: Free. Family friendly. Dogs permitted but not recommended. (805) 897-1962, harborfestival.org Ventura The Seaside Highland Games at the Ventura County Fairgrounds host a variety of traditional Scottish competitions, including fiddling contests, sword-dancing matches and large men throwing stuff (or a caber toss). Hear Celtic music on four stages, try your hand at weaving or playing the harp and find out whether you have a connection to a Scottish clan. When: 9 a.m. Oct. 13 and 14 Cost, info: $5-$20 for one day. Family friendly. No dogs. (818) 645-6094, seaside-games.com Agoura Hills Historic rancho life and current Conejo Valley culture collide at Reyes Adobe Days, a festival on the grounds of an 1850s rancho adobe home. The weekend kicks off with a float-filled parade (with representatives from the Los Angeles Rams as the grand marshals) and continues with pony rides, petting zoos, history scavenger hunts and rancho-life demonstrations. When: 10 a.m. Oct. 13, 11 a.m. Oct. 14 Cost, info: Free. Family friendly. Dogs discouraged. (818) 597-7361, reyesadobedays.org Los Angeles Chat with more than 100 local artists on their home turf at the Brewery Artwalk at the Brewery Arts Complex (formerly a Pabst Blue Ribbon Brewery) in Lincoln Heights. When youre done checking out the artwork, which includes painting, printmaking, LED light sculpture and immersive 3-D environments, kick back with a beer at the onsite Barbaras at the Brewery. When: 11 a.m. Oct. 13 and 14 Cost, info: Free. Family friendly. No dogs. art.breweryartwalk.com Los Angeles The Original Farmers Market has put on an annual Fall Festival since it opened in 1934. See your favorite stalls decked out in autumnal decorations, greet bunnies and goats at the petting zoo, watch a pig race and enter a Du-pars pie-eating contest. Halloween activities include pumpkin bowling and decorating, candy corn hole and R.I.P. ring toss, set to live country and rockabilly music. When: 11 a.m. Oct. 13 and 14 Cost, info: Free. Family friendly. Dogs permitted. (323) 954-4230, Fall Festival travel@latimes.com @latimestravel A senior Catholic cardinal has launched a stinging attack on the archbishop who accused Pope Francis of covering up sexual abuse, saying his accusations were a blasphemous plot. In a letter released Sunday by the Vatican, Cardinal Marc Ouellet said Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano had made reprehensible and monstrous claims, and demanded he repent and stop fostering hostility against the pope. The letter is the latest round of an increasingly public battle between Francis backers and conservative Catholics who object to his mercy-before-dogma papacy and view his record on abuse as a weak spot. Viganos allegations against the pope center on the former archbishop of Washington, Theodore McCarrick, who had long been trailed by allegations that he sexually abused seminarians and in July was stripped of the title of cardinal after an investigation by the church found credible evidence he abused a teenage boy in the 1970s. Advertisement Vigano, a former papal nuncio to the U.S. now living in an undisclosed location, claimed in August that Francis must have known about the abuse but still rescinded sanctions that had been imposed against McCarrick. He urged the pope to resign. The Vatican is fighting to control the damage. On Saturday, it announced the launch of a thorough study of Vatican archives to understand how McCarrick had risen through its ranks, and on Sunday, Ouellet issued his fiery response to Vigano. In the letter released in Italian, Spanish and English the Canadian cardinal, who heads the Vaticans office for bishops, said McCarrick had been told not to appear in public during the papacy of Francis predecessor, Pope Benedict, because of rumors about his behavior in the past. It was the first time the Vatican admitted that. Ouellet said these were recommendations, not official sanctions. The reason was that there was insufficient proof of his guilt, unlike today, he wrote. Contrary to Viganos claims, he said, there were no sanctions for Francis to rescind. He also wrote: Francis had nothing to do with McCarricks promotions to New York, Metuchen, Newark and Washington. Calling the accusation by Vigano a political plot that lacks any real basis that could incriminate the Pope and that profoundly harms the communion of the Church, Ouellet urged the archbishop to come out of hiding. Stop living clandestinely, repent of your rebelliousness, and come back to better feelings towards the Holy Father, instead of fostering hostility against him, he wrote. Robert Mickens, the English-language editor of independent Catholic newspaper La Croix International, said he could not recall such a fierce spat between senior prelates. This is extraordinary, he said. Viganos claims were without precedent, and Ouellets response is unusual. Kington is a special correspondent. Turkish investigators believe a prominent Saudi journalist who contributed to The Washington Post was killed in a preplanned murder at the kingdoms consulate in Istanbul, the Post reported Saturday night, citing two anonymous officials. Saudi authorities had no immediate comment, though theyve insisted the writer left their diplomatic post. One Turkish official also told The Associated Press that detectives initial assessment was that Jamal Khashoggi was killed at the consulate, without elaborating. Khashoggi, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the U.S. for the last year, vanished Tuesday while on a visit to the consulate. His disappearance has threatened to upend already-fraught relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkey, and it raises new questions about the kingdom and the actions of its assertive Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whom Khashoggi wrote critically about in his columns. If the reports of Jamals murder are true, it is a monstrous and unfathomable act, the Posts editorial page editor Fred Hiatt said in a statement. Jamal was or, as we hope, is a committed, courageous journalist. He writes out of a sense of love for his country and deep faith in human dignity and freedom. Advertisement The Post cited one anonymous official who said investigators believe a 15-member team came from Saudi Arabia. The official added: It was a preplanned murder. A Turkish official, requesting anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation, told The Associated Press earlier Saturday night something similar. The initial assessment of the Turkish police is that Mr. Khashoggi has been killed at the consulate of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul, the official said. We believe that the murder was premeditated and the body was subsequently moved out of the consulate. Khashoggi, 59, went missing while on a visit to the consulate in Istanbul for paperwork to marry his Turkish fiancee. The consulate insists the writer left its premises, contradicting Turkish officials. Jamal is not dead! I dont believe hes been killed! his fiancee Hatice wrote on Twitter late Saturday night. Turkeys official Anadolu News Agency said Saturday that the Istanbul public prosecutors office began a probe into Khashoggis disappearance Tuesday, immediately after he went missing. It added the investigation over allegations that the writer was detained had deepened, without elaborating. Khashoggi 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 self-imposed exile in the United States following the ascension of Prince Mohammed, now next in line to succeed 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. All those issues have been viewed as being pushed by Prince Mohammed, who similarly has led roundups of activists, businessmen and others in the kingdom. A far-right former army captain who has praised military dictatorships, defended the use of torture and insulted women and racial minorities easily won the first round of voting in Brazils bitterly contested presidential election, advancing to a runoff in three weeks against the main leftist candidate. With nearly all of the vote counted Sunday night, Jair Bolsonaro was leading with 47%. He needed 50% to win outright and avoid a runoff with the second-place candidate, Fernando Haddad, who garnered 29% of the vote. For the record: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported that Monica Oliveira is from Sao Bernardo do Campo and that Alessandro Vieira Sampaio is from Sao Paulo. Haddad is a member of the leftist Workers Party, which ruled Brazil from 2003 until 2016 and until a few months ago seemed poised to return to power. Overall, right and center-right candidates in the 13-person race generally performed better than those on the left, which bodes well for Bolsonaro in the Oct. 28 runoff. His strong showing was a stunning twist in an election that has been marked by high drama, including an assassination attempt against him and an effort by a former president to wage a political campaign from jail. It signals a sharp shift to the right for Latin Americas largest democracy. Advertisement We have to stop flirting with communism and socialism, Bolsonaro said in a Facebook Live video after partial results were announced. He also said that possible electoral fraud may have kept him from winning outright, a claim rejected by electoral authorities. The race has splintered a country racked by anxiety over rising violence, high unemployment and corruption that has extended to the highest levels of politics. Im not surprised that this is how it ended up, said Carlos Alberto, a 60-year-old security guard who voted for Bolsonaro. This country needs a crazy person to make change. Maybe hes that person. Bolsonaro, who served more than 20 years in Congress and is one of the rare Brazilian politicians not under investigation for corruption, sought to capitalize on anger at the status quo, railing against graft and the Workers Party that he blames for Brazils rising crime and economic downturn. His blunt style and populist rhetoric have drawn comparisons to President Trump. He has a history of disparaging remarks about women (he once told a fellow congresswoman that she was too ugly to rape), Afro-Brazilians (They dont do anything. I dont think theyre even good for procreation any more) and members of the LGBTQ community (I would rather have my son die in an accident than show up with a man with a big mustache). Bolsonaro has justified the use of torture, vowed to loosen gun laws so every citizen will have a firearm at home and has pledged to give police a mandate to shoot to kill a tough-on-crime message that has resonated with many voters. We cant go on worrying that well be robbed every time we walk down the street, said Victor Tavares Oliva Ghiu, an unemployed 20-year-old who cast a ballot for Bolsonaro in Sao Paulo. Bolsonaro is going to make sure people can be armed so they can protect themselves. His mother, Maria Aracy Tavares Oliva, also voted for Bolsonaro. Earlier this year, she was carjacked while driving with her mother on a major Sao Paulo street. It was terrifying, said Oliva, a 55-year-old veterinarian. I have hope that with Bolsonaro, things will change. Bolsonaros opponents say he would return Brazil to the days of military dictatorship, and recent attack ads have compared him to Adolf Hitler. Last week, hundreds of thousands of people marched in the streets against him. Monica Oliveira, a 29-year-old who works in the arts, took part in the protest and voted for Haddad on Sunday. Bolsonaro is the worst thing that could happen to this country, she said outside a polling station in Sao Paulo. He represents the end of our rights and a return to more violence. If we vote somebody like that in, its like giving him permission to walk all over us. Its like were saying violence is OK. Support for Bolsonaro grew after he was stabbed in the stomach at a campaign rally Sept. 6. The candidate was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery, and continued to campaign from his hospital bed via videos posted to social media. Police say the motive of the stabbing is unclear. The incident was another twist in the most turbulent election campaign in memory. Just a few months ago, the Workers Party appeared set to reclaim the presidency, which it lost in 2016 when Dilma Rousseff was impeached on charges of manipulating the federal budget to try to conceal the countrys financial woes. Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who left office in 2010 with approval ratings near 90%, ran again this year, despite the fact that he is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence for his role in the so-called Car Wash corruption scheme involving Brazils state-run oil company. Polls in late August showed Lula as the clear front-runner, with 39% of the vote. Many Brazilians associate him with the countrys surging economic growth during the late aughts, before the onslaught of the 2014 recession. But Lula was declared ineligible to run because of a law that bars people convicted of crimes from running for election for eight years after they are released, and he abandoned his campaign in September. The Workers Party replaced him with Haddad. Relatively unknown outside Sao Paulo, where he served as mayor, Haddad has not inspired the same level of enthusiasm as Bolsonaro, in part, perhaps, because he does not conjure the same happy memories of Brazils economic boom years. Brian Winter, vice president for policy at the Council of the Americas think tank, described Bolsonaros victory as a direct backlash against everything thats been happening over the last four years: corruption, crime, unemployment basically the complete destruction of the Brazilian dream. He said Bolsonaro is capitalizing on a global shift toward right-leaning populists and compared Bolsonaros security proposals with those of Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte, who is accused of ordering thousands of extrajudicial killings as part of his war on drugs. Far from being a deal breaker, all of his rhetoric about turning loose police on criminals is exactly what voters want to hear, Winter said of Bolsonaro. In Bolsonaro, they see somebody who is strong enough to change the status quo, Winter said. Many voters have lost faith in Brazils institutions all together, a feeling of disillusionment fueled by the Car Wash scandal, in which executives at the state oil company were found to have accepted bribes from construction companies in exchange for large contracts. The Workers Party was one of several parties found to have used some of those funds to pay off politicians, and has become the party most closely associated with the scandal. A 2017 survey by the Pew Research Center found that only 8% of Brazilians think representative democracy is a very good form of government, the lowest of 38 countries surveyed. The same survey found that nearly 39% of respondents think military rule would be good for Brazil. Alessandro Vieira Sampaio, a 37-year-old sushi chef in Sao Bernardo do Campo, a city on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, cast a blank ballot Sunday to protest what he called a broken system. All politicians lie, he said. They all try to fool us. Nothing is going to change. Langlois, a special correspondent, reported from Sao Paulo. Linthicum, a staff writer, reported from Mexico City. kate.linthicum@latimes.com Twitter: @katelinthicum Langlois, a special correspondent, reported from Sao Paulo. Linthicum, a staff writer, reported from Mexico City. UPDATES: 8:05 p.m.: This article was updated with analysis and the latest results. 5:55 p.m.: This article was updated with results showing the top two candidates will face each other in a runoff. 4:40 p.m.: This article was updated with early results showing Bolsonaro with a strong lead. This article was originally published at 12:20 p.m. Turkish President Recep Tayyep Erdogan said Sunday he was personally following the investigation into the disappearance and reported slaying of Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent Saudi Arabian journalist who had turned critical of his nations monarchy. For this to happen in our country is very sad, Erdogan told reporters in Ankara. Mr. Jamal was a journalist I had known for a long time, a friend, he said. My hopes are still good. God willing, we do not face a situation we do not want to face. Jamal Khashoggi, 59, went to the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday to obtain a document so he could get married to his Turkish fiancee. His friends, and Turkish officials, say he never emerged from the building. People close to Khashoggi and in touch with investigators have said police have evidence he was killed inside the consulate. Advertisement He had resided in the U.S. for more than a year in self-imposed exile after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman moved to consolidate power. The prince has been hailed by Western leaders and commentators as a bold reformist who is modernizing the deeply conservative kingdom. But Khashoggi turned critical of the Saudi state for its continuing campaign to silence political dissenters. Erdogan said Turkish police as well as intelligence were investigating movements in and out of the consulate building and looking at exits and entrances at airports. I am following this issue, as president of Turkey, I am following it, he said. I am chasing it down. We will let the world know what the result is. Yasin Aktay, an advisor to Erdogan, took a harder line, saying in an interview on Sunday with Turkish broadcaster CNN Turk that Khashoggi had not left the consulate in normal ways and that Saudi officials should offer a clear explanation of his disappearance. In another interview, he told the HaberTurk channel that two aircraft carrying 15 Saudi nationals had arrived in Istanbul Tuesday and were present at the consulate at the same time as Khashoggi. Consulate officials had instructed Khashoggi to specifically return that day after he first visited on Friday, according to friends. He entered the consulate for a 1 p.m. appointment, leaving his phone. More than three hours later, Khashoggi still had not emerged. His fiancee became worried and contacted his friend Turan Kislakci, the head of the Turk-Arab Media Assn. Kislakci said Turkish officials with whom he was in contact told him the journalist had been killed in the consulate. Beyond that we dont have concrete information, but I hope police will say something soon, he said. A former Turkish lawmaker who was also a friend of Khashoggi said, Its been clear he was killed. Turkish authorities just needed to confirm, just wanted to make sure, and tomorrow they will probably release all the evidence, he said, speaking on the condition that he remain anonymous because of the sensitive diplomatic situation between Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia dismissed reports of Khashoggis killing and issued a statement quoting a consulate official who strongly denounced these baseless allegations, and expressed doubt that they came from Turkish officials that are informed of the investigation or are authorized to comment on the issue. The statement added that a security team of Saudi investigators had arrived in Istanbul on Saturday to assist in the investigations. The Saudi crown prince also denied knowing Khashoggis whereabouts, and authorized a group of journalists to enter the consulate on Saturday. We are very keen to know what happened to him, he told Bloomberg News. We have nothing to hide. Motassem Khashoggi, a representative of the journalists family in Saudi Arabia, told the Saudi state-run news broadcaster Al Arabiya English on Sunday that he trusted the government and the actions taken by it and all the efforts being made in the case. He said the family did not know of the fiancee and that she was not connected to the family. A U.S. State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity in keeping with department protocols, said Washington was not in a position to confirm the report, but we are closely following the situation. Farooq is a special correspondent. Staff Writer Nabih Bulos contributed to this report from Amman, Jordan. Special correspondent Umar Farooq reported from Istanbul. Staff writer Nabih Bulos contributed reporting from Amman and staff writer Tracy Wilkinson from Washington. Twitter: @nabihbulos The embassy staff in Beijing, representatives from the Vietnamese community and Vietnamese students in China burned incense and paid homage to the former leader. In his funeral oration, Charge daffaires of the Vietnamese Embassy in China, Pham Thanh Binh, expressed his deep gratitude and condolences on the departure of former Party General Secretary Do Muoi, emphasising the great contributions of the former leader to the Vietnamese revolutionary cause and the Doi Moi (renovation) process. Also on Saturday, Chinese Politburo member and Head of the Office of Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China, Yang Jiechi, on behalf of the senior leaders of the Party and the State of China, paid respect to former General Secretary Do Muoi. Chinese Politburo member and Head of the Office of Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China, Yang Jiechi, writes in the funeral book to commemorate the former Vietnamese Party General Secretary Do Muoi. Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping, Premier of the State Council Li Keqiang, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Li Zhanshu and Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Wang Yang, sent wreaths to pay tribute to former Vietnamese Party Chief Do Muoi. Conveying the deepest condolences from the leaders of the Party, State and people of China on the departure of former Party General Secretary Do Muoi, Chinese Politburo member Yang Jiechi hailed the deceased as an outstanding leader of the Party and State of Vietnam and a comrade and close friend of China, who devoted his life to the cause of renewal and socialist construction in Vietnam, while making an important contribution to the normalisation and promotion of bilateral relations. He affirmed that China vowed to continuously strengthen the friendship and comprehensive strategic cooperation partnership with Vietnam for mutual benefit. On the same day, Lao Ambassador to China Vandy Bouthasavong led a delegation from the Lao Embassy in the host country to pay tribute to former Party General Secretary Do Muoi. A delegation from the Lao Embassy in China pays respect to former Vietnamese leader Do Muoi. The Vietnamese Embassy in China opened a funeral book on October 6 and 7, allowing representatives from the Chinese authorities and foreign diplomatic missions in Beijing to pay respect to the former leader. On October 6, the same ceremony was also held at the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia for the late Party chief. The delegates at the ceremony spent a moment of silence and offered incense and flowers to commemorate former General Secretary Do Muoi. Delegates spend a minute silence in commemoration of former Party General Secretary Do Muoi at a respect-paying ceremony held by the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia on October 6. Vietnamese Ambassador, Ngo Duc Manh, expressed his condolences on the passing of former General Secretary Do Muoi, stressing that comrade Do Muoi was a close leader to the Vietnamese people and a trusted friend to international communities, who made important contributions to the national development and international integration, as well as boosting bilateral cooperation with Russia. On Saturday morning, representatives from the Russian Foreign Ministry and foreign diplomatic corps in the country arrived at the Vietnamese embassy to pay respect to former General Secretary Do Muoi. They expressed their deep condolences to the Vietnamese Party, State and people, as well as the family of comrade Do Muoi, on his passing away, while praising the former leaders contributions to the national construction and defence. A representative from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs writes in the funeral guest book to pay tribute to former Vietnamese Party Chief Do Muoi. The respect-paying ceremony for former General Secretary Do Muoi at the Embassy of Vietnam in Russia will last until late Sunday. In Vietnams Tuyen Quang province, a requiem for the former leader was held at An Vinh pagoda, Tuyen Quang city, in the northern province, on October 6. At the ceremony, Buddhists, local leaders and Tuyen Quang residents prayed for the soul of the Party chief to rest in peace. Buddhist followers in Vietnams Tuyen Quang province pray for former Party General Secretary Do Muoi. For the much of the past two decades, students in Finland have been ranked at or near the top of an international study that compares the academic achievement of 15-year olds in reading, math and scientific literacy in 73 countries worldwide. So when Niwot High principal Eric Rauschkolb was offered the chance to travel to Helsinki over the summer for an in-depth review of the Scandinavian countrys educational system, he jumped at the chance. The educational company Education First, they offer a travel scholarship every summer to the person who was chosen as the Colorado Secondary Principal of the Year, Rauschkolb said. He received that honor from the Colorado Association of School Executives in 2017. It was amazing. It was very generous of them to do that. Rauschkolb made the trip in July with a group of 30 diverse educators from across the U.S., a group that included not just principals, but also teachers, superintendents, and technology directors. During their stay in the Finnish capital, they visited schools and interacted extensively with both teachers and students. They later visited the Ministry of Education and had an audience with a former Minister of Education. Rauschkolb said he gained some valuable insights from the tour, not just about Finland, but also about Niwot and St. Vrain Valley Schools. He was impressed with both the Finnish educational system and Finnish culture, especially the independence afforded students, not just in the classroom, but also in wider society. He also praised their emphasis on team building and group projects over rote memorization. Teachers have a lot of autonomy about what they teach and how they teach it, he said. They are also very big as a country on project-based learning, which I thought was fantastic, because thats something we do here in the St. Vrain Valley schools and quite a bit in Niwot. At the same time, he noted that cultural forces undergirding the Finnish educational approach make it difficult to replicate in the United States, especially when it comes to underperforming students. In Finland theres almost zero poverty and its a very homogenous society, he said. So its just really different. We have a melting pot society, and thats part of what makes the United States so special, and specifically what makes Niwot High so special, too. NHS Principal Eric Rauschkolb in front of the Finnish Ministry of Education, where he spent two days in July as part of an educational tour. The group capped off their tour with a trip to Berlin for the two-day Global Leadership Summit, which explored the theme Influence of Technology on Society. There, they heard from amazing keynote speakers, including Randi Zuckerberg, and participated in a design challenge. While Rauschkolb was grateful for the experience, he said the trip made him realize that high scores on standardized tests arent necessarily the best measure of an educational system. Embracing diversity is a good thing, he said. We open our doors to everybody, and were going to provide a great education to everybody who shows up. We dont turn our backs on students who struggle or students who may be a little bit lower functioning. We try to meet everybody where theyre at and help them to achieve their goals, whether Business OMA Group Moves Head Office OMA Group - OMA House Building 07.10.2018 12:19:02 - (live-PR.com) - Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, October 2018: OMA Group recently announced its move to their new office building premises which is just behind King Faisal Mosque in Sharjah, UAE occupying an area of 60,000 sq ft. As part of the Al Owais Group of Companies, OMA Emirates along with other subsidiaries of the group would now work under one - Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, October 2018: OMA Group recently announced its move to their new office building premises which is just behind King Faisal Mosque in Sharjah, UAE occupying an area of 60,000 sq ft. As part of the Al Owais Group of Companies, OMA Emirates along with other subsidiaries of the group would now work under one roof. This move was a part of their expansion strategy due to the success in growth of the company. The move has also helped in strategising better working growth amongst employees creating a healthier atmosphere in the office. This move represents our continuous expansion in the Global Market as we plan to have our expansion to 25 countries by 2020, said Niranj Sangal, Group CEO, OMA Emirates Group. The company has planned to use its own home grown solutions in the office thus implementing new technology and making the Head Office a high tech and cashless one. Employees will be able to link their staff identification with the Digital Wallet and can also be used for Attendance Management and Payment Transactions. Once linked, employees can use their Digital Wallets during check in and check out process using NFC technology. The same solution can also help them avail daily refreshments at Vanilla Cafe present in the Office premise which also belongs to the same group. The Digital Wallet is integrated with the Cafes backend system to make an instant order without a telephone line or self- service. Using this technology, employees will be able to receive their order right at their working spaces. A QR code based system is introduced through which the presence of a POS terminal will not be required and transactions will be approved based on the QR code scan with a digital receipt sent to the registered email address. This technology integration helps in the Head Office supporting the Go Green Campaign. The digital wallet can also be utilized by the employees for utility and bill payment transaction. Benefits for the employees are also being planned with an in house gym to encourage team members to get fit and healthy. Various other amends are said to be in the pipeline to showcase an innovative and unique working style in the offices. OMA Groups new office is also called OMA House LLC next to King Faisal Mosque, Sharjah. Call on +97165730000 for directions. About OMA Emirates Group Middle East based OMA Emirates Group is a leading provider to the payment industry with cutting edge technology solutions for card personalization, payment issuance and payment acquiring systems through a global delivery platform. The company aims to help businesses achieve the highest efficiency levels by drawing on its extensive research and experience with a large profile of high-performance businesses. OMA Emirates Group together with its strategic world class technology partners designs and delivers a seamless customer experience. The company is ISO 9001 certified. It has a presence in Eastern Europe, Africa and APAC. Visit website to know more: roof.This move was a part of their expansion strategy due to the success in growth of the company. The move has also helped in strategising better working growth amongst employees creating a healthier atmosphere in the office. This move represents our continuous expansion in the Global Market as we plan to have our expansion to 25 countries by 2020, said Niranj Sangal, Group CEO, OMA Emirates Group.The company has planned to use its own home grown solutions in the office thus implementing new technology and making the Head Office a high tech and cashless one. Employees will be able to link their staff identification with the Digital Wallet and can also be used for Attendance Management and Payment Transactions. Once linked, employees can use their Digital Wallets during check in and check out process using NFC technology. The same solution can also help them avail daily refreshments at Vanilla Cafe present in the Office premise which also belongs to the same group. The Digital Wallet is integrated with the Cafes backend system to make an instant order without a telephone line or self- service. Using this technology, employees will be able to receive their order right at their working spaces. A QR code based system is introduced through which the presence of a POS terminal will not be required and transactions will be approved based on the QR code scan with a digital receipt sent to the registered email address. This technology integration helps in the Head Office supporting the Go Green Campaign.The digital wallet can also be utilized by the employees for utility and bill payment transaction. Benefits for the employees are also being planned with an in house gym to encourage team members to get fit and healthy. Various other amends are said to be in the pipeline to showcase an innovative and unique working style in the offices. OMA Groups new office is also called OMA House LLC next to King Faisal Mosque, Sharjah. Call on +97165730000 for directions.About OMA Emirates GroupMiddle East based OMA Emirates Group is a leading provider to the payment industry with cutting edge technology solutions for card personalization, payment issuance and payment acquiring systems through a global delivery platform. The company aims to help businesses achieve the highest efficiency levels by drawing on its extensive research and experience with a large profile of high-performance businesses. OMA Emirates Group together with its strategic world class technology partners designs and delivers a seamless customer experience. The company is ISO 9001 certified. It has a presence in Eastern Europe, Africa and APAC. Visit website to know more: www.omaemirates.com/ | Visit OMA Group website: omagroup.ae/ Press Information: OMA Emirates OMA House LLC next to King Faisal Mosque, Sharjah. Contact Person: Phone: 65730000 eMail: eMail Web: http://www.omaemirates.com/ 07.10.2018 12:19:02 - Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party. If time is circular and everything old is new again, then we might see more working people t Senior leaders, former leaders, representatives of the relevant authorities and organisations, as well as local people and the family of comrade Do Muoi, attended the ceremony. At 9 am, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh announced the start of the memorial service at the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi. Volunteers and Youth Union members carry photos of the former leader along the road leading to the National Funeral Hall. Family member of former Party Chief Do Muoi pay their tribute to the late leader before the memorial service begins. Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong expressed his respect to comrade Do Muoi in his funeral oration, saying that he was a great leader of the Party, State and people of Vietnam, who sacrificed his whole life for the cause of national independence and socialism and for the happiness of the Vietnamese people. Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong gives tribute to former Party Chief Do Muoi during the State memory service for the late leader at the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi, on October 7. At 102 years of age and with 80 years as the member of the Party, comrade Do Muoi dedicated himself to contributing to the cause of the Party and the people, General Secretary Trong said, adding that the former leaders contributions were recognised with many noble domestic and international awards. The delegates at the ceremony held a minutes silence and paid their last respect to the former Party General Secretary. Party and State leaders, former leaders and relatives of comrade Do Muoi show their profound grief over his passing away. After the memorial service, his flag-draped coffin was escorted from the National Funeral Hall to his last resting place in his home town in Ma Vang, Hamlet 1, Dong My commune, Thanh Tri district. The burial service will take place at 1 pm later the same day. The leaders and former leaders of the Party and State join former Party Chief Do Muois family to pay their last respects to the late leader. Former Party General Secretary Do Muois flag-draped coffin is escorted from the National Funeral Hall to his last resting place in his home town on the outskirts of Hanoi. Former Party General Secretary Do Muois flag-draped coffin passes through Hanois main streets. According to the organising board of the State funeral for former leader Do Muoi, by 5 pm of October 6, more than 1,500 delegations totalling over 50,000 people and more than 100 diplomatic delegations had paid their last respect to the former Party chief in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Under Yogi UP turning into another Kashmir! MUSINGS During his election campaigns Yogi Adityanaths speeches carried a particular one- liner, along the strain that under Akhilesh Yadavs Samajwadi Government the State of Uttar Pradesh was turning into another Kashmir! In fact, its today, under the chief ministership of the BJPs Yogi Adityanath, that one can see strong traces of Kashmir in Uttar Pradesh! Last weeks encounter killings in Aligarh where two young men were shot dead by the State police force and then Apple executives killing in Lucknow by a defiant cop, more than reminded me of the killings of civilians taking place on a daily basis in the Kashmir Valley. Yes, anybody can be gunned down under any possible pretext and the killers declared unknown or else un- identified. Where encounters are concerned, the Yogi sarkar has gone blatantly far ahead of Kashmir. Quoting these figures from the PUCL findings on encounters taking place in Uttar Pradesh: Since March 2017, in over 1100 encounters, 49 people have been killed, more than 370 have been injured and over 3300 arrested across the State...In fact, I had first heard the term encounter killings in Srinagar, but today Im hearing horrifying details of State terrorism from the people of Uttar Pradesh. Mind you, those not gunned down by the State machinery are lynched by the well-trained and well-nurtured goons working full time or overtime or round-the-clock for the political rulers. And its the same fear and apprehension I have been spotting in the eyes of the Kashmiris that I have begun to notice on the faces of the young in Uttar Pradesh; sitting not just jobless, but in fear of the goon brigadesthe so-called senas that the political mafia has raised, to hound and spread around terror. If the Kashmir Valley has a long list of the missing men than the State of Uttar Pradesh has families who hide their young children and women from the mafia spreading out in the mufassil towns and qasbas of the State. In fact, there are cases of disappearances, forced marriages and serious kidnapping charges against several of the political whos who of the State, but then who can arrest the rulers of the day! There is a systematic destruction and denting of the entire governance system which is affecting not just everyday life but even historic structures. The world famous Taj Mahal has an ever increasing monkey population wrecking the very the very charm to the place. Confirmed sources state that in the last few months visitors and tourists have been attacked and bitten by monkeys. Not to overlook stray dogs loitering in and around the complex. In fact, here too lies a similarity: after all, with stray dogs around in large numbers, it gets risky to walk down the roads of Srinagar.... And if one is driving or is being driven in and around the Kashmir Valley, two aspects have to be kept in mindnever overtake an Army jeep or convoy and brake rather too immediately if the cops order halt. There are news reports of drivers humiliated, if not hit, by cops if they dared to overtake any of the Army or police vehicles. No sawaal of questions or counter-questions with the cops, otherwise one could get killed, like the Apple executive was gunned down last week in Lucknow. What if he wasnt an executive with a reputed international company? Instead, an auto-driver or a rickshaw puller. Then, what! Then one of the terrorist or anti-national tags would have been pinned on the victim and with that the very closure of the case! Perhaps, the cop-killers even awarded or rewarded for the killings. Well, this is the reality of the day. People of Uttar Pradesh are fed up. One gets to hear this one-linerAzaadi from Yogi Adityanath and his government before we are gunned down or kidnapped by his men! No Writer, Poet, Academic from Pakistan given Visa for South Asian Literature Festival The festival is to be held in New Delhi, from October 4 ... As president of FOSWAL (the Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature), Ajeet Cour has been organising the SAARC writers meets in different cities of the country, where writers, academics and poets from all the SAARC countries are invited and interact with their Indian counterparts. On two occasions that Id attended the Ajeet Cour-organised SAARC writers meet held at Agra, it was good to see writers from the SAARC countries interact with each other and read aloud their works ...warm, interactive meets. But for this upcoming four-day meetto be held in New Delhi from October 4the invite does not mention any writer or poet or academic from Pakistan. In fact, confirmed reports state that visas were not issued by the Government of India (GOI ) to any delegate from Pakistan to attend this meet here. And with that the very name of the meet changed from the Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL) to South Asian Literature Festival. Yes, this is what happens when the Right-wing government comes centre-stage. Intrusions into the very arts and literature of this sub-continent, obstacles in the way in the very people-to-people connect, barriers in the way to even hear verse or prose of those living across the borders. Todays politicians can fly across to coo birthday greetings to their counterparts but not the common man! Double standards and barbed wires and barricades all the way! Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Understanding Mohanji Bhagwats Formulations So perplexing have Shri Mohan Bhagwats formulations been with regard to the meaning of being Hindu that days after his lecture series one is still struggling to understand, if you like, make sense of what seem some convolutions and conundrums therein. Since most of us live out our identities on a quotidian level from one day to another, it is important that our self-definitions must have such logical consistency as may enable us to function with a self-confidence born of clarity. Shri Bhagwat tells us that all those resident within the territory of India, that is Bharat, are Hindus. Does this mean that were one to be born to a Hindu religious family outside the territory of India would not be Hindu? If so, this raises two questions: one, what of the notion of Akhand Bharat to which the Sangh, presumably, still subscribes? Akhand Bharat, we may recall, includes the territories of Afghanistan, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Myanamar as well. And two, what of the devoted Hindu NRIs who so vociferously back the Indian nation? Clearly, then, the argument that territory defines the Hindu identity does not seem to hold. Consider the proposed Citizenship Amend-ment Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha, and awaiting passage in the Rajya Sabha. Here, the Bill makes a clear religious distinction between Hindus, Sikhs, Jains on the one hand and Muslims on the other. Its whole purpose is to welcome non-Muslims from Muslim countries to India to whom rights of citizenship will be granted, but explicitly denies this right to seek Indian citizenship to Muslim immigrants, however persecuted they be. In this episode, as we can see, being Muslim or non-Muslim is set forth as the crucial distinction of identity. The question then is: if non-Muslims born or living outside India may be easily assimilated into Indianhood, why not Muslims as well, since, anyway, whoever comes to be in India becomes a Hindu ipso facto? One can only conclude then that Hindu and non-Hindu are here seen as sharply demarcated religious categories after all. This contradiction also afflicts another shrill aspect of the Sanghs cultural concerns. Think how worked up the Sangh gets at the thought of the slightest demographic change in India favouring Indian Muslims; question: if everyone born and living in India is Hindu then how does one explain the logic of this anxiety? Why should a line be drawn between Hindus and Muslims as discretely countable opposites if we are all Hindus? Perhaps the most breathtakingly baffling formulation that Shri Bhagwat has made concerns the meaning of Hindutva. He has baldly stated that Hindutva can have no meaning without Muslims. On the face of it, this is a volte-face on what Savarkar had stipulated in Hindutva:Who is a Hindu (1923). It was Savarkars view that those inhabitants within India whose chief places of worship lie outside the territories of India cannot be said to have claims to citizenship. From what we have seen of the operations of Hindutva in recent years, the majoritarian hate campaigns seem consistent with the suspicions implicit in Savarkar about non-Hindu Indians. So what can Shri Bhagwat have meant? Surely, Hindutva is anything but inclusive, and keeps reminding Muslims day in and out how they belong in Pakistan. Yet, Shri Bhagwats cryptic formulation may indeed lend itself to a meaning wholly different from what may have seemed a benign one. Think that Hindutva as militant, political Hinduism can, after all, have a role to play only when some hated other exists requiring to be excoriated. Thus, were there no so-called cow-baiters, love-jihadists, converters of Hindus, megaphone-sporting mosques and so on, Hindutva would indeed be without work and rationale. Did Shri Bhagwat mean to send this message? We do not know; but in the absence of any supporting argument, this seems a valid inference. Mohan Bhagwatji has said that the Constitution of India comprises a national consensus and must be accepted as such. One might have been grateful for this enunciation but for the conundrum that the Sangh defines India as a Hindu Rashtra in the same breath. Now, by what stretch of imagination may one reconcile the Preamble of the Constitution of India with the notion of a Hindu Rashtra? You can either have the one or the other, not both. Likewise, Bhagwatji lauds the rule of law but has no hesitation in prognosticating that should a Ram Mandir not be built in Ayodhya, a Mahabharata would ensue; this when the case is sub-judice. What does he know that we do not? One is constrained to say that it is never clear from any Sangh formulation as to when we are either cultural entities as Hindus or religious ones as well, or when Muslims in India are Hindus and when antagonists from another religious faith. Were one to speak of culture, it is obvious from any un-jaundiced study of India that we have been a melting pot from Vedic times to the presentsomething that the Sangh often also flaunts proudly as an expression of Hindu catholicity. As the problematic Muslim part of that history, let us recall that the word Hindvi came from Amir Khusro, born in Etah, Uttar Pradesh. We speak of a time when India came to be known as Hindsome say from a distortion of the word Sindh; and, as in Iqbal, Hindi hein hum, watan hai Hindustan hamara. Our modern Hindi language may be traced back to Khusros Hindvi or Khadi Boli in which he first gave us such verses as Bahut kathin hai dagar panghat ki. The best scholarship tells us that the word Hindu does not exist in any Sanatan text, and is first seen to appear in a Chaitanya script of the sixteenth century. As to culture, it is inconceivable that in any sphere of concrete social existence, be it in productive mechanisms of the economy, in the world of skills and art, literature and philosophical thought, or of routine community interface Indian culture as experienced by our people may be neatly divided between Hindu and Muslim. Indeed, there may be no more rich a skein of conjoint, indeed inseparable, historical commingling than Indian history provides to the world. Then why the endless contention which continues to inform the perorations of the Sangh, however these may be couched in sophistry? The Sanghs trenchancy of antagonism seems to derive from the circumstance that Muslims ruled this land for eight centuries or so. An alternate view of this is that many Sultans and Kings with Muslim names ruled bits and pieces of a feudal India, almost always in collaboration with Hindu Generals and satraps to the benefit of the then clssesa pattern of rule consistent with most pre-democratic times. It seems to us that ideally the Sangh would like nothing better than a framework of faith that informs the lives of Muslims: a sternly defined religious existence revolving round some countable imperatives that bind the community into a congregation ever ready to be one when the call comes. If Hindus could also have a steel frame of five points, a Kalima or Catechism, Namaz, Roza, Zakat, Haj (indigent Muslims imaginatively exempted from Haj and Zakat), what a disciplined, even a martial race Hindus could also be. When Shri L.K. Advani set out on his famous/infamous Rath Yatra prior to the demolition of the Babri mosque, two years later, his odyssey was directed precisely at forging this sort of semitisation of Hinduism which would be centred on one martial god, one text, one place of pilgrimage and so on. For good or for badwe think decisively for the goodHinduism offers a diverse tapestry of thought, a rich eclecticism in the human-to-deity/god relationship, an interpretative frame-work inimical to closure and monochromatic delimitation; so that, warts (and there are many wartscaste and gender oppression being two big ones) and altogether as an archive of speculaltions, it seems far more conducive to human agency and human intervention. The Sanghs problem is that whereas on the one hand it is very proud of this fact, on the other its politics of militarism and male-dominance seeks a more unquestioning social world among Hindus in order that the realm is made safe from others who have succeeded in forging themselves into such unquestioning formations. What a pity! The chief ideological contention, like it or not, in India then remains, Bhagwatjis attempts at Glasnost notwithstanding, between a mono-chromatic, Western model of nationalism and a pluralist one which Gandhi, Nehru, Azad, Ambedkar, and many others sought to make the basis of a long-lasting, harmonious and rich nationalismone which only the Constitution would define and legitimate Indianness. Not an easy project. America sought to do the same: these truths are self-evident: that all men are created equal etc. Jefferson wrote; and yet he remained oblivious to the grim fact that he was the owner of two human beings whom he did not free. Our Indian contentions then may be seen still coterminous with strivings that internationally seek to realise those stipulated equalities on the ground. Would it not be nice if the Sangh became an honest agent in that endeavour? The author, who taught English literature at the University of Delhi for over four decades and is now retired, is a prominent writer and poet. A well-known commentator on politics, culture and society, he wrote the much acclaimed Dickens and the Dialectic of Growth. His book, The Underside of ThingsIndia and the World: A Citizens Miscellany, 2006-2011, came out in August 2012. Thereafter he wrote two more books, Idea of India Hard to Beat: Republic Resilient and Kashmir: A Noble Tryst in Tatters. >>> State memorial service held for former Party General Secretary Do Muoi Hanoi people bid farewell to former Secretary General Do Muoi as his flag-draped coffin was escorted from the National Funeral Hall to his hometown on the outskirts of Hanoi. The funeral delegation passing Cua Nam street as they brought former Party Chief Do Muoi to his hometown in Dong My commune, Thanh Tri district. Local people brought along pictures of former Party General Secretary Do Muoi, waiting along the streets of Hanoi to pay their last tribute to the late leader. Earlier, the late leaders flag-draped coffin arrived at his native land by Sunday noon. The burial service kick started at 1pm under the presence of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, permanent member of the Party Central Committees Secretariat Tran Quoc Vuong, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh, National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong, leaders and former leaders of the Party and State, representatives from mass organisations, localities, and the armed forces, and people from all walks of life. The late leaders flag-draped coffin arrived at his native hometown by Sunday noon. The burial service for former General Secretary Do Muoi started at 1pm on October 7. The incumbent and former leaders of the Party and State at the burial ceremony for former Party General Secretary Do Muoi. Former Secretary General Do Muois coffin is taken to his final resting place. Family members of the late leader at his burial service. The leaders, compatriots and family members of former Party Chief Do Muoi held a minutes silence to pay their last respects to the late leader at his resting place. With their great grief, the incumbent and former leaders of the Party, State, Government, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, officials of agencies, organisations, local administrations, and the people went around the late Party leaders tomb for the last time to bid farewell to the leader. Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong throws the first handfuls of soil into the tomb of former General Secretary Do Muoi, seeing him off at his final resting place. Family members go around the late Party leaders tomb for the last time to bid farewell to the deceased. On behalf of the organising committee and the former leaders family, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh expressed his sincere gratitude to the leaders, former leaders, representatives of mass organisations, localities, units, armed forces, religious dignitaries, leaders of foreign countries, foreign diplomatic missions and international friends, along with Vietnamese people at home and abroad, for their condolences and attendance at the tribute-paying and burial services for former Party General Secretary Do Muoi, seeing him off at his final resting place. On behalf of the funeral organisation board and the deceaseds family, Deputy PM Truong Hoa Binh expressed his thanks to mourners for attending the tribute-paying and burial services for the late leader. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Highest European Court Ruling Confirms Serious Risks of Gene-Edited (...) At a time when more and more people in the world are becoming concerned about the serious health risks and numerous other adverse impacts of genetically modified (GM) crops and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the enormously powerful billion-dollar GMO multinationals have tried once again to introduce confusion and uncertainty in public mind by coming up with the concept of gene-edited crops and claiming that these should not be subject to the same restrictions as GM crops. However, in July 2018 the highest court in Europe ruled that gene-edited crops should be subject to the same strict rules and regulations as GM crops. Earlier a review of the legal and scientific facts surrounding this debate by Dr Janet Cotter and Dr R. Steinbrecher (published in the Ecologist) had concluded: It is clear that gene-edited crops and animals need to be assumed as GMOs in the same way as current GM crops. The court verdict is along similar lines. With gene editing researchers can add, delete or modify bits of an organisms genome. The European Court has said that any crops edited using CRISPR or other gene-editing techniques must abide by the same laws restricting the use of GMOs. More specifically the Court concluded it considers that the risks linked to the use of these new mutagenesis techniques might prove to be similar to those that result from production and release of a GMO through transgenesis, since the direct modification of the genetic material of an organism through mutagenesis makes it possible to obtain the same effects as the introduction of foreign gene into the organism (trans-genesis) and these new techniques make it possible to introduce genetically modified varieties at a rate out of all proportion to those resulting from the application of conventional methods of mutagenesis. Welcoming the court verdict, Franziska Achterberg, Greenpeace EUs Food Policy Director, said: Releasing these new GMOs into the environment without proper safety measures is illegal and irresponsible, particularly given that gene editing can lead to unintended side-effects... The European Commission and the European governments must now ensure that all new GMOs are fully tested and labeled, and that any field trials are brought under GMO rules. A spokesperson of Friends of the Earth said: We applaud the European Court of Justice for this forward looking decision. We may add that this will be also useful in countries like India where highly powerful and resourceful multinationals and their local agents are trying all sorts of deceit to somehow spread more and more GMOs. The author is a freelance journalist who has been involved with several social movements and initiatives. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > World Economy A Decade after the Financial Crisis by V. Mathew Kurian I. Introduction In 2008, America confronted a financial crisis which later spread to other parts of the world making it a global financial crisis. The financial meltdown as a contagion affected adversely the functioning of the real economy, turning it into a great recession. Ten years are now over by this financial and economic breakdown of the world. In this predicament, it is worth to explore the experience of the global economy during in the last decade. Specifically, we start with an overview of financial crisis and then an investigation is made to examine the global dynamics of the world economy in the post-crisis decade. Finally, we also propose to make certain suggestions to improve the health of the world economy today. II. Global Financial Crisis: An Overview During the two world wars, the USA emerged as most powerful in the world both economi-cally and politically. The post-war international financial architecture was predo-minantly an American construction. In the 1944 International Monetary Conference held at Brettenwoods what America proposed became the decisions. Both the IMF and IBRD were designed by the USA. The Fixed Exchange Rate System under the IMF was solely an American creation. However, in the late 1960s the mighty dollar became relatively weak which resulted in the collapse of the Brettenwoods System in 1971. But the OPEC engineered oil crisis was instrumental in re-strengthening the American dollar. This along with the ICT revolution and globalisation helped America to maintain their global hegemony. But the rise of the so-called emerging economies, particularly of China and India, weakened the American economy mainly in the 1990s. The subprime mortgage lending was the strategy adopted by America to counter this dot com crisis. The early response was an American boon but which confronted a bust in 2007-2008. Lehman Brothers, one of the biggest banks of America, was the first victim of it. Subsequently when other financial institutions, including AIG, faced a severe financial crunch, the American Government and Federal Reserve System came to their rescue. By this time, as the American financial system was internationalised, the crisis became a global one. The financial breakdown was not limited to the frontiers of finance, it terribly affected the working of the real economy causing the great recession. This financial and economic breakdown resulted in massive indebtedness, including certain governments terrific unemployment and loss of homes to a large number of people. III. World Economy in the post-Crisis Era The global financial crisis was responsible in deviating from the neo-liberal policies which were in vogue from 1980s onwards. Almost all countries in the world, irrespective of ideological differences, declared fiscal incentive measures to overcome the financial and economic breakdown. These, to some extent, helped in recovering the world economy from recession. But there are a set of other problems which make the world economy still very fragile. Global debt ballooned 40 per cent in a decade after the financial crisis. According to the IMF, the total debt of the world has reached $ 250 trillion. This comprises both public and private debts. Swelling public debt in some countries has resulted in a sovereign debt crisis. Lund and her colleagues of Mc Kinsey have observed that the return on equity for banks, which is a common metric used by investors, has declined by about 50 per cent since the financial crisis. So banks and other financial institutions have failed in regaining the confidence of the public at large. The current phase the of capitalist world economy is characterised as financialisation. Under financialisation capital is fictitious and it is mainly employed for speculation to earn quick profits. Of late, crypto currencies have crept into the circulation of finance. All these are making the global economy unstable and immoral. Eminent persons, like Pope Francis, have condemned this sort of financialised capital economy. Unemployment is another havoc in the global economy today. According to the ILO, unemploy-ment and decent work deficits are to remain high in 2018. As many as 1.4 billion workers are now in vulnerable jobs. The total number of unem-ployed currently exceeds 192 million persons. The FAO estimates that presently 1.44 billion people in the world are living with less than $ 1.25 a day (the present internationally accepted poverty line). Rising inequality is another related issue making the world insecure and unhappy. More countries now have a higher Gini coefficient than in the 1980s and 1990s. Climate change is another inherent danger of the global economy of our times. During the last ten years, in spite of the UNs intervention at different levels to reduce carbon emission, the problem has only aggravated. Karl Marx through his theory of metabolic rift predicted this sort of a turn in our earth by the onslaught of irresponsible capital. Of late, the current Turkeys turmoil, many fear, may metamorphose into a new currency crisis. It all started with Americas imposition of sanctions over President Endogans refusal to release a pastor, Andrew Brunson, who is absurdly accused of terrorism. Donald Trump has made matters worse by vowing to slap higher tariffs on Turkish metals. The lira has lost a fifth of its value during August 2018. The America-engineered trade war and currency war also make the modern world system very unstable. IV. Redemption of the World from this Rut As the multi-dimensional crisis persists in the world economy, some corrective measures are absolutely necessary to make it more stable and humane. From very ancient times onwards, the economy was perceived as a social arrangement for provisioning the material needs of a given set of people. The function of the state was considered to make the economy serve the people. But with neo-liberalism, the state has become a servant of capital, antagonistic to the welfare of the people. So we need a new politics to make a people-friendly economy. Further, we require economic decisions blended with ethical norms like justice, freedom and equality. We also need to integrate ecology and economy. Ecologically unsustainable projects have to be repudiated. As modern technology has brought the entire people in the world more closer, we need to formulate a global consensus to gear the world economy and its constituent national parts towards justice and sustainability. V. Conclusion In this article, initially we tried to give a brief account of the global financial crisis of 2008. Then we made an analysis of post-crisis world economy which confirmed that an alternative political economic approach is required to constitute a people-centric economy with ecological sustainability. Dr V. Mathew Kurian is the Joint Director, K.N. Raj Centre, M.G. University, Kottayam. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Indian Muslims: Differing Views IMPRESSIONS It is the irony of ironies that (a) the Government of India banned triple talaq without getting a proper Bill properly passed in Parliament, and (b) Muslims attacked the reform, saying that it will not help Muslim women. Who said anything about helping Muslim women? The new law is merely an election-eve move even though its vote-catching potential is doubtful. Whether it is the Muslim personal law or the newfangled register of citizens, or the convoluted vote-bank politics of the North-East, there is an all-out effort to mobilise votes on communal basis. Not even the Amit Shah camp will be in a position to say with certainty whether this tactic will work in practice. But that doesnt hold back the verbal terrorists and hate-merchants. When Kamal Haasan joined those who condemned Hindu terrorism, tons of bricks were hurled at him. Attackers argued that it was impossible for a Hindu to be a terrorist. That is true of Hinduism. Modern-day Hindutva is different, as any lynch victim would testify. All religions have a terrorist streak in them. Buddhism is a byword for non-violence, but Thai Buddhists called for the killing of Communists at one stage and Myanmar Buddhists have been killing masses of Rohingyas. Christianity swears by love, but Roman Catholicism presided over the unspeakable cruelties of the Spanish Inquisition. Perhaps Indian Muslims attract special attention because their story is related to the religion-based partition of India. Ironically, Muslims in India are perceived to be better off, with more citizens rights than Muslims in Pakistan, a point that adds to the disaffection between the neighbours. A belated reading of a 2016 book brings home the fact that Indian Muslims face problems that could be partly self-imposed and partly imposed by intolerant government leaders. Indian Muslims: Struggling for Equality of Citizenship presents its basic premise in the title itself. It is edited by Riaz Hassan, the Director of the International Centre for Muslim and Non-Muslim Under-standing at the University of South Australia, and has contributions by experts such as Amitabh Kundu (Delhi Policy Group), Rajindar Sachar (former Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court) and Rakesh Basant (IIM, Ahmedabad). Christopher Jaffrelot, the acclaimed India specialist with several definitive studies to his credit, has provided a chapter with a blunt heading: The Muslims of Gujarat during Narendra Modis chief ministership. His basic thesis is that the Gujarati asmita (sense of identity) is rooted in Hinduism and directed against Muslims. This was underlined by the promotion of vegetarianism. This quasi-equation between Gujarati-ness and vegetarianism tends to exclude the Muslim minority from Gujaratihood. Some Bohras, he says, register themselves as Bohras, not Muslims, in census records. He gives details to show that no significant relief has been provided to poor Muslims because they have explicitly been victims of discrimination. Even scholarships earmarked for Muslims by the Central Government were not given to them. The BJP has built enough arguments in political terms to justify its discriminatory practices. In 2009, the party nominated two Muslims for by-elections in Junagadh. Both lost. Local BJP leaders said that committed Hindu voters might have turned against the party. In the famous UP elections last year, as in the Gujarat elections in 2012, the BJP denied tickets to Muslims. In both cases, it came out triumphant. Why then should it bother about Muslim representation? Amit Shah has even sidelined Shahnawaz Hussain, the BJPs faithful showpiece Muslim face for long. Scholars in this book and elsewhere point to the poor educational and health standards of Muslims in India. Amitabh Kundu attributes this to historical and socio-cultural factors. What are these socio-cultural factors? Is not the ultra-orthodoxy of Muslim leadership itself a socio-cultural factor contributing to Muslim backwardness? Does madrasa education aim at improving the general standards of students? Has any socio-cultural programme been launched by the community for the benefit of impecunious Muslims in, say, UP or Bihar? Such questions become relevant when we look at the contrast between Muslims of the Northern States and their brethren in the South. The latter are better integrated with, and accepted by the general population. Kerala Muslims, for example, hold leadership positions as writers, doctors, educationists, politicians and public intellectuals. Ultra-orthodox elements exist there too: There is still no trace of Chekannur Maulavi, a progressive cleric, who disappeared in 1993. But they are exceptions, numerically minuscule, and remain hidden. Overall, educational standards have been high for Muslims in the South and they are better off for that. Perhaps Islamic leaders need to look inward, too, when they complain about Muslims being neglected in India. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > India and the Neighbourhood: New Delhis Faltering Diplomacy by Purusottam Bhattacharya New Delhi finds itself on a sticky wicket at the moment so far as its neighbourhood policy is concerned. (Neighbourhood for the purpose of this article denotes Indias immediate and smaller South Asian neighbours excluding Pakistan.) The Nepalese decision to pull out of the first ever joint military drill by members of the BIMSTEC, as agreed by the seven state grouping in its recent Fourth Summit held at Kathmandu, and Kathmandus readiness to participate in a 12-day-long military exercise with China is being viewed by many strategic experts in India as a slap on New Delhis face so soon after hosting the Indian Prime Minister and other leaders of BIMSTEC in Nepals capital at the end of August. Brigadier General Gokul Bhandaree, the Nepal Army spokesperson, told a leading Indian daily that the second such joint exercise with China (the first one was held in April 2017) took place on September 17-28. 2018 in Chengdu. The degree of concern in India over Nepals growing security cooperation with Beijing was reflected in the remarks of a former Indian Foreign Secretary when he said: By taking such inconsiderate steps, they will alienate Indian opinion more and the cost will be felt when Nepal faces a crisis in the future. They have to nurture the India relationship, not create distrust. (The Times of India, September 11, 2018) While opinions might vary on Nepals right to take an independent stand in its relations with India and China, the fact of the matter is that the Nepalese decision indicates its reluctance to see BIMSTEC take on a significant security role. It might be argued that Kathmandu was a party to the BIMSTEC declaration emphasising the groups determination to fight terror and the decision to hold a joint military drill in Pune in September though it is reported to have changed its mind following opposition to the participation of the Nepalese Army in the Pune drill from various Nepali quarters. In fact K.P. Sharma Oli, the Nepalese Prime Minister, defended the BIMSTEC decision to hold the joint military exercise among the Armies of the groups member-countries as a friendly gesture in the Nepal House of Representatives on September 4. Facing mounting criticism from the Opposition lawmakers Oli further said BIMSTEC neither has any military motive nor does Nepal believe in a military pact. The question that arises from this development is whether the twist in the Nepalese decision is a quirk of the Himalayan states domestic politics indicating a long-standing trend in Kathmandu in its efforts to wriggle itself out of its over-dependence on India and widen its options by cozying up to China. It may be recalled in this connection that this is not the first time that Nepal has played the China card in its relations with India. King Mahendra did the same in the 1960s, especially after the India-China war of 1962. However, the wider question is: is it not a straw in the wind so far as New Delhis neighbourhood diplomacy is concerned? Because of its pre-eminent position in South Asia Indias relationships with all its close neighbours have always been sensitive. Indias unique centrality has spawned a negative image for itself in the perceptions of these countries for which both geo-political asymmetry and the past history of New Delhis ham-handed diplomacy is respon-sible. Rightly or wrongly India has largely been perceived as a hegemon bent on imposing its supremacy in the region and is therefore a threat to the identity and independence of these countries. New Delhi has made efforts to counter this Indo-phobia among its smaller neighbours though factors mentioned above have prevented these efforts from being converted into amity. It is necessary to keep this backdrop in mind while viewing the recent developments not just in regard to Nepal but also Bhutan, Maldives, Sri Lanka and even Bangladesh. The two Himalayan states, Nepal and Bhutan, are geo-strategically of crucial importance to India and they essentially act as buffers between China and India. Even Jawaharlal Nehru had noted, as far back as the late 1940s, that if the security of these two states is breached the security of India will be breached. India-Nepal relations have been relatively free from the kind of dissonance witnessed in the cases of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka though there were hitches between the two countries in the 1960s when, as mentioned earlier, King Mahendra tried to play the China card against India with adroitness; the issues of trade and transit treaties (Nepals dependence on India for access to the sea for its trade due to its landlocked status) have also played ducks and drakes in bilateral relations especially in the late 1980s. However, after the abolition of the monarchy in 2008 in that country Nepal underwent a profound and prolonged transition to a popular democracy which now appears, on the face of it, complete with the adoption of a new Constitution and the recent election of a popular government. Throughout this period India remained concerned that the political process in Nepal culminates in the establishment of a stable democratic order which would facilitate a more congenial relationship between the two countries. The relationship with Bhutan has been the only one of its kind which has been relatively tranquil and friction-free. The two countries have enjoyed the most amicable relationship in Indias immediate neighbourhood. Bhutan is dependent on India in many ways and therefore has been under some constraints to maintain a good relationship with New Delhi. India also appreciates the crucial geo-political and geo-strategic significance of Bhutan, recently witnessed during the stand-off between the Indian and Chinese Armies at Doklam during June-August 2017 in the tri-junction of India-China-Bhutan, and has therefore acted with caution and maturity, and not in a ham-handed way with its tiny north-eastern neighbour. (It may however be noted in this context that during the Doklam stand-off between India and China, Bhutan, whose territory the Chinese Army had intruded upon, was less vocal against Beijing than New Delhi.) Indias concerns, compounded by recent developments, about Nepals gradual drift towards China are therefore justified. A notable development in this regard in late August 2018 was the agreement between Nepal and China on the technical details on the Kathmandu-Kerung railway line and the two sides will soon begin the process of preparing a detailed report for what has been touted as one of the most challenging projects even for a country like China which has mastered advanced railway engineering. The detailed project report will take about one-and-a-half years and the duration for the completion of the project has been planned to be around seven-and-a-half years. The line between Kerung and Kathmandu will pass through some of the most forbidding topographical regions in the Himalayas and over 98 per cent of the track will be through tunnels and therefore the railway carriages will have to be oxygenated. Initially the route will be used for carrying freight; subsequently passenger traffic will be introduced. Besides the proposed railway connection there has also been an agreement between the two countries on Nepal being given access to two Chinese ports. This will reduce Nepals depen-dence on the Kolkata and Vishakhapatnam ports substantially. Such dramatic enhancements in connectivity between Nepal and China are sure to have geopolitical implications for the India-Nepal relations (though China denies that such connectivity projects have any ulterior geopolitical motives). All these developments have to be juxtaposed against the Narendra Modi Governments blow hot, blow cold approach to relations with Nepal. The Nepalese have not forgotten Indias response to the 2015 adoption of a new Nepali Constitution with the subsequent Madhesi blockade that was seen to have an Indian hand. Clearly Indian calculations in this regard went wrong and this in turn gave China an openingdespite the very generous Indian helping hand to a Nepal stricken by its worst earthquake in recent memoryto increase its footprint in the Himalayan state. As The Times of India put it, And with deeper pockets, Beijing can offer big-ticket projects that New Delhi wont be able to match. (The Times of India, September 12, 2018) If Nepal and Bhutan are crucial to Indian security so are the Maldives, currently in the throes of a diplomatic and security pickle for New Delhi. India reacted strongly to the declaration of an Emergency in the Indian Ocean island-state in February 2018 by President Abdulla Yameens government which was subsequently extended by one month. Opposition leaders and Supreme Court judges were rounded up and dissent of all kinds was suppressed by Yameen who had adopted an anti-India and pro-China stand for quite some time. Since the Maldives occupy an important position in New Delhis Indian Ocean strategy, the island-nations swing towards a pro-China posture amounts to a major setback to Indias maritime security. India, along with the European Union, has been engaged in developing the capabilities of the small Indian Ocean states such as the Maldives and Sri Lanka. A pro-active Indian Ocean policy dates back to Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Seychelles and Mauritius in March 2015 which signalled that the Indian Ocean littoral states are at the top of New Delhis policy priorities. As a part of this pro-active Indian Ocean policy, India planned the establishment of ten surveillance radars in the Maldives. India has stationed a small number of security personnel and two helicopters on the island-nation with Males prior approval. Post-February Yameen however called for the withdrawal of the helicopters and the Indian security personnel from the Maldives; even before a crisis in bilateral relationship after February, in a clear drive to replace India with China the Yameen regime had invited Beijing to undertake major infrastructural projects on the chain of islands comprising the Maldives. But India did not flinch from its position and called upon Yameen to hold free and fair elections to the islands Presidency on September 23, 2018. However, in a dramatic reversal of fortunes Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of the combined Opposition candidate, Ibrahim Solih, on September 23 despite neutral observers voicing their fears that the elections may not have been entirely free and fair. (In the event they were; otherwise such a result would have been improbable.) The defeat of Yameen could be a possible game-changer for Indian diplomacy and maritime strategy in the Indian Ocean. Ibrahim Solih is likely to correct the pro-China tilt of the Yameen regime and be more accommodating to Indias security interests. However it would be wishful thinking to believe that China would be eased out of the Maldives altogether as a result of the replacement of the Yameen regime by a government likely to be more friendly towards New Delhi. Maldives external debt to China amounts to 70 per cent of its total debt. Taking advantage of Yameens pro-China presidency, as noted earlier, Beijing has built infrastructure, resorts and deepened its presence in at least seven of the important islands in the Maldivian archipelago. China will continue to have a big presence in the island-nation. Any contrary vision of an exclusively pro-India Maldives under the new dispensation was dispelled by Duniya Maumoon, a former Foreign Minister and daughter of the former Maldivian strongman, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (who ruled the Maldives for 30 years), when she said that the island-nation was looking to balance India and China. Significantly she reminded Indian interlocutors that India remains a close friend and will continue to be so. But India has to learn to respect a small country like Maldives. We may be tiny, but we dont care for bullying tactics though she further added that the new government would be sensitive to Indias security concerns as China had moved much closer to the island-nation. (Times of India, September 26, 2018). This is a perspective New Delhi would do well to keep in mind. What adds to the fluidity of the situation is that the transition will not take place until November 17 this year and the current Opposition is already voicing concerns that, despite conceding defeat, Yameen might still cling to power post-November; they have appealed to the international community for help in a smooth transition of power. It would, however, be unwise to indulge in any speculation in this regard at the moment in view of the size of the verdict against Yameen. All one can say now is that the elections have put India back in the strategic game in the Maldives which was looking quite bleak even sometime ago. Yet another crucial neighbour for Indias security, especially in the North-East, is Bangladesh with which New Delhis relations in the past nine years has been one of the best in recent times. Fulsome praise on the robust nature of the relationship was bestowed by the Bangladesh Foreign Minister, A.H. Mahmud Ali, at a conclave in New Delhi in January 2018; it has been subsequently reiterated by Prime Ministers Modi and Sheikh Hasina several times since then. However the outlook for the continuation of this bonhomie looks uncertain at best. The unsolved issue of the sharing of the waters of the river Teesta between the two countries is a lingering irritant. As is well known, the issue is caught in a logjam of diametrically opposite positions taken by PM Modi and the Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee. (For a detailed analysis on this see Purusottam Bhattacharya: 2017: 273-285) The Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has been vigorously campaigning against Sheikh Hasina for a sale-out to India on this crucial issue and clearly Hasina is on a back foot; if an understanding between the two countries is not reached before December 2018 when general elections are due in Bangladesh (which seems highly unlikely at the moment) the Bangladesh PM will be on a tough spot. Given the past history any change of guard in Dhaka, triggered by the Teesta issue, will be a major setback for New Delhi. The second issue surfaced since the August 2017 crackdown on the ethnic Rohingyas in Myanmar by the Burmese Army and the subse-quent flight of nearly 7,00,000 people of the Muslim minority of that country into Bangla-desh which has sheltered them since then. The brutal persecution of the Rohingyas in Myanmar has been well documented and brought to the international public domain by the United Nations, Amnesty International and other human rights groups; though Bangladesh has been receiving reasonably generous Indian and international assistance in looking after these refugees (even as Dhaka complains that this assistance is not in proportion to the magnitude of the task involved) it is mounting pressure on the international community, including India, to arm-twist the Myanmarese Government into taking these refugees back and rehabilitating them in the Rakhine state of Myanmar from where they were evicted in the first place. This issue has now become a source of unease between Dhaka and New Delhi though it is not officially acknowledged to be so. The issue was mentioned by the Bangladesh Foreign Minister in his address to the New Delhi conclave of January 2018 when he urged India and the international community to keep putting pressure on Myanmar to ensure complete and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingya refugees. While India has been assuring Bangladesh that it is doing all it can to persuade the Myanmarese authorities to take the refugees back, Dhaka clearly feels that New Delhi can do more as a major regional actor and a close neighbour of Myanmar. India seems to be in a bindtrying to ride two boats (Myanmar and Bangladesh) at the same time (as it has high stakes in both countries) which, at best, can be a tricky diplomatic tight-rope walking. India also has a lot at stake in terms of security in its immediate maritime neighbour, Sri Lanka, which too has not been loath in using the China card to balance India. The maritime rivalry between China and India in the Indian Ocean is a well-known narrative and does not bear repetition here. [For details see Anindya Jyoti Majumdar: 2017: 52-71 in Rajkumar Kothari, (ed.), India Becoming a Global Power in the Twenty-First Century] It is in this context that the signing of a deal worth $ 1.1 billion between China and Sri Lanka in July 2017 for the control and development of the southern deep-sea port of Hambantota assumes strategic significance for India. Under the proposal a state-run Chinese company will have a 99-year lease on the port and about 15,000 acres nearby for an industrial zone. The deal was delayed by several months for concern that the port could be used by the Chinese military though the Sri Lankan Government of President Maithripala Sirisena was quick to assure that China will only run commercial operations from the port on the main shipping route between Asia and Europe. It is worth noting here that China has pumped millions of dollars into Sri Lankas infrastructure since the end of the civil war in 2009. Hambantota port, overlooking the Indian Ocean, is expected to play a key role in Chinas One Belt, One Road initiative. Besides domestic opposition to the project within Sri Lanka, the initiative is being keenly watched by India as well as Japan, Chinas trade rivals in Asia. In fact an Opposition MP in the Sri Lankan parliament remarked that India would also be very uncomfortable with this arrangement. (BBC News: 2017: 29 July) Sri Lanka said, in defence of the deal, that the agreement would help Colombo to free itself of the debt trap. Colombo borrowed billions of dollars from China to build roads, ports and airports to revive the economy after the end of the civil war in 2009. The Sri Lankan Government maintains that money from the Hambantota deal will help it repay part of the Chinese debt. Colombo also reiterates that the Sri Lankan Navy will be in charge of the Hambantota port and the deal would have no implications for regional security. India, however, remains wary since China has also established its naval presence in ports in Pakistan and Myanmar, and together with its footprint at Hambantotaas well as its close evolving security relationship with the Maldivesthe encirclement of India by Beijing around Indias southern maritime periphery would be complete. The security implications of all these developments for New Delhi are huge. The greatest challenge that India faces at the moment in its immediate neighbourhood is therefore the long shadow of China which considers itself a South Asian state and therefore feels it has legitimate interests in the region, especially the Indian Ocean which it considers to be its lifeline. For many years China has sought to cultivate, with assiduousness, a good relationship in Indias neighbourhood especially with Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. According to many strategic analysts, China has effectively encircled India with its String of Pearls strategy by establishing, as already noted, a foothold in the Coco Islands of Myanmar, the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka and the Gwadar port in Pakistan; of late it has been reported that China plans to build an ocean station in the Maldives with the concurrence of the Maldivian Government; the new Maldivian Government will have to take a call on this project post-September 23, 2018. The strong partnerships Beijing has built with Nepal and Bangladesh by developing its trade and investment relationships with those countries are well known. That would, on the face of it, complete the Chinese encirclement of India in South Asia in strategic terms. However, India also has strong built-in partnerships with these countries which have been cultivated for many years. The Indian Ocean is currently in the focus of New Delhis strategic planners and the Indian Navy is now well on its way to becoming a blue water navy from a coastal force. India has built the Chabahar port in Iran, apparently as a counter to the Chinese presence in Gwadar but more as a conduit for access to Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia for its exports which are blocked by Pakistan geographically. The Indian Navy also operates as a watchdog for Indias security interests in the Indian Ocean. Establishment of strong and enduring partnerships with the smaller South Asian neighbours is a challenge for India in the 21st century. New Delhi needs friendly neighbours not only to concentrate on socio-economic development for itself and the region but also to project a positive image internationally, for international norms seem to suggest that a country which is not at peace with its immediate neighbours cannot aspire for global leadership. At the same time New Delhi needs to find a sustainable basis for friendship with its neighbours while retaining political primacy in South Asia to counter the Chinese challenge; simultaneously India should ensure that it is not seen as a hegemon in the region by banishing any thoughts of using gunboat diplomacy and sticking to development diplomacy as a tool to ward off the Chinese challenge. Indeed a stable and prosperous neighbourhood is in Indias interest. New Delhi needs to convince its neighbours that a strong and prosperous India is an opportunity and not a threat. References Harsh V. Pant, Indian Foreign Policy: An Overview, Orient BlackSwan: New Delhi, 2016. Raj Kumar Kothari and Eyasin Khan, (eds.), India Becoming a Global Power in the Twenty-First Century, Atlantic Publishers, New Delhi, 2017. Piu Chatterjee and Dona Ganguly, (eds.), India and Indian Ocean, Mittal Publishers, New Delhi, 2018. Dr Purusottam Bhattacharya is a former Professor of International Relations and erstwhile Director, School of International Relations and Strategic Studies, Jadavpur University, Kolkata. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > The Judicial Archer In a Mahabharata tale, Dronacharyawho taught the skills of warfare to the Pandava and Kaurava princesoverheard Duryodhana saying that he unjustly favoured Arjuna over others. To prove him wrong, Dronacharya decided to test his pupils, by placing a coloured wooden bird on a branch and asking them to strike it on its eye with an arrow. But before shooting arrows, he asked each in turn what they observed. Yudhishtir said that he saw a wooden bird on the branch, other birds in the tree, and the leaves moving in the breeze. The others said almost the same thing, stating their observation in terms of colour of the wooden bird, other birds, sky, moving leaves, etc. Arjuna, the last to be asked, displayed his sharp focus when he confidently and simply stated that he saw only the eye of the bird. Noting that one of Arjunas names is Dhananjaya, and fast-forwarding to present times, it is Justice Dhananjaya Chandrachuds focus on the eye of the bird which has penetrated the legal thicket of some of the most complicated cases heard before the Supreme Court of India. He has brought his razor-sharp intellect to bear on the constitutionality of the arguments of both Petitioners and Respondents, and boldly, unequivocally and succinctly delivered judgments worthy of a latter-day legal Arjuna. Justice Chandrachud has made judicial history with the liberal slant of his judgments, which have been appreciated equally by laypersons, lawyers and jurists. It is worth quoting him in three cases apart from the Aadhaar matter. In the Bhima Koregaon case, he wrote: ... dissent [is] the safety valve in the pressure cooker of democracy and it cannot be muzzled by the brute force of police. In the matter of decriminalising Section 377, he wrote: It is difficult to right the wrongs of history. But we can certainly set the course for the future. And in the matter concerning passive euthan-asia, he wrote: The right to a dignified existence, the liberty to make decisions and choices and the autonomy of the individual are central to the quest to live a meaningful life. In his dissenting judgment in the Aadhaar matter, referring to the passage of the Aadhaar Act as a Money Bill, which effectively by-passed the constitutional authority of the Rajya Sabha, Justice Chandrachud described this as an abuse of the constitutional process, amounted to subterfuge, violated its basic structure and was a fraud on the Constitution. (para 117) Hitherto, the decision of the Lok Sabha Speaker on whether or not a Bill could be treated as a Money Bill was accepted as final. But the majority judgment in the Aadhaar matter stating that the Speakers decision on this issue will now be open to judicial review, appears to obliquely support the validity of Justice Chandrachuds outspoken comment. As Joshua Patnigere has rightly commented: It is submitted with the utmost respect to the judgment of the majority bench that the view taken by Justice Chandrachud is a very astute one. [Justice D.Y. Chandrachuds dissenting opinion in Aadhaar judgment raises very valid points about parliamentary process; ; September 28, 2018.] The importance of the subtle concurrence of the majority judgment on the Money Bill aspect with Justice Chandrachuds dissenting judgment should not be discounted. It could well happen that the validity of the Aadhaar Act proclaimed by the majority judgment is questioned in the days to come by a call for its judicial review, bringing the constitutionality of the Aadhaar Act into renewed focus. After all, there is more than one precedent to a dissenting judgment forming the stepping stone to major change in law, perhaps the most famous being Justice H.R. Khannas lone dissenting judgment in ADM Jabalpur vs. Shiv Kant Shukla, by upholding the right to liberty and life during the dark days of the Emergency. As an aside, it is noteworthy that Justice Khannas supersession to the post of CJI is understood to be the result of his dissenting judgment. According to the present age-and-seniority line-up of Supreme Court judges, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud is reportedly slated to be the CJI in 2022. Four years from now, the prevailing political climate may dictate his appointment as the CJI. In the meanwhile, may his judicial arrows continue to fly true! Major General S.G. Vombatkere, VSM, retired as Additional DG (Discipline and Vigilance) in the Army HQ AGs Branch. His area of interest is strategic and development-related issues. Tiktok #1MPHAudition winners Gyl St. Pierre (right) and Vishnu Isles during the awards night at the Rizal Park Hotel. Peter Paul Duran More than 60 Tiktok creators converged at the Rizal Park Hotel recently to celebrate Tiktoks 1 Million Audition PH winners. Charles Dantes Tiktok, the worlds fastest-growing short-form video app, unveiled the winners of its first 1 Million Audition in the Philippines--a global campaign for Tiktok creators worldwide--at the posh Rizal Park Hotel in Manila recently.Besting over 31,000 videos received in just two weeks, three creators bagged the top prizes in three categories namely Gyl St. Pierre for #1MPHComedy, IsseyMiyake Parto for #1MPHTalent and Vishnu Isles for #1MPHFashion. To top it all off, the three Filipino TikTok creators will fly to South Korea for the TikTok Gala next month and join other fellow #1MAudition winners from around the global Tiktok community. They also received P20,000 each. Im really excited to go to Korea and Im very thankful for Tiktok for giving me the chance to, hopefully, meet some of my favorite KPop stars, said 16-year-old Issey Miyake, winner of the Talent category of the campaign. The budding Grade 10 student-performer has over 177,000 followers to date in Tiktok. Meanwhile, the quirky and tech-savvy Gyl, an operations officer at a construction firm, has gained almost 73,000 followers on TikTok for his impeccable comedic timing and impressive editing skills. Im really excited, thankful for this opportunity to meet creators from all over the world, he said during the awards night where he and fellow creators treated members of the media to a quick rundown of the app and his famed transition techniques in his videos.For 19-year-old college student Vishnu, his experience of sharing slices of life has helped discover his passion, giving him the chance to connect with his 239,000 fans. In reality, Im really a shy person when you know me personally, but when I use Tiktok, I become another person, he said in Filipino. TikTok helped me express myself and connect with my fans. TikTok, which has 500 million users across 150 countries and regions worldwide, on Sept. 29 gathered the Filipino 1 Million Audition winners and other top creators to spend time together to collaborate on their videos and exchange tricks and tips on creating effective short-form videos. The Filipino version of the 1 Million Audition was held on Sept. 7 until Sept. 21 and led by Filipina trendsetters Bela Padilla for the Fashion category, Ella Cruz for Talent, and Donnalyn Bartolome for Comedy.Launched in 2017, TikToks 1 Million Audition provides budding artists a platform to showcase their diverse talents and win millions of followers and rewards at the same time. It has been successfully held across India, the United States, Latin America, Europe, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam with over one million participants. FUJIFILM Philippines President Tomoyuki Fukura: FUJIFILM is more than just a photography or camera company. FUJIFILM Philippines, Inc. one of the most trusted camera and film brands in the world, continues to evolve and develop leading edge, proprietary technologies by leveraging its depth of knowledge and expertise derived from photography film into other products and markets.The Japanese brand is also increasing its visibility to consumers by re-invigorating core segments namely imaging solutions; healthcare and materials; and document solutions. Now more than ever, we want our Filipino audience to know that FUJIFILM is more than just a photography or camera company. We have innovative solutions for a wide range of industries. We leverage our deep knowledge of fundamentals learned from years of experience in film manufacture, photography and developing, said FUJIFILM Philippines President Tomoyuki Fukura. He added that FUJIFILM has created a diverse range of products using the companys core technologies. Since it was established in 1934, FUJIFILM utilizes its proprietary core technologies contributing to the fields of healthcare, graphic systems, highly functional materials, optical devices, digital imaging, and document products. These products and services are based on its extensive portfolio of chemical, mechanical, optical, electronic and imaging technologies. Locally, FUJIFILM Philippines offers quality products and services to the Philippine market in Electronic and Photo Imaging, Graphic Systems, Medical Systems, and Industrial Products. Its distributors cover Metro Manila and the provinces, with a diverse range of innovative consumer and business products, solutions and services.To continue making the brand a household name to todays generation, FUJIFILM Philippines has also initiated customer satisfaction programs to bolster the companys success. The company has set up repair centers for digital cameras and endoscopy equipment to assist customers with various concerns. FUJIFILM Philippines also created dedicated microsites and social networking sites for Graphics and camera products. These provide real-time interaction and answers to all consumers inquiries. The companys thrust is to create a service network that will promote the swift delivery of solutions that meet diversifying market needs. More importantly, FUJIFILM Philippines engages its audience by creating various relevant and memorable touchpoints. These are workshops, shooting events, customer interviews, symposium, and tradeshows. For Fujifilm Cameras and Films, FUJIFILM Philippines has partnered with young personalities like James Reid and Liza Soberano.FUJIFILM Philippines is also about people and social responsibility. It is committed to contributing to sustainable social development by working with local communities. As a good corporate citizen, it responds to the demands and expectations of these communities. In 2017, FUJIFILM Philippines collaborated with the Philippine Navy so children with rare diseases can experience flying at a Navy Aircraft. Fujifilm Photographers and staff participated in the event and took photos of the precious moments of kids enjoying the activity. FUJIFILM Philippines also worked with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for the mangrove tree planting, with the aim of supporting the proliferation of Mangrove Ecosystem. Theres also the Balik- Eskwela Campaign which focuses on helping indigent kids and introducing them to the love of photography. Products and brands come and go, especially with todays technology. FUJIFILM Philippines not only wants to keep up with the times but continues to re-invent itself to offer better products and services to their audiences everywhere in the country. For more information about FUJIFILM, visit www.fujifilm.com. Fred Schilling/Supreme Court of the United States via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- The Senate officially confirmed Brett Kavanaugh Saturday as the next Supreme Court justice -- but the vote, like the controversial confirmation process, was anything but smooth. Protesters in the public viewing gallery regularly interrupted the vote, screaming "Shame! Shame! Shame!" and causing brief upsets in the roll call vote. Vice President Mike Pence, who serves as the president of the Senate, had to repeatedly call for the sergeant at arms to restore order in the gallery. "I do not consent! Where's my representation?" one female protester screamed before being forced out of the chamber. Kavanaugh was sworn in late Saturday by retired Justice Anthony Kennedy, whose spot on the court he will be taking, and current Supreme Court Judge John Roberts. In the end, the vote came down as anticipated, with 50 votes in favor, 48 votes against, and 1 present, confirming Kavanaugh as the next justice in the highest court in the land. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, noted that she would like her vote to be marked as "present," in a logistical maneuver aimed to address the fact that another Republican, Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, was unable to attend the vote because he is scheduled to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding. Daines wanted to vote in favor of Kavanaugh, so Murkowski paired her vote with his so they would cancel one another out -- she would have voted against Kavanaugh. President Donald Trump tweeted shortly after the vote, congratulating the Senate and his nominee. "I applaud and congratulate the U.S. Senate for confirming our GREAT NOMINEE, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, to the United States Supreme Court," he tweeted. "Later today, I will sign his Commission of Appointment, and he will be officially sworn in. Very exciting!" Kavanaugh and his wife were seen in a black SUV entering the Supreme Court to be sworn in Saturday night. The vote came after weeks of high-stakes political and human drama, as Kavanaugh defended himself against accusations of sexual misconduct. The victory marked an instance of President Donald Trump following through on a key campaign promise to turn the court more conservative for generations. Trump spoke briefly from the White House lawn before the Senate vote session started, saying that "in the end maybe the process, it was really unattractive, but the extra week was something that I think was really good. I thought it was really good. I think a lot of very positive things happened in the last week. It didn't look that way but in the end, that's what happened." As for Kavanaugh, Trump said "he's going in looking really good." White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said that Trump called Kavanaugh to congratulate him while onboard Air Force One as he headed to a campaign rally in Kansas. Trump told reporters that his speech in Mississippi on Tuesday, days before the vote, had an effect on Kavanaugh's nomination. During that speech, Trump appeared to mock Christine Blasey Ford's testimony about her alleged assault at the hands of Kavanaugh. The judge has denied the accusations. "I think the Mississippi speech had a great impact, yes. I think it was a very important thing," Trump said on the plane Saturday. "He was chosen for the reason of his temperament, his incredible past, his outstanding years on the court. Hes had an outstanding record, a brilliant scholar, a totally brilliant scholar -- top -- and were very honored that he was able to withstand this horrible horrible attack by the Democrats," Trump said. The drama of the vote tally Kavanaugh's confirmation essentially became a done deal on Friday afternoon, when Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, a key undecided vote, announced on the Senate floor that, despite allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against him, "I will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh." Just hours earlier, with Kavanaugh's fate still uncertain, the full Senate had voted 51-49 to end debate and advance the nomination, after an additional FBI investigation seemed to turn up nothing to corroborate the allegations. "This is not a criminal trial, and I do not believe that claims such as these need to be proved beyond a reasonable doubt," Collins said in a lengthy speech defending her decision. The Maine moderate Republican faced heavy political pressure, including from women who came from her home state and demanded that she side with Kavanaugh's chief accuser, Ford. Collins' declaration of support for Kavanaugh was quickly followed by West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, another key undecided vote, who issued a statement saying he, too, would vote "yes," giving Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell the support he needed to get Kavanaugh confirmed, even if by one of the narrowest margins in history for a high court nominee. Manchin, a red state Democrat in a close re-election fight, said that while he had "reservations' given the accusations, he did what was "best for West Virginia," persuaded Kavanaugh will "follow the Constitution." Protesters shouted "shame" at him as he tried to board an elevator near his office. Ford's attorneys said their client has no regrets. "I think she feels good about the fact that she came forward and did what she felt strongly was her civic duty to do, which is to provide the information she had to the Judiciary Committee so that they could make a better decision -- a more informed decision," her attorney Lisa Banks told ABC News' Congressional Correspondent Mary Bruce. When asked if Ford will ever be able to live a normal life again, her lawyer seemed optimistic. "She's going to go back to teaching. She loves being a teacher. She's very good at it," attorney Debra Katz said. "And she's looking forward to getting back to her family and her friends and her job. And we continue this fight, we continue to look for corroborating evidence against Judge Kavanaugh." Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. The agencies have also opened books of condolences and flown the Vietnamese flag at half-mast. On October 6, the Vietnamese Consulate General in Shanghai, China held a funeral for former Party General Secretary Do Muoi. Consuls General and representatives of Laos, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Belarus in the city paid homage to the Vietnamese leader. Indonesias Acting Consul General Wandi Adriano wrote on the condolence book: Former Party General Secretary Do Muoi is renowned in the world as a veteran in the revolutionary movement and a leader respected by the people. Representatives from the Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, authorities of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (China), and foreign representative offices, and Consuls General of ASEAN member states in Hong Kong (China) paid tribute to the former Party chief at the Vietnamese Consulate General in Hong Kong (China). Deputy Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Song Ruan wrote: On behalf of the Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (China), I would like to extend my greatest sympathy over the death of former General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Do Muoi. He had made outstanding contributions to the development of the China-Vietnam relations. We will remember him forever. In these days, tribute-paying services were also held in Russia, Switzerland, South Africa, Italy, the Netherlands, Chile, Mexico and Mozambique. Vietnam is observing two days of national mourning for the former Party chief on October 6 and 7. Looking at the New NAFTA Trade Agreement Well, this is getting exciting! We just got an agreement this morning with Canada and Mexico to replace NAFTA, which has driven the markets higher. I thought the Trump-induced trade war with China would have resolved by now as well. At the beginning of the summer I forecast that the president would talk big, beat on a couple of trade partners with some tariffs, then quickly reach a negotiated truce and claim victory. It hasnt turned out that way. Striking a deal with our old NAFTA buddies is definitely a good thing, but its not the Holy Grail of trade.Yes, Canada and Mexico are larger trade partners than China, but China is the biggest threat by far by coercing companies into sharing trade secrets and dumping products in our markets. But weve not reached a deal with the Middle Kingdom, not even close.Trump made the equity markets wretch a couple of weeks ago when he announced that he has another $267 billion worth of tariffs ready to go, after the $200 billion that hes been working on.But this is still just the opening act.President Trump isnt a protectionist, hes an equal opportunity guy.As soon as he gets a concession from China hell eliminate the tariffs and claim victory. Its just a question of when, and what happens next.As soon as the tariffs with regard to China come off, the equity markets should shoot even higher, especially the industrials, which generate about half their revenue overseas as well as purchase raw materials internationally.By weighing on the markets with tariffs, President Trump has created a coiled spring thats ready to leap higher.But hed better hurry. His moment in the sun could quickly melt if the Chinese trade war lasts into November.The Democrats are on the war path (just look at the theatrics of the Supreme Court nomination hearings), and they have one very uniquely styled scalp in mind.The Senate is unlikely to change, but if history is any guide, Madam Pelosi will once again wield the speakers gavel in the House of Representatives. Mid-term elections are historically not friendly to the sitting presidents party.Theres not much about Trumps agenda that Pelosi will want to keep, and she certainly wont help him push through any further reform of government agencies.Beyond what can be accomplished by executive order, the Trump train will come to a dead stop on the tracks somewhere between stations.I write about this and what it will mean for the markets in the October issue of Boom & Bust , which we just sent to subscribers last week.Without more love from Washington, companies are likely to take a cautious view of the future. Times are good right now after extracting $1 trillion from taxpayers in the form of corporate tax cuts and getting some love from the administration on the Clean Power Plan, but were just two short years from the next president election.With the Dems aiming for the president, and him providing them with plenty of ammunition, who knows what will happen?An implosion or two seems quite possible.So whats an investor to do?Do you bet on the upside, estimating that the trade war will end and youll enjoy a nice run? Or do you move to the sidelines and protect what youve earned and let the markets fall as they may?Neither. Or rather, both, but in their own time.The investment environment today is a great example of why we need to have a plan for every investment we make. Thats the starting point for Adams Cycle 9 Alert , Lee Lowells Instant Income, Charles Peak Income , and every other investment approach we offer at Dent Research, and it should be yours as well.Before you buy a security, you should know what would make you sell it, such as a pre-determined stop-loss level. By taking care of that on the front end, you save yourself a bunch of second-guessing and worrying when things get dicey.So make a plan, grab some popcorn, and sit back to watch the fireworks over the next couple of months. It should be entertaining, to say the least. Rodney Follow me on Twitter ;@RJHSDent By Rodney Johnson, Senior Editor of Economy & Markets http://economyandmarkets.com Copyright 2018 Rodney Johnson - 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. Rodney Johnson Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. It felt like rush hour in a Manhattan subway at Montana State Universitys largest-ever Career Fair. Thousands of students jostled through packed aisles Thursday to meet with recruiters from more than 210 companies. "Its crazy, insane today," said Krista Kubischta, a recruiter with Montana Instruments. The Bozeman high-tech firm, founded by an MSU grad, has grown to 56 employees and is looking for a full-time electrical engineer and interns. By Gail Schontzler Chronicle Staff Writer https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/montana_state_university/hot-economy-sparks-biggest-ever-msu-career-fair/article_e7d11da6-c8d8-5947-9c0d-8552f95a6670.html *** Come Home Montana is where hundreds of candidates from throughout the country are looking for their next great career opportunity. Your Montana company can post here: Posting articles and events is a great way to promote your company or organization. MATR welcomes articles, events, job openings, resumes, comments and company listings from registered members http://www.matr.net/login.phtml (also free) After youve registered, just go to the upper right hand side of the home page to "My Account". The MATR staff will post articles, events, jobs etc. for those organizations that support/advertise on it in their own category on the website and in the newsletters. Please contact [email protected] on how you can help support MATRs mission to promote Montanas companies and opportunities while promoting your company at the same time. 2018-11-08 19:00:00 University Center Ballroom Contact: https://www.facebook.com/GLSmissoula/ We are excited to announce that Seth Bodnar, President of the University of Montana, will be spending the evening with our GLS Missoula community on Thursday, November 8th at 7pm in the University Center Ballroom. President Bodnar will offer insights on Leading, from his unique Business, Education and Military perspective, when things donft go as planned. No matter how much planning or preparation one puts into a project or operation, the unexpected crisis often arises and a leader must still help the organization find success. Knowing the organizationfs strengths and weaknesses will aid a leader in getting the Team through tough times. This is a FREE event, so Save the Date and Spread the Word! https://www.facebook.com/GLSmissoula/ After holding tech and innovation positions in government in Boston and Rhode Island, Kevin Parker discusses priorities for his new position in Illinois. Parkers arrival in the state came just a few months before the launch of the Illinois Government Innovation Academy, which is designed to bolster gov tech knowledge, buy-in and skills among the state governments 60,000-some employees by facilitating a five-week leadership development program, among other efforts. "We want to make sure were helping to lead the state as best we can," Parker said, "not only in our external, nontraditional approaches, but also with our own internal staff." by Zack Quaintance http://www.govtech.com/civic/Illinois-New-Education-Cluster-CIO-Talks-Training-Upcoming-Work.html He was accompanied by Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha, Minister of Finance Dinh Tien Dung, and Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam Le Minh Hung, among others. The 10th Mekong-Japan Summit marks ten years of the Mekong-Japan cooperation mechanism, and three years of carrying out the Tokyo Strategy 2015. Vietnams attendance at the event aims to affirm the countrys commitment to this cooperation mechanism. Also, the meeting will also offer an opportunity for relevant sides to review experience in the past ten years, map out major orientations, and recommend measures to improve cooperation efficiency in the coming time. On the occasion, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will pay a visit to Japan. The visit takes place in a special occasion when the two countries are celebrating 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations. It aims to tighten the Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership which is developing fruitfully across fields, contributing to enhancing mutual political trust between the two countries. Such enthusiasm was manifested via his acumen to all aspects of life, his rapid resolution of problems and especially flexible and active attitude, said Khieu, who said his revolutionary maturity was closely associated with the former Party chiefs training in the opening days of his accession to the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV). It was comrade Do Muois deep feelings for the revolutionary cause and sincere love for the people that made both his work and words always persuasive. Khieu said he had been touched to see everybody cry as comrade Do Muoi talked about the crime of the enemy, the suffering of the people, and the sacrifice of communists. From those days, the Labour Hero recognised comrade Do Muois eloquence, which was not only his manner of speaking but also stemmed from his burning feelings. It was known to Khieu later that when serving as Vice Chairman and then Chairman of the Council of Ministers and General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee, comrade Do Muoi had convinced everyone via his simple and meaningful words in many meetings with international guests and diplomatic corps. The former Party leader often highlighted the spirit of humanism and used Vietnams noble traditions to persuade those sitting opposite and expand multilateral relations with all of the peace-loving countries througout the world. Vu Khieu expressed his admiration for comrade Do Muois fondness for learning. According to the professor, comrade Do Muoi possessed all the three types of knowledge born to know, learn to know and difficult to know- as referred to by Confucius. He was not only an intelligent and sensitive person to all problems, but also an experienced person in life and in battle. Maxim Gorky, a Russian and Soviet writer, wrote in his book My University that he became a great writer thanks to what he had learnt from a life of hardships and difficulties. The university of comrade Do Muoi was the life of his own and also the revolutionary reality that he had gone through. Being born and growing up in a poor family with many children and under feudal-colonial oppression, comrade Do Muoi did not have much opportunity to learn. But joining the revolution very early (1936) and being imprisoned in Hoa Lo prison until the initial uprising days, he escaped from prison to join the revolutionary operations. It was the brutality of French colonialism and Japanese fascism plus two million people who starved to death in 1945 that consolidated comrade Do Muois revolutionary spirit and enhanced his level of knowledge. Comrade Do Muoi also had a passionate self-study spirit via books. From the very beginning of the revolution, he always had a book in his bag and had a habit of reading a book in his pleasure time and even at night. He underlined or took note of the passages which he considered important. There is a library in his house at present consisting of both the books he collected and newly bought ones. Prof. Vu Khieu said he presented comrade Do Muoi with two books, Heroes and artists and Vietnamese intellectuals through historical periods, in 1975, which only took the former Party chief one month to read despite their thickness. Talking with Khieu later, comrade Do Muoi mentioned the well-written passages in those books and contributed ideas to the poorly written ones. Following years of unceasing and tireless self-study, he had reached a high and comprehensive level of understanding. With such a huge source of knowledge, comrade Do Muoi successfully accomplished various tasks assigned to him by the Party and the State, ranging from the urgent activities in mobilising the general uprising to the post of Party committee secretary in many provinces during the resistance war. In government work, he underwent an array of positions, such as deputy minister, minister, head of the governments inspectorate delegation, chairman of the State Pricing Committee, and chairman of the Council of Ministers. His colorful life full of difficulties and hardships, together with the spirit of life-long learning and an intelligent mind, are the full university of comrade Do Muoi that not many people have. According to Prof. Vu Khieu, comrade Do Muoi always sincerely loved and cared for the brothers, comrades and officials surrounding him. He cared for each person and understood their difficulties in both their private life and work. The former Party leader paid constant attention to the younger generations and soon realised moral and talented people to train and promote them. That is why those who had years of being close to and working with comrade Do Muoi all trusted and loved him. Prof. Vu Khieu said that as for him and others, comrade Do Muoi is forever a shining example of a true communist. KUWAIT Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Salahuddin Rabbani met with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait H.E. Sheikh Sabah Al Khaled Al Ahmad Al Sabah. The Kuwaiti Foreign Minister welcomed the Afghan Foreign Minister to Kuwait and while mentioning the 57 years of relations between the two countries counted the bilateral cooperation opportunities range as wide and emphasized Kuwaits support for Afghanistan and strengthening ties between the two countries. The Afghan Foreign Minister also counted the State of Kuwaits supports as significant. He mentioned the challenges people faced during the years of Jihad and Resistance and put emphasis on establishing regional consensus for bringing peace. The Afghan Foreign Minister asked for the establishment of the State of Kuwaits Embassy in Kabul and insisted on the implementation of the agreement signed in 2007 between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries so the first round of bilateral meetings between Afghanistan and Kuwait, in accordance with the signed agreement, kicks off. The Afghan Foreign Minister while thanking the State of Kuwait for the its assistance to Afghanistan in the last seventeen years invited Mr. Al Sabah to visit Afghanistan. He asked the Kuwaiti Government and large companies to invest in Afghanistan. The Afghan Foreign Minister asked the State of Kuwait to support the peace process in Afghanistan and emphasized the need for signing an MoU on sending Afghan workers to Kuwait and asked the state of Kuwait to implement its promise to build a university in Kabul. The Afghan Foreign Minister asked the State of Kuwait to write-off its USD 20 million debt to Afghanistan. The Afghan Foreign Minister invited Mr. Al Sabah to attend the Geneva international meeting. Mr. Al Sabah accepted the Afghan Foreign Ministers invitation to visit Kabul and attend the Geneva international and emphasized Kuwaits commitment and support to the peace process and follow up of all mentioned issues in the near future. At the end, Mr. Rabbani attended the banquet arranged by Mr. Al Sabah. Letter to editor: Congress can get this right In his letter sent to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Secretary-General of the People's Action Party (PAP) of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong showed his profound sympathy over the death of Do Muoi, appreciating his important role in deepening bilateral cooperation between Singapore and Vietnam, and between relations between the PAP and the CPV. The Central Committee of the Workers Party of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) conveyed its condolences to the Vietnamese Party, Government and people and the deceaseds family. In its message, the committee wrote that Do Muoi is a senior revolutionist and well-known politician of the Vietnamese Party and State. Condolences also came from Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko; Thongvin Phomvihane, wife of late Lao President Kaysone Phomvihane; the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Japan; the Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain; Patrik Kobele, leader of the Communist Party of Germany; and Park Robyug, Secretary General of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP). Do Muoi was born on February 2, 1917, in Dong My commune, Thanh Tri district, Hanoi. He passed away in Hanoi on October 1 at the age of 101 due to serious illness. He served as General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee from June 1991 to December 1997, and was presented with an insignia of 80-year Party membership. Vietnam observed two days of national mourning for him on October 6 and 7. In a public hearing, Cuba's highest legislative body condemned the economic embargo imposed by Washington on the country almost six decades ago. "We invite the US Congress to listen to the opinions of the majority in broad sectors of its society, who are advocating an end to the blockade, and thereby finish off this obsolete policy against Cuba," said Yolanda Ferrer, president of the ANPP international relations commission. The ANPP also invited other countries to "reinforce the international demand" to eliminate this "harmful policy" that contravenes the rights of Cubans and other states. "We call on parliamentarians from all nations to speak up, encourage and support their respective foreign ministries in support of Cuba's draft resolution at the UN to end the US economic, commercial and financial blockade," added the lawmaker. In recent days, several public hearings have been held all over the island nation by different sectors of the country to reject the US embargo and expose the damage caused by this policy in different spheres. On Oct. 31, Havana will present for the 27th time before the UN General Assembly a non-binding resolution condemning the unilateral policy. Year after year, Cuba receives overwhelming support from the international community. In 2017, only the United States and Israel opposed the Cuban initiative, while 191 countries condemned Washington's policy towards Cuba. However, the United States is not obliged to comply with the UN mandate and claims the blockade is a bilateral issue with Cuba which should be resolved between the two nations. In its annual report to the United Nations, Havana indicated that economic losses caused by the US blockade, which has been reinforced during Donald Trump's administration, totaled over US$4.3 billion between April 2017 and March 2018. MERIDEN Flu season is fast approaching and the vaccine is starting to be offered throughout the community. The Record-Journal recently hosted a flu clinic and sat down with pharmacist Nicole Davoren to talk about the flu shot, her work routine and changes in the pharmaceutical field. Q: What does a pharmacist like yourself do? Davoren: Im a pharmacist at Walgreens (in Meriden), so a pharmacist in the community is a lot different from a pharmacist at a hospital. When a prescription comes in we make sure we enter it correctly, but not just that. The pharmacist looks at if there is any medication interactions, we look to make sure that the medicine is correct for the patient, if its a correct dose. So were looking at a lot of different things ... Were really there to talk to our patients. Q: What is that communication like? Davoren: Patients come up to me and ask a lot about over-the-counter items. So were there to answer any questions beyond certain things the doctor didnt go over with the patient. Q: Are you getting a lot of questions about the flu lately? Davoren: Yes. Since last season was so bad it seems like people are really interested in getting the vaccine, especially this year. Everyone over the age of six-months old is technically able to get the vaccine. You can get it from the pharmacist if youre 18 and over. You dont need to make an appointment. Its a lot better for patients because were so accessible rather than going to their doctors office to get it. Q: How effective is the vaccine this year? Davoren: A lot of people ask if its going to be good or not as far as coverage but we dont have the data yet. Its always recommended that you get it because its preventative care. Q: What do you advise to patients that are experiencing flu symptoms? Davoren: The biggest thing is when you have flu symptoms and flu-like symptoms you have to go to the doctors office right away because some of the anti-viral medicines that we have need to be started within 24 to 48 hours of getting symptoms. Q: How did you get into the field? Davoren: I went to UConn and they have a really great pharmacy school. Its just something that Ive always been interested in and I wanted to work in a fast paced work environment. We also get to be very clinical now, especially with giving immunizations. Every day is a new day for me and I just really enjoy the clinical aspect as well like looking at medication interactions. You can really impact peoples lives in a positive way. Q: When did you start working as a pharmacist? Davoren: I graduated last year so this year has been kind of a whirlwind, but exciting. I was an intern for about five years and then I became a pharmacist last year, graduated in the summer and now Im here. Q: Have there been any big changes in the last few years in your field? Davoren: Not many that I have seen yet just because I havent been a pharmacist for that long, but I know in terms of talking to other pharmacists just being able to give immunizations was a big change for them. It brings more people to the pharmacy and it really gives pharmacists a better role in the health care community, so that was a big change for us in a good direction. Q: What role do you play in giving flu vaccines, like you are doing today at our office? Davoren: Whenever I give a flu shot I have to make sure Im giving the correct shot there are a couple different kinds. If youre 65 or older you can get a higher dose vaccine that helps boost your immunity. If not we also have a four-strain shot that we just give to people who are 18 and over. You just kind of go over that and ask them a couple questions and give the shot. Q: Who is most at risk for the flu? Davoren: People who are older and young children have a higher risk (of getting a severe case). A lot of people that died last year were unfortunately younger. So thats the main reason I get my flu shot, I want to protect not only myself but also my grandmother who can have a lot worse side effects if she got the flu and also if Im around any infants. You always want to make sure youre protecting yourself and them. Q: What makes you really love what you do? Davoren: I like to talk to people, I like that people really trust me as a pharmacist ... thats something that I really learned in the past year that my word is taken very seriously. I really enjoy giving immunizations because its a lot of one-on-one. akus@record-journal.com 203-317-2448 Twitter: @KusReporter MERIDEN Filmmaker and city resident Michael Mongillos latest movie Diane has received positive reviews from audiences and film critics. Weve got 82 percent (positive approval) on Rotten Tomatoes right now, so people are responding well to it, which is a surprise because we tried to do something a little different with the film, said Mongillo, a 1986 Platt High School graduate. Scenes were shot around Connecticut, mostly in New Britain, but also Meriden and Southington, Mongillo said. A major sequence was shot inside and outside of the Augusta Curtis Cultural Center on East Main Street. Mongillo said his fourth feature film doesnt follow the script of a typical Hollywood movie and is a bit more of an artistic take on a horror film. The plot follows a disabled Afghan War veteran who endures psychological trauma as police and neighbors begin to question whether he was responsible for a dead young woman in his backyard. Although the film is classified as a horror movie, Mongillo said it includes very few jump scares and instead draws the audience in with a who done it mystery that builds to an ending with a twist. It's as much of a character study and comment on the human condition as it as a supernatural thriller, he said. Hollywood Reporter critic Fran Scheck wrote in a review, It's rare these days to encounter a movie that's unclassifiable (but Diane) could be described as a horror film, a psychological drama or a crime thriller. But it doesn't really fit neatly into any of those categories, Scheck continued. That in itself is enough to recommend Diane. Scheck also praised the film's atmospheric visuals. The website FilmThreat.com wrote that the movie is incredibly satisfying, especially at the end, with all the loose ends tying themselves together in a way that isnt entirely expected but is kind of in your face the entire time. Mongillo said the movie had a limited theatrical release in Los Angeles on Sept. 17 and was released worldwide via video-on-demand and DVD on Sept. 17. Its available on several streaming platforms, including iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, and FandangoNOW. The 50-year-old Mongillos other releases including the 2007 mockumentary, Being Michael Madsen. Mongillo grew up in Meriden and, after moving around the country, has lived in Meriden for the last 15 years, he said. His passion for filmmaking was born at Platt, where he took a film class during his senior year. For a final class project, Mongillo and his classmates were given the option to write an essay analyzing a film or produce their own film, so he and a group of friends produced a 30-minute video. It was a big hit, he said. In 1997, Mongillo founded his own production company, Mean Time Productions. In his career, he also wrote the comic book The Philistine about a super-spy-turned-superhero and was a founding member of the rock band 50 Feet Tall. Mongillo joked that while he actually hates all his films, because he can be his own biggest critic, hes pleased with his latest movie. I think its the best work by me and my team by far, he said. mzabierek@record-journal.com 203-317-2279 Twitter: @MatthewZabierek SOUTHINGTON A Queen Street AAA center scheduled to open in December will be among a number of state Department of Motor Vehicles express locations. The center will offer license and identification renewal and other services when it opens at 749 Queen St. Amy Parmenter, AAA spokeswoman, said construction is going as planned on the building. We are targeting mid-December for an open date if everything goes as planned, she said. The DMV also announced Friday that it would add license renewal services at a North Haven location Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union, 109 Washington Ave. Credit union president and CEO John Holt expects it to open in mid-December. It will be the eleventh Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union branch to offer DMV services. The express centers alleviate traffic at DMV locations while drawing people to businesses like the credit union, he said. Holt said there will be five kiosks and staff help available at the North Haven location for those looking to renew licenses, change their name on official identification and other DMV tasks. The DMV hopes to make services more accessible through its express program. "We see this as a win-win for all our customers because it offers additional locations where they can go for license and ID card renewal services," said Michael Bzdyra, DMV commissioner. We are pleased with the continuing growth of DMV express. In addition to license renewals and other DMV services, the Southington center will offer car repair. Its the first such car care center in Connecticut for AAA. Its a model that has been really strongly embraced in other (states), Parmenter said. It really fits in well with the concept of multi tasking. AAA services in Plainville will move to the Southington location once the Queen Street building opens. jbuchanan@record-journal.com 203-317-2230 Twitter: @JBuchananRJ WALLINGFORD Over 40,000 people live in Wallingford, but at events like Celebrate Wallingford, a weekend festival that started on Saturday, the town can feel quite a bit smaller. Main Street was doing its best to look like a perfect bit of Americana on a cloudy fall day. Thousands of people descended on the intersection of Main and Center streets, listening to music on the Parade Grounds, eating food from local restaurants, and taking stock of the wide array of community organizations looking to make the town a better place. Civic pride, a sense of strong community ties, and the idea that the people in Wallingford take care of one another were the common themes promulgated at the event. Everyone seemed to know everyone. A phrase one hears regularly: I was born and raised right here. Its big enough that you get all the amenities, but you still hold the small town feel, said Jason Michael, a town resident dressed as the character Bert from the musical Mary Poppins on behalf of the Wallingford Community Theatre. As he took photos with little kids, he talked about what joining the theater company has meant to him in his engagement with the community. As an adult, its tough to make new friends, he said. The community theater, primarily made up of local residents, opened up a whole realm of people. Everyone was so friendly, outgoing, and giving, he said. Sneha Patidar, a lifelong Wallingford resident who works as prevention program coordinator for The Coalition for a Better Wallingford, is often involved in some of the communitys more difficult conversations. What are the mental health issues the kids in town face? How can the town combat drug use? How can people learn to make healthier choices for themselves and their children? The thing that inspires her is that all different aspects of the community rally together to address these issues. People are so on board with helping everyone else, she said. At the other end of the street, Corey Greco was selling popcorn and other treats to raise money for Cub Scout Pack 26. Greco is the Cub Master and his two sons Tyler, 9, and Noah, 6, are involved. For Greco, Wallingford is the kind of place where the fire department embraces his pack and allows them to hold meetings in the firehouse, something pretty special to the little kids. I love Wallingford. Its a great community, a very friendly community. The school system is fantastic and the teachers and principals are great at communicating with parents, said Greco, who has lived in town for 14 years. Daniel Aguirre, a board member with the Mariachi Academy of New England, described how the community embraced his family when they arrived from Texas. The boom in Wallingfords diversity is also a key component in making the town unique and vibrant. Working at the steel plant allowed us to move ahead in life, he said. Support from the Spanish Community of Wallingford and the public schools helped him on a path which recently culminated in graduation from law school. It is a beautiful immigrant story, Aguirre said. The community received us well and we can help other people get the benefits of it. Noma Beaumont, treasurer for the Wallingford Historical Society, was, as one might guess, born and raised in the town. She extolled the pragmatic benefits of the community. Continuity and location are virtues, in her estimation. You can have almost anything you want. Think about it. Weve got I-91, the Parkway, rail service. We are between New Haven and Hartford and Boston and New York, she said. Sure, all thats nice, but Beaumont also has her children nearby and her grandchildren and even her cousins. Wallingford, simply put, is home. My grandfather told his children you can live anywhere you like so long as it is in Wallingford, Beaumont said. Celebrate Wallingford continues through Sunday. newsroom@record-journal.com International Vatican denounces accusation against Pope Pope Francis greets faithful at the end of his meeting with youths attending the Synod, at the Vatican, Saturday. (AP /Gregorio Borgia) VATICAN CITY, OCT 7 (Agencies) | Publish Date: 10/7/2018 12:33:39 PM IST A top Vatican cardinal issued a scathing rebuke Sunday of the ambassador who accused Pope Francis of covering up the sexual misconduct of a prominent American cardinal, saying his claims were false, blasphemous and demanding that he repent, AP reported. Six weeks after Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano threw the papacy into turmoil over his claims about ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the head of the Vaticans bishops office said there was no evidence in his files backing Viganos claims that Francis annulled any sanctions against McCarrick. Cardinal Marc Ouellets letter was issued Sunday, a day after Francis authorized a thorough study of all Vatican archives into how McCarrick rose through the ranks of the Catholic Church despite allegations he sexually preyed on seminarians and young priests. The letter, addressed to Vigano but identified as an open letter to the faithful, marked an extraordinary and decisive end to the official Vatican silence about Viganos claims. In it, Ouellet both defended the pope and criticized Vigano, asserting that the conservative cleric had used the scandal over sexual abuse in the U.S. to score ideological points with Francis critics on the Catholic right. Ouellet said a review of his files showed there were no documents about any sanctions imposed on McCarrick and that it was false to suggest Francis had annulled any such measures. Ouellet did acknowledge that McCarrick had been strongly exhorted not to travel or appear in public, and to live a discreet life of prayer given rumors against him about his past behavior with young adult men. The McCarrick scandal has thrown the U.S. and Vatican hierarchy into turmoil, given it was apparently an open secret in some U.S. church circles that he would invite seminarians to his New Jersey beach house and into his bed. Two men received settlements starting in 2005 from two New Jersey dioceses after they alleged McCarrick sexually molested or harassed them. The Vatican was informed starting in at least 2000 about the seminarian complaints. Francis accepted McCarricks resignation as a cardinal in July after a U.S. church investigation determined that an allegation that he groped a teenage altar boy in the 1970s was credible. Since then, another man has come forward saying McCarrick molested him when he was a young teen and other men have said they were harassed by McCarrick as adult seminarians and young priests. Ouellets letter marked the Vaticans first direct response to Viganos 11-page denunciation Aug. 26 in which he accused two dozen Vatican and U.S. church officials of covering up for McCarrick, and demanded Francis resign for his role in the scandal. In the document, Vigano claimed he told Francis during a June 23, 2013 meeting that Pope Benedict XVI had sanctioned McCarrick to a lifetime of penance and prayer for having corrupted a generation of seminarians and priests. Vigano implied that Francis still rehabilitated McCarrick from the canonical sanctions and made him a trusted counselor. Ouellet noted that the June 23 meeting occurred as Francis was meeting with all his ambassadors for the first time, and was gathering an enormous quantity of verbal and written information about the church around the world. I strongly doubt that McCarrick concerned him to the degree youd like to think, given he was an 82-year-old emeritus archbishop who had been out of a job for seven years, Ouellet wrote. Ouellet said in all his meetings with Francis about bishop nominations, he never heard him refer once to McCarrick as a trusted counselor. He said he couldnt believe Vigano had arrived at such a monstrous and blasphemous conclusion given that Francis had nothing to do with McCarricks career rise in the previous decades. He said he understood that Vigano might be bitter at the way his own career ended and his disagreement with Francis policies. But he wrote: You cannot end your priestly life in an open and scandalous rebellion that inflicts a painful wound on the church and divides its people. He urged Vigano: Come out of your hiding place, repent for your revolt and return to better sentiments toward the Holy Father. Amit Agnihotri By Express News Service NEW DELHI: IndiGo on Saturday announced expansion of its overseas network with the launch of flight services to Male and Phuket from next month. Male will be connected with Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kochi, while services to Phuket will be operated from Delhi, IndiGo said in a release. IndiGos announcement comes ahead of GoAirs launch of flight services to the two new destinations in Thailand and Maldives from next week onwards. IndiGo has also announced special inaugural fares starting `5,799 for the new flights.Male will be a daily operations from Kochi and five-times per week from Mumbai, the airline said, adding that the services on the Bengaluru-Male will be operated twice a week. Last week the Foreign Ministry hosted the first meeting of the Permanent Committee for Promoting Relations between Egypt and Other African Countries. The committee seeks to coordinate efforts by various ministries and the private sector to boost Egypts African engagement, Deputy Foreign Minister for African Affairs Hamdi Sanad Loza told the press following the meeting. The committee was formed by order of the prime minister and representatives from the Central Bank, the Ministry of Finance and Export Development Authority attended last weeks meeting. A second committee meeting, scheduled later this month, is expected to include participants from the private sector, said Loza. Egypts embassies in African countries are compiling a list of Egyptian companies that currently operate, whether through investments or the export of products, in African markets, as well as companies that would like to break into continental markets, to offer them the support they need to operate effectively, said Loza. The committee meeting was held ahead of the third Africa Investment Forum and the Intra-African Trade Fair, gatherings that seek to boost trade between Egypt and Africa, noted Khaled Omara, assistant foreign minister for African affairs. Egypt will also chair the African Union (AU) in 2019 and host the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) meeting in 2020. The third Africa Investment Forum will provide an opportunity for project sponsors, borrowers, lenders and public and private sector investors to meet and explore investment opportunities across the continent. Supported by the African Development Bank, the event will be held in Johannesburg in November. The Intra-African Trade Fair, the first of its kind in Africa, is a seven-day trade event that provides a forum for trade, investment and market information to be shared and enables buyers and sellers to meet, discuss and conclude business deals. Egypt was elected chair of the AU for 2019 at a closed meeting on AU institutional reform before the opening session of the 30th AU summit in January. Egypt previously served as president of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1964, 1989 and 1993. Cairo has long played a significant continental role, supporting the struggle for liberation by African countries throughout the 1950s. Egypt was one of the founding members of the OAU in 1963 and when the organisation became the African Union in 2002 Cairo was one of the first Arab capitals to sign the AUs Constitutive Act. Egypt was suspended from the AU following the 30 June Revolution. Its full membership was restored following the election of Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi as president. Egypt also contributed to establishing COMESA and the Community of Sahel-Saharan States. With Angola, South Africa, Algeria and Nigeria it is one of the top five contributors to the AU budget, providing 12 per cent of the total, and has participated in eight of the United Nations nine peacekeeping missions in Africa. Egypt held the presidency of the African Union Peace and Security Council during January this year. It joined the council for three years beginning April 2016. During its presidency Egypt focused on facilitating closer coordination over preventive diplomacy between the UN and AU on ways to enhance dialogue between the Peace and Security Council and the Arab League on issues of mutual interest. Omara says Egypts current focus is on building institutions that can facilitate greater economic integration, peace and security, rebuilding areas devastated by conflict and tackling emigration. These priorities will all be transformed into action plans during Egypts one-year presidency of the AU, he said. *A version of this article appears in print in the 4 October, 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Priority to Africa Search Keywords: Short link: By Express News Service MUMBAI: Oil markets may heave a sigh of relief at last as the United States has indicated for the first time its willingness to grant waivers from sanctions on Iran oil purchase. Separately Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman has said that the kingdom has met the promise of filling up any shortfall the oil markets faced on Iran oil going out of it due to sanctions. For India, reeling under oil price hike and the burden of depreciating rupee, continued flow of Iran oil even as sanctions kick in on November 4 would be a great relief. Global news agency Reuters reported from Washington quoting an unnamed government official saying that the administration is in the midst of an internal process to consider significant reduction exemptions (SRE) waivers. It added that the US administration is prepared to work with countries that cut Iran imports on a case by case basis. India has been negotiating with Iran for payment for oil in rupees and two state-owned Indian refiners Indian Oil Corporation and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd have contracted to by 1.25 million tonnes of crude oil from Iran in November, PTI reported. Oil companies have been tight lipped about Iran imports. India had planned to import 25 million tonnes of crude from Iran this year, up from 22.6 million tonnes imported last year planned before US withdrew from the nuclear deal with Tehran. Crude oil prices last week hit a four year high of $86/barrel mainly on fears of tightening supplies with Iran oil going out of market. Prince Muhammad was quoted by Bloomberg as having said We export as much as two barrels for any barrel that disappeared from Iran recently So we did our job and more. Any stability will bring relief to Indian economy and consumers if markets on Monday take into account the news of partial waivers. domestic relief For India, reeling under the sharp rise in oil prices and the burden of a steadily depreciating rupee, continued flow of Iran oil even as sanctions kick in on November 4 would be a great relief. By Express News Service CHENNAI: The merger of Dena Bank, Vijaya Bank and Bank of Baroda will be completed in three financial quarters, Karnam Sekar, Chief Officer of Dena Bank, told reporters on Saturday. The Central government had proposed the merger of the three banks, aiming to create the countrys third-largest lender. This move has been seen as a preparation for consolidation of public sector banks. Late in September, the banks accepted the proposal. The banks may not see massive profits immediately in the financial year 2018-19, but however, in the few years after that, were expecting large chunky Non Performing Assets (NPA) to return, said Sekar explaining that the mid-term expected outcome of the merger seems promising. He said the NPAs of banks have not gone up in the recent past and that accretion of NPA is over for Dena Bank. He, however, acknowledged that the amalgamation is not going to be a simple process. Harmonising of four broad areas have to be planned soon: transaction front and customer experience, creating a common credit plane spread across corporates and infrastructure and branches of the different banks, he said. The bank has formed an internal committee to plan for the merger. The heads of the three banks are likely to meet next week. The combined entity will have a strong presence across the nation with over 34 per cent of low-cost deposits. However, the HR practices of the banks are similar and the employee hierarchy is not very different as they are all in the public sector. The merger is perfect. This is an arranged-love marriage, he said. V V Balakrishna By Express News Service HYDERABAD: Leaving its main rivals behind in the poll race, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has been vigorously campaigning for the elections across the State. While TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao announced the names of 105 candidates, right after dissolving the Assembly on September 6, the Congress-proposed grand alliance partners are yet to sort out the issue of seat sharing. The TRS chief has so far addressed five massive public meetings starting with one in Kongarkalan and that was followed similar meetings in Husnabad, Nizamabad, Nalgonda and Mahbubnagar. According to a senior leader of the party, after a short break, Chandrasekhar Rao will resume his election campaign with similar public meetings in Khammam, Warangal and other districts. The party leaders, meanwhile, are also claiming that the early announcement of the candidates has given enough time for the party to deal with the issue of dissidents.We know that there will be dissidence, as we have too many aspirants for tickets in each Assembly segment. In the last one month, the dissidence fizzled out, a TRS functionary said. After setting right its house and controlling the dissidents, the pink partys car seems to be speeding away in top gear and the party well ahead of all their rivals. The sources, meanwhile, revealed that TRS will release its manifest in a weeks time. Multi-cornered contest Meanwhile, with TRS, BJP, the grand alliance parties and Bahujana Left Front as well as independents set to enter fray, it will be multi-cornered contest in December 7 elections. The TRS, who has decided to go it alone and announced candidates for 105 out of 119 Assembly segments, will soon reveal the remaining 14 candidates. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) too has decided to go it alone and planning to field its candidates in all the 119 Assembly seats. The Congress-proposed grand alliance, which also comprises TDP, CPI and Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS), will also be contesting in all the Assembly segments. But which party contests in how many seats will be known only after the alliance partners reach an agreement. The CPM has decided not to join the grand alliance. Parting ways with old-ally CPI, the CPM has formed Bahujan Left Front (BLF), which comprises more than 20 parties with Left leanings and Dalit ideologies. The BLF has decided to contest as many seats as possible and it likely to filed candidates belonging to Backward Classes and other weaker sections. By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA: In an apparent move to counter the scathing attack by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao against the TDP for joining hands with the Congress for the Assembly elections in the neighbouring State, AP Chief Minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu has said that it is a democratic compulsion to resist the BJP at the national level. Speaking to his party MPs at a meeting held at Undavalli on Saturday to take stock of the situation after Rao, in a series of public meetings in Telangana went hammer and tongs at him, Naidu, in what is seen as a damage control exercise, if any, by the outbursts of TRS chief, referred to the forming of National Front and United Front and also UPA and NDA at the national level, which arose out of democratic compulsions. Political alliances in a democracy have become imperative, he told his MPs to drive a point that joining hands with the Congress in Telangana had become a compulsion to counter the BJP. We have two alternatives. One is anti-Congress and the other is anti-BJP. With the BJP going all out against us, a compulsion has arisen that we need to sail with the parties that are against the saffron party, he asserted. Naidu took the opportunity to highlight the failure of the NDA government to deliver what was promised to AP. He underlined the need for a viable alternative to the BJP. They failed to accord SCS to AP and also deliver what was due to the State as per the AP Reorganisation Act. The BJP graph has fallen drastically now, he observed and said that it was the BJP which took the first step to snap its ties with the TDP by unilaterally announcing that it would go alone in 2019 elections. This is not just the case with the TDP as the saffron party tried to weaken its other alliance partners like Shiv Sena and Akali Dal, Naidu said. Once again reiterating that he had extended the hand of friendship to Rao to keep the Telugu States on top in South India, Naidu said that Rao rejected his offer. When I extended the hand of friendship, Rao initially sought time to think over it. But within a week, he came with a negative response. He wanted me to contest elections in Telangana without any alliance with the Congress. This made it clear that he is already dancing to the tunes of some others, Naidu reportedly told his MPs. On the ongoing Income Tax raids on various firms reportedly belonging to TDP leaders in the State, Naidu once again reiterated that the Centre is vindictive against AP and it unleashed the I-T Department to create a sense of fear among the ruling TDP leaders.The BJP tried to repeat what it had done in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu earlier. It is now trying to link former MLA A Revanth Reddys case to me, the Chief Minister observed. Naidu also referred to some media reports that the YSRC is ready to allot 10-15 Assembly seats to the BJP and said that this was evident with the Opposition party changing its aspiring candidate with another to benefit the BJP State president Kanna Lakshminarayana in Guntur Assembly constituency. Meanwhile, Naidu evolved his future course of action to take on the BJP at the Centre. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the party MP K Rammohan Naidu and others said that the TDP would make efforts to build an alternative alliance at the Centre. We planned to hold two national-level conclaves. One will be on Centre-State relations and the other on farmers issue, the MP said. Apart from this, the TDP MPs will raise the pending issues concerning the State and seek a speedy solution with Union Ministers, he added. Amrutha Kuber By Online Desk Did Marvel just troll its fans? Continuing promotions for the Marvel Cinematic Universes upcoming Avengers 4, fans might have gotten the biggest tease yet! Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and leaked the title of movie. Before the show screening, Ruffalo tweeted an oops moment, sent out a tweet asking Fallon if the spoilers could be cut: .@JimmyFallon, I trust that you will cut my spoiler slip on the show tonight. That was off the record homey. Please dont get me in trouble with Marvel (Barry) again. DM me back. M Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) October 5, 2018 To which Fallon promptly said its too late to: Before the episode was aired, Fallon posted a video to hype up the spoiler, promising a major revelation for fans. In the episode, Mark sheepishly exclaims how he has in the past given spoilers like ruining the end of Avengers Infinity War with actor Don Cheadle and says Cheadle refused to do press shows with him thus being put on surveillance by Marvel, says he learns his lesson. But Fallon presses Ruffalo to reveal the title and he actually does! But fans were left disappointed as the exact minute Ruffalo revealed the title, it was bleeped out: (Jimmy Fallon show | YouTube screengrab) And then the (apparent) bombshell dropped from the Russo Brothers who joined in on the Twitter conversation with: Mark, youre fired. There has been no tweets since, from either Ruffalo or the Russo Brothers which sent the Internet into a tizzy, obviously: Marvel's smash-hit superhero ensemble film "Avengers: Infinity War" had hauled in over USD 2.002 billion internationally, which includes USD 656.1 million in North America and USD 1.346 billion from other territories. "Avengers: Infinity War" featured Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin, Anthony Mackie, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Chadwick Boseman, Sebastian Stan, Don Cheadle, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Pom Klementieff, Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Wong, Tom Holland, among others. The sequel to the film, tentatively titled 'Avengers 4' will release on 26 April 2019 in the UK and 3 May 2019 in the US. By IANS NEW YORK: Owing to increased stress, deaths from sudden cardiac arrests are more likely to happen on any day at any time, finds a new research, challenging previous claims that weekday mornings -- especially Mondays -- were the danger zones. Almost 17 million cardiac deaths occur annually worldwide while the survival rate from sudden cardiac arrest is less than one per cent. "While there are likely several reasons to explain why more cardiac arrests happen outside of previously identified peak times, stress is likely a major factor," said Sumeet Chugh, an Indian-origin Professor of medicine from the Smidt Heart Institute in the US. "We now live in a fast-paced, 'always on' era that causes increased psycho-social stress and possibly an increase in the likelihood of sudden cardiac arrest," Chugh added. For the study, published in the journal Heart Rhythm, the team analysed data on 1,535 patients who died from sudden cardiac arrest, among which only 13.9 per cent died in the early morning hours, the findings revealed. "Because sudden cardiac arrest is usually fatal, we have to prevent it before it strikes," Chugh said. "Our next steps are to conclusively determine the underlying reasons behind this shift, then identify public health implications as a result," he added. Apart from stress, other contributing factors may be a shift in how high-risk patients are being treated, as well as inadequacies in how past studies have measured time of death caused by sudden cardiac arrest. Medha Dutta By We dont read and write poetry because its cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. John Keating (Dead Poets Society) Poetry is what we stay alive for. Irrespective of the times we live in, poetry sustains. It lives in overcrowded alleys and elite societies, in 6 ft X 6 ft chawls and penthouses overlooking the sea, in a 70-year-olds unpublished diaries and a 40-year-olds awarded writings. It lives, and it thrives in Manhattan and London, too, where new Indian poets are using the power of the social media and becoming stars with massive followings. Instapoetry is redefining millennials enjoyment of verse as Nikita Gill and Rupi Kaur, who live in England and Canada respectively, bring new rythm to literature. The delicate looking Kaur, whose unbound black hair, intense gaze and nose ring give her an exotic look, sold 1.4 million copies with Milk and Honey (2014). The Sun and Her Flowers (2017) debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times Bestsellers List. The reason Gills verse finds resonance with millions of readers is because her poems reflect the anxiety, loneliness and heartbreak that reflect the contemporary concerns that are youthfully globalised. Since she was 18, she was in and out of relationships with physically and emotionally abusive men. Last January, Nikitas poems were on placards during the wordwide Womens March that sought legislation and drafting new policies supporting womens rights, immigration reform and healthcare. A word of caution: when you repost her lines, ensure credit is given. You are the ocean deep and those that are as shallow as puddles will always dismiss you, musunderstand you, abandon you; all for fear of diappearing in your depths. (Nikita Gill) All themes of cultural conflict, loss, abandonment that are familiar to the young generation. Indian-born Canadian poet and writer Rupi Kaur's driving muse is her homeland Punjab which she left when she was four, and is reflected through themes of isolation and displacement. Ironically, she did not speak a word of English first at school in Ontario and instead drew pictures to communicate with friends. Today, by adopting the most accessible form of communication, Nikita and Rupi have reinvented the haiku, with short poems that appeal to Instagrammers.Rupi is also a talented illustrator whose debut collection of verse and prose Milk and Honey and The Sun and Her Flowers exploit the visual form which attracts her dedicated audience. Each verse is acompanied with an illustration that translates its essence. Nikita doesnt stick to Instagram alone, 'posting' her poetry on Tumblr, Facebook and ThoughtCatalog. Rupis poem, If you are not enough for yourself / you will never be enough / for someone else, got Instagram 1,75,000 likes. Her work is both simple and prolific. From exploring issues of migration and transnational identity to writing on womanhood and emotional abuse, she addreses the universal experience of young women today. Check this out: i am water soft enough to offer life tough enough to drown it away Little wonder that this Instagram sensation has three million followers. As per some reports, she even outsells Home 10 to 1. For purists, Instagram poetry is not real poetry, but then it has charted a new continent of imagination. Minimalist in its appearance, usually in lower caseperhaps in an attempt to reject mainstream conventionsInstagram poetry is not afraid to talk of forbidden topics. These poets on Instagram and other social media platforms are youngsome barely out of their teens. They are at ease while tackling topics such as sex, menstruation, bullying, LGBTQ rights, caste, religion, and much more. They are not the romantics that Shelley and Keats were. They do not write sonnets like Shakespeare. Words are their armour and they are not afraid. Sabika Abbas Naqvi has been writing poetry for as long as she can remember. A student of history, this gender rights activist writes in cutting English and breezy Hindustani about feminism and queer politics. She is also the founder of Sar-e-Rahguzar, a movement to bring poetry onto the streets. In July 2017, she decided to start performing her protest poetry in public spaces. From Shahid Kapoor to her domestic help who fought her oppressive familyall find a place in her poems that leave you with goosebumps. Model, poet, TV presenter, and writer Karuna Ezara Parekh often wins many hearts on Instagram through her self-written sonnets. Like Sabika, Karuna claims to be a staunch feminist and her poems are living proof of the rebel she is. The change in the poetic idiom is that the poets rely on visual effects to communicate. Instapoet Chhaya Dabass blog platform Baatein created an Instagram poetry community that goes beyond Indian plans to get on YouTube. Arunoday Singh uses the Insta name Sufisoul, and expresses his muse through calligraphy. Pratishtha Khattars instaverses uploaded in her own handwriting or as graphics, the erotic sketch on Jayas account et al show the writers are well-versed in the grammar of contemporary communication. Khawaja Musadiq poetofblues invokes the pain of displacement, as a young Kashmiri studying in Bengaluru. In Kolkata, for generations the Little Magazine Movement has been trying relentlessly to give poetry a recognisable and viable platform. This later evolved into the New Age Little Magazine Movement. Magazines such as Bohemian, Angick, BongQ, Ekak Matra, and writers such as Swagata Dasgupta, Rajdip Roy, Somen Mukhopadhay, Akash Gangopadhyay, Sankhayan Nanda, and many more made a deep mark. That was then. Founder of the Bengaluru Poetry Festival and also owner of the boutique bookstore and cafe Atta Galatta, Subodh Sankar, began hosting poetry events such as Let Poetry Be (a monthly event for amateur and published poets), Anjuman (a similar event for Hindi and Urdu poetry) at his bookstore in Bengaluru. Egged on by the enthusiasm and overwhelming response to these events, he was convinced that poetry as a form of self-expression was growing. He decided to launch the Bengaluru Poetry Festival three years ago as a platform exclusively for the poetic form. The Bengaluru Poetry Festival is the countrys only literary event dedicated to poetry. In its first outing, author and festival director Shinie Antony and the other co-founders decided to play it safe by keeping it small. They were wary of the response that they would get and thought poetry might not be everyones cup of tea. But the overwhelming response shocked them. We were not logistically prepared for the huge crowd that turned up, she says. This year young poets such as Kavish Seth, Ulrike Almut Sandig and Rabia Kapoor garnered a lot of attention at the two-day festival that concluded on August 5. Elaborating on the festival, Shinie says, The thing about Bengaluru is that audiences are very engaged. The average Bengaluru person has a bookshelf he is proud of. Little wonder that the interactive sessions with poets, with their cosy intimate feel, were a big hit, she says. She goes on to add that poetry is all about readings, unlike other festivals where panel discussions and thematic sessions happen. This helps people connect more, she says. Subodh is hopeful of the future. In its third edition, the footfall at the festival has gone up to a healthy 5,000, across all age groups. Subodh hopes that the direct contact that budding poets develop with publishers who attend the festival will translate into more poetry being published. Also, such festivals create awareness about the knowledge of the craft that many budding poets are seeking. Their interaction with senior and peers who have gained mastery with their craft also helps bridge the gap. Poet and publisher, Red River, Dibyajyoti Sarma was invited to this years Bengaluru Poetry Festival both as a poet and a publisher. This year, he says, there were more than 50 poets who had been invitedboth well-known and emergingwriting not just in English but in all Indian languages. Everyone was given the opportunity to share their works in a hall full of eager listeners. Usually, poetry readings are fringe events. Bengaluru Poetry Festival has managed to take it to the mainstream, he adds. According to Dibyajyoti, poetry was always popular, but its readership was always limited. But with Facebook and other social media, Indian poets, especially younger ones, have managed to find a community to share their work, or be a part of it. This visibility has also been helped by experiments like Insta poetry or spoken word poetry, he adds. He published his first book with Writers Workshop, Kolkata, in 2004. It was a buy-back arrangement. I could recover at least some portion of the investment, Dibyajyoti explains. According to him, poetry has a limited market and for a commercial publisher, its a risk. This becomes a roadblock for new poets who are keen to be published by a mainstream publisher. But the landscape is slowly changing. About a decade ago, Poetrywala was established as a dedicated poetry press. Today, there are several such initiatives, such as Hawakal (Kolkata), Copper Coin (Delhi) and Red River (Delhi), among others. Besides, initiatives such as The (Great) India Poetry Collective, and RL Poetry Awards run by Linda Ashok, are a major encouragement. Recently, Terribly Tiny Talesknown as the worlds most celebrated micro-fiction platformplunged into publishing poetry with their book Ninety-Seven Poems with support from Penguin Books. Co-founders Anuj Gosalia and Chintan Ruparel in their own way have brought poetry closer to millennials. For the duo, it was a natural progression from the e-platform to publishing. And, why not? Sample this: On their platform, poetry is in the top three performing text formats. On an average, one poem gets between 15,000 and 25,000 likes on Instagram alone, along with a bunch of comments and screenshots. The anthology Ninety-Seven Poems with Penguin has had a great start with over 10,000 copies sold in the first couple of months. On their app, theres a new poem being written and published every few minutes. In the last 100 days alone, they have received 11,000 poetry submissions on the app. The poemWhat to never tell a writer by Ayushi Trehanin the collection goes: Never tell a writer that her poems dont rhyme Shes running out of words and whyme Never tell a writer that whyme isnt a word Shes coming up with new ones so that she can rhyme Theres a sea of writers/performers who are wanting to get their pieces published, or spoken word videos uploaded. Everyone has a lot to say, and now there are enough platforms that let you. Theres nothing like self-publishing and letting you find your own audience. Instagram has been the forerunner in that way. Its where young people today spend most of their time and feel less judged. They feel encouraged to create and share on the go. Penguin editor Sohini Mitra believes poetry has traditionally been seen as a niche genre, and hence most publishers have been slightly cautious about publishing new voices in this space. However, within the larger umbrella of poetry there can certainly be forms and sub-categories that have the potential to be very popular and hence commercialised. She goes on to add that the new crop of poets have also made poetry more accessible and mass market by taking it to digital platforms such as Instagram and Twitter. At the same time, Chintan and Anuj acknowledge that more needs to be done to take poetry to a larger audience. They are planning to launch their first poetry writing workshopit could be a musing on an Insta story, or a rant video on YouTube. Making people comfortable to share personal experiences through poems, and expanding the outreach of writing is perhaps the need of the hour, they say. What Allen Ginsberg had said decades ago, seems to fit todays self-publishing scene: Poetry is not an expression of the party line. Its that time of night, lying in bed, thinking what you really think, making the private world public, thats what the poet does. Terribly Tiny Tales has company when it comes to such innovative platforms to popularise poetry. Simar Singh, founder of the Mumbai-based UnErase Poetry, is still in his teens, but that has not stopped him from going ahead and promoting something he believes in. In fact, he has been writing poetry since he was nine. The platform organises shows that take place twice a month. These one-and-half-hour-long shows comprise up to six poets who perform for 10-15 minutes each showcasing their original works. These shows also go viral through social networking sites. Then there is Kommunea collective of artists, producers, patrons, collaborators and art lovers. Their aim is to discover and nurture creative performance art ideas. From storytelling, to poetry, to theatreits all about mesmerising the audience. ...Her question, a woman in a sweatshirt, Hand raised in a crowded roomWhat use is poetry? ...Standing apart I looked at her and saidWe have poetry So we do not die of history... Question Time, Meena Alexander Contemporary poet Ranjit Hoskote, who started publishing his works in 1991, says, The future of poetry has never been in doubt. Poetry has remained an integral part of human and cultural experience from the time of the earliest shamans and bards to the present. Today, we can legitimately celebrate the diffusion of poetry in diverse forms and on a range of platforms, ranging from print and online publication to the zine and journal, from readings and performances to slams, spoken-word gatherings and poetry festivals. He believes that the young have always been attracted to poetry. For some, it is a venue to express key emotions. For others, it offers a way to explore deeper aspects of their consciousness, or to connect with a larger world. Some of them may feel intimidated, but they often rise to the challenge without being hobbled by preconceptions. Young people in India form an important part of the readership for poetry, he adds. Poet Mani Rao agrees with Ranjit when she says poetry was never out, rather it is more in. Poetry can expand within the reader, unravelling over time. I never thought it translated into sales until I saw what the Bengaluru Poetry Festival accomplished, she smiles. It is not just in metros where the literary world is buzzing with poets and enthusiastic readers are going out of their way to encourage budding talent. Even tier II and tier III cities are not shying away from holding their version of poetry festivalsalbeit, more like poetry slams. Something like what Simar did in Mumbai, Avadhesh Sharma did in Indore. He started One Cup Poetry an initiative from Poetry Corner Indiawhich was founded by him about five years back. One Cup Poetry is a rich brew of Hindi, English and Urdu songs, ghazals, poems in which youngsters across the country recite their compositions. It is an all-encompassing platform that allows free discussions on taboos. Few selected poets also get a chance to perform on bigger platforms with renowned names. To popularise poetry, Ranjit has a simple word of advice: Poetry has never been dead. Several independent publishing imprints (such as Poetrywala, Copper Coin, and Hawakal) are committed to bringing out volumes of poetry, as well as websites, journals and poetry-specific festivals. One has to acquaint oneself with the poetry scenes in various languages in India, whether English, Urdu, Kannada, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Hindi, or Malayalam. Besides, reading English translations of poets across languages and periods, which have emerged during the last 15 years, can always build healthy readership. Ranjit names Sampurna Chattarjis translation of Joy Goswamis poetry, Arunava Sinhas of Sunil Gangopadhyay, and Mustansir Dalvis of Hemant Divate as some of his must-reads in translations. Publishers have to think of sales, and poetry may seem less marketable than fiction, believes Mani. She echoes Ranjits thoughts when she says: Buy poetry books. Attend their readings, volunteer at their events, and share their announcements on social media. As E E Commings so aptly put it for all of us: Well, write poetry, for Gods sake, its the only thing that matters. When Mahathir bin Mohamad speaks, at least Asia listens, if not many others. As incumbent Prime Minister of Malaysia and senior-most political personality in Asia, Mahathirs recent election as Malaysias leader at the age of 93 brought some inherent wisdom of the ancients to the emerging Asian strategic scenario. Speaking in China, he accused his hosts of securing influence through debt-funded infrastructure that recipient countries could ill-afford. Five years ago when China initiated its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to expand its outreach through investment in infrastructure, it was well known that Chinas interests were not economic alone but essentially centred on garnering strategic influence in nations that it was investing in. Save India there is barely a country from South to South-East Asia that has not been tempted by Chinas cheap credit which was available from its overheated economy. Developing countries are usually stuck in the trap of low available internal funding for infrastructure, leading to compromises in development. That is why Chinas BRI appeared to make immense sense. What was certain was that the Chinese were tough negotiators and extremely secretive. The terms and conditions of most of the BRI projects have not been transparent. It started with Sri Lanka where the port of Hambantota in the south was developed as a virtual greenfield project at a very heavy cost. That forced Sri Lanka into debt for equity arrangements leading to the Chinese taking over operational control. Mahathirs predecessor Najib Razaq had similarly negotiated projects and for some period of time Malaysia appeared to be making the most of Chinas goodwill. For China, Malaysia is a very important nation. Presence of ethnic Chinese population apart, it is geo-strategically located in proximity of the South China Sea (SCS) and controls some crucial sea lanes. Mahathirs unexpected return to leadership role led him to question the prudence of the infrastructure contracts and the terms and conditions. This has placed $40 billion worth of Chinese projects under scrutiny. Mahathir has also re-raised the flag of resistance to militarisation of the SCS. This could be the spark which either directly forces other recipient governments to re-examine the investments and the terms and conditions or the same is forced on them by sheer domestic pressure. The man who should be really worried is Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte whose actions have been akin to former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib. A strategic sell-out of Philippines and its interests has been the norm. A possible political backlash against Duterte may well force him to recalibrate his strategy. A survey did indicate that 9 out of 10 people from the Philippines want Duterte to negotiate back some of the islands in SCS, now occupied by China. A whopping $ 24 billion promised as investment has not fructified leaving Filipinos very angry. If the results of the elections in the Maldives is any indicator then China will need to revamp strategy considerably and even outside South East Asia. Abdullah Yameen, out and out a Chinese protege, lost the election by a fair margin to a dispensation under Mohamed Solih known to be pro-India. Yameens reversal of Maldives foreign policy to one openly in support of China may have been one of the contributory factors which led to the victory of Solih. If we are to believe this then the resistance to Chinese hegemony may gain traction faster than can be predicted. Nations such as Indonesia, Cambodia and Laos could follow suit, especially if traditional investments from the US and Japan are to materialise. Fortunately for China just when the opportunities seem to be rising for the US, President Donald Trump has decided not to attend the ASEAN summit on November 11-15; a strategic opportunity lost. Will vice-president Mike Pences presence make up for it? Coming to the western neighbourhood, Pakistan is the biggest recipient of the Chinese largesse, or so it seemed till recently. It is reliably learnt that the $62 billion-plus China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is no longer receiving the same smiles from the Pakistanis as it was three years ago. The jobs have all gone to the Chinese, including labour. Chinese colonies coming up in urban areas are being frowned on and a culture mismatch with invasion by thousands of Chinese is causing social worry. Besides, a $4 billion annual debt servicing from 2019 onwards is something Pakistan can ill-afford, meagre as its foreign exchange reserves are. To top it, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had earlier threatened that for any economic bailout from the International Monetary Fund, Pakistan will have to make transparent the terms and conditions of the CPEC; none of the debt servicing would be permitted from the funding made available by IMF. So another chink in Chinas infrastructure diplomacy appears in the making. It could lead to another debt for equity situation enhancing Chinese presence. Pakistan is far too close to China for its strategic needs but this could force it to be more balanced in approach just as many others have learnt in South and SE Asia, the hard way. Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain Former Commander, Srinagar-based 15 Corps atahasnain@gmail.com Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: At least 244 candidates have been elected uncontested in the four-phase Urban Local Bodies (ULB) polls in Jammu and Kashmir, which begins on Monday. Around 2,990 contestants are in fray for the polls. An official said that of the 244 candidates elected unopposed, 231 were from the militancy-infested Kashmir, while 13 were from Jammu. While 78 contestants stood for the first phase, 65 stood for the second phase, 49 for third phase and 52 for fourth phase. The four-phase polls for 79 ULBs in Jammu and Kashmir would be held on October 8, 10, 13 and 16. The counting would be held on October 20. READ STORY HERE: Jammu and Kashmir local body polls: Can democracy sustain amidst militancy? The official said that of the total 2,990 candidates in the fray, 1,283 people (207 from Kashmir) would contest in Phase-I; 1,094 (209 from Kashmir) in Phase-II; 411 (159 from Kashmir) in Phase-III and 202 contestants, all from Kashmir, in Phase-IV. There are a total of 1,145 wards in 79 municipal bodies in the state. In the first phase of polling on October 8, 422 wards would go to polls, polling for 384 wards would be held in the second phase, 207 wards would go to polls in the third phase and 132 wards in the final phase. Of the candidates elected uncontested, majority belong to BJP and Congress, while the rest are independents and candidates of Peoples Conference of separatist-turned-mainstream politician and former minister Sajjad Gani Lone, who is a BJP ally. The states two major political parties - National Conference and PDP - along with smaller parties, have boycotted the polls by linking their participation to the Central governments stand on Article 35A, which grants special privileges to residents of the state. The separatist leaders have also called for boycott of the civic and municipal polls while militants have warned those contesting the polls of severe consequences. Two workers of National Conference were shot dead by militants in Habba Kadal area of downtown Srinagar on Friday. After their killing, at least three candidates including two from Srinagar have withdrawn their nomination papers. Meanwhile, the state government has declared public holidays in the poll-bound areas on the election days. According to the order, special casual leave shall be granted to the employees who have to go to other areas for exercising their right to franchise, for which they would demonstrate proof of voting on return. By ANI LUCKNOW:: Two Uttar Pradesh police constables, Shadab and Keshav Pandey, have been suspended for allegedly supporting cop, accused of killing Apple executive Vivek Tiwari. Around 13 police constables including- Shadab and Keshav Pandey had demonstrated in the favour of the accused cop at Ghazipur's Zamania Police Station on Friday. Last month, Tiwari was allegedly shot dead by a patrolling constable for refusing to stop his car. On October 2, the postmortem report of Tiwari revealed that he died due to a gunshot injury on the left side of his chin. During the preliminary investigation, the cop who allegedly shot the Apple executive claimed that he fired at the latter's car in self-defence as it tried to run over his motorbike. Head of the Natural Resources Department at Cairo Universitys African Research and Studies Institute Abbas Sharaki explains Egyptian interests in the negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam The irrigation ministers of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia met in Addis Ababa last week for more talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), with the ministerial meeting being attended for the first time by the tripartite scientific committee charged with assessing the filling of the dams reservoir. The meeting, the latest in a seemingly endless series supposed to iron out differences between the three countries, ended without concrete progress, though the three countries said again that they were committed to working towards an agreement acceptable to all. The recent announcement by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed that construction problems would delay the completion of the GERD provoked mixed reactions. Some in Egypt breathed sighs of relief, though others soon began to wonder whether the announcement was a diversionary tactic, a political manoeuvre intended to deflect attention from the impact of the dam on downstream countries. Abbas Sharaki, head of the Natural Resources Department at Cairo Universitys African Research and Studies Institute, said the delay was real and that satellite imagery confirmed that work on the central part of the dam, which is 130 metres wide and has reached 60 metres out of its planned 145-metre height, had ground to a halt. Ethiopias prime minister blamed the Metals and Engineering Corporation (MetEC), the military-based local contractor, for the delay, though construction work was in any case planned to halt during the August to September rainy season. Ahmed said that MetEC lacked the expertise to fulfill its duties, adding that the Italian engineering company Salini Construttori had continued to meet its contractual obligations. The first phase of the dam, involving the installation of two out of the planned 16 turbines, was originally slated for May 2015. Ahmed cast doubt over MetECs involvement in the project when he questioned its ability to complete the installation of all 16 turbines when it had failed to install the two scheduled for the first phase. Sharaki argued that the delays reflected problems in financing, pointing out that the MetEC plays neither a technical nor an engineering role. It did not design the dam, nor was it expected to manufacture or install the turbines. Its role was limited to procuring the turbines, and its failure to do so, Sharaki said, suggested liquidity problems. By seeking to blame the company Ahmed may be attempting to deflect accusations of incompetent management being levelled at Ethiopias government, Sharaki said. The company was only set up seven years ago and has no previous experience of such a large-scale project, raising questions about why it was awarded the contract. The accusations have damaged the companys reputation and its ability to compete globally. MetEC is managed by senior army commanders, and the accusations of incompetence will inevitably raise tensions between the defence minister and the prime minister and intensify the rumbling conflict between the government and the army following the recent removal of a number of senior military commanders in Ethiopia. The delay also offers Cairo an opportunity to press ahead with the negotiating process which until now had been outstripped by ongoing construction work, not least because of Addis Ababas stonewalling, according to Sharaki. The stalling had meant that negotiations held in Addis Ababa on 15 May had failed to reach an agreement on long-overdue scientific studies of the dam, he said. He lamented the fact that Ethiopia has always evaded providing necessary information about the dam to the international committee that started work in May 2012. The goal of the committee was to identify the advantages and disadvantages of the dam and its impact on downstream countries. When the committee finished its report, it stressed that the scientific studies done were not enough and that other major studies were still missing. The first section of the report examined the dams engineering, safety factors and its architectural design, and condemned Ethiopia strongly. Ethiopia answered that the dams engineering, construction and safety were related to Ethiopian sovereignty. To facilitate matters, Egypt agreed to Ethiopias stipulations so that negotiations could be resumed. The second section of the report dealt with the quantities of water trapped and water wasted due to evaporation and leakage in the ground. The experts confirmed that the studies were deficient, suggesting that the dam was being constructed in a rush. The third part dealt with the environmental, economic and social aspects and the impact of the dams construction on both the environment and the people of South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt. These studies did not take into account the impact of the dam on the migration of some Sudanese people living nearby and on quarries and forests in these areas. The report, Sharaki said, should have been published freely. He said that it was important to use the report condemning Ethiopia as a form of pressure. It was also necessary to clarify the motives behind the construction of the dam to the Ethiopian people, he said, adding that it will never satisfy the purposes it is being built for. The dam will not prevent flooding as it is being built on the Ethiopian border with Sudan. The dam will also not prevent drought, as Ethiopians will not benefit from its stored water because it rises only 500 metres above sea level and the Ethiopian capital is about 2,500 metres above sea level, making it very costly to lift the stored water to higher areas. The main purpose of the dam is to generate electricity, with an expected capacity of up to 6450 MW. Ethiopia wants this to help to meet its cneeds and to export the surplus. The country is experiencing energy shortages as it struggles to serve a population of nearly 110 million people and meet growing electricity demand, forecast to grow by approximately 30 per cent annually. According to Sharaki, the dam is not a matter of life or death to Ethiopia, however. The water that will be caught in its huge reservoir will neither be used for drinking nor for agriculture, whilst the River Nile means life for all Egyptians. The dam is being established on the Blue Nile, which supplies the Nile with about 60 per cent of its water. The Ethiopians will one day wake up to these facts, knowing after spending billions of dollars on this project that it will not meet their demand for development, Sharaki said. Instead of such a huge project, Ethiopia should have opted for smaller dams on the Nile tributaries, which would have given greater benefits while not harming downstream countries. Should the dam be completed, it will affect Egypts share of Nile water amounting to 55.5 billion cubic metres per annum. Already Egypt is suffering from water poverty as its per capita share does not exceed 550 cubic metres per year out of a widely accepted standard of 1,000 cubic metres. Egyptian diplomacy should focus on how the dam is managed and cooperate with the Ethiopians particularly in the first years of filling the reservoir so that damage to Egypt and Sudan may be avoided, Sharaki said. He gave the example of a similar situation with Uganda in 1965 when the Ugandans established a dam on Lake Victoria affecting 15 per cent of the Niles water. We requested the involvement of three Egyptian engineers in the operation and the management of the dam in coordination with Uganda. Egyptian engineers are still present there. Their mission is not to supervise nor to interfere in Ugandan affairs, but is characterised by cooperation and the exchange of expertise so that the dam does not harm Egypts interests, he said. These principles should be applied to the GERD, as stipulated in Article 5 of its Declaration of Principles, he added. There may also be advantages in delays in completing the dam to offer financial and technical cooperation to the Ethiopian side. Ethiopia is suffering from an accumulation of debt that had jumped in the past five years from around $14 billion in 2013 to about $36 billion in 2017. less than the expenses incurred. Egypt can also help with the technical side of the dam. It has experience building dams, importing turbines and installing them, Sharaki said. He added that China and the UAE could play a mediating role. China has investments in Ethiopia worth billions of dollars, and about 40 per cent of Ethiopias debt is owed to Chinese banks. Egypts relationship with China is strong and has been growing since President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi took office. Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces, visited Ethiopia in June this year to show political support to Ahmed, and he was accompanied by generous development aid and investment funding. This economic assistance could also work in Egypts interests, Sharaki noted. * A version of this article appears in print in the 4 October, 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Changing tactics on the dam Search Keywords: Short link: By PTI LUCKNOW: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will spend his MP area development funds on Rae Bareli, a move being seen as an attempt by the BJP to breach the Gandhi family bastion in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. 'Representative' of Arun Jaitley and UP BJP spokesperson Hero Bajpai told PTI, "Almost a month back, Jaitley had chosen Rae Bareli district as a Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh. The backwardness of the district despite being represented by a prominent political family and the various demands which have been emanating from the district, prompted Jaitley ji to choose this. " Under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), each MP has the choice to suggest to the district collector for works to the tune of Rs 5 crore per annum to be taken up in his/her constituency. A Rajya Sabha MP can recommend works in one or more districts in the state from where he/she has been elected. Bajpai said, "The Union finance minister may tour Rae Bareli in the first or second week of November. " However, Bajpai ruled out any possibility of an epic battle in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections between Sonia Gandhi and Arun Jaitley. "He (Jaitley) will not contest the Lok Sabha elections, but will strengthen the BJP in the Congress bastion," Jaitley's representative said. The people in Rae Bareli have been demanding a stadium, a university, solar lights and solar energy-operated pumps in remote villages of the district, Bajpai said, and added that efforts would be made to fulfill all the incomplete works in the district so that people could heave a sigh of relief. He also said Rs 2.5 crore had already reached the chief development officer of Rae Bareli (the nodal person to carry out the works using the MPLADS funds). Rae Bareli is currently represented by Sonia Gandhi in the Lok Sabha, while the neighbouring parliamentary constituency of Amethi is represented by Rahul Gandhi (current Congress president). Prior to this, Indira Gandhi had won from Rae Bareli in 1980, while her elder son Rajiv Gandhi had represented Amethi in Lok Sabha in 1984, 1989 and 1991. Sanjay Gandhi had won from Amethi in 1980. "Rae Bareli, which remained in darkness, as development eluded it during the the Congress rule, has now started experiencing the first rays of development touching its soil. Whenever any stalwart leader enters a district, it adds a new dimension to the growth saga of the district," Bajpai said, claiming that people of Rae Bareli are happy that the Union finance minister will be spending his MP area development funds on the district. Jaitley's representative also said, "This will help the BJP achieve its mission of bagging more than 73 Lok Sabha seats from UP in the 2019 general elections." Uttar Pradesh sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha. In the 2014 parliamentary elections, the BJP won 71 seats, its ally Apna Dal got two, while the SP bagged five and the Congress won the remaining two. Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani, during a recent visit to Amethi and Rae Bareli last month, had attacked the Gandhi family for the lack of development in its stronghold. She had accused the two Congress leaders for failing to develop their own constituencies, claiming that 70 to 80 per cent of houses were still made of mud. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections Sonia Gandhi had bagged 5,26,434 votes and defeated her BJP rival by a margin of 3,52,713 votes. Rajesh Asnani By Express News Service JAIPUR: At a massive rally in Ajmer, Prime Minister Narendra Modi came out all guns blazing on Saturday to attack the Congress in Rajasthan where the ruling BJP is up against a strong anti-incumbency wave. In the rally scheduled to mark the culmination of Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Rajes Gaurav Rath Yatra, Modi said those involved in petty politics for votes should not be allowed to enter any state. It is up to the people to choose between vote and growth politics, he said, making a direct comparison between the Congress and the BJP. Rajasthan votes on December 7 and the result will be out on December 11. People who enjoy such politics are the ones who create divide between Hindu and Muslims, and castes and communities. They have a mindset to take advantage of sensitive situations by pitting one against another. The entire system has been ruined. After 60 years, the country has started progressing in the right direction. You should not let them come back, Modi told the massive crowds. Given Rajasthans long-standing link with the armed forces, the PM targeted the Congress for doubting the surgical strikes on Pakistan. The surgical strikes were a valiant effort by our soldiers. Every Indian is proud of our jawans, but whats wrong with the Congress that it cant even identify this achievement? They are stooping so low just for politics, he said. The PM targeted Congress leaders, saying they were only concerned about appeasing its central leadership. Vasundhra ji told me that not once did she see the opposition leaders in the Vidhan Sabha and not once did they raise any constructive criticism. I told her that they never do it in any state. They only know how to pray to one family. For us, the only family is the 7.5 crore people of Rajasthan, he said. Modi sought the peoples support for Raje, who is seeking another term as the CM. After running the government for five years, she has gone to the people to give breakdown of the expenses, which is commendable. By PTI AHMEADBAD: The police have so far arrested 342 people from various parts of Gujarat for allegedly attacking non-Gujaratis, especially those hailing from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, following the rape of a 14-month-old girl in Sabarkantha district, a senior officer said on Sunday. Non-Gujaratis were targeted and hate messages circulated against them on social media after a native of Bihar was arrested for allegedly raping the toddler on September 28. "Six districts have mainly been affected (by the violence), with Mehsana and Sabarkantha being the worst hit. In these districts, 42 cases have been lodged and so far we have arrested 342 accused. More arrests will be made as names of the accused come up during investigation," Director General of Police Shivanand Jha told reporters. Also Read | Outsiders attacked across Gujarat after 14-month-old girl's rape; 170 arrested He said 17 companies of State Reserve Police (SRP) have been deployed in the affected areas. "Security of areas inhabited by non-Gujaratis and the factories where they work has been increased. Police have also increased patrolling in these areas," he added. Two cases have been lodged for spreading rumours on social media which led to violence, the DGP said. Responding to a question about the exodus of non-Gujaratis following the attacks, Jha said they may be leaving for their native states in view of the upcoming festive season. Read | Gujarat Deputy CM writes to chief justice for speedy trial in rape case of 14-month-old girl "If people are leaving for home for a festival, it should not be seen otherwise. I have told my officers to visit residential areas, and if required, visit bus stands and railway stations and if people are found leaving due to fear, (then to) persuade them to come back," he said. Police officials in Gandhinagar, the worst-affected district, have been directed to organise camps and communicate with local leaders to convince the people to stay, he said. Additional forces and vehicles are being provided in districts which have asked for them to ensure safety of the non-Gujarati residents, he added. Meanwhile, Congress MLA Alpesh Thakor announced that he will go on a 'sadbhavna' (goodwill) fast from October 11 if the government does not withdraw "false cases" registered against his supporters in the wake of the attacks. He said the fast will be held to protest the "government's attempt to malign him and his supporters" over the violence. Last week, Thakor had raked up the issue of non-Gujaratis while demanding "justice" for the rape survivor. He had demanded that local people be given preference in jobs in industries in Gujarat. By PTI NEW DELHI: Two days after India signed a multi-billion-dollar deal with Russia to procure S-400 Trimuf S-400 air defence system despite the looming threat of US sanctions, Army chief General Bipin Rawat stressed that the country follows an independent policy. The armed forces were also keen on getting the Kamov helicopters and other weapon systems from Moscow, he added. General Rawat returned on Saturday night after a six-day visit to Russia where he held talks with the Russian military officers to enhance cooperation between the two countries. The Army chief said the Russians were very keen in associating with the Indian Army and defence forces because they do understand that we are a strong Army, capable of standing up to what is right for us, based on our strategic thought-process. READ | Sanctions not meant to punish allies, says US after India and Russia ink S-400 missile deal Recounting his exchange with a Russian naval officer over India looking westwards at America, which has put sanctions on Russia, General Rawat said he replied to the officer that Washington had also threatened to impose restrictions on New Delhi for dealing with Moscow. Yes, we do appreciate that there could be sanctions on us, but we follow an independent policy, he said. Seeking to assuage Russian concerns over its growing ties with the US, the Army chief told the Russians to be rest assured that while we may be associating with America in getting some technology, but we follow an independent policy. The Trimuf deal could lead to sanctions being slapped against India under the Countering American Activities Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). India and Russia concluded the deal on Friday during President Putins visit notwithstanding the US warning that it would be a focus area for it to implement punitive sanctions against a nation undertaking significant business deals with the Russians. (With PTI inputs) By Express News Service BHOPAL: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Saturday launched the partys campaign for the upcoming Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh. Shah started with a public connect program in Indore, followed by a meeting of party workers in Dussehra Maidan, where he described the polls as a battle between kings and industrialists and the son of a poor, backward category family. Is chunaav mein ek taraf raja- maharaja aur udyogpati hai aur doosri taraf pichhade samaj ke garib ghar ka hamara neta Shivraj Singh Chouhan hai (This is a battle between the kings and industrialists on one side and our leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who comes from a poor backward class family on the other), said Shah. For 10 long years, it was the single engine-powered government of Chouhan that worked for the development of Madhya Pradesh, despite the UPA regime at the Centre not releasing funds for the BJP-ruled state. Over the last four-and-a-half years, the double engine governments (BJP govts in the state and the Centre) have been working in unison for the states development and well ensure that both leaders are voted back to power again, said Shah. Taking a dig at Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for questioning the Modi governments work over the past four-and-a-half years, Shah said, before asking what the Modi government has done for the country, Rahul Baba should answer the people about the work done by four generations of his family. Later, Shah travelled to Jhabua district, where he addressed a gathering of tribals, before travelling to Jaora town in Ratlam district. He then travelled to Ujjain where he addressed party workers. By Express News Service JABALPUR: Attempts by over-enthusiastic Congress supporters to perform the Arti of the partys national president Rahul Gandhi during Saturday evenings crowded road-show in Jabalpur town of poll-bound Madhya Pradesh went awry triggering a blaze of split seconds, just around 12-15 ft from vehicle boarded by Gandhi. The sudden incident which was smartly tackled by the alert SPG and state police personnel happened when the road-show was passing through the Model Road locality. A group of Congress workers led by local leader Kaudilal Rai (a strong contender for party ticket from Bargi assembly seat of Jabalpur district) lit a multi-tiered stand to perform Gandhis arti from behind the security rope, cordoning off the road. With a bunch of tri-coloured balloons flying just over the Arti stand, the balloons exploded after coming in contact with the flames of the Arti stand, triggering sudden burst of fire for split seconds. #WATCH: Congress President Rahul Gandhi and party leaders Kamal Nath & Jyotiraditya Scindia perform aarti during Narmada Puja at Gwarighat near Jabalpur. #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/GAs4RgAfuG ANI (@ANI) October 6, 2018 Alert SPG and state police personnel deployed on duty, however, ensured that there wasnt any untoward incident owing to it, as the road-show progressed ahead. When contacted in the matter by The New Indian Express on Sunday, the SP of Jabalpur district Amit Singh, while denying any security lapse said the incident didnt cause any panic or security scare, as the road-show went ahead without any disturbance. The sudden and split second incident happened behind the rope distancing the crowd from the motorcade. Those who lit the arti or were flying balloons over it were all Congress supporters. Nowhere is it mentioned in the Blue Book that crowd of workers cannot carry balloons or perform arti. Also, there wasnt any panic or security scare and lathi charge after the incident, said Singh. According to key sources in Jabalpur police, the Jabalpur district Congress president Dinesh Yadav has been served notice by the district police over the episode. Yadav had already signed on the Advanced Security Liason (ASL) report without informing the police and SPG at the advanced security meeting about any such planned arti of Gandhi by party workers during the road-show. Anuraag Singh By Express News Service BHOPAL: After assuming the mantle of Shiv and Ram Bhakt, Congress national president Rahul Gandhi became a Narmada Bhakt (devotee) during his tour to Jabalpur on Saturday. Posters welcoming Rahul as Narmada Bhakt dotted Jabalpur town of Madhya Pradesh. The Congress chief arrived in Jabalpur, which is considered the nucleus of Mahakoshal region, and first went to the Gwari Ghat on the Narmada banks. There, he performed a special aarti in the afternoon a departure from the usual practice of morning and evening aarti of the river. Senior BJP leader Hitesh Bajpai BJP leaders dubbed the entire exercise as an election aarti. I havent seen aarti of the river in afternoon, he quipped. Meanwhile, Rahul along with senior leaders Kamal Nath, Jyotiraditya Scindia and others went on a road show, which travelled 8 km in over two hours due to a huge crowd of party activists and supporters in Jabalpur town. Rahul assured the people of creating jobs for youths, if the Congress was voted back to power in Madhya Pradesh. Well ensure that there are factories where you get work and produce products of Made in MP and Made in Jabalpur brand. During four years in office, he said, PM Narendra Modi waived off loans worth `3 lakh crore of 15 top industrialists. Why didnt he do the same for weaker sections, farmers and tribals? The Modi government has divided the country into two parts one which has 15 industrialists, and, the other, a big part comprising poor and deprived sections with whom the Congress stands. At a programme of Ekta Parishad, he claimed that he did not make hollow promises. Im in politics since 2004, and you can see and listen to all my speeches. You wont find even a single speech, where I made hollow promise like depositing `15 lakh in every bank account, he said. Harpreet Bajwa By Express News Service CHANDIGARH: Punjab saw three rallies of the Congress, the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Aam Aadmi Party (SAD) in which Panthic issues were at the centre stage on Sunday. Notably, the Congress and the SAD held their rallies at the backyard of their rivals - Lambi, the constituency of former chief minister and Akali patron Parkash Singh Badal, and Patiala, the home town of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. At the Lambi rally, CM Amarinder Singh targeted the Badals for the sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib in 2015 when the SAD-BJP government was in power. Amarinder accused the Badals of blatantly lying on the Bargari sacrilege case and the police firing. The former CM claims to have slept through the entire episodes, though the then DGP had already exposed the lie before the Justice (Retd) Ranjit Singh Commission. How could a minister not know about such an important development?Amarinder asked, pointing out that the DGP had spoken to Badal at 2 a.m. that morning and had also spoken with the IG 22 times. Alleging that the SAD-BJP combine took no action on the sensitive Bargari, Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura incidents, Amarinder said his government had established the Commission and initiated the legal process to take action against the guilty. In Patiala, the Badal father-son duo returned the fire at the Jabar Virodh rally, saying the Congress failed to deliver on its tall promises, including loan waiver, and eradication of drugs. The Khalsa Panth will never allow the enemies of the Sikh, the Congress party, to grab the Sikh Gurdwara Sahiban and preside over the destiny of the Sikh heritage, Parkash Singh Badal said He reiterated that all sacrilege allegations were a part of deep-rooted Congress conspiracy to control Gurdhams for securing a clean chit to Operation Blue Star. Amarinder Singh himself publically announced his intent to control Sikh shrines. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal claimed the real demons were those who committed sacrilege at Bargari. If anyone was mortified at this development, it was the SAD. The Congress used it to launch a defamation campaign against us and is still teaming up with elements, which are using the Panths name to earn money.' Meanwhile, AAP held a protest march from Kotkapura to Bargari in Faridkot to protest against the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and the police firing in October 2015 on those protesting against these incidents. By ANI MUMBAI: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Senior leader Ajit Pawar on Saturday said that party president Sharad Pawar will not contest the upcoming 2019 Loksabha elections. Putting to rest speculations that Pawar will contest from Pune Lok Sabha seat, Ajit Pawar while addressing the media here said, "Sharad Pawar remains our supreme leader. He is 78 years old now and he feels that he shouldn't contest in Lok Sabha polls. Some party workers in Pune had requested him to contest in the polls but he told them clearly that he won't contest any election and his name should not be proposed from any seat. He has also asked party workers about the name of any other candidate that they may have in mind." The former Union Minister is currently holding a two-day meeting with party leaders at the party's state unit office to discuss candidates for the Lok Sabha polls scheduled for next year. Sharad Pawar has been in active politics now for six decades. He was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for four times, was the Defence Minister in then prime minister PV Narasimha Rao government and Agricultural minister in Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh government. Sharad Pawar had left the Congress party over the foreign nationalist issue of Sonia Gandhi and constituted the NCP. Cash transfers for all was how Philippe Van Parijs, a professor of politics and economics, explained the concept of basic income at a lecture at the American University in Cairo (AUC) last week. A basic income policy is a programme through which citizens of a country may receive a regular sum of money from a source such as the government, without strings attached, as their basic income. In his lecture at AUC, Van Parijs, one of the founders of the Basic Income Earth Network, a pressure group, and current chair of its international board, raised questions about the possibility of applying this concept in Egypt as a substitute for the present system of conditional cash transfers. A research paper by the AUCs Alternative Policy Solutions Project has suggested alternatives to regular basic incomes in Egypt. One scenario introduces basic incomes in the countryside. Another introduces them among young people and the elderly alone. Van Parijs started to promote the idea of basic incomes in the early 1980s as a solution to unemployment in the developed countries. He argued that giving extra income to employees working in several jobs might encourage them to leave one of them, making room for others who are unemployed. He concluded that it was developing countries that were more qualified to adopt basic incomes because of the administrative difficulties they faced in applying conditional cash transfers under which poorer people can receive regular monthly allowances on condition that they provide for their childrens education. Such conditional transfers have run into difficulties because of the inability to accurately identify those deserving support since many people work in the informal sector making obtaining data impossible and raising the possibility of corruption. There may also be problems of false registration and bribery. Egypt first applied its Solidarity and Dignity conditional cash support systems in 2014-2015, when it partially lifted fuel subsidies for the first time. However, the percentage of people falling under the poverty line increased to 27.8 per cent in 2015, not taking into consideration the effects of the economic measures taken by the end of 2016, such as floating the pound, lifting subsidies on energy products, increasing tariffs on some public services and applying the value-added tax, the AUC paper said. Van Parijs believes that the ideal solution would be to apply a basic-income policy and finance it through progressive taxes that deduct the support richer people may receive from tax breaks. Egypt reduced the maximum rate of income tax from 25 to 22.5 per cent and cancelled the exceptional 30 per cent tax it had imposed on the highest-income strata before convening the Egypt Economic Development Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh in 2015 to encourage investment. Consecutive governments have failed to impose a tax on stock market profits, despite the fact that this was first proposed in 2014-15. Hania Al-Shalqami, a professor at the AUCs Social Research Centre who helped to design the Solidarity and Dignity programmes, believes a basic-income policy may be politically skewed and that it is not a neutral expression of socio-economic policy. A basic-income policy may become a means towards more spending, or less of it, if the government uses it to wash its hands of social responsibility, Al-Shalqami told Al-Ahram Weekly. This policy cant be positively applied in Egypt in the absence of a fair and progressive tax system. Otherwise, there will not be renewable financing and justice will not be served since the rich will get as much cash support as the poor, she added. Egypts conditional cash-transfer system: Egypt has three main cash-support programmes. The first is Solidarity, a financial support system targeting poorer families with children conditional upon the childrens education and the healthcare of the mother and children. The second is Dignity, an unconditional programme that targets the poorest strata of society, such as the elderly and those suffering from disabilities that prevent them from working. Social Security is a third programme providing cash support for orphans, the elderly, the disabled, working single mothers, unmarried women over the age of 50, and the families of prisoners incarcerated for more than three years. The Iranian experience Irans application of a basic-income policy was correlated with its inability to channel unconditional cash support to the poor as a result of administrative difficulties in identifying those deserving of it. The Iranian initiative was meant as compensation for lifting subsidies on energy products, the first phase of which began in December 2010. Aside from the administrative difficulties, the Iranian authorities were worried at the reaction of higher-income groups who would not receive cash support, since they were the majority of energy consumers. As a result, they allowed every citizen to apply for support under the programme. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) applauded Iran for this move, considering it enough to end poverty in Iran. The World Bank was more reserved in its evaluation, while admitting that poverty rates in the country had dropped from 13.1 per cent to 8.1 per cent between 2009 and 2013 thanks to the basic-income policy. This had helped to alleviate the negative effects of the energy subsidies which benefited the rich more than the poor, it said. To finance its unconditional cash-support system, Iran first used up 80 per cent of its revenues earned from increases in the price of petroleum products. However, this was not a renewable source of finance, and within a year of starting the basic-income system the Iranian government found it difficult to finance the programme. Some 2.5 million Iranians voluntarily gave up their right to the cash support, while 73 million others continued to receive it. In January 2016, the Iranian government announced it was removing 3.3 million citizens from the cash-support system based on their financial status. In April of the same year, the countrys parliament passed a law that took 24 million others out of the system. * A version of this article appears in print in the 4 October, 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Basic income by other means Search Keywords: Short link: Manish Anand By Express News Service NEW DELHI: In what is seen as a semi-final to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, five states Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana will go to polls between November 12 and December 7 and declare popular verdict on December 11. The results are likely to set trends for 2019 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will seek to renew his 2014 mandate. While Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao advanced Assembly elections to take benefit from lack of Opposition in the state, the BJP is also drawing comfort from Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati not following the grand alliance script in the three party-ruled states, where the party is fighting antiincumbency of its chief ministers Vasundhara Raje (Rajasthan), Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh) and Raman Singh (Chhattisgarh). The saffron party appears at ease only in Chhattisgarh after the former state Congress strongman Ajit Jogi floated his own outfit Janata Congress Chhattisgarh, which would contest elections in alliance with the BJP, setting up for a triangular contest. The five poll-bound states account for 83 Lok Sabha seats out of which the BJP had bagged 53 in 2014 polls. Given the bitter Karnataka experience, where the Congress and JD(S) stitched together a post-poll alliance, BJP chief Amit Shah is taking no chances in the three party-held states. While Chouhan and Singh would be seeking fourth record terms, Raje is up against the trend of government being changed every five years in Rajasthan. Meanwhile, the Congress is seeking to cash in on the inchoate rage among farmers against the Modi government over agrarian distress, the middle class anger against employment squeeze and rising fuel prices. According to political observers, any setback for the BJP in party-governed states will galvanise the Opposition. On the other hand, if the BJP wins, it would set Shah on an invincible march to New Delhi in 2019 as well. By ANI DEHRADUN: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that when he became the Chief Minister of Gujarat for the first time in 2001, he wanted to turn the state into South Korea. While inaugurating the Uttarakhand Investors Summit in Dehradun, Prime Minister Modi said, "Our states have more power than many countries in the world. Compared to many small countries, our states have more potential. I still remember when I became the Chief Minister of Gujarat for the first time on October 7, 2001, I didn't know what the government is, as I lacked experience. I was completely new. So, one journalist came to me and asked such questions so that I give answers which will not allow my journey (as Chief Minister of Gujarat) to take off." ALSO READ: Jio to connect government schools, colleges with high-speed internet to make Uttarakhand 'Digital Devbhoomi': Mukesh Ambani He added, "I was asked who I see as my idol for development in Gujarat. Usually, when people are asked this, they say, 'I want to make it like America or like England.' But I gave a different answer to him. I said that I want to make it (Gujarat) like South Korea. The journalist didn't know anything. Later I explained to him that the population of Gujarat and South Korea are similar. I said that I have studied it so precisely that if we move towards that direction then we will not stop." Prime Minister Modi further said that the government has taken several measures for improving ease of doing business in the country. "We have improved the tax system in the country. We are trying to make the tax system more swift and transparent. Doing business has become easier due to Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. The banking system has also got strengthened. Potential, policy and performance, these are the sources of progress," he elucidated. The Prime Minister said that the Centre is moving ahead in modernising 400 railway stations and construction of 100 new airports and helipads. He also said Ayushman Bharat Yojana offers huge investment opportunities in the medical sector. Prime Minister Modi added that India is on top as far as food processing is concerned, and appealed to all for increased investment in agriculture. Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, KJ Alphons and CR Chaudhary are slated to participate in the sessions on different subjects. Furthermore, Home Minister Rajnath Singh will address the event tomorrow. (ANI) By ANI NEW DELHI: Rohingya Refugees staying in Indian camps have expressed concern over being deported to Myanmar. After the Central government deported seven Rohingya refugees to Myanmar on Friday, many now have refused to return to Myanmar, saying they will not rehabilitate until 'peace is restored in their homeland'. Speaking to ANI on Saturday, a Rohingya refugee, Mohammad Farooq said, "I have been living here since 2012. I only request the government to let us live here. We have faced a lot of hardships in our country. We did not leave our country out of greed, no one really wants to leave there own nation." Mohammad, further asserted that, the Rohingya refugees who have recently been deported will be soon killed. He said, "Our records are there with the authorities and the UN. Police brought us a form to fill but it was in Burmese language and we refused to fill it. The seven people who have been deported won't be alive for long. They will be killed." Echoing similar sentiments, another refugee, Haroon said, "We are living here since 2005. The government has provided us with no help apart from long-term visa. The government has stopped renewing it since 2017. It was previously renewed five times. We want to request the government that there is still no peace in our country. Houses are still being burnt there. No matter how long we live here, we will not get a citizenship until the government makes such provision." "Some people have filled a form that has come from Burma embassy. Whatever Indian government's order comes we follow but we did not fill that form because it was all in the Burmese language. Filling it would mean that we are going to Burma with our free will. We do not want to go to Myanmar as of now," he further added. More than 650,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Rakhine in August 2017 after Myanmar's army launched a massive crackdown in its northern state, retaliating the attacks by insurgents, Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army on the country's police posts and a military base. A large number of Rohingya refugees, since then, have taken shelter in India and Bangladesh, and are staying in refugee camps, often raising security concerns. (ANI) Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: Amid tight security measures and secrecy surrounding the contestants, the first phase of the 4-phase Urban Local Bodies (ULB) polls has begun in strife torn Jammu and Kashmir today. A police official said tight security measures have been put in place across the State, especially in Kashmir, to ensure smooth conduct of the first phase ULB polls. He said over 40,000 additional para military forces have arrived and deployed across Kashmir for the security purposes. The official said security men are providing security to Dak Bungalows, guest houses and hotels, where the candidates have been shifted due to security concerns. Besides, hi-tech electronic surveillance equipment has also been put in use for safety of candidates. He said 40,000 para military forces are in addition to the police and paramilitary forces already stationed in the Valley. In the first phase of the ULB polls, 321 wards including 238 in Jammu, 183 in Kashmir and Ladakh would go to the polls. READ HERE | Jammu and Kashmir local body polls: Can democracy sustain amidst militancy? A total of 1204 candidates including 207 from Kashmir are in fray while 78 have been elected uncontested, most of them from the Valley. The State's Chief Electorate Officer Shaleen Kabra said an electorate of 586064 is eligible to exercise the right to franchise at 820 polling stations. He said 670 polling stations have been setup in Jammu division and 150 in Kashmir and Ladakh. "In Kashmir 138 polling stations have been designated as hyper sensitive and 52 polling stations in Jammu have been categorized hyper sensitive," the CEO said. The second, third and 4th phase of ULB polls would be held on October 10, 13 and 16. The counting of votes would take place on October 20. The security men have set up check points across Srinagar and other parts of the Valley. These check points are being manned by police, CRPF and army men and they are searching and screening every vehicle passing thought these check points. The security personnel have also seized hundreds of motor-bikes ahead of election. The seizure followed killing of two National Conference workers by motor bike-borne militants in Srinagar's Habba Kadal area on Friday. After the killing, security was further beefed up and further check points were set up in sensitive and volatile areas of the Valley to prevent militants from carrying out strikes on candidates or political workers. The fight in the ULB polls is directly between Congress and BJP and its ally Peoples Conference led by separatist-turned-mainstream politician and former minister Sajjad Gani Lone. The State's two major parties National Conference and PDP and smaller parties have boycotted the polls by linking their participation to central government's stand on Article 35A, which grants special privileges to residents of J&K. The separatists have called for poll boycott while militants have warned the contestants of "severe consequences". In view of militant threat, the authorities have not released names of the candidates contesting the ULB polls in the Valley. Total secrecy is being maintained on identity of candidates and nothing is known about which candidate is contesting from which ward. Besides, no election campaign took place in the Valley, which would be witnessing first election after April 2017 bypolls to Srinagar parliamentary seat which was marred by violence and only 7 percent polling was recorded, the lowest poll percentage in State's history. Now all eyes are focused on tomorrow's polls and security official and contesting candidates are praying the day should pass off peacefully. Tomorrow's polls would decide how further three phases and municipal polls would go. Abhijit Mulye By Express News Service MUMBAI: In Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) discussed preparations for the general elections in the last two days. Not to be left behind, the BJP has invited party MPs to Mumbai for a similar meeting on Monday. On Sunday, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray had convened a meeting of party MPs at his residence Matoshree. While the party has already declared its stand to go solo in the polls, Thackeray was eager to know about the poll preparedness from the MPs. He inquired about the political situation in the constituencies and also asked questions such as the possible candidates of the Congress-NCP alliance, said a senior Sena leader. According to sources, most Sena MPs are averse to going solo in the Lok Sabha polls though none of them made it known at the meeting. Recent surveys have indicated that the Sena would bet hit hard if it goes solo in the Lok Sabha polls. The NCP had a two-day meeting over the week end to review parliamentary constituencies in the state. The party had contested 21 and won four seats in 2014. It is also likely to ask for 25 seats this year. "We reviewed all the constituencies where the party has some strength. Our leaders from Mumbai had been demanding an additional seat, while similar demands are being raised from Pune, Kolhapur, Yavatmal also. But, the discussions we had over two days were preliminary ones," NCP's state president Jayant Patil said. "We shall discuss all these issues with the Congress leaders during seat-sharing talks." T J S George By Chief Justices come and Chief Justices go, but the going of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra has been somewhat historic. He was, for example, the first CJI to face an impeachment petition. He was the first and only CJI against whom four senior judges not only had complaints but publicly expressed them by calling a Press conference. This sensational spectacle took place only this January and the impeachment move was as recent as April, just six months ago. But in these few short months, Chief Justice Misras image went through a transformation and he retired in what looked like a blaze of glory. What happened? Was the impeachment move a political act by the Congress because Justice Misra was seen to be siding with the BJP? Did he side with the BJP? Did he come out in his last few months with historic judgments in order to retrieve his reputation? Was he out to prove that his critics were small-minded? No one can belittle the importance of the judgments that stand out as markers of Justice Misras career. In 1993, he dared to confirm the death sentence on Yakub Memon in the Mumbai bomb blast case and faced death threats as a result. He had also made passive euthanasia a reality by allowing living wills. Then came, in his final days, rulings that provided constitutional space to the LGBTQ community, decriminalised adultery, allowed women to go to Sabarimala. These are social subjects with little political importance. Judges can take their stand on them without worrying about their political ramifications. But two other topics on which the Misra Bench pronounced verdicts are politically sensitive, Aadhaar and Ayodhya. The verdicts on these have not fetched universal applause. Aadhaar has made all kinds of data about citizens available to all kinds of institutions as well as the Government. The judgment has struck out a few heads but allowed data under other heads to remain. Nor has there been any relief on the vast data already made available. What the judgment achieved was to give the impression of a progressive approach without in any way abridging the Governments ability to use/misuse the data on citizens. It is, shall we say, a careful and clever judgment, not a people-oriented one. Ditto with Ayodhya. The ruling was that it is not essential for Muslims to have a mosque for them to pray. They can by tradition, pray anywhere. (That is true. They can even spread a mat on a shop floor and do namaz. However, when they tried to pray in the open in Gurugram in April, they had police protection but that didnt prevent activists from appearing and causing tension while dispersing them.) The unwritten message in the judgment is that there is no real necessity for a new Babri Masjid to be constructed at Ayodhya. That in turn means of course that there is no real impediment for a new Ram temple to be constructed at the site. Again, careful and clever. The balance sheet is that the Dipak Misra court gave out a cluster of progressive judgments in which the ruling dispensation was not all that interested, but turned mindful of the power elite in the two cases which had a political dimension. In those two cases the verdict could only have made the party in power happy. Did that have anything to do with the Bar Council of India passing a formal resolution on the eve of Justice Misras retirement asking him not to accept any government assignment after retirement at least for two years? This is a recurring issue. Great judges like J S Verma set examples by staying retired after retirement. Chief Justice R M Lodha said on his retirement day that no judge should take a post-retirement government job or constitutional office. But Lodhas successor P Sathasivam walked from the Supreme Court straight to the Raj Bhavan in Kerala. Like the earlier CJI K G Balakrishnan, Sathasivam said there was nothing wrong in taking up the job. Critics said it was a quid pro quo with BJP boss Amit Shah. Arun Jaitley put it best when he said, Pre-retirement judgments are influenced by a desire for a post-retirement job. But that was in 2012 when he was Leader of the Opposition. Now that he is in power, his vision is not as clear as before. So, will the Balakrishnan-Sathasivam kind of expediency win, or the Verma-Lodha kind of integrity? What we know is that Justice Dipak Misras post-retirement moves will be keenly watched, which is a good thing for the country. By Express News Service KASARGOD: Courts should avoid piling up of cases and justice should be delivered fast and without much expense, Governor P Sathasivam has said. He said adalats could be held to dispose of cases fast. He questioned the relevance of courts going on summer vacation for seven weeks and winter vacations for two weeks when air-conditioners could be installed. He was speaking after inaugurating the valedictory function of the diamond jubilee celebrations of Kasargod sub-court on Saturday. The former chief justice of India also called on the legislators to improve the infrastructure of the courts and suggested that the local area development fund could be used for that. Justice Sathasivan promised to take steps to start the family court and Motor Accident Claims Tribunal in Kasargod and said it would be discussed with the chief minister and the law minister. Observing that the implementation of modern technology would help the functioning of the judiciary better, he said those who work in this field should be prompt and also maintain morality towards their profession. Also, efforts are on to sanction stop for Rajadhani Express train in Kasargod and it has been taken up with the railway ministry, said the Governor. Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan, who delivered the keynote address, said the courts and judges should live in the hearts of the people, and only then they would be able to adhere to justice. Praising the recent path-breaking verdicts of the Supreme Court, he said it is not good for democracy to spit communal venom against the verdicts. People look forward to the courts when the democracy is in crisis, he said. Chief justice of Kerala Justice Hrishikesh Roy presided over the function. By Express News Service KOZHIKODE: The BJP will launch an agitation against the verdict allowing women of all ages to enter Sabarimala, party state president P S Sreedharan Pillai said here on Saturday. Stating that the BJP stands firmly with devotees, Pillai said the party core committee will decide the course of the protests. Pillai came down heavily on the LDF Government and attacked the CPM on its stand on the Sabarimala verdict. If the government tries to suppress the agitation using police force, the BJP will take it as a challenge, he said. The government should respect the feelings of devotees and relax its stand. The protest marches in the state are the spontaneous reactions of the believers, he said. Asked about Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayans meeting with Sabarimala priests to reach a consensus on the matter, Pillai said wisdom may have finally dawned on the CM. He also declined to comment on Rahul Easwars opinion that ultra-right forces were behind the Sabarimala womens entry case. I dont have a reply for him as I do not know which organisation he represents. He is not a member of the Sabarimala thantri family either, he said. Pillai also ridiculed the protests organised by the Congress. The Congress stand is opportunistic. During 1983, Ramesh Chennithala was part of the efforts to destroy Sabarimala. Now, he is protesting against the womens entry at Sabarimala. He will get an award for his opportunism, Pillai said. Pillai also clarified on the controversy related to BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhis boycott of the press meet in Kuwait on Friday. She had some urgency. So she left the press meet. I spoke to the media for 45 minutes on the Sabarimala issue, he said. Pillai also rejected the stand of BJP MP Subramanian Swamy that Central forces should be deployed to ensure entry of women into Sabarimala. Manoranjan Panda By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR: Its near impossible to write about poor, distressed, marginalised and farmers, who broadly constitute rural India, in this country. Its very difficult to talk about their issues on a daily basis. Anybody who challenges the Government is levelled as a Maoist, an Urban Naxal and anti-national, says acclaimed author and political commentator Kota Neelima. The author of Widows of Vidarbha - Making of Shadows says, India is not the handful we see on television or in the media everyday, India is the faceless men and women who fight everyday against impossible odds and survive. The state of the country and the ordinary and marginalised people needs to be researched, contextualised and communicated for a democracy to be able to correct its course constantly. Without such revision of the path, a democracy has no purpose and may even be undemocratic, she said while speaking on the sidelines of aOdisha Literary Festival-2018 organised by The New Indian Express. Over the past two decades, Neelima has been working on the issue of farmer suicides and its causes. To find out the facts which were conveniently ignored by mainstream media, she travelled from Vidarbha in Maharashtra to Punjab, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, stayed there for a few weeks on and off and interacted with farmers. The wealth dictates what makes news in this country not the poverty. The people, who dont have wealth, are kept out of media and publicity. Its as if only the wealthy and rich can only speak. The Government and political parties deal with farmers like patrons, deciding who does and doesnt deserve support. The question has to be asked: Is it really a democracy where the rich get what they want and the farmers commit suicide because he is invisible to the state?, she asks. Her fictional work Shoes of the Dead has been chosen by award-winning film director Vetrimaaran as the subject of his upcoming film. Neelima is also an artist who creates oil on canvas paintings that have been showcased at exhibitions around the world. I write what I cannot paint, and I paint what I cannot write, she says. Neelima is currently researching in Odisha, Karnataka, Telangana and conflict areas like J&K for her next books. On future goals, Neelima says she is exploring a subject called Periphery. For example, if we take up agriculture, all the policies are designed with the assumption that a farmer is a man. In most cases, if not all, a woman is not at the centre, she is at the periphery, she says. By Express News Service CHENNAI: Three sectors received nearly two-thirds of the venture funding in the last 17 years, according to a study by the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, that was released on Saturday. Software & internet services, consumer products, and fin tech & payments account for 63 per cent of the companies nationally that received venture funding, the study said. The institute released its tenth annual report on Indian venture capital and private equity focusing on the Success and Impact of Start-Ups during TiECON Chennai, an annual entrepreneurship conference, held on Saturday. While close to 1.26 million companies were formed during 2000-17, only around 0.5 per cent were able to get venture funding. The new report has identified the factors associated with successful ventures in different stages of their lifecycle. This would help entrepreneurs to better prepare their ventures for success and thus enhance the impact that can be achieved. Editor and co-author of the publication since its inception in 2009, Thillai Rajan, Department of Management Studies, IIT-Madras, said, start-ups have captured the imagination of government, investors, students, and entrepreneurs, because of the impact they have been able to create in different sectors and areas of policy importance. He said that, however, to be able to create an impact, the start-ups must be able to get subsequent rounds of funding. The study also found that the location of the start-ups plays a role in getting access to funding. El-Sisi has issued pardons several times a year, including on major national holidays and religious festivals, often releasing students and young protesters Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah E-Sisi has pardoned 3,682 people, including hundreds of indebted men and women, the interior ministry said late Saturday. The pardons come as part of the country's celebrations of the 45th anniversary of Egypts 6 October 1973 war with Israel, with Sunday a national holiday. The pardoned prisoners include around 900 indebted men and women, after their debts had been paid off by the Tahya Misr "Long Live Egypt" Fund (founded by E-Sisi in 2014) and a number of civil society organisations, the ministry added in a statement. El-Sisi has issued pardons several times a year, including on major national holidays and religious festivals, often releasing students and young protesters. 6 October marks the anniversary of an attack by Egyptian forces on Israeli fortifications in the Sinai Peninsula during the 1973 War, one which allowed Egyptian forces to push across the Suez Canal. Search Keywords: Short link: By Express News Service WANAPARTHY: Continuing his anti-Naidu diatribe, TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao has described the former as man with an iron leg. In case the grand alliance, in which the TDP is a partner, came to power, it would cause destruction of Telangana, Rao said. Naidu says that he joined the Maha Kutami led by the Congress as TRS was not willing to work with TDP. TRS aligning with TDP? ... chhee-chhee.... I will never sail with TDP till my death. Wherever he sets his foot, even green trees will wither and turn into ashes. He is a man with iron leg, Rao thundered. Slamming Naidu once again for his alleged role in the cash-for-vote case, Rao asked, Is it not true that you were caught red-handed in the cash-for-vote case? Is it not true that it was your voice which was recorded? A large crowd cheers for TRS party chief and caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, ahead of his speech at a public meeting in Wanaparthy, on Friday | Express Addressing his fourth election meeting at Wanaparthy in the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district on Friday, the TRS supremo recalled that as a CM Naidu had adopted Mahbubnagar district for development but did nothing for the parched district. Also Read | AP CM Chandrababu Naidu refuses to join verbal duel with KCR Now you decide whether to vote for the grand alliance and mortgage the self-respect of Telangana to Amaravathi and Delhi leaders. The fruits of development are before you. Do not vote for AP or Delhi parties. Eeena gaachi nakkala palu cheyavaddu (do not let foxes devour the harvested crop), he cautioned the voters. In the name of Telugu sentiment, AP rulers destroyed Telangana, he alleged. Rao also vowed not to seek votes of the people in the district if he fails to provide irrigation water to 20 lakh acres, including the existing ayacut of 8 lakh acres. If I fail to give irrigation water to 20 lakh acres after returning to power, I will not seek your votes again. I had vowed not to seek the votes of people of the state if Mission Bhagiratha was not completed. The project is 99 per cent complete. Soon all the households will get potable piped water, he said. Coming down heavily on Congress leaders for their utterances during an election meeting in Alampaur on Thursday, Rao said, Former minister DK Aruna welcomed the then Congress minister N Raghuveera Reddy with aarati for diverting Telangana water to AP and warned her saying. Aruna, vollu daggara pettukuni matlaadu.. The TRS chief described Congress as Telangana daridramu (bane) and cheeda purugu (pest). Making an indirect reference to state Congress working president A Revanth, he called him budder khan. Rao also recalled that the Congress ran away from the Assembly when he gave a PowerPoint presentation on the irrigation sector. PCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy, during a debate on irrigation projects, said that he had not come prepared to talk on projects. Another leader Chinna Reddy welcomed the construction of Pothireddypadu by the then AP government, jeopardising Telanganas interests. The Congress leaders lack even basic knowledge of irrigation projects. You decide whom you will vote for those lacking even minimum knowledge of irrigation projects and those who mortgaged Telanganas interests to Delhi and AP Congress leaders or TRS leaders who are trying hard to complete the irrigation projects on a war footing. Rao reiterated that the wages of Anganwadi and other employees would be hiked and constitution of a PRC for employees would be decided after the elections. KTR asks cadre to be prepared for poll season Hyderabad: IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao called upon TRS rank and file to be prepared for the upcoming series of elections Assembly and Centre. Addressing party workers from Sircilla Assembly segment on Friday, Rao said, This is election season. Party work will not be over with the Assembly elections since other elections will follow soon. Be prepared. Commenting on Opposition, he said that there was no silent revolution as claimed by the Congress. There will be a loud revolution - the sounds of slaps on Congress leaders faces, Rao said. Participating in the meeting, Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy said, Rama Rao participated in the Telangana movement and earned the goodwill of the people. Those who inherited their political legacy cannot continue without public support,he said. AP sleuths tapping TRS leaders phones: Karne Hyderabad: The TRS has reiterated its charge that Andhra Pradesh intelligence officials are tapping the telephones of TRS leaders. Why are AP intelligence officials tapping our phones? fumed party MLC Karne Prabhakar. Speaking to reporters here on Friday, Prabhakar alleged that AP chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu was fearing TDPs defeat in the next election. All surveys indicated that Naidus party would surely lose the Assembly elections in AP. That is why Naidu is trying to move to Telangana to play politics here. On the other hand, Telangana Congress leaders are of the opinion that Naidu is their protector Prabhakar remarked. Naidu was responsible for the destruction of Telangana. People should be wary of him. He may hatch conspiracies again in Telangana. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: A 22-year-old from Tappachabutra in Old City died on Saturday after she was set ablaze by her stalker for spurning his advances. After setting Shabana on fire, Ibrahim embraced her in an attempt to kill himself but survived. The incident created ripples in Old City, which has registered a significant rise in violence against women over the last few years. Bahrain-based Ibrahim, who is married and has two children, befriended Shabana on Facebook earlier this year and promised to marry her. The duo grew close on the social networking site and exchanged mobile numbers. Ibrahim, however, had hidden the fact that he was married already, detective sub-inspector M Sai Kumar said. Ibrahim flew down from Bahrain to spend time with Shabana. When Shabana brought the matter to her parents notice, they enquired about Ibrahim with their acquaintances. They visited Salala Barkas from where Ibrahim hails and learnt that he was married, said Sai Kumar. Following this, Shabana severed ties with the NRI and began avoiding him. A furious Ibrahim, who could not take no for an answer, arrived at the city to propose marriage to Shabana once again. Shabana told him that he had duped her by keeping details of his marriage a secret and asked him never to call her again, the DSI said. Azeemunissa, Shabanas aunt, said she froze on seeing the violence but quickly gathered herself and cried for help, but the 22-year-old had been engulfed by flames by then. Her relatives too sustained burns while trying to save her. Donita Jose By Express News Service HYDERABAD: In the last four years, Telangana reportedly saw over 1,700 women and children rescued from sex trafficking. However, not a single accused of sex trafficking was convicted. This shocking data was put to perspective by a research report, Situation of Child Trafficking in states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana undertaken by Dr Pravin P Patkar, a retired faculty member of TISS, which was released on Saturday. The report highlights that from June 2014 to July 2017 the CID wing of Telangana police rescued 1717 victims of whom 222 were children and 1495 were adult women. During the same phase through 1081 traffickers, 48 pimps and 908 clientele were arrested by the police, none of them could be convicted under any of the available sections. Experts opine there are multiple reasons as to why the conviction rates are so poor in these cases. For better conviction rates, there should be stronger cases built against the accused. The police can use POCSO, JJ Act, Immoral Traffic Prevention Act and provision of IPC. However, the data from NCRB highlights that, in the case of child victims, the cases are more than often not filed under the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act, explains Mamatha Raghuveer of NGO Tharuni. ALSO READ | #MeToo: Why I am speaking up and what I have heard In fact, of the many cases, Telangana saw on crimes against children, across 2014-16 the sections under ITPA was used only for 6 cases, with two in 2015 and 1 in 2016. The lions share of cases were filed under POSCO(1447) and JJ Act(672). The high number of cases under POCSOA and negligible under ITPA raises questions whether the trafficking cases against children are now merely being treated under POCSOA, notes the study, thereby making data on child victims go missing. Even in adult women trafficking cases majority of the cases were booked under IPC sections 376 (3248) and not ITPA(684) between 2014-17. Experts add that the additional punishment under ITPA of the minimum of 7 years to the maximum of lifetimes with a fine of Rs 1 lakh can make the case stronger for traffickers. Mahesh Bhagwat, Commissioner of Police for Rachakonda noted that the lack of convictions was also due to the fact that these networks were becoming highly sophisticated, giving complications to the investigators. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: A day after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh praised Muslims for not allowing radicalisation of their community, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi pointed out that it was Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and ideologically similar groups who were responsible for the radicalisation. Addressing the media at party headquarters on Saturday, Owaisi said, The Home Ministers statement of Muslims not allowing radicalisation of their community is true. Ironically, at the same time, Vishwa Hindu Parishad said that an ordinance must be promulgated for construction of Ram Mandir at the Babri Masjid site. It is these organisations which have become so radicalised that they dont have any respect for the Supreme Court. They dont have respect for the Constitution of India and they want to run the country according to the whims and desires of their ideology. Richa Sharma By NEW DELHI: The environment ministry has advised Haryana to come up with clear objectives for getting sanction to its project of reviving and rejuvenating the mythological Sarasvati river.The state government began digging work to trace the river at Kurukshetra in 2015. Subsequently, the Irrigation and Water Resources Department of Haryana approached the Environment Appraisal Committee (EAC) for environmental appraisal for River Valley and Hydroelectric Projects for construction of the Adi Badri Dam on Somb river and its piped link to Sarasvati river and reservoir at an estimated cost of about Rs 108.70 crore. But, the EAC observed that the projects aim is not clear as it was mentioned that indirect irrigation is involved and diversion of water during monsoon period shall be carried out to rejuvenate Sarasvati Nadi. Therefore, the EAC advised that the project proponent should firm-up the objectives of the project clearly at the first instance and come back to Ministry. The project cannot be accepted in the present form as it is not having any definite objective, said the minutes of the meeting accessed by The Sunday Standard. Excavation work was done in Sirsa and Fatehabad of Haryana and parts of Rajasthan. Besides earmarking `50 crore for the project, Haryana has roped in the Indian Space Research Organisation, the National Institute of Hydrology, the National Remote Sensing Centre and the Geological Survey of India to speed up work. The proposal submitted by Haryana mentions that the Sarasvati, the holiest river of India, has retained its sacred character right from the Rig Vedic age to the present day.The Sarasvati river system in the Vedic period includes the rivers like the Ghaggar, the Markanda, the Chautang, the Sutlej and the Yamuna. From the studies by various eminent researchers for the past several years, it has been clear that the Yamuna as well as the Sutlej were tributaries of the Sarasvati, said Haryanas pre-feasibility report. While there are varied views on existence of Sarasvati, Haryana claimed around 3700 BC, due to tectonic disturbances, the Yamuna was diverted to its present course and the Sutlej shifted to the west from Ropar, resulting in disappearance of the Sarasvati. Haryana claimed Adi Badri dam and Sarasvati reservoirs would also help in recharging ground water. Project involves construction of 33.4 m high and 160 m long dam and a 8.82 km-long pipe link to Sarasvati reservoir The catchment area of Somb Nadi up to Adi Badri dam is about 29.50 km About 31.16 HA of forestland diversion is involved in the project Richa Sharma By Almost an entire pride of 26 lions in Gujarats Gir National Park has been wiped out in less than a month, sparking concerns about the threats to the Asiatic Lion population in its only abode in the world and the need for a second home to the king of jungle in India. With a high density of the lion population in the park spread over 22,000 sq km, the state government has assured of increasing Girs landscape several times. But the question is when and also, whether that will be enough, but nobody seems to have answers to these. The authorities cite infighting among lions and viral, bacterial, protozoan infections and canine distemper as reasons behind the lion deaths in Gir. It is a cause of concern and we have screened the entire park. The infection is limited to only 0.1 per cent of the park. Various teams are camping in the park and animals are under observation to check any further spread (of the infection) to other lion prides, said Chief Conservator of Forest of Junagadh wildlife circle, Dushyant Vasavada. The deaths have brought back focus on non-execution of the Supreme Court order of 2013 on translocation of the Gir lions to another habitat to protect them from possible extinction in case of an epidemic. The fear of extinction is seemingly backed by such incidents in the past when the entire lion population of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania was wiped out in 1994 due to canine distemper virus. ALSO READ | Lions' deaths: US vaccine against viral infections arrives at Gir Sanctuary Even as the apex court has expressed concern over the recent lion deaths and has sought reply from the state and the Central governments, wildlife activists are contemplating approaching the court over the recent deaths and the urgent need for the translocation of lions. In the 2015 lion census, their number in Gir was pegged at 523. In 2017, as per an internal count, their population was estimated to be around 650. A significant number of the lions nearly one-fourth live outside the core habitat, increasing the risk to them from infrastructure projects, human-wildlife conflict and other external factors. Wildlife experts feel the actual number of lions living outside the core area could be even higher. The Gujarat government recently said around 184 lions had died during 2016 and 2017, of which 32 died due to unnatural causes, including poaching. Ajay Dubey of non-governmental organisation Prayatna, which had approached the Supreme Court in March over the non-compliance of its 2013 order, said: The SC dismissed our petition after the Union environment ministry said it would comply with the 2013 order. Six months have passed, but not even a single meeting of the steering committee constituted to look into lion translocation, has taken place. This kind of infection can be epidemic and can wipe out the entire lion population. The plan for translocation of lions from Gir to the Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh dates back to 1993-94. But things have not moved in the last 25 years, mainly due to the Gujarat governments reluctance to share the states pride. In 2006, the matter reached the Supreme Court following a lawsuit filed by wildlife ecologist Faiyaz Khusdar. The top court ordered Gujarat in April 2013 to give lions to Madhya Pradesh within next six months to save them from possible extinction in case any catastrophe like epidemic, large forest fire takes place and also to increase genetic pool. Ravi Chellam, a conservation biologist, questions the seriousness of the authorities. The Supreme Court passed the order in April 2013 for translocation of lions within six months and it has been more than five years with very little progress on the ground progress, especially from Gujarat government. The authorities havent respected the spirit and intent of the court order. What justification do they have for this? A contempt petition was filed in SC in 2016. In the last hearing in March, the Government of India assured speedy action. The expert committee last met in December 2016 and since then, there has been little progress, said Chellam, who is part of the expert committee formed to plan lion translocation. Warning against the spread of infection, Dr NVK Ashraf, chief of conservation at Wildlife Trust of India, said its looked like a contagious infection as there had never been so many deaths at Gir earlier. Its a wake-up call that an epidemic can spread anytime.... What is worrying is that the virus can attack the next pride, said Ashraf. He also flagged the need to control the population of dog around the parks. Ive been told that dogs in the area are community dogs and not feral ones. Authorities need to check this, he added. Anuradha Shukla By NEW DELHI: Until recently, they rubbed shoulders with captains of industry, did business with high government officials and led a peripatetic existence. Perhaps not anymore. Chanda Kochhar, Naina Lal Kidwai, Shikha Sharma and Usha Ananthsubramanian were heads of top banks in the country and were counted among the most powerful women in the land. But in the past six months, three of them have had to step down from their high profile jobs under unceremonious circumstances.Former Punjab National Bank chief Ananthsubramanian was sacked on August 14, a day before her retirement for her alleged involvement in the PNB scam. Sharmas tenure as the Axis Bank chief executive was cut short by the Reserve Bank of India for the rising non-performing assets in her bank.On Thursday, Kochhar, facing allegations of favoritism in sanctioning loans to Videocon in which her husband was a partner, too made an exit. A gold medalist from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Kochhar has no fancy foreign degrees or a family business background like her peers and former HSBC country head Naina Lal Kidwai. Her grit and talent, and grooming by her mentor KV Kamath, a former non-executive chairman of ICICI Bank, helped her to become MD and CEO of the bank in 2008, which she had joined as a management trainee in 1984. With her woman next door image, Kochhar soon became an icon for many women. No sector has been so generous in promoting women. We have so many women heading both public sector banks and Private sector Banks. Women are at the top, said Kochhar last year after she was named among the top five powerful women in the financial sector by Forbes. It is just unfortunate. It is a difficult time for the banking sector. However, I feel eventually things will settle down in couple month, said Kidwai. I dont know if the allegations are true or not. But it cannot take away the fact that she (Kochar) did extremely well in her nine year tenure as the CEO, said N Vaghul, former chairman of the ICICI Bank. Express News Service By Chief Conservator of Forest of Junagadh wildlife circle, Dushyant Vasavada, says there were multiple reasons for the recent lion deaths. All measures have been put in place to contain the spread (of infection) to other areas in the Gir National Park, he asserted. About 140 teams consisting of 550 people had screened the entire forest area to ensure that lions were not at risk, Vasavada told Richa Sharma. What is the situation so far? Till now, 23 lions have died and the deaths have taken place in a particular area in Amreli district spread around 25 sq km. The lion population is spread over 22,000 sq km in Gir and this (affected) area is just 0.1 per cent of the park. It is purely a local problem and the moment we came to know, we picked up all live animals and put them in hospitals and rescue centre. Blood samples and tissues have been sent to various laboratories, including the Junagadh veterinary college, the forensic science laboratory at Hyderabad, IVRI Pune and the biotechnology lab at Gandhinagar. Are there chances of a rise in casualties? The dead animals belonged to a single pride of 26. Of the remaining three, two are critical. When the numbers increased, we called veterinary experts including retired doctors and experts from Rajkot and Vadodara zoo. A team of officials from Union Environment Ministry and experts from the Wildlife Institute of India also visited. ALSO READ | Virus which wiped out 30 per cent lion population in East Africa responsible for Gir big cat deaths: Report To check the spread in surrounding area, 31 lions were rescued and kept in animal care centre under observation. Their blood samples were tested and we found that they are absolutely healthy. We will keep them for some days until we are sure that they do not have any infection. What are the reasons behind lion deaths at Gir? The deaths have taken place due to multiple reasons and cannot be attributed to a single cause. Some deaths were due to infighting, which is a natural phenomenon among lions. Some died of viral, bacterial and protozoan infections and canine distemper virus. We will investigate how did these lions pick up the infections. But as of now, our entire focus and effort is on saving them. As a precautionary measure for canine distemper virus, we have imported vaccines from the US and animals needing it will be vaccinated. What safety measures have been put in place? We constituted 140 teams consisting of 550 people and they screened the entire lion population of Gir and surrounding areas over eight-nine days and we did not find any signs of infection in other regions. Teams from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute-Bareilly, Delhi zoo and Etawah Lion Safari were also called as they had faced similar situations. They inspected the animals and collected samples and will be sending us reports. Your response to the demand for translocation of lions? The matter is in the Supreme Court and I cant comment on it. Namita Bajpai By LUCKNOW: Vivek Tiwari, area sales manager of Apple Inc., was shot dead by a constable of Uttar Pradesh Police past midnight on September 29, when he was going to drop a colleague to her house in his SUV. They were returning home after a product launch event. A young woman studying medicine in Meerut was abused, slapped and punched by three police personnel, including a woman constable, for allegedly dating a Muslim boy. A video of the incident went viral. These are just two recent examples of high-handedness of UP Police that have left the state government red in the face and at a loss of words to explain its policy of giving a free hand to the police to tackle crime. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths repeated assertion that goli ka jawab goli se diya jayega (a bullet for a bullet) to warn the criminals has ostensibly emboldened the police so much so that they have become totally brazen. Already under attack for a spate of encounters since the Yogi government came to power, Tiwaris cold-blooded murder and attempt to hush up the case initially has tore UP Polices reputation to shreds. Initially, the police claimed the constable had fired in self-defence. But realising the sensibilities of the case, the entire state machinery got into damage control mode as it was not possible to pass it as another encounter. Although state DGP O P Singh says the policemen involved in the above-mentioned instances are not brand ambassadors of state police, they have done enough damage to the forces reputation. Vocal support by a section of constabulary to the accused policemen in the Tiwari case has made things worse.The case has not only put a question mark on the Yogi governments encounter policy but has also brought under the scanner large-scale recruitment of constables done by the previous Samajwadi Party government without any screening and proper training in 2015-16. There have been over 1,500 police encounters since the Yogi government took over in March 2017 and 60 listed criminals have been killed in these encounters. UP also has the dubious distinction of recording nearly 300 deaths in jail and nearly 100 in police custody every year. The government has been openly defending these encounters. Thereafter, it becomes very difficult to segregate between genuine and staged encounters. Besides, thousands of constables were recruited in 2015-16 without any written test and proper training and they have been issued guns for patrolling. Prashant Chaudhary, the constable accused of killing Tiwari, belonged to the same batch, said a retired IPS officer. With instances of police high-handedness piling up, questions are being raised whether a force with such a reputation deserves UPCOCA. Experts say the promulgation of the Uttar Pradesh Control of Organised Crime Act will equip police with enormous powers which may take the impudence of policemen to a new high. Its perhaps because of this possibility that the Centre has not cleared the UPCOCA Bill pending with it for six months. By PTI LYON: China on Sunday officially confirmed that the Chinese head of the Interpol, who had reportedly gone missing, is being investigated for suspected breach of law. However, it was not clear if the Interpol president, Meng Hongwei, was detained. Meng, 64, who is also the vice minister of public security, is being investigated by China's National Supervisory Commission for suspected violations of laws, state-run Xinhua news agency reported quoting an official statement. The confirmation came amid reports that Interpol has asked China about its missing president. Meng was last seen in France on September 29, according to reports from France. The reports quoted an unnamed French judicial official as saying that Meng arrived in China at the end of September but there had been no news of him since. On Saturday, quoting a source, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post had reported that Meng, the first Chinese head of the international law enforcement agency headquartered in France, was "taken away" for questioning by discipline authorities "as soon as he landed in China" in the last week of September. However, it was not immediately clear why he was being investigated or exactly where he was being held. The French police had said on Friday that they have launched a probe for Meng after being contacted by his wife. Interpol, which is based in Lyon, said on Friday that it was aware of reports of Meng's "alleged disappearance and that the issue was a matter for the relevant authorities in France and China. In a report on Sunday, the Post quoted an analyst as saying that the fact Beijing was willing to jeopardise its diplomatic relations by snatching a high-profile official in such a way suggested the stakes were high. While Meng is listed on the website of China's Ministry of Public Security as a vice-minister, he lost his seat on its Communist Party Committee -- its real decision-making body -- in April, the Post reported. According to his own page on the site, Meng's last official engagement was on August 23, when he met Lai Chung Han, a second permanent secretary of Singapore, it said. Meng was appointed the head of Interpol in 2016. His appointment also sparked concern about China extending its crackdown on dissidents abroad. He is due to serve until 2020. Interpol is the world's largest agency facilitating police cooperation with 192 member countries. Funeral prayers were held Sunday afternoon at Al-Mowasah Mosque in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria Former Egyptian Minister of Justice Mamdouh Marei died Sunday at the age of 80, state news agency MENA reported. Funeral prayers were held Sunday afternoon at Al-Mowasah Mosque in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria. Marei served as Egypt's justice minister from 2007 until 2011. Prior to that, Marei held a number of senior judicial positions, including head of Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court from 2003 to 2006, and president of the Cairo Appeals Court from 2001 to 2003. Search Keywords: Short link: By Associated Press JERUSALEM: Israel's prime minister says he will meet Russia's president for the first time since the downing of a Russian warplane by Syrian forces reacting to an Israeli air raid last month. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been trying to ease tensions with Russia since the incident. Russia blamed Israel for the shootdown and responded by supplying Syria with sophisticated S-300 air defense systems. Speaking to his Cabinet Sunday, Netanyahu said he had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and would soon travel to Moscow for face-to-face talks. He said he had stressed the importance of military coordination with Russia, while also saying Israel "will act at all times to prevent Iran from establishing a military presence" in Syria. Israel frequently carries out airstrikes against Iran and its allies in Syria. By AFP SEOUL: Kim Jong Un has agreed to hold a second summit with US President Donald Trump as soon as possible, Seoul said Sunday, after Washington's top diplomat held "productive" talks on denuclearisation with the North Korean leader in Pyongyang. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Kim on Sunday morning for around two hours of talks followed by a lunch in the North's capital, before flying to Seoul on a whirlwind diplomatic visit to the region. Pompeo said "he agreed with Chairman Kim to hold the second US-North Korea summit at the earliest date possible," South Korea's presidential office said in a statement, although no specific time or location has yet been agreed. ALSO READ | Pompeo ends fourth North Korea trip, says progress made with Kim Pompeo and Kim also discussed "denuclearisation steps that will be taken by North Korea and the issue of attendance by the US government," as well as "corresponding measures" to be taken by the US, the statement said. The visit was Pompeo's fourth to North Korea. US President Donald Trump met Kim in Singapore in June for the first-ever summit between the countries, resulting in what critics say was only a vague commitment by Kim towards denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. "We continue to make progress on agreements made at Singapore Summit. Thanks for hosting me and my team," Pompeo tweeted. Kim also praised their "nice meeting", telling Pompeo via an interpreter following the morning's talks that it was "a very nice day that promises a good future ... for both countries." Since the Singapore summit, the road towards warmer ties has been bumpy. Washington and Pyongyang have sparred over the exact terms of the vaguely-worded agreement in Singapore, with the US pushing to maintain sanctions and pressure against the North until its "final, fully verified denuclearisation". Last month the North's foreign minister told the United Nations there was "no way" his country would disarm first as long as tough US sanctions remain against his country. After a previous visit to Pyongyang in July, Pompeo had said the two foes made progress on key issues -- but within hours of his departure the North condemned "gangster-like" demands from the US, raising questions over how much the two sides really saw eye to eye. Another planned trip by Pompeo to Pyongyang was scrapped after what Trump said was insufficient progress towards implementing the terms of the Singapore declaration. An official on Sunday's latest visit to Pyongyang with Pompeo said the trip was "better than the last time", but added: "It's going to be a long haul." Following his arrival in Seoul from Pyongyang on Sunday, Pompeo said at a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in that he had "a good productive conversation" with Kim, in talks which represented "another step forward". The dovish Moon, who held three summits with Kim this year and also brokered the Trump-Kim summit in Singapore, said Sunday the "whole world" was watching with keen interest the outcomes of Pompeo's trip. "I hope your trip to North Korea and the upcoming second US-North Korea summit will provide a good opportunity for achieving irreversible, decisive progress in terms of denuclearisation and the peace process on the Korean peninsula." Analysts say Washington may now consider new options as China, Russia and South Korea seek to relax sanctions. "North Korea took some steps towards denuclearisation and the US will face criticism from the international community if it continues to demand complete denuclearisation without any lifting of sanctions," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "We can't rule out the possibility that Washington... may move in the direction of partial easing of sanctions based on progress in denuclearisation," he said. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has given a hint of what a grand bargain between the two countries could look like. In an interview with the Washington Post, she said the North could agree to dismantle Yongbyon, its signature nuclear site. In exchange, the United States would declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War -- which concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty -- but North Korea would stop short of delivering an exhaustive list of its nuclear facilities, she said. After Seoul, Pompeo ends his trip Monday in China, North Korea's political and economic lifeline. The Beijing stop could be tense as it comes days after Vice President Mike Pence delivered a blistering speech accusing China of military aggression, commercial theft, rising human rights violations and electoral intervention against Trump. By IANS RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Sunday denied reports that Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who went missing earlier this week, was killed at the country's consulate in Istanbul, as reported by several international media. ALSO READ: Turkey finds journalist Jamal Khashoggi killed in Saudi consulate A statement released by the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) cited a diplomatic officer who categorically denied "these baseless allegations, and expressed his doubt that they came from Turkish officials that are informed of the investigation or are authorized to comment on the issue", reports Efe news. The official quoted by SPA underlined that Saudi Arabia was responsible for the safety and well-being of all its citizens, wherever they may be, and that its authorities "are diligently following up on this matter to uncover the complete facts". The statement came out after reports published on Saturday night by various international media, citing Turkish officials, alleged that Khashoggi was killed at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul. According to two sources quoted by The Washington Post, for which Khashoggi worked, the journalist died earlier this week at the hands of a Saudi assassination squad. Turkish news agency Anadolu also reported that the Turkish authorities were investigating the role played by the 15-member special team of Saudi Arabian citizens into Khashoggi's disappearance. Khashoggi, former general manager of the Al Arab Media Group and columnist for the Washington Post, disappeared on October 2 after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, where he has been living in exile since 2017. The Saudi consulate subsequently issued a statement saying that the journalist had left its premises on October 2, although the Turkish government, which summoned the Saudi ambassador in Ankara demanding explanations on the whereabouts of Khashoggi, said he remained inside the consular precinct. By Associated Press WASHINGTON: Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in Saturday night as the 114th justice of the US Supreme Court, after a wrenching debate over sexual misconduct and judicial temperament that shattered the Senate, captivated the nation and ushered in an acrimonious new level of polarization now encroaching on the court that the 53-year-old judge may well swing rightward for decades to come. Even as Kavanaugh took his oath of office in a quiet private ceremony, not long after the narrowest Senate confirmation in nearly a century and a half, protesters chanted outside the court building across the street from the Capitol. Retired Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, right, administers the Judicial Oath to Judge Brett Kavanaugh in the Justices' Conference Room of the Supreme Court Building. Ashley Kavanaugh holds the Bible. At left are their daughters, Margaret, background, and Liza. (Photo | AP) The climactic 50-48 roll call capped a fight that seized the national conversation after claims emerged that he had sexually assaulted women three decades ago allegations he emphatically denied. Those accusations transformed the clash from a routine struggle over judicial ideology into an angry jumble of questions about victims' rights, the presumption of innocence and personal attacks on nominees. His confirmation provides a defining accomplishment for President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, which found a unifying force in the cause of putting a new conservative majority on the court. Before the sexual accusations grabbed the Senate's and the nation's attention, Democrats had argued that Kavanaugh's rulings and writings as an appeals court judge had raised serious concerns about his views on abortion rights and a president's right to bat away legal probes. Trump, flying to Kansas for a political rally, flashed a thumbs-up gesture when the tally was announced and praised Kavanaugh for being "able to withstand this horrible, horrible attack by the Democrats." He later telephoned his congratulations to the new justice, then at the rally returned to his own attack on the Democrats as "an angry left-wing mob." Like Trump, senators at the Capitol predicted voters would react strongly by defeating the other party's candidates in next month's congressional elections. "It's turned our base on fire," declared Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. But Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York forecast gains for his party instead: "Change must come from where change in America always begins: the ballot box." The justices themselves made a quiet show of solidarity. Kavanaugh was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts and the man he's replacing, retired Justice Anthony Kennedy, as fellow Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan looked on two conservatives and two liberals. Still, Kagan noted the night before that Kennedy has been "a person who found the center" and 'it's not so clear we'll have that' now. Jessica Campbell-Swanson, an activist from Denver, kisses the sculpture known as the Statue of Contemplation of Justice on the steps of the Supreme Court Building where she and others protested the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh as the high court's newest justice, in Washington, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. (Photo | AP) Noisy to the end, the Senate battle featured a call of the roll that was interrupted several times by protesters shouting in the spectators' gallery before Capitol Police removed them. Vice President Mike Pence presided, his potential tie-breaking vote unnecessary. Trump has now put his stamp on the court with his second justice in as many years. Yet Kavanaugh is joining under a cloud. Accusations from several women remain under scrutiny, and House Democrats have pledged further investigation if they win the majority in November. Outside groups are culling an unusually long paper trail from his previous government and political work, with the National Archives and Records Administration expected to release a cache of millions of documents later this month. Kavanaugh, a father of two, strenuously denied the allegations of Christine Blasey Ford, who says he sexually assaulted her when they were teens. An appellate court judge on the District of Columbia circuit for the past 12 years, he pushed for the Senate vote as hard as Republican leaders not just to reach this capstone of his legal career, but in fighting to clear his name After Ford's allegations, Democrats and their allies became engaged as seldom before, though there were obvious echoes of Thomas' combative confirmation over the sexual harassment accusations of Anita Hill, who worked for him at two federal agencies. Protesters began swarming Capitol Hill, creating a tense, confrontational atmosphere that put Capitol Police on edge. As exhausted senators prepared for Saturday's vote, some were flanked by security guards. Hangers and worse have been delivered to their offices, a Roe v. Wade reference. Some 164 people were arrested, most for demonstrating on the Capitol steps, 14 for disrupting the Senate's roll call vote. McConnell told The Associated Press in an interview that the "mob" of opposition confronting senators in the hallways and at their homes united his narrowly divided GOP majority as Kavanaugh's confirmation teetered and will give momentum to his party chances this fall. Beyond the sexual misconduct allegations, Democrats raised questions about Kavanaugh's temperament and impartiality after he delivered defiant, emotional, testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee where he denounced their party. Schumer said Kavanaugh's "partisan screed" showed not only a temperament unfitting for the high court but a lack of objectivity that should make him ineligible to serve. At one point in the hearing, Kavanaugh blamed a Clinton-revenge conspiracy for the accusations against him. The fight ended up less about judicial views than the sexual assault accusations that riveted the nation and are certain to continue a national debate and #MeToo reckoning that is yet to be resolved. Republicans argued that a supplemental FBI investigation instigated by wavering GOP senators and ordered by the White House turned up no corroborating witnesses to the claims and that Kavanaugh had sterling credentials for the court. Democrats dismissed the truncated report as insufficient. In the end, all but one Republican, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, lined up behind the judge. She said on the Senate floor late Friday that Kavanaugh is "a good man" but his "appearance of impropriety has become unavoidable." In a twist, Murkowski voted "present" Saturday as a courtesy to Republican Kavanaugh supporter Steve Daines, who was to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding in Montana. That balanced out the absence without affecting the outcome, and gave Kavanaugh the same two-vote margin he'd have received had both lawmakers voted. It was the closest roll call to confirm a justice since 1881, when Stanley Matthews was approved by 24-23, according to Senate records. As the Senate tried to recover from its charged atmosphere, Murkowski's move offered a moment of civility. "I do hope that it reminds us that we can take very small steps to be gracious with one another and maybe those small gracious steps can lead to more," she said. Republicans control the Senate by a meager 51-49 margin, and announcements of support Friday from Republicans Jeff Flake of Arizona and Susan Collins of Maine, along with Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia, locked in the needed votes. Manchin was the only Democrat to vote for Kavanaugh's confirmation. He expressed empathy for sexual assault victims, but said that after factoring in the FBI report, "I have found Judge Kavanaugh to be a qualified jurist who will follow the Constitution." A procedural vote Friday made Saturday's confirmation a foregone conclusion. White House Counsel Don McGahn, who helped salvage Kavanaugh's nomination as it teetered, sat in the front row of the visitors' gallery for the vote with deputy White House press secretary Raj Shah. Senators on both sides know they have work to do to put the chamber back together again after a ferocious debate that saw them arguing over the sordid details of high school drinking games, sexual allegations and cryptic yearbook entries. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said, "The Senate has been an embarrassment. We have a lot of work to do." By AFP ISTANBUL: Turkish police have concluded that prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered inside the Saudi mission in Istanbul after going missing Tuesday, an unnamed government official said Saturday. "Based on their initial findings, the police believe that the journalist was killed by a team especially sent to Istanbul and who left the same day," the official told AFP. The news came hours after police confirmed that around 15 Saudis, including officials, arrived in Istanbul on two flights on Tuesday and were at the consulate at the same time as the journalist. Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor, "did not come back out" of the building, police had told the state-run Anadolu news agency. On the back of this preliminary investigation, Ankara announced Saturday it had opened an official probe into the journalist's disappearance. Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi speaks during a press conference in Manama, Bahrain. The Washington Post said Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018, it was concerned for the safety of Khashoggi, a columnist for the newspaper, after he apparently went missing after going to the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. (Photo | AP) A former government adviser who has been critical of some policies of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Riyadh's intervention in the war in Yemen, Khashoggi has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since last year to avoid possible arrest. The Saudi crown prince earlier denied in an interview with Bloomberg that the journalist had been inside the consulate and said Turkish authorities could search the building. "We are ready to welcome the Turkish government to go and search our premises," he said. The consulate is Saudi sovereign territory. He added that "we will allow them to enter and search and do whatever they want to do... We have nothing to hide", in the interview published Friday. Reacting to the news of his alleged murder, Khashoggi's Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, said she "did not believe he has been killed". According to Cengiz, Khashoggi had visited the consulate to receive an official document for his marriage. Turkey's foreign ministry on Wednesday summoned Saudi Arabia's ambassador over Khashoggi. Khashoggi, who turns 60 on October 13, 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. The journalist 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. 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. By Associated Press SEOUL: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made unspecified progress Sunday toward an agreement for Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons. There was no immediate indication, though, if Pompeo managed to arrange a second summit between Kim and President Donald Trump. Arriving in Seoul after spending several hours in Pyongyang on his fourth trip to North Korea, Pompeo tweeted that he and Kim had "good talks" and that they "continue to make progress on agreements made at Singapore summit," referring to the historic June meeting between Trump and Kim that resulted in a vague agreement for the North to denuclearize. He offered no details and upon landing in South Korea briefed White House national security adviser John Bolton and chief of staff John Kelly on his trip, officials said. Pompeo, on the third stop of a four-leg trip that began in Japan and will end in China, was then to meet South Korea's President Moon Jae-in and foreign minister. In Pyongyang, Pompeo and Kim met for about 3 1/2 hours, first in a business session and then in a 90-minute luncheon that the North Korean leader hosted at a state guesthouse, according to the pool report of the lone US journalist allowed to accompany the secretary on his trip. "It's a very nice day that promises a good future for both countries," Kim told Pompeo through a translator as they sat down for the meal. Had a good trip to #Pyongyang to meet with Chairman Kim. We continue to make progress on agreements made at Singapore Summit. Thanks for hosting me and my team @StateDept pic.twitter.com/mufyOKkDLw Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) 7 October 2018 "Yeah, so we had a great, great visit this morning," Pompeo replied. "Thank you for hosting, President Trump sends his regards. And we had a very successful morning so thank you and I am looking forward to our time here at lunch as well." Pompeo had planned to meet with Kim on the trip his third to Pyongyang as secretary of state but North Korean officials said Kim's participation in the lunch had not been expected. Kim had not met with Pompeo on his last visit and Trump abruptly canceled his top diplomat's plans to travel to North Korea last month, citing a lack of progress in the negotiations Next stop #Pyongyang to meet with Chairman Kim and continue our work to fulfill the commitments made @potus and Chairman Kim at the #singaporesummit #DPRK @StateDept pic.twitter.com/jBzL64tPtM Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) 6 October 2018 One US official who accompanied Pompeo said Sunday's meeting was "better than the last time," but added that "it's going to be a long haul." The official was not authorized to discuss the negotiations publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Pompeo had flown to Pyongyang from Tokyo after talks there with Japan's prime minister during which he pledged the Trump administration would coordinate and unify its strategy for denuclearization with allies. Japan has been wary of the initiative, but South Korea has embraced it. Pompeo has repeatedly refused to discuss details of negotiations, including a US position on North Korea's demand for a declared end to the Korean War and a proposal from Seoul for such a declaration to be accompanied by a shutdown of the North's main known nuclear facility. The US and Japan have pushed for the North to compile and turn over a detailed list of its nuclear sites to be dismantled as a next step in the process; the North has rejected that. Since the denuclearization effort got underway with a secret visit to the North by then-CIA chief Pompeo in April, there has been only limited progress, even since the June 12 Trump-Kim summit in Singapore that many had hoped would jump-start the effort. North Korea so far has suspended nuclear and missile tests, freed three American prisoners and dismantled parts of a missile engine facility and tunnel entrances at a nuclear test site. It has not taken any steps to halt nuclear weapons or missile development. The North also has accused Washington of making "unilateral and gangster-like" demands on denuclearization and insisted that sanctions should be lifted before any progress in nuclear talks. US officials have thus far said sanctions will remain in place until the North's denuclearization is fully verified. Pompeo said in Tokyo that it was important to hear from the Japanese leader "so we have a fully coordinated and unified view." He also pledged that during his meeting with Kim on Sunday, he would raise the cases of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea. By AFP LYON: The international police organisation Interpol announced Sunday that it has received the resignation of its Chinese chief Meng Hongwei, who has been missing since September 25 and is suspected by Beijing of "violating the law". Meng has resigned "with immediate effect" and Senior Vice President Kim Jong Yang of South Korea has become acting president, Interpol said in a statement. Meng, the first Chinese president of Interpol, was last heard from on September 25 as he left Lyon, where the police agency is based, for China. That day, his wife said he sent a social media message telling her to "wait for my call", before sending a knife emoji signifying danger. She said she feared for his life. Beijing, which had remained tight-lipped about Meng's fate since French officials disclosed his disappearance on Friday, said in a one-line statement that Meng "is currently under investigation on suspicion of violating the law". Interpol also said in its statement that it will elect a new president for the remaining two years of the current mandate at its general assembly to be held in Dubai on November 18-21.